BIZARRE

I have placed "sizzler ratings" next to movies to give you an idea of how good they are

BUTCHER BOY (1998)

Starring: Stephen Rea, Fiona Shaw, Eammon Owens
The plot: Francie Brady is a child bully fast entering adolescence in a world that is changing around him. As Francie's life disintegrates around him, he crosses the line between reality and the drama unfolding in his mind.
Comment: There isn't much fun in this film. The plot unfolds in a very surreal way, meaning you have to focus on the film at all times, which can be a bit difficult as sometimes the acting rambles. However, the concentration is worth it (??) for the sense of horror that unfolds towards the end of the movie.
Return to top

FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS (1998)

Starring: Johnny Depp, Benecio Del Toro, Ellen Barkin, Cameron Diaz, Gary Busey
The plot: The time is the 1971, the drugs are plentiful, and its time for Duke (a sports journalist) to head to Las Vegas to cover a car race of sorts. With his big Samoan lawyer offering advice, they hire a car, load up on drugs and head to for the desert. What follows is Dukes recollections of the events while swimming in and out of drug induced hallucinations.
Comment: An offbeat, somewhat black comedy by Terry Gillam (of Monty Python fame if that explains anything!). Johnny Depp is brilliant as the aging, bow-legged, Duke who tries to cover up his own drug-induced antics - and those of his lawyer. The hallucination effects at the start of the film are brilliant, and it's a shame they weren't continued throughout the film as they really helped create the atmosphere. If you're in the mood for a quirky film, then you can't go far wrong with this one. And I'm delighted to say, Terry Gillam has finally worked out how to end a film and not take it on and on and on....
Return to top

MAGNOLIA (1999)

Starring: Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, William H Macy
The plot: In one slightly unusual day in L.A., the lives of many people entwine and connect randomly as events unfold (at the speed of a glacian advancing...).
Comment: This is NOT one of those movies where you feel you are getting your money's worth and sit riveted for 3 hours... I walked in late and thought the opening scene was a very long commercial as the soundtrack drowned out most of the conversation... In what I would presume is deemed by those in the know, as a bit of cinema masterpiece, the soundtrack continues to drown out the actors for the next 2 hours. Finally, after 2 hours, the climax of the film is reached and we are thrust into blissful silence. Except, like Terry Gilliam in his early days, Paul Thomas Anderson (the screenplay writer) doesn't know how to end the movie and it goes on and on, gradually sinking into a depth of surrealism and unconnected reality. By this stage though, you are a gonner - just figdeting away, wondering when you will be released from this endless nightmare.

If that wasn't enough, the amount of totally gratuitous swearing is grating as well - particularly from Julianne Moore's character, Linda. If you feel you must see this to see why Tom Cruise got nominated for an Academy Award (and between you and me, I kept wondering when the adulated 'Oscar' performance was going to come...), then see this one on video so you can walk away for a break from time to time!
Return to top