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2.5/4
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Bug
(2006)
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James Sanford
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All of the actors find the right rhythm... But even the performers' complete commitment can't entirely disguise the fact that 'Bug' doesn't seem to belong on the big screen.
Posted Jun 03, 2007
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Undiscovered
(2005)
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James Sanford
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Aiming for a bohemian punkster look, Simpson instead comes across as a deglamourized Kristy McNichol, outfitted with... a lower lip that continually does The Wave.
Posted Aug 30, 2005
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Must Love Dogs
(2005)
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James Sanford
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Let me tell you: Having my feet scraped with a scapel and rubbed down with acid by my podiatrist was more enjoyable than sitting through this miserable film.
Posted Aug 30, 2005
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3/4
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The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
(2005)
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James Sanford
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It's a well-told, funny/sad story that accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do, which is to remind its audience that no matter what you look like or where you live the journey to maturity is going to be a challenging on.
Posted Jun 03, 2005
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3/4
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Ocean's Twelve
(2004)
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James Sanford
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Like 'casual day' at the office, 'Ocean's Twelve' is not exactly cause for celebration, but it's a pleasant break from the norm.
Posted Dec 10, 2004
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I, Robot
(2004)
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James Sanford
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Bad 'bots, bad 'bots, what ya gonna do?
Posted Jul 16, 2004
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0/4
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Yor, the Hunter From the Future
(1983)
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James Sanford
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When a comrade warns Yor about the approaching 'creature of the night,' he should have added, 'You might get tangled up in his wires!'
Posted May 11, 2004
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0/5
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The Man Who Wasn't There
(1983)
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James Sanford
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It's hard to know where to begin in talking about what exactly is wrong with 'The Man Who Wasn't There' because there's really nothing right with it.
Posted May 11, 2004
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Hercules
(1983)
|
James Sanford
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one of the few male 'jiggle' movies in recent memory, it's all silly to the nth degree and dares to utilize special effects tricks that redefine the word 'tacky.'
Posted May 11, 2004
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1.5/4
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The Butterfly Effect
(2004)
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James Sanford
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a twisted tale that incorporates child pornography, a dog being set aflame, a mother and baby being blown to smithereens by an exploding mailbox...oppressively unpleasant
Posted Jan 25, 2004
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4/4
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Cinema Paradiso
(1988)
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James Sanford
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an enchanting, sweeping look at post-WWII life, real and reel. It's set mostly in a small Italian village, but the characters, situations and changes it depicts are universal.
Posted Aug 17, 2003
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4/4
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Cyrano de Bergerac
(1990)
|
James Sanford
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From the opening scene in which he takes on a theater full of pretentious actors to the grand tearjerking finale, Cyrano is always the center of attention, and Depardieu, full of wit, bravado and passion, rises to the challenge.
Posted Aug 17, 2003
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3.5/4
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Green Card
(1990)
|
James Sanford
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The story could have been turned into a plastic sitcom, but ... the crackling chemistry between Depardieu and MacDowell gives it considerable charm.
Posted Aug 17, 2003
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2/4
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The Handmaid's Tale
(1990)
|
James Sanford
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Harold Pinter's adaptation has its powerful moments, but ultimately the narrowing of the novel's scope dilutes the story's message too much.
Posted Aug 17, 2003
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3/4
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I Love You to Death
(1990)
|
James Sanford
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director Lawrence Kasdan and a superb cast engage in what seems like a working vacation. The fun is infectious, and the result is a slight but highly entertaining comedy of errors.
Posted Aug 17, 2003
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2/4
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Freddy vs. Jason
(2003)
|
James Sanford
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prototypical teen slasher fare, with ultra-gory deaths, overwrought performances and even some gratuitous T&A: Were it not for a Columbine reference and a half-baked rave, you might guess this was actually made 20 years ago.
Posted Aug 15, 2003
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3/4
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Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
(1990)
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James Sanford
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Perhaps its greatest truth comes from two of its characters watching a movie in production: one notes that the film is more a love story than a horror story. Replies the movie's director, 'Sometimes the two are indistinguishable.'
Posted Aug 05, 2003
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3.5/4
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Strapless
(1989)
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James Sanford
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continues Hare's salute to fascinating, challenging women. ...The situations will ring true to anyone who has ever placed their faith in the wrong person or wrote off someone who later made a surprising comeback.
Posted Aug 05, 2003
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4/4
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The Sound of Music
(1965)
|
James Sanford
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established Julie Andrews as a major international movie star. Her radiance and energy fills the screen in scene after scene. She's absolutely magnetic...
Posted Aug 05, 2003
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1.5/4
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The Sheltering Sky
(1990)
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James Sanford
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Soul searching is rarely a thrill a minute but it's rarely as tedious as this. ...Oscar-bait it may be, but "The Sheltering Sky" is more deserving of the First Annual Chicken Little Award.
Posted Aug 05, 2003
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0/5
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Ghosts Can't Do It
(1990)
|
James Sanford
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manages to top even such masterworks of schlock as (the Dereks') earlier 'Bolero,' 'Fantasies' and their perversion of 'Tarzan the Ape Man' for sheer artistic ineptitude.
Posted Aug 05, 2003
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3.5/4
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Ghost
(1990)
|
James Sanford
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a deft blending of comedy and suspense, with some impressive special effects that are incorporated into the film instead of being the center of it.
Posted Aug 05, 2003
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3.5/4
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Alice
(1990)
|
James Sanford
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Farrow relishes the opportunity to play everything from a timid, guilt-racked housewife to a sultry amoral siren, who does everything short of attacking her victim...
Posted Aug 05, 2003
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2.5/4
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Sweet Dreams
(1985)
|
James Sanford
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Jessica Lange plays Cline and gives her friskiest, most intriguing performance to date.
Posted Jul 31, 2003
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4/4
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After Hours
(1985)
|
James Sanford
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a comedy that's both uproariously funny (often in a most uncomfortable way) and deeply disturbing at the same time.
Posted Jul 31, 2003
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0/5
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The Lonely Lady
(1983)
|
James Sanford
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a poorly acted, ineptly made and nearly incoherent piece of garbage that can't even properly exploit its star, which would seem to be the primary reason for its existence.
Posted May 30, 2003
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The Core
(2003)
|
James Sanford
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there's no logical reason to recommend 'The Core.' Still, it must be said it certainly goes out of its way to keep your pulse pounding and your ears ringing
Posted Mar 28, 2003
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Willard
(1971)
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James Sanford
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The most terrifying thing about the movie is the sight of Ernest Borgnine strutting around in skin-tight red polyester pants; even an army of swarming rats is easier to look at than that.
Posted Mar 17, 2003
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Gangs of New York
(2002)
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James Sanford
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While Scorsese's bold images and generally smart casting ensure that "Gangs" is never lethargic, the movie is hindered by a central plot that's peppered with false starts and populated by characters who are nearly impossible to care about.
Posted Dec 22, 2002
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The Wild Thornberrys Movie
(2002)
|
James Sanford
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unexpectedly rousing... can be easily appreciated even by those unacquainted with the four-year-old series.
Posted Dec 19, 2002
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1.5/4
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Two Weeks Notice
(2002)
|
James Sanford
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What should have been a painless time-killer becomes instead a grating endurance test.
Posted Dec 19, 2002
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The Good Girl
(2002)
|
James Sanford
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often extremely funny -- it's like a vintage Sally Field movie reshot by some twisted minds...
Posted Sep 03, 2002
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0/5
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The Master of Disguise
(2002)
|
James Sanford
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so misconceived on every level, it's almost fascinating to watch. If you don't mind pain, that is. This movie knows how to make you hurt...
Posted Aug 04, 2002
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0/5
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Ghost Dad
(1990)
|
James Sanford
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dismal... There's more preachiness here than in a hundred 'ABC Afterschool Specials,' and the special effects wouldn't pass muster on a local kiddie show.
Posted Jul 29, 2002
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Kiss the Girls
(1997)
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James Sanford
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like a good-looking blind date who promises dinner and a movie, then takes you to Burger King and "Wishmaster," the spell dissipates quickly, leaving you feeling seduced and abandoned.
Posted Jun 28, 2002
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Gattaca
(1997)
|
James Sanford
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a smart, beautifully crafted piece of not-so-science-fiction that manages to successfully mix social commentary and suspense into a generally enthralling story.
Posted Jun 28, 2002
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The Last Days of Disco
(1998)
|
James Sanford
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The performances by the entire ensemble are delightful, with Beckinsale and Keeslar particularly impressive. Of course, it helps that they get most of the sharpest lines.
Posted Jun 23, 2002
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Flubber
(1997)
|
James Sanford
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Almost everyone in the cast seems to realize they're here purely to kill time between special-effects sequences and the tiresome slapsticky antics served up by screenwriter John Hughes.
Posted Jun 23, 2002
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The Edge
(1997)
|
James Sanford
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A few scattered profanities, a couple of gory accidents and a subplot about suspected adultery are all that separates this story from the grade-school classic "My Side of the Mountain."
Posted Jun 23, 2002
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Everyone Says I Love You
(1996)
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James Sanford
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in Allen's sweaty palms, "Everyone" often strains itself trying to entertain. Even when the movie hits its mark, you're usually aware of how much work it took to get there.
Posted Jun 23, 2002
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Double Indemnity
(1944)
|
James Sanford
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For the generation that grew up thinking of MacMurray as the kindly father-figure on "My Three Sons" and Stanwyck as the regal matriarch of "The Big Valley," it's a jolt to see them playing such devious, money-hungry types.
Posted Jun 23, 2002
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Career Girls
(1997)
|
James Sanford
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develops into an insightful meditation on the nature of friendship, as well as a peek into the psyches of two people who think they've dealt with the past but have actually only pushed it aside.
Posted Jun 23, 2002
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The Butcher Boy
(1997)
|
James Sanford
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The filmmakers chronicle Francie's journey in a stream of colorful, dreamy visuals, and too often ``Butcher Boy'' engages the eye rather than the heart.
Posted Jun 23, 2002
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The Avengers
(1998)
|
James Sanford
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the film plays like some sort of feverish hallucination with no real logic or continuity. ... your only chance this week to see Uma Thurman attacked by a giant teddy bear.
Posted Jun 21, 2002
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1.5/4
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Armageddon
(1998)
|
James Sanford
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breathless and utterly brainless... makes the similarly themed and much more sentimental 'Deep Impact' look like 'Schindler's List' by comparison.
Posted Jun 21, 2002
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Passion of Mind
(2000)
|
James Sanford
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Sometimes, with its candlelit castles and love scenes played out in spacious antique bathtubs, "Passion" seems less like a movie than it does a glossy catalog spread out all over the big screen.
Posted Jun 15, 2002
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Bring It On
(2000)
|
James Sanford
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sassy fun, with a script by first-time screenwriter Jessica Bendinger that's almost shockingly sophisticated for a film destined to play almost exclusively to teens.
Posted Jun 15, 2002
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Duets
(2000)
|
James Sanford
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A strange combination of road movie, sitcom and "Razor's Edge"-style philosophical drama, "Duets" looks at six unhappy people who are brought together by their love of karaoke. Yes, karaoke.
Posted Jun 10, 2002
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Coyote Ugly
(2000)
|
James Sanford
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Gina Wendkos' screenplay manages to make "Flashdance" seem plot-heavy by comparison. ...we see the lovely faces of Perabo, Miko and Moynahan and the swinging hips and stomping feet of three anonymous dance doubles.
Posted Jun 10, 2002
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Isn't She Great
(2000)
|
James Sanford
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gives its heroine all the rough edges of a throw pillow... Susann couldn't write sentiment convincingly and neither can Rudnick.
Posted Jun 10, 2002
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