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Visitors Review

mail4mac 2012-05-24 17:38:57

Much betty-er than I thought

I really had planned to skip this, based on previous effortsby Zellweger (Me, Myself and Irene; Jerry Maguire). I didn'tthink she was that good of an actress or picked goodmaterial.But, it was playing at a cheap theatre.I was pleasantly surprised. The story reminded my date ofCrazy in Alabama. I liked Betty much better.The story was fun, with some plot twists that made me lookforward to whatever was going to happen next.I really liked the characters, a key, I believe to enjoying afilm. I cared for the good/poor characters, and even wantedto see what happened to the bad guys.I thought Zellweger did a very good job as Betty. I don't wantto give the plot away, but I really liked the difference in theacting between Betty, the waitress, and Betty, the actress inthe soap. I could actually see the difference. That reallystuck in my mind.Morgan Freeman, Chris Rock also did a fine job. GregKinnear, I think, seems to be the same no matter what hisrole is.I don't regret waiting for the movie to come to the cheaptheatre. I liked it, and so did the other three people in thetheatre with me

2012-05-24 13:04:33

Not very good movie

From the Previews I had seen I thought that this movie was going to be a good one.What I saw made me what to ask for my monie back. I thought that the movie was horrible. The plot is that a woman sees her husband killed in a way that is very bad and she thinks that she is a character on a soap opera that she watches. The plot might have been bariable with better acting, but even Renee Zellweger and Greg Kinnear who are good actors did not do a very good job in this movie.

2012-05-16 11:35:28

Nurse Betty is fresh and original.

I recommend this movie simply because it was so different from what Hollywood usually gives us. I found this movie mesmerizing. We wanted to cook dinner and watch the movie at the same time, but the story was so compelling that dinner had to wait. I watched this movie with a group of people and all of us were glued to the screen to see what happened next. We all wondered what kept us watching, but whatever it was, we could not miss a word. Renée Zellweger portrays a lonely young woman who views the world and all of its harsh realities with "rose colored glasses". When she witnesses the ghastly & frightening murder of her husband she separates herself from reality and focuses on the only thing in her life that brings her any comfort and that is her television soap opera. Betty believes that she must go to California and find her Doctor. I thought that this was completely in line with her character. Betty has put a positive spin on her entire life up to this point and in the midst of tragedy, the only positives she can find are in an alternate reality, that she creates for herself. She meets several interesting characters in her quest for her fantasy, and they all believe that she is crazy. The entire cast here did an excellent job. Morgan Freeman was outstanding. My biggest criticism of the movie was the language. It did not need ALL of the expletives that were used. I can understand some harsh language tossed in now and again to make a point, but when most of the characters can't seem to articulate a sentence without extreme profanity, I have to wonder where they were educated. Also, I would never consider "Nurse Betty" a comedy. There were some funny parts to this film, but if it is a comedy it is one of the darkest that I have ever seen.

Ron 2012-05-15 19:57:20

If this were a soap, it would be called "Searching For Laughs"

I rented "Nurse Betty" last night thinking it would be a hands-down winnergiven the rating it received from movie critics.Did they see a different film than I did?If this film were a soap opera like the one it depicted, it would be called,"Searching for Laughs." I tried, and found very few.Worse than the lack of laughs, the "Pulp Fiction" rip-off in this film madethe whole sub-plot totally ludicrous.Morgan Freeman as a kindly, old hitman who falls in love with Zellweger'sBetty? Give me a break! What kind of sentimental character calmly watcheshis foul-mouthed, maniac of a son pistol-whip his victims?Speaking of whom, choosing Chris Rock for this role was worse than anything"Freddy Got Fingered" could muster. Take away his incessant "F" words, andhe would have said less than Arnold in "Terminator I."Showing him scalp a guy was real fresh for a comedy, too. Makes the chipperin "Fargo" look tame. At that point, I should have popped the DVD out anddemanded my money back from Blockbuster.The main story might have been good if the director and writer together hadhalf a brain and kept in on track. But it wandered all over the screen justas Nurse Betty and her "wacky band of hitmen" did acrossAmerica.Kudos to Ms. Zellweger for a fine performance in an otherwise dog of asupposed hit movie. Greg Kinnear did his best, too, given what limited rangehe had in this script.How was it that everybody all over the whole world watched "Searching forlove," EXCEPT for every member of the Hispanic family who took Betty intotheir home?There were many other inconsistencies, but they pale in light of thepredicably lame ending. After watching this mess, I wish I had done as Freeman's character did inthe movie and ended it all before the final credits.

buffys2cool 2012-05-13 17:00:08

This is by far Renée Zellweger's best movie, although I have yet to see Chicago.

This movie is very smart and funny. I really enjoyed Ms. Zellweger'sperformance as well as the rest of the cast. I'm not a big fan of ReneeZellweger, (personally, I think Joey Lauren Adams is a much betteractress),but she did a good job in this movie. I know, I know, she has got all theOscar nominations going for her, but I really wasn't that impressed withBridget Jones' Diary. Anyway, check this movie out, it is really good!

zcrooge 2012-05-13 02:09:46

I would have preferred Nurse Betty without Chris Rock

I was rather enjoying this movie until Chris Rock started mouthing off withhis unbearable hi-pitched voice. Can't stand the foul language he seems tobe allowed to use every time I've had the misfortune to catch him onscreen.Using b*tch, c*nt and f*ck every other word does not heighten adialog.After yet one of Mr Rocks tantrums I just wasn't able to get back in themood of the movie.Thankfully Morgan Freeman participated. He's a great actor.Nurse Betty is no masterpiece. But if your in for a lazy afternoon thismight be a flick to watch.

libra1974 2012-05-05 09:00:10

Brilliant, genius

Neil LaBute does it again with NURSE BETTY. This movie is smart andseamless ... pure brilliance. Renee, Morgan, Greg and Chris complimenteachother wonderfully. Even the "supporting" cast make their mark. Amust-see... one of this year's best!

mobdick69 2012-05-04 16:02:38

What a surprise

I was mighty impressed with Nurse Betty all the way through. It has agreatensemble of characters, an origional plot, and an ending I shoulda seencoming but didn't and pulls at your heart strings.If theres any one thing about this movie that got me the most it was MorganFreeman and Chris Rock's interaction. These two are great and it warms myheart to see Rock isn't going to do crappy Big Hollywood fare like LethalWeapon 4 for the rest of his life. Freeman is as always the man, reallythere shouldnt be any need to critique his work anymore. Hell, Kiss theGirls was watchable with him in it.Renee Zellwegger does the best she can with her role, and Kinnear is goodas her obession.Sweet movie with a nice touch of gratuitous violence in it to satisfy thebloodlust of the male. 9 outa 10

2012-05-04 11:09:14

My Life in Avant Garde

'Nurse Betty' struck me as being willfully pretentious at first, but a few days later I came to realize what a gem this movie is. I certainly would not rate it one of the best films of last year, but I do realize how different and novel the movie is.Renee Zellweger in particular has fascinated me with her choice in roles. No doubt, 'Bridget Jones' Diary' will propel her into superstardom, but its roles like this and her simple turn in 'Jerry Maguire' that make this actress more refreshing than Julia Roberts on a good day. That said, 'Nurse Betty' demands much from its' lead actress and a solid screenplay, and fortunately, it scores high in both departments.Sadly, every film has its' weaknesses, and this one is no different. Some of the acting is sloppy, especially Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock's scenes together. And while Renee steers the movie along at a nice pace, there are moments when you can't help yawning and hoping that something drastic happens soon. And it does. This is a movie with a load of surprises, and though it manages to be heavily cliche-driven, despite the novel subject matter, it does shine when it matters.I got this on DVD the other day and was struck by the brilliant picture transfer, and the wonderful inclusion of 10 mini-episodes of 'A Reason to Love', the fictional soap that Nurse Betty lives to watch. Greg Kinnear is great as a self-obsessed actor (though he does over-play his tantrum scene in the end) and Chris Rock as a fanatical mobman is excellent, if a little scary.But in the end, the film is Renee's. Don't be put off by the cheesy DVD cover art - I looked past that, and found myself enjoying a smart, witty comedy, with shades of dark to counter the cheer, at every turn. Brilliant work, even if a little choppy.

2012-05-03 22:41:46

Not perfect, but close

A terrific movie. Nurse Betty manages to be, at times, both hystericly funny and extremely sweet. Its a complicated story, wonderfully written and acted--far better than 99% of current movies.That said, the other reviewers are correct that the violent early scene was NOT necessary. Despite what the director says it just doesn't belong in a movie like this. My main complaint is Chris Rock. As usual he is loud, childish and extremely un-funny. Talk about trying too hard! He's not quite as nauseating as Jim Carey but boy, he comes close. The sad part is that, not only is Rock's performance like a fart in church (ok, that would be funny) his character is unnecessary in this story, if you think about it.

2012-05-02 08:58:52

Weird mix of comedy and violence.

I was expecting a dark comedy (my favorite kind), but this movie didn't really fit the bill. In fact, the core story of Renee Zellweger's character going a little nuts after seeing her husband brutally killed and trying to join the world of her favorite soap opera which she suddenly thinks is real is actually pretty sweet. That's because of Renee's excellent performance. She brings such genuine empathy to the character that it's hard to find her character's predicament funny. Yes, it's amusing how she manages to blithely insinuate herself into the make-believe soap world without anyone figuring out how truly nuts she is, but thanks to Renee's performance, I was also rooting for her to be successful in her bizarre endeavor. As for the parallel storyline involving Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock, it had it's funny moments, but it was nowhere close to fully utlizing Rock's darkly comic talent. I felt like any number of actors could have played this role; I would have much preferred to see Rock make it his own. Freeman was wonderful, of course. Unfortunately, these two were involved in some incredibly violent scenes - much more gruesome than you would expect to see in a movie that bills itself as a comedy.All in all, I enjoyed the movie, but I can see why it wasn't more of a success despite some great performances. It was too schizophrenic to be either a successful comedy or a succesful action/adventure movie. Do check out the cast and director's discussion of the movie on the DVD . It was interesting to hear what they considered the movie to be about and the choices they made.

Scott E. Hartig 2012-05-01 20:45:30

A very odd black comedy in the tradition of the Coen brothers

****SPOILERS****At first glance, "Nurse Betty" has all the appearances of a good ol'girl-meets-boy heartwarmer. Betty Sizemore, a smalltown diner waitress,gawks obsessively at her soap opera dreamboat Dr. David Revell (playedconvincingly by Greg Kinnear). Everything seems to be going along verynormally. Then Betty's husband Del, a philandering, abusive, and connivingused car dealer, enters the picture. The picture veers left quickly and Ifelt immediately thrust into the odd confines of Barton Fink or TheHudsucker Proxy.I won't give too much away. But I will say that "Nurse Betty" was quite abreath of fresh air. The plot is very far-fetched, so check your sense ofreality at the door. I think that Zellweger should contend for an Oscar asthe amnesia stricken, soap opera obsessed Betty. I think that MorganFreeman - one of my favorite actors - was miscast as a Jules Winfield typeof repenting hitman. There was very little chemistry between him and ChrisRock.But the story is fresh enough and the acting superb enough to make "NurseBetty" a very rewarding and entertaining film.

zz doc-2 2012-04-27 14:35:23

Actors acting about acting

The overall acting talent in this movie is excellent. Especially notableisthe performance by the actor playing theArizona bartender/owner. She gave an awesome, exceptional performanceworthyof an award nomination. This is in the presence of tremendous performancesby the principle actors.

Star52 2012-04-27 01:32:41

WARNING: DO NOT WATCH THIS FILM!!!!

If you want blood and gore - this is the movie for you. As usual Renee(andGreg too)is perfect - but, ohhhh the script is beyond revolting! Too bad,this had such potential, but even with outstanding actors as ReneeZellwegger and Greg Kinnear, you need a barf bag to sit through thisgratuitously violent and disgusting film.

WinterMaiden 2012-04-26 10:44:29

A few quibbles, but otherwise Betty's a delight

I saw an advance screening of "Nurse Betty" last night. Since I enjoyedthefilm hugely, I'll deal with my quibbles first. Neil LaBute is clearly anactors' director, and does best with longer, sustained scenes. Somethingabout the pace of this film is a bit off: the cross-cutting doesn't flowvery naturally, and the editing leaves a few not-so-funny lines dangling.Perhaps it is an underwritten film, with the wealth of incident and theskill of the actors concealing somewhat sketchy roles. Chris Rock doesn'thave enough to do, and Renee Zellweger's adorability practically implodesonitself. (One Meg Ryan is quite enough!) However, a very difficult andfanciful concept is worked out with some ingenuity and generosity, and inaneasy-going manner that doesn't seem to be trying to knock us out with howoutrageous it all is. This picture has been somewhat misleadingly labeleda"road picture," with Betty on the go and the hitmen played by MorganFreemanand Chris Rock in hot pursuit. In fact, Betty reaches Los Angeles quitequickly, while the hitmen's pursuit is amusingly protracted. But they areall definitely on a journey of sorts, although it probably doesn't do tothink about it too hard (journeys in search of dreams, lost ideals, etc.).Zellweger, for all her cuteness, manages not to be cloying, adding thesaving grace of matter-of-factness to her performance. Her Betty is sobenton her delusion that she simply gazes straight through reality. (Theeasilyembarrassed may find this film excruciating!) Greg Kinnear is as good asone would expect in a role cut from the same cloth as his parts in"Sabrina"and "Mystery Men," laying on charm and smarm indiscriminately. A numberofactors do excellently in small roles, especially the women, and mostespecially a bartender in a lonely Arizona saloon. Best of all, I'm quitehappy to say, is Morgan Freeman, who plays the sort of role he's donebefore, but gets to play all sorts of angles and feelings that we've neverseen from him on-screen. He is not well-served by a couple of road-sidescenes in which he is required to be irascible at too great length. Butthose tired of Freeman's recent run of father figures will be pleased byhissinister demeanor here. (He's a father figure in this film too, but in amost perverse way.) And, as it turns out, his Charlie is as much anescapist as Betty Sizemore--gallant and ridiculous and ultimatelydiscombobulated by his confused feelings for the Betty of his imagination:he prepares to go kill her as if he were preparing to propose marriage,andhis furtive application of aftershave is perhaps his best moment in thefilm. If he is made to state the theme of the film a little tooexplicitlyat the end, and forced to go through too many sudden changes of heart,he'searned enough good will by then to make it okay. The hardest thing to doinmovies these days is end them properly. The climax of this one is tricky,with slapstick in one room and an intimate confrontation in another, butLaBute pulls it off. More difficult is the wind-up, but it goes by fast.The comedy in this film is character-driven and a bit cock-eyed, so thinkCoens rather than sitcom. Be prepared also for some fairly graphicviolenceat the beginning and the end. The violence is not gratuitous, however, asit places us firmly in the world that both Betty and Charlie are recoilingfrom. One final quibble, or perhaps a question: At the end, isn't Bettystill living someone else's dream? And is this a miscalculation, or is itmeant as irony?

2012-04-26 04:10:09

He Ate Her Cupcake

Neil Labute's Nurse Betty overtly and comically emphasizes the panoptical regime, the discriminatory male gaze, which is best described in John Berger's Ways of Seeing, "Men act and women appear."Betty Sizemore (Renee Zellweger), disrespected as a waitress at her job and at home by her sleazy husband, finds recluse in what every housewife enjoys, soap operas. After witnessing her husband's grisly murder, she lives out the metaphor of panopticon; she loses control of her own actions and desires in order to please an audience, regardless of whether one exists or doesn't. She submits herself by becoming Nurse Betty and travels to Los Angeles to rekindle a never-existant love to her soap opera hero, Dr. David Ravelle (Greg Kinnear). The film further emphasizes Betty as the surveyed by following her with a host of male surveyors: a reporter, a sheriff, a television producer, and a pair of stalkers; each of whom see her as nothing more than part of their own job. The film is sarcastic to its very core. The objectification of women and beautiful stereotypes is captured to draw attention to itself. Betty becomes an object when she loses her sanity and mentally becomes a soap opera character. The characters she encounters on her way fall into existing general stereotypes, which covers race, class, and gender. For example, Rosa and her mother appear as never-satisfied, moody Latinos. The transparent objectivity of characters invites the viewer to detach from the story in a Brechtian fashion, and dwell on the issue of viewing. One can critique how people view a film, but it is rare to openly critique how people view women.

Melinda Fawver 2012-04-21 06:07:04

Extreme

Bravo!Intelligent . . . with extreme violence and extreme innocence, as it movesback and forth . . . Forrest Gump meets Pulp Fiction. The contrast creates avery effective film. Good and evil, false and true, love and hate, things weall hold within ourselves but fail to exhibit in such amanner.How can we know what is real . . . Do we not create it all in our minds onthe stage that is our life where we are the writer, director andactor?Renee Zellweger was so very good in this roll. I enjoyed it very much.

2012-04-21 02:51:09

Weird but entertaining - A must see

Alot of people think this movie is just a comedy but it has action, murder, love, and just some plain-out insane scenes! It's very entertaining and you won't even be able to leave the room to re-fill your popcorn bag because you'll miss something - it's a faced paced movie. The story is VERY unique and an excellent concept. I very much enjoyed this movie and I'm sure I'll be watching it again and again in the future :)

Ana_Banana 2012-04-19 21:08:55

Betty Quijote

This excellent film is another reminder for us to look under thesurface of things. Beyond even the most sordid or terrible detailsthere is something extraordinary waiting for you if you had eyes forit. Betty's ingenuity, purity and capacity of transfiguration,symbolized and enhanced by her post-traumatic shock, leave a mark oneveryone in the film and in the audience. It's like Charlie (MorganFreeman) put it clearly, that the two of them are resembling one toeach other more than you'd think, hence his fascination with her as apersonification of that ideal of purity long lost by him. The film ispowerful and diverse. Life is diverse, too. It has its horrid momentsand its soulful moments. Why do we need to squeeze the film in acategory (comedy, be it dark or not)? Even the scalping scene,apparently appalling for so many people, is not that graphic and isvery short. Most of the performances are excellent, and first of allMs. Zellweger of course, who is perfectly cast and entirely believable.Betty is a kind of 'Dona Quijote', looking for the extraordinary andthe soul-fulfilling beauty in every thing. 'You don't need anyone,because you have yourself.' It's a soulful, even spiritual film, muchmore effective in its suggestiveness than a morose, didactic, preachingand pretentious one.

Sinnerman 2012-04-19 11:41:34

"Surreal, but nice".

The fact that many of the scenes in this film can both be played as acomedic sequence and a simultaneously dramatic one speaks volume about NeilLa Bute's direction, the superb screenplay and most importantly, the sheerforce of Renee Zellweger's performance as 'Nurse Betty'.Truly appreciated Renee's subtle portrayal of the lead character(lesseractors would have succumbed to playing the role with laughable self-parodyand white trashy overacting). Infact, this film would not have worked if notfor her piercing personality and strong conviction to play the characterstraight. This in turn amplified the film's satiric edge and overallemotional impact. Renee Zellweger is truly one of the most fascinating yet sadly under-ratedactress around. Notwithstanding the Oscars' idiocy for ignoring her(and ofcourse Bjork too, for an even more amazing turn in "Dancer in the dark"),this sure was one of the most unforgettably show stopping performances of2000. Hopefully, this drought of attention will end with her recent Golden Globewin for this role and her possible star making turn in the better received'Bridget Jones Diaries'. Overall, I am intrigued by this film. I marvelled at the tapestry ofsimultaneous emotional shifts its plot can possibly(or impossibly for thatmatter) allow and I am moved by its tender and sensitive treatment of thelead character's predicament. My respect all round too for the director'sperceptive understanding and surprising empathy for the very people heparodied. The people(much like you and me) who are struggling with the ordinariness oftheir empty lives, with an inate longing for something more than what theirmundane existence can throw up. This a standout film which attempts to marry surrealism with poignancy andits prescription of antidotal escapism is admirable, to say the least.Definite ranks as one of my favourite quirky delights of 2000.