(Sorry readers, but the script for this blog was inadvertently erased, and the copy and paste does not work well for me, so here is the missing sentence for LAGGIES.....
starting w/ THE GRADUATE up to the dozens of sex comedies staring Seth Rogan, James Franco, Jason Segal, Michael Cera, et al". At least LAGGIES has some thoughtful gravitas to it.....GRADE---B
Maggie Smith can enliven any film and she along with Kevin Kline and Kristen Scott Thomas lift up MY OLD LADY to above average status. Based on a stage play, an alcoholic man inherits a lovely Parisian apartment from his father only to be forced to share it with an old woman and her daughter until she dies. The film becomes rather dark and secrets start spilling out as the man returns to his drunken ways. The film becomes maudlin and predictable until it comes to a pedestrian ending. GRADE-----B-
THE JUDGE, in which a hot shot lawyer returns home for a funeral and reunites w/his estranged father and family and friends, but ends up defending his stubborn judge father of a murder charge, wants to be a drama, mystery, love story, sarcastic comedy, and in a weird scene where a tornado strikes the town, an apocalyptic
adventure. It doesn't do any of this well because it doesn't know what it wants to be. Still, Duval and Downey are not chopped liver. They make THE JUDGE more watchable than it has a right to be. GRADE------B-
THE EQUALIZER has likable Denzel Washington as a cool, calm ex government agent who goes after the Russian drug dealers in his neighborhood. It's familiar stuff, but I did love the unique ways that hardware store paraphernalia was used as lethal devices.....GRADE---B-
Now, dear reader, go back to THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU and THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY above.
Missing from the DVD viewings are the following films--
THE EARRINGS OF MADAM DE....(1953) in which the madam sells her expensive earrings, a wedding present from her husband, to raise money for her extravagant living. When the jeweler tells her husband, the earrings end up on a trip around Europe with different owners, and with moral consequence for all involved. It's an opulent, elegantly filmed experience by French director Max Ophul. In French w/English subtitles. GRADE----A-
I've seen BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (2012) several times, and while the the mystical mixture of reality, folk tale, drama and music create a spellbinding experience, much pleasure is dampened by the jerky hand held camera that makes it difficult to watch at times. The young lead Quivenzhane Wallis is a marvel, and I actually look forward to the year end remake of the musical ANNIE--the previews make her look like a natural........GRADE----B+
A haunted house thriller, only this time it's not the house that's haunted. That's the tag line, and a perfect description for the clever and effective INSIDIOUS (2010). The excellent cast includes Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barara Hershey and Lin Shaye. Part 2 was not quite as good, but I enjoyed the over the topness anyway. Part 3 opens in 2015. Yeah! GRADE----B
Elizabeth Taylor is the main draw for the movie musical version of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (1977) with songs by Stephen Sondheim, and even though she doesn't have a glorious voice, she gets to sing the the most famous song from the play/film-- SEND IN THE CLOWNS, and she puts it across with all the needed emotion required. Diana Riggs and Len Cariou do nice jobs in support.
GRADE------B-
In honor of her recent death, I bought a copy of JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK (2010) for a mere $2 (at Walgreens!!!), which I had first seen at SIFF. This documentary is entertaining and informative, and there's a lot of funny jokes GRADE----B
Joan Crawford dominates SADIE MCKEE (1934) as a young adult who is dumped by her fiance soon after she moves with him to the big city of New York. She quickly rebounds by suddenly marrying a millionaire drunk, played over the top by Edward Arnold. Franchot Tone is the millionaire's accountant/lawyer who knew her when she was a nobody. The film feels awkward--she is a sympathetic character, but also a gold digger, which doesn't endear her to us. There are a couple of pleasant songs, including ALL I DO IS DREAM OF YOU...... Still, very entertaining. GRADE---B
Sorry this blog script is such a patched up looking mess. I didn't have the heart to retype this whole thing.
starting w/ THE GRADUATE up to the dozens of sex comedies staring Seth Rogan, James Franco, Jason Segal, Michael Cera, et al". At least LAGGIES has some thoughtful gravitas to it.....GRADE---B
Maggie Smith can enliven any film and she along with Kevin Kline and Kristen Scott Thomas lift up MY OLD LADY to above average status. Based on a stage play, an alcoholic man inherits a lovely Parisian apartment from his father only to be forced to share it with an old woman and her daughter until she dies. The film becomes rather dark and secrets start spilling out as the man returns to his drunken ways. The film becomes maudlin and predictable until it comes to a pedestrian ending. GRADE-----B-
THE JUDGE, in which a hot shot lawyer returns home for a funeral and reunites w/his estranged father and family and friends, but ends up defending his stubborn judge father of a murder charge, wants to be a drama, mystery, love story, sarcastic comedy, and in a weird scene where a tornado strikes the town, an apocalyptic
adventure. It doesn't do any of this well because it doesn't know what it wants to be. Still, Duval and Downey are not chopped liver. They make THE JUDGE more watchable than it has a right to be. GRADE------B-
THE EQUALIZER has likable Denzel Washington as a cool, calm ex government agent who goes after the Russian drug dealers in his neighborhood. It's familiar stuff, but I did love the unique ways that hardware store paraphernalia was used as lethal devices.....GRADE---B-
Now, dear reader, go back to THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU and THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY above.
Missing from the DVD viewings are the following films--
THE EARRINGS OF MADAM DE....(1953) in which the madam sells her expensive earrings, a wedding present from her husband, to raise money for her extravagant living. When the jeweler tells her husband, the earrings end up on a trip around Europe with different owners, and with moral consequence for all involved. It's an opulent, elegantly filmed experience by French director Max Ophul. In French w/English subtitles. GRADE----A-
I've seen BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (2012) several times, and while the the mystical mixture of reality, folk tale, drama and music create a spellbinding experience, much pleasure is dampened by the jerky hand held camera that makes it difficult to watch at times. The young lead Quivenzhane Wallis is a marvel, and I actually look forward to the year end remake of the musical ANNIE--the previews make her look like a natural........GRADE----B+
A haunted house thriller, only this time it's not the house that's haunted. That's the tag line, and a perfect description for the clever and effective INSIDIOUS (2010). The excellent cast includes Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barara Hershey and Lin Shaye. Part 2 was not quite as good, but I enjoyed the over the topness anyway. Part 3 opens in 2015. Yeah! GRADE----B
Elizabeth Taylor is the main draw for the movie musical version of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (1977) with songs by Stephen Sondheim, and even though she doesn't have a glorious voice, she gets to sing the the most famous song from the play/film-- SEND IN THE CLOWNS, and she puts it across with all the needed emotion required. Diana Riggs and Len Cariou do nice jobs in support.
GRADE------B-
In honor of her recent death, I bought a copy of JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK (2010) for a mere $2 (at Walgreens!!!), which I had first seen at SIFF. This documentary is entertaining and informative, and there's a lot of funny jokes GRADE----B
Joan Crawford dominates SADIE MCKEE (1934) as a young adult who is dumped by her fiance soon after she moves with him to the big city of New York. She quickly rebounds by suddenly marrying a millionaire drunk, played over the top by Edward Arnold. Franchot Tone is the millionaire's accountant/lawyer who knew her when she was a nobody. The film feels awkward--she is a sympathetic character, but also a gold digger, which doesn't endear her to us. There are a couple of pleasant songs, including ALL I DO IS DREAM OF YOU...... Still, very entertaining. GRADE---B
Sorry this blog script is such a patched up looking mess. I didn't have the heart to retype this whole thing.
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ReplyDeleteI read the post and now it's here as a series of screen shots. What happened?
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