Rating: Summary: Intelligent, Artistic and purposely meaningful. Review: The ability to tame the imagination and in so doing to recreate our personal world: this is the point of Guare's adapted play. The film centers around two themes: the inevitable interconnectedness of mankind and the often untapped ability of everyone to create themselves, determine their fate. Wil Smith plays the saddeningly pathological 'Paul Poitier,' a young, black, inner-city youth stuck in a life that has led him nowhere until he finds 'the right people' to open the door to another world: the Kittridges. Stockard Channing's character, Weeza Kittridge, learns the beauty in Paul's deranged art and comes to understand the serious meaningless and 'collage' that her lack of imaginative participation has allowed her life to become. Everything means something. Everyone is a sign, a symbol, an opportunity, a 'door opening up to a new world.' " It's a profound thought."
Rating: Summary: A perfect 10 Review: The first scene is very confusing, and the next 20 minutes of movie a bit of a drag: the Kittredges are so unbearably affected! Later on, i came to realize how important those draggy moments were. This is a movie that got progressively better and better, and kept me engaged to the very end. In a nutshell: Flan (what a name!) and Ouisa Kittredge are art dealers living in posh East Side and are entertaining a guest when this young black man drops by their apartment, victim of muggers. He claims to be not only the son of Sidney Poitier, but also friends with the couple's children at Harvard. He is so well spoken, exotic, fascinating, flattering, that soon he has everyone in that apartment wrapped around his little finger. When you finally get to meet the children, you quickly understand the reason for that. Paul Poitier is a classy con-artist that makes people fall in love with him. For example, after explaining what his thesis is about (stolen by muggers), Flan Kittredge throws a passionate and outraged "I hope your robbers read every page of it!" It is impossible not to like him. After Paul does the rounds among the Kittredges' friends, he becomes cocktail party anecdote. Ouisa is the one who eventually admits how much she cares for this boy and becomes incredibly guilty for not having helped him enough. The best metaphor in the movie is represented by the Kandinski painting, the chaos-control canvas, because while on the surface it seems that Oiusa has her life under control with lots of money, powerful friends and poshy luxurious lifestyle, in fact she has another side where there is little sense of meaning. My biggest objection is the title music. Somehow that chintzy violin tune clashed with the story big time. The acting is magnificent, the NY shots beautiful, and there are some hilarious moments in the film, like the scene at The Rainbow Room. This movie is a 10, a must-see, a masterpiece. Don't miss it!
Rating: Summary: good Review: This an interesting, intelligent film. You can tell it was adapted from a play as you watch it. It has long stretches of dialogue, so you do have to be patient, but it's worth the effort. I quite enjoyed it. And I had read the ANDY WARHOL DIARIES before seeing this film, so was familiar with the true story of the hustler Will Smith plays claiming to be Sidney Poitier's son. He tried to maneuver his way into the Warhol crowd, but Halston was too smart, and saw through him. So, anyway, it was interesting to see a fictionalized story of this real life hustler. And I think I would have enjoyed it even had I not known it was based on a true story. See this film and witness the glib charm of a parasitic psychopath in high gear.
Rating: Summary: Textured Film. Review: This film, based on John Guare's play, is very interesting. The story is what will keep you watching over and over again. The acting and directing are perfect with Will Smith turning in his best performance other than Enemy of the State. Look for a nice cameo by Anthony Michael Hall as well. This is a must have for any film collector.
Rating: Summary: A thoughtful, fascinating film. Review: This is a beautifully filmed adaptation of John Guare's play about money, race, and sex in New York City. The script's many jumps in time and narration move smoothly. Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland are wonderful; so is Will Smith, in the most intense performance of his career. Though frequently funny, it is also serious, with a heavier statement than Also, only buy it in widescreen--you need to see the whole shot.
Rating: Summary: Great Movie Review: This is a great movie. Good acting, intresting story. I recommend it highly.
Rating: Summary: Ambiguity abounds Review: This little film is fascinating almost beyond words. It plumbs beneath the veneer of such subject matter as wealth, liberalism, sexuality, morals, and power, without leaving New York's upper east side except for one scene. Will Smith was just a fresh rappa/prince when he scored this role, and is mesmerizing as a young man of mysterious means and background. He arrives at the fashionable doorstep of socialites Donald Sutherland & Stockard Channing (Oscar winner in this role, having also won a Tony for her stage version of the same part) and charms them, and us, in ways that surprise them, and us. I really am loath to give away much more than that. Suffice to say that all the primary actors are perfect beyond words in their roles, and Smith is an absolute revelation, his character blossoming and then unraveling in fascinating ways. The script from which these characters spring is pure prose, a lovely experience for anyone who loves the language. My only real problems with the film are its sometimes graphic moments in terms of sex and language (although it's admitted that these are jarring and graphic for valid artistic reasons) and the fact that the children of these socialites (and the children of their upper-class friends) are played way, way overly shrill and over the top. These mar an exceptionally memorable and thoughtful film experience, a rare pleasure for viewers who don't mind films that are heavy on dialogue.
Rating: Summary: Ambiguity abounds Review: This little film is fascinating almost beyond words. It plumbs beneath the veneer of such subject matter as wealth, liberalism, sexuality, morals, and power, without leaving New York's upper east side except for one scene. Will Smith was just a fresh rappa/prince when he scored this role, and is mesmerizing as a young man of mysterious means and background. He arrives at the fashionable doorstep of socialites Donald Sutherland & Stockard Channing (Oscar winner in this role, having also won a Tony for her stage version of the same part) and charms them, and us, in ways that surprise them, and us. I really am loath to give away much more than that. Suffice to say that all the primary actors are perfect beyond words in their roles, and Smith is an absolute revelation, his character blossoming and then unraveling in fascinating ways. The script from which these characters spring is pure prose, a lovely experience for anyone who loves the language. My only real problems with the film are its sometimes graphic moments in terms of sex and language (although it's admitted that these are jarring and graphic for valid artistic reasons) and the fact that the children of these socialites (and the children of their upper-class friends) are played way, way overly shrill and over the top. These mar an exceptionally memorable and thoughtful film experience, a rare pleasure for viewers who don't mind films that are heavy on dialogue.
Rating: Summary: Perhaps the most horrible movie I've ever seen Review: This movie is awful - so awful that you can't turn it off because you are amazed at how awful it is. Not even one single likable character in the entire movie. This movie is pure garbage. Maybe someday MST-3000 will have fun with it, if they ever sink that low. One star is much too good for this movie. Makes a great gag gift though.
Rating: Summary: Perhaps the most horrible movie I've ever seen Review: This movie is truly awful - so awful you can't turn it off because you are amazed at how terrible it is. Not one single likable character in the entire movie. Maybe MST-3000 will have some fun with it someday, if they ever sink that low. Oh yeah - parts of this movie were filmed at my college. My claim to fame. (ha!)
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