Review of Gandhi (1982) by Diana S — 01 Aug 2008

Alfred Hitchcock ("Family Plot") remakes his own film, [b]The Man Who Knew Too Much[/b], and it is quality. I haven't seen the earlier version, so I cannot compare. In this one, Jimmy Stewart ("The Big Sleep") gets mixed up in an assassination plot and his son gets kidnapped. So he and his wife, the blonde Doris Day ("With Six You Get Egg Roll"), end up taking things into their own hands. Very well shot, very suspenseful. Day sings "Que Sera Sera " alot. Not the greatest Hitchcock, but still very good.

[b]The Ruins[/b] is one of the better horror movies I've seen lately, and I'm not even that scared of plants. While on a trip to South America, a group of teens gets invited to visit an archeological dig. But once they reach the site, some natives trap them on a Mayan pyramid, and shoot anyone trying to leave. So there's that threat. Then the kids have to figure out why. Then there's tension and very gross painful things. Very enjoyable.

[b]Definitely, Maybe[/b] is probably (ha ha ) the worst romantic comedy I've seen in a long time. Granted, I don't venture into this genre often, but I thought Ryan Reynolds ("Chaos Theory") would keep me safe. Wrong. Reynolds is a funny guy, but writer/director Adam Brooks ("Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason") works really hard to keep him dull. There are a few laugh-out-loud moments, mostly when Reynolds is with Abigail Breslin ("Kit Kittridge: An American Girl"). And then there's the story. It should be interesting, how Reynolds ended up with Breslin's mother, but it's just not. I groaned over much of the dialogue. Avoid.

[b]Mysterious Skin[/b] is glorious and disturbing. Director Gregg Araki ("Smiley Face") explores the lives of two boys who both experienced traumatic events as children and how that effected their lives. This film covers topics from child abuse to alien abduction. It's never easy, but it is gloriously shot and Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("Stop-Loss") is acting his pants off, sometimes literally. Awesome.

What to say about [b]Gandhi[/b]? Ben Kingsley ("The Love Guru") disappears into his role of Mahatma Gandhi, who led non-violent protests against the British in India. The film covers much of Gandhi's life. The sheer scope of it is overwhelming. I felt the film was long and sometimes moved slow, however, I couldn't stop watching it. Deserving of all the love it receives.