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Let me start with a disclaimer: I think Julia Roberts's acting ability is non-existent. She delivered exactly one good line in Pretty Woman and contributed nothing of value in Hook. (To be a bit fair about Hook, I think the editing of her parts was horrible.)
I wanted this move to really work for me. A lone crusader fighting a systemic injustice. Unlike Dead Poets Society, this story is based in fact. "Even BETTER," thinks I. Wrong. Here we have a powerful, smart woman who has no clue what she is stepping into? Here we have a power, smart woman who falls for someone clearly a fraud? Here we have a powerful, smart woman who took an entire year to see the writing on the wall?
It's a female Dead Poets Society. Except that it wasn't good. In DPS, the character development was powerful. In MLS, we had head shots of the students looking as if there were onions and Limburger just out of frame. The best character (although a too-obvious stereotype) was out on her butt early-ish in the movie. That character was really making a difference in the lives of the students.
I think the real story was probably a hell of a lot better than the retelling by badly directed bad actors.
I think that was Julia's last chance with me. I just don't care how compelling the story might be.
We watched the whole thing hoping for something good to happen, so it does get a 2 out of 5. Left to my own devices, though, I would have turned it off about half-way. I really dislike it when a compelling story line gets completely trashed.
I wanted this move to really work for me. A lone crusader fighting a systemic injustice. Unlike Dead Poets Society, this story is based in fact. "Even BETTER," thinks I. Wrong. Here we have a powerful, smart woman who has no clue what she is stepping into? Here we have a power, smart woman who falls for someone clearly a fraud? Here we have a powerful, smart woman who took an entire year to see the writing on the wall?
It's a female Dead Poets Society. Except that it wasn't good. In DPS, the character development was powerful. In MLS, we had head shots of the students looking as if there were onions and Limburger just out of frame. The best character (although a too-obvious stereotype) was out on her butt early-ish in the movie. That character was really making a difference in the lives of the students.
I think the real story was probably a hell of a lot better than the retelling by badly directed bad actors.
I think that was Julia's last chance with me. I just don't care how compelling the story might be.
We watched the whole thing hoping for something good to happen, so it does get a 2 out of 5. Left to my own devices, though, I would have turned it off about half-way. I really dislike it when a compelling story line gets completely trashed.
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