At one time, I would have called musicals my favorite film genre. Alas, it gets harder and harder to find promising ones I haven't seen already. Most musicals from the last few decades are either made with kids in mind or dark in tone with nearly constant singing. The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers era has neither in abundance, but their works can have little good to offer besides dancing. I had no guarantee that I would get anything halfway new out of continuing to watch them.
Here Astaire plays a ballet star with a taste for tap dancing, whose stage name "Petrov" carries a different air from birth name Peter P. Peters. Like in Swing Time, he wants to marry a woman he knows almost nothing about, in this case tap dancer Linda Keene (Rogers), who feels ready to resign and never meet another dancing man. Petrov pulls strings with his unknowing, stodgy manager Jeffrey (Edward Everett Horton) to get on the same cruise as Keene. When an aggressive suitor pursues Petrov, Jeffrey tells her that Petrov has been secretly married for years. Word spreads on the ship...until irresponsible papers all over declare that Petrov and Keene are not only married but expecting, which makes an already awkward courtship even more so.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Sunday, September 27, 2015
The Out-of-Towners (1970)
I might have taken no notice of this comedy if not for the remake with Steve Martin. That remake was thoroughly panned, but at least it did its part of calling attention to the original. With that in mind, I kept an eye out for the unfulfilled potential that would lead someone to decide on a remake.
George (Jack Lemmon) and his wife, Gwen (Sandy Dennis, whom I'd known only from Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), head from small-town Ohio to New York City, where George expects to get a promotion. He sets off with an odd mix of anxiety and confidence, repeatedly attributing his own worries to Gwen. Bad weather delays the flight landing, upsetting what little equilibrium he had. It only gets worse from there.
George (Jack Lemmon) and his wife, Gwen (Sandy Dennis, whom I'd known only from Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), head from small-town Ohio to New York City, where George expects to get a promotion. He sets off with an odd mix of anxiety and confidence, repeatedly attributing his own worries to Gwen. Bad weather delays the flight landing, upsetting what little equilibrium he had. It only gets worse from there.
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
If someone had told me after the first or second M:I entry that there would be a fifth in 2015, I would have dismissed the prediction with a raspberry. If someone had told me in 2006 that it would star Tom Cruise, I would have rolled my eyes. Funny how these things change.
In Ghost Protocol, Ethan Hunt and company had their remote support cut off and dealt with failing gadgetry among other new problems. This time it's worse: The CIA director (Alec Baldwin), believing that the Impossible Missions Force made up the destructive force known as the Syndicate to justify its own less ruly acts, gets the IMF officially disbanded. When Ethan doesn't stop doing what he does, he becomes a wanted man, worrying the few people willing to help him track down Syndicate honcho Solomon Lane (Sean Harris, who needs little more than a stone face).
In Ghost Protocol, Ethan Hunt and company had their remote support cut off and dealt with failing gadgetry among other new problems. This time it's worse: The CIA director (Alec Baldwin), believing that the Impossible Missions Force made up the destructive force known as the Syndicate to justify its own less ruly acts, gets the IMF officially disbanded. When Ethan doesn't stop doing what he does, he becomes a wanted man, worrying the few people willing to help him track down Syndicate honcho Solomon Lane (Sean Harris, who needs little more than a stone face).
The Vanished Elephant (2014)
The AFI Silver Theater is having a Latin American film festival. TVE wasn't necessarily the most promising option, but I had a Meetup invitation. I knew going in that movies from countries not known for movies -- Peru and Colombia in this case -- are a pretty big gamble, especially when they don't have many raters yet. (At this time, TVE leaves a blank line on the Tomatometer and IMDb lists no trivia.) Thankfully, my worries didn't stick around long.
The story begins with Eduardo "Edo" Celeste, a successful if hackneyed crime novelist who used to work for the police, writing his announced final Felipe Aranda novel. His fiancee, Celia, had disappeared in the 2007 Peruvian earthquake. (The title alludes to a painting of a land formation that got destroyed in the quake, which he stares at often.) He likes to think she's still alive somewhere, but to this day, a hostile detective suspects him of murder. And much like in Tell No One, it won't be the last murder of which he's suspected.
The story begins with Eduardo "Edo" Celeste, a successful if hackneyed crime novelist who used to work for the police, writing his announced final Felipe Aranda novel. His fiancee, Celia, had disappeared in the 2007 Peruvian earthquake. (The title alludes to a painting of a land formation that got destroyed in the quake, which he stares at often.) He likes to think she's still alive somewhere, but to this day, a hostile detective suspects him of murder. And much like in Tell No One, it won't be the last murder of which he's suspected.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
In the Mood for Love (2000)
With a little more foresight, I would have followed my previous viewing with a movie that promised to be exciting, as with action. Instead, I chose something more popular but similarly simple in plot...and thus similarly slow.
My only prior experience with Wong Kar-wai was the singular Chungking Express, which, like so many accomplished foreign films, defies American genre standards. By contrast, ItMfL is a rather straightforward love story that could easily have been set in the modern U.S. instead of various parts of the Far East in 1962. Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung) and Mr. Chow (Tony Chiu Wai Leung) live in neighboring apartments and come to keep each other company while their spouses are on vacation. After they develop strong suspicions of their spouses' prolonged adultery, they are tempted to do likewise with each other in spite of their resolve to be better than that.
Monday, September 21, 2015
My Dinner with Andre (1981)
I knew very well that this might bore the heck out of me. It is little more than two men talking over dinner, after all. And some haters quip that it's not even that. But a 7.8 on IMDb and 91% on Rotten Tomatoes are nothing to sneeze at, and I've appreciated some films with few characters and/or minimal action, so I braced myself and went ahead.
It helps that there is some semblance of conflict. As Wally (Wallace Shawn, not as himself) says in the opening narration, he's been avoiding formerly close theater comrade Andre (Andre Gregory, also not as himself) for some time, after Andre suddenly left for a long journey of exploration. At their half-reluctant restaurant meeting, Wally decides to ask a few questions and let Andre do most of the talking. Only when the 110 minutes are more than half over does Wally start saying more than two sentences in a row. To say he's finally comfortable is a stretch, but at least his grievance is no longer with Andre himself.
It helps that there is some semblance of conflict. As Wally (Wallace Shawn, not as himself) says in the opening narration, he's been avoiding formerly close theater comrade Andre (Andre Gregory, also not as himself) for some time, after Andre suddenly left for a long journey of exploration. At their half-reluctant restaurant meeting, Wally decides to ask a few questions and let Andre do most of the talking. Only when the 110 minutes are more than half over does Wally start saying more than two sentences in a row. To say he's finally comfortable is a stretch, but at least his grievance is no longer with Andre himself.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
25th Hour (2002)
Netflix uses the term "post-9/11" in its description of this movie, which may have played a subconscious part in my queue ordering. While the story does take place in New York City, the only sign of anything related to 9/11 comes when protagonist Monty (Edward Norton) cusses out Osama bin Laden. Along with various groups and individuals in NYC. And Jesus. And finally himself.
Monty's not much happier than that for the rest of the movie, in which the DEA has found drugs in his apartment and he has a day left to party and say his goodbyes before turning himself in. (Yes, the law can work that way, though the federal agents shouldn't have mentioned the Rockefeller drug laws.) From the title, I had expected an action-packed thriller, not a drama. In fact, it's less a story than a character study, with a fair amount of focus on the quiet troubles of his friends Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Frank (Barry Pepper) and his father (Brian Cox) as they prepare to see him off, not knowing whether he'll spend seven years in prison, run away forever, or commit suicide.
Monty's not much happier than that for the rest of the movie, in which the DEA has found drugs in his apartment and he has a day left to party and say his goodbyes before turning himself in. (Yes, the law can work that way, though the federal agents shouldn't have mentioned the Rockefeller drug laws.) From the title, I had expected an action-packed thriller, not a drama. In fact, it's less a story than a character study, with a fair amount of focus on the quiet troubles of his friends Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Frank (Barry Pepper) and his father (Brian Cox) as they prepare to see him off, not knowing whether he'll spend seven years in prison, run away forever, or commit suicide.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Interstellar (2014)
Christopher Nolan is so popular that today's top news on IMDb is that he'll direct a movie in 2017 -- with no word on the title, subject, or actors. Personally, I have very mixed feelings about his work. It's consistently admirable and entertaining but always contains bothersome elements that prevent me from loving it, such as an obsession with dead wives and girlfriends. (How does his wife feel about that?)
The protagonist of Interstellar -- identified somewhat confusingly by just his last name, Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) -- is a widower, but at least he's not loaded with guilt or vindictiveness. After all, in his time, crop blight has decreased the human population so dramatically that he fears that his daughter Murphy's generation will be the last. (For once, the disaster is not evidently the fault of humans or aliens.) A former astronaut, he's disappointed that schools now teach that the moon landing was a hoax so that kids will be less inclined to become anything other than farmers. Of course, he's not alone: The stealthy remains of NASA have been looking for a habitable world to reach before it's too late. As Cooper discovers, their methods now involve aid from a mysterious source to travel by extra dimensions. He's game to head a mission despite Murphy's protests, but no one can be fully prepared for what happens in the uncharted territory of physics....
The protagonist of Interstellar -- identified somewhat confusingly by just his last name, Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) -- is a widower, but at least he's not loaded with guilt or vindictiveness. After all, in his time, crop blight has decreased the human population so dramatically that he fears that his daughter Murphy's generation will be the last. (For once, the disaster is not evidently the fault of humans or aliens.) A former astronaut, he's disappointed that schools now teach that the moon landing was a hoax so that kids will be less inclined to become anything other than farmers. Of course, he's not alone: The stealthy remains of NASA have been looking for a habitable world to reach before it's too late. As Cooper discovers, their methods now involve aid from a mysterious source to travel by extra dimensions. He's game to head a mission despite Murphy's protests, but no one can be fully prepared for what happens in the uncharted territory of physics....
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Tell No One (2006)
It's unusual for a French studio to adapt an American novel (now set in France, with English only in music), but writer Harlan Coben found director Guillaume Canet to understand his work better than correspondents in Hollywood. This might explain why, as French cinema goes, it strikes me as not very strange...almost strangely so. Which does not make it plain.
On a rural outing, protagonist Alex Beck gets beaten into a coma and wakes up to learn that his wife was murdered. A few details make him a suspect, but then the police convict a known serial killer, who doesn't admit to that particular murder. Most of the movie takes place eight years later, by which time Alex, while not exactly happy, seems to have a handle on life...until he's suspected of two more murders. It can't be coincidence that on the same day that he hears this, he receives an anonymous email showing footage of what appears to be his wife alive today. The email warns, "Tell no one. They are watching." Who are they, why are they causing trouble for him and others he cares about, and what can he do to stop them?
On a rural outing, protagonist Alex Beck gets beaten into a coma and wakes up to learn that his wife was murdered. A few details make him a suspect, but then the police convict a known serial killer, who doesn't admit to that particular murder. Most of the movie takes place eight years later, by which time Alex, while not exactly happy, seems to have a handle on life...until he's suspected of two more murders. It can't be coincidence that on the same day that he hears this, he receives an anonymous email showing footage of what appears to be his wife alive today. The email warns, "Tell no one. They are watching." Who are they, why are they causing trouble for him and others he cares about, and what can he do to stop them?
Friday, September 4, 2015
Carrie (1952)
The year above should tell you that this has nothing to do with the Stephen King story that became two horror flicks. It is instead a romantic drama directed by William Wyler, which, in my experience, means a minor gamble.
Based on a 1900 book confusingly titled Sister Carrie (she's not a nun and doesn't spend that much time with siblings), it follows a small-town young woman (Jennifer Jones) who moves to Chicago for opportunity. When things go sour, she turns to an outgoing new acquaintance, salesman Charles (Eddie Albert), for support. To minimize the scent of scandal, Carrie pressures Charles in vain to marry her. Then her heart wanders to their mutual friend, restaurant manager George (Laurence Olivier). He loves her too, but in his position -- wife Julie (Miriam Hopkins) owning the bulk of his wealth -- that's dangerous....
Based on a 1900 book confusingly titled Sister Carrie (she's not a nun and doesn't spend that much time with siblings), it follows a small-town young woman (Jennifer Jones) who moves to Chicago for opportunity. When things go sour, she turns to an outgoing new acquaintance, salesman Charles (Eddie Albert), for support. To minimize the scent of scandal, Carrie pressures Charles in vain to marry her. Then her heart wanders to their mutual friend, restaurant manager George (Laurence Olivier). He loves her too, but in his position -- wife Julie (Miriam Hopkins) owning the bulk of his wealth -- that's dangerous....
Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
Despite being an acceptable age to have watched "Pee-wee's Playhouse" regularly in childhood, I never saw a complete episode. It didn't bother me; it just didn't draw me in much for whatever reason. By the time I knew about the innuendo catering to older viewers, it was long off the air. My main exposure to the character of Pee-wee Herman (as opposed to Paul Reubens in general) was Big Top Pee-wee, which, while panned, didn't bother me for one viewing either.
So why would I care enough to see another Pee-wee movie at this point? Well, an acquaintance called it Tim Burton's most underrated film (it was his first silver screen feature, so no wonder people rarely associate him with it), and I agreed with said acquaintance that Batman was his most overrated. Beyond that, people kept making reference to PwBA online, if only for one particular scene and a loose comparison to Bicycle Thieves. At 91 minutes, the last several of which I'd caught on TV once, it could serve as a pretty painless session in cultural education.
So why would I care enough to see another Pee-wee movie at this point? Well, an acquaintance called it Tim Burton's most underrated film (it was his first silver screen feature, so no wonder people rarely associate him with it), and I agreed with said acquaintance that Batman was his most overrated. Beyond that, people kept making reference to PwBA online, if only for one particular scene and a loose comparison to Bicycle Thieves. At 91 minutes, the last several of which I'd caught on TV once, it could serve as a pretty painless session in cultural education.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Duma (2005)
I hadn't heard of this family drama when it was new. Only the poster displayed on Netflix drew my attention to it: a cheetah wearing a knit cap. (That happens in only one scene.) Further research indicated a fair amount of popularity, at least among those who've seen it, so I obliged. If nothing else, I could enjoy footage of one of the coolest big cat species.
Based loosely on a nonfiction book, the story begins with cheetah cubs getting orphaned by lions. One cub (try not to fret about the other two) wanders to a road, whereupon a rural South African human family rescues him. They raise "Duma" until he's old enough to fend for himself, but before they can return him to the wild, the family father passes away (not much of a surprise given his bouts of sickness), requiring them to move to Johannesburg so the mother can find work. As if to challenge the drama classification, they take Duma with them, which doesn't take long to look like a bad idea. Main boy Xan, circa age 12, sees only one way to save Duma from getting shot: make a hasty, unannounced retreat by motorcycle and sidecar to a distant plain, equipped with little more than a water bottle.
Based loosely on a nonfiction book, the story begins with cheetah cubs getting orphaned by lions. One cub (try not to fret about the other two) wanders to a road, whereupon a rural South African human family rescues him. They raise "Duma" until he's old enough to fend for himself, but before they can return him to the wild, the family father passes away (not much of a surprise given his bouts of sickness), requiring them to move to Johannesburg so the mother can find work. As if to challenge the drama classification, they take Duma with them, which doesn't take long to look like a bad idea. Main boy Xan, circa age 12, sees only one way to save Duma from getting shot: make a hasty, unannounced retreat by motorcycle and sidecar to a distant plain, equipped with little more than a water bottle.
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