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Fargo, a review by Eric

Fargo


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Based on a true story that took place in Minnesota and North Dakota in 1987.  The opening credits claim that the names of the survivors were changed but that "in respect for the deads the rest is told exactly as it occured".

It's about a frustrated loser who hires 2 guys to kidnap his wife and get his wealthy father in law to pay a ransom he will then keep. The story is interesting and I had never heard of it. 

The movie however is not very good.  It was obviously done with a small budget but I don't think it excuses everything.  The thing that bothered me is that the characters from Minnesota and North Dakota all looked kind of "idiotic".  They look cold, like nothing ever surprise them, almost like Zombie.  They also say "Yeaaaaah" at least once per sentence, often more, but pronounced almost with a German or Dutch accent.  I don't know if people in Minnesota really say "Yeah" all the time but in the movie it's very annoying, almost like the writer sometimes makes them say something totally useless just to squeeze another "Yeah" in there.

This is bad IMO because there's a scene in the movie where all those one word sentences with people answering "yeah" all the times makes the whole thing look like some parody that isn't even funny.

They may have told things exactly as they happened by respect for the deads but they could also have shown respect for the people involved by not depicting them as idiots.

My score: , but if you find it somewhere for less than 5$ bucks it can still fill a snowy saturday afternoon if one has nothing else to do.


P.S: After writing this review I checked the movie on Rotten Tomatoes.  To my surprise it got very good critics and scores averaging 85% by critics and 94% by the community so I guess one should base his decision on getting this movie or not on my review.

(From Eric's DVD watching. on October 4th, 2008)

Goodbye, Mr. Chips, a review by Antares

Goodbye, Mr. Chips





Year: 1939
Film Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Loew's Incorporated, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios
Genre: Drama, Classic, Family
Length: 114 Min.

Director
Sam Wood (1883)

Writing
R. C. Sherriff (1896)...Screenplay
Claudine West (1890)...Screenplay
Eric Maschwitz (1901)...Screenplay
James Hilton (1900)...Book "Goodbye, Mr. Chips!"

Producer
Victor Saville (1895)

Cinematographer
Freddie Young (1902)

Music
Richard Addinsell (1904)...Composer

Stars
Robert Donat (1905) as Charles Chipping (Mr. Chips)
Greer Garson (1904) as Katherine
Terry Kilburn (1926) as John Colley / Peter Colley I / Peter Col
John Mills (1908) as Peter Colley as a young man
Paul Henreid (1905) as Staefel
Judith Furse (1912) as Flora
Lyn Harding (1876) as Wetherby
Milton Rosmer (1881) as Chatteris

Review my mind instantly turns to the classic film Goodbye, Mr. Chips has built up over the years and slowly the staff and students begin to accept and appreciate the new and improved Mr. Chips. His blissful transformation will soon be tested as an unforeseen tragedy befalls Katherine and he is once again alone. Believing that fate has intended for theirs to be a short, yet meaningful affiliation, he throws the weight of his new found enthusiasm into molding the futures of his ever-changing classroom. Generations will come and go and the memory of his dry and dreary deportment will diminish with time, and he will come to be regarded as the true embodiment of the Brookings School for Boys.

       Goodbye, Mr. Chips is a testament to the bygone days of the golden age of filmmaking when a story meant more than the bottom line of gross ticket sales. It is the kind of film that is perfect for viewing on a cold rainy day when a warm and charming tale can help you to escape the stark reality of the times we now live in.


Ratings Criterion:
5 Stars - The pinnacle of film perfection and excellence.

(From Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) on December 17th, 2009)

Miracles Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

6. The Hand of God
Paul comes under investigation by the police after a woman is found murdered in her home, leaving behind her diary where she had sketched his name and image, along with the words "God is nowhere".

Guest Stars:
Blake Bashoff
John Thaddeus
Pat Skipper
Robert Clotworthy

My Thoughts:
This is the final episode to air on ABC in it's original run. Thankfully they gave us the entire 13 episodes on this DVD collection. This episode is an interesting one as it continues with the series long storyline. But it did seem a little slow to me. This episode completes the second disc in the set.

My Rating:

(From Miracles Marathon on December 30th, 2009)