Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-17 22:21:17

Kenneth Branagh's Sticky and Sweet Tour

"The Gingerbread Man" was a departure for the late auteur Robert Altman. As David Mamet made a successful entree in costume drama was "The Winslow Boy",so did Altman made a less-than-successful entree in a mainstream,John Grisham thriller. It's heavy-handed,silly,and in its own way,an unlikely cult classic."Gingerbread Man" is about a successful Savannah attorney (Kenneth Branagh) Branagh's hammy take on a Southern accent is as sappy as a sugary mint julep. He finds himself smitten with a client (Embeth Davidtz) who claims that her father (Robert Duvall) is a violent cult leader. There are some hilarious love scenes,that arouse... laughter. The minor characters,however,turn in some good performances that make the movie watchable. Duvall is excellent as the violent father, Daryl Hannah is great as the dowdy assistant,and Robert Downey,Jr. is credible as an alcoholic attorney. They keep the movie going even when the plot is ludicrous. The closing scene,in an odd way,is an interesting meditation on gun control laws when Branagh realizes he's in a legal trap. It's open-ended when it comes to his fate."Gingerbread Man" is a sugary cookie.

2012-05-17 05:32:44

Disappointing and predictable

This is not a good film. And I'm surprised by the relatively positive responses here and on critics' websites. I found the story flimsy and obvious, the acting over done or boring, the characters uninteresting, the lighting frequently too dark and overall aggrivating. I do love Altman, and appreciate his stamp here. The intensity of activity and conversation is here, but limited by glaring accents and dialogue. As great as some of his films are, he has equal the number of films that don't work, and loyal I remain, but this is one of the latter.

hermit58 2012-05-16 17:04:56

awful, what a waste

This film "should" be great, unfortunately it isn't.Wonderful actors, a fine director, and John Grisham, alltheseelements combined drew me in, but the sum of the parts,leftmecold. The plot seems to adhere to the modern film noir stereotype,dizzyingtwists and turns, but it just fails. Thestory hints at something dark and sinister behind thedrama,but it does not deliver. Robert Duvall's character islefthalf finished and he and his followers are not scary enoughto justify the plot line. What a waste of talent, you havetowork hard to make a bad film with this group of terrificactorsand alas the filmaker succeeds. "The Emperors New Clothes"would have been a better title, because it sounded like itshould be something good, but it's nothing after all.

Edward philpot 2012-05-15 23:56:14

Highly recommended

I was surprised that I enjoyed this movie. I do not even remember any promtion on this flick during 1998. I rented it due to the fact it was a based on a John Grisham book. It was very entertaining. I enjoyed the twists.

briginsh 2012-05-08 03:49:28

Tedious and Incomprehensible

This movie is like real life, by which I mean - not a lot happens inthe available 2 hours or so, and not much game plan or plot isevidenced by the frequently invisible cast (their invisibility beingdue to the "experimental" lighting as mentioned by many reviewers). A big bore. No big surprise that Altman helms this - he is a veryvariable performer (yes we all loved "Gosford Park", but "Pret APorter" anyone? Kansas City? Dr T. and the Women? Aaargh), but the factthat the raw material is a John Grisham tale, and the excellent castthat you will perceive through the gathering gloaming of your insistentslumber - makes this truly a masterpiece of bad film. And no, it is not"so bad it's good".It's just bad.

2012-05-07 14:52:57

ok thriller

let me first say that i'm not a big fan of robert altman.i don't know what it is but his films seem to be all predictable and drawn out.and that's exactly how this film plays out.about 15 minutes into the film i knew what was going to happen.that's not giving myself all that much credit because if you've seen as many films as i have you'll get the movie cliche business as well.2 of the stars in the film are only in it for 5 minutes which is a big disappointment.otherwise the rest of the cast does pretty well.robert downey jr. just makes me laugh doing ordinary things so that was a big plus and kenneth brannagh puts on a good georgia accent.another complaint i have about the film is the music.it seems out of place.a perfect example how music is so important in that it sets the mood, but here it doesn't.it trys to make the film more thrilling than it really is.a one time only view.

Dale Roberson 2012-05-06 18:12:46

Intricate, intriguing and suspenseful.

This is a great ensemble piece with great actors, a great director and agreat story line to draw us in further.

2012-05-06 16:22:16

HALF BAKED COOKIE

THE GINGERBREAD MAN is based on an original screenplay by legal novelist John Grisham and directed by Oscar nominated Robert Altman, featuring a cast of reputable actors. The main problem is that the plot's so-called twist is obvious from the moment Mallory steals an ashtray from Rick Magruder's office and her car is "conveniently stolen." From thereon, the plot moves a little too slowly towards a not wholly satisfying denouement. Along the way, we're treated to some interesting, althought not spectacular, acting. Kenneth Branagh does his Southern accent dutifully well for a Brit, but his performance is too hammy at times to be convincing; Embeth Davidtz as Mallory invokes little sympathy because the discerning viewer knows there's more than meets the eye; Darryl Hannah is hardly recognizable as Lois, an associate of Branagh, whose main function seems more clerical than legal; Tom Berenger shows up as Davidtz's ex-husband, whose mere presence in a seemingly incidental role is in itself a plot give-away; Robert Downey Jr. appears as Clyde, Branagh's private investigator who is a hopeless alcoholic; and Robert Duvall, looking foolish in a baldpate and long hair, has an enigmatic but pivotal role as Davidtz's eccentric if not looney father.Never being one of Altman's greatest fans, I can commend him on trying to add a different touch to a rather familiar formula, including the relentless rain during Hurricane Geraldo. But ultimately, THE GINGERBREAD MAN comes out half-baked and unfulfilling, wasting a lot of Oscar caliber talent.

pied 2012-05-02 00:12:46

Intrigue and atmosphere in Georgia!

Another underrated gem! The Gingerbread Man taken from a Grisham novel isbetter than the book. Kenneth Branaugh is excellent is as the supportingcast including the great Robert Duvall. Accents and atmosphere arerealistic and the suspense is great even if the story line is somewhatpredictable.

jn1356 2012-05-01 05:09:56

A Savannah GA lawyer misjudges a situation, and a girl, and finds himself in deep trouble.

I expected more of Kenneth Branagh. It is a decent movie, on the low sideof watchable. I prefer my suspense movies not to be predictable from theoutset, which this was! We saw it for two reasons--Branagh and JohnGrisham. My final opinion was that Grisham wanted to try his hand atwriting a screenplay, and he had the clout to get it produced. I hope hisnext screenplay will benefit from his first errors, as his subsequent novelshave gotten better as his experience as an author grows.

TomH-5 2012-05-01 13:26:51

This one will grow on you.

I found the movie a bit slow starting. It seemed somewhat hard to follow atfirst. Too much going on at once for this simple mind. The storm and thenoise kept me from figuring out who the characters really were until about athird of the way through the movie. All of a sudden though, I found myselfin the grip of it. Now, thinking about the movie, I want to watch it againto fill in the missing pieces.

Edgar Soberón Torchia 2012-04-30 20:46:58

Altman uncovers Grisham

Robert Altman is my favorite American director. I must admit that Ihave enjoyed the films that are usually scorned: "Quintet", if only forgiving me the pleasure of seeing a grown-up and beautiful BrigitteFossey, who was unforgettable as the little girl in "Forbidden Games";"HealtH", for having Lauren Bacall, Carol Burnett, Alfre Woodard andGlenda Jackson, all in the same cast; "Popeye", for that splendid andsurreal world, Shelley Duvall's Olive Oyl and the wonderful Maltalocations; "O.C. & Stiggs", for its proposal of an anti-"adolescentsflick"; "Beyond Therapy", for all its lunacy and for the presence ofGenèvieve Page, who for all her effort to look Parisian chic is takenfor a travestite... I have even enjoyed his one-act TV movies, like"The Dumb Waiter" and "The Laundromat". When there is not much plot todevelop in his films, you have wonderful performances, from Burnett,John Travolta, Kim Basinger or Jane Curtin. I perceive and enjoy thedifferent approach and description he makes of the many differentcultures of the United States. It is a pity that his genius is seldomappreciated, and that he is always forgotten when the time comes forgiving out American prizes and awards. He is not your typicalmainstream purveyor of fantasies. He is more of a maverick. So it isnot surprising for me to find so many bad comments posted here about"The Gingerbread Man", his most 'mainstream' effort to date and to myknowledge. I did not know there were so many people who thought likeLeonard Maltin, who does not like Altman at all. In this case, one maydislike "The Gingerbread Man", but for me the reason has more to dowith Grisham than with the director-screenwriter. Some of Altman'strademarks are here: improvised dialogue, great performances, a funnylawyers' office with typical irreverent receptionist and secretary.While some people find it boring, I found the first act fascinating,thanks also for the great cinematography by Changwei Gu, the man whoshot "Red Sorghum", "Ju Dou" and "Farewell My Concubine". He has a wayof showing us the same things we see in other American movies, butunder a different light. Through his "foreigner's gaze", almosteverything seems new and different. In this first act, things were sological and true! Wait until you get older. You may get in trouble ifyou fall under the spell of someone younger and beautiful as EmbethDavidtz. I know for myself what I have done fascinated by someone whois younger than I am! Then you have Robert Duvall's repellent, menacingand mysterious character, while that Geraldo storm is threateningSavannah. The second act gets a little phony and even funny, becauseAltman may have conducted it with a grin. I remember laughing aloud inseveral instances with his ironic remarks. I think he was applying abit of Brecht, distancing us, preparing us for the third act, which isplain Hollywood pastiche. Altman does it with expertise. Being a wiseman, and an intelligent director, luckily he did not fall into thetraps of today's action movies. He was directing a tale of lust, greedand death. I was not disappointed a bit with the movie. If I give it anine instead of 10, it is because of Grisham. The American reader hasturned him into a best-selling author. So why complain? Maybe we shouldthank Altman for showing us the seams in his stories, the dullness, theflatness and the silliness of them all. However, he does it with somuch gusto and humor, that I cannot but disagree with the negativecomments. For me, these persons saw another movie... And vice versa.

tommyboy-16 2012-04-29 21:54:18

good suspense but sometimes hard to swallow

I give it a solid 7. The acting was good and the story was good, to apoint.Some of the actions of the criminal did not make sense, but I guess thereare a lot of real criminals in prison that also ran a little short in thatarea . I can say the same thing for the lawyer. One minute he is brilliantand the next he does not know what is going on. Real people many times dothe same. Fact is stranger than fiction. As an arm chair director I thinkthis movie could have been better.Its worth watching.

James Culver 2012-04-29 07:10:45

A well-made, very underrated film

With this movie, it's all about style, atmosphere, and acting. True, Ididn't believe all of the plot developments, but it didn't matter- theterrific acting, the unexpected plot twists, and the wonderful atmospheresucked me right in, and carried me along for the ride, and I had a greattime. Kenneth Branagh is not only a great actor but a master of accents, andhe proves it once again with a flawless Georgia accent. He's surrounded byso much talent in supporting roles (Robert Downey, Jr., Embeth Davidtz fromSchindler's List and Fallen, Tom Berenger, Daryl Hannah, and Robert Duvall)that I was simply blown away. I recently bought a copy of this movie, and Inever tire of watching it. Simply one of the best thrillers of the year. Ifyou've ignored this movie (and chances are you have), then I suggest youcheck it out.

2012-04-25 08:27:28

This is a big disappointment

I was prepared for another wonderful Grisham story and found instead a boring film that I had a hard time watching all the way through. I bought the video because of the Grisham name, and I wish I could return it. It was a waste of money and is a waste of space on my shelf. I am truly disappointed in this film.

ahmed elshikh 2012-04-24 18:36:58

This Movie Ate The Fox !

Awful, customary, idiot, and the P word, which this movie deserves itbetter.. pre.. yes, you know it.. predictable. These are the very wordsI've found on my lips right after the end of this.. well.. awful,customary, idiot, and predictable movie.It's a noir story that I've seen hundreds of times before. Sure (RobertAltman) knew that by heart, so what exactly did he think of to make itkind of new or even solid : falling in love with the red color,directing the whole thing truly poorly (like the worst Woody Allen'smovie), and leading good special effects concerning a hurricane. Thatwas it if you're looking for more ! Some scenes looked really tepid while they were supposed to bethrilling, where the camera was immovable and the rhythm screaming :I'm boring ! (Like when Branagh was going in his girlfriend's apartmentlooking for anybody in it near the end). And some of the moments seemedso cheesy (Branagh hands in the gun to his girlfriend to discover thathe emptied it from bullets earlier.. Old stuff in a movie lacks any newones !).I've got more points that force me to explode : (Kenneth Branagh)'scharisma got something wrong, being uninteresting or weak or both !(Robert Duvall) looks dim without anything high to offer (just like thewhole movie !). And (Embeth Davidtz) is no sexy, charming nor beautifulin the first place to seduce anyone, you'll have every single man inthe movie fascinating about her legs which are pathetic to begin with(ideally ugly is the word !).I can't say that there were plot holes, but there was intentionaldealing with us as assholes ! For one example : how the competent wiseold-time attorney ever believed for a second that (Duvall)'s shoelesscharacter or any of his imbecile hillbilly companions got the advancedtechnology to track down his cell phone ?!! How can he be that fool !It's this script which dealt with him, so us, the same shameful way !The movie gives us little but clear suspicions about something betweenthe girl and the detective, to make its so-called twist at the endwhere we discover that the husband is the other part of the scheme notthe detective. Basically all of that is based on the fact that thewhole thing was uncovered from the beginning as the girl is a deceiverwith associate of some kind. So the movie nearly exposed its owndeception, hence deprived itself of its main surprise, but with a twistin the last 2 minutes : How Smart ! In fact with obvious gestures like : Embeth Davidtz's character looksdirectly to Branagh at the start's party, leading him so easily to herapartment, presenting nothing about the father's intention, let aloneportraying him as helpless feeble-minded, over and above a hint storyabout the fox that ate the gingerbread man/the attorney.. It became soeasy to figure out everything and from the very start of it. This moviesimply had eaten its power to be a little foxy. As if it ate the fox inthe story, and too early as well.I don't know why (Altman) did it originally. But for money or art, bothways it sucks. Naturally it's not for the genre's fans, maybe for thegenre's haters to hate it more, I know I hated myself when I watched itin complete !One last remark, what about the woman who was taking photos for thelead's kids at the park ?! I thought that could've been his ex-wife asa part of the whole scheme ?! Actually what a shocking twist itcould've been if she turned out to be his devoted assistant (DarrylHannah) ! But this movie, as you see, doesn't want anything but beingawful, customary, idiot and predictable one...Can I add silly too ?!

Jack Gattanella 2012-04-24 12:06:00

Altman's strong suit usually isn't plot, and this shows why

Robert Altman shouldn't make a movie like this, but the fact that hedid- and that it turns out to be a reasonably good and tightly-woundthriller in that paperback-tradition of Grisham thrillers- shows aversatility that is commendable. In the Gingerbread Man he actually hasto work with something that, unfortunately, he isn't always verysuccessful at, or at least it's not the first thing on his checklist asdirector: plot. There's one of those big, juicy almost pot-boiler plotswhere a sleazy lawyer gets caught up with a desperate low-class womanand then a nefarious figure whom the woman is related with enters theirlives in the most staggering ways, twists and plot ensues, yada yada.And it's surprising that Altman would really want to take on one ofthese "I saw that coming from back there!" endings, or just a such asemi-conventional thriller.But it's a surprise that pays off because, oddly enough, Altman is ableto catch some of that very fine behavior, or rather is able tounintentionally coax it out of a very well-cast ensemble, of asmall-town Georgian environment. The film drips with atmosphere (if nottotal superlative craftsmanship, sometimes it's good and sometimes justdecent for Altman), as Savannah is possibly going to be hit by a bighurricane and the swamp and marshes and rain keep things soaked andmuggy and humid. So the atmosphere is really potent, but so areperformances from (sometimes) hysterical Kenneth Branaugh, EmbethDavitz as the 'woman' who lawyer Branaugh gets caught up with, andRobert Downey Jr (when is he *not* good?) as the private detective inBranaugh's employ. Did I neglect Robert Duvall, who in just fiveminutes of screen time makes such an indelible impression to hang thebad-vibes of the picture on? As said, some of the plot is a little weak, or just kind of standard(lawyer is divorced, bitter custody battle looms, innocent and goofykids), but at the same time I think Altman saw something captivating inthe material, something darker than some of the other Grisham worksthat has this standing out somehow. If it's not entirely masterful, itstill works on its limited terms as a what-will-happen-nextmystery-Southern-noir.

Thomas Iversen 2012-04-23 20:33:50

Very boring movie

This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. While featuring goodactors the movie doesn't live up to the expectations. The most dramaticthing about this movie is the music, which pretty much sums up the movie:compensating for a bad and confusing storyline by having known-good actors,loud and dramatic music. It doesn't change the fact, that this is a veryboring movie to watch. Earned itself a score of 1.

2012-04-16 22:18:36

Not as ambitious as usual for Altman, but succeeds on its own terms.

One could see this as 'Short Cuts' correlativeopposite. That was a movie with great ambitions, that - while good -fell just short. This is a movie of much lesser aim (just a good tensethriller/mystery), that's much more successful on it's own terms. The acting is very good throughout. It may be my favorite KennethBranagh performance; understated and subtle. And a number of the scenesreally are tense. Altman finds some clever ways to create suspense withsound and image that aren't just retreads of what we've seen before. Admittedly, some of the twists are pretty creaky and predictable, thelogic sometimes questionable, and the moral POV of the film is a bitconfusing. But this still blows most modern Hollywood thrillers out of thewater.

maso-1 2012-04-16 01:23:52

Grisham's complete waste of time

I can't believe that so much talent can be wasted in one movie! TheGingerbread Man starts of on the right foot, and manages to build up somegreat expectations for the ending. But at some point the movie turns intoone of the worst stories I've ever wasted my time on. It's just sounbelievably how the bewitched Mallory Doss manages to pull KennethBranagh's character around by his nose. The movies climax is asuninteresting and flat as a beer, which has been left out in the sun toolong. The Gingerbread Man is probably the worst Grisham-movie ever andthisisn't changed by the fact that talented stars crowd the movie. Don'twasteyour time here!