ITFO: Napoleon Dynamite

[Occhidiangela]

What irks me is that people that LOVE stupid shows like Seinfeld, the show about nothing, just don't get Napoleon Dynamite.
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Seinfeld, such few times as I saw it, was hit and miss. I have seen perhaps 15 episodes on and off over the years. The actors deliver their lines with a clean professionalism that I find refreshing. Some of the topics, themes, and gags I found inaccesible.

I did enjoy the Soup Nazi, but none of the others really stick in mind beyond the one where they all have a contest on who can put up without self abuse for the longest. That was one of the first I saw.

Napoleon Dynamite struck me as a director beating a horse with lame characters, but I confess, I did not see the end, nor the whole show. I can't come up with a reason to spend 2 hours of my life any time soon to change that, unless I am hit by a bus and hanging in traction. At that point, I imagine I'd watch most anything on the screen.

Compare that to this. I rented two films this weekend that I had not seen before. Glengarry Glenross and Swordfish.

The former had been recommended to me by a friend. In enjoyed it well enough (man, that cast was LOADED!) but I found my suspension of disbelief pushed just a little too hard on both the language/interaction among boss-salesmen, and the cop deferring to any of them during the investigation.

Swordfish started well, and then went . . . where? OK, Halle Berry is lovely, but I can't figure out what her mammary flashes, nice enough eye candy I suppose, add to the story. Formula perhaps?

Jackman's "hacking" skillz demonstrated by fast typing and a seven screen PC rig? Some real throwaway PC speak doth not a techno thriller make.

When the film was over, my wife's comment was "well, that was guy film" and I thought "Hmmm, sorta, more of a formula film that took a decent enough idea and failed to weave together a story: all flash, no boom."

As to the skycrane carrying the bus . . . sorry, I know too much.

Occhi