simply a terrific piece of writing, acting, and directing
Added 10/30/2009
Amazing as it might seem, I had seen neither the play (it premiered in Seattle) nor the movie, which I'd bought, then put aside unviewed (like so many other things). It was only Wednesday night when I popped it into the player and was knocked for a loop. (I can't think of a less-trite expression.)
It is, first and formost, a brutal, testicle-kicking attack on post-Reagan "conservatism". It's fortunate that Roy Cohn -- one of the most-vicious American politicians of the last century, and a homosexual who died of AIDS -- actually existed, so that Tony Kushner did not have to invent him. He is a convenient personification of everything the author (and I) detest in American society.
I am at a loss to say anything "intelligent" (or even original) about a movie in which every character is deeply flawed, a film that is sufficiently complex (and ambiguous, where appropriate) that it cannot reveal everything in a single viewing. "Angels in America" is worth seeing simply for the quality of writing, acting, and direction. (The special effects ain't bad, either.)
If I have any complaints, it's that theatrical metaphor -- which is acceptable within a stage work's lack of literal reality -- can seem a bit heavy-handed in a film, which appears to be literally real.
It's a mistake to view "Angels in America" solely as a chronicle of how AIDS devastated the gay community. Yes, it's also a polemic, but Kushner gets away with it by remembering that you cannot tell a story about ideas, you can only tell a story about people.
Like any Great Work Of Art (and it is one), it is, fundamentally, about how human beings cope with life. It's one of the best motion pictures I've ever seen, and I cannot recommend it too highly.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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The acting alone is reason enough to watch Angels In America
Added 8/25/2009
Politics and religion aside, the acting alone is reason enough to watch this film. Jefferey Wright and Justin Kirk's performances stand out amongst an entire cast of great performances. Not a sour note in the bunch.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Angel's in the "Out" Field
Added 7/29/2009
Angels in America: 6/10: The play Angels in America must have had a much greater impact in the nineties then the miniseries has today. It also probably worked better as a play. That said; this is one of the more creative adaptations of theater one is likely to see on the small screen.
Mike Nichols deserves great praise for making the stage bound fly. He over reaches occasionally but the effect is memorizing. Al Pacino, Meryl Streep and Justin Kirk all shine. While the brilliant Jeffery Wright simply steals every scene he is in. Mary Louise Parker and relative newcomer Patrick Wilson are unfortunately saddled with a disposable story that does not really fit in with the rest of the play. In fact, poor Mr. Wilson simply disappears for the last third or so of the miniseries while his characters mother played by Meryl Streep takes center stage.
Pacino's Roy Cohn is hammy and not played as evil as he was in the original play. While Cohn has been more forgotten than redeemed since the play first came out; his nemesis Ethel Rosenbergs (Streep again) reputation has suffered greatly since the mid-nineties. While Pacino is very good, Streep is simply brilliant in the very well written role of a Mormon mother lost in New York. Her character simply surprises both the other characters and the audience by not sticking to our preconceived notions.
Two actors however do drop the ball. Emma Thompson simply does not make a good angel. She is not helped by the fact that the angel moves around like Peter Pan in a junior high school production. As a result many of the angel scenes simply do not work.
The other problematic performance is Ben Shenkman as Louis. One quickly has sympathy for every character that suffers with an encounter with Shenkman. Unfortunately the audience suffers the most screen time with this horrible persona. The character is simply evil. That self centered, banal evil one finds in real life. This is of course fine in a film, but Shenkman the actor doesn't seem to realize how repellent his characters actions are. Instead of developing the evil he simply pulls out Jewish stereotypes. Compare this to Pacino's entertaining vision of evil in the persona of Mr. Cohn.
Creative and surprisingly fun Angels in America does run a little long (as a miniseries is wont to do) but is worth a look.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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love this amazon
Added 6/9/2009
I appreciated this "movie" some time ago and was pleased to find it on Amazon for a very reasonable price. And, as always, the service from you and your vendors was excellent. Donna B.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Both my wife and I had to watch this mini series a couple of times to make any sense of it. The acting in most cases was good and at other times just plain stupid.Meryl Streep can do anything, from the Rabi to the windowed Morman wife who turned in to the best friend of the lead actors with or without AIDS.Emma Thompson on the other hand should have stayed away from the roll of the Angel.Al Pacino is another actor that can do anything. Playing a gay person proves it.
0 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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simply a terrific piece of writing, acting, and directing
Added 10/30/2009
Amazing as it might seem, I had seen neither the play (it premiered in Seattle) nor the movie, which I'd bought, then put aside unviewed (like so many other things). It was only Wednesday night when I popped it into the player and was knocked for a loop. (I can't think of a less-trite expression.)
It is, first and formost, a brutal, testicle-kicking attack on post-Reagan "conservatism". It's fortunate that Roy Cohn -- one of the most-vicious American politicians of the last century, and a homosexual who died of AIDS -- actually existed, so that Tony Kushner did not have to invent him. He is a convenient personification of everything the author (and I) detest in American society.
I am at a loss to say anything "intelligent" (or even original) about a movie in which every character is deeply flawed, a film that is sufficiently complex (and ambiguous, where appropriate) that it cannot reveal everything in a single viewing. "Angels in America" is worth seeing simply for the quality of writing, acting, and direction. (The special effects ain't bad, either.)
If I have any complaints, it's that theatrical metaphor -- which is acceptable within a stage work's lack of literal reality -- can seem a bit heavy-handed in a film, which appears to be literally real.
It's a mistake to view "Angels in America" solely as a chronicle of how AIDS devastated the gay community. Yes, it's also a polemic, but Kushner gets away with it by remembering that you cannot tell a story about ideas, you can only tell a story about people.
Like any Great Work Of Art (and it is one), it is, fundamentally, about how human beings cope with life. It's one of the best motion pictures I've ever seen, and I cannot recommend it too highly.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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The acting alone is reason enough to watch Angels In America
Added 8/25/2009
Politics and religion aside, the acting alone is reason enough to watch this film. Jefferey Wright and Justin Kirk's performances stand out amongst an entire cast of great performances. Not a sour note in the bunch.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Angel's in the "Out" Field
Added 7/29/2009
Angels in America: 6/10: The play Angels in America must have had a much greater impact in the nineties then the miniseries has today. It also probably worked better as a play. That said; this is one of the more creative adaptations of theater one is likely to see on the small screen.
Mike Nichols deserves great praise for making the stage bound fly. He over reaches occasionally but the effect is memorizing. Al Pacino, Meryl Streep and Justin Kirk all shine. While the brilliant Jeffery Wright simply steals every scene he is in. Mary Louise Parker and relative newcomer Patrick Wilson are unfortunately saddled with a disposable story that does not really fit in with the rest of the play. In fact, poor Mr. Wilson simply disappears for the last third or so of the miniseries while his characters mother played by Meryl Streep takes center stage.
Pacino's Roy Cohn is hammy and not played as evil as he was in the original play. While Cohn has been more forgotten than redeemed since the play first came out; his nemesis Ethel Rosenbergs (Streep again) reputation has suffered greatly since the mid-nineties. While Pacino is very good, Streep is simply brilliant in the very well written role of a Mormon mother lost in New York. Her character simply surprises both the other characters and the audience by not sticking to our preconceived notions.
Two actors however do drop the ball. Emma Thompson simply does not make a good angel. She is not helped by the fact that the angel moves around like Peter Pan in a junior high school production. As a result many of the angel scenes simply do not work.
The other problematic performance is Ben Shenkman as Louis. One quickly has sympathy for every character that suffers with an encounter with Shenkman. Unfortunately the audience suffers the most screen time with this horrible persona. The character is simply evil. That self centered, banal evil one finds in real life. This is of course fine in a film, but Shenkman the actor doesn't seem to realize how repellent his characters actions are. Instead of developing the evil he simply pulls out Jewish stereotypes. Compare this to Pacino's entertaining vision of evil in the persona of Mr. Cohn.
Creative and surprisingly fun Angels in America does run a little long (as a miniseries is wont to do) but is worth a look.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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