Several films from the year end rush provide some much need gravitas to the year's quality column. A little film based on a novel, ROOM does wonders with it's small scale and intimate setting, bringing intense and revelatory drama to the situation without sensationalizing it. A young woman has been kidnapped and kept in a small storage shed for many years, conceiving a baby, now a five year old boy, a result of the abusive sexual relationship with her captor. She struggles to keep her child away from him, and to finally escape her small prison room by creating a vivid imagination for her son. When they do finally escape, the relationship with her son is crucial to her own healing process. Aside from being beautifully acted (Brie Lawson and an amazing Jacob Tremblay play mother and son--she is an Oscar nominee this year) and directed ( by Oscar nominee Lenny Abrahamson) and written (by book and script writer Emma Donoghue, also Oscar nominated), this little masterpiece has been nominated for best picture of the year, and it certainly seems like the little film that could. It skillfully creates drama, tension, love, symbolism, pain, forgiveness, humor and wonderment. GRADE-------------A-
Another small but wonderful film is the new movie by Todd Haynes (FAR FROM HEAVEN 2003) set in the 1950's about the attraction between two very different women. CAROL, played by Cate Blanchett, is a socialite wife and mother, and Rooney Mara is a department store clerk, and their relationship triggers consequences that neither knows just how to handle. The writing and original score are both outstanding, and both Oscar nominated, as are the two leads. The direction is very sharp and thoughtful. CAROL is based on the novel THE PRICE OF SALT by Patricia Highsmith. GRADE--------A-
Possibly the most tragic, depressing film of the year is THE BIG SHORT, being called a "comedy" by many critics, but the cynical, sarcastic film plays more like a nightmare geared to create fear in the hearts of the average man. Supposedly telling the story of the housing and banking crisis that started in 2007, the story follows the several groups of men in the banking/financial/money market/financial advisor fields that would either take advantage of the banking bust, or be wiped out by it. The film shows all involved to be motivated by greed and/or corruption and/or dishonesty and/or incompetence, and usually three of the four options. I'm not saying the film is dishonest or incorrect or boring. It is certainly lively and for the most part entertaining, in the way that watching in slow motion a train wreck is "entertaining." Most effective in the large cast for me were Steve Carell as an obnoxious workaholic who realizes all the ramifications of what might happen when the bubble bursts, and Christian Bale as one of the eccentric masterminds of "betting against the US government." My favorite line among many gems: "I have a feeling in a few years people are going to be doing what they always do then the economy tanks. They will be blaming immigrants and poor people." Bottom line is, the film makes me sad, probably because if feels so true. GRADE--------B+
David O. Russell's newest film, called JOY, is the best film you'll ever see about a woman who creates and markets a new type of floor mop, and must face great personal and financial and business tribulations to do it. There were at least four different types of trailers for this film, each one intriguing but none really telling anything about the mop business. This is typical of Russell's genre defying other films, too, like AMERICAN HUSTLE (2013), SILVER LINING PLAYBOOK (2012), THE FIGHTER (2010), 3 KINGS (1999), FLIRTING WITH DISASTER (1996) and his break out film SPANKING THE MONKEY (1994). Each film well made and acted, and involving the dysfunctional family unit, but with enough laughs to temper any problem. Fortunately for JOY, he is blessed with some outstanding character actors including Robert DeNiro, Virginia Madsen, Edgar Ramirez, Bradley Cooper, Diane Ladd, Isabella Rossellini, and they are led by another powerhouse performance from Jennifer Lawrence--her third straight lead in a Russell film. She's nominated for another Oscar for this one, and she may not win, but this is a defining film for her. GRADE---B+
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THE FOLLOWING FILMS were viewed on Blu Ray DVD or on TCM- a big screen TV.
HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE (2001)
CHAMBERS OF SECRETS (2002)
PRISONER OF AZKABAN (2004)
GOBLET OF FIRE (2005)
ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (2007)
HALF BLOOD PRINCE (2009)
DEATHLY HALLOWS Part 1 (2010)
DEATHLY HALLOWS Part 2 (2011)
.....I watched all eight films in order over the period of two weeks, and what a revelation. I'd seen all these films at a theatre each year they came out, and I had enjoyed them for the science fiction fantasy that they were---rating each film a "B" or better every year. I have NOT read the books. But for some reason, the first three films were even more delightful than I'd recalled. It helps to view them on a wide screen (55 inches) and in eye popping Blu Ray. It also helped immensely that I had the closed captions (English) subtitles on because at times the British dialect is strong and hard to understand. Then a very curious thing occurred with GOBLET OF FIRE. I watched the whole film and felt that in spite of such spectacular sequences like the encounter with the deadly dragon, the amusing bath with Moaning Myrtle, the underwater battle with fierce and scary water demons, the enchanted maze, and the first encounter with V.......THAT I'D NEVER SEEN THIS FILM BEFORE. My wife assured me that we had indeed seen this film together 10 years ago, but I could not remember a single delicious scene! To me this was the strongest, most entertaining film thus far in the series. The next two films, ORDER and HALF BLOOD were films that I only faintly remembered seeing--just a scene or two came to mind. Perhaps because DEATHLY HALLOWS 1 and 2 were so recent that they were very familiar to me, but my pleasure in watching them was highly increased because they were so much a whole. The characters were fresher in my mind, and the story subplots and tangents were so much easier to follow than before. Over all, watching them all together is an activity that I handily endorse. It is hard to rate these films independently, but overall I'd give this series a solid A- for it's creativity, skill, imagination, charm, horror and entertainment value. GRADE----------A-
REBECCA (1940)--Alfred Hitchcock never won an Oscar for direction in spite of being nominated 5 times, including this film, LIFEBOAT (1945), SPELLBOUND (1946), REAR WINDOW (1955) and PSYCHO (1961) and creating more than a dozen masterworks that are today still widely admired. Watching REBECCA (and reading the Daphne du Maurier novel) I was taken that the film feels more like a producer David Selzneck film than a Hitchcock directed one. This one felt lush, romantic and mysterious, without the usual edgy tension that Hitch managed in most of his other films. That, plus the fact this was his first USA made film since coming from Great Britian, and he was trying to please Selzneck, who had just won best film the previous year for GONE WITH THE WIND. Still, the film is very appealing and has many fascinating scenes that follow the plotting of du Maurier pretty closely. In fact, the only place where the film changes the plot (and improves it) is the ending.
GRADE--------------A-
YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)--Carrying the film high on his shoulders, Oscar winner James Cagney sings, dances, and acts in this biographical musical drama about George M. Cohen. Some of the flag waving patriotism gets pretty obnoxious, but the exuberant Cagney succeeds in every possible way through out. Joan Leslie shines as his girlfriend/wife, and she gets to sing a bit too. GRADE---------A-
BILLY BUDD (1962)--Young and innocent Billy is well liked by his fellow sailors, but crosses swords with the evil Master of Arms played by an angry Robert Ryan, with tragic results. Terrance Stamp was Oscar nominated for this his first major role. It's a powerfully tense film, and I loved the last shocking thing that comes out of Budd's mouth. GRADE---------A-
STAGE FRIGHT (1950)--A young actress (Jane Wyman) tries to help clear her friend (Richard Todd) when his older lover (Marlene Dietrich) tries to frame him for murder. She turns to her separated parents for help (Alistair Sim and Dame Sybil Thorndike, both humorously excellent), but falls in love with the detective trying to solve the murder (Michael Wilding). This might be minor Hitchcock, but it is a lot of fun to watch, and offers several thrills and twists. GRADE------B+
STAGE DOOR (1937)--Early Katherine Hepburn film has her sharing living quarters with a dozen other aspiring actresses, including Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden and Ann Miller, with Adolphe Menjou. The dialogue is incredibly bitchy AND funny, and even though I'd seen this a few years ago, and it was late, I stayed up to watch the whole thing again. GRADE----B+
THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (2011)--Smooth, pleasant film about older Brits who move to an inexpensive hotel in India for what is promised to be a heavenly experience. The excellent cast (including Maggie Smith, Judy Dench, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Tom Wilkinson) are all different, and much humor and conflict are the basis for the plotting. GRADE--B+
BOYS TOWN (1938)--Spencer Tracy plays the intercity priest who believes that there is no such thing as a bad boy, and vows to give every homeless boy a loving home, even if it means living in an orphanage situation. Mickey Rooney is a challenging delinquent who temps Tracy's philosophy.
I read that the director and producer had to really "sit" on Rooney to keep him from over acting. They almost succeeded. I enjoyed this true to life story which won Tracy his second best actor Oscar. GRADE----B
CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT(1945)--Charming Barbara Stanwick film has her forced to entertain a returning vet from the war and her boss in her country home, for a country Christmas dinner and weekend with her family. Trouble is, she's a cooking editor and writer who doesn't know how to cook, nor is she even married. Especially love Dennis Morgan as the G.I. and Sydney Greenstreet as her boss. This has slowly become a favorite holiday classic, and for a farce, it's fairly smart. GRADE-------B
CHILDREN'S HOUR (1961)--Shirley MacLaine and Audrey Hepburn stars as best friends who run a girl's school. One of the girl's starts a false rumor, ruining the school because of the scandal, and causing tension between Hepburn and her fiance James Garner. Director William Wyler directed from a play by Lillian Hellman. This was one of the earliest films that hinted at a sexual relationship between the women. See next film THESE THREE. GRADE---B
THESE THREE (1936)--Director William Wyler filmed a version of Lillian Hellman's play THE CHILDREN'S HOUR (see above) that shares much of the same dialogue as his later version, but instead of the lesbian theme, the scandal becomes infidelity, and it still works very well. The nasty child is quite effective, and received an Oscar nomination for her efforts. I saw them both back to back on TCM and I have to say that both films are remarkably intelligent, sensitive and effective, and quite different. GRADE------B
THE GHOST AND MRS MUIR (1947)--Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison star in this gentle romantic haunted fantasy. Tierney moves into haunted house with her daughter (a very young Natalie Wood ) by the sea and soon runs into ghost Harrison, who convinces her to write a novel based on his life. She falls for him, but realizes that will be no good, so becomes attracted to another novelist of children's books, played by the smoother operator George Sanders--a role similar to the one he played in REBECCA, above. The ending is the strongest part of the film, haunting, sad, emotional, but very romantic. GRADE--------B
THE THIN MAN (1934)
AFTER THE THIN MAN (1936)
ANOTHER THIN MAN (1939)--Viewed back to back on TCM, these films have a certain delightful sarcastic dialogue between husband and wife Nick and Nora as they quibble about life, liqueur and detective work. There are some easy laughs, but the mystery is not often satisfying. The first ends with a big dinner party where all the suspects are gathered around the table. The second features Nora's rich family, and stars a young Jimmy Stewart in a featured role. The third has them with a baby, and there is even an amusing scene where a dozen babies gather for a birthday party, and naturally, one baby is misplaced, but that one was the least of the three. A case of diminishing returns, but I have 3 more sequels to see. GRADE----B, B-, C+
THE HARD WAY (1943)--Ida Lupino is older, pushy sister to Joan Leslie's attempt to leave the small town and try to make it big on Broadway. Dennis Morgan is a love interest who is interested, at different times, to both sisters. This is familiar stuff, but the actors are gung ho, and Joan Leslie gets to sing and dance, which makes this soap opera drama easy to watch. GRADE-----B-
THE WORLD WAS HIS JURY (1958)---This incredibly low budget film starts off poorly, with a deadly fire aboard a cruise ship where people die, but the sets are fake, the fire is a bad special effect, and the rescue mission is obviously some stock footage. Add to that some very weak actors, and I nearly turned it off. Finally about 15 minutes into it, crack lawyer Edmond O'Brien appears and lifts our interest immensely. The new cruise captain is being accused of the fire and poor attempt to save lives (actually, the film's director should have been accused.) With nothing to go on (!) O'Brien goes to trial and manages, somehow, to save the captain a fate of life imprisonment or death. Not too convincing, but O'Brien is such an interesting actor that that alone gives this film a barely passing grade. GRADE---------C+
LITTLE DARLIN'S (1980)--At summer camp, bets are made--which girl can loose their virginity first? Tatum O'Neal is the rich girl who decides to zero in on the older swim coach Armand Assante, and Kristy McNichol is the poor white trash girl trying for a young Matt Dillon. Both come to realize that sex can not be a competition, and the film becomes well meaning but dull. A very young Cynthia Nixon plays a hippie teen a decade before she hit the big time with Sex in the City TV series.
GRADE-------C
THE SKY'S THE LIMIT (1943)--This Fred Astaire comedy musical drove me to bed early. He plays a soldier who wanders away from his unit (!) and then finds he is in love with a girl (Joan Leslie--yes it was Joan Leslie night on TCM) and follows her all over town for several days, including moving into her apartment building right across the hall (!) and all the while she's trying to get rid of him, or help him get a job. I call it STALKING. In any other time he'd be arrested for causing a nuisance. There is a very bizarre scene where he's induced to do a dance routine on a small round table for a G.I. while pretending to be a snake--sort of a slithering, homosexual table dance. I just thought it was embarrassing for Astaire. GRADE-------C-
