The Majestic
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Movie Reviews of The Majestic
Movie Review: Wonderful and Whimsical Film!
Summary: 5 Stars
I found this rather light-hearted romantic comedy quite entertaining, and one of the aspects I enjoyed most about it was the unusual dramatic direction in which comedian Jim Carrey seems to be going with such efforts as this one and his recent triumphant portrayal of the title character in "Truman". Once again Carrey neatly uses his considerable talents in more subtle ways than when chasing laughs in such slapstick efforts as "Ace Ventura, Pet Detective" or "Dumb and Dumber", and the result here is a very pleasing, and much more mellow movie. Of course, Carrey is supported in all this with a whimsical story and a strong supporting cast, including veteran character actor Martin Landau as the father so desperate to find his lost son he is left clutching at the straw Carrey's character represents. ALso terrific are Bob Balaban and Hal Holbrook. Also noteworthy here is the lovely Laurie Holden, who delivers a wonderful and fairly complex performance as a no-nonsense woman whose heart slowly finds itself surrendering to Carrey's lost boy charm. Expect to hear much more from her in the near term future, as she has absolutely everything it will take to be a major leading lady.
Of course, this is a 1940s type movie, much like the feel-good stuff Hollywood once seemed to discharge with impish regularity from noted directors like Frank Capra and many others as well. And the use of the Hollywood blacklist here adds strength and purpose to the character's amnesia and recovery that it otherwise wouldn't have. After all, the fact that he was running away from something is a critically important aspect of the story, so using the blacklisting of artists so common in the early fifties is an interesting sidebar to the events transpiring on the screen.
However, I found the Washington hearing sequences to be out of place and much too shrill to be included with the movie. I believe the issue could have been handled in another way and not detract from the main story line being developed and grown before us. This ends up being a bittersweet statement on life, and how one can make it be what one wants and needs it to be, if only one has the strength, courage, and imagination to live it at the edge, taking the risks needed to make it work. I found myself smiling as the final credits came up, and glad to have witnessed Carrey's growth into a much more substantial actor and artist than I had thought he was capable of being. Hopefully he will continue along these lines, taking the risks he needs to take to fulfill his beckoning promise as a dramatic artist.
Movie Review: Who Are We Really?
Summary: 5 Stars
Frank Darabont has created a wonderful and nostalgic film with echos of Frank Capra everywhere. The lush cinematography, with its colorful hues, help create and enhance a very special movie that will leave you wondering why films like this don't get made anymore.
Jim Carrey completely loses himself in a quiet and underplayed role which could easily have garnered him an Oscar if anyone had been watching. This is an old-style film and Carrey gives an old-style performance as Peter Appleton. After an horrific car accident, he loses his memory and is mistaken and embraced by an entire town as Luke. Luke is a long missing and beloved son of both his father and the town.
Martin Landau gives a wonderful performance as always. The same can be said of Adele Stanton, as the pretty Laurie Holden, Luke's girlfriend and touchstone for all that really matters in life. James Whitmore and David Ogden Stiers are just two of the many faces you will recognize in this lovely portrait of a small town in 1950's America. An entire community comes together to help restore its once great movie theatre, "The Majestic," where magic filled the screens every weekend.
Like any Capra film, Darabont's movie takes its time to unfold. The basic story is surrounded by small insights into ourselves and how we live. Does what people expect of us make us better? If we become better than who we were, where do we belong then? Peter will have to answer these questions when he remembers who he is. He has come to love Laurie and his 'father' Landau, and may no longer be Peter; at least not the old Peter.
The town who feels betrayed by their favorite son is not the only problem Peter/Luke must deal with. The communist witch hunts of the fifties are in full force and he must go back and face the committee. But who he is now may change how he answers the questions. Once he figures out where he belongs, he must find out if he can live the life he chooses.
This long and beautiful film is truly special. The last ten minutes of this old-style masterpiece reminds us of all that is good about the movies. If you are lucky enough to be seeing this for the first time, I envy you. If you didn't give this film a chance the first time around, give it another try.
"The Magic is Right Here, The Trick is to See It"--Martin Landau
Movie Review: Darabont Strikes Again.
Summary: 5 Stars
Frank Darabont is the guy responsible for bringing THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and THE GREEN MILE to the screen. He's one of the best directors in the business and he has created another gem with the delightful film, THE MAJESTIC.The film takes place in the late 1950's. A cynical screenwriter, Peter Appleton (Jim Carrey) discovers that he is being investigated by Congress for "un-American activities." Peter is blacklisted, gets drunk, goes for a drive, and ends up falling off a bridge into a river. He is awakened on a beach by a dog and discovers he has amnesia. Peter "looks familiar" to everyone he meets and is eventually mistaken for someone else, a guy named Luke.
Jim Carrey is wonderful. He's a great actor with a Jimmy Stewart/Tom Hanks everyman persona. His portrayal of Peter/Luke has all the charm of Stewart's George Bailey.
Darabont has said he has always wanted to make a Frank Capra-type film. He has succeeded with THE MAJESTIC. It contains the classic Capra formula: lovable everyman rises to defend all that is good and wholesome about America, becomes a hero, and wins the girl. Darabont tweeks the formula a little, but remains true to the Capra system.
Several scenes are taken directly from Capra pictures. When Peter falls off the bridge and awakens in a new life, it reminded me of George Bailey in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. When Peter testifies before a Congressional hearing, images of Jimmy Stewart as Mr. Smith in MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON kept coming to mind.
THE MAJESTIC is Capraesque in another significant way. Capra elevated the ordinary man in his films to illustrate the nobility in all and uphold all that is good in America. THE MAJESTIC does this, but it upholds one particular aspect of American life: it reveres the movies. It illuminates them and speaks of them as they were meant to be. People have always love movies, but movies have lost much of the luster that once made them grand. THE MAJESTIC seeks to reclaim the glory of times past by instilling the lesson of why movies are good.
Several critics have panned THE MAJESTIC for being too sentimental. Critics said the same thing about Capra and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. In the end the good guys win.
Movie Review: A Return to Basics
Summary: 5 Stars
I read the reviews of this film and I am amazed at how far down the road of cynicism we have gone in so many ways. And who gives a rapper's curse that "Stranger on the Shore" was written in 1962. I can always find faults in most films that makes this one less than trivial. This kind of reviewing is for petty people.
No - I will tell you, I am college educated, been around the world and had all my ideals shattered at one time or another. But this film had my wife and I in tears of joy and sorrow. This film takes us back to some very needed basics with a classic set up. It starts off almost as if it was another Carey comedy, but soon turns into something else. You are too hardened to care that a guy gets stuck on a bridge, in a rain storm? You don't care that he goes over? Have you ever met someone who can't recall their past? It's very sad. Hey, that black man alone in the film is representative of possibly scores of similar situations that existed back then. (A lot like the black woman my uncle took in and saved from a miserable slow death on the street as a destitute old woman. He founded a home for homeless recoverng alcholics in the early '60s based on that gesture. What a cornball he was!)
If this film cannot move you, you are likely hopelessly lost in a post modern anarchy of the heart, needing another cinematic action/shock fix to keep you interested in life. The scene of Carey's character facing up to the devils in the place of civil servants is supreme, even if it is merely an update. Only a great actor could play that as well as Carey did, right down to the shakey hand and fearfull eyes. And Jim Carey deserves some recognition as an actor.
We happen to know Ferndale, California, where this film was made and visited just as the set was closing. Mr. Carey left a swath of love and friendship in his wake. What a supreme guy. Someday, I hope he gets to shake off his stereotype and gets a part that will win him the recognition he deserves. This film is but one blow against his concrete prison.
Movie Review: A Jim Carrey Movie for Non-Jim Carrey Fans
Summary: 5 Stars
I don't know why there are so many negative or mixed reviews about this movie. I can only assume that fans of Jim Carrey expected him to be over the top (like he was in the Mask and Ace Venture), and those that didn't like those movies (this is the category that I fall into), assumed that he would be over the top so they dismissed this movie sight unseen. Jim Carrey fans STAY AWAY as you will probubly be disappointed in this movie. Non-Jim Carrey fans "Please, Please, Please" go see this movie, you will not be disappointed. Forget Jim Carrey, think of a young Tom Hanks, or dare I suggest a young Jimmy Stewart. If you do not know anything about this movie think "It's a Wonderful Life" or any other Frank Capra film. This is an excellent gem of a movie that was (and I fear will continue to be) missed by so many, simply because people hear the name "Jim Carrey" and make of their mind (good or bad) without even seeing the movie. This movie was great, by far the best picture I saw in 2001. Jim Carrey as a serious actor was excellent (who knew), Martin Landau..excellent...and the girl who played the love interest (sorry I forgot her name) was outstanding. This is a movie expierence that you can share with your wife, your girlfriend, your Mom and Dad, your favorite Aunt and Uncle, and never be embarrassed by anything of the screen (now how many Jim Carrey movies can you say that about). Go now, Buy, Rent, Borrow, set your DVR, but get a copy of this movie and set aside an evening for a movie pleasure that you have not had in an extremely long time. I cannot reccommend it enough (I would give it 10 stars if I could, and believe me I am very criticle of movies in general).