Biloxi Blues (1988)

Very Cool!!!

Lack of good storyline.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

This was the 1980s when Matthew Broderick was in his prime. No film of his is better than Ferris Bueller's Day Off (his opus), but he ventured along gracefully and beautifully with this Neil Simon classic. This film is of a personal one to me; at the time, I resembled Broderick a lot (am a kid of the 80s) and he probably reflected me in this film more than any of his others. In Ferris Bueller, he was likeable but a little too confident and in Project X, he started to become outright cocky and was getting to the annoying aspect of his sarcasm in which most of his films of the 90s and beyond have made his seem like a whiner instead of the almost heroic witty young looking guy we grew up watching. He was witty yet humble in Biloxi Blues and really cared for some of the other characters. We see the other characters, the era and the plot development through his eyes and his journals, and it is done stupendously. I hope Broderick studies this film to see what he did right. All the supporting actors are perfect for this role. Classic!

It is difficult to believe that there is such a thing as the 'service comedy'. Well, there is and this film is one of them. What anybody could find remotely funny about being drafted into the army puzzles me, but it takes all kinds to make a world. The story concerns a young man from New York who is drafted and how he has to spend his time with a bunch of misfits in boot camp in Biloxi, Mississippi, where it is very hot and uncomfortable. He learns how to be a soldier and is meant to be 'grown up' by the end of his experiences. The film is written by legendary playwright Neil Simon but I have been lukewarm toward his other work and I found no reason to change my mind after seeing this film. I just sit here scratching my head thinking 'why' but his plays and movies are popular and have made a lot of money, so who am I to argue? Matthew Broderick plays the lead role of the young military novice but the only thing the film really has going for it is the presence of Christopher Walken as a psychotic drill sergeant, who makes Broderick's, and everyone else's life a nightmare with his somewhat strict adherence to the rules of combat in peacetime. Walken is a great actor and he makes a meal of his part, turning the sergeant into a monster who gives no quarter and doesn't receive any. At least I thought that at first, but somehow, through the process, the audience becomes sorry for him, despite or because of the fact that he is a total psychotic.. A few of the supporting players turn in good work but, this is forgettable, and something to be recommended only for people who like movies about the army. Whoever and wherever they may be, this is for them

Neil Simon's dry-witted play about camaraderie, belonging and a sense of self worth is brought to the big screen by veteran director Mike Nichols ("Postcards From the Edge", "Regarding Henry" and "Working Girl"). Simon (who adapts his own work to the screen here) has a sharp sense of humour, and the oft times funny film reflects this well thanks to some clever performances from the players who make the very most of the incisive dialogue.Matthew Broderick gives a fine showing as Eugene Jerome, an intelligent young kid who can't stand the Mississippi heat, boot camp, his sergeant and half of his platoon. Jerome expends a great repertoire of one-liners (typical of a wise guy New Yorker) to try and keep himself sane, but finds he's in dire straights with his sadistic drill sergeant, Twomey. Christopher Walken personifies with ease the role of the heartless commander, who takes an immediate disliking to Jerome and another Jewish draftee, Epstein. There's none better than Walken at portraying unbalanced, slightly psychotic characters, and he makes this one his own. There's also strong support form a young cast that includes Penelope Ann Miller, Casey Siemaszko, Matt Mulhern, Michael Dolan, Markus Flanagan and Park Overall.Dramatically is where the film falls down, with some effective moments countered by several not so effective. Nichols, Simon and company are unable to involve us or interest us in the characters lives, and we find it hard to empathise with or get close to, any of them.Bill Butler's cinematography is quite admirable, accompanied by convincing sets and art direction (Paul Sylbert). Music is from Georges Delerue.Sunday, December 17, 1995 - Video

This is a fantastic movie that you will want to watch again and again. The story is perfect, the cast is perfect and the acting is perfect. A coming of age story that combines young recruits from all different sections of life that have come together and now have to learn how to live with one another as they go through the rigors of boot camp. Neil Simon always knows how to combine that perfect blend of realism, a comic touch and something you can identify with into everything he writes and makes you feel so comfortable in his story because you feel you're in the story. He makes you want to be become a writer. This is what makes Neil Simon unique. If only every movie could be written this well. This is what great Hollywood film-making is all about.