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Of Mice and Men (1992)
Director: Gary Sinise
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Sinise's second crack at directing, with a Horton Foote adaptation of the John Steinbeck Depression era novel - about innocently lethal retard Lenny (Malkovich) and his increasingly despairing protector George (Sinise) - which seems doomed to remain a period piece. Big Lenny likes stroking soft things, and nags George to describe life on their fantasy farm while they labour as ranch-hands under the tyrannical Curly (Siemaszko). Lenny crunches Curly's fist to pulp in his paw, and over-responds to the come-ons from Curly's wife (Fenn). It's hard not to snigger at her arching about and complaining of the heat, and harder still to believe Malkovich's shamble and gape, a simian variant on Dustin Hoffman's Rain Man. Both are strictly Dogpatch caricatures, while Sinise seems plain vain.Author: BC
User reviews of this film
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- jj said...
- Posted on Nov 14 2008 04:34 this film is one of a kind!! ive seen it so many times and it still brings a tear to my eye! :) i love it!
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- jj said...
- Posted on Nov 14 2008 04:32 i think this film is brilliant!!! ive seen it so mant times and it still brings a tear to my eye!!! :)
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- GoldenGirl said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2008 07:18 Love it. Love it. Love it!
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- Rodders said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2008 07:17 Have to agree with the rest. If you're a pubescent kid who likes comic books and brainless exposions then steer clear. If you have at least half a brain and appreciate powerful cinema then get your hands on this masterpiece asap!
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- Dozer said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2008 07:15 Incredible in every respect
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- Toolbar said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2008 07:14 A mini-masterpiece
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- MartinZ said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2008 07:13 One of my favourite films of all time. Exceptional.
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- Penelope said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2008 07:12 Bought a tear to my eye. Magical
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- Mr.Classic said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2008 07:11 Beautifully paced, well acted, powerful and touching. Simplistic storytelling at its best.
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- Phil Film said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2008 07:08 Sinise and Malkovich put in the performances of their careers. Outstanding
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- George said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2008 07:07 Wow! What a great film! The guys at the bottom are 15 year old kids and cant be expected to enjoy it. There are no car chases, robots or CGI effects but this film is simplistic, well acted and a near perfect adaptation of Steinbeck's classic
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- Proper Critic said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2008 07:04 Sorry...a definite 6 stars
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- Proper Critic said...
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Posted on Jun 25 2008 07:03
Gary Sinise's "Of Mice and Men" has all the quiet emotional appeal of great American literature, anchored by two strong central performers who bring the characters of John Steinbeck's classic novel to life without flaw. This Depression-era story takes place in California, where two drifters, George Milton (Sinise) and Lennie Small (John Malkovich), have come to the Tyler Ranch looking for work, hoping one day to fulfill their hopes of buying a small house and living off of the fat of the land. It is this dream that keeps George going when he becomes frustrated with Lennie's simple-mindedness, that which has gotten them into trouble many times before. In fact, it is ultimately Lennie's childlike naivety that brings these two downtrodden souls to a crossroads in the film's pivotal ending, in the dreaded wake of compassion gone horribly wrong.
Sinise keeps a keen eye on small details, allowing us to ingest the images before us and later make observations about the material being presented. The film moves at a leisurely pace: much like its characters, it remain constantly unsure of the road ahead, and keeps us waiting for the final, impacting moment, that which is foreshadowed by an earlier story of Candy and his old dog. I guess what the film is about in the end is loyalty, and the unexpected friendships that we find in the most unlikely of people. In any other place and time, Lennie and George may not have been friends, but because of the unrest and conditions of the period, they only have one another to lean on for support. Had this movie been a musical, the Lennie and George theme would likely have been Sonny and Cher's "I've Got You, Babe."
In front of the camera, Sinise turns in a wonderfully muted performance that forces us to read between the lines for the underlying emotions. His talent is mirrored by Malkovich, whose demeanor and childlike candor are truly marvelous, working to establish his character as a man unaware of his own potential for danger. The screenplay owes its life to writer Horton Foote, the man behind the Oscar-winning scripts for "Tender Mercies" and "To Kill a Mockingbird;" here, he finds the central core of the novel without sacrificing its important issues in the interest of running time. It's not for everyone, but those who want something that challenges the thoughts will not be disappointed. What we have in the end with "Of Mice and Men" is a delightfully old-fashioned piece of filmmaking that ranks as one of the better book-to-screen adaptations to come along in recent decades. - Report as inappropriate
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- Daniel said...
- Posted on Jun 25 2008 06:51 This film is a great cinematic achievement. unfortunately the reviewers here are clearly half-wits whose idea of a good film is Transformers and are creaming themselves over the release of The Incredible Hulk. If you have a brain cell and you appreciate character driven films with a poignant message then this is a prime example. If you're going to get annoyed because there are no explosions or monsters like these morons then steer clear.
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- also study this at school said...
- Posted on Apr 02 2008 08:11 any1 got help on this as i have no idea where to start on a esay .... as the film made me fall asleep!
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Cast & crew
Director: Gary Sinise
Producer: Russ Smith, Gary Sinise
Cast: John Malkovich, Gary Sinise, Ray Walston, Casey Siemaszko, Sherilyn Fenn, John Terry, Alexis Arquette, Joe Morton, Noble Willingham full cast
Duration: 111 mins
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