The Movie Journal

  Barton Fink (1991) Upon initial viewing, I had no idea what to think about Barton Fink , yet another interesting film created by the dynamic duo known as the Coen Brothers. I thought it was weird, unsettling, and driven by its core performances from John Turturro and John Goodman. Yet the more I thought about the film, the more I began to understand the type of film it is. Like most films from the filmmaking brothers, this is not an “easy” watch. I would even dare call it inaccessible. The film is going to make you think. Even though the Coens openly admitted that they did not go into the film with allegorical thoughts in mind, it can be easy to suggest that they had some thoughts about fascism, or the bad side of Hollywood, or writing scripts for entertainment in general. The script is excellent. The characters are three-dimensional, and the actors breathe life into the words that were written for this film. I also really enjoyed the ending because that is what got me thinking m...

  Regarding Henry (1991) I really wanted to like Harrison Ford’s drama Regarding Henry . It seemed like the perfect project for the action star. Coming off well-known action films such as Indiana Jones and Star Wars , time seemed ripe for Ford to tackle a meaty role from a big-name director with classics such as The Graduate to his name. Mike Nichols and Harrison Ford. Sounds like a film worth watching, right? Sadly, the answer is no. By all means the drama is not bad, but it is not the hard-hitting movie I expected. Imagine my surprise that the script was written by a very young J.J Abrams, the brains behind modern Star Wars and Star Trek . He, of course, would get better at writing films. This particular film felt like a sitcom with how the plot played out. Speaking of the plot, the well-intentioned plot is highly predictable, and I smelled the ending within the first few minutes. The most exciting part of the film happened in the first few minutes where Ford’s character gets sh...

  Terminator 2: Judgement Day One could say that it is a legendary feat for a sequel to be superior to the original. One might also say that James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day is one such film. That actually impresses me because the 1984 film is no slouch. It is an incredible horror/sci-fi classic that launched the respective Cameron’s directing and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s acting careers. The sequel took everything up a notch. While the original film was a more horror-based, contained story, the sequel is more about the intense action sequences and the incredible, earth-shattering special effects. In a way, T2 is similar to Jaws in how the film revolutionized moviegoing. Without Cameron’s action masterpiece, there would be no effects-driven films like Jurassic Park . Say what you will about the laziness of filmmakers using special effects these days, but sometimes masterpieces such as this film comes along. In addition to great visual effects and makeup, this is also a s...

  Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) Here we go with another adaptation of Robin Hood. The Robin Hood tale has been told many times over and over. The edition that made the biggest bucks at the box office is Kevin Reynolds’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves . In my opinion, it barely squeaks by with a passing grade. There are moments of fun and lots of adventure. The action is pretty good and well-choreographed. It is certainly more graphic than I have imagined it would be. Most of the performances, especially those from Alan Rickman and Morgan Freeman, are good. I also consider Michael Kamen’s score to be magnificent and one of his most epic, lushest scores. Even to this day, Bryan Adams’s ballad “Everything I Do (I Do It for You) remains a popular, soulful hit. Unfortunately, there are some glaring issues. After Kevin Costner delivered an emotional engaging performance in Dance with Wolves , he delivers the complete opposite here. His accent would be right at home in LA, certainly...

  Thelma & Louise (1991) Thelma & Louise takes the road trip genre to a whole new level. Rather than follow the simple formula, Ridley Scott took the story and gave it an empowering, feminist angle that shows what women go through on a daily basis. For a film released in 1991, it is way ahead of its time. There are familiar beats (we meet the usual road trip types such as state troopers and Adrian Biddle’s strong visual interpretation of the West), but Scott never allows the story to grow stale. We are taken on a journey that not only empowers, but also makes you laugh with some comedic dialogue gems and will also break your heart. The ending is now iconic in film history. For me, the ending was unexpected. As the Thunderbird was hurling itself to the cliff as Hans Zimmer’s score swelled, a pit grew in my stomach. I grew to care about the two ladies that are the heart of the film. They are put into impossible (and downright criminal) situations, but the audience has no choi...

  Backdraft (1991) Backdraft is a technical tour de force that must be seen on the biggest and loudest screen possible to get most out of the pyro techniques. The best part is watching the visual and audio splendor of the raging fires that seemingly has a mind of its own. You have to put realism on the backside because not everything will be realistic…not unless you want every firefighter to die from smoke inhalation within seconds. As an action movie, the effects are incredible. They still hold up many years later. Fire is a beast not to be trifled with and even the very best may fall victim to the unpredictability of the flames. The action is serviceable, and the effects are outstanding, but they could have been served better with an adequate screenplay. Gregory Widen’s screenplay, to put quite bluntly, is not good. The characters are paper thin and the character’s dilemmas with each other is something that has been done thousands of times before, often better. Two brothers at od...

  Defending Your Life (1991) Albert Brooks’s comedy Defending Your Life is a thoughtful, amusing, and generally light-hearted film despite a topic that can be pretty grim depending on your view. There are movies that ask the question, “What happens when you die?” Some movies can be philosophical or even religious. Brooks, on the other hand, chose a different and more intelligent approach to the subject matter. He approached our heavenly adventures as a courtroom film with prosecutors and judges. A very unique spin that is designed to make you think. Brooks later said that he received letters from people whose relatives are dying or dying themselves, and this film made them feel better about their journey ahead. It does ask some questions that can hit home hard. Have you done enough with your life? Is there anything that you could have done better? With only one life given to you, you should live it to the fullest. That was the message that came across for me. The screenplay, writt...

  The Hard Way (1991) I suppose The Hard Way is a better movie than I initially gave it props for. Yes, the plot is formulaic to the point where you are saying, “Are there any more ideas left in Hollywood?” I predicted nearly everything that happened, yet…I had fun. This action/comedy, which stars James Woods and Michael J. Fox as unlikely buddies, has lots of energy reminiscent of screwball comedies from the days of Old Hollywood. Both Fox and Woods work off one another and Daniel Pyne’s/Lem Dobb’s screenplay allows both actors some room to say and do crazy stuff. Admittedly, some of the lines are hilarious. The final half of the movie is about crazy action and special effects that rarely wants to let up. Think about the Mt. Rushmore scene in North by Northwest and change the setting to Times Square. As a New York resident, I think it is fun to see everyone’s favorite tourist destination get leveled in some crazy action sequences. In an era where action films were at their best, t...

  The Doors (1991) If you spoke to any hard-enthused hipster from the 1960’s, you would learn what a legend Jim Morrison, the frontman of the rock’n’roll band The Doors, was. He was known for his onstage antics and he lived the life of the pill and the bottle until his untimely death at the age of 27. He left behind an amazing catalog of songs that people still listen to today. “The End” is an incredible rock song that became meaningful to me. For a long, long time, people have been trying to capitalize on this myth. Enter Oliver Stone, the man behind the hard-hitting Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July . Stone, for a long time, tried to make a biographical film about Morrison. I can’t say I was particularly pleased with the final film. Stone indulges in Morrison’s dark side for the entire time and makes him seem to be some crazy loon. Val Kilmer himself is electrifying as Morrison. He looks like and even sounds like Morrison. Unfortunately, he was let down by a shallow script, ...

  The Silence of the Lambs (1991) “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.”  If you so happen to be drinking a glass of chianti (or anything for that matter) when starting The Silence of the Lambs , you might want to think again. I have seen so many movies during my lifetime. I have seen enough crime thrillers with blood, guts, and then some so that I would be accustomed to anything that any filmmaker would throw at me. This 1991 film, that gave its credence to crime procedurals, still unnerves me every time I watch the movie. Anthony Hopkins delivers the creepiest, most villainous performance out of anyone that has ever been on screen…seriously. I even have goosebumps just writing these words. His presence is only known for about sixteen minutes, but his shadow exists even if his actual character is not around. The way Hopkins uses his voice, sounding like Katherine Hepburn trying to creep someone out, is unnatural and ch...

L.A. Story (1991)   Many movies have been influenced by New York culture. New York is the big East Coast city that has been a setting for movies time after time. Why not give another city its due respect? That is what screenwriter and lead actor Steve Martin thought. His comedic takes on Los Angeles is spot on, at least according to my LA friends. I may not live in California. Heck, I have never been there. But some of the dear people in my life herald from this area, so I found comedic value. Sure, they played up the comedy with the freeway shootout and socially acceptable mugging bit. It’s relatable comedy. I think New Yorkers will love the scenes with Patrick Stewart as the Maitre D at this upscale French restaurant. The food culture in both cities rings very true, even to this day more than thirty years after the movie was released. When people visit LA or Hollywood for the first time, people expect to be in seventh heaven. Martin wants people to keep their ideas in check with ...

  White Fang (1991) If you are craving an animal film, may I recommend Randal Kleiser’s White Fang ? It is based very loosely from the famous Jack London novel as the filmmakers took certain liberties which may have been for the best. The source material was mainly a comparison between dogs and humans with humans falling short of our favorite four-legged friends. This movie, on the other hand, is more of a human story. A story about the friendship of man and dog. It is a heartwarming thing watching this young man and this wolf-dog develop a deep relationship. This is the best part of the movie, watching the two creatures save each other. When the dog saves the human from a massive bear attack, I actually believed the dog could take on the bear. Look at the size of those massive fangs! The story itself is fairly predictable. I knew what was going to happen and how the film was going to end. The script could have been better. Thankfully the film works because of Kleiser’s confident d...