Posts Tagged ‘movie review’
Friday, September 3rd, 2010
Review:
60 year old rancher John Wayne is in desperate need of helpers for a cattle drive, but gold fever has gripped the town and no one is willing to work for him. So he turns to ten young teenagers, none older than fifteen, and hires them for the dangerous drive. Together with black cook Roscoe Lee Browne they set out, facing plenty of trouble and chances to turn boys into men along the way. The film is a far cry from perfect, but it is a good story that is decently told. Wayne’s lead performance is decent, but it’s really the cowboys that should make the film come alive, but which they can’t. It’s a nice swan song to John Wayne Week, but nothing more.
Random Observations:
The Cowboys at the IMDb
The film picks up a lot of speed, momentum and gravitas in the last half hour, but even that is not enough.
The DVD transfer has a horrible image quality.
Film debut of Robert Carradine.
The film was criticized upon its release for sending the message that it is okay to arm children and set them dangerous jobs. During the Vietnam War, this is understandable.
Tags: 1972, A Martinez, Alfred Barker Jr., Allyn Ann McLerie, American Film, book adaptation, Bruce Dern, Charles Tyner, Clay O'Brien, Colleen Dewhurst, Drama, english, Harriet Frank Jr., Irving Ravetch, John Wayne, Lonny Chapman, Mark Rydell, Mike Pyeatt, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Nicolas Beauvy, Norman Howell, Robert Carradine, Roscoe Lee Browne, Sam O'Brien, Sarah Cunningham, Sean Kelly, Slim Pickens, Stephen R. Hudis, Steve Benedict, The Cowboys, Western, William Dale Jennings
Posted in Minute Movie Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
Review:
Sheriff John Wayne has a brutal murderer in jail and is waiting for the arrival of the Federal Marshall, while the prisoner’s brother does everything he can to free him. Accompanied only by former drunk Dean Martin, cripple Walter Brennan and a reluctant Ricky Nelson, they must keep the prisoner and battle the onslaught of their enemies. The story is simple, but powerfully told, with lots of nice little moments of both dramatic tension and comic relief. This western is essentially a thriller - and quite a good one at that.
Random Observations:
Rio Bravo at the IMDb
Director Howard Hawks really tended to recycle his ideas. Not only did he remake this film only seven years later as El Dorado, he also frequently reused characters and lines. This is the third film where the woman says to the hero: “I’m hard to get. You only have to ask” or something along those lines. The other two films? Only Angels Have Wings and the awesome To Have and Have Not - nobody can say that line like Lauren Bacall.
I actually somewhat prefer El Dorado, although this is the objectively better film. The reason? Why, Robert Mitchum is in it!
Awesome musical trio in this film, with Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson and Walter Brennan… Who, incidentally, also was in To Have and Have Not in a not dissimilar role.
Harry Carey Jr. and Malcolm Atterbury are credited in the film despite having all their scenes deleted - or in Carey’s case, never filmed.
“My Rifle, My Pony and Me” is a pretty awesome song. Luckily, Walter Brennan does not participate here.
The film is a direct response to High Noon. See that review for why Hawks and Wayne considered it necessary.
Part two of the three-part John Wayne Week! One more film on Friday.
Tags: 1959, American Film, Angie Dickinson, B.H. McCampbell, based on short story, Claude Akins, Dean Martin, El Dorado, english, Estelita Rodriguez, Harry Carey Jr., High Noon, Howard Hawks, John Russell, John Wayne, John Wayne Week, Jules Furthman, Lauren Bacall, Leigh Brackett, Malcolm Atterbury, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Only Angels Have Wings, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, Ricky Nelson, Rio Bravo, Robert Mitchum, To Have and Have Not, Walter Brennan, Ward Bond, Western
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Monday, August 30th, 2010
Review:
After his family has been murdered by Comanche, John Wayne sets out to take his little niece back from them. For years he tracks the tribe, with the help of an adopted son, more intent on revenge than anything else. This John Ford film features what may be Wayne’s best performance and has a magnificent story. Ford, of course, is a very able director and the film is very close to being perfect, even if it has become rather dated and the story and themes could be explored much better.
Random Observations:
The Searchers at the IMDb
This film is a favourite of many contemporary film-makers. Steven Spielberg claims to watch it before starting each of his films to remind himself what a perfect film looks like.
The film reminded me of a quote from The Dark Knight: “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
The only film to star both Natalie Wood and her little sister Lana. But while Natalie is by far the superior actress, she is upstaged here by her ten year old sister.
It’s a bit strange to see this film after having seen so many films that have been obviously inspired by it.
We continue our Themed Weeks Theme with John Wayne Week. Two more Wayne westerns on Wednesday and Friday!
Tags: 1956, Alan Le May, American Film, Antonio Moreno, Beulah Archuletta, book adaptation, Dorothy Jordan, Drama, english, Frank S. Nugent, Hank Worden, Harry Carey Jr., Henry Brandon, Jeffrey Hunter, John Ford, John Qualen, John Wayne, John Wayne Week, Ken Curtis, Lana Wood, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Natalie Wood, Olive Carey, Patrick Wayne, Pippa Scott, The Dark Knight, The Searchers, Vera Miles, Walter Coy, Ward Bond, Western
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Friday, August 27th, 2010
Review:
Let’s see now: the film is a version of Anton Chekhov’s play Uncle Vanya, as adapted by David Mamet, brought to the stage by Andre Gregory, filmed in the derelict New Amsterdam Theater by Louis Malle, where rehearsal is taking place, blending the lives of the actors with the play. It’s basically an experimental version of a well-known and good play, that creates an interesting, gimmicky film that doesn’t quite succeed. Everything here is deliberately done to look accidental, creating something very unusual, but not very great. Nevertheless, the play is good enough to warrant watching and the frame-work is not so distracting that it becomes unbearable.
Random Observations:
Vanya on 42nd Street at the IMDb
Some real nice stage acting here by the cast, which naturally does not translate to film at all. I’m sure it’s intentional and it is well done, but it is also annoying.
This concludes Louis Malle Week on something of a sour note, although the film is a far cry from being bad. Just not as brilliant as the last one.
Typical Mamet dialogue has subtly entered the play. I wonder how much else he changed.
Tags: 1994, American Film, Andre Gregory, Anton Chekhov, based on play, Brooke Smith, David Mamet, Drama, english, George Gaynes, Jerry Mayer, Julianne Moore, Larry Pine, Louis Malle, Louis Malle Week, Lynn Cohen, Madhur Jaffrey, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Phoebe Brand, Uncle Vanya, Vanya on 42nd Street, Wallace Shawn
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Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
Review:
Goodbye, Children is based on actual childhood events from director Louis Malle. In 1943, a new boy comes to a catholic boarding school in Nazi occupied France. He forms a tentative friendship with Julien, the Malle stand-in, over the next months. But the boy is Jewish, a refugee taken in by the priest running the school, and naturally this is not a story that can end well. I’ve seen many films dealing with the Holocaust, but never one as good as this. It’s not the bigger picture, just a single fate, it’s not told from a big perspective, but a personal story that is incredibly real, touching and sad. Louis Malle made many good films, but this is his masterpiece and well deserves to be remembered.
Random Observations:
Au revoir les enfants at the IMDb
Dear Ryan! I will not use this space to rant about the “first feel good film about the Holocaust”. You know which one I’m talking about, though. And you also know, hopefully, that this is by far the superior film, even if it sadly does not have the same critical acclaim.
One more Louis Malle film on Friday to conclude his theme week.
The acting by the children in the film, especially the two leads Gaspard Manesse and Raphael Fejtö, is superb.
Tags: 1987, Ami Flammer, Arnaud Henriet, Au revoir les enfants, based on true story, Benoît Henriet, Daniel Edinger, Drama, english, Francine Racette, François Berléand, François Négret, French film, Gaspard Manesse, Goodbye Children, Irène Jacob, Jacqueline Paris, Jacqueline Staup, Jean-Paul Dubarry, Jean-Sébastien Chauvin, Louis Malle, Louis Malle Week, Luc Etienne, Marcel Bellot, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Pascal Rivet, Peter Fitz, Philippe Morier-Genoud, Raphael Fejtö, René Bouloc, Richard Leboeuf, Stanislas Carré de Malberg, Xavier Legrand
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Monday, August 23rd, 2010
Review:
Burt Lancaster is an ageing petty criminal with delusions of grandeur. He takes care of his dead friend’s widow, works as a small time bookie and dreams of the golden days when Atlantic City was run by the mob. Susan Sarandon works as a waitress in one of the casinos and dreams of being a blackjack dealer. When her husband and sister, who ran away together, arrive in town hoping to sell some drugs, all their lives will be changed. Louis Malle’s film is a harsh and bitter look at small time life in the once great city. There is no room here for greatness, just for everyday hopes and dreams, most of which are ultimately squashed. The plot or rather some behaviour of the characters is not quite consistent, but it detracts little from the otherwise very good film. Surprisingly sweet and funny, this 1980 film is a forerunner for the crime revival of the 1990s - just without the delusion of grandeur.
Random Observations:
Atlantic City at the IMDb
“I never wear a seatbelt. I don’t believe in gravity.” How’s that for a great line?
In the great tradition of themed weeks at Fabricated Truth, I have deemed this Louis Malle Week.
The film is a French-Canadian co-production, but was shot on location in Atlantic City, USA. (Which, incidentally, is the German title of the film.)
The great Wallace Shawn has one of his earliest roles in the film as a waiter. It’s always interesting to see such “big name actors” in their humble beginnings. And yes, I am aware that only one of regular readers has any idea who Wallace Shawn is.
Tags: 1980, Al Waxman, Angus MacInnes, Atlantic City, Burt Lancaster, Canadian Film, crime movie, Drama, english, French film, Hollis McLaren, John Guare, Kate Reid, Louis Malle, Louis Malle Week, Michel Piccoli, minute movie review, Moses Znaimer, movie review, Movies, Robert Goulet, Robert Joy, romance, Sean Sullivan, Susan Sarandon, Wallace Shawn
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Friday, August 20th, 2010
Review:
Until the End of the World was a passion project for director Wim Wenders, who spend 14 years on it, filming in a dozen countries on four continents along the way. The story is both incredibly simple and extremely complex. Solveig Dommartin falls in love with hitch-hiker who robs her William Hurt and follows him around the globe, while also being pursued and followed by several other people, including her ex Sam Neill. So the first two-thirds of the film are basically a global road movie, set in the distant future of 1999 (the film was finished in ‘91) where a malfunctioning nuclear satellite threatens the world. But it’s not only a road movie, but also a science fiction story about that ever popular theme of the influence advanced technology has on our humanity. The film is deeply flawed, riddled with plot holes and bad acting (everyone aside from Max von Sydow catches that bug), both too simple and too complex for its own good. But the film is also deeply poetic, filled with incredible moments of natural and human beauty and memorable scenes that make you forget the film surrounding them and appreciate them on their own. The film moves at its own pace and the story is often only an excuse to showcase the director’s world and imagination, which the film does admirably. This is not a film for the masses, it’s hardly for anyone but the director and maybe his cast and crew, but if you can forget that for a while, you can get lost in the film, which maybe is the best thing cinema has to offer.
Random Observations:
Bis ans Ende der Welt at the IMDb
This review is based on the 280 minute director’s cut, not the significantly shorter theatrical release. And yes, I saw all three parts of the trilogy in one sitting.
The version I watched was also lacking subtitles (despite Italian, which is not one of my strong languages, to put it mildly), so I’m not really sure I fully understand all of the French dialogue scattered throughout the film.
Naturally, Wim Wenders’ favourite actor Rüdiger Vogler, is also in this film. And in an unprecedented turn, he is actually extremely tolerable in this film.
My favourite scene/sequence is probably in the last part, when the impromptu band is formed. It’s oddly emotional.
I’m not a big fan of the score (because to me it all sounds the same), but the soundtrack of the film is amazing, especially coupled with some of the scenes.
The film features an amazingly accurate satellite navigation system in an unusual bit of actually guessing the future right. It also features, however, video phones, which basically every sci-fi concept ever has and which have never and will never catch on.
Tags: 1991, Adelle Lutz, adventure movie, Australian Film, Bis ans Ende der Welt, Chick Ortega, David Gulpilil, Drama, Eddy Mitchell, english, Ernie Dingo, French film, German Film, Jeanne Moreau, Jimmy Little, Justine Saunders, Lois Chiles, Max von Sydow, Michael Almereyda, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Paul Livingston, Peter Carey, Rhoda Roberts, road movie, Rüdiger Vogler, Sam Neill, sci-fi movie, Solveig Dommartin, Tom Farrell, Until the End of the World, William Hurt, Wim Wenders
Posted in Minute Movie Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
Review:
Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) is the butler of the well-meaning Lord Darlington (James Fox), who is a strong proponent of appeasement to Nazi Germany. Stevens has dedicated his life to his work and is a perfect example of those old school British butlers. Meanwhile, a new housekeeper (Emma Thompson) arrives, but her love for him is not requited since he does not allow himself any feelings, also turning a blind eye to his master’s folly. The film is essentially a costume drama that is elevated by the strong theme of loyalty, dedication, servitude and their ultimate futility. Great performances elevate the romantic sub plot, which is perfectly underplayed.
Random Observations:
The Remains of the Day at the IMDb
Based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, whose When We Were Orphans I always thought was the first novel I ever read in English outside of school. However, since it was only published in 2000 (and I have the paperback, no less), this simply can not be. Further proof that my memory is horrible - how’s that for a completely pointless insight into my life?
Hugh Grant is in this and on the record as stating that this was the best film he ever made.
I never thought much of Anthony Hopkins as an actor, finding him vastly overrated. This film, however, is almost enough to make me change my mind.
Tags: 1993, Anthony Hopkins, Ben Chaplin, book adaptation, Brigitte Kahn, British Film, Christopher Reeve, Drama, Emma Thompson, english, Hugh Grant, James Fox, James Ivory, John Savident, Kazuo Ishiguro, Lena Headey, Michael Lonsdale, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Peter Vaughan, romance, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, The Remains of the Day, Tim Pigott-Smith, When We Were Orphans
Posted in Minute Movie Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies | No Comments »
Monday, August 16th, 2010
Review:
After being moved to a higher office in the Police Department because their charity fight brokered everyone a pay increase, rivals Aaron Eckhart and Josh Hartnett team up. They are having a good time of it until a girl is murdered and Eckhart’s desire to find the killer and once more claim the spotlight starts to create trouble. But this is only half of the overly convoluted, stupid, erroneous and downright insulting thing this film calls it’s storyline. Director Brian De Palma set out to make a modern day film noir and his recreation of 1940s Los Angeles is certainly very beautiful, with great production design and cinematography, but in all that glory he forgot to create a compelling and coherent story or to hire actors that can act or at least direct them decently. The film is overly ambitious and fails spectacularly, which is still better than all the middling fare out there, but not enough to make it worth spending any time with.
Random Observations:
The Black Dahlia at the IMDb
The film is based on James Ellroy’s novel, which in turn is based on a true story. Which in this case means: the murder actually happened, but it was never solved and none of the people apart from the victim in the novel ever existed, and even the real Elizabeth Short aka The Black Dahlia bore little resemblance to the book or film version. So basically they just used a true murder as a hook to get people interested in the crappy story. (For full disclosure, I should add that I have never read the novel, but if the story is anything like in the film, it’s bound to be bad.)
Whatever happened to Josh Hartnett? There was a time when he seemed like the next big thing, but now he seems all but forgotten. Could it be that this film exposed his limited acting ability?
The only actor in this film who is any good is Aaron Eckhart. Everyone else, even otherwise talented people like Fiona Shaw, Hilary Swank or Scarlett Johansson turn in absolutely lacklustre performances that are distracting from the film more than anything else. On the other hand, maybe that was intentional.
Tags: 2006, Aaron Eckhart, American Film, Anthony Russell, based on true story, book adaptation, Brian De Palma, crime movie, Drama, english, Fiona Shaw, Hilary Swank, James Ellroy, James Otis, Jemima Rooper, John Kavanagh, Josh Friedman, Josh Hartnett, Mia Kirshner, Mike Starr, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Patrick Fischler, Rachel Miner, Rose McGowan, Scarlett Johansson, The Black Dahlia, Thriller, Troy Evans, William Finley
Posted in Minute Movie Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies | No Comments »
Friday, August 13th, 2010
Review:
After his daughter is kidnapped by Japanese Yakuza, an American businessman with ties to Japan asks his old friend Robert Mitchum to get her back. Mitchum knows Japan and uses the chance to return to the woman he loves, while also caching in an old favour to help his friend. But things don’t go as smoothly as planned and before long he and his partner in crime Takakura Ken must face their opponents time and time again. The film is an excellent portrayal of Japanese culture, especially their idea of honour, a great action movie and also a touching drama that is perfectly acted by both the American and the Japanese cast. Brutal, honest and above all thrilling and touching, this is an underrated gem that deserves to be rediscovered.
Random Observations:
The Yakuza at the IMDb
This concludes our celebration of the great Robert Mitchum. If you are still not convinced that you should see as many of his films as possible, all I can say is that you are missing one of the best actors of all time.
There is currently talk of a remake, which naturally, would be a complete travesty. The only good thing about it could be that it would draw a little attention to the all but forgotten original.
Directed by Sydney Pollack, the film has more than Mitchum’s name to attract casual viewers. And of course there is the screen-writing dream team of Robert Towne and Paul Schrader.
I’m used to shots of starting and landing planes to establish the location as an airport, but this is the first film I’ve ever seen where a Lufthansa plane was used.
Tags: 1974, action movie, Akiyama, Amercian Film, Brian Keith, Christina Kokubo, crime movie, Drama, Eiji Go, Eiji Okada, english, Go Eiji, Harada, Herb Edelman, James Shigeta, Keiko Kishi, Ken Takakura, Kishi Keiko, Kyosuke Mashida, Lee Chirillo, Leonard Schrader, M. Hisaka, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Okada Eiji, Paul Schrader, Richard Jordan, Robert Mitchum, Robert Towne, Sydney Pollack, Takakura Ken, The Yakuza, Thriller, William Ross
Posted in Minute Movie Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies | No Comments »
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