I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.
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My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown 1989
Several years ago I was interviewing a major movie star when he said, "You do this (imitating the gestures of a cerebral palsy patient) and you get more points." We've all seen high-profile performances of disabled characters that blatantly fall into that category. Certainly, the potential for Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal here of Irish artist/writer Christy Brown to go there was significant. However, it does not.
It's hardly novel anymore to extol the quality of DDL's superlative acting, but there are…
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Miracle on 34th Street 1947
I had always assumed the miracle here referred to someone calling himself Jesus Christ, so imagine my surprise when I saw it was just about Santa Claus. But, seriously.....
This is one of those heart-warming Christmas movies that lots of people love because it's a become a holiday tradition for them, and that's certainly OK. I have a deep and abiding, lifelong affection for "White Christmas" (1954), for instance. Is it a superlative film? I'm pretty sure it's not. Are…
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1917 2019
I didn't drink the Kool-Aid, and that made all the difference. I was aware of the hype surrounding this film -- oners! told in real time! -- but never really paid attention to it. The worst thing about film hype is that it leaves me going too far in the other direction ("Really? That's it?"). That's probably what happened to me with fellow Best Picture nominee "Parasite," for instance. But because I watched "1917" in a relatively hype-free environment, I…
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Gone with the Wind 1939
We, as a society, cannot address our problems with race by hiding our problems with race. This movie is a specific example of that problem, and it should not be canceled by our indignant, easily outraged culture. I'm not here to defend the film. I fully respect anyone's desire to criticize the picture, ignore it, write it off the face of their own personal earth. But it should not be canceled.
The problem with "GWTW," as I see it, isn't…
