Subtle, wistful and charming, THE ILLUSIONIST was nominated for best animated feature this year at the Oscars, but of course was walloped by TOY STORY III. Still, for a gentle, fascinating film like this to get made at all is remarkable enough. Based on a story by Jacques Tati (writer and actor and director of many charming nearly silent films from the 1950's including PLAYTIME and MON ONCLE) and created by the director of THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE Sylvain Chomet, THE ILLUSIONIST is a bit more singular in it's story line than TRIPLETS but contains very little dialogue, just music and delightful characters to tell the story of a magician who travels all over Europe trying to eek out a living in the early 1960's when burlesque type variety shows were being squeezed out to feature more dynamic (and loud) young rock and roll bands. In this film the running gag has him sharing the bill with a "Beatle-like" group who gyrate on the floor, transfixing hordes of screaming girls, and afterwards acting foppishly fey as they giggle and skip around backstage. The film is a treasure. GRADE-----B+
I enjoyed the carefully constructed and acted, thoughtful comedy called CEDAR RAPIDS, which in spite of some usual modern crudities (nudity, sex, profanity, etc) at least has the decency to integrate the actions of the dozen major characters into a logical and somewhat realistic plot, and adds a warm patina of humanistic themes to the characters evolvement. The main characters--most all insurance salesman who end up at a major convention in CEDAR RAPIDS--are well played with a minimum of mugging by Ed Helms (TV's The Office, The Hangover), John C. Riley (Cyrus, Step Brothers etc.), Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Kurtwood Smith, Rob Corddry and the ubiquitous Sigourney Weaver. You could do a lot worse, comedy wise. (See below.) GRADE--------B
A low budget, low-key sci-fi thriller that has come and gone this week already, is the British film VANISHING ON 7th STREET. The film starts as most everyone in town seems to have disappeared, leaving only their clothes in a pile when they were taken by a mysterious, shadowy force. The sole survivors, played by B-list actors, include Hayden Christenson, Thandie Newton and John Leguizamo, and they struggle to stay alive in the light of a generator in a tavern. The concept is spooky at times as they must stay in the light or they risk being taken as well, but there is little (if any) explanation that might help make sense of the situation, and, as usual, there are some very stupid actions taken by some of the characters. GRADE------C
Top candidate for worst film of 2011 is the recently opened and closed this week ELEKTRA LUXX, which should do absolutely nothing for the careers of Carla Gugino, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and in a cameo, Julianne Moore ( playing the Virgin Mary!!!!????!!!!), though I don't think her career will suffer too much. It was nice to see the spark that Kathleen Quinlan gave her small role, but otherwise, this film is the first major release in a long, long time that put me to sleep in the middle. Who did the producers think was going to come watch this ponderous film about a pregnant porn star who is trying to go "straight," -??!!??-- even with the naughty bits peppered throughout, the film becomes a talk-a-thon bore. Thank God it was a free screening for me or I might have stormed the box office for my money back. GRADE--------D-
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DVD Choices------
Top pick for any week would be a film I haven't seen for at least 10 years---TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)---the film won Oscars for John Huston's direction and writing, and his father Walter Huston won best supporting actor. The film is just about perfect--well written and produced, with drama and humor and adventure mixed to excellent result. If you have not seen it yet or lately, don't wait. John Huston appears as an American tourist in white in the beginning, loaning money to the desperate Humphrey Bogart, and a very young Robert Blake (Baretta on TV) sells lottery tickets in the film, which features the very unhealthy effects of the gold rush on seemingly honest prospectors. One of my favorite lines is uttered by the head of the banditos who are trying to steal weapons and horses and food from the prospectors-- "Badges?!? Badges?!? I don't have any badges!!!!! I don't need any stinkin' badges!!!!!"----at which point the bullets start flying!!!!! GRADE---------A
A murky, confusing but atmospheric film noir/murder mystery, DEADLINE AT DAWN (1946) has dance hall girl Susan Hayward trying to clear the name of a naive sailor (who also likes to pass out when he drinks) from a murder he can't remember committing. Clifford Odets wrote the screenplay, which emphasises the humanity of the guilty parties. Paul Lucas is a sympathetic taxi driver who shuttles the characters all over town in search of clues, and Bill Williams is charming as the sailor. GRADE--------B-
A pick from the library, and definitely slumming it, THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT (1977) is based on the best seller by Sidney Sheldon, whose biography I recently read. The film is an out of the gate potboiler, with lot's of cliches and lurid sexual situations--some surprisingly explicit for a film made in the seventies. In spite of an energetic performance by Susan Sarandon, and the go for broke presence of the beautiful Marie-France Pisier, who both of whom had to do and say some of the most embarrassing and ludicrous things (some involving nudity and sex), the film drags, and seems to go on forever (it is a butt-busting 166 minutes, but seems twice that at times.) The production values, which at times seem lush, were obviously out of sync with the period (the hair and makeup and costumes often seemed from the 70's instead of 40's when most of the film is set). Still many locations were beautiful. GRADE------D+
THE OTHER SIDE OF ME is the biography of Sidney Sheldon who won a writing Oscar (for THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBIE SOX) and created several popular TV shows (including I DREAM OF JEANNIE and THE PATTY DUKE SHOW and HART TO HART) and then later in life became a world wide best selling author. He struggled with depression and was diagnosed as manic depressive (now called bipolar) early in his career, but that may explain the incredible energy and creative outpouring that made his career so impressive. His biography is an easy read--rather compelling (page-turner) but rather superficial at times. He does not believe in telling-all. GRADE-------B
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Adjustment Bureau, Bees, North By Northwest, and lost classic Crime in the Streets
Based on a short story by Philip K. Dick, THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU is a clever, engrossing science fiction thriller that satisfies on most levels, because it doesn't change the rules set up in the fantasy world it creates, nor does it try to do too much (or be too big.) The focus stays on the love story of would be senator from New York (Matt Damon) meeting up-and-coming dancer Emily Blunt---they meet cute (in the men's restroom) and keep running into each other, even though the BUREAU (thin mysterious men in hats) keeps insisting that they are NOT meant to be together. At some point the mystery of the set-up makes way for the thriller/chase portion of the ending, but the film creates a nice style with lots of tension and some humor, and there are a lot of interesting philosophical ideas dangled in our faces. GRADE-------B+
A fascinating documentary from the 2010 SIFF is called QUEEN OF THE SUN: What The Bees Are Telling Us........and that long title just about says it all. Bees are disappearing around the world--and of course the likely culprit is the avalanche of pesticides and unnatural pollution . Many other ideas to regrow the hives and cultivate the crop are bandied about, and it almost makes me want to start my own hive. The photography is splendid and the information is interesting and hopeful. GRADE--------B+
I realized that the filmmakers of BEASTLY were trying to modernize THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST fairy tale by setting it in high school. Unfortunately, they have taken the worst, most shallow aspects of high school life (like cliques, superficial beauty, goth chic etc) and added the most banal dialogue uttered by young actors who have no sense of irony or talent, so that the film made me wince several times, and the introduction of "magic" and bad plot devices undermine the potential whimsy and romance. Only TV's DOOGIE HOWSER MD --Neil Patrick Harris seems to be having much fun, but his role as the tutor for the two misfits forced to live together in a large house across the river from town is weakly written. GRADE------C
A special screening (with a great print) of Alfred Hitchcock's classic film NORTH BY NORTHWEST was shown last week at SIFF CINEMA and introduced by TCM's host Robert Osbourne with special guest (and N X NW star) Eva Marie Saint to a full house of appreciative movie fans. The smart script follows a naive business man (Cary Grant) being mistaken for a spy and being chased all over the country by nasty and/or sexy spies (James Mason and Ms Saint). The film includes many classic sequences including a sexy train seduction, the horror of being chased through fields of corn by a deadly aircraft, and trying to escape gunmen by climbing down over Mt. Rushmore's profiles. Nobody does it like Hitchcock. GRADE-------A
____________________
Best of the DVD films included an excellent little film based on a made for TV drama called CRIME IN THE STREETS (1956), directed by Don Seigel and featuring an excellent cast including John Cassavetes, Sal Mineo, James Whitmore, and Mark Rydel. Set in a New York slum, the film starts out with opposing gangs meeting up for a rumble---straight out of WEST SIDE STORY(1961). At first I thought they were going to break out into song, but quickly realized that this film was actually made 5 year before that classic musical. The film quickly focuses in on one neighborhood where social worker Whitmore is trying to befriend the leading gang members which include Cassavetes, Mineo and Rydel. In his first major role, Cassavetes is so smolderingly intense that suspense is built up to a nerve wracking level, as it seems he is going to explode into a murderous young man, poisoning the young "Baby" Mineo with him. The plot includes issues of poverty, neglect, abuse, broken homes, etc. and when you think that this was done in the mid-50's when the perfect nuclear family was supposedly at it's peak, it becomes all the more powerful. In spite of some cliched moments, this is a unique and fascinating undiscovered gem. It is part of the FILM NOIR CLASSIC COLLECTION VOL. 5, but I wouldn't call this Film Noir---but a quality suspense drama. GRADE--------A
The PHENIX CITY STORY (1955) is based on a true situation where a city was so controlled by corruption that murder and extortion and gambling were controlling the lives of average citizens, and there is a lengthy (13 minute), unnecessary prologue trying to emphasize that everything you are about to see is true. Again, not so much a Noir as a fast paced docu-drama about a military lawyer who returns home to confront rampant corruption. The film starts out with a dull song sung by a not very interesting actress, but stick with it and you will be caught up in the suspense and drama. This film features some key roles for a couple of black actors. GRADE--------B
An awkwardly structured Noir with different characters telling in flashback what exactly happened to a convalescing soldier's best friend, and then having each character be knocked off by a faceless killer, this film was fascinating for it's mystery, and surprising lack of luridness. The generic title BACKFIRE (1950) featured Virginia Mayo, Gordon MacRae, Edmond O'Brien, Viveca Lindfors and Ed Begley, and I enjoyed the cast and disjointed story-telling. It reminded me at times of the strange and confusing MALTESE FALCON. GRADE------B
A mental hospital murderer escapes to the small town to kill the doctor who sent him there, and ends up with six hostages in a small bar in the suspenseful but minor thriller called DIAL 1119 (1950). Marshall Thompson is interestingly stony-faced as the unhinged man, and the film is short (75 minutes) and rather economical. GRADE-------B-
Easy to watch but rather unremarkable is ARMORED CAR ROBBERY (1950) in which four men hold up Wrigley baseball field, then spend the rest of the film running from the detective hot on their trail as one by one they are caught. The wife of one of the men is supposedly a popular "hot" burlesque dancer and she has several dancing scenes, but she's not very good or sexy. She is amusing, however. Still, this film will do in a pinch. GRADE-------C+
To see my list of TOP FILMS OF 2010, see previous blog dated February 16.
A fascinating documentary from the 2010 SIFF is called QUEEN OF THE SUN: What The Bees Are Telling Us........and that long title just about says it all. Bees are disappearing around the world--and of course the likely culprit is the avalanche of pesticides and unnatural pollution . Many other ideas to regrow the hives and cultivate the crop are bandied about, and it almost makes me want to start my own hive. The photography is splendid and the information is interesting and hopeful. GRADE--------B+
I realized that the filmmakers of BEASTLY were trying to modernize THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST fairy tale by setting it in high school. Unfortunately, they have taken the worst, most shallow aspects of high school life (like cliques, superficial beauty, goth chic etc) and added the most banal dialogue uttered by young actors who have no sense of irony or talent, so that the film made me wince several times, and the introduction of "magic" and bad plot devices undermine the potential whimsy and romance. Only TV's DOOGIE HOWSER MD --Neil Patrick Harris seems to be having much fun, but his role as the tutor for the two misfits forced to live together in a large house across the river from town is weakly written. GRADE------C
A special screening (with a great print) of Alfred Hitchcock's classic film NORTH BY NORTHWEST was shown last week at SIFF CINEMA and introduced by TCM's host Robert Osbourne with special guest (and N X NW star) Eva Marie Saint to a full house of appreciative movie fans. The smart script follows a naive business man (Cary Grant) being mistaken for a spy and being chased all over the country by nasty and/or sexy spies (James Mason and Ms Saint). The film includes many classic sequences including a sexy train seduction, the horror of being chased through fields of corn by a deadly aircraft, and trying to escape gunmen by climbing down over Mt. Rushmore's profiles. Nobody does it like Hitchcock. GRADE-------A
____________________
Best of the DVD films included an excellent little film based on a made for TV drama called CRIME IN THE STREETS (1956), directed by Don Seigel and featuring an excellent cast including John Cassavetes, Sal Mineo, James Whitmore, and Mark Rydel. Set in a New York slum, the film starts out with opposing gangs meeting up for a rumble---straight out of WEST SIDE STORY(1961). At first I thought they were going to break out into song, but quickly realized that this film was actually made 5 year before that classic musical. The film quickly focuses in on one neighborhood where social worker Whitmore is trying to befriend the leading gang members which include Cassavetes, Mineo and Rydel. In his first major role, Cassavetes is so smolderingly intense that suspense is built up to a nerve wracking level, as it seems he is going to explode into a murderous young man, poisoning the young "Baby" Mineo with him. The plot includes issues of poverty, neglect, abuse, broken homes, etc. and when you think that this was done in the mid-50's when the perfect nuclear family was supposedly at it's peak, it becomes all the more powerful. In spite of some cliched moments, this is a unique and fascinating undiscovered gem. It is part of the FILM NOIR CLASSIC COLLECTION VOL. 5, but I wouldn't call this Film Noir---but a quality suspense drama. GRADE--------A
The PHENIX CITY STORY (1955) is based on a true situation where a city was so controlled by corruption that murder and extortion and gambling were controlling the lives of average citizens, and there is a lengthy (13 minute), unnecessary prologue trying to emphasize that everything you are about to see is true. Again, not so much a Noir as a fast paced docu-drama about a military lawyer who returns home to confront rampant corruption. The film starts out with a dull song sung by a not very interesting actress, but stick with it and you will be caught up in the suspense and drama. This film features some key roles for a couple of black actors. GRADE--------B
An awkwardly structured Noir with different characters telling in flashback what exactly happened to a convalescing soldier's best friend, and then having each character be knocked off by a faceless killer, this film was fascinating for it's mystery, and surprising lack of luridness. The generic title BACKFIRE (1950) featured Virginia Mayo, Gordon MacRae, Edmond O'Brien, Viveca Lindfors and Ed Begley, and I enjoyed the cast and disjointed story-telling. It reminded me at times of the strange and confusing MALTESE FALCON. GRADE------B
A mental hospital murderer escapes to the small town to kill the doctor who sent him there, and ends up with six hostages in a small bar in the suspenseful but minor thriller called DIAL 1119 (1950). Marshall Thompson is interestingly stony-faced as the unhinged man, and the film is short (75 minutes) and rather economical. GRADE-------B-
Easy to watch but rather unremarkable is ARMORED CAR ROBBERY (1950) in which four men hold up Wrigley baseball field, then spend the rest of the film running from the detective hot on their trail as one by one they are caught. The wife of one of the men is supposedly a popular "hot" burlesque dancer and she has several dancing scenes, but she's not very good or sexy. She is amusing, however. Still, this film will do in a pinch. GRADE-------C+
To see my list of TOP FILMS OF 2010, see previous blog dated February 16.
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