Dave, 1993

Dave, 1993
Director: Gary Ross
Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Kevin Kline, Frank Langella



Stage: Home TV selection, a nice Monday night.




Dave in short: Bill Mitchell is the philandering and distant President of the United States. Dave Kovic is a sweet-natured and caring Temp Agency operator, who by a staggering coincidence looks exactly like the President. As such, when Mitchell wants to escape an official luncheon, the Secret Service hires Dave to stand in for him. Unfortunately, Mitchell suffers a severe stroke whilst having sex with one of his aides, and Dave finds himself stuck in the role indefinitely. The corrupt and manipulative Chief of Staff, Bob Alexander, plans to use Dave to elevate himself to the White House - but unfortunately, he doesn't count on Dave enjoying himself in office, using his luck to make the country a better place, and falling in love with the beautiful First Lady...



Preps. I just see it's on. I remember seeing this on another occasion, but my memory doesn't serve me that well. Hence I need to see it again.


Reality: Yes, I remember. I liked some parts of it and disliked the romantic feeling you get. The one that can drive you nuts with Hollywood endings, as I like to call them. Is it real that we would get a stunt to fill in the position of the american president, and noone (even the first lady) couldn't tell who it is? We are brought into the politician's world and I believe most of people fall into the trap that they really buy the "we love our president". Come on. Who loves president? Isn't he like the statue of liberty, everyone is used to seeing it and that's it? Would we really feel lost without our leaders?

Sometimes I believe it would be better off without every politician I know, president included. I also pursue the feeling that people we elect aren't any good. In Slovenia, regarding latest achievements from the people we assume to love, I might be very right.

On the other hand, people in government, give us hope and give us certainty. That someone is responsible. Even though they really aren't. Or if they don't do anything. We still watch them, cherish them, want to follow the ideals they seem to pursue.
Well, this piece is about something else. It wants to give polititians a human face. with feelings. Yes, they are human too. They make mistakes. They fall in love. They don't act as if they were presidents or leaders. They are indeed human. In this perticular piece, I don't buy it. But I adore the overview I get when they take the audience behind the curtains. Because I don't have a clue what is reality, this is for certain one of realities I can accept. And maybe we should live in the dillusion the director is offering.

Aside from that, no real energy and no persuasion towards audience. Love? Maybe, but in a long run I don't trust these kinds of movies. They seem like a brainwash for the sheepish audience. In the election time, this is a mere hipocracy :)



My personal rate: 6,0(you won't miss anything, but it gives a good perception on the way they think in government and lets you look behind the curtains of the White house in some way of imagining things)


Dave on IMDB

Soapdish, 1991

Soapdish, 1991
Director: Michael Hoffmann
Cast: Elisabeth Shue, Kevin Kline, Sally Field, Robert Downey Jr.





Stage: Home TV selection


Soapdish in short: Celeste Talbert has been the queen of the soaps for over two decades. Montana Moorehead needs to get her out of her way before she can move on and begins her program to get her to leave. She hires an old boyfriend of Celeste to be on the show and has Celeste become a murderer in the script, but each attempt has unforseen consequences.

Preps: I have never heard of the piece and the cast in the beginning drives my attention sharp. Therefore I sit and stare :)


Reality: Making soap operas must be a killer in terms of scenarios. Always same issues, same drama, same settings. How to make this interesting and appealing to the crowd, this is the big question.

This movie tries to give a background to the soap operas, however, while doing this, it turns into one of them. This piece is namely, nothing more than previous setting of soap dishes it is trying desperately to give a serious insight into. instead, I am looking at a version of a Jerry Springer meets Oprah Winfrey, seasoned with some of the favourite dishes of the past (Dinasty, Dallas, and some of the spanish http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifcuisine of these days.). The only thing missing is Antonio or Alfonso or Jose, coming with his open arms, claiming everlasting love. Nope, I am wrong, here he is. Kevin Kline in role of Jose Armando or whatever those spanish clowns are in soap operas.

In any case, if you are a fan of soap operas, you might enjoy this one. It doesn't have any body, any realistic story, any plot that I could stick my eyes into and no real ending. Which is quite good for a soap opera remake. But very bad to my standards and definitely not my genre. The cast is awful, eventhough distinguished. As if they were making fun of making the movie or presenting themselves. I am sure all of them can do better.


My personal rate: 1,0 (bljah!!)

Soapdish on IMDB

No Strings Attached, 2011

No Strings Attached, 2011
Director: Ivan Reitman
Cast: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Kevin Kline



No Strings in short: A guy and girl try to keep their relationship strictly physical, but it's not long before they learn that they want something more.


Stage: Home theatre, late Sunday night entertainment
Preps: Hm, lately I have become a huge fan of Portman's work and I am still curious what kind of roles Kutcher is capable of, because I need to see him also in something serious rather than a wide range of goofy comedies. Nevertheless, the perspective of this movie seems a comedy again, but let's see. Should be interesting and I am slightly aware of the plot/storyline.


Reality: Hm, a nice choice of a Sunday movie or to speak at least of the genre - romantic comedy. Portman is somehow lost at the beginning, but through the storyline and the script she holds to the arguments that she doesn't possess. I try to figure all the time she's on, what are the arguments for her decision - obviously she's the one, controlling the game and she's the one that needs to decide. Seems in this matter, Kutcher is not in the middle of deciding, he has already made up his mind - even at the very beginning of the movie, it's quite obvious.

The movie also has some delicious scenes and script candies - the scene at the beginning fills me with humour.

"I don't believe relationships are meant to last forever. I just don't."
"Oh..what a shame..Can I finger you?"

It's the mere perspective from two teenagers that drags me into this movie, filled with funny scenes and witty dialogues. And all in all, you buy the story and you buy the act between the two. Even though I wasn't convinced she could do a good comedy cast, she is good, Kutcher goes as we are used to him - in his friendly goofy style, the same way we are familiar for instance with Will Smith in those casts, and love him for that.

The idea of having a sex relationship and nothing more, is not really fresh (and as pointed out in some of the dialogues, he's living every guy's dream - according to his friends). That's argumentative, really. I don't suppose this is every guy's dream, even more, I don't buy that most of the people are dreaming about something like this. In my honest opinion I think this type of a relationship suits only to few, whereas most of people really want a steady, monogamous relationship. The movie poses an insight into a short term sexual relationship, where feelings pop out (nothing really unpredictable here) and you follow the main protagonists wondering whether it will be a happy ending or not. The funny part in all this, philosophically speaking, is, that the roles are slightly turned. She acts as most of guys probably would, and vice versa, he's the one that wants to cuddle and walk hands in hands, whereas she refuses any part of the relationship being serious. Now, the director could have chosen a less mushy (my idea of a cuddly or sugarly) ending, nevertheless, the movie has a soul and will get you in a romantic mood.

I always wonder in these sorts of movies - how come they always show doctors that are probably George Clooney clones - I mean all of the doctors shown in movies are usually dazzling, and so are female doctors. In real life I haven't seen a good looking doctor .. or have I - one in 200? But in movies all of them are witty, good looking, smart, etc. Ehm.. Hollywood perspective :)


My personal rating: 7,5 (a smartly put together piece, brought to life to sparkle a lovely Sunday evening. Perfect to watch at home and fun to have in mind even after the movie is long gone).


No strings on IMDB
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