Hotshots Movie Reviews
Hotshots Movie Reviews by Dan Culberson
“The Intouchables” Is a Refreshing Comedy
Sep 16th
“Refreshing Comedy”
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
The Intouchables is a French comedy with an unlikely subject: a wealthy man who is paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair hires a young black man from the projects in Paris to be his live-in nurse and take care of him.
One thing that is remarkable about this film is that when I saw the previews for it and all throughout watching it, I believed that Dustin Hoffman plays the quadriplegic, and I was impressed with how well he could speak French. Either that or else his lines were dubbed, and I didn’t quite believe that.
It wasn’t until I obtained the credits for the film that I learned that the actor isn’t Hoffman at all, nor is the actress playing one of the staff the American actress Amy Adams, which I believed.
When the movie opens, we see the rich man, Philippe, and the caretaker, Driss, speeding in Philippe’s Maserati, which Driss is driving. The police start chasing them, and Driss says, “Here they come–100 Euros says I can beat them.”
The scene has a funny ending, which is characteristic of the whole movie.
Then we see a flashback to when Driss interviewed for the job, which he didn’t even want at all, but just wanted a signature to prove that he had interviewed for a job so he could continue to receive his unemployment benefits.
However, something about Driss’s manner intrigues Philippe, and he says that Philippe is ready to try Driss out for a month, but he bets that Driss won’t last two weeks before he quits.
You see, most nurses leave the job after one week, because it is so demanding and requires such hard work.
Driss is impressed by the accommodations that he would live in, but the main reason for accepting the job might be Magalie, one of Philippe’s staff that Driss finds very attractive.
And so the rest of the movie consists of how these two unlikely men affect each other, Driss and his exuberance for life breaking through the walls of depression surrounding Philippe and Philippe’s money and status in life showing Driss that Driss’s previous life was going to lead him nowhere.
So, does Driss stay in the job longer than two weeks?
Does he get anywhere with Magalie?
The Intouchables is a very delightful and refreshing comedy.
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshot.”
“Hit & Run” Has Gags That Just Keep On Coming
Sep 2nd
“Gags Just Keep On Coming”
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
Hit & Run is a comedy that is basically just one funny car chase after another, but it doesn’t get old, because each one keeps adding a new aspect and twist to it.
One fresh aspect to the movie is that you might be pleasantly surprised whenever a new recognizable actor shows up in the story, which occurs even into the closing credits.
The story is about a guy and a girl, Charlie Bronson and Annie Bean, who are in love with each other and living together. Charlie doesn’t like Annie to pull his hair, because he says it is thin, but Annie says that it is the only way she can defend herself.
However, when the movie opens, they are in bed together, and Charlie says, “If you want, I will spend every day with you for the rest of your life,” and Annie says, “Okay, I want.”
Charlie has some secrets, however, some of which he has kept from Annie during the year that they have been dating, and some others which will be revealed later on.
Charlie is in the witness protection program, which Annie knows about, and he cannot leave the town they are living in. Then we meet Randy, the U.S. marshal assigned to guard Charlie, and every time Randy shows up, something funny happens and usually to Randy.
Annie is a professor, and she suddenly gets an opportunity to be in charge of a new department in her field, conflict resolution, but the interview is in a few days in Los Angeles.
Charlie says that he can’t let her leave, but he also can’t stay there without her, and so he uncovers his supercharged automobile that has been under wraps, puts all her stuff in the trunk, and says that he will drive her to Los Angeles, even though that will violate his agreement with the witness protection program he is in.
However, that is just the beginning of their problems. In addition to Randy chasing after them when he finds out what Charlie is doing, Annie’s ex-boyfriend gets upset and goes after them, the local sheriff and his partner join the pursuit, and then there are even the people who are the reason that Charlie is in the program.
Hit & Run is very funny, and the gags just keep on coming.
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”
“Sparkle” Is Overblown
Aug 26th
“Overblown”
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
Sparkle is the 2012 remake of the 1976 film of the same name and story, but not of the 2007 film of the same name but different story.
This film also has the distinction of being the last film that Whitney Houston made before she died, and she was also one of the executive producers of it.
Houston said in an interview that the original film inspired her so much when it came out, and “I would go every Saturday for, like, four months straight, and I would watch the matinee to the evening show.”
This version moves the story from the 1950s to the 1960s, but it is still about a trio of sisters who want to make it big as a singing group in the music business.
No, Houston does not play one of the sisters. She plays their mother, who doesn’t approve of her daughters’ ambition, because she used to be a singer in the business, but she has bitter memories because it almost killed her.
The story begins in 1968 in Detroit, and the sisters are named Sparkle, Dolores, and, confusingly, Sister.
Sparkle is shy, but she loves music, and she writes the songs; Dolores, who also goes by Dee, actually wants to be a doctor, but she gives support to her sisters’ ambitions; and Sister is the outgoing one who starts out singing by herself, is impressive with her performances, and could succeed.
Of course, there are men around, too. Levi is dating Sister, and his cousin Stix, who is visiting from Kansas City, takes an interest in Sparkle, and when the girls starts singing as a group, Stix becomes their manager.
However, Sister becomes involved with a professional comedian named Satin, they get serious, but Satin is a bad influence and he introduces Sister to some very bad habits, personally and professionally.
All the while, Mama disapproves, and things just go from very bad to worse.
In other words, the story is a classic story about show business: Girls have ambition and want to be successful in show business, girls achieve success, girls lose success because of a tragedy, girls find success again but in different ways and to different degrees.
And don’t worry. Houston also sings a song, but not on stage.
Sparkle is overblown, overdone, and doesn’t sparkle at all.
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”