This powerful, quality film may not have received many Oscar nominations (possibly due to a glitch in the sending out of screeners for Academy members), but SELMA is a bold and clarified retelling of Martin Luther King's protest march to Montgomery AL from Selma and his relationship with President L.B.J. over basic rights for all United States citizens, emphasizing the lack of rights for black citizens in the southern states who were denied the right to vote, ride buses and sit at certain white only lunch counters, among other atrocities. This was a time of great change in the United States, as finally TV cameras were showing the nation the cruelty and senseless violence that black citizens were treated to at the hands of local, bigoted politicians. The crowd scenes are handled with authority and skill, and the actors are well cast, especially Brit David Oyelowo who dynamically stars as Martin Luther King. This in an engrossing and fascinating docu-drama. GRADE------------A-
Set in 1981 in New York City, this intense drama called A MOST VIOLENT YEAR
features skillful performances by the leads Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain as second generation immigrants who must battle corruption, crime and competition to grow their struggling home furnace oil business, and live down her father's gangster image. The mood and style of this film reminded me a lot of last year's AMERICAN HUSTLE. Lending solid support are a nearly unrecognizable Albert Brooks, and the fascinating David Oyelowo (direct from SELMA, see above) as an aggressive district attorney. GRADE-------------B+
A stylish, jazzy, musical film about a short-tempered music professor who cruelly attempts to build the best college jazz group in New York, WHIPLASH is blessed with the perfectly cast J.K. Simmons, whose teaching methods may be criminal and are certainly dubious. Miles Teller, who has had a great year with DIVERGENT, a science fiction actioner, and THE SPECTACULAR NOW (2013) as a troubled teen who falls for a straight laced honors student in high school, is equally impressive as the talented percussionist who falls under his teacher's spell. The film is clever, energetic and beautifully filmed, although the story feels a bit one note-ish. Simmons is a hard working actor who has appeared in dozens of films and TV shows in the last 10 years, as well as very popular commercials, and this year seems a lock for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for WHIPLASH.
GRADE-------B+
ODE TO MY FATHER is a nicely constructed Korean film based on a true story set during the North and South Korean conflict, where a family is split up trying to escape the communist regime. The young boy spends his lifetime searching for his father and his sister, all the while growing a family of his own. The film is lavishly shot, and sentimental at times, but the tears is earns from the audience are well earned. It may be the most emotional film I've seen all year. GRADE----B+
It may not be the best film of the year, but STILL ALICE creates some of the most moving scenes I've seen in the movies all year, thanks to the skillful and poignant portrayal by the incredible Julianne Moore who plays a woman suffering from early on-set Alzheimer's, who is losing her memory, her mind, her lifestyle and her family because of this disease. The film skillfully shows what her life may be like, as well as how her family reacts. Alec Baldwin and Kristen Stewart (from the TWILIGHT series) give very fine support. This is another case where none of the other Best Actress Nominees come close to beating her for the well deserved and long delayed Oscar that she should be collecting this coming Sunday night. GRADE--------B
Director Clint Eastwood knows how to make a solid film, and AMERICAN SNIPER is nothing if not skillful and solid. The controversy over the film's politics seem somewhat manufactured, since his films normally remain stubbornly and disappointingly apolitical. Frankly, I could have used some stronger point of view, because without it, there is a blandness to the experience. I think back on some films that should have been more effective, like BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY (1995), MILLION DOLLAR BABY (2004), LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA and FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (both 2006), GRAN TORINO (2008), INVICTUS (2009) and J. EDGAR (2011).......These films have great subject matter and are skillfully made, but because there was not a strong POV by the director, they become rather forgettable over time. GRADE for AMERICAN SNIPER----------B
A recent Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film, TIMBUKTU is an uncomfortable and at times confusing film to watch. A small town has been taken over by a conservative group (Isis?) and penalties for playing football (soccer), playing music, wearing long pants below the knee, "loitering, " women not wearing gloves while handling fish (!) and other minor infractions are put in the same category as adultery, murder and stealing, and a man with a loudspeaker is constantly patrolling the nearly empty streets to tell them so. So many townspeople are killed or displaced or have fled that the town feels ghostly. Even though many people seem to have cell phones, the connections are limited, and because of several different languages, communication is perhaps worse than it's ever been. It's a strong indictment of conservative religion, but it doesn't come together cinematically in a satisfying way for me. GRADE------B
It's sort of a cheesy sword and sandals epic, but the real star of the picture is the photography and the special effects, especially half way through as the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius becomes the featured attraction in the action film from earlier this year, POMPEII. It certainly whetted my appetite for the POMPEII exhibit which just opened this week in Seattle. GRADE------------B-
BLACK SEA is a submarine suspense film starring a rough, tough Jude Law. The film is well made and acted, and there are some entertaining sequences. The main problem is----I've seen a LOT of submarine films----DAS BOOT, U-571, 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, Crimson Tide, The Abyss, Hunt for Red October, just to name a few, and BLACK SEA is the least of most of them. GRADE-----------C+
Viewed on DVD-----------------
The screenplay is filled with witty lines, and Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Marilyn Monroe, Thelma Ritter, Celeste Holmes, et al, have never been better in the sophisticated story of an aging actress being usurped by a younger protege, in ALL ABOUT EVE (1950). GRADE-------A
Director Steven Soderberg's HBO film BEHIND THE CANDELABRA (2013) portrays the life of a closeted Liberace, and his relationship with the much younger lover, played respectively by Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. The film is full of excessive costumes, extravagant musical numbers, and witty/bitchy dialogue. It was thoroughly entertaining and informative. A quality production.
GRADE------A
Alfred Hitchcock's entertaining, skillful remake of his own 1934 version, THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956) is colorful, exotic, funny, and filled with great tension sequences. Jimmy Stewart plays a doctor traveling with his musical celebrity wife, Doris Day, in Morocco, but when a spy gets killed, he may have been passed the information for an assassination attempt. To keep him quiet, the killers kidnap his young son, and Jimmy and Doris head back to London to find him. The film featured the Oscar winning song "Que Sera, Sera" which features prominently in the plot, and there are a number of great character actors he must deal with. This is a solid Hitchcock film filled with suspense, humor, mystery and drama. GRADE-------B+
NORTHFACE (2008) is a German film set before WWII and based on a true story of a group of mountain climbers trying to scale the Eiger, and bring athletic glory to Germany. The weather does not cooperate, and the contest turns into a survival effort. The photography is outstanding, and adds many suspenseful moments to the action. Best to see this one on a large screen. GRADE-----B+
Based on a Neil Simon play, THE PRISONER OF 2ND AVE (1975) is a bitter sweet comedy about a middle aged man struggling with the issues of New York City and unemployment, and his patience wife, played by Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft respectively. The film rings very true--I first saw this on the bottom half of a double bill, and found it to be a most superior film. GRADE-----B+
Having just listened to a book tape of DAVID COPPERFIELD being read for 30 hours, this (1999) BBC theatrical version was most satisfying, and features solid performances by a splendid cast, including a young Daniel Radcliffe as Copperfield, Maggie Smith as his aunt Betsey Trotwood, Ian McKellen as Creakle, and Bob Hoskin and Imelda Staunton as Mr and Mrs Micawber. GRADE-------B
The French thriller STRANGER BY THE LAKE (2013) is set mostly at a lake where gay men swim and sunbathe in the nude, although the weather seems cool and windy, and the shore is covered with difficult to walk on rocks. One man is murdered, and the secret witness seems to want to fall in love with the murderer. The film features some explicit sex scenes and nudity, which only adds to the odd tension. GRADE------B
A sensation when it was first released, BLACKBOARD JUNGLE (1955) featured the smash song "Rock Around the Clock" which allegedly set audience members dancing in the aisles. When new teacher (Glenn Ford) is assigned to what seems the toughest male school in New York City, he faces problems with the students, administration and fellow teachers, along with a pregnant wife who wants him to quit. The film feels dated nowadays, with too many problems stacked against him. One of the toughs in class is portrayed by a young Sidney Poitier, who years later played a new teacher in another slum school in London, set upon by rowdy students wanting to break his spirit. BLACKBOARD JUNGLE features early performances by Vic Morrow, Paul Mazursky, Jamie Farr (MASH) as well as Poitier. GRADE--------B-
Based on a play by Tennessee Williams, THE ROMAN SPRING OF MRS. STONE (1961) finds the always quirky and intriguing Vivien Leigh, who is well cast, widowed in Rome, and pursued by a young gigolo, Warren Beatty in an early role. He seems to struggle with the Italian accent. The film is intriguing, but not always successful--some characters come and then disappear for long stretches, and the film is heavy with symbolism, which gets a bit tiresome. GRADE-------C+
----------------------------------------------------------
TOP FILMS FROM 2014--top 12
GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL--Funny, wacky, brilliant satire, w/hilarious Ralph Finnes and others.
CALVARY--Small town priest is earmarked for murder by week's end, with town full of suspects.
BIRDMAN (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)--Witty, well acted satire on theatre, celebrity, success, and imagination.
BOYHOOD---Over a decade in the life of a divorced couple and their kids, growing up and changing and meeting life's challenges.
TANGERINE--Oscar nominee Foreign Film, not yet in Seattle. Profoundly moving opposing protagonists must co-exist in war torn Bosnia.
PRIDE--Based on a true story--striking Welsh miners receive money from gay and lesbian London group, and many lives are transformed in story set in mid-1980's in this inspiring comedy/drama.
CASE AGAINST 8--Superb documentary about overturning anti-gay legislation in California is given a very personal human dimension.
HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS--Simon Pegg stars as psychiatrist who tries to please his clients, but not knowing what happiness means for himself in this quirky, comedic drama.
IMITATION GAME--Excellent cast in true story about breaking the German Nazi computer code--a thriller and a drama and a war story and a romance--all rolled into one.
WILD--Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern excel as daughter and mother in a young woman's search for herself as she walks hundreds of miles on the scenic Pacific Coast Trail.
BELLE--A star is born. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is sensational as a mixed race child growing up in aristocracy in 18th century England. She's also splendid in BEYOND THE LIGHTS--see below.
SELMA--David Oyelowo impresses as Martin Luther King in riveting docu-drama.
ALSO--------SPECIAL FILMS----------------10 runners up
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY--Fun science fiction.
GONE GIRL--Creepy thriller of missing wife, and murder.
THEORY OF EVERYTHING--Well acted drama of physicist Stephan Hawkings and his first wife.
WHIPLASH--Stylish intense drama of cruel professor and brilliant student.
SNOWPIERCER--The world as a long train, with the poor living in cramped quarters in the back, and the rich up front in luxury. Long on symbolism, action, violence, and black humor.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON II---Might be better than the original!
VENUS IN FUR--Roman Polanski directed this witty satire on theatre, sex, feminism and power.
A MOST VIOLENT YEAR--Slow burn thriller of couple trying to fight corruption in NYC in 1981.
IDA--Young novice wants to become nun, but discovers her dead parents were Jewish (!) and her aunt may be a prostitute (!) in strong Polish drama with stylish black and white cinematography.
INTERSTELLAR--Ambitious sci-fi that delivers the imagination, if not always the logic.
GUILTY PLEASURES------
BEYOND THE LIGHTS---Mom (Minnie Driver) pushes her daughter (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) into superstar limelight but daughter falls for a "normal" cop. Actors are excellent. See BELLE above.
HORNS--Daniel Radcliffe may have murdered his girlfriend--now horns grow from his head and people he meets can't help but blurt out the truth as he tries to find real murderer.
LUCY--Scarlett Johanson swallows potion that makes her super super smart, and she's out to stop the bad guys who put her in this position. Things get very violent.
EDGE OF TOMORROW--The GROUNDHOGS DAY of science fiction. Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt keep getting killed over and over until they get it right in a violent world war scenario.
BAD WORDS--Angry, immature man crashes a child's spelling bee contest, causing havoc amongst the contestants and organizers. Film is full of nasty, sarcastic humor, some of it very choice.
I HATED THESE FILMS-------!!!!
TRIP TO ITALY--A remake of THE TRIP, but now Italian scenery. Same jokes, same tired dialogue.
ELSA AND FRED---Tired old chestnut of senior love with tiresome Shirley MacClaine and Christopher Plummer. Dull, boring, predictable.
BIG HERO 6---Children in theatre were running the aisles--bored by the troublesome and illogical antics of the super hero characters. I was bored too. First 20 minutes were effective, but watch out.
MAZE RUNNER---Tiresome teens run and run from dull monsters trying to find way out of maze....
THIRD PERSON-- Paul Haggis wrote and directed this POS (piece of shit). Author Liam Neeson has writer's block, and strange taste in women, who also may be characters in his new book. All the Women are crazy, seriously, and he's no prize either, and many, many scenes made me wince. WORST FILM OF THE YEAR!!!!!!!
OSCAR NOTES---SUNDAY 22 February---4pm Pacific time.......
A couple categories seem like sure bets for the following----Supporting Actor---J.K. Simmons for WHIPLASH, Supporting Actress--Patricia Arquette for BOYHOOD, and Best Actress---Julianne Moore for STILL ALICE. These three have won nearly every other award in their category, and it seems likely that will continue on Sunday pm.
However, the other major categories are real cat/dog fights-----Michael Keaton (BIRDMAN) VS Eddie Redmanye (THEORY OF EVERYTHING) are both nearly even odds for actor---they've split other awards shows. Best director comes down to BIRDMAN VS BOYHOOD. Best picture is BIRDMAN VS BOYHOOD. However, this may provide an opening for my favorite, GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL to sneak in. Happy viewing.
WATCH FOR THESE FINE FILMS THAT PLAYED SIFF, But have not opened yet......
STILL LIFE---British film about a government man who tracks down relatives of people who die alone. It packs a powerful one two punch by the end.
TANGERINES--Estonia film about man who nurses two men from opposite sides of war zone in his home---thoughtful, intense, hopeful. My choice for Oscar in Foreign film category.
LIFE FEELS GOOD--Similar to THEORY OF EVERYTHING--life of young man with severe cerebral palsy who must learn to communicate and find meaning in his life.
100 YEAR OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED--Funny Swedish film based on best seller book, old man has some outlandish adventures.
CLASS ENEMY---German teacher is blamed for the suicide death of a student, and the class rebels.
TOM AT THE FARM---Gay man attends the rural funeral of his boyfriend, but discovers that Mom didn't know her son was gay, and older brother has a homophobic agenda, in this psychological thriller from French Canada.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Thursday, January 15, 2015
IMITATION GAME, WILD, THE HOBBITT; BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES, INTO THE WOODS, FOXCATCHER, ANNIE, BIG EYES, UNBROKEN plus on DVD--Christmas classic THE REF, THE UNINVITED, PSYCHO, CHARADE, BRIDESHEAD REVISITED and a new version of GREAT EXPECTATIONS
The holiday season went by in a blur as usual, with highlights including some celebrating, and the sadness of my good movie buddy John R.s death the day after Christmas. When it came to film, he could complete my sentences with details and facts. I will miss him deeply.
My favorite of the season is THE IMITATION GAME, a slick, British thriller based on the true story of Alan Turing, a brilliant mathematician and cryptanalyst who created during WWII an early version of the modern day computer, which helped break the German code, possibly shortening the war by 2-4 years and saving millions of lives. In spite of many accomplishments, Turing was persecuted for homosexual acts and given chemical castration. He possibly committed suicide two years later at age 41. Posthumously, he has received many honors, and was pardoned by Queen Elizabeth II just two years ago. The cast is quite good, the story rips along, and overall, the production is of a very high standard, including the writing, cinematography, editing and music. Nominated for 6 Academy Awards, THE IMITATION GAME is competitive in all those categories, and it clearly deserves to be on any one's TOP FILM list, mine included--hopefully out by my next blog. GRADE----A-
It's a familiar theme--a young person sets out to "find" themselves by taking a journey off into the world, but WILD has three giant aces to help stack the deck. The first is a tour de force by the lead actress Reese Witherspoon, who commits wholly and completely to this troubled character who finds herself in over her head as she tries to hike over 1000 miles of the Pacific Coast Trail. I was completely into her character. The second ace is the amazingly effect small role of her mother, played with sharp, emotional resonance by the always reliable Laura Dern. She made my heart break for her. The third ace is the wonderfully photographed "eye candy" of the Pacific Coast Trail itself. I've only been on parts of the trail in Washington state, but the beauty and loneliness creates an impressive character which continues to fascinate throughout the film. Witherspoon and Dern have both received Oscar nominations for their well deserved performances in WILD. GRADE----A-
It's been a long 2 years to wait for all parts of THE HOBBIT to reach the screen, but director Peter Jackson and crew have done a remarkable job of sustaining interest and building characterizations, and THE HOBBIT: BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES is every bit as impressive as the first two outings. Although it might not be as emotionally involving as the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, this story still captures our imagination and attention with awesome special effects, exciting adventure sequences, and memorable characters and creatures. I'm going to miss this fabulous world of hobbits and dragons and giants and wizards and all the other creatures and species. GRADE-----B+
I wonder what parents and their school aged kids will think of the adult fairy tale musical that is based on the popular Broadway music INTO THE WOODS with sophisticated music by Stephen Sondheim. The first time I saw it, I liked it, but I was confused as to what the audience would be. The music later grew on me, and several years ago I saw a brilliant version of the play at a university in Pittsburgh that really blew me away. My reaction to this current film is a bit mixed--I really loved the first ninety minutes, in spite of a few lackluster moments by Johnny Depp's Wolf. I felt the energy lagging in the last 15 minutes or so, mostly involving the giant's destruction---perhaps too literally exposed in the film? Still, there are so many brilliant actors singing witty songs in inspiring tongue in cheek manner that overall I really enjoyed it. GRADE-----B+
Based on a true story, this dramatic thriller tells the slow burn break down of wealthy middle aged millionaire John du Pont who tries to buy his way into becoming a world renown training coach for Olympic training wrestlers. The title FOXCATCHER comes from the name of the camp. He convinces two famous wrestling brothers to come live on his property and start the camp, but over some time his desire to relive his wrestling youth and placate his ailing mother leads him to having mental dysfunctions and moody lapses of appropriateness, which ultimately lead to tragedy. The story is fascinating in an uncomfortable way, and Steve Carell is nearly unrecognizable as the troubled du Pont. GRADE-----------B
I first saw the play ANNIE on the London stage on a one night lay over before flying home from Europe. We got half price tickets which placed us in the front row, and as the play starts, there's a dozen or so young girls singing, dancing and jumping about, and we were looking right up their dresses. I wasn't sure what I'd gotten into, but the play was infectious fun, the songs (Tomorrow, It's a Hard Knock Life, and others) were quite charming, and by the end I was enjoying it immensely ) In 1982, director John Huston directed Aileen Quinn, Carol Burnett, Albert Finney and others in what I felt was an over bloated, dismal version of the play. Fortunately, this new version of ANNIE has been updated, contemporized and slimmed down a bit, and it is much more enjoyable, in a cotton candy sort of manner. (Dog Sandy is now named after the hurricane....and the word "orphans" has been replaced with "social services" and "foster" kids. The best songs have been retained and some new, very modern songs have been added, for better or worse. Quvenshane Wallis brings some of her charming infectious energy she had in BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (2012) to this new version, and even though her voice is soft and a bit thin, her version of "Tomorrow" is just at the right level to avoid the saccharine brassiness that often makes you want to cringe. It's not great, but I had a pleasant enough time. GRADE----------B-
Tim Burton's new film BIG EYES is slick enough, and has some strong leads in Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz and has the advantage of being based on an incredible true story. Artist Margaret Keane has her work "taken over" by her husband because "women artists just don't sell." She finally has the guts to take back her accomplishments, but loses her marriage and nearly loses her self respect. If this had been a half hour short, it would have been a knock out, but this one idea/situation is repeated over and over and over again. Every scene is about this one idea, and I found it rather tiresome by the end. GRADE-------C+
Super star Angelina Jolie is the director of the new film UNBROKEN, based, again, on a true story, and the film is well crafted technically. But the story is problematic. There is the struggle of growing up as an immigrant in a new land, the come from behind running sports narrative, the war time dogfighting in the sky, the lost at sea epic, and the POW depressing and degrading experience. It felt like at least four movies crammed into one, and I've see all these stories many times before.
GRADE----------C+
Films viewed on DVD-----------------------------------
I've seen Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO (1960) nearly a dozen times, and the blend of mystery, suspense, comedy, tragedy and weirdness just gets better with time. This was the first film I wrote about on my blog nearly three years ago. GRADE---------A
Stanley Donen's CHARADE with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn is often called the best mystery suspense Hitchcock film that Hitchcock never made, and I agree. GRADE-----A-
A classic anti-Christmas film with a wicked, dark sense of humor and some howlingly witty lines, this film called THE REF (1994) I see just about every year at this time. Judy Davis, Dennis Leary and Kevin Spacey head the marvelous cast. GRADE--------A-
Classy ghost story THE UNINVITED (1944) with Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey as siblings who buy a very economical house--but that's because it's haunted!!!! GRADE--------A-
We just listened to 20 hours of the Charles Dickens book on tape, so I bought a copy of the latest GREAT EXPECTATIONS (2013) by director Mike Newell and found it to be an effective and faithful condensation of the long story. Jeremy Irvine is fine as the adult Pip, but the real interest is with Robbie Coltrane, Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Finnes as Jaggers, Haversham and Magwitch respectively. GRADE-------B+
Fourteen years ago, Kate Hudson was most memorable for me as the groupie in ALMOST FAMOUS (2000) but on this second viewing I was impressed with many more, including Frances McDormand, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Noah Taylor, Billy Crudup and Patrick Fugit in this coming of age comedy drama by director Cameron Crowe. GRADE-----------B+
I missed this long BBC version of BRIDESHEAD REVISITED (1981) when it first came out, but I was fascinated by careful examination of class differences, parental control, depravity of wealth and dissection of religious issues that Evelyn Waugh wrote about in 1945. Co-stars Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews are both exceptional. GRADE -------B+
THEY MADE ME A FUGITIVE aka I BECAME A CRIMINAL (1948) is a lively British film noir that has Trevor Howard taking the fall and being sent to jail by a gang leader . He breaks out to seek revenge. There are many unusual characters and scenes here which keep our interest. GRADE-------B+
In MAN HUNT (1941), Walter Pidgeon and Joan Bennett run from some Nazis' in New York trying to kill (or capture) Pidgeon for his political stance. (He "accidentally" tried to kill Hitler while hunting in German before WWII...!!!). George Sanders plays his Nazi nemesis. GRADE--------B
The U.S. film noir SCARLET STREET (1945) features Edward G. Robinson as a simpleton artist married to a shrew who falls for a femme fatale (Joan Bennett) who is involved with a minor gangster (Dan Duryea)....Robinson's character seems so obtuse that it is hard to feel sorry for him when he gets taken advantage of. The ending is strangely and hauntingly disturbing. GRADE-----B-
The director/writing team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger created this comic spy thriller CONTRABAND aka BLACKOUT (1940) and it was probably filmed during actual black out conditions in London, because many scenes were so dark that it was difficult to follow the action and the actors. The plot is thin, and the suspense is diluted because of poor lighting and sound conditions on the sets. It wants to be Hitchcockian, but falls short, although Conrad Veidt and Valerie Hobson make an engaging team, sort of like Powell and Loy from the THIN MAN series. GRADE------C+
The minor Cary Grant comedy EVERY GIRL SHOULD BE MARRIED (1948) features lots of sexist stereotypes that new comer to films Betsy Drake (a future Mrs Grant) pulls out to trap the good looking doctor into marriage. I didn't mind it, but it has drifted out of my memory in the month since I last saw it. GRADE-----C+
COMING SOON-----MY FAVORITE FILMS FROM 2014 which will include GRAND HOTEL BUDAPEST, BIRDMAN, BOYHOOD, IMITATION GAME, and some BIG surprises!!!!
My favorite of the season is THE IMITATION GAME, a slick, British thriller based on the true story of Alan Turing, a brilliant mathematician and cryptanalyst who created during WWII an early version of the modern day computer, which helped break the German code, possibly shortening the war by 2-4 years and saving millions of lives. In spite of many accomplishments, Turing was persecuted for homosexual acts and given chemical castration. He possibly committed suicide two years later at age 41. Posthumously, he has received many honors, and was pardoned by Queen Elizabeth II just two years ago. The cast is quite good, the story rips along, and overall, the production is of a very high standard, including the writing, cinematography, editing and music. Nominated for 6 Academy Awards, THE IMITATION GAME is competitive in all those categories, and it clearly deserves to be on any one's TOP FILM list, mine included--hopefully out by my next blog. GRADE----A-
It's a familiar theme--a young person sets out to "find" themselves by taking a journey off into the world, but WILD has three giant aces to help stack the deck. The first is a tour de force by the lead actress Reese Witherspoon, who commits wholly and completely to this troubled character who finds herself in over her head as she tries to hike over 1000 miles of the Pacific Coast Trail. I was completely into her character. The second ace is the amazingly effect small role of her mother, played with sharp, emotional resonance by the always reliable Laura Dern. She made my heart break for her. The third ace is the wonderfully photographed "eye candy" of the Pacific Coast Trail itself. I've only been on parts of the trail in Washington state, but the beauty and loneliness creates an impressive character which continues to fascinate throughout the film. Witherspoon and Dern have both received Oscar nominations for their well deserved performances in WILD. GRADE----A-
It's been a long 2 years to wait for all parts of THE HOBBIT to reach the screen, but director Peter Jackson and crew have done a remarkable job of sustaining interest and building characterizations, and THE HOBBIT: BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES is every bit as impressive as the first two outings. Although it might not be as emotionally involving as the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, this story still captures our imagination and attention with awesome special effects, exciting adventure sequences, and memorable characters and creatures. I'm going to miss this fabulous world of hobbits and dragons and giants and wizards and all the other creatures and species. GRADE-----B+
I wonder what parents and their school aged kids will think of the adult fairy tale musical that is based on the popular Broadway music INTO THE WOODS with sophisticated music by Stephen Sondheim. The first time I saw it, I liked it, but I was confused as to what the audience would be. The music later grew on me, and several years ago I saw a brilliant version of the play at a university in Pittsburgh that really blew me away. My reaction to this current film is a bit mixed--I really loved the first ninety minutes, in spite of a few lackluster moments by Johnny Depp's Wolf. I felt the energy lagging in the last 15 minutes or so, mostly involving the giant's destruction---perhaps too literally exposed in the film? Still, there are so many brilliant actors singing witty songs in inspiring tongue in cheek manner that overall I really enjoyed it. GRADE-----B+
Based on a true story, this dramatic thriller tells the slow burn break down of wealthy middle aged millionaire John du Pont who tries to buy his way into becoming a world renown training coach for Olympic training wrestlers. The title FOXCATCHER comes from the name of the camp. He convinces two famous wrestling brothers to come live on his property and start the camp, but over some time his desire to relive his wrestling youth and placate his ailing mother leads him to having mental dysfunctions and moody lapses of appropriateness, which ultimately lead to tragedy. The story is fascinating in an uncomfortable way, and Steve Carell is nearly unrecognizable as the troubled du Pont. GRADE-----------B
I first saw the play ANNIE on the London stage on a one night lay over before flying home from Europe. We got half price tickets which placed us in the front row, and as the play starts, there's a dozen or so young girls singing, dancing and jumping about, and we were looking right up their dresses. I wasn't sure what I'd gotten into, but the play was infectious fun, the songs (Tomorrow, It's a Hard Knock Life, and others) were quite charming, and by the end I was enjoying it immensely ) In 1982, director John Huston directed Aileen Quinn, Carol Burnett, Albert Finney and others in what I felt was an over bloated, dismal version of the play. Fortunately, this new version of ANNIE has been updated, contemporized and slimmed down a bit, and it is much more enjoyable, in a cotton candy sort of manner. (Dog Sandy is now named after the hurricane....and the word "orphans" has been replaced with "social services" and "foster" kids. The best songs have been retained and some new, very modern songs have been added, for better or worse. Quvenshane Wallis brings some of her charming infectious energy she had in BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (2012) to this new version, and even though her voice is soft and a bit thin, her version of "Tomorrow" is just at the right level to avoid the saccharine brassiness that often makes you want to cringe. It's not great, but I had a pleasant enough time. GRADE----------B-
Tim Burton's new film BIG EYES is slick enough, and has some strong leads in Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz and has the advantage of being based on an incredible true story. Artist Margaret Keane has her work "taken over" by her husband because "women artists just don't sell." She finally has the guts to take back her accomplishments, but loses her marriage and nearly loses her self respect. If this had been a half hour short, it would have been a knock out, but this one idea/situation is repeated over and over and over again. Every scene is about this one idea, and I found it rather tiresome by the end. GRADE-------C+
Super star Angelina Jolie is the director of the new film UNBROKEN, based, again, on a true story, and the film is well crafted technically. But the story is problematic. There is the struggle of growing up as an immigrant in a new land, the come from behind running sports narrative, the war time dogfighting in the sky, the lost at sea epic, and the POW depressing and degrading experience. It felt like at least four movies crammed into one, and I've see all these stories many times before.
GRADE----------C+
Films viewed on DVD-----------------------------------
I've seen Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO (1960) nearly a dozen times, and the blend of mystery, suspense, comedy, tragedy and weirdness just gets better with time. This was the first film I wrote about on my blog nearly three years ago. GRADE---------A
Stanley Donen's CHARADE with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn is often called the best mystery suspense Hitchcock film that Hitchcock never made, and I agree. GRADE-----A-
A classic anti-Christmas film with a wicked, dark sense of humor and some howlingly witty lines, this film called THE REF (1994) I see just about every year at this time. Judy Davis, Dennis Leary and Kevin Spacey head the marvelous cast. GRADE--------A-
Classy ghost story THE UNINVITED (1944) with Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey as siblings who buy a very economical house--but that's because it's haunted!!!! GRADE--------A-
We just listened to 20 hours of the Charles Dickens book on tape, so I bought a copy of the latest GREAT EXPECTATIONS (2013) by director Mike Newell and found it to be an effective and faithful condensation of the long story. Jeremy Irvine is fine as the adult Pip, but the real interest is with Robbie Coltrane, Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Finnes as Jaggers, Haversham and Magwitch respectively. GRADE-------B+
Fourteen years ago, Kate Hudson was most memorable for me as the groupie in ALMOST FAMOUS (2000) but on this second viewing I was impressed with many more, including Frances McDormand, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Noah Taylor, Billy Crudup and Patrick Fugit in this coming of age comedy drama by director Cameron Crowe. GRADE-----------B+
I missed this long BBC version of BRIDESHEAD REVISITED (1981) when it first came out, but I was fascinated by careful examination of class differences, parental control, depravity of wealth and dissection of religious issues that Evelyn Waugh wrote about in 1945. Co-stars Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews are both exceptional. GRADE -------B+
THEY MADE ME A FUGITIVE aka I BECAME A CRIMINAL (1948) is a lively British film noir that has Trevor Howard taking the fall and being sent to jail by a gang leader . He breaks out to seek revenge. There are many unusual characters and scenes here which keep our interest. GRADE-------B+
In MAN HUNT (1941), Walter Pidgeon and Joan Bennett run from some Nazis' in New York trying to kill (or capture) Pidgeon for his political stance. (He "accidentally" tried to kill Hitler while hunting in German before WWII...!!!). George Sanders plays his Nazi nemesis. GRADE--------B
The U.S. film noir SCARLET STREET (1945) features Edward G. Robinson as a simpleton artist married to a shrew who falls for a femme fatale (Joan Bennett) who is involved with a minor gangster (Dan Duryea)....Robinson's character seems so obtuse that it is hard to feel sorry for him when he gets taken advantage of. The ending is strangely and hauntingly disturbing. GRADE-----B-
The director/writing team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger created this comic spy thriller CONTRABAND aka BLACKOUT (1940) and it was probably filmed during actual black out conditions in London, because many scenes were so dark that it was difficult to follow the action and the actors. The plot is thin, and the suspense is diluted because of poor lighting and sound conditions on the sets. It wants to be Hitchcockian, but falls short, although Conrad Veidt and Valerie Hobson make an engaging team, sort of like Powell and Loy from the THIN MAN series. GRADE------C+
The minor Cary Grant comedy EVERY GIRL SHOULD BE MARRIED (1948) features lots of sexist stereotypes that new comer to films Betsy Drake (a future Mrs Grant) pulls out to trap the good looking doctor into marriage. I didn't mind it, but it has drifted out of my memory in the month since I last saw it. GRADE-----C+
COMING SOON-----MY FAVORITE FILMS FROM 2014 which will include GRAND HOTEL BUDAPEST, BIRDMAN, BOYHOOD, IMITATION GAME, and some BIG surprises!!!!
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
HECTOR and the SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS, PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, THE BABADOOK, HUNGER GAMES; MOCKINGJAY PT 1, UNDER THE SKIN plus on DVD-- BRIDGE TO THE SUN, PACIFIC RIM, YOUR SISTER'S SISTER, and PITCH PERFECT
Christmas movie season is fast upon us, so the next report should include many of those that open for the holidays, if I can keep up. Here are some of the films that have opened so far.
An out of the blue surprise, HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS (or as one French speaker puts it, "a penis" instead of happiness) is an odd ball comedy drama that is cheerful and profound at the same time. Simon Pegg plays a quirky psychiatrist who begins to questions his placid life, all the while trying to help his clients seek happiness, when he isn't sure he knows what it is himself. He decides to travel around the globe in search of the elusive elixir to life that will cause happiness, and starts writing a journal. His exotic travels take him to Japan, Nepal, Africa, Los Angeles and France, where he meets a succession of friends and strangers that teach him what he seeks to know. The film features wonder, humor, sadness, profundities, and actually becomes "about something" while still being entertaining. I loved it. GRADE----------A
A silly, wacky bit of nonsense that works for adults perhaps even better than for kids, THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR is blessed with a kooky and amusing "voice" performance by John Malkovitch as an evil octopus, and a wild exotic script that sends these odd birds all over the globe in what feels like a James Bond thriller, but much much more fun. GRADE-------B+
This is a solid, logical Australian horror film that builds a lot of suspense. THE BABADOOK starts with a strange book that ends up on the shelf of young boy but it freaks out his mother who has her own psychological problems, all of which become apparent as the "monster" of the book seems to come alive in the home. GRADE-------------B+
HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY Pt. 1 is a frustration to critique. I've enjoyed the previous two films, and I really love where this new film is headed---away from children killing children, and into the realm of political protest and government overthrow, which will be led inadvertently by our heroine Katniss Everdeen. The actors are quite good, and the production values excellent as usual, so it comes as a bit of a shock when we realize that this new film is really only a teaser for the final Part 2 which comes next year. How do you rate a long preview? GRADE--------B-
Viewed on DVD---------------------------------
Moody, enigmatic, weirdly compelling at times, slowly frustrating, UNDER THE SKIN (2013 but released in the spring of 2014 in the US) is a weird science fiction film about an alien disguised as a woman who drives around the city picking up single men and luring them to their symbolic watery death. She has no emotional life, no vagina for sex, no moral compass, but that may be starting to change, and another alien on a motor bike who seems to be following her, cleaning up her messes, may have another agenda. There is no explanation as to what is happening, or why, or how, so good luck if you want to figure out what is happening. The film appears to deviate from the novel, I'm told, quite a bit by the end. The film does work OK, but just barely. GRADE--------B-
One of my favorites from 2011 is THE INTOUCHABLES, a French film about a poor African young man from the Parisian ghetto who takes a job being the caretaker for a wealthy paralyzed middle-aged white man. Their relationship changes both men, and there is a lot of humor as the rich man really needs to live vicariously through the high jinks of the younger caretaker. Long time French actor Francois Cluzet and newcomer Omar Sy work hilariously together. GRADE----A-
I'd never heard of BRIDGE TO THE SUN (1961) but this interracial love story set in the late 1930's and early 1940's grows progressively more interesting and compelling. Carroll Baker plays a young Southern belle who is wooed by a Japanese official played by James Shigeta, and against her family's judgement and the concerns of the Japanese government, they marry and move to Japan. The opening scenes feel dated and have some campy humor to them as she bungles her way through social guffaws and there are some coy, awkward scenes of prejudice. But as Japan enters into WW2 as an enemy of the US, the film takes on some heady moments of drama, intrigue and suspense. The film skillfully balances the emotional pull of what is feels like to be an expatriate and potential traitor to your country. This is a nice surprise. GRADE---------B+
A big budget, loud, blustery science fiction film concerns the attempts to fight gigantic monsters of the deep ocean bottom with gigantic robots that the US government has built. In other words, it's a lot like the last GODZILLA film. But the production values and special effects are excellent and the cast (including Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day and Ron Perlman) are all gung ho. The director of PACIFIC RIM (2013) is Guillermo Del Toro, who also helped write the story of this film and other horror classics including DEVIL'S BACKBONE (2001), HELLBOY (2004), and PAN'S LABYRINTH (2006). GRADE-------B
Local filmmaker Lynn Shelton's recent film YOUR SISTER'S SISTER (2011) takes a simple idea of having an immature man sleep with the lesbian sister of his closest platonic girl friend, endangering the future relationship with the platonic friend, who has other ideas, and stretching it into an entertaining psycho babble comedy drama that plays a lot like a laid back Seattle Woody Allen film, but without too much neuroses. Shelton's most recent film is LAGGIES from this past fall.
GRADE-----B
A sequel of the popular comedy PITCH PERFECT (2012) arrives this winter, so I had to remind myself of this singing and dancing hit that totally plays like a longer, older (college) version of TV's GLEE, not that there's anything wrong with that. GRADE-------B
Debbie Reynolds does what she does best (perky) and Tony Randall plays the uptight IRS official she tries to woo in the comedy THE MATING GAME (1959), set on her father's farm. Paul Douglas plays her dad who hasn't payed any income tax for years because he just trades for whatever he wants. There are some bright funny lines and situations, along with some slapstick. Overall, it's easy to watch. GRADE-------B-
YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER (2010) is not one of Woody Allen's better films, but it does have some clever lines and situations, and the cast (including Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Lucy Punch, et al) is, as usual, quite winsome. GRADE-------C+
THE ROAD TO SINGAPORE (1940) is the first "ROAD" film I've ever seen, and in spite of the occasional charms of Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, I resisted this mainly due to the uneasy mixture of racial profiling, sappy songs and silly scenarios. GRADE---------C+
LOVER BOY (1989) is a silly sex comedy about a young college student (a very young looking Patrick -Dr. Mc Dreamy-Dempsey) who tries to raise money by giving women some sexual company while delivering pizza "with extra anchovies." Kate Jackson, Carrie Fisher, Kristie Alley and Barbara Carrera co-star. It's easy to see why Dempsey would grow up to be so popular in TV's Grays Anatomy. GRADE-------C+
A mediocre remake of Alfred Hitchcock's classic, the BBC version of THE LADY VANISHES (2012) fails to find much of interest in spite of some good production values. The young actors try, but the plot from the Hitchcock version has been changed to be closer to the novel, and unfortunately it is not as clever or spellbinding. GRADE-----C
It may be an inspiring story, about a disgraced biking legend (Jock Boyer) who moves to Rwanda to help establish the first Cycling team there to compete in the Olympics, but as a documentary film, RISING FROM ASHES (2012) is a bit of a mess technically, and there is some confusion about just what happened when. Strictly for bike enthusiasts, but still, NSH. GRADE-------C-
An out of the blue surprise, HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS (or as one French speaker puts it, "a penis" instead of happiness) is an odd ball comedy drama that is cheerful and profound at the same time. Simon Pegg plays a quirky psychiatrist who begins to questions his placid life, all the while trying to help his clients seek happiness, when he isn't sure he knows what it is himself. He decides to travel around the globe in search of the elusive elixir to life that will cause happiness, and starts writing a journal. His exotic travels take him to Japan, Nepal, Africa, Los Angeles and France, where he meets a succession of friends and strangers that teach him what he seeks to know. The film features wonder, humor, sadness, profundities, and actually becomes "about something" while still being entertaining. I loved it. GRADE----------A
A silly, wacky bit of nonsense that works for adults perhaps even better than for kids, THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR is blessed with a kooky and amusing "voice" performance by John Malkovitch as an evil octopus, and a wild exotic script that sends these odd birds all over the globe in what feels like a James Bond thriller, but much much more fun. GRADE-------B+
This is a solid, logical Australian horror film that builds a lot of suspense. THE BABADOOK starts with a strange book that ends up on the shelf of young boy but it freaks out his mother who has her own psychological problems, all of which become apparent as the "monster" of the book seems to come alive in the home. GRADE-------------B+
HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY Pt. 1 is a frustration to critique. I've enjoyed the previous two films, and I really love where this new film is headed---away from children killing children, and into the realm of political protest and government overthrow, which will be led inadvertently by our heroine Katniss Everdeen. The actors are quite good, and the production values excellent as usual, so it comes as a bit of a shock when we realize that this new film is really only a teaser for the final Part 2 which comes next year. How do you rate a long preview? GRADE--------B-
Viewed on DVD---------------------------------
Moody, enigmatic, weirdly compelling at times, slowly frustrating, UNDER THE SKIN (2013 but released in the spring of 2014 in the US) is a weird science fiction film about an alien disguised as a woman who drives around the city picking up single men and luring them to their symbolic watery death. She has no emotional life, no vagina for sex, no moral compass, but that may be starting to change, and another alien on a motor bike who seems to be following her, cleaning up her messes, may have another agenda. There is no explanation as to what is happening, or why, or how, so good luck if you want to figure out what is happening. The film appears to deviate from the novel, I'm told, quite a bit by the end. The film does work OK, but just barely. GRADE--------B-
One of my favorites from 2011 is THE INTOUCHABLES, a French film about a poor African young man from the Parisian ghetto who takes a job being the caretaker for a wealthy paralyzed middle-aged white man. Their relationship changes both men, and there is a lot of humor as the rich man really needs to live vicariously through the high jinks of the younger caretaker. Long time French actor Francois Cluzet and newcomer Omar Sy work hilariously together. GRADE----A-
I'd never heard of BRIDGE TO THE SUN (1961) but this interracial love story set in the late 1930's and early 1940's grows progressively more interesting and compelling. Carroll Baker plays a young Southern belle who is wooed by a Japanese official played by James Shigeta, and against her family's judgement and the concerns of the Japanese government, they marry and move to Japan. The opening scenes feel dated and have some campy humor to them as she bungles her way through social guffaws and there are some coy, awkward scenes of prejudice. But as Japan enters into WW2 as an enemy of the US, the film takes on some heady moments of drama, intrigue and suspense. The film skillfully balances the emotional pull of what is feels like to be an expatriate and potential traitor to your country. This is a nice surprise. GRADE---------B+
A big budget, loud, blustery science fiction film concerns the attempts to fight gigantic monsters of the deep ocean bottom with gigantic robots that the US government has built. In other words, it's a lot like the last GODZILLA film. But the production values and special effects are excellent and the cast (including Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day and Ron Perlman) are all gung ho. The director of PACIFIC RIM (2013) is Guillermo Del Toro, who also helped write the story of this film and other horror classics including DEVIL'S BACKBONE (2001), HELLBOY (2004), and PAN'S LABYRINTH (2006). GRADE-------B
Local filmmaker Lynn Shelton's recent film YOUR SISTER'S SISTER (2011) takes a simple idea of having an immature man sleep with the lesbian sister of his closest platonic girl friend, endangering the future relationship with the platonic friend, who has other ideas, and stretching it into an entertaining psycho babble comedy drama that plays a lot like a laid back Seattle Woody Allen film, but without too much neuroses. Shelton's most recent film is LAGGIES from this past fall.
GRADE-----B
A sequel of the popular comedy PITCH PERFECT (2012) arrives this winter, so I had to remind myself of this singing and dancing hit that totally plays like a longer, older (college) version of TV's GLEE, not that there's anything wrong with that. GRADE-------B
Debbie Reynolds does what she does best (perky) and Tony Randall plays the uptight IRS official she tries to woo in the comedy THE MATING GAME (1959), set on her father's farm. Paul Douglas plays her dad who hasn't payed any income tax for years because he just trades for whatever he wants. There are some bright funny lines and situations, along with some slapstick. Overall, it's easy to watch. GRADE-------B-
YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER (2010) is not one of Woody Allen's better films, but it does have some clever lines and situations, and the cast (including Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Lucy Punch, et al) is, as usual, quite winsome. GRADE-------C+
THE ROAD TO SINGAPORE (1940) is the first "ROAD" film I've ever seen, and in spite of the occasional charms of Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, I resisted this mainly due to the uneasy mixture of racial profiling, sappy songs and silly scenarios. GRADE---------C+
LOVER BOY (1989) is a silly sex comedy about a young college student (a very young looking Patrick -Dr. Mc Dreamy-Dempsey) who tries to raise money by giving women some sexual company while delivering pizza "with extra anchovies." Kate Jackson, Carrie Fisher, Kristie Alley and Barbara Carrera co-star. It's easy to see why Dempsey would grow up to be so popular in TV's Grays Anatomy. GRADE-------C+
A mediocre remake of Alfred Hitchcock's classic, the BBC version of THE LADY VANISHES (2012) fails to find much of interest in spite of some good production values. The young actors try, but the plot from the Hitchcock version has been changed to be closer to the novel, and unfortunately it is not as clever or spellbinding. GRADE-----C
It may be an inspiring story, about a disgraced biking legend (Jock Boyer) who moves to Rwanda to help establish the first Cycling team there to compete in the Olympics, but as a documentary film, RISING FROM ASHES (2012) is a bit of a mess technically, and there is some confusion about just what happened when. Strictly for bike enthusiasts, but still, NSH. GRADE-------C-
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
INTERSTELLAR, BEYOND THE LIGHTS, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, ST. VINCENT, SKELETON TWINS, HORNS, MAZE RUNNER, BIG HERO 6 plus Bresson's A MAN ESCAPED
It's nothing if not ambitious. It may seem familiar but it has a style and feel all it's own. Epic yet personal, thrilling yet subtle, technically awesome at times, yet intimate. These feeling I have for the new science fiction drama INTERSTELLAR by Christopher Nolan. How well you respond may have something to do with your tolerance for space and time travel films in general. It definitely belongs on the big screen, as opposed to TV. Last year's GRAVITY was more singular in approach to the vastness of space and captured the loneliness better, but INTERSTELLAR has those big themes to consider. Matthew McConaughey is a reluctant astronaut sent off to discover a new place for earth's inhabitants to live, because earth is becoming a dust bowl, incapable of growing anything except the hardiest of corn crops. He struggles with loneliness and guilt as his existence is slowed down by hibernation and slowness of aging in travel, compared to the family he left behind on earth, who in contrast are aging many times faster than the astronauts. Will he make it back in time to see the kids he left behind? The film raises a lot of questions (mostly unanswered), and creates an emotional pull--much like the worm hole that the space ship must travel thorough a couple times. (My one complaint--I felt that Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain should have swapped roles, since the young daughter looked more like Hathaway) Like the best of the space travel science fiction films, the enigma leaves a thoughtful aftermath in our minds. GRADE---------B+
If you've seen the preview trailers for BEYOND THE LIGHTS, you might be thinking uh-oh. Here's another drama of a bitchy, aggressive stage mother pushing her daughter into the limelight of fame, causing said daughter to rebel by attempted suicide, only to find love in the arms of the hunky policeman who rescues her from death. THE BODYGUARD (1992) covered this long ago to popular results. Fortunately, the actors here are better, the songs are appropriately effective, and it is refreshing to see a relationship (between all three main characters) that is grounded in reality. And the main reason for this is the strong interplay between the main characters played by a refreshingly underplayed Nate Parker as the ambitious cop who doesn't want the attention, the frustrated mother who is doing what she thinks is best for her daughter--Minnie Driver, and best of all is the young and talented daughter Gugu Mbatha-Raw who has never had to make her own life decisions. ( Gugu starred earlier this year in one of my favorite films, the period drama BELLE, as the mixed race child of an African woman and a white British officer, who both promptly die, leaving BELLE to be raised by an aristocratic uncle and aunt.) I liked BEYOND THE LIGHTS much more than I was expecting. GRADE-------B+
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, based on a book by Stephen Hawking's first wife, Jane Wilde, features actors that are very committed to their roles. Eddie Redmayne reminded me of the incredible transformation made by Daniel Day-Lewis in MY LEFT FOOT (1989) where most of the acting came from/through his appendage. Redmayne is limited to his pinkie finger through much of the film, but the early history of the film is memorably Hawking. Felicity Jones does wonders with her thankless role as a caretaker/wife, bringing much emotional balance to our sympathies. The film is smooth and engrossing, and the supporting cast is spot on. GRADE------B+
Bill Murray is a national acting treasure, in my opinion, and it is a pleasure to say that he easily steals the movie ST. VINCENT from some strong comic actors around him, including Melissa McCarthy and Naomi Watts, and even the young Jaeden Lieberher as the kid who needs Murray as a babysitter. There are some big laughs, but the film veers dangerously close to sentimentality by the end. Still, it is a pleasure to enjoy the sarcastic asides Murray tosses all around. GRADE-----B
The comedy/drama SKELETON TWINS is boosted by the careful characterizations of Bill Hader and
Kristen Wiig (who were featured together on TV's Saturday Night Live comedy for several years) as estranged and suicidal siblings who reconnect after many years. There's a funny, wonderful, unexpected lip-syncing scene, and I was impressed with the seriousness that the actors brought to their situations. GRADE--------B
Destined for cult status and/or midnight screenings, HORNS, based on a story by Stephen King's son Joe Hill, features enough horror and humor to appeal to those who love Twins Peaks and other films by David Lynch and that type. Daniel Radcliffe plays a man who is the prime suspect of his girl friend's murder. He wakes up one morning to find a pair of horns growing from his head, which gives him the power to have everyone he meets spill their innermost thoughts and desires to him. He decides to use this power to find the true murderer. Some of the effects are over the top, and some scenes work better than others, but I got some good laughs from the unusual situations. GRADE------B-
THE MAZE RUNNER plot is rather simple and feels a bit underdeveloped, but this story of a group of teen boys (and eventually one girl) who are dumped in a large several acre piece of land surrounded by giant cement walls has at least one redeeming feature. The walls are really part of giant maze, which opens once a day and allows the boys to run through the maze to try to find a way out, but they must be back before nightfall, otherwise the creepy monster comes out to kill those that don't make it back. The best part is the set design--the walls and maze look very intriguing and menacing, so I wasn't bored, but by the time the finale 15 minutes of talk talk talk explanation comes along featuring the "star" turn by Patricia Clarkson, I felt cheated, and the film is a set up for a sequel. THE MAZE RUNNER features a LOT of running, natch, but little satisfaction. GRADE--------C
First, the good news. The short playing in front of BIG HERO 6 called FEAST, is a charming, incise, wordless cartoon feature of a dog from the streets adopted by a man who spoils him with "human" food, but when a girlfriend enters the picture, the food becomes haute cuisine. When BIG HERO 6 started, I was enchanted with the set up and animation for about 20 minutes, but the science fiction story/plot becomes more bizarre and illogical. It felt that the writers were making up the rules as they went along, and the action becomes chaotic and inconceivable. The true sign was the 5 or 6 kids that occasionally went running back and forth along the bottom of the auditorium, obviously uninterested in what was on the screen. I was bored too. GRADE-----D+
DVD CHOICES----------------------------------
French director Robert Bresson's spare, simple yet detailed black and white film, A MAN ESCAPED (1957) about a prison break from a Nazi prison becomes a slow burn thriller, one of his best. GRADE------B+
Could be compared to a French version of THE BIG CHILL, the newest film by Guillaume (TELL NO ONE 2006) Canet called LITTLE WHITE LIES (2012) is a mix of comedy and drama with popular music on the soundtrack. A group of 40-something friends gather at a beach home while one of their friends lies gravely ill in a hospital after a motorcycle accident. GRADE-----B+
Similar in ways to the above LITTLE WHITE LIES is the Dutch film SIMON (2004) which is told from the point of view of a gay man who is befriended by a gregarious, drug dealing heterosexual and his bohemian friends, and who is dying of cancer. The film mixes comedy and drama, and has an eclectic style that takes some getting use to, but finally becomes endearing. GRADE------B-
Spanish director Guillem Morales thriller JULIA'S EYES (2010) has a woman in peril theme. Julia's twin sister has been murdered, and Julia along w/her husband are trying to find out why. Trouble is, Julia is losing her eye sight due to stress and a life long disease, a malady she shared with her twin. There are several scenes which were borrowed from WAIT UNTIL DARK (1967) with Audrey Hepburn playing a blind woman terrorized by thugs. I felt that I anticipated most of the plot twists, but there is still a lot of tension and some wicked scenes, including one in particular set in a locker room filled with blind, naked women!!! ( One of Morales previous thrillers is a favorite--THE UNINVITED GUEST (2004) where a lonely architect loses his girlfriend and finds himself becoming paranoid in his large home. A stranger comes to the door asking to use the phone, only to disappear with out a trace, and the architect starts to hallucinate that others are in the home with him. There is a fantastic, chilling scene where he becomes the "uninvited" in another home, and the film is fascinating throughout. ) GRADE------B-
A perverse film comedy has 17 year old delinquent Debbie Reynolds spending the holiday weekend with 35 year old writer Dick Powell (although he looks more like 45 in this film) in SUSAN SLEPT HERE (1954). He decides to chastely "marry" her to keep her out of jail, and spends most of the film not to be in the same room with her, while she decides she really loves him and wants to consummate the marriage. A very strange film, indeed, with a high "ick" factor. GRADE-------C+
This Peter Sellers vehicle THE PARTY (1968) has him portraying an east Indian actor who causes havoc everywhere he goes. He is mistakenly invited to a posh Hollywood party and proceeds to nearly bring down the house. Some of the sight gags are clever and funny, others not so successful, but the film is easy enough to watch for those not too picky about their comedies. This is one of Blake Edwards directorial efforts--he also made the PINK PANTHER films, SOB, "10" VICTOR/VICTORIA, BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S and others. GRADE-----C
If you've seen the preview trailers for BEYOND THE LIGHTS, you might be thinking uh-oh. Here's another drama of a bitchy, aggressive stage mother pushing her daughter into the limelight of fame, causing said daughter to rebel by attempted suicide, only to find love in the arms of the hunky policeman who rescues her from death. THE BODYGUARD (1992) covered this long ago to popular results. Fortunately, the actors here are better, the songs are appropriately effective, and it is refreshing to see a relationship (between all three main characters) that is grounded in reality. And the main reason for this is the strong interplay between the main characters played by a refreshingly underplayed Nate Parker as the ambitious cop who doesn't want the attention, the frustrated mother who is doing what she thinks is best for her daughter--Minnie Driver, and best of all is the young and talented daughter Gugu Mbatha-Raw who has never had to make her own life decisions. ( Gugu starred earlier this year in one of my favorite films, the period drama BELLE, as the mixed race child of an African woman and a white British officer, who both promptly die, leaving BELLE to be raised by an aristocratic uncle and aunt.) I liked BEYOND THE LIGHTS much more than I was expecting. GRADE-------B+
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, based on a book by Stephen Hawking's first wife, Jane Wilde, features actors that are very committed to their roles. Eddie Redmayne reminded me of the incredible transformation made by Daniel Day-Lewis in MY LEFT FOOT (1989) where most of the acting came from/through his appendage. Redmayne is limited to his pinkie finger through much of the film, but the early history of the film is memorably Hawking. Felicity Jones does wonders with her thankless role as a caretaker/wife, bringing much emotional balance to our sympathies. The film is smooth and engrossing, and the supporting cast is spot on. GRADE------B+
Bill Murray is a national acting treasure, in my opinion, and it is a pleasure to say that he easily steals the movie ST. VINCENT from some strong comic actors around him, including Melissa McCarthy and Naomi Watts, and even the young Jaeden Lieberher as the kid who needs Murray as a babysitter. There are some big laughs, but the film veers dangerously close to sentimentality by the end. Still, it is a pleasure to enjoy the sarcastic asides Murray tosses all around. GRADE-----B
The comedy/drama SKELETON TWINS is boosted by the careful characterizations of Bill Hader and
Kristen Wiig (who were featured together on TV's Saturday Night Live comedy for several years) as estranged and suicidal siblings who reconnect after many years. There's a funny, wonderful, unexpected lip-syncing scene, and I was impressed with the seriousness that the actors brought to their situations. GRADE--------B
Destined for cult status and/or midnight screenings, HORNS, based on a story by Stephen King's son Joe Hill, features enough horror and humor to appeal to those who love Twins Peaks and other films by David Lynch and that type. Daniel Radcliffe plays a man who is the prime suspect of his girl friend's murder. He wakes up one morning to find a pair of horns growing from his head, which gives him the power to have everyone he meets spill their innermost thoughts and desires to him. He decides to use this power to find the true murderer. Some of the effects are over the top, and some scenes work better than others, but I got some good laughs from the unusual situations. GRADE------B-
THE MAZE RUNNER plot is rather simple and feels a bit underdeveloped, but this story of a group of teen boys (and eventually one girl) who are dumped in a large several acre piece of land surrounded by giant cement walls has at least one redeeming feature. The walls are really part of giant maze, which opens once a day and allows the boys to run through the maze to try to find a way out, but they must be back before nightfall, otherwise the creepy monster comes out to kill those that don't make it back. The best part is the set design--the walls and maze look very intriguing and menacing, so I wasn't bored, but by the time the finale 15 minutes of talk talk talk explanation comes along featuring the "star" turn by Patricia Clarkson, I felt cheated, and the film is a set up for a sequel. THE MAZE RUNNER features a LOT of running, natch, but little satisfaction. GRADE--------C
First, the good news. The short playing in front of BIG HERO 6 called FEAST, is a charming, incise, wordless cartoon feature of a dog from the streets adopted by a man who spoils him with "human" food, but when a girlfriend enters the picture, the food becomes haute cuisine. When BIG HERO 6 started, I was enchanted with the set up and animation for about 20 minutes, but the science fiction story/plot becomes more bizarre and illogical. It felt that the writers were making up the rules as they went along, and the action becomes chaotic and inconceivable. The true sign was the 5 or 6 kids that occasionally went running back and forth along the bottom of the auditorium, obviously uninterested in what was on the screen. I was bored too. GRADE-----D+
DVD CHOICES----------------------------------
French director Robert Bresson's spare, simple yet detailed black and white film, A MAN ESCAPED (1957) about a prison break from a Nazi prison becomes a slow burn thriller, one of his best. GRADE------B+
Could be compared to a French version of THE BIG CHILL, the newest film by Guillaume (TELL NO ONE 2006) Canet called LITTLE WHITE LIES (2012) is a mix of comedy and drama with popular music on the soundtrack. A group of 40-something friends gather at a beach home while one of their friends lies gravely ill in a hospital after a motorcycle accident. GRADE-----B+
Similar in ways to the above LITTLE WHITE LIES is the Dutch film SIMON (2004) which is told from the point of view of a gay man who is befriended by a gregarious, drug dealing heterosexual and his bohemian friends, and who is dying of cancer. The film mixes comedy and drama, and has an eclectic style that takes some getting use to, but finally becomes endearing. GRADE------B-
Spanish director Guillem Morales thriller JULIA'S EYES (2010) has a woman in peril theme. Julia's twin sister has been murdered, and Julia along w/her husband are trying to find out why. Trouble is, Julia is losing her eye sight due to stress and a life long disease, a malady she shared with her twin. There are several scenes which were borrowed from WAIT UNTIL DARK (1967) with Audrey Hepburn playing a blind woman terrorized by thugs. I felt that I anticipated most of the plot twists, but there is still a lot of tension and some wicked scenes, including one in particular set in a locker room filled with blind, naked women!!! ( One of Morales previous thrillers is a favorite--THE UNINVITED GUEST (2004) where a lonely architect loses his girlfriend and finds himself becoming paranoid in his large home. A stranger comes to the door asking to use the phone, only to disappear with out a trace, and the architect starts to hallucinate that others are in the home with him. There is a fantastic, chilling scene where he becomes the "uninvited" in another home, and the film is fascinating throughout. ) GRADE------B-
A perverse film comedy has 17 year old delinquent Debbie Reynolds spending the holiday weekend with 35 year old writer Dick Powell (although he looks more like 45 in this film) in SUSAN SLEPT HERE (1954). He decides to chastely "marry" her to keep her out of jail, and spends most of the film not to be in the same room with her, while she decides she really loves him and wants to consummate the marriage. A very strange film, indeed, with a high "ick" factor. GRADE-------C+
This Peter Sellers vehicle THE PARTY (1968) has him portraying an east Indian actor who causes havoc everywhere he goes. He is mistakenly invited to a posh Hollywood party and proceeds to nearly bring down the house. Some of the sight gags are clever and funny, others not so successful, but the film is easy enough to watch for those not too picky about their comedies. This is one of Blake Edwards directorial efforts--he also made the PINK PANTHER films, SOB, "10" VICTOR/VICTORIA, BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S and others. GRADE-----C
Thursday, November 6, 2014
BIRDMAN, PRIDE, GONE GIRL, TALE OF PRINCESS KAGUYA, LAGGERS, MY OLD LADY, EQUALIZER, THE JUDGE, THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU, plus DVDs of Hitchcock's LADY VANISHES, EARRINGS OF MADAME DE..., MADE IN DAGENHAM, BEASTS OF SOUTHERN WILD, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC w/Liz
(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.
Monday, September 8, 2014
CALVARY, BOYHOOD, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, THE 100 FT JOURNEY, LUCY, A MOST WANTED MAN, BEGIN AGAIN, WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL
Here are some pretty fine films seen so far this summer....
Could be the best of SIFF, and certainly one of the more challenging films you'll see this year, this is the Irish film CALVARY. The first scene has a priest in a confessional booth being told that next Sunday he will be killed because the want to be killer was abused as a child, and feels the need for revenge after all this time. The voice has been obscured so the priest has no idea who this threatening man can be. The rest of the film has him spending his week among his parishioners in this small town, and wouldn't you now it, it seems quite a few have reason to kill him, even though he seems like a pretty nice, thoughtful guy. The film plays like a murder (to be) mystery thriller with a lot of potential killers making the priest's life unpleasant, but the best part is that the film also deals with themes of philosophy, death, hate, love, revenge, loneliness, and forgiveness. GRADE-------A
You might think that the conceit of filming over 12 years to show the growth of a child into adulthood is a cheat, but watching BOYHOOD, the new film by Richard Linklater, you become so engrossed in the story and the characters that it becomes a pleasure and a treat to observe. Like the fascinating British documentary series 7UP (which includes instalments every 7 years---14 UP, 21 UP, etc, the most recent being 56 UP, where the same children have been interviewed every 7 years and you see how they were as a child and how they now think as an adult), BOYHOOD uses what comes naturally to tell the story of a fractured family struggling with daily life, love and work, and of course, all the actors are aging at the same pace. It's an impressive achievement. GRADE------A-
Many years ago when I first saw STAR WARS, I remember feeling giddy with delight at the wondrously strange characters that were introduced in scene after scene, and most of them had great comic appeal. I felt that same feeling with the new film GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY --like stepping into a creative world where you could never predict how a character would look or act or turn out. GOTG has so much humor and energy that you can't help but enjoy the ride, and I look forward to the next installment. GRADE-------A-
So, what can you expect from a film produced by both Steven Speilberg AND Oprah Winfrey? Yep, you got it, and that's what you get. THE 100 FOOT JOURNEY may not be the most creative film ever made, but when you mix exotic characters with a "food" making film and add in warm and fuzzy charm, it is easy to swallow. The high note for me was how incredibly convincing Helen Mirren was as a stuffy French chef who makes the most of her character's changing attitude towards, well, towards cooking, relationships, other cultures, and life in general. She alone makes this journey special. GRADE--------B
A straight forward blast of kick ass science fiction action thriller, LUCY is a great showcase for the reliable Scarlet Johanson. Her character finds herself injected with a substance that causes her to become a major brainiac, and she must find a cure before she.....dies?!? No sequel here (or maybe there will be.....), but the film moves along without any hesitation, propelling you to the end with out the slightest feeling that perhaps there are a few plot holes ignored, or way over the top moments. A satisfying popcorn movie it ever there was one. GRADE--------B
Another film exalted by the power of a subtle performance, A MOST WANTED MAN is one of Phillip Seymour Hoffman's last films, and you can see why he was so highly regarded as an actor. There is no sight of ego here, just an absorbing, compelling spy story, written by John le Carre and featuring some nicely understated turns including Robin Wright, Willem Dafoe and Rachel McAdams. The title seems weak, but the production is strong. GRADE------B
A familiar true story about a struggling high school football team features some powerful moments of game play, coming back from the bottom, finding faith in yourself, recovering from illness and loss---in other words, we've seen it all before, but I did not find it boring or offensive. just a bit predictable. WHEN THE GAMES STANDS TALL tries hard and has some good production values so see it if you are interested. GRADE------C+
____________________________
Some DVD choices seen recently...
VIEW FROM THE TERRACE (1960)---Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward play an unhappily married upper class couple in a long (149 minutes) version of John O'Hare's soapy drama that features some interesting characterizations by Myrna Loy (as Newman's alcoholic mother) and a new comer Ina Balin (as an innocent who falls for the married Newman), and Patrick O'Neal (as Woodward's lover) and others. It's a surprise that they became married in real life after being so hateful towards each other here. Still, I found the film engrossing as it tries to explore the pull of career vs happiness in life. GRADE----B
HOME BEFORE DARK (1958)---Jean Simmons plays a depressed wife just returning from the mental hospital who seems to be affected because she's not sure if her husband loves her or not. Perhaps in her paranoia she thinks he loves her step-sister (Rhonda Fleming). One thing is clear--this woman really is mentally unstable. A border (Efrem Zimbalist Jr) in her large home seems to like her
but all I wanted to do was yell at the TV screen for him to "RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN---SHE'S NUTS!) It's to Jean Simmons credit that her character is as sympathetic as she is. Another long drama at 136 minutes. GRADE------B
In the western DECISION AT SUNDOWN (1957), Randolph Scott rides into town with a partner to seek revenge on the man who he feels caused the death of his wife. In the course of the afternoon, everyone in town is affected and changed by this character, including Scott, who finds out that his wife may not have been what she seemed.....(SLUT!) Despite the low budget, the film is careful to build solid characterizations from many of the towns people, including the bar keep, the doctor, the groom and his bride to be, Scott's partner, the sheriff, the scorned woman, the hidden alcoholic, and others. It's a fascinating and tense film, directed by the under appreciated Budd Boetticher. GRADE------B
Another western by Boetticher is simpler but quite effective. THE TALL T (1957) again features Randolph Scott as a loner who ends up on a stage coach that is being held up by three murderous, desperate men, including the leader played by Richard Boone. He joins up with a glammed down Maureen O'Hara to try to turn the tables of these 3 after being kidnapped for ransom. There are some scenes of disturbing violence (thankfully off screen) that keep this film provocative, and again, the director gives even the bad guys interesting menace. GRADE-----B
Could be the best of SIFF, and certainly one of the more challenging films you'll see this year, this is the Irish film CALVARY. The first scene has a priest in a confessional booth being told that next Sunday he will be killed because the want to be killer was abused as a child, and feels the need for revenge after all this time. The voice has been obscured so the priest has no idea who this threatening man can be. The rest of the film has him spending his week among his parishioners in this small town, and wouldn't you now it, it seems quite a few have reason to kill him, even though he seems like a pretty nice, thoughtful guy. The film plays like a murder (to be) mystery thriller with a lot of potential killers making the priest's life unpleasant, but the best part is that the film also deals with themes of philosophy, death, hate, love, revenge, loneliness, and forgiveness. GRADE-------A
You might think that the conceit of filming over 12 years to show the growth of a child into adulthood is a cheat, but watching BOYHOOD, the new film by Richard Linklater, you become so engrossed in the story and the characters that it becomes a pleasure and a treat to observe. Like the fascinating British documentary series 7UP (which includes instalments every 7 years---14 UP, 21 UP, etc, the most recent being 56 UP, where the same children have been interviewed every 7 years and you see how they were as a child and how they now think as an adult), BOYHOOD uses what comes naturally to tell the story of a fractured family struggling with daily life, love and work, and of course, all the actors are aging at the same pace. It's an impressive achievement. GRADE------A-
Many years ago when I first saw STAR WARS, I remember feeling giddy with delight at the wondrously strange characters that were introduced in scene after scene, and most of them had great comic appeal. I felt that same feeling with the new film GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY --like stepping into a creative world where you could never predict how a character would look or act or turn out. GOTG has so much humor and energy that you can't help but enjoy the ride, and I look forward to the next installment. GRADE-------A-
So, what can you expect from a film produced by both Steven Speilberg AND Oprah Winfrey? Yep, you got it, and that's what you get. THE 100 FOOT JOURNEY may not be the most creative film ever made, but when you mix exotic characters with a "food" making film and add in warm and fuzzy charm, it is easy to swallow. The high note for me was how incredibly convincing Helen Mirren was as a stuffy French chef who makes the most of her character's changing attitude towards, well, towards cooking, relationships, other cultures, and life in general. She alone makes this journey special. GRADE--------B
A straight forward blast of kick ass science fiction action thriller, LUCY is a great showcase for the reliable Scarlet Johanson. Her character finds herself injected with a substance that causes her to become a major brainiac, and she must find a cure before she.....dies?!? No sequel here (or maybe there will be.....), but the film moves along without any hesitation, propelling you to the end with out the slightest feeling that perhaps there are a few plot holes ignored, or way over the top moments. A satisfying popcorn movie it ever there was one. GRADE--------B
Another film exalted by the power of a subtle performance, A MOST WANTED MAN is one of Phillip Seymour Hoffman's last films, and you can see why he was so highly regarded as an actor. There is no sight of ego here, just an absorbing, compelling spy story, written by John le Carre and featuring some nicely understated turns including Robin Wright, Willem Dafoe and Rachel McAdams. The title seems weak, but the production is strong. GRADE------B
A familiar true story about a struggling high school football team features some powerful moments of game play, coming back from the bottom, finding faith in yourself, recovering from illness and loss---in other words, we've seen it all before, but I did not find it boring or offensive. just a bit predictable. WHEN THE GAMES STANDS TALL tries hard and has some good production values so see it if you are interested. GRADE------C+
____________________________
Some DVD choices seen recently...
VIEW FROM THE TERRACE (1960)---Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward play an unhappily married upper class couple in a long (149 minutes) version of John O'Hare's soapy drama that features some interesting characterizations by Myrna Loy (as Newman's alcoholic mother) and a new comer Ina Balin (as an innocent who falls for the married Newman), and Patrick O'Neal (as Woodward's lover) and others. It's a surprise that they became married in real life after being so hateful towards each other here. Still, I found the film engrossing as it tries to explore the pull of career vs happiness in life. GRADE----B
HOME BEFORE DARK (1958)---Jean Simmons plays a depressed wife just returning from the mental hospital who seems to be affected because she's not sure if her husband loves her or not. Perhaps in her paranoia she thinks he loves her step-sister (Rhonda Fleming). One thing is clear--this woman really is mentally unstable. A border (Efrem Zimbalist Jr) in her large home seems to like her
but all I wanted to do was yell at the TV screen for him to "RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN---SHE'S NUTS!) It's to Jean Simmons credit that her character is as sympathetic as she is. Another long drama at 136 minutes. GRADE------B
In the western DECISION AT SUNDOWN (1957), Randolph Scott rides into town with a partner to seek revenge on the man who he feels caused the death of his wife. In the course of the afternoon, everyone in town is affected and changed by this character, including Scott, who finds out that his wife may not have been what she seemed.....(SLUT!) Despite the low budget, the film is careful to build solid characterizations from many of the towns people, including the bar keep, the doctor, the groom and his bride to be, Scott's partner, the sheriff, the scorned woman, the hidden alcoholic, and others. It's a fascinating and tense film, directed by the under appreciated Budd Boetticher. GRADE------B
Another western by Boetticher is simpler but quite effective. THE TALL T (1957) again features Randolph Scott as a loner who ends up on a stage coach that is being held up by three murderous, desperate men, including the leader played by Richard Boone. He joins up with a glammed down Maureen O'Hara to try to turn the tables of these 3 after being kidnapped for ransom. There are some scenes of disturbing violence (thankfully off screen) that keep this film provocative, and again, the director gives even the bad guys interesting menace. GRADE-----B
Thursday, July 17, 2014
SNOWPIERCER, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, DAWN OF PLANET OF THE APES, THIRD PERSON, plus TAKE SHELTER, TINY FURNITURE, SIDEWAYS and two tele-films--a Scottish PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE (1978) and TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (1980)
It might take you 20 minutes to get into SNOWPIERCER, an allegorical science fiction, post apocalyptic thriller about a speeding train circling the globe with the remains of humanity represented in ascending order from the poorest crammed into the rear compartments, to the middle class to the elite at the front of the train, but once the poor decide they aren't going to take it any more and start moving into the forward cabins towards the engineer ("the power") the film becomes an exciting metaphor about the 99% VS the 1%. Inspiring characterizations are provided by John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Ed Harris, Song Kang-ho, Chris Evans and a delightfully unrecognizable Tilda Swinton. The director Bong Joon-ho's previous films include THE HOST (2006)--an unusual take on a horror monster under the water film, and the psychological thriller THE MOTHER (2009)--she's not nurturing in a good way....If you are burned out by all the over the top special effects summer blockbusters, this is the one to see, especially on a big screen (it's also showing on Video on Demand and breaking all records.) It's got the blood and action and effects wrapped up in a curious and chilling and thought provoking setting. There were times when SNOWPIERCER reminded me of moments in THE ROAD WARRIOR (1981)--kinetic, exciting and way out there. GRADE-----A-
In general, I feel like sequels are a case of diminishing returns--it is rare that the second or third films are as good as the first. I'm pleased to report that HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 is that rare sequel that is actually better than the original--which is hard to do because I loved the first one. HTTYD2 takes place 5 years later when the young hero Hiccup is now a teen, as are all his friends. He discovers some new lands and finds an evil Viking with a huge evil dragon that has the capability to "brainwash" all the other dragons to follow him. This provides for a lot of special effects with war scenes, plus new and amusing dragon features and types, and the introduction of a couple of important human characters that really advance the story. I found this new film to be emotionally involving on several levels, and found myself very moved by much of the action, especially when........well, I won't give away any surprises. But if you like the first one, you'll LOVE this new film. GRADE-----------A
I've seen all 8 APE movies, and this new DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is just as good as the others, with a lot of help from excellent special effects and actor Andy Serkis. My main objections are that the film seems to take place entirely in the rain, in the dark, at night, in the forest, or some combination of those, so that nearly every scene is darkly photographed and difficult to see at times. My other complaint is that the themes and conflicts are still the same: there are the good apes and the bad apes, and the good humans and the bad humans. Still, the film is thoughtful and creative at many times. GRADE-------B
Quite possibly the worst commercial film to be released this year, THIRD PERSON is in the style of director/writer Paul Haggis' other multi-character film CRASH (2005) where he is telling several different stories with many different characters, but in this case, I hated all the stories and all the characters. All the women in this new film act like crazy psychotic bitches, and all the men are pathetic, manipulative bastards, who are only attracted to surface beauty and fall for the women who open their legs to them. I didn't understand the "why" of these twisted relationships. Just when I thought a scene couldn't get any more unbelievably icky, along comes the next scene just as icky, with a sick twist to it. I actually yelled unconsciously and angerly at the screen during one scene--thankfully there was only one other viewer sitting on the opposite side of the theatre and I don't think he heard me, but I was surprised at myself nonetheless. The actors were OK---they included Liam Neeson, Adrian Brody, Kim Basinger, Mila Kunis, James Franco etc., and the film itself has some eye candy, being filmed in Rome, New York and Paris. But as a writer, Haggis gets an "F" grade from me for this one.
GRADE--------D
These films were seen by me at SIFF and are currently playing now and they have been reviewed in previous blogs, and they are all highly recommended: BEGIN AGAIN, OBVIOUS CHILD, VENUS IN FUR, IDA, HALF A YELLOW SUN plus catch it before it's gone---BELLE
Films viewed on DVD----------------------------------
Subtle apocalyptic thriller about a seemingly normal man who has "visions" that make him increasingly paranoid and suspicious that the weather is turning deadly, TAKE SHELTER (2011) is engrossing and increasingly suspenseful, while keeping one foot grounded in reality. Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain are superb as the struggling married couple trying to deal with a deaf daughter and struggling with their finances. GRADE------A
SIDEWAYS (2005) is a smart, comedic blend of wine knowledge, slapstick, drama, pathos and loneliness, featuring career highlights from all four actors--Paul Giamatti, Sandra Oh, Thomas Haden Church and a radiant Virginia Madsen. The director Alexander Payne has a long list of beautifully created films including the recent NEBRASKA (2013), ELECTION (1999), ABOUT SCHMIDT(2002), CITIZEN RUTH (1996) and THE DESCENDANTS (2011). All his films are humorous, but SIDEWAYS may be his most hilarious, even when the characters are acting despicably. GRADE-------A
An incredibly assured early feature by actor/director/writer Lena Dunham from TV's GIRLS, this amazing, subtle film called TINY FURNITURE (2010) has Lena (seemingly playing her self, along with her real life mother and sister) returning from college, but not sure what she should be doing. She sort of drifts back into a relationship with a "friend" she doesn't really have much in common with, invites a stranger to live in her mother's house with her, starts a sexual relationship with a man she is not sure she likes, and generally acts like many graduates who have no idea. The film is carefully staged and composed, and the plot feels fresh and realistic, in spite of the laughs and quirkiness. GRADE------A-
A superior filming of the classic comedy THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (1952) written by Oscar Wilde and directed by Anthony Asquith, this is a perfectly filmed sparkler that entertains with witty characters and pithy dialogue. GRADE-------A-
I've always felt that Maggie Smith's THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE (1969) was the ultimate performance for her, so I was suspicious of the Scottish 7 part mini series for PBS with the same name which stars Geraldine McEwan in the leading role, but I'm happy to report that Miss McEwan really grabs hold and makes the role her own. She's a fascinating character, and the two films contain all the very witty and clever lines that are in the novel, although not always in the same scenes. The novel flashes back and forth in time, so the film puts all the events in chronological order. The mini-series takes a sequence or two and puts it into each episode, but could easily be mixed around in viewing order. I still prefer Maggie Smith's version, since it builds chronologically to a logical and dramatic conclusion, but the mini-series is fun to watch, even if the dialogue of some characters, especially the girls, gets lost in the action. My main complaint is that the series just stopped, without any culmination or satisfying finale. GRADE-----------B+ for mini-series (GRADE -----A for Maggie's version).
Another mini-series/movie made for TV is TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (1980) based on the book by John Le Carre. Featuring a subtle, world weary performance by Alec Guinness, this story has him as a top spy brought back from a force retirement to track down a mole who has infiltrated the highest rank of the British Secret Intelligence. It's an intriguing story, perhaps a bit confusing and convoluted at times but Guinness keeps us watching. GRADE--------B
TADPOLE (2002) is a brief (78 minutes) but charming little comedy about a upper class 15 year old boy home from school over Thanksgiving who finds himself sexually drawn to his new step-mother and her best friend, played by Sigourney Weaver and Bebe Neuwirth respectively. There's a sparkling wink in the eye of the actors (John Ritter plays his father) and even though it's a little film, it manages to be sly, smart and at times very funny. GRADE-------B
I recently saw the play SPAMALOT and enjoyed it quite a bit, so seeing MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL(1975) so soon was a bit of a let down, since SPAMALOT is based on HOLY GRAIL and scene for scene and line for line, it was tiresome to hear them again with SPAMALOT so fresh in my mind. Still, it is an inspired story with some remarkably silly but funny lines and if you are in the right mood, it's terrific. GRADE---------B
The plot is full of contrivances, but CRY DANGER (1951) is a watchable if minor film noir starring Dick Powell, Richard Erdman and Rhonda Fleming. Powell is an innocent man who was framed for a stolen $100000 bank role--he tries to find who did steal the money, and where is it stashed. He's followed by a disabled vet who helped to spring Powell, and who hopes to get part of the money, and he hooks up with the wife of his friend (who's still in prison). I'd seen this film less than two years ago, but had still forgotten the surprise twist at the end. GRADE----------B-
An interesting cast helps save this minor slice of life comedy drama based on a true story. MY LIFE SO FAR (1999) is a Scottish film (subtitles anyone?) with Colin Firth and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio playing the parents of a very precocious 10 year old boy. Malcolm McDowell, Rosemary Harris and Irene Jacob round out the cast. This Hugh (CHARIOTS OF FIRE) Hudson film is not terribly memorable, but curious to watch. GRADE------B-
Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson and Art Carney do what they can in this unbelievable romantic comedy HOUSE CALLS (1978) about finding love in middle age, but there are some big improbabilities to swallow. Matthau plays a recently widowed surgeon who has YOUNG women lining up to date him (!), but finds himself attracted to a middle aged patient Jackson who manages to have a lovely apartment paid for by her great cheesecakes she bakes for restaurants (!), and Chief Surgeon Carney is so bumbling and incompetent that it is surprising he hasn't been arrested for malpractice!!!! And that is supposed to be funny? GRADE-----C+
Jane Fonda is a force (as usual) in the recent film PEACE, LOVE AND MISUNDERSTANDING (2011). She plays an aging hippie living in Woodstock who is visited by her uptight lawyer daughter (Catherine Keener) who is going through a divorce, and her two teen aged grand kids. It was fun to watch grandma enlighten the kids as to her life style, and the frustration between mother and daughter was interesting. This was Elizabeth Olsen's first film and she shows much promise. Unfortunately, much of the aging hippie activities fall flat due to stereotypical reactions, and the plot is pretty predictable. Still, Jane Fonda is amazing to watch. GRADE------C+
In general, I feel like sequels are a case of diminishing returns--it is rare that the second or third films are as good as the first. I'm pleased to report that HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 is that rare sequel that is actually better than the original--which is hard to do because I loved the first one. HTTYD2 takes place 5 years later when the young hero Hiccup is now a teen, as are all his friends. He discovers some new lands and finds an evil Viking with a huge evil dragon that has the capability to "brainwash" all the other dragons to follow him. This provides for a lot of special effects with war scenes, plus new and amusing dragon features and types, and the introduction of a couple of important human characters that really advance the story. I found this new film to be emotionally involving on several levels, and found myself very moved by much of the action, especially when........well, I won't give away any surprises. But if you like the first one, you'll LOVE this new film. GRADE-----------A
I've seen all 8 APE movies, and this new DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is just as good as the others, with a lot of help from excellent special effects and actor Andy Serkis. My main objections are that the film seems to take place entirely in the rain, in the dark, at night, in the forest, or some combination of those, so that nearly every scene is darkly photographed and difficult to see at times. My other complaint is that the themes and conflicts are still the same: there are the good apes and the bad apes, and the good humans and the bad humans. Still, the film is thoughtful and creative at many times. GRADE-------B
Quite possibly the worst commercial film to be released this year, THIRD PERSON is in the style of director/writer Paul Haggis' other multi-character film CRASH (2005) where he is telling several different stories with many different characters, but in this case, I hated all the stories and all the characters. All the women in this new film act like crazy psychotic bitches, and all the men are pathetic, manipulative bastards, who are only attracted to surface beauty and fall for the women who open their legs to them. I didn't understand the "why" of these twisted relationships. Just when I thought a scene couldn't get any more unbelievably icky, along comes the next scene just as icky, with a sick twist to it. I actually yelled unconsciously and angerly at the screen during one scene--thankfully there was only one other viewer sitting on the opposite side of the theatre and I don't think he heard me, but I was surprised at myself nonetheless. The actors were OK---they included Liam Neeson, Adrian Brody, Kim Basinger, Mila Kunis, James Franco etc., and the film itself has some eye candy, being filmed in Rome, New York and Paris. But as a writer, Haggis gets an "F" grade from me for this one.
GRADE--------D
These films were seen by me at SIFF and are currently playing now and they have been reviewed in previous blogs, and they are all highly recommended: BEGIN AGAIN, OBVIOUS CHILD, VENUS IN FUR, IDA, HALF A YELLOW SUN plus catch it before it's gone---BELLE
Films viewed on DVD----------------------------------
Subtle apocalyptic thriller about a seemingly normal man who has "visions" that make him increasingly paranoid and suspicious that the weather is turning deadly, TAKE SHELTER (2011) is engrossing and increasingly suspenseful, while keeping one foot grounded in reality. Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain are superb as the struggling married couple trying to deal with a deaf daughter and struggling with their finances. GRADE------A
SIDEWAYS (2005) is a smart, comedic blend of wine knowledge, slapstick, drama, pathos and loneliness, featuring career highlights from all four actors--Paul Giamatti, Sandra Oh, Thomas Haden Church and a radiant Virginia Madsen. The director Alexander Payne has a long list of beautifully created films including the recent NEBRASKA (2013), ELECTION (1999), ABOUT SCHMIDT(2002), CITIZEN RUTH (1996) and THE DESCENDANTS (2011). All his films are humorous, but SIDEWAYS may be his most hilarious, even when the characters are acting despicably. GRADE-------A
An incredibly assured early feature by actor/director/writer Lena Dunham from TV's GIRLS, this amazing, subtle film called TINY FURNITURE (2010) has Lena (seemingly playing her self, along with her real life mother and sister) returning from college, but not sure what she should be doing. She sort of drifts back into a relationship with a "friend" she doesn't really have much in common with, invites a stranger to live in her mother's house with her, starts a sexual relationship with a man she is not sure she likes, and generally acts like many graduates who have no idea. The film is carefully staged and composed, and the plot feels fresh and realistic, in spite of the laughs and quirkiness. GRADE------A-
A superior filming of the classic comedy THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (1952) written by Oscar Wilde and directed by Anthony Asquith, this is a perfectly filmed sparkler that entertains with witty characters and pithy dialogue. GRADE-------A-
I've always felt that Maggie Smith's THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE (1969) was the ultimate performance for her, so I was suspicious of the Scottish 7 part mini series for PBS with the same name which stars Geraldine McEwan in the leading role, but I'm happy to report that Miss McEwan really grabs hold and makes the role her own. She's a fascinating character, and the two films contain all the very witty and clever lines that are in the novel, although not always in the same scenes. The novel flashes back and forth in time, so the film puts all the events in chronological order. The mini-series takes a sequence or two and puts it into each episode, but could easily be mixed around in viewing order. I still prefer Maggie Smith's version, since it builds chronologically to a logical and dramatic conclusion, but the mini-series is fun to watch, even if the dialogue of some characters, especially the girls, gets lost in the action. My main complaint is that the series just stopped, without any culmination or satisfying finale. GRADE-----------B+ for mini-series (GRADE -----A for Maggie's version).
Another mini-series/movie made for TV is TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (1980) based on the book by John Le Carre. Featuring a subtle, world weary performance by Alec Guinness, this story has him as a top spy brought back from a force retirement to track down a mole who has infiltrated the highest rank of the British Secret Intelligence. It's an intriguing story, perhaps a bit confusing and convoluted at times but Guinness keeps us watching. GRADE--------B
TADPOLE (2002) is a brief (78 minutes) but charming little comedy about a upper class 15 year old boy home from school over Thanksgiving who finds himself sexually drawn to his new step-mother and her best friend, played by Sigourney Weaver and Bebe Neuwirth respectively. There's a sparkling wink in the eye of the actors (John Ritter plays his father) and even though it's a little film, it manages to be sly, smart and at times very funny. GRADE-------B
I recently saw the play SPAMALOT and enjoyed it quite a bit, so seeing MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL(1975) so soon was a bit of a let down, since SPAMALOT is based on HOLY GRAIL and scene for scene and line for line, it was tiresome to hear them again with SPAMALOT so fresh in my mind. Still, it is an inspired story with some remarkably silly but funny lines and if you are in the right mood, it's terrific. GRADE---------B
The plot is full of contrivances, but CRY DANGER (1951) is a watchable if minor film noir starring Dick Powell, Richard Erdman and Rhonda Fleming. Powell is an innocent man who was framed for a stolen $100000 bank role--he tries to find who did steal the money, and where is it stashed. He's followed by a disabled vet who helped to spring Powell, and who hopes to get part of the money, and he hooks up with the wife of his friend (who's still in prison). I'd seen this film less than two years ago, but had still forgotten the surprise twist at the end. GRADE----------B-
An interesting cast helps save this minor slice of life comedy drama based on a true story. MY LIFE SO FAR (1999) is a Scottish film (subtitles anyone?) with Colin Firth and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio playing the parents of a very precocious 10 year old boy. Malcolm McDowell, Rosemary Harris and Irene Jacob round out the cast. This Hugh (CHARIOTS OF FIRE) Hudson film is not terribly memorable, but curious to watch. GRADE------B-
Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson and Art Carney do what they can in this unbelievable romantic comedy HOUSE CALLS (1978) about finding love in middle age, but there are some big improbabilities to swallow. Matthau plays a recently widowed surgeon who has YOUNG women lining up to date him (!), but finds himself attracted to a middle aged patient Jackson who manages to have a lovely apartment paid for by her great cheesecakes she bakes for restaurants (!), and Chief Surgeon Carney is so bumbling and incompetent that it is surprising he hasn't been arrested for malpractice!!!! And that is supposed to be funny? GRADE-----C+
Jane Fonda is a force (as usual) in the recent film PEACE, LOVE AND MISUNDERSTANDING (2011). She plays an aging hippie living in Woodstock who is visited by her uptight lawyer daughter (Catherine Keener) who is going through a divorce, and her two teen aged grand kids. It was fun to watch grandma enlighten the kids as to her life style, and the frustration between mother and daughter was interesting. This was Elizabeth Olsen's first film and she shows much promise. Unfortunately, much of the aging hippie activities fall flat due to stereotypical reactions, and the plot is pretty predictable. Still, Jane Fonda is amazing to watch. GRADE------C+
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