Tuesday, April 25, 2006
TRIPLE A
Today's NYTimes Best 1176 Film was
There is a great film in here struggling to get out. But it has to slog its way through Tom Hank's over the top performance as a washed out ball player. a lot of extraneously annoying—or is it annoyingly extraneous—music, and a ham fisted attempt to wring some drama out of dying soldiers in WWII.
This is Penny Marshall's downfall as a director. She cannot get the chaff out of the final print.
The movie is a series of great moments interspersed with sit-com schlock. Well, that is where Marshall came from.
I enjoyed most of it and was annoyed with a lot of it. Geena Davis is good. It is nice to see a more restrained Rosie O'Donell. And so on.
I am sorry to report that while Madonna turns in a servicable performance that a double is used for the dance numbers. Yes. They had to get her out on the dance floor. But it is not her.
Some tugs at the heart strings were successful. There are some laughs. The drama is trite but bearable.
I will give it a 3 out of Netflix5.
