Bill Wrobel's DVD - Film Score Rundowns

-Insomnia (2002) *** [music **]
http://www.amazon.com/Insomnia-Widescreen-Al-
Pacino/dp/B00006IUL7/ref=sr_1_3?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1310235927&sr=1-3
Here’s another movie set in Alaska but this time directed by Christopher Nolan. It
definitely has more energy than Limbo but you don’t feel for the characters as much
(except perhaps for Hilary Swank) as in Limbo. But it’s great to see Al Pacino here.
Limbo is a better (character-driven) movie than Insomnia.
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-Shadowlands (1994) *** [music **]
http://www.amazon.com/Shadowlands-Anthony-
Hopkins/dp/0783113315/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1310237834&sr=1-1
Anthony Hopkins plays a very appealing character in this movie (noted writer
C.S. Lewis), an emotionally proper but restrained confirmed bachelor until he meets an
American poet, Joy Gresham (played nicely by Debra Winger). I like this movie! I
recommend it.
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-Somewhere in Time (1980) *** [music *** 1/2]
http://www.amazon.com/Somewhere-Time-Collectors-Christopher-
Reeve/dp/B00004W46I/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1310239611&sr=1-1
This is a quirky romance/fantasy movie but it strongly features a lyrical, romantic,
stringy score by John Barry. A lot of people, especially the ladies, have a strong
affectionate regard for this picture. As for this dvd, it begs them to frequently “Come
back to me.” I do now & then but not for the movie itself (rather flawed concept) but for
the John Barry music. The music comes to life once our hero Richard Collier (played
nicely by Christopher Reeve) succeeds in going back in time to meet the Jane Seymour
character.
***********************
-Road To Perdition (2002) ** 1/2 [music **]
This is a dark movie with normally quite appealing Tom Hanks cast as an
unappealing heavy for the Irish mob in Chicago.. Bad move. This movie is “not going to
heaven.” The snarly moustache on unsmiling Hanks is supposed to convey the villain
role, I suppose! I am not sure why I bought this dvd that was on sale except perhaps that I
normally like Tom Hanks movies, never saw it in the theaters, so thought I’d buy the dvd
with the extra features.
-The French Connection (1971) ***1/2 [music **]
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