Right now, I can't get to sleep so I'm going to try to write out only the most basic info about the last several movies I've watched. I'll try to come back later to get more in-depth because a few of these, notably The Naked Civil Servant, The Cremator, Pretty Poison, The Loved One and Sympathy for the Devil deserve it.
Animal Kingdom (David Michôd, 2010)
- Well-intentioned but somehow arid Australian crime drama.
Against All Odds (Taylor Hackford, 1984)
- Remake of noir classic
Out of the Past has beautiful Mexican locales and steamy sex scenes between Jeff Bridges and Rachel Ward.
The Life of Emile Zola (William Dieterle, 1937)
- Earnest biography concentrates on Zola's (Paul Muni's) attempts to free Capt. Alfred Dreyfuss (Joseph Schildkraut) from Devil's Island.
F for Fake (Orson Welles, 1973)
- Playful, minor Welles examination of liars, big and small.
The Naked Civil Servant (Jack Gold, 1975, TV)
- Witty, thoughtful bio of Quentin Crisp, one of England's first uncloseted homosexuals, is aided by a sensitive lead performance by John Hurt.
The Cremator (Juraj Herz, 1969)
- Creepy, scary Czech film, based on an important Czech novel about the insidiousness of evil at the beginning of WWII. Haunting visuals and music add to the power.
What's Up, Doc? (Peter Bogdanovich, 1972)
+ - Generally funny screwball homage to
Bringing Up Baby wraps up with a sidesplitting final 20 minutes.
District 9 (Neil Blomkamp, 2009)
- Solid social statement couched in science fiction features the best human/space alien relationship since
E.T.
G.I. Jane (Ridley Scott, 1997)
- Surprisingly serious and entertaining flick about Demi Moore trying to become a Navy Seal.
I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can (Jack Hofsiss, 1982)
- Although often histrionic, this drama about drug addiction is more affecting and honest than
Requiem for a Dream.
The Hospital (Arthur Hiller, 1971)
+ - Paddy Chayefsky black comedy about the callousness of the medical profession is shuffled into a mystery about murders of doctors and nurses in an NYC hospital where at least one doctor (George C. Scott) seems to care.
Marty (Delbert Mann, 1955)
+ -Likable Oscar winner, a gentler form of Chayefsky, about a plain Bronx butcher (Ernest Borgnine - Best Actor) who tries to find romance and love before he grows too old.
You Will Meet a Tall, Dark Stranger (Woody Allen, 2010)
- Mostly hohum Allen, set in London, with the characters following predictable arcs but somehow just being much less humorous about it.
Gigi (Vincente Minnelli, 1958)
- - Lerner and Loewe musical about a young woman trained by her grandma and aunt to become a courtesan. The major joys of the film are provided by old pros Maurice Chevalier and Hermione Gingold (their songs, "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" and "I Remember It Well", are the best). Louis Jourdan is actually quite good as a rich man bored to death by everything but his friendship with young Gigi (Leslie Caron).
Under the Tuscan Sun (Audrey Wills, 2003)
- Beautiful scenery (including Diane Lane) and an offbeat sense of what constitutes romance make this featherweght flick watchable.
Deep Red (Dario Argento, 1975)
- Argento in mad slasher mode, with elegant visuals and a Goblin score, builds this mystery thriller slowly but it certainly works up its share of frissons.
The Magnificent Yankee (John Sturges, 1950)
- Humorous, touching tale of Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.'s service on the court from 1902 through 1932 when he retired at age 90. Louis Calhern is great as Holmes.
Hoffa (Danny Devito, 1992)
- Devito directs well and Nicholson is good, even with his fake nose. Most of the film is gripping but it's a tad overlong and the ending obviously had to be made up.
Lord Love a Duck (George Axelrod, 1966)
- Intentionally-silly satire of high schools has 37-year-old Roddy McDowell playing a senior quietly with the hots for Tuesday Weld. The film does get darker as it goes along, and there's a hoot of a performance by Ruth Gordon in the second half.
Dominick and Eugene (Robert M. Young, 1988)
++ - I probably should just give this the higher rating since I enjoy it a lot. It's about the relationship between twins Tom Hulce, a mentally-challenged garbageman, and medical student Ray Liotta. Some strong honest emotions run throughout the film, even when it resorts to melodrama to pump up the volume.
Three Fugitives (Francis Veber, 1989)
- Silly but cute farce about a veteran bank robber (Nick Nolte) released from prison who immediately gets "taken prisoner" by an inept first-time bank robber (Martin Short). The cute part involves the introduction of the latter's young daughter into the mix while the trio are forced to take it on the lam to escape cop James Earl Jones.
Unstrung Heroes (Diane Keaton, 1995)
- Another sensitive film about a family with some mentally-troubled brothers, but this time it's seen mostly through the eyes of a teenage boy who's trying to come to terms with the fact that his mother (Andie McDowell) is dying and he wants to get in touch with his Jewish roots although his dad (John Turturro) is strictly a nonbeliever.
Lost Horizon (Frank Capra, 1937)
- A fantasy about a utopian world deep within the Himalayas, this Capra film uses his populist themes but shades them with others about Eastern philosophy and anti-commercialism. The cast is excellent and the sets and photography are striking.
The Snake Pit (Anatole Litvak, 1948)
- Harrowing story about a young wife (Olivia de Havilland) who finds herself in a mental hospital but doesn't know why. She's aided in her attempts at understanding by doctor Leo Genn.
Red (Robert Schwentke, 2010)
- Predictable action comedy gets by mostly thanks to its cast of veteran stars (Willis, Freeman, Mirren, Malkovich). There's nothing terribly good about it, but then again, it doesn't seem bad either.
Taking Care of Business (Arthur Hiller, 1990)
- Surprisingly-funny little film with overtones of the earlier Grodin film
Midnight Run. This time, Jim Belushi breaks out of prison and finds Grodin's filofax and begins to impersonate him. JJ Abrams had a hand in the script.
Dreamscape (Joseph Ruben, 1984)
- A film about getting into people's dreams to try to help them medically is crossed with a political thriller here, a quarter century before
Inception. Dennis Quaid and Kate Capshaw have some sexual chemistry, and it's always nice to see Max von Sydow and Christopher Plummer.
The Letter (William Wyler, 1940)
- Exotic drama set in Singapore begins with Bette Davis shooting a man in what she claims is self-defense. This leads to a trial and various machinations involving a mysterious letter which seems to hold the truth to the incident.
Pretty Poison (Noel Black, 1968)
- Although Anthony Perkins plays a character superficially similar to Norman Bates, this is a startlingly-original black comedy where another young man does things for high school honey Tuesday Weld (see the above
Lord Love a Duck). The twists and turns keep the film fresh and entertaining over the entirety of its brief 90 minutes.
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (Milos Forman, 1975)
- Not much to add about this classic film about Individualism versus the System. The cast is huge and notable, the laughs and tragedy are all in place. This is the film I've seen the third most times in the theatre - 20 to be precise.
Raising Arizona (Coen Bros., 1987)
- Although often a bit too hectic and over-the-top, this comedy has enough laughs and cinematics to keep most viewers entertained. Nic Cage and Holly Hunter make a good team.
The Loved One (Tony Richardson, 1965)
- Self-advertised as "the motion picture with something to offend everyone", this often-hilarious black comedy is another one with a huge cast and a thrillingly-irreverent heart in a special place. What starts out as a satire on Hollywood turns into a satire on the funeral business with segues as outrageous as dinner with Mrs. Joyboy, astrophysics with teenage scientist Gunther and advice to the lovelorn from the Guru Brahmin. A truly one-of-a-kind film (in a good way) adapted from the Evelyn Waugh novel by Terry Southern and Christopher Isherwood.
Sympathy for the Devil (Jean-Luc Godard, 1968)
- About half of the film shows the Rolling Stones rehearsing the title song in several trademark Godardian long takes. This is intercut with black revolutionaries quoting the words of some of the Black Panthers and a few other seemingly-satirical scenes criticizing capitalism and the mainstream media. All of these scenes are also in single shots. Apart from these individual shots which mostly have their own chapter title, the only time one sees any traditional editing is during a brief section in the middle involving the Stones intercut with some political graffiti being painted on various English cars and bridges. Over and above everything, one often hears a commentator reading from something resembling a trashy pulp novel set in an alternate universe with characters' names from our own political, pop culture and religious world.
What it all means is very difficult to understand. Godard often seems completely serious even when the scenes are plainly ludicrous, but he seems to want this to fit comfortably in his Communist Revolutionary Era of films. However using a cash cow such as the Rolling Stones either makes Godard someone using capitalism to promote his own agenda or someone who's trying to make fun of the Stones as self-styled revolutionary rockers. Maybe a lyric from the song sums up what the film says to me: "What's puzzling you is the nature of my game."
By the way, if you don't really care for the Rolling Stones, then drop my rating to
.