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Author Topic: Shallow Hal
Rachel Gilardi
Madam Moderator

Posts: 2214
From: Peabody, MA, USA
Registered: Dec 2007


 - posted 11-09-2001 01:23 AM      Profile for Rachel Gilardi   Email Rachel Gilardi   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I wasn't sure if I wanted to see this but my husbands theater got it today and he had to screen it, so I got stuck seeing it. I actually liked it.

I thought it was going to be insulting because I am overweight and the story line just seemed to be kind of crude. But, I sucked up my pride and watched it. Sure there were a few times when I was like "WHAT?" and everything was over done but I actually found it quite entertaining *Surprise Surprise!*. It's not something I would go out and buy the DVD for, but if you're in the mood for a stupid comedy/love story, its kind of cute!

I give it 2 1/2 out of 5 stars (average).

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999


 - posted 11-09-2001 04:09 AM      Profile for John Wilson   Email John Wilson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Is it PG in the States? It is here...imagine, a Farrelly brothers movie that's not restricted! Maybe they're getting old, eh?

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001


 - posted 11-09-2001 07:31 AM      Profile for Charles Everett   Email Charles Everett   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
John W: It's rated PG-13 here in the States. AFAIK Dumb and Dumber was rated PG.

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Mike Heenan
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1896
From: Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Registered: Mar 2000


 - posted 11-10-2001 05:46 PM      Profile for Mike Heenan   Email Mike Heenan   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I thought this one was pretty good, but not a good Farrelly Bros. flick, at least compared to their other ones.

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Neil Hunter
Film Handler

Posts: 74
From: Salisbury, NC, USA
Registered: Oct 2001


 - posted 11-14-2001 10:18 AM      Profile for Neil Hunter   Email Neil Hunter   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I lked this movie. I like how they made Hal like one of the guys you would normally hang out with. He was shallow, but you quickly realized this guy does have a heart. Plus, I like the way you saw it through Hal's eyes most of the time, not straying too much from his vision. That way at the end you are really seeing it as he is seeing it(even though you know everything that has happened). Hope that made sense.

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Evans A Criswell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1579
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Mar 2000


 - posted 11-29-2001 10:20 AM      Profile for Evans A Criswell   Author's Homepage   Email Evans A Criswell   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Attendance: 2001/11/28 Regal Hollywood 18, Huntsville, AL, 19:10, Auditorium 14, Flat

This was a movie I'd debated whether to see, and after seeing it, I had mixed feelings about it. I was glad I'd seen it, but part of me wished I'd passed it by. There were plenty of funny moments in the movie, but there were some scenes in the movie that depressed me. After the movie was over, I didn't feel cheered up, but somewhat depressed. The movie was definitely different than anything I'd seen. It was hard to think about the funny parts of the movie because the rest of the night, the image of that girl in the pediatric burn unit with the badly burned face kept entering my mind, and I fear that anytime I think of this movie in the future, that's what is going to enter my mind.

The movie shows us how we should see people. I admit that I want to be around people that I find attractive, even though I've known a lot of people that had great personalities that weren't. It often seems that very attractive people (the model types) seem to have the worst personalities and attitudes. One guy I knew several years ago always seemed to be able to get girlfriends that were super attractive, but I disliked every one of them I met, since they had personalities that made them unpleasant to be around. They were some of the most selfish, hateful people I'd encountered.

I'll leave y'all with the chorus of "If You Wanna Be Happy" by Jimmy Soul (1963):

If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life,
never make a pretty woman your wife.
From my personal point of view,
get an ugly girl to marry you.

I'm really surprised this song wasn't used in the movie! It would have fit perfectly!


------------------
Evans A Criswell
Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Information Site


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Peter Berrett
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 602
From: Victoria, Australia
Registered: Nov 2000


 - posted 01-12-2002 08:17 PM      Profile for Peter Berrett   Author's Homepage   Email Peter Berrett   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Attendance: Readings Cinemas Chirnside Park Friday 11.30 P.M. 12 Jan 2002. Skilltester toys won - 0 (I didn't see any Skilltesters!)

I was quite surprised at this film. In contrast to many American comedies this film actually had a bit of intellectual depth and was quite thought provoking. Although the film was funny it was evident that the film had a message too.

Sadly, in real life I don't think that things always turn out as happily for women who do not fit the stereotypes that our society holds up as standards.

It is interesting also that despite the money hungry nature of the film business in the US, they do churn out the occasional film that makes a moral point or two.

The humor in the film is fairly basic but does give a few laughs. I value it more because of its thought provoking subject matter.

I give the film 7 stars out of ten. Worth a look.

cheers

Peter Berrett

ps If only Michael Jackson had seen this film before he had plastic surgery. He might still have a nose.

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John Daily
Film Handler

Posts: 45
From: Upstate, NY, USA
Registered: Jul 2002


 - posted 07-16-2002 09:09 AM      Profile for John Daily     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Interesting addition: This is the film that had out-of-sync sound. On the DVD director's commentary track, the Farrely brothers mention that this only effected reel one and it was immediately replaced after the opening weekend.
My off sound came during the nightclub scene after Hal becomes 'hypnotized' (can't remember if this was reel 2 or 3, but it wasn't 1), and it had been out at least 3 weeks when I got the print.

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