April 27, 2004

  • Wanted to mention some movies I rented the other night. 'Matrix: Revolutions,' which was more entertaining than in the theater, though the detail of the visual spectacle was lost on the tiny screen. 'Punch Drunk Love' which I've reviewed here before, and which I really should just go ahead and buy, because it's so good.

    And 'About Schmitt.' Overall it's a thumbs-up, mostly because it's about issues of conformity and retirement and growing old and the death of a spouse. There aren't enough movies about that kind of stuff. And Jack Nicholson is simply great, and his iconoclastic image is bounced nintey degrees in this movie to good effect. However, for all the interesting issues this movie tries to juggle, it ends up never really saying much of anything about them. It plays its hand close to the vest, leading to a lot of anticipation about how Schmitt's depression and grief over his deceased wife will resolve itself. There's some catharsis, and then .... there's the second half of the movie when Schmitt ends up in Denver for his daughter's wedding. Here the film loses all the self-control that made the first half so interesting, and we end up with predictable gags about the hippie in-laws.

    This change in tone reminded me of 'Flirting With Disaster,' where the subdued and quirky turns to screwball when we meet Alan Alda and Lily Tomlin (as a couple who make LSD in their basement), except there's a satisfyingly wacky end. In 'About Schmitt,' however, there's only a manipulative tug on the heartstrings. This is one of those movies it'll be nice to see on TV sometime when there's nothing better to do.