Amy Is Undercharmed
We accidentally saw Bewitched this weekend, an extremely long movie trailer pretending to be a movie, when we got to the theater either far too late or far too early to see anything else.
I can often enjoy myself even at a sucky movie if an actor or a location provides me with enough diversion; for example, À Tout De Suite, a totally implausible story of a bourgeois French art student who runs around Paris, then away to Morocco, with a bank robber.
Bewitched played like a movie that had major machete-ing done after shooting -- loose ends flying around everywhere, and too much diversion of just the wrong kind: Every time Nicole Kidman speaks, she sounds like she's unsure whether to channel Judy Holliday or Marilyn Monroe. Her role seems written to make it appear as if she's had her brain extracted and replaced with a can of Fancy Feast. Shirley MacLaine was cast as the sacrificial hambone (playing Endora, but with nothing of even the remotest impotance to do). I was so embarrassed for her every time she came on screen that I was tempted to cover my eyes. Will Farrell, poor dear, was cast as Darren, the Hollyweasel version. Almost as hard to watch as Miss MacLaine. Finally, there's the inexplicable next door neighbor role and script girl role -- Kidman's kinda sorta sidekicks -- stuck in there but never developed. The best thing in the movie was Michael Caine as the Jolly Green Giant on a tin can.
Bewitched, indeed. I wish somebody had cast a spell on me and immobilized me at home.
I like the movie review format! I saw a French film called Amelie that was very enjoyable, and Lemony Snicket was well worth watching also.
Tonight is a suicide double feature, with The Sea Indside and Ikiru. Netflix has great service and can provide you with damn near any foreign film or documentary you can think of. They also have every IMAX film made, so if you have big screen or plasma it is worth joining just for that.
eric who likes to watch... at June 27, 2005 8:09 AM
Hey, Amy - as noted in my comments for the last blog entry, I didn't like Bewitched either. They could have done a lot more with it, because the series was so good. The premise itself (of the movie) was good. But as you say, it is obvious that much ended up on the cutting room floor, causing it to be disjointed and unclear. I mean, bad enough to come out of the broom closet to your weird neighbor and the script girl, but jeez, why were characters from the series just popping up everywhere? There was a fundamental disconnect that proved fatal for the plot points... um, if there *were* any...
Goddyss at June 27, 2005 9:40 AM
It might be that the best touch in the movie is the picture of Elizabeth Montgomery on a desk somewhere; I have only seen part of a trailer. I was reminded by it that I have only seen the pilot episode once, and miss it!
Radwaste at June 27, 2005 3:35 PM
"The Sea Inside"
Absolutely briliant film. Distressing to watch, but a slice of lfe in the "what-if-the-worst-happens-to-you" genre. Remarkable acting, incredible dialgogue, and true life love scenes (i.e. Love comes when you least expect it.. in a Jim Morrison drone), Five Stars! The film will rip your heart out, but make you want to go out and do that thing you always have wanted to experience while you can.
Interesting comentary about the church and the value of life, the interloping, and the effect of those left behind.
This is why American cinema is dying. Who can relate to Star Wars or War of the Worlds? Bewitched? Anchorman? yadda yadda yadaa Warden.
Far tooooooooooo heavy to begin a Japanese version of Steppenwolf/Cushingura tonight.... On to John Stewart.................... then find a pillow.
eric (on Cabernet) at June 27, 2005 9:22 PM
Too bad Bewitched blows, I'll have to remember to skip it. But if you want to see a movie that was very well made and beautiful visually, go see Howl's Moving Castle. I know it's supposed to be a kiddie flick, but it's funny and dramatic and the drawing detail is amazing and I love Lauren Becall and Christian Bale's voices in it. Best of all, it's an adaptation of a book, not a TV show, and it's an original story idea. I am a very big fan of Japanese animated films.
For French, Amelie was nice and I saw a movie tonight called Love Me If You Dare that was just insane but very cool.
Lia at June 29, 2005 2:43 AM
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