Rating: 
Summary: A subtle movie with lots of sparkle
Review: I saw this film on Independent Film Channel so I can't comment on the DVD aspects. But the story is great. As another review mentioned, this is a character study and you won't see any elves or CGI. Just some characters that are working together in a push-pull relationship and then together. Robert Forrester is an under-rated actor. He can take dialogue and drive it straight home. It would be a good movie for someone starting their first job. Listening and observing is just a important as the knowledge you think you have.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent movie!
Review: I've always been a fan of Donnie's work, whether it's movies or music when he was a New Kid. I drove four hours roundtrip to see this movie, and it was truly worth the trip. Donnie stars as Bobby and Robert Forster stars as Eddie, and they team up together to sell diamonds to various businesses. The story is hilarious as Bobby is a bumbling and inexperienced salesman who unintentionally causes a lot of grief on straight-laced Eddie. The duo reminds me a lot of Laurel and Hardy. This movie was a shock for me to see, as I am used to Donnie portraying dark characters, and his character in this movie was the total opposite. I've been anxiously awaiting for this to be released on video for almost a year, and I hope it comes out soon because I love this movie. It rocks!
Rating:
Summary: This male bonding tale grows on the viewer
Review: If you like your movies full of action and excitment, look elsewhere. But if you're willing to invest the time watching this one, you may be in for a very pleasant surprise. Jack Forster plays an ageing jewelry salesman or a "diamond" man, recovering from a heart attack, who is forced to take on a young (and cocky) younger apprentice (played to perfection by Donnie Walberg)...either that or the older man will be immediately fired.
What starts out as a hate/hate relationship slowly gives way to grudging tolerance and then to a gradual friendship, if a bumpy one. I won't reveal the climax of this movie but it does turn things in a totally different direction than expected. With lesser actors, this could have been a dull, even deadly, movie. But Forster, always able to command attention in his lowkey way, and Walberg are a pair that makes this movie fly. Definitely recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly good film
Review: In "Diamond Men," Eddie Miller (Robert Forster) is a middle-aged travelling diamond salesman who has maintained the same sales route of a string of small jewelry shops in Pennsylvania for over 30 years. He is an exemplary employee, a good salesman, and he was a faithful, loving husband until his wife's death from cancer the year before.Following a heart attack, Eddie is told to train a new employee to take over his route. Eddie isn't ready to retire--this is due to the fact that he still has his wife's medical bills to pay, and he also really has no life outside of his job. The new employee, Bobby Walker (Donnie Wahlberg) is the complete opposite of Eddie. Bobby is single and not interested in selecting one woman when there are so many around for him to pick up on a nightly basis. He is also very cocky and confident, but in spite of all this, Bobby is a likeable sort, and the mistakes he makes are derived from carelessness--not malice. The relationship gets off to a bumpy start, but evens out when Bobby accepts that he still has a lot to learn, and Eddie has a great deal to teach. Eddie finally mellows out enough to cease being annoyed with Bobby and to stop dismissing everything he has to say. This is a fairly familiar theme--the older seasoned character who passes on his knowledge to the younger companion--and the gruding respect they finally find for each other. But in "Diamond Men," the old theme is given new life and new twists, so that the film is interesting and surprising. The elevation of this film is due mostly to the two main characters. Forster plays Eddie in a very low-key style, and it is easy to believe that he is a great salesman who enjoys his job. There is one scene in which Eddie explains why one particular diamond is worth more than another that looks strikingly similar. Eddie sees that the jewelry salesperson is losing the sale due to the customer's skepticism, and he steps in and enraptures the customer with his romantic presentation of the uniqueness of each stone. Donnie Wahlberg as Bobby also does a credible job, and he is at once obnoxious, charming, and just what Eddie needs to give his life a much needed boost. Donnie Wahlberg's nightly escapades--his disappointments and his triumphs--are very well acted. I almost gave up with this film about half way through. I relented and stayed the course, and I was pleasantly surprised by the ending--displacedhuman--Amazon Reviewer.
Rating:
Summary: Diamond Men
Review: One of the best movies I've seen in a very long time. The changing relationship between the seasoned, but soon to be unemployed diamond salesman, and the brash young man he is asked to train as his replacement is developed beautifully. Forster and Wahlberg are superb! Bess Armstrong as a not-so-young woman with a questionable past plays the part to perfection and is just as beautiful as she was twenty years ago. She, as Katie, and the young but quick learner replacement both play sensitive roles in bringing back the meaning of life to the older salesman.
This is a "don't miss" movie from the opening credits to the surprise ending. I hope it goes to videotape when the movie run is finished.
Rating:
Summary: fine acting, but less than I expected
Review: Robert Forster inhabits the role of rock-solid diamond salesman Eddie Miller. He's had a heart attack and is being forced off his sales route, but first he must train his obnoxious and immature replacement (Donnie Wahlberg). The actors, including a supporting cast that includes Bess Armstrong and Jasmine Guy, are uniformly good. I thought the movie shone when the two men interacted professionally, as Forster taught Wahlberg life lessons, but weakened as the plot unfolded. Still, this was fun to watch and the director's commentary is quite interesting (although, sir, I don't think you needed to tell us that one bare-breasted babe was "all natural, no silicone" -- yuk!). Other DVD extras include three short deleted scenes and Spanish or English subtiles.
Rating:
Summary: fine acting, but less than I expected
Review: Robert Forster inhabits the role of rock-solid diamond salesman Eddie Miller. He's had a heart attack and is being forced off his sales route, but first he must train his obnoxious and immature replacement (Donnie Wahlberg). The actors, including a supporting cast that includes Bess Armstrong and Jasmine Guy, are uniformly good. I thought the movie shone when the two men interacted professionally, as Forster taught Wahlberg life lessons, but weakened as the plot unfolded. Still, this was fun to watch and the director's commentary is quite interesting (although, sir, I don't think you needed to tell us that one bare-breasted babe was "all natural, no silicone" -- yuk!). Other DVD extras include three short deleted scenes and Spanish or English subtiles.
Rating:
Summary: An Oustanding Jewel!
Review: Simply an extremely fine film about men and their characters, in the world, with tremendous performances from Robert Forster and Donnie Wahlberg. Mentoring at its most realistic is portrayed here. Simply a fantastic, well-paced, well-acted, well-directed film that is all about character. Five Stars, deservedly so.
Rating:
Summary: Not your cliché generational story
Review: Veteran diamond salesman Eddie Miller (Robert Forster) is laid off because he is no longer insurable, but his talents permit him to stick around long enough to train the new guy. He turns out to be a brash young kiddo (played by Donnie Wahlberg) who doesn't know anything about diamonds. His lack of knowledge and customer service skills drive him to accept Eddie's experience and tutelage. The biggest joy is Forster and Wahlberg, whose acting is excellent, as the veteran and the rookie. This could have been a simple rethread of the whole "veteran and rookie" story, but the story has a lot of humanity, humour and personality. It is not a string of clichés but plays along with its characters' lives. This is a low-budget film, but there is a lot of invention in some of these shots. The cutting is unusually fast but not videoclip-like. This is usually not to my taste but it was handled very well here - the visuals blend without effort.
Rating:
Summary: "Diamond" Find
Review: Warning: this is a character study. Those viewers interested in mindless explosions and frenetic car chase sequences need not apply. "Diamond Men" is a fascination, with equal parts drawn from the themes explored in such films as "Tin Men" and "The Color of Money." That this film didn't find a larger audience is a mystery. Robert Forster is stunning in his role as Eddie Miller, an aging diamond salesman who suffers a heart attack. In his quest to keep his employment after recovering, Eddie is relegated to training a young upstart (played with reasonable appeal by Donnie Wahlberg). However, Eddie eventually realizes that he has as much to learn about life from his cocky protege, and this is where the film makes some surprising and wonderful turns as a side trip to a local bordello masquerading as a simple massage parlor changes both of their lives ... for the better. Still, what makes "Diamond Men" work is the artistry of Forster. He inhabits the body of Eddie Miller with a grace and ease reserved for veteran actors, the likes of which Paul Newman, Tom Hanks, and Al Pacino normally get. Forster -- almost the 'odd man out' in selection -- gives a tour de force performance from the film's first few scenes all the way down to his wry smile in the conclusion. Wahlberg, the young upstart, plays the young upstart convincing. Jasmine Guy is on board, reaching nice marks as the 'madame' of the massage parlor. And Bess Armstrong -- along for the ride as a masseuse with a past she's trying to forget -- gets wonderful mileage out of only a handful of underwritten but crucial scenes. All in all, this is one well paced acting package. Occasionally, the cinematography is a bit off, with some characters being partially chopped off the screen, but such minor flaws are easily dismissed. The film contains a few scenes that could've been edited for better pacing, and -- as already mentioned -- Armstrong's role was far too small for my liking: she leaves you with just a hint of 'the woman who was,' wanting to know so much more. Still, it's hard to dismiss that "Diamond Men" remains a gem.
|
