I hadn't expected to see this, especially in a theater. The advertising just hadn't grabbed me, if I even knew of it. But when my folks invited me for a Thanksgiving viewing, I thought, "Well, why not? It's popular enough."
In the early '50s, young woman Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) moves from a small Irish town to the titular borough for a prearranged job. It takes her some time to fit in, but a big boost comes when lovable Italian-American Tony (Emory Cohen) courts her and then her boarding housemates help her react appropriately. It looks as though that would be the end of her homesickness, but then some news from Ireland arrives in the second half....
Saturday, November 28, 2015
The Raid: Redemption (2011)
For all the international movies I watch, I had never seen an Indonesian one before. I don't recall whether I took the recommendation from Netflix or IMDb, but it looked like another Elite Squad: The Enemy Within, which I vaguely recall liking. More importantly, I felt up for an action flick.
Here a SWAT team infiltrates an apartment building run by a notorious drug lord. Alas, they go in with too little preparation (under suspicious circumstances) and underestimate his power. Before long, nobody left alive outside the building knows that the team is there, and the drug lord announces free residence for life to anyone who helps make them disappear. Gang members or not, there sure are a lot of young male tenants prepared to take up arms against the cops, who spend most of the story just trying to leave.
Here a SWAT team infiltrates an apartment building run by a notorious drug lord. Alas, they go in with too little preparation (under suspicious circumstances) and underestimate his power. Before long, nobody left alive outside the building knows that the team is there, and the drug lord announces free residence for life to anyone who helps make them disappear. Gang members or not, there sure are a lot of young male tenants prepared to take up arms against the cops, who spend most of the story just trying to leave.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Kings Row (1942)
This love story was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Picture; Best Director (Sam Wood); and Best Cinematography, Black-and-White. That said, it's probably best remembered for something else: a young Ronald Reagan putting on possibly the best performance in his acting career and certainly the first to gain him much attention. He's not quite the male lead, though, and I'm not sure he ever was.
Taking place from 1890 to 1900, the book-based film focuses primarily on one Parris Mitchell from childhood to early doctorhood (by which time he's played by Robert Cummings) but also considerably on his friend Drake McHugh (Reagan in adulthood), a less career-focused party animal. One thing they turn out to have in common, besides their upscale childhood neighborhood, is an interest in hard-to-get ladies, specifically the daughters of two local doctors. One doctor (Charles Coburn) doesn't see much potential in Drake; the other (Claude Rains) likes Parris well enough as a student but is beyond overprotective toward his daughter. You might or might not be surprised at how much drama ensues.
Taking place from 1890 to 1900, the book-based film focuses primarily on one Parris Mitchell from childhood to early doctorhood (by which time he's played by Robert Cummings) but also considerably on his friend Drake McHugh (Reagan in adulthood), a less career-focused party animal. One thing they turn out to have in common, besides their upscale childhood neighborhood, is an interest in hard-to-get ladies, specifically the daughters of two local doctors. One doctor (Charles Coburn) doesn't see much potential in Drake; the other (Claude Rains) likes Parris well enough as a student but is beyond overprotective toward his daughter. You might or might not be surprised at how much drama ensues.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Selma (2014)
It's not easy to review a film with a focus on a civil rights hero. Viewers' passions are bound to run high, and some might take even a slight criticism as a sign of racism. Others might roll their eyes at me for going too easy on it, thinking I'm racist in its favor. Well, all I can offer is my earnest impression.
The story begins with MLK (David Oyelowo) preparing to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Before long come two indicators that he still has a lot of work to do: a church bombing and a ludicrous suffrage obstacle. Since talking to the president will accomplish only so much, he organizes a protest march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. The march itself doesn't get a lot of screen time; there's more than enough drama in just preparing for it, what with threats of arrest and physical violence from multiple parties. It doesn't help that the FBI is typewriting the activist leaders' every move, as shown right on the screen.
The story begins with MLK (David Oyelowo) preparing to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Before long come two indicators that he still has a lot of work to do: a church bombing and a ludicrous suffrage obstacle. Since talking to the president will accomplish only so much, he organizes a protest march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. The march itself doesn't get a lot of screen time; there's more than enough drama in just preparing for it, what with threats of arrest and physical violence from multiple parties. It doesn't help that the FBI is typewriting the activist leaders' every move, as shown right on the screen.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Il Sorpasso (1962)
At first I figured that the title translated to "The Overpass." It's actually "The Overtaking," which refers to the many times that the main driver speeds to pass another, and I suspect a metaphorical second meaning. In the English-speaking world, the film is sometimes advertised as "The Easy Life."
On a literal Roman holiday, driver Bruno can't get standard service, so he asks the first stranger he can find to help him phone some friends he plans to meet. That stranger, Roberto, is painfully shy and studying for a law exam, but when it's apparent that the meeting won't happen, he accepts Bruno's spontaneous invitation to do something more holidayish: drive around and pretty much do whatever promises to be fun. Roberto can hardly explain to himself why he's leaving his comfort zone, but Bruno's extremely different personality -- boisterous, cheerful, motor-mouthed, rude without provocation, unruly, mooching, arrogant -- clearly intrigues him.
On a literal Roman holiday, driver Bruno can't get standard service, so he asks the first stranger he can find to help him phone some friends he plans to meet. That stranger, Roberto, is painfully shy and studying for a law exam, but when it's apparent that the meeting won't happen, he accepts Bruno's spontaneous invitation to do something more holidayish: drive around and pretty much do whatever promises to be fun. Roberto can hardly explain to himself why he's leaving his comfort zone, but Bruno's extremely different personality -- boisterous, cheerful, motor-mouthed, rude without provocation, unruly, mooching, arrogant -- clearly intrigues him.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Bridge of Spies (2015)
You can't tell from any of my previous entries, but I'm a major Steven Spielberg fan. Maybe being named after him has biased me in his favor, but the projects that he directs and/or produces rarely disappoint me. I've seen nearly all his feature films to date, so don't expect me to review many more.
As in real life, in 1957, insurance attorney Jim Donovan (Tom Hanks) is asked to defend Soviet spy Rudolph Abel (three-time Tony winner Mark Rylance) in court. There's no getting Abel off the hook altogether, but Donovan persuades the judge to forgo a death sentence, not least because Abel could make a good bargaining chip. The opportunity for this comes before long, as two Americans become prisoners in rapid succession: a spy in the USSR and a mere student who attempted to break into East Germany for romantic reasons. Donovan once again steps up to the plate, this time in the even harder role of officially nongovernmental negotiator in Berlin. Can he get both communist governments to cooperate and trade two prisoners for one of questionable value?
As in real life, in 1957, insurance attorney Jim Donovan (Tom Hanks) is asked to defend Soviet spy Rudolph Abel (three-time Tony winner Mark Rylance) in court. There's no getting Abel off the hook altogether, but Donovan persuades the judge to forgo a death sentence, not least because Abel could make a good bargaining chip. The opportunity for this comes before long, as two Americans become prisoners in rapid succession: a spy in the USSR and a mere student who attempted to break into East Germany for romantic reasons. Donovan once again steps up to the plate, this time in the even harder role of officially nongovernmental negotiator in Berlin. Can he get both communist governments to cooperate and trade two prisoners for one of questionable value?
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Cat People (1942)
Oops. Due to a wait at the top of my Netflix queue, this got a "belated" delivery that I would have put off until next year if I had rearranged the queue in time. So The Babadook wasn't my last Halloween-type viewing after all. Shame.
Do not confuse the 1942 original with the 1982 remake. From what I hear, the latter is very overtly sexual, whereas the Hays Publication Code allowed nothing steamier than kisses -- and we see only one in this whole movie, for a plot-relevant reason.
It begins with one Irena Dubrovna intently drawing a panther at the zoo. She also draws the interest of one Oliver Reed (not the actor by that name), who courts and soon weds her, despite her standoffish behavior and lack of self-confidence in her worth as a wife. Oliver learns that she was raised on Serbian legends of people who turn into deadly, out-of-control big cats when sufficiently impassioned, and she believes herself to be one. He tries to convince her otherwise by introducing her to a psychiatrist, but that works as well as you'd expect. By the time her unromantic demeanor leads Oliver's heart to stray to a co-worker -- and the crooked shrink hopes that Irena's will stray to him -- we see evidence of truth to the legend....
Do not confuse the 1942 original with the 1982 remake. From what I hear, the latter is very overtly sexual, whereas the Hays Publication Code allowed nothing steamier than kisses -- and we see only one in this whole movie, for a plot-relevant reason.
It begins with one Irena Dubrovna intently drawing a panther at the zoo. She also draws the interest of one Oliver Reed (not the actor by that name), who courts and soon weds her, despite her standoffish behavior and lack of self-confidence in her worth as a wife. Oliver learns that she was raised on Serbian legends of people who turn into deadly, out-of-control big cats when sufficiently impassioned, and she believes herself to be one. He tries to convince her otherwise by introducing her to a psychiatrist, but that works as well as you'd expect. By the time her unromantic demeanor leads Oliver's heart to stray to a co-worker -- and the crooked shrink hopes that Irena's will stray to him -- we see evidence of truth to the legend....
Friday, November 6, 2015
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)
I'm not sure what drew me to this pseudo-western (set in the modern West). Despite its recency and high ratings on multiple sites, I don't think I'd heard anything about it after seeing the trailer. Maybe the title alone got me curious.
"Mel," as his American rancher friend Pete (Tommy Lee Jones) calls him, is a Mexican farmer with no criminal past to our knowledge. Due to a forgivable misunderstanding, border patrolman Mike (Barry Pepper) shoots him dead. What's less forgivable is that when he realizes his mistake, he leaves the body in the desert and doesn't report it. After the authorities give him a slightly more dignified "second" burial, Pete does a little detective work and determines both who killed Mel and why the sheriff (Dwight Yoakam) isn't doing anything about it. Pete takes matters into his own hands and brute-forces Mike to give Mel a better burial -- well across the border, with the sheriff's department in pursuit.
"Mel," as his American rancher friend Pete (Tommy Lee Jones) calls him, is a Mexican farmer with no criminal past to our knowledge. Due to a forgivable misunderstanding, border patrolman Mike (Barry Pepper) shoots him dead. What's less forgivable is that when he realizes his mistake, he leaves the body in the desert and doesn't report it. After the authorities give him a slightly more dignified "second" burial, Pete does a little detective work and determines both who killed Mel and why the sheriff (Dwight Yoakam) isn't doing anything about it. Pete takes matters into his own hands and brute-forces Mike to give Mel a better burial -- well across the border, with the sheriff's department in pursuit.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
The Babadook (2014)
Somehow I had thought of this Australian horror as a potential companion piece to A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, probably just because it happened to be out around the same time, but it so happens that both are the first features of female directors. TB has the distinction of a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and a rather middling 6.9 on IMDb. I think I know why, but first, as usual, a synopsis:
After seven years, Amelia still isn't dealing well with widowhood. Her son Samuel (born the day her husband died) adds to her stress in many ways: always speaking his mind, practicing dangerous magic tricks and stunts, and believing in -- and preparing for -- monsters. The last behavior becomes more pronounced after she reads to him from The Babadook, an alleged children's book of mysterious origin, about a sort of bogeyman named for his distinctive style of knocking at the door. As the days pass, it gets increasingly hard for Amelia to dismiss Samuel's fears as unfounded....
After seven years, Amelia still isn't dealing well with widowhood. Her son Samuel (born the day her husband died) adds to her stress in many ways: always speaking his mind, practicing dangerous magic tricks and stunts, and believing in -- and preparing for -- monsters. The last behavior becomes more pronounced after she reads to him from The Babadook, an alleged children's book of mysterious origin, about a sort of bogeyman named for his distinctive style of knocking at the door. As the days pass, it gets increasingly hard for Amelia to dismiss Samuel's fears as unfounded....
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