It was a known fact that Peter Sellers thought very little of his own self. He had a love-hate relationship with his own persona as a man who both hated and thought very highly of himself and such is shown in the new and first biographical picture of Peter Sellers, the genius behind films like “Dr. Strangelove” and the “Pink Panther” films, a man who was revered as a comedy genius during life and after his death. What is suggested here is that he was such a miserable man and such a mama’s boy, that he could never find true happiness with a woman in his life, regardless of who it was and what happiness they offered him as is shown by his countless wives including his first Anne (Good performance from Emily Watson), to his unsuccessful romancing of Sophia Loren (The gorgeous Sonia Aquino).
Tag Archives: L
Love Actually (2003)
Love. It’s a beautiful feeling. And it’s the worst pain one can experience. But “Love Actually” is a celebration of both sides of love. Longing, happy marriages, and crushes, and oh so much more. Deep down it’s a dedication to the people of 9/11, as the introduction declares, and it’s plenty resonant in the all-star tribute with a humongous cast of talented actors from Liam Neeson to Colin Firth right down to Martin Freeman, Elisha Cuthbert, and Billy Bob Thorton. In this episodic Capra-esque fairytale, we meet a large group of people experiencing life and love in all ends of the terminology. There are really too many sub-plots to mention, but I’ll try.
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003)
I liked “Legally Blonde”. I thought it was a very cute, very fluffy piece of comedy, I thought Reese Witherspoon was adorable for the most part and the characters were cute including Selma Blair whom played the resident villain, but “Legally Blonde” was based on a true story, and I really doubt this ever happened. The opening recalls the events of the first film through the three supporting female characters, Elle Wood’s friends, looking through a photo album, it’s sort of a sub-conscious message to the audience from the writers and director: “You liked the first film, right? well, this isn’t as good… but the first one was cute.”
Le Divorce (2003)
In the film, Roxeanne is the humble American wife who takes care of her daughter and is pregnant, but when her husband leaves her on the eve of her sister Isabelle’s arrival, she finds she must struggle to pay for her apartment and daughters ballet lessons. Isabelle is quickly comfortable in the French culture but stands by Roxeanne, but when a painting they’ve inherited suddenly is caught between a rival family, they have to fight to take it home and received the money that’s rightfully theirs. “Le Divorce” is a study, a study of American values about love, life, marriage, divorce and the role of woman versus French values about the exact same topics. It’s a sort of America vs. France allegory set through a struggle between two families, a notion that is especially exercised in the scene in which Hudson, Watts and Thomas Lennon’s characters meet with the appraiser for dinner, and they all begin sparring with him in their knowledge of wines, cuisines, and just wit in general.
The Last Samurai (2003)
This elegant love letter to the samurai and to the old world Japanese culture takes place in the late 1800’s, the civil war era, an ex-confederate soldier Captain Nathan Algren, a drunken has been is tortured by his past after being forced to slaughter an Indian village during Custer’s last stand is now a has been who advertises guns for the Winchester company until he’s approached by friend Zebulon Grant played very poignantly by Billy Connolly who makes an offer to Algren to re-claim his respect as a soldier and take a job from the Japanese government to modernize their army to fight against the rebels, an army of Samurai’s, a dying breed from the old world, who are being led by a mysterious leader known as Katsumoto.
Long Time Dead (2002)
After a night of partying a group of friends decide to play with a Ouija board, maybe the CD player was broken, who knows? But once they begin playing, they accidentally unleash a mysterious demonic entity who is now stuck in our reality after someone breaks the link. Now, it’s up to the group to discover who out of them all is possessed by the demonic force before each and everyone in the group keeps being killed off. I said it once before, and I’ll say it again: Foreigners make the best horror films, now before you start calling me anti-American and begin dumping your French wine down your toilet, hear me out. Foreigners are rarely ever people who buy into hype and rely solely on something that Hollywood lost years ago… what’s that called? Ah, originality.
The Life of David Gale (2003)
“The Life of David Gale” is yet another Hollywood film preaching for a cause. I wouldn’t have much of a problem with such a concept if this film orchestrated it the right way without such a ridiculous turn of events in the last segment of the film. “The Life of David Gale” portrays capital punishment abolitionists not only as melodramatic, but as despicable, self-righteous, under-handed, hypocritical, smug, and sleazy. Not only is it an unfair and inaccurate portrayal of people who are anti-capital punishment but it contradicts the theme supposedly revealing that it’s for capitol punishment and supporting people who feel this way when it’s completely contradictory.