Jeff's Reviews

Thoughts on every movie I've ever seen.

recent product reviews

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

Reviewed on Jun 27, 2006

Great performances. Everyone is extremely comfortable in their roles, and their comraderie is genuine. Pearce is in incredible shape. I don’t think Brad Pitt ever looked this good. Weaving have come a long way. And Stamp is simply amazing, maybe even Oscar-worthy. Unfortunately, it’s not funny. The compedy that doesn’t…

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Elizabethtown (2005)

Reviewed on Jun 22, 2006

Unfunny, undramatic, and amateurish. Surprisingly lame for Crowe. Like Garden State, it’s almost like they read the “How to Make a Cool Movie” book and mixed up “down-to-earth” actors with “witty” and “deep” dialogue when, in fact, the characters and dialogue were anything but. We can’t hear the most important…

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Flight of the Phoenix (2004)

Reviewed on Jun 11, 2006

Almost every scene seems contrived. Very scripted.

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When It Was a Game (1991)

Reviewed on Jun 10, 2006

The color footage, especially of the old-timers, is amazing. An improvement over Ken Burns’ Baseball documentary. Not breaking up the footage with studio-lit shots of old people’s faces allows for a smoother flow, and the melancholic theme music really gives it a unique personality.

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The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

Reviewed on May 28, 2006

Traveling DOES change you. A good exploration of Guevera’s character. Great casting and acting. Beautifully shot, but the pace is perhaps a bit too leisurely.

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Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Reviewed on May 11, 2006

A Vietnam vet breaking down. We’re supposed to enjoy this? The character is confused and aimless, so it’s hard to sympathize with him. And not showing his speech at the end was lame. But despite these character shortcomings, Cruise does a pretty good job. Stone once again does a good…

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Just Friends (2005)

Reviewed on May 9, 2006

OK. Reynolds thinks he’s a bit funnier than he is. If he’d tone it down a bit, he’d have something. Faris has a hint of talent.

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Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)

Reviewed on Apr 30, 2006

Touching story, nicely shot, moving score, and the girls are adorable. But it’s too simple. The story focuses on the three girls, and not enough happens to them. Nice of Branagh to take bottom billing.

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Thank You for Smoking (2005)

Reviewed on Apr 23, 2006

All right. A few gags are funny (the orca and seals, for example), but a few others are not. Eckhart is good as Naylor, but what is his struggle? It’s hard to tell an engaging story without one.

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Pay It Forward (2000)

Reviewed on Apr 19, 2006

Interesting idea. Didn’t think there was enough of a story, but I was touched at the end, so I guess there was. Great cast. Hunt delivers a fantastic performance.

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