AMOUR, THE QUARTET, JACK THE GIANT SLAYER, IDENTITY THIEF, plus FILM NOIR at SIFF!!!

Don't miss my TOP FILMS OF 2012 from my previous blog.

New films this week run the gamut, and this week saw four entries from the yearly Film Noir series
at SIFF Cinema.

The last film on my Oscar list that I saw just before the Oscar show was AMOUR, a French film that movingly, sadly, depressingly depicts the the downward spiral of a long married elderly couple as their life begins to change with the stroke of the wife.  I was particularly impressed with the subtle, brave playing of the wife, portrayed by Oscar nominee Emmanuelle Riva.  She conveyed the physical deterioration and the emotional frustration exquisitely, and keeps the film from becoming too maudlin and sentimental.  It is still, unfortunately, very somber and grim, and will probably keep the film from achieving the height of popularity that it probably deserves, since so many middle aged people already have their hands full with the care of elderly and sick parents.     GRADE----B+

Maggie Smith, whose popularity seems to be expanding daily due to the popular PBS Masterpiece production DOWNTON ABBEY, of which I am already a big fan, is certainly the main reason to see the new film THE QUARTET.  Set in a retirement home for elderly musicians, and many of the actors were actual working musicians in their prime, the film tells of a recently retired diva (Miss Smith) whose arrival stirs a lot of passion--she's loved and loathed alike, and her ex-fiance (Tom Courtney) is particularly perturbed by her presence.  Not a lot happens plot wise, but the cast (including Michael Garbon, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins) is quite entertaining and the director, actor Dustin Hoffman, knows how to generously handle each scene, so the actors shine.      GRADE---B

There's a lot to like in the special effects and look of JACK THE GIANT SLAYER, and the cast is first rate.  Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Eddie Marsan and Ian McShane really make their pithy lines very funny.  The story moves along and the direction by Bryan Singer (X-MEN, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, SUPERMAN RETURNS) is compelling.  Unfortunately, the down side is that the giants, while visually impressive have little to do to separate them from each other, and come across as so much noise and chaos.  (I also kept wondering where are all the female giants?, and how do they come across all the food that they need to fill their huge stomachs?  Still, older children may be fascinated and there's enough to keep the adults entertained, even if it amounts to little by the end.
GRADE--------B-

A popular, high grossing, high concept comedy from the last couple weeks is IDENTITY THIEF, and the previews make it seem like a great idea.  But good ideas don't always translate to good movies, and this is one of the most lame brained movie in a long time.  Melissa McCarthy certainly creates an intriguing character, and she gets most of the laughs and audience sympathy, but the plot is quite insipid, and an uninspired sub plot involving bounty hunters and drug dealers is particularly weak.  Jason Bateman is his usual milquetoast self, and  the jokes just don't make much sense, plus they just aren't very funny.  Eric Stonestreet from TV's MODERN FAMILY has a couple of amusing scenes with McCarthy, and for that, the grade I give this is very very generous...     GRADE--------C-



Following are revival films from either DVD or the Noir film series that I saw in the past two weeks.

A new Blu Ray version of THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951) really looks great and makes the excellent chemistry between Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart even more effective.  The scene where they "come together" on the river and decide this is the most beautiful place each has ever seen, now, actually looks like a very lovely place indeed, with flowering vines and large rhododendrons.  A classic, beautifully made adventure romance.     GRADE-------A

I don't think I've ever seen Billy Wilder's noir classic SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950) from start to finish, and the newly restored vision at the Film Noir series was a terrific way to view it.  I was particularly impressed with Gloria Swanson's not quite over the top role of the faded silent screen siren, trying to restore herself to her past glories.  When you see bits and clips, her performance seems way over the top, but all together, it is a fascinating, funny tour de force.       GRADE--------A-

I'd never seen THE THIRD MAN (1949), director Carol Reed's masterpiece with Orson Wells, Joseph Cotten and Valli, and set in a post war Vienna, that is decayed and mysterious and divided into four parts.  The mystery plot (about trying to find out who murdered the complicated Harry Lime) is not the most convincing, but the mood, characters, camera shots and shadows, and general unpleasantness of Harry Lime's life keep the film fascinating.       GRADE------A-

A film that spent 5 years on the shelf due to legal battles with the director and his backers, has finally come out on DVD (after a brief theatrical run last year).  MARGARET (2011) tells the sad tale of a teenager who witnesses a tragic accident to which she feels partly responsible, and her guilt throws her life into crisis, testing her relationships with her parents, teachers and friends.  When she tries to right some wrongs, she find things get complicated.  There are some wonderfully thoughtful performances (by Anna Paquin, J. Smith-Cameron, Jeannie Berlin, Allison Janney, Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo and others) and a very compelling story to get you past the long (2 1/2 hour) running time.  A special film that is moving and fascinating.      GRADE------B+

A very little, nifty film noir called THE WINDOW (1949) and based on a Cornell Woolrich story, features a 10 year old boy which a penchant for stories and exaggeration becoming witness to a murder by the neighbors up stairs, and of course, his parents don't believe him, but the killer neighbors sure do.  A good suspense yarn.       GRADE------B+

An unusual suspense thriller from the usually comedic director Blake Edwards, this smart noir called EXPERIMENT IN TERROR (1962) has a mysterious man attempting to make Lee Remick rob the bank she works for, or else her sister will be molested and murdered.  There are some pervy moments and the tension is steadily maintained.  San Francisco is well featured, and the actors including Ross Martin, Stephanie Powers, and  Glenn Ford are quite reliable.       GRADE-------B

Another noir, REPEAT PERFORMANCE (1947) has a woman murdering her husband in the opening scene, then she gets a chance to turn back the clock to a year earlier to change the course of events, in this very interesting story with some similar themes to IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, but darker and more cynical.      GRADE------B

TALES FROM EARTHSEA (2006) is a Studio Ghibli animated film from director Goro Miyazaki and based on an Ursula K. LeGuin series of books.  The anime is good though not great, and the story is interesting, if a bit familiar.  Obviously much of the story is truncated and made simpler to fit the two hour running time.  Ambitious.     GRADE------B-