by Joseph A. Hazani September 21, 2013
This is a challenging film to pick apart. There are definitely admirable feats. But there are also sore spots that stick out, the most mind-burning being the horrific efforts at emulating Monty Python non-sequiturs. It stands to reason that Americans should lay off that kind of humor. I gather the first 60% of the film – yes, I can be that precise – is loaded with the efforts at filling each....
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by Joseph A. Hazani September 18, 2013
It must be emphasized that this film is a loose adaptation of the novel of the same name. To even consider it loose is even a ripping stretch. The only parallels between the two stories are the character names and the context: the anxiety of young rich nihilists. The novel is much more graphic and portrays much more complicated characters than what amounts to in the film. What is....
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by Joseph A. Hazani August 29, 2013
Commitment. Honor. Duty. The damn principle of the thing. This is the consistency of the character of George, who has been carrying around a ball and chain by the name of Lenny because of a promise. If could cut Lenny lose, a big dumb giant, he would in a split second. Its interesting to see the open-ness of the world of California pre-World War II. There are none of Eisenhower’s....
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