Top of the list is the Disney production of the Japanese animated film THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY (KARI-GURASHI NO ARIETTI) which is a different version of THE BORROWERS--but it features possibly the loveliest animation and story and heartfelt scenes of them all. I was fascinated by every fascinating frame. GRADE------A-
A big subtle surprise for me was the British film SALMON FISHING IN YEMEN, which manages to combine a sweet, moving love story, a metaphysical discourse on salmon fishing, middle-East politics complete with terrorism, and the buffooning of British policies toward Yemen and itself. When a billionaire sheik wants to set up a salmon run in Yemen, the British Prime Minister's eager press secretary Kristin Scott-Thomas pressures scientist Ewan McGregor and the sheik's financial advisor (Emily Blunt) to push forward on the unlikely project. There are a number of amusing scenes and situations, and a handful of surprises, but the overall tone is elegant and earnest, and in spite of some plot missteps toward the end, the film is very pleasing. GRADE-----B+
Here is a case of an excellent story, characters and direction, being sabotaged by some very ill advised and aggressive HAND HELD CAMERA imagery that really distracts from what is otherwise an engrossing and exciting science fiction story about sometime in the future where young teens are filmed fighting to the death in search of glory for the district that they represent. The film THE HUNGER GAMES has some themes similar to THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (where humans hunt and kill humans), THE NAKED PREY and perhaps LORD OF THE FLIES, but it is quite exciting and original in the society it tries to portray, and the mostly young actors are quite effective. Now, if they can just terminate that 11 year old cinematographer using the hand held camera on roller skates, and decently frame the action so we can clearly see what is happening, instead of turning our head away from dizziness, then perhaps we'd have a true, "A" grade classic on our hands. For now,..........GRADE------B+
Based on the stories written by TARZAN author Edgar Rice Burroughs (based on his story A PRINCESS OF MARS), the new film JOHN CARTER suffers from unknown name recognition from most of the masses. Too bad, because JOHN CARTER is a lot of fun for the sci-fi fan. It reminded me of some of the STAR WARS films, with many scenes shot in desert like country, and there is a lot of humor with some of the creatures and aliens that appear. A main species is similar (in a good way) to Jar Jar Binks character (from STAR WARS: ATTACH OF THE CLONES), with the humor, floppy ears, and in this case, four arms. It's an impressive pop-corn movie and deserves to be seen by a greater audience. GRADE---------B
Two films with similar struggling 30-something characters were seen nearly back to back, and I enjoyed them both. First was WANDERLUST with Jennifer Anniston and Paul Rudd as yuppies who drop out of the Manhattan grind, and find themselves attracted to communal living, with hilarious results. I laughed so hard at times during this film that I had to stop eating my smuggled in donut, which was causing me to choke. Paul Rudd and Jennifer Anniston have such great chemistry that it feels like they've made half a dozen films together, instead of just two. The earlier film THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION (1998) is a minor, but feel good film of a woman who is in love with a gay man. But I can't help but think that these two could become the modern day Katherine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy duo if they can find material as funny and bright as WANDERLUST. A few days later I went to see FRIENDS WITH KIDS, about six friends (two couples and two singles) who find their lives changing when kids enter the picture. The two singles---best friends but not lovers-- decide to have a baby without the hassle of marriage or commitment, and all the while still dating others to find the ONE......and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how this one will turn out. The film gets quite serious during the last 20 minutes, but the cast which includes several from last year's comedy hit BRIDESMAIDS, including Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Chris O'Dowd, is headed by Adam Scott (TV's Community) and writer/director Jennifer Westfeldt (KISSING JENNIFER STEIN 2001). There are a lot of laughs and some insightful and thoughtful scenarios. WANDERLUST and FRIENDS WITH KIDS both----- GRADE-----B.
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DVD's watched this past two weeks include several featuring Gary Cooper, and several
featuring Natalie Wood.
My favorite "find" is the Elia Kazan film SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS (1961) based on the play and novel by William Inge--he won the screenplay OSCAR for this film. Natalie Wood stars as a teenager who falls in love with the handsome football star, but due to repressed sexual urges finds herself suffering heartbreak and mental anguish. This was Warren Beatty's first film. Both are terrific, and the sensitive film and story belies cliches. It actually features a positive view of mental health institutions, and there are no villains in the plot--only the frustrations of time and place (1928, small town in Kansas) to keep us engrossed.
GRADE--------A-
Fred Zinneman's production of THE DAY OF THE JACKAL (1973) remains an excellent thriller about the based on true story of the attempt to kill French president Charles de Gaulle in the 1960's. It closely follows the "Jackal" Edward Fox, who is hired to assassinate the president, as he meticulously prepares for his mission, and the tension is palpable and fascinating. I've seen this film a dozen times, and never fail to fall under it's grip. GRADE--------A-
Right after she made WEST SIDE STORY (1961), Natalie Wood starred in the film GYPSY (1962) which featured music by Stephen Sondheim, and was choreographed and co-directed (with Mervyn LeRoy) by Jerome Robbins. It takes a awhile for her character to appear--she is the untalented daughter of the ultimate pushy stage mother, played by an over the top Rosalind Russell, who when her more talented daughter runs off with a young man, and others in the vaudeville troup have quit, determinedly sings to Natalie Wood that
Everything's Coming Up Rosesfor them. The acting styles of Russell and the rest of the cast are so extremely different that you may grow tired of MOTHER, but Wood and Karl Malden bring you back to earth, and the musical numbers are quite good--they include Together Wherever We Go (seen only in the outtakes), Small World, and Some People, and of course, by the final scenes when Natalie Wood becomes the famous Stripper from Seattle, Gypsy Rose Lee, she reprises Let Me Entertain You!!! Yeah. GRADE------B
We recently saw the stage version of MAMMA MIA! so we wanted to compare that to the popular film version featuring Meryl Streep from 2007. The plot is rather silly---a young girl about to be married invites three possible men who may have been her biological father (according to her single mom's diary) to her wedding held on a small Greek island, without telling her mother. This is an excuse to sing a lot of songs from the Swedish rock group ABBA, popular in the 1970's. The songs are infectious and in most cases, appropriate to the situation, and I'm happy to report that while both stage and film versions are amusing, the film really makes things more logical and clear, and I enjoyed that one the best. Meryl Streep has a lot of fun, and I, for one, thought Pierce Brosnan's voice was just fine. And those damn ABBA tunes have been floating around in my head for over 2 weeks now. GRADE------B
I believe I wrote about PETER EBERTSON (1935) last year, but it remains a haunting story of childhood sweethearts that are torn apart, then reunited by fate, who will stay together throughout eternity. Directed by Henry Hathaway, the film almost feels like two different styles patched together--the first hour is sentimental, heart wrenching drama, the last 40 minutes ventures into the mystical, although Ann Harding needed to be more ethereal. Gary Cooper is very effective, and this odd film is strangely memorable. GRADE-------B
Ernest Lubitsch's film, written by Noel Coward, called DESIGN FOR LIVING (1933) features the menage-a-trois theme of two men in love with the same woman, and all trying to share in a sophisticated manner. For its time it was quite provocative, I'm sure. Gary Cooper, Fredrick March and Miriam Hopkins play the lovers. The timing seems off on some of the line deliveries. It might be interesting to see a modern day remake--I seem to remember a film about 12 years ago from Canada with the same name and/or theme, but it wasn't very memorable. GRADE------B-
Two more films starring Natalie Wood were both interesting---the first is CASH MCCALL (1959) based on a novel by Cameron (EXECUTIVE SUITE)Hawley and set in the world of big business , and believe me, things have not changed much in corporate America since the 1950's. It's not as good as EXECUTIVE SUITE (1954) but James Garner, Natalie Wood, Dean Jagger and Nina Foch are operating at full star power, and the film is fun, in a superficial, glossy way. Based on the novel by Helen Gurley Brown, SEX AND THE SINGLE GIRL (1964) is a silly comedy, redeemed by the gung ho cast which includes Wood as Brown, Tony Curtis, as an unscrupulous trash magazine editor trying to expose Brown, but instead falls in love with her, and Henry Fonda, Lauren Bacall and Mel Ferrer, all of whom provide fascinating, if insubstantial, support. Some of the jokes and scenes work better than others, but I was mildly entertained. Even the improbable highway car chase that covers the final 20 minutes of the film was at times amusing, and reminded me of IT'S A MAD X4 WORLD. CASH MCCALL and SEX AND THE SINGLE GIRL both rate----GRADE-------B-
The strangely titled film BOMBERS B-52 (1957)starred Karl Malden, with Natalie Wood as his daughter, who falls for the arrogant Efrem Zimbalist Jr, who plays Malden's boss (!?!)--this being the armed forces after Korea. The story is serious and intelligently written at times, but there are flaws in the plotting, and the attempts to create suspense seemed unnecessary. GRADE------C+
An all star cast barely helps THE BATTLE FOR BRITAIN (1969), which tells the story of England's struggle in 1940 during the Blitz, when German planes bombed London. There are some impressive air battle scenes, and watching the big cast, including Michael Caine, Micheal Redgrave, Laurence Olivier, Susannah York, Christopher Plummer, Robert Shaw, ETC was interesting, but in the end the story seemed too big and spread out to have much dramatic effect. If anything, I wanted to learn more than the film could relay. GRADE-------C+
The Gary Cooper film called THE GENERAL DIED AT DAWN (1936) has a strong reputation, but I thought it was awkwardly plotted and unconvincing--trying to be a film noir, but the motives were confused and murky. Madeleine Carroll tries to be a spy for China, endangering Cooper's life, while falling in love. Having just seen CASABLANCA recently, this is a very poor man's version. GRADE-----C+
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