jane-42
Joined Apr 2001
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Reviews31
jane-42's rating
This is clearly a film that has it's heart on it's sleeve and wants us
to get outraged about the injustice and 'red tape' that is holding up
our VA system. Made before the glut of hospital shows such as ER or
Chicago Hope, it features many of the same ideas and stories, but shot
in a better way. The camera work is fine in this film, much better than
either of those tv shows. The acting is too, for the most part. I felt
the film was stolen by the great Eli Wallach, who walks away with every
scene he's in. I ended up feeling sorry for Kiefer Sutherland who had to
share the screen with Wallach- it was like watching a kid play
basketball with Michael Jordan. Ray Liotta does a fine intense job, and
the supporting roles are all wonderful. The great Kathy Baker is all but
wasted, but does a great job. Lynn Thigpen has a small role, but does
it with her usual dignity and grace. Kieth David, John Mahoney and
Jeffrey Tambor all bless us with their talents, and I ended up wishing
the movie focused more on them than on the 'pretty young things'. If
anything does not work with this film I'd have to say it was the
directing or the editing- for some reason it doesn't come together in a
satisfying way, despite some fine performances. Also, I'd just recently
seen M*A*S*H*, which sets the bar pretty high for this kind of movie.
And not to compare apples and oranges, but if you're looking for a
'things are screwy in the medical profession' film, M*A*S*H* would be
the best way to go.
to get outraged about the injustice and 'red tape' that is holding up
our VA system. Made before the glut of hospital shows such as ER or
Chicago Hope, it features many of the same ideas and stories, but shot
in a better way. The camera work is fine in this film, much better than
either of those tv shows. The acting is too, for the most part. I felt
the film was stolen by the great Eli Wallach, who walks away with every
scene he's in. I ended up feeling sorry for Kiefer Sutherland who had to
share the screen with Wallach- it was like watching a kid play
basketball with Michael Jordan. Ray Liotta does a fine intense job, and
the supporting roles are all wonderful. The great Kathy Baker is all but
wasted, but does a great job. Lynn Thigpen has a small role, but does
it with her usual dignity and grace. Kieth David, John Mahoney and
Jeffrey Tambor all bless us with their talents, and I ended up wishing
the movie focused more on them than on the 'pretty young things'. If
anything does not work with this film I'd have to say it was the
directing or the editing- for some reason it doesn't come together in a
satisfying way, despite some fine performances. Also, I'd just recently
seen M*A*S*H*, which sets the bar pretty high for this kind of movie.
And not to compare apples and oranges, but if you're looking for a
'things are screwy in the medical profession' film, M*A*S*H* would be
the best way to go.
I prefer the book that Bret Easton Ellis wrote, for some reason they
decided to jetison most of the plot and alter the lead character of
Clay, thus watering it down till it's almost unrecognizable. Perhaps
they thought they had to 'clean it up' for the movies, although the
movie tries so hard to wallow in the shallow vapidity of the eighties
anyway that one is left wondering why- why alter a fine book at all?
Everyone gamely tries, but few succeed. The performances that work the
best are, of course, the 'bad guys'- James Spader and Robert Downey
Junior, in a role that has him doing most of the things he's recently
been arrested for, and doing them very well. It's a little eerie to
watch, a bit like watching 'Manhattan' now, knowing that Woody Allen
ended up essentially marrying his step child who is 40 years younger
than he is. Does that stop the enjoyment of the film? No, but it informs
it in a disturbing way. Less Than Zero has a bouncy sound track, a
catchy "Bangles" song (remember them?) and a lot of posing, which was
essential to the book but when you put it in a film it doesn't hold your
attention as well. It's like the difference between HEARING about a
person who was pretty but vacant that your friend saw at a party, and
actually SEEING that person at the party, just standing and trying to
look cool. I'd much rather hear about it than be forced to watch it.
Andrew McCarthy puts in probably his best performance, but the role is
so underwritten and uninteresting that he's left looking for Spader or
Downey Junior to help him get through his scenes alive. Jami Gertz seems
very nice but totally miscast in this role. Once again there is one of
those 'keep the sheets up so that it covers your privates' love scenes
that make us all boo the screen and run to get popcorn. Actually, this
one made me think why is it that our culture is so hung up about nudity?
Hung up to the point that when we show a love scene, it's done in the
most unrealistic way possible? It makes no sense. But I digress. Tony
Bill is the 'adult', who is mostly absent, and he's well cast and does a
fine job. Everyone does a fine job, it's just that the whole doesn't add
up. The parts must have looked very interesting when this film was being
made, but it just didn't add up. The director apparently came from
commercials and it shows- he puts a gloss and a shine on the pools and
the houses and the parties, but deep down you get the feeling he's
trying to sell you something you don't really need or want. Stick with
the book, you won't be sorry.
decided to jetison most of the plot and alter the lead character of
Clay, thus watering it down till it's almost unrecognizable. Perhaps
they thought they had to 'clean it up' for the movies, although the
movie tries so hard to wallow in the shallow vapidity of the eighties
anyway that one is left wondering why- why alter a fine book at all?
Everyone gamely tries, but few succeed. The performances that work the
best are, of course, the 'bad guys'- James Spader and Robert Downey
Junior, in a role that has him doing most of the things he's recently
been arrested for, and doing them very well. It's a little eerie to
watch, a bit like watching 'Manhattan' now, knowing that Woody Allen
ended up essentially marrying his step child who is 40 years younger
than he is. Does that stop the enjoyment of the film? No, but it informs
it in a disturbing way. Less Than Zero has a bouncy sound track, a
catchy "Bangles" song (remember them?) and a lot of posing, which was
essential to the book but when you put it in a film it doesn't hold your
attention as well. It's like the difference between HEARING about a
person who was pretty but vacant that your friend saw at a party, and
actually SEEING that person at the party, just standing and trying to
look cool. I'd much rather hear about it than be forced to watch it.
Andrew McCarthy puts in probably his best performance, but the role is
so underwritten and uninteresting that he's left looking for Spader or
Downey Junior to help him get through his scenes alive. Jami Gertz seems
very nice but totally miscast in this role. Once again there is one of
those 'keep the sheets up so that it covers your privates' love scenes
that make us all boo the screen and run to get popcorn. Actually, this
one made me think why is it that our culture is so hung up about nudity?
Hung up to the point that when we show a love scene, it's done in the
most unrealistic way possible? It makes no sense. But I digress. Tony
Bill is the 'adult', who is mostly absent, and he's well cast and does a
fine job. Everyone does a fine job, it's just that the whole doesn't add
up. The parts must have looked very interesting when this film was being
made, but it just didn't add up. The director apparently came from
commercials and it shows- he puts a gloss and a shine on the pools and
the houses and the parties, but deep down you get the feeling he's
trying to sell you something you don't really need or want. Stick with
the book, you won't be sorry.