Catch-22
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Movie Reviews of Catch-22
Movie Review: Decent antiwar movie
Summary: 4 Stars
"Catch-22" is a comedy, but not a "Happy Gilmore" sort of comedy. Dry rather than hilarious, with more than a few downer moments, it succeeds as satire rather than as laugh-out-loud escapism. A definite artifact of its time, in terms of its style and content, it still holds up today.
"Catch-22" is a scathing indictment of war, as well as the State. Yossarian's confrontation with Cathcart near the end of the movie highlights this, when Cathcart attempts to bully Yossarian into following Cathcart's orders by asking whether he loves his country. Yossarian counters, correctly, that Cathcart and his lackey are not his country. M&M Enterprises, referred to by its organizer from square one as the "Syndicate," is just a mafia by a different name, and its co-option of Cathcart and its effects on the fliers make the point that the State is just another organized crime outfit.
The cinematography of this film is spectacular, with some astounding complex shots that last a very long time.
Everyone in this movie went on to be famous, just about, if they weren't already - or at least became a "hey, it's that guy" type of actor. It's amazing how young some of the actors are. Good luck spotting an 18ish Bob Balaban without his expected beard and glasses! The same goes for Richard Libertini. Fans of the "Bob Newhart Show" will see half the cast in this movie, from Newhart himself as Major Major, on down.
On the downside, the commentary track is disappointingly sparse. Mike Nichols just doesn't say much. Steven Soderbergh asks good and probing questions in an attempt to get Nichols to talk, but Nichols' answers are short and unenlightening.
"Catch-22" is worth at least a rent.
Movie Review: Good satire
Summary: 4 Stars
I really enjoyed this movie. I love good, ridiculous satire. Although it felt pretty cold at times I couldn't ignore the great craftsmanship that went into this. Mike Nichols shot if very simply. Lots of looong one takes framing 3 or more people, which I really enjoyed. Great to see the actors to "do it". I actually started to joke to myself that the shoot might've only lasted a week because the majority of the movie is eaten up by all the long one takes. And good framing. This movie was ALL the framing. Careful, thought out, well done framing. It's so nice to see a movie that isn't CUT! CUT! CUT! Makes me want to see more 2 shots in movies. And what a cast. I almost couldn't believe how many people were in it. Garfunkle, Charles Grodin, Jon Voight, of course Alan Arkin (who was really good I thought), Osen Welles (great as the general), the guy who played Welles' step son was great, and many others. Hot chicks too. And Nichols wasn't afraid to show tit.
I love seeing intelligent comedies that are directed with a sense of art to them. Like Coen Brothers movies or Rushmore, or Polanski. Comedies don't have to be shot poorly. Not just "point-and-shoot" like most directors do. Anyway, I would totally tell you to check out this movie. At times it was a little slow and a tad cold feeling, but it's intelligent, funny, bizarre, and very worth watching.
Movie Review: Flawed, Timeless and Very Funny!
Summary: 4 Stars
I just wasn't sure if this film was going to amuse me like it did when I first saw it in the theatre. It'd been so long since I'd pulled my VHS copy off the shelf I just wasn't sure, I mean it's happened to me before on a couple of films.
Just seeing the cast again was almost worth the price of admission: Richard Benjamin, Alan Arkin, Bob Newhart, Jon Voight and Buck Henry. There are many more but if you're reading this review to decide on buying the movie then I'll spare you the others as half the fun of the movie is seeing these performers in this film. Now, there are so many quotable lines in this movie that I can't begin to list them.
Hey, the movie is flawed. In other words, no, it isn't perfect for some of the reasons stated in other reviews but the fact is any movie buff, or rabid fan of dark, dark comedy will appreciate and fully enjoy Catch 22 in its entirety.
"That's some catch that Catch 22."
The book is incredible, too. I originally read it in high school and loved it. Seeing the filmed version a few years later was just icing on the cake.
Movie Review: Everybody's crazy
Summary: 4 Stars
Here is a pitchblack satirical comedy about the insanity of war that goes beyond the limits of satire into the realm of disgust. The movie focuses on an air force unit in Italy during WW II and a handful of characters who have become crazy. Yossarian (Alan Arkin) wants out but can't get discharged (that's the Catch-22); Milo (Jon Voight) has turned the war into a means of getting rich; Col. Cathcart (Martin Balsam) is just looking for glory in the Saturday Evening Post; etc., etc. It's a one joke idea: war is insane, and it's looked at from a number of different angles. Most of these angles are hilarious, but after a while it's as if everyone starts saying this isn't enough, like a wild man holding us by the shirtfront demanding that we see, we understand, and thinking that we don't, we couldn't possibly, just piles on the excess. It goes on too long and begins to batter us so much until what was funny and crazy is now just sickening. Like Heller's book, Mike Nichols, the director, doesn't know when to back off.Movie Review: It's not the book - what movie is?
Summary: 4 Stars
I read Catch-22 many years ago. Loved it. I've seen Catch-22 the movie several times. Loved it. But they are different. You are not going to get every nuance of the complex, convoluted book into the movie, but it is a good approximation. The movie works on its own, mostly due to the collection of oddball characters and circumstances. The long list of big named actors did a good job. However, the cinematography may be the star, here. As an "anti-war" comedy, this ranks near the top. It is as satirical as Dr Strangelove.
The movie has no musical score, and only has (as I recall) one instance of music at all ("Thus Spake Zarathustra", a la "2001 A Space Odyssey".)
"Let me see if I've got this straight. In order to be grounded, I've got to be crazy and I must be crazy to keep flying. But if I ask to be grounded, that means I'm not crazy any more and I have to keep flying."
The reasonably-priced DVD has a so-so commentary by director Mike Nichols with Steven Soderbergh.