Cliff Note Reviews is an ongoing series where I briefly state my thoughts on recent films I've watched but don't have the desire to create a full review surrounding. Short and to the point opinions on films that might make decent weekend watchers when you have nothing else to do, films to completely stay away from, and occasionally a few highly recommended films that I simply don't feel need to be given a full review due to already overexposure.
The Book of Eli (2010)
Mad Max meets I Am Legend. The Book of Eli is an interesting post-apocalyptic film about a man on a mission with a pretty surprising twist at the end. A couple stellar, gory action scenes and good performances by Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman. Though the film suffers at times from slow pacing and a rather corny plot. 7/10
My Name is Nobody (1973)
Sergio Leone, the guy that brought you some of films most classic Spaghetti Westerns helms the idea for this bizarre twist on the cult genre. Starring Henry Fonda and Terence Hill, My Name is Nobody follows the fastest gun in the west Jack Beauregard (Fonda) as he attempts to make his way to Europe and retire. Yet Jack is continually hounded by a young smart aleck named Nobody (Hill), who keeps pressuring him to go out in a blaze of glory and fight The Wild Bunch (a 150 man posse). This comedy Spaghetti Western is amusing for a while but Hill's antics soon begin to grow a little old, and the incredibly corny theme song played every-time The Wild Bunch start riding along began to grade on my nerves. Still definitely a must see for any Spaghetti Western enthusiast. 6/10
The Woman in Red (1984)
Kelly LeBrock's first of very few feature films sees her as the object of Gene Wilder's desire, a happily married man who cavorts with a bunch of womanizing friends whose bad behavior starts to rub off on him when he see's this lovely creature in a red dress. LeBrock is somewhere near the top of my list of actresses whom I wise had more of a career. Aside from her first two films (which was this and Weird Science) her career stalled pretty fast. The Woman in Red is a mediocre comedy, and would have benefited from much more of an on screen involvement from LeBrock, instead there's a lot of repetitive and played out comedy from Gene Wilder (whose career was also beginning to stall about this time) and Gilda Radner, who'd be in two more films before her death. 5/10
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THE WOMAN IN RED was quite a classic film in my country while I was growing up, both Wilder and Terence Hill were popular and beloved stars although they never really became celebs in the true meaning of that word.
ReplyDeleteAh, this reminds me off serene and peaceful 80's.
@Dezmond - I'd never heard of Terence Hill before, but looks like he had (and still has) a pretty extensive career in the sort of odd sub genre of comedy westerns.
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