MovieChat Forums > Phil Spector (2013) Discussion > Entertainment score: 10 for Phil Spector...

Entertainment score: 10 for Phil Spector!

posted 11 years ago by katiekeene
7 replies | jump to latest

I watched HBO's move, "Phil Spector," last night and was thoroughly entertained!

Helen Mirren's role as Phil's lawyer was superb, and you take couldn't your eyes off Al Pacino as the eccentric millionaire, antisocial recluse, Phil! Whatever he was doing or saying or wearing, Al's "Phil" was a real treat to watch, listen to and marvel.

Its preface stated the movie was not factual nor a testament to the trial. The characters portrayed were more like, well, "characters."

All you could ask for, under the circumstances, is great entertainment, and "Phil Spector" fulfilled its aim.

David Mamet's script was ab-fab, as always, witty, explicit, and clever! It The man's a genius.

katie keene

[–] rochelle-rochelle 11 years ago

Different strokes for different folks.

I thought the writing was boring. Helen Mirren's performance was forgettable. Pacino's opening monologue as he kept entering more and more rooms in his house was too long and boring. However, I LOVED Pacino in the mock trial scene and the last shot of him in court when he wasn't called to the stand. Both those scenes gave me chills. He didn't OVERACT in this movie like he normally does. And of course, I LOVED the music. I listed to Phil Spector music all day today because of the music in the movie.

I specifically reminded her - bedside table! On the Kangaroo!

[–] pacinoyes 11 years ago

I haven't seen this yet, I would just disagree that Pacino normally overacts. I'd say he just takes parts that require him to go big (which he can do better than anyone else).

He takes too many parts like that and often in bad films but he almost never plays a part inappropriately. When he goes big, it's almost always the right choice imo.

Looking forward to seeing this though.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] lambiepie-2 11 years ago

Oh my..there are folks that absolutely HATE Mamet's writing and people who LOVE it. I'm in the middle.

For example, I loved Glengary, Glenross because I love real estate. And to be honest that is how some in real estate really is. It's Death of a Salesman via Real Estate. The play and the movie was equal. Then I looked at a lot of Mamet's films, the read like plays to me. This one did too. But this one, like Glengary, Glenross was boring, creepy and a character study. Al was great taking one portion of Spectors life and showing us how creepy, eccentric, and..really boring it was.

After few days of writing on this, I figure Mamet wanted to introduce the audience to a music genius who was eccentric, robbed by the legal system, void of all of his real faculties and boring. The music genius was over, and the accused murderer remained (yes, the mock trial was the best!)

Still my money is on HBO and Pachino and Douglas for the best actor EMMYS for a drama. Any other bets?

Retrain your brain!

[–] NicolasCagematch 11 years ago

Nice review. I'll definitely give this a try.

But as for the disclaimer: “This is a work of fiction. It’s not ‘based on a true story.’ It is a drama inspired by actual persons in a trial, but it is neither an attempt to depict the actual persons, nor comment upon the trial or its outcome.”

Somehow that bothers me. On a primal level at least, what the brain sees, it records as fact. Mamet knows this. For this reason, I'm not sure the premise for this movie is entirely kosher. It strongly conveys the impression of a movie based on a true story, even if the disclaimer says otherwise.

http://www.buyoutofamerica.com/

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]