A Disappointing Continuation

The first must-see film of the year.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The few pros? Tom Skerrit and Mindy Cohn do what they can with the meager crumbs of characterization that they are given. The settings, indoor and out are lovely and vibrant. Shots of San Francisco are beautiful, if over used. The indoor sets have good color and period dressing -- with the exception of the cookie cutter performance sets. I think that they were supposed to look like several different gigs, but ended up looking as though they were different POV of the same space. The many, many cons: The leads lack the skills to carry the movie. The directing and editing are terrible. The scripting feels like it was made up on the spot by an eight year old. The cast mugs and hams and then does what it can to get from one line of the script to another.Uniformly terrible.

I just saw the movie Swing this morning at a showing in Palm Springs, CA. I was surprised at the fine quality of the movie, and the fact I had never heard of it before - since it was made 2 years ago. Fortunately it will be out on DVD in January 2006.It was a great movie, with great performances. Jaqueline Bissett, Jonathan Winters, Nel Carter, and Barry Bostwick were among my favorites. For an independent film, it was chock-full of veteran actors, each performing at their very best.I love angel-themed movies, and this was clearly a movie which tugs at one's heart. It sort of reminded me of a sophisticated version of Touched By An Angel - which was a great TV show. It was a movie for all ages, since angels are of course ageless.I was fortunate in that Jacqueline Bissett & the screen writer did a Q&A after the movie. It really has nothing to do with my impression of the movie, except to say that they were fabulously gracious people.And speaking of fabulous, the soundtrack is incredible. A combination of old and new songs make for a great soundtrack, and help to weave the fabric of the story between the younger characters and the older characters.

A fantasy film like 'Field of Dreams' with excellent acting from Jonathan Winters and Jacqueline Bisset and some reasonably good swing music and jitterbugging. The lead is handsome and appealing but the story is somewhat hackneyed. Definitely worth seeing because of the leads, though, and the music (aside from Innis' inept crooning) is worth hearing. Tom Skerritt is, as always, a very good supporting actor. The band doesn't really get enough time, and I wish there had been even more swing. The ending could use a bit of pruning, too. Coming out on DVD in the Fall. The last theatre engagement is going on now, in Larkspur, Cal.

Take 1 part real swing music [Dorsey, Miller], 1 part enthusiastic dance, 1 part veteran talent [Bisset, Bostwick, Winters], 1 part youthful charm [Casey], and mix with a sweet storyline and a lot of San Francisco talent. Season with the late-great Nell Carter and some chocolate chutney. The result is pure magic. This could be the next Indie surprise hit.