Reviews (7)

Miami "Rhap"sody.......
Here is a film that is so negative about the possibilty of finding true love, it should be banned from sale or rental to all engaged couples. In fact, anyone who has a positive outlook on relationships and doesn't wish to wallow in the mire of adultery, divorce and human failure, should skip it altogether. I think that covers everyone who is not one of the characters in this film, or similarly inclined. ............... Sarah Jessica Parker who is the only saving grace here, is Gwen, an engaged lady who is surrounded at every turn by dysfunctional relationships. This film is not even close to reality at any point. No one knows this many unhappy people buried in illicit tawdry affairs, even if they live in Hollywood! In fact, this film tries so hard to be NOW and HIP and COOL, like this is what you can expect from todays relationships. Totally absurd. Gwens mom, played my Mia Farrow, is having an affair with her mothers aka Gwens grandmothers nurse, played by Antonio Banderas in an earlier fleeting role. Makes you wonder why he got later roles. Gwens dad is terribly upset, but mom reveals HE has been having plenty of affairs for years too. Big surprise! What is Gwen to do? Go to her brother for advice, of course. She arrives in the middle of a fight between him and his pregnant wife, they couldn't possibly be cooing on the couch happily now could they? Of course not. What is THEIR fight about? His affair with his partners model wife Naomi Campbell. Wow, let's play the interracial card possibilities here into the film for a little added zest! Of course, she isn't a single model, I said partners WIFE. Yet another wayward spouse to add to an ever growing roster of remorse. There is just NO hope for this family or anyone they touch illicitly in cheap brightly painted motels. .............. So there you have the basics. Everyone is married, everyone is miserable. They're all cheaters, liars, adulterers, and just not any sort of example for poor Gwen to reason herself into not being afraid of the possibilty of her own marriage. The poor girl, even I got depressed at the whole situation. ............. If you want to watch a movie that emphasizes all the negative possibilities of married life, here is a perfect film for the committment shy to bolster his or her argument. However, if you still believe in true love and happily ever after, you will want to avoid this like the plague. Especially don't watch this with anyone you love. Some romantic comedy, it sends a message to the faithful like THEY have the problems. If you are curious, go ahead and watch. Don't say I didn't warn you.

light woody-allen parody
Miami Rhapsody stars Sarah Jessica Parker as Gwynn Marcus, one of several sibs of a prominent, wealthy, Jewish and dysfunctional family in Miami. Though things seem okay on the outside, tangled relationship problems threaten every quarter of the family. Her brother Jordan (Kevin Pollack) cheats on his pregnant wife with a high-strung model (Naomi Campbell); Her sister's (Carla Gugino) new husband is a pro-football player plagued by career insecurities and terminal cheapness; both of her parents (Mia Farrow and Paul Mazursky) cheat on each other; and she remains unhappy if only because she's the sort of person who's so concerned about happiness that she must strangle the happiness out of wherever it pops up in her life. Though she's engaged, Gwynn soon finds herself attracted to the male nurse (Antonio Banderas) who cares for the family's stroke-ridden grandmother.

"Rhapsody" is a lot like an overlong episode of "Sex and the City" without the neat closure of that show's half-hour snippets or the materialism or communal honesty of that show's leads. Gwynn obsesses over Miami and sex, noting that both are extremely popular despite the inherent messiness of either. I had never seen "SatC" when catching this flick back in '95. Instead I recognized the flick as more of a parody of Woody Allen movies - the sort of rambling flick centered around a city (not NYC this time) and the hang-ups of those who endure it. The cinematography, Gwynn's neuroses (the film opens with Gwynn lamenting to a therapist), casting of Mia Farrow and even the opening credits hint at one of those small Woody Allen flicks that breezes through town without warning. "Rhapsody" works mostly on its stars' ernestness but also depends on some familiarity with that sort of Woody-ish kind of film. I doubt anybody who's never seen an Allen film will find this film more than amusing. Despite its dark take on marriage and relationships, I eventually married the girl I took to see it.

a funny, sexy romp
The wonderful Sarah Jessica Parker (HOCUS POCUS, the hit series SEX AND THE CITY), stars in this hip and sexy comedy about love and everything in between.

She plays Gwyn, a young woman about to be married to the man of her dreams (Gil Bellows), and she could not be happier. However, the bulk of her siblings, and her parents, could do with some apparently, as they are all conducting affairs behind the backs of their respective spouses!

Gwyn tries to come to terms with the fact that marriage and fidelity don't always go hand in hand, and in the process, discovers that her fiancee isn't all that she wants either.

Featuring Mia Farrow, Antonio Banderas, Carla Guggino, Paul Mazursky, Kevin Pollack and Jeremy Piven, MIAMI RHAPSODY is a frisky, funny romantic romp with a great script by David Frankel.

A Fun Walk Down Romantic Comedy/ Light-hearted Film Lane
I enjoyed watching this film, and give it three and a half stars. This film is one to rent when you just want to kick back and laugh a little. It is entertaining and light, and clever in parts. It's good for the kind of night when you're not in the mood for subtitles because you'd have to actually read them. :) Think "When Harry Met Sally," "You've Got Mail," or "Playing By Heart." I'd have been sad to miss it at the video store, as it is sweet in its heart, and had me laughing out loud more than once.

The film is about a family of three adult children and their parents, and the love lives of all of them. It starts with Sarah Jessica Parker's character (Gwyn) getting engaged, and her sister getting married. From there, things get a little messy. Gwyn, unsure of the state of her union (to-be), goes to her mother for advice about marital life. What she finds then is that her mother is having an affair. Shocked and surprised at first, Gwyn anxiously watches as her inner circle of family and friends fall prey to infidelity/relationship-confusion one by one, with no happy outcome in sight. As her wedding day draws near, she must come to some conclusion about her own impending marriage. Should she tie the knot, or are there existing problems in her relationship which would only be made worse by a walk down the aisle? She obsesses. She stresses. She considers dating her mother's lover!

Along the way, there are funny scenes and conversations, and a lot of the type of banter (especially from Jessica Parker) that made Sex and the City such a runaway hit. Parker's role here is reminiscent of her role on Sex and the City. As in that show, she plays a writer, here an ad-writer who reluctantly sets her sights on writing for sitcoms. She has trouble along the way, though, as her work is considered "too creative." This was classic SJP mode, as she is both sexy *and* smart! Jessica Parker may be tinier than most women (or men) I've ever seen, but she packs a wallop when it comes to magnetic acting and comedy skill. Her energy always shines on-screen, and this film is no exception. Gil Bellows (from TV's Ally McBeal) does a decent job playing her zoologist fiance who may or may not move to Africa when his career dictates that he should. There are patches of chemistry between them, and they are believably matched.

Mia Farrow's performance as Gwyn's mother is indeed reminiscent of her acting in her ex's (Woody Allen's) films. Farrow's husband in the film is strong in his role, as are other supporting actors, especially Carla Gugino, as Gwyn's sister, a lusty newlywed. One lackluster standout as far as the acting is Naomi Campbell. She may be one of the most beautiful women on the planet, but she really could do with figuring out whether or not to keep that British accent when playing in an American film, and how to get excited about acting/learn to lose herself in her role instead of striding her way through it as if she's merely rehearsing her lines.

I have to say that, unlike another reviewer on this page, I really *like* the one-liners that appear in this film, and in shows like Sex and the City. What can I say, they make me laugh, and that can't be that bad, can it? This film is funny and has some great lines, including some banter about election woes,this time about Bush *Senior*, and Ross Perot. :) (The film came out in '95). Watching it so soon after Indecision 2000, and feeling many of the same things myself in reference to George Junior this time around was an unexpected highlight.

As an aside, another thing I liked about the film was that it touched on all three generations: Gwyn's, her parents, and her grandparents (specifically, her grandmother, who, after a series of strokes, might not say much, but who showed grace and kindness with her smile, her eyes, and the touch of her hands.) I like that the film had this window into a nursing home/elderly life. People need to remember their elders more than they do these days. The film also briefly made the point that we shouldn't be too selfish in our lives, when we consider the horrors that previous generations have had to endure on a daily basis. Here, the experience of the grandmother having to flee the Nazis when she was a young woman. Jessica Parker's character says, in essense, people used to have real problems, war, etc, etc, [but] "I couldn't live a month without cable TV and a shower. We're a generation of weaklings." So some hints of deepness do exist in this shallow-ish romantic comedy!

Overall, I think Miami Rhapsody is a cute little film which will perhaps be enjoyed most by fans of Sex and the City and similar works.

Rhapsody in Red
Miami : A major U.S. city on the Southern tip of Florida. Rich with Hispaninc culture, affluent yuppies and tropical weather. An ideal location for a film-maker hoping the colorful locale would distract the audience from his apathetic and empty film.

Rhapsody : 1-(Music)Romantic composition in irreglar form 2- Express enthusiasm or delight in speech. Here I suspect the word is borrowed from Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue which was featured heavily in Woody Allen's Manhattan. More on that later.

David Frankel's abysmal 1995 "romantic comedy" is neither romantic or comedic. Its stars Sarah Jessica Parker as Gwyn, a sitcom writer who is having cold feet about marrying her zoolgist boyfriend Matt (Gil Bellows). In her anxiety, she goes to other members of her family to see how their own marriages are going, and perhaps find heartwarming stories that could encourage her to take that big step. From then on the script operates like a wind up toy. She goes to a loved one, asks about his/her marriage, and that loved one then proceeds to narrate a supposedly humorous horror story about his/her relationship. The big band score kicks in as their little, self absorbed and bitter stories unfold. Will she conquer her fears and get back to the man of her dreams, have you seen one movie in your life?

Then again, romantic comedies are not really about plot, but the company of the characters that take you through it. And unfortuantly our heroine Gwyn is a neurotic, self absorbed idiot who suffers diarrhoea of the mouth spewing out hollow, cheap one liners that would embarrasse a gossip columnist. By the end of the film you won't be concerned weather they make up or split up just as long as they shut up.

Now we come to the Woody Allen question. There is a pretty thick line that seperates a homage and a rip-off. And here Frankel lifts Allen's style so completely that it enters the realm of criminal plagerism. What he forgot to steal however was the wit, charm and underlying poignancy that makes Allen's neurosis lovable. Even's Allen's worst film, the pointless Celebrity is infinitly more watchable .

Miami Rhapsody's only virtue is Jack Wallner's luminous photgraphy, he makes the city come alive with bright reds, browns and other tropical delights. The look of the film is why I suffered it to the very end, perhaps its not such a good thing then. To quote Roger Ebert's review of another film "this film is not merely bad, its unpleasant in a hostile way". Quite possibly the most irritating film I've ever seen. ... Read more

Description

Each episode of Sex & the City deal with the romantic challenges that single women face when they start seeing the big three oh in the rear view mirror & start finding new suitable mates. These challenges are revealed through the eyes of several friends, each of whom has their own ideas on how to catch Mr. Right. There's Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), who pushed the envelope of dating & sex in the name of journalism; Samantha (Kim Catrall), a PR Executive who has seen (& done) it all; Charlotte (Kristin Davis), an art deal who believes love conquers all, despite a tottering marriage; & Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), a lawyer now contemplating motherhood. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Sex and the City: The Complete Fifth Season
I am always impressed with the ladies and their adventures. I live viCARIously (pun intended) through them. I also GET the messages of each show, which in turn, helps me when I'm weeding out and saving me from a fate with the monkey-men I have had the misfortune of dining out with and/or starting a relationship with.

I found fault with Carrie's breakup with Aidan. I thought the script was mean and portrayed Carrie as a brat and Aidan a victim. I think it could have ended better. It colored my view of her for a while, but I got over it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Mine Rescue Documentary!!
This is a great mine Rescue documentary.Check it out!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The complete first season of Sex and the City is available on VHS and DVD, but those not ready to commit to that kind of long-term relationship can enjoy one-night stands with this video containing the first two episodes of HBO's Golden Globe award-winning series based on the book byCandace Bushnell. Sarah Jessica Parker earned Best Actress honors as Carrie Bradshaw, a "sexual anthropologist," who writes "Sex and the City," a newspaper column that chronicles the state of sexual affairs of Manhattanites in this "age of un-innocence." Her "posse," including nice girl Charlotte (Kristin Davis), hard-edged Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and incredibly promiscuous Samantha (Kim Cattral)--not to mention her own tumultuous love life--gives her plenty of column fodder. In the first episode, Carrie and company turn the tables on "toxic bachelors" and decide to start having "sex like a man." That will change when she meets Mr. Big (Chris Noth). Episode 2 coins the term"modelizer": a guy who is obsessed with and only dates models. Sex and the City boasts an exemplary ensemble and graphic girl talk not ready for prime time on the broadcast networks (with apologies to George Carlin, it turns out there are way more than seven words you can never say on television). Some may accuse this series of male bashing, but women, after years of enduring shows of "men behaving badly," will relish the equal time. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (8)

exellent introduction to the series
Contains the first two episodes from Season 1 of SEX AND THE CITY.

SEX AND THE CITY - At a "thirty-something" birthday party, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her friends dicuss the age-old question: Can women have sex like men? Directed by Susan Seidelman

MODELS AND MORTALS - Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) makes the mistake of going out with a man who's obsessed with models. Carrie experiments with a handsome model and researches the question: How much power do beautiful people have? Directed by Alison Maclean.

Featuring Kim Cattrall (Samantha Jones), Kristen Davis (Charlotte York), Chris Noth (Mr Big) and Willie Garson (Stanford Blatch).

Don't stop after just 2 episodes!
I was one of those who blindly bought the entire first season. I was hooked after about 10 minutes! I have recently purchased the entire second season set and can hardly wait until the third season comes out on tape. I don't have cable TV nor do many of my friends--but we've all gotten to be big fans of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte. It is so refreshing to see 4 beautiful 30-something females going through life with all its road bumps and saying exactly what's on their minds. You go, girls!!

The best show on TV
I love this show and I can relate to it tons like a lot of other women also can. This show makes me feel secure about being a women and about being in my own skin. I say if you havent seen any of the shows then get this and start watching.

Sophisticated, Witty and Very Adult
These two first episodes of the 'Sex and the City' series are very, very funny and very adult. There IS a place for truly grown up humor and, unlike some other HBO series, the language and sexual situations on 'S&C' are not there for shock value, they're there because that's how some people (these very sophisticated, privleged New Yorkers) talk and act. Perhaps with a little exaggeration, but how lucky you are to be a fly on the wall! So you may, at first, be pushing your jaw closed or squirming in your seat--but hang in there. It's addictive and bet you can't just watch two.

A Little Taste of Naughtiness
If you're a person not willing to shell out the bucks to purchase the entire first season either on VHS or DVD, then this small taste of the popular, Golden-Globe winning series will probably make you change your mind.

"Sex and the City: The First Two Episodes" feature a great cast of some of today's hottest young actresses, doing what the average urban professional does, talk about sex. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) will make you smile, laugh, and savor the wittiness and power the modern woman possesses when it comes to affairs of the bed.

This tape, which contains the premiere episode "Sex & The City" and the second episode "Models & Modelizers" will introduce you to their world of female naughtiness. Chris Noth who plays Mr. Big is wonderful as usual, and if he doesn't make you swoon with his charm and personality, then you have a problem. Sanford, Carrie's best gay friend is also great, and he gives viewers of what it is to be gay and single in New York City.

Purchase this videocassette if you'll like a small taste of what has to be the best show for adults on television. If you do like these episodes, then I encourage you to purchase the entire first series. You'll be a bonafide fan in no time! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Mine Rescue Documentary!!
This is a great mine Rescue documentary.Check it out!! ... Read more