Word: flaws
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Much of the appeal of Songwriter lies in the good-naturedness of the central character. Does Jenkins, unconventional and confident in his talents, can get away with stating "I couldn't hate anybody" without seeming a tool Nelson plays Doc flawlessly: that is, flaw fully: wrinkles, thick headedness, and all. Lined by years of tequila nights and bloody mornings. Nelson's face is perfect for his role. In Songwriter, his fifth movie. Nelson exhibits such case and warmth that the special chemistry he strikes with Kristofferson redeems the more mediocre soundtrack...
Every other pitcher has some slight flaw in his motion, some minute deviation that helps him adjust to his own physical limitations. Some of these adjustments are almost imperceptible, some are grotesque distortions...
Even if the parody of the Long Island scene has been done before it remains humorous, perhaps benefitting from Eberstadt's youthful vantage point. This vantage point, however, is one of the novel's few flaws. Most of the story is told by Jezebel, but it is unclear how old she is. Sometimes she makes remarks only the dowdily middle-aged should try to get away with, while at other, moments she demonstrates the lack of perspective characteristic of an adolescent on a hormonal jag. Nonetheless, this flaw does not severely impede the novel, which becomes a wild string...
...larger world to realize how many perils, including the war, may bar his path to glory. And through the nudging of his wise and principled friend Arnold Epstein (played with ferocious wit by Barry Miller), Eugene begins to grasp that his charm and amiability may mask the moral flaw of self-absorption. When Arnold stingingly accuses Eugene of being "a witness," devoid of passion and commitment, the insight may make an audience reconsider its feelings about the character and also its author, who appears to be musing self-critically about three decades of often bland ingratiation on Broadway, in Hollywood...
...major flaw of Half Moon Street is that it falls between two genres. The stories possess neither the sophisticated technique that would make them interesting pieces of fiction nor the right amount of tension that goes into a thriller. The narratives of both pieces progress in a linear fashion with few internal monologues or hints at the characters' motivations. As a result, the figures remain two dimensional. Ordinarily, this could be compensated for with exciting plots and suspense, but these ingredients are nowhere to be found. Here, the surprise endings are rushed and flat and do not allow enough time...