We are in the season of sequels and it was only obvious that when Sister Act was playing on Star Movies, the next movie that followed was Sister Act 2 : Back in the Habit. A back to back exhibition of classic acting and comic timing from a class actress – one of the few ladies who have a natural flair for comedy and ace their part of the deal every single time that they come on it. But this time around it is directed by Bill Duke – who would probably be best known for his roles as an actor and not the ones behind the camera. Remember the guy who plays Mac in the Arnie starrer Predator? The big African American guy? If not then maybe you would remember the guy Cooke from Commando? Well it would seem that he is a director as well. Well whaddya know!!!! He has about 5-7 full length features to date but a bulk of his work behind the camera has come from Television and you can add his name to the long list of people who probably haven’t made the transition quite well from small screen to big screen – especially as directors. Duke probably got his chance with Sister Act 2 thanks to Emile Ardolino (the director of Sister Act 1) kicking the bucket sometime in 1993 (the year of its release). Guess he got a bit lucky i.e. Duke.
This time around, Deloris Van Cartier or should we say Sister Mary Clarence (Whoopi Goldberg) is not running away from anyone or anything. She is just basking in her success as the nun who got a gangster into jail and then made it big as a show singer in Vegas. She is now immensely successful and well written about. So money is no longer a problem. But the sisters want her back. They want her to come back with them to a school that they have started and pay back to society by teaching music. They want to use Deloris’s excellent capabilities to rally people around her in the noble profession of teaching bright but extremely rowdy children in a school that is probably going to be shut really really soon. Reluctantly Deloris agrees to don the habit once again. Needless to say, it’s a roller coaster of sorts after that happens.
Sister Act 2 however doesn’t manage to recreate the magic that the first part does so very well. Whether it was due to change of director or a story line that was OK or because it released the very next year of the first part releasing one can never tell but it may just about be a combination of all of these points. Sister Act 2 marks the debut of a couple of stars in Hollywood - Lauryn Hill & Jennifer Love Hewitt both of whom go on to be reasonably successful in tinsel town. The fun moments are however quite limited this time around. Which is probably the reason it gets a rating that is a tad lower that the first part. 5.5 on 10 from my side.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k80E5KTjvmA
Showing posts with label 1993. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1993. Show all posts
Sunday, 10 July 2011
Friday, 13 August 2010
Untamed Heart
I first heard of Untamed Heart way back in 1994 when the MTV Movie Awards were announced for that year. It was the first time I was exposed to a concept such as the MTV Movie Awards thanks to Cable TV coming in only a couple of years before that. And the category in which Untamed Heart featured and eventually won was “Best Kiss”. Now, I was no movie expert then (not that I claim to be one now) but I had just turned 19 around this time and rushes that were shown on screen definitely got my hormones onto overdrive and I thought this was the bestest movie ever made.
Adam (Christian Slater) is found one morning outside an orphanage in a basket (like most abandoned babies are found) but he has a huge scar on his chest with stitch marks. Looks like someone did a really bad job of the patchwork after an operation to somewhere on the chest. Of course it had to do with the heart you dummy. Why else would the movie be called Untamed Heart? It could be called Untamed Chest right? Just kidding guys…. Bad humour on a Friday morning. Nevertheless, Adam is bought up by the nuns @ the orphanage and is led to believe that he has a baboon’s heart transplanted into him. He grows up strongly believing in this and is convinced about it even after 26 years of existence.
Caroline (Marisa Tomei) is your average 20 something in the late 80s / early 90s in the US whose dressing sense is heavily influenced by the queen of pop (bust wasn’t everyone influenced by her in those days). That is when she is not in her waitress uniform which is what one sees through most of the movie. She has had a slew of broken relationships and keeps wondering, like most girls her age would, as to why does she always end up with the wrong guy. That my dear is a zillion dollar question that most people in the world would kill to get an answer to - even her closest friend Cindy (Rosie Perez) who works with her and Adam at the same deli.
Adam secretly adores Caroline but his shy nature prevents him from expressing his feelings to her. He walks her home every night after closing except that Caroline is unaware of this. Adam keeps a safe distance, safe enough for Caroline not to notice that is. Until the day when 2 of Caroline’s old acquaintances land up at the deli. They don’t create a scene @ the deli but when she leaves for the night, they follow her and try to rape her. Unbeknownst to them, Adam is watching all of this till the situation gets out of hand, steps in and of course beats the pulp out of them. He carries an unconscious Caroline home and watches over her on her porch till she wakes up – only to run away. That marks the beginning of the relationship which blossoms into deep love through the course of time.
Untamed Heart is definitely not one of your critically acclaimed movies. I mean – Best Kiss @ the MTV Movie Awards – that’s all it could manage. But it does strike a soft chord with most viewers. It is a mushy love story for sure. But at that point of time, it was the best thing love stories could probably offer. Also, extremely solid commercial intelligence in using 2 of the biggest heart throbs of the 90s. Marisa Tomei for my money’s worth is an extremely extremely talented actress - a fact that she had anyways proven the year before with My Cousin Vinny. She is pushing 50 as we speak and continues to give us great performances whenever she does come on screen. Christian Slater though, for most of his life, has only been eye candy & continues to be so in this one too.
Notable mention though is Rosie Perez. For a long period of time, I was always under the impression that she was nominated for Untamed Heart for her performance as an actress in a supporting role @ the Oscars. It was actually for another stellar performance in Fearless (make mental note to see the movie).
Direction – Tony Bill – OK – cannot expect too much from someone who has been spending his time doing TV series anyways. Overall reasonably enjoyable movie. Tear Jerker for sure. 5 on 10 from my side.
Adam (Christian Slater) is found one morning outside an orphanage in a basket (like most abandoned babies are found) but he has a huge scar on his chest with stitch marks. Looks like someone did a really bad job of the patchwork after an operation to somewhere on the chest. Of course it had to do with the heart you dummy. Why else would the movie be called Untamed Heart? It could be called Untamed Chest right? Just kidding guys…. Bad humour on a Friday morning. Nevertheless, Adam is bought up by the nuns @ the orphanage and is led to believe that he has a baboon’s heart transplanted into him. He grows up strongly believing in this and is convinced about it even after 26 years of existence.
Caroline (Marisa Tomei) is your average 20 something in the late 80s / early 90s in the US whose dressing sense is heavily influenced by the queen of pop (bust wasn’t everyone influenced by her in those days). That is when she is not in her waitress uniform which is what one sees through most of the movie. She has had a slew of broken relationships and keeps wondering, like most girls her age would, as to why does she always end up with the wrong guy. That my dear is a zillion dollar question that most people in the world would kill to get an answer to - even her closest friend Cindy (Rosie Perez) who works with her and Adam at the same deli.
Adam secretly adores Caroline but his shy nature prevents him from expressing his feelings to her. He walks her home every night after closing except that Caroline is unaware of this. Adam keeps a safe distance, safe enough for Caroline not to notice that is. Until the day when 2 of Caroline’s old acquaintances land up at the deli. They don’t create a scene @ the deli but when she leaves for the night, they follow her and try to rape her. Unbeknownst to them, Adam is watching all of this till the situation gets out of hand, steps in and of course beats the pulp out of them. He carries an unconscious Caroline home and watches over her on her porch till she wakes up – only to run away. That marks the beginning of the relationship which blossoms into deep love through the course of time.
Untamed Heart is definitely not one of your critically acclaimed movies. I mean – Best Kiss @ the MTV Movie Awards – that’s all it could manage. But it does strike a soft chord with most viewers. It is a mushy love story for sure. But at that point of time, it was the best thing love stories could probably offer. Also, extremely solid commercial intelligence in using 2 of the biggest heart throbs of the 90s. Marisa Tomei for my money’s worth is an extremely extremely talented actress - a fact that she had anyways proven the year before with My Cousin Vinny. She is pushing 50 as we speak and continues to give us great performances whenever she does come on screen. Christian Slater though, for most of his life, has only been eye candy & continues to be so in this one too.
Notable mention though is Rosie Perez. For a long period of time, I was always under the impression that she was nominated for Untamed Heart for her performance as an actress in a supporting role @ the Oscars. It was actually for another stellar performance in Fearless (make mental note to see the movie).
Direction – Tony Bill – OK – cannot expect too much from someone who has been spending his time doing TV series anyways. Overall reasonably enjoyable movie. Tear Jerker for sure. 5 on 10 from my side.
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