FrankenScript :: Lee Gabel's Screenwriting Journal/Blog

I wanted to like this film, but I just couldn’t. The film just can’t find its legs or proper mood. Is it a comedy? Horror? Drama? You just can’t tell. The film felt uneven, with jarring edits. John C. Reilly is miscast. I just could not take him in this role seriously.

This film had me on the edge of my seat. It’s one of these films where you can see a specific scene set up and build and build in real-time, increasing the tension and suspense with it. And there’s plenty of scenes like it. The stakes keep being raised higher and it keeps getting better. [...]

If this film had been about just Julia Childs, I would have rated it higher. I just didn’t care for the whole “blog” part of the story. I guess I would rather have seen a biopic about Julia Childs. She’s a far more interesting and inspiring person than Julie Powell. I couldn’t help but think [...]

Here’s a movie for all the fathers out there. De Niro’s performance is great as always, and it’s really interesting seeing him in roles like this. His journey, not the destinations, in the film is the most affecting aspect. If you see it, see it for that reason only. The stories of his kids just [...]

Here’s another example of a film with two stories, one engaging, and one that bores the shit out of you. Guess which one wins out? The historical account of the secret training facility really should have been the focus. We see enough of it to pique our interest and make us want to learn more. [...]

This quirky movie gives a good glimpse into mental illness. However that’s not all the stories going on here. You’ve got the bad cop, and the street kid. Oh yeah, then there’s the Serbian mobster. I believed the friendship between Harrelson and Dennings, but her sudden change of heart at the end of the film [...]