P.S.
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Movie Reviews of P.S.
Movie Review: One of the best of 2004. It sparkles and beams.
Summary: 4 Stars
by Dane Youssef
"P.S." is one of those rare movies that tells a story which feels too good to be true--the kind that's escapist-fantasy and only seems to happen in movies and in our most desperate dreams.
But then again, sometimes we see and here that it does happen in real life. Once in a blue moon. It's every great success story. Like movie-star Lana Turner getting discovered when working in a pharmacy or Muhammad Ali's almost inhumanly-impossible success with his career in the ring, who talked like a professional wrestler.
"P.S." is a movie like that. It tells a story as sweet as a fairy tale, that maybe could happen in life. Where a woman feels like when she loses someone, she loses her chance in life. But then something else comes along that is so incredible, it feels like the divine hand. Is God giving her a do-over? And not being so subtle about it?
Laura Linney continues her streak of must-see movies and Oscar-caliber performances here as Louise, a middle-aged admissions director who's been through a real losing streak throughout her life.
She's recently divorced from her husband, a compulsive sex-addict who's diddled anyone who's set toe in his class. Her best friend seduced away her boyfriend in high school and is now married in an upper-middle class suburb to a man she threatens to cheat on if he doesn't fulfill his "husbandly duties." She's living the kind of life every woman wants to in her most cynical, vengeful, self-absorbed fantasies.
Laura's getting older, life's getting harder (and it hasn't been very charmed to begin with). She begins to see all her hopes and dreams fading fast. And things get even more interesting when see has a private one-on-one interview with a potential art student.
This guy is just her type. Not only, but... he bares an uncanny resemblance to her late college boyfriend, an art major with a passion that matched hers. This guy doesn't just look--he sounds, acts, behaves and his art is even similar. Louise is in shock.
What is this? Coincidence? Incidental? Has she been working herself too hard? Stress? Reincarnation? An escapist-fantasy movie-plot? Whatever it is, Louise is rubbing here eyes while warming up to this guy. Getting to know him... finds herself feeling something.... While trying to keep her feelings at bay. She's a skeptic. She's got one heck a heck of a track record.
One of the most refreshing things about the actress Laura Linney is that she's not just another manufactured beauty from off the assembly line. She's not just another actress. She's not "one of a million." She's just so real. She's not movie-star-ish.
She doesn't wear designer clothes wherever she goes, live in a six-story mansion of Muhulland Dr, smoke cigarettes from a long black holder and have a private trophy room for all her honors. When she acts, it doesn't feel like acting. You feel you know her. She's a real person.
The same hold true for Topher Grace, which explains his success as an actor. He seems so adult, so grown-up for his age. Grace is charismatic and seems smart, his gift and his power on-screen doesn't come from a natural Brando-like acting talent, but his face, his body, his voice, his personality. Somehow, everything he says sounds like he means it. He's so square, so on-the-level. All he has to do is speak to convince you that he's legit.
As an actor, Grace has a style all his own which may or may not be intentional. He has an Anti-Brando method. He never changes his appearance or voice at all in his roles, but he has an earnest, open-faced, true-to-life and genuinely human way in every movie he so much as touches. Which explains why Hollywood keeps throwing mountains of scripts his way and why every movie he's in, he's given a nomination for something.
This is some of the best acting either Linney or Grace has ever done so far, pure and simple.
Gabriel Bryne, one of the finest actors in the world brings his trade-mark debonair and charisma in the role of Peter Harrington, Louise's ex-husband who's nasty habit primarily caused their divorce. There scenes that poke fun and make light of his "f-----g" habit are almost worth the rental price.
Which is why he takes home award after award for nearly every movie he does, because something about his whole appearance and personality makes it come across like he's just himself being himself, not an actor.
While "P.S." may just come across as a woman's picture (and it may well be), this isn't just a moody, sensitive, overly-emotional "chick-flick" to be seen on a "woman's day." This is a movie about some people who are seriously dealing with the trials of life at a turning point of age.
Paul Rudd, who been the key performance in some damn good movies, has basically just a little cameo, but as the estranged brother, he gives us further magnified scope into Louise's little life. He's a reformed junkie with a condescending, sadistic streak towards his big sis.
The movie has a deep, human, true-to-life atmosphere all throughout. There's nary a moment that is written or executed in a way that feels contrived. Nothing in "P.S." needs willing suspension of disbelief. Everything feels so beautiful and natural as the falling of the rain.
I've read an endless number of reviews for this movie which charge Dylan Kidd with making a picture less impressive than his previous effort. Ah, the sophomore jinx. I didn't see his freshman effort, "Roger Dodger," so I'm not particularly biased. And anyway, shouldn't a film be judged solely on it's own merits? Even Steven Spielberg made "Always," "Hook" and "1941."
Listen folks, seriously, so many filmmakers are accused being cursed with the dreaded "sophomore jinx" because when it comes to art, there are people who rate novelty above all else.
Movies like "Birth and "Return To Me" have tackled this subject before, but here it feels so legitimate. Like "Rocky," this one makes us believe clichés can happen... and make us care.
by Dane Youssef
Movie Review: "You can't tell someone they're dead. They'll go into shock."
Summary: 4 Stars
When I was attending Johnson Middle School on an American Air Force Base in Japan (in the same buildings where they trained Kamikaze pilots during World War II), I had a crush on this one girl named Michelle who pretty much ignored me (except for once when she wanted to make this other guy jealous, not that I could have been used for such purposes at that age). My father retired to New Mexico and I went to high school. One night during my first year somebody called the house and said it was a phone call for me from Japan. I immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was Michelle calling me, which made absolutely no sense whatsoever if I was thinking with my brain but obviously sprung from a more emotional place. My hopes were immediately dashed and it would be another two years before a girl would finally ask me out on a date.
I mention this story because it allows me to understand the leap of illogic that overwhelms Louise Harrington (Laura Linney) in "p.s.," an Independent film written and directed by Dylan Kidd ("One Wild Night") based on the novel by Helen Schulman. The tagline for the film is "What would you do for a second chance?" Louise is an admissions officer at Columbia and when she sees an application from F. Scott Feinstadt (Topher Grace), she calls him up to come in for an interview. After it is over she runs after him and ends up taking him back to her apartment where she pretty much literally jumps him. It does not matter that she is an admissions officer and he is a candidate for admissions. Nor does it matter that she is 39 and he is 18. All that matters is that his name is Scott Feinstadt and he looks something like the young boy drawn on a napkin that Louise has in her possession.
Eventually we (and F. Scott) learn that Louise considers him to be a dead ringer for her boyfriend who died when she was 17. She insists that F. Scott looks like this boy, sounds like this boy, paints like this boy, and basically makes it clear that the evidence is so obvious and overwhelming that the only reasonable thing to do is treat him like her Scott brought back to life. This Scott likes the sexual part and while being considered a dead guy is bad enough, it is the fact that Louise thinks his art is not his own that really upsets him. If Louisa was not in a vulnerable enough position to begin with, her ex-husband Peter (Gabriel Byrne) has reached Step 9 in his recovery program and shows up to make amends (This is never a good thing in the movies. Well, okay, not never, but the odds are really against you on this thing).
If this remind you of "Birth," another 2004 film, let me assure you that you are not alone. This time the young boy is older, so that there is a sexual dimension to the relationship, but that is not as important as the emotional turmoil that Louise is going through. The biggest difference between "p.s." and "Birth"--and why I rounded up on this one--is that this time when Louise turns to her friend, Missy Goldberg (Marcia Gay Harden) and says that this kid looks like the long dead Scott, her friend readily agrees instead of giving the more obvious rejoinder as to possible insanity. At that point the two women proceed to fight over this Scott, the same way they did over the earlier one two decades earlier. This has its comic moments, but there is also a tragic irony to it and this becomes the best scene in Kidd's film, not only because of the performance by Linney, but because it embracing the absurdity of the situation her character finds the means to let it go.
Movie Review: p.s. worth watching and enjoying
Summary: 4 Stars
Although the movie has some flaws, the actors in P.S. keep you interested in the characters, and you stay hooked from the time it starts until the credits. The movie was directed by Dylan Kidd, who also wrote the screenplay, and is based on the novel by Helen Schulman. It stars Laura Linney, who also starred in You Can Count on Me, as Louise who holds a position in admissions to the Art program at Columbia University. Linney plays the character in a very subtle way which adds to drawing the viewer into her world. She appears to have a good life with a good job, but at the same time her life seems to be lacking something. She is middle-aged, divorced, and has no love life. Her world is turned upside down when she receives an admissions request from a hopeful artist played by Topher Grace, of Traffic and That 70's Show, who has the same name, appearance, and artistic talent of Linney's first love in high school. You quickly learn that the high school love died and Louise never really got over him. From there, the movie focuses on Linnery's pursuit of this new artist and their quick romance.
Unfortunately this is where some of the movie's flaws begin to develop. Grace's character is never really fully explored nor is the character of the lost love he represents. The two quickly fall in love and there is no consideration for the consequences of that love. Also, Grace tends to come off as annoying instead of charming, and continues to act the same way in every role he takes. Other characters, such as the high school friend played by Marcia Gay Harden, Mystic River, and the ex-husband played by the great Gabriel Byrne become just side aspects of the plot. We learn Harden's character, now a married bored housewife, also had an a relationship with the dead high school artist, but not much more. Byrne admits to having an sexual addiction and cheating on Linney while they were married, but that isn't further explored. Paul Rudd plays Linney's brother, also a recovering addict, but he is more of a phone-in performance than a real character.
The movie does make up for its flaws with the solid performance by Linney who continues to impress with each role she takes. I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good romance or even a pretty good drama. It is slow and it does have some holes in the plot, but the performances more than make up for what it lacks.
The movie is sort of bare bones when it comes to special features. They consist of the theatrical trailer for the film, previews for Head In the Clouds and House of the Flying Daggers. It also has five deleted scenes that do a better job of adding to the relationship between Linney and Grace. They have optional commentary from the director. A couple could have been left on the cutting room floor, such as a pool game in the bar where Linney meets some of Grace's friends, but there are two that do a good job of showing the relationship taking form and exploring Linney's life.
Again, the movie isn't the greatest love story ever told, but it is definitely worth watching.
Movie Review: "Why don't you just let something good happen to you?"
Summary: 4 Stars
Light, and whimsical, half mystery and half romance, the strangely named P.S. is probably most notable for highlighting the urgent chemistry between Laura Linney and Topher Grace. Both bring a wonderful mixture of vulnerability and innocence to their roles, and their intimate moments have a startling realism, and honesty that's quite rare in cinema these days.
Having said that P.S. is a rather commonplace and ordinary movie, with some plot developments involving the secondary characters that don't quite have the ring of truth and good actors that are terribly underused. It's a pleasant enough film, but most viewers will walk away with the realization that they haven't seeing anything that particularly insightful or memorable.
There's no doubt that Linney gives an absolutely compelling performance, and she totally nails the portrayal of a frustrated, and lonely thirty-something woman who is full of pent-up regret and bitterness after just coming out of a divorce. She plays Louise Harrington, a Columbia University admissions officer. Louise lost her first true love in a car accident, and has just recently been divorced from Peter (Gabriel Byrne), her husband of ten years. Although best friends, they have a kind of shaky, disparate relationship that is built on confidence, but also hints at betrayal.
One day F. Scott Feinstadt (Topher Grace), an 18-year-old potential student, walks into Louise's office. Scott looks, sounds, and paints like Louise's long dead boyfriend. She reels from a mixture of shock, attraction and intrigue, becoming quite predatory as she quickly seduces him. Is this new Scott pure coincidence or is there something supernatural involved? As they get to know each other, Louise is reawakened both sexually and emotionally, until her best friend Missy (Marcia Gay Harden) arrives on the scene to try to sabotage the relationship.
The dynamic between Linney and Grace, is the main reason to watch this movie. Their dialogue is natural, smart and snappy and the best scene is when she seduces him after spontaneously inviting him back to her apartment. There's a great mixture of inexperienced urgency, and clumsy fumbling, which comes across as awkwardly endearing, gawkily charming, and also quite funny. The subplot, however, involving Peter's dark secret comes across as contrived and doesn't really go anywhere. Paul Rudd, as Louise's brother, is very good, but his scenes are too short, and his character is wasted.
The themes of loss and grief are generally well presented. And Louise's journey towards facing, and ultimately exorcising, the ghosts of the past is sensitively and thoughtfully developed. Director and co- screenwriter Dylan Kidd adapts Helen Schulman's novel with a delicate and heartfelt touch. But the standout is definitely Laura Linney - her mixture of sexual vulnerability, brashness and wavering cynicism make her plight a true triumph and victory of the heart. Mike Leonard February 05.
Movie Review: Very Enjoyable
Summary: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this film a lot - it made me cry and laugh and gave me a few things to think about. I found it to be quite fast paced and the characters were all intriguing (well, except one, but more about that later).
Laura Linney is wonderful playing Louise, a divorced college admissions officer in her late 30s, who meets a younger man (F.Scott, in his early 20s) who has the same name and characteristics as a young lover of hers who died in a car accident many years before. The film explores the relationship between Louise and F.Scott. The relationship between the two was interesting and entertaining, but I couldn't help wishing they'd got to know each other a bit better. Instead, they have sex about an hour after meeting, so it's difficult to see if they really are compatible or there is something special between them.
I especially enjoyed the relationship between Louise and her ex-husband Peter, played by Gabriel Byrne. I recently saw Linney and Byrne playing a wife / husband couple in the film Jindabyne, and they work really well together and seem very natural. Peter is a reformed sex addict who has been getting help from Louise's brother Sammy, himself a reformed addict (a small role brilliantly [played by Paul Rudd). The relationships between Louise and Peter / Sammy and Louise's mother were very well done, and I liked the way they showed the bigger picture about Louise's life and how she relates to different people.
The one thing about the film I'm not really sold on is the character of Missy, Louise's best friend. She is very much a stereotypical character - think Gabrielle from Desperate Housewives. She is the typical sex-pot with really over-the-top voice, sexual innuendos and short skirts. Her character simply wasn't written with any depth. She was just about redeemed, however, but her penultimate scene with Louise when they both talk about the feelings they had for Scott 20 years ago.
Overall, I really enjoyed this film and thought it was a good character study. It's a romance and family drama rolled into one. It goes off on a tangent a few times, and certain things aren't explained at the end, but if you like subtle, thought-provoking films then this is definitely worth watching. And of course it's a must-see for Laura Linney fans - she carries the whole film and makes Louise a sympathetic and interesting character.