So yeah, we've made a family tradition of watching current Star Wars movies on Christmas. Never my mom's first choice, but it beats our previous tradition of dark musicals in my book.
Picking up right where Episode VII left off, Rey (Daisy Ridley) has found the hiding place of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and wants him to train her so she can contribute better to the war. But Luke has grown bitter and disenchanted with Jedi ways and dreads the possibility of creating another Vader-esque Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), who has some Force-related connection to Rey. Meanwhile, despite its previous victory, the Resistance is weakening and struggles to retreat from a First Order bent on eradicating it.
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Purple Noon (1960)
None of my sources explain the English title. I can see how the native French one, Plein soleil, "Full Sun," wouldn't carry over; but I noticed no literal purple, nor do any characters mention it, at least in the subtitles. In any event, it's the first screen adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley.
Master forger Tom Ripley is not exactly a friend to aristocrat Philippe Greenleaf, but they enjoy a bit of mischief together in Italy. Philippe must sense jealousy of his fiancée, Marge, because he grows mean to Tom—until Tom kills him. Tom does a good job of hiding Philippe's body and assuming his identity (except around prior acquaintances), but even a genius doesn't have an easy time keeping up a charade indefinitely....
Master forger Tom Ripley is not exactly a friend to aristocrat Philippe Greenleaf, but they enjoy a bit of mischief together in Italy. Philippe must sense jealousy of his fiancée, Marge, because he grows mean to Tom—until Tom kills him. Tom does a good job of hiding Philippe's body and assuming his identity (except around prior acquaintances), but even a genius doesn't have an easy time keeping up a charade indefinitely....
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Tulipani: Love, Honour and a Bicycle (2017)
Dad and I had tentatively planned on seeing several entries in a European showcase at AFI, but we put it off. Tonight was the last night, so we got the initiative just in time. To my slight surprise, Mom came too.
This is one of those rare stories to include flashbacks within flashbacks. In the "present" of 1980, Anna, who has lived mostly in Canada, finds herself and two acquaintances explaining a suspicious death to an Italian policeman. From one standpoint, her relevant story begins only nine days prior, when she sees fit to take her adoptive mother's ashes to the village of Puglia; from another, it starts in 1953, when Gauke, who would become her father, wanders from flooded Holland to Puglia. (Anna learns the story from her acquaintances only within those nine days.) Most of what we see is about Gauke's not-so-uneventful life as a tulip farmer in the area.
This is one of those rare stories to include flashbacks within flashbacks. In the "present" of 1980, Anna, who has lived mostly in Canada, finds herself and two acquaintances explaining a suspicious death to an Italian policeman. From one standpoint, her relevant story begins only nine days prior, when she sees fit to take her adoptive mother's ashes to the village of Puglia; from another, it starts in 1953, when Gauke, who would become her father, wanders from flooded Holland to Puglia. (Anna learns the story from her acquaintances only within those nine days.) Most of what we see is about Gauke's not-so-uneventful life as a tulip farmer in the area.
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
As Long as You've Got Your Health (1966)
This was included on the same disc as Yo Yo. I was going to skip it, but at a mere 77 minutes on top of the previous 92, it called out to me. Besides, being divided into four stories averaging less than 20 minutes each would make it easy to stop whenever I wanted.
In part 1, an insomniac reads a vampire novel while his wife sleeps next to him. In part 2, people struggle to find acceptable seats in a movie theater. In part 3, people attempt to grin and bear living in a noisy, bustling city, sometimes with several medications against stress. In part 4, two picnickers, a huntsman, and a fence builder get on each other's nerves when they happen to choose the same neck of the woods.
In part 1, an insomniac reads a vampire novel while his wife sleeps next to him. In part 2, people struggle to find acceptable seats in a movie theater. In part 3, people attempt to grin and bear living in a noisy, bustling city, sometimes with several medications against stress. In part 4, two picnickers, a huntsman, and a fence builder get on each other's nerves when they happen to choose the same neck of the woods.
Yo Yo (1965)
Despite some panning in its homeland of France, this is probably the most popular piece by director, writer, and star Pierre Étaix. Espousing an extra old-fashioned appearance, it seems to have required greater restoration than most '60s movies. I'm unclear on the legal reasons that we had to wait a few years for the restoration's release.
The story begins in the Roaring Twenties, when an obscenely spoiled rich man sees his maybe six-year-old son for the first time. The boy's mom is a circus performer, and he's already serving as a clown. The dad sends him off with a yo-yo, which becomes his stage name. It takes the Great Depression to draw his dad into the family business -- and into the family, for that matter. By World War II, Yo Yo is a famous actor and wants to buy back the mansion that his dad lost.
The story begins in the Roaring Twenties, when an obscenely spoiled rich man sees his maybe six-year-old son for the first time. The boy's mom is a circus performer, and he's already serving as a clown. The dad sends him off with a yo-yo, which becomes his stage name. It takes the Great Depression to draw his dad into the family business -- and into the family, for that matter. By World War II, Yo Yo is a famous actor and wants to buy back the mansion that his dad lost.
Saturday, December 16, 2017
My Mother's Castle (1990)
Had I realized that this was a sequel to My Father's Glory, I would have given higher priority to the latter. But since the two movies were released in the same year, I imagine that many viewers did not watch MFG first. Besides, MMC does a fine job of standing on its own; I never felt like I missed anything.
The Netflix summary is a tad misleading. While much of the plot does focus on how a vacationing family resorts to regular trespassing to save time, making it only a matter of time before trouble rears its ugly head, there are several matters to attend to before and after that. For example, preteen protagonist Marcel finds himself under uncomfortable pressure, not least from his teacher father, to participate in a big scholastic competition. He also falls for a pretty snob who gets him to do dumb things for her.
The Netflix summary is a tad misleading. While much of the plot does focus on how a vacationing family resorts to regular trespassing to save time, making it only a matter of time before trouble rears its ugly head, there are several matters to attend to before and after that. For example, preteen protagonist Marcel finds himself under uncomfortable pressure, not least from his teacher father, to participate in a big scholastic competition. He also falls for a pretty snob who gets him to do dumb things for her.
F for Fake (1974)
It makes sense to me that the last movie to be directed by Orson Welles would be quite different. Not just from his other works but from pretty much any other. Some reviewers have reservations about calling it a documentary, tho I don't know how else to classify it unless "essay" counts as a genre.
The project had begun as a doc on Elmyr de Hory, possibly the world's most successful art forger. (Of course, a more successful one might never get caught.) It still focuses on him in large part, but Welles expanded it to liars in general, including Clifford Irving, phony biographer of both de Hory and Howard Hughes; Oja Kodar, Croatian actress and muse of sorts; and...Welles himself.
The project had begun as a doc on Elmyr de Hory, possibly the world's most successful art forger. (Of course, a more successful one might never get caught.) It still focuses on him in large part, but Welles expanded it to liars in general, including Clifford Irving, phony biographer of both de Hory and Howard Hughes; Oja Kodar, Croatian actress and muse of sorts; and...Welles himself.
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Losing Ground (2005)
Do not confuse this with the first result when you look up the title. It has nothing to do with the 1982 Kathleen Collins pic. Instead, it's an indie based on a play by the director, Bryan Wizemann, who's not known for much else. And it sure feels like an adaptation from a one-act play, taking place almost entirely in one room, in 90 minutes of real time, with a total cast of seven (one gone so quickly he's almost pointless).
That room is a former Irish pub converted into a run-down video poker bar in Vegas. Several machines, gaming or otherwise, don't work properly, and few resources are diverted to atmospheric amenities like lighting. Guess what most of the patrons are like. There's not much of a plot; we primarily watch them hit buttons, drink, and talk.
That room is a former Irish pub converted into a run-down video poker bar in Vegas. Several machines, gaming or otherwise, don't work properly, and few resources are diverted to atmospheric amenities like lighting. Guess what most of the patrons are like. There's not much of a plot; we primarily watch them hit buttons, drink, and talk.
Saturday, December 2, 2017
Enemy Mine (1985)
Going by the ratings, I would not have chosen to see this. The numbers are only about average across sites, the most promising being a 6.9 on IMDb. But once I read the plot description, I felt like checking it out.
In the future, humans and aliens called Dracs are at war over planetary claims, neither evidently having the moral high ground. Human pilot Willis Davidge (Dennis Quaid) engages Drac pilot Jeriba Shigan (a heavily made-up Louis Gossett, Jr.), and both crash onto an unclaimed planet. Despite plenty of oxygen, water, and ostensible food, the local environment is dangerous enough that Davidge and "Jerry" decide they're better off relying on each other than continuing their fight.
In the future, humans and aliens called Dracs are at war over planetary claims, neither evidently having the moral high ground. Human pilot Willis Davidge (Dennis Quaid) engages Drac pilot Jeriba Shigan (a heavily made-up Louis Gossett, Jr.), and both crash onto an unclaimed planet. Despite plenty of oxygen, water, and ostensible food, the local environment is dangerous enough that Davidge and "Jerry" decide they're better off relying on each other than continuing their fight.
Tokyo Drifter (1966)
For all my viewing of foreign cinema, I don't think I'd ever seen a yakuza film before. The name of the subgenre didn't ring a bell, nor did any of the examples I found listed, except one that I know I hadn't seen: The Punisher (1989). As far as I can tell, they're just gangster flicks in Japan.
This one starts with the dissolution of a yakuza gang as honcho Kurata would rather do legitimate business. The focal character, former member Tetsu, soon gets a tough choice from former rival Otsuka: join or die. Kurata talks Tetsu into a third option: become a drifter. But for reasons that escape my memory, Kurata decides that Tetsu is too dangerous to let live, so now Tetsu has two de facto gangs after him....
This one starts with the dissolution of a yakuza gang as honcho Kurata would rather do legitimate business. The focal character, former member Tetsu, soon gets a tough choice from former rival Otsuka: join or die. Kurata talks Tetsu into a third option: become a drifter. But for reasons that escape my memory, Kurata decides that Tetsu is too dangerous to let live, so now Tetsu has two de facto gangs after him....
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Piccadilly (1929)
Funny how a film on the tail end of the silent era can feel somewhat timely, and I had no way of knowing from the description. In the first act, London night club dancer Vic (Cyril Ritchard) repeatedly ignores the express wish of dance partner Mabel (Gilda Gray) that he not kiss her arms and back, especially as they leave the stage. He labors under the apparent delusion that she secretly likes him—and insists she'd be nothing without him. Boss Valentine Wilmot (Jameson Thomas) notices and fires him before she even lodges a complaint. We never hear from Vic again. That said, it isn't strictly virtuous of Wilmot: He has his own designs on Mabel. But he's enough of a gentleman that she falls for him.
The real conflict begins when, alas, the Piccadilly Club's business suffers in Vic's wake. Looking for innovation, Wilmot recalls a dishwasher, Shosho (Anna May Wong), whom he caught dancing on the clock. He rehires her as a dancer, making it essentially the Shosho Show, if you will. It's not clear whether Mabel envies her first for her popularity with the crowds or for her popularity with Wilmot in another capacity, but as the tension heats up...well, I won't spoil it like the Netflix jacket does. Let's just say that silent films don't favor happy endings between whites and Asians.
The real conflict begins when, alas, the Piccadilly Club's business suffers in Vic's wake. Looking for innovation, Wilmot recalls a dishwasher, Shosho (Anna May Wong), whom he caught dancing on the clock. He rehires her as a dancer, making it essentially the Shosho Show, if you will. It's not clear whether Mabel envies her first for her popularity with the crowds or for her popularity with Wilmot in another capacity, but as the tension heats up...well, I won't spoil it like the Netflix jacket does. Let's just say that silent films don't favor happy endings between whites and Asians.
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Lady Bird (2017)
No, it's not about Claudia Alta Johnson. We never do learn how the protagonist (Saoirse Ronan) chose her nickname, tho I wouldn't be surprised if she, an apparent leftist, meant to honor the Democratic first lady. The important thing is that she refuses to go by her birth name, Christine, because she wants to assert her own identity.
I'd say Lady Bird is above average for 12th-grade rebelliousness, especially by Catholic school standards (she snacks on unconsecrated communion wafers, for example). Fed up with her hometown of Sacramento and California in general, she wants to go to college in New York City. Alas, her family is low on finances, so getting her mom (Laurie Metcalf) to agree is a challenge. In truth, getting her mom to agree on anything is a challenge.
I'd say Lady Bird is above average for 12th-grade rebelliousness, especially by Catholic school standards (she snacks on unconsecrated communion wafers, for example). Fed up with her hometown of Sacramento and California in general, she wants to go to college in New York City. Alas, her family is low on finances, so getting her mom (Laurie Metcalf) to agree is a challenge. In truth, getting her mom to agree on anything is a challenge.
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Julia (1977)
Every so often, I move all the entries on my Netflix queue with a listed wait time to the top and see what comes next. If not for this method, I might have put Julia off indefinitely. How often am I in the mood for a dark-looking '70s drama whose title is a woman's name? Still, it had acting awards, an Academy Best Picture nomination, and direction by the seemingly underrated Fred Zinnemann, so I'd have to see it eventually.
In the '30s, Lillian Hellman (Jane Fonda) is a rather famous writer, thanks in part to schmoozing with the even more famous Dashiell Hammett (Jason Robards). But an old friend, Julia (Vanessa Redgrave), recruits her for a mission that would normally go to a non-Jewish nobody: smuggling funds for the resistance in Nazi territory. Julia's too injured to do the task herself. It's too bad they couldn't meet again under better circumstances; indeed, meeting at all is iffy....
In the '30s, Lillian Hellman (Jane Fonda) is a rather famous writer, thanks in part to schmoozing with the even more famous Dashiell Hammett (Jason Robards). But an old friend, Julia (Vanessa Redgrave), recruits her for a mission that would normally go to a non-Jewish nobody: smuggling funds for the resistance in Nazi territory. Julia's too injured to do the task herself. It's too bad they couldn't meet again under better circumstances; indeed, meeting at all is iffy....
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Your Name. (2016)
Gee, it had been four months since my last reviewed animation and nearly eight since my last reviewed anime. I opted to jump back in with a recent picture that enjoys immense popularity, especially in its homeland, where it broke box office records.
Mitsuha, a modern high school girl in the fictitious backwater town of Itomori, wishes she could be a handsome boy in Tokyo. She kinda gets her wish when she swaps bodies with high-schooler Taki, a switch repeated every time they sleep. Initially, both take it as a realistic dream; when they return to their old selves, they find compelling evidence to the contrary, including acquaintances' behavior around them. They take to writing in smartphone diaries and otherwise leaving messages for each other, hoping not to ruin their lives. This lasts only until the second act, after which Taki misses Mitsuha enough to try to track her down. But he was never prepared for a major complication....
Mitsuha, a modern high school girl in the fictitious backwater town of Itomori, wishes she could be a handsome boy in Tokyo. She kinda gets her wish when she swaps bodies with high-schooler Taki, a switch repeated every time they sleep. Initially, both take it as a realistic dream; when they return to their old selves, they find compelling evidence to the contrary, including acquaintances' behavior around them. They take to writing in smartphone diaries and otherwise leaving messages for each other, hoping not to ruin their lives. This lasts only until the second act, after which Taki misses Mitsuha enough to try to track her down. But he was never prepared for a major complication....
Friday, November 10, 2017
Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise/Charlie Chan in Panama (1940)
Sometimes I check out part of a series simply because it's a long series. I knew going in that no one would revive the fake Chinese man in my lifetime. But some entries, including these two on one disc, enjoy pretty high IMDb ratings to this day, so there had to be more to them than yellowface humor.
The same-year flicks are so similar that I hardly care to go into their differences. One involves a serial strangler aboard a ship to Hawaii. The other involves a plan for wartime sabotage at the Panama Canal. Both problems, of course, come to the attention of the titular literary detective, herein played by Sidney Toler.
The same-year flicks are so similar that I hardly care to go into their differences. One involves a serial strangler aboard a ship to Hawaii. The other involves a plan for wartime sabotage at the Panama Canal. Both problems, of course, come to the attention of the titular literary detective, herein played by Sidney Toler.
The Haunting (1963)
Not for the first time, I got a late arrival intended for October. Rather than save it for next year, I decided to bid Halloween farewell with Martin Scorsese's personal favorite horror. In truth, I think my main reason to put it on my queue in the first place was that the Nostalgia Critic cited it as a G-rated movie that couldn't get a G anymore.
Nell (Julie Harris) accepts an invitation from one Dr. Markway (Richard Johnson) to spend a week at Boston's Hill House and evaluate rumors of its haunting. Along for the ride are Theodora (Claire Bloom), who might have ESP; Luke (Russ Tamblyn), who doesn't believe the rumors at all but expects to inherit the mansion; and eventually Mrs. Markway (Lois "Moneypenny" Maxwell), who tries to talk her husband out of this nonsense. They all observe strange phenomena, but only Nell gets driven over the edge....
Nell (Julie Harris) accepts an invitation from one Dr. Markway (Richard Johnson) to spend a week at Boston's Hill House and evaluate rumors of its haunting. Along for the ride are Theodora (Claire Bloom), who might have ESP; Luke (Russ Tamblyn), who doesn't believe the rumors at all but expects to inherit the mansion; and eventually Mrs. Markway (Lois "Moneypenny" Maxwell), who tries to talk her husband out of this nonsense. They all observe strange phenomena, but only Nell gets driven over the edge....
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Thor's eponymous movies always struck me as somewhat odd compared with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He's not exactly designed for viewers to relate to, being a demigod prince from another realm. And unlike Wonder Woman, he really doesn't face any of the challenges that ordinary people typically face. This may explain why I never felt the motivation to watch his movies in a theater -- until now.
When the not-so-immortal King Odin (Anthony Hopkins) passes away, Princess Hela (Cate Blanchett), goddess of death, can finally return from a long exile, planning to expand Asgard by conquest. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) together are no match for her. Complications in their retreat send Thor to Planet Sakaar, where he promptly gets enslaved (the god of thunder is surprisingly susceptible to electrical shocks) as a gladiator. If you've seen the ads, you know that that's how he meets "a friend from work" for the first time since Age of Ultron....
When the not-so-immortal King Odin (Anthony Hopkins) passes away, Princess Hela (Cate Blanchett), goddess of death, can finally return from a long exile, planning to expand Asgard by conquest. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) together are no match for her. Complications in their retreat send Thor to Planet Sakaar, where he promptly gets enslaved (the god of thunder is surprisingly susceptible to electrical shocks) as a gladiator. If you've seen the ads, you know that that's how he meets "a friend from work" for the first time since Age of Ultron....
Saturday, November 4, 2017
L'Atalante (1934)
I was surprised to find this reputed super-classic buried on a disc labeled "The Complete Jean Vigo," which lists three shorts first, in ascending order of length if not popularity. Perhaps this is the Criterion Collection's version of "Warner Night at the Movies," encouraging you to check out the appetizers before the main course. I see the logic in saving the best for last. But I had a feeling that I wouldn't be interested in the whole shebang; even the feature wasn't my usual type.
The title refers to a barge, whose captain, Jean, just got married. Wife Juliette comes aboard for a honeymoon if not a home in the cabin. They discover that it's not as conducive to romance as they'd hoped, thanks to Jean's duties, the barge's squalor, and the presence of a cabin boy and especially First Mate Père Jules. A night out in Paris doesn't improve matters. As tensions rise, Père Jules hopes to facilitate reparations.
The title refers to a barge, whose captain, Jean, just got married. Wife Juliette comes aboard for a honeymoon if not a home in the cabin. They discover that it's not as conducive to romance as they'd hoped, thanks to Jean's duties, the barge's squalor, and the presence of a cabin boy and especially First Mate Père Jules. A night out in Paris doesn't improve matters. As tensions rise, Père Jules hopes to facilitate reparations.
Monday, October 30, 2017
House of Wax (1953)
No, not the 2005 remake that's best known for depicting the death of Paris Hilton. The first movie by this title benefits from starring an icon of the genre, Vincent Price. (I almost called it the original. That would be Mystery of the Wax Museum, also included on the disc but skipped by me.)
In 1890s England, Prof. Jarrod starts as a seemingly good if eccentric fellow, quite enamored of his own purely tasteful Madame Tussaud-style waxworks. But partner Burke, unsatisfied with the profits, decides to commit arson for insurance fraud -- leaving the uncooperative Jarrod inside for dead. It looks as tho Burke will get away with it, until a figure more disfigured than the average Phantom of the Opera kills him and makes it look like a suicide. The body disappears from the morgue. Soon after, a new wax museum under the name of Jarrod includes an exhibit on Burke, boasting the innovation of ripped-from-the-headlines morbidity in addition to more historical grotesque reenactments. It sells well, but some customers find the dummies a little too convincing....
In 1890s England, Prof. Jarrod starts as a seemingly good if eccentric fellow, quite enamored of his own purely tasteful Madame Tussaud-style waxworks. But partner Burke, unsatisfied with the profits, decides to commit arson for insurance fraud -- leaving the uncooperative Jarrod inside for dead. It looks as tho Burke will get away with it, until a figure more disfigured than the average Phantom of the Opera kills him and makes it look like a suicide. The body disappears from the morgue. Soon after, a new wax museum under the name of Jarrod includes an exhibit on Burke, boasting the innovation of ripped-from-the-headlines morbidity in addition to more historical grotesque reenactments. It sells well, but some customers find the dummies a little too convincing....
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
The Conjuring (2013)
All month until now, I'd seen movies that end with a notice that the depicted characters and events are fictitious -- even Blade Runner 2049, for crying out loud. This one boasts a basis in true events, with only a few changes for entertainment's sake (e.g., compressing a decade into weeks). Such claims are especially common for horrors about exorcism, probably because more people today believe in ghosts and demons than in, say, werewolves. At any rate, we know that it is partly true, insofar as the major players (among living humans, anyway) have existed and had connections with each other; two served as consultants on the film.
The main setting is a rural Rhode Island mansion in 1971. I'm not sure why the Perron family moved into a home so old and disused without learning much about it ahead of time, but I guess two spouses and five daughters don't have many options both comfortably large and affordable. Perhaps their first warning that there are worse things in it than dust and cobwebs is that the dog adamantly refuses to enter. As phenomena get increasingly difficult to explain, the Perrons turn to demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, perhaps best known for their part in the story that inspired The Amityville Horror. Despite their expertise, the Warrens remain apprehensive; not only do exorcisms (including those of buildings rather than people) end badly sometimes, but Lorraine recently had some unshared mental trauma that might compromise her ability. And one of the perceived entities herein threatens the Warrens' daughter elsewhere....
The main setting is a rural Rhode Island mansion in 1971. I'm not sure why the Perron family moved into a home so old and disused without learning much about it ahead of time, but I guess two spouses and five daughters don't have many options both comfortably large and affordable. Perhaps their first warning that there are worse things in it than dust and cobwebs is that the dog adamantly refuses to enter. As phenomena get increasingly difficult to explain, the Perrons turn to demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, perhaps best known for their part in the story that inspired The Amityville Horror. Despite their expertise, the Warrens remain apprehensive; not only do exorcisms (including those of buildings rather than people) end badly sometimes, but Lorraine recently had some unshared mental trauma that might compromise her ability. And one of the perceived entities herein threatens the Warrens' daughter elsewhere....
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Don't Breathe (2016)
I think I had put this on my queue on a whim. I didn't know much about it, only that it was a moderately popular recent thriller/horror and thus a possibility for padding out my October viewings. Perhaps I was also mildly intrigued at the plot description, however simple. It certainly wasn't that the film had the same director and big-name producer as Evil Dead (2013), albeit seeking to scale back the violence.
Three young adults have been burglarizing houses, hoping to make enough money to move out of Detroit. They think one more wee-hours job will do the trick: a one-man house in an otherwise abandoned neighborhood. The homeowner is a Gulf War veteran (Stephen Lang) who gained $300K following a car accident that killed his daughter. As they case they joint, they discover that he's also blind. Sounds easy to them, but you already know the warning signs: Somebody picked the wrong house.
Three young adults have been burglarizing houses, hoping to make enough money to move out of Detroit. They think one more wee-hours job will do the trick: a one-man house in an otherwise abandoned neighborhood. The homeowner is a Gulf War veteran (Stephen Lang) who gained $300K following a car accident that killed his daughter. As they case they joint, they discover that he's also blind. Sounds easy to them, but you already know the warning signs: Somebody picked the wrong house.
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Carnival of Souls (1962)
Not to be confused with the unpopular 1998 remake, this is one of those flicks that bombed upon release but saw "vindication" on TV. It had a small budget and a short run time, so it must have made for easy distribution. According to the commentary, it stands out from others of its ilk by not really trying to copy anything within the genre. The makers had in mind shades of Ingmar Bergman and Jean Cocteau, who, while prone to dark eccentricity, are not exactly horror/thriller staples.
Mary is the lone survivor among three young women whose car got submerged in a lake, and no one is sure how she made it. Understandably, she moves away afterward, to the vicinity of Salt Lake City, not far from some abandoned buildings that once housed a carnival. Whatever trauma she left behind gets replaced with eerie events, especially the repeated appearance of a ghoulish man whom nobody else notices.
Mary is the lone survivor among three young women whose car got submerged in a lake, and no one is sure how she made it. Understandably, she moves away afterward, to the vicinity of Salt Lake City, not far from some abandoned buildings that once housed a carnival. Whatever trauma she left behind gets replaced with eerie events, especially the repeated appearance of a ghoulish man whom nobody else notices.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
My past experience of Blade Runner (1982) consisted of watching the Director's Cut with my dad in 2003 and the Final Cut at AFI in 2015, the latter serving only to enhance my already great appreciation. I'd also read the loose literary basis, Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, in between, helping me understand a couple aspects that hadn't gotten much explanation on screen. Thus Dad and I independently got the idea to see the sequel in a theater before long. I can't speak for his optimism, but mine was cautious, noting that (1) long waits usually mean big differences, (2) people were saying nine years ago that Harrison Ford was getting too old to reprise his action roles, (3) Ridley Scott ceded the director's chair to Denis Villeneuve, and (4) Rutger Hauer's Roy Batty couldn't appear in it.
Thirty years after the events of BR, uncannily humanoid organic robots, called "replicants," have become common and mostly legal on Earth, albeit subject to rampant bigotry. Older models, which don't all have the limited lifespan from BR, are less cooperative as slaves and thus marked for death at the hands of special forces inexplicably called "blade runners," who are at least typically replicants themselves. LAPD Officer KD6-3.7 (Ryan Gosling), usually going by "K," shows no desire to rebel -- until after the site of one of his hits reveals the fossils of a once-pregnant replicant. Since news of this possibility interferes with the public narrative that replicants are too distinct for human rights, K's boss (Robin Wright) orders him to hunt down and kill the now-adult child. His subsequent detective work continues to blow fuses in his head, metaphorically speaking; and the closer he gets, the more certain parties try to remove him from the picture....
Thirty years after the events of BR, uncannily humanoid organic robots, called "replicants," have become common and mostly legal on Earth, albeit subject to rampant bigotry. Older models, which don't all have the limited lifespan from BR, are less cooperative as slaves and thus marked for death at the hands of special forces inexplicably called "blade runners," who are at least typically replicants themselves. LAPD Officer KD6-3.7 (Ryan Gosling), usually going by "K," shows no desire to rebel -- until after the site of one of his hits reveals the fossils of a once-pregnant replicant. Since news of this possibility interferes with the public narrative that replicants are too distinct for human rights, K's boss (Robin Wright) orders him to hunt down and kill the now-adult child. His subsequent detective work continues to blow fuses in his head, metaphorically speaking; and the closer he gets, the more certain parties try to remove him from the picture....
Friday, October 13, 2017
Re-Animator (1985)
Hard to believe that this is my first time on this blog reviewing a film based on literature I'd read beforehand. Specifically, "Herbert West--Reanimator" was one of about eight H.P. Lovecraft short stories that I tried. Like most, it did very little for me. I was left to wonder why people called it comical. It turns out that neither Lovecraft nor contemporary critics were at all fond of that one, so I get the impression that "fans" just like to mock it.
After a little-discussed incident in Switzerland, med student Herbert transfers to Miskatonic University in Arkham, MA. He moves into the house of slightly more focal student Dan, who frequently wheels bodies to the morgue. After Dan stumbles on Herbert's progress at bringing dead animals back to life, he gingerly agrees to help in some less ethical efforts to try it on humans, despite what Dan's girlfriend, Megan, would say.
After a little-discussed incident in Switzerland, med student Herbert transfers to Miskatonic University in Arkham, MA. He moves into the house of slightly more focal student Dan, who frequently wheels bodies to the morgue. After Dan stumbles on Herbert's progress at bringing dead animals back to life, he gingerly agrees to help in some less ethical efforts to try it on humans, despite what Dan's girlfriend, Megan, would say.
Hellraiser (1987)
Last month saw the 30th anniversary of the only reason I've heard of writer-director Clive Barker. All I knew going in was that a guy nicknamed Pinhead (because of the pins in his head) presented a box that could take people to hell. With a bit of a memory jog, I might have recalled that Pinhead had several less normal-looking comrades called Cenobites. Didn't sound like my thing, but the somewhat enduring cult popularity piqued my curiosity. Maybe it would surprise me in its appeal, like A Nightmare on Elm Street had.
Middle-aged Larry gets the bright idea to move into his seemingly long-abandoned former home. His wife, Julia, has reservations about it, not least because she cheated on him in that house with his brother, Frank. An accident causes Larry to bleed on the floor of an empty room, which later enables Frank to materialize from hell -- incompletely. Only Julia becomes aware at first, and Frank urges her to get him enough blood to restore his whole body so that he can run away before the Cenobites find him.
Middle-aged Larry gets the bright idea to move into his seemingly long-abandoned former home. His wife, Julia, has reservations about it, not least because she cheated on him in that house with his brother, Frank. An accident causes Larry to bleed on the floor of an empty room, which later enables Frank to materialize from hell -- incompletely. Only Julia becomes aware at first, and Frank urges her to get him enough blood to restore his whole body so that he can run away before the Cenobites find him.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Village of the Damned (1960)
At only 77 minutes, this film would be pretty easy to rewatch right away with commentary, as I did once with another. Naturally, it gets coupled on DVD with its spiritual successor (not a sequel proper) Children of the Damned. But I decided that neither of those follow-ups was likely to be as entertaining -- and my time would be better spent writing this review.
In the beginning, everyone within the village of Midwich, England, falls unconscious for about four hours. Afterward, every Midwich woman of childbearing age is...well, they couldn't use an adjective for it on screen at the time. The offspring look human, albeit with subtly unusual and samey traits, but their mental and physical developments are rapid. Their emotional development, not so much. And they exhibit the telepathy for an essential hive mind -- not as much as Professor X, but enough to make them very hard to oppose.
Sunday, October 8, 2017
House (1977)
As with my previous viewing, I was warned that this gets strange. Unlike my previous viewing, it is too escapist to make any attempt at relevance. Cracked.com described a few scenes that put it among the five weirdest horror movies they knew, and I thought it should be higher up from their description. I probably would have skipped it if not for its showing at AFI (not that I watched it there), its enduring cult, and my desire to have a good lineup for October.
A synopsis sounds ridiculously simple and hackneyed: Seven high school girls decide to take a vacation at the remote mansion of one's aunt, which, as you probably guessed, is haunted. But House (a.k.a. Hausu) is ridiculous in the finer details, to the point that I can hardly think of another picture like it. Even contemporary Japanese found it bizarre.
A synopsis sounds ridiculously simple and hackneyed: Seven high school girls decide to take a vacation at the remote mansion of one's aunt, which, as you probably guessed, is haunted. But House (a.k.a. Hausu) is ridiculous in the finer details, to the point that I can hardly think of another picture like it. Even contemporary Japanese found it bizarre.
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Get Out (2017)
This may be the first horror movie of my lifetime that my parents saw before I did. Friends had recommended it to them, and they recommended it to me. They also thought I should expect a wait on it from Netflix, which is why I put it at the top of my queue for October, but it came on time. Truth be told, I had held off on it not just because it wasn't the right month for my horror viewing but because it sounded very iffy for my taste.
The main auteur is Jordan Peele of Key & Peele fame, so I rightly suspected a racial focus. Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) goes to meet the parents (Katherine Keener and Bradley Whitford, who looks nothing like Josh Lyman anymore) of his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), who assures him they'd have nothing against her dating a Black man. Ooh, but there'd been some inadequate communication: This is the day of an annual family/friend reunion, so he'll meet far more than them. He's not exactly surprised at a lot of the awkwardness from people who try to be polite yet don't seem to know any Blacks personally besides servants, but things start to seem worryingly awry, especially the Stepford-like behavior of the few other Blacks around....
The main auteur is Jordan Peele of Key & Peele fame, so I rightly suspected a racial focus. Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) goes to meet the parents (Katherine Keener and Bradley Whitford, who looks nothing like Josh Lyman anymore) of his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), who assures him they'd have nothing against her dating a Black man. Ooh, but there'd been some inadequate communication: This is the day of an annual family/friend reunion, so he'll meet far more than them. He's not exactly surprised at a lot of the awkwardness from people who try to be polite yet don't seem to know any Blacks personally besides servants, but things start to seem worryingly awry, especially the Stepford-like behavior of the few other Blacks around....
Friday, September 29, 2017
That Hamilton Woman (1941)
No connection to the subject of Hamilton here. It's another historical figure from around the same era: Emma Hamilton. Even if her name doesn't ring a bell, you may have seen her portraits by George Romney, Joshua Reynolds, and others.
Emma (Vivien Leigh) is heavily implied to have been licentious in youth, until Charles Francis Greville (not portrayed herein) courted her into upper-class society. Alas, he's not the type to follow through on proposals, and Emma marries his uncle, Lord Hamilton (Alan Mowbray), ambassador to Naples, out of sheer convenience. This convenience does become pretty cushy, but it is hardly surprising to anyone that her heart should wander from her husband, especially upon meeting Admiral Horatio Nelson (Laurence Olivier).
Emma (Vivien Leigh) is heavily implied to have been licentious in youth, until Charles Francis Greville (not portrayed herein) courted her into upper-class society. Alas, he's not the type to follow through on proposals, and Emma marries his uncle, Lord Hamilton (Alan Mowbray), ambassador to Naples, out of sheer convenience. This convenience does become pretty cushy, but it is hardly surprising to anyone that her heart should wander from her husband, especially upon meeting Admiral Horatio Nelson (Laurence Olivier).
The Distinguished Citizen (2016)
Another Argentine film in the same month? What can I say? The Latin American Film Festival is still going, and I had a Meetup invitation. Might be the last Spanish-language entry I see for the year. (I'm visiting Peru in January, so I'll probably see others then.)
Daniel Montovani is a rich novelist and Nobelist in Spain who does not take popularity well, as he believes that True Art is too shocking to be popular. He turns down all kinds of honors and events -- until he makes an exception for one in his former hometown of Salas, Argentina (not based on a real one). He even goes without his agent or any notice to the press for a change. Salas folk are generally ecstatic to have him put the remote town on the map, but his rude habits catch up with him....
Daniel Montovani is a rich novelist and Nobelist in Spain who does not take popularity well, as he believes that True Art is too shocking to be popular. He turns down all kinds of honors and events -- until he makes an exception for one in his former hometown of Salas, Argentina (not based on a real one). He even goes without his agent or any notice to the press for a change. Salas folk are generally ecstatic to have him put the remote town on the map, but his rude habits catch up with him....
Ivan's Childhood (1962)
Well, what do you know: I saw another Andrei Tarkovsky picture after all. Admittedly, I missed his name when I selected it, but there's no missing the bleak imagery on the poster for what has also been marketed as My Name Is Ivan. You can tell right away that Ivan does not have an enviable childhood.
Ivan is 12 but rarely acts that young, being eager to serve the USSR against invading Germans. His motive: revenge for his family, as we see in flashbacks. His advantage: small stature for spy stealth. His disadvantage: age-based lack of respect as an equal by adult allies, who'd rather send him to a military academy than to the front. He spends a lot of time waiting impatiently for a task, seemingly forgetful that there are much worse things in war than boredom or a sense of futility.
Ivan is 12 but rarely acts that young, being eager to serve the USSR against invading Germans. His motive: revenge for his family, as we see in flashbacks. His advantage: small stature for spy stealth. His disadvantage: age-based lack of respect as an equal by adult allies, who'd rather send him to a military academy than to the front. He spends a lot of time waiting impatiently for a task, seemingly forgetful that there are much worse things in war than boredom or a sense of futility.
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
State of the Union (1948)
I didn't think I'd care to see a political comedy-drama on screen after getting so much of it in reality lately. But when Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, and 22-year-old Angela Lansbury are being directed by Frank Capra, the subject hardly matters to me.
There appears to be a double meaning to the title. The marriage of airplane industrialist Grant (Tracy) and Mary (Hepburn) Matthews is on the rocks, with Grant having a paramour in newspaper magnate heiress Kay Thorndyke (Lansbury). But Kay is willing to sacrifice her extramarital relationship for political sway as she taps Grant to run for president, which pretty much requires the apparent support of his wife. He warms up to the idea in light of his strong convictions, and so does Mary, despite his continual business-related proximity to Kay. The real trouble arises when his backers talk him into compromises to maximize his chance at election.
There appears to be a double meaning to the title. The marriage of airplane industrialist Grant (Tracy) and Mary (Hepburn) Matthews is on the rocks, with Grant having a paramour in newspaper magnate heiress Kay Thorndyke (Lansbury). But Kay is willing to sacrifice her extramarital relationship for political sway as she taps Grant to run for president, which pretty much requires the apparent support of his wife. He warms up to the idea in light of his strong convictions, and so does Mary, despite his continual business-related proximity to Kay. The real trouble arises when his backers talk him into compromises to maximize his chance at election.
Monday, September 18, 2017
The Big Country (1958)
I said before that I couldn't really characterize William Wyler's directorial style. Now I must be getting the hang of it, because as I watched TBC, I thought of two others: Friendly Persuasion and The Westerner. They're all set in the 19th century and have protagonists who are big on peace.
Rather unusually for a western, the hero in this one, James McKay (Gregory Peck), is a ship captain -- and a fish out of water. He comes to the frontier because it's home to Patricia Terrill (Carroll Baker), his intended. Apparently, no one warned him that her wealthy father, Henry (Charles Bickford), is leading one side of a feud with the rugged Hannassey clan, led by Rufus (Burl Ives), over access to a waterhole on land owned by Julie Maragon (Jean Simmons), who's on good terms with Jim and Pat but unwilling to sell to either patriarch. Like Julie, Jim doesn't let social closeness color his judgment of the situation. But to call him neutral would be misleading; he simply seeks a third option....
Rather unusually for a western, the hero in this one, James McKay (Gregory Peck), is a ship captain -- and a fish out of water. He comes to the frontier because it's home to Patricia Terrill (Carroll Baker), his intended. Apparently, no one warned him that her wealthy father, Henry (Charles Bickford), is leading one side of a feud with the rugged Hannassey clan, led by Rufus (Burl Ives), over access to a waterhole on land owned by Julie Maragon (Jean Simmons), who's on good terms with Jim and Pat but unwilling to sell to either patriarch. Like Julie, Jim doesn't let social closeness color his judgment of the situation. But to call him neutral would be misleading; he simply seeks a third option....
Sunday, September 17, 2017
Such Is Life in the Tropics (2016)
I briefly visited Guayaquil, Ecuador, in 2012. It was a mostly pleasant visit, but I recall, in a seemingly quiet and pretty neighborhood, two cops talking in serious tones near a young woman lying on a bench. Was she drugged? Dead? I never found out. But it came to mind during this Guayaquil-set film, whose native title, Sin muertos no hay carnaval, more accurately translates to "Without dead bodies, there's no carnival."
Some 250 people are squatting on land that theoretically belongs to one mobster, but his father had neglected it. A liaison has been collecting "rent" (read: protection money) from the squatters while assuring them that he's working to get their residency legalized, but they're getting impatient. Alas, so is he, and it doesn't take much of a challenge from them to get him to threaten someone's life -- or have someone carry out that threat. An impudent teen boy, out to protect his mother, grandmother, and girlfriend, learns this the hard way.
Some 250 people are squatting on land that theoretically belongs to one mobster, but his father had neglected it. A liaison has been collecting "rent" (read: protection money) from the squatters while assuring them that he's working to get their residency legalized, but they're getting impatient. Alas, so is he, and it doesn't take much of a challenge from them to get him to threaten someone's life -- or have someone carry out that threat. An impudent teen boy, out to protect his mother, grandmother, and girlfriend, learns this the hard way.
Monday, September 11, 2017
In This Our Life (1942)
This film is notable in part for inspiring the name of Barack Obama's mother, Stanley. Many viewers, as well as readers of the original book, wonder why Stanley Timberlake (Bette Davis) and her sister Roy (Olivia de Havilland) have masculine names; none of my sources provide a definite answer. My guess is that at least one of their parents or grandparents really wanted a son.
Regardless, at least one of these Virginian aristocrats has something wrong with her: Stanley, engaged to Fleming (George Brent), instead runs off with her brother-in-law, Peter (Dennis Morgan). Once the divorce is finalized, Peter and Stanley marry, and Roy tries taking up with Fleming. That could've been the end of it, but things don't work out so well with Peter, and spoiled Stanley, quite used to taking whatever she wants, makes another play for Fleming....
Regardless, at least one of these Virginian aristocrats has something wrong with her: Stanley, engaged to Fleming (George Brent), instead runs off with her brother-in-law, Peter (Dennis Morgan). Once the divorce is finalized, Peter and Stanley marry, and Roy tries taking up with Fleming. That could've been the end of it, but things don't work out so well with Peter, and spoiled Stanley, quite used to taking whatever she wants, makes another play for Fleming....
Friday, September 8, 2017
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
I saw this screening at AFI almost on a whim -- and almost talked myself out of it, because I've been apprehensive about it since it was new. It remains rather popular, but some viewers make it sound too weird and/or depressing. I had walked in on a private viewing in college for half a minute and found it simultaneously funny and irritating, if only for the frantic camera shifts. But 16 years is plenty of time to get used to the trend, as with some films I mostly enjoy, so I bit the bullet.
The title refers to a Parisian cabaret led by a Mr. Zidler (Jim Broadbent), where, through a series of unlikely events I won't spoil, starving but aspiring writer Christian (Ewan McGregor) develops innocently loving feelings for showgirl/prostitute Satine (Nicole Kidman), who's expected to entertain a duke (Richard Roxburgh) instead. When the duke finds them in a somewhat compromising position, they and their associates quickly make a big lie about rehearsing a new musical for the duke to finance -- one with a plot awfully similar to the actual semi-menage a trois they're in, so it seems only a matter of time before the duke catches on. But he and the nature of Satine's profession may not be the biggest threats to Christian's romance, as Satine has developed symptoms of TB.
The title refers to a Parisian cabaret led by a Mr. Zidler (Jim Broadbent), where, through a series of unlikely events I won't spoil, starving but aspiring writer Christian (Ewan McGregor) develops innocently loving feelings for showgirl/prostitute Satine (Nicole Kidman), who's expected to entertain a duke (Richard Roxburgh) instead. When the duke finds them in a somewhat compromising position, they and their associates quickly make a big lie about rehearsing a new musical for the duke to finance -- one with a plot awfully similar to the actual semi-menage a trois they're in, so it seems only a matter of time before the duke catches on. But he and the nature of Satine's profession may not be the biggest threats to Christian's romance, as Satine has developed symptoms of TB.
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Wild Tales (2014)
I must be a junkie for popular flicks. All I knew when I rented this one was its placement on IMDb's top 250. The opening credits in Spanish took me by surprise; I actually paused to make sure Netflix didn't send the wrong disc. Sure enough, WT is from Argentina.
It's also six short stories, not alternating but one after another, with only the running theme of stress to tie them together. Before the title screen, strangers on a plane discover that they have a former acquaintance in common -- and it might not be coincidence. In story 2, a waitress at a nearly empty restaurant recognizes a mobster who wronged her family, and the chef favors a poisoning. Story 3 consists of road rage way out on a country road, still cranked up to 11. Story 4 sees a man contesting a towing charge when the no-parking zone wasn't marked. In story 5, wealthy parents try to ensure that their young adult son doesn't go to prison for a deadly, probably drunken hit-and-run. In story 6, a bride finds compelling evidence at the wedding that the groom cheated on her.
It's also six short stories, not alternating but one after another, with only the running theme of stress to tie them together. Before the title screen, strangers on a plane discover that they have a former acquaintance in common -- and it might not be coincidence. In story 2, a waitress at a nearly empty restaurant recognizes a mobster who wronged her family, and the chef favors a poisoning. Story 3 consists of road rage way out on a country road, still cranked up to 11. Story 4 sees a man contesting a towing charge when the no-parking zone wasn't marked. In story 5, wealthy parents try to ensure that their young adult son doesn't go to prison for a deadly, probably drunken hit-and-run. In story 6, a bride finds compelling evidence at the wedding that the groom cheated on her.
Sunday, September 3, 2017
Mr. Arkadin/Confidential Report (1955)
Mr. Arkadin (ar KAH din) is notorious for having an especially problematic production, even for one featuring and directed by Orson Welles. You see, he had missed one deadline too many and gotten dismissed from the creative process by producer Louis Dolivet (better known for politics than film). At least five edits saw theatrical release, none with Welles' approval. The cut retitled Confidential Report, running 98 minutes, is neither the most widely seen version overall nor the one thought to be closest to what Welles ultimately had in mind; more likely it stems from an earlier draft.
Like in Citizen Kane, the plot involves examination of the past life of a rich man played by Welles. This time, the man in question actually calls for the examination -- confiding to narrator-protagonist Guy Van Stratten (Robert Arden) that he himself can't remember who he was before 1927. Guy travels to multiple countries to find answers, and the picture he pieces together is a good deal uglier than Kane's. Gregory Arkadin (sporting a strange yet aptly hybrid accent for Welles) wants this information forgotten from the world -- at all costs.
Like in Citizen Kane, the plot involves examination of the past life of a rich man played by Welles. This time, the man in question actually calls for the examination -- confiding to narrator-protagonist Guy Van Stratten (Robert Arden) that he himself can't remember who he was before 1927. Guy travels to multiple countries to find answers, and the picture he pieces together is a good deal uglier than Kane's. Gregory Arkadin (sporting a strange yet aptly hybrid accent for Welles) wants this information forgotten from the world -- at all costs.
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Ivanhoe (1952)
In the interest of narrowing my many choices, I usually avoid movies with IMDb overall ratings less than 7, barring unusual circumstances like a vacation. Adaptations from classic literature are an exception. This version seemed like the best way to get the gist of the story in less than 2 hours, tho I read up on key divergences. Besides, it did well at the box office and garnered some Academy Award nominations.
In 1194, Wilfred of Ivanhoe (Robert Taylor) has discovered that the missing King Richard (aptly named Norman Wooland) is being held for ransom. Rather than taking the prison by storm, Ivanhoe runs around seeking money from people who prefer him to regent Prince John (Guy Rolfe). During this endeavor, he re-encounters his crush, Rowena (Joan Fontaine), and two John-aligned nemeses from the Crusades, Bois-Guilbert (George Sanders) and de Bracy (Robert Douglas). In surprisingly large roles, both financially and plotwise, are a pair of Jews: patriarch Isaac (Felix Aylmer) and his daughter, Rebecca (Elizabeth Taylor, no relation to Robert), the latter earning the jealous eye of Rowena and the lustful eye of Bois-Guilbert.
In 1194, Wilfred of Ivanhoe (Robert Taylor) has discovered that the missing King Richard (aptly named Norman Wooland) is being held for ransom. Rather than taking the prison by storm, Ivanhoe runs around seeking money from people who prefer him to regent Prince John (Guy Rolfe). During this endeavor, he re-encounters his crush, Rowena (Joan Fontaine), and two John-aligned nemeses from the Crusades, Bois-Guilbert (George Sanders) and de Bracy (Robert Douglas). In surprisingly large roles, both financially and plotwise, are a pair of Jews: patriarch Isaac (Felix Aylmer) and his daughter, Rebecca (Elizabeth Taylor, no relation to Robert), the latter earning the jealous eye of Rowena and the lustful eye of Bois-Guilbert.
Friday, August 25, 2017
Time Bandits (1981)
I mentioned that I would see another consecutive movie about a boy. Thankfully, it's quite different. In fact, despite the PG rating, I hesitate to count it as a family flick. IMDb doesn't. (Non-American studios, I find, are more likely to have kid-unfriendly stories starring kids.)
Kevin, 11, suffers from parents uninterested in his interest in history. One night, his bedroom is accidentally invaded by six time-traveling dwarves. They're interested in history, of course, but not for the same reason: They want to steal the riches of the past. Despite his disapproval of that plan, Kevin tags along, with nary a language barrier. He learns that they've worked for the Supreme Being himself on maintenance of the space-time continuum, and since they swiped his temporal map, they have to keep moving. (They've been around for eons but seem as vulnerable as humans.) Little do they realize that the scarier threat is from Evil himself, looking to grab the map for his own ends.
Kevin, 11, suffers from parents uninterested in his interest in history. One night, his bedroom is accidentally invaded by six time-traveling dwarves. They're interested in history, of course, but not for the same reason: They want to steal the riches of the past. Despite his disapproval of that plan, Kevin tags along, with nary a language barrier. He learns that they've worked for the Supreme Being himself on maintenance of the space-time continuum, and since they swiped his temporal map, they have to keep moving. (They've been around for eons but seem as vulnerable as humans.) Little do they realize that the scarier threat is from Evil himself, looking to grab the map for his own ends.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Little Fugitive (1953)
Think I've seen enough movies about boys for the month? Well, it hadn't occurred to me that I should rearrange my queue to put off another. The next one on the way counts, too. But only this one stars a kid in his single digits.
With their mom making a sudden visit to an ailing grandma, 12-year-old Lennie is assigned to look after 7-year-old brother Joey for about 24 hours. Lennie resents it, so his rather nasty friends talk him into a trick that makes Joey believe he accidentally killed Lennie. Joey runs off to the not-too-distant Coney Island, and Lennie starts to worry that he won't return before Mom does.
With their mom making a sudden visit to an ailing grandma, 12-year-old Lennie is assigned to look after 7-year-old brother Joey for about 24 hours. Lennie resents it, so his rather nasty friends talk him into a trick that makes Joey believe he accidentally killed Lennie. Joey runs off to the not-too-distant Coney Island, and Lennie starts to worry that he won't return before Mom does.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Each Dawn I Die (1939)
Oh look, James Cagney in prison. Sound familiar? Well, despite what you'd expect, he's innocent of the major charges this time. The setup reminds me pretty strongly of Alfred Hitchcock. No wonder I put it on my queue.
Frank Ross (Cagney) is a muckraker who hits a nerve when investigating a candidate for governor (Victor Jory, state unstated). Soon he gets framed for a lethal DUI and has inadequate legal counsel. In prison, he makes an unlikely ally of infamous lifer "Hood" Stacey (George Raft). After Ross passes up an opportunity to rat on Stacey, the latter makes a tempting offer: do rat on him and thus give him the chance to escape from the courtroom with some outside help; in return, Stacey would use his connections to track down Ross's framers.
Frank Ross (Cagney) is a muckraker who hits a nerve when investigating a candidate for governor (Victor Jory, state unstated). Soon he gets framed for a lethal DUI and has inadequate legal counsel. In prison, he makes an unlikely ally of infamous lifer "Hood" Stacey (George Raft). After Ross passes up an opportunity to rat on Stacey, the latter makes a tempting offer: do rat on him and thus give him the chance to escape from the courtroom with some outside help; in return, Stacey would use his connections to track down Ross's framers.
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Mifune: The Last Samurai (2015)
I had seen Toshirō Mifune in a dozen films, only one of them not directed by Akira Kurosawa. Even when he's not the main character, he has a habit of capturing our attention. So I accepted the Meetup invitation to a documentary about him, tho my dad declined.
Actually, this isn't entirely about Mifune. Before getting into even his parentage and infancy (with cute photos care of his professional photographer dad), the doc presents the earliest history of motion pictures in Japan, with a focus on silent, Noh-inspired samurai shorts. I'm somewhat impressed that clips survive in any capacity. Late in the doc, we learn a little about the career of Kurosawa in the absence of Mifune.
Actually, this isn't entirely about Mifune. Before getting into even his parentage and infancy (with cute photos care of his professional photographer dad), the doc presents the earliest history of motion pictures in Japan, with a focus on silent, Noh-inspired samurai shorts. I'm somewhat impressed that clips survive in any capacity. Late in the doc, we learn a little about the career of Kurosawa in the absence of Mifune.
Sunday, August 13, 2017
The Black Stallion (1979)
This is one of those titles I heard of as a kid but never got the initiative to check out. I couldn't have told you any difference between it and Black Beauty. Well, despite the recency of my last viewing based on a kid's book, I didn't wait any longer.
My sources don't say when and where it takes place, but from the book, I'm guessing the early '40s, starting on a ship departing North Africa and ending somewhere in the US. Alec, who's about 13, becomes a castaway along with an untamed Arabian horse who had been roped up on the ship. After they've done each other several good turns, Alec gets the stallion, whom he uncreatively dubs "the Black," to be more docile toward him. Upon rescue (much sooner than I predicted), Alec demands to take the Black with him. But life behind a suburban fence doesn't suit the Black....
My sources don't say when and where it takes place, but from the book, I'm guessing the early '40s, starting on a ship departing North Africa and ending somewhere in the US. Alec, who's about 13, becomes a castaway along with an untamed Arabian horse who had been roped up on the ship. After they've done each other several good turns, Alec gets the stallion, whom he uncreatively dubs "the Black," to be more docile toward him. Upon rescue (much sooner than I predicted), Alec demands to take the Black with him. But life behind a suburban fence doesn't suit the Black....
Cry Freedom (1987)
I've learned that there was a streak of anti-apartheid features in the years shortly before apartheid ended. The only one I had watched before, in high school, was A Dry White Season, which pulled no punches. This time, I thought I'd check out one about Steve Biko, whom I knew only to be treated as a martyr.
Like many films about race relations (e.g., The Blind Side), it doesn't actually give the most screen time to the main Black guy. The protagonist here is Donald Woods (Kevin Kline), '70s editor of a left-leaning newspaper who nevertheless starts in opposition to Biko (Denzel Washington in his first Oscar-nominated role), whom he sees as something like Malcolm X (how appropriate for Washington). When challenged to meet Biko, he learns that the man is more like MLK. Woods lends his support despite threats to his family.
Like many films about race relations (e.g., The Blind Side), it doesn't actually give the most screen time to the main Black guy. The protagonist here is Donald Woods (Kevin Kline), '70s editor of a left-leaning newspaper who nevertheless starts in opposition to Biko (Denzel Washington in his first Oscar-nominated role), whom he sees as something like Malcolm X (how appropriate for Washington). When challenged to meet Biko, he learns that the man is more like MLK. Woods lends his support despite threats to his family.
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Dunkirk (2017)
Wow, Christopher Nolan writes, directs, and co-produces the depiction of a real event for a change. Well, to a point. The individual characters involved are fictitious. But given his usual penchant for sci-fi and mindscrew mystery, it was bound to be unusually realistic for him. Perhaps he wants more of a shot at the next Academy Awards than he had with Inception.
Unlike any other war film I've seen, this one divides itself into three perspectives corresponding roughly to land (designated "The Mole," an architectural term I didn't know), sea, and air. On land, in the course of a week, Allied soldiers at Dunkirk are in the process of retreating, but German forces don't make it easy with all the ship bombing. At sea, in the course of a day, Captain Dawson (Mark Rylance) takes his yacht to join the rescue effort with his young adult son, along with an unexpected rash teenage assistant. They soon pick up a lone survivor of a bombed ship (Nolan mainstay Cillian Murphy), who exhibits PTSD and reeeeally doesn't want to return to Dunkirk. In the air, in the course of an hour, three members of the Royal Air Force (one of them played by Tom Hardy) face off with German fighters in the vicinity.
Unlike any other war film I've seen, this one divides itself into three perspectives corresponding roughly to land (designated "The Mole," an architectural term I didn't know), sea, and air. On land, in the course of a week, Allied soldiers at Dunkirk are in the process of retreating, but German forces don't make it easy with all the ship bombing. At sea, in the course of a day, Captain Dawson (Mark Rylance) takes his yacht to join the rescue effort with his young adult son, along with an unexpected rash teenage assistant. They soon pick up a lone survivor of a bombed ship (Nolan mainstay Cillian Murphy), who exhibits PTSD and reeeeally doesn't want to return to Dunkirk. In the air, in the course of an hour, three members of the Royal Air Force (one of them played by Tom Hardy) face off with German fighters in the vicinity.
Saturday, August 5, 2017
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
It is a testament to my ongoing youthfulness that I watched yet another superhero movie in a theater this summer. I watched alone, because I figured my dad would choose to sit this one out. Heck, it's more obviously juvenile than most, given that Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is a high school sophomore, which no doubt inspired the title. (If you think he should relinquish the "-Man" part, might I point out that he's older than 13 and one of his creators is Jewish.)
Most of the film takes place a few months after the events of Captain America: Civil War. Despite his key part in the biggest battle therein, and despite resources and kudos from Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), Spidey has yet to be regarded as a full-fledged Avenger. He sends regular reports to Stark's unfriendly aide Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), hoping to get an assignment rather than deal with the usual petty criminals of New York City, even tho he's still a bit clumsy in handling those. Things finally get interesting for him when he meets some robbers with exotic equipment, but not interesting enough for Avenger backup. Is it wise to hunt down the source of this equipment by himself, against Stark's advice?
Most of the film takes place a few months after the events of Captain America: Civil War. Despite his key part in the biggest battle therein, and despite resources and kudos from Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), Spidey has yet to be regarded as a full-fledged Avenger. He sends regular reports to Stark's unfriendly aide Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), hoping to get an assignment rather than deal with the usual petty criminals of New York City, even tho he's still a bit clumsy in handling those. Things finally get interesting for him when he meets some robbers with exotic equipment, but not interesting enough for Avenger backup. Is it wise to hunt down the source of this equipment by himself, against Stark's advice?
Friday, August 4, 2017
After Hours (1985)
After my semi-success with The King of Comedy, I decided to give another Martin Scorsese black comedy a shot. In a way, it's the opposite: Where the former bothered and discouraged the director, the latter was just the pick-me-up he needed after his initial failure to launch The Last Temptation of Christ. It must have been especially rewarding to writer Joseph Minion, who had never sold a feature script before.
Paul (Griffin Dunne) leads a dull existence as a word processor, until he happens to meet and bond with the attractive Marcy (Rosanna Arquette). He decides to meet her again at her home in SoHo, a long cab ride from his place. His misfortune begins on that ride when his only paper money flies out the window (remember, there were no ATMs in those days) and mounts as he learns more about Marcy than he wanted to know. For the rest of the night/movie, he just wants to go home, but the obstacles keep piling on, eventually to dangerous levels. Way to make a dull existence look good.
Paul (Griffin Dunne) leads a dull existence as a word processor, until he happens to meet and bond with the attractive Marcy (Rosanna Arquette). He decides to meet her again at her home in SoHo, a long cab ride from his place. His misfortune begins on that ride when his only paper money flies out the window (remember, there were no ATMs in those days) and mounts as he learns more about Marcy than he wanted to know. For the rest of the night/movie, he just wants to go home, but the obstacles keep piling on, eventually to dangerous levels. Way to make a dull existence look good.
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Sounder (1972)
Dramatic movies about dogs tend not to end happily. Stories that won Newbery Medals have that reputation even more so. Perhaps it's fortunate that the title character has less importance to this movie than Toto has to The Wizard of Oz or Asta has to the Thin Man series. Either he plays a bigger part in the book, or he serves a metaphor.
The real focus is on David Lee Morgan, circa age 11, eldest son in a poor Black family of sharecroppers in 1933 Louisiana. Early on, his father steals and gets sent to a prison camp, leaving the rest even more desperate. At his mother's request, David Lee goes on a mission to find and visit the camp, with Sounder tagging along.
The real focus is on David Lee Morgan, circa age 11, eldest son in a poor Black family of sharecroppers in 1933 Louisiana. Early on, his father steals and gets sent to a prison camp, leaving the rest even more desperate. At his mother's request, David Lee goes on a mission to find and visit the camp, with Sounder tagging along.
Saturday, July 29, 2017
Anand (1971)
Most Indian movies I've seen are from this century, if only because the IMDb top 250 skews recent. But IMDb also lists an Indian top 250, where this is #1. Not sure how that works when other Indian features appear on the overall top 250 and Anand doesn't, but I figured on giving it a try.
Oncologist Bhaskar makes a point to treat people who otherwise can't afford it. Making what he deems too little progress, he feels discouraged. His comrade Kulkarni also treats the poor, except by using payment from rich hypochondriacs. Then the title character turns up in their lives and checks in for hospice care. Anand has the kind of case that normally wouldn't help Bhaskar feel better: an incurable cancer due to kill within half a year. But Anand doesn't let that stop him from trying to be the life of the party, if you will.
Oncologist Bhaskar makes a point to treat people who otherwise can't afford it. Making what he deems too little progress, he feels discouraged. His comrade Kulkarni also treats the poor, except by using payment from rich hypochondriacs. Then the title character turns up in their lives and checks in for hospice care. Anand has the kind of case that normally wouldn't help Bhaskar feel better: an incurable cancer due to kill within half a year. But Anand doesn't let that stop him from trying to be the life of the party, if you will.
Department Q: The Keeper of Lost Causes (2013)
The entire Department Q trilogy was on a list of favorite Netflix screening options. I took care to start with the first, not The Absent One (2014) or A Conspiracy of Faith (2016). They all have similar IMDb scores. Perhaps I should have noted that their Rotten Tomatoes scores get progressively much higher.
Somewhere in Denmark, impulsive policeman Carl has botched a raid, leaving his partners out of commission and himself needing months of recovery. Afterward, no one else on the force wants to work with him, so the chief invents a Department Q, populated by Carl and assistant Assad, for sorting files of closed cases. But before long, Carl gets suspicious about a woman's reported suicide: Why do that on a cruise with her heavily brain-damaged brother? He and Assad investigate further, taking a trip to Sweden, despite the chief's consternation. As you've no doubt predicted, they're right.
Somewhere in Denmark, impulsive policeman Carl has botched a raid, leaving his partners out of commission and himself needing months of recovery. Afterward, no one else on the force wants to work with him, so the chief invents a Department Q, populated by Carl and assistant Assad, for sorting files of closed cases. But before long, Carl gets suspicious about a woman's reported suicide: Why do that on a cruise with her heavily brain-damaged brother? He and Assad investigate further, taking a trip to Sweden, despite the chief's consternation. As you've no doubt predicted, they're right.
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
Confession: I skipped a review of the last western I watched, Fort Apache. It had been too soon after El Dorado, and while it was more distinctive in plot and possibly better overall, I just couldn't muster the motivation to write about it. Well, four months is plenty of time to get back in the mood, this time with a feature inherently more different, coming from the '70s.
Under the direction of mainstay Sydney Pollack, Robert Redford plays a mountain man in the Rockies. His story starts out as possibly the most episodic western I've seen, but patterns emerge. For all the loneliness of his lifestyle, certain people show up either for an extended period or repeatedly, as if for "bookends." Others die quickly, because there is a lot of tension on the frontier, particularly involving Crows. His victories allow him to pass into legend (based loosely on a real legend recorded in a few books).
Under the direction of mainstay Sydney Pollack, Robert Redford plays a mountain man in the Rockies. His story starts out as possibly the most episodic western I've seen, but patterns emerge. For all the loneliness of his lifestyle, certain people show up either for an extended period or repeatedly, as if for "bookends." Others die quickly, because there is a lot of tension on the frontier, particularly involving Crows. His victories allow him to pass into legend (based loosely on a real legend recorded in a few books).
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Baby Doll (1956)
I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to see a Tennessee Williams story about a young woman regarded as immature if not babyish. When I learned that it was controversial, I expected something along the lines of Lolita. Fortunately, I soon confirmed that the title character (Carroll Baker), who never uses her real first name, married as a virgin at 18 -- less than half the apparent age of her husband, Archie Lee Meighan (Karl Malden), but that wasn't the scandal.
The Meighans have had a deal not to do something unspecified until her upcoming 20th birthday; from his eagerness, it's not hard to guess what. Understandably, she doesn't share his eagerness, not least because he hasn't been the great businessman she was led to believe. In desperation for success, Archie secretly sabotages the industry of rival Silva Vacarro (Eli Wallach) and then tries to talk him into a merger, leaving Baby Doll to entertain him for a while. Things get mighty suggestive between her and Vacarro, tho it's not the conquest he chiefly has in mind....
The Meighans have had a deal not to do something unspecified until her upcoming 20th birthday; from his eagerness, it's not hard to guess what. Understandably, she doesn't share his eagerness, not least because he hasn't been the great businessman she was led to believe. In desperation for success, Archie secretly sabotages the industry of rival Silva Vacarro (Eli Wallach) and then tries to talk him into a merger, leaving Baby Doll to entertain him for a while. Things get mighty suggestive between her and Vacarro, tho it's not the conquest he chiefly has in mind....
Saturday, July 15, 2017
Carlito's Way (1993)
Ages ago, I made a curious discovery: I loved The Godfather but had trouble liking popular movies that resembled it -- even its Part II. When I read the summary of CW, I thought it sounded too close to Part III. Still, I'd had pretty good luck with Brian De Palma, so I gave it a try.
Those who have read the Edwin Torres book by the same title should note that this is actually based more on the literary sequel, After Hours. Here, in 1975, Carlito (Al Pacino) has just finished 5 years in prison but feels great, because he was set to serve another 25 until his friend and lawyer David (Sean Penn) showed that the prosecutor had used illegal evidence. He insists that his days as a Spanish Harlem drug lord are over; he aims to run a decent night club and earn enough money to move to the Caribbean, preferably with his on-and-off girlfriend Gail (Penelope Ann Miller). But while the scene has changed, it's never easy to stay out of trouble when nobody expects you to, and he doesn't feel ready to break away from some crooked friends....
Those who have read the Edwin Torres book by the same title should note that this is actually based more on the literary sequel, After Hours. Here, in 1975, Carlito (Al Pacino) has just finished 5 years in prison but feels great, because he was set to serve another 25 until his friend and lawyer David (Sean Penn) showed that the prosecutor had used illegal evidence. He insists that his days as a Spanish Harlem drug lord are over; he aims to run a decent night club and earn enough money to move to the Caribbean, preferably with his on-and-off girlfriend Gail (Penelope Ann Miller). But while the scene has changed, it's never easy to stay out of trouble when nobody expects you to, and he doesn't feel ready to break away from some crooked friends....
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
The Beguiled (2017)
When I accepted the Meetup invitation to see this, I didn't know that it was a remake -- or rather, as the director insisted, a second cinematic adaptation of a book. Some of the older group members had seen the Clint Eastwood version and found it haunting, so there was a bit to live up to. For my part, I wanted to see a promising Sofia Coppola film for the first time since Lost in Translation.
Cpl. John McBurnie (Colin Farrell), a Union deserter with a fresh leg wound, finds reluctant hospitality at a Confederate girl school with headmistress Martha Farnsworth (Nicole Kidman), teacher Edwina Murrow (Kirsten Dunst), and five students (of whom Elle Fanning plays the probable eldest). Despite his official enemy status, he garners the affectionate interest of eventually all seven ladies. Martha figures on sending him away upon recovery, but when he gets well enough to tend the neglected garden, it becomes more tempting to let him stay. Alas, his intentions are not all innocent, let alone harmless in effect to others or himself.
Cpl. John McBurnie (Colin Farrell), a Union deserter with a fresh leg wound, finds reluctant hospitality at a Confederate girl school with headmistress Martha Farnsworth (Nicole Kidman), teacher Edwina Murrow (Kirsten Dunst), and five students (of whom Elle Fanning plays the probable eldest). Despite his official enemy status, he garners the affectionate interest of eventually all seven ladies. Martha figures on sending him away upon recovery, but when he gets well enough to tend the neglected garden, it becomes more tempting to let him stay. Alas, his intentions are not all innocent, let alone harmless in effect to others or himself.
Saturday, July 8, 2017
The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)
I wasn't sure I'd ever watch a movie about a pornographer, no matter how esteemed it is. The fact that Miloš Forman directed and thought it his best work (above One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus?!) upped my curiosity.
The first scene, depicting prepubescent Larry and his brother Jimmy as rural Kentucky moonshine vendors in 1952, feels out of place with the rest. I guess the point was to show their long-time dark entrepreneurial partnership and Larry's attitude problem. From there, the film skips to their ownership of a failing strip club (by which time they're played by Woody and Brett Harrelson, respectively), which they try to remedy with ads that become the basis for Hustler magazine. The next several years see Larry in multiple court cases (not all about porn) and, yes, worse troubles.
The first scene, depicting prepubescent Larry and his brother Jimmy as rural Kentucky moonshine vendors in 1952, feels out of place with the rest. I guess the point was to show their long-time dark entrepreneurial partnership and Larry's attitude problem. From there, the film skips to their ownership of a failing strip club (by which time they're played by Woody and Brett Harrelson, respectively), which they try to remedy with ads that become the basis for Hustler magazine. The next several years see Larry in multiple court cases (not all about porn) and, yes, worse troubles.
Friday, July 7, 2017
Sing Street (2016)
When I learned that this was an Irish movie about amateur music, I figured my mom would love it, as she loved Once and The Commitments. The former didn't do much for me; the latter I liked but not as much as she did. Perhaps I should have waited and watched SS with her, but I felt like streaming something popular and less than two hours long.
In the mid-'80s, when music videos are big and the economy of Dublin isn't, 15-year-old Conor gets transferred to a cheaper school, Synge Street CBS, with plenty of bad boys (most notably physical bully Barry) and a harsh principal, Brother Baxter. He copes by assembling a rock band of tolerable students with various skill levels, making himself the lead singer and secondary guitarist. This offers the bonus of drawing the interest of a 16-year-old aspiring model, Raphina, who becomes the highlight of their homemade videos and, of course, Conor's love interest, however shakily.
In the mid-'80s, when music videos are big and the economy of Dublin isn't, 15-year-old Conor gets transferred to a cheaper school, Synge Street CBS, with plenty of bad boys (most notably physical bully Barry) and a harsh principal, Brother Baxter. He copes by assembling a rock band of tolerable students with various skill levels, making himself the lead singer and secondary guitarist. This offers the bonus of drawing the interest of a 16-year-old aspiring model, Raphina, who becomes the highlight of their homemade videos and, of course, Conor's love interest, however shakily.
Saturday, July 1, 2017
My Life as a Zucchini (2016)
I had saved this for last among the 2016 Academy Best Animated Feature nominees, not just because it wasn't immediately available but because I didn't think it looked good. What a weirdly colored protagonist. Fortunately, the appearances are easier to take once you see them in (stop) motion. Besides, I don't let unrealistic art prevent my viewings.
Not having read the book, I still don't know why nine-year-old Icare's mother nicknamed him "Zucchini" (or, without dubbing over the French, "Courgette," which adds to the strangeness by sounding more feminine than he is). Regardless, after she dies, he insists on retaining the nickname no matter how others react to it. He's big on mementos of her and his estranged father, loutish as they appear to have been. But in his life at the orphanage, he finds importance in things not left in the past, not least the new pretty girl, Camille....
Not having read the book, I still don't know why nine-year-old Icare's mother nicknamed him "Zucchini" (or, without dubbing over the French, "Courgette," which adds to the strangeness by sounding more feminine than he is). Regardless, after she dies, he insists on retaining the nickname no matter how others react to it. He's big on mementos of her and his estranged father, loutish as they appear to have been. But in his life at the orphanage, he finds importance in things not left in the past, not least the new pretty girl, Camille....
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Panique (1946)
Boy, in nine days, I've seen three movies in theaters with my dad. This time, we heard snoring. That doesn't reflect my own view of the showing; I just thought it fair to mention that somebody might have been that bored.
The mood at a Paris carnival is soon spoiled by the discovery of a murder. The go-to suspect in the minds of locals is one Desiré Hirovitch, whom they know only as "Monsieur Hire," a misanthropic misfit with stalker tendencies and subtle cleverness. He confides to his unrequited crush, Alice -- arguably the focal character -- that her boyfriend, Alfred, is the killer, but Hire deems its inappropriate to send the police after a romantic rival. Surprisingly early in the story (so I might as well tell you), she learns that Hire was right. But which side will she take?
The mood at a Paris carnival is soon spoiled by the discovery of a murder. The go-to suspect in the minds of locals is one Desiré Hirovitch, whom they know only as "Monsieur Hire," a misanthropic misfit with stalker tendencies and subtle cleverness. He confides to his unrequited crush, Alice -- arguably the focal character -- that her boyfriend, Alfred, is the killer, but Hire deems its inappropriate to send the police after a romantic rival. Surprisingly early in the story (so I might as well tell you), she learns that Hire was right. But which side will she take?
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
The Great Ziegfeld (1936)
The first decade of the Academy Awards (1928-1937) is notorious for having not-so-hot Best Picture winners and nominees on the whole. As a result, it has accounted for a large portion that I haven't seen yet. I just reduced that number in spite of mixed reviews from both contemporary and later critics.
Said to be mostly faithful to reality except for the ending, the film depicts stage producer Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. (William Powell) from his days as a struggling carnival barker in 1893 to his death in 1932. You might see him as cut from the same cloth as Donald Trump, what with his cycling between considerable wealth and brokeness, his dishonesty, his questionable business practices, and his womanizing. The last of these traits wins him two wives, Anna Held (Luise Rainer) and then Billie Burke (Myrna Loy, given second billing misleadingly but understandably in light of Powell). He also has a fair-weather-friendly rivalry with Jack Billings (Frank Morgan) through the years.
Said to be mostly faithful to reality except for the ending, the film depicts stage producer Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. (William Powell) from his days as a struggling carnival barker in 1893 to his death in 1932. You might see him as cut from the same cloth as Donald Trump, what with his cycling between considerable wealth and brokeness, his dishonesty, his questionable business practices, and his womanizing. The last of these traits wins him two wives, Anna Held (Luise Rainer) and then Billie Burke (Myrna Loy, given second billing misleadingly but understandably in light of Powell). He also has a fair-weather-friendly rivalry with Jack Billings (Frank Morgan) through the years.
Friday, June 23, 2017
Two for the Road (1967)
Fulfilling my promise to my dad, I made sure that the next film we saw in a theater didn't involve superheroes. Indeed, there's very little action at all. OK, it wasn't my idea: He noticed that this was showing at AFI and suggested it. The main draw for both of us? Lovely Audrey Hepburn.
The first spoken lines are from Joanna (Hepburn) and Mark (Albert Finney) respectively: "They don't look very happy." "Why should they be? They just got married." After that, we're treated to a series of flashbacks, including how Joanna and Mark first met, their parenthood of a young girl, and (sigh) their mutual adultery. Most of the memories pertain to travels in Europe, primarily France and then Italy.
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Wonder Woman (2017)
When was the last time my mom watched a comic book movie in a theater? Had she ever? Well, now I know what it takes: a feminine if not feminist focus with positive reviews. Pretty sure those two factors have never coexisted in the subgenre before. And I was just itching for the first promising DC Comics silver-screen entry since The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. (The LEGO Batman Movie doesn't look my type.)
Diana (Gal Gadot), Princess of Themyscira and not Wales, has always lived on a magically fog-hidden island of warrior women who apparently never grow beyond middle age. Despite the desire of Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) to keep her out of danger, danger comes to them when American spy Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) accidentally enters the fog while chased by German soldiers. He tells of "the war to end all wars," which Diana takes as a sign that Ares, god of war, is making a comeback. Alas, other amazons no longer consider it wise to try to protect anyone but themselves, so only she sets out with Steve on a quest for peace -- tho the two of them have different ideas of how to achieve it.
Diana (Gal Gadot), Princess of Themyscira and not Wales, has always lived on a magically fog-hidden island of warrior women who apparently never grow beyond middle age. Despite the desire of Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) to keep her out of danger, danger comes to them when American spy Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) accidentally enters the fog while chased by German soldiers. He tells of "the war to end all wars," which Diana takes as a sign that Ares, god of war, is making a comeback. Alas, other amazons no longer consider it wise to try to protect anyone but themselves, so only she sets out with Steve on a quest for peace -- tho the two of them have different ideas of how to achieve it.
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Get Carter (1971)
No, it's not the 2000 version with Sylvester Stallone. As with most remakes, the original (based on Jack's Return Home by Ted Lewis) remains more popular. We may have Michael Caine to thank for that; he was always a better actor than Stallone.
Jack Carter, a thug, hears that his non-thug brother died under personally suspicious circumstances, but it looks enough like an accident that the authorities will inspect it no further. As he starts asking around, he clearly hits a nerve when other thugs advise him to drop it. This only encourages him, of course. It's hard for him to know what answers to trust, but one thing is clear: The resolution will get ugly.
Jack Carter, a thug, hears that his non-thug brother died under personally suspicious circumstances, but it looks enough like an accident that the authorities will inspect it no further. As he starts asking around, he clearly hits a nerve when other thugs advise him to drop it. This only encourages him, of course. It's hard for him to know what answers to trust, but one thing is clear: The resolution will get ugly.
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Queen of Katwe (2016)
Ads for this movie jumped out at me because, for the first time to my knowledge, Disney was portraying native sub-Saharan African humans. Specifically set in Uganda, with a number of authentic Ugandans, tho they had to settle for South African backdrops and cast members much of the time. I appreciate that most of the actors, regardless of age, had little to no prior experience, so they probably gained a bit. And we the viewers lose nothing from it.
The story covers in brief the adolescence of real-life Phiona Mutesi (herein played by Madina Nalwanga) from 2007 to 2012. Coming from one of the poorest families in one of the poorest regions of an overall poor country, she doesn't expect to make much of her life. Then missionary Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) discovers her talent for chess and encourages her to compete as far as she can. Of course, in true Disney fashion, her mother (Lupita Nyong'o, evidently employed only by Disney nowadays), not without reason, does not readily see the value in having her stray from her assumed position in the world. And Phiona herself repeatedly doubts her worth.
The story covers in brief the adolescence of real-life Phiona Mutesi (herein played by Madina Nalwanga) from 2007 to 2012. Coming from one of the poorest families in one of the poorest regions of an overall poor country, she doesn't expect to make much of her life. Then missionary Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) discovers her talent for chess and encourages her to compete as far as she can. Of course, in true Disney fashion, her mother (Lupita Nyong'o, evidently employed only by Disney nowadays), not without reason, does not readily see the value in having her stray from her assumed position in the world. And Phiona herself repeatedly doubts her worth.
Saturday, June 10, 2017
7th Heaven (1927)/The River (1928)
Gosh, it had been 15 months since my last silent. That may explain why I decided to watch two at once. Netflix didn't even mention the second being on the same disc, probably because it's a sorely incomplete restoration, hence my lack of a separate review. More on that later.
In 7th Heaven, Chico (Charles Farrell), a sewer cleaner hoping for a better life, encounters someone worse off than himself and his buddies: Diane (Janet Gaynor), a broke young woman who needs to get away from her physically bullying drunk sister. At first, Chico shows Diane only baseline hospitality, but then he shields her from arrest by pretending to be her husband. She helps him keep up that charade to prevent his arrest by moving into his high-rise, the "heaven" of the title. He gradually grows as fond of her as she is of him, but before they can have a conventional wedding, World War I leads to an extremely immediate drafting. Chico promises to "visit" Diane, as if by telepathy, every morning at 11, but will there be miracles enough to protect this romance, especially in light of a more present suitor?
In 7th Heaven, Chico (Charles Farrell), a sewer cleaner hoping for a better life, encounters someone worse off than himself and his buddies: Diane (Janet Gaynor), a broke young woman who needs to get away from her physically bullying drunk sister. At first, Chico shows Diane only baseline hospitality, but then he shields her from arrest by pretending to be her husband. She helps him keep up that charade to prevent his arrest by moving into his high-rise, the "heaven" of the title. He gradually grows as fond of her as she is of him, but before they can have a conventional wedding, World War I leads to an extremely immediate drafting. Chico promises to "visit" Diane, as if by telepathy, every morning at 11, but will there be miracles enough to protect this romance, especially in light of a more present suitor?
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Rush (2013)
My idea of fun auto racing is the Mario Kart series; the real thing is even less on my radar than most sports popular in the U.S. So I was in no, eheh, rush to see a movie about it. But given Rush's awards and nominations, not to mention its place in the IMDb top 250, I decided to give it a shot.
Based largely on true events, it depicts two Formula 1 racers who were big in the 1970s. James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) is a party animal and ladies' man. Engineering genius Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl, convincing enough to wow the real Lauda) abandons his aristocratic Austrian business heritage and prefers not to project a congenial air; he is to be feared. By some chance, from their first race together, they form an intense personal rivalry -- but those have a way of growing to resemble friendship, especially when one of the two men has a crisis....
Based largely on true events, it depicts two Formula 1 racers who were big in the 1970s. James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) is a party animal and ladies' man. Engineering genius Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl, convincing enough to wow the real Lauda) abandons his aristocratic Austrian business heritage and prefers not to project a congenial air; he is to be feared. By some chance, from their first race together, they form an intense personal rivalry -- but those have a way of growing to resemble friendship, especially when one of the two men has a crisis....
Monday, May 29, 2017
The Big Red One (1980)
I had put this film off, because it runs 162 minutes. How serendipitous that I should get around to it on Memorial Day weekend.
The title's emphasis falls on "One," as in the numeral 1, sported in red by the 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army in World War II. Writer-director Sam Fuller was a veteran, which may explain why the narrator, Pvt. Zab (Robert Carradine), says he enlisted in order to get book material. His squad has the curious distinction of five men who never die or get badly wounded while the replacements drop like flies.
The title's emphasis falls on "One," as in the numeral 1, sported in red by the 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army in World War II. Writer-director Sam Fuller was a veteran, which may explain why the narrator, Pvt. Zab (Robert Carradine), says he enlisted in order to get book material. His squad has the curious distinction of five men who never die or get badly wounded while the replacements drop like flies.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (2017)
I had enjoyed the first GotG but had trouble ranking it with respect to other parts of the Marvel Cinematic, er, Universe. It's just so different. First of all, very little takes place on Earth, and only one major character, Peter "Star-Lord" Quill (Chris Pratt), is even half human, tho others tend to have an implausible similarity. Second, the Guardians are antiheroes, first teaming up for a prison break. Third, they're mostly rather subtle in powers, and their equipment isn't very innovative. The movie relied almost entirely on a sense of fun via dialog, emotion, and retro references. It worked, but I had yet to see how well it could work again, apart from the perhaps overly faithful first episode of the ensuing TV series.
Vol. 2 first shows the Guardians, having earned their moniker, doing what they do when the galaxy isn't facing clear and present danger: mercenary work. And a little theft on the side by the most corrupt ones, which is why such big-time saviors still have a lot of people after their hides. But those pursuers are arguably incidental to the main plot. Peter finally meets his mysterious biological father, Ego (Kurt Russell), who's actually extremely powerful and offers to share his wonders. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) thinks it's too good to be true, especially after hints from Ego's empathic companion, Mantis (Pom Klementieff); but Peter, tired of his unrequited crush on Gamora, dismisses the suspicion as resentment. Of course, anyone familiar with stories in general should guess who's correct....
Vol. 2 first shows the Guardians, having earned their moniker, doing what they do when the galaxy isn't facing clear and present danger: mercenary work. And a little theft on the side by the most corrupt ones, which is why such big-time saviors still have a lot of people after their hides. But those pursuers are arguably incidental to the main plot. Peter finally meets his mysterious biological father, Ego (Kurt Russell), who's actually extremely powerful and offers to share his wonders. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) thinks it's too good to be true, especially after hints from Ego's empathic companion, Mantis (Pom Klementieff); but Peter, tired of his unrequited crush on Gamora, dismisses the suspicion as resentment. Of course, anyone familiar with stories in general should guess who's correct....
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Matewan (1987)
I've reviewed political movies before, but this felt a little harder to approach. Part of it comes from having seen a special screening with a loudly pro–labor union audience, where writer-director John Sayles showed up with a lot to say. Still, I decided not to write it off for others right away. If you're like me, then you don't have to agree with a film's message to find it worth watching.
The title is the name of a West Virginia town, whose citizens pronounce it "mate-wan," because they have no regard for tribal origins. In 1920, union organizer Joe Kenehan (Chris Cooper in his first silver-screen role) comes to town and finds the coal miners disgruntled but rather weak in resistance to company pressures, particularly in the form of gunmen from the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency. Upon word that a "red" has arrived, Agents Hickley (Kevin Tighe) and Griggs (Gordon Clapp) take up temporary residence in the same boarding house to throw their weight around, not very daunted by the legalistic sheriff (David Strathairn) and mayor (Josh Mostel). Kenehan makes a name for himself within the budding union, but they don't always cotton to his pacifism, especially under C.E. Lively (Bob Gunton)....
The title is the name of a West Virginia town, whose citizens pronounce it "mate-wan," because they have no regard for tribal origins. In 1920, union organizer Joe Kenehan (Chris Cooper in his first silver-screen role) comes to town and finds the coal miners disgruntled but rather weak in resistance to company pressures, particularly in the form of gunmen from the Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency. Upon word that a "red" has arrived, Agents Hickley (Kevin Tighe) and Griggs (Gordon Clapp) take up temporary residence in the same boarding house to throw their weight around, not very daunted by the legalistic sheriff (David Strathairn) and mayor (Josh Mostel). Kenehan makes a name for himself within the budding union, but they don't always cotton to his pacifism, especially under C.E. Lively (Bob Gunton)....
The Roaring Twenties (1939)
For all the old cinema I watch, including silents, I don't feel like I've seen many depictions of the 1920s themselves. Not in a way that makes me think of their moniker, anyway. For ages, "the Roaring Twenties" has brought to my mind The Great Gatsby first and foremost, with maybe a touch of Midnight in Paris. Little did I know how close it could be to the Depression for one sector of society.
The film actually begins in World War I and ends in the early '30s but mostly stays true to its title. Like in I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, it's not easy for veterans to return to civilian jobs, but it is easy for them to get mixed up in criminal endeavors, even by accident. That's what happens to Eddie (James Cagney) when, as a struggling cab driver, he agrees to a shady delivery on the side, only to have cops find alcohol on him. The night club owner to whom he tried to deliver, "Panama" (Gladys George), bails him out and encourages him to stick with the speakeasy business. Over the years, he builds an empire of bathtub gin and taxis, with on-and-off help from two wartime comrades, Lloyd (Jeffrey Lynn) and George (Humphrey Bogart). But they never did see eye to eye on everything....
The film actually begins in World War I and ends in the early '30s but mostly stays true to its title. Like in I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, it's not easy for veterans to return to civilian jobs, but it is easy for them to get mixed up in criminal endeavors, even by accident. That's what happens to Eddie (James Cagney) when, as a struggling cab driver, he agrees to a shady delivery on the side, only to have cops find alcohol on him. The night club owner to whom he tried to deliver, "Panama" (Gladys George), bails him out and encourages him to stick with the speakeasy business. Over the years, he builds an empire of bathtub gin and taxis, with on-and-off help from two wartime comrades, Lloyd (Jeffrey Lynn) and George (Humphrey Bogart). But they never did see eye to eye on everything....
Thursday, May 11, 2017
The Nun's Story (1959)
I consider Fred Zinnemann a bit underrated. Sure, he had his honors in life, but how often do even film buffs mention the director of High Noon, From Here to Eternity, and A Man for All Seasons? I don't recognize many more of his titles, but they tend to have IMDb ratings in the sevens. Throw in Oscar nominations plus a young Audrey Hepburn and I'm there.
The story begins in late '20s Bruges when Gaby (Hepburn) begins convent life as "Sister Luke." By the '30s, her bumpy road has led her to Belgian Congo, where she serves as a nurse and hopes to convert some natives along the way, despite brash nonbeliever Dr. Fortunati (Peter Finch). But she always considers herself more disciplined in medicine than in faith, and the latter especially gets put to the test when Germany invades her homeland....
The story begins in late '20s Bruges when Gaby (Hepburn) begins convent life as "Sister Luke." By the '30s, her bumpy road has led her to Belgian Congo, where she serves as a nurse and hopes to convert some natives along the way, despite brash nonbeliever Dr. Fortunati (Peter Finch). But she always considers herself more disciplined in medicine than in faith, and the latter especially gets put to the test when Germany invades her homeland....
Saturday, May 6, 2017
The Story of a Cheat (1936)
This is also known by three other English titles: Confessions of a Cheat, The Story of a Trickster, and The Cheat. I guess that kind of multiplicity is more common for older foreign flicks. It is a little on the obscure side, being part of the Eclipse series from The Criterion Collection. Perhaps I had best identify it by its French title: Le roman d'un tricheur.
Written, directed by, narrated by, and starring Sacha Guitry, it never does name the protagonist, so discussions in English generally call him "the Cheat." The Cheat is presently in a cafe writing his memoirs, with most of the story illustrated in flashback. He begins with an incident at age 12 in which a punishment for theft unintentionally saves his life, giving him the lasting impression that a dishonest lifestyle pays off. From there, we get several episodes over the years in which he either shamelessly cheats or tries going straight, but life keeps throwing surprises his way. What lesson should he take to heart?
Written, directed by, narrated by, and starring Sacha Guitry, it never does name the protagonist, so discussions in English generally call him "the Cheat." The Cheat is presently in a cafe writing his memoirs, with most of the story illustrated in flashback. He begins with an incident at age 12 in which a punishment for theft unintentionally saves his life, giving him the lasting impression that a dishonest lifestyle pays off. From there, we get several episodes over the years in which he either shamelessly cheats or tries going straight, but life keeps throwing surprises his way. What lesson should he take to heart?
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Viva Zapata! (1952)
After watching, I thought I should have saved this for Friday. Further research told me that Cinco de Mayo commemorates an event nearly 50 years before the Mexican Revolution, depicted herein. In fact, Porfirio Díaz, one of the heroes of the Battle of Puebla, is pretty much a villain this time around. It must be hard to remain in the good graces of the common people after 35 years as president.
The focal new hero is Emiliano Zapata (Marlon Brando), one of many peasants whose land has been stolen and who find Díaz unhelpful in their quest not to starve. He becomes a general of the rebellion that ushers in a new president. But the movie's only about half over before he and his brother, Eufemio (Anthony Quinn), find something a greater challenge than war: peace. If "peace" is the right word.
The focal new hero is Emiliano Zapata (Marlon Brando), one of many peasants whose land has been stolen and who find Díaz unhelpful in their quest not to starve. He becomes a general of the rebellion that ushers in a new president. But the movie's only about half over before he and his brother, Eufemio (Anthony Quinn), find something a greater challenge than war: peace. If "peace" is the right word.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
The BFG (2016)
Despite the esteem of Roald Dahl, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory appears to be the only highly popular adaptation of his literature. All the others to my knowledge have IMDb ratings in the sixes. The BFG sadly has the lowest of all at present, and while its Rotten Tomatoes and Google user scores are better, they still lag behind other Dahl flicks. But as a rare combination of Disney and Steven Spielberg, it looked fit to appeal to me.
For a man three stories tall, the Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance in motion capture) does a remarkable job of not being seen as he walks the streets of London at night, distributing harvested sweet dreams -- but preteen Sophie (Ruby Barnhill), who never was one for conventions like sleeping at 3 a.m., makes eye contact. To avoid an imminent giant hunt, he whisks Sophie to his home in Giant Land and declines her pleas to return. (Good thing she hated the orphanage anyway.) Yeah, the "friendly" part has its limits, but he's still far kinder than the other nine giants we know of, who give the lie to the "big" part of his moniker. His growing friendship with Sophie strengthens his urge to stop their human hunts, even if it means enabling a giant hunt.
For a man three stories tall, the Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance in motion capture) does a remarkable job of not being seen as he walks the streets of London at night, distributing harvested sweet dreams -- but preteen Sophie (Ruby Barnhill), who never was one for conventions like sleeping at 3 a.m., makes eye contact. To avoid an imminent giant hunt, he whisks Sophie to his home in Giant Land and declines her pleas to return. (Good thing she hated the orphanage anyway.) Yeah, the "friendly" part has its limits, but he's still far kinder than the other nine giants we know of, who give the lie to the "big" part of his moniker. His growing friendship with Sophie strengthens his urge to stop their human hunts, even if it means enabling a giant hunt.
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Creed (2015)
Rocky has been my favorite boxing movie for ages, but that's not saying much. I had never watched any of its sequels in full, tho I did check out the Nostalgia Critic's video on Rocky IV, which caught me up on what happened to Apollo Creed, Rocky Balboa's pro rival-turned-friend. I looked up a few other details along the way, but not much affected my understanding of the situation herein.
In 1998, orphan Adonis Johnson, in an L.A. juvie for fighting, learns that he's the bastard son of similarly Greek-named Apollo and accepts adoption by Apollo's widow. In the present, "Donny" (now played by Michael B. Jordan) moves to Philly and tracks down Rocky (an especially unattractive, mumbly Sylvester Stallone). Despite both Rocky and Mrs. Creed telling him it's a bad career, he doesn't feel like doing any work but pugilism, preferably with Rocky in his corner.
In 1998, orphan Adonis Johnson, in an L.A. juvie for fighting, learns that he's the bastard son of similarly Greek-named Apollo and accepts adoption by Apollo's widow. In the present, "Donny" (now played by Michael B. Jordan) moves to Philly and tracks down Rocky (an especially unattractive, mumbly Sylvester Stallone). Despite both Rocky and Mrs. Creed telling him it's a bad career, he doesn't feel like doing any work but pugilism, preferably with Rocky in his corner.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
The Fall (2006)
Sometimes all it takes to gain my interest is a distinctive poster. And repeated suggestions on Netflix. And a good IMDb score. I hadn't heard of this movie when it was brand new, and I still knew very little about it when I decided to add it. Only one name on it was familiar to me, and just barely. Even the production companies and distributor meant nothing to me. The fact that David Fincher and Spike Jonze had presented it made it all the more of a gamble for my liking. But I gamble a little more than I used to.
In the silent era, Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), a young Romanian girl who moved to L.A., has broken her arm in a fall. At the hospital, she wanders in on Roy (Lee Pace), a Hollywood stuntman bedridden from his own fall, which is enough to arouse her interest. Roy starts spinning an epic yarn illustrated in her imagination, about a team's journey for justice against a tyrant, with a chance of love for the main hero on the side. But it soon becomes clear that he's not just feeling friendly: He wants to motivate her to swipe morphine for him so he'll continue. And when he says it's to help him "sleep," that's a half-truth....
In the silent era, Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), a young Romanian girl who moved to L.A., has broken her arm in a fall. At the hospital, she wanders in on Roy (Lee Pace), a Hollywood stuntman bedridden from his own fall, which is enough to arouse her interest. Roy starts spinning an epic yarn illustrated in her imagination, about a team's journey for justice against a tyrant, with a chance of love for the main hero on the side. But it soon becomes clear that he's not just feeling friendly: He wants to motivate her to swipe morphine for him so he'll continue. And when he says it's to help him "sleep," that's a half-truth....
Saturday, April 22, 2017
The Hill (1965)
No, it has nothing to do with Capitol Hill or any other famous real hill. I chose this film partly because I hadn't seen any work of Sidney Lumet's in a while, especially his early work, and partly because I hadn't seen any Sean Connery in a while. Neither is known for much in the subgenre in question.
The setting is a British Army prison camp in the Libyan Desert in World War II. Soldiers who committed various offenses wind up here, and depending on the judgment of the staff sergeant on duty, they may have to run repeatedly over a manmade hill. The first half to two-thirds of the movie has little plot beyond the general conflict between guards and prisoners, but when one climber drops dead (as summaries keep mentioning before long), the rest get restless in their desire to make the harshest screw answer for it, and the authorities bicker over how to handle the potential riot.
The setting is a British Army prison camp in the Libyan Desert in World War II. Soldiers who committed various offenses wind up here, and depending on the judgment of the staff sergeant on duty, they may have to run repeatedly over a manmade hill. The first half to two-thirds of the movie has little plot beyond the general conflict between guards and prisoners, but when one climber drops dead (as summaries keep mentioning before long), the rest get restless in their desire to make the harshest screw answer for it, and the authorities bicker over how to handle the potential riot.
Sunday, April 16, 2017
The Illusionist (2006)
No, not the 2010 animation written by Jacques Tati. Like Infamous, this movie got overshadowed by a similarly themed movie out around the same time, in this case The Prestige. (Scoop also focused on magic that year, but despite the Woody Allen label, it didn't enjoy as much popularity as either competitor.) Regardless, TI has pretty high ratings, so it must have...cast a spell on some viewers.
In the Austro-Hungarian Empire late in the nineteenth century, Eduard Abramovich (Edward Norton) is a magician with the stage name of Eisenheim. One night, his volunteer from the audience is Duchess Sophie von Teschen (Jessica Biel), once his teen sweetheart until authorities forced them apart due to his lower class. Alas, she is betrothed to Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), who has a reputation for physically abusing women, is believed to have killed one, and plans to usurp the throne. Leopold takes little time to grow suspicious and sends Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) to snoop on Eisenheim and look for an excuse to arrest him. Rescuing Sophie and/or bringing Leopold to justice would take an extraordinary feat of magic....
In the Austro-Hungarian Empire late in the nineteenth century, Eduard Abramovich (Edward Norton) is a magician with the stage name of Eisenheim. One night, his volunteer from the audience is Duchess Sophie von Teschen (Jessica Biel), once his teen sweetheart until authorities forced them apart due to his lower class. Alas, she is betrothed to Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), who has a reputation for physically abusing women, is believed to have killed one, and plans to usurp the throne. Leopold takes little time to grow suspicious and sends Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) to snoop on Eisenheim and look for an excuse to arrest him. Rescuing Sophie and/or bringing Leopold to justice would take an extraordinary feat of magic....
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Not One Less (1999)
Zhang Yimou might be best known in the west for directing action flicks, including the wuxia variety, like Hero and House of Flying Daggers. Most recently, he has disappointed audiences with The Great Wall. But I have seen even more of his films in the drama genre, most of them following common hardships of people in China. This is one of those.
In a remote village, the only available substitute teacher at a dwindling elementary school is 13-year-old Wei Minzhi. She has been promised a monetary reward if none of the students drop out during her month of teaching. When 11-year-old Zhang Huike gets sent to the nearest city, Zhangjiakou, for work, Wei and the class put their heads together for the best way to fetch him. Ultimately, Wei alone heads for the city, with very little money to spend.
In a remote village, the only available substitute teacher at a dwindling elementary school is 13-year-old Wei Minzhi. She has been promised a monetary reward if none of the students drop out during her month of teaching. When 11-year-old Zhang Huike gets sent to the nearest city, Zhangjiakou, for work, Wei and the class put their heads together for the best way to fetch him. Ultimately, Wei alone heads for the city, with very little money to spend.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Spy (2015)
I surprised myself by watching this. Not only do I rarely like modern comedies anymore, but spy parodies are too easy and overdone. Still, it had been a while: Get Smart had its final adaptation in 2008, the last Austin Powers entry was in 2002, and James Bond hasn't felt like a self-parody since Die Another Day. More than that, I must have been in the mood for something female-centered (however tomboyish) after so many masculine works, and the fairly high marks across all major ratings sites got me curious.
Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) provides remote tech support to the CIA's answer to Bond, Bradley Fine (Jude Law), from a vermin-infested basement. When an enemy in contact with Fine, Rayna (Rose Byrne), reveals knowledge of him and several other spies, Susan volunteers to enter the field as an unknown, with friend Nancy (Miranda Hart) doing for her what Susan did for Fine. Her mission is strictly track-and-report, but since only Rayna knows the location of an ill-gotten nuke, Susan reluctantly sees fit to do a bit more for Rayna's protection. A further complicating factor is rogue CIA agent Rick Ford (Jason Statham), who places a million times more faith in his own skills than in Susan's, but his contribution has mixed results. (Gee, a lot of British agents work for the U.S.)
Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) provides remote tech support to the CIA's answer to Bond, Bradley Fine (Jude Law), from a vermin-infested basement. When an enemy in contact with Fine, Rayna (Rose Byrne), reveals knowledge of him and several other spies, Susan volunteers to enter the field as an unknown, with friend Nancy (Miranda Hart) doing for her what Susan did for Fine. Her mission is strictly track-and-report, but since only Rayna knows the location of an ill-gotten nuke, Susan reluctantly sees fit to do a bit more for Rayna's protection. A further complicating factor is rogue CIA agent Rick Ford (Jason Statham), who places a million times more faith in his own skills than in Susan's, but his contribution has mixed results. (Gee, a lot of British agents work for the U.S.)
Friday, March 31, 2017
Collateral (2004)
Oops, already another noir about hit men. Well, this doesn't have much else in common.
Max (Jamie Foxx), an especially good taxi driver in L.A., agrees to bend the rules and hang around to take out-of-towner Vincent (Tom Cruise) to five destinations in one night, in light of a lucrative offer. But at the first destination, Vincent accidentally reveals that he's a hit man, with four more kills to make on a contract with a drug lord (Javier Bardem). Max wants no part in it, but he doesn't have much choice anymore. An occasional other focal character is Detective Fanning (Mark Ruffalo), whose connection to the first victim draws his attention quickly.
Max (Jamie Foxx), an especially good taxi driver in L.A., agrees to bend the rules and hang around to take out-of-towner Vincent (Tom Cruise) to five destinations in one night, in light of a lucrative offer. But at the first destination, Vincent accidentally reveals that he's a hit man, with four more kills to make on a contract with a drug lord (Javier Bardem). Max wants no part in it, but he doesn't have much choice anymore. An occasional other focal character is Detective Fanning (Mark Ruffalo), whose connection to the first victim draws his attention quickly.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
About Time (2013)
Ads hastened to point out that writer-director Richard Curtis wrote Love Actually, Notting Hill, and Four Weddings and a Funeral. If you think that necessitates a role for Hugh Grant, you're wrong. Instead, we get a couple of Harry Potter alumni.
At 21, the aptly named Tim (Domnhall Gleeson) learns a secret from his father (Bill Nighy): Thanks to an apparent Y-chromosome mutation, he and other male relatives can return to any point in their personal pasts, take a different route, and then snap back to the present. After Tim confirms that he can do it himself, he decides to use it to improve...his love life. And undo mistakes in other matters while he's at it.
At 21, the aptly named Tim (Domnhall Gleeson) learns a secret from his father (Bill Nighy): Thanks to an apparent Y-chromosome mutation, he and other male relatives can return to any point in their personal pasts, take a different route, and then snap back to the present. After Tim confirms that he can do it himself, he decides to use it to improve...his love life. And undo mistakes in other matters while he's at it.
The Enforcer (1951)
No, it has nothing to do with the threequel to Dirty Harry. It is a crime thriller about a series of murders with a gritty cop as the protagonist, but that's about where the similarity ends. Its alternate title is Murder, Inc.
In an unspecified U.S. city, Assistant District Attorney Martin Ferguson (Humphrey Bogart) has encountered plenty of evidence that Albert Mendoza (Everett Sloane), presently in jail, runs a ring of hit men, but evidence that will work in court is in short supply. In particular, witnesses have a habit of dying suspiciously before they can reach the stand. With mere hours to go before the trial, Ferguson struggles to ensure that Mendoza won't walk.
In an unspecified U.S. city, Assistant District Attorney Martin Ferguson (Humphrey Bogart) has encountered plenty of evidence that Albert Mendoza (Everett Sloane), presently in jail, runs a ring of hit men, but evidence that will work in court is in short supply. In particular, witnesses have a habit of dying suspiciously before they can reach the stand. With mere hours to go before the trial, Ferguson struggles to ensure that Mendoza won't walk.
Saturday, March 25, 2017
The Red Turtle (2016)
I hadn't planned on seeing two Japanese animations in a row; I just noticed that this one was playing at the theater and wouldn't be available on Netflix until May. Fortunately, it's only slightly Japanese: While the Studio Ghibli label turns up first, it's one of seven production companies. The director is Dutch-British, and most of the people involved are from France or Belgium. (That would explain the Tintin-like character designs.)
An adult male castaway on a bamboo-forested island shoves off on a raft, but the titular turtle bumps it to pieces from beneath. He finds the turtle on the beach and overturns her but then guiltily tries to keep her alive. Then, without explanation, she turns into a human in a half-shell. And eventually wakes up and gets out of it (off screen). No longer hasty to leave, the half-dazed man falls for the woman. They go on to have a son, who grows increasingly curious about the outside world....
An adult male castaway on a bamboo-forested island shoves off on a raft, but the titular turtle bumps it to pieces from beneath. He finds the turtle on the beach and overturns her but then guiltily tries to keep her alive. Then, without explanation, she turns into a human in a half-shell. And eventually wakes up and gets out of it (off screen). No longer hasty to leave, the half-dazed man falls for the woman. They go on to have a son, who grows increasingly curious about the outside world....
Thursday, March 23, 2017
The Boy and the Beast (2015)
Not long ago, Hayao Miyazaki was the only name in anime to mean anything to me. Then I became aware of his fellow directors and writers Isao Takahata and Satoshi Kon. Now I've finally seen enough of Mamoru Hosoda's work to keep an eye out for his style.
In a modern Japanese city by night, nine-year-old human runaway Ren happens to encounter Kumetatsu, a cloaked bear apparently vacationing from a secret magical realm of feudal-style anthropomorphic mammals. Kumetatsu will become the next lord of the Beast Kingdom if he can defeat crowd-favorite boar Iôzen, and the current lord has advised him to acquire an apprentice warrior in the meantime. He bucks the trend by inviting normally unwelcome Ren, who comes if only to avoid the human authorities. Ren doesn't immediately warm up to the idea of this new master — he won't even share his name with Kumetatsu, leading to the new dubbing "Kyuta" — but each sees untapped potential in the other.
In a modern Japanese city by night, nine-year-old human runaway Ren happens to encounter Kumetatsu, a cloaked bear apparently vacationing from a secret magical realm of feudal-style anthropomorphic mammals. Kumetatsu will become the next lord of the Beast Kingdom if he can defeat crowd-favorite boar Iôzen, and the current lord has advised him to acquire an apprentice warrior in the meantime. He bucks the trend by inviting normally unwelcome Ren, who comes if only to avoid the human authorities. Ren doesn't immediately warm up to the idea of this new master — he won't even share his name with Kumetatsu, leading to the new dubbing "Kyuta" — but each sees untapped potential in the other.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
The recent death of Robert James Waller prompted me to check out the one screen adaptation of his best-known novel. It's unlikely that I'd ever have seen it otherwise: While it has more fans than haters, people have likened it to popular movies I deemed both dull and depraved—a deadly combination. It wouldn't be the first popular Clint Eastwood-directed movie I disliked either. And Meryl Streep has the odd distinction of very few great films despite consistently great performances. Nevertheless, my curiosity got the better of me.
After the death of Francesca (Streep), her adult children, Carolyn (Annie Corley) and Michael (Victor Slezak), learn that her posthumous wish deviates from the assumed plan to bury her next to late husband Richard (Jim Haynie). They are equally shocked at her reason: She wants to join her paramour from 1965, Robert (Eastwood). Details pour forth in a letter to them, and we're treated mostly to flashbacks to four days when Richard was away, starting with Robert's outsider status in rural Iowa prompting Francesca to offer some hospitality. He's a National Geographic photographer, see, hoping to snapshot the titular bridges....
After the death of Francesca (Streep), her adult children, Carolyn (Annie Corley) and Michael (Victor Slezak), learn that her posthumous wish deviates from the assumed plan to bury her next to late husband Richard (Jim Haynie). They are equally shocked at her reason: She wants to join her paramour from 1965, Robert (Eastwood). Details pour forth in a letter to them, and we're treated mostly to flashbacks to four days when Richard was away, starting with Robert's outsider status in rural Iowa prompting Francesca to offer some hospitality. He's a National Geographic photographer, see, hoping to snapshot the titular bridges....
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Ixcanul (2015)
I think I put this film on my list for being different. Not only is it a rare entry from Guatemala; its main language is one I'd never heard of: Kaqchikel, of the Mayan family. It's also quite popular internationally but not widely discussed in the English-speaking world; neither IMDb nor Wikipedia presently tells us much about it. As for why I saw it last night, well, it's only 93 minutes.
In a mountain village, teen María has been promised in marriage to Ignacio, her father's employer at a coffee plantation, for the sake of job security. She'd rather welcome the advances of close-in-age Pepe, who plans to hoof it to the U.S. Pepe shows no such commitment to take her away, but he does put her "in the family way" before disappearing, thereby threatening her family's situation. The methods María and her parents have of dealing with the situation are highly informed by native traditions, which I can't recommend based on the results, but a trip to a Spanish-speaking city (with Ignacio as the translator!) doesn't help either....
In a mountain village, teen María has been promised in marriage to Ignacio, her father's employer at a coffee plantation, for the sake of job security. She'd rather welcome the advances of close-in-age Pepe, who plans to hoof it to the U.S. Pepe shows no such commitment to take her away, but he does put her "in the family way" before disappearing, thereby threatening her family's situation. The methods María and her parents have of dealing with the situation are highly informed by native traditions, which I can't recommend based on the results, but a trip to a Spanish-speaking city (with Ignacio as the translator!) doesn't help either....
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Come and See (1985)
Clicking my "ussr" tag at the bottom will show you how much trouble I've had appreciating Soviet filmography. When it's not disagreeably propagandist, it tends to be slow, ponderous, and cheap. But one coming near the end of the Soviet Union's lifetime might be different.
If the title evokes childlike innocence, that's appropriate yet probably unintentional irony: It comes from a Revelation line about apocalyptic destruction. CaS starts with teen boys digging in Belorussian mud for lost rifles so that they can join the Soviet militia. Yes, that was all it took. One, Florya (or Flyora, depending on the source), succeeds despite his family's strong wishes. As a junior recruit, he doesn't get the heavier duties like, y'know, battle. But in what seems like a couple of days, he comes to see quite enough carnage for one lifetime.
If the title evokes childlike innocence, that's appropriate yet probably unintentional irony: It comes from a Revelation line about apocalyptic destruction. CaS starts with teen boys digging in Belorussian mud for lost rifles so that they can join the Soviet militia. Yes, that was all it took. One, Florya (or Flyora, depending on the source), succeeds despite his family's strong wishes. As a junior recruit, he doesn't get the heavier duties like, y'know, battle. But in what seems like a couple of days, he comes to see quite enough carnage for one lifetime.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
El Dorado (1967)
This could easily have been a flop. One of the last movies directed by Howard Hawks, it looked a lot like his earlier westerns, which didn't fit the mood of the late '60s. John Wayne was getting too old to pass for a hired gunman. He didn't get along well with Ed Asner and had previously given trouble to Robert Mitchum. The film took longer than projected to complete. And despite a delayed release in order not to compete with another Wayne film, it wound up competing with yet another. (Dude did have quite a run, even in later years.) But it still performed well at the box office and has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, so I had to check it out.
In and near the titular city, Cole Thornton (Wayne) gets caught up in a battle for territory between the rightful McDonald clan and the outlaws under Bart Jason (Asner), including noted sharpshooter Nelse McLeod (Christopher George). Between the influences of buddy Sheriff J.P. Harrah (Mitchum) and on-and-off lover Maudie (Charlene Holt), Cole picks the good side. He soon enlists the help of newcomer nicknamed Mississippi (James Caan), who does much better with a knife than with a gun. Unfortunately, as aged Deputy Bull (Arthur Hunnicutt) reports, J.P. is usually too drunk to be of any use. And a bullet near Cole's spine, which he hasn't found time to treat properly, sometimes paralyzes part of him....
In and near the titular city, Cole Thornton (Wayne) gets caught up in a battle for territory between the rightful McDonald clan and the outlaws under Bart Jason (Asner), including noted sharpshooter Nelse McLeod (Christopher George). Between the influences of buddy Sheriff J.P. Harrah (Mitchum) and on-and-off lover Maudie (Charlene Holt), Cole picks the good side. He soon enlists the help of newcomer nicknamed Mississippi (James Caan), who does much better with a knife than with a gun. Unfortunately, as aged Deputy Bull (Arthur Hunnicutt) reports, J.P. is usually too drunk to be of any use. And a bullet near Cole's spine, which he hasn't found time to treat properly, sometimes paralyzes part of him....
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Jules and Jim (1962)
I had not expected to see another movie set in a world war so soon. The next disc in my queue must have had an unannounced wait. Thankfully, only a small portion of this one takes place in war. It's mainly a romantic drama.
Jules is Austrian but, while in France at least, pronounces his name the French way. Jim is French but pronounces his name the English way, because it suits him. The fast-paced opening establishes them as friends via art appreciation. Two factors put that friendship to the test: They serve on opposite sides of World War I, and they both have feelings for a mutual friend and Manic Pixie Dream Girl named Catherine (Jeanne Moreau). Only Jules gets lucky with her, while Jim takes up with a Gilberte instead. None of them remains satisfied.
Jules is Austrian but, while in France at least, pronounces his name the French way. Jim is French but pronounces his name the English way, because it suits him. The fast-paced opening establishes them as friends via art appreciation. Two factors put that friendship to the test: They serve on opposite sides of World War I, and they both have feelings for a mutual friend and Manic Pixie Dream Girl named Catherine (Jeanne Moreau). Only Jules gets lucky with her, while Jim takes up with a Gilberte instead. None of them remains satisfied.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
I opted not to offer to share this viewing with my Jewish dad. He later told me that he may be willing to forgive director Mel Gibson at this point, but I know he doesn't like Braveheart-level violence. I've had my own reservations, basically enjoying Gibson's early work while avoiding anything later than The Passion of the Christ. But this time the story intrigued me.
Country boy Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) gets caught up in his buddies' eagerness to serve in World War II. The only thing is, he has a personal rule against using violence for any reason. Unlike other medics, he won't even touch a rifle in practice. As you can imagine, this conscientious objector status causes a lot of strife with his peers and superiors. Only at the Battle of Okinawa do they understand that he's no coward; indeed, he rescues dozens of wounded, putting Forrest Gump to shame with a more fully earned Congressional Medal of Honor.
Country boy Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) gets caught up in his buddies' eagerness to serve in World War II. The only thing is, he has a personal rule against using violence for any reason. Unlike other medics, he won't even touch a rifle in practice. As you can imagine, this conscientious objector status causes a lot of strife with his peers and superiors. Only at the Battle of Okinawa do they understand that he's no coward; indeed, he rescues dozens of wounded, putting Forrest Gump to shame with a more fully earned Congressional Medal of Honor.
Saturday, March 4, 2017
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (2009)
Much as I dug Monty Python in my teens, I get nervous about checking out Terry Gilliam-directed movies. I liked Twelve Monkeys but found Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas unwatchable. This one, despite its so-so reception, intrigued me with the visual artistry shown in the preview; I could at least expect that much.
The titular object is a sort of magic mirror that allows you to step into a realm shaped by the imaginations of you and whoever else is there. Despite this fascinating quality, few modern Londoners show any interest in the old-fashioned carnival-style presentation by Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) and his comrades. Those who do enter tend to be given a choice between a tough self-improvement plan and the seductive path of sin...to death, which may explain why the police keep showing up. But these aren't the heaviest things weighing on Parnassus' mind: The devil (Tom Waits), going by "Mr. Nick," is about to call on him for an immortality fee, namely daughter Valentina (Lily Cole), because this is one of those stories where you can sell others' souls. Things start to look up when Mr. Nick offers a new wager: The first to draw five souls to the corresponding goal in the Imaginarium wins Valentina. And the souls start coming fast with an enigmatic new barker, Tony (Heath Ledger*).
The titular object is a sort of magic mirror that allows you to step into a realm shaped by the imaginations of you and whoever else is there. Despite this fascinating quality, few modern Londoners show any interest in the old-fashioned carnival-style presentation by Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) and his comrades. Those who do enter tend to be given a choice between a tough self-improvement plan and the seductive path of sin...to death, which may explain why the police keep showing up. But these aren't the heaviest things weighing on Parnassus' mind: The devil (Tom Waits), going by "Mr. Nick," is about to call on him for an immortality fee, namely daughter Valentina (Lily Cole), because this is one of those stories where you can sell others' souls. Things start to look up when Mr. Nick offers a new wager: The first to draw five souls to the corresponding goal in the Imaginarium wins Valentina. And the souls start coming fast with an enigmatic new barker, Tony (Heath Ledger*).
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Like Someone in Love (2012)
The first strange thing about this pic is its nationality. AFI includes it in an Iranian film festival because of late director Abbas Kiarostami, yet it's set in Tokyo with entirely Japanese dialog and was produced in large part by a French company. It gets stranger.
Akiko is a college student whose abusive self-described fiance, Noriaki, does not trust her, but neither does he know about her prostitution on the side. One client, retired prof Takashi, wants her only for platonic company. Noriaki takes him for her grandpa, and Takashi decides to keep up the charade, feeling protective toward Akiko in light of her precarious position.
Akiko is a college student whose abusive self-described fiance, Noriaki, does not trust her, but neither does he know about her prostitution on the side. One client, retired prof Takashi, wants her only for platonic company. Noriaki takes him for her grandpa, and Takashi decides to keep up the charade, feeling protective toward Akiko in light of her precarious position.
Monday, February 27, 2017
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
The title alone made me a little reluctant to see this movie. The credit to Kenneth Lonergan didn't help. But it takes a lot to shoo me away from an Academy Best Picture nominee in the long term, and Dad and I wanted to get one more out of the way in time for the ceremony. Lion, Fences, and Hacksaw Ridge were not immediately available.
Middle-aged Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) lives as a Boston handyman with basically no social life beyond the occasional unprovoked bar brawl. His life gets more miserable still when his older brother Joe (Kyle Chandler, oddly enough) dies of a heart attack -- and to Lee's unpleasant surprise, Joe's will asks that Lee take care of Joe's 16-year-old son, Patrick (Lucas Hedges). Lee and Patrick have trouble seeing eye to eye on arrangements. For example, "Patty" would hate to leave his friends behind, but Lee can't stand to live in Manchester, where people whisper about him for reasons that take a while to become clear....
Middle-aged Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) lives as a Boston handyman with basically no social life beyond the occasional unprovoked bar brawl. His life gets more miserable still when his older brother Joe (Kyle Chandler, oddly enough) dies of a heart attack -- and to Lee's unpleasant surprise, Joe's will asks that Lee take care of Joe's 16-year-old son, Patrick (Lucas Hedges). Lee and Patrick have trouble seeing eye to eye on arrangements. For example, "Patty" would hate to leave his friends behind, but Lee can't stand to live in Manchester, where people whisper about him for reasons that take a while to become clear....
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Picnic (1955)
For all my interest in old movies, I haven't reviewed many Academy Best Picture nominees from before 2014 on this blog. That's because I've already seen most of the promising ones and don't normally review what I saw years ago. But I got in the mood for another one.
Hal (William Holden) hitchhikes to small-town Kansas to ask old friend Alan (Cliff Robertson) to pull nepotistic strings and get him a job. It works, but their friendship gets put to the test, particularly at and after the titular picnic, when Alan's girlfriend, Madge (Kim Novak), gets too close to Hal for others' comfort. People are concerned about Hal's alleged past behavior....
Hal (William Holden) hitchhikes to small-town Kansas to ask old friend Alan (Cliff Robertson) to pull nepotistic strings and get him a job. It works, but their friendship gets put to the test, particularly at and after the titular picnic, when Alan's girlfriend, Madge (Kim Novak), gets too close to Hal for others' comfort. People are concerned about Hal's alleged past behavior....
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
The Lunchbox (2013)
Finally got around to another movie from India, albeit not the kind that comes to mind when I think of Bollywood. This one caught my interest because it relies on a real-life premise I'd never heard of before: a service that delivers lunches to office workers' desks, whether from a restaurant or their own homes. Not sure how many places outside of India offer this. Also, the "box" consists of five stacked cans held together by a wire mechanism, each can containing a different food, but that's not important.
Homemaker Ila tries a new recipe to rekindle her marital romance. The lunchbox comes home completely empty, which gives her hope; but when husband Rajeev reacts incongruously, she determines that the heretofore stellar modern Mumbai system finally mixed up the deliveries. Rightly anticipating indefinite repetition of the error, she includes a letter of gratitude to the accidental recipient the next day. He is Saajan, a government accountant planning to retire in a month. Thus begins an unusual pen-pal relationship.
Homemaker Ila tries a new recipe to rekindle her marital romance. The lunchbox comes home completely empty, which gives her hope; but when husband Rajeev reacts incongruously, she determines that the heretofore stellar modern Mumbai system finally mixed up the deliveries. Rightly anticipating indefinite repetition of the error, she includes a letter of gratitude to the accidental recipient the next day. He is Saajan, a government accountant planning to retire in a month. Thus begins an unusual pen-pal relationship.
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