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Wishful Thinking
List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
Miramax films seems to have a wealth of pictures that are sitting on the shelf, waiting for some sort of release anywhere. Although they have released some fantastic films (Pulp Fiction, Clerks, Etc.), there seems to be another side that's revealed in the occasional straight-to-video release. "Telling You" was a recent film starring Jennifer Love Hewitt; "Wishful Thinking" is a similarly terrible picture marketed on the strength of stars Drew Barrymore and Jon Stewart.
It's another one of those relationship films centered around a talky guy who can't get things right. This time it's Max(James Le Gros) who just can't seem to get things right with Elisabeth(Jennifer Beals). Throw in Lena(Barrymore), who falls for Max. If you're sensing I'm not too excited about this film, you're definitely right. The film doesn't give the audience much to work with though - it's extremely flat, and attempts at both comedy and romance fail miserably.
Combine that with characters who are essentially unsympathetic and annoying, and you're stuck with a very slow flick. Yes, this genre can work and has many times, but the discussions need to actually have a point to them. The characters in "Wishful Thinking" just keep chattering and chattering away, and it all goes nowhere. Barrymore's character is enjoyable, but she hardly has a part.
The filmmakers might have believed they'd escape a straight-to-video fate, but in this case, that was wishful thinking.
The DVD
VIDEO: Nothing wrong with Miramax's anamorphic transfer, which is letterboxed at 1.85:1. Sharpness is generally fine, although a few dimly lit scenes tend to look the least little bit hazy. Detail is good, and with a couple of small exceptions, clarity is similarly strong. Colors are minimal, looking realistic and natural but not really bold or vibrant in any way. There's a few small traces of pixelation, but that's pretty much all there is to complain about.
SOUND: The film's Dolby 2.0 soundtrack is a pretty basic affair, which is to be expected from a dialogue-driven film like this one. There's not a whole lot beyond that; just some slight touches of score that aren't too interesting. Dialogue is clear and easily understood. Not great, but gets the job done.
MENUS:: A lovely shot of Barrymore is the feature of the main menu, but that's it. No animation, no other touches.
EXTRAS:: Nothing.
Final Thoughts: Skip it. I didn't care for the film, and although the picture/sound quality on the DVD is adequate, there's nothing in the way of extra features.
Miramax films seems to have a wealth of pictures that are sitting on the shelf, waiting for some sort of release anywhere. Although they have released some fantastic films (Pulp Fiction, Clerks, Etc.), there seems to be another side that's revealed in the occasional straight-to-video release. "Telling You" was a recent film starring Jennifer Love Hewitt; "Wishful Thinking" is a similarly terrible picture marketed on the strength of stars Drew Barrymore and Jon Stewart.
It's another one of those relationship films centered around a talky guy who can't get things right. This time it's Max(James Le Gros) who just can't seem to get things right with Elisabeth(Jennifer Beals). Throw in Lena(Barrymore), who falls for Max. If you're sensing I'm not too excited about this film, you're definitely right. The film doesn't give the audience much to work with though - it's extremely flat, and attempts at both comedy and romance fail miserably.
Combine that with characters who are essentially unsympathetic and annoying, and you're stuck with a very slow flick. Yes, this genre can work and has many times, but the discussions need to actually have a point to them. The characters in "Wishful Thinking" just keep chattering and chattering away, and it all goes nowhere. Barrymore's character is enjoyable, but she hardly has a part.
The filmmakers might have believed they'd escape a straight-to-video fate, but in this case, that was wishful thinking.
The DVD
VIDEO: Nothing wrong with Miramax's anamorphic transfer, which is letterboxed at 1.85:1. Sharpness is generally fine, although a few dimly lit scenes tend to look the least little bit hazy. Detail is good, and with a couple of small exceptions, clarity is similarly strong. Colors are minimal, looking realistic and natural but not really bold or vibrant in any way. There's a few small traces of pixelation, but that's pretty much all there is to complain about.
SOUND: The film's Dolby 2.0 soundtrack is a pretty basic affair, which is to be expected from a dialogue-driven film like this one. There's not a whole lot beyond that; just some slight touches of score that aren't too interesting. Dialogue is clear and easily understood. Not great, but gets the job done.
MENUS:: A lovely shot of Barrymore is the feature of the main menu, but that's it. No animation, no other touches.
EXTRAS:: Nothing.
Final Thoughts: Skip it. I didn't care for the film, and although the picture/sound quality on the DVD is adequate, there's nothing in the way of extra features.
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