About Schmidt
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Movie Reviews of About Schmidt
Movie Review: Wonderful Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Team one of the greatest actors ever,Jack Nicholson, with one of the greatest actresses of all times, Kathy Bates, and bring one of the most talented directors,Alexander Payne, and what you get is one of the best movies I have seen in a long long time.What makes a good actor, is not only knowing your lines by heart and deliver them with the required emotions(well that helps of course), but it is much much more. It is the ability to look the viewer in the 'eye' and without uttering one single word, affect him/her, speaking tons and expressing many different emotions wihtout words. This is the genuis of Jack Nicholson.
Words can not amply describe how brilliant that film is. Nicholson yet again plays the retired man looking for a purpose, minus the obsessions and demons that racked him in the Pledge.
Kathy Bates, as excellent as she always is in all her roles, plays the eccentric, loud mouthed in-law to prefection.
While Alexander Payne, after doing one of the most underrated films,the delightfully 'black humoured' Election, manages yet again to pull a film that not only is driven by character, but is quite visual too, and the opening scenes of Omaha set the mood beautifully to that moment when Schmidt retires,his last minutes in a job he held for so long.
There are so many memorable scenes, Kathy Bates nude in the bath tub, is a very funny surprising and perfect reflection of the women she is playing, while the very end scene is one of the best moments of cinema I have seen, one that is so powerful, sad, yet with a hint of hope at the very last second.
This is a film about loneliness, about deceptions, about memories, about death and the significance of one's worth, about fulfillments, about estranged children, about quirky characters, about communication, about resigning one self to situations he/she can not control or alter, and about hope, this film is about you, me and anyone, because it is about life, about Schmidt.
Movie Review: The Trouble with the Autumn Years
Summary: 5 Stars
If you're a fan of Jack Nicholson and are in love with the movies that he stars in (Five Easy Pieces, Chinatown, Batman, etc.), then you'll probably be pleasantly surprised with this one. About Schmidt features a different kind of Jack: he's not slick or witty or even charismatic. This time, he plays a retired man who has nothing to say or accomplish. He is convinced that he has made no difference at all in life. What happens to him AND around him doesn't seem to matter anymore (except when he tries to drag his daughter away from marriage). So with all the worthless free time, he decides to sponsor a foster child from Africa named Ndugu. During this time, he writes letters to the little boy and these are the only times he expresses his true feelings to another person. When his wife passes away and his life seems more worthless than before, Schmidt ultimately travels to Colorado just days before his daughter's wedding to meet his future son-in-law's eccentric family.
This is a comedy-drama that simply works. Not only does it feature Jack in a drastic departure from his other performances, it also features life during the Autumn Years. It shows us a truer side to retirement and how it affects the mindset of the sort of people who don't find anything very exciting or worthwhile. The dramatic moments do work, as well as the comedic ones. Another thing that I like about this film is how the slow and quiet pace of the film resembles the main character's experience during retirement. Kathy Bates and the supporting cast do very good jobs. The only problem I have is the brief and unexpected nudity in one scene, which seems unnecessary and rather distracting. Other than that, this is a great film by both Jack and director Alexander Payne. And if you haven't seen this film yet, well, be prepared to be intrigued by the deep story and some TRULY authentic acting.
Grade: A-
Movie Review: About Life
Summary: 5 Stars
"About Schmidt" is certainly not a film for everyone. Those who want what passes for "action" these days, those who don't like films that make you think, and those who don't like to be forced to look at some of the more unpleasant aspects of life need not apply. However, for the rest of us who like to be occasionally challenged by a film, "About Schmidt" is a veritable masterpiece, and in my eyes a powerful warning against the complacency and conformity that our society breeds.For the most part, we are taught to chase the so-called "American Dream", a dream in which we go to college, graduate and get a job in some office where we work from 9 to 5 for the greater part of our lives. When we get too old, we are replaced by someone younger, much like an old cog is replaced in a machine. Not to worry though, for now we are finally free to enjoy life. The problem is, at this point we have become so dependent upon routine, we don't know how to enjoy life or what to do with ourselves. We are left feeling useless, lonely and forgotten, struggling to prove to ourselves that our lives actually mattered.
This is where we find Warren Schmidt. He has been rendered numb by the banality of his existence within the "American Dream". However, a series of life shaking events awaken him from his sleepwalking and force him to confront his very existence. He begins a journey, slowly waking up to life while seeking to find some way in which he has made a difference in the world.
Along the way, this film confronts these difficult issues and exlplores the alarming loss of humanity in the face of routine and conformity. Should identity be sacrificed for the sake of keeping the machine humming along? There are some who are content to play the part they are handed, but for those with a mind to question, challenge and explore, that is a fate worse than death.
Movie Review: Call The Cops Because Jack Was Robbed!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently watched the films "About Schmidt" and "The Pianist" back-to-back, and ... Jack Nicholson's magnificent portrayal of Warren R. Schmidt. From beginning to tear-jerking finale(yes, I did indeed cry at the conclusion of this film), Jack shows why he is not only the greatest living actor in the world, but arguably one of the finest actors of all time. He hides pain, sadness, anger and confusion in the character of Warren so well, that I almost felt as if this were a documentary about an actual person. I have not seen such magnificent character acting since Kevin Spacey's portrayal of Lester Burnham in "American Beauty." I was so moved by Jack's performance and his ability to steal the spotlight of every scene that he is in. Alex Payne, much like he did in the absolutely hysterical "Election," has brought a blistering sense of dark humor to the film, so much so that I had to pause the film several times because I was laughing so hard. Take for instance the letters between Warren and Ndugu, the 6 year old boy from Africa that Warren has 'adopted' for $22.00 a month. Warren writes down his inner most feelings in these letters - from his disappointing marriage, to the guy who replaced him at work to his thoughts about life and death. Of course a 6 year old would have no idea what he was talking about, but the manner in which Warren communicates is quite comical. These letters are also the cause for the heart-warming and teary-eyed finale. Overall, I found this character to be more realistic and easier to realte to than Adrien Brody in "The Pianist." Not to take away from Mr. Brody, he was a marvel in that film - but it's because of actors like Jack Nicholson who paved the way for him. Jack is by no means ready to retire from Hollywood. He has put forth one of his finest roles in quite some time, and just like Warren R. Schmidt, the future is bright for Jack.Movie Review: OMG Funny! On My Top 10 List!
Summary: 5 Stars
Funny, funny, and FUN.
Maybe you need to be over 40 to appreciate this movie. The humor is aimed at those of us that can appreciate being older, feeling like life has gone by and we didn't exactly accomplish what we had hoped for.
Jack Nicholson was a HOOT! From the beginning, at his retirement party, and the way he described his life, his wife and daughter, it was so real. Believable enough to be painful, but we laughed. I guess we like a movie that we can relate to the troubles of another, that we can feel that they truly understand.
Life is funny, and to be able to laugh is a treasure. Poor dear, Warren Schmidt was a man that we, my hubby and I, could feel for, and laugh with, and root for.
When he signs up for a Christian Children's Fund type child, the ones that you send money each month, and get a photo of a third world child, that's when I adored this man. Not going to tell you more about that - you have to see it!
Kathy Bates, the wild and free mother in law, was hilarious. She was also insightful, sensitive, and she loved her boy. "That boy is easy on the eyes, if I say so myself." Laugh out loud funny! (her boy, was not that good looking, that's what was funny!) and the hot tub - OH My goodness! Way too funny! then, poor Warren's back, and the waterbed, and the RV.. so much to love.
I bought this DVD so I can watch it again, and again, and loan to my adult kids. not for little kids, language, nudity, and they just wouldn't get it! Like I said, I think you should be over 40 to really appreciate the feelings of dear Warren Schmidt. He is a loveable jerk, that by the end of the film, you will root for and want to hug him and cook for him.
see it. darn good.