Showing posts with label Raul Julia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Raul Julia. Show all posts

Wednesday, 23 March 2022

One From the Heart (1981)


 

The five-year romance of a window dresser and her boyfriend breaks up, as each of them finds a more interesting partner.

From memory: An expensive, audacious, but failed experiment by Francis Ford Coppola, it's visually stunning,  but narrative (and music) are simply not quite from the heart; it's all too obviously artificial.

Halliwell*: "Extraordinarily slim (for its cost) romantic fantasy which makes one wonder why, of all stories in the world, its creator chose this one. It does however boast attractive visuals."

Maltin**: "Lavishly produced but practically plotless romantic comedy...Dean Tavoularis' stylized Las Vegas set and the cinematography by Vittorio Storaro and Ronald V. Garcia are astonishing! Unfortunately, pretty images do not make a film...one of Coppola's most surreal entertainments. A must for the curious - others beware." 



Thursday, 3 October 2019

The Addams Family (1991)



Con artists plan to fleece an eccentric family using an accomplice who claims to be their long-lost uncle.

From memory: Nicely made and very well cast adaptation has its some enjoyable bits and moments, but is far cry from the charm of the beloved TV series.

Halliwell*: "Owing more to the TV series of the 1960s than to the macabre wit of the original New Yorker cartoons, an ill-conceived, coarse-grained comedy that nevertheless was a success at the box-office."

Maltin***: ""Piquant comedy...Huston and Julia are absolutely perfect as Morticia  and Gomez, and maintain a light touch while dispensing their gleefully ghoulish black humor. Impressive directorial debut for cinematographer Sonnenfeld.