Reel Reviews -- L

Lantana (~) -- Maybe it's just me. Despite the shitload of critical praise this movie received, I found it to be not very interesting. I'm not much of a mystery person, so maybe that was the problem. Then again, the characters all seemed like jerks--it's tough to care when you don't really like anyone in the film. Posted 11/18/02.

The Laramie Project (+) -- Gut-wrenching, but, I think, necessary. If for no other reason than to ask once again--in the wake of the Matthew Shepard murder--the question, why does this country (or all of humanity, for that matter) have to be like this? Maybe watching movies like this could help some people find some meaningful answers. Posted 3/1/03.

Last Man Standing (~) -- A ham-handed remake of A Fistful of Dollars and/or Yojimbo. It's a bad sign from the start when the movie relies on a lot of voice over narration to clue you in to what's going on--especially when neither of its progenitors needed that device. Bruce Willis is all right, but most of the rest of the cast really go over the top and chew the scenery. However, it does deliver a fair amount of entertaining violence, so it's not entirely irredeemable. If you're home some night with nothing better to do and this one comes on the TV, you could do worse. Posted 7/15/12.

The Last Picture Show (--) -- Another of those "coming of age" movies, the kind that usually leave me asking, what's the point? The slices in this slice of life piece are a little too thin for my taste. I suspect this movie's reputation is largely the product of the fact that so many of its cast--numerous familiar faces--got naked in it, something daring at the time but passé now. There are good scenes, some fine moments, but it never adds up to a worthwhile sum. Posted 4/23/08.

Laura (~) -- Pretty flat for a supposed classic. The story just isn't that interesting.

Laurel Canyon (~) -- It's probably just me, but I reacted to this film with a shrug of the shoulders. I personally don't get into movies like this; I can't help but look at hedonistic storylines and see people living lives of undeserved leisure, and that just never sits with me. On the other hand, there's some good music on the soundtrack. That might be enough to pull you in. Tread with caution. Posted 4/21/05.

Laws Of Attraction (+) -- I wanted to rave about this one, because it starts out nice and nasty (or at least acerbic, and often that's enough), but then it kind of wimped out towards the end. Ah, well, it's still an enjoyable film to watch, largely on the strength of the leads. Pierce Brosnan once again demonstrates that he'd have a grand film career if he could just get away from that Bond garbage. And Julianne Moore gives a smart, vibrant performance (and looks just fabulous in the process). Give it a shot in one of your lighter moments. Posted 6/19/05.

Le Divorce (~) -- Whatever the story, however it is presented, set it in Paris and you have magic. Just the look of a film shot in Paris is entertaining, especially in the hands of a pair of old pros like Merchant and Ivory. Ah, but what about that story? The complicated lives of two American sisters (Naomi Watts and Kate Hudson) living among the frogs hold the interest for the whole running time, and the cast is strong from top to bottom (especially the two leads). Still, the denouement is a bit unseemly, and the viewer is left feeling not quite sure what to make of all this. Overall, a quintessential "so-so" review. Posted 3/10/06.

Lee Daniels’ The Butler (+) -- Kind of like a differently shaded Forrest Gump. In this case, however, the Forrest character is divided up between the titular butler Cecil Gaines and his not-seeing-eye-to-eye son, both of whom get to experience various seminal moments of the 20th century firsthand. The strengths here lie mostly in the performances by the ensemble cast; no one gives a truly outstanding performance--not even a heavy hitter like Forest Whitaker in the lead role--though everyone acquits himself or herself quite well. The film never quite rises to the epic and important heights to which it wishes to ascend, but it is still an entertaining and admirable work. Definitely worth a look. Posted 5/23/14.

Legally Blonde (+) -- Maybe it's just my appreciation of Reese Witherspoon overwhelming my critical faculties, but I did enjoy this movie. It's mostly formulaic, but it does throw at least one welcome curve that breaks its otherwise standard mold. And there's just enough absurdity to generate sufficient laughs. Posted 8/3/02.

Legends Of The Fall (+) -- Worth it for the Montana scenery alone. The story about battling brothers holds the interest, too.

Les Misérables (+) -- Simply spectacular stuff. I was surprised by all the complaints I heard and read about this film; the issues raised never amounted to more than quibbles in my eyes. What I got out of it was a great viewing experience: tremendous performances from several of the cast members (Jackman, Hathaway, and Barks in particular), a lot of memorable music, and a rich visual presentation that truly enhanced the complex and deeply emotional story. I was especially intrigued by how Javert prefigures the soldiers of Nazi Germany, and by the moral contrast between Javert's failures and Valjean’s powerfully redemptive story. Not just bang-up entertainment, but heavy, interesting stuff to think about, too. A must see. Posted 6/28/13.

Letters From Iwo Jima (+) -- This mirror image of Flags Of Our Fathers is, clearly, the superior, more effective movie. Director Eastwood serves up a contemplative, sympathetic portrait of the island's Japanese defenders that makes transparent some things that are otherwise opaque. Even so, there are still nuances of character, concept and culture that are impossible to convey, especially in subtitles. It is, then, a testament to the strength of the performances that they shine brilliantly despite the language and cultural barriers. Highly recommended. Posted 11/1/08.

The Libertine (~) -- Not exactly a laugh riot, though it has its moments. Hell, it's damn near impossible not to have 'moments' in a Johnny Depp film, and this one delivers a couple of nice ones. But they're too few and too disconnected to add up to a good flick--especially when the ending as as much of a downer as you have here. A nice try, but ultimately not really worth it. Posted 11/14/08.

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (+) -- It's weird. It's absurd. It's deadpan. It's frequently hilarious. Not everyone's cup of tea, to be sure, but those who get it will really enjoy an offbeat adventure. Special mention must go to the wonderfully mocking parodies of Cousteau-style nature films and books; the animation is a wry joy, and the artwork and look are spot on (and riotous). If you've liked other Wes Anderson movies, definitely take this plunge. Posted 10/24/06.

Life Is Beautiful (+) -- Amazingly good and funny, considering its Holocaust setting. Roberto Benigni's first big American hit, and deservedly so.

A Life Less Ordinary (--) -- Almost awful, and unnecessary.

Life of Pi (+) -- That positive recommendation is slightly more tenuous than I would have suspected, given this movie’s source material and the high esteem granted to both the book and this film itself by many readers and viewers. The storytelling is not a problem here; in fact, the actual storytelling part of the film, personified by the performance of Irrfan Khan, is one of the best parts of the movie. But the weaknesses of the source story are magnified in this version, and much of what comes across as interesting, even arresting, in the book can seem a little silly when viewed on a big screen. I guess this film is worth seeing for the technical marvels that were achieved, and the actual story is not so much a dumpster fire as it is a near miss--or, perhaps, it is more like a circus trick that almost succeeds. Posted 10/20/13.

The Limey (+) -- Terence Stamp give a granite-like performance--in this case, that's a good thing--as a hardass British ex-con who's visiting Los Angeles on some very grim business. Director Steven Soderbergh is up to his usual tricks--the syncopated, desynchronized camera work, etc.--but they're not too distracting or detracting. The ending's a bit unsatisfying, but otherwise, this is a good ride. Posted 8/20/02.

Lincoln (+) -- A typically reverential treatment of (roughly) the last half-year of our most iconic president’s life. Given the source--Spielberg--one shouldn’t be surprised that this film comes across as equal parts dutiful myth-telling (or retelling, really) and vigorously-applied varnish, the latter especially so in the service of Mary Todd Lincoln, though her takedown of Thaddeus Stevens (great work by Tommy Lee Jones) is one of the highlights of the film, beyond Day-Lewis’s masterful work in the title role. In other words, this could have been a lot better, could have rejected the schmaltz and the hagiography, could have presented a more probing, more insightful interpretation of Lincoln--and yet, it is still a good enough movie about a more than great historical character, and that elevates the accomplishment into the positive review range. Posted 10/20/13.

Little Miss Sunshine (+) -- I guess a curmudgeon might agree that this movie isn't all that, like it was claimed to be upon its theatrical release. But it is hard to resist its cute, sweet, funny charm. In an ocean of shit, such as comes out of Hollywood every year, it makes sense to applaud a movie that's this together. Again, it's nothing supreme, but well worth your time and your laughs. Posted 4/7/09.

The Long Good Friday (~) -- Boy does this flick look dated. It seems even older than it actually is (circa 1980). This film made a name for Bob Hoskins, and he certainly delivers the goods. But, while it does hold the interest, becoming more engrossing as it progresses, the story takes too long to develop, and it's tough to get past the movie's age. A tough call, but you can probably miss it. Posted 3/9/05.

Looking For Richard (+) -- You know I like Shakespeare. Not only does director Al Pacino present the lion's share of the Richard III in this documentary examination of bringing the play to life, but he, the other actors, and various scholars pour an enormous amount of analysis and perspective onto the screen. Watch this and you will feel like an Elizabethan scholar for days thereafter. Posted 8/15/05.

Looper (+) -- The cleverness here comes from a conscious decision not to be clever. Writer and director Rian Johnson declares early on (through the Bruce Willis character) that he’s not interested in getting bogged down in time travel paradox puzzles (although the film’s denouement arguably does rely on just such a puzzle). The key decision allows both the filmmakers and the audience to focus on the business at hand: a well-made, stylish thriller that keeps you entertained all the way to its mobius knot ending. The only sour note: Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s distractingly bad makeup job; suspension of disbelief could have been achieved without the odd look. Otherwise, this flick’s a good one, and worth a look. Posted 5/9/13.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (+) -- Upon a second viewing I conclude that this film is indeed as good as I originally thought. The differences from Tolkien's story don't deviate so much as fill in the blanks. The only negative note: Cate Blanchett is awful as Galadriel. Posted 11/5/02.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (+) -- They got it mostly right, veering off from the hard and true only in little, forgivable touches. Most impressive of all, the spectacle never really overwhelms the "human" story; the emotions are present and true. A bang up way to end a three-year-long, wild and exciting ride. Posted 12/31/03.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (+) -- That plus sign is perilously close to a squiggle. The movie still rates as a positive viewing experience, with brilliant visualizations, impressive scenery and composition, eye catching battle scenes, wonderfully strong characters--including the astounding presentation of Sméagol-Gollum--and some very nice allegorical touches (I particularly dig the "Nature fighting back" undercurrent of the Ent storyline). Despite all of those pluses, there are a number of divergences from the written story which are distracting and disappointing; unlike in TFOTR, where the differences are more "complimentary," filling in the gaps in the narrative, this movie's alterations fundamentally change several characters and their motivations, uniformly for the worse. It's still a good movie, but it comes alarmingly close to being less than its potential. Posted 12/29/02.

Lost Highway (--) -- Yes, it's exactly the sort of pulpy, avant garde noir you'd expect David Lynch to make. Which is to say, it's brilliant...or possibly retarded--sometimes it's hard to tell. The few clues we have: murky storytelling, amateur hour acting (I've seen better acting in an Ed Wood flick), a turgid pace--and all that's before the inexplicable story shift. I can be forgiving, but not that forgiving. Posted 4/19/07.

Lost In La Mancha (~) -- This is interesting, if you are very much into movies and movie making, but I have trouble imagining your average person being interested in this. The story is compelling, especially in the midst of things going to hell (fighter jets, hail storm, an ailing actor), but some of the "crew argues amongst themselves" scenes can be hard to track in the larger scheme. If you're a Terry Gilliam fan (hand raised here), or, again, if you're an "inside" person when it comes to film, you might appreciate seeing how everything went horribly wrong on one particular shoot, it's worth a look. But I suspect most folks can comfortably let this one slide by. Posted 1/31/11.

Lost In Space (~) -- Not truly awful--Gary Oldman is always good for a few nice moments--but not really necessary.

Lost In Translation (+) -- An excellent little movie. The focal relationship, between Bill Murray's washed-up, middle-aged actor and Scarlett Johansson's misplaced, uncertain young woman, always feels perfectly natural and organic; their interplay is never strained or actorly. And director Sofia Coppola makes good use of the alien city of Tokyo as a reflective backdrop for the main characters' alienation. Oh, yeah--it has some nice laughs, too. Posted 9/23/03.

Love And Death (+) -- The best of this movie comes in the form of great one liners and gags. The rest of the film is just silly stuff that doesn't play as well. But really, those great jokes really are great jokes, more than enough to keep you interested and laughing. Posted 5/30/05.