The following 12 films were screened this week May 11-14 for press. Any film rated A, A- or B+ is a must see. Rated B or B- are recommended.
A
CORN ISLAND--From Georgia comes a nearly wordless masterpiece of survival in the middle of a river. A farmer and his teen granddaughter sow corn on a temporary island formed in the middle of a river surrounded by political intrigue. A fascinating character study, suspense thriller, instructional document and human perseverance metaphor.
A-
CITY OF GOLD--US foodie documentary of Pulitzer Prize winning food critic Jonathan Gold, who talks about food in fascinating, clever ways, and emphasizes his love of Los Angeles by telling us about many different neighborhoods. There's nearly a dozen food docs at SIFF this year , and CITY OF GOLD and last weeks FOR GRACE are most likely the best.
B+
FRAME BY FRAME-- Brilliant Afghanistan documentary about four different photo journalists who have become greatly inferential in their country after the Taliban, which had banned photography during their regime, departed several years ago. There is still a great deal of danger in their work, and the film teems with tension and with danger as they attempt to expose what life is still like.
THE AUTOMATIC HATE-- A US shocker of a melodrama, this film generated the most discussion after the screening of any film in the last couple weeks. A young man discovers female cousins he never knew, and an uncle who was estranged from his father. The film teeters between drama and comedy, tension and eroticism, love and hate. I never knew where it was going next, but the plot progression feels organic and truthful, and several plot twists provoked gasps from the audience. I loved it.
MR. HOLMES--British drama headed by another incredibly insightful performance by Ian McKellen as an elderly Sherlock Holmes and a penetrating supporting turn by Laura Linney and Milo Parker as her son. The mystery, while not earth shattering, is clever and surprising, and the film, steeped in melancholic themes of loneliness and death is disturbing and profound. Bill Condon (MONSTERS AND GODS) skillfully directs.
THE BOSS, ANATOMY OF A CRIME--From Argentina, comes this fascinating, based on a true story drama about a simple butcher who is abused and exploited by his boss, to the point of murder. The story switches back and forth in time to fill in the details of the murder, and the efforts of an overworked lawyer to defend him. The ending is rather understated and raises a few questions, and you may never want to eat beef or chicken again in your life.
OUR SUMMER IN PROVENCE--France. Three Parisian siblings go with their grandmother to a remote village and meet their gruff grandfather (Jean Reno) for the first time. The film combines drama and comedy and travel log to VERY pleasing effect, in spite of the cliched plotting. The youngest child is deaf, and incredibly charming. He steals the film, along with the colorful characters who show up to visit grandpa. Very easy on the eyes, which may tear up a time or two by the end.
B
SNOW ON THE BLADES--From Japan, a leisurely story of an aging Samurai swordsman during a time when Japan is going through modern changes, rejecting revenge killings from past conflicts. Our hero has spent 13 years hunting down assailants from his past, and guilt infuses his every decision. A solid, thoughtful, beautifully realized story.
KING GEORGES--Another US food documentary about Georges Perrier, a French chef who owned the world famous restaurant Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia, and his attempt to turn over the reins to young up and coming chef Nicholas Elmi, who during the filming was award winner of TV's TOP CHEF. According to this and other documentaries, running a restaurant is a stressful 20 hour a day job and destroys family life.
LISA, THE FOX FAIRY--From Hungary, comes this fanciful magical tale of a woman searching for love, but a Japanese ghost friend keeps killing off her suitors. In style, the film is similar to the films of Jean-Pierre Jeunett (AMALIE, DELICATESSEN, CITY OF LOST CHILDREN) with out the manic editing, with a little Wes Anderson (GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL) thrown in. This one is a matter of taste--it made me a little drowsy watching it, but I appreciated the humor and special effects.
C
THE GOLDEN HILL--From Nepal. We don't often get to see a film from Nepal, and the recent earthquakes there make for disturbing viewing. The film looks good, but there is very little plot (should our hero go back to finish his college training, or stay and work the farm for mom) and there are at least three scenes of the characters building small stacks of stones (cairns). When you can't engage in a dramatically inert film, you often fall asleep, as many did during the screening.
THE HALLOW--This Irish horror film starts off well, with good production values, but quickly degenerates into a "stay away from the zombies" thriller, although in this case the zombies are really mythical creatures from the forest who act just like......zombies. Not worth staying up until 2am for.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
SIFF Screenings Begin!-----TOPS SO FAR----LOVE AND MERCY, FLOWERS, FOR GRACE, ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL, ROMEO IS BLEEDING, THE NEW GIRLFRIEND.....
The first week and a half of press screenings have begun, and so far the tally is very positive. There hasn't been a real clinker stinker among the first 15 films. Here's what I've seen and enjoyed, starting from the TOP.
A-
THE NEW GIRLFRIEND--French Director Francois Ozon is BACK to form with this slick, droll, melodrama about a young widower who cross dresses in his deceased wife's clothing to placate his new born daughter---and himself! His secret is quickly discovered by his wife's best friend, and suspenseful psychosexual drama ensues.
FOR GRACE---Skillful documentary about the creation of a new Chicago restaurant--from scratch to opening night, following the physical creation of the building and culinary creation of the owner and his menu. Along the way there are a lot of secrets revealed about his troubled past. It may be about a 1% restaurant that I'll never eat at, but the story has great emotional power.
B+
FLOWERS---From Spain, a wistful, at times sentimental, tale starts with the weekly delivery of flowers to a woman from a person unknown, and this branches off to include the stories of half a dozen characters and their relationships with their families. Lovely, thoughtful, carefully written.
ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL---US comedy/drama with smart characters and script, it becomes a new variation of last year's THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, and just as effective.
ROMEO IS BLEEDING--Very powerful US documentary about struggling teens in gang infested city struggling to present a modern version of Romeo and Juliet, with violence in their real time lives.
LOVE AND MERCY--US drama based on life of the Beach Boy's leader Brian Wilson and his struggles with mental illness. The cast includes smart turns by Paul Dano and John Cusack as Wilson at different points in his life, and the effective supporting cast includes Paul Giamatti and Elizaabeth Banks as the ruthless manager and new sympathetic girlfriend, respectively.
B
TIME OUT OF MIND--US independent film with strong, unusual casting (Richard Gere, Jena Malone, Ben Vereen, Kyra Sedgwick) about a homeless man (Gere!) trying to make it on the streets. The film could have used more humor, but it nails the frustrations and helplessness of the characters --many of them with mental illness issues that prevent them from escaping this modern day hell.
SEOUL SEARCHING---Fictionalized but based on a true story, this has Korean teens from around the world returning to Korea in the 1980's to discover their roots in a "summer camp" situation. There are some annoying cliches in the first 20 minutes as they all arrive with different agendas, and you might feel guilty laughing (or wincing) as these kids start drinking and seeking sex. But about a third of the way into the film some serious issues arise and the themes become rather illuminating. Plus, it has a great 1980's musical score and effective actors, and it becomes a rousing audience pleaser.
B-
VIRTUOSITY--US documentary of a year at the CLIBURN--a prestigious piano competition .
There's lots of piano music and interesting characters, but overall this film is not too memorable.
PHOENIX--German thriller about Holocaust survivor who gains a newly reconstructed face, but must still face demons from the past. Lead Nina Hoss is fine, but plot does have some holes.
GEMMA BOVERY--French film set is small town where the baker wants to pretend new neighbor is a modern version of Madame Bovery. The film is breezy and easy to watch.
WATERLINE--Moody Polish film about pregnant police woman with missing cop fiance must solve murders. The film feels a lot like many BBC or cable police thrillers these days, but with all those Polish names, a half dozen middle aged men all looking alike and darkly photographed images, I found it difficult to really understand what all was happening at times.
I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS--Lightweight US film. with Blythe Danner as a widowed older woman who might have another chance at love.
CIUDAD DELIRIO--Columbia/Spain film with lots of dancing and salsa music, and some romance on the side. It is an audience pleaser in spite of many coincidences in the plot.
GUIDANCE--Wacky Canadian comedy about alcoholic former child star who pretends to be a high school guidance councilor by befriending and plying kids with booze and drugs. It works much better than it should, thanks to the brilliance of writer/director/lead actor Pat Mills. Big guilty pleasure!!!
C+
SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE--US independent film with decent cast and production values, and a well crafted script, but this comedy isn't consistently funny and the subject matter (sex addiction) becomes repellent at times.
MANGLEHORN--US independent film with excellent cast, set in small Texas town. Al Pacino plays a cranky guy pining for his lost love, and Holly Hunter is a lonely bank clerk. It is an odd, moody film, more of a multiple character study, and there are some amazing, curious moments. But overall the film is unsatisfying as a whole.
C-
COOKING UP A TRIBUTE--Spanish restaurant documentary has owners going around world to discover new ways to cook menu. Felt like it was edited in a food blender, and it is really boring.
I'm happy to recommend any film rated B- or better!
A-
THE NEW GIRLFRIEND--French Director Francois Ozon is BACK to form with this slick, droll, melodrama about a young widower who cross dresses in his deceased wife's clothing to placate his new born daughter---and himself! His secret is quickly discovered by his wife's best friend, and suspenseful psychosexual drama ensues.
FOR GRACE---Skillful documentary about the creation of a new Chicago restaurant--from scratch to opening night, following the physical creation of the building and culinary creation of the owner and his menu. Along the way there are a lot of secrets revealed about his troubled past. It may be about a 1% restaurant that I'll never eat at, but the story has great emotional power.
B+
FLOWERS---From Spain, a wistful, at times sentimental, tale starts with the weekly delivery of flowers to a woman from a person unknown, and this branches off to include the stories of half a dozen characters and their relationships with their families. Lovely, thoughtful, carefully written.
ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL---US comedy/drama with smart characters and script, it becomes a new variation of last year's THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, and just as effective.
ROMEO IS BLEEDING--Very powerful US documentary about struggling teens in gang infested city struggling to present a modern version of Romeo and Juliet, with violence in their real time lives.
LOVE AND MERCY--US drama based on life of the Beach Boy's leader Brian Wilson and his struggles with mental illness. The cast includes smart turns by Paul Dano and John Cusack as Wilson at different points in his life, and the effective supporting cast includes Paul Giamatti and Elizaabeth Banks as the ruthless manager and new sympathetic girlfriend, respectively.
B
TIME OUT OF MIND--US independent film with strong, unusual casting (Richard Gere, Jena Malone, Ben Vereen, Kyra Sedgwick) about a homeless man (Gere!) trying to make it on the streets. The film could have used more humor, but it nails the frustrations and helplessness of the characters --many of them with mental illness issues that prevent them from escaping this modern day hell.
SEOUL SEARCHING---Fictionalized but based on a true story, this has Korean teens from around the world returning to Korea in the 1980's to discover their roots in a "summer camp" situation. There are some annoying cliches in the first 20 minutes as they all arrive with different agendas, and you might feel guilty laughing (or wincing) as these kids start drinking and seeking sex. But about a third of the way into the film some serious issues arise and the themes become rather illuminating. Plus, it has a great 1980's musical score and effective actors, and it becomes a rousing audience pleaser.
B-
VIRTUOSITY--US documentary of a year at the CLIBURN--a prestigious piano competition .
There's lots of piano music and interesting characters, but overall this film is not too memorable.
PHOENIX--German thriller about Holocaust survivor who gains a newly reconstructed face, but must still face demons from the past. Lead Nina Hoss is fine, but plot does have some holes.
GEMMA BOVERY--French film set is small town where the baker wants to pretend new neighbor is a modern version of Madame Bovery. The film is breezy and easy to watch.
WATERLINE--Moody Polish film about pregnant police woman with missing cop fiance must solve murders. The film feels a lot like many BBC or cable police thrillers these days, but with all those Polish names, a half dozen middle aged men all looking alike and darkly photographed images, I found it difficult to really understand what all was happening at times.
I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS--Lightweight US film. with Blythe Danner as a widowed older woman who might have another chance at love.
CIUDAD DELIRIO--Columbia/Spain film with lots of dancing and salsa music, and some romance on the side. It is an audience pleaser in spite of many coincidences in the plot.
GUIDANCE--Wacky Canadian comedy about alcoholic former child star who pretends to be a high school guidance councilor by befriending and plying kids with booze and drugs. It works much better than it should, thanks to the brilliance of writer/director/lead actor Pat Mills. Big guilty pleasure!!!
C+
SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE--US independent film with decent cast and production values, and a well crafted script, but this comedy isn't consistently funny and the subject matter (sex addiction) becomes repellent at times.
MANGLEHORN--US independent film with excellent cast, set in small Texas town. Al Pacino plays a cranky guy pining for his lost love, and Holly Hunter is a lonely bank clerk. It is an odd, moody film, more of a multiple character study, and there are some amazing, curious moments. But overall the film is unsatisfying as a whole.
C-
COOKING UP A TRIBUTE--Spanish restaurant documentary has owners going around world to discover new ways to cook menu. Felt like it was edited in a food blender, and it is really boring.
I'm happy to recommend any film rated B- or better!
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, EX MACHINA, WHILE WE'RE YOUNG plus DVD's FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD (1967), WORLD'S END, WE ARE THE BEST.....
If you liked the THE AVENGERS (2012) then this is a no brainer for you to see---it is a lot of fun. Loud, busy, funny, over the top at times, THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON continues the story of half a dozen super heroes plus some new ones who gather together to save ---what else?--the world or rather, all humanity, from extinction. The key for writer/director Joss Whedon is humor, and he tries to find a laugh or two in every scene, keeping the action light and the talking scenes enjoyable. I attended a screening at a multi plex on its first Sunday morning at 1100am (it was playing on 6 screens at that theatre!) and arrived 20 minutes early. The line was long, and I was informed that my show was booked to 87% full already, and that the later show at 1130am was booked to 93%. Obviously a major blockbuster film, but in this case, I didn't mind, because the film is incredibly enjoyable with a great satisfaction factor. GRADE----------A-
WHILE WE'RE YOUNG is a cleverly written and directed film by Noah Baumbach, who recently created FRANCES HA (2012) and THE QUID AND THE WHALE (2005). This new film starts out as a satire about a 40 something couple who become fascinated by an energetic 20 something couple who are into everything, and they try to keep up to them and ingratiate themselves into their lives. The film turns darker when issues of professional lying and unethical film making tears the friends apart. The actors (including Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts, Charles Grodin, and Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried as the younger couple) are all terrific, and watching the film is mostly a pleasure to watch, in spite of the mood change towards the end. GRADE--------B
The new science fiction film EX MACHINA dealing with humans interacting with artificial intelligence is clever and carefully written and directed to emphasize the growing suspense to the final "surprises"---but it still feels overly familiar. My favorite film on this subject is still Steven Speilberg's underrated masterpiece A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (2001), but it does feature interesting performances by Oscar Isaac (A MOST VIOLENT YEAR 2014 and INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS 2013) as the scientist who creates EVA, and Domhnall Gleeson (UNBROKEN 2014, CALVARY 2014, ABOUT TIME 2013 and HARRY POTTER AND DEATHLY HALLOWS 2010/11) as the new programmer. GRADE--------B
DVD viewing-------------------------------------------
FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD (1967)---This luscious looking film version of Thomas Hardy's novel, and directed by John Schlesinger (MIDNIGHT COWBOY 1969, SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY 1971, MARATHON MAN 1976) features wonderful performances by Alan Bates, Peter Finch, Terrance Stamp, and especially the lovely Julie Christie. The production values are exceptional--photography, music, editing, set design---everything is a joy to behold in this underrated film. I'll be seeing the new remake soon, so it will be interesting to compare. GRADE-------A-
THE WORLD'S END (2013)--Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (SHAUN OF THE DEAD, etc) star in this action comedy/horror film about six friends on a 12 pub crawl who come across "robots" who have taken over their small hometown. There is a lot of humor, action and clever characters. Lot's of despicable drinking too, so that does temper some of the humor. Still it's lively and funny and a creative take on the "zombie" picture. GRADE-------B
WE ARE THE BEST! (2013)--Lukas Moodysson's newest film (after SHOW ME LOVE 1998, TOGETHER 2000, LILYA 4-EVER 2002) is a sweet natured film set in the 80's about three teen girls who try to start up a punk band. The best part of the film: they aren't ever very good, but the film focuses on growing up and finding love and finding their way in the world. GRADE-----B
REIGN OF TERROR aka THE BLACK BOOK (1949)--Directed by Anthony Mann and featuring Robert Cummings, Arlene Dahl and Richard Basehart, this suspense film set during the French Revolution (see TALE OF TWO CITIES above) has a search for a dairy that would incriminate a lot of important people and send them (or the book's owner) to the guillotine. Filmed in vivid black and white, the look is very much in the film noir style. GRADE------B
CAUSE CELEBRE (1987)---Based on a true story, this British BBC TV film features a young Helen Mirren as a woman accused of murdering her older husband with the help of her younger lover. The actors are fine, but the courtroom drama and flashbacks feel flat. GRADE-----C+
X, Y AND ZEE aka ZEE AND CO. (1972)---Michael Caine, Susannah York and Elizabeth Taylor each have their moments in this lurid, leisurely drama that gives Taylor the edge, seemingly reprising her role of Martha from WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF. Caine is her husband who is falling for his new mistress York, who has her own dark secrets. GRADE-------C+
THEY CAME TOGETHER (2014)--This parody of love stories in the vein of AIRPLANE! feels sloppy and dumb much of the time, although Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler do get off some zingers, but if I'd seen it in a theatre, I would have wanted my money back. GRADE----C-
_____________________
Currently playing in Seattle, and reviewed from 2014 SIFF are a couple well worth seeing in a theatre-----DIOR AND I and especially TANGERINES (a recent Oscar nominee for foreign film.)
DIOR AND I ---------GRADE---B+ and TANGERINES--------GRADE-----A. See blog from last year for more info.
-------------------
My BLOG next week-------movies viewed from the new 2015 SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL......which starts officially 14May. See Siff.net for screening info.
WHILE WE'RE YOUNG is a cleverly written and directed film by Noah Baumbach, who recently created FRANCES HA (2012) and THE QUID AND THE WHALE (2005). This new film starts out as a satire about a 40 something couple who become fascinated by an energetic 20 something couple who are into everything, and they try to keep up to them and ingratiate themselves into their lives. The film turns darker when issues of professional lying and unethical film making tears the friends apart. The actors (including Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts, Charles Grodin, and Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried as the younger couple) are all terrific, and watching the film is mostly a pleasure to watch, in spite of the mood change towards the end. GRADE--------B
The new science fiction film EX MACHINA dealing with humans interacting with artificial intelligence is clever and carefully written and directed to emphasize the growing suspense to the final "surprises"---but it still feels overly familiar. My favorite film on this subject is still Steven Speilberg's underrated masterpiece A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (2001), but it does feature interesting performances by Oscar Isaac (A MOST VIOLENT YEAR 2014 and INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS 2013) as the scientist who creates EVA, and Domhnall Gleeson (UNBROKEN 2014, CALVARY 2014, ABOUT TIME 2013 and HARRY POTTER AND DEATHLY HALLOWS 2010/11) as the new programmer. GRADE--------B
DVD viewing-------------------------------------------
FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD (1967)---This luscious looking film version of Thomas Hardy's novel, and directed by John Schlesinger (MIDNIGHT COWBOY 1969, SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY 1971, MARATHON MAN 1976) features wonderful performances by Alan Bates, Peter Finch, Terrance Stamp, and especially the lovely Julie Christie. The production values are exceptional--photography, music, editing, set design---everything is a joy to behold in this underrated film. I'll be seeing the new remake soon, so it will be interesting to compare. GRADE-------A-
THE WORLD'S END (2013)--Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (SHAUN OF THE DEAD, etc) star in this action comedy/horror film about six friends on a 12 pub crawl who come across "robots" who have taken over their small hometown. There is a lot of humor, action and clever characters. Lot's of despicable drinking too, so that does temper some of the humor. Still it's lively and funny and a creative take on the "zombie" picture. GRADE-------B
WE ARE THE BEST! (2013)--Lukas Moodysson's newest film (after SHOW ME LOVE 1998, TOGETHER 2000, LILYA 4-EVER 2002) is a sweet natured film set in the 80's about three teen girls who try to start up a punk band. The best part of the film: they aren't ever very good, but the film focuses on growing up and finding love and finding their way in the world. GRADE-----B
REIGN OF TERROR aka THE BLACK BOOK (1949)--Directed by Anthony Mann and featuring Robert Cummings, Arlene Dahl and Richard Basehart, this suspense film set during the French Revolution (see TALE OF TWO CITIES above) has a search for a dairy that would incriminate a lot of important people and send them (or the book's owner) to the guillotine. Filmed in vivid black and white, the look is very much in the film noir style. GRADE------B
CAUSE CELEBRE (1987)---Based on a true story, this British BBC TV film features a young Helen Mirren as a woman accused of murdering her older husband with the help of her younger lover. The actors are fine, but the courtroom drama and flashbacks feel flat. GRADE-----C+
X, Y AND ZEE aka ZEE AND CO. (1972)---Michael Caine, Susannah York and Elizabeth Taylor each have their moments in this lurid, leisurely drama that gives Taylor the edge, seemingly reprising her role of Martha from WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF. Caine is her husband who is falling for his new mistress York, who has her own dark secrets. GRADE-------C+
THEY CAME TOGETHER (2014)--This parody of love stories in the vein of AIRPLANE! feels sloppy and dumb much of the time, although Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler do get off some zingers, but if I'd seen it in a theatre, I would have wanted my money back. GRADE----C-
_____________________
Currently playing in Seattle, and reviewed from 2014 SIFF are a couple well worth seeing in a theatre-----DIOR AND I and especially TANGERINES (a recent Oscar nominee for foreign film.)
DIOR AND I ---------GRADE---B+ and TANGERINES--------GRADE-----A. See blog from last year for more info.
-------------------
My BLOG next week-------movies viewed from the new 2015 SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL......which starts officially 14May. See Siff.net for screening info.
Monday, April 20, 2015
CINDERELLA, KINGSMAN: SECRET SERVICE, FURIOUS 7, 2nd BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, WOMAN IN GOLD, OSCAR ANIMATED SHORTS and BOYHOOD, again, plus DAVID COOPERFIELD, GREAT EXPECTATIONS, NORMAL HEART, THE SWIMMER, Jimmy Stewert westerns and CAPTAIN AMERICAN: WINTER SOLDIER
The month of March was spent traveling, mostly in a car, with two trips to Palm Springs and a long car trip to Illinois and back. Got back on Easter Sunday and had to attend to my mother in law being in the hospital for a week, then a nursing home for some rehab for 10 days, and finally resettled to a new memory loss facility. I managed to still squeeze in nearly 15 films, plus some westerns that I forgot to write about last time.
Just prior to the Oscar show in February, I saw BOYHOOD for a second time, and it holds up nearly the same as the first time. Even though I didn't agree with all her acting choices, I thought Patricia Arquette was very effective and certainly deserved the Supporting Oscar. There could be about 10-15 minutes easily trimmed from the running time, or else there could be some scenes expanded and made into a longer 4 hour film watched in segments. GRADE------A-
My favorite current film is the new live action version of CINDERELLA directed by Kenneth Branagh. I was supposed to see it with my grand daughter, but someone beat me to it. She and her mother didn't like it. There were also a lot of restless young children in the screening I just recently saw on Sunday morning. And no wonder. This gloriously photographed, majestically scored, rapturously costumed and intelligently scripted fairy tale (with actors speaking in British accents!) is really an ADULT version which you might expect to see on a Sunday night on MASTERPIECE THEATRE. I found it fascinating, moving, effectively romanticized, and in spite of knowing the story extremely well, quite satisfying. In my case, expectations were well exceeded. A special bonus: Cate Blanchett gets to steal the movie from everyone else as the evil step mother, without being a cliche. GRADE--------------B+
Another remake, basically, is the film FURIOUS 7, the latest version of the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise, of which I have only seen Number 1 and 2 several years ago. This film is very satisfying for what it is---a foot pedal to the floor actioner with fast cars racing and crashing, wild fist fights with the help of explosions and collapsing buildings, death defying stunts featuring cars that "fly" between large sky scrappers, and other stunts involving cars sky diving out of planes, and men leaping from one speeding car to another. ETC. The action does not slow down very much, but I enjoyed the ride. This latest version has been energetically directed by James Wan, who did such a great, imaginative job with INSIDIOUS 1 and 2--wonderfully twisted ghost stories that kept me awake nights.
GRADE-------------B+
It was a pleasure to be back in the company of the sequel, called THE 2nd BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, with most of the same actors involved, although Maggie Smith has thankfully been given the co lead with Dame Judy Dench---Maggie's role has been expanded to being the manager of the hotel, and she is involved with the young and exuberant Dev Patel to try to open a 2nd hotel because business is booming. There are the usual senior jokes about sex, aging, death and love, and the closing is left open, perhaps for another sequel which hopefully would be as pleasing as the first two installments. GRADE------------B
An odd noisy film spoofing spy movies, KINGSMAN : THE SECRET SERVICE features sly, amusing performances by Michael Caine, Colin Firth, and especially Samuel L. Jackson, and a fine debut from young Taron Egarton who holds his own against them. There's a lot of clever energy and twisty plotting, but the film is extremely violent, and violently grotesque at times, and leaves a rather bad taste in your mouth. Still, I was not bored, but some might be rather offended at the absurd violence (IE. head exploding, limb lopping, sliced body parts, etc.)
GRADE--------------------B
Just prior to Oscar night, I attended a screening of OSCAR ANIMATED SHORTS, and found them all to be quite precious and endearing in very different ways. My favorite was the short FEAST which has played preceding the recent film BIG HERO 6 all over the world. It ended up winning best short animated feature, and that was OK with me. Average of about 10 shorts viewed GRADE------------B
As usual, Helen Mirren is the main reason for seeing WOMAN IN GOLD, based on a true story about a Jewish woman's family destroyed by the Nazis, as they killed her parents and sister and ransacked her family home, stealing many fine pieces of art. Recently many efforts have been made to have the stolen art returned to the original owner's family. Now 60 years later, Maria (Mirren) hooks up with a family friend lawyer (Ryan Reynolds) to retrieve the art pieces, one of which, Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, is worth over $150 million dollars. Throughout the film I kept wondering who is the woman playing Maria as a younger woman--she was quite good. In the last scene I realized that is the talented Tatiana Maslany, who currently plays 6 (or 7 or 8?) characters on the clone mystery drama on the BBC called ORPHAN BLACK. Unfortunately, the fact that I was so distracted leads to the main problem with WOMAN IN GOLD---the plot/script is clunky and perhaps a little boring and repetitious. Still, kudos to the cast for keeping us involved at all. GRADE--------B-
The following films were viewed on DVD--------------
I first saw THE SWIMMER (1968) many years ago, and I can't remember if I saw it with my Grandfather, or just thought of him while I watched it back then. An excellent, dashing Burt Lancaster, who only wears a tight short short swim suit (or LESS) in the whole movie, plays a gregarious friendly ad-man who at the start of the story is determined to swim across the town from pool to pool all the way home--this being an upper class community where many rich people have pools. We slowly learn about him and his family as he encounters neighbors who comment about his past. We learn about the neighbors, too, and slowly some tragic, horrifying truths come to light. There is a devastating conclusion to the story, although not exactly a surprise if you are paying attention. This film and another Lancaster film ELMER GANTRY both remind me of Dampa in their character and mannerisms, and it makes sense, because of how my Grandfather died. See THE SWIMMER and you'll figure it out. Based on a story by John Cheever and directed by Frank Perry and later Sidney Pollack when Perry pulled out. Lancaster is terrific. It's a haunting, mod-60's film that lingers in your memory. GRADE----------A
David Lean's classic film version of Charles Dickens's novel GREAT EXPECTATIONS (1947) is a remarkable achievement considering that the 30 hour read book on tape is condensed down to a smart 2 hours and covers nearly all the major plotting. I've experienced several versions of GREAT EXPECTATIONS recently, and this is still the best. GRADE---------A
CRAZY STUPID LOVE (2011) is a funny comedy about love, divorce, sexual manners and complex relationships. Steve Carell plays a family man being divorced by his wife (Julianne Moore) because he is rather boring. He hooks up with a slick player (Ryan Gosling) who teaches him how to be more sexually interesting. His wife becomes involved with a co worker, he with a one night stand, the player falls for a straight arrow NON player (Emma Stone) , and things come to a head when some characters are revealed to be more involved with the story then first realized. There are some very funny moments, especially the extended conclusion. GRADE--------B+
I've also seen many versions of DAVID COPPERFIELD (1935) though I enjoyed the BBC version 1999 (see earlier blog) the best , but this George Cukor version has many memorable characters and scenes. Freddie Bartholomew, Edna May Oliver and the great W.C. Fields excel as young David, Aunt Betsey and Micawber respectively. GRADE------------B+
We tried to listen to the book on tape (20 hours), but bailed out after several hours (dull reader..) and instead moved straight to the film version of TALE OF TWO CITIES (1935) directed by Jack Conway. Ronald Coleman plays an alcoholic British lawyer who falls for a woman whose father was locked up for 18 years in Paris. She in turn has fallen for the son of the man who had locked up her father, unbeknownst to her. I suddenly realized about two thirds through who was going to be saying "It is a far better thing that I do....." but found this French Revolution story quite gripping nonetheless. I wonder why no one has remade this story. Also features the amusing Edna May Oliver. GRADE----------B+
THE NORMAL HEART (2014) is an HBO film that dramatizes the early efforts of doctors and gay men to find the origins of the AIDS epidemic, and to find a cure. The excellent cast includes Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, Julia Roberts, and Emmy award winner Mark Ruffalo, who plays the author Larry Kramer. A fine production of a sad, frustrating historical story. GRADE---------B+
A four pack of Jimmy Stewart westerns provided some solid entertainment. BEND OF THE RIVER (1952) directed by Anthony Mann has Stewart helping a westward bound wagon train to Oregon, and it's necessary for him to kick some ass to get promised supplies to the starving travelers. FAR COUNTRY (1954) is also directed by Anthony Mann is set in the Yukon and Alaska, where Stewart must fight for his stolen herd of cattle with the help of Walter Brennan and madame Ruth Roman. NIGHT PASSAGE (1957) was my least favorite, with Stewart as the good brother and Audie Murphy miscast as the younger bad brother who try to stop a train robbery. THE RARE BREED (1966) was the most unusual as Stewart tries to help an unrecognizable Brian Keith raise a new breed of cattle with distractions by Maureen O'Hara and Juliet Mills as the owners of the stud. GRADES-----------BEND B--------FAR B-------NIGHT C-----RARE B+
Last summers blockbuster CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER (2014) is decent enough, but not as thrilling as the last CAPTAIN AMERICA which introduced the character. I wanted more of his long lost buddy turned evil nemesis--perhaps that will be in the next film. GRADE-----B-
REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE (1967) directed by John Huston, features a curious performance by Marlon Brando, a smooth one by Elizabeth Taylor, and a dull one by Brian Keith, but the story by Carson McCullers is Southern Gothic melodrama. Still, it has some fascination. Huston filmed it in a golden hue, and there is lots of symbolism and weird sexuality on display. Julie Harris and Robert Forster are also featured. GRADE-------B-
There's a potential decent thriller in MIRAGE (1965) which has "business man" Gregory Peck stumbling around with what appears to be amnesia but people in his sky scrapper seem to know him, and a mysterious woman (Diane Baker) leads him on, possibly to danger. He hires a detective to find out about his past (a humorous Walter Mathau), but a trail of dead bodies leads him deeper into confusion. The plot is a stretch, and not all the facts add up. Writer Peter Stone wrote it much better earlier with one of my favorites, CHARADE (1963.) GRADE------C+
Just prior to the Oscar show in February, I saw BOYHOOD for a second time, and it holds up nearly the same as the first time. Even though I didn't agree with all her acting choices, I thought Patricia Arquette was very effective and certainly deserved the Supporting Oscar. There could be about 10-15 minutes easily trimmed from the running time, or else there could be some scenes expanded and made into a longer 4 hour film watched in segments. GRADE------A-
My favorite current film is the new live action version of CINDERELLA directed by Kenneth Branagh. I was supposed to see it with my grand daughter, but someone beat me to it. She and her mother didn't like it. There were also a lot of restless young children in the screening I just recently saw on Sunday morning. And no wonder. This gloriously photographed, majestically scored, rapturously costumed and intelligently scripted fairy tale (with actors speaking in British accents!) is really an ADULT version which you might expect to see on a Sunday night on MASTERPIECE THEATRE. I found it fascinating, moving, effectively romanticized, and in spite of knowing the story extremely well, quite satisfying. In my case, expectations were well exceeded. A special bonus: Cate Blanchett gets to steal the movie from everyone else as the evil step mother, without being a cliche. GRADE--------------B+
Another remake, basically, is the film FURIOUS 7, the latest version of the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise, of which I have only seen Number 1 and 2 several years ago. This film is very satisfying for what it is---a foot pedal to the floor actioner with fast cars racing and crashing, wild fist fights with the help of explosions and collapsing buildings, death defying stunts featuring cars that "fly" between large sky scrappers, and other stunts involving cars sky diving out of planes, and men leaping from one speeding car to another. ETC. The action does not slow down very much, but I enjoyed the ride. This latest version has been energetically directed by James Wan, who did such a great, imaginative job with INSIDIOUS 1 and 2--wonderfully twisted ghost stories that kept me awake nights.
GRADE-------------B+
It was a pleasure to be back in the company of the sequel, called THE 2nd BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, with most of the same actors involved, although Maggie Smith has thankfully been given the co lead with Dame Judy Dench---Maggie's role has been expanded to being the manager of the hotel, and she is involved with the young and exuberant Dev Patel to try to open a 2nd hotel because business is booming. There are the usual senior jokes about sex, aging, death and love, and the closing is left open, perhaps for another sequel which hopefully would be as pleasing as the first two installments. GRADE------------B
An odd noisy film spoofing spy movies, KINGSMAN : THE SECRET SERVICE features sly, amusing performances by Michael Caine, Colin Firth, and especially Samuel L. Jackson, and a fine debut from young Taron Egarton who holds his own against them. There's a lot of clever energy and twisty plotting, but the film is extremely violent, and violently grotesque at times, and leaves a rather bad taste in your mouth. Still, I was not bored, but some might be rather offended at the absurd violence (IE. head exploding, limb lopping, sliced body parts, etc.)
GRADE--------------------B
Just prior to Oscar night, I attended a screening of OSCAR ANIMATED SHORTS, and found them all to be quite precious and endearing in very different ways. My favorite was the short FEAST which has played preceding the recent film BIG HERO 6 all over the world. It ended up winning best short animated feature, and that was OK with me. Average of about 10 shorts viewed GRADE------------B
As usual, Helen Mirren is the main reason for seeing WOMAN IN GOLD, based on a true story about a Jewish woman's family destroyed by the Nazis, as they killed her parents and sister and ransacked her family home, stealing many fine pieces of art. Recently many efforts have been made to have the stolen art returned to the original owner's family. Now 60 years later, Maria (Mirren) hooks up with a family friend lawyer (Ryan Reynolds) to retrieve the art pieces, one of which, Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, is worth over $150 million dollars. Throughout the film I kept wondering who is the woman playing Maria as a younger woman--she was quite good. In the last scene I realized that is the talented Tatiana Maslany, who currently plays 6 (or 7 or 8?) characters on the clone mystery drama on the BBC called ORPHAN BLACK. Unfortunately, the fact that I was so distracted leads to the main problem with WOMAN IN GOLD---the plot/script is clunky and perhaps a little boring and repetitious. Still, kudos to the cast for keeping us involved at all. GRADE--------B-
The following films were viewed on DVD--------------
I first saw THE SWIMMER (1968) many years ago, and I can't remember if I saw it with my Grandfather, or just thought of him while I watched it back then. An excellent, dashing Burt Lancaster, who only wears a tight short short swim suit (or LESS) in the whole movie, plays a gregarious friendly ad-man who at the start of the story is determined to swim across the town from pool to pool all the way home--this being an upper class community where many rich people have pools. We slowly learn about him and his family as he encounters neighbors who comment about his past. We learn about the neighbors, too, and slowly some tragic, horrifying truths come to light. There is a devastating conclusion to the story, although not exactly a surprise if you are paying attention. This film and another Lancaster film ELMER GANTRY both remind me of Dampa in their character and mannerisms, and it makes sense, because of how my Grandfather died. See THE SWIMMER and you'll figure it out. Based on a story by John Cheever and directed by Frank Perry and later Sidney Pollack when Perry pulled out. Lancaster is terrific. It's a haunting, mod-60's film that lingers in your memory. GRADE----------A
David Lean's classic film version of Charles Dickens's novel GREAT EXPECTATIONS (1947) is a remarkable achievement considering that the 30 hour read book on tape is condensed down to a smart 2 hours and covers nearly all the major plotting. I've experienced several versions of GREAT EXPECTATIONS recently, and this is still the best. GRADE---------A
CRAZY STUPID LOVE (2011) is a funny comedy about love, divorce, sexual manners and complex relationships. Steve Carell plays a family man being divorced by his wife (Julianne Moore) because he is rather boring. He hooks up with a slick player (Ryan Gosling) who teaches him how to be more sexually interesting. His wife becomes involved with a co worker, he with a one night stand, the player falls for a straight arrow NON player (Emma Stone) , and things come to a head when some characters are revealed to be more involved with the story then first realized. There are some very funny moments, especially the extended conclusion. GRADE--------B+
I've also seen many versions of DAVID COPPERFIELD (1935) though I enjoyed the BBC version 1999 (see earlier blog) the best , but this George Cukor version has many memorable characters and scenes. Freddie Bartholomew, Edna May Oliver and the great W.C. Fields excel as young David, Aunt Betsey and Micawber respectively. GRADE------------B+
We tried to listen to the book on tape (20 hours), but bailed out after several hours (dull reader..) and instead moved straight to the film version of TALE OF TWO CITIES (1935) directed by Jack Conway. Ronald Coleman plays an alcoholic British lawyer who falls for a woman whose father was locked up for 18 years in Paris. She in turn has fallen for the son of the man who had locked up her father, unbeknownst to her. I suddenly realized about two thirds through who was going to be saying "It is a far better thing that I do....." but found this French Revolution story quite gripping nonetheless. I wonder why no one has remade this story. Also features the amusing Edna May Oliver. GRADE----------B+
THE NORMAL HEART (2014) is an HBO film that dramatizes the early efforts of doctors and gay men to find the origins of the AIDS epidemic, and to find a cure. The excellent cast includes Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, Julia Roberts, and Emmy award winner Mark Ruffalo, who plays the author Larry Kramer. A fine production of a sad, frustrating historical story. GRADE---------B+
A four pack of Jimmy Stewart westerns provided some solid entertainment. BEND OF THE RIVER (1952) directed by Anthony Mann has Stewart helping a westward bound wagon train to Oregon, and it's necessary for him to kick some ass to get promised supplies to the starving travelers. FAR COUNTRY (1954) is also directed by Anthony Mann is set in the Yukon and Alaska, where Stewart must fight for his stolen herd of cattle with the help of Walter Brennan and madame Ruth Roman. NIGHT PASSAGE (1957) was my least favorite, with Stewart as the good brother and Audie Murphy miscast as the younger bad brother who try to stop a train robbery. THE RARE BREED (1966) was the most unusual as Stewart tries to help an unrecognizable Brian Keith raise a new breed of cattle with distractions by Maureen O'Hara and Juliet Mills as the owners of the stud. GRADES-----------BEND B--------FAR B-------NIGHT C-----RARE B+
Last summers blockbuster CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER (2014) is decent enough, but not as thrilling as the last CAPTAIN AMERICA which introduced the character. I wanted more of his long lost buddy turned evil nemesis--perhaps that will be in the next film. GRADE-----B-
REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE (1967) directed by John Huston, features a curious performance by Marlon Brando, a smooth one by Elizabeth Taylor, and a dull one by Brian Keith, but the story by Carson McCullers is Southern Gothic melodrama. Still, it has some fascination. Huston filmed it in a golden hue, and there is lots of symbolism and weird sexuality on display. Julie Harris and Robert Forster are also featured. GRADE-------B-
There's a potential decent thriller in MIRAGE (1965) which has "business man" Gregory Peck stumbling around with what appears to be amnesia but people in his sky scrapper seem to know him, and a mysterious woman (Diane Baker) leads him on, possibly to danger. He hires a detective to find out about his past (a humorous Walter Mathau), but a trail of dead bodies leads him deeper into confusion. The plot is a stretch, and not all the facts add up. Writer Peter Stone wrote it much better earlier with one of my favorites, CHARADE (1963.) GRADE------C+
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
TOP FILMS OF 2014---plus Reviews of SELMA, WHIPLASH, ODE TO MY FATHER, STILL ALICE, A MOST VIOLENT YEAR, AMERICAN SNIPER, plus OSCAR Predictions
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.
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.
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-
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