Gideon58's Reviews

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"Well, at least your intentions behind the UTTERLY DEVASTATING FAULTS IN YOUR LOGIC are good." - Captain Steel

MONKEY BUSINESS (1952)

The solid gold comedy performances from Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers are the primary selling points of a nearly forgotten 20th Century Fox gem from 1952 called Monkey Business that featured two actors cast radically against type to great advantage and two actors cast in the kind of roles they could play in their sleep.

The film stars Grant as Dr. Barnaby Fulton, the original absent-minded professor complete with coke bottle glasses, employed by a chemical company and currently working on a new formula that is reputed to be the fountain of youth in liquid form. Fulton neglects his devoted wife, Edwina (Rogers) due to his obsession with getting this formula right, even though he's not as confidence about the formula working as his boss, Mr. Oxley (Charles Coburn) is. After the formula is left unattended and messed with by a chimpanzee, Barnaby takes a dose of the formula which clears his vision and makes him act like a teenager, much to the delight of Oxley's voluptuous secretary, Laurel (Marilyn Monroe) who has been harboring a secret crush on the guy.

When Edwina learns what's going on, she goes to the company and takes a dose of the formula herself which has her regressing all the way back to her wedding night with Barnaby. After recovering from the dose, which found Edwina locking a blind Barnaby out of their hotel room, they both take one more dose leading to one of the most bizarre comic finales of a 50's comedies.

This comedy features breezy direction from Howard Hawks who has a surprisingly clever and adult screenplay to work with and gets terrific performances from his stars, especially Grant, who turns in a performance that is simultaneously nerdy and sexy. Grant also displays a gift for physical comedy here that really hadn't been showcased to such advantage since Bringing up Baby. Rogers appears to be having a ball as the devoted wife who gets to relive her childhood. Monroe has one of her best roles here and Charles Coburn has the best line in the film when he asks Monroe to get someone to type something that he needs typed correctly. Grant, Rogers, and Monroe fans will be in heaven here.

Monkey Business is a fun movie, but it isn't one of my favorite Cary Grant movies. (But I love most of his movies, so it's still a great movie.)

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OPEN FLOOR.

I love Heart and Souls. It's one of those movies that I never get tired of watching. Robert Downey Jr. is terrific.

Yeah, I'm planning a favorite Robert Downey Jr performance thread and I knew I couldn't do it without watching this, absolutely loved it.

And I was! Monkey Business is a good one, I liked the part where they play Indians and Cary gets tired to a tree. And Cary chasing Marilyn around and around is pretty funny. And doesn't he buy a little sports car in this one after taking a dose of his own concoction?

Yeah, that's the one. It's while they're in the car where Laurel (Marilyn Monroe) confesses to Barnaby that she's had a secret crush on him forvever.

Wasn't Monkey Business remade as The Nutty Professor? or was that another film I'm thinking of?

I don't think so...the Jerry Lewis film was remade by Eddie Murphy but the plot of the Jerry Lewis film was nothing like this one. Ginger Rogers did appear in a movie called The Major and the Minor which Jerry Lewis remade as You're Never Too Young, but I don't think Monkey Business is a remake.

I'm looking forward to your Robert Downey Jr. thread. If you haven't seen Chances Are (1989), Soapdish (1991), and Only You (1994), you should watch them before doing your list.

I have seen all three of them...he totally steals Soapdish from the rest of the cast...the chemistry between him and Cybill Shepherd was suprisingly solid in Chances are...been awhile since I've seen Only You and am considering a re-watch of that one before doing the list...so I know if I want it on the list and also to beef up my review for possible submission to Yoda and the MoFo Gods.

I completely agree about Soapdish. Robert Downey Jr. is terrific, even in a cast that's as good as that cast.

THE FIVE YEAR ENGAGEMENT

Jason Segel continues to build an impressive resume as a Hollywood filmmaker. Virtually unknown as a filmmaker a decade ago, this talented man not only seems to have acquired the juice to make the kind of movies he wants to make with the budget they require, but he also seems to be attracting A-list talent who seem to want to work with him. His journey to being the next Woody Allen is steady but long from over, thanks primarily to a little too much self-indulgence in his writing. He does get an "A" for effort for 2012's The Five Year Engagement, a timely romantic comedy centered on topics that the cherished 18-34 demographic can relate to, but takes a little too long to get to a really tasty payoff.

Directed and co-written by Nicholas Stoller, this is the story of Tom (Segel), a San Francisco sous chef on the verge of becoming head chef who has been in a relationship with Violet (Emily Blunt) for about a year and finally proposes. Violet accepts but almost simultaneously receives a job offer that predicates her moving to Michigan for two years. Believing love conquers all, Tom suggests that they postpone the wedding and move to Michigan since he thinks he can get a job cooking anywhere. Upon arrival in Michigan, Violet is having the time of her life, but Tom has only been able to find a job in a sandwich shop and is miserable, but he loves Violet and tries to suck it up until Violet's two year job turns to four.

Credit must be given to Segel and Stoller for coming up with a story that tackles a realistic and contemporary topic...the issues involved with sustaining a relationship through dual careers and geography. The topic is given an added richness in that it is the man who sacrifices his career for the sake of the woman he loves, which is something I really didn't see coming and found rather refreshing. I also found it refreshing that when Tom learned about the extension of Violet's job, the sucking up stopped and he came right out and told her he couldn't do this anymore because there is a point in the film that's rather sad where it's clear Tom is losing his mind and needs to escape this dead end existence.

As is the problem with a lot of films like this, it's a a relief when the characters separate even though we know they still love each other and both have outside influences trying to keep them apart, we know in the end that they will find their way back to each other, but the 45 minutes of screen time devoted to that journey is just interminable. This story was worth investing time in, but not two hours and ten minutes.

What the film does have going for it is an impressive cast, all working at the top of their game...when I saw their names together in the credits, I really didn't imagine Segel and Blunt having chemistry but Segel's resume is starting to reveal that he is an actor who has chemistry with just about anyone he works with, a new millenium James Garner if you will. I loved Tom and Violet from jump and was routing for them even though it took too long. Chris Pratt stole every scene he was in as Tom's BFF. Some great bits are also contributed along the way by Mindy Kaling, Mimi Kennedy, Jim Piddock, Jackie Weaver (hysterical as Violet's mother), Randall Park, Rhys Ifans, Adam Campbell, and Kevin Hart. Stoller and Segel really had a good idea here, but they just let it get away from them for a bit before setting up a really terrific ending.

SHREK

Dreamworks studios had a major triumph in box office receipts, the beginning of a major film franchise, and a merchandising dream with a little something from 2001 called Shrek, a sophisticated and outrageously funny fractured fairy tale where Dreamworks actually lampoons a lot of the animated classics that made Disney the defining force in the genre and turns them on their ear in a way that not only pays homage to said classics while giving this story its own sense of originality.

Set in a fairy tale kingdom called Dulac, Lord Farquad (voiced by John Lithgow) learns that he cannot officially become King of Dulac without marrying and has set his sights on Princess Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz), who is being held in the tower of an isolated castle guarded by a fire breathing dragon. Farquad blackmails a lonely ogre named Shrek (brilliantly voiced by Mike Myers) into rescuing the Princess. Shrek, accompanied by his new unwanted companion, a very talkative donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy) embarks on a journey to rescue the Princess, who it turns out has a secret herself.

This movie entertains from start to finish thanks to a brilliant and sophisticated screenplay that does not to pander to the target demographic. The story, characters, and humor presented here are very adult as are some wonderful pop culture references that most children would not have a clue about. There is a scene where Lord Farquad is introduced to three possible brides and it is done completely in the style of the classic game show The Dating Game, even utilizing the theme music, a show which anyone under the age of 45 has most likely never seen and had no idea that the music was not original.

This film also introduces an incredibly sophisticated form of animation that had not been seen prior to this...it's a more sophisticated form of "claymation" that allows the characters facial expressions to convey complex emotions that actually allow the viewer inside the thought process of these characters...this dazzling new animation is often the closest thing to live action movie making that I have ever seen.

The voice work is on the money and I think if they gave Oscars for animated voice work, both Myers and Murphy merit at least a nomination. I have to give a shout out to John Lithgow as Farquad as well, a really funny interpretation of one of animation's most obnoxious villains. This film was an instant classic that has spawned theatrical and direct to video sequels as well as a merchandising empire.

SOPHIE'S CHOICE
Inspired direction by the gifted Alan J. Pakula and a pair of sterling lead performances are the primary reasons to invest in a slightly overrated but still intriguing cinematic journey from 1982 called Sophie's Choice.

Based on a novel by William Styron, the story opens in 1947 Brooklyn where we meet an aspiring writing named Stingo (Stingo, Styron, coincidence, I think not), played by Peter MacNichol, who moves into a boarding house above a room occupied by the bombastic Nathan (Kevin Kline), an employee at a pharmaceutical company and the enigmatic Sophie (Meryl Streep), a Polish concentration camp survivor,p who first introduce themselves to Stingo through the very physical sex they are having in the room above his that almost takes out his ceiling lamp, followed almost immediately by a violent argument ending with Nathan storming out the door.

Despite this rocky introduction, the three principals do become fast friends, even if Stingo is a bit of an outsider, which sometimes seems to be a safe place to be. Nathan displays quite the temper and knows exactly how to keep Sophie under his thumb and push her buttons...specifically, reminding her of her time in the camp and the unspeakable things she did to survive.

To reveal anymore here would spoil this harrowing and unique film that left me spent and emotionally exhausted...the film requires complete attention as the relationship between the three principals and the flashbacks of Sophie's past are revealed in slow and detailed layers, almost a little too slow, but the first third of the film makes us care about these people in such an efficient manner that we want to know what's going to happen to these people and, most importantly, what happened to Sophie in that camp that made it such an unspeakable time for her and the reveal of what happened to her will not disappoint...these scenes are done with great care to authenticity, with German dialogue without subtitles but Streep's beautifully expressive face makes us understand exactly what is going on. And it is no surprise that Sophie is not the only one with hidden agendas.

And Streep is the thing that you come away from this film remembering, a performance which won her the Oscar for Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role and I understand why now. I wanted someone else to win that year, but I definitely understand Streep's win...the performance is nothing short of magnificent, a character that seemed to be developed from the flawless Polish accent Streep employs here, that never gets in the way of her performance but only enhances it...some of my favorite moments in the performance are when Sophie is struggling in her head to find the proper English word to express whatever she is speaking of at that moment.

As strong as Streep's work is here, it seems to have overshadowed Kevin Kline's extraordinary and charismatic work as Nathan, which people don't talk about nearly as much and was just as Oscar-worthy as Streep's performance...a performance rich with pathos, humor, mystery, and most of all, complete unpredictability that never foreshadows what is happening with this character. Peter MacNichol has a little difficulty keeping up with these two acting powerhouses as the wide-eyed Stingo, but he doesn't get blown off the screen either. Alan J. Pakula has mounted an eye-opening and emotionally charged drama that moves a little too slowly, but we forgive due to the work of Kevin Kline and the extraordinary Meryl Streep.

Sophie's Choice, an excellent film. Why don't we hear more about it?

We agree on Meryl Streep's brilliant acting and on Peter MacNichol lack luster acting too. But disagree (in a way) on Kevin Kline.

A lot of people have told me they thought Kline was over the top this, but I loved him...I thought his performance fit the character perfectly.

I can respect that, and I do think Kevin Kline is a solid actor. I'm glad you watched the movie

COLLATERAL

2004's Collateral is a bloody and nightmarish thriller that, despite some problems in story structure and character motivation, scores due to some offbeat casting choices and the meticulous direction of Michael Mann.

It is the midnight to dawn shift in Los Angeles where we meet Max (Jamie Foxx), a cab driver who really wants his own limo company even though he's been cabbing it for 12 years. After dropping off an attractive lawyer named Annie (Jada Pinkett Smith)at her office, Max almost misses being hailed by a slick guy in a sharp suit named Vincent (Tom Cruise), who offers Max $600 and a $100 tip, twice his usual evening take, if Max will be his cabbie for the evening and take him to five different locations. Max finds out what's really going on at the first stop while waiting for Vincent to complete his business, a body comes flying out of a window and lands on top of Max's cab. And thus begins an unprecedented nightmare for Max as he becomes the one night transportation for a professional hitman.

Michael Mann should get credit for getting a lot right here in the kind of story he attempts to present here...he does a beautiful job of setting up the midnight to dawn atmosphere which is a perfect setting for this story and in a rare instance where this actually works, Mann allows the story to unfold rather slowly and doesn't telegraph everything that's going to happen in the first ten minutes. During Max's ride with Annie, we know that this woman is going to be involved somehow, but it's not in the way we think. I also liked that our two antagonists are extremely intelligent people...just because a man kills people for a living doesn't mean he has to be a moron and as the story progresses, Vincent is revealed to be a man of intelligent and sophistication and we almost get to liking him, which I'm pretty sure was the intention of Mann and screenwriter Stuart Beattie. Of course, casting one of Hollywood's most likable actors as a straight up villain was a master stroke as well.

There were certain story elements that I had a hard time swallowing. I didn't understand Max's motivation behind throwing away Vincent's briefcase...did he think that was going to stop him? I was shocked it didn't get him killed. I was also surprised when Max pretended to be Vincent and was sent to Felix (Jarvier Bardem) to get the information that Max lost that Felix actually believed he was Vincent. I was also extremely bothered by Max's desperation to get out of this situation and get as far away from Vincent as possible suddenly disappeared when he realized Annie, a virtual stranger, was in danger.

But these minor plot contrivances definitely did not deter my enjoyment of this thundering roller coaster of a ride that offered one surprise after another, particularly in the presentation of two central characters...the story never forgets that Vincent is a professional and that Max is an amateur, a line that films like this tend to cross sometimes and this one never does. The performances are very solid...Cruise is fire and ice as the enigmatic Vincent and Jamie Foxx was nominated for a Supporting Actor Oscar for his Max, though the role really is a leading one...the performance is just as solid as the one that won Foxx an Oscar the same year,(Ray). Mark Ruffalo, Bruce McGill, and Peter Berg round out the strong supporting cast in this stylish action thriller that take a lot of chances that really pay off.

NOW YOU SEE ME

Now You See Me is an expensive and elaborate adventure/fantasy that is so dazzling in its execution you almost don't notice all the red herrings and dangling plot points and find yourself victim to a story that consistently defies explanation and still rivets the viewer to the screen.

This 2013 film recounts the story of four second rate magicians and illusionists (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco) who are brought together by a mysterious benefactor (Michael Caine) and turned into an act called The Four Horseman, where we witness them rob a bank in Paris without ever leaving a Las Vegas stage. Throw in an FBI agent (Mark Ruffalo) and an Interpol agent (Melanie Laurent) assigned to the case and a cable television star (Morgan Freeman) who lives to expose the secrets of magicians and you have most of the ingredients of a story that moves at a dizzying speed but never fails to entertain.

The screenplay by Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin, and Edward Ricourt serves the story and nothing else...it does not allow the viewer time to figure anything out and require complete attention. It's one of those intricately complex screenplays that if you leave the movie for five minutes without pausing the tape, when you return you will be totally confused. On the other hand, even with complete attention, there is a lot left unexplained here and what is explained demands more than a little patience from the viewer, but we're so dazzled by expensive location filming and dazzling magic effects, we almost forget that we're being kept dangling.

Louis Leterrier's direction is detailed just enough to keep the viewer riveted to the screen and curious about the ending. He has put together a wonderful all-star cast with standout work from Harrelson, Eisenberg, Freeman, and especially Ruffalo. The relationship between Ruffalo and Laurent's characters didn't really work for me, as Laurent just seemed to be miscast, but it was a minor distraction in a movie that had so much going on with it that was right I didn't have time to worry about what was wrong. The film is rambling and confusing at times, but I never took my eyes off the screen and never looked at my watch. And there's a sequel...can't wait.