WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE (1995)

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Positive Experience/Entertaining? Well, I enjoyed it, but you might not. To say this movie is dry is an understatement (but I like dry).


Technically any good? I think it manages to do exactly what it tries to do. It's a little meandering, but not in any way that really harms the film. Don't expect a clear plot, though--it doesn't have one. It's more like a series of events in this young girl's life mashed into the span of a few days. If you've heard of the absurdist genre, then you've found one of the few films in existence that can be called absurdist. Think parody without being funny and you kind of know what absurdism is.

The acting is spot-on from the cast--though I can't say being boring, whiny, suburban types is that difficult to play. Heather Matarazzo is pretty amazing as the lead.


How did it leave me feeling? Entertained, but dryly so. You might say that if William Shakespeare had grown up in the modern suburbs and was Woody Allen, this would be one of his tragedies. Nothing epic, mind-blowing or tremendous, but a bitingly accurate commentary of modern suburban life where everyone suffers and there's no happy ending.


Final Rating? SIYL - See If You Like. It's VERY dry.

GREAT DICTATOR (1940)

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Positive Experience/Entertaining? This is a truly impressive film. I had always heard good things about this movie, but the film largely does live up to the hype.


Technically any good? While I've never been a fan of comedians speaking gibberish in a way that it both sounds fun and sounds like another language, the film makes up for this in spades. To be honest, I did find myself laughing at the gibber-speak, but still felt like it wouldn't be done in a comedy, today.

The acting was a solid as you'd expect--that is to say, not great, but perfectly reasonable, for sure. The story is very solid, following a sort of "prince and pauper" vibe as silent movie comic actor/director/auteur Charlie Chaplin plays both the prince (a very Hitler-esque dictator) and the pauper (a Jewish barber). The setup is clearly absurd, but entirely brilliant. This is seriously amazing film making.


How did it leave me feeling? Seriously moved--there's a wonderful speech at the end that nearly brought tears to my eyes--it was disturbingly resonant in today's war-filled culture. I could not believe that something from sixty-eight years ago could still be true--and since it's about war and profit, how depressing is that? VERY.

Good on you, Mr. Chaplin! It's a shame you're dead. You'd be wishing you were, anyway. :(


Final Rating? GSN - Go See Now--this is a cinema classic for a reason. It's also a perfect double feature with To Be Or Not To Be. TheWife and I both agreed that George W. Bush should be forced to listen to Chaplin's big speech every morning before breakfast.