Wake Up Dead Man

Word of warning: don’t watch this movie if you’re sleepy. I did, and wound up dozing off about 45 minutes in. Is that a commentary on the quality of the film, or just a product of circumstance? Maybe a bit of both. For sure, this story takes its time getting to the heart of the proceedings. That leisurely pace gives the movie a sense of being—somewhat appropriate for a murder mystery—rather lifeless. The film does eventually get going, and in doing so presents an interesting aspect of the script: some intriguing ruminations on faith and the church and their value and meaning. Plus you get to watch more of Daniel Craig inhabiting the character of Benoit Blanc, which is good entertainment. Still, I can’t help but think that this entry in Rian Johnson’s series is a touch below the previous outings. Whether that marks a death knell for the franchise or represents just a momentary dip remains at this point a question still to be answered. Not dead yet, perhaps, but in need of a little more energy—something you can say about your correspondent as well. 

The Natural

Life in the Manichean league. Not since the black-hat/white-hat westerns of days of yore has there been a movie so simplistic in its depiction—visually, at least, if not in plot terms — of the good vs. evil conflict. And yet, despite this film’s short-spectrum presentation, the story still comes across as something of a muddle. Yes, it is apparently supposed to be something of a mystery what happened to Roy Hobbs during all those missing years—but that doesn’t mean the character’s arc should make so little sense. The viewer is left wondering why exactly that life-changing event happened at all, let alone why someone seemingly as good and grounded as Redford’s character would be so thoroughly diverted for a decade and a half. This is movie that, like most fables, I suppose, does not stand up all that well to scrutiny. Sure, the right side wins in the end—no real spoiler there; the denouement is obvious all the way through—but even such a triumphant ending ultimately comes across as unsatisfying. You can chalk this one up as a win, ultimately, but there were certainly errors made along the way.

Le Divorce

Whatever the story, however it is presented, set it in Paris and you have magic. Just the look of a film shot in Paris is entertaining, especially in the hands of a pair of old pros like Merchant and Ivory. Ah, but what about that story? The complicated lives of two American sisters (Naomi Watts and Kate Hudson) living among the Frogs hold the interest for the whole running time, and the cast is strong from top to bottom (especially the two leads). Still, the denouement is a bit unseemly, and the viewer is left feeling not quite sure what to make of all this. Overall, a quintessential MEOW review.

Tarzan (1999)

Original review: A shrug-of-the-shoulders movie. Not bad, but nothing special. It keeps you interested, and I suppose that's enough. And Phil Collins--despite being everyone's favorite musical whipping boy--actually did a pretty good job on the songs.
Re-view review: Weirdly, it’s the most Disney stuff in this film that gets in the way of this movie. The story works far better when the focus is on the Tarzan-Jane interaction, or even just Tarzan's relationship with his gorilla family. What is less successful is the comedic characters and their antics, which create jarring shifts in tone every time the sillier stuff starts up. Thus, this film tries to walk the fine line that The Lion King did before it, but doesn’t quite succeed. What does succeed, in a big way, is the animation, which is excellent throughout and occasionally, in some sequences, downright spectacular. It’s some of the best artwork in the whole canon, at least to this point and arguably right up to today’s works. The songs mostly work, too, though more so, again, where they support the main story and not the humorous antics. Mix it all together and you get a flick that largely works, if you forgive its more noticeable faults.