Give It My Best

Rain Man Date Watched:  06/07/24 Format:  Streaming on iPad and TV via Prime Video I remember being younger and scratching my head at the success of this movie.  Of course, I was still a child, and was told over and over again that I just won't understand good movies like this one until I am older. ... I still waiting Directing  (⭐⭐): Not much of a challenge and nothing special.  Decent scenes in Vegas made it OK.  Other than that it was interior location, vehicle, interior location, vehicle, rinse and repeat. Writing  (⭐⭐): I struggled with this one.  I times, I thought it was great, smart, writing and then I just found it lazy.  There are only so many "tricks" you could have Raymond play before it got stale and repetitive. Acting  (⭐⭐⭐⭐): OK writing and directing, but Cruise and Hoffman were able to rise above. Wildcard  (⭐⭐⭐⭐): Awareness.  This is where this movie makes up some ground.  Like I said, it got stale and old at times, but Rain Man really put autism in the f

Wings Date Watched:  06/01/24 Format:  Streaming on TV via Tubi It was worth the experience but nothing I would watch again. Directing  (⭐⭐⭐): Was it really a film being directed?  The action was revolutionary, but the rest was forgettable.  I will call it average. Writing  (⭐): Screenwriting, in the modern sense, is a lot different than it was in 1927.  That does not mean you can't have a good story.  This story was just plain bad.  You can tell the Mary angle was forced into the story.  This was an action film and that is about it. Acting  (⭐⭐): I give the actors an extra star because you do have to act different in silent films in order to get your point across.  It may be a little exaggerated, but it works.  Outside of that, nothing stood out as excellent or even average.  There was no tension in the romantic relationships nor the so-called friendship between Jack and Dave. Wildcard  (⭐⭐⭐⭐): The history of it all.  By many standards, the film is mediocre.  However, this will al

Forrest Gump Date Watched:  05/30/24 Format:  Streaming on TV via Fandago at Home Going into the challenge, it was only a matter of time before we ran into a movie like Forrest Gump.  There are a few movies on this list that I already consider perfect.  Obviously, they still deserve another watch which I will happily do.  The true task will be when I try to rank these "perfect" movies of mine. Directing  (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐): Rural and costal Alabama.  Washington DC.  The Vietman war.  Hospitals, plantations, shrimp boats, and cross country trips.  Robert Zemeckis had to do it all with this movie and I feel he executed perfectly. Writing  (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐): Like Zemeckis, the writing had to cover so much ground.  You had to grow with characters and their environments across three very unique decades.  The humor was on point and did not distract from the emotional rollercoaster of this great film. Acting  (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐): Unlike a lot of other features I have watched so far where we had either a great suppo

Amadeus Date Watched:  05/24/24 Format:  Streaming on TV via Netflix "I will speak for all the mediocrities in the world.  I am their champion.  I am their patron saint " Directing  (⭐⭐⭐): I do like Forman and he has done some really good work.  Amadeus was just an average effort in my opinion.  Maybe better acting would have helped his case.  I don't know.  I guess when you are given Larry Kroger and Ed Rooney, you are forced to work with what you have. Writing  (⭐⭐⭐): A decent translation from stage to screen.  The originality of the story is what really sets it apart.  A little bit of wit goes a long way and it may have been overdone in some scenes. Acting  (⭐⭐): F. Murray Abraham.  That's it. Wildcard  (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐): Music.  This was the major redeeming quality for this film and maybe one of the best in history.  It was a top notch soundtrack even before you throw in all of Mozart's best.  If only there was a cut with only the music. Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda : Despit

On the Waterfront Date Watched:  05/20/24 Format:  Streaming on TV via Prime Video "I coulda been a contender!" Directing  (⭐⭐⭐⭐): Kazan did a wonderful job of bringing you into the Jersey shore.  You felt part of that time and that environment.  Some of the more action-packed scenes were a little rushed but overall, a very good job. Writing  (⭐⭐⭐⭐): A sign of a good writer is bringing you into a story you know nothing about and making you want to learn more about it after the movie was over.  The struggles of the Jersey longshoremen is nothing we can understand in today's United States (thankfully).  It says something that the story was still so impactful to me 70 years later.  Well written. Acting  (⭐⭐⭐⭐): I have a feeling as I go through more and more of these films, I will keep on coming back to Marlon Brando as one of the best performances in any Best Picture winner.  From the opening scene to the last one, he wore his emotion on his sleeve.  It was unfortunate that

Shakespeare in Love Date Watched:  05/17/24 Format:  Streaming on TV via Max "Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?" Directing  (⭐⭐): The movie really fell short here, in my opinion.  I don't think there was anything special with Madden's direction.   Writing  (⭐⭐⭐⭐): I like what Norman and Stoppard did with this movie.  The story is original but still ties into the Shakespeare stories we know.  I did not find much wasted on this script, both action and conversation wise.  The only reason perfection was not achieved was due to the language the actors used.  It was this odd mix of period and Shakespearean.  It was a distraction at times. Acting  (⭐⭐⭐): A tale of two extremes.  An amazing supporting cast and two leads that just did not work for me.  Rush, Wilkinson, Dench, Staunton, and Firth.  I would watch this movie with this cast all day long.  I will continue to scratch my head about Fiennes.  Paltrow just reminded me of Claire Danes throughout the whole movie.  25 ye