Sunday, 21 July 2019
The Color Purple (1985)
A black Southern woman struggles to find her identity after suffering abuse from her father and others over four decades.
Grand-scale saga with an excellent ensemble and wonderful cinematography tells a meandering tale, at times at risk of drifting apart, but contains many memorable scenes.
Halliwell**: "Well-intentioned and gracious but not always dramatically cohesive generation saga from a director trying to prove he has depth."
Maltin***1/2: "...a sprawling saga...Spielberg's controversial interpretation of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-wnning book will either grab you emotionally (in which case you'll overlook its flaws) or leave you cold. Masterfully filmed...with striking cinematography...moving music score...Rich performances include screen debut for Winfrey."
Saturday, 20 July 2019
The Rose (1979)
The tragic life of a self-destructive female rock star who struggles to deal with the constant pressures of her career and the demands of her ruthless business manager.
From memory: Revved-up musical biopic overdoes its simulation of the wild rock showbiz life on the edge, but Bette Midler is great in the title role.
Halliwell (no star): "An unattractive, hysterical, foul-mouthed show business biopic roughly based on Janis Joplin, this does afford an undisciplined night-club talent a role get her teeth into."
Maltin**: "Spin-off of the Janis Joplin saga equates showbiz with hell, then concentrates on giving the audience too much of the latter. Midler...and Forrest deliver dynamic performances, but film leaves a lot to be desired. Impressive photography by Vilmos Zsigmond."
Rocky II (1979)
Rocky struggles in family life after his bout with Apollo Creed, while the embarrassed champ insistently goads him to accept a challenge for a rematch.
From memory: More mediocre remake than sequel is at times rather saccharine, but the boxing match is well staged.
Halliwell (no star): "Over-inflated but under-nourished sequel with absolutely new to offer."
Maltin***: "Officially a sequel, this slightly silly film is more of a rehash, but the climactic bout (and build up to it) hits home."
Whitney (2018)
An in-depth look at the life and music of Whitney Houston.
Extensive documentary follows the success story of a truly singular talent, her dowfall and the harrowing and saddening last years before her premature death.
Friday, 19 July 2019
Kidnap (2017)
A mother stops at nothing to recover her kidnapped son.
Although Halle Berry does as good as she can, the kidnapped child is nothing more than a MacGuffin for a feature-length car chase.
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