10/30/13, Bad Grandpa
To say I was a little reluctant to even admit I was thinking of seeing Bad Grandpa, much less admitting that I actually saw it is a huge understatement (like the Minnesota Vikings are having an off year). I don't have any great expectations that Bad Grandpa will be nominated for any Oscars, but you never know, there were some pretty good sound effects. By nature, I'm a pretty solitary person, where most people are uncomfortable doing things by themselves, I'm uncomfortable doing things with people. Watching movies fits in perfectly with that personality. I prefer watching Woody Allen or my documentaries by myself. However, there are some movies that are better as a community event. I probably would have laughed really hard at Bridesmaids if I was by myself, but watching it with two of my good friends, I'm fairly certain I peed myself from laughing so hard. That's how it was with Bad Grandpa, two other friends (don't worry, I'm not going to start enumerating them for you) and I saw the preview a couple of months ago and couldn't stop laughing. We decided we were going to see it together. Almost immediately, I began having buyer's remorse, I mean, come on, I watch foreign films and documentary, not Jackass movies. So, time went by, and then the release date got closer. Crap, were we really going to do this? We set a date, and the three of us met up. The previews to Bad Grandpa were horrible, a bunch of stupid horror movies (sorry, that was judgmental, clearly I am not their target demographic). Finally, it started. I really don't want to spoil the movie, because part of the fun is being totally surprised and shocked at the outrageousness of Johnny Knoxville and crew. The premise is Grandpa Irving Zisman (Johnny Knoxville) has to take his grandson Billy (Jackson Nicoll) across the country from Nebraska to North Carolina. Along the way, Grandpa and Billy interact with regular people in every day settings (like a modern day Candid Camera on crack), and act in very inappropriate and ridiculous ways. There were more than a few moments where the three of us were in tears from laughing so hard, simultaneously cringing and hiding behind our hands in horror at what was going to come out of Grandpa's mouth, or worse, Billy's. The movie is like a travelogue from Nebraska to North Carolina, but cities like Cleveland and Columbus made several appearances instead of the cities along the imagined route. A part of me was like, "Yeah, Cleveland", and then when I saw the scenes, I was like, "Um, nice". I was excited to actually recognize the city before the end of the credits told me filming was done there (the red, white and blue RTA signs were a major giveaway, and then the street sign for St. Clair Avenue, and filming in front of my beloved Terminal Tower). One of the many funny scenes was Billy pushing a drunk Grandpa in a shopping cart through a drive through trying to order and trying to pick up chicks (Grandpa is not shy about pursuing the ladies since Grandma recently passed away, oh the funeral is pretty hilarious). Ok, there are a lot of funny things, so I'll stop. This is not a child-oriented movie, which may seem like a no-brainer, but I have been to many R-Rated movies and because some "adult" thinks it's just funny and they bring their 12-year olds (seriously, people). Nobody will mistake this for an existential moralistic tale, but damn, it was funny. And after the past two weeks, I appreciated the convulsions of laughter.
A weekend with Charlie Chaplin
10/25/13 Modern Times, 1936 American Film Institute #81
It is almost the perfect time to be watching Modern Times with technology screaming at us in bursts, I mean, how many versions of the iPhone do you need? I kind of felt for the Little Tramp because I feel a little overwhelmed sometimes, and there are often stories on the Internet about people opting out of technology to regain a little sanity. The Little Tramp works in a factory and has a job on an assembly line; it's so repetitive that even when he's not twisting the bolts, he makes those movements anyway. This leads to several funny scenes that show Chaplin's skill at physical comedy. There are so many moments that are iconic, and that have been scene in clips over the years, including the Tramp getting caught in the gears of the big machine, which is also a metaphor for Man getting caught up in modern technology. One of the funniest parts was the feeding machine. It was designed to make workers more efficient, but even the factory bosses see it's not practical. The movie was made in 1936, the middle of the Great Depression, and there are scenes of workers rioting and marching, and somehow the Tramp winds up at the head of the protest march and tossed into jail. The Tramp meets a young girl (the Gamine), played by Paulette Goddard, who is trying to keep her family together and feeds them by stealing bananas from a boat. She and the Little Tramp team up to create a household together and set off to tackle the world. The film was mostly silent, and I thought it was interesting (and most likely intentional) that most of the voices or sound came through some kind of interface: a video screen or a phonograph record. Until the end, when Chaplin sings. I was surprised that the movie was not nominated for any Academy Awards, not for the score (by Alfred Newman), direction, or acting. They didn't have the special or visual effects back then, but I would think that Chaplin would have been acknowledged for that. I would definitely recommend seeing the movie because it is a part of movie history and it's a a representation of cultural history as well. Also, it's an opportunity to see Charlie Chaplin do his thing. The DVD I got from the library had a special feature on the DVD that gave helpful insight into the film.
10/26/13 Limelight, Best Original Dramatic Score, 1972
There are a lot of interesting facts about this movie, the one that struck me was that movie was actually released in the rest of the world in 1952, but was not released in America until 1972 because Chaplin was accused of being a Communist sympathizer and was not allowed to re-enter the US. Charlie's children make brief appearances in the film, as well as Buster Keaton, Nigel Bruce actually has a larger role (Nigel Bruce played Watson to Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes) and Norman Lloyd also co-stars (Lloyd may be more familiar to viewers as Dr. Auschlander from TV's St. Elsewhere). Limelight was one of the last films that Chaplin made and was the most serious. And if it says anything about me, I loved it. Chaplin plays Calvero, a once popular stage comedian who has stopped being funny unless he's drunk. This is a talkie and you really get to hear Chaplin's great voice (many actors from the Silent Film era could not transition to talkies because their voices were not suited to the big screen). It may sound strange, but he sounded like James Mason, or Eddie Izzard doing his James Mason impression. He was wonderful to listen to. Calvero finds a young neighbor passed out from a failed suicide attempt. The doctor who is called tells Calvero that she cannot be left alone, so he begins to nurse her back to health. Thereza (Terry), played by Claire Bloom, was an aspiring dancer but has convinced herself she cannot walk. Calvero tried his hand at Freudian analysis to get to the bottom of her problem (it almost seemed like he was mocking the process, but that could be my cynicism kicking in). Throughout the film Calvero fights with his drinking, although Terry inspires him to give it up on a few occasions, he never quite beats it.Terry eventually begins dancing again and falls in love with Calvero, even though he is a few decades older than her (there were some things that reminded me of A Star is Born, but it's different enough it didn't seem derivative). There are more than a couple of roadblocks on the relationship and they part ways for a period, but then they reunite at the end. The end of the movie is an opportunity to see Buster Keaton and Chaplin on screen together in a comedy routine. Normally I do not watch films that have an overtly romantic storyline, I don't find them interesting or even plausible ('plausibility' is probably a word that shouldn't be used for most movies anyway, since they are usually someone's fantasy). This isn't overtly romantic, nor did I find it sappy or cloying. Claire Bloom was a pleasure to watch, early on in the movie she is struggling and weak, and really needs Calvero, but later, the tables are turned and she becomes his strength and his inspiration. The end of the movie just about broke my heart. It was a great moment and I loved how Chaplin framed it. Chaplin. Larry Russell and Ray Rasch won the Oscar for their screenplay, which is beautiful. After this weekend, I have added Chaplin's autobiography and two biographies to my reading list. There is at least one more film on the AFI list, so this will not be the last you hear on Charlie Chaplin.
On a side note, I recently finished All I Did Was Ask by Terry Gross of National Public Radio's Fresh Air. It was a collection of interviews she has had over the years with different actors, writers, musicians and artists. I think she asks some very insightful questions and always seems genuinely interested in her guests. In some ways, it is too bad her show was not around in Chaplin's era, I would love to know his thoughts and responses to her questions (hence, the reason I will be reading his autobiography).
It is almost the perfect time to be watching Modern Times with technology screaming at us in bursts, I mean, how many versions of the iPhone do you need? I kind of felt for the Little Tramp because I feel a little overwhelmed sometimes, and there are often stories on the Internet about people opting out of technology to regain a little sanity. The Little Tramp works in a factory and has a job on an assembly line; it's so repetitive that even when he's not twisting the bolts, he makes those movements anyway. This leads to several funny scenes that show Chaplin's skill at physical comedy. There are so many moments that are iconic, and that have been scene in clips over the years, including the Tramp getting caught in the gears of the big machine, which is also a metaphor for Man getting caught up in modern technology. One of the funniest parts was the feeding machine. It was designed to make workers more efficient, but even the factory bosses see it's not practical. The movie was made in 1936, the middle of the Great Depression, and there are scenes of workers rioting and marching, and somehow the Tramp winds up at the head of the protest march and tossed into jail. The Tramp meets a young girl (the Gamine), played by Paulette Goddard, who is trying to keep her family together and feeds them by stealing bananas from a boat. She and the Little Tramp team up to create a household together and set off to tackle the world. The film was mostly silent, and I thought it was interesting (and most likely intentional) that most of the voices or sound came through some kind of interface: a video screen or a phonograph record. Until the end, when Chaplin sings. I was surprised that the movie was not nominated for any Academy Awards, not for the score (by Alfred Newman), direction, or acting. They didn't have the special or visual effects back then, but I would think that Chaplin would have been acknowledged for that. I would definitely recommend seeing the movie because it is a part of movie history and it's a a representation of cultural history as well. Also, it's an opportunity to see Charlie Chaplin do his thing. The DVD I got from the library had a special feature on the DVD that gave helpful insight into the film.
10/26/13 Limelight, Best Original Dramatic Score, 1972
There are a lot of interesting facts about this movie, the one that struck me was that movie was actually released in the rest of the world in 1952, but was not released in America until 1972 because Chaplin was accused of being a Communist sympathizer and was not allowed to re-enter the US. Charlie's children make brief appearances in the film, as well as Buster Keaton, Nigel Bruce actually has a larger role (Nigel Bruce played Watson to Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes) and Norman Lloyd also co-stars (Lloyd may be more familiar to viewers as Dr. Auschlander from TV's St. Elsewhere). Limelight was one of the last films that Chaplin made and was the most serious. And if it says anything about me, I loved it. Chaplin plays Calvero, a once popular stage comedian who has stopped being funny unless he's drunk. This is a talkie and you really get to hear Chaplin's great voice (many actors from the Silent Film era could not transition to talkies because their voices were not suited to the big screen). It may sound strange, but he sounded like James Mason, or Eddie Izzard doing his James Mason impression. He was wonderful to listen to. Calvero finds a young neighbor passed out from a failed suicide attempt. The doctor who is called tells Calvero that she cannot be left alone, so he begins to nurse her back to health. Thereza (Terry), played by Claire Bloom, was an aspiring dancer but has convinced herself she cannot walk. Calvero tried his hand at Freudian analysis to get to the bottom of her problem (it almost seemed like he was mocking the process, but that could be my cynicism kicking in). Throughout the film Calvero fights with his drinking, although Terry inspires him to give it up on a few occasions, he never quite beats it.Terry eventually begins dancing again and falls in love with Calvero, even though he is a few decades older than her (there were some things that reminded me of A Star is Born, but it's different enough it didn't seem derivative). There are more than a couple of roadblocks on the relationship and they part ways for a period, but then they reunite at the end. The end of the movie is an opportunity to see Buster Keaton and Chaplin on screen together in a comedy routine. Normally I do not watch films that have an overtly romantic storyline, I don't find them interesting or even plausible ('plausibility' is probably a word that shouldn't be used for most movies anyway, since they are usually someone's fantasy). This isn't overtly romantic, nor did I find it sappy or cloying. Claire Bloom was a pleasure to watch, early on in the movie she is struggling and weak, and really needs Calvero, but later, the tables are turned and she becomes his strength and his inspiration. The end of the movie just about broke my heart. It was a great moment and I loved how Chaplin framed it. Chaplin. Larry Russell and Ray Rasch won the Oscar for their screenplay, which is beautiful. After this weekend, I have added Chaplin's autobiography and two biographies to my reading list. There is at least one more film on the AFI list, so this will not be the last you hear on Charlie Chaplin.
On a side note, I recently finished All I Did Was Ask by Terry Gross of National Public Radio's Fresh Air. It was a collection of interviews she has had over the years with different actors, writers, musicians and artists. I think she asks some very insightful questions and always seems genuinely interested in her guests. In some ways, it is too bad her show was not around in Chaplin's era, I would love to know his thoughts and responses to her questions (hence, the reason I will be reading his autobiography).
A total mixed bag - Patton, Terms of Endearment and a TV series
Sometimes life is filled with tough choices: dinner out or re-heat your leftovers, where your team colors when you're in a different town or blend in, vest or sweater. These are the choices that shape my day. I was not ready for the challenge ahead of me this weekend when I over-scheduled my DVD player, including two movies that were close to 3 hours long (Avatar and Patton), and a television series that could not be renewed from the library. What's a person to do? Cross another movie off my list, or watch 13 hours of Homeland with Claire Danes? Okay, you know, after reading that, I have to admit, it was not a hard decision at all. Twelve episodes of Homeland; Avatar went back to the library unwatched and unloved (of course this meant I could not hate it either) because I already renewed it twice and had to return it or pay a fine. I could afford the dollar or two fine, but it was easier to return it. There's always next time.
10/18/13 Patton - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Art Direction 1970
I'm not really sure where to start with Patton, but I'm fairly certain this will not be a military synopsis. To borrow a thought that I saw on Netflix, this movie is not really about the battles Patton fought in or led, but it's more about the man and his HUGE personality and ego. George C. Scott stars as George Patton, a role for which he won the Best Actor award and infamously refused to accept it. Scott played a wide range of roles, from Fagin in a production of Oliver Twist, Rochester in Jane Eyre and so many others. Patton was such a large personality, I can envision the role easily being overacted by another actor, but Scott captures him (or at least makes you believe all of the things that happen). Patton is not a black or white person, there are a lot of shades of gray, a man who swears like there is no tomorrow, but yet seems to have a religiosity that contradicts that. Karl Malden, as Omar Bradley, is the perfect foil to Scott, balanced, even-tempered, politically savvy. Malden may be one of the most under-appreciated actors by movie fans today. He went toe to toe with Marlon Brando (A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront) George C. Scott (The Hanging Tree, Patton) Burt Lancaster (Birdman of Alcatraz). He did whatever was needed for the script and he does that here. In the first list of AFI's top 100 films, Patton was included, but it did not make the second list. It is an interesting look at one of the greatest soldiers in American military history, a glimpse at the behind the scenes political machinations of the military leaders during the Second World War, and one can imagine similar conversations happening during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the wars in between. I was worried that the 170 minutes would put me under, but the story and the acting put that concern in my rearview mirror pretty quickly.
10/19/13 Terms of Endearment - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay 1983
This is another movie that somehow I have managed not to see for thirty years. I thought the movie was going to go one way, and then it went another way, and I was pleasantly surprised. This is a universal story about mothers and daughters and the complexities within those relationships. Shirley MacLaine is Aurora Greenway, a controlling, fairly self-absorbed mother to Emma played by Debra Winger. Both women were nominated in the Best Actress category, with MacLaine taking home Oscar. The movie follows Aurora and Emma and their lives apart (Emma and her husband, Flap, move to Iowa early on in the movie), and in a seemingly effortless narrative, you watch their relationship evolve, and particularly, you see Aurora grow from this tight, controlled, almost emotionless woman (her grandson calls her Mrs. Greenway) into a woman who laughs, enjoys herself, and fights for her daughter. Garrett Breedlove (that really sounds like a bad porn name) played by Jack Nicholson is largely responsible for the 'new' Aurora. Nicholson also won for Best Supporting Actor in this role. I don't want to spoil the end for you (I had no idea it was coming), but we'll say that Emma and Flap's marriage hits a rough spot or two, and Emma's character grows and changes as well. Even though the movie was made in 1983 and it covers a twenty year period (beginning in the 1950s), they don't even have mobile phones, it doesn't seem dated, maybe because it does cover thirty years, it doesn't seem timebound. For people only familiar with MacLaine and her role in Downton Abbey, it would be well worth your time to check out Terms of Endearment to get a good taste of MacLaine's timing and wit and the way she delivers a line. As I was watching, I was not aware that MacLaine won for Best Actress, but all I could think about was, she better have won it, because she was great. It was a tough year, going up against her co-star, but also Meryl Streep in Silkwood, Julie Walters in Educating Rita and Jane Alexander in Testament. For earlier MacLaine, check out The Apartment with another favorite of mine, Jack Lemmon.
10/19/13-10/20/13 Homeland Season 1, several Emmys and Golden Globes
It's my blog and I'll review a series if I want. I'm not sure how long the writers can keep up the premise that is the engine of this series, but for now I'm hooked. I indulge in what they call now 'binge watching', watching a whole series or season of a series at one go. I like it, then I don't have to rely on my aging memory for what happened last week, and I don't have to wait for those annoying cliffhangers, I get it all and I get it NOW. Kind of like Veruca from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Claire Danes is Carrie Mathison, a CIA agent with bi-polar disorder, which is sometimes controlled with medication, and sometimes not. Damien Lewis is Nicholas Brody, a US Marine who was held captive for eight years by Al Qaida. The premise revolves around the idea that Brody is not who he says he is, but the writers do a fabulous job of laying all kinds of red herrings. You spend a lot of time getting caught up in that. Carrie senses, intuits and pieces together bits of the puzzle, sometimes she is right on, and sometimes not. Claire Danes inhabits Carrie and all her brilliance, mania, psychoses and neuroses fabulously. She has rightfully won two Primetime Emmy awards for Carrie. I haven't always been on the Claire Danes bandwagon, but after her role as Temple Grandin (2010), I'm happy to be a leader on that bandwagon. Damien Lewis has also won an Emmy for his role as Nicholas Brody. You may remember Lewis from Showtime's Band of Brothers. He's great, although sometimes his speech pattern or impediment or something (he is actually English) is distracting, but I get over that pretty quickly. Oh, and Mandy Patinkin is Yoda-like as Saul Berenson, Carrie's mentor and boss, and I viewed him as the eye of the hurricane, except when he was experiencing his domestic upheaval, but even that passed to the rest of the world with barely a blink. I'm a little late to the Homeland party (story of my life), and if you've haven't started yet, you really should. It is great acting, writing, directing, and editing, because it's all in the editing.
10/18/13 Patton - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Art Direction 1970
I'm not really sure where to start with Patton, but I'm fairly certain this will not be a military synopsis. To borrow a thought that I saw on Netflix, this movie is not really about the battles Patton fought in or led, but it's more about the man and his HUGE personality and ego. George C. Scott stars as George Patton, a role for which he won the Best Actor award and infamously refused to accept it. Scott played a wide range of roles, from Fagin in a production of Oliver Twist, Rochester in Jane Eyre and so many others. Patton was such a large personality, I can envision the role easily being overacted by another actor, but Scott captures him (or at least makes you believe all of the things that happen). Patton is not a black or white person, there are a lot of shades of gray, a man who swears like there is no tomorrow, but yet seems to have a religiosity that contradicts that. Karl Malden, as Omar Bradley, is the perfect foil to Scott, balanced, even-tempered, politically savvy. Malden may be one of the most under-appreciated actors by movie fans today. He went toe to toe with Marlon Brando (A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront) George C. Scott (The Hanging Tree, Patton) Burt Lancaster (Birdman of Alcatraz). He did whatever was needed for the script and he does that here. In the first list of AFI's top 100 films, Patton was included, but it did not make the second list. It is an interesting look at one of the greatest soldiers in American military history, a glimpse at the behind the scenes political machinations of the military leaders during the Second World War, and one can imagine similar conversations happening during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the wars in between. I was worried that the 170 minutes would put me under, but the story and the acting put that concern in my rearview mirror pretty quickly.
10/19/13 Terms of Endearment - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay 1983
This is another movie that somehow I have managed not to see for thirty years. I thought the movie was going to go one way, and then it went another way, and I was pleasantly surprised. This is a universal story about mothers and daughters and the complexities within those relationships. Shirley MacLaine is Aurora Greenway, a controlling, fairly self-absorbed mother to Emma played by Debra Winger. Both women were nominated in the Best Actress category, with MacLaine taking home Oscar. The movie follows Aurora and Emma and their lives apart (Emma and her husband, Flap, move to Iowa early on in the movie), and in a seemingly effortless narrative, you watch their relationship evolve, and particularly, you see Aurora grow from this tight, controlled, almost emotionless woman (her grandson calls her Mrs. Greenway) into a woman who laughs, enjoys herself, and fights for her daughter. Garrett Breedlove (that really sounds like a bad porn name) played by Jack Nicholson is largely responsible for the 'new' Aurora. Nicholson also won for Best Supporting Actor in this role. I don't want to spoil the end for you (I had no idea it was coming), but we'll say that Emma and Flap's marriage hits a rough spot or two, and Emma's character grows and changes as well. Even though the movie was made in 1983 and it covers a twenty year period (beginning in the 1950s), they don't even have mobile phones, it doesn't seem dated, maybe because it does cover thirty years, it doesn't seem timebound. For people only familiar with MacLaine and her role in Downton Abbey, it would be well worth your time to check out Terms of Endearment to get a good taste of MacLaine's timing and wit and the way she delivers a line. As I was watching, I was not aware that MacLaine won for Best Actress, but all I could think about was, she better have won it, because she was great. It was a tough year, going up against her co-star, but also Meryl Streep in Silkwood, Julie Walters in Educating Rita and Jane Alexander in Testament. For earlier MacLaine, check out The Apartment with another favorite of mine, Jack Lemmon.
10/19/13-10/20/13 Homeland Season 1, several Emmys and Golden Globes
It's my blog and I'll review a series if I want. I'm not sure how long the writers can keep up the premise that is the engine of this series, but for now I'm hooked. I indulge in what they call now 'binge watching', watching a whole series or season of a series at one go. I like it, then I don't have to rely on my aging memory for what happened last week, and I don't have to wait for those annoying cliffhangers, I get it all and I get it NOW. Kind of like Veruca from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Claire Danes is Carrie Mathison, a CIA agent with bi-polar disorder, which is sometimes controlled with medication, and sometimes not. Damien Lewis is Nicholas Brody, a US Marine who was held captive for eight years by Al Qaida. The premise revolves around the idea that Brody is not who he says he is, but the writers do a fabulous job of laying all kinds of red herrings. You spend a lot of time getting caught up in that. Carrie senses, intuits and pieces together bits of the puzzle, sometimes she is right on, and sometimes not. Claire Danes inhabits Carrie and all her brilliance, mania, psychoses and neuroses fabulously. She has rightfully won two Primetime Emmy awards for Carrie. I haven't always been on the Claire Danes bandwagon, but after her role as Temple Grandin (2010), I'm happy to be a leader on that bandwagon. Damien Lewis has also won an Emmy for his role as Nicholas Brody. You may remember Lewis from Showtime's Band of Brothers. He's great, although sometimes his speech pattern or impediment or something (he is actually English) is distracting, but I get over that pretty quickly. Oh, and Mandy Patinkin is Yoda-like as Saul Berenson, Carrie's mentor and boss, and I viewed him as the eye of the hurricane, except when he was experiencing his domestic upheaval, but even that passed to the rest of the world with barely a blink. I'm a little late to the Homeland party (story of my life), and if you've haven't started yet, you really should. It is great acting, writing, directing, and editing, because it's all in the editing.
Two Disney Classics - Dumbo and Pinocchio
When I was stocking up on my movies for the past week, I knew I would need something to break up all the seriousness I was going to encounter (or thought I would). After watching Alien I decided to inject some fun, family-friendly movies into the weekend. I assumed that the following movies won for Best Animated Feature, but that award was presented in 2002.
10/12/13 Dumbo, Best Original Score for a Musical Picture, 1941
This was not the first time I have watched Dumbo (I know, with my track record you would not have been surprised), but I tried to watch it more critically than the other times. Dumbo was released in 1941 in the early years of Disney feature-length animation. In case you have never seen Dumbo or are not familiar with the story, Dumbo is a baby elephant with ginormous ears. This leads to teasing by everyone else, including the grown-up elephants who should have known better. Dumbo finds a friend in Timothy Q. Mouse who inadvertently becomes a drinking buddy. Dumbo and Timothy accidentally consume water that has been spiked with champagne, becoming quite intoxicated. The two of them find themselves up in a tree. A murder of crows (well, that's what a bunch of crows is called) cannot understand how an elephant landed in a tree, singing "When I see an elephant fly". Timothy capitalizes on this newly-found talent/gift and Dumbo becomes a great hit at the circus. The movie is a great length for kids (or adults with a short attention span), running a little over an hour. There is not a lot of character development, if it was made today, there would probably be about 30 minutes of self-discovery, but I think if you're a kid, the story arc works, Dumbo is bullied, he finds a friend, finds a talent and then overcomes adversity. I knew someone who took issue with the drinking scene and thought it promoted underage drinking. I don't think it promotes it; it is possible that kids accidentally drink adult beverages (weddings, holidays), and they also get sick, perhaps even seeing pink elephants. So, maybe this should be a cautionary tale. I mean, better for a two-dimensional fictional character to get drunk and teach the kids that way. The movie won an Oscar for its score, but it really didn't stick with me or make an impression the way the music from Fantasia did. It's not my favorite Disney movie, but I did like it.
10/14/13 Pinocchio, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, 1940
There is so much to love about Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket, the songs (who doesn't know "When you wish upon a star" which won for Best Original Song?), the Blue Fairy, the cast of villains, and fatherly Geppetto, oh and of course, Pinocchio. There is so much magic in the movie, from the Blue Fairy, to Pinocchio becoming a living puppet and then a real boy, little boys turning into donkeys (as an older sister of four brothers, that's almost a fantasy) and everything else. I like the story a little better than Dumbo because it has some adventure, and Pinocchio grows and makes mistakes, learns from them and gets to be a hero. After a wish by Geppetto, the Blue Fairy makes Pinocchio almost human, including human foibles like telling lies and skipping school. Of course, all of these decisions have consequences, some a little more perilous than others, but with the help of the Blue Fairy (no, I'm not obsessed) and Jiminy, and the love of Geppetto, Pinocchio turns into a boy. Everyone can use a Jiminy Cricket in their life as a best friend and conscience. Over 70 years later, the animation still holds up (I read that it used a different animation style than Dumbo) and there are a lot of scenes with moving parts, especially the clock scene when all of the cuckoo clocks go off, that seems incredible to me now, I can't imagine how it seemed in 1940. There is more discussion about the animation in the Wikipedia article on Pinocchio; the whole idea of animation just makes my head explode because I cannot wrap my head around how to do any of it, I find it all very cool. This is a great movie (with or without the kids).
10/12/13 Dumbo, Best Original Score for a Musical Picture, 1941
This was not the first time I have watched Dumbo (I know, with my track record you would not have been surprised), but I tried to watch it more critically than the other times. Dumbo was released in 1941 in the early years of Disney feature-length animation. In case you have never seen Dumbo or are not familiar with the story, Dumbo is a baby elephant with ginormous ears. This leads to teasing by everyone else, including the grown-up elephants who should have known better. Dumbo finds a friend in Timothy Q. Mouse who inadvertently becomes a drinking buddy. Dumbo and Timothy accidentally consume water that has been spiked with champagne, becoming quite intoxicated. The two of them find themselves up in a tree. A murder of crows (well, that's what a bunch of crows is called) cannot understand how an elephant landed in a tree, singing "When I see an elephant fly". Timothy capitalizes on this newly-found talent/gift and Dumbo becomes a great hit at the circus. The movie is a great length for kids (or adults with a short attention span), running a little over an hour. There is not a lot of character development, if it was made today, there would probably be about 30 minutes of self-discovery, but I think if you're a kid, the story arc works, Dumbo is bullied, he finds a friend, finds a talent and then overcomes adversity. I knew someone who took issue with the drinking scene and thought it promoted underage drinking. I don't think it promotes it; it is possible that kids accidentally drink adult beverages (weddings, holidays), and they also get sick, perhaps even seeing pink elephants. So, maybe this should be a cautionary tale. I mean, better for a two-dimensional fictional character to get drunk and teach the kids that way. The movie won an Oscar for its score, but it really didn't stick with me or make an impression the way the music from Fantasia did. It's not my favorite Disney movie, but I did like it.
10/14/13 Pinocchio, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, 1940
There is so much to love about Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket, the songs (who doesn't know "When you wish upon a star" which won for Best Original Song?), the Blue Fairy, the cast of villains, and fatherly Geppetto, oh and of course, Pinocchio. There is so much magic in the movie, from the Blue Fairy, to Pinocchio becoming a living puppet and then a real boy, little boys turning into donkeys (as an older sister of four brothers, that's almost a fantasy) and everything else. I like the story a little better than Dumbo because it has some adventure, and Pinocchio grows and makes mistakes, learns from them and gets to be a hero. After a wish by Geppetto, the Blue Fairy makes Pinocchio almost human, including human foibles like telling lies and skipping school. Of course, all of these decisions have consequences, some a little more perilous than others, but with the help of the Blue Fairy (no, I'm not obsessed) and Jiminy, and the love of Geppetto, Pinocchio turns into a boy. Everyone can use a Jiminy Cricket in their life as a best friend and conscience. Over 70 years later, the animation still holds up (I read that it used a different animation style than Dumbo) and there are a lot of scenes with moving parts, especially the clock scene when all of the cuckoo clocks go off, that seems incredible to me now, I can't imagine how it seemed in 1940. There is more discussion about the animation in the Wikipedia article on Pinocchio; the whole idea of animation just makes my head explode because I cannot wrap my head around how to do any of it, I find it all very cool. This is a great movie (with or without the kids).
The beginning of a franchise - Alien
10/12/13 Alien, Best Visual Effects, 1979
At one point in my move-watching life I loved scary movies, my friends and I saw Poltergeist five times in the theater, Friday the 13th, The Exorcist, and had the crap scared out of us. But in 1979 I was too young to see Alien on the big screen, and I guess by the time VCRs and DVDs were the norm, not only had I outgrown the scary movie period, but I ran from it like a little girl. So, if there's any hint that a movie is scary, I usually pass, which is why I haven't watched Alien or its sequels. And I generally don't like following the crowd, and if everyone says a movie is fabulous, it may take me a few months, or thirty-five years to catch up. I can finally say that I have seen Alien and I liked it. I didn't love it, but perhaps when this whole project is over, I would watch it again. It did not frighten me, and I would have to guess that some of the scare factor was dulled by the fact that I watched the movie with the sun shining during the middle of the day and while I didn't know everything that was going to happen, I did know something was going to happen. And honestly, I'm okay with that, screaming while I am alone in the house seems silly. One of the benefits of watching a movie so long after it was released is that you can look at the actors and have an idea of there careers from that movie to the current day. Alien has one of the most recognizable casts, starting Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Tom Skerrit, Harry Dean Stanton, Veronica Cartwright and Yaphet Kotto.
I would guess that a lot of people are familiar with the plot of Alien, but I'll give quick recap. Truly, it's not that complicated, although I was reading some of the stuff online and it got into Freudian interpretations of what the aliens meant, blah blah blah. I don't mind a deep dive into a movie occasionally, but for me, this wasn't one of those times. Nostromo is a commercial towing ship in deep space and it's supposed to be returning home when it gets orders via Mother, the ship's computer/voice of the company, to stop and check out another ship. A small search party goes aboard and encounter a strange being and Kane (John Hurt) is attacked. Warrant Officer Ripley (soon to be feminist icon played by Sigourney Weaver) is reluctant to bring Kane back on board without following the proper quarantine procedures but she is overruled by Science Officer Ash (Ian Holm) and Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt). This might also qualify as an "I told you so" movie, big time. Gradually the crew is killed off by the mostly hidden alien, quite graphically on occasion, until the remaining members try to get on the shuttle. There are quite a few surprises and it would not be fair to spoil them for you, so you'll have to watch it on your own. Ripley is a strong character (male or female), but also has her moments of being frightened. The ability of Weaver to demonstrate Ripley's strengths and weaknesses may be why she resonated so strongly with audiences, and why the franchise was so successful.
Alien won for Best Visual Effects and it won out over some pretty visually heavy movies that year, including The Black Hole, which I did see and was pretty spectacular in the visual arena, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which I think I saw. The effects are definitely pretty amazing, especially considering it was made over thirty years ago. Ridley Scott directed Alien, and he's known for some pretty big scale movies, including Blade Runner, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Prometheus (which is part of the Alien series, parts of Prometheus are very reminiscent of Alien), and a lot of others. I liked the movie, and I am kind of kicking myself that I waited so long because I was a scaredy cat. Definitely not a family movie (the R rating may have given that away), but get some grown up friends together and see who screams the loudest (screaming with other people in the is okay), just remember, in space they can't hear you scream.
At one point in my move-watching life I loved scary movies, my friends and I saw Poltergeist five times in the theater, Friday the 13th, The Exorcist, and had the crap scared out of us. But in 1979 I was too young to see Alien on the big screen, and I guess by the time VCRs and DVDs were the norm, not only had I outgrown the scary movie period, but I ran from it like a little girl. So, if there's any hint that a movie is scary, I usually pass, which is why I haven't watched Alien or its sequels. And I generally don't like following the crowd, and if everyone says a movie is fabulous, it may take me a few months, or thirty-five years to catch up. I can finally say that I have seen Alien and I liked it. I didn't love it, but perhaps when this whole project is over, I would watch it again. It did not frighten me, and I would have to guess that some of the scare factor was dulled by the fact that I watched the movie with the sun shining during the middle of the day and while I didn't know everything that was going to happen, I did know something was going to happen. And honestly, I'm okay with that, screaming while I am alone in the house seems silly. One of the benefits of watching a movie so long after it was released is that you can look at the actors and have an idea of there careers from that movie to the current day. Alien has one of the most recognizable casts, starting Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Tom Skerrit, Harry Dean Stanton, Veronica Cartwright and Yaphet Kotto.
I would guess that a lot of people are familiar with the plot of Alien, but I'll give quick recap. Truly, it's not that complicated, although I was reading some of the stuff online and it got into Freudian interpretations of what the aliens meant, blah blah blah. I don't mind a deep dive into a movie occasionally, but for me, this wasn't one of those times. Nostromo is a commercial towing ship in deep space and it's supposed to be returning home when it gets orders via Mother, the ship's computer/voice of the company, to stop and check out another ship. A small search party goes aboard and encounter a strange being and Kane (John Hurt) is attacked. Warrant Officer Ripley (soon to be feminist icon played by Sigourney Weaver) is reluctant to bring Kane back on board without following the proper quarantine procedures but she is overruled by Science Officer Ash (Ian Holm) and Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt). This might also qualify as an "I told you so" movie, big time. Gradually the crew is killed off by the mostly hidden alien, quite graphically on occasion, until the remaining members try to get on the shuttle. There are quite a few surprises and it would not be fair to spoil them for you, so you'll have to watch it on your own. Ripley is a strong character (male or female), but also has her moments of being frightened. The ability of Weaver to demonstrate Ripley's strengths and weaknesses may be why she resonated so strongly with audiences, and why the franchise was so successful.
Alien won for Best Visual Effects and it won out over some pretty visually heavy movies that year, including The Black Hole, which I did see and was pretty spectacular in the visual arena, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which I think I saw. The effects are definitely pretty amazing, especially considering it was made over thirty years ago. Ridley Scott directed Alien, and he's known for some pretty big scale movies, including Blade Runner, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Prometheus (which is part of the Alien series, parts of Prometheus are very reminiscent of Alien), and a lot of others. I liked the movie, and I am kind of kicking myself that I waited so long because I was a scaredy cat. Definitely not a family movie (the R rating may have given that away), but get some grown up friends together and see who screams the loudest (screaming with other people in the is okay), just remember, in space they can't hear you scream.
Dudley Moore and John Gielgud take over New York in Arthur
10/6/13 Arthur, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Song, 1981
Holy movie overload, Batman! By the time I finished watching Arthur, my over-intellectualized brain could not process another movie or review. Apparently, I have not learned that while it may seem like a great idea to watch 5 or 6 or 8 movies in a brief weekend, it really isn't. It's so hard to process everything and write an informative, much less entertaining, review. I also spent way too much time setting up a Twitter account (@tbacker2013) thanks to peer pressure from a friend of mine. I'm not totally sold on the whole idea but I told him I would give it a few weeks. So, after exhausting myself with a new social media outlet, I am now ready to review Arthur.
I distinctly remember when Arthur came out in theaters, mainly because of the song (Christopher Cross was very popular at the time), but the movie didn't really interest me. This is before I entered my snobby, foreign films only phase, so I don't know what the deal was, so thirty-two years later, I finally watched it. I really liked it, there is some great comedy in there from Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli and Sir John Gielgud. Gielgud, as Hobson, is priceless, the acerbic, sarcastic and deadpan delivery alone is worth watching the movie; he received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in a category that had some pretty heavy and serious roles/movies, like Jack Nicholson in Reds, Howard E. Rollins in Ragtime and Ian Holm from Chariots of Fire. He and Liza Minnelli (Linda) are very funny together, she with her New York attitude, and he with his very prim English air. Moore (Arthur) links it altogether as the lovable millionaire drunk. Arthur is expected to marry someone from society, although it must be tough because he is usually three sheets to the wind and spends a lot of time with prostitutes. Arthur, Hobson and Linda have an encounter outside a store and the rest is cinematic history (um, well, just go with it). Minnelli's comedic timing was fabulous; it's not original to say, but I think now that I have seen a few Judy Garland movies and Minnelli in a few different roles, there are so many similarities, and I think they were both under-appreciated for their comedy chops. Anyone can be overly serious and somber, but hitting the mark on a joke or funny line is not easy. I vaguely remember a lot of grief around the song "The Theme from Arthur (the best that you can do)" winning Best Original Song, it's moderately uplifting, but not overly inspiring or all that representative of the movie ("For Your Eyes Only" and "Endless Love" were two of the other nominees). If you haven't seen Arthur, then add it to your list (you can watch it with the older kids, and if you can explain away the prostitute scene, you could maybe watch it with the younger teens in the family, they've heard and seen worse on television). If you have seen it, but it's been a while, get it again.
Holy movie overload, Batman! By the time I finished watching Arthur, my over-intellectualized brain could not process another movie or review. Apparently, I have not learned that while it may seem like a great idea to watch 5 or 6 or 8 movies in a brief weekend, it really isn't. It's so hard to process everything and write an informative, much less entertaining, review. I also spent way too much time setting up a Twitter account (@tbacker2013) thanks to peer pressure from a friend of mine. I'm not totally sold on the whole idea but I told him I would give it a few weeks. So, after exhausting myself with a new social media outlet, I am now ready to review Arthur.
I distinctly remember when Arthur came out in theaters, mainly because of the song (Christopher Cross was very popular at the time), but the movie didn't really interest me. This is before I entered my snobby, foreign films only phase, so I don't know what the deal was, so thirty-two years later, I finally watched it. I really liked it, there is some great comedy in there from Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli and Sir John Gielgud. Gielgud, as Hobson, is priceless, the acerbic, sarcastic and deadpan delivery alone is worth watching the movie; he received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in a category that had some pretty heavy and serious roles/movies, like Jack Nicholson in Reds, Howard E. Rollins in Ragtime and Ian Holm from Chariots of Fire. He and Liza Minnelli (Linda) are very funny together, she with her New York attitude, and he with his very prim English air. Moore (Arthur) links it altogether as the lovable millionaire drunk. Arthur is expected to marry someone from society, although it must be tough because he is usually three sheets to the wind and spends a lot of time with prostitutes. Arthur, Hobson and Linda have an encounter outside a store and the rest is cinematic history (um, well, just go with it). Minnelli's comedic timing was fabulous; it's not original to say, but I think now that I have seen a few Judy Garland movies and Minnelli in a few different roles, there are so many similarities, and I think they were both under-appreciated for their comedy chops. Anyone can be overly serious and somber, but hitting the mark on a joke or funny line is not easy. I vaguely remember a lot of grief around the song "The Theme from Arthur (the best that you can do)" winning Best Original Song, it's moderately uplifting, but not overly inspiring or all that representative of the movie ("For Your Eyes Only" and "Endless Love" were two of the other nominees). If you haven't seen Arthur, then add it to your list (you can watch it with the older kids, and if you can explain away the prostitute scene, you could maybe watch it with the younger teens in the family, they've heard and seen worse on television). If you have seen it, but it's been a while, get it again.
Consider yourself one of the family - Oliver!
10/5/2013 Oliver! Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adaptation Score, Best Art Direction, Best Sound, Special Academy Award for Choreography 1968
I know I have seen bit and pieces of this musical, and I think a lot of people are familiar with some of the songs like "Consider Yourself" and "Food, Glorious Food", but I don't know how many people have seen the whole thing. Oliver! the movie is based on Oliver! the stage musical by Lionel Bart which is based on Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Oliver Twist is an orphan living in a typically Dickensian workhouse, and the movie opens with the boys in the workhouse singing about gruel, and doing some pretty cool choreography in the process. Oliver gets on the wrong side of the the people who run the workhouse by asking for more gruel, "Please sir, can I have some more?". He falls in with the Artful Dodger (played by Jack Wild who was nominated for an Oscar in this role; he was also in H.R. Pufnstuf) and Fagin (Ron Moody, also nominated for an Oscar), learning a little about the pickpocketing business. Mark Lester played Oliver and he has this wide-eyed innocence and naivete, and he kind of moves through the scenes inhabited by the adults; I mean considering the movie is named for him, you would almost expect more focus on him, but it did not strike me that way, Fagin, Nancy, Sikes (Oliver Reed is a mean Bill Sikes), and Dodger seem to have more lines and sing more songs. The movie won six awards including Best Picture, Best Director and a Special Academy Award for Choreography. There are so many reasons to enjoy this movie: the music, the choreography (normally I'm not a choreography person, but there is some pretty neat stuff), the sets, and some good humor. It would make a great family movie to watch over the upcoming Thanksgiving Day holiday (it's not that far away). It's about two and half hours, but there is an intermission, and it's so easy to get caught up in the movie, you don't notice the time (compared to other movies I could mention). Who knew Dickens could be so fun?
I know I have seen bit and pieces of this musical, and I think a lot of people are familiar with some of the songs like "Consider Yourself" and "Food, Glorious Food", but I don't know how many people have seen the whole thing. Oliver! the movie is based on Oliver! the stage musical by Lionel Bart which is based on Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Oliver Twist is an orphan living in a typically Dickensian workhouse, and the movie opens with the boys in the workhouse singing about gruel, and doing some pretty cool choreography in the process. Oliver gets on the wrong side of the the people who run the workhouse by asking for more gruel, "Please sir, can I have some more?". He falls in with the Artful Dodger (played by Jack Wild who was nominated for an Oscar in this role; he was also in H.R. Pufnstuf) and Fagin (Ron Moody, also nominated for an Oscar), learning a little about the pickpocketing business. Mark Lester played Oliver and he has this wide-eyed innocence and naivete, and he kind of moves through the scenes inhabited by the adults; I mean considering the movie is named for him, you would almost expect more focus on him, but it did not strike me that way, Fagin, Nancy, Sikes (Oliver Reed is a mean Bill Sikes), and Dodger seem to have more lines and sing more songs. The movie won six awards including Best Picture, Best Director and a Special Academy Award for Choreography. There are so many reasons to enjoy this movie: the music, the choreography (normally I'm not a choreography person, but there is some pretty neat stuff), the sets, and some good humor. It would make a great family movie to watch over the upcoming Thanksgiving Day holiday (it's not that far away). It's about two and half hours, but there is an intermission, and it's so easy to get caught up in the movie, you don't notice the time (compared to other movies I could mention). Who knew Dickens could be so fun?
Two documentary nominees from 2012 - The Gatekeepers and Chasing Ice
It has actually been quite a movie filled weekend, which means I got nothing else done. It was a gloomy, rainy weekend, so I feel justified in my slacker-attitude. I wanted to do these two movies separately, and then I will get caught up on the others throughout the week. Since 2009 I have been trying to watch all of the nominated films in all the categories. You may imagine some get knocked off the list a lot easier and sooner than others, but I am happy to say that with these two movies, the only films remaining from 2012 are the documentary shorts and the live action shorts. I hope to track those down via YouTube, Hulu or some anthology that comes out at a later date. For now, I will declare victory!
9/27/13 Chasing Ice, nominated for Best Original Song, 2012
Chasing Ice is a documentary that sets out to show the effects of global warming by filming icebergs around the world, including Iceland, Greenland and Alaska, and through time-lapse photography, the shrinking of them. The documentary really does two things: it tells the story of James Balog, the man whose brainchild this is and the story of the melting icebergs. There are a lot of naysayers out there, denying that there is any impact on the environment from the last several decades of pollution, but what Balog and his team show over a few years, and thousands of hours of digital video, must raise some doubt in the most stubborn of critics. Balog's dedication to this project comes at the risk of his own health, he has very severe problems with his knee and often disregards the advice of his doctors to keep on with the vigorous hiking and walking he must do in Greenland and Iceland. The movie was actually nominated for Best Original Song "Before My Time" song by Scarlett Johansson and Joshua Bell. It was a nice enough song, very ethereal, I thought, but any song would have had a difficult time beating "Skyfall" by Adele. The movie is beautifully filmed, and shows a part of the world that many people never get to see, and it will make you think.
9/27/13 Chasing Ice, nominated for Best Original Song, 2012
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| Geysir, Iceland, 1990 |
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| Gullfoss, Iceland, 1990
10/6/13, The Gatekeepers, nominee for Best Documentary, 2012
Put this one under the 'wait until it's over before you decide' category. The Gatekeepers was an entry in the Best Documentary category; Searching for Sugarman was the winner for 2012. The Gatekeepers is about Shin Bet the Israeli internal security service, responsible for domestic security in Israel. the movie looks at Shin Bet over history, going back to 1948, when Israel became a state, through the current day, how its role has changed and tactics evolved in dealing with the Palestinians through interviews with the past heads of the agency. There are some viewpoints that they share that seem fairly predictable, but as the movie progresses, and we move from the 1970s into the 1980s and 1990s, they almost all share in the belief that Israel must open and continue a dialogue with the organizations within Palestine because the future looks very bleak and hopeless. The opinions of these men is at odds with the more conservative, and often religious, section of Israel's population. While the main focus of the movie is about the relationship with the Palestinians, because of the backlash against the peace process by the conservatives in Israel, Shin Bet must also look inward to fellow Jews who are now committed to acts of violence and terrorism, including the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin by a Jew. The Gatekeepers highlights the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the internal challenges in the Israeli/Jewish community. Many of the events from the 1970s on have happened in my lifetime, I remember Rabin's assassination, and the feeling that the peace process was stopped in its tracks. This is must viewing for anyone who is interested in the conflict in the Middle East. It's not an exhaustive study or all-inclusive, and the interviews are limited to the heads of Shin Bet, but it is a look inside a very secretive organization. It raised a lot of questions for me, but as I have said before, I think that's a good thing when it comes to documentaries.
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Jack Lemmon won Best Actor for Save the Tiger
10/5/13 Save the Tiger, Best Actor, 1973
I was surprised to find out that for as many great movies that Jack Lemmon appeared in (The Apartment, The Odd Couple, Days of Wine and Roses, Some Like It Hot among just a few) and the variety of roles he played that he only won one Oscar for Best Actor and that was in a movie I don't think I had ever heard of called Save the Tiger from 1973. In Save the Tiger, Lemmon plays Harry Stoner co-owner of a clothing design store in Los Angeles that is having serious financial difficulties. Harry's business is struggling, but so is Harry. It seems more than just a mid-life crisis as he reminisces about the Brooklyn Dodgers and past romantic vacations with his wife who is currently out of town at a family funeral. Oh, and he picks up a hitchhiker who may or may not be over the age of consent. Things are so bad with the business that Harry contemplates hiring an arsonist to burn down one of their factories for the insurance money. His business partner, Phil, played wonderfully by Jack Gilford (who reminds me of my Uncle Moe) wants nothing to do with it, and tries valiantly to play the moral conscience, but Harry sees no other alternative. He has more than most people: a house in Beverly Hills, a Lincoln Continental with a car phone, trips to Europe, expensive clothes, but something is missing. Harry seems at different times lost, angry, nostalgic and romantic. This movie is about the choices Harry makes, which are not always easy, he is trapped between past bad decisions and limited options for future decisions. What was interesting to me watching this movie forty years later is the same discussions that Harry and Phil have in 1973 are the conversations that so many people are having now, just switch out the Vietnam War for the Gulf War (Harry is a World War II veteran who fought in Italy), the economic challenges of the early 1970s with the recession of the late 2000s, questions of patriotism. This really is Lemmon's movie, I think he's in almost every single scene, and while he plays a character you may not like a whole lot, you get to see up close his emotions, his struggles, and at the end, maybe a little hope. Los Angeles in 1973 is very gritty, or perhaps that's the pollution. I liked this movie, I love Jack Lemmon, and it was nice to see a movie about which I had no preconceptions. Lemmon beat out Robert Redford (The Sting), Al Pacino (Serpico) and Marlon Brando (Last Tango in Paris) for Best Actor, and I've heard of all of those movies, but never Save the Tiger. If you're a fan of Jack Lemmon, then you should watch this.
I was surprised to find out that for as many great movies that Jack Lemmon appeared in (The Apartment, The Odd Couple, Days of Wine and Roses, Some Like It Hot among just a few) and the variety of roles he played that he only won one Oscar for Best Actor and that was in a movie I don't think I had ever heard of called Save the Tiger from 1973. In Save the Tiger, Lemmon plays Harry Stoner co-owner of a clothing design store in Los Angeles that is having serious financial difficulties. Harry's business is struggling, but so is Harry. It seems more than just a mid-life crisis as he reminisces about the Brooklyn Dodgers and past romantic vacations with his wife who is currently out of town at a family funeral. Oh, and he picks up a hitchhiker who may or may not be over the age of consent. Things are so bad with the business that Harry contemplates hiring an arsonist to burn down one of their factories for the insurance money. His business partner, Phil, played wonderfully by Jack Gilford (who reminds me of my Uncle Moe) wants nothing to do with it, and tries valiantly to play the moral conscience, but Harry sees no other alternative. He has more than most people: a house in Beverly Hills, a Lincoln Continental with a car phone, trips to Europe, expensive clothes, but something is missing. Harry seems at different times lost, angry, nostalgic and romantic. This movie is about the choices Harry makes, which are not always easy, he is trapped between past bad decisions and limited options for future decisions. What was interesting to me watching this movie forty years later is the same discussions that Harry and Phil have in 1973 are the conversations that so many people are having now, just switch out the Vietnam War for the Gulf War (Harry is a World War II veteran who fought in Italy), the economic challenges of the early 1970s with the recession of the late 2000s, questions of patriotism. This really is Lemmon's movie, I think he's in almost every single scene, and while he plays a character you may not like a whole lot, you get to see up close his emotions, his struggles, and at the end, maybe a little hope. Los Angeles in 1973 is very gritty, or perhaps that's the pollution. I liked this movie, I love Jack Lemmon, and it was nice to see a movie about which I had no preconceptions. Lemmon beat out Robert Redford (The Sting), Al Pacino (Serpico) and Marlon Brando (Last Tango in Paris) for Best Actor, and I've heard of all of those movies, but never Save the Tiger. If you're a fan of Jack Lemmon, then you should watch this.
A trip around the world: Argentina, Japan, Africa, - three foreign films for your review, including Ran
Sometimes I let a certain entropy take over the movie selections for the weekend, and other times, I like to think I'm planning and organized, maybe with a theme, an actor or director or something like that. This past weekend, I thought, hmm, perhaps Best Foreign Language Film would be a great category to tackle, and it was, except only one of the three films I watched actually won for Best Foreign Language Film. But, never fear, your intrepid movie review will explain all in a moment.
9/28/13 The Secret in Their Eyes, Best Foreign Language Film, 2009
The Secret in their Eyes was Argentina's winning entry from 2009. It tells the story of a brutal attack and murder of a young woman in 1974 and the investigation of her murder by Benjamin Esposito, a federal agent and his interest in writing a book on the case 25 years later. The movie goes back and forth between the two time periods. Esposito reconnects with Irene Menendez-Hastings, who is now a judge, but 25 years earlier, she was Esposito's department chief, and they discuss the case, take trips down memory lane, and ignite romantic feelings that seemed to be one-sided for Esposito in 1979. Esposito is spurred on in his pursuit of the killer by the love and single-minded dedication of the young girl's widower, Ricardo Morales. Morales cannot give up on finding the suspected killer and bringing him to justice, and his focus, perhaps myopia, rubs off on Esposito and his assistant, Sandoval. Providing any more information risks spoiling the fun of watching the story unravel and then come together, so I will leave you with a strong recommendation to get this movie from Netflix or the library. The storytelling, direction and acting are superb, it's suspenseful, and a great detective story. The movie was based on a novel, by Eduardo Sacheri called The Question in Their Eyes. The one thing that was a little confusing was the way the legal system works in Argentina and who is responsible for what; but don't let that detract from the story.
10/2/13 Ran, Best Costume Design, 1985
This is where my great plan started to go a little askew, I was under the assumption when I saw Ran on my Oscars list (it only lists the number of awards and nominations) that it won for Best Picture, I mean, come on, we're talking Akira Kurosawa and a film that is routinely recognized as one of the best ever. But from what I read on Wikipedia (also check out the article for much more detail and analysis) Kurosawa upset people in the Japanese film industry so it was not nominated as Japan's entry for Best Foreign Film, but it was nominated in several other categories, including Best Director, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design, which it did win. There is no way I am going to try to analyze and recap everything that happens in this movie, I think that is better left to longer forms like books and essays, but I'll try to give you a flavor (think of it like getting a little sample at the mall food court and then going back for the whole menu). Ran is a variation on the story of King Lear, substituting three sons for Lear's three daughters. Hidetora is a powerful warlord who is ready to pass on his lands and power to his three sons, but goes about it in a way that pretty much alienates everyone. As Hidetora moves from one disgruntled son to another, his enemies begin to make their moves on his family's territory. If you're familiar with the story of King Lear and his foibles, penchant for angry outbursts and brushes with hubris, you probably have some idea how this ends. And knowing (or suspecting) the ending, does not lessen the impact of the movie. The musical score is a mixture of Japanese drums (I think that's what they were) and an orchestral score, sometimes this score plays with the action and environmental background noise and at one point, you only here the music, no horses riding or arrows being shot, it's very different, but it works. The cinematography is stunning. The acting is at times melodramatic and at others, really melodramatic, but I think that was by design and not bad acting. As I was watching this movie, I tried to think of other attempts at versions or adaptations of King Lear in film, and I honestly could not think of too many, just one in fact, and that starred one of the greatest Shakespearean actors in history, Lord Laurence Olivier in an 1983 television version of King Lear. Once I remembered that, I tried to see the parallels between the two versions: Kurosawa and Olivier did their take on Lear towards the end of their careers and were recognized for their versions; they were done two years apart; the scene on the heath/mountains during the storm still seems pivotal to me and in both versions was gripping and the Fool grows in importance (the Fool in any story, if done well, is the truthsayer and should not be overlooked). If it is possible, I would recommend seeing both films, but probably not back to back, because that might be a lot to take in at one time. Also, if you are hesitant to see a foreign film, even though I have encouraged you to broaden your horizons, this is probably not the movie with which to start, it's very long, for one thing (160 minutes) and it may be easier to start with movies where the language is a little more familiar. However, if you do like foreign films, and just have not gotten around to seeing this, definitely add this to your list. The last 45 minutes are really powerful. Oh, and if you have no idea about the tragedy of King Lear, then you should send a note to your high school English teacher and ask for a summary, or read it yourself.
9/28/13 War Witch, Best Foreign Language Film nominee, 2012
Okay, here it is, the movie everyone should watch, but most people will not. It wasn't an easy movie to watch, and I was fairly convinced I was going to have nightmares. Not slasher movie nightmares, but holy shit, 'this stuff really happens' nightmares. War Witch was Canada's entry for 2012 (it was in French and Lingala) and tells the story of civil war in an unnamed country in sub-Saharan Africa and the use of child soldiers. At the beginning of the movie, Komona is a 12 year old girl whose village is attacked by soldiers and everyone is killed except for her, she is forced to kill her parents. She is then taken away and forced to be a soldier. She later befriends an older albino boy, called 'Magician' (there is a reason I mention he's an albino, it's relevant later), and he asks her to marry him and takes her back to his family (it's not quite that easy, it's all a journey). Unfortunately, things don't quite end there, and if possible, it gets harder to watch. The movie ends on a hopeful note, but it's not easy. This movie should be watched, it's a real issue and it's told in a way that does not shy away from the harsh reality. I'm not sure how the kids in the movie were able to do the things they were asked, but they deserve a lot of credit, in fact, the young girl who played Komona, Rachel Mwanza, had never acted before, but she won the Silver Bear Award for Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival, among other honors. War Witch was going up against some strong competition at the Oscars in 2012 and lost to Amour. I hope you give this one a try, but maybe watch an episode of Big Bang Theory afterward just to take the edge off.
9/28/13 The Secret in Their Eyes, Best Foreign Language Film, 2009
The Secret in their Eyes was Argentina's winning entry from 2009. It tells the story of a brutal attack and murder of a young woman in 1974 and the investigation of her murder by Benjamin Esposito, a federal agent and his interest in writing a book on the case 25 years later. The movie goes back and forth between the two time periods. Esposito reconnects with Irene Menendez-Hastings, who is now a judge, but 25 years earlier, she was Esposito's department chief, and they discuss the case, take trips down memory lane, and ignite romantic feelings that seemed to be one-sided for Esposito in 1979. Esposito is spurred on in his pursuit of the killer by the love and single-minded dedication of the young girl's widower, Ricardo Morales. Morales cannot give up on finding the suspected killer and bringing him to justice, and his focus, perhaps myopia, rubs off on Esposito and his assistant, Sandoval. Providing any more information risks spoiling the fun of watching the story unravel and then come together, so I will leave you with a strong recommendation to get this movie from Netflix or the library. The storytelling, direction and acting are superb, it's suspenseful, and a great detective story. The movie was based on a novel, by Eduardo Sacheri called The Question in Their Eyes. The one thing that was a little confusing was the way the legal system works in Argentina and who is responsible for what; but don't let that detract from the story.
10/2/13 Ran, Best Costume Design, 1985
This is where my great plan started to go a little askew, I was under the assumption when I saw Ran on my Oscars list (it only lists the number of awards and nominations) that it won for Best Picture, I mean, come on, we're talking Akira Kurosawa and a film that is routinely recognized as one of the best ever. But from what I read on Wikipedia (also check out the article for much more detail and analysis) Kurosawa upset people in the Japanese film industry so it was not nominated as Japan's entry for Best Foreign Film, but it was nominated in several other categories, including Best Director, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design, which it did win. There is no way I am going to try to analyze and recap everything that happens in this movie, I think that is better left to longer forms like books and essays, but I'll try to give you a flavor (think of it like getting a little sample at the mall food court and then going back for the whole menu). Ran is a variation on the story of King Lear, substituting three sons for Lear's three daughters. Hidetora is a powerful warlord who is ready to pass on his lands and power to his three sons, but goes about it in a way that pretty much alienates everyone. As Hidetora moves from one disgruntled son to another, his enemies begin to make their moves on his family's territory. If you're familiar with the story of King Lear and his foibles, penchant for angry outbursts and brushes with hubris, you probably have some idea how this ends. And knowing (or suspecting) the ending, does not lessen the impact of the movie. The musical score is a mixture of Japanese drums (I think that's what they were) and an orchestral score, sometimes this score plays with the action and environmental background noise and at one point, you only here the music, no horses riding or arrows being shot, it's very different, but it works. The cinematography is stunning. The acting is at times melodramatic and at others, really melodramatic, but I think that was by design and not bad acting. As I was watching this movie, I tried to think of other attempts at versions or adaptations of King Lear in film, and I honestly could not think of too many, just one in fact, and that starred one of the greatest Shakespearean actors in history, Lord Laurence Olivier in an 1983 television version of King Lear. Once I remembered that, I tried to see the parallels between the two versions: Kurosawa and Olivier did their take on Lear towards the end of their careers and were recognized for their versions; they were done two years apart; the scene on the heath/mountains during the storm still seems pivotal to me and in both versions was gripping and the Fool grows in importance (the Fool in any story, if done well, is the truthsayer and should not be overlooked). If it is possible, I would recommend seeing both films, but probably not back to back, because that might be a lot to take in at one time. Also, if you are hesitant to see a foreign film, even though I have encouraged you to broaden your horizons, this is probably not the movie with which to start, it's very long, for one thing (160 minutes) and it may be easier to start with movies where the language is a little more familiar. However, if you do like foreign films, and just have not gotten around to seeing this, definitely add this to your list. The last 45 minutes are really powerful. Oh, and if you have no idea about the tragedy of King Lear, then you should send a note to your high school English teacher and ask for a summary, or read it yourself.
9/28/13 War Witch, Best Foreign Language Film nominee, 2012
Okay, here it is, the movie everyone should watch, but most people will not. It wasn't an easy movie to watch, and I was fairly convinced I was going to have nightmares. Not slasher movie nightmares, but holy shit, 'this stuff really happens' nightmares. War Witch was Canada's entry for 2012 (it was in French and Lingala) and tells the story of civil war in an unnamed country in sub-Saharan Africa and the use of child soldiers. At the beginning of the movie, Komona is a 12 year old girl whose village is attacked by soldiers and everyone is killed except for her, she is forced to kill her parents. She is then taken away and forced to be a soldier. She later befriends an older albino boy, called 'Magician' (there is a reason I mention he's an albino, it's relevant later), and he asks her to marry him and takes her back to his family (it's not quite that easy, it's all a journey). Unfortunately, things don't quite end there, and if possible, it gets harder to watch. The movie ends on a hopeful note, but it's not easy. This movie should be watched, it's a real issue and it's told in a way that does not shy away from the harsh reality. I'm not sure how the kids in the movie were able to do the things they were asked, but they deserve a lot of credit, in fact, the young girl who played Komona, Rachel Mwanza, had never acted before, but she won the Silver Bear Award for Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival, among other honors. War Witch was going up against some strong competition at the Oscars in 2012 and lost to Amour. I hope you give this one a try, but maybe watch an episode of Big Bang Theory afterward just to take the edge off.
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Whiling away the time while staying at home
There is no denying that these are very strange and tumultuous we're living in. Obviously I haven't been blogging too much lately, i...
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Sometimes the selection of movies does not lend itself to rave reviews or in depth analysis. I'm afraid this is one of those times. My a...
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There is no denying that these are very strange and tumultuous we're living in. Obviously I haven't been blogging too much lately, i... -
10/5/2013 Oliver! Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adaptation Score, Best Art Direction, Best Sound, Special Academy Award for Choreography...