Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - 2022 Edition

Set in the times of Christ, Ben-Hur follows the titular character (Charlton Heston), a wealthy Jewish prince that finds himself enslaved and sent to the galleys. As he attempts to regain his freedom, his path crosses with that of Jesus Christ himself.

A good Twitter friend of mine has been constantly insisting on me to watch this. It's his second favorite film, I think. The "Epic of all Epics" he calls it. And he's not wrong. At the time of release, the film had the biggest budget, the largest sets, and one of the most complex productions of any film. The efforts paid off as the film ended up becoming one of the highest grossing films and won 11 out of 12 Academy Awards.

But beyond the huge production values and the huge scope, Ben-Hur is, in and of itself, a very good film. Most of the performances are solid, with Stephen Boyd being perhaps the strongest from the leads. He and Heston did a good job of making this friendship between Ben-Hur and Messala believable. I would've liked if they had given more attention and depth to that after the first act, but what we got worked. Heston also could've added more emotion to his performance, but his stoic demeanor suits the character's determination well.

Solid performances and all of that production helps, but at the top of it all, Wyler's direction is key in effectively delivering the dread of an enemy's visit or the thrill of a sea battle or the adrenaline of a chariot race. Unfortunately, once the iconic chariot race ends and the main conflict concludes, the film loses its momentum.

The last act that follows is used to close up a plotpoint involving Ben-Hur's family, which I appreciated, but it goes on and on as Ben-Hur is determined to find this man they call Jesus Christ. What could've been a poignant 10-15 minutes epilogue ends up being a 50 minute slog that went on and on. As good as what preceded it was, I kept looking at the time and thinking, the film... the film is not over!

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From 2001 to 2002, BMW Films produced a series of short films dubbed as The Hire to serve as some sort of elaborate car ads. The premise of the shorts feature a nameless driver (Clive Owen) being hired by different clients for various tasks. The short films were notably directed by directors like Ang Lee, Wong Kar-wai, John Woo, and others, while also featuring prominent stars like Forest Whitaker, Madonna, and Don Cheadle, among many others.

Beat the Devil is the eight of this series, and it features the Driver accompanying James Brown to meet the Devil (Gary Oldman) as he tries to renegotiate a deal he made with him in his youth for fame and fortune in exchange for his soul. Now older and not able to "do the splits anymore", Brown wants an "extension", but the Devil wants to race for it, which serves as the excuse to have our Driver drive a BMW Z4 real fast down Las Vegas Strip.

I had no idea about the existence of these shorts until a Twitter friend brought it to my attention. It features the usual hyper-kinetic direction by Scott, full of fast-paced cuts and a sensory overload of visuals and sound, which I'm sometimes on the fence about. But what makes it work are the performances of Oldman and Brown. Both give committed and entertaining performances to what is otherwise a glorified "car ad", but they make it interesting to watch.

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That's the plea for help from a wife and mother (Zeinab Rahal) at a police station. Her husband has hit her repeatedly and has threatened to kill her and their teenage son (Yusuf Kamal El-Ali). What's the catch? She's a Muslim woman covered with a burqa, living in the Netherlands where nobody understands her language. Moreover, the translator (Amira Helene Larsen) brought to assist her is not translating her words properly, not conveying the urgency of her situation.

Listen was a simple yet harrowing short film. But even in its apparently simple premise, directors Nyoni and Ramezan use a carefully layered approach to the scene where we see the woman's testimony from different perspectives, while examining how others react to her claims. There is a lot of physical performance, especially from Larsen, who I thought was great in how she transmits her frame of mind with her eyes and overall demeanor as she's listening.

I'm hardly an expert, but as far as I read, the Qur'an is very clear regarding domestic violence and spousal separation. But that is not necessarily what's put "on trial" here, but rather the lack of empathy because of misunderstanding, the effects of the language barrier, gender roles, isolation, and the bureaucratic barriers put in place for a woman to get the help she needs. It's not that we don't listen, but that we listen what we want and how we want, and act according to our interests and beliefs, instead of those of who we're listening.

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If anyone's interested...

Finally got all my reviews in for JULY 2022:

A film with the number 7 (Seven, Seventh, etc.) in its title: Seven
A film that starts with the letters M or N: Nu
A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #7 (i.e. 17, 743, 671): Night and Fog (#187)
A film from the 1970s: Hedgehog in the Fog
A musical: Little Shop of Horrors
A film with "America" in its title: Wet Hot American Summer
A film about aliens or alien abductions (World UFO Day, July 1): The Day the Earth Stood Still
A film about Islam or Islamic characters (Eid al-Adha, July 19): Listen
A film from Vanuatu (Independence Day, July 30): Tanna
A film from William Wyler (born July 1): Ben-Hur

Freebie: Un obus partout, Goodbye Mommy, Adventures in Babysitting, Beat the Devil



Obviously, here you see the tail-end of the 5th Short HoF Half of what I saw were short films, and good ones at that.

The best films I saw were Night and Fog and Little Shop of Horrors (rewatch). Two very different films, but great either way.

My least favorite was probably Beat the Devil, but even that was an interesting and fun watch.

And these are the criteria for AUGUST 2022

A film with the number 8 (Eight, Eighth, etc.) in its title:
A film that starts with the letters O or P:
A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #8 (i.e. 18, 482, 819):
A film from the 1980s:
A romantic film:
A film set in school:
A film from Nicholas Ray (born August 7):
A film from India (Independence Day, August 15):
A film featuring senior citizens prominently (Nat'l Senior Citizens Day, August 21):
A film with any of the words "Rock", "Paper", "Scissors" in its title (World Rock Paper Scissors Day, August 27):


Since it is my birthday month, I'm doing something that I've done the last two years. I'm taking "gifts", i.e. recommendations for any film that fits the above criteria, but will solely and exclusively watch films recommended by someone. If I watch a film any of you recommend, I can give you a "shout-out" on my end-of-month episode and maybe even read a brief snippet of your thoughts, so something to consider for anyone that wants to play.

At its core, love should be a simple thing. You either love or don't love someone; and if you love someone, you do your best to spend as most time as you can with that person. It is when we let external variables exert influence that things get complicated. How will this interfere with my career? What will people think? What about my children? Those are some of the questions that float above the main characters in this interesting romantic drama.

All That Heaven Allows follows Cary (Jane Wyman), a mature widow with two adult children, that ends up falling in love with Ron (Rock Hudson), a young gardener that works at her home. To complicate things, Cary is affluent which prompts gossip around the neighborhood about Ron's reasons to fall in love with her. Although obviously smitten by Ron, Cary seems to be too worried about what will people in town think about her relationship, and if her children will approve of her relationship.

This film was recommended by a good Internet friend and it was so much better than I was expecting. For the first half, the film is carried by some solid performances from Wyman and Hudson, and good chemistry between them. The relationship feels real and not like others 50's more cliché romantic dramas. However, towards the middle of the film, there is a shift to more serious territory as the burden of gossip and those "external variables" start to take a toll on Cary and Ron's relationship, especially with Cary's children. All through the film, the script by Peg Fenwick allows for some great exchanges between the different characters

It is only in the very last act where the story falls a bit into sappy territory with a scene between Cary and a doctor that gives her advice about her relationship, and then with the very ending, which I think was something that could've been worked some other way. Still, it's nothing to take too much off of this. All That Heaven Allows is a great portrayal of a mature relationship between two adults, and the obstacles that they might face; something that we don't see much anymore. Why is it so difficult all of a sudden?

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I saw that earlier this year and really dug it. It's currently my favorite Sirk film.

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I don't think I've seen anything else from him.

I've also seen Imitation of Life. I'd recommend that one, too.

If you like All That Heaven Allows, two other Sirk films that I would recommend are Magnificent Obsession and Written on the Wind.

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OPEN FLOOR.

I forgot he did Written on the Wind. That one might actually be my #1 pick from him instead. I'll have to check out Magnificent Obsession as well.

My favorite Sirk movie is probably Magnificent Obsession, but All That Heaven Allows is a close second.

And these are the criteria for AUGUST 2022

A film with the number 8 (Eight, Eighth, etc.) in its title: 8 1/2
A film that starts with the letters O or P: O Brother Where Art Thou
A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #8 (i.e. 18, 482, 819): Nashville (#88)
A film from the 1980s: TRON
A romantic film: Before Sunrise
A film set in school: Three O'Clock High
A film from Nicholas Ray (born August 7): Flying Leathernecks
A film from India (Independence Day, August 15): Lagaan
A film featuring senior citizens prominently (Nat'l Senior Citizens Day, August 21): Cocoon
A film with any of the words "Rock", "Paper", "Scissors" in its title (World Rock Paper Scissors Day, August 27): Paper Moon



Since it is my birthday month, I'm doing something that I've done the last two years. I'm taking "gifts", i.e. recommendations for any film that fits the above criteria, but will solely and exclusively watch films recommended by someone.



A film with August's birth flower in the title (Poppy): Poppy (1936)

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Hey, DP! Thanks for joining in. I've seen a couple of the ones you mentioned (8 1/2, O Brother, and Before Sunrise), but the others are game. I'll put them under consideration. Thanks!

I figured you probably had seen them, but definitely check out Three O'Clock High. I LOVE Phil Joanou's directing in it.

Luck follows Sam (Eva Noblezada), a young woman that has to leave the orphanage where she has lived all her life after turning 18. Not wanting to leave her younger friend Hazel alone, Sam wants to make sure she is successfully adopted by her "forever family", but fears that her "bad luck" would prevent this to happen.

That is until she meets Bob (Simon Pegg), a black cat that comes from the Land of Luck where leprechauns and other magical creatures create "good luck" for people. Sam then recruits Bob, and some of his friends to find a lucky penny for Hazel, thinking that would help her to be adopted. But, of course, they end up creating all kinds of shenanigans in the Land of Luck.

Decided to check this out with my kids last week, not knowing what it was about, and well... it was quite something. Maybe it's because of the personal connection I have with the topic, but that first 30 minutes or so, I thought where great. The way they establish the character of Sam, her personality and preoccupations, I thought was very effective.

Unfortunately, once Sam and Bob get to the Land of Luck, the film kinda derails. The logistics of the world seem like a mish-mash of things taken from random lores and other films, and the way the plot moves feels more like a pointless quest from A to B, and B to C. Thankfully, it is held afloat by colorful animation, charming characters, and a few neat jokes here and there.

Director Peggy Holmes manages to reel it in a bit towards the last act, particularly if you stay focused on Sam and Hazel... but the way they get there, and how the main conflict between the Lands of Good and Bad Luck unfolds doesn't make a lot of sense. Still, even though my brain keeps saying "this wasn't very good", my heart was moved by certain aspects of the story, and I enjoyed seeing my kids captivated by it.

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Back in 1987, an elite military team stumbled upon something mysterious in the middle of a South American jungle, and unleashed all of their weapons on it... unsuccessfully. As the team is systematically eliminated, the leader of the team, Dutch, realizes that this is not a matter of defeating this enemy, but rather of outsmarting him and surviving, which is what he does.

Set in 1719, Prey follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young woman from a Comanche tribe that aspires to be a hunter like her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers). This causes some tension within the family and the tribe since she's supposed to be a healer, according to the tribe customs. When a Predator starts stalking the tribe, Naru has to resort to her cunning and skills to survive.

This fifth film within the Predator franchise has been in development since 2018. According to director Dan Trachtenberg, it was initially filmed with the intention of being "a big theatrical experience", until Disney decided to release it exclusively on Hulu, which has disappointed some. Apparently it has to do with Disney's goal of drawing people to Hulu, while some people speculate the studio had doubts on the project.

The initial premise seems like a refreshing approach to the franchise. Midthunder brings such a fierce energy to the lead role that's just infectious, while, Trachtenberg's direction succeeds in creating a tense atmosphere; something that he had previously succeeded at during 10 Cloverfield Lane. I thought it was interesting to see the Predator's methodical approach to his surroundings, as he continuously seizes everyone as he moves up the "food chain", so to speak, going against those that it deems "worthy" of the challenge.

So it seems like the film and its main character have that in common; that of being underestimated by their own peers. Which perhaps makes it all the more satisfying that the film has ended up being as good as it is. It has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics (92% on Rotten Tomatoes), while audiences seem to agree. Again, much like its main character, it seems that the studio didn't think much of this film, but it knows how to survive.

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Ahh, the film that inspired the toy that inspired the film... or something like that. Lightyear follows Buzz (Chris Evans) as he is stranded on another planet with a group of colonists. In his effort to finish his mission and try to find a way back, Buzz finds himself in places he never thought he would be and meeting people he never thought he would meet.

Saw this on my birthday weekend with the kids and I'm still not sure what to think. The whole premise behind its conception and production seems too convoluted, and to me, this doesn't feel like the film that "Andy" would react to the way he reacts in Toy Story. It feels like what it is: a film made for people that grew up watching Toy Story, and not for actual kids.

But putting that aside, the film does manage to hold its own. The animation is great and the characters are enjoyable. Obviously there are tons of nods to the Toy Story franchise, some of them feel forced, some of them stick their landing. The bit where Zurg reveals his true identity got a huge chuckle out of me, especially because one of my kids said something like "it's his father!", remembering the original joke, and then, well

Still, I would say the story feels a tad dense for kids, but again, as far as I'm concerned, this was not made for kids. My kids did enjoy the comedy/action bits and they loved Sox, but there were times when they drifted away when the film got more "talky" and less "action-y". But hey finished the mission, and never quit. Whether they would want to go back to it, well, that's another thing.

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That's what Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) asks himself at a critical moment in the sixth film in the Jurassic Park/World franchise. Because after so many years, millions of dollars lost, and God knows how many lives, these scientists can't help but ask themselves "should we go bigger now, after what happened last time?" or simply "should we keep on doing this?" Ironically, that's a question that the producers and filmmakers should ask themselves.

Set four years after Fallen Kingdom, Jurassic World Dominion follows Owen Grady and Claire Dearing (Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard) as they try to rescue their "adoptive" daughter, Maisie (Isabella Sermon), who has been kidnapped by operatives from Biosyn Genetics. Meanwhile, Ellie Sattler and Alan Grant (Laura Dern and Sam Neill) are trying to uncover a conspiracy to control the world food supply from Biosyn as well, with the help of Malcolm, who now works there.

If you noticed that the above synopsis doesn't mention dinosaurs *at all*, then you've noticed the main issue with this film. In their efforts to go bigger, Trevorrow and the studio have turned dinosaurs, what is supposed to be the main draw of this film, into an afterthought on a much more convoluted story. Granted, there are plenty of dinosaurs, but they just seem to be getting in the way of this story of clones, international espionage, and... crop-eating locusts?

But, to quote Malcolm again, why do they always have to go bigger? I mean, it is always nice to see the "old gang" back together, but the truth is that their characters would've been served better with cameos. Neither Neill, Dern, and especially Goldblum felt like they were much into this, and their side of the story was a mess. Meanwhile, the Owen/Claire/Maisie storyline does raise some interesting questions, but botches the execution.

Don't get me wrong. As mindless entertainment, there are some thrills to be had. Trevorrow does manage to concoct a couple of nice setpieces, and there are some good supporting characters introduced (namely DeWanda Wise's Kayla). Even Campbell Scott, as pointless as his character is, has a nice performance as the antagonist... but at the end of the day, with a cast this big, a plot this convoluted, and the longest runtime of any film in the franchise, you can't help but ask yourself, why do they always have to go bigger?

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