Lily Tomlin

All of Me

  • Title: All of Me
  • IMDb: link

1984’s wacky comedy about body swapping stars Lily Tomlin as dying millionaire Edwina Cutwater who plans to have her soul transported to the body of a beautiful young woman (Victoria Tennant) to whom she will bequeath all her wealth. Steve Martin stars as the lawyer who has to somehow make this all legal despite not believing a word of it. The procedure works, however, due to a slight mishap, the soul of Edwina ends up on Roger’s body instead of its intended destination. And then hilarity ensues.

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The Walker

  • Title: The Walker
  • IMDb: link

The WalkerI’m not big on gossip, the tawdry dalliances of people with too much money and time on their hands leaves me tired, and writer/director Paul Schrader‘s latest flick is full of such nonsense.  There are many who will no doubt like this film more than me, but although the film included some interesting characters it mars them in the middle of one of the most boring murder mysteries in recent memory.  Is it worth seeing?  Yes.  Is it worth gossiping about?  Hardly.

Paul Schrader has penned some great scripts (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ), he also wrote Light of Day (and directed Cat People).  The Walker, which Schrader wrote and directed, falls somewhere in between.

Carter “Carr” Page III (Woody Harrelson) is an escort to the wealthy and influential woman of Washington D.C.  He’s what is known as a “walker,” he walks ladies from place to place providing company, juicy gossip, and companionship.  Although he delights in telling his clients about the hot topics in our nation’s capitol, he speaks very little of his own life or of his long time relationship to a struggling artist (Moritz Bleibtreu).  To some he’s an acquaintance, to others an embarrassment of his name and the legacy of his father.  Harrelson does well in balancing the different facets of the character who will turn the other cheek and offer a smile even in the most dangerous circumstances.

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A Prairie Home Companion

  • Title: A Prairie Home Companion
  • IMDb: link

Garrison Keillor and Robert Altman do a very good job of showing the final day of the small radio show before the curtain is pulled down for good.  However when the film leaves the story for subplots involving an angel or the corporate hatchet man, it losses the feel and warmth that is so integral to making the rest of the film work.  The end result is a very good film that had it been handled a little different could have been great.

The film centers on an old time radio show that continues to broadcast in present day oblivious to the fact that time may well have past them by.  The performers are like a large dysfunctional but loving family that on this night, the final night the show will be broadcast, say goodbye.

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