2/1/19 A Quiet Place, nominated Best Sound Editing, 2018
A Quiet Place is normally the type of movie I won't even consider watching, I run the other direction (kind of like last year's surprise Get Out) until it appears on one of my blasted lists. And like with Get Out, I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, I was irritated with myself for not watching it sooner. I am often bemoaning the lack of originality based on the number of remakes/reboots, but not here. Lee Abbott (John Krasinski who also directed and co-wrote the screenplay) is trying to protect his family, wife Evelyn (played by real life wife Emily Blunt), his children Regan, Marcus and Beau from aliens who have invaded Earth. The aliens are blind, but man, can they hear. This forces the family to rely on American Sign Language, which they have learned anyway because Regan is deaf. The actors (and it's a very small cast) work very well together, and kudos to Krasinksi for hiring a hearing-impaired actress (Millicent Simmonds) as Regan; there's an authenticity there, and then learning that the cast learned sign language impressed me more. I think the movie works so well because of the silence and the attempts to be silent, and not knowing what sound may reach the aliens. It is a perfect suspense film, because even when you think you know what's going to happen, you're still on edge; but often, you don't know what's going to happen. It's taut and tense, and while it uses special effects, it uses them sparingly; Krasinski relies on the actors more than effects, and I really appreciated it. I liked that the ending wasn't cookie cutter or sicky sweet, but I really want to know what happens (no spoilers here). I am surprised that it didn't get more nominations, visual effects, original screenplay or film editing; the sound editing nomination seems a little ironic. If you haven't seen it and didn't want to because of the aliens or because you're a scaredy cat like me, I would say give it a chance.
2/2/19 Solo: A Star Wars Story, nominated Best Visual Effects, 2018
Eh. I could have lived my whole life without seeing Solo: A Star Wars Story and been perfectly content. As it is, I have watched it and do not feel one iota different. I wasn't entertained (that's usually the easiest compliment I can give a movie is that it entertained me for a couple of hours). As you might guess, this is a movie that focuses on Han Solo and his adventures before he met Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia; we learn how Solo met Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian. There were some witty lines, but honestly, I'm not even sure it should have been nominated for Best Visual Effects, except, I think there's an unwritten Academy rule that if there is a Star Wars movie out, it has to be nominated for something.
2/2/19 The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, nominated Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Original Song, 2018
It's always a crapshoot whether I'll like a Coen Brothers movie; I always want to, but it doesn't always happen; or, I'll like parts of the movie and roll my eyes for the rest. I surprised myself (I know, twice in one entry) but I loved it. Absolutely loved it. For one thing, it wasn't just one long movie, it was a series of short films, all with a Western theme and a macabre twist, kind of like if Edgar Allan Poe had been on the Oregon Trail; and all of the films were self-contained, so they didn't get too bogged down or go down one of those infamous rabbit holes. There are six vignettes, starring in no particular order: Tyne Daley, Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, Stephen Root, Liam Neeson, Tom Waits and Brendan Gleeson. The film takes stories from the Old West with which we are all familiar: a gunslinger who can't be beaten, a bank robber/cattle rustler headed for a hanging, a gold miner, a family heading West looking for a new life; and they are given macabre twists. I don't want to give too much away because part of the fun was watching the stories unfold. The cinematography is spectacular; the color of the early morning and early evening is breathtaking. I was surprised it wasn't nominated in that category.
2/3/19 First Reformed, nominated Best Original Screenplay, 2018
An Ethan Hawke film I didn't hate. I didn't love it, but I thought Paul Schrader's film First Reformed raised some interesting points about faith, religion and man's responsibility to the world in which we live, and the difficulties in reconciling these things. Ernst Toller (Hawke) is the reverend at First Reformed Church in Snowbridge, New York, which is notable for being on the Underground Railroad and for being 250 years, but not much else. Toller is trying to cope with a crisis of faith after losing his son, Joseph, in the Iraq War, after encouraging him to follow the family tradition and serve in the military. Even as he is struggling to overcome his self-doubt, he meets a young parishioner, Mary (Amanda Seyfried) who seems to have faith enough for them both, but unfortunately, not enough for her husband, Michael, who has become a radical environmentalist, and does not want to bring their unborn child into this world. Schrader poses the question, through Toller, doesn't God want us to take care of the planet and treat its resources with respect and honor? How can people ( and there is a specific character in the movie to whom this is directed) who claim to be religious and praise God, destroy the planet with chemicals and over harvesting? Toller doesn't get a satisfactory answer to this, but seems more convinced that Michael was right. The movie takes a stranger and otherworldly turn at the end, which I guess I get, but I think endings like this make me shake my head and it's hard to take it seriously. I think this would make a good play (except for the ending) because it doesn't require a huge cast, you would need maybe three sets, there aren't any special effects, and it's good play material, lots of dialog, opportunities for the lead character to have a couple of soliloquys. Something to think about. I think it's worth seeing, but you can definitely watch it on the television.
As of this writing I have 34 movies left to see, ten which will be knocked off tomorrow after my annual trek to see the animated and live action shorts in Uptown. Stay warm.
Showing posts with label mystery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mystery. Show all posts
Working off the National Film Registry list- Memento, Thelonious Monk and The Return of the Secaucus 7
10/31/18 Memento, 2000 National Film Registry
Shortly after watching Memento, directed by Christopher Nolan (Batman), I discussed it with a friend, and we both agreed that it's been a while since either of us have seen a movie that original. Having said that, I don't want to tell you too much about it, although to be honest, I'm not sure I could if I tried. Guy Pearce is Leonard Shelby, an insurance investigator, who is trying to figure out who killed is wife (Jorja Fox) and gave him anterograde amnesia (he cannot form short term memories) in the process. Leonard uses some interesting ways to write notes to himself. He is befriended or tormented by John Edward Gammell (Joe Pantoliano), and forges a relationship of some kind with Natalie (Carrie-Ann Moss). The use of flashbacks is clever and mildly mind-boggling, you really have to pay attention. Nolan uses color and black and white sequences to separate time lines. He knows how to get a particular mood, which he later did on the Batman series. If you haven't seen it, watch it with a friend or two to help keep track of everything, and if I have time, I may watch it again.
11/2/18 Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser, 1988 National Film Registry
I was so disappointed trying to watch this documentary on someone I didn't know very much about. Sometimes I watch documentaries to fill out and reinforce things I already, but a lot of times, I watch to learn about an event, art or person I know nothing or very little about. Those are the best. I remember watching What Happened, Miss Simone? and feeling like someone opened a door into music and cultural history. I didn't feel that way at all watching Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser. I felt very frustrated at the lack of strong narration, and clips of Monk playing live (which was apparently lost footage) and interviews with contemporaries and his son strung together in a patchwork sort of way. There were very few scenes where Monk actually spoke, and those were impossible to understand. I definitely picked up on a very strong personality and an immense talent, but I was hoping for more. In my opinion, this isn't on the National Film Registry because it's a great documentary, but more because of the rare footage and the subject. If you're a bebop fan or student, you have probably seen it, and perhaps got a lot more out of it than I did.
11/3/18 The Return of the Secaucus 7, 1980 National Film Registry
In the sources I reviewed, The Return of the Secaucus 7, written and directed by John Sayles, was the precursor to The Big Chill (nope, haven't seen that either, but I had the soundtrack on LP). It's a look at a group of college friends who get together for a weekend in New Hampshire and discuss life and love. You may recognize a couple of actors who got their early start here, even if you don't know the names: David Strathairn and Gordon Clapp, and possibly Adam LeFevre. Long term relationships break up, new ones get started. It was a movie about baby boomers by a baby boomer, and was about the people, no big event happening within the context of the film (no war, no murder, no heist, no natural disaster). It may be hard to believe that was different, but it was. Even though it is set in the 1980s, wondering what you're going to do with your life is a pretty universal feeling: do you head out to LA to pursue your music, have kids, change careers for something less stressful and more fiscally rewarding? I didn't love the movie, but I didn't hate it either.
11/4/18 Suddenly, Last Summer, 1959
With all of the lists I have to work from, you may wonder why I went off script, so to speak, to watch a not great movie that's not on any of the lists. I recently finished a biography of Montgomery Clift and was really interested to watch Suddenly, Last Summer. Sigh. It was taken from the Tennessee Williams play and starred Katherine Hepburn as the deep in mourning and denial Viola, mother of the frequently referenced, but never seen and deceased, Sebastian; Elizabeth Taylor as the tortured Catherine, cousin of Sebastian; Clift as Dr. Cukrowicz, a surgeon who specializes in lobotomies (maybe I should have quite while I was ahead). Joseph Mankiewicz directed (All About Eve, Guys and Dolls, Cleopatra) and Williams and Gore Vidal wrote the screenplay. On the face of it, this should have been a great film, but it was a little creepy. I'm going to skip over the barbaric conditions under which the opening surgery is performed, that's too obvious. The unnaturally intense grief that is displayed by Viola for Sebastian is unnerving. I was really proud of myself for noticing the connection between the names Viola and Sebastian and the play Twelfth Night by Shakespeare; the thing is, they were twins. The description of Sebastian's death at the hands of some local boys in a Spanish beach town is disturbing. If you watch the movie with no understanding of the background, some things may not make sense, but there are veiled hints at Sebastian's homosexuality, which Viola denies, but Catherine confirms in a very emotional speech. Catherine's knowledge of Sebastian's secret is why Viola is trying to get Cukrowicz to perform a lobotomy on Catherine. Yeah, did you just make a face? I will say I had to watch Hepburn, she was so commanding. She and Taylor were both nominated for the Best Actress Oscar, but lost to Simone Signoret. Clift was not at his best, this film came only a few years after a devastating car accident. I don't care if it wasn't on a list, I'm crossing it off.
Shortly after watching Memento, directed by Christopher Nolan (Batman), I discussed it with a friend, and we both agreed that it's been a while since either of us have seen a movie that original. Having said that, I don't want to tell you too much about it, although to be honest, I'm not sure I could if I tried. Guy Pearce is Leonard Shelby, an insurance investigator, who is trying to figure out who killed is wife (Jorja Fox) and gave him anterograde amnesia (he cannot form short term memories) in the process. Leonard uses some interesting ways to write notes to himself. He is befriended or tormented by John Edward Gammell (Joe Pantoliano), and forges a relationship of some kind with Natalie (Carrie-Ann Moss). The use of flashbacks is clever and mildly mind-boggling, you really have to pay attention. Nolan uses color and black and white sequences to separate time lines. He knows how to get a particular mood, which he later did on the Batman series. If you haven't seen it, watch it with a friend or two to help keep track of everything, and if I have time, I may watch it again.
11/2/18 Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser, 1988 National Film Registry
I was so disappointed trying to watch this documentary on someone I didn't know very much about. Sometimes I watch documentaries to fill out and reinforce things I already, but a lot of times, I watch to learn about an event, art or person I know nothing or very little about. Those are the best. I remember watching What Happened, Miss Simone? and feeling like someone opened a door into music and cultural history. I didn't feel that way at all watching Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser. I felt very frustrated at the lack of strong narration, and clips of Monk playing live (which was apparently lost footage) and interviews with contemporaries and his son strung together in a patchwork sort of way. There were very few scenes where Monk actually spoke, and those were impossible to understand. I definitely picked up on a very strong personality and an immense talent, but I was hoping for more. In my opinion, this isn't on the National Film Registry because it's a great documentary, but more because of the rare footage and the subject. If you're a bebop fan or student, you have probably seen it, and perhaps got a lot more out of it than I did.
11/3/18 The Return of the Secaucus 7, 1980 National Film Registry
In the sources I reviewed, The Return of the Secaucus 7, written and directed by John Sayles, was the precursor to The Big Chill (nope, haven't seen that either, but I had the soundtrack on LP). It's a look at a group of college friends who get together for a weekend in New Hampshire and discuss life and love. You may recognize a couple of actors who got their early start here, even if you don't know the names: David Strathairn and Gordon Clapp, and possibly Adam LeFevre. Long term relationships break up, new ones get started. It was a movie about baby boomers by a baby boomer, and was about the people, no big event happening within the context of the film (no war, no murder, no heist, no natural disaster). It may be hard to believe that was different, but it was. Even though it is set in the 1980s, wondering what you're going to do with your life is a pretty universal feeling: do you head out to LA to pursue your music, have kids, change careers for something less stressful and more fiscally rewarding? I didn't love the movie, but I didn't hate it either.
11/4/18 Suddenly, Last Summer, 1959
With all of the lists I have to work from, you may wonder why I went off script, so to speak, to watch a not great movie that's not on any of the lists. I recently finished a biography of Montgomery Clift and was really interested to watch Suddenly, Last Summer. Sigh. It was taken from the Tennessee Williams play and starred Katherine Hepburn as the deep in mourning and denial Viola, mother of the frequently referenced, but never seen and deceased, Sebastian; Elizabeth Taylor as the tortured Catherine, cousin of Sebastian; Clift as Dr. Cukrowicz, a surgeon who specializes in lobotomies (maybe I should have quite while I was ahead). Joseph Mankiewicz directed (All About Eve, Guys and Dolls, Cleopatra) and Williams and Gore Vidal wrote the screenplay. On the face of it, this should have been a great film, but it was a little creepy. I'm going to skip over the barbaric conditions under which the opening surgery is performed, that's too obvious. The unnaturally intense grief that is displayed by Viola for Sebastian is unnerving. I was really proud of myself for noticing the connection between the names Viola and Sebastian and the play Twelfth Night by Shakespeare; the thing is, they were twins. The description of Sebastian's death at the hands of some local boys in a Spanish beach town is disturbing. If you watch the movie with no understanding of the background, some things may not make sense, but there are veiled hints at Sebastian's homosexuality, which Viola denies, but Catherine confirms in a very emotional speech. Catherine's knowledge of Sebastian's secret is why Viola is trying to get Cukrowicz to perform a lobotomy on Catherine. Yeah, did you just make a face? I will say I had to watch Hepburn, she was so commanding. She and Taylor were both nominated for the Best Actress Oscar, but lost to Simone Signoret. Clift was not at his best, this film came only a few years after a devastating car accident. I don't care if it wasn't on a list, I'm crossing it off.
The Wolfman, The Breakfast Club and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
11/18/17 The Wolfman, Best Makeup, 2010
When I see a movie classified as 'horror', my first inclination is to go the other way, and push it to the end of the queue. But something made me request both The Wolfman and Night of the Living Dead at the same time. I'm a little ashamed to say that I returned Night of the Living Dead unwatched. I just couldn't do it (if you're curious, it's on the BBC list and the National Film Registry). However, I bravely watched The Wolfman, and it really wasn't terrible; a little suspenseful and scary, but nothing that gave me nightmares. It is set in the 1890s, in England, in a part where the sun never shines and the fog lies heavy on the moors, and where Anthony Hopkins is lord of the manor as Sir John Talbot, father to Benicio del Toro's Lawrence Talbot. Lawrence is an actor and has been estranged from his family for a long time, until Lawrence's brother, Ben, is mysteriously murdered in the woods. It gets a little awkward when we learn that Sir John is also a werewolf, and he bites Lawrence, thereby turning him into a werewolf. It's really the gift that keeps on giving. The movie was fine; nothing terrific, the acting was a little melodramatic, but the scenery and the cinematography was beautiful. As far as winning for Best Makeup, I think it was kind of a no-brainer, the other two nominees being The Way Back and Barney's Version, which were more straight dramas, not a lot of effects or dramatic makeup.
11/18/17 The Breakfast Club, 1985, National Film Registry
I watched The Breakfast Club years ago, but not when it came out in the theaters, when I would have been the target age, and it didn't have a huge impact on me. It was added to the National Film Registry last year, and I figured I should give it a fresh viewing. In case you have not seen it, the movie tells the story of "a brain (Anthony Michael Hall), an athlete (Emilio Estevez), a princess (Molly Ringwald), a basket case (Ally Sheedy) and a criminal (Judd Nelson)", essentially stereotypes found in high school (and potentially real life). It was directed by one of the hottest directors of the 1980s, John Hughes (Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Weird Science among a few of his creative efforts), who seemed to have a hold on the teen demographic at the time. Five students are required to attend Saturday detention at school, and as ordered by the Assistant Vice Principal Vernon, they are to sit in silence and write an essay on who they think they are. Of course, this does not happen, and Saturday frequent flyer, Bender (Nelson), engages his fellow captives by cajoling, teasing and harassing them. The quintet get to know each other, challenging the others' preconceptions of them, poking at their frailties and insecurities. The movie is a definite reflection of 1985 with the soundtrack featuring the sounds of the 80s, especially in the anthemic: "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds, the clothes and the vernacular; however, it is also timeless. Teen alienation is nothing new, being shown in films like Blackboard Jungle (including the iconic "Rock around the clock") and West Side Story. High school can be a rough place, with kids not getting each other an certainly not understanding or being understood by the adults in their lives. I liked, and appreciated, the movie a lot more in my golden years.
11/19/17 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Best Film Editing, 2011
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was originally a book written by Stieg Larsson, the first of a trilogy, then the first in a Swedish film trilogy, starring Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander. The English version stars Rooney Mara as Salander and Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist, among an all-star cast that includes Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright and Joely Richardson. Salander is an anti-social computer whiz, specializing in security/background checks, who is asked to dig into the background of disgraced journalist Blomkvist. The movie follows two paths, Blomkvist's and Salander's until they converge. Blomkvist has been invited to the estate of Henrik Vanger (Plummer) to solve the mystery of his niece, Harriet, over 40 years earlier. Every family has its secrets, and Vanger's is no different, and not everyone is thrilled to have Blomkvist going back through the family's history. As Mikael learns more about the Vangers, Lisbeth is waging her own battle against her new guardian/trustee, who exchanges her trust money for sex. Lisbeth is not passive and plays the long game against the man who uses his power to humiliate and hurt her. Those scenes are brutally described in the book, and they are pretty hard to watch in the movie. Eventually, Salander and Blomkvist connect and she helps him with his research. Director David Fincher sets a fast and suspenseful pace, and the Oscar-winning editing helps that happen. The score was done by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (both winning the Oscar for Best Original Score for The Social Network), and it's pretty powerful, including a version of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" which was really fantastic. The cinematography suited the mood of the film, dark and gray up at the Vanger family home, and pretty dark everywhere else. I wasn't sure how Rooney Mara would be as Salander, especially since I read the book, I had my own idea of what she looked like, and I thought Noomi Rapace was incredible in that role. But, I didn't need to worry about that at all; Rooney Mara disappeared behind the dark makeup, punk, homemade haircut, piercings and tattoos. And attitude. She took ownership of that role, and I would have liked to see if she could have continued it in the following books, but it doesn't seem like that will happen (at least not with her or Craig). I was surprised the movie didn't do better, but it's dark and heavy and maybe not everyone's cup of tea.
When I see a movie classified as 'horror', my first inclination is to go the other way, and push it to the end of the queue. But something made me request both The Wolfman and Night of the Living Dead at the same time. I'm a little ashamed to say that I returned Night of the Living Dead unwatched. I just couldn't do it (if you're curious, it's on the BBC list and the National Film Registry). However, I bravely watched The Wolfman, and it really wasn't terrible; a little suspenseful and scary, but nothing that gave me nightmares. It is set in the 1890s, in England, in a part where the sun never shines and the fog lies heavy on the moors, and where Anthony Hopkins is lord of the manor as Sir John Talbot, father to Benicio del Toro's Lawrence Talbot. Lawrence is an actor and has been estranged from his family for a long time, until Lawrence's brother, Ben, is mysteriously murdered in the woods. It gets a little awkward when we learn that Sir John is also a werewolf, and he bites Lawrence, thereby turning him into a werewolf. It's really the gift that keeps on giving. The movie was fine; nothing terrific, the acting was a little melodramatic, but the scenery and the cinematography was beautiful. As far as winning for Best Makeup, I think it was kind of a no-brainer, the other two nominees being The Way Back and Barney's Version, which were more straight dramas, not a lot of effects or dramatic makeup.
11/18/17 The Breakfast Club, 1985, National Film Registry
I watched The Breakfast Club years ago, but not when it came out in the theaters, when I would have been the target age, and it didn't have a huge impact on me. It was added to the National Film Registry last year, and I figured I should give it a fresh viewing. In case you have not seen it, the movie tells the story of "a brain (Anthony Michael Hall), an athlete (Emilio Estevez), a princess (Molly Ringwald), a basket case (Ally Sheedy) and a criminal (Judd Nelson)", essentially stereotypes found in high school (and potentially real life). It was directed by one of the hottest directors of the 1980s, John Hughes (Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Weird Science among a few of his creative efforts), who seemed to have a hold on the teen demographic at the time. Five students are required to attend Saturday detention at school, and as ordered by the Assistant Vice Principal Vernon, they are to sit in silence and write an essay on who they think they are. Of course, this does not happen, and Saturday frequent flyer, Bender (Nelson), engages his fellow captives by cajoling, teasing and harassing them. The quintet get to know each other, challenging the others' preconceptions of them, poking at their frailties and insecurities. The movie is a definite reflection of 1985 with the soundtrack featuring the sounds of the 80s, especially in the anthemic: "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds, the clothes and the vernacular; however, it is also timeless. Teen alienation is nothing new, being shown in films like Blackboard Jungle (including the iconic "Rock around the clock") and West Side Story. High school can be a rough place, with kids not getting each other an certainly not understanding or being understood by the adults in their lives. I liked, and appreciated, the movie a lot more in my golden years.
11/19/17 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Best Film Editing, 2011
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was originally a book written by Stieg Larsson, the first of a trilogy, then the first in a Swedish film trilogy, starring Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander. The English version stars Rooney Mara as Salander and Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist, among an all-star cast that includes Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright and Joely Richardson. Salander is an anti-social computer whiz, specializing in security/background checks, who is asked to dig into the background of disgraced journalist Blomkvist. The movie follows two paths, Blomkvist's and Salander's until they converge. Blomkvist has been invited to the estate of Henrik Vanger (Plummer) to solve the mystery of his niece, Harriet, over 40 years earlier. Every family has its secrets, and Vanger's is no different, and not everyone is thrilled to have Blomkvist going back through the family's history. As Mikael learns more about the Vangers, Lisbeth is waging her own battle against her new guardian/trustee, who exchanges her trust money for sex. Lisbeth is not passive and plays the long game against the man who uses his power to humiliate and hurt her. Those scenes are brutally described in the book, and they are pretty hard to watch in the movie. Eventually, Salander and Blomkvist connect and she helps him with his research. Director David Fincher sets a fast and suspenseful pace, and the Oscar-winning editing helps that happen. The score was done by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (both winning the Oscar for Best Original Score for The Social Network), and it's pretty powerful, including a version of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" which was really fantastic. The cinematography suited the mood of the film, dark and gray up at the Vanger family home, and pretty dark everywhere else. I wasn't sure how Rooney Mara would be as Salander, especially since I read the book, I had my own idea of what she looked like, and I thought Noomi Rapace was incredible in that role. But, I didn't need to worry about that at all; Rooney Mara disappeared behind the dark makeup, punk, homemade haircut, piercings and tattoos. And attitude. She took ownership of that role, and I would have liked to see if she could have continued it in the following books, but it doesn't seem like that will happen (at least not with her or Craig). I was surprised the movie didn't do better, but it's dark and heavy and maybe not everyone's cup of tea.
Current movies: Thor, Justice League and Murder on the Orient Express
It's around this time of year that I start to see current movies in preparation for the Oscars. It's frenzied and occasionally stressful. Well, I haven't gotten to the stressful part yet, but I have seen three new movies in three days. Since they are still pretty new, I will try not to give away any spoilers.
11/22/17 Thor: Ragnarok, not yet nominated, 2017
Is it just me, or did it take forever for this movie to come out? Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Norse god of thunder, returns after 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, trying to find the Infinity Stones. Unfortunately for Thor, but lucky for us, it's not quite that easy. Thor lands in Asgard looking for Odin, only to learn that mischievous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) put Odin on Earth. As Loki and Thor have wonderful warm brotherly moment, we are introduced to Hela (Cate Blanchett), who they learn is the elder sister who has been imprisoned for being very naughty. Let's just say she has a helluva temper. She is set on destroying Asgard and Thor can't let that happen, but he faces an unexpected delay and detour in Sakaar, a world ruled by the Grandmaster (played wonderfully by Jeff Goldblum who was one of my picks for Dr. Strange). Grandmaster has gladiator-type fights with hapless lifeforms that have been picked up around the galaxy. His current champion is...well, if you haven't seen the previews, I'm not going to ruin it for you. One of my favorite new characters is also a gladiator, Korg, who kind of resembles The Thing (Korg is voiced by director Taika Waititi), and he's a fighter, but also kind and a little obtuse. You're wondering about "Ragnarok"? That pretty much means the end of the world, but you'll have to see for yourself. My brother saw this first and told me I would like it, but he thought parts were too jokey. I like a little humor with my comic book movies, but I agree, there were times it seemed to interrupt the momentum, but I got over that. I really enjoyed the movie. Cate Blanchett was AMAZING as Hela (I watched her at home the next day as Queen Elizabeth I and she was fabulous there as well), totally enjoying the life of a super villain. The story introduced the Valkyries (not quite as famous as the Amazons, but fierce women warriors) and gave Heimdall (Idris Elba) more of a role rather than just as a sentry. It was great, and it might even be super in 3D. Ohio native and member of Devo, Mark Mothersbaugh did the musical score. There is also a version of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" which I seem to like better in the context of movie soundtracks (I also heard it recently re-watching Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). Super hero movies always have the possibility of being nominated for special effects, production, costumes, hair and makeup, sound editing, etc.
11/23/17 Justice League, not yet nominated, 2017
I love the Justice League and its different incarnations in the animated world; the collection of characters and their super powers and the different personalities. So, I was cautiously optimistic at the mention of a live action version, until I learned which characters they were going to include and watched Batman v. Superman. Oh, this could be bad. I was not thrilled about the inclusion of Cyborg (as anyone heard of him outside of the Teen Titans on Cartoon Network?) and Aquaman (according to Raj from "The Big Bang Theory", "Aquaman sucks".). Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of the King of the Sea, but it seems to me hard to build a film around the aquatic world, and you're introducing three main/sort of main characters without a backstory. One of the big pluses, I think, was the incredible success of Wonder Woman this summer, it may have given some of us a reason to be hopeful if the new film focused on Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. The movie opened a week ago to reviews that ranged from tepid to awful, but I decided I wanted to see and judge for myself while it was still on the big screen. Was it as good as Thor: Ragnarok or Wonder Woman? Nah. Was it horrible? No. The movie picks up after Superman was killed in Batman v. Superman, and the world is in chaos, and it's more than Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman can handle on their own, and they go about assembling a group of gifted humans/meta humans (we got a glimpse of them in B v S), including Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher). They are joining to fight Steppenwolf, an ancient being who was vanquished millennia ago by a joint force of Atlantians, Amazonians, Green Lanterns and men of Earth (kind of Lord of the Rings - Two Towers) who returns to claim the mother boxes (similar to the Infinity Stones in the above-mentioned Thor/Avengers movies). I'll start off with what I didn't like: Aquaman (have I mentioned that?), he was mostly on land, what's the point of that? Since they mentioned the Green Lanterns, they could have re-introduced that element, which is such a rich universe to draw on. I wasn't thrilled with the time spent with Lois Lane and Mrs. Kent; Amy Adams, reprising her role, looked uncomfortable, like her shoes didn't fit or something. She is a great actress and this didn't seem worthy of her time. What I liked: the time spent on Themyscira with the Amazons, fierce and fearless; Wonder Woman stepping up as a leader and mediating force between the different egos (male) of the new team; I apologize for my dissing of Cyborg, who added a lot to the team with his different skills and strengths; I liked the Flash and the way they portrayed his speed. I am not sure why Ben Affleck attracts so many haters for portraying Batman; I think he's fine, he's subtle, subdued, restrained; I think the problem is he is on the heels of Christian Bale and that's why people get so irate. Some critics didn't like the plot, or the lack of one; eh, I was entertained, which is what I ask for in my super hero movies: action, some good quips, and good effects. Danny Elfman. who has done the musical scores for several Batman, Spider-Man and many other action/super hero films, did the score.
11/24/17 Murder on the Orient Express, not yet nominated, 2017
#whatweretheythinking I'm not an Agatha Christie fanatic, but I would say I'm very familiar with her main characters, especially Hercule Poirot; I have watched most of the films based on her books, as well as the television series that have featured Joan Hickson who is the only Miss Marple as well as David Suchet, who is also the only Hercule Poirot (in the 1974 film, Albert Finney was Poirot), and I am currently re-reading all of her works, including her Mary Westmacott stories. So, I feel a little invested. I only wish Kenneth Branagh, who starred and directed, and Michael Green, who 'wrote' the screenplay, felt the same. I really thought the worst part was going to be the horrid moustaches that Branagh wore, mais non. The story starts in Jerusalem where Poirot is working on a case in the holy city; in a move that smacks of disrespect (and I honestly do not recall this form the book) is where Poirot cavalierly jams his walking stick into the Western Wall (it had bits of paper that contain messages from pilgrims to God); I'm pretty sure he would have been mobbed had he really done that, and Poirot always seems aware of his surroundings and the culture. Poirot and a cast of characters are on the Orient Express, departing from Istanbul. The passengers on the train are a collection of stars, new and old: Dame Judi Dench, Sir Derek Jacobi, Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leslie Odom, Jr., Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp, to name most of the cast. For the most part, Green sticks to the essence of the plot: Samuel Ratchett (Depp) is an abhorrent man, who lives by questionable means and is receiving anonymous death threats. Poirot declines Ratchett's request to find out who is threatening him; so it is a little ironic that Poirot becomes responsible to find the person who murders Ratchett, even as the train is stuck in the snow. Poirot interviews all of the passengers and uncovers bits about their past. Branagh has moments where he nails Poirot spot on, but not enough, and where he misses, to me, he misses by a wide margin. In the movie, Poirot is reading Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, which I have not read in a while, but I don't remember it being one of Dickens' knee slappers, but Poirot is seen reading it, and guffawing out loud. Soon after the train gets derailed, Poirot is walking along the top of the train. As Poirot often tells his friends, Japp and Hastings (not in this story), he does not need to go out and look for "the clues", he uses his little grey cells; there is no way in hell, Hercule Poirot is unnecessarily walking around on the roof of a snowbound train. There is a scene where Josh Gad's character, MacQueen, is running outside on a train trestle or bridge, and Poirot is chasing him? WHAT? And then falls through the floor and lands with a thump, and bounces right back up. To quote a friend of mine, AYFKMRN? On more than one occasion, Poirot is walking outside without his overcoat; he does not like to be cold, and yet, there he is, with no overcoat, no muffler, and no hat. Poirot does not get physical with suspects, that's not his thing; I also don't remember him waving a gun about, certainly nothing bigger than one of those little pistols that a lady might put in her handbag. Okay, enough bashing Poirot. The cast was fine; perhaps the most interesting thing was casting Leslie Odom Jr. as Dr. Arbuthnot. As I was mentioning to a friend, there are rarely people of color in Christie's stories unless they are servants or foreigners, so I didn't have any problem with casting Odom as a black doctor, and then having the uniqueness of the situation addressed in the script. I think Dame Judi had some of the biggest shoes, or white gloves, to fill, as Princess Dragomiroff, the role was originally played by Dame Wendy Hiller, who was amazing as the autocratic and unbending Russian Princess. Johnny Depp was fine (Richard Widmark played Ratchett in the 1974 film); it's a pretty limited role; Penelope Cruz as Pilar Estravados (in the same role, Ingrid Bergman was Greta Ohlsson in her Oscar winning role) was one of my favorite characters, she wasn't really as hysterical as the viewer might think. Apparently this ridiculous production and possible sequels have the blessing of Agatha Christie's great grandson, which is concerning. I recommend reading David Suchet's memoir Poirot and Me, and watch the other versions of Murder on the Orient Express.
11/22/17 Thor: Ragnarok, not yet nominated, 2017
Is it just me, or did it take forever for this movie to come out? Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Norse god of thunder, returns after 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, trying to find the Infinity Stones. Unfortunately for Thor, but lucky for us, it's not quite that easy. Thor lands in Asgard looking for Odin, only to learn that mischievous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) put Odin on Earth. As Loki and Thor have wonderful warm brotherly moment, we are introduced to Hela (Cate Blanchett), who they learn is the elder sister who has been imprisoned for being very naughty. Let's just say she has a helluva temper. She is set on destroying Asgard and Thor can't let that happen, but he faces an unexpected delay and detour in Sakaar, a world ruled by the Grandmaster (played wonderfully by Jeff Goldblum who was one of my picks for Dr. Strange). Grandmaster has gladiator-type fights with hapless lifeforms that have been picked up around the galaxy. His current champion is...well, if you haven't seen the previews, I'm not going to ruin it for you. One of my favorite new characters is also a gladiator, Korg, who kind of resembles The Thing (Korg is voiced by director Taika Waititi), and he's a fighter, but also kind and a little obtuse. You're wondering about "Ragnarok"? That pretty much means the end of the world, but you'll have to see for yourself. My brother saw this first and told me I would like it, but he thought parts were too jokey. I like a little humor with my comic book movies, but I agree, there were times it seemed to interrupt the momentum, but I got over that. I really enjoyed the movie. Cate Blanchett was AMAZING as Hela (I watched her at home the next day as Queen Elizabeth I and she was fabulous there as well), totally enjoying the life of a super villain. The story introduced the Valkyries (not quite as famous as the Amazons, but fierce women warriors) and gave Heimdall (Idris Elba) more of a role rather than just as a sentry. It was great, and it might even be super in 3D. Ohio native and member of Devo, Mark Mothersbaugh did the musical score. There is also a version of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" which I seem to like better in the context of movie soundtracks (I also heard it recently re-watching Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). Super hero movies always have the possibility of being nominated for special effects, production, costumes, hair and makeup, sound editing, etc.
11/23/17 Justice League, not yet nominated, 2017
I love the Justice League and its different incarnations in the animated world; the collection of characters and their super powers and the different personalities. So, I was cautiously optimistic at the mention of a live action version, until I learned which characters they were going to include and watched Batman v. Superman. Oh, this could be bad. I was not thrilled about the inclusion of Cyborg (as anyone heard of him outside of the Teen Titans on Cartoon Network?) and Aquaman (according to Raj from "The Big Bang Theory", "Aquaman sucks".). Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of the King of the Sea, but it seems to me hard to build a film around the aquatic world, and you're introducing three main/sort of main characters without a backstory. One of the big pluses, I think, was the incredible success of Wonder Woman this summer, it may have given some of us a reason to be hopeful if the new film focused on Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. The movie opened a week ago to reviews that ranged from tepid to awful, but I decided I wanted to see and judge for myself while it was still on the big screen. Was it as good as Thor: Ragnarok or Wonder Woman? Nah. Was it horrible? No. The movie picks up after Superman was killed in Batman v. Superman, and the world is in chaos, and it's more than Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman can handle on their own, and they go about assembling a group of gifted humans/meta humans (we got a glimpse of them in B v S), including Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher). They are joining to fight Steppenwolf, an ancient being who was vanquished millennia ago by a joint force of Atlantians, Amazonians, Green Lanterns and men of Earth (kind of Lord of the Rings - Two Towers) who returns to claim the mother boxes (similar to the Infinity Stones in the above-mentioned Thor/Avengers movies). I'll start off with what I didn't like: Aquaman (have I mentioned that?), he was mostly on land, what's the point of that? Since they mentioned the Green Lanterns, they could have re-introduced that element, which is such a rich universe to draw on. I wasn't thrilled with the time spent with Lois Lane and Mrs. Kent; Amy Adams, reprising her role, looked uncomfortable, like her shoes didn't fit or something. She is a great actress and this didn't seem worthy of her time. What I liked: the time spent on Themyscira with the Amazons, fierce and fearless; Wonder Woman stepping up as a leader and mediating force between the different egos (male) of the new team; I apologize for my dissing of Cyborg, who added a lot to the team with his different skills and strengths; I liked the Flash and the way they portrayed his speed. I am not sure why Ben Affleck attracts so many haters for portraying Batman; I think he's fine, he's subtle, subdued, restrained; I think the problem is he is on the heels of Christian Bale and that's why people get so irate. Some critics didn't like the plot, or the lack of one; eh, I was entertained, which is what I ask for in my super hero movies: action, some good quips, and good effects. Danny Elfman. who has done the musical scores for several Batman, Spider-Man and many other action/super hero films, did the score.
11/24/17 Murder on the Orient Express, not yet nominated, 2017
#whatweretheythinking I'm not an Agatha Christie fanatic, but I would say I'm very familiar with her main characters, especially Hercule Poirot; I have watched most of the films based on her books, as well as the television series that have featured Joan Hickson who is the only Miss Marple as well as David Suchet, who is also the only Hercule Poirot (in the 1974 film, Albert Finney was Poirot), and I am currently re-reading all of her works, including her Mary Westmacott stories. So, I feel a little invested. I only wish Kenneth Branagh, who starred and directed, and Michael Green, who 'wrote' the screenplay, felt the same. I really thought the worst part was going to be the horrid moustaches that Branagh wore, mais non. The story starts in Jerusalem where Poirot is working on a case in the holy city; in a move that smacks of disrespect (and I honestly do not recall this form the book) is where Poirot cavalierly jams his walking stick into the Western Wall (it had bits of paper that contain messages from pilgrims to God); I'm pretty sure he would have been mobbed had he really done that, and Poirot always seems aware of his surroundings and the culture. Poirot and a cast of characters are on the Orient Express, departing from Istanbul. The passengers on the train are a collection of stars, new and old: Dame Judi Dench, Sir Derek Jacobi, Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leslie Odom, Jr., Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp, to name most of the cast. For the most part, Green sticks to the essence of the plot: Samuel Ratchett (Depp) is an abhorrent man, who lives by questionable means and is receiving anonymous death threats. Poirot declines Ratchett's request to find out who is threatening him; so it is a little ironic that Poirot becomes responsible to find the person who murders Ratchett, even as the train is stuck in the snow. Poirot interviews all of the passengers and uncovers bits about their past. Branagh has moments where he nails Poirot spot on, but not enough, and where he misses, to me, he misses by a wide margin. In the movie, Poirot is reading Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, which I have not read in a while, but I don't remember it being one of Dickens' knee slappers, but Poirot is seen reading it, and guffawing out loud. Soon after the train gets derailed, Poirot is walking along the top of the train. As Poirot often tells his friends, Japp and Hastings (not in this story), he does not need to go out and look for "the clues", he uses his little grey cells; there is no way in hell, Hercule Poirot is unnecessarily walking around on the roof of a snowbound train. There is a scene where Josh Gad's character, MacQueen, is running outside on a train trestle or bridge, and Poirot is chasing him? WHAT? And then falls through the floor and lands with a thump, and bounces right back up. To quote a friend of mine, AYFKMRN? On more than one occasion, Poirot is walking outside without his overcoat; he does not like to be cold, and yet, there he is, with no overcoat, no muffler, and no hat. Poirot does not get physical with suspects, that's not his thing; I also don't remember him waving a gun about, certainly nothing bigger than one of those little pistols that a lady might put in her handbag. Okay, enough bashing Poirot. The cast was fine; perhaps the most interesting thing was casting Leslie Odom Jr. as Dr. Arbuthnot. As I was mentioning to a friend, there are rarely people of color in Christie's stories unless they are servants or foreigners, so I didn't have any problem with casting Odom as a black doctor, and then having the uniqueness of the situation addressed in the script. I think Dame Judi had some of the biggest shoes, or white gloves, to fill, as Princess Dragomiroff, the role was originally played by Dame Wendy Hiller, who was amazing as the autocratic and unbending Russian Princess. Johnny Depp was fine (Richard Widmark played Ratchett in the 1974 film); it's a pretty limited role; Penelope Cruz as Pilar Estravados (in the same role, Ingrid Bergman was Greta Ohlsson in her Oscar winning role) was one of my favorite characters, she wasn't really as hysterical as the viewer might think. Apparently this ridiculous production and possible sequels have the blessing of Agatha Christie's great grandson, which is concerning. I recommend reading David Suchet's memoir Poirot and Me, and watch the other versions of Murder on the Orient Express.
Kubrick: Barry Lyndon, Disney: Song of the South, Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile
5/19/17 The Shanghai Gesture, 1941, #72 BBC
Simply put, I really did not like, enjoy or appreciate The Shanghai Gesture, which is on the BBC list of the best American films, and apparently greatly admired by many Netflix reviewers. I tried, but most of the acting was not very good. Josef von Sternberg directed Victor Mature, Gene Tierney, Walter Huston and Ona Munson in this period piece set in Shanghai, China, in the late 1930s or early 1940s. There is a gambling house involved, corrupt officials and young women in less than desirable circumstances. Ona Munson is "Mother" Gin Sling, the proprietress of a casino that also may permit illicit business of the flesh. "Doctor" Omar (Victor Mature) is a gigolo working for Mother. He brings American showgirl, Dixie Pomeroy, to the casino after getting her away from the police. He then becomes the focus of another young girl, going by the name of "Poppy" Smith (Gene Tierney, who commits some of the worst overacting I have seen in quite a while). Unbeknownst to everyone else, Poppy is the daughter of Sir Guy Charteris (Huston), a wealthy businessman who is trying to buy the land where Mother' casino sits, and push her into the Chinese sector. Mother is not a woman to go quietly and she tries to dig up information on Charteris. All of these machinations lead to the climactic scene (which was my favorite) where Mother and Charteris confront each other after Mother has humiliated Poppy in front of her father. Mother and Charteris knew each other before; in fact, it turns out that Mother is Poppy's real mother. And, it doesn't end well. Yeah, I spoiled it. Sorry, but I didn't think you were going to run to the library and get it.
5/20/17 Barry Lyndon, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Musical Score, 1975, #27 BBC
Stanley Kubrick has not failed to surprise me; I never know what to think about any of his movies, some of them I like, or I don't, but there is usually something that piques my interest. That is definitely true of Barry Lyndon, starring Ryan O'Neal as a gadabout, ne'er do well in the late 1770s in Ireland and England. Redmond Barry, later known as Barry Lyndon, has a rough life, growing up without his father (who was shot in a duel), falling in love with his older cousin who is flirty, but more interested in a captain in the King's army, frightened into leaving home, only to be robbed by a highwayman before he enlists in the British army. Yep, that's all in the first hour. The movie follows his adventures, schemes, ascent and painful descent back from whence he came. Unlike most films, there isn't a whole lot of dialog to tell us what's going on, but we have the benefit of an all-seeing, all-knowing narrator, who may or may not be truthful. Experiencing all of the action with Barry is part of the fun, and I don't want to ruin it for you, because unlike the previous movie, I do hope you watch this (it is three hours, but I happened to have a rainy Saturday to watch it guilt-free). It's a gorgeously filmed movie, the scenery, the costumes, which is probably the reason it won for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design (see, I'm smart like that). The narrative device is an interesting way to tell a story, and it works here. Kubrick really was one of the best directors; he has 5 movies on the BBC 100 list (is that 20%? I can't do math) and four on the AFI 100, and I will be watching the last two over the weekend: Spartacus and Eyes Wide Shut. Stay tuned.
5/20/17 Song of the South, Best Song, 1946
I'm going to try and review Song of the South as a movie, without the controversy and without any social commentary (we'll see how that goes). Song of the South is set in the period after the Civil War, known as the Reconstructions, when the South was trying to rebuild after being decimated during the war; in some ways, things had changed, but in others, there was still a dependence by newly freed slaves on their former owners. The movie opens with little Johnny (Bobby Driscoll) traveling with his mother (Ruth Warrick) and father (Erik Rolf) going to visit his grandmother on her plantation; Johnny and his mother will be staying, but his father will head back to Atlanta. This upsets Johnny a great deal, and he wants to run away. As he is running through the woods, he comes upon Uncle Remus telling stories about Br'er Rabbit (Joel Chandler Harris collected the Uncle Remus stories after the Civil War). Although he and his neighbors are never identified as such, it can be surmised that they are former slaves, who still live on or very close to the plantation and have a fairly civil relationship with their former owner. Uncle Remus (James Baskett, who received a special Oscar for his performance) is a kindly man, who tells stories similar to Aesop's Fables, with animals, like Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear to get his message across to the children. Song of the South was Disney's first film that combined animation with live action, and Uncle Remus's stories were animated. Johnny quickly becomes fond of Uncle Remus, even though his mother does not approve of the stories. Johnny also becomes friends with Toby, a young black boy on the plantation; and Ginny Favers, a young girl who is part of a poor white family, her brothers antagonize Johnny and they fight with Johnny over a puppy that Ginny gave Johnny for safekeeping, that her brothers wanted to drown. The puppy causes all kinds of trouble, because Johnny's mother doesn't want him to have it, so Uncle Remus keeps it, but that pisses off Johnny's mother so much that she basically tells Uncle Remus to stay away from Johnny (holy overreacting, Batman). Uncle Remus is so upset that he packs up to move away. Johnny chases after him across a field, getting tossed by a bull for his troubles. As he lies unconscious, all of the people from the planation gather at the main house in vigil; Johnny's father returns from Atlanta. That is a very high level synopsis of the movie. As a movie, it was okay. James Baskett was fun to watch, and he definitely had a way with the children. The kids were okay, not overly sugary, although the two Favers brothers were a bit much. I didn't mention the lovely Hattie McDaniel, as Aunt Tempy, the cook at the house; she won an Oscar in 1939 for her role as a maid in Gone with the Wind, on another plantation in Georgia. The songs were fun, and the movie won the Oscar for Best Song with "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah". It also uses one of the familiar Disney tropes, a young person finding a connection with an older person not of his family: Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Mary Poppins, both movies combining animation and live action.
It was very uncomfortable to watch the stereotypical characterizations of black people, the way the dialog was written and the paternalism extended by the former white master (mistress, actually). I was also uncomfortable with how I felt, because I really liked the relationship with Uncle Remus and Johnny, Remus was the teacher and father-figure that Johnny wanted so desperately. Ugh. The animated sections (which I loved in Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Mary Poppins) also made me squeamish, with a segment Br'er Rabbit and the Tar Baby, which is just offensive if you think how "tar baby" has been thrown around as a slur. As I was watching, I thought people should still be able to get this movie (it's not on Netflix and not every library has a copy, and I do not think it is sold anywhere) and watch it and then have a discussion about race, and why this might be offensive and hurtful, and maybe, how could this be adapted to be more about the innocence of the children and learning at the knee of Uncle Remus without the stereotyping. But, given the climate of today, and the past 70 years, that's probably not even possible. I'm not sure where this leaves this little segment; you are free to make up your own mind.
5/21/17 Death on the Nile, Best Costume, 1978
I love Agatha Christie; I recently finished watching all of the Hercule Poirot mysteries starring David Suchet and I am in the process of reading all of her novels, in chronological order, and it felt like the right time to revisit this old chestnut. Hercule Poirot is played by the late Sir Peter Ustinov; even he admits (in the special features) that he doesn't exactly physically resemble Poirot, which can be distracting if you let it. The cast is a who's who of cinema, past and present: Mia Farrow as Jackie de Bellefort; Olivia Hussey (Romeo & Juliet) as Rosalie Otterbourne, and Angela Lansbury as her salacious mother, Salome Otterbourne; David Niven as Colonel Race; Bette Davis as Marie van Schuyler and Maggie Smith as her companion, Bowers, it was funny to watch because there was a lot of Dowager Countess Grantham in Mrs. Van Schuyler, and Maggie Smith was pretty salty herself. The movie opens in the English countryside, where friends Jackie and Lynette Ridgeway (Lois Chiles) meet at Lynette's estate, and later, Jackie brings her beau, Simon Doyle (Simon MacCorkindale) to meet Lynette, and they fall in love. This leaves Jackie bitter and pretty close to the edge of hysteria, as she follows Simon and Lynette to Egypt and on to a cruise on the River Nile. What Christie does well in her books, and if we're lucky, the screenwriters build on that, are these wonderful snippy conversations and witty exchanges between the characters, whether it's Poirot and all the fools who think he's French; or Bowers staging a verbal takedown of Mrs. Van Schuyler. There are always the most extraordinary coincidences, people meeting up thousands of miles away from home, usually carrying a grudge or two. There are plenty of those here, and I would hate to give it away. This is not the best movie I have ever seen, but I had a good time watching it, between the characters and the fabulous actors playing them, the occasionally witty dialog and the beautiful scenery of Egypt, where much of the movie was filmed. If you're looking for a fun movie, with a bit of a mystery, for the long weekend, or a summer night, I don't think you can go wrong.
Simply put, I really did not like, enjoy or appreciate The Shanghai Gesture, which is on the BBC list of the best American films, and apparently greatly admired by many Netflix reviewers. I tried, but most of the acting was not very good. Josef von Sternberg directed Victor Mature, Gene Tierney, Walter Huston and Ona Munson in this period piece set in Shanghai, China, in the late 1930s or early 1940s. There is a gambling house involved, corrupt officials and young women in less than desirable circumstances. Ona Munson is "Mother" Gin Sling, the proprietress of a casino that also may permit illicit business of the flesh. "Doctor" Omar (Victor Mature) is a gigolo working for Mother. He brings American showgirl, Dixie Pomeroy, to the casino after getting her away from the police. He then becomes the focus of another young girl, going by the name of "Poppy" Smith (Gene Tierney, who commits some of the worst overacting I have seen in quite a while). Unbeknownst to everyone else, Poppy is the daughter of Sir Guy Charteris (Huston), a wealthy businessman who is trying to buy the land where Mother' casino sits, and push her into the Chinese sector. Mother is not a woman to go quietly and she tries to dig up information on Charteris. All of these machinations lead to the climactic scene (which was my favorite) where Mother and Charteris confront each other after Mother has humiliated Poppy in front of her father. Mother and Charteris knew each other before; in fact, it turns out that Mother is Poppy's real mother. And, it doesn't end well. Yeah, I spoiled it. Sorry, but I didn't think you were going to run to the library and get it.
5/20/17 Barry Lyndon, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Musical Score, 1975, #27 BBC
Stanley Kubrick has not failed to surprise me; I never know what to think about any of his movies, some of them I like, or I don't, but there is usually something that piques my interest. That is definitely true of Barry Lyndon, starring Ryan O'Neal as a gadabout, ne'er do well in the late 1770s in Ireland and England. Redmond Barry, later known as Barry Lyndon, has a rough life, growing up without his father (who was shot in a duel), falling in love with his older cousin who is flirty, but more interested in a captain in the King's army, frightened into leaving home, only to be robbed by a highwayman before he enlists in the British army. Yep, that's all in the first hour. The movie follows his adventures, schemes, ascent and painful descent back from whence he came. Unlike most films, there isn't a whole lot of dialog to tell us what's going on, but we have the benefit of an all-seeing, all-knowing narrator, who may or may not be truthful. Experiencing all of the action with Barry is part of the fun, and I don't want to ruin it for you, because unlike the previous movie, I do hope you watch this (it is three hours, but I happened to have a rainy Saturday to watch it guilt-free). It's a gorgeously filmed movie, the scenery, the costumes, which is probably the reason it won for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design (see, I'm smart like that). The narrative device is an interesting way to tell a story, and it works here. Kubrick really was one of the best directors; he has 5 movies on the BBC 100 list (is that 20%? I can't do math) and four on the AFI 100, and I will be watching the last two over the weekend: Spartacus and Eyes Wide Shut. Stay tuned.
5/20/17 Song of the South, Best Song, 1946
I'm going to try and review Song of the South as a movie, without the controversy and without any social commentary (we'll see how that goes). Song of the South is set in the period after the Civil War, known as the Reconstructions, when the South was trying to rebuild after being decimated during the war; in some ways, things had changed, but in others, there was still a dependence by newly freed slaves on their former owners. The movie opens with little Johnny (Bobby Driscoll) traveling with his mother (Ruth Warrick) and father (Erik Rolf) going to visit his grandmother on her plantation; Johnny and his mother will be staying, but his father will head back to Atlanta. This upsets Johnny a great deal, and he wants to run away. As he is running through the woods, he comes upon Uncle Remus telling stories about Br'er Rabbit (Joel Chandler Harris collected the Uncle Remus stories after the Civil War). Although he and his neighbors are never identified as such, it can be surmised that they are former slaves, who still live on or very close to the plantation and have a fairly civil relationship with their former owner. Uncle Remus (James Baskett, who received a special Oscar for his performance) is a kindly man, who tells stories similar to Aesop's Fables, with animals, like Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear to get his message across to the children. Song of the South was Disney's first film that combined animation with live action, and Uncle Remus's stories were animated. Johnny quickly becomes fond of Uncle Remus, even though his mother does not approve of the stories. Johnny also becomes friends with Toby, a young black boy on the plantation; and Ginny Favers, a young girl who is part of a poor white family, her brothers antagonize Johnny and they fight with Johnny over a puppy that Ginny gave Johnny for safekeeping, that her brothers wanted to drown. The puppy causes all kinds of trouble, because Johnny's mother doesn't want him to have it, so Uncle Remus keeps it, but that pisses off Johnny's mother so much that she basically tells Uncle Remus to stay away from Johnny (holy overreacting, Batman). Uncle Remus is so upset that he packs up to move away. Johnny chases after him across a field, getting tossed by a bull for his troubles. As he lies unconscious, all of the people from the planation gather at the main house in vigil; Johnny's father returns from Atlanta. That is a very high level synopsis of the movie. As a movie, it was okay. James Baskett was fun to watch, and he definitely had a way with the children. The kids were okay, not overly sugary, although the two Favers brothers were a bit much. I didn't mention the lovely Hattie McDaniel, as Aunt Tempy, the cook at the house; she won an Oscar in 1939 for her role as a maid in Gone with the Wind, on another plantation in Georgia. The songs were fun, and the movie won the Oscar for Best Song with "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah". It also uses one of the familiar Disney tropes, a young person finding a connection with an older person not of his family: Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Mary Poppins, both movies combining animation and live action.
It was very uncomfortable to watch the stereotypical characterizations of black people, the way the dialog was written and the paternalism extended by the former white master (mistress, actually). I was also uncomfortable with how I felt, because I really liked the relationship with Uncle Remus and Johnny, Remus was the teacher and father-figure that Johnny wanted so desperately. Ugh. The animated sections (which I loved in Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Mary Poppins) also made me squeamish, with a segment Br'er Rabbit and the Tar Baby, which is just offensive if you think how "tar baby" has been thrown around as a slur. As I was watching, I thought people should still be able to get this movie (it's not on Netflix and not every library has a copy, and I do not think it is sold anywhere) and watch it and then have a discussion about race, and why this might be offensive and hurtful, and maybe, how could this be adapted to be more about the innocence of the children and learning at the knee of Uncle Remus without the stereotyping. But, given the climate of today, and the past 70 years, that's probably not even possible. I'm not sure where this leaves this little segment; you are free to make up your own mind.
5/21/17 Death on the Nile, Best Costume, 1978
I love Agatha Christie; I recently finished watching all of the Hercule Poirot mysteries starring David Suchet and I am in the process of reading all of her novels, in chronological order, and it felt like the right time to revisit this old chestnut. Hercule Poirot is played by the late Sir Peter Ustinov; even he admits (in the special features) that he doesn't exactly physically resemble Poirot, which can be distracting if you let it. The cast is a who's who of cinema, past and present: Mia Farrow as Jackie de Bellefort; Olivia Hussey (Romeo & Juliet) as Rosalie Otterbourne, and Angela Lansbury as her salacious mother, Salome Otterbourne; David Niven as Colonel Race; Bette Davis as Marie van Schuyler and Maggie Smith as her companion, Bowers, it was funny to watch because there was a lot of Dowager Countess Grantham in Mrs. Van Schuyler, and Maggie Smith was pretty salty herself. The movie opens in the English countryside, where friends Jackie and Lynette Ridgeway (Lois Chiles) meet at Lynette's estate, and later, Jackie brings her beau, Simon Doyle (Simon MacCorkindale) to meet Lynette, and they fall in love. This leaves Jackie bitter and pretty close to the edge of hysteria, as she follows Simon and Lynette to Egypt and on to a cruise on the River Nile. What Christie does well in her books, and if we're lucky, the screenwriters build on that, are these wonderful snippy conversations and witty exchanges between the characters, whether it's Poirot and all the fools who think he's French; or Bowers staging a verbal takedown of Mrs. Van Schuyler. There are always the most extraordinary coincidences, people meeting up thousands of miles away from home, usually carrying a grudge or two. There are plenty of those here, and I would hate to give it away. This is not the best movie I have ever seen, but I had a good time watching it, between the characters and the fabulous actors playing them, the occasionally witty dialog and the beautiful scenery of Egypt, where much of the movie was filmed. If you're looking for a fun movie, with a bit of a mystery, for the long weekend, or a summer night, I don't think you can go wrong.
More 2017 nominated films: Nocturnal Animals, Moana, Passengers, Elle
4/3/17 Nocturnal Animals, Nominated Best Supporting Actor, 2016
I don't even know what to do here. I've tried explaining the movie to a couple different people, and while I agree the premise is unusual and original, I couldn't get past the opening sequence, hell, I can't even talk about the opening sequence without getting uncomfortable, and then I just wanted the movie to be over. AND, even after watching the special features, which explained a lot, nothing made those first five to seven minutes relevant. Anyway, the movie is told from two points of view, one is 'the real world' with Amy Adams as Susan Morrow, an art gallery owner, currently married to Hutton Morrow (Armie Hammer, although, truth be told, it could have been anyone) who has received a manuscript from her ex-husband, Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal). The 'real world' story is told in flashbacks, so we see Susan in current time, but also go back to her relationship with Edward. As Susan reads the book called Nocturnal Animals, the story is portrayed in the movie, with Jake Gyllenhaal taking on the male lead, Tony Hastings, who is driving with his wife and daughter (Isla Fisher and Ellie Bamber), who look a LOT like Susan Morrow, when they are harassed and practically driven off the road by a few rough looking guys, who have bad intentions. Tony's family is taken from him, and he needs the help of Detective Bobby Andes (Michael Shannon in an Oscar-nominated role) to find out what happened. The men become partners of sorts as they try to find out what happened and also bring the bad guys to justice. The film goes back and forth between reality and the novel, showing us Susan in her pretty unhappy life, seeming to think about Edward and 'what if?'. I thought the whole premise was very clever, and to me, whether you see it or not comes down to your personal taste; if I would have skipped the first 10 minutes, I would have liked the movie a lot more I think. Gyllenhaal was really good in dual roles; Adams, who I love, was okay, but it was Gyllenhaal's movie. Shannon was good as well, and lately, he has been great in so many different films, but the Supporting Actor category was tough this year. Director Tom Ford has thought out every detail, with all the little hints carried from the real world to the story world; the lighting to differentiate the two worlds. I don't know if I have ever done this before, but I am going to walk back my initial reluctance to like this movie and to recommend it (with my previous caveat). That's what happens when you wait a week to write a review.
4/8/17 Moana, Nominated Best Animated Feature Film, Best Original Song, 2016
I enjoyed Moana, I didn't love it, but I did laugh out loud at some parts, and I did love the Oscar-nominated song "How Far I'll Go", and I'm partial to stories that have strong female leads, and I don't think we've had anyone from the Pacific Islands. Instead of the more familiar Greek or Roman myths, Moana is the story of Polynesian gods and demigods and how the islands were created by Maui, a demigod, voiced by The Rock/Duane Johnson; as many gods and demigods from different mythologies, he loses his mojo and has to wait for an unsuspecting human to rescue him. Moana is that human, defying her father to go farther out to sea than is considered safe. Some of the funniest moments are Moana and Maui bickering with each other. They face adventures fighting off coconut pirates (true story), a giant coconut crab, voiced by Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) who seems to be aware of his Jamaican counterpart from The Little Mermaid, Sebastian. His few minutes on screen are pretty hilarious. Johnson's personality really came through even though it was an animated persona and Auli'i Cravalho was terrific both as an actress and singer, in fact, it was her singing on Oscar night that got me excited about watching the movie; she did a spectacular job. I just noticed that I didn't mention her until almost the end, and I apologize for that, it's probably due to the fact that I've written this particular review over three separate days, which plays hell with any train of thought. One thing that I did find annoying was the character of Heihei, Moana's pet rooster, who just seemed like the director/writer checking a box: cute, but dumb pet sidekick. If you're looking for a family movie, I suggest getting this from the library or buy it, if you're so inclined, and if you're really adventurous, perhaps you can find the sing-a-long version.
4/8/17 Passengers, Nominated Best Original Score, Best Production Design, 2016
My feeling after watching Passengers starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt was, meh. It was another movie with an interesting concept, suspended animation gone awry, but only for a few people, the rest are blissfully unaware, but I don't think it could decide if it wanted to be a comedy, a drama, a science fiction action movie or all of the above. A brief synopsis: 5,000 passengers (colonists) are traveling for 120 years to a new planet and they are in a state of suspended animation; Jim Preston (Pratt) is awakened by a mechanical error, and finds himself alone on the ship, well, alone except for Arthur, the robot bartender (Michael Sheen) and other android or virtual characters. In his loneliness, Jim comes across a fellow passenger, Aurora Lane (Lawrence) and he falls in love with her through her video profile, and has a debate with himself and Arthur about waking her up, and pretty much shortening her lifespan and guaranteeing she won't see the new colony. After a year of being alone, Jim wakes her up, although he pretends her capsule had a mechanical failure as well. So, no real surprise that they fall in love, it wasn't even that hard. They spend a year together, when Arthur decides that he needs to tell Aurora that Jim woke her up on purpose. This does not go over well at all, but their spat is interrupted by another pod malfunctioning, and Gus (Laurence Fishburne), a crew member waking up; the three discover that there are some major issues happening with the ship. Up to this point we've had a little comedy, a little romance, and now we get into the science fiction/action bit, when the ship is in danger of exploding, Preston is willing to sacrifice himself to save the ship, and Aurora. After watching movies like Interstellar and The Martian, my expectations are pretty high, and the few minutes of action/suspense, didn't do anything for me. I was disappointed with Jennifer Lawrence; maybe it was the script, but I did not for one minute believe she was Aurora Lane. Chris Pratt was Chris Pratt, smart alecky, brash, nothing terribly new.
4/11/17 Elle, Nominated Best Actress, 2016
I am not going to give too much away because you really have to watch this movie unfold, and I don't want to ruin it. What I will say is that with all due respect to Emma Stone and La La Land, Isabelle Huppert, nominated for Best Actress, was robbed, absolutely, no question in my mind. Huppert is Michele LeBlanc, an executive of a video game company, which if you know anything about video gaming (and I know very little), it's a pretty male dominated industry. Michele comes off as an angry, bitter, vindictive and controlling woman towards her son, her lover, her ex-husband, mother, really almost anyone. Honestly, I usually hate those types of women (people) and movies that feature them, which is probably why Netflix thought I would rate it 2 stars, but the Paul Verhoeven-directed movie is more complex and so is Huppert's portrayal of a very resilient woman. Michele has a dark past, although not a secret one, and it clearly affects her forty years later, especially in her relationships with men. Michele enters into relationships with men that at best are ill-advised and at worst, dangerous, but it's almost like she does it knowingly, taking herself to the edge, seeing if she can pull herself back. I haven't seen most of Huppert's films, but even if I didn't like the film, I usually appreciated her role in it (I have seen Heaven's Gate, Madame Bovary, 8 Women, Amour). The movie is graphic, violent and occasionally difficult to watch, but Huppert is really good, but the total flipside to Emma Stone's character in La La Land, that's for sure. So, it's not much of a synopsis, but if you like foreign films and the work of Paul Verhoeven and Isabelle Huppert, and a tense, unconventional story, I recommend this. But this won't be for everyone, and I won't be offended if you don't watch it.
I don't even know what to do here. I've tried explaining the movie to a couple different people, and while I agree the premise is unusual and original, I couldn't get past the opening sequence, hell, I can't even talk about the opening sequence without getting uncomfortable, and then I just wanted the movie to be over. AND, even after watching the special features, which explained a lot, nothing made those first five to seven minutes relevant. Anyway, the movie is told from two points of view, one is 'the real world' with Amy Adams as Susan Morrow, an art gallery owner, currently married to Hutton Morrow (Armie Hammer, although, truth be told, it could have been anyone) who has received a manuscript from her ex-husband, Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal). The 'real world' story is told in flashbacks, so we see Susan in current time, but also go back to her relationship with Edward. As Susan reads the book called Nocturnal Animals, the story is portrayed in the movie, with Jake Gyllenhaal taking on the male lead, Tony Hastings, who is driving with his wife and daughter (Isla Fisher and Ellie Bamber), who look a LOT like Susan Morrow, when they are harassed and practically driven off the road by a few rough looking guys, who have bad intentions. Tony's family is taken from him, and he needs the help of Detective Bobby Andes (Michael Shannon in an Oscar-nominated role) to find out what happened. The men become partners of sorts as they try to find out what happened and also bring the bad guys to justice. The film goes back and forth between reality and the novel, showing us Susan in her pretty unhappy life, seeming to think about Edward and 'what if?'. I thought the whole premise was very clever, and to me, whether you see it or not comes down to your personal taste; if I would have skipped the first 10 minutes, I would have liked the movie a lot more I think. Gyllenhaal was really good in dual roles; Adams, who I love, was okay, but it was Gyllenhaal's movie. Shannon was good as well, and lately, he has been great in so many different films, but the Supporting Actor category was tough this year. Director Tom Ford has thought out every detail, with all the little hints carried from the real world to the story world; the lighting to differentiate the two worlds. I don't know if I have ever done this before, but I am going to walk back my initial reluctance to like this movie and to recommend it (with my previous caveat). That's what happens when you wait a week to write a review.
4/8/17 Moana, Nominated Best Animated Feature Film, Best Original Song, 2016
I enjoyed Moana, I didn't love it, but I did laugh out loud at some parts, and I did love the Oscar-nominated song "How Far I'll Go", and I'm partial to stories that have strong female leads, and I don't think we've had anyone from the Pacific Islands. Instead of the more familiar Greek or Roman myths, Moana is the story of Polynesian gods and demigods and how the islands were created by Maui, a demigod, voiced by The Rock/Duane Johnson; as many gods and demigods from different mythologies, he loses his mojo and has to wait for an unsuspecting human to rescue him. Moana is that human, defying her father to go farther out to sea than is considered safe. Some of the funniest moments are Moana and Maui bickering with each other. They face adventures fighting off coconut pirates (true story), a giant coconut crab, voiced by Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) who seems to be aware of his Jamaican counterpart from The Little Mermaid, Sebastian. His few minutes on screen are pretty hilarious. Johnson's personality really came through even though it was an animated persona and Auli'i Cravalho was terrific both as an actress and singer, in fact, it was her singing on Oscar night that got me excited about watching the movie; she did a spectacular job. I just noticed that I didn't mention her until almost the end, and I apologize for that, it's probably due to the fact that I've written this particular review over three separate days, which plays hell with any train of thought. One thing that I did find annoying was the character of Heihei, Moana's pet rooster, who just seemed like the director/writer checking a box: cute, but dumb pet sidekick. If you're looking for a family movie, I suggest getting this from the library or buy it, if you're so inclined, and if you're really adventurous, perhaps you can find the sing-a-long version.
4/8/17 Passengers, Nominated Best Original Score, Best Production Design, 2016
My feeling after watching Passengers starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt was, meh. It was another movie with an interesting concept, suspended animation gone awry, but only for a few people, the rest are blissfully unaware, but I don't think it could decide if it wanted to be a comedy, a drama, a science fiction action movie or all of the above. A brief synopsis: 5,000 passengers (colonists) are traveling for 120 years to a new planet and they are in a state of suspended animation; Jim Preston (Pratt) is awakened by a mechanical error, and finds himself alone on the ship, well, alone except for Arthur, the robot bartender (Michael Sheen) and other android or virtual characters. In his loneliness, Jim comes across a fellow passenger, Aurora Lane (Lawrence) and he falls in love with her through her video profile, and has a debate with himself and Arthur about waking her up, and pretty much shortening her lifespan and guaranteeing she won't see the new colony. After a year of being alone, Jim wakes her up, although he pretends her capsule had a mechanical failure as well. So, no real surprise that they fall in love, it wasn't even that hard. They spend a year together, when Arthur decides that he needs to tell Aurora that Jim woke her up on purpose. This does not go over well at all, but their spat is interrupted by another pod malfunctioning, and Gus (Laurence Fishburne), a crew member waking up; the three discover that there are some major issues happening with the ship. Up to this point we've had a little comedy, a little romance, and now we get into the science fiction/action bit, when the ship is in danger of exploding, Preston is willing to sacrifice himself to save the ship, and Aurora. After watching movies like Interstellar and The Martian, my expectations are pretty high, and the few minutes of action/suspense, didn't do anything for me. I was disappointed with Jennifer Lawrence; maybe it was the script, but I did not for one minute believe she was Aurora Lane. Chris Pratt was Chris Pratt, smart alecky, brash, nothing terribly new.
4/11/17 Elle, Nominated Best Actress, 2016
I am not going to give too much away because you really have to watch this movie unfold, and I don't want to ruin it. What I will say is that with all due respect to Emma Stone and La La Land, Isabelle Huppert, nominated for Best Actress, was robbed, absolutely, no question in my mind. Huppert is Michele LeBlanc, an executive of a video game company, which if you know anything about video gaming (and I know very little), it's a pretty male dominated industry. Michele comes off as an angry, bitter, vindictive and controlling woman towards her son, her lover, her ex-husband, mother, really almost anyone. Honestly, I usually hate those types of women (people) and movies that feature them, which is probably why Netflix thought I would rate it 2 stars, but the Paul Verhoeven-directed movie is more complex and so is Huppert's portrayal of a very resilient woman. Michele has a dark past, although not a secret one, and it clearly affects her forty years later, especially in her relationships with men. Michele enters into relationships with men that at best are ill-advised and at worst, dangerous, but it's almost like she does it knowingly, taking herself to the edge, seeing if she can pull herself back. I haven't seen most of Huppert's films, but even if I didn't like the film, I usually appreciated her role in it (I have seen Heaven's Gate, Madame Bovary, 8 Women, Amour). The movie is graphic, violent and occasionally difficult to watch, but Huppert is really good, but the total flipside to Emma Stone's character in La La Land, that's for sure. So, it's not much of a synopsis, but if you like foreign films and the work of Paul Verhoeven and Isabelle Huppert, and a tense, unconventional story, I recommend this. But this won't be for everyone, and I won't be offended if you don't watch it.
A Christmas Story, The Departed, Bogart in In a Lonely Place
12/24/16 The Departed, Best Director, Best Picture, Best Film Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay, 2006
I saw The Departed around the time it first came out, hard to believe it was ten years ago, but I wanted to watch it again. I was surprised at how suspenseful it still was to me. Martin Scorsese told a tight, tense story, with a couple twists and turns. Set in Boston, the story follows Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) as an undercover cop trying to get into the mob, lead by Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson in a truly twisted role) and Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) who is Costello's own mole in the State Police. The supporting cast includes Alec Baldwin as Captain George Ellerby, Martin Sheen as Captain Queenan, Mark Wahlberg as Staff Sargeant Sean Dignam, Ray Winstone as one of Costello's right hand men, French; and Vera Farmiga as Dr. Madolyn Madden, who gets involved with both Costigan and Sullivan. Queenan and Wahlberg are the only people who know about Costigan. The Departed is a story about double-crosses, who can you trust, and is anyone who they say they are. It won Best Picture and Scorsese won his first Best Director Oscar; longtime editor, Thelma Schoonmaker won an Oscar for Best Film Editing. I liked the movie, I thought the performances were good, you really felt Costigan's stress and anxiety at getting caught as a mole; Costello (Nicholson) comes across as you would expect a ruthless mob boss to be, perhaps using Whitey Bulger as a reference. It's not your typical Christmas movie, that's for sure.
12/24/16 In a Lonely Place, 1950 #89 BBC, National Film Registry
As much as I have had my issues with the BBC list of 100 Best American films, I have also had some interesting surprises, like my first Nicholas Ray film Johnny Guitar, my second Ray film, In a Lonely Place, was definitely not anything I expected. Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame star in this film noir (do they make film noir movies anymore?) that stars Bogart as Dixon Steele (really, that's his name), a Hollywood screenwriter who is living off of his past successes, waiting for inspiration to strike; Grahame is Laurel Gray, his neighbor who becomes much more. Steele falls under suspicion for the murder of a young coat check girl. It's kind of hard to talk about the movie without giving too much away, and because I want you to see it, I don't want to spoil anything. Here is what I will tell you: Steele has a bit of a temper and can be a bit possessive and needy; Gray inspires him to start writing again, but does she think that Steele committed the murder, or is even capable of such a thing? Over the course of this movie project, I have watched a lot of film noir movies, and I am rarely disappointed; there is something that is so different from more recent movies that seems refreshing, maybe it's seeing actors from a bygone era, some we know, many we don't, maybe it's the lack of special effects and explosions and CGI, maybe it's watching a movie where the characters don't have smart phones, computers or any kind of modern technology. Maybe try a double feature, In a Lonely Place and Laura with Gene Tierney? Step back in time, put the phone down and enjoy.
12/25/16 A Christmas Story, 1983, National Film Registry
I don't know what they do in other countries on Christmas Day, but here in the U.S., we have A Christmas Story on television for 24 hours. No matter when you turn on TNT (the home of the marathon) over the Christmas holiday, you will enter 1940s middle America and the family of Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley). Some people hate this tradition, but I happen to love it. It's not so much a nostalgic feeling, because, while I am old, I am not that old; but it is a loving look back on a simpler time, told from the viewpoint of Ralphie, a somewhat clumsy and awkward nine year old. Storyteller and creator of A Christmas Story, Jean Shepherd is also the narrator, and he adds the right level of drama and irony. Ralphie's big wish for Christmas is a Red Ryder BB gun (you'll shoot your eyes out), and he dreams about it, asking Santa, trying to manipulate his parents, using it to save his parents from marauders. During the movie, we see Ralphie play and fight with his classmates, especially Scut Farkus, things that nine years may still do today. Ralphie's brother Randy (Ian Petrella) doesn't have a lot of speaking lines, but he does get some of the funnier physical bits, including eating like a pig at the table, at his mother's (Melinda Dillon) prodding (according to Ralphie, Randy hasn't voluntarily eaten in three years), and being dressed up so snugly he cannot get up once knocked down. Ralphie's parents Dillon and the wonderfully curmudgeonly Darren McGavin seem perfect in their imperfection. Mrs. Parker has it a little more together and she lovingly tolerates Mr. Parker's swearing outbursts (portrayed with nonsense words) and his penchant for entering contests in his quest to win the big prize. McGavin plays Mr. Parker with no sense of irony or self awareness, and I mean that in the best possible way. I could recount all of the scenes that make me laugh out loud, but I think you should watch for yourself. To me, A Christmas Story is a lot like Young Frankenstein, where everyone knows those iconic scenes, and you just have to say "You'll shoot your eyes out" or "I double-dog dare you" or "Fragile. It's Italian" and people know what movie you're talking about.A Christmas Story holds a special place for me for another reason; key scenes were filmed in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. The scenes showing downtown were shot in Public Square, around the Soldiers and Sailors monument and Higbee's Department Store; the Parker house is now known as "A Christmas Story House" on the West Side of Cleveland and you can visit. As I write this, I am watching it for the 3rd time in a row. I'll move on to other things, eventually.
I saw The Departed around the time it first came out, hard to believe it was ten years ago, but I wanted to watch it again. I was surprised at how suspenseful it still was to me. Martin Scorsese told a tight, tense story, with a couple twists and turns. Set in Boston, the story follows Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) as an undercover cop trying to get into the mob, lead by Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson in a truly twisted role) and Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) who is Costello's own mole in the State Police. The supporting cast includes Alec Baldwin as Captain George Ellerby, Martin Sheen as Captain Queenan, Mark Wahlberg as Staff Sargeant Sean Dignam, Ray Winstone as one of Costello's right hand men, French; and Vera Farmiga as Dr. Madolyn Madden, who gets involved with both Costigan and Sullivan. Queenan and Wahlberg are the only people who know about Costigan. The Departed is a story about double-crosses, who can you trust, and is anyone who they say they are. It won Best Picture and Scorsese won his first Best Director Oscar; longtime editor, Thelma Schoonmaker won an Oscar for Best Film Editing. I liked the movie, I thought the performances were good, you really felt Costigan's stress and anxiety at getting caught as a mole; Costello (Nicholson) comes across as you would expect a ruthless mob boss to be, perhaps using Whitey Bulger as a reference. It's not your typical Christmas movie, that's for sure.
12/24/16 In a Lonely Place, 1950 #89 BBC, National Film Registry
As much as I have had my issues with the BBC list of 100 Best American films, I have also had some interesting surprises, like my first Nicholas Ray film Johnny Guitar, my second Ray film, In a Lonely Place, was definitely not anything I expected. Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame star in this film noir (do they make film noir movies anymore?) that stars Bogart as Dixon Steele (really, that's his name), a Hollywood screenwriter who is living off of his past successes, waiting for inspiration to strike; Grahame is Laurel Gray, his neighbor who becomes much more. Steele falls under suspicion for the murder of a young coat check girl. It's kind of hard to talk about the movie without giving too much away, and because I want you to see it, I don't want to spoil anything. Here is what I will tell you: Steele has a bit of a temper and can be a bit possessive and needy; Gray inspires him to start writing again, but does she think that Steele committed the murder, or is even capable of such a thing? Over the course of this movie project, I have watched a lot of film noir movies, and I am rarely disappointed; there is something that is so different from more recent movies that seems refreshing, maybe it's seeing actors from a bygone era, some we know, many we don't, maybe it's the lack of special effects and explosions and CGI, maybe it's watching a movie where the characters don't have smart phones, computers or any kind of modern technology. Maybe try a double feature, In a Lonely Place and Laura with Gene Tierney? Step back in time, put the phone down and enjoy.
12/25/16 A Christmas Story, 1983, National Film Registry
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| Fragile. - The infamous Leg Lamp |
Classics: Shawshank Redemption, A Clockwork Orange, Sunset Boulevard
9/16/16 Shawshank Redemption, 1994 #72 AFI, National Film Registry
Shawshank Redemption is one of the few movies that I will watch whenever I see it's on television (which is almost as often as the Tolkien trilogy), regardless if it is halfway over or has only fifteen minutes to go, it's just that great. It's based on a short story by Steven King and stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. Andy Dufresne (Robbins) is found guilty of killing his wife and her lover and sent to Shawshank State Penitentiary (which was the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio) where he meets Red (Freeman) who is a man who knows how to get things. It's very obvious that Andy is not like the other prisoners, he's quiet, thoughtful, well-versed in many topics, and able to see the big picture and play the long game. He makes friends with Brooks (James Whitmore), the prison librarian and animal-lover; as well as winning over several of the inmates by scoring some beers on a hot summer day by offering to provide Captain Hadley (Clancy Brown) with some financial advice. The warden (Bob Gunton) is also eager to use Andy's 'skills' for his own funny money business. Life moves along in the prison, things change but they also stay the same. Like I mentioned earlier, Andy has been playing the long game, and there are a few clues along the way (which I am not going to ruin in case you have not seen it). The best part, to me, is the last 30 minutes; I could watch that part over and over again. The movie was nominated for seven Oscars, winning none, and was considered a box office failure, yet whenever I mention the movie (or it comes up in conversation), everyone loves it. I think it's the 'redemption' part, not just for Andy, but for his fellow prisoners, who get a little bit of humanity back, and the 'fall' of the prison powers. It's about the power of the human spirit; many people would have crumbled after what Andy went through, but he didn't; he survived, and maybe even became stronger. I'm not as eloquent as I'm sure Andy would be, but if you haven't seen the movie, you can wait until it's on TNT or get it from the library. I promise you will not be sorry.
9/17/16 A Clockwork Orange, #70 AFI
I have always wanted to like or appreciate A Clockwork Orange (I've seen it three times), and I just can't. I'm sorry. I'm sorry Stanley Kubrick, Malcolm McDowell, and Anthony Burgess. The movie is set in the near future in England, and Alex (McDowell) is the leader of violent youths who are comfortable kicking old men or raping women; after a particularly violent evening where a woman died, Alex is sent away to prison for fourteen years. In exchange for a shorter sentence, Alex agrees to be part of an experimental rehab program. He is forced to watch horrifically violent film clips, while being injected with a chemical that makes him physically ill, until he cannot even fight in self-defense. Alex sees his life change dramatically after his release; his parents aren't all that keen to have him, his old friends really aren't thrilled to see him, and on and on. There are some philosophical questions which present themselves, but I'm too lazy to really dig into them. At the highest level, there is the question 'can you program morality or desired behavior?' and 'should you?'. The doctors and prison officers don't really work with Alex and the other prisoners to find the root causes of their behaviors and what could positively change their attitudes and behaviors; they just use tools to modify the behaviors they don't want. Stanley Kubrick doesn't shy away from using sex as a metaphor or as a narrative tool (there are shades of that in Dr. Strangelove, Lolita, and Eyes Wide Shut); I have not seen Lolita or Eyes Wide Shut, so I don't know how it's used in those films. There was also a part of me that thought Alex may have gotten what he deserved: he killed, crippled and raped. Hard to feel sorry for him; it's not like he was stealing bread to survive. On another note, I did notice that Kubrick used music throughout the movie, but especially towards the end, in the same fashion as he did in 2001: A Space Odyssey, where the action seemed balletic. I don't know, that's about as insightful as it's going to get.
9/17/16 Mulholland Drive, 2001 #21 BBC
I'm not even going to try and give you a synopsis, because I'm not really sure what happened. I can tell you that David Lynch directed this film noir filled with hidden clues and twisting plotline. The movie, which is set in 'current day' but pays homage to movies like Sunset Boulevard and old Hollywood. Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring are the female leads, as actresses, and Justin Theroux (I didn't know he acted in anything) is Adam, a movie director. I usually dislike (or hate) movies that don't make sense or that seem too smart for their own good (The Usual Suspects - hated it), but I didn't. I didn't love it, but I did like it enough that I would watch it again. It was the perfect movie for a Saturday night.
9/18/16 Sunset Boulevard, Best Writing, Story and Screenplay, Best Art Direction - B&W, Best Music, 1950, #16 AFI, National Film Registry, #54 BBC
There is no shortage of accolades for Sunset Boulevard: Oscar nominations, Oscar wins, on two top 100 lists and preserved for posterity. Do you really need me to review it? You may be familiar with one of the most famous lines "All right Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my closeup." said by the lead actress, Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond. It was good timing on my part that I watched Mulholland Drive and Sunset Boulevard one after the other; as I mentioned above, Mulholland Drive tips its hat toward Sunset Boulevard and old Hollywood, femme fatales and film-noir. Sunset Boulevard, directed by Billy Wilder, not only refers to silent film era, it features some of the stars from that period: Buster Keaton, H.B. Warner, Anna Q. Nilsson in cameos; the famous director, DeMille as himself; Erich von Stroheim as the dedicated and protective butler/chauffeur, Max, and of course, Gloria Swanson. The opening of the film reminded me a little of Laura directed by Otto Preminger from 1944 (is your interest piqued?). William Holden stars as Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter, who falls into the very open arms of Norma, who is still living on the memory of her glory days. To say she is delusional may be too kind. It's really hard to separate Swanson from the character (verging on caricature) of Desmond; Swanson just embodies Desmond's neuroses and insecurities, you kind of don't think she's acting (the only thing that convinced me that Swanson was NOT Desmond is the fact that her biographical information is full of real accomplishments and she wasn't a fragile vase). Joe gets into her clutches, he almost becomes a gigolo, and I don't think he intentionally tries to hurt her or take advantage, it's kind of a trap he falls into. He just wants to write, and begins a secret writing relationship with Betty, a script reader, and he tries to break away from Norma, but her mental strength is so unstable that Max warns Joe against hurting her. All four main characters were nominated for acting Oscars, but all four lost: Swanson lost to Judy Holliday (Born Yesterday); Holden lost Best Actor to Jose Ferrer in Cyrano de Bergerac (which I have not seen); Stroheim lost the Best Supporting Actor to George Sanders in All About Eve; and lastly, Nancy Olson who played Betty lost to Josephine Hull in Harvey. I honestly don't know, Holliday was really great in Born Yesterday (which also starred William Holden), but I think Swanson gave the performance of her career. Wilder was also nominated for Best Director and lost to Joseph Mankiewicz for All About Eve, which was the big winner that year. This is a classic, and I did enjoy it, but I don't know how many of you will like it. But, I would say give it a go; it's a classic, but also a cultural icon with so many references in other movies.
Shawshank Redemption is one of the few movies that I will watch whenever I see it's on television (which is almost as often as the Tolkien trilogy), regardless if it is halfway over or has only fifteen minutes to go, it's just that great. It's based on a short story by Steven King and stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. Andy Dufresne (Robbins) is found guilty of killing his wife and her lover and sent to Shawshank State Penitentiary (which was the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio) where he meets Red (Freeman) who is a man who knows how to get things. It's very obvious that Andy is not like the other prisoners, he's quiet, thoughtful, well-versed in many topics, and able to see the big picture and play the long game. He makes friends with Brooks (James Whitmore), the prison librarian and animal-lover; as well as winning over several of the inmates by scoring some beers on a hot summer day by offering to provide Captain Hadley (Clancy Brown) with some financial advice. The warden (Bob Gunton) is also eager to use Andy's 'skills' for his own funny money business. Life moves along in the prison, things change but they also stay the same. Like I mentioned earlier, Andy has been playing the long game, and there are a few clues along the way (which I am not going to ruin in case you have not seen it). The best part, to me, is the last 30 minutes; I could watch that part over and over again. The movie was nominated for seven Oscars, winning none, and was considered a box office failure, yet whenever I mention the movie (or it comes up in conversation), everyone loves it. I think it's the 'redemption' part, not just for Andy, but for his fellow prisoners, who get a little bit of humanity back, and the 'fall' of the prison powers. It's about the power of the human spirit; many people would have crumbled after what Andy went through, but he didn't; he survived, and maybe even became stronger. I'm not as eloquent as I'm sure Andy would be, but if you haven't seen the movie, you can wait until it's on TNT or get it from the library. I promise you will not be sorry.
9/17/16 A Clockwork Orange, #70 AFI
I have always wanted to like or appreciate A Clockwork Orange (I've seen it three times), and I just can't. I'm sorry. I'm sorry Stanley Kubrick, Malcolm McDowell, and Anthony Burgess. The movie is set in the near future in England, and Alex (McDowell) is the leader of violent youths who are comfortable kicking old men or raping women; after a particularly violent evening where a woman died, Alex is sent away to prison for fourteen years. In exchange for a shorter sentence, Alex agrees to be part of an experimental rehab program. He is forced to watch horrifically violent film clips, while being injected with a chemical that makes him physically ill, until he cannot even fight in self-defense. Alex sees his life change dramatically after his release; his parents aren't all that keen to have him, his old friends really aren't thrilled to see him, and on and on. There are some philosophical questions which present themselves, but I'm too lazy to really dig into them. At the highest level, there is the question 'can you program morality or desired behavior?' and 'should you?'. The doctors and prison officers don't really work with Alex and the other prisoners to find the root causes of their behaviors and what could positively change their attitudes and behaviors; they just use tools to modify the behaviors they don't want. Stanley Kubrick doesn't shy away from using sex as a metaphor or as a narrative tool (there are shades of that in Dr. Strangelove, Lolita, and Eyes Wide Shut); I have not seen Lolita or Eyes Wide Shut, so I don't know how it's used in those films. There was also a part of me that thought Alex may have gotten what he deserved: he killed, crippled and raped. Hard to feel sorry for him; it's not like he was stealing bread to survive. On another note, I did notice that Kubrick used music throughout the movie, but especially towards the end, in the same fashion as he did in 2001: A Space Odyssey, where the action seemed balletic. I don't know, that's about as insightful as it's going to get.
9/17/16 Mulholland Drive, 2001 #21 BBC
I'm not even going to try and give you a synopsis, because I'm not really sure what happened. I can tell you that David Lynch directed this film noir filled with hidden clues and twisting plotline. The movie, which is set in 'current day' but pays homage to movies like Sunset Boulevard and old Hollywood. Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring are the female leads, as actresses, and Justin Theroux (I didn't know he acted in anything) is Adam, a movie director. I usually dislike (or hate) movies that don't make sense or that seem too smart for their own good (The Usual Suspects - hated it), but I didn't. I didn't love it, but I did like it enough that I would watch it again. It was the perfect movie for a Saturday night.
9/18/16 Sunset Boulevard, Best Writing, Story and Screenplay, Best Art Direction - B&W, Best Music, 1950, #16 AFI, National Film Registry, #54 BBC
There is no shortage of accolades for Sunset Boulevard: Oscar nominations, Oscar wins, on two top 100 lists and preserved for posterity. Do you really need me to review it? You may be familiar with one of the most famous lines "All right Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my closeup." said by the lead actress, Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond. It was good timing on my part that I watched Mulholland Drive and Sunset Boulevard one after the other; as I mentioned above, Mulholland Drive tips its hat toward Sunset Boulevard and old Hollywood, femme fatales and film-noir. Sunset Boulevard, directed by Billy Wilder, not only refers to silent film era, it features some of the stars from that period: Buster Keaton, H.B. Warner, Anna Q. Nilsson in cameos; the famous director, DeMille as himself; Erich von Stroheim as the dedicated and protective butler/chauffeur, Max, and of course, Gloria Swanson. The opening of the film reminded me a little of Laura directed by Otto Preminger from 1944 (is your interest piqued?). William Holden stars as Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter, who falls into the very open arms of Norma, who is still living on the memory of her glory days. To say she is delusional may be too kind. It's really hard to separate Swanson from the character (verging on caricature) of Desmond; Swanson just embodies Desmond's neuroses and insecurities, you kind of don't think she's acting (the only thing that convinced me that Swanson was NOT Desmond is the fact that her biographical information is full of real accomplishments and she wasn't a fragile vase). Joe gets into her clutches, he almost becomes a gigolo, and I don't think he intentionally tries to hurt her or take advantage, it's kind of a trap he falls into. He just wants to write, and begins a secret writing relationship with Betty, a script reader, and he tries to break away from Norma, but her mental strength is so unstable that Max warns Joe against hurting her. All four main characters were nominated for acting Oscars, but all four lost: Swanson lost to Judy Holliday (Born Yesterday); Holden lost Best Actor to Jose Ferrer in Cyrano de Bergerac (which I have not seen); Stroheim lost the Best Supporting Actor to George Sanders in All About Eve; and lastly, Nancy Olson who played Betty lost to Josephine Hull in Harvey. I honestly don't know, Holliday was really great in Born Yesterday (which also starred William Holden), but I think Swanson gave the performance of her career. Wilder was also nominated for Best Director and lost to Joseph Mankiewicz for All About Eve, which was the big winner that year. This is a classic, and I did enjoy it, but I don't know how many of you will like it. But, I would say give it a go; it's a classic, but also a cultural icon with so many references in other movies.
The AFI and National Film Registry featured: The French Connection, American Graffiti and Swing Time
6/11/16 The French Connection, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Film Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay, 1971 #93 AFI, National Film Registry
The French Connection won five Oscars, including three of the top awards: Best Picture, Best Director (Williams Friedkin) and Best Actor (Gene Hackman) and may have one of the most well-known car chases. The French Connection is definitely a movie of its time, taking us through a gritty, crime-riddled, drug infested New York City. Hackman and Roy Scheider play two New York City detectives who stumble onto an international drug ring moving into New York. Popeye Doyle (Hackman) and Buddy "Cloudy"Russo are partners, Doyle being more hot-headed and impetuous, and Cloudy trying to rein him in. A mysterious man from Marseilles, France, is planning to smuggle in a lot of heroin to the US, involving local Mafia connections to do so. Doyle and Russo spend a lot of time chasing around, fighting with the FBI, taking us on a tour of New York City (Ward's Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan). Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey) is the smooth criminal who leads Popeye and Cloudy on the wild goose chase. The French Connection is full of iconic movie moments: the car chase and the way the drugs are smuggled in (hint: it's a method often referenced in other crime dramas). I definitely enjoyed the movie, seeing 1970s New York, and finding those iconic moments; I always like watching Gene Hackman, a great American actor. It won five Oscars in a year that I think was full of fabulous movies, many of which won Oscars in other categories. Winning Best Picture, it beat out Fiddler on the Roof, A Clockwork Orange, The Last Picture Show and Nicholas and Alexander (the only nominee I have not seen); Friedkin won Best Director over Peter Bogdanovich, Stanley Kubrick, Norman Jewison and John Schlesinger (not a small feat); I'm less familiar with the films from the Best Actor category, but I am familiar with the actors, and they are no slouches: Walter Matthau, Chaim Topol, George C. Scott and Peter Finch; I have only seen Topol's performance in Fiddler on the Roof, and they are such different movies, I'm not sure I could have judged. Without a doubt, this is an American classic.
6/11/16 American Graffiti, 1973 #62 AFI, National Film Registry
I have this very vague recollection that when the television show Happy Days came out, American Graffiti was mentioned as being an influence; I would have been only 9 or 10, so please forgive me if I am totally making that up. Anyway, I guess I was trying to say that the shadow of American Graffiti has followed me and I finally watched it. Directed by George Lucas and produced by Francis Ford Coppola, the movie takes place over one night in 1962 Modesto, California, with a group of friends having adventures together and separately. There are a lot of young actors who went on to have long acting careers, some a little more famous than others (Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss). Cars and music are as important to the movie as the characters and stories. There is young love, new love, making out, dancing, young people on the cusp of adulthood, some of them looking to get away from their little town and see the world. A coming of age movie, it is a time capsule of that era, when people listened to their favorite DJ, went to the drive-in for a malt and burger, before the Civil Rights movement was fully mobilized and there are virtually no African Americans in the movie. The music is a wonderful primer of the 1950s and 1960s, including music from Bill Haley and the Comets, Del Shannon, The Beach Boys, The Platters and more. I know very little about cars, but it was fun to see the cars from that time: a yellow deuce coupe, Ford Thunderbird, and the others. It was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, but lost to The Sting in both categories.
7/2/16 Swing Time, Best Original Song, 1937, #91 AFI, National Film Registry
After watching Swing Time, I don't think it it is on the AFI and National Film Registry because of the plot or the acting, but because of the incredible dancing by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and the music by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields. The story was inane and I didn't pay too much attention except when Astaire and Rogers were dancing. My favorite dance numbers were "Pick Yourself Up" and "Never Gonna Dance" which Rogers and Astaire did together, and "Bojangles of Harlem", which Astaire did solo. Sadly (watching in the 21st century), he did it in blackface, according to Wikipedia as a tribute Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, whom Astaire admired. Trying to ignore the blackface, I really enjoyed the dance, which was fun to watch. The movie also featured the song "The Way You Look Tonight"which won the Oscar for Best Original Song. If you are a fan of dance films, Astaire and Rogers, Jerome Kern, then you should definitely check out this movie, and you can probably just fast forward between numbers. That's what I should have done.
My brother is running in the Susan Komen Breast Cancer run in Cleveland in honor of our mom. Please consider supporting him: Cris's page
The French Connection won five Oscars, including three of the top awards: Best Picture, Best Director (Williams Friedkin) and Best Actor (Gene Hackman) and may have one of the most well-known car chases. The French Connection is definitely a movie of its time, taking us through a gritty, crime-riddled, drug infested New York City. Hackman and Roy Scheider play two New York City detectives who stumble onto an international drug ring moving into New York. Popeye Doyle (Hackman) and Buddy "Cloudy"Russo are partners, Doyle being more hot-headed and impetuous, and Cloudy trying to rein him in. A mysterious man from Marseilles, France, is planning to smuggle in a lot of heroin to the US, involving local Mafia connections to do so. Doyle and Russo spend a lot of time chasing around, fighting with the FBI, taking us on a tour of New York City (Ward's Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan). Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey) is the smooth criminal who leads Popeye and Cloudy on the wild goose chase. The French Connection is full of iconic movie moments: the car chase and the way the drugs are smuggled in (hint: it's a method often referenced in other crime dramas). I definitely enjoyed the movie, seeing 1970s New York, and finding those iconic moments; I always like watching Gene Hackman, a great American actor. It won five Oscars in a year that I think was full of fabulous movies, many of which won Oscars in other categories. Winning Best Picture, it beat out Fiddler on the Roof, A Clockwork Orange, The Last Picture Show and Nicholas and Alexander (the only nominee I have not seen); Friedkin won Best Director over Peter Bogdanovich, Stanley Kubrick, Norman Jewison and John Schlesinger (not a small feat); I'm less familiar with the films from the Best Actor category, but I am familiar with the actors, and they are no slouches: Walter Matthau, Chaim Topol, George C. Scott and Peter Finch; I have only seen Topol's performance in Fiddler on the Roof, and they are such different movies, I'm not sure I could have judged. Without a doubt, this is an American classic.
6/11/16 American Graffiti, 1973 #62 AFI, National Film Registry
I have this very vague recollection that when the television show Happy Days came out, American Graffiti was mentioned as being an influence; I would have been only 9 or 10, so please forgive me if I am totally making that up. Anyway, I guess I was trying to say that the shadow of American Graffiti has followed me and I finally watched it. Directed by George Lucas and produced by Francis Ford Coppola, the movie takes place over one night in 1962 Modesto, California, with a group of friends having adventures together and separately. There are a lot of young actors who went on to have long acting careers, some a little more famous than others (Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss). Cars and music are as important to the movie as the characters and stories. There is young love, new love, making out, dancing, young people on the cusp of adulthood, some of them looking to get away from their little town and see the world. A coming of age movie, it is a time capsule of that era, when people listened to their favorite DJ, went to the drive-in for a malt and burger, before the Civil Rights movement was fully mobilized and there are virtually no African Americans in the movie. The music is a wonderful primer of the 1950s and 1960s, including music from Bill Haley and the Comets, Del Shannon, The Beach Boys, The Platters and more. I know very little about cars, but it was fun to see the cars from that time: a yellow deuce coupe, Ford Thunderbird, and the others. It was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, but lost to The Sting in both categories.
7/2/16 Swing Time, Best Original Song, 1937, #91 AFI, National Film Registry
After watching Swing Time, I don't think it it is on the AFI and National Film Registry because of the plot or the acting, but because of the incredible dancing by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and the music by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields. The story was inane and I didn't pay too much attention except when Astaire and Rogers were dancing. My favorite dance numbers were "Pick Yourself Up" and "Never Gonna Dance" which Rogers and Astaire did together, and "Bojangles of Harlem", which Astaire did solo. Sadly (watching in the 21st century), he did it in blackface, according to Wikipedia as a tribute Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, whom Astaire admired. Trying to ignore the blackface, I really enjoyed the dance, which was fun to watch. The movie also featured the song "The Way You Look Tonight"which won the Oscar for Best Original Song. If you are a fan of dance films, Astaire and Rogers, Jerome Kern, then you should definitely check out this movie, and you can probably just fast forward between numbers. That's what I should have done.
My brother is running in the Susan Komen Breast Cancer run in Cleveland in honor of our mom. Please consider supporting him: Cris's page
Uncovering two hidden gems - Crossfire and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
I honestly feel like I've been in a little rut lately, trying to get through the lists, feeling that they don't actually get any smaller. It's not always easy to watch some of these movies, but it's usually a lot easier than writing the reviews. I realize this is self-inflicted. I persevere because, well, I think it's a personality flaw, but besides that, I keep going because occasionally I find a movie or two that surprises me. I had zero expectations, no ideas about the basic plot lines of either film, but I thoroughly enjoyed both of them. Hopefully my writing has sharpened up enough that you can tell.
5/5/16 Crossfire at The Heights Theater, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay, 1947
I have to thank my friend for asking if I was interested in seeing Robert Mitchum in Crossfire, although to be honest, she didn't ask me that, she asked if I was a member of Minnesota Public Radio or Twin Cities Public Television. Both, I said. Oh, good because there is a two for one at The Heights Theater. That's how I found myself in Anoka County on Thursday night, listening to organ music waiting for the movie to start. Crossfire stars Robert Young ("Father Knows Best", "Marcus Welby, M.D.") as Investigator Finlay (not like his television roles); Robert Mitchum as Sergeant Peter Keeley; Robert Ryan in his Oscar nominated role as Montgomery and George Cooper as Corporal Arthur Mitchell. They are all characters in a well laid out mystery that took a social twist I didn't see coming. The movie is set at the end of World War II in what I believe is an East Coast city, maybe Philadelphia (Finlay references being from there) or Baltimore, and Corporal Mitchell is having a tough time. We're not exactly sure why, but his friends describe him as a gentle guy, not really the fighting type (he seemed to have a desk job), and maybe lonely for his wife. He connects with a civilian in a bar, Samuels, and his girlfriend and goes back to his apartment for a few drinks. Hanging out with Mitchell are Montgomery, Leroy and Floyd. Montgomery and Floyd force themselves into the party. It opens with a man being murdered and is told in flashbacks, but with the different characters' perspective. I just saw Mitchum in Night of the Hunter and totally expected a bad guy. I don't think it ruins anything to say not only is he NOT the bad guy, he has some of the best lines in the movie. The story follows Finlay and Keeley as they spar with one another, try to find Mitchell and figure out who the killer is and why. What unravels is that the man who was killed was killed because he was Jewish and the stain of anti-Semitism runs through the last part of the movie. Robert Ryan is totally unlikable as Montgomery, he's a bully and likes to make fun of the smaller, less assertive guys, and nothing good can come of that. He lost the Best Supporting Actor award to Edmund Gwenn in his role as Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street. It would be hard to find two more disparate roles. Coincidentally, Crossfire lost the Best Picture Oscar to Gentleman's Agreement, starring Gregory Peck, focused it's whole story on anti-Semitism. Edward Dmytryk directed and he was part of the blacklisted Hollywood Ten, who originally refused to testify in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee. I really did like this movie and enjoyed seeing it in a classic theater like The Heights. It's a movie you have probably never heard of and I don't know if it's available from the library or anywhere, but I would recommend it.
5/7/16 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Best Supporting Actor, National Film Registry, 1945
I had no idea what this movie was about, it was just on the list and I wanted something unfamiliar. Sometimes I think this elicits the most honest and fresh reactions. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is based on the novel of the same name by Betty Smith, and even though it was published in 1943, it is set in turn of the century Brooklyn around 1912. The main character is Francie Nolan (Peggy Ann Garner), a young girl who has aspirations and dreams and thinks the sun rises and sets on her father, Johnny Nolan (James Dunn), a singing waiter with a drinking problem. Francie and her brother, Neeley (short for Cornelius) help their long-suffering mother, Katie (Dorothy McGuire), with household expenses by collecting rags and scrounging around the neighborhood. Johnny Nolan loves his family, but he has a hard time providing for them; Katie loves her husband, and occasionally remembers back to their early days and why she fell in love with him, but she spends a lot of time resenting her husband's carefree attitude. Francie wants to go to a nicer school, one that allows her to grow, but the one she wants to attend is a long walk and requires Francie to fib about her real residence. Katie doesn't support her bookish notions, but Johnny cannot say no. Francie loves her new school and seems to thrive. Neeley and Francie graduate from their schools (not sure if it's high school, the timing wouldn't be right, but perhaps at that time, even graduating junior high school was a huge accomplishment). Even though Francie is older, Katie thought it would be good to hold her back so she could keep an eye on Neeley. Katie and Francie have an interesting mother/daughter relationship, probably not all that uncommon, and it goes through bumpy patches, and evolves into something beautiful to watch. There is no huge story line driving the narrative (no quest for gold or a ring, no grudge match, no space alien to defeat), just the story of a young girl and her family doing the best they can under occasionally very difficult circumstances. I think it was just this simplicity and the real emotions that had me in tears, completely unexpectedly. It all seemed so honest and closer to real life than say, Meet Me in St. Louis which was set in roughly the same time period. James Dunn won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and young Peggy Garner won the Juvenile Oscar (it's not really clear if it is for this film or all her work that year), they were both wonderful, but Dorothy McGuire was also very strong as Katie Nolan. Peggy Garner definitely did a lot of heavy lifting in this movie, and it's a shame that she didn't have a more successful career as an adult. This isn't one of those family movies that you watch and laugh, but it's a family film in the way that "Little House on the Prairie" was a family TV show - there's no swearing, no nudity, sex or violence which makes it appropriate for all ages, and gives a family something to discuss. I think it would have been a good movie to watch with my dad, and I'm surprised he didn't bring that up when I was younger. I encourage you to check out this movie.
5/5/16 Crossfire at The Heights Theater, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay, 1947
I have to thank my friend for asking if I was interested in seeing Robert Mitchum in Crossfire, although to be honest, she didn't ask me that, she asked if I was a member of Minnesota Public Radio or Twin Cities Public Television. Both, I said. Oh, good because there is a two for one at The Heights Theater. That's how I found myself in Anoka County on Thursday night, listening to organ music waiting for the movie to start. Crossfire stars Robert Young ("Father Knows Best", "Marcus Welby, M.D.") as Investigator Finlay (not like his television roles); Robert Mitchum as Sergeant Peter Keeley; Robert Ryan in his Oscar nominated role as Montgomery and George Cooper as Corporal Arthur Mitchell. They are all characters in a well laid out mystery that took a social twist I didn't see coming. The movie is set at the end of World War II in what I believe is an East Coast city, maybe Philadelphia (Finlay references being from there) or Baltimore, and Corporal Mitchell is having a tough time. We're not exactly sure why, but his friends describe him as a gentle guy, not really the fighting type (he seemed to have a desk job), and maybe lonely for his wife. He connects with a civilian in a bar, Samuels, and his girlfriend and goes back to his apartment for a few drinks. Hanging out with Mitchell are Montgomery, Leroy and Floyd. Montgomery and Floyd force themselves into the party. It opens with a man being murdered and is told in flashbacks, but with the different characters' perspective. I just saw Mitchum in Night of the Hunter and totally expected a bad guy. I don't think it ruins anything to say not only is he NOT the bad guy, he has some of the best lines in the movie. The story follows Finlay and Keeley as they spar with one another, try to find Mitchell and figure out who the killer is and why. What unravels is that the man who was killed was killed because he was Jewish and the stain of anti-Semitism runs through the last part of the movie. Robert Ryan is totally unlikable as Montgomery, he's a bully and likes to make fun of the smaller, less assertive guys, and nothing good can come of that. He lost the Best Supporting Actor award to Edmund Gwenn in his role as Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street. It would be hard to find two more disparate roles. Coincidentally, Crossfire lost the Best Picture Oscar to Gentleman's Agreement, starring Gregory Peck, focused it's whole story on anti-Semitism. Edward Dmytryk directed and he was part of the blacklisted Hollywood Ten, who originally refused to testify in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee. I really did like this movie and enjoyed seeing it in a classic theater like The Heights. It's a movie you have probably never heard of and I don't know if it's available from the library or anywhere, but I would recommend it.
 |
| Welcoming the audience to The Heights with organ music - The Heights Mighty Wurlitzer |
5/7/16 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Best Supporting Actor, National Film Registry, 1945
I had no idea what this movie was about, it was just on the list and I wanted something unfamiliar. Sometimes I think this elicits the most honest and fresh reactions. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is based on the novel of the same name by Betty Smith, and even though it was published in 1943, it is set in turn of the century Brooklyn around 1912. The main character is Francie Nolan (Peggy Ann Garner), a young girl who has aspirations and dreams and thinks the sun rises and sets on her father, Johnny Nolan (James Dunn), a singing waiter with a drinking problem. Francie and her brother, Neeley (short for Cornelius) help their long-suffering mother, Katie (Dorothy McGuire), with household expenses by collecting rags and scrounging around the neighborhood. Johnny Nolan loves his family, but he has a hard time providing for them; Katie loves her husband, and occasionally remembers back to their early days and why she fell in love with him, but she spends a lot of time resenting her husband's carefree attitude. Francie wants to go to a nicer school, one that allows her to grow, but the one she wants to attend is a long walk and requires Francie to fib about her real residence. Katie doesn't support her bookish notions, but Johnny cannot say no. Francie loves her new school and seems to thrive. Neeley and Francie graduate from their schools (not sure if it's high school, the timing wouldn't be right, but perhaps at that time, even graduating junior high school was a huge accomplishment). Even though Francie is older, Katie thought it would be good to hold her back so she could keep an eye on Neeley. Katie and Francie have an interesting mother/daughter relationship, probably not all that uncommon, and it goes through bumpy patches, and evolves into something beautiful to watch. There is no huge story line driving the narrative (no quest for gold or a ring, no grudge match, no space alien to defeat), just the story of a young girl and her family doing the best they can under occasionally very difficult circumstances. I think it was just this simplicity and the real emotions that had me in tears, completely unexpectedly. It all seemed so honest and closer to real life than say, Meet Me in St. Louis which was set in roughly the same time period. James Dunn won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and young Peggy Garner won the Juvenile Oscar (it's not really clear if it is for this film or all her work that year), they were both wonderful, but Dorothy McGuire was also very strong as Katie Nolan. Peggy Garner definitely did a lot of heavy lifting in this movie, and it's a shame that she didn't have a more successful career as an adult. This isn't one of those family movies that you watch and laugh, but it's a family film in the way that "Little House on the Prairie" was a family TV show - there's no swearing, no nudity, sex or violence which makes it appropriate for all ages, and gives a family something to discuss. I think it would have been a good movie to watch with my dad, and I'm surprised he didn't bring that up when I was younger. I encourage you to check out this movie.
Creed and a little television viewing
3/21/16 Creed, 2015 nominated for Best Supporting Actor
To paraphrase Robert Burns "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." Way back in January, which seems like eons ago, I was going to see Creed, but I thought I should see Rocky first. I saw Rocky but couldn't get to Creed. Until now. You may recall there was quite the foofaraw when the Oscar nominations came out regarding the lack of diversity in the nominees, and Creed was one of the movies cited. Sylvester Stallone was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but Ryan Coogler (director) and Michael B. Jordan (Adonis Creed) were not. This was not the first time that Coogler and Jordan were not nominated for a worthy film (in my opinion) - Fruitvale Station was a powerful movies and deserved consideration. But, I think that both of those men are very talented and we'll hear more from them. So, back to the movie. Rocky Balboa (Stallone) is a much older man, now a widower and seemingly without close friends, still living in Philadelphia. Adonis Johnson (Jordan) is a young man in California, who after a rough childhood in group homes, has found success in the securities world, but he would rather box. Adonis was taken in by Apollo Creed's widow, Mary Anne (played by the beautiful Phylicia Rashad) she doesn't want him to fight. Of course he has to follow his dreams and heads to Philadelphia with the hope of getting Rocky to train him. We follow as Rocky, albeit reluctantly, trains Adonis the way Mickey trained him over 35 years before. Adonis (Donnie) wants to make it on his own, not relying on his father's name and fame, but it eventually gets out. Donnie gets a couple of fights, and the last one is a doozy. I really loved this movie; the script does a great job of recalling the memories of the earlier Rocky movies without getting weighed down by nostalgia, and I never thought I would say this, but Sylvester Stallone was really good. Rocky was more grounded, not the goofball he was in the first movie, but insightful and well-spoken when he was giving guidance to Donnie, whom he treats like a son. The chemistry between Rocky and Donnie (or maybe better to say Stallone and Jordan) was perfect, it seemed like they had been working together for a long time, the banter and the arguments were very realistic and believable. I'm guessing there will be a sequel and if there is, I hope Stallone is in it as well, and I also hope they can catch lightning in a bottle twice. Donnie also had a love interest, Bianca (Tessa Thompson). Most of you know I'm not a fan of love stories in the middle of my movies, but this worked; it wasn't too much or mushy and it didn't detract from the main story.
I have a surprise for you: I'm working on another list. I love Agatha Christie: Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot and even some of the lesser known works. David Suchet completed making television movies for all of the Hercule Poirot collection and I have decided to watch all of them (again). I won't be reviewing them all, but I may give periodic updates, or not. I may be spontaneous. What I do want to share is how much David Suchet IS Hercule Poirot, no disrespect to Peter Ustinov or Albert Finney, but it's no competition. Poirot, and the others in the canon, are still so popular today because there is no artifice; no ultra complicated plots with bizarre twists; a video tour of England, and the stories are set in a bygone era, and yet so much a part of it - the art deco, the world after Downton Abbey, if you will; and the characters themselves - Poirot, Hastings, Japp, Miss Lemon totally own their idiosyncrasies, and Poirot operates from the most honest of premises - always for the greater good and he has no patience for evil intentions, but compassion for the oppressed, less fortunate and lovelorn. And, I love his quirks, the way he uses his "little gray cells". More to follow.
The other series I mentioned a while ago was "Nurse Jackie" with Edie Falco. I am now in season seven, the last one, and I will be sad it's over, but it's probably time for it to end. Some shows make the mistake of going on too long and rehashing stories or getting so ridiculous it's just stupid. I think they avoided that issue, but I suppose anything can happen in the next 6 episodes. I really like this series - in less than 30 minutes I laugh, I cringe, I get irritated, and I care about these characters who are very multidimensional and complex. My favorite is Zoey, who has come a long way from being shy and uncertain to being a really good nurse, with a good heart and is unable to form a malicious thought. A friend and I were discussing how much there is to watch, so many options it's hard to choose. If you're looking for something new, I would suggest "Nurse Jackie".
My next stop is Cleveland and my favorite theater, the Cedar-Lee, and lunch at Tommy's, and with any luck, I will get in one day at the Cleveland International Film Festival AND Batman v. Superman with my brother.
To paraphrase Robert Burns "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." Way back in January, which seems like eons ago, I was going to see Creed, but I thought I should see Rocky first. I saw Rocky but couldn't get to Creed. Until now. You may recall there was quite the foofaraw when the Oscar nominations came out regarding the lack of diversity in the nominees, and Creed was one of the movies cited. Sylvester Stallone was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but Ryan Coogler (director) and Michael B. Jordan (Adonis Creed) were not. This was not the first time that Coogler and Jordan were not nominated for a worthy film (in my opinion) - Fruitvale Station was a powerful movies and deserved consideration. But, I think that both of those men are very talented and we'll hear more from them. So, back to the movie. Rocky Balboa (Stallone) is a much older man, now a widower and seemingly without close friends, still living in Philadelphia. Adonis Johnson (Jordan) is a young man in California, who after a rough childhood in group homes, has found success in the securities world, but he would rather box. Adonis was taken in by Apollo Creed's widow, Mary Anne (played by the beautiful Phylicia Rashad) she doesn't want him to fight. Of course he has to follow his dreams and heads to Philadelphia with the hope of getting Rocky to train him. We follow as Rocky, albeit reluctantly, trains Adonis the way Mickey trained him over 35 years before. Adonis (Donnie) wants to make it on his own, not relying on his father's name and fame, but it eventually gets out. Donnie gets a couple of fights, and the last one is a doozy. I really loved this movie; the script does a great job of recalling the memories of the earlier Rocky movies without getting weighed down by nostalgia, and I never thought I would say this, but Sylvester Stallone was really good. Rocky was more grounded, not the goofball he was in the first movie, but insightful and well-spoken when he was giving guidance to Donnie, whom he treats like a son. The chemistry between Rocky and Donnie (or maybe better to say Stallone and Jordan) was perfect, it seemed like they had been working together for a long time, the banter and the arguments were very realistic and believable. I'm guessing there will be a sequel and if there is, I hope Stallone is in it as well, and I also hope they can catch lightning in a bottle twice. Donnie also had a love interest, Bianca (Tessa Thompson). Most of you know I'm not a fan of love stories in the middle of my movies, but this worked; it wasn't too much or mushy and it didn't detract from the main story.
 | ||||
| Philadelphia |
I have a surprise for you: I'm working on another list. I love Agatha Christie: Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot and even some of the lesser known works. David Suchet completed making television movies for all of the Hercule Poirot collection and I have decided to watch all of them (again). I won't be reviewing them all, but I may give periodic updates, or not. I may be spontaneous. What I do want to share is how much David Suchet IS Hercule Poirot, no disrespect to Peter Ustinov or Albert Finney, but it's no competition. Poirot, and the others in the canon, are still so popular today because there is no artifice; no ultra complicated plots with bizarre twists; a video tour of England, and the stories are set in a bygone era, and yet so much a part of it - the art deco, the world after Downton Abbey, if you will; and the characters themselves - Poirot, Hastings, Japp, Miss Lemon totally own their idiosyncrasies, and Poirot operates from the most honest of premises - always for the greater good and he has no patience for evil intentions, but compassion for the oppressed, less fortunate and lovelorn. And, I love his quirks, the way he uses his "little gray cells". More to follow.
The other series I mentioned a while ago was "Nurse Jackie" with Edie Falco. I am now in season seven, the last one, and I will be sad it's over, but it's probably time for it to end. Some shows make the mistake of going on too long and rehashing stories or getting so ridiculous it's just stupid. I think they avoided that issue, but I suppose anything can happen in the next 6 episodes. I really like this series - in less than 30 minutes I laugh, I cringe, I get irritated, and I care about these characters who are very multidimensional and complex. My favorite is Zoey, who has come a long way from being shy and uncertain to being a really good nurse, with a good heart and is unable to form a malicious thought. A friend and I were discussing how much there is to watch, so many options it's hard to choose. If you're looking for something new, I would suggest "Nurse Jackie".
My next stop is Cleveland and my favorite theater, the Cedar-Lee, and lunch at Tommy's, and with any luck, I will get in one day at the Cleveland International Film Festival AND Batman v. Superman with my brother.
John Wayne, Orson Welles, Hitchcock, Tootsie and Frida - something for everyone
3/13/16 Rio Bravo, 1959, #41 BBC, National Film Registry
Rio Bravo was directed by Howard Hawks (His Girl Friday) and stars John Wayne, Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson. It kind of seems like an unusual combination, but it really works. Toss in Walter Brennan, a couple of songs sung by Martin and Nelson, pretty good banter and you have a movie perfect for a Saturday afternoon at the cabin (since it's getting to be that time again). Sheriff John T. Chance (Wayne) is guarding a high value target (as we would say these days) and doesn't have a large pool of deputies, so he scrapes the bottom of the barrel. Chance puts his faith in Dude (Martin), an alcoholic cowboy who used to be a great shot; Stumpy (Brennan) who makes up in heart and spirit with what he lacks in physical mobility; Colorado (Nelson), a young cowboy who works for a friend of Chance and only joins Chance when his boss is gunned down by someone trying to free Joe Burdette. I liked the movie; there was a little bit of suspense, some great shooting, and like I have gotten used to from Hawks' films - quick, rapid fire dialog. John Wayne may have been one of the great unintentional straight men, putting the lines out there for Brennan to hit out of the park. The one thing I really didn't like, and I don't feel that it added to the movie, was Chance's relationship with Feathers (Angie Dickinson). Otherwise, it was fun.
3/13/16 Touch of Evil, 1958, #51 BBC, National Film Registry
Orson Welles wrote, directed and starred in this dark, moody and tense thriller set on the borders of the United States and Mexico. Welles is Captain Hank Quinlan (he is under a lot of makeup, but he's there) and Charlton Heston is Miguel "Mike" Vargas, a drug enforcement official from Mexico who has just married his American wife, Susie (Janet Leigh). They stumble upon a car bomb that goes off on the American side of the border and kills an American businessman.Vargas and Quinlan engage in a turf war of sorts, with Quinlan predictably against Vargas's presence in the investigation of the bombing, as well as biased against Mexicans in general. Susie is not thrilled about being in Mexico, and while she waits for Mike to finish his official business, she waits in a motel, owned by "Uncle Joe" Grandi, a Mexican mob-type figure who has his fingers in all kinds of things. Susie (Janet Leigh is relegated to panicked looks, hysterical screaming and crying, necessary, but annoying) is cut-off from Mike and his American counterparts and is harassed and tormented by Uncle Joe's minions. This seems like a throwaway part of the story, but it does bring everything together in the end. We are not sure if Quinlan is just a hard-boiled cop, upset at Vargas's presence, or a corrupt and jaded man. There is a hint of sadness in him and we don't get the whole story, but we get hints, through his conversations with his loyal partner, Pete, as well as his reminiscences with Tanya (Marlene Dietrich), a brothel owner. I am not overly familiar with the work of Marlene Dietrich, but I thought she was wonderfully understated, but strong, and I would have liked to see more interactions with Tanya and Quinlan (that could have been a totally separate movie). The last twenty minutes are really intense and very suspenseful. Once I got past Charlton Heston as Mexican (I thought surely there were Mexican or Mexican-American actors, but maybe they went with Heston for star power), and Susie/Janet Leigh's whininess, I was very enthralled. If I didn't know Welles was involved, I would have thought this was a Hitchcock film, except it didn't have any of those comedic touches that Hitchcock used. If you are looking for a film noir for your next movie night, I suggest A Touch of Evil.
3/19/16 Frida, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, 2002
Frida is a bio-pic about Mexican surrealist Frida Kahlo (Selma Hayek) and her husband and painter, Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina). The movie introduces us to a young Frida Kahlo, playful, philosophical, and in love, when she is involved in a devastating trolley versus bus accident, where she experiences injuries that affect her the rest of her life. She has a lot of time to paint and draw as she recuperates from many surgeries; and upon her recovery, she visits famed Mexican painter, Diego Rivera. They bond over art, but also politics as they are both Communists/Socialists. They swear to remain friends, because Rivera has a terrible reputation as a womanizer, and that promise lasts about 60 seconds. What follows is a tumultuous and passionate love affair that informs Frida's art, although to be fair, the movie features both artists' work as they traveled together as Rivera did his murals in America (Detroit, New York City, Chicago). Frida and Diego both had relationships outside of their marriage and it seemed to work for them, until Diego had an affair with Frida's sister and later after they reconciled, Frida had an affair with Leon Trotsky. This was a world where politics and art collided. I liked the movie, and I liked the way the artwork was shown, and for Frida how much of her inner pain, physical and emotional, came through her work. I was less thrilled with the surrealistic 'vignettes' that director Julie Taymor included. I thought they were annoying; others may disagree. I learned a lot about both artists, and Hayek and Molina were Frida and Rivera; it was truly a tragic love story. I probably would not have watched this movie if it wasn't on my list, but I am glad I did.
3/19/16 Marnie, 1964, #47 BBC
What can I say about Hitchcock? He is the master of suspense, and I always (always) get his movies with a lump in my throat because I am so sure I am going to be scared out of my wits, even before watching them or even knowing what they're about. I'm sure he would be pleased. I made sure to watch Marnie, starring Sean Connery and Tippi Hedren, during the day so I would not have nightmares before bedtime. Seriously. And not that I was disappointed, but I didn't have any nightmares and quite enjoyed the movie. Tippi Hedren is the title character, Marnie, who has a bad habit of stealing from her employers and then disappearing into a new identity. She's quite effective until she meets Mark Rutland (the ever so suave Sean Connery) who owns Rutland Publishing. Through a variety of special effects as well as the powerful score, by Bernard Hermann, gives us some clue that Marnie isn't a hardened criminal, but a damaged young woman (think back to Hitchock's Spellbound or Vertigo) who needs the understanding Rutland to 'fix' her. There were times when I felt things dragged a bit or that the acting from the other characters was pretty bad, but the last thirty minutes are outstanding. Since I watched A Touch of Evil just a few days before Marnie I was making comparisons in my mind about the films, the camera angles, the use of suspense and letting the viewer know only what the director wanted us to know and the use of visual and sound effects to heighten the tension. Marnie may be one of my favorite Hitchcock films now. I have to watch Psycho and perhaps I will get up the courage...or not.
3/19/16 Tootsie, 1982, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, #69 AFI, National Film Registry
A friend and I were talking about how so many movies (it seems) that were made decades ago that had racist or sexist elements still seemed to be relevant today. I saw Tootsie when it came out in the theaters over thirty years ago and I remember my friends and I thought it was hilarious and that Dustin Hoffman was awesome (actually, I don't think 'awesome' was in the lingo as much as it is these days). It went on to be one of the year's best movies and was nominated for ten Oscars, although only winning one. Dustin Hoffman is Michael Dorsey, an out of work and difficult to work with actor in New York City who finally gets a job on a soap opera as Dorothy Michaels. The only other person who knows about this twist is Dorsey's roommate and playwright, Jeff played Bill Murray who is nonplussed by his friend's behavior. Teri Garr is Sandy Lester a friend and fellow actor who also struggles to find employment. Much to his surprise, Michael gets the role on the soap (the audition is hilarious, with the producer and director imploring the cameramen not to get too close); and this new role leads Michael to see how hard it is for actresses who face more discrimination and harassment by their co-stars and employers. Michael, being a sensitive soul, decides to make his character, Emily Kimberly, a voice for these women, and "she" becomes a rallying point for women around the country. I don't often laugh out loud at movies, they're not that funny or I'm just laughing on the inside, but I laughed a lot during Tootsie. Hoffman is surrounded by a great cast (Jessica Lange, Geena Davis, Charles Durning, Dabney Coleman, Sydney Pollack) and they all play off of one another so well; they are so believable in their belief in Dorothy's existence. Teri Garr and Jessica Lange were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress, with Lange winning. I was worried that I would not find Tootsie as funny the second time around, but I was wrong. It was funny, still current in some respects, and nostalgic in others (the Stephen Bishop soundtrack). If you haven't seen this one in a while, you should watch it.
Rio Bravo was directed by Howard Hawks (His Girl Friday) and stars John Wayne, Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson. It kind of seems like an unusual combination, but it really works. Toss in Walter Brennan, a couple of songs sung by Martin and Nelson, pretty good banter and you have a movie perfect for a Saturday afternoon at the cabin (since it's getting to be that time again). Sheriff John T. Chance (Wayne) is guarding a high value target (as we would say these days) and doesn't have a large pool of deputies, so he scrapes the bottom of the barrel. Chance puts his faith in Dude (Martin), an alcoholic cowboy who used to be a great shot; Stumpy (Brennan) who makes up in heart and spirit with what he lacks in physical mobility; Colorado (Nelson), a young cowboy who works for a friend of Chance and only joins Chance when his boss is gunned down by someone trying to free Joe Burdette. I liked the movie; there was a little bit of suspense, some great shooting, and like I have gotten used to from Hawks' films - quick, rapid fire dialog. John Wayne may have been one of the great unintentional straight men, putting the lines out there for Brennan to hit out of the park. The one thing I really didn't like, and I don't feel that it added to the movie, was Chance's relationship with Feathers (Angie Dickinson). Otherwise, it was fun.
3/13/16 Touch of Evil, 1958, #51 BBC, National Film Registry
Orson Welles wrote, directed and starred in this dark, moody and tense thriller set on the borders of the United States and Mexico. Welles is Captain Hank Quinlan (he is under a lot of makeup, but he's there) and Charlton Heston is Miguel "Mike" Vargas, a drug enforcement official from Mexico who has just married his American wife, Susie (Janet Leigh). They stumble upon a car bomb that goes off on the American side of the border and kills an American businessman.Vargas and Quinlan engage in a turf war of sorts, with Quinlan predictably against Vargas's presence in the investigation of the bombing, as well as biased against Mexicans in general. Susie is not thrilled about being in Mexico, and while she waits for Mike to finish his official business, she waits in a motel, owned by "Uncle Joe" Grandi, a Mexican mob-type figure who has his fingers in all kinds of things. Susie (Janet Leigh is relegated to panicked looks, hysterical screaming and crying, necessary, but annoying) is cut-off from Mike and his American counterparts and is harassed and tormented by Uncle Joe's minions. This seems like a throwaway part of the story, but it does bring everything together in the end. We are not sure if Quinlan is just a hard-boiled cop, upset at Vargas's presence, or a corrupt and jaded man. There is a hint of sadness in him and we don't get the whole story, but we get hints, through his conversations with his loyal partner, Pete, as well as his reminiscences with Tanya (Marlene Dietrich), a brothel owner. I am not overly familiar with the work of Marlene Dietrich, but I thought she was wonderfully understated, but strong, and I would have liked to see more interactions with Tanya and Quinlan (that could have been a totally separate movie). The last twenty minutes are really intense and very suspenseful. Once I got past Charlton Heston as Mexican (I thought surely there were Mexican or Mexican-American actors, but maybe they went with Heston for star power), and Susie/Janet Leigh's whininess, I was very enthralled. If I didn't know Welles was involved, I would have thought this was a Hitchcock film, except it didn't have any of those comedic touches that Hitchcock used. If you are looking for a film noir for your next movie night, I suggest A Touch of Evil.
3/19/16 Frida, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, 2002
Frida is a bio-pic about Mexican surrealist Frida Kahlo (Selma Hayek) and her husband and painter, Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina). The movie introduces us to a young Frida Kahlo, playful, philosophical, and in love, when she is involved in a devastating trolley versus bus accident, where she experiences injuries that affect her the rest of her life. She has a lot of time to paint and draw as she recuperates from many surgeries; and upon her recovery, she visits famed Mexican painter, Diego Rivera. They bond over art, but also politics as they are both Communists/Socialists. They swear to remain friends, because Rivera has a terrible reputation as a womanizer, and that promise lasts about 60 seconds. What follows is a tumultuous and passionate love affair that informs Frida's art, although to be fair, the movie features both artists' work as they traveled together as Rivera did his murals in America (Detroit, New York City, Chicago). Frida and Diego both had relationships outside of their marriage and it seemed to work for them, until Diego had an affair with Frida's sister and later after they reconciled, Frida had an affair with Leon Trotsky. This was a world where politics and art collided. I liked the movie, and I liked the way the artwork was shown, and for Frida how much of her inner pain, physical and emotional, came through her work. I was less thrilled with the surrealistic 'vignettes' that director Julie Taymor included. I thought they were annoying; others may disagree. I learned a lot about both artists, and Hayek and Molina were Frida and Rivera; it was truly a tragic love story. I probably would not have watched this movie if it wasn't on my list, but I am glad I did.
3/19/16 Marnie, 1964, #47 BBC
What can I say about Hitchcock? He is the master of suspense, and I always (always) get his movies with a lump in my throat because I am so sure I am going to be scared out of my wits, even before watching them or even knowing what they're about. I'm sure he would be pleased. I made sure to watch Marnie, starring Sean Connery and Tippi Hedren, during the day so I would not have nightmares before bedtime. Seriously. And not that I was disappointed, but I didn't have any nightmares and quite enjoyed the movie. Tippi Hedren is the title character, Marnie, who has a bad habit of stealing from her employers and then disappearing into a new identity. She's quite effective until she meets Mark Rutland (the ever so suave Sean Connery) who owns Rutland Publishing. Through a variety of special effects as well as the powerful score, by Bernard Hermann, gives us some clue that Marnie isn't a hardened criminal, but a damaged young woman (think back to Hitchock's Spellbound or Vertigo) who needs the understanding Rutland to 'fix' her. There were times when I felt things dragged a bit or that the acting from the other characters was pretty bad, but the last thirty minutes are outstanding. Since I watched A Touch of Evil just a few days before Marnie I was making comparisons in my mind about the films, the camera angles, the use of suspense and letting the viewer know only what the director wanted us to know and the use of visual and sound effects to heighten the tension. Marnie may be one of my favorite Hitchcock films now. I have to watch Psycho and perhaps I will get up the courage...or not.
3/19/16 Tootsie, 1982, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, #69 AFI, National Film Registry
A friend and I were talking about how so many movies (it seems) that were made decades ago that had racist or sexist elements still seemed to be relevant today. I saw Tootsie when it came out in the theaters over thirty years ago and I remember my friends and I thought it was hilarious and that Dustin Hoffman was awesome (actually, I don't think 'awesome' was in the lingo as much as it is these days). It went on to be one of the year's best movies and was nominated for ten Oscars, although only winning one. Dustin Hoffman is Michael Dorsey, an out of work and difficult to work with actor in New York City who finally gets a job on a soap opera as Dorothy Michaels. The only other person who knows about this twist is Dorsey's roommate and playwright, Jeff played Bill Murray who is nonplussed by his friend's behavior. Teri Garr is Sandy Lester a friend and fellow actor who also struggles to find employment. Much to his surprise, Michael gets the role on the soap (the audition is hilarious, with the producer and director imploring the cameramen not to get too close); and this new role leads Michael to see how hard it is for actresses who face more discrimination and harassment by their co-stars and employers. Michael, being a sensitive soul, decides to make his character, Emily Kimberly, a voice for these women, and "she" becomes a rallying point for women around the country. I don't often laugh out loud at movies, they're not that funny or I'm just laughing on the inside, but I laughed a lot during Tootsie. Hoffman is surrounded by a great cast (Jessica Lange, Geena Davis, Charles Durning, Dabney Coleman, Sydney Pollack) and they all play off of one another so well; they are so believable in their belief in Dorothy's existence. Teri Garr and Jessica Lange were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress, with Lange winning. I was worried that I would not find Tootsie as funny the second time around, but I was wrong. It was funny, still current in some respects, and nostalgic in others (the Stephen Bishop soundtrack). If you haven't seen this one in a while, you should watch it.
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