At this point, I’m a bit ashamed to have ever been a Robin Wiliams’ fan. But he was funny, wasn’t he? It’s hard to recall after watching another of his less than entertaining, much less funny, flicks–RV. In it, Williams is stuck in a predicament that suggests he has to choose between his family and his job. He tries to have it both ways by diverting the family trip from Hawaii to an RV trip to Colorado so that he can make the big meeting to save his job. But he keeps both his family and his boss in the dark, and it fails miserably except that his family forgives him, his boss does not. So he learns the importance of family. Okay. Yes, there are a few laugh-inducing moments, but not nearly enough to make it entertaining.
Based on Anthony Burgess’ 1962 novel of the same name, Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film A Clockwork Orange is odd. It’s been some time since I read the novel, which I recall as odd too, but Kubrick’s adaptation takes it up a notch. Set in 1960s England, Alex is a young thug prone to thievery and rape who is finally caught and sentenced to fourteen years in prison. The government then brainwashes Alex with a new “reformation” technique that induces physical illness anytime Alex is faced with a violent and sexual situation (and as a side effect, Beethoven’s 9th). Considering him cured, he is released into society, where he is largely unable to exercise free will because of the brainwashing. When exposed to Beethoven’s 9th, he unsuccessfully attempts to commit suicide–bringing great pressure against the government and leads to him being “cured” (returned to his original state). It is a great book and an interesting movie
Holly loves a good romantic comedy–I’m assuming such a thing actually exists–but The Ex does not qualify. A new father takes a job with his father-in-law and is mentored by his wife’s ex-mate, who is still enamored with the wife. So the ex sets out on a path to sabotage the husband, which ends up in the father-in-law’s firing. (Does that make any sense?) Anyway, as do all romantic comedies, the relationship gets to the precipice of destruction before being saved and they live happily ever after. Ho hum.
