Some good stuff for a fall day, perhaps not Best Picture worthy, but worthy on many other levels.....
Near the top of any list should be SICARIO, a film detailing the effects of the drug cartels in Mexico and the U.S. The film is helped immensely by following the point of view of the main character played with subtlety and moxie by Emily Blunt, a fairly new but proficient F.B.I. agent who is sent out to work with a somewhat rogue group of agents trying to get into the inner workings of one of the biggest cartels working out of Mexico. We see and learn what exactly what she is learning, which isn't much. There is confusion about who these new people she meets are working for, and uncertainty about what her job is supposed to be, exactly. This makes the film very intense and unnerving, and for that alone, the film stays fascinating and vivid despite some shocking scenes of violence. GRADE------------B+
As a novice mountain climber (two plus a few one day mountain hikes) I can verify that technically the new film about the disastrous attempt to climb EVEREST by a group in 1996 that left eight climbers dead feels true to the physical and mental anguish that climbers must deal with. Whether or not it is truthfully accurate is for others to decide. As a film, it is pretty effective, if a bit grim, as it tells the story of the blizzard that hit EVEREST unexpectedly one May day as dozens of climbers from different nations were trying to scale the tallest mountain in the world, and many became dangerously stranded by different circumstances. Technically it's an impressively photographed film, which may just leave you breathless and exhausted. GRADE----------B
The science fiction film THE MARTIAN is a solid, intriguing film about lonesome survival when an astronaut is stranded with left over equipment and his wits after being abandoned by his crew when they leave him on Mars, thinking that he's dead. (Think Robinson Caruso set in space.) Matt Damon is effective as the smart guy who must learn how to supplement his food to last for many future months. There didn't seem to be any mystery about how this would end (happy) and the film is easy to watch, if not earth shattering, but there are some great moments of suspense and prolonged tension.
GRADE-----------B
Lily Tomlin tops the reasons for seeing GRANDMA. She's a hoot---an ex hippie, free spirit, Lesbian, living below the radar, cranky soul who finds herself trying to raise some money to help her granddaughter get an abortion. Each encounter the two have during that day is a priceless short story--the hapless boyfriend who tries to ignore his responsibility, the ex girlfriend who at first wants to help but realizes how difficult Tomlin's character has become, the ex-husband who just wants to have an explanation for past actions, the anti-abortion woman and her mean daughter, and the current frustrated girlfriend who loves but feels rejected. Tomlin is a treasure in this comedy/drama. GRADE-----------B
The German film WHERE ARE YOU GOING, HABIBI? tells of a young gay Turk living in Berlin, trying to find love and a job. He falls hard for a heterosexual con man who is involved in petty scams and more (in fact there are several violent attacks against him during the course of the film) and the Turk becomes a care taker friend due to several visits to the hospital. His sister outs him to his conservative parents and he goes off to live with his understanding and handsome uncle (a George Clooney look a like!) and aunt while trying to start a business. Not much happens, but all the characters are engaging and there is some sexual tension between him and the con man. GRADE----------B-
A French Canadian film called WHAT WE HAVE was produced, directed, written and stars Maxime Desmon as a gay man who has moved from Paris to a small town in Canada to escape from the dark secret that seems to haunt him even as he tries to start a new life as a teacher of French and an actor in a small theatre troupe. He is so dour and cranky in the first hour that we have little sympathy for him, and it's a wonder he can make any friends at all. Even an affair with the theatre manager and the friendship of a teen age student seem to make him unhappy, until the back story comes into the fore ground and we understand his unhappiness. GRADE---------B-
Granted, it was 10am on a Wednesday, but I had a private, one person screening of STONEWALL, which is too bad because in spite of some issues I had with this personalized version of the Stonewall riots in 1969, there's a lot of interesting characters and compelling historical drama that would interest certain adult audiences. A young gay man is kicked out of his home and ends up hanging out in Greenwich Village in the late 60's with a group of gay youth who get by doing tricks, stealing, using drugs--most suffering from very poor self esteem. Some scenes were uncomfortable to watch, and there is a constant stream of violence (gay bashing, police arrests) against all kinds of gays---transsexuals, Lesbians, cross dressers, fems, butch, etc, and every color of gay is abused. You can see where the anger comes from, and when the first brick is finally thrown, it is truly a relief. I wish that more time was spent detailing occurrences (and politics) after the riots, and the film feels chaotic and confusing at times. It is not the best film that could have been made of the protests, but hopefully it won't be the last. Sometimes lurid and humiliating, it is nonetheless compelling. GRADE-----------C+
At times amusing and smartly written, SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE feels sleazy and disappointing due to it's subject matter. How do you make people laugh at an illness like drug abuse, alcoholism, or other addictions? Here the two main characters who meet in college, lose their respective virginity, then go off for several years having sexual affairs with dozens of others, meet up again, cute, at a sexual addiction meeting. They become best (non sexual) buddies, trying to help each other with their addiction, but obviously made for each other. I found the humor to be abrasive and sexually offensive, which is too bad because I felt that it was well written in general, but I just didn't like it. I know that addiction can be degrading and unpleasant--I just don't feel like laughing about it. GRADE----------C+
From the makers of THE COVE (2009) which I greatly admired, comes a sequel of sorts called RACING EXTINCTION which deals with the extinction of many different type of animal. THE COVE dealt with a group of covert scientist and animal activist exposing the cruel mass killings of dolphins by Japanese fisherman and the deceiving ways the meat was marketed. This new film covers a lot of fish in the sea as well as animals that are being hunted and slaughtered. I appreciate the politics, but RACING EXTINCTION covers too much ground to be effective. GRADE---------C+
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The following films were viewed via DVD.......
ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953) was the first feature film of the luminous Audrey Hepburn, who stars as a young princess who escapes her rigid social duties for a weekend with Gregory Peck, who discovers early on who she is, and tries to finagle a covert feature story for his news paper without her knowing about it. Hepburn won Best Actress for this first film, and the film remains a breezy, romantic comedy with some very serious and melancholic undertones. GRADE----------A-
GRAVITY (2013) remains a spectacular, singular technical achievement---the effects seem so extraordinary and effortless that you can't take your eyes off the screen. The slender story serves the effects well, and Sandra Bullock and George Clooney add superior characterizations that add some humanity. GRADE--------A-
THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE (1968) was based on an international play that won great acclaim for Beryl Reid on both sides of the Atlantic, and she stars in the film, too, along with Susannah York as her younger child like lover, and Coral Browne as a predatorial producer who tries to fire actress Reid from her British soap opera where she plays the beloved motor bike riding nurse of a small town, and she tries to lure York away as well. This was one of the first films to feature major Lesbian characters in film, and was awarded one of the first "X" ratings in the U.S.A. Unfortunately, this greatly limited the theatres where the film could play and be advertised, and the film bombed commercially. It received mixed critical reviews at the time as well, mostly due to its controversial subject matter. It was recently released on DVD and I found the film to be most intriguing. Directed competently by the prolific Robert Aldrich, he also filmed such classics as KISS ME DEADLY (1955), WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE (1962), HUSH, HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE (1964), THE DIRTY DOZEN (1967), THE LONGEST YARD (1974) and many more. It may seem a bit dated, but Reid, who has several drunken scenes, is fascinating to watch as her life seems to be slipping away from her. York has a tough role---seemingly childlike (and with a big secret, of course) but smart enough to know where her bread is buttered.) Browne plays the producer with her usual quivering authority, and the dozen character actors who populate the the back ground are all old pros. There is a protracted nude love scene where York's breast is fondled for what seems like five minutes, hence the X rating, but by today's standards would probably earn a PG-13. With themes of loneliness, betrayal, sexual attraction, alcoholism, ageism and unapologetic homosexuality, THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE has the guts to likely keep you riveted to your seat. GRADE---------B+
BACK STREET (1941 and 1961) are two films about the same story, based on a book by Fannie Hurst. The earlier film is set in the early part of the 1900s and features Charles Boyer and Maureen Sullivan as lovers. He's married another, but loves her deeply, so she is "kept" as the other woman, but soon grows lonely and bored just waiting for him to call, and as the years go by, she is filled with depression and regret. The second film is set in the early 1960's and features the more glamorous duo of Susan Hayword and John Gavin as the lovers, and Vera Miles plays the deceived wife who doesn't appear in the early version. Fortunately, they've given Hayword a career so she doesn't have to sit and wait for him to call her, and Miles gets to play the drunken nasty wife so that the affair can seem more justified. These are definitely what you'd call "woman's pictures" but in spite of the similar plotting, I enjoyed them both on different levels. BACK STREET 1941---------GRADE--------B-
BACK STREET 1961-----GRADE------B
PHONE CALL FROM A STRANGER (1952) advertises Shelley Winters as the lead, but she has a supporting role, and in spite of Bette Davis name on the marquee, her role is even smaller, although both actresses are "choice." Gary Merrill is the star here. He plays a lawyer leaving his wife by flying to Los Angeles. On the way there is a long layover and he becomes involved with Winters and two other men(Michael Rennie and Keenan Wynn) each of whom shares their sad stories and the fact that they are headed back to make right past wrongs. A plane crash just before landing kills the three, and Merrill is left to call each family and help make right what each deceased passenger wanted to make right. The plot feels rushed at times, and convoluted at times, but I have to say that I've thought about this film over the weeks I've seen it, and the film's heart is in the right place. GRADE-------B
HUSH HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE (1965) is a Southern Gothic melodrama about a crazed woman (Bette Davis) who was accused of killing her lover 30 years earlier, and who is about to lose her lovely mansion to a freeway. Even though no one was charged with the grotesque murder, she struggles with her sanity, and although her estranged sister comes to be with her to help her move, she is filled with terror and paranoia by her visions. Olivia de Havilland smoothly plays her sister and Joseph Cotten plays her long time friend and doctor, and Agnes Morehead tries to steal scenes as her faithful maid, which is hard to do with Davis in full crazy mode. I thought I'd seen this film many years ago on TV, but if I did I didn't remember a single scene. Director Robert Aldrich (see SISTER GEORGE above) had worked on this film to re team Davis with her WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE co-star Joan Crawford, but there was much animosity between the two stars, and after several weeks of shooting, Crawford called out sick for a week, allowing producer Davis to fire her and hire de Havilland instead. Some of the suspense scenes work better than others, but overall this is a solidly produced, very well acted, mystery drama that keeps you intrigued. GRADE-------B
MONKEY BUSINESS (1952) is a light weight Howard Hawks film with Cary Grant as a distracted, nearsighted scientist who discovers (with a monkey's help) a serum that makes people act much younger and Ginger Rogers is his wife. They both sample the serum and juvenile behaviour ensues. Marilyn Monroe has a small roles as a secretary, and she makes the most of it. GRADE------B-
LET'S MAKE IT LEGAL (1951) features Claudette Colbert as a woman on the verge of finalizing her divorce when an old flame turns up to try to seduce her, just as her husband is trying to stop the divorce. Marilyn Monroe has another small part and appears in a swim suit (as she does in the above MONKEY BUSINESS) and she also has a couple of great lines delivered with her usual sexy purr, but overall the film is a bit flat at times. GRADE------C+
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