Sunday 17 January 2016

2012 Page Added

Best Movie-Viewing Experiences 2/1/16 - 17/1/16     

MOONRISE KINGDOM (2012)
A   MOVIE JUKEBOX
d: Wes Anderson
CAST: Jared Gilman & Kara Hayward; Bruce Willis; Edward Norton; Bill Murray; Frances McDormand; Tilda Swinton; Jason Schwartzman; Harvey Keitel
> it's a Wes Anderson film, so the following terms apply: eccentric / quirky / charming / gentle / warm / whimsical / poignant / idiosyncratic / romantic; impossible to describe the film without using any of those descriptors, so I can just add that, like with The Grand Budapest Hotel and (I insist) The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, the film is somehow about this world but not of this world; the plot focus on (very) young love is both dubious and quaint and performed by a terrific child couple; ensemble cast of big names contributes something special to the enterprise; wholly unique in cinema



CAROL (2015)
A   FIRST VIEWING   IN-CINEMA
d: Todd Haynes
CAST: Cate Blanchett; Rooney Mara
>primarily an old-fashioned romance (I kept thinking of 1957's An Affair to Remember...but without the humorous touches and the crappy song); the lead actresses are a terrific movie couple and complement each other beautifully - a true performance partnership; try as it may, the support cast barely exists; geez, the two women smoke up a storm!; handled with such a delicacy of touch by Todd that the film doesn't tip into melodramatics even when the story does; the ending is cinematic perfection
Award-Worthy Performances 
Cate Blanchett & Rooney Mara




THE GUARD (2011)
A-   FIRST VIEWING
d: John Michael McDonagh
CAST: Brendan Gleeson; Don Cheadle; Mark Strong
> very amusing Irish crime flick which uses the old aren't-Americans-full-of-shit schtick to get its laughs (like many British comedies have done over the years); Brendan is just perfect as the naughty-but-ethical village cop & Don is suitably out of his depth as the Yank FBI agent; a couple of subtle touches (dying mother; lovelorn longings) give these characters depth so they aren't just figures of fun; perpetuates the cliche that the Irish are quirky wee folk who are deceptively cunning; the ending is a hoot; a possible Movie Jukebox inductee  
Award-Worthy Performance
Brendan Gleeson



THE REVENANT (2015)
A-  FIRST VIEWING   IN-CINEMA
d: Alejandro G. Inarritu
CAST: Leonardo DiCaprio; Tom Hardy; Will Poulter
> genuinely glorious landscape & nature cinematography with fluid / mobile camerawork; usual whinge - the film is about 20 minutes too long (the build-up to the climactic vengeance scene is unnecessarily prolonged & the tension consequently seeps out); the group attack by Indians, the solo attack by bear and the final duel are right in your face and are riveting & confronting as a result; lotsa blood'n'guts throughout, so not for the squeamish; Leo & Tom are worthy adversaries; the physical ordeals suffered by both cast and crew during the filming should supply them with great pub stories for years to come
Award-Worthy Performances
Leonardo DiCaprio; Tom Hardy 



MAN OF FLOWERS (1983)
A-  SECOND VIEWING
d: Paul Cox
CAST: Norman Kaye; Chris Hayward; Alyson Best
> a film about the appreciation of beauty; a highly-regarded Australian piece which is unusual (for us) due to its softness and languid pace; certainly better with second viewing, it's one of those movies which will be contemplated afterwards over a coffee; a bit of voyeurism, a bit of justice, a lot of music, some dark humour (which only kicks in after the amusing moment has passed); the story doesn't have an ending as such...the little character study is just over; Arty but not pretentious, the film lingers, and has a mysterious quality that does say something cautionary about how we view the world




SHAME (2011)
B+   FIRST VIEWING
d: Steve McQueen
CAST: Michael Fassbender; Carey Mulligan
> a film about a topic which I didn't think was a real thing (sex-addiction - hey...I'm a smalltown boy); can't say that I enjoyed this, but it did make an emotional impact upon me; both Michael & Carey (her rendition of "New York New York" is a show-stopper) are stunning; sex as mere act / physicality as a way to avoid emotion / prostitutes & porn Vs feelings & commitment; the 1971 song "Stay With Me" by The Faces pretty much covers the same territory but with more humour and zero tragedy; still, a genuinely adult film to ponder over 
Award-Worthy Performances
Michael Fassbender; Carey Mulligan




THE DEEP BLUE SEA (2011)
B+   FIRST VIEWING
d: Terence Davies
CAST: Rachel Weisz; Tom Hiddleston; Simon Russell Beale
> Rachel gives an acting masterclass in this romantic melodrama set in post WWII London; the really impressive thing about this movie is how it is loaded with heard-'em-a-hundred-times lines of dialogue, yet the actors somehow make them real and acceptable; no attempts made at heartstring tugging - you are just shown how emotionally wrought relationships can be, and how love can alter a person's perception of Life; still, it remains a one-note film that could occasionally do with a bit of fresh air
Award-Worthy Performance
Rachel Weisz  




IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU (1954)
B+   RE-EVALUATION / ORIGINAL GRADE: B
d: George Cukor
CAST: Judy Holliday; Jack Lemmon; Peter Lawford
> big city girl with even bigger dreams buys up billboard space for self-promotion...yeah, that's pretty much the entire plot; another example of the enormous onscreen charisma & charm which Judy Holliday exuded so apparently effortlessly; film is a lightweight bit of fluff that greatly benefits from George Cukor's move-it-along direction and George Kanin's nifty script; Jack's debut movie, and he is surprisingly terrific in his sidekick role (he was always great in comedy, and always better as a #2); pleasant fun like they don't make 'em anymore (and haven't done for many, many years)
Award-Worthy Performances
Judy Holliday



DEAD RINGER aka WHO IS BURIED IN MY GRAVE? (1964)
B+   RE-EVALUATION / ORIGINAL GRADE: B
d: Paul Henreid
CAST: Bette Davis; Karl Malden; Peter Lawford; Jean Hagen; George Macready
> one of Bette's more underrated movies from her horror / Goth period of the 60's; comes across as an extended episode from the original Alfred Hitchcock Presents; while the actual act of sororicide is disappointingly rushed, there are nice touches such as the stripping of the corpse and a hand-burning to make up for it; as you would expect, Bette is perfect in the dual role, and it's an interesting twist that the "good" sister commits the heinous deed; film benefits from the appearance of some top-notch character actors (Jean & George & Estelle Winwood); nobody laughs or screams like Bette Davis
Award-Worthy Performance
Bette Davis




A LATE QUARTET (2012)
B+  FIRST VIEWING
d: Yaron Zilberman
CAST: Philip Seymour Hoffman; Catherine Keener; Christopher Walken; Imogen Poots
> artistically-renown string quartet nearly falls apart because Life steps in; as you would expect, absolutely beautiful music (although, strangely, not as much as you would think, with no real extended pieces to demonstrate the group's excellence, not even at the end); drama is a bit soap-opera-ish really, with disease, adultery, family conflict and self-discovery all coincidentally happening at the same time; terrific performances of course; an involving experience that still feels a little underdeveloped
Award-Worthy Performances
Christopher Walken; Imogen Poots 



Worst Movie-Viewing Experiences 2/1/16 - 17/1/16  

SHINING VICTORY (1941)
B   FIRST VIEWING
d: Irving Rapper
CAST: James Stephenson; Geraldine Fitzgerald; Donald Crisp
> a well-regarded relic which is purportedly set in the days of early psychiatric care, but is really just another old-fashioned tragic romance; James is one of the great lost actors of the Golden Age who only managed a handful of notable roles before dropping dead at the age of 52 - this was his last film; takes a while to get used to Geraldine's unusual clip-clop vocal enunciation, but you soon warm to her, and her & James make a good couple; dialogue is awfully sexist & patronising, even for 1941; too predictable and fluffy for my taste 
Award-Worthy Performances
James Stephenson & Geraldine Fitzgerald



THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN (2012)
B-   FIRST VIEWING
d: Peter Hedges
CAST: Jennifer Garner; Joel Edgerton; Dianne Wiest; David Morse
> too-silly Disney fantasy about a nice (of course) childless couple who grow the perfect kid in their backyard garden (shoulda used glyphosate); tries its hardest to tug the heartstrings and squeeze out a tear or two, but only manages an unpleasantly-sweet taste in the mouth; the kid protagonist (CJ Adams) is the usual cutey-pie who is morally superior to all the adults around him; the fleeting appearance of some terrific character actors (Dianne Wiest / M. Emmett Walsh / Lois Smith) gives the story some undeserved class; one spoonful of schmaltz too many


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Friday 1 January 2016

1934 Page Added

Best Movie-Viewing Experiences 18/12/15 - 1/1/16    

IT'S A GIFT (1934)
A-   MULTIPLE VIEWINGS
d: Norman Z. McLeod
CAST: W.C. Fields; Baby LeRoy; other people
> about five years ago, I bought a boxed set of W.C. features after I wet myself watching three of his shorts: The Golf SpecialistThe Dentist and The Fatal Glass of Beer; I am convinced that IaG is the best of his movies, but it still doesn't match the hilarity of those three; best bit is in the grocery shop when the blind man walks in; the use of a baby as Fields' nemesis is a hoot; classic example of a talented comic (distinctive appearance; physical comedy; perfect timing with lines) creating such a striking persona that all the other actors are virtually characterless in comparison; still not as funny as Groucho though
Award-Worthy Performance
W.C. Fields



CHARLEY VARRICK (1973)
A-   SECOND VIEWING
d: Don Siegel
CAST: Walter Matthau; Joe Don Baker; John Vernon
> slowburn heist-and-payback action flick; just cannot accept Walter as a violent bankrobber (I always had problems with him in any dramatic role) although the wizened & wise old realist fits him perfectly; the two (fleeting) sex scenes are incongruous and belong in another movie; always good to see Sheree North; interesting to note that the reason why the guys on the run were tracked down was because of simple mistakes Charley made (flashing wads of cash around in front of shady characters you've never met before?), so he's hardly a criminal mastermind; climax with the old plane is impressive mainly because it is something different; efficient and effective direction by Don as usual



MATEWAN (1987)
A-   SECOND VIEWING
d: John Sayles
CAST: Chris Cooper; James Earl Jones; Mary McDonnell; David Strathairn; Will Oldham
> straightforward telling of the 1920 Battle of Matewan (coal miners strike / anti-unionism / exploitation of the workers by management / massacre because everyone has a gun etc); acting excellence all round with Chris Cooper the standout (in his debut); the build-up towards the inevitable bloody confrontation is effective if a little languid at times; the company men are the usual nasty pricks, so therefore are just paper cutouts rather than fully-fleshed characters; cinematography by Haskell Wexler evokes the period beautifully; watch it and contemplate how anyone could be right-wing in their politics
Award-Worthy Performance
Chris Cooper



DJANGO UNCHAINED (2012)
A-  FIRST VIEWING
d: Quentin Tarantino
CAST: Jamie Foxx; Christoph Waltz; Leonardo DiCaprio; Samuel L. Jackson
> classy tribute to B-Grade schlock movies (in this case, Spaghetti Westerns); lashings of blood (even for QT, it seems to be excessive); casting surprises (Don Johnson, Russ Tamblyn, Franco Nero); hilarious dialogue (the raiders arguing about their headbags is a friggin' hoot!); quirky music choices (Jim Croce??); long, tense set-pieces that you just know are going to climax in bloodshed (but in this case, the scenes just aren't as riveting as previous classics); the bastards are slaughtered by the downtrodden. It's a Quentin film.
Award-Worthy Performances
Jamie Foxx & Christoph Waltz; Samuel L. Jackson 




DAUGHTER OF SHANGHAI (1937)
A-   FIRST VIEWING
d: Robert Florey
CAST: Anna May Wong; Charles Bickford; Philip Ahn; Anthony Quinn; J. Carroll Naish
> jawdropping opening scene (brutal & shocking in its offhandedness); startling feature: Chinese entrepreneur has a black bodyguard who chases thugs off with a cutthroat razor; Anna looks stunning but teaming her up with Philip gives the film two very subdued, passive leads rather than the usual, more aggressive double-act; B-Grade production values enhance the gritty atmosphere and Robert's direction makes the most of the to-be-expected financial impositions; genuinely thrilling and engrossing story which moves along at a gasping pace; a unique-for-the-times look at the evils of people-smuggling





A HATFUL OF RAIN (1957)
B+   FIRST VIEWING
d: Fred Zinnemann
CAST: Don Murray; Eva Marie Saint; Anthony Franciosa; Lloyd Nolan
> wannabe hard-hitting drug-addiction film; Eva & Lloyd are terrific (and a twitchy, jazzy William Hickey is memorable in the background...OMG...he really was young once), but Don & Anthony aren't up to it - they give it their best shot, but I just don't find them convincing in the two pivotal roles; as is usual with these things, the withdrawal scenes are when the film kicks in emotionally; Fred manages to open-up the film and camouflage its stage-origins fairly well; better than Trainspotting but not as good as Bigger Than Life
Award-Worthy Performances
Eva Marie Saint; Lloyd Nolan  




THE COMEDY MAN (1964)
B+   FIRST VIEWING
d: Alvin Rakoff
CAST: Kenneth More; Billie Whitelaw; Edmund Purdom; Cecil Parker; Dennis Price
> aging, ne'er-do-well actor struggles between being an impoverished idealist and an affluent sell-out; party scene is similar to the one at the start of Tootsie, all actorly and vaguely desperate; support cast is excellent with Cecil as a (barely) walking cautionary-tale the stand-out; some of the serious scenes use the tired old offhanded witticisms approach to drama which comes across as phony and forced; sex is surprisingly (but authentically: casting couch and all that) way up front; would've worked better if it had been even grittier but it is still an interesting tour through the real world that the vast majority of actors live in
Award-Worthy Performances
Kenneth More; Cecil Parker




UNTIL THEY SAIL (1957)
B+  FIRST VIEWING
d: Robert Wise
CAST: Jean Simmons; Joan Fontaine; Piper Laurie; Sandra Dee; Paul Newman
> WWII soap opera set in New Zealand which makes for a nice change; the Yanks invade Christchurch and corrupt the morals of the womenfolk with money and gall; the blatantly different acting styles of the four sisters clash with rather than compliment each other; curious to see Paul Newman in such a minor role; Jean & Paul are a stunning movie couple (in both beauty and talent) - shame they didn't do any other movies together; the plot tugs along its melodramatic way, never quite drifting into overt tearjerking and always managing to keep your attention; a movie to watch on a wet & lazy Sunday
Award-Worthy Performance
Jean Simmons



SUFFRAGETTE (2015)
B+   FIRST VIEWING   IN-CINEMA
d: Sarah Gavron
CAST: Carey Mulligan; Helena Bonham Carter; Brendan Gleeson; Meryl Streep
> Women's Suffrage is one of the great undertold stories from 20th Century history; this film does an effective and affecting job of telling the British version; Carey is excellent again and the lens clearly loves her; far too much handheld camera - whatever happened to the craft of cinematography?; a couple of blatantly melodramatic grabs for tears (the kid gets adopted out to strangers on his birthday??); some critics have complained that Carey's character is an artificial and rather convenient amalgam of real people and what they went through - big deal - that storytelling device is hardly something new 
Award-Worthy Performance
Carey Mulligan



DAMES (1934)
B+  FIRST VIEWING
d: Busby Berkeley
CAST: Dick Powell; Ruby Keeler; Joan Blondell; Guy Kibbee
> seems to take ages until the first of the geometric choreographies appear, but at least you get to spend that time waiting with terrific character actors such as Guy Kibbee, ZaSu Pitts and Hugh Herbert; truly stunning musical numbers with to-be-expected symmetrical patterns and clever camerawork; compared to those set pieces, all of the dialogue and backstories are just filler; Eternal Movie Mystery: Ruby Keeler can't sing and has absolutely no physical grace whatsoever & Dick Powell is an anemic crooner with a blinding smile you wish needed dental work - so how the hell did they get to do so many of these 1930's dance-musicals?? 



Worst Movie-Viewing Experiences 18/12/15 - 1/1/16  

THE LAST TYCOON (1976)
B-   FIRST VIEWING
d: Elia Kazan
CAST: Robert De Niro; Robert Mitchum; Theresa Russell; Ingrid Boulting; Jack Nicholson; Jeanne Moreau; Tony Curtis; Donald Pleasence; Dana Andrews; Ray Milland
> Early Hollywood is a topic which has always fascinated me and this movie is yet another failed attempt to put it into a filmed story; usual F Scott Fitzgerald theme of a great man ruined by love; Ingrid Boulting as the typical FSF unattainable woman is godawful and the romance between De Niro and her is a flop, capsizing the whole movie in its wake; De Niro is unusually subdued in his performance and comes across as dull, showed up by the arrival of Jack who demonstrates how it is possible to underplay and still be interesting
Award-Worthy Performance
Theresa Russell



DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY (1934)
C   FIRST VIEWING
d: Mitchell Leisen
CAST: Fredric March; Evelyn Venable; Guy Standing; Henry Travers
> this is the sort of movie which film historians charitably describe as "dated" but what they really mean is "old crap"; Fredric is Death personified who for some inexplicable reason chooses to hang out with a group of truly ghastly, vapid people during his downtime (if there was ever any mob who deserved to be wiped out in one fell swoop...); must have been the inspiration for the brilliant Death skit in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life; you'd think that Death would be a more interesting guy, or at the very least, someone who would let his hair down a bit while vacationing; should be used as part of the anti-smoking / anti-obesity campaigns - who would want to spend Eternity with this bore before they absolutely had to?




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