nanooks

Much more than just another compilation of film clips, this celebration of movie magic made me smile from start to finish. With personalities ranging from George Clooney to Bob Evans to Richard Zanuck, it's a privilege to listen in on these insiders discuss why we love movies, and what makes them hits or bombs. We see Jodie Foster and Charlize Theron talking about why they have made their role choices, and what drives them to take the difficult parts no one thought they could do. We see Morgan Freeman commenting on his involvement with big flops (Bonfire of the Vanities) and huge but unexpected hits (Unforgiven, Driving Miss Daisy, March of the Penguins). Best of all, we do see wonderful clips of some of the best and worst films in cinema history.

Saw this at the USA Film Festival in Dallas. The film shows conclusively that the WR Grace Company knew for years about how dangerous the conditions in its mining operation were, but they did nothing to warn their employees. When the EPA came in and examined the workers, and their homes and families, the extent of the asbestos exposure was extremely high, descending through three generations. When it became clear that the company would be held liable, they declared bankruptcy, after apparently shuffling their assets off to another entity to protect their billion dollar profits. We also see the frustration of employees of government agencies, who must balance the well being of people they have come to regard as friends against the realities of their budget constraints.

This was a good movie, but there were several plot holes you could drive a truck through. I found myself saying "No one would really do that" over and over again. It seemed as though the director wanted to do a straight suspense film, and Steve Martin wanted to do a screwball comedy, and in the end, it's neither one. The characters are well played, and Helena Bonham Carter did an especially good job with a big departure from her previous roles as refined British noble women. At times, the actors got very close to being caricatures instead of characters. All in all, an enjoyable film if you aren't expecting the quality of "The Spanish Prisoner", which I think is still Steve Martin's best film ever.

This movie was a disappointment for me, as I really like both Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn. I spent a good deal of time waiting for something to happen on screen,and almost nothing did. I got the impression that Favreau had a lot of ideas about where to go with this film and never settled on one, so it seems like a scatter shot at all of them. The interaction between these two guys looked like a contest to see how many times they could say "F***ing" on screen, and the same scene played over and over. Several of the supporting characters were great, and could have added a lot to the film if they had been given more to do, especially the little girl.

The acting in this film is very good. All of the cast fit well into their roles, and they come over as very real. The dialogue is never forced or too cute, which is a refreshing change. I really enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone.

I enjoyed this movie, and think the actors did a great job, but there was no real point to the film. Perhaps the point is that nothing much happens in West Texas, but I was hoping for more insight into the character's past lives, or some resolution to the tension built up in the plot.