Lame Times

MOVIE REVIEWS

Harsh Times: Alfred Hitchcock invented the term: "The McGuffin." That is the event in a story that starts the action or sets the story in motion. For example, in most TV crime shows it's before the credits. In most movies it can be in the beginning or about a quarter of the way in. The movie Harsh Times has no McGuffin. Nothing ever happens thus no story. Not even the over the top performance of Christian Bale (I would like to see him play something other than a dark, brooding young male) can drive this driven-less film. The film follows Bale's character and a buddy as they drive around LA, get high, get drunk, talk like idiots about women and well...do nothing to drive the story. We kept waiting for something to happen...someone gets killed, busted, hurt, etc. - which seemed to be the only thing that these guys could be good at. Nope. Don't bother.
M (for Bale's performance only)

Man of The Year: Robin Williams, Christopher Walken, and Jeff Goldblum could not save this movie. I am sorry to say that critics were right...but they were. This movie was pretty lame. I would rather see Robin Williams take to the stage and do an HBO special than see him attempt to work it into this movie. Williams is to good of an actor for this film...as well as everyone else in it. It had some funny parts to it but the film wasn't committed to being a comedy or a drama. It really needed to be one or the other. Williams' character is someone who has his own interview/commentary show (like Bill Maher or John Stewart) who runs for President. At the same time there is something hinky going on at the company that makes the computerized voting machines. Comedy insues...ah, no it doesn't. It's a bit clunky and dissapointing. Robin, please go back to the stage and freshen up a bit.
M