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Meeting Venus (1991)
its reach exceeds its grasp
A musician friend drew my attention to this movie, and I was particularly intrigued by the presence of Glenn Close. I know most of her films and had never heard of this one. Every musician knows that any opera production is a hellish process, between egos, money, union problems, artistic clashes, etc. Etc. Etc. I expected something more tilted towards comedy (e.g., Noises Off) and indeed the multifarious production problems were all portrayed, but a comedy it was not. Indeed this movie is one of many I've seen which doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. There's not enough humor to make it a comedy. The love affair between the central characters takes up a large chunk of the film, but the many sub-plots distract from it. In short the movie just does not hang together; there is no "central line" driving the whole thing forward. I now understand why I had never heard of the movie.
The Shining (1980)
"classic" is an overused term....
... but it is completely appropriate in referring to this movie, now approaching its 50th anniversary. It is simply one of the creepiest, most chilling horror stories ever committed to celluloid. There is no doubt that the plot is a hodge-podge of disparate elements - horrific past events, supernatural powers (ESP), fantastic beings (whether imaginary or supernatural), ghosts, alcoholism, imaginary friends, insanity. It is all thrown into kind of a stew which is often weirdly contradictory, but there is no doubt that the effect on the viewer is overwhelming. Also, there is no doubt that this is one movie in which one of the most important roles is played by the setting itself, the interior of the supposed Overlook Hotel. It should be noted that the actual building is the Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood, Oregon, and the filmed interior was actually one of the largest sets ever constructed, at Elstree Studios in England. The sets were inspired by the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Park. Jack Nicholson, descending into madness (or possessed by supernatural forces, take your pick) does some of his best work here. Danny Lloyd is very effective as the child, and Shelly Duvall powerfully portrays terror. "Iconic" is another overworked term, but ever a film was so, it's this one.
Bandits (2001)
a comedy well worth watching
This is a much better comedy than most viewers rate it. Toward the latter part of his career Bruce Willis was starting to phone in his work on many of the boilerplate action flicks he was relegated to, His work here reminds us that he was - when he was given the chance - quite a good actor. Billy Bob Thornton demonstrates his acting range here in that he executes a comedic role extremely well. Cate Blanchett does good work here as the femme fatale who comes between the two thieves. But the thing that makes it all work is the very intelligently witty script by Harley Peyton. This is just a very enjoyable couple of hours.
The Flight of the Phoenix (1965)
excellent in all respects
They made a rerun of this flick in 2004 and I have to ask why. It's a rhetorical question of course, because we all know the answer. Money. I have no idea about the remake because I haven't seen it, and have no plans to. The original is excellent enough, thank you. Start with the cast, with Jimmy Stewart at his peak. Add Ernest Borgnine, Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Dan Duryea (in one of his last appearances), Hardy Kruger, George Kennedy and Ian Bannen, as well as other fine character actors. Then a gripping adventure story with an excellent script involving lots of subplots and plenty of conflict. Add wonderful cinematography and great production values, and you've great a popcorn burner. It's not what you'd call a deep movie but it sure is one of the best adventure movies there is.
84 Charing Cross Road (1987)
like a roller coaster; slowly up then down, really fast
I was attracted to this movie, as I often am, by the presence of notable actors, in this case Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins. I was intrigued to see that Bancrof'ts husband, Mel Brooks, was the producer. The film is akin to A. M. Gurney's play "Love Letters," in that its construction revolves around the exchange of letters between two people. In the case of the author, Helene Hanff, the play is factual, based on her correspondence with a man in a London bookstore.
As many viewers have observed, it's a slow start. However, my interest in books kept me going, and I got more and more involved as the epistolatory relation between the two builds.
The first blow, for me, was when Bancroft' character broke the "fourth wall" and started making asides to the audience. Then when the two characters - still physically separated - started to address each other onscreen, it tore it for me, destroying the unique separation of the two. At that point the charm was destroyed and I switched off.
Charley Varrick (1973)
topnotch action flick
This movie absolutely deserves its 7.5 rating. It is a well-made, engrossing crime/action flick with many intriguing twists and turns along the way. It's an excellent cast - Walter Matthau, Joe Don Baker, Sheree North, Woodrow Parfrey, Andrew Robinson, and John Vernon all do excellent work. The script is fast-paced and well-written. Two highlights are Tom Tully - Captain Devriess in The Caine Mutiny - in his last full movie appearance, and Marjorie Bennet, providing comic relief as Varrick's nosy neighbor. The production values are excellent. This is a good popcorn burner and an entertaining couple of hours.
Atoll K (1951)
a depressingly sad farewell
This flick,originally released as "Atoll K," was Laurel and Hardy's last film together, and the only word for it is "sad." I had watched it many years ago and had a distinct memory that it was terrible. As it recently appeared on cable, I thought I would give it another look. A second viewing showed that the movie is almost unwatchable. The script is lousy and all the visual humor that is intended to be funny just isn't. Their movies after they left the Hal Roach Studio for MGM and RKO were just never as funny as they were with Roach, which shows what great creative talents that studio had.
Adding to the downers in this 1950 film is Laurel's haggard appearance; he was ailing at the time and he looked better just before his death than he does here. Hardy looks better but his weight problems were becoming painfully obvious. He eventually lost 100 pounds, but died in 1957. Laurel actually outlived him by eight years.
Another downer is the.dubbing of all the other actors. This being a French production, they are all French actors (not very good ones) and their lines had to be overdubbed. And the print quality is terrible; this movie is so bad no one has bothered to make a clean print.
It is a sad farewell appearance, and those who want to see their true comic genius and chemistry should watch "Going Bye-Bye," "Sons of the Desert," "Another Fine Mess," "Chickens Come Home," "Beau Hunks," "County Hospital," "Helpmates," .... well the list just goes on and on. There'll never be another comedy team like them.
Life (2017)
for creepiness, it's right up there
In my book, the two best movies dealing with threatening alien life forms are "The Thing" (1982) and "Alien" (1979). While I do not think this movie is quite up there with those two earlier predecessors, it comes pretty close. Granted movies like this are pretty formulaic, but formulas can be perfectly effective (as the hundred plus symphonies of Haydn - all pretty formulaic - show). This flick manages to keep your anxiety levels at a pretty high pace throughout. The only real "name" actor here is Jake Gyllenhaal but everyone turns in pretty serviceable work. I recommend the flick as pretty suspenseful and a good popcorn burner.
Cookie (1989)
better than people say
I don't understand the rating of 5.4 for this flick. I think it was much better than that and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
There is nothing unusual about the story, it being a pretty straightforward tale of mob infighting, although well-told. The part of the flick that is most interesting is the family dynamics among Dino, his snarky daughter Cookie, his wife Bunny and his mistress Lenore, Cookie's mother. All of these roles are executed well by Brenda Vaccaro as the Bunny, Dianne Wiest as Lenore and Emily Loyd as Cookie. Peter Falk as always is excellent. We also have the bonus of Michael Gazzo, reprising his Frank Pantangelo-type character in The Godfather, and a brief appearance by Jerry Lewis.
As I said the mob story is well told and given sparkle by the comic elements and the family dynamics. Altogether it's a quite entertaining hour and a half.
A Blueprint for Murder (1953)
Hitchcock it ain't
First off, lets' talk about the voiceover. I read some critic somewhere say that voiceovers are for directors who can't tell their story by the picture alone and need help, like ketchup on a steak. In this case I was startled when the voiceover started 3/4 of the way through the flick. If you must have a voiceover, do it from the beginning. So much for that quibble.
As far as the plot, one viewer used the word "straightforward." That's putting it mildly. "Obvious" would be more like it. Childlike, we are led by a trail as conspicuous as Hansel and Gretel's crumbs to the obvious conclusion. The movie is as subtle as a sledgehammer.
And now we come to the final climactic scene in the ship's cabin. Here I felt as if the director were the cat and I was the mouse it was toying with, being pulled dizzyingly one way and the other.
Joseph Cotten is a fine actor but he must have been in desperate need of money to sign on to this clumsy affair. Gary Merrill is fine but doesn't have much to do. I didn't think much of Jean Peter's work here.
I know now why I had never heard of this flick before.
The Score (2001)
improbable, but who cares?
First off, I have to say that this movie involves such a string of unlikelyhoods and improbabilities - including a fascinating final plot twist - as to stretch credibility. Having said that, the movie is a totally engrossing thriller because of the great skill with which the movie contrives one plot complication after another to keep one on the edge of your seat. DeNiro does good work, though I have to say that he is an actor who, like Jack Lemon and John Wayne, seems to be playing himself in each flick. Ed Norton does good work in a challenging part. This seems to be Marlon Brando's last real movie appearance; he does good work and one can enjoy guessing how much he weighs. This is a good popcorn burner.
The Fastest Gun Alive (1956)
you've gotta be kidding me
I like Glenn Ford and had never seen this flick so I watched it with interest on TCM. I am flabbergasted at the 7.1 rating, which totally confounds me. The script is full of improbabilities, including the totally contrived and phony ending (which I will not disclose). The dialogue is so phony as to be laughable, and all the characters are cardboard cutouts. Glenn Ford's work here is not his best, and he seems to be struggling with the role. Jeanne Crain's work as the beleagured wife is really not very good. I suppose there's no accounting for popular opinion, but why this movie received so many stellar reviews is a puzzle to me. And, yes, why doesn't Ford ever wear a hat???
The Cockleshell Heroes (1955)
doesn't quite make it
This was an education for me, as it portrayed on of the strangest and most audacious British exploits of WW2. Operation Frankton involved rowing 6 folding kayaks up the Gironde estuary to Bordeaux to attack, with limpet mines, German ships operating from there. I was drawn by the presence of Trevor Howard and Jose Ferrer. Howard does his usual good work but Ferrer is somewhat miscast in an atypical role for him. The best part of the movie is the first 2/3 portraying the planning and training; the final bit, showing the actual raid, bogs down somewhat and contains a lot of what look like unlikely and improbable situations. The production values are fine but the movie itself does not make the top shelf of WW2 movies.
The African Queen (1951)
no word but "classic" will do
It is hard to comment on a movie that is fully ensconced in the cinematic pantheon. Both Bogart and Hepburn put in what may be some of their best work here. The story is a totally engrossing human one of how two personalities as disparate as oil and water can fall in love. The script that describes this process is a wonder of subtlety, humor and tenderness, which is no surprise considering that C. S. Forester, James Agee and John Huston were all involved.. Robert Morley, albeit with a very brief appearance, does his usual excellent work. The only drawback is the effects; the boat seen in the white water sequences is too obviously a model. However that disbelief is easily suspended for a lovely story of romance and high adventure. If any movie is a "must see," this is it.
The Lion (1962)
surprisingly engrossing
I stumbled on this little-seen movie on one of the cable channels, and was drawn by the presence of William Holden and Trevor Howard, two of my favorite actors. The synopsis sounded a bit off-the-wall and piqued my curiosity. In the event, the movie was quite engaging. It really is somewhat of a soap opera, a romantic triangle of a couple and the divorced husband, with child involved, overlaid with some cultural clash. As with any movie set in Africa, a healthy chunk is devoted to watching wildlife, but the story of family conflict does keep one involved, thanks largely to the good acting by the principals. On the whole it's worth a see.
Von Ryan's Express (1965)
almost laughable
Possibly the worst WW2 movie ever made was "Where Eagles Dare." "Von Ryan's Express" may not plumb that movie's execrable depths, but it certainly runs a close second. There are so many incredibly unlikely - not to say impossible - situations that suspension of disbelief becomes impossible. Frank Sinatra - as many have mentioned - is miscast, and while he has done good work in other movies, here he phones it in. Trevor Howard and Adolfo Celi put in two of their worst performances. The production values are excellent, as is Jerry Goldsmith's score (the trombone glissandi in the train station scene are memorable), but those are about the only things the film has going for it.
The Outfit (1973)
its reach exceeds its grasp
It is ironic that both this movie and "Charley Varrick" were released in the same year, 1973. Ironic because the central premise of each is the robbery of a bank where the mob holds its money. This is of course, is never a good idea, even if - like the thieves in both movies - you have no idea you're stealing the mob's money.
I was drawn to The Outfit by, of course, Robert Duvall, who does his usual good work here. Joe Don Baker does well too. Robert Ryan was a fine actor and this is one of his last movies, although, as people have noted, he doesn't have much to do.
I will say that the plot line does keep one involved throughout, but to me the central flaw is the apparent ease with which these two guys enter into so many mob dens where they are far outnumbered, and make successful hits and get away unscathed. It simply isn't credible; the mob is not that inept. Also, the movie occasionally has a somewhat made-for-tv feel.
The flick is a good popcorn burner and i enjoyed it, but Charley Varrick is the better movie.
Washington Story (1952)
Much above average
I've always been drawn to Van Johnson. I think he is a highly underrated actor. In Washington Story he shares double duty with Patricia Neal in making the flick work. It's an absorbing story concerning the machinations of the press and cynicism about Washington. An added plus is the fine work of character actor Louis Calhern, and also the choice to use Washington D. C. venues as the site for actual filming, giving it a "you are there" feeling. The script is very well written and maintains one's interest throughout. A nice touch is the cinematic bookends of the tour bus at the beginning and at the end. Not at the level of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," but a more than decent runner up.
Quick Change (1990)
pretty entertaining
I watched it due to the presence of Bill Murray, who is almost always worth watching. I wasn't expecting a whole lot but it turned out to be a pretty good comedy. Bill Murray is true to form, and Geena Davis and Randy Quaid do good work. Jason Robards does his usually excellent work. An added pleasure is the presence of Bob Elliot, who was half of the great comic duo Bob & Ray (his partner Ray died in the same year the movie was released). The script is well-written, with lots of humor and plenty of excellent lines, and the movie maintains your interest, as we watch our perps struggle to get out of the city.
Seven Thieves (1960)
nice try, but......
I had never heard of this film and was drawn to it on TCM by the presence of Edward G. Robinson, Rod Steiger, Eli Wallach and Joan Collins. It is very formulaic heist movie. Being formulaic is no crime, as the symphonies of Haydn prove, but in this case the whole never transcends the sum of its parts. First off, Edward G. Robinson is usually always worth watching, but here he is never given a lot to do. The mechanics of the actual heist are rather mundane; an attempt to add excitement is made by more "look- how-far-down-it-is" shots than necessary. I never object to black and white if justified, but here I feel the locale would be enhanced by color. And finally, the ending is flimsy and unconvincing on several levels. So evidently there's a reason this film isn't seen much nowadays.
Deconstructing Harry (1997)
one of Woody's best
Deconstructing Harry is - to me anyway - one of Woody Allen's most artistically convoluted comedies. The interaction between the "actual" characters and Harry's fictional ones - sometimes shifting from real to fictional within a single scene - is a bit unsettling at first but, as one grasps the trick, becomes a brilliant comic device.
As with many of Allen's films - Manhattan, Stardust Memories, Radio Days - it is deeply personal and coldly self-searching, almost to the point of cruelty. Though the self-examination reveals some ugly character traits, the script is so sharply witty - and often overtly vulgar - that we can't help laughing.
It's a great cast, predating the time when, at the behest of the #MeToo crowd, it became socially unacceptable to work with Allen. Particularly fine efforts from Kirstie Alley, Judy Davis, Demi Moore and Billy Crystal. Robin Williams' cameo scene is wonderfully surreal.
As others have commented, this is one of Allen's most underrated films.
Fatal Attraction (1987)
underrated
I am surprised that this excellent movie rated only a 6.9. In my view this is a superb suspense drama which expertly captures the feeling of the walls closing in on Dan Gallagher as a result of his supposedly one night (OK, one weekend) stand. All the the leads are excellent, including Ellen Gatzen, who plays the young daughter superbly. The script is excellent, and carries us along with a sense of foreboding inevitability. Michael Douglas perfectly expresses Dan's sorrowful regret, just as Anne Archer portrays Beth's anguish and steely determination. I have no doubt that anyone choosing to view this flick will not be disappointed.
Double Indemnity (1944)
"all the way to the end of the line"
When you look up the word "iconic" in your Funk & Wagnalls, you'll find this movie listed as Exhibit A. Billy Wilder was a genius both as a writer and as a filmmaker. It's no surprise that, with such outstanding co-writers as Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain, the script is superb. The cast is outstanding. Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck have great chemistry, but for my money Edward G. Robinson, in a supporting role, stands out. The dramatic line never sags from the foreboding opening to the inevitable tragic conclusion. It's no exaggeration to say that this classic movie is one of the handful of truly great film noirs (or is it films noir?).
The Dam Busters (1955)
interesting comparison
A very apt comparison to this movie is "12 o'clock high." Both films are about bombing. "12 o'clock high" examines the US concept of daylight precision bombing, while "Dam Busters" looks at the competing British doctrine of night bombing. While "12 o'clock high" is one of the all-time great war movies, "Dam Busters" is as flat as a glass of stale ginger ale. The primary reason is the lack of human interest. While the US film examines in very effective detail the psychological effects of war on both leaders and soldiers, the British flick is mainly technical and eschews any real human interest. In the end it's a bore.
The Enemy Below (1957)
never takes off
I am drawn to any flick that has the great Robert Mitchum in it. Curt Jurgens is another, Germanic, plus. I understand that the movie sought to rise above the portrayal of midwar movies of Germans as cardboard villains, and to show them as fighters - like ours - risking their lives for their country. However the movie is curiously leaden. The incessant shifting from one submarine's command to another becomes repetitive and stifling. The movie's animus becomes the shifting strategies as each commander tries to outwit the other. This goes on just too long. Also the faux camaraderie between the two captains in the closing scenes is just not credible. The production values are good, but I don't understand the 7.4 user rating.