:: Monday, July 28, 2003 ::

Last week I had an incredible urge to see Disney's "Pirates". I saw it. It was okay. Mikometer Rating: 7 of 10. This is the kind of movie where it is useless to try to keep up with the plot, as one could probably pilot a couple of frigates through the holes. It wasn't a very pleasant experience, however, because two "family units" in front of me had 3-5 year old kids whining and screaming throughout the film, which at 2.5 hours, is quite a buttsleeper.
The good news is the second film I saw in the theater this weekend. Although only "No. 5" in this mornings "tout sheet", the excellent "Seabiscuit" directed by Gary Ross, whose first film,"Pleasantville" is one of the underrated films of all time, is, at least for me, the first Oscar worthy film out of the gate this year. I'm writing a "full blown" review. (I actually started it on Saturday after coming home from the theater, I'm not kidding.) I saw it without checking out Ross's credentials. I really enjoyed "Pleasantville" back in '98, and thought it showed remarkable heart and soul. "Seabiscuit" shows for sure that this wasn't a fluke. As a screenwriter, he has written some heartstring tuggers, besides "Pleasantville", and "Seabiscuit", which he adapted from Laura Hildenbrand's book, he wrote "Big" and "Dave".
"Seabiscuit" is definitely the answer to the age old question, "Why don't they make movies like they used to?" This one doesn't have careening freeway crashes, snappy with it dialogue (except perhaps for William H. Macy
s "Tick Tock McLaughlin" radio announcer) or modern cultural references. This is a film for the ages, made "as they used to" with older filmic conventions (including the first montage I've seen in years) fantastic acting, and it gallops at a reasonable pace. 10 of 10 on the Mikometer. I can't deny that "Seabiscuit" is so far the best movie this year!
:: Michael Nyiri 6:56 AM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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