Spring Break
Movie Reviews
In theaters 'For Your Consideration' and also in theaters'Shut Up and Sing'
David Coley & John Adicks
Issue date: 11/27/06 Section: Culture
The jokes are frequently funny, but at times you get the feeling that you have seen it all before.
Also, because there are so many characters in the film, some of the great actors are under-utilized. For instance, Guest himself, who has proven in the past to be a skilled performer, stays mostly in the background as the director of "Purim." The scenes he has are quite funny, and I would have liked to see more of him.
Also, Ricky Gervais from the BBC's "The Office," who is a welcome addition to the usual Guest team, only has a smattering of scenes as the head of the studio releasing the film, Sunfish Classics.
Despite the problems with the structure and script, the film is consistently funny. The actors are dead-on as usual. Other notable performances include Jennifer Coolidge as the film's batty producer, Fred Willard and Jane Lynch as "Entertainment Tonight"-style hosts, and Bob Balaban and Michael McKean as the film's writers.
If you like Guest's previous films, then you will most likely enjoy this one. It is uneven at times, but loveable for all the usual reasons. Guest has a knack for creating beloved but ignorant characters, people that reflect the everyday despair of failed attempts and crushed hopes.
What better a setting for that kind of story than Hollywood? -David Coley
In Theaters
'Shut Up and Sing'
Hindsight is always 20/20, so it comes as no surprise that The Dixie Chicks documentary, "Shut Up and Sing," is the cinematic equivalent of going to the optometrist.
Shot over the course of three years, "Shut Up and Sing" documents the events leading up to and following lead singer Natalie Maine's declaration at a concert in London that the Chicks are "ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas." It was instant radio death to the most popular female group of all time, and resulted in their vilification on talk radio, in newspapers, and on blogs across the world.
What comes across in the film is that The Dixie Chicks were the victims of a coordinated smear campaign intended to punish them financially and artistically. Directed by Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck, "Shut Up and Sing" allows the viewer to be a fly on the wall as the Chicks figure out what to do once they find themselves in the center of this rhetorical storm.
Also, because there are so many characters in the film, some of the great actors are under-utilized. For instance, Guest himself, who has proven in the past to be a skilled performer, stays mostly in the background as the director of "Purim." The scenes he has are quite funny, and I would have liked to see more of him.
Also, Ricky Gervais from the BBC's "The Office," who is a welcome addition to the usual Guest team, only has a smattering of scenes as the head of the studio releasing the film, Sunfish Classics.
Despite the problems with the structure and script, the film is consistently funny. The actors are dead-on as usual. Other notable performances include Jennifer Coolidge as the film's batty producer, Fred Willard and Jane Lynch as "Entertainment Tonight"-style hosts, and Bob Balaban and Michael McKean as the film's writers.
If you like Guest's previous films, then you will most likely enjoy this one. It is uneven at times, but loveable for all the usual reasons. Guest has a knack for creating beloved but ignorant characters, people that reflect the everyday despair of failed attempts and crushed hopes.
What better a setting for that kind of story than Hollywood? -David Coley
In Theaters
'Shut Up and Sing'
Hindsight is always 20/20, so it comes as no surprise that The Dixie Chicks documentary, "Shut Up and Sing," is the cinematic equivalent of going to the optometrist.
Shot over the course of three years, "Shut Up and Sing" documents the events leading up to and following lead singer Natalie Maine's declaration at a concert in London that the Chicks are "ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas." It was instant radio death to the most popular female group of all time, and resulted in their vilification on talk radio, in newspapers, and on blogs across the world.
What comes across in the film is that The Dixie Chicks were the victims of a coordinated smear campaign intended to punish them financially and artistically. Directed by Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck, "Shut Up and Sing" allows the viewer to be a fly on the wall as the Chicks figure out what to do once they find themselves in the center of this rhetorical storm.
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