Review of School Ties (1992) by Duy N — 04 Nov 2008

Overall, after watching this, I deem it good, and it does send a message. BUT.

The acting which most impressed me, unfortunately, wasn't the two leads. Brendan Fraser never struck me as very 'real' ... I was too aware that he was acting, somehow, though I can't put my finger into it, can't describe why, it just felt that way. And Matt Damon was adequate enough, I guess, but he lacked the intensity needed.

However, I thought the guy who played Van Kelt - Randall Batinkoff did his part well in kinda a subtle way, and the roommate - imagine my surprise when I looked at the credits and discovered it was Chris O'Donnell, because I've never taken notice of him despite the hype, and I didn't recognize him in the film at all.

Also, I found myself commenting inwardly about the movie as it progresses, which is always a bad sign for me ... because a great movie pulls me in and doesn't give me a chance to analyse it until it's finished. Strangely, I think I like it, but the fact that I did a commentary alongside - while watching - obviously was a major hint that the movie didn't work well enough for me - I was all too well aware it was just a movie, and it never got beyond that, not for me.