Rachel Rosenthal Movies
- 1994
- R
A wealthy Beverly Hills husband and wife are forced to reevaluate their lives after losing their jobs in writer-director Michael Tolkin's aloof satire. Peter Witner (Peter Weller) and Katherine Witner (Judy Davis) have become so accustomed to their high-class, shallow lifestyle that they feel helpless when circumstances leave them facing imminent bankruptcy. Lost and confused, their marriage on the verge of collapse, they seek help from a number of spiritual gurus, who offer ineffectual New Age philosophies as the solution to their problems. These remedies provide little comfort, however, and the Witners' attempt to make their own way by opening a hip clothing store also disappoints, leaving them ostracized and desperate for a direction in life. Best known for the cutting screenplay of Robert Altman's The Player (1992) and for his own earlier film The Rapture (1991), Tolkin provides sharp dialogue and a well-observed critique of the Los Angeles high life. This film continues the social criticism of those earlier efforts, as Tolkin consistently portrays American life as mindlessly materialistic, spiritually hollow, and bereft of meaningful purpose or moral direction. While some viewers may feel distanced from the unsympathetic characters and detached tone, Tolkin continues to be one of the most trenchant social satirists in contemporary American movies. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Weller, Judy Davis, (more)
- 1993
This minor entry into the emerging "virtual reality" filmmaking genre explores what happens among a group of Silicon Valley computer workers whose romantic yearnings are inextricably twinned with their exploration of shared, computerized experience-universes. In the story, Valery (Jean Mullis) is romantically obsessed with two of her co-workers, bald twins Chip and Barry (both Rinde Eckert). In order to gain the attention of the more distand of the two, she has chosen the image of a local talk-show hostess (Ingrid Hardy) as her "virtual reality" face. However, little does she know that another computer jock, Dennis (Michael Edo Keane), is completely obsessed with the talk-show hostess, and will do anything to get his hands on her. The thriller element is somewhat slowed down by talking heads discussing the future of virtual reality and other possible uses of computers. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rinde Eckert
- 1993
Ever yearning to expand his cultural vistas, Frasier purchases a beautiful -- and very expensive -- painting from famed Seattle artist Martha Paxton (Rachel Rosenthal). To celebrate his acquisition he throws a lavish dinner party at his apartment and invites the artist to show up as the guest of honor. Alas, Martha Paxton is harboring a terrible secret concerning her "masterpiece" -- so secret that she has manages to suppress it in her own subconscious until the worst possible moment. This episode first aired on October 21, 1993, as a last-minute replacement for the originally scheduled Frasier installment, "Call Me Irresponsible." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
In this psychological thriller, Paul (James Caan) and Jennifer (Katherine Ross) are a pair of wealthy but blasé socialites with a sadistic streak. Lisa (Simone Signoret), an older woman from France, arrives at their door one day selling cosmetics; the couple invite her in, and when the conversation reveals that Lisa is believed to have psychic abilities, Paul and Jennifer ask her to arrange some "games" for their amusement. Lisa proceeds to set up several situations of simulated domestic discord that the couple can react to. The arrival of Norman (Don Stroud), a delivery boy, is Jennifer's cue to seduce him, just in time for Paul to arrive and shoot him in a fit of jealousy. Norman is then coated with plaster and placed in the corner, disguised as a work of art; however, Paul soon leaves on a business trip, and Jennifer discovers that Norman isn't dead after all. She panics and shoots Norman dead, only to discover that the previous murder was merely a "game" staged by Lisa. Jennifer, however, is having a very real nervous breakdown, which seems to be what Paul had in mind all along. But once Jennifer is committed to a mental hospital, Paul discovers that Lisa is not necessarily his ally in this increasingly dangerous game. Games was directed by Curtis Harrington, a one-time experimental filmmaker who previously helmed such horror cult movies as Queen of Blood and Night Tide. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Simone Signoret, James Caan, (more)
