Recently showcased at SIFF, the Cold War spy drama FAREWELL creates a moody, personal atmosphere of paranoia and suspense as it tells the true story of how two very different men helped bring about the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1980's. A KGB spy passes crucial documents to a French engineer working in Moscow, and there's intrigue in that. But the real suspense builds as the film details the effects of spying on each respective family, and the tensions between spouses and child show the toll that the activity can have between loved ones. This is an intelligent simmering thriller. GRADE------ B+
Also from SIFF, the French/Russian fantasy/musical/comedy film THE CONCERT is a pleasure to watch. The preposterous plot has a janitor (and former conductor) for the Bolshoi orchestra intercepting an invite to preform in Paris, so he organizes a troop of black listed musicians (all of whom lost their jobs due to politics in Communist Russia) to travel to Paris pretending to be the real Bolshoi....well it's pretty silly stuff, but the film looks and sounds great, with many fine musical passages, especially the finale, which is a crowd pleaser, full of emotional grandeur. GRADE-------- B
Revisited PLACES IN THE HEART for the first time since it opened in 1984. This was written and directed by Robert Benton (BONNIE AND CLYDE) and won Oscars that year for the translucent performance by Sally Fields ("You like me, you really like me.") and the precious autobiographical script. There are some other great performances including a blind, perceptive John Malkovitch, the secret lovers played by Ed Harris and Amy Madigan, who married in real life after filming, and the proud and resourceful Danny Glover. I remembered very well the sad shocking opening scene, and the masterly final redemptive scene in the church which so movingly brings the film full circle. and it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about those moments. This is a very special film. GRADE--------- A-
One of seven or so films that Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor made together, THE V.I.P.'s (1963) is a disaster film without a disaster. A big and varied cast (including Louis Jordan, Maggie Smith, Rod Taylor, Orson Welles, and Margaret Rutherford) find themselves stranded at London's airport with all flights canceled due to fog. Each has a desperate reason to leave ASAP, and each has some personal trauma/adversity to overcome. I wish the film was juicier--instead it is glossy and turgidly watchable. Rutherford won a supporting Oscar for the film, and she is a delightful character, but her scenes are filmed and scored with such humor and whimsy that she appears to be in an entirely different film altogether. GRADE------C+
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
"Precious" applied to a work of art, usually carries a negative connotation, implying that the creator has gone sentimental or cute in their affection of their own work. It's a serious criticism. I was relieved to find you like PLACES IN THE HEART. I sometimes use it in my classes.
ReplyDeletehttp://janpriddyoregon.blogspot.com