Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) - 5 stars out of 10

Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) - 5 stars out of 10

Everything about this movie is “okay.”  Nice story, good acting, heartwarming moral about the goodness in people, but I’ll probably forget about this one after the next baseball movie I see.  “Bang the Drum Slowly” tells the story of the New York Mammoths, a down-and-out baseball team whose catcher is bullied by his teammates and secretly suffering from Hodgkin’s disease.  As each member of the team learns of his plight, they begin to accept and encourage each other.  This new attitude spills out onto the field and the team begins to win.  Robert DeNiro plays the role of the ill, unintelligent catcher.  This early role in his career thrust him into the spotlight, though his acting has come a long way since this performance.  Michael Moriarty was very good as Henry Wiggins, star pitcher and DeNiro’s only friend.  Vincent Gardenia was nominated for Best Supporting Actor as Dutch, the coach of the ballclub, but there was really only one monologue of his that stood out to me.  The plot is predictable and slow moving but creates some nice moments toward the end.  “Bang the Drum Slowly” is a very vanilla film.  It isn’t very memorable but definitely worth a watch if you are a baseball fan.

Spaceballs - 8 stars out of 10

Spaceballs - 8 stars out of 10

“Spaceballs” is a classic.  Mel Brooks’ spoof on “Star Wars” has become one of the films that define the parody genre, combining slapstick comedy with clever cultural references.  Disclaimer: There is not a single serious moment in this film and if you are not in a dumb humor mindset, you will spend more time rolling your eyes than being entertained.  All of the Star Wars characters are transformed into caricatures, from Colonel Sandurz to Yogurt to Pizza the Hut.  Rick Moranis steals the show as Dark Helmet, the dimwitted Darth Vader character whose oversized helmet (and safari hat) are always getting in the way.  His line delivery is perfect (“What's the matter, Colonel Sandurz? CHICKEN?”, “I hate Yogurt!  Even with strawberries!”) and his movements play out like a cartoon.  Bill Pullman and John Candy play well off of each other as Lone Starr and Barf, and Daphne Zuniga brings great spunk to Princess Vespa.  And of course Mel Brooks hops in as President Skroob and Yogurt, hilarious in both roles.  I could just start listing all of my favorite moments (combing the desert, watching the “Spaceballs” movie) and cultural references (“Star Trek” and “Planet of the Apes”) but I think it’s just best that you see it for yourself.  The movie is still funny if you are not familiar with Star Wars, but it sure helps.  It was refreshing to read how closely Brooks worked with George Lucas to make sure that the content did not detract from the original “Star Wars.”  My one caution about this film is that there is a lot of language and innuendo.  Kids probably aren’t ready for this film until high school.  A lot of the innuendo is subtle but the blatant swearing would make me uncomfortable to have my children in the same room.  “Spaceballs" is hilarious time and time again, and you will be hard pressed to find a parody that is more clever, visually funny, and true to the original.

La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty) - 3 stars out of 10

La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty) - 3 stars out of 10

“La Grande Bellezza” was… interesting.  After seeing a movie like “Amour” win the Oscar for Best Foreign Film last year, I expected a lot more from this year’s Oscar winner.  I believe that the film was well done.  Toni Servillo really bears his soul in this mosaic of Italian culture, and we truly get to see Rome from all angles.  I just didn’t like the concept.  Everything seemed so disjointed and there were way too many extended dance party sequences.  I realize that this is the point, that the main character is surrounded by people and parties but feels alone, but I didn’t enjoy watching it.  I had such high hopes during the vivid opening sequence with gorgeous impressionist choral music and then the film gave way to flashing lights and club music.  There was also a lot of unnecessary nudity that detracted from the visual beauty of the landscape sequences and the dialogue was often too fast to keep up with the subtitles.  Although it’s easy to hate on this film, I’m glad that I experienced the scene where he humiliates that rude lady.  That was one of the best scenes of 2013 and, while I wouldn’t recommend “La Grande Bellezza,” there are a few great moments hidden within.

Nick of Time - 5 stars out of 10

Nick of Time - 5 stars out of 10

“Nick of Time” is your average thriller with a few surprises but a mostly predictable plot.  I always enjoy seeing a film shot in real time and I think that it fits well with the plot, forcing us to think about what we would do if suddenly thrust into that situation with only an hour to figure it out.  None of the acting is bad, but nobody particularly sticks out.  I suppose that I would be applauding Christopher Walken if he was anybody else, but he’s such a great funnyman that it’s strange to see him in this bad guy role.  The characters were well-written, particularly Huey (the shoe shiner) and Ms. Jones.  It seemed like Huey was going to be an unimportant character that broke up the action for a minute, but the writers did a nice job of making him into an unexpectedly important part of the plot.  Ms. Jones was great, seeming to be an okay person until the end - very effective.  While I wouldn’t put “Nick of Time” up there with my favorite thrillers, it sports an interesting plot and is worth seeing once.

Before Sunset (2004) - 10 stars out of 10

Before Sunset (2004) - 10 stars out of 10

“Before Sunset” is one of the most amazing, real love stories out there.  Like the other films in this series, all of the dialogue feels completely candid as the story of Jesse and Céline unravels in real time.  With just an hour in Paris to catch up on the past nine years since their first meeting, the mood transitions from friendly to sentimental to hostile to regret.  On a different level, we discover the masks of happiness that both characters wear and see those masks slowly disintegrate to reveal their true dissatisfaction with life, unable to find any experience that matches that one night when they first met.  It is ludicrous that this screenplay lost to “Sideways” during the Oscars.  Has there ever been a more genuine conversational dialogue written?  I think not.  Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy’s chemistry is stronger than the first film and that true longing is in their eyes.  I cannot imagine a more vivid portrayal of love.  While the synopsis of the film might make it sound like the same story in a new city, it is completely unique because the characters have changed over the past nine years.  We get to meet each character in a completely new way.  Although I love this film’s predecessor “Before Sunrise” and highly recommend seeing it, this film could actually stand on its own as it explains the entire first film through several brief flashbacks (literally a few second each).  The subtlety of the final scene is the greatest romantic moment, as Céline plays the guitar and sings a song that she wrote about that night that changed their lives.  “Before Sunset” is a must-see.  It will change your perception of love forever.