The month of March was spent traveling, mostly in a car, with two trips to Palm Springs and a long car trip to Illinois and back. Got back on Easter Sunday and had to attend to my mother in law being in the hospital for a week, then a nursing home for some rehab for 10 days, and finally resettled to a new memory loss facility. I managed to still squeeze in nearly 15 films, plus some westerns that I forgot to write about last time.
Just prior to the Oscar show in February, I saw BOYHOOD for a second time, and it holds up nearly the same as the first time. Even though I didn't agree with all her acting choices, I thought Patricia Arquette was very effective and certainly deserved the Supporting Oscar. There could be about 10-15 minutes easily trimmed from the running time, or else there could be some scenes expanded and made into a longer 4 hour film watched in segments. GRADE------A-
My favorite current film is the new live action version of CINDERELLA directed by Kenneth Branagh. I was supposed to see it with my grand daughter, but someone beat me to it. She and her mother didn't like it. There were also a lot of restless young children in the screening I just recently saw on Sunday morning. And no wonder. This gloriously photographed, majestically scored, rapturously costumed and intelligently scripted fairy tale (with actors speaking in British accents!) is really an ADULT version which you might expect to see on a Sunday night on MASTERPIECE THEATRE. I found it fascinating, moving, effectively romanticized, and in spite of knowing the story extremely well, quite satisfying. In my case, expectations were well exceeded. A special bonus: Cate Blanchett gets to steal the movie from everyone else as the evil step mother, without being a cliche. GRADE--------------B+
Another remake, basically, is the film FURIOUS 7, the latest version of the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise, of which I have only seen Number 1 and 2 several years ago. This film is very satisfying for what it is---a foot pedal to the floor actioner with fast cars racing and crashing, wild fist fights with the help of explosions and collapsing buildings, death defying stunts featuring cars that "fly" between large sky scrappers, and other stunts involving cars sky diving out of planes, and men leaping from one speeding car to another. ETC. The action does not slow down very much, but I enjoyed the ride. This latest version has been energetically directed by James Wan, who did such a great, imaginative job with INSIDIOUS 1 and 2--wonderfully twisted ghost stories that kept me awake nights.
GRADE-------------B+
It was a pleasure to be back in the company of the sequel, called THE 2nd BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, with most of the same actors involved, although Maggie Smith has thankfully been given the co lead with Dame Judy Dench---Maggie's role has been expanded to being the manager of the hotel, and she is involved with the young and exuberant Dev Patel to try to open a 2nd hotel because business is booming. There are the usual senior jokes about sex, aging, death and love, and the closing is left open, perhaps for another sequel which hopefully would be as pleasing as the first two installments. GRADE------------B
An odd noisy film spoofing spy movies, KINGSMAN : THE SECRET SERVICE features sly, amusing performances by Michael Caine, Colin Firth, and especially Samuel L. Jackson, and a fine debut from young Taron Egarton who holds his own against them. There's a lot of clever energy and twisty plotting, but the film is extremely violent, and violently grotesque at times, and leaves a rather bad taste in your mouth. Still, I was not bored, but some might be rather offended at the absurd violence (IE. head exploding, limb lopping, sliced body parts, etc.)
GRADE--------------------B
Just prior to Oscar night, I attended a screening of OSCAR ANIMATED SHORTS, and found them all to be quite precious and endearing in very different ways. My favorite was the short FEAST which has played preceding the recent film BIG HERO 6 all over the world. It ended up winning best short animated feature, and that was OK with me. Average of about 10 shorts viewed GRADE------------B
As usual, Helen Mirren is the main reason for seeing WOMAN IN GOLD, based on a true story about a Jewish woman's family destroyed by the Nazis, as they killed her parents and sister and ransacked her family home, stealing many fine pieces of art. Recently many efforts have been made to have the stolen art returned to the original owner's family. Now 60 years later, Maria (Mirren) hooks up with a family friend lawyer (Ryan Reynolds) to retrieve the art pieces, one of which, Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, is worth over $150 million dollars. Throughout the film I kept wondering who is the woman playing Maria as a younger woman--she was quite good. In the last scene I realized that is the talented Tatiana Maslany, who currently plays 6 (or 7 or 8?) characters on the clone mystery drama on the BBC called ORPHAN BLACK. Unfortunately, the fact that I was so distracted leads to the main problem with WOMAN IN GOLD---the plot/script is clunky and perhaps a little boring and repetitious. Still, kudos to the cast for keeping us involved at all. GRADE--------B-
The following films were viewed on DVD--------------
I first saw THE SWIMMER (1968) many years ago, and I can't remember if I saw it with my Grandfather, or just thought of him while I watched it back then. An excellent, dashing Burt Lancaster, who only wears a tight short short swim suit (or LESS) in the whole movie, plays a gregarious friendly ad-man who at the start of the story is determined to swim across the town from pool to pool all the way home--this being an upper class community where many rich people have pools. We slowly learn about him and his family as he encounters neighbors who comment about his past. We learn about the neighbors, too, and slowly some tragic, horrifying truths come to light. There is a devastating conclusion to the story, although not exactly a surprise if you are paying attention. This film and another Lancaster film ELMER GANTRY both remind me of Dampa in their character and mannerisms, and it makes sense, because of how my Grandfather died. See THE SWIMMER and you'll figure it out. Based on a story by John Cheever and directed by Frank Perry and later Sidney Pollack when Perry pulled out. Lancaster is terrific. It's a haunting, mod-60's film that lingers in your memory. GRADE----------A
David Lean's classic film version of Charles Dickens's novel GREAT EXPECTATIONS (1947) is a remarkable achievement considering that the 30 hour read book on tape is condensed down to a smart 2 hours and covers nearly all the major plotting. I've experienced several versions of GREAT EXPECTATIONS recently, and this is still the best. GRADE---------A
CRAZY STUPID LOVE (2011) is a funny comedy about love, divorce, sexual manners and complex relationships. Steve Carell plays a family man being divorced by his wife (Julianne Moore) because he is rather boring. He hooks up with a slick player (Ryan Gosling) who teaches him how to be more sexually interesting. His wife becomes involved with a co worker, he with a one night stand, the player falls for a straight arrow NON player (Emma Stone) , and things come to a head when some characters are revealed to be more involved with the story then first realized. There are some very funny moments, especially the extended conclusion. GRADE--------B+
I've also seen many versions of DAVID COPPERFIELD (1935) though I enjoyed the BBC version 1999 (see earlier blog) the best , but this George Cukor version has many memorable characters and scenes. Freddie Bartholomew, Edna May Oliver and the great W.C. Fields excel as young David, Aunt Betsey and Micawber respectively. GRADE------------B+
We tried to listen to the book on tape (20 hours), but bailed out after several hours (dull reader..) and instead moved straight to the film version of TALE OF TWO CITIES (1935) directed by Jack Conway. Ronald Coleman plays an alcoholic British lawyer who falls for a woman whose father was locked up for 18 years in Paris. She in turn has fallen for the son of the man who had locked up her father, unbeknownst to her. I suddenly realized about two thirds through who was going to be saying "It is a far better thing that I do....." but found this French Revolution story quite gripping nonetheless. I wonder why no one has remade this story. Also features the amusing Edna May Oliver. GRADE----------B+
THE NORMAL HEART (2014) is an HBO film that dramatizes the early efforts of doctors and gay men to find the origins of the AIDS epidemic, and to find a cure. The excellent cast includes Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, Julia Roberts, and Emmy award winner Mark Ruffalo, who plays the author Larry Kramer. A fine production of a sad, frustrating historical story. GRADE---------B+
A four pack of Jimmy Stewart westerns provided some solid entertainment. BEND OF THE RIVER (1952) directed by Anthony Mann has Stewart helping a westward bound wagon train to Oregon, and it's necessary for him to kick some ass to get promised supplies to the starving travelers. FAR COUNTRY (1954) is also directed by Anthony Mann is set in the Yukon and Alaska, where Stewart must fight for his stolen herd of cattle with the help of Walter Brennan and madame Ruth Roman. NIGHT PASSAGE (1957) was my least favorite, with Stewart as the good brother and Audie Murphy miscast as the younger bad brother who try to stop a train robbery. THE RARE BREED (1966) was the most unusual as Stewart tries to help an unrecognizable Brian Keith raise a new breed of cattle with distractions by Maureen O'Hara and Juliet Mills as the owners of the stud. GRADES-----------BEND B--------FAR B-------NIGHT C-----RARE B+
Last summers blockbuster CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER (2014) is decent enough, but not as thrilling as the last CAPTAIN AMERICA which introduced the character. I wanted more of his long lost buddy turned evil nemesis--perhaps that will be in the next film. GRADE-----B-
REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE (1967) directed by John Huston, features a curious performance by Marlon Brando, a smooth one by Elizabeth Taylor, and a dull one by Brian Keith, but the story by Carson McCullers is Southern Gothic melodrama. Still, it has some fascination. Huston filmed it in a golden hue, and there is lots of symbolism and weird sexuality on display. Julie Harris and Robert Forster are also featured. GRADE-------B-
There's a potential decent thriller in MIRAGE (1965) which has "business man" Gregory Peck stumbling around with what appears to be amnesia but people in his sky scrapper seem to know him, and a mysterious woman (Diane Baker) leads him on, possibly to danger. He hires a detective to find out about his past (a humorous Walter Mathau), but a trail of dead bodies leads him deeper into confusion. The plot is a stretch, and not all the facts add up. Writer Peter Stone wrote it much better earlier with one of my favorites, CHARADE (1963.) GRADE------C+
Monday, April 20, 2015
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)