Flick the Button

1. Emma: Not bad, but not as good as Clueless (seriously gay that I just wrote that). Paltrow is better here than in, well anything else I've seen her in (not saying too much...). Northam was probably miscast. He was too old (and I still think he's weird looking with that enormous gourd). I wanted to like it a little more than I did. Several scenes seemed way too staged, forced, unnatural. I'll be stingy. You're fired.

2. Welcome to the Dollhouse: Another movie I thought I saw a long time ago, but after watching it I didn't remember anything about 20 minutes in. Anyway, I'm not sure of what to do with this. I laughed my ass off at a few scenes, but then again, other scenes just didn't work at all. And those that didn't work outnumbered the ones that did by about 8-1. The acting was fine. The score was not in line with the rest of the film. The acting was very good. The wardrobe was spectacular. Not fired up enough by this though. You're fired.

3. The Hustler: Here's a movie with a score that works. The opening scene is fantastic. Long lull in the middle. Piper Laurie is a great wet blanket. It seemed like forever until things picked up again. I liked the scenes in Louisville, but the final scene was kind of a letdown. The first match with Fats is so great, that the second just couldn't keep up. Anyway, all the actors are great, but the lull in the middle and the final scene just make this a set of steak knives.

4. The Great Dictator: Well, it's kind of a mess, unfortunately. It's way too long, and the mixed identity plot doesn't work all that well. There are a few laughs, and the closing speech is pretty inspiring. It's well shot too. However, Chaplin's earlier works are a little more memorable, and there wasn't a boxing scene. That's unforgivable. Steak Knife.