Paulie (1997)
Director: John Roberts
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
To call this the best parrot film ever is to damn with faint praise; neither Rowlands nor Davison is so washed-up that they must play opposite a parrot, and both have attributed their presence to the excellent script. We first meet Paulie the parrot in the basement of an experimental centre. How did he wind up there, asks the cleaner, Misha (Shalhoub). It's a long story, replies Paulie. 'I am Russian. We love long stories,' says Misha. Fledgling Paulie was given as a present to little Marie (Eisenberg) to help her over her stutter, and in the process not only became preternaturally verbal and literate, but also evolved beyond mere mimicry. He is parted from her and spends the rest of the film trying to find her again, but it's the digressive meetings that register. There's none of the usual chase-and-destruction thought indispensable to tots, and everybody's given time to develop. Jolly good.Author: BC
Cast & crew
Director: John Roberts
Producer: Mark Gordon, Gary Levinsohn, Allison Lyon Segan
Cast: Gena Rowlands, Tony Shalhoub, Cheech Marin, Bruce Davison, Jay Mohr, Buddy Hackett, Hallie Kate Eisenberg, Trini Alvarado full cast
Genre(s): Children's
Duration: 92 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Has Michael Mann lost it?
Adam Lee Davies mourns the passing of a major Hollywood talent as Michael Mann's 'Public Enemies' sees the great director running on empty
Why 'Ice Age 3' is really for adults
Tom Huddleston takes a look at a selection of films which bring adult problems to a pre-teen audience
Is this Summer 2009's best film?
The French filmmaker Claire Denis speaks to Dave Calhoun about her new film, '35 Shots of Rum', a tender portrait of a father-daughter relationship in Paris
The Informant: trailer preview
Steven Soderbergh is at it again, this time with a screwball corporate caper starring Matt Damon called 'The Informant'. View the trailer here...
Rudo y Cursi: interview
Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna talk to Time Out about their highly entertaining new comedy, 'Rudo y Cursi'
An open letter to Peter Morgan
Tom Huddleston penned an open letter to Peter Morgan offering some friendly dos and don'ts for the new Bond movie
Outdoor film screenings in London 2009
Derek Adams offers a guide to the best places to see films outside in London this summer
50 essential sci-fi films
With 'Star Trek' making serious waves, we thought it would be a perfect time to select 50 must-see sci-fi films










What do you think?
Post your review now