The Deer Hunter

A long movie, with some very good scenes, and some that were merely good--I admit the editing (or lack therof) is what kept me from giving it five stars. I have to admit, the setting in Pittsburgh did help endear it to me. Bobby DeNiro is good as usual, Christopher Walken is a hoot, and Meryl is Meryl. It's hard to watch the John Cazale scenes, knowing he'd die so soon after. I appreciate the desire to show how raw the experience in Vietnam was, but it was over gleeful in painting the Viet Cong soldiers as barbaric sadists.

Sophie's Choice

While I do love Meryl Streep, this movie really didn't wow me. Meryl does look gorgeous in this, and its refreshing to see the younger Meryl, before she became a multiple Oscar winner and the force that she is now. Kevin Kline is a bit of a caricature and Peter MacNicol's character is too flat (though I do adore the accent). For a movie about the Holocaust, this is sort of flounders and isn't able to capitalize on the innate sympathy it should be able to draw. Streep's character is the only one that has any depth of chance for development, but that alone is not able to save its meandering plot, weak script, and unmemorable music and cinematography.

PASS!