9/13/19 Reversal of Fortune, Best Actor, 1990
I remember when the Claus von Bulow case was in the news. It was very titillating, the life of the ridiculously wealthy. This was before the internet and 24 hour gossip cycles. I vaguely remember when the movie Reversal of Fortune was released, perhaps I was no longer interested. I honestly don't recall it making that big of an impression, much less being an Oscar nominated film. Glenn Close is Sunny von Bulow who really doesn't do too much in the film and Jeremy Irons won an Oscar for his portrayal of Claus von Bulow, the pompous and snooty husband of the inert Sunny. Ron Silver is famous (or infamous) defense attorney Alan Dershowitz. Claus von Bulow is accused of attempting to murder Sunny by injecting her with an overdose of insulin. von Bulow's haughty demeanor doesn't endear him to anyone, but Dershowitz takes the case to fund his other pro bono work. I am a big fan of trial dramas/mysteries/biographies, but I didn't find this suspenseful or even well acted. I was surprised to learn that Irons beat out Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves, Richard Harris in The Field and Robert DeNiro in Awakenings. I was looking forward to seeing this film, but was pretty disappointed.
9/18/19 Die Hard, National Film Registry, 1988
Until I watched Die Hard this past fall, I had never, ever seen a Die Hard film in its entirety, or even any significant portions. Honest. Most people are probably familiar with the basic premise, but in the event you are not, Bruce Willis is John McClane, a New York City police officer who is in Los Angeles to try and reunite with his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedalia). Holly is an executive who works in a swanky skyscraper. McClane arrives in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve (thus apparently cementing the film's place in the pantheon of Christmas films), at the same time terrorists, led by the inimitable Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber. Bad timing for McClane, but lucky for his wife and the attendees of the company Christmas party; oh, and bad timing for Gruber and company. McClane takes on around eight henchman equipped with automatic weapons and explosives, and no surprise, he comes out the winner (really, this is not a spoiler). He and Gruber play a game of chess as McClane tries to race the clock before Gruber accomplishes his goal of stealing over $640 million dollars in bearer bonds and destroying the skyscraper. Willis/McClane fights his way, with his gun and his smart-ass mouth, taunting Gruber, but also trying to convince the LAPD that he's not one of the bad guys. I did like Willis' performance, but Rickman steals the show (not an original thought on my part) by being the cold blooded, restrained, intellectual, mysterious bad guy. It foreshadows a little bit his role as Snape in the Harry Potter series. I liked the movie, and I'm glad I finally saw it so I can keep with any offhand references to it, but I didn't love it. I don't feel the need to watch it over and over. But, that's just me.
10/3/19 Joker, not yet nominated, 2019
I honestly do not know how to write this, because I know the vast majority of people who have seen Joker have loved it, including my brother, who was very disappointed in my response. Honestly, I had no desire to even see the movie, much less on opening night. Joaquin Phoenix is Arthur Fleck/Joker, who attempts to make a living playing a clown and aspires to stand up comedy, but he faces ridicule from his fellow clowns and abuse from kids on the street. Arthur takes care of his mother Penny (Frances Conroy) who used to work for industrialist Thomas Wayne. Arthur seems to have some mental issues that confuse fiction and reality. Robert DeNiro is Murray Franklin, a late night talk show host in the vein of Johnny Carson; Arthur fantasizes being on the Murray Franklin show and doing his stand up routine. Arthur also has feelings for his neighbor, Sophie (Zazie Beetz), and we are led to believe they have a romantic relationship. Gradually, Arthur is pushed to his breaking point by discovering the truth about his childhood and his mother's actions; his mistreatment by his fellow clowns; and ultimately, his failure on the Murray Franklin show. Even though the film is set in Gotham, and Thomas Wayne looms large in the background, there are only a few threads to link Joker to the future Batman. Phoenix is totally committed to Fleck, and there is no question his performance will be nominated for an Oscar (or, I guess it would be a huge surprise if he was not nominated), but I just didn't care. That was the only way I could explain it to my brother, I didn't care. What I saw was a man who was beaten, downtrodden, humiliated and he took his revenge by killing people and reveling in the violence. Meh.
10/13/19 Tender Mercies, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, 1983
Sometimes a movie doesn't need special effects, action scenes or over the top sex scenes. Tender Mercies is one of those movies. Written by Horton Foote (To Kill a Mockingbird), directed by Bruce Beresford (Breaker Morant, Driving Miss Daisy) and starring Robert Duvall, it takes the viewer on a quietly emotional journey that took me by surprise. Duvall is Mac Sledge, a washed up alcoholic country singer who finds a refuge with Rosa Lee (Tess Harper) and her son, Sonny. Rosa is a widow whose husband was killed in Vietnam. She lets Mac stay on her property in exchange for working on it. Mac has his demons, a failed marriage and hostile relationship to a popular country singer, Dixie (Betty Buckley), an uneven relationship with his daughter Sue Anne (Ellen Barkin) and his status as a has-been in the music world. Sonny battles the bullies at school over not having a dad (apparently the sacrifice of dying for your country wasn't enough for them) and Rosa tries to keep her gas station/motel going. Even though you kind of know that Mac and Rosa are going to get together, it's subtle and it just kind of happens, no big fireworks. Mac and Rosa get married; Mac and Sonny develop a close bond and Mac gets 're-discovered' by a local band. Duvall does his own singing in the film. Of course, you can't have all of these wonderful things happen without something to counterbalance it, so there is a tragedy, but even the tragedy is handled with reserve and restraint. It's like Mac and Rosa just absorb disappointment and sadness like body blows, but keep moving on, leaning on each other and their strong bonds and their faith. Duvall is terrifically understated and you really believe the chemistry between him and Tess Harper (who should have been nominated as Best Supporting Actress). I had no expectations of the movie, not being very familiar with it at all, but I really enjoyed it and if you're tired of CGI and/or superhero movies or just want to watch a human story, find Tender Mercies on Netflix or from the library.
10/19/19 Spider-Man: Far From Home, 2019, not yet nominated
Eh. Spider-Man: Far From Home is set after the Avengers' universe-splitting Endgame and the death of Iron Man (I'm so sorry if you haven't seen it yet, but seriously?) and Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is back at school. He and his classmates are off to Europe where they run into The Elementals and Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). Honestly, I really didn't care. I wanted to, but I couldn't. I did like that Happy, Iron Man's bodyguard/chauffeur, makes more than a cameo. I never bought Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, I liked Andrew Garfield and Toby Maguire (until Spider-Man 3, ugh). The movie was good, not great, and I would say you should see it if you're a megafan of the MCU or Spidey, but if you're ambivalent, give it a pass.
Showing posts with label national film registry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label national film registry. Show all posts
Old and New: Broadcast News, A Raisin in the Sun, Green Book and Capernaum
All I can say is, it's a good thing I have a day job.
4/27/19 Broadcast News, National Historic Film Registry, 1987
Unfortunately for Broadcast News, Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor was also released in 1987 and won 9 Academy Awards in the same season, many in the same categories. The movie stars William Hurt, Holly Hunter and Albert Brooks as members of a newscasting team (it reminds me of an early version of the tv series The Newsroom). At times, it made me nostalgic for the old days of three channels, landlines and typewriters. Written and directed by James L. Brooks, the script is fast paced and smart, topical for its time, and yet if you updated the technology, it could be set today.
5/8/19 A Raisin in the Sun, National Film Registry, 1961
I was prompted to bump A Raisin in the Sun to the top of my list after watching a documentary about the author/playwright, Lorraine Hansberry on PBS. To me, the fact that a black woman wrote a play that was nominated for Tony awards in 1960 is astonishing, then that she insisted on writing the screenplay as well, is groundbreaking. The story features a black family in the late 1950s, early 1960s, who are trying to decide what to do with the inheritance from their late father. The matriarch (Claudia McNeil) wants to buy a house (the family are sharing a very cramped apartment) and live the American dream; her son, Walter Lee Younger, (Sidney Poitier) has his own ideas of what to do with the money, like some pie in the sky investments with some questionable characters; Walter's sister has the radical idea of going to medical school and was hoping to take some of the inheritance money to pay for medical school. Walter's wife, Ruth (Ruby Dee) also has her sights set on a new house where their son can grow up and not sleep on the sofa. Once the decision is made to buy a house, the Younger family has to deal with the fact that despite the fact that their new neighbors don't really know them, they are politely asked not to move in. It's polite, but not very subtle that the white neighbors are not excited to have a black family in their midst. This was not fiction, but reality for many young black families of that time and even now, if we're honest. The movie is very well acted, and it's fun to see a young Poitier and Dee. The only thing that kind of bothered me, and I've noticed this when I've watched other plays turned into films, is that the dialog doesn't seem as natural; it seems stilted. I don't know if I would have noticed it if I didn't know it was based on a play. It didn't detract from the message of the story or the performances, but it's just something that caught my ear. It seemed odd to me that A Raisin in the Sun wasn't nominated for any Oscars, but it has been added to the National Film Registry.
Green Book, Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, nominated Best Actor, Best Film Editing, 2018
I don't think I am qualified to discuss all the controversy surrounding Green Book, whether it is about director Peter Farrelly's past; the true nature of the relationship/friendship between Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali, in another Oscar winning role) and Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortenson); or the 'white savior' complex. Before I saw the movie, I said it was Driving Miss Daisy in reverse, and was reluctant to see it, but of course, it was nominated and won several Oscars. So, I saw it and tried to be objective. It was a good movie; I think Mahershala Ali is an amazing actor who has the ability to transform himself from a violent drug dealer to a thoughtful and innovative pianist; I like a good buddy movie, seeing two people learn about one another, dealing with their quirks, but finding common ground; and having Vallelonga witness the discrimination and harassment that Shirley experienced and eventually sticking up for him. They learned from each other. I still think it was a reverse Driving Miss Daisy with condensed timeline and a little edgier script. I thought it was a good movie, but I didn't think it was great, or the best of the year; my hope was Black Panther, which might have been a long shot, but I think it ticked so many boxes; my other thought was Roma, but given the anti-Netflix bias, that probably wasn't going to happen.
6/1/19 Capernaum, Nominated Best Foreign Film, 2018
Some people like getting scared watching movies, others like to pee themselves laughing, and others like to have a good cry. One of the best feelings for me after watching a movie is feeling like I've been sucker punched, that I've watched something that blows me away and leaves me feeling raw. That's how I felt after I finished watching Capernaum. The star of the film, Zain Al Rafeea, was a Syrian refugee living the slums of Beirut, will break your heart. His character's name is also Zain, and he is a little boy of 12 years old who has to help support his family by selling, stealing, working and protecting. It's a lot to ask of a grown up, much less a kid. The movie is told in flashbacks, which threw me for a minute, but is a great way to tell the story of how he wound up in court suing his parents for being born. Zain is defiant and strong, but also shows that he will do anything to take care of the people he loves, whether or not they are family. Zain meets Rahil, an illegal immigrant with a young baby, who works jobs under the table and asks Zain to watch her baby. Zain and Rahil make an unlikely pair, but they come to rely on one another. I will hold off on telling you any more of the plot, because there are a few twists and turns that you should experience for yourself. Capernaum is like Roma in that it tells the stories of the unseen in their respective communities; people you know are there, but they are ignored or shunted aside when their perceived value may be gone. Both films also used non-actors in the main roles. They also both make you think. They are also both foreign films, which can sometimes turn people off. This is one of those times I am going to ask you to put aside your fear of subtitles and watch Capernaum (and Roma while we're at it) and take a chance on Zain and Rahil.
4/27/19 Broadcast News, National Historic Film Registry, 1987
Unfortunately for Broadcast News, Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor was also released in 1987 and won 9 Academy Awards in the same season, many in the same categories. The movie stars William Hurt, Holly Hunter and Albert Brooks as members of a newscasting team (it reminds me of an early version of the tv series The Newsroom). At times, it made me nostalgic for the old days of three channels, landlines and typewriters. Written and directed by James L. Brooks, the script is fast paced and smart, topical for its time, and yet if you updated the technology, it could be set today.
5/8/19 A Raisin in the Sun, National Film Registry, 1961
I was prompted to bump A Raisin in the Sun to the top of my list after watching a documentary about the author/playwright, Lorraine Hansberry on PBS. To me, the fact that a black woman wrote a play that was nominated for Tony awards in 1960 is astonishing, then that she insisted on writing the screenplay as well, is groundbreaking. The story features a black family in the late 1950s, early 1960s, who are trying to decide what to do with the inheritance from their late father. The matriarch (Claudia McNeil) wants to buy a house (the family are sharing a very cramped apartment) and live the American dream; her son, Walter Lee Younger, (Sidney Poitier) has his own ideas of what to do with the money, like some pie in the sky investments with some questionable characters; Walter's sister has the radical idea of going to medical school and was hoping to take some of the inheritance money to pay for medical school. Walter's wife, Ruth (Ruby Dee) also has her sights set on a new house where their son can grow up and not sleep on the sofa. Once the decision is made to buy a house, the Younger family has to deal with the fact that despite the fact that their new neighbors don't really know them, they are politely asked not to move in. It's polite, but not very subtle that the white neighbors are not excited to have a black family in their midst. This was not fiction, but reality for many young black families of that time and even now, if we're honest. The movie is very well acted, and it's fun to see a young Poitier and Dee. The only thing that kind of bothered me, and I've noticed this when I've watched other plays turned into films, is that the dialog doesn't seem as natural; it seems stilted. I don't know if I would have noticed it if I didn't know it was based on a play. It didn't detract from the message of the story or the performances, but it's just something that caught my ear. It seemed odd to me that A Raisin in the Sun wasn't nominated for any Oscars, but it has been added to the National Film Registry.
Green Book, Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, nominated Best Actor, Best Film Editing, 2018
I don't think I am qualified to discuss all the controversy surrounding Green Book, whether it is about director Peter Farrelly's past; the true nature of the relationship/friendship between Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali, in another Oscar winning role) and Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortenson); or the 'white savior' complex. Before I saw the movie, I said it was Driving Miss Daisy in reverse, and was reluctant to see it, but of course, it was nominated and won several Oscars. So, I saw it and tried to be objective. It was a good movie; I think Mahershala Ali is an amazing actor who has the ability to transform himself from a violent drug dealer to a thoughtful and innovative pianist; I like a good buddy movie, seeing two people learn about one another, dealing with their quirks, but finding common ground; and having Vallelonga witness the discrimination and harassment that Shirley experienced and eventually sticking up for him. They learned from each other. I still think it was a reverse Driving Miss Daisy with condensed timeline and a little edgier script. I thought it was a good movie, but I didn't think it was great, or the best of the year; my hope was Black Panther, which might have been a long shot, but I think it ticked so many boxes; my other thought was Roma, but given the anti-Netflix bias, that probably wasn't going to happen.
6/1/19 Capernaum, Nominated Best Foreign Film, 2018
Some people like getting scared watching movies, others like to pee themselves laughing, and others like to have a good cry. One of the best feelings for me after watching a movie is feeling like I've been sucker punched, that I've watched something that blows me away and leaves me feeling raw. That's how I felt after I finished watching Capernaum. The star of the film, Zain Al Rafeea, was a Syrian refugee living the slums of Beirut, will break your heart. His character's name is also Zain, and he is a little boy of 12 years old who has to help support his family by selling, stealing, working and protecting. It's a lot to ask of a grown up, much less a kid. The movie is told in flashbacks, which threw me for a minute, but is a great way to tell the story of how he wound up in court suing his parents for being born. Zain is defiant and strong, but also shows that he will do anything to take care of the people he loves, whether or not they are family. Zain meets Rahil, an illegal immigrant with a young baby, who works jobs under the table and asks Zain to watch her baby. Zain and Rahil make an unlikely pair, but they come to rely on one another. I will hold off on telling you any more of the plot, because there are a few twists and turns that you should experience for yourself. Capernaum is like Roma in that it tells the stories of the unseen in their respective communities; people you know are there, but they are ignored or shunted aside when their perceived value may be gone. Both films also used non-actors in the main roles. They also both make you think. They are also both foreign films, which can sometimes turn people off. This is one of those times I am going to ask you to put aside your fear of subtitles and watch Capernaum (and Roma while we're at it) and take a chance on Zain and Rahil.
Movie watching in a winter wonderland The Mule, Ready Player One, First Man
1/12/19 The Mule, 2019
The Mule was not originally on my 'must see in the theater' radar, but a friend was in town and we were hanging out at the Mall of America, and this fell into our time window. I had heard good things from someone at work, so why not. It's based on the true story of a senior citizen, Earl Stone (Clint Eastwood who also directed), who takes up driving mysterious packages across the country to earn money. Turns out the packages contain illegal substances and his employers are members of the Mexican drug cartel. Earl has a way with people, except his family, and that helps him negotiate the learning curve of working for people who would just as soon kill you as pay you. I liked watching Earl's relationship with one 'team' of drug dealers, asking about their families, having one of the young kids teach him how to text and use a smartphone, etc. I was less thrilled with the repetition of the drives; there are subtitles that indicate that this is the fourth trip, the fifth trip, etc. etc. and I think we hit 10 trips, and I was ready to go. There is a fractured relationship between Earl and his daughter (played by his real life daughter, Alison Eastwood) that doesn't get completely healed until the end (and maybe not even then). Bradley Cooper is a DEA agent on the trail of this new 'mule'; Dianne Wiest is Earl's ex-wife, who has remained friendly, if not a little wistful because their marriage ended. It's a good movie for movie night, maybe on a night where it's -27 degrees. Just saying.
1/19/19 My Darling Clementine, 1946, National Film Registry
The only prior knowledge I had of My Darling Clementine was the episode of "M*A*S*H" where they keep trying to show the movie and the film keeps breaking. It's one of my favorite episodes. It happened to be showing on a random movie channel one weekend and I started watching, then I saw it was on my list. John Ford directed Henry Fonda (Wyatt Earp), Victor Mature (Doc Holliday) and Walter Brennan (Newman Haynes Clanton) in this Western that re-tells the story of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral (with a great deal of historical liberties). Wyatt and his brothers are moving cattle when they meet up with the Clanton family who offer to buy the cattle. The Earps aren't interested, but the Clantons don't take no for an answer. Wyatt is a laconic man, letting his actions speak for him, which sometimes means shooting people. He is restrained and somber, letting his emotions show through when he's fighting for his family or showing kindness to Clementine Carter, Doc Holliday's former amour. I am no expert on Westerns, even though I have watched more than my fair share because of the lists, but I do know what I like and don't like, and I liked and enjoyed this movie. I was glad to finally see the film in it's entirety.
1/26/19 First Man, nominated Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects, 2019
First Man is about Neil Armstrong and his role in America's space program, which was in its infancy. The movie is directed by Damien Chazelle (La La Land) and stars Ryan Gosling (also recently of La La Land) as Armstrong. While the story is mainly about the space program and Armstrong's efforts to be part of a successful launch and landing on the moon, it also provides a look into Armstrong's personal life, including the death of his daughter in his early days as a test pilot. Her death haunts him, and makes him distant from his wife, his children and his fellow pilots. I think the history of the space program and the space race with the USSR is fascinating and amazing, and I think that Chazelle et al show us a glimpse of the dangers and risks, as well as the personal costs of this new field. It's nominated for Best Production Design and Best Visual Effects, and they are very well done. Out of the nominated films I have seen, I do they are better than most of the other movies, except perhaps Avengers: Infinity War.
1/26/19 Ready Player One, nominated Best Visual Effects, 2019
1/19/19 My Darling Clementine, 1946, National Film Registry
The only prior knowledge I had of My Darling Clementine was the episode of "M*A*S*H" where they keep trying to show the movie and the film keeps breaking. It's one of my favorite episodes. It happened to be showing on a random movie channel one weekend and I started watching, then I saw it was on my list. John Ford directed Henry Fonda (Wyatt Earp), Victor Mature (Doc Holliday) and Walter Brennan (Newman Haynes Clanton) in this Western that re-tells the story of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral (with a great deal of historical liberties). Wyatt and his brothers are moving cattle when they meet up with the Clanton family who offer to buy the cattle. The Earps aren't interested, but the Clantons don't take no for an answer. Wyatt is a laconic man, letting his actions speak for him, which sometimes means shooting people. He is restrained and somber, letting his emotions show through when he's fighting for his family or showing kindness to Clementine Carter, Doc Holliday's former amour. I am no expert on Westerns, even though I have watched more than my fair share because of the lists, but I do know what I like and don't like, and I liked and enjoyed this movie. I was glad to finally see the film in it's entirety.
1/26/19 First Man, nominated Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects, 2019
First Man is about Neil Armstrong and his role in America's space program, which was in its infancy. The movie is directed by Damien Chazelle (La La Land) and stars Ryan Gosling (also recently of La La Land) as Armstrong. While the story is mainly about the space program and Armstrong's efforts to be part of a successful launch and landing on the moon, it also provides a look into Armstrong's personal life, including the death of his daughter in his early days as a test pilot. Her death haunts him, and makes him distant from his wife, his children and his fellow pilots. I think the history of the space program and the space race with the USSR is fascinating and amazing, and I think that Chazelle et al show us a glimpse of the dangers and risks, as well as the personal costs of this new field. It's nominated for Best Production Design and Best Visual Effects, and they are very well done. Out of the nominated films I have seen, I do they are better than most of the other movies, except perhaps Avengers: Infinity War.
1/26/19 Ready Player One, nominated Best Visual Effects, 2019
I don't even know what to say about this movie. A friend of mine read the book and thought the movie was terrible and not true to the book at all. I have no other frame of reference. It's a movie about gaming in a virtual reality. I thought the acting was mediocre, especially from Academy Award winner Mark Rylance (although something I read somewhere made it sound like he was acting this way on purpose). The movie was directed by Steven Spielberg. I mean, since I had to watch it because it was on the list, I had higher expectations. But, I really didn't care. I stopped paying attention, I couldn't pay attention, it was just so bad. I didn't think its visual effects were that great or original or eye catching. Maybe I have a bad attitude. The good thing is it was free from the library.
Slogging through The Lists: Black Narcissus, Albert Schweitzer and a paean to Garlic
If this was my regular job, I would have been fired by now. It's not that I haven't been watching movies, clearly, if you look at the list of films below, but I have found myself easily distracted by planning my trip to Iceland (see my companion travel blog) or not all that inspired by the films. It dawned on me that Oscar nominations will be coming out soon and I'm way behind on 2018 movies, so I best get a move on for this backlog. I will ask for your indulgence, yet again, for any skimpiness in the following reviews.
11/7/18 Black Narcissus, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, 1947
The best thing about this film is the cinematography because the story is so full of holes you might think you're eating Swiss cheese. The movie is set in a convent in the Himalayas where the Anglican nuns want to start a hospital and school in a former seraglio (for the harem in a past age). There are a couple of different stories going on, none of which are told very completely. Sister Superior Clodagh (Deborah Kerr) is running from a failed romance in Ireland and trying to focus on her new project, but Mr. Dean, who is the British liaison between the convent and the local prince, is an unwanted distraction. Dean has no respect for the church or propriety as he wanders in and out of the Sisters' quarters in skimpy clothing, sometimes drunk. Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron) has some emotional or mental issues that are alluded to, but never fully explained, which is annoying because they are kind of important to the story. There is another storyline involving the heir to the throne falls in love with a lower caste dancing girl (Jean Simmons). I think I might have enjoyed the film a lot more if the story wasn't so badly told. I did enjoy the photography which brought incredible colors and shadows to the screen.
11/7/18 Black Narcissus, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, 1947
The best thing about this film is the cinematography because the story is so full of holes you might think you're eating Swiss cheese. The movie is set in a convent in the Himalayas where the Anglican nuns want to start a hospital and school in a former seraglio (for the harem in a past age). There are a couple of different stories going on, none of which are told very completely. Sister Superior Clodagh (Deborah Kerr) is running from a failed romance in Ireland and trying to focus on her new project, but Mr. Dean, who is the British liaison between the convent and the local prince, is an unwanted distraction. Dean has no respect for the church or propriety as he wanders in and out of the Sisters' quarters in skimpy clothing, sometimes drunk. Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron) has some emotional or mental issues that are alluded to, but never fully explained, which is annoying because they are kind of important to the story. There is another storyline involving the heir to the throne falls in love with a lower caste dancing girl (Jean Simmons). I think I might have enjoyed the film a lot more if the story wasn't so badly told. I did enjoy the photography which brought incredible colors and shadows to the screen.
11/9/18 Albert Schweitzer, Best Documentary, 1957
I did a report on Doctor Albert Schweitzer back in fifth or sixth grade, and I thought he was a pretty amazing man back then. I've learned a little more over the years, and was looking forward to watching this Oscar winning documentary. The film showed Schweitzer at home in Germany as well as in Gabon, Africa, where he carried out his missionary work. The documentary was made while Schweitzer was still alive, and is more of an homage to the man and his work, than a completely objective documentary. Of course, the way we look at something in the 21st century is different than the lens used in the late 1950s; views on colonialism, paternalistic attitudes, medical treatments have changed, and a modern documentary might portray Schweitzer in a different way. The documentary was informative, and it was interesting to see footage of Schweitzer and his family and his colleagues, but the narrative was less satisfying. I think I would recommend reading a good biography instead of watching this film.
I did a report on Doctor Albert Schweitzer back in fifth or sixth grade, and I thought he was a pretty amazing man back then. I've learned a little more over the years, and was looking forward to watching this Oscar winning documentary. The film showed Schweitzer at home in Germany as well as in Gabon, Africa, where he carried out his missionary work. The documentary was made while Schweitzer was still alive, and is more of an homage to the man and his work, than a completely objective documentary. Of course, the way we look at something in the 21st century is different than the lens used in the late 1950s; views on colonialism, paternalistic attitudes, medical treatments have changed, and a modern documentary might portray Schweitzer in a different way. The documentary was informative, and it was interesting to see footage of Schweitzer and his family and his colleagues, but the narrative was less satisfying. I think I would recommend reading a good biography instead of watching this film.
11/9/18 Chan is Missing, 1982, National Film Registry
Chan is Missing is set in San Francisco in Chinatown, and features a nephew and an uncle who are hoping to get their own cab license. Along the way, the man who was helping them, Chan Hung, goes missing, and Jo and Steve start looking for him. The film doesn't seem like a 1982 mystery, more like something from the 1940s or 1950s, which was kind of the goal. There were parts of the movie I really liked; I thought the uncle (Wood Moy) was an engaging narrator, and those were my favorite parts of the movie. I'm not familiar at all with the Charlie Chan movies from the 1930s and 1940s, except that he was a detective, portrayed in most films by a white actor, so I don't know if that would give me a more insight into the film.
Chan is Missing is set in San Francisco in Chinatown, and features a nephew and an uncle who are hoping to get their own cab license. Along the way, the man who was helping them, Chan Hung, goes missing, and Jo and Steve start looking for him. The film doesn't seem like a 1982 mystery, more like something from the 1940s or 1950s, which was kind of the goal. There were parts of the movie I really liked; I thought the uncle (Wood Moy) was an engaging narrator, and those were my favorite parts of the movie. I'm not familiar at all with the Charlie Chan movies from the 1930s and 1940s, except that he was a detective, portrayed in most films by a white actor, so I don't know if that would give me a more insight into the film.
11/10/18 Itzhak, not yet nominated, 2018
If you're feeling a little depressed or bitter this holiday season, please let me suggest Itzhak to you. This documentary is about Itzhak Perlman, the violinist who doubles as a national treasure for the United States and Israel. The film features interviews with Perlman and his wife, Toby, as well as footage from Perlman's plethora of performances over the years. There is something that is endearing and infectious about Perlman's love of life, music, food and family; everything is a possibility. It's an attitude he has probably had his whole life, since he contracted polio when he was four years old, and then came to America to study at Juilliard, and having to learn English. The film shows Perlman playing solo, with other classical artists, as well as Billy Joel. Lately when I watch a movie, the only thing I can think of is, when will this be over? But I didn't want this movie to end. It was on PBS, but may also be on DVD/streaming. Watch this movie; you may cry tears of joy or laugh or just hurt yourself smiling, but whatever you do, I think you will enjoy it (even if you think you don't like classical music). I don't know if this will be nominated for Beset Documentary, but, I don't care, I really liked it.
11/19/18 Garlic is as Good as Ten Mothers, 1980, National Film Registry
Who needs an hour-long documentary on the benefits of garlic? Apparently we did. I think fifteen minutes would have been great, but I guess director Les Blank disagreed. It really seemed like an infomercial more than a documentary. A variety of people are paraded before the camera to extoll the virtues the bulbous plant thought to ward off vampires and diseases. I had to go through a lot of effort to track this down through interlibrary loan, so I guess I wish I would have loved it. I didn't even like it, and I have no idea why or how this got on the National Film Registry. I think salsa lovers should demand equal time.
If you're feeling a little depressed or bitter this holiday season, please let me suggest Itzhak to you. This documentary is about Itzhak Perlman, the violinist who doubles as a national treasure for the United States and Israel. The film features interviews with Perlman and his wife, Toby, as well as footage from Perlman's plethora of performances over the years. There is something that is endearing and infectious about Perlman's love of life, music, food and family; everything is a possibility. It's an attitude he has probably had his whole life, since he contracted polio when he was four years old, and then came to America to study at Juilliard, and having to learn English. The film shows Perlman playing solo, with other classical artists, as well as Billy Joel. Lately when I watch a movie, the only thing I can think of is, when will this be over? But I didn't want this movie to end. It was on PBS, but may also be on DVD/streaming. Watch this movie; you may cry tears of joy or laugh or just hurt yourself smiling, but whatever you do, I think you will enjoy it (even if you think you don't like classical music). I don't know if this will be nominated for Beset Documentary, but, I don't care, I really liked it.
11/19/18 Garlic is as Good as Ten Mothers, 1980, National Film Registry
Who needs an hour-long documentary on the benefits of garlic? Apparently we did. I think fifteen minutes would have been great, but I guess director Les Blank disagreed. It really seemed like an infomercial more than a documentary. A variety of people are paraded before the camera to extoll the virtues the bulbous plant thought to ward off vampires and diseases. I had to go through a lot of effort to track this down through interlibrary loan, so I guess I wish I would have loved it. I didn't even like it, and I have no idea why or how this got on the National Film Registry. I think salsa lovers should demand equal time.
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.
Finally - The Big Lebowski and Finishing off the AFI list with Intolerance and Three Identical Strangers
10/14/18 Intolerance, 1916 #49 AFI, National Film Registry
I have borrowed this movie from the library twice before and returned it unwatched, then I got it from Netflix and it sat unopened for over a month before I forced myself to watch it...or at least have it playing where my eyes could randomly wander. I understand from a historical perspective why Intolerance is on the National Film Registry and maybe even on the American Film Institute's list of top 100 films, but I seriously considered poking myself in the eye. Written, directed and produced by D.W. Griffith, who also wrote, directed and produced The Birth of a Nation in 1915, it is three hours of epic storytelling and filmmaking. Except I didn't find it to be captivating storytelling at all. There are four separate stories that are from four different time periods in human history, and they are interwoven so the story lines run parallel. I have watched, and enjoyed, silent movies before, but, I didn't care. Perhaps if Griffith would have focused on one story, then maybe I would have paid attention. Supposedly Intolerance was made in response to the negative feedback that Griffith received after The Birth of a Nation which featured black Americans as negative stereotypes and white actors in blackface. I will leave further dissemination to true film critics. I will just say that most of my readers will not willingly subject themselves to this movie. And, it also completed the AFI 100 list.
10/20/18 Three Identical Strangers, not yet nominated, 2018
I think one of the most disgraceful and disgusting things in human history is when people we are supposed to trust to act in the best interest of all of us, betray that trust and act sanctimonious in the process. There are examples of this throughout different fields of medicine; Henrietta Lacks and the HeLa cell line, for one, and the triplet brothers featured in Three Identical Strangers. The brothers, Eddie, David and Robert, were put up for adoption and were separated very early in life, and placed with three different families of three different socio-economic statuses to study them. The adopting families knew nothing about this experiment. The film interviews the brothers, their families and friends and uses archival news footage from when the brothers discovered each other. There are feelings of anger and resentment towards the adoption agency for lying and deceiving the families and separating the brothers, essentially robbing them of a lifetime together. The film producers were able to track down a couple of people involved in the study, led by Peter Neubauer, but Neubauer is dead, and the study was never published. Also discovered were other twins included in the study. One 'assistant' who is interviewed (I cannot remember her name, nor find it in the credits) was rather flippant about it, not bothered at all about the harm that was inflicted or about basically lying to the families, but conveniently, she didn't remember other things when asked. Her smugness made me want to slap her. The papers, notes, and data from the study were left to Yale University with restrictions on the collection until 2065, not even the subjects of the study could get those records, until the pressure from the release of the film made the owners of the records relent, a little. I was totally captivated by the story of the brothers and their families, and outraged that the adoption agency and researchers made decisions that impacted so many people, with very little regard for them. The movie blends the stories of the brothers within the context of the research and left me wanting to know more, in a good way, that is, I felt invested in the brothers and the others impacted.
10/20/18 The Big Lebowski, 1998, National Film Registry
As much as I enjoy movies by the Coen Brothers, I have never, ever seen The Big Lebowski. I have no reason. I kind of bumped it to the top of my watch list because apparently there is a Big Lebowski bar in Iceland, and I'll be headed there shortly. Jeffrey Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), who insists on being called "Dude", is a slacker and enjoys bowling and hanging out with his friends, who include Walter (John Goodman), a Vietnam Vet with frequent bursts of oversized outrage and Donny (Steve Buscemi) who always seems to be a step behind. Believe it or not (and with a Coen Brothers movie you usually have to do that a lot) there is another Jeffrey Lebowski in Los Angeles; this one is a little bit wealthier and has a wife with a spending habit, and a daughter, Maude (Julianne Moore), who is an enthusiastic feminist. In a case of mistaken identity, that kind of propels the whole movie, a couple of goons bust into the Dude's house and threaten him over his wife's debt, and then pee on his rug. The Dude is more upset over the defilement of the rug than the assault. The Dude goes on a quest to find the other Lebowski and replace the rug. Of course, it's not that simple, and one thing leads to another, including a kidnapping and ransom gone wrong, a couple of bowling games gone awry (John Turturro is hilarious as Jesus Quintana, a bowling nemesis with a questionable past), an encounter with a stranger (Sam Elliott), and a bizarre dream/dance sequence. All in a day's work for the Coen Brothers. Some movies (like the above-mentioned Intolerance) are on the list, and I dread them, and realize that I was right; other movies, like The Big Lebowski, I kind of wish I hadn't waited so long to watch it, one, because I did like it (not loved it, though) and it really has become embedded into the culture, thus, its inclusion onto the National Film Registry.
10/27/18 To Sleep With Anger, 1990, National Film Registry
To Sleep with Anger has a great cast: Danny Glover (Harry), Richard Brooks (Baby Brother; you'll recognize Brooks from his stint on "Law and Order"), Carl Lumbly (Junior), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Linda), Mary Alice (Suzie; you may not recognize the name, but you'll recognize her voice and face) and Paul Butler (Gideon). The story is as old as Cain and Abel or Jacob and Esau, two brothers competing for their father's approval and pride; there is nothing sinister or evil in this sibling rivalry, however, just resentments carried for years. Gideon and his family live in South Central Los Angeles, but still carry on with some of their rural ways brought with them from the South. Out of nowhere an old friend, Harry, appears on their doorstep. It's been decades since they have seen each other, but Gideon welcomes Harry into the house, and things start to go a little askew within the family. I am not sure that the content is what got the Charles Burnett (Killer of Sheep) written and directed film on the National Film Registry; perhaps it's because it was written and directed by an African-American and the cast is all African-American, admittedly, a rare occurrence these days, but especially in the 1990s. I thought the movie was okay, better than Killer of Sheep, which I didn't like at all, some good performances and potential in the story, but it wasn't great.
I have borrowed this movie from the library twice before and returned it unwatched, then I got it from Netflix and it sat unopened for over a month before I forced myself to watch it...or at least have it playing where my eyes could randomly wander. I understand from a historical perspective why Intolerance is on the National Film Registry and maybe even on the American Film Institute's list of top 100 films, but I seriously considered poking myself in the eye. Written, directed and produced by D.W. Griffith, who also wrote, directed and produced The Birth of a Nation in 1915, it is three hours of epic storytelling and filmmaking. Except I didn't find it to be captivating storytelling at all. There are four separate stories that are from four different time periods in human history, and they are interwoven so the story lines run parallel. I have watched, and enjoyed, silent movies before, but, I didn't care. Perhaps if Griffith would have focused on one story, then maybe I would have paid attention. Supposedly Intolerance was made in response to the negative feedback that Griffith received after The Birth of a Nation which featured black Americans as negative stereotypes and white actors in blackface. I will leave further dissemination to true film critics. I will just say that most of my readers will not willingly subject themselves to this movie. And, it also completed the AFI 100 list.
10/20/18 Three Identical Strangers, not yet nominated, 2018
I think one of the most disgraceful and disgusting things in human history is when people we are supposed to trust to act in the best interest of all of us, betray that trust and act sanctimonious in the process. There are examples of this throughout different fields of medicine; Henrietta Lacks and the HeLa cell line, for one, and the triplet brothers featured in Three Identical Strangers. The brothers, Eddie, David and Robert, were put up for adoption and were separated very early in life, and placed with three different families of three different socio-economic statuses to study them. The adopting families knew nothing about this experiment. The film interviews the brothers, their families and friends and uses archival news footage from when the brothers discovered each other. There are feelings of anger and resentment towards the adoption agency for lying and deceiving the families and separating the brothers, essentially robbing them of a lifetime together. The film producers were able to track down a couple of people involved in the study, led by Peter Neubauer, but Neubauer is dead, and the study was never published. Also discovered were other twins included in the study. One 'assistant' who is interviewed (I cannot remember her name, nor find it in the credits) was rather flippant about it, not bothered at all about the harm that was inflicted or about basically lying to the families, but conveniently, she didn't remember other things when asked. Her smugness made me want to slap her. The papers, notes, and data from the study were left to Yale University with restrictions on the collection until 2065, not even the subjects of the study could get those records, until the pressure from the release of the film made the owners of the records relent, a little. I was totally captivated by the story of the brothers and their families, and outraged that the adoption agency and researchers made decisions that impacted so many people, with very little regard for them. The movie blends the stories of the brothers within the context of the research and left me wanting to know more, in a good way, that is, I felt invested in the brothers and the others impacted.
10/20/18 The Big Lebowski, 1998, National Film Registry
As much as I enjoy movies by the Coen Brothers, I have never, ever seen The Big Lebowski. I have no reason. I kind of bumped it to the top of my watch list because apparently there is a Big Lebowski bar in Iceland, and I'll be headed there shortly. Jeffrey Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), who insists on being called "Dude", is a slacker and enjoys bowling and hanging out with his friends, who include Walter (John Goodman), a Vietnam Vet with frequent bursts of oversized outrage and Donny (Steve Buscemi) who always seems to be a step behind. Believe it or not (and with a Coen Brothers movie you usually have to do that a lot) there is another Jeffrey Lebowski in Los Angeles; this one is a little bit wealthier and has a wife with a spending habit, and a daughter, Maude (Julianne Moore), who is an enthusiastic feminist. In a case of mistaken identity, that kind of propels the whole movie, a couple of goons bust into the Dude's house and threaten him over his wife's debt, and then pee on his rug. The Dude is more upset over the defilement of the rug than the assault. The Dude goes on a quest to find the other Lebowski and replace the rug. Of course, it's not that simple, and one thing leads to another, including a kidnapping and ransom gone wrong, a couple of bowling games gone awry (John Turturro is hilarious as Jesus Quintana, a bowling nemesis with a questionable past), an encounter with a stranger (Sam Elliott), and a bizarre dream/dance sequence. All in a day's work for the Coen Brothers. Some movies (like the above-mentioned Intolerance) are on the list, and I dread them, and realize that I was right; other movies, like The Big Lebowski, I kind of wish I hadn't waited so long to watch it, one, because I did like it (not loved it, though) and it really has become embedded into the culture, thus, its inclusion onto the National Film Registry.
10/27/18 To Sleep With Anger, 1990, National Film Registry
To Sleep with Anger has a great cast: Danny Glover (Harry), Richard Brooks (Baby Brother; you'll recognize Brooks from his stint on "Law and Order"), Carl Lumbly (Junior), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Linda), Mary Alice (Suzie; you may not recognize the name, but you'll recognize her voice and face) and Paul Butler (Gideon). The story is as old as Cain and Abel or Jacob and Esau, two brothers competing for their father's approval and pride; there is nothing sinister or evil in this sibling rivalry, however, just resentments carried for years. Gideon and his family live in South Central Los Angeles, but still carry on with some of their rural ways brought with them from the South. Out of nowhere an old friend, Harry, appears on their doorstep. It's been decades since they have seen each other, but Gideon welcomes Harry into the house, and things start to go a little askew within the family. I am not sure that the content is what got the Charles Burnett (Killer of Sheep) written and directed film on the National Film Registry; perhaps it's because it was written and directed by an African-American and the cast is all African-American, admittedly, a rare occurrence these days, but especially in the 1990s. I thought the movie was okay, better than Killer of Sheep, which I didn't like at all, some good performances and potential in the story, but it wasn't great.
A timely documentary: A Time for Burning; family films: Spirited Away, The Golden Compass
9/2/18 A Time for Burning, 1966, National Film Registry
This probably won't surprise any regular readers, but I have been telling everyone who asks me what movies I've seen recently or what would I recommend, that they have got to find A Time for Burning, an Oscar-nominated documentary from 1966. I wish I could say it's a great bit of nostalgia, and a look back at the efforts to remove segregation, but sadly, you could change the movie to color (it's filmed in black and white) and it could be shown today. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I think when most people think about the Civil Rights movement, they think about Alabama, Mississippi and the marches that took place, or maybe, the riots that happened in Detroit, Chicago or Cleveland, but they rarely think about the Upper Midwest, states like Minnesota, Iowa or Nebraska. This documentary was filmed in Omaha, Nebraska, and followed the efforts of Reverend L. William Youngdahl (a son of a former Minnesota governor, Luther Youngdahl) to introduce his white parishioners to black parishioners from the same community, but who belonged to different churches. To me, that seemed like a common sense, practical thing to do, a matter of fellowship. However, in 1966, in Omaha, it was considered crazy by other white Lutheran ministers and member of church leadership (I wasn't clear if they were called board members or elders, but they were men who seemed to have some authority). Some of the arguments against this temporary, informal comingling of the races (I understood it to be perhaps having a family over for supper, or into the church for services) were so offensive and patriarchal and baseless, but one of the things that I really appreciated about this documentary was that the participants argued, debated and questioned in a mostly respectful way, sometimes trying to understand why Reverend Youngdahl was so insistent that this was the right thing to do, and what Jesus would have done. It was interesting to watch one of the men go from being against this, saying it wasn't the right time to realizing that the time had come to make these efforts. The film also features a group of black students discussing why they think the white community doesn't want to include them, and calmly debating amongst themselves if this would be a good idea (not shouting or name-calling or threatening like we do these days). There is an exchange (uncomfortable fifty years later) between Rev. Youngdahl and Ernie Chambers, a young black man, in a black barbershop, and Chambers, who is very well spoken, but also skeptical of Youngdahl's high-minded attempt. Chambers goes off on why blacks might be angry at current circumstances and why he doesn't believe in Youngdahl's Jesus. Youngdahl quietly listens, and takes Chambers' anger in before turning to leave. Ultimately, Youngdahl risks his position in the church because the white community is 'not ready' for this huge step, and his conscious will not allow him to stop fighting. I had so many feelings and thoughts after watching this (available through MNLink, on DVD from Netflix and the abridged version I found on YouTube): why I hadn't I heard of Reverend Youngdahl or Ernie Chambers (who went on to become a lawyer and a long serving member in the Nebraska legislature, and who has an interview included on the DVD that is well worth your time) and have we really gone back to a 1966 (or 1866) mentality? I prefer to think like Youngdahl, that we can move forward together, by learning about each other and coming together, instead of pushing one another away.
9/8/18 Life of the Party, 2018 (not yet nominated, and probably no risk of it)
Sigh. I really like Melissa McCarthy. I think with the right material she is one of the funniest actresses out there; a great physical comedian, but she also has impeccable timing and a way of inflecting a line that makes it perfect and she's fearless. Life of the Party is an example of material that is mostly mediocre, only occasionally laugh out loud, and not a single pee in your pants moment. McCarthy wrote and produced the movie with her husband Ben Falcone, who also directed. McCarthy is Deanna, a woman who is surprised by her husband, Dan (Matt Walsh from "Veep") with a request for a divorce, right after they drop off their daughter, Maddie, at college. Deanna decides to return to that same college to complete her degree. Maddie is less than thrilled that her mom is hanging out with her and her friends, but most of her friends love having Deanna around, and Deanna embraces campus life. Maya Rudolph plays Christine, Deanna's friend, who provides some of the funnier moments, in my opinion. I suppose if you stretch, the movie is about not sacrificing your dreams for someone else and/or pursuing your dreams, which is a great concept, but I just thought there would be more laughs. You know, a comedy.
9/9/18 Golden Compass, Best Visual Effects, 2007
Another movie based of a book series that I have never read. I don't think that adds to or diminishes to watching the movie, and I didn't understand all the foofaraw surrounding the film based on the series by Philip Pullman. The movie was fine; set on Earth, but an alternate reality, starring Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman and a young Dakota Blue (who shows up years later in the "Endeavor" series), Sam Elliott and a variety of other actors in voice roles. I did actually watch this years ago, and thought it was okay, the effects were good, but the story and the 'world' I needed to follow just made my eyes glaze over. This came out in the years of the "Harry Potter" series and "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "The Lord of the Rings", and maybe that's why it didn't do what people (what people?) expected it to do. Honestly, I didn't care. It won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, beating out Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Transformers, and maybe it deserved it, maybe it didn't. I think you can skip this and just grab a couple of the Harry Potter movies or even take a trip into the wardrobe.
9/15/18 Spirited Away, Best Animated Feature, 2002
Spirited Away kind of snuck up on me. It started off slow, for me, and my mind was wandering, but then, the story took a turn and I really enjoyed it. Hayao Miyazaki wrote and directed this story about a young girl (10-12) who comes off spoiled and demanding (well, I guess like a lot of 10-12 year olds), who finds herself in a mystical land filled with witches and other magical creatures, trying to find and save her parents, who have been turned into pigs. Chihiro is the young girl, and she must navigate this new world she is living in, not sure who she can trust, although she seems to be befriended by Haku and Lin, and eventually earns the reluctant acceptance and respect of the boiler grandad and dueling twin sisters, Yubaba and Zeniba. Chihiro goes from being spoiled and whiny to a determined and brave girl, fighting her fears and spirits along the way. The length (two hours) is what is holding me back from saying kids might really love this: it's got action, kids are the main 'heroes', it's got magic, and while the animation is far from the Disney/Pixar style that most people are used to, this is more anime, with its angularity, like Pokémon, so kids will probably still enjoy it, and it's got humor as well. I watched this first, and then Isle of Dogs, and this was far better, in my opinion.
9/15/18 Isle of Dogs, not yet animated, 2018
I want my dollar back from the library. My first thought when I saw the trailers for Isle of Dogs, was nah, because I really didn't like The Fantastic Mr. Fox, but then maybe, because I like director, Wes Anderson's, live action movies. I should have gone with my first instinct, but I have a sneaking feeling that it's going to be nominated, so I might as well get it out of the way. It seemed to me that the movie is an excuse to get a lot of great actors together (Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, and more), but I just didn't care, and about twenty minutes into it, I gave serious consideration to turn it off. It might have been a lot better and more palatable to me as a short.
This probably won't surprise any regular readers, but I have been telling everyone who asks me what movies I've seen recently or what would I recommend, that they have got to find A Time for Burning, an Oscar-nominated documentary from 1966. I wish I could say it's a great bit of nostalgia, and a look back at the efforts to remove segregation, but sadly, you could change the movie to color (it's filmed in black and white) and it could be shown today. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I think when most people think about the Civil Rights movement, they think about Alabama, Mississippi and the marches that took place, or maybe, the riots that happened in Detroit, Chicago or Cleveland, but they rarely think about the Upper Midwest, states like Minnesota, Iowa or Nebraska. This documentary was filmed in Omaha, Nebraska, and followed the efforts of Reverend L. William Youngdahl (a son of a former Minnesota governor, Luther Youngdahl) to introduce his white parishioners to black parishioners from the same community, but who belonged to different churches. To me, that seemed like a common sense, practical thing to do, a matter of fellowship. However, in 1966, in Omaha, it was considered crazy by other white Lutheran ministers and member of church leadership (I wasn't clear if they were called board members or elders, but they were men who seemed to have some authority). Some of the arguments against this temporary, informal comingling of the races (I understood it to be perhaps having a family over for supper, or into the church for services) were so offensive and patriarchal and baseless, but one of the things that I really appreciated about this documentary was that the participants argued, debated and questioned in a mostly respectful way, sometimes trying to understand why Reverend Youngdahl was so insistent that this was the right thing to do, and what Jesus would have done. It was interesting to watch one of the men go from being against this, saying it wasn't the right time to realizing that the time had come to make these efforts. The film also features a group of black students discussing why they think the white community doesn't want to include them, and calmly debating amongst themselves if this would be a good idea (not shouting or name-calling or threatening like we do these days). There is an exchange (uncomfortable fifty years later) between Rev. Youngdahl and Ernie Chambers, a young black man, in a black barbershop, and Chambers, who is very well spoken, but also skeptical of Youngdahl's high-minded attempt. Chambers goes off on why blacks might be angry at current circumstances and why he doesn't believe in Youngdahl's Jesus. Youngdahl quietly listens, and takes Chambers' anger in before turning to leave. Ultimately, Youngdahl risks his position in the church because the white community is 'not ready' for this huge step, and his conscious will not allow him to stop fighting. I had so many feelings and thoughts after watching this (available through MNLink, on DVD from Netflix and the abridged version I found on YouTube): why I hadn't I heard of Reverend Youngdahl or Ernie Chambers (who went on to become a lawyer and a long serving member in the Nebraska legislature, and who has an interview included on the DVD that is well worth your time) and have we really gone back to a 1966 (or 1866) mentality? I prefer to think like Youngdahl, that we can move forward together, by learning about each other and coming together, instead of pushing one another away.
9/8/18 Life of the Party, 2018 (not yet nominated, and probably no risk of it)
Sigh. I really like Melissa McCarthy. I think with the right material she is one of the funniest actresses out there; a great physical comedian, but she also has impeccable timing and a way of inflecting a line that makes it perfect and she's fearless. Life of the Party is an example of material that is mostly mediocre, only occasionally laugh out loud, and not a single pee in your pants moment. McCarthy wrote and produced the movie with her husband Ben Falcone, who also directed. McCarthy is Deanna, a woman who is surprised by her husband, Dan (Matt Walsh from "Veep") with a request for a divorce, right after they drop off their daughter, Maddie, at college. Deanna decides to return to that same college to complete her degree. Maddie is less than thrilled that her mom is hanging out with her and her friends, but most of her friends love having Deanna around, and Deanna embraces campus life. Maya Rudolph plays Christine, Deanna's friend, who provides some of the funnier moments, in my opinion. I suppose if you stretch, the movie is about not sacrificing your dreams for someone else and/or pursuing your dreams, which is a great concept, but I just thought there would be more laughs. You know, a comedy.
9/9/18 Golden Compass, Best Visual Effects, 2007
Another movie based of a book series that I have never read. I don't think that adds to or diminishes to watching the movie, and I didn't understand all the foofaraw surrounding the film based on the series by Philip Pullman. The movie was fine; set on Earth, but an alternate reality, starring Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman and a young Dakota Blue (who shows up years later in the "Endeavor" series), Sam Elliott and a variety of other actors in voice roles. I did actually watch this years ago, and thought it was okay, the effects were good, but the story and the 'world' I needed to follow just made my eyes glaze over. This came out in the years of the "Harry Potter" series and "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "The Lord of the Rings", and maybe that's why it didn't do what people (what people?) expected it to do. Honestly, I didn't care. It won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, beating out Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Transformers, and maybe it deserved it, maybe it didn't. I think you can skip this and just grab a couple of the Harry Potter movies or even take a trip into the wardrobe.
9/15/18 Spirited Away, Best Animated Feature, 2002
Spirited Away kind of snuck up on me. It started off slow, for me, and my mind was wandering, but then, the story took a turn and I really enjoyed it. Hayao Miyazaki wrote and directed this story about a young girl (10-12) who comes off spoiled and demanding (well, I guess like a lot of 10-12 year olds), who finds herself in a mystical land filled with witches and other magical creatures, trying to find and save her parents, who have been turned into pigs. Chihiro is the young girl, and she must navigate this new world she is living in, not sure who she can trust, although she seems to be befriended by Haku and Lin, and eventually earns the reluctant acceptance and respect of the boiler grandad and dueling twin sisters, Yubaba and Zeniba. Chihiro goes from being spoiled and whiny to a determined and brave girl, fighting her fears and spirits along the way. The length (two hours) is what is holding me back from saying kids might really love this: it's got action, kids are the main 'heroes', it's got magic, and while the animation is far from the Disney/Pixar style that most people are used to, this is more anime, with its angularity, like Pokémon, so kids will probably still enjoy it, and it's got humor as well. I watched this first, and then Isle of Dogs, and this was far better, in my opinion.
9/15/18 Isle of Dogs, not yet animated, 2018
I want my dollar back from the library. My first thought when I saw the trailers for Isle of Dogs, was nah, because I really didn't like The Fantastic Mr. Fox, but then maybe, because I like director, Wes Anderson's, live action movies. I should have gone with my first instinct, but I have a sneaking feeling that it's going to be nominated, so I might as well get it out of the way. It seemed to me that the movie is an excuse to get a lot of great actors together (Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, and more), but I just didn't care, and about twenty minutes into it, I gave serious consideration to turn it off. It might have been a lot better and more palatable to me as a short.
Belated anniversary posting - Mister Rogers, The Quiet Man, From Here to Eternity, Night of the Living Dead
Before I launch into the reviews, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the 6th anniversary of the blog. I should have compiled some statistics, but failing any accurate count, I can safely say I have blogged about over 1,000 movies: full length, short, documentary, science fiction, award winners and losers, wonderful films and not so wonderful films. I have around 728 Oscar winners left to watch; two left from the BBC list (down to one after this writing); one left on the American Film Institute list; and 486 on the National Film Registry. At times, it seems insurmountable, other times it feels like I'm making great strides. So, without further ado, let's make some great strides.
7/21/18 Won't You Be My Neighbor, 2018, not yet nominated
After watching Won't You Be My Neighbor, the documentary on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and its creator, Fred Rogers, left me with a greater appreciation for the man and his care, insight and sincerity in working with children. It was almost a crusade, and that's not meant in a negative way; he truly believed that children deserve to be treated with respect and not talked down to with the typical condescension found in children's programming. Mr. Rogers broke all kinds of barriers (the episode where he cools his feet in a wading pool and invites Officer Clemmons (black actor Francois Clemmons) to join him, it spoke volumes in a country struggling with the Civil Rights Movement. Rogers and his puppets addressed other issues in a way children could understand. There was a period of time when it was fashionable to mock Mr. Rogers, I mean, nobody could be that good and kind, could they? And while our world has moved at a crazy pace, and it's common for children to watch shows with violence, sex, swearing, innuendo, and maybe Mister Rogers would be out of place in 2018, I'd like to think he wouldn't be. I think Fred Rogers and the Land of Make Believe is sorely missed. Won't You Be My Neighbor is worth watching for the insights from the actors, the crew and his family.
8/26/18 From Here to Eternity, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing - Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography (B&W), Best Film Editing, Best Sound, National Film Registry, 1953
We have all probably seen the scene of Burt Lancaster rolling in the surf with Deborah Kerr, but there is so much more to From Here to Eternity than that. Set in Hawaii in the weeks leading up to Pearl Harbor, the movie follows three men and their struggles and challenges in the same Army company. Lancaster is First Sergeant Warden, an efficient, cool, tough leader, who has no desire or love for commissioned officers; he does have a desire for the wife of his captain, Karen Holmes (Deborah Kerr). Montgomery Clift is Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt, a man who does things for his own reasons, including take a demotion and taking abuse from others in his company for refusing to box on the regimental team. Frank Sinatra is Maggio (Sinatra won the Best Supporting Actor for his role), a seemingly happy go lucky private, who is Prewitt's only friend. Maggio takes Prewitt to a private club off base where Prewitt meets Lorene (Donna Reed in her Oscar-winning role); Lorene and her co-workers are paid to dance and socialize with the members, but they start seeing each other. In addition to the leading actors, the cast is filled with actors in smaller roles that would go on to become stars themselves: Ernest Borgnine as Fatso, a sergeant who gives Maggio a hard time for being Italian and sets in motion one of the key plot points; Jack Warden; George Reeves (televison's Superman); and Claude Akins. Nineteen fifty-three was a great year for films (Shane, The Robe, Stalag 17, Roman Holiday), and I can't imagine having to pick winners from those films and the others of that year, and I have found that looking back, sometimes there's more hype than quality. I would not say that here. I really enjoyed the different story lines in the film, and the characters; the more I watch of Burt Lancaster, the more I love him; and Sinatra seemed like a natural for Maggio. I'm glad I finally watched it.
8/26/18 Ant-Man and The Wasp, not yet nominated, 2018
Well, like I told a couple of my friends, it was okay, not great; I didn't feel compelled to tell people they HAD to see it, like I did for Wonder Woman or Black Panther. The story line is not even worth me trying to recount to you; it did sort of answer some questions in the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, sort of. The 'big' thing is this is the first Marvel movie to have a female superhero in the title (why that wasn't the Black Widow, I don't know). The science and the cinematography are very well done, and there's some funny quips. Maybe because I was so shocked that I liked the first Ant-Man so much, I just felt a little let down.
8/26/18 The Quiet Man, Best Director, Best Cinematography, 1952, National Film Registry
In The Quiet Man John Ford directs John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in one of their several collaborations, and won an Oscar for it. It's definitely not the typical John Wayne Western, being set in rural Ireland in the 1920s, and Wayne is retired boxer Sean Thornton who has returned to the land of his parents. Thornton makes a big impression on the locals, including Mary Kate Danaher (O'Hara), but most of them do not know who he is. It's not really a boxing movie or a farming movie, it's romantic comedy, complete with misunderstandings and romantic subterfuge. Danaher is an independent, spitfire of a woman, who battles her brother, Squire Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen) as well as Thornton. I don't think there's anything very deep or sophisticated in the story itself, it's just enjoyable to watch O'Hara and Wayne go head to head, and there is a comedic aspect to the film, especially from Barry Fitzgerald as Michealeen Flynn. The scenery and cinematography are beautiful, and I almost felt compelled to book a trip to Ireland.
9/1/18 Night of the Living Dead, 1968, BBC #85, National Film Registry
I have not made any secret of the fact that I really do not like horror movies, and after watching cult-classic Night of the Living Dead that hasn't changed. For one horrific night, all over America, dead people are coming back to 'life' or a state of animation, and killing and eating other people. Mmmm, delish. George Romero directed the first in his series of zombie movies on a small budget, with several actors playing multiple roles, and pretty minimal effects (compared to what we are used to in horror movies). Set in western Pennsylvania, brother and sister, Johnny and Barbra, are visiting their father's grave when a strange man comes towards them; he grabs Barbra when Johnny comes to her rescue (a noble, but fatal decision). Barbra runs off towards a house where she meets Ben. Ben is determined to fight off the zombies, even as he tries to engage Barbra in their own survival. They discover there are other people hiding in the house, and there are different ideas as to how to defeat or escape the zombies. I am certainly not going to spoil it for you. It was scary, suspenseful and gross and gory. If that's your thing, you have probably seen it already. I am just so thrilled it is off the lists.
7/21/18 Won't You Be My Neighbor, 2018, not yet nominated
After watching Won't You Be My Neighbor, the documentary on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and its creator, Fred Rogers, left me with a greater appreciation for the man and his care, insight and sincerity in working with children. It was almost a crusade, and that's not meant in a negative way; he truly believed that children deserve to be treated with respect and not talked down to with the typical condescension found in children's programming. Mr. Rogers broke all kinds of barriers (the episode where he cools his feet in a wading pool and invites Officer Clemmons (black actor Francois Clemmons) to join him, it spoke volumes in a country struggling with the Civil Rights Movement. Rogers and his puppets addressed other issues in a way children could understand. There was a period of time when it was fashionable to mock Mr. Rogers, I mean, nobody could be that good and kind, could they? And while our world has moved at a crazy pace, and it's common for children to watch shows with violence, sex, swearing, innuendo, and maybe Mister Rogers would be out of place in 2018, I'd like to think he wouldn't be. I think Fred Rogers and the Land of Make Believe is sorely missed. Won't You Be My Neighbor is worth watching for the insights from the actors, the crew and his family.
8/26/18 From Here to Eternity, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing - Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography (B&W), Best Film Editing, Best Sound, National Film Registry, 1953
We have all probably seen the scene of Burt Lancaster rolling in the surf with Deborah Kerr, but there is so much more to From Here to Eternity than that. Set in Hawaii in the weeks leading up to Pearl Harbor, the movie follows three men and their struggles and challenges in the same Army company. Lancaster is First Sergeant Warden, an efficient, cool, tough leader, who has no desire or love for commissioned officers; he does have a desire for the wife of his captain, Karen Holmes (Deborah Kerr). Montgomery Clift is Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt, a man who does things for his own reasons, including take a demotion and taking abuse from others in his company for refusing to box on the regimental team. Frank Sinatra is Maggio (Sinatra won the Best Supporting Actor for his role), a seemingly happy go lucky private, who is Prewitt's only friend. Maggio takes Prewitt to a private club off base where Prewitt meets Lorene (Donna Reed in her Oscar-winning role); Lorene and her co-workers are paid to dance and socialize with the members, but they start seeing each other. In addition to the leading actors, the cast is filled with actors in smaller roles that would go on to become stars themselves: Ernest Borgnine as Fatso, a sergeant who gives Maggio a hard time for being Italian and sets in motion one of the key plot points; Jack Warden; George Reeves (televison's Superman); and Claude Akins. Nineteen fifty-three was a great year for films (Shane, The Robe, Stalag 17, Roman Holiday), and I can't imagine having to pick winners from those films and the others of that year, and I have found that looking back, sometimes there's more hype than quality. I would not say that here. I really enjoyed the different story lines in the film, and the characters; the more I watch of Burt Lancaster, the more I love him; and Sinatra seemed like a natural for Maggio. I'm glad I finally watched it.
8/26/18 Ant-Man and The Wasp, not yet nominated, 2018
Well, like I told a couple of my friends, it was okay, not great; I didn't feel compelled to tell people they HAD to see it, like I did for Wonder Woman or Black Panther. The story line is not even worth me trying to recount to you; it did sort of answer some questions in the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, sort of. The 'big' thing is this is the first Marvel movie to have a female superhero in the title (why that wasn't the Black Widow, I don't know). The science and the cinematography are very well done, and there's some funny quips. Maybe because I was so shocked that I liked the first Ant-Man so much, I just felt a little let down.
8/26/18 The Quiet Man, Best Director, Best Cinematography, 1952, National Film Registry
In The Quiet Man John Ford directs John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in one of their several collaborations, and won an Oscar for it. It's definitely not the typical John Wayne Western, being set in rural Ireland in the 1920s, and Wayne is retired boxer Sean Thornton who has returned to the land of his parents. Thornton makes a big impression on the locals, including Mary Kate Danaher (O'Hara), but most of them do not know who he is. It's not really a boxing movie or a farming movie, it's romantic comedy, complete with misunderstandings and romantic subterfuge. Danaher is an independent, spitfire of a woman, who battles her brother, Squire Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen) as well as Thornton. I don't think there's anything very deep or sophisticated in the story itself, it's just enjoyable to watch O'Hara and Wayne go head to head, and there is a comedic aspect to the film, especially from Barry Fitzgerald as Michealeen Flynn. The scenery and cinematography are beautiful, and I almost felt compelled to book a trip to Ireland.
9/1/18 Night of the Living Dead, 1968, BBC #85, National Film Registry
I have not made any secret of the fact that I really do not like horror movies, and after watching cult-classic Night of the Living Dead that hasn't changed. For one horrific night, all over America, dead people are coming back to 'life' or a state of animation, and killing and eating other people. Mmmm, delish. George Romero directed the first in his series of zombie movies on a small budget, with several actors playing multiple roles, and pretty minimal effects (compared to what we are used to in horror movies). Set in western Pennsylvania, brother and sister, Johnny and Barbra, are visiting their father's grave when a strange man comes towards them; he grabs Barbra when Johnny comes to her rescue (a noble, but fatal decision). Barbra runs off towards a house where she meets Ben. Ben is determined to fight off the zombies, even as he tries to engage Barbra in their own survival. They discover there are other people hiding in the house, and there are different ideas as to how to defeat or escape the zombies. I am certainly not going to spoil it for you. It was scary, suspenseful and gross and gory. If that's your thing, you have probably seen it already. I am just so thrilled it is off the lists.
Long time gone, but I'm back - Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Henry Fonda, Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett
It's been a while. Writer's block sucks. This is going to be quick and dirty, and I hope to get back on track.
6/20/18 Now, Voyager, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, 1942
Bette Davis stars as the ugly duckling turned swan, Charlotte Vale, in this film that also features Claude Rains and Paul Heinreid. Charlotte is dominated by her mother and matriarch of the Vale family (Gladys Cooper); she is bullied so much so that she is sent to a sanitarium under the treatment of Dr. Jaquith (Claude Rains). Charlotte blossoms and discovers her own personality and strength. Davis was nominated for Best Actress, but Greer Garson won for her role as Kay Miniver in Mrs. Miniver; Katharine Hepburn was nominated as Tess Harding in Woman of the Year, and Joan Fontaine in Rebecca as The Second Mrs. DeWinter. I enjoyed the film and watching Charlotte's transformation. There was something about the film that seemed relevant today, over seventy five years later.
6/21/18 The Adventures of Robin Hood, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, 1938
The Adventures of Robin Hood is a fun movie; Errol Flynn seems to be enjoying his role as Robin Hood, teasing and basically giving Prince John (Claude Rains) and Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone) a very hard time until King Richard returns to England from the Crusades. The movie has swashbuckling action, humor, a love story featuring Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland) and Robin, and an Oscar-winning score. The fabulous Technicolor is still eye-popping (even on my twenty year old television), I can't imagine what it was like on a big screen when most films were still in black and white (Now Voyager was released four years after this was in black and white). If you're looking for a fun movie for a weekend at the cabin, I would recommend this one.
6/23/18 One Survivor Remembers, Best Documentary Short, National Film Registry, 1995
As we lose Holocaust survivors to age, it becomes more and more important to remember their stories and what those stories mean to us, especially in the upside down world we're living in these days. Survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein narrates her story and the story of her family, who perished in the camps. Her experience is one of destruction and death, but also resilience, strength and love. The film is available on YouTube (and hopefully in the link below) and her acceptance speech at the Academy Awards show is included and it is well worth watching.
6/23/18 The Anderson Platoon, Best Documentary Feature, 1967
In the 21st century, with the 24-hour news cycles and smartphone videos coming from every corner of the world, it may be hard to imagine a time when it wasn't quite as common for a film crew to be embedded with a platoon that is in combat. French director Pierre Schoendoerffer was with the American 1st Cavalry Division in South Vietnam, specifically a platoon led by West Point graduate, Lieutenant Joseph Anderson. The film takes us into the jungle and combat, we also get brief biographies on the soldiers, and updates on injuries and mortalities. The Vietnam War was controversial and divisive, but the film really focuses on the soldiers, the young men, barely into their twenties, who are far from home, and trying to survive.
6/20/18 Now, Voyager, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, 1942
Bette Davis stars as the ugly duckling turned swan, Charlotte Vale, in this film that also features Claude Rains and Paul Heinreid. Charlotte is dominated by her mother and matriarch of the Vale family (Gladys Cooper); she is bullied so much so that she is sent to a sanitarium under the treatment of Dr. Jaquith (Claude Rains). Charlotte blossoms and discovers her own personality and strength. Davis was nominated for Best Actress, but Greer Garson won for her role as Kay Miniver in Mrs. Miniver; Katharine Hepburn was nominated as Tess Harding in Woman of the Year, and Joan Fontaine in Rebecca as The Second Mrs. DeWinter. I enjoyed the film and watching Charlotte's transformation. There was something about the film that seemed relevant today, over seventy five years later.
6/21/18 The Adventures of Robin Hood, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, 1938
The Adventures of Robin Hood is a fun movie; Errol Flynn seems to be enjoying his role as Robin Hood, teasing and basically giving Prince John (Claude Rains) and Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone) a very hard time until King Richard returns to England from the Crusades. The movie has swashbuckling action, humor, a love story featuring Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland) and Robin, and an Oscar-winning score. The fabulous Technicolor is still eye-popping (even on my twenty year old television), I can't imagine what it was like on a big screen when most films were still in black and white (Now Voyager was released four years after this was in black and white). If you're looking for a fun movie for a weekend at the cabin, I would recommend this one.
6/23/18 One Survivor Remembers, Best Documentary Short, National Film Registry, 1995
As we lose Holocaust survivors to age, it becomes more and more important to remember their stories and what those stories mean to us, especially in the upside down world we're living in these days. Survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein narrates her story and the story of her family, who perished in the camps. Her experience is one of destruction and death, but also resilience, strength and love. The film is available on YouTube (and hopefully in the link below) and her acceptance speech at the Academy Awards show is included and it is well worth watching.
6/23/18 The Anderson Platoon, Best Documentary Feature, 1967
In the 21st century, with the 24-hour news cycles and smartphone videos coming from every corner of the world, it may be hard to imagine a time when it wasn't quite as common for a film crew to be embedded with a platoon that is in combat. French director Pierre Schoendoerffer was with the American 1st Cavalry Division in South Vietnam, specifically a platoon led by West Point graduate, Lieutenant Joseph Anderson. The film takes us into the jungle and combat, we also get brief biographies on the soldiers, and updates on injuries and mortalities. The Vietnam War was controversial and divisive, but the film really focuses on the soldiers, the young men, barely into their twenties, who are far from home, and trying to survive.
6/30/18 The Bad and the Beautiful, Best Supporting Actress, Best Art Direction (B&W), Best Cinematography (B&W), Best Costume Design (B&W), Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay, National Film Registry, 1952
I feel like I should have loved this movie, but I didn't. It was fine, I liked it, but it seemed derivative, a lot of Citizen Kane and a little bit of Ace in the Hole (also starring Kirk Douglas). Douglas is Jonathan Shields, a producer/studio head, who has no qualms about using people to advance his career, even if it hurts others. Three of these 'others' are gathered together, and in flashbacks, we learn how Shields cheated, betrayed or hurt them. Gloria Grahame won the Best Supporting Actress for her role as the Southern belle wife of one of the people that Shields hurt; she was on screen for less than twenty five minutes, and I personally think it should have gone to Jean Hagen as Lina Lamont in Singin' in the Rain. Watching the film was timely because a few weeks earlier I watched Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, starring Annette Bening as Grahame. I think your life will continue on if you don't watch this, but if you do watch it, I don't think it's the worst thing in the world, either.
6/30/18 Ocean's 8, not yet nominated 2018
I don't have any great analysis on Ocean's 8 starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and a cast of very talented actresses. It was a fun, smart, fast paced eist movie, along the lines of the other "Ocean's" movies. I would actually watch it again, which I don't say very often about any movie. Will it be nominated? Very possibly not, but I don't care. It's probably going to be out on video/streaming soon, and it would be great for a movie night (pretty much for the whole family).
7/8/18 Jezebel, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, National Film Registry, 1938
It took me a while to get into Jezebel, starring Bette Davis as spoiled Southern belle Julie Marsden. I don't know, perhaps I was distracted. It was really towards the end that I appreciated what the movie was about. It also stars Henry Fonda as Julie's frustrated beau. It is 1850s New Orleans and Julie is headstrong and not afraid to defy conventions, and while that may be admired today, it causes her and her family embarrassment. Watching Davis in Now, Voyager and then Jezebel, you can see her range and why she is considered such a great actress; two very different characters, although they are united by their ultimate strength. It's not a movie to watch if you're looking for laughs or an escape from the world, but it is worth watching.
7/8/18 Dodsworth, Best Art Direction, National Film Registry, 1936
I had never heard of Dodsworth before, and I hadn't read anything about it before I watched it, so I had no idea what it was about. I would consider it a pleasant surprise. William Wyler directed Walter Huston, Ruth Chatterton and Mary Astor in this look at marriage in the first half of the twentieth century. In some ways, it takes a very common occurrence, the husband (Huston as Sam Dodsworth) retires and decides he wants to do all those things he and his wife (Chatterton as Fran Dodsworth) didn't have time for, and then they both find out (although Fran might have known all along) that they don't necessarily want the same things, and Fran is a little freer in finding other companions. I was rooting for Sam all the way, even as he struck up a friendship with Edith Cortright (Mary Astor) and found his bliss in Italy. I truly was not certain how the movie would end, and I'm not going to tell you, but if you want to try a movie off the beaten path (have you ever heard of Dodsworth?) pick it up from the library or Netflix.
The King's Speech, The Fighter and Steve McQueen in Bullitt
6/10/18 The King's Speech, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, 2010
I like movies like The King's Speech because they focus on one aspect in history, in this case, the Duke of York's, later King George VI, stuttering problem. You might think, can you really make a movie about a stuttering problem? Yes, you can. Prince Albert, the Duke of York, was never supposed to be king, but when his brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936 to be with Wallis Simpson, the crown was pretty much thrust upon him. King George was expected to speak to the people via radio or live engagements, and a king with a stammer was not going to be very inspirational. King George (Colin Firth) tries all different types of cures, none that work, until his wife, Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), more familiar to us as the late Queen Mother, meets with Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) a speech therapist to set up an appointment with her husband. The relationship is a rough one because Logue insists on treating the King as an equal, using first names, and using very unconventional methods. Despite the rocky start, the King and Logue make progress in overcoming the King's stammer, and when the King is preparing for the coronation, he wants Logue to be there. Unfortunately, people who didn't approve of Logue did some checking into his background and informed the King that he had no medical background (but Logue never claimed he did) and no real training. Eventually they reconcile, and go on to have a long relationship. I really did like The King's Speech, I liked the story, I'm very interested in British history, the actors were terrific, in fact, all three were nominated for an Oscar, with only Firth winning for Best Actor. However, my mother had a very different reaction to the movie, and somehow it came up in conversation and she just said, "It was boring." So, there you go.
6/16/18 The Fighter, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, 2010
The Fighter is another bio-pic, this time about boxer Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his half-brother and boxer, Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale). Dicky was a promising fighter at one time, but started using drugs and when the movie starts he is pretty deep into his addiction. Despite this, Mickey still wants Dicky around as one of his trainers. The Ward-Eklund clan is very close, too close if you ask me, I'd be too claustrophobic, but anyway, they are very close and run/managed/controlled by their mother, Alice (Melissa Leo in an Oscar winning role). The movie follows Mickey as he tries to move up in the boxing world to better fights and better paydays, but he has to make a choice between Dicky and his family or a new manager and an independent thinking girlfriend, Charlene (Amy Adams). Bales seems to become Dicky (there is a brief clip at the end of the movie with both brothers, and you can see how close Bales is to being Dicky). I liked the movie, although I wouldn't say it was one of my favorites or that I would need to see it again (this is the second time). It's interesting that I watched The King's Speech and The Fighter so close, and that they both had nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Actress, and the performances of Bonham Carter, Leo and Adams are so different, Leo and Adams are loud and assertive, you could say aggressive, as their characters, and Bonham Carter is restrained, regal and assertive in her own way as a monarch's wife; and Bales is wired, hyped up, effusive and Rush is calm but engaging. And they were all playing real people, which I would think has its own set of pros and cons when acting and when voting.
6/17/18 Bullitt, Best Film Editing, National Film Registry, 1968
Steve McQueen is Frank Bullitt, a respected detective in the San Francisco police department. We know this because Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) asks for Bullitt to guard a key witness against The Organization. The witness is murdered despite the police protection, and now Bullitt has a murder to solve. Bullitt is the strong, silent type, focused on the job, occasionally focusing on his girlfriend, Cathy (Jacqueline Bisset), but not enough. Some movies don't hold up over time, they seem dated and the acting doesn't quite work after forty or fifty years, but Bullitt is still a taut, tense detective story, with a few twists, a suspenseful soundtrack by Lalo Schifrin, and with one of the best car chase scenes in film history. San Francisco provides a great setting, the hills, the bay, the winding streets. Bullitt is a movie I would watch again, and I don't think my mom would say it was boring. I haven't seen all of McQueen's movies, but the ones I have seen, I have enjoyed, whether he is playing a gunslinger, a thief, a P.O.W. or a race car driver, he is memorable: The Magnificent Seven (also with Robert Vaughn), The Great Escape, The Towering Inferno or The Thomas Crown Affair.
I like movies like The King's Speech because they focus on one aspect in history, in this case, the Duke of York's, later King George VI, stuttering problem. You might think, can you really make a movie about a stuttering problem? Yes, you can. Prince Albert, the Duke of York, was never supposed to be king, but when his brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936 to be with Wallis Simpson, the crown was pretty much thrust upon him. King George was expected to speak to the people via radio or live engagements, and a king with a stammer was not going to be very inspirational. King George (Colin Firth) tries all different types of cures, none that work, until his wife, Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), more familiar to us as the late Queen Mother, meets with Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) a speech therapist to set up an appointment with her husband. The relationship is a rough one because Logue insists on treating the King as an equal, using first names, and using very unconventional methods. Despite the rocky start, the King and Logue make progress in overcoming the King's stammer, and when the King is preparing for the coronation, he wants Logue to be there. Unfortunately, people who didn't approve of Logue did some checking into his background and informed the King that he had no medical background (but Logue never claimed he did) and no real training. Eventually they reconcile, and go on to have a long relationship. I really did like The King's Speech, I liked the story, I'm very interested in British history, the actors were terrific, in fact, all three were nominated for an Oscar, with only Firth winning for Best Actor. However, my mother had a very different reaction to the movie, and somehow it came up in conversation and she just said, "It was boring." So, there you go.
6/16/18 The Fighter, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, 2010
The Fighter is another bio-pic, this time about boxer Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his half-brother and boxer, Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale). Dicky was a promising fighter at one time, but started using drugs and when the movie starts he is pretty deep into his addiction. Despite this, Mickey still wants Dicky around as one of his trainers. The Ward-Eklund clan is very close, too close if you ask me, I'd be too claustrophobic, but anyway, they are very close and run/managed/controlled by their mother, Alice (Melissa Leo in an Oscar winning role). The movie follows Mickey as he tries to move up in the boxing world to better fights and better paydays, but he has to make a choice between Dicky and his family or a new manager and an independent thinking girlfriend, Charlene (Amy Adams). Bales seems to become Dicky (there is a brief clip at the end of the movie with both brothers, and you can see how close Bales is to being Dicky). I liked the movie, although I wouldn't say it was one of my favorites or that I would need to see it again (this is the second time). It's interesting that I watched The King's Speech and The Fighter so close, and that they both had nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Actress, and the performances of Bonham Carter, Leo and Adams are so different, Leo and Adams are loud and assertive, you could say aggressive, as their characters, and Bonham Carter is restrained, regal and assertive in her own way as a monarch's wife; and Bales is wired, hyped up, effusive and Rush is calm but engaging. And they were all playing real people, which I would think has its own set of pros and cons when acting and when voting.
6/17/18 Bullitt, Best Film Editing, National Film Registry, 1968
Steve McQueen is Frank Bullitt, a respected detective in the San Francisco police department. We know this because Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) asks for Bullitt to guard a key witness against The Organization. The witness is murdered despite the police protection, and now Bullitt has a murder to solve. Bullitt is the strong, silent type, focused on the job, occasionally focusing on his girlfriend, Cathy (Jacqueline Bisset), but not enough. Some movies don't hold up over time, they seem dated and the acting doesn't quite work after forty or fifty years, but Bullitt is still a taut, tense detective story, with a few twists, a suspenseful soundtrack by Lalo Schifrin, and with one of the best car chase scenes in film history. San Francisco provides a great setting, the hills, the bay, the winding streets. Bullitt is a movie I would watch again, and I don't think my mom would say it was boring. I haven't seen all of McQueen's movies, but the ones I have seen, I have enjoyed, whether he is playing a gunslinger, a thief, a P.O.W. or a race car driver, he is memorable: The Magnificent Seven (also with Robert Vaughn), The Great Escape, The Towering Inferno or The Thomas Crown Affair.
"Notorious" RBG, The ORIGINAL Planet of the Apes and Paul Newman as The Hustler
6/7/18 RBG, 2018, not yet nominated
"Notorious RBG", as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is fondly known, as become a celebrity in certain liberal circles, which is not exactly what she had in mind when she embarked on her journey through law school in the 1950s. I'm fairly certain that she didn't think there would be a hugely successfully Kickstarter campaign to create and sell an action figure of her. The documentary goes back and forth between current day and the past, including home movies, interviews with childhood friend and law school classmates, her children and grandchildren, and interviews with Justice Ginsburg. She may remind you of your own grandmother (she reminds me of my mom's 94 year old neighbor; they're about the same height), and she can be grandmotherly, but she can also be sharp with her wit and words when it comes to her interpretation of the Constitution and views on social equality. The documentary provides a primer on the Supreme Court, the politics involved (it's worse now, though), it's history and the evolution of law in the United States. I watched it with my brother, who is much younger than I am, and he didn't know that Joe Biden was a U.S. Senator (there are news clips of RBG's confirmation hearing, and Biden was Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee), or some of the other scads of information the movie presents. He liked it (a lot more than he thought he would when I dragged him to it). During the documentary, the producer or director shows her clips of Kate McKinnon's imitation, and she laughed and thought it was pretty good. You certainly get a multi-dimensional look into RBG's personality, which left me with a great appreciation and respect for her service to our country.
6/9/18 The Hustler, Best Art Direction - Set Direction, Black and White, Best Cinematography, Black and White, National Film Registry, 1961
The first time I saw The Hustler I fell asleep; I'm sure I was just exhausted. I did make it through the second time, and I thought it was okay, but not great. I know if my cousin is reading this he saying something like, "Okay? Tracer, what the hell is wrong with you? Newman was great, sublime, and George C. Scott was villainous without raising his voice (or something)". I'm sure this isn't the last time I'll disappoint him. Paul Newman was nominated for Best Actor in his role as "Fast" Eddie Felson (he won the Oscar 25 years later as Eddie in The Color of Money); Newman lost to Maximillian Schell for his role in Judgment at Nuremberg. Eddie Felson is a pool hustler; he and his manager go around to different cities looking to set up some good hustles, and looking for the big score. He eventually goes up against the best, Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason), and after over twenty hours of pool, loses it all. Eddie parts ways with his long time manager, Charlie, and picks up with Bert Gordon (George C. Scott), a professional gambler and Eddie's 'sponsor'. It's an antagonistic relationship from the start; Gordon thinks that Felson is a born loser, but he's still willing to front him money for a rematch against Minnesota Fats. Felson also starts seeing Sarah (Piper Laurie), an unhappy alcoholic with no visible means of support, who has an intense dislike and distrust of Gordon. Newman and Scott seem so effortless in their roles; Laurie is a bit much, but I think that's how a lot of female roles were written and acted - just over the top melodrama. Sarah does have one of the pivotal scenes in the film, it reveals Eddie as a person with feelings, because up to that point, he was extremely self-centered; after that, he's a little less so. I guess I did not get the deeper meaning that was apparently intended, I enjoyed Newman's performance, but would I say you have to see this movie? Sorry, but I would not. I'm sure I'm going to movie hell.
6/10/18 Planet of the Apes, Honorary Oscar for Achievement in Makeup, National Film Registry, 1968
A classic, that's what Planet of the Apes is, a classic. We may look back fifty years and think the make up and the special effects were naïve and basic, but back then, the make up was definitely groundbreaking, and the whole concept of this other world, which turns out to be our world, just a few thousand years in the future, was mind blowing. Charlton Heston as George Taylor, lands on an unknown planet with his two surviving fellow time-travelling astronauts. As they explore this new world, they eventually find other human-like beings, and are surprised to find gorillas on horseback. This is their introduction to the Planet of the Apes. Taylor is imprisoned where he is examined by Zira (Kim Hunter), and he tries to communicate, which the apes and gorillas find amusing. Taylor is very combative, and when he is grabbed by one of the gorillas, he utters one of the most famous lines in filmdom, "Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape." Taylor convinces Zira and her fiancé, Cornelius (Roddy McDowell), an archeologist, that he is an intelligent being and that he might have information about the past. They run up against the leaders of the community, including Dr. Zaius (Maurice Evans), who want to castrate him and definitely do not want to hear his story. Taylor soon figures out that he may actually be on Earth. In addition to a unique storyline and innovative make up, I always felt (even as a younger person) the undercurrent of social commentary. I would have to say that this is one of my favorite movies from growing up.
"Notorious RBG", as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is fondly known, as become a celebrity in certain liberal circles, which is not exactly what she had in mind when she embarked on her journey through law school in the 1950s. I'm fairly certain that she didn't think there would be a hugely successfully Kickstarter campaign to create and sell an action figure of her. The documentary goes back and forth between current day and the past, including home movies, interviews with childhood friend and law school classmates, her children and grandchildren, and interviews with Justice Ginsburg. She may remind you of your own grandmother (she reminds me of my mom's 94 year old neighbor; they're about the same height), and she can be grandmotherly, but she can also be sharp with her wit and words when it comes to her interpretation of the Constitution and views on social equality. The documentary provides a primer on the Supreme Court, the politics involved (it's worse now, though), it's history and the evolution of law in the United States. I watched it with my brother, who is much younger than I am, and he didn't know that Joe Biden was a U.S. Senator (there are news clips of RBG's confirmation hearing, and Biden was Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee), or some of the other scads of information the movie presents. He liked it (a lot more than he thought he would when I dragged him to it). During the documentary, the producer or director shows her clips of Kate McKinnon's imitation, and she laughed and thought it was pretty good. You certainly get a multi-dimensional look into RBG's personality, which left me with a great appreciation and respect for her service to our country.6/9/18 The Hustler, Best Art Direction - Set Direction, Black and White, Best Cinematography, Black and White, National Film Registry, 1961
The first time I saw The Hustler I fell asleep; I'm sure I was just exhausted. I did make it through the second time, and I thought it was okay, but not great. I know if my cousin is reading this he saying something like, "Okay? Tracer, what the hell is wrong with you? Newman was great, sublime, and George C. Scott was villainous without raising his voice (or something)". I'm sure this isn't the last time I'll disappoint him. Paul Newman was nominated for Best Actor in his role as "Fast" Eddie Felson (he won the Oscar 25 years later as Eddie in The Color of Money); Newman lost to Maximillian Schell for his role in Judgment at Nuremberg. Eddie Felson is a pool hustler; he and his manager go around to different cities looking to set up some good hustles, and looking for the big score. He eventually goes up against the best, Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason), and after over twenty hours of pool, loses it all. Eddie parts ways with his long time manager, Charlie, and picks up with Bert Gordon (George C. Scott), a professional gambler and Eddie's 'sponsor'. It's an antagonistic relationship from the start; Gordon thinks that Felson is a born loser, but he's still willing to front him money for a rematch against Minnesota Fats. Felson also starts seeing Sarah (Piper Laurie), an unhappy alcoholic with no visible means of support, who has an intense dislike and distrust of Gordon. Newman and Scott seem so effortless in their roles; Laurie is a bit much, but I think that's how a lot of female roles were written and acted - just over the top melodrama. Sarah does have one of the pivotal scenes in the film, it reveals Eddie as a person with feelings, because up to that point, he was extremely self-centered; after that, he's a little less so. I guess I did not get the deeper meaning that was apparently intended, I enjoyed Newman's performance, but would I say you have to see this movie? Sorry, but I would not. I'm sure I'm going to movie hell.
6/10/18 Planet of the Apes, Honorary Oscar for Achievement in Makeup, National Film Registry, 1968
A classic, that's what Planet of the Apes is, a classic. We may look back fifty years and think the make up and the special effects were naïve and basic, but back then, the make up was definitely groundbreaking, and the whole concept of this other world, which turns out to be our world, just a few thousand years in the future, was mind blowing. Charlton Heston as George Taylor, lands on an unknown planet with his two surviving fellow time-travelling astronauts. As they explore this new world, they eventually find other human-like beings, and are surprised to find gorillas on horseback. This is their introduction to the Planet of the Apes. Taylor is imprisoned where he is examined by Zira (Kim Hunter), and he tries to communicate, which the apes and gorillas find amusing. Taylor is very combative, and when he is grabbed by one of the gorillas, he utters one of the most famous lines in filmdom, "Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape." Taylor convinces Zira and her fiancé, Cornelius (Roddy McDowell), an archeologist, that he is an intelligent being and that he might have information about the past. They run up against the leaders of the community, including Dr. Zaius (Maurice Evans), who want to castrate him and definitely do not want to hear his story. Taylor soon figures out that he may actually be on Earth. In addition to a unique storyline and innovative make up, I always felt (even as a younger person) the undercurrent of social commentary. I would have to say that this is one of my favorite movies from growing up.
A trip through the National Film Registry: Boyz N the Hood, Paris is Burning, Daughters of the Dust, Princess Bride
You could say I went a little crazy with the National Film Registry list over Memorial Day Weekend, and with that many movies, I was bound to come across one I didn't like or possibly even loathed. I suppose, honestly, there was only one that I was so-so about, otherwise, I would recommend any of the following films.
5/23/18 Boyz N the Hood, 1991
When Boyz N the Hood first came out (I promise, I don't say this for every movie), I wasn't terribly interested in seeing it, it was just not my thing at the time (let's just say I have lived in a series of metaphorical boxes in my life, I'm a little better now). However, after watching Straight Outta Compton (because it was on a list), I realized that just because something may not exactly be in my wheelhouse, doesn't mean it's not good or that I won't end up liking it. I suppose that's what happened with Boyz N the Hood, I decided just to watch it; there's a lot of swearing, and it's not that I'm a prude, I swear A LOT myself, I sometimes think it's just lazy writing, but, that is how some kids/teenagers talk, and writer/director John Singleton does a lot of things, but he does not treat the characters or the audience with kid gloves. The movie follows a three friends as they grow up in South Central Los Angeles, a community that has too many shootings, too many drugs and poor relations with the police. Tre (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) lives with his demanding and strict father, "Furious" (Laurence Fishburne), and has a real job at the mall (he's a teenager). His friends are Doughboy (Ice Cube) and Doughboy's half brother (also their mother's favorite), Rick (Morris Chestnut). Doughboy has spent a lot of his young years in prison, and is struggling to find his feet; Rick is a football scholarship candidate, which makes his mother proud and is a way out of the neighborhood, and can help him make a better life for his young son. The guys and their friends are out one night, just chilling, when members of different gang cause some trouble and Doughboy flashes a gun, which is only a temporary solution, because minutes later, the other gang starts firing off a gun into the air. And this is how things spiral rapidly out of control. You show me yours, I'll show you mine; mine is bigger than yours; I can kill you first. Singleton shows us black young men killing each other, often because it doesn't seem like there are any other options. The death of Rick (I hope I didn't spoil it) highlighted the senselessness of this tit for tat violence. It's not gratuitous at all, there's a point - the point is: nobody wins. Rick's young son certainly didn't win. I felt like someone sucked the air out of the room when it happened. And Doughboy, who has always been protective of Rick, and way more streetsmart, is out for vengeance. Tre doesn't participate in any of the retribution, because he knows he'll never get out if he does. Like Daughters of the Dust, and Paris is Burning, Boyz N the Hood looks at a community that did not have any kind of voice when the film was released. Singleton was nominated for Oscars for Best Director (the youngest at the time) and Best Original Screenplay. After I finished watching, I texted my youngest brother and asked if he had seen it before (he wasn't even born when it came out) and he said of course, and it was a great movie. That is a sign of a movie that 'is culturally, historically or aesthetically significant", if it can be watched and appreciated by newer generations.
5/26/18 Atlantic City, 1980
Louis Malle's film, Atlantic City, was the critics' darling when it came out, I remember the praise that was heaped on Burt Lancaster, Susan Sarandon and the director; of course, I couldn't see it because it's rated R, and I was too young. I love Lancaster in pretty much anything, he always seems so effortless, and I do like him as Lou, the former gangster who takes numbers and keeps company with the widow of his deceased boss. He also has his eyes on Sally (Sarandon), a wannabe black jack dealer. Sally's estranged/former (I wasn't really sure) husband shows up on her doorstep with his pregnant wife/girlfriend with a lot of cocaine to sell. Clearly, you don't need a lot of insight or psychic skills to figure out that nothing good is going to happen. So, the movie is definitely not a mystery, but a look into the relationships of different people: Lou, who is re-energized by his relationship with Sally; Sally, who likes Lou's seeming sophistication, but gets frustrated with his reluctance to contemplate the possibilities in Europe; Lou's subservient attitude towards Grace. It seems like Lou is a dinosaur in the waning days of the Jurassic period. It's not the good old days. Both Lancaster an Sarandon were nominated for Oscars, as well as being nominated for Best Picture, but the movie came away with no Oscars (this was the year that Chariots of Fire won the Best Picture Oscar, and Red, Raiders of the Lost Ark and On Golden Pond were all nominated). I'm not totally sure why it's on the National Film Registry list.
5/27/18 Paris is Burning, 1991
Even though I watched Paris is Burning in May, I'm finally reviewing it in June, which is fitting since it is Pride Month. Paris is Burning is a documentary by Jennie Livingston that takes us into the world of balls in New York City, a highly competitive environment. The balls allow gay and transgender people, mostly of the African-American and Latino communities, members of an already marginalized GLBTQ society, to strut and be proud and embrace who they are, with a fierceness that is fun to watch. "Voguing" which was popularized in mainstream culture by Madonna, originated at the ball events. The documentary was filmed in the mid to late 80s, only twenty years or so after the Stonewall Riots, and in the early years of the AIDS epidemic, but decades away from Laverne Cox and her groundbreaking role on Orange is the New Black, The Transparent series or Daniela Vega in A Fantastic Woman (2017 Oscar winning film). The interviews provide a glimpse into why the performers do what they do, how they support each other, and how they compete. I felt particularly drawn to Dorian Corey, who was like an elder of the group, and had many insights and could be quite sharp in her observations and commentary. The transgender community is one that is misunderstood by the heterosexual and the gay and lesbian communities, but their history must be included and they should be recognized for their contributions and pain. That may sound incredibly pretentious, but I don't really care, and I think watching this documentary is a way to start.
5/27/18 The Atomic Café, 1982
This documentary consists of historical newsreel footage, film and television clips and public service films edited together in a somewhat frightening fashion, but also occasionally awkwardly funny and naïve. Many of the scenes are how to avoid nuclear fallout by hiding under a table or covering your head under a desk; packing a survival kit of canned and powdered foods; or the scary scenes of the nuclear testing done on Bikini Atoll, that had horrible impacts on the native population, which, according to US military personnel on scene, was all for the good of humanity. It might not be a bad idea to dust off this old chestnut and get it out on the airwaves, given the current climate, just to remind us of the risks and dangers of nuclear warfare.
5/28/18 Daughters of the Dust, 1991
The lists giveth, and the lists taketh away. In this case, the list definitely giveth. Julie Dash wrote and directed Daughters of the Dust, the story of the Peazant family, a clan who have lived on the St. Simons Island, off the coast of Georgia (the Gullah islands), for generations. The movie is set in the early part of the 20th century, roughly forty years after the end of the Civil War. The family is led by Nana Peazant, the keeper of the traditions and memories (good and bad) of the family, and determined not to leave her home. The younger generations have already moved to the mainland, two of her granddaughters have already moved there, Viola and Yellow Mary. Normally I have trouble with storylines that are non-linear, I like things told in order, but I was so interested in this family and their history, I went with it. You have to pay attention because there are several storylines and also because the actors speak in the Gullah dialect, which is close to Creole, and sometimes things happened quickly and my ears couldn't keep up. In some ways, at its core, the movie is about family, it could be about any family, an immigrant family deciding to leave their ancestral home for a better life, and possibly leaving the old ways behind. In another way, it is more than that, because this family has already left their ancestral home in Africa, perhaps only seventy five or hundred years earlier, unwillingly, and this departure is their choice. The actors, none of whom I have ever heard of, own their roles, it's like they were made for the parts or vice versa; there were several powerful performances. The cinematography was so beautiful, otherworldly (if that's not too dramatic), for whatever it might mean to you, it reminded me of the original Picnic at Hanging Rock (another movie that I was enthralled by at the time). (I just read some reviews of the film on Netflix, which I generally don't do, and there are definitely extreme feelings about the movie, um, some not so nice, and others lavish in their praise; I suppose that's pretty normal. I hate The Usual Suspects, while others think it's the best movie ever). I still liked Daughters of the Dust.
5/28/18 The Princess Bride, 1987
Believe it or not, I have never seen The Princess Bride in its entirety or even more than a few seconds of clips. So before you can say it, I will: "Inconceivable!" I will also say, I liked it, I enjoyed it, I laughed. The comedy-fantasy-adventure was directed by Rob Reiner, and has what would now be considered an all-star cast: Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Cary Elwes, Christopher Guest, Andre the Giant, Carol Kane, Billy Crystal, Peter Falk and Fred Savage. Peter Falk narrates the movie as he reads to his reluctant grandson played by Fred Savage. Since I may be the only person in the universe to have not seen The Princess Bride, I don't need to recap the plot. I don't know why I was so reluctant to watch it, I think because all of my friends just loved it, and at my core, I'm a contrarian, so I thought, nothing can be that funny or quotable. I'm not so stubborn that I can't say I was wrong. It reminded me of some of Mel Brooks' movies (Brooks is a friend and comedic partner of Reiner's father, Carl Reiner): jokes/lines that appear throughout the movie; ridiculous dialog played absolutely straight, full of puns and word play and silly accents; actors that appear to be having a great time (Andre the Giant was so fabulous and funny); and a story that has a ring of familiarity but is still original. The movie received no Oscar nominations and wasn't even that successful in its box office run, and yet, there are probably more people who have now seen The Princess Bride than have seen Atlantic City which was nominated for five Oscars. Sometimes winning an Oscar is not a guarantee of a long legacy. Having said that, I TOTALLY get why it's on the National Film Registry list.
5/28/18 Hester Street, 1975
Watching Hester Street, starring Carol Kane, Steven Keats and Doris Roberts, was like being there when my great grandparents arrived in New York from Russia. Steven Keats is Yankl, now Jake, and he comes to America before his wife and young son; he also tries to become as American as possible, and begins a relationship with Mamie, a dancer. Jake's wife, Gitl and son, Yossele, arrive in New York City, and Jake doesn't seem very pleased, he is especially unhappy that Gitl doesn't shed her Old World habits as quickly as he would like. Doris Roberts plays Mrs. Kavarsky and befriends Gitl. In case we've forgotten, the immigrant experience can be lonely and hard, regardless of your country of origin. The movie is in English and Yiddish, and while I don't really understand a lot of Yiddish, it made me think of my grandparents and older relatives who would occasionally use it when they didn't want us to understand something. Carol Kane was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. Joan Micklin Silver wrote the screenplay and directed the film (she directed Crossing Delancey). By way of six degrees of separation, Silver is married to Rabbi Raphael Silver who is the son of the late Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, and back in the early 1990s, I worked on team processing the Rabbi's historical papers.
When Boyz N the Hood first came out (I promise, I don't say this for every movie), I wasn't terribly interested in seeing it, it was just not my thing at the time (let's just say I have lived in a series of metaphorical boxes in my life, I'm a little better now). However, after watching Straight Outta Compton (because it was on a list), I realized that just because something may not exactly be in my wheelhouse, doesn't mean it's not good or that I won't end up liking it. I suppose that's what happened with Boyz N the Hood, I decided just to watch it; there's a lot of swearing, and it's not that I'm a prude, I swear A LOT myself, I sometimes think it's just lazy writing, but, that is how some kids/teenagers talk, and writer/director John Singleton does a lot of things, but he does not treat the characters or the audience with kid gloves. The movie follows a three friends as they grow up in South Central Los Angeles, a community that has too many shootings, too many drugs and poor relations with the police. Tre (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) lives with his demanding and strict father, "Furious" (Laurence Fishburne), and has a real job at the mall (he's a teenager). His friends are Doughboy (Ice Cube) and Doughboy's half brother (also their mother's favorite), Rick (Morris Chestnut). Doughboy has spent a lot of his young years in prison, and is struggling to find his feet; Rick is a football scholarship candidate, which makes his mother proud and is a way out of the neighborhood, and can help him make a better life for his young son. The guys and their friends are out one night, just chilling, when members of different gang cause some trouble and Doughboy flashes a gun, which is only a temporary solution, because minutes later, the other gang starts firing off a gun into the air. And this is how things spiral rapidly out of control. You show me yours, I'll show you mine; mine is bigger than yours; I can kill you first. Singleton shows us black young men killing each other, often because it doesn't seem like there are any other options. The death of Rick (I hope I didn't spoil it) highlighted the senselessness of this tit for tat violence. It's not gratuitous at all, there's a point - the point is: nobody wins. Rick's young son certainly didn't win. I felt like someone sucked the air out of the room when it happened. And Doughboy, who has always been protective of Rick, and way more streetsmart, is out for vengeance. Tre doesn't participate in any of the retribution, because he knows he'll never get out if he does. Like Daughters of the Dust, and Paris is Burning, Boyz N the Hood looks at a community that did not have any kind of voice when the film was released. Singleton was nominated for Oscars for Best Director (the youngest at the time) and Best Original Screenplay. After I finished watching, I texted my youngest brother and asked if he had seen it before (he wasn't even born when it came out) and he said of course, and it was a great movie. That is a sign of a movie that 'is culturally, historically or aesthetically significant", if it can be watched and appreciated by newer generations.
5/26/18 Atlantic City, 1980
Louis Malle's film, Atlantic City, was the critics' darling when it came out, I remember the praise that was heaped on Burt Lancaster, Susan Sarandon and the director; of course, I couldn't see it because it's rated R, and I was too young. I love Lancaster in pretty much anything, he always seems so effortless, and I do like him as Lou, the former gangster who takes numbers and keeps company with the widow of his deceased boss. He also has his eyes on Sally (Sarandon), a wannabe black jack dealer. Sally's estranged/former (I wasn't really sure) husband shows up on her doorstep with his pregnant wife/girlfriend with a lot of cocaine to sell. Clearly, you don't need a lot of insight or psychic skills to figure out that nothing good is going to happen. So, the movie is definitely not a mystery, but a look into the relationships of different people: Lou, who is re-energized by his relationship with Sally; Sally, who likes Lou's seeming sophistication, but gets frustrated with his reluctance to contemplate the possibilities in Europe; Lou's subservient attitude towards Grace. It seems like Lou is a dinosaur in the waning days of the Jurassic period. It's not the good old days. Both Lancaster an Sarandon were nominated for Oscars, as well as being nominated for Best Picture, but the movie came away with no Oscars (this was the year that Chariots of Fire won the Best Picture Oscar, and Red, Raiders of the Lost Ark and On Golden Pond were all nominated). I'm not totally sure why it's on the National Film Registry list.
5/27/18 Paris is Burning, 1991
Even though I watched Paris is Burning in May, I'm finally reviewing it in June, which is fitting since it is Pride Month. Paris is Burning is a documentary by Jennie Livingston that takes us into the world of balls in New York City, a highly competitive environment. The balls allow gay and transgender people, mostly of the African-American and Latino communities, members of an already marginalized GLBTQ society, to strut and be proud and embrace who they are, with a fierceness that is fun to watch. "Voguing" which was popularized in mainstream culture by Madonna, originated at the ball events. The documentary was filmed in the mid to late 80s, only twenty years or so after the Stonewall Riots, and in the early years of the AIDS epidemic, but decades away from Laverne Cox and her groundbreaking role on Orange is the New Black, The Transparent series or Daniela Vega in A Fantastic Woman (2017 Oscar winning film). The interviews provide a glimpse into why the performers do what they do, how they support each other, and how they compete. I felt particularly drawn to Dorian Corey, who was like an elder of the group, and had many insights and could be quite sharp in her observations and commentary. The transgender community is one that is misunderstood by the heterosexual and the gay and lesbian communities, but their history must be included and they should be recognized for their contributions and pain. That may sound incredibly pretentious, but I don't really care, and I think watching this documentary is a way to start.
5/27/18 The Atomic Café, 1982
This documentary consists of historical newsreel footage, film and television clips and public service films edited together in a somewhat frightening fashion, but also occasionally awkwardly funny and naïve. Many of the scenes are how to avoid nuclear fallout by hiding under a table or covering your head under a desk; packing a survival kit of canned and powdered foods; or the scary scenes of the nuclear testing done on Bikini Atoll, that had horrible impacts on the native population, which, according to US military personnel on scene, was all for the good of humanity. It might not be a bad idea to dust off this old chestnut and get it out on the airwaves, given the current climate, just to remind us of the risks and dangers of nuclear warfare.
5/28/18 Daughters of the Dust, 1991
The lists giveth, and the lists taketh away. In this case, the list definitely giveth. Julie Dash wrote and directed Daughters of the Dust, the story of the Peazant family, a clan who have lived on the St. Simons Island, off the coast of Georgia (the Gullah islands), for generations. The movie is set in the early part of the 20th century, roughly forty years after the end of the Civil War. The family is led by Nana Peazant, the keeper of the traditions and memories (good and bad) of the family, and determined not to leave her home. The younger generations have already moved to the mainland, two of her granddaughters have already moved there, Viola and Yellow Mary. Normally I have trouble with storylines that are non-linear, I like things told in order, but I was so interested in this family and their history, I went with it. You have to pay attention because there are several storylines and also because the actors speak in the Gullah dialect, which is close to Creole, and sometimes things happened quickly and my ears couldn't keep up. In some ways, at its core, the movie is about family, it could be about any family, an immigrant family deciding to leave their ancestral home for a better life, and possibly leaving the old ways behind. In another way, it is more than that, because this family has already left their ancestral home in Africa, perhaps only seventy five or hundred years earlier, unwillingly, and this departure is their choice. The actors, none of whom I have ever heard of, own their roles, it's like they were made for the parts or vice versa; there were several powerful performances. The cinematography was so beautiful, otherworldly (if that's not too dramatic), for whatever it might mean to you, it reminded me of the original Picnic at Hanging Rock (another movie that I was enthralled by at the time). (I just read some reviews of the film on Netflix, which I generally don't do, and there are definitely extreme feelings about the movie, um, some not so nice, and others lavish in their praise; I suppose that's pretty normal. I hate The Usual Suspects, while others think it's the best movie ever). I still liked Daughters of the Dust.
5/28/18 The Princess Bride, 1987
Believe it or not, I have never seen The Princess Bride in its entirety or even more than a few seconds of clips. So before you can say it, I will: "Inconceivable!" I will also say, I liked it, I enjoyed it, I laughed. The comedy-fantasy-adventure was directed by Rob Reiner, and has what would now be considered an all-star cast: Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Cary Elwes, Christopher Guest, Andre the Giant, Carol Kane, Billy Crystal, Peter Falk and Fred Savage. Peter Falk narrates the movie as he reads to his reluctant grandson played by Fred Savage. Since I may be the only person in the universe to have not seen The Princess Bride, I don't need to recap the plot. I don't know why I was so reluctant to watch it, I think because all of my friends just loved it, and at my core, I'm a contrarian, so I thought, nothing can be that funny or quotable. I'm not so stubborn that I can't say I was wrong. It reminded me of some of Mel Brooks' movies (Brooks is a friend and comedic partner of Reiner's father, Carl Reiner): jokes/lines that appear throughout the movie; ridiculous dialog played absolutely straight, full of puns and word play and silly accents; actors that appear to be having a great time (Andre the Giant was so fabulous and funny); and a story that has a ring of familiarity but is still original. The movie received no Oscar nominations and wasn't even that successful in its box office run, and yet, there are probably more people who have now seen The Princess Bride than have seen Atlantic City which was nominated for five Oscars. Sometimes winning an Oscar is not a guarantee of a long legacy. Having said that, I TOTALLY get why it's on the National Film Registry list.
5/28/18 Hester Street, 1975
Watching Hester Street, starring Carol Kane, Steven Keats and Doris Roberts, was like being there when my great grandparents arrived in New York from Russia. Steven Keats is Yankl, now Jake, and he comes to America before his wife and young son; he also tries to become as American as possible, and begins a relationship with Mamie, a dancer. Jake's wife, Gitl and son, Yossele, arrive in New York City, and Jake doesn't seem very pleased, he is especially unhappy that Gitl doesn't shed her Old World habits as quickly as he would like. Doris Roberts plays Mrs. Kavarsky and befriends Gitl. In case we've forgotten, the immigrant experience can be lonely and hard, regardless of your country of origin. The movie is in English and Yiddish, and while I don't really understand a lot of Yiddish, it made me think of my grandparents and older relatives who would occasionally use it when they didn't want us to understand something. Carol Kane was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. Joan Micklin Silver wrote the screenplay and directed the film (she directed Crossing Delancey). By way of six degrees of separation, Silver is married to Rabbi Raphael Silver who is the son of the late Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, and back in the early 1990s, I worked on team processing the Rabbi's historical papers.
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Whiling away the time while staying at home
There is no denying that these are very strange and tumultuous we're living in. Obviously I haven't been blogging too much lately, i...
