2016 SLEEPERS
Part 4
Here are five more pretty good movies from last year that didn’t get much attention. Perhaps you will find one you would like to try...
Miss Sloane is a cautionary tale for our times. Jessica Chastain plays a very rough and unprincipled lobbyist. She refuses to work for the passage of a gun control bill and instead works for its defeat. She is hailed before a Congressional committee alleging improper practices. She has to decide whether to take the fall and take down a crooked Senator, which means her own indictment. This is Chastain’s film and she carries it well, assisted by veteran John Lithgow and newcomer Gugu Mbatha-Raw. (No, I did not make up that name).
Mustangs is a strange but entertaining French-Turkish collaboration about a strict Muslim family with five young daughters. A couple of them have a lark playing in the water with some boys, completely innocently, but this results in their virtual house imprisonment. But these are feisty girls and they try various methods to fight against their lot, including sneaking out to meet boys. The plot gets a little complicated because there are so many stories, but there’s a nice ending twist involving two of the sisters.
The Family Fang features Nicole Kidman, Jason Bateman and Christopher Walken in a very weird film about a very weird family. The parents enjoy putting on “performance art” pieces, in which they try to fool onlookers. Later the children are drafted to add to the fun. They fake robbing a bank, giving a concert, and other crazy things. Then the children disappear and leave graphic evidence they were abducted and killed. But is it just more performance art? This film is much stranger than I have outlined here, but I think probably worth it.
Don’t Think Twice is a very fun movie about an improv comedy troupe. Their performances are worth the price of admission, as they are all very clever and extremely quick-witted and funny. Their signature opening line to the audience is, “Has anyone had particularly bad day?” And they riff on the audience response. There is no one in this film I’ve ever heard of, but that could be a plus! What happens when one of the group is auditioned for a role on Saturday Night Live? Watch and see!
City Of Gold is a very entertaining documentary about Los Angeles food critic Jonathan Gold. Contrary to most food critics’ approach, Gold makes no secret of his identity (it wouldn’t work anyway- just look at him!). He samples all sorts of interesting cuisine in his home city and takes us along. He is, I think, the only food critic to ever win the Pulitzer Prize.
Well, I realize on looking back that this is an extremely unusual bunch of movies, all of them far from the mainstream. But-I enjoyed each one or I wouldn’t be telling you about them!
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. The last one is OK for kids, but I doubt they would like it.
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Sunday, April 23, 2017
CHARLES DICKENS
I wondered how many films had been made from the works of Charles Dickens, perhaps the greatest story-teller who ever wrote. Would you believe more than 50? Would you believe that Mr. Movie can pull the very best ones up for you? But of course.
Let’s start with Oliver Twist (1948) with Alec Guiness as Fagin and Anthony Newley as the Artful Dodger. It’s the best of several versions. Roman Polanski’s 2005 version with Ben Kingsley as Fagin is not even close. I thought Polanski was a little nuts to even try a remake, and sure enough it is a tepid failure.
And then there’s the wonderful Oliver! (1968), a musical version that won Best Movie and five other Oscars. It features Mark Lester as Oliver, Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger, Ron Moody as Fagin and a menacing Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes. If you haven’t seen at least one of these films about the beloved orphan, your life really isn’t complete.
Of the many versions of A Christmas Carol, I vote for the 1951 version, which delightfully crams the story into 86 minutes and features Alistair Sim as the best Scrooge ever. Beware colorization of this classic and stay away from the dreadful modernized version, Scrooged (1988)
As well-loved (and well-known) is Dicken’s autobiographical masterpiece, David Copperfield. PBS has had at least two versions, both excellent, and the format of a mini-series is a good one for this rather long tale. But the 1935 Hollywood version is splendid, with W.C. Fields as Mr. Micawber, Basil Rathbone as Mr. Murdstone, Freddie Bartholomew as the young David, and Robert Young as the loathsome Uriah Heep.
Nicholas Nickleby is Dickens’ scathing and moving revelation of 19th century British orphanages. There’s a 1982 Royal Shakespeare Company version that ran on PBS and can be found on DVD that’s one of the best things I ever saw. It has Roger Rees as Nicholas, Ben Kingsley as Squeers and an incredibly young (and hateful) Timothy Spall as young Wackford. So imagine my amazement when the Brits remade Nicholas in 2002, and did a bang-up job. When Nicholas joins a travelling theater company containing more hams than a Chicago slaughterhouse you’ll laugh, and when he helps the stricken Smike you may shed a tear.
Great Expectations features the intrepid Pip trying to make his way in a very hostile world. A modern version (1998) with Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow isn’t too bad, but the 1946 version with John Mills, Finlay Currie and Alec Guiness is one of the finest movies of a Dickens work.
Also definitely worth a look are the 1935 version of A Tale of Two Cities with heart throb Ronald Coleman, and the episodic and loveable Pickwick Papers (1954).
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are fine for 8 and up.
I wondered how many films had been made from the works of Charles Dickens, perhaps the greatest story-teller who ever wrote. Would you believe more than 50? Would you believe that Mr. Movie can pull the very best ones up for you? But of course.
Let’s start with Oliver Twist (1948) with Alec Guiness as Fagin and Anthony Newley as the Artful Dodger. It’s the best of several versions. Roman Polanski’s 2005 version with Ben Kingsley as Fagin is not even close. I thought Polanski was a little nuts to even try a remake, and sure enough it is a tepid failure.
And then there’s the wonderful Oliver! (1968), a musical version that won Best Movie and five other Oscars. It features Mark Lester as Oliver, Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger, Ron Moody as Fagin and a menacing Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes. If you haven’t seen at least one of these films about the beloved orphan, your life really isn’t complete.
Of the many versions of A Christmas Carol, I vote for the 1951 version, which delightfully crams the story into 86 minutes and features Alistair Sim as the best Scrooge ever. Beware colorization of this classic and stay away from the dreadful modernized version, Scrooged (1988)
As well-loved (and well-known) is Dicken’s autobiographical masterpiece, David Copperfield. PBS has had at least two versions, both excellent, and the format of a mini-series is a good one for this rather long tale. But the 1935 Hollywood version is splendid, with W.C. Fields as Mr. Micawber, Basil Rathbone as Mr. Murdstone, Freddie Bartholomew as the young David, and Robert Young as the loathsome Uriah Heep.
Nicholas Nickleby is Dickens’ scathing and moving revelation of 19th century British orphanages. There’s a 1982 Royal Shakespeare Company version that ran on PBS and can be found on DVD that’s one of the best things I ever saw. It has Roger Rees as Nicholas, Ben Kingsley as Squeers and an incredibly young (and hateful) Timothy Spall as young Wackford. So imagine my amazement when the Brits remade Nicholas in 2002, and did a bang-up job. When Nicholas joins a travelling theater company containing more hams than a Chicago slaughterhouse you’ll laugh, and when he helps the stricken Smike you may shed a tear.
Great Expectations features the intrepid Pip trying to make his way in a very hostile world. A modern version (1998) with Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow isn’t too bad, but the 1946 version with John Mills, Finlay Currie and Alec Guiness is one of the finest movies of a Dickens work.
Also definitely worth a look are the 1935 version of A Tale of Two Cities with heart throb Ronald Coleman, and the episodic and loveable Pickwick Papers (1954).
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are fine for 8 and up.
Sunday, April 16, 2017
2016 Sleepers
Part 3
Herewith the third batch of really good movies that flew well under most radars last year.
Perhaps stop motion animation is an acquired taste. Those of you old enough might remember the wretched Mr. Bill from Saturday Night Live, a crude example of the process. Believe it or not, stop motion is filmed by moving the figures a tiny bit between each shot until the result flows seamlessly. The French-Swiss My Life As A Zucchini is a superb example. It is about a little boy who accidently causes his mother’s death, goes to live in an orphanage and meets other kids like him. He has adventures including falling in love with a little girl and winning the heart of a policeman. I urge you give this a try. And stay with it past the end when the producers show how stop motion is achieved.
Over 50 years ago, in 1964, Kitty Genovese was murdered in a New York alley. News stories at the time, and forever after, insisted that at least 38 people witnessed the slaying and nobody did anything. Kitty’s brother Bill doesn’t believe that’s the way it was and he sets out to find out for himself in Witness, a fascinating documentary. Bill interviews as many people as he can find who were around at the time, including the killer. The film features Bill’s interviews, and archival footage of Kitty and of the media coverage. The result will surprise you!
Think of all those pols who step down beside a martyred wife in order to “spend more time with my family.” Andrew Weiner was once one of the rising stars in the Democratic party. A liberal congressman with wit and moxie, he frequently appeared on MSNBC and other news outlets. And then he posted a picture of his private parts and it went viral. Weiner is the story of this bright but twisted politician who ruined himself and finished his career. It seems like there’s a lot of this going around, but this documentary gets as close to the story as possible.
Mia Madre is an Italian film about a female movie director (Margherita Buy) trying to make a film about a factory strike. She is beset by many problems. There’s a balky American actor (John Turturo), a dying mother, an estranged daughter and a resentful brother. I think the film wants you to ask if a man would have handled the situation any differently (or better). A good look at a woman making the best of a lot of hard choices.
Finally, there is old pro Susan Sarandon at the absolute top of her game as The Meddler. Rose Byrne plays her quite capable and fully mature daughter, but she is about all that is left in her mother’s life and the mom just can’t stop-well-meddling. The film is funny and touching in many ways.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups.
Part 3
Herewith the third batch of really good movies that flew well under most radars last year.
Perhaps stop motion animation is an acquired taste. Those of you old enough might remember the wretched Mr. Bill from Saturday Night Live, a crude example of the process. Believe it or not, stop motion is filmed by moving the figures a tiny bit between each shot until the result flows seamlessly. The French-Swiss My Life As A Zucchini is a superb example. It is about a little boy who accidently causes his mother’s death, goes to live in an orphanage and meets other kids like him. He has adventures including falling in love with a little girl and winning the heart of a policeman. I urge you give this a try. And stay with it past the end when the producers show how stop motion is achieved.
Over 50 years ago, in 1964, Kitty Genovese was murdered in a New York alley. News stories at the time, and forever after, insisted that at least 38 people witnessed the slaying and nobody did anything. Kitty’s brother Bill doesn’t believe that’s the way it was and he sets out to find out for himself in Witness, a fascinating documentary. Bill interviews as many people as he can find who were around at the time, including the killer. The film features Bill’s interviews, and archival footage of Kitty and of the media coverage. The result will surprise you!
Think of all those pols who step down beside a martyred wife in order to “spend more time with my family.” Andrew Weiner was once one of the rising stars in the Democratic party. A liberal congressman with wit and moxie, he frequently appeared on MSNBC and other news outlets. And then he posted a picture of his private parts and it went viral. Weiner is the story of this bright but twisted politician who ruined himself and finished his career. It seems like there’s a lot of this going around, but this documentary gets as close to the story as possible.
Mia Madre is an Italian film about a female movie director (Margherita Buy) trying to make a film about a factory strike. She is beset by many problems. There’s a balky American actor (John Turturo), a dying mother, an estranged daughter and a resentful brother. I think the film wants you to ask if a man would have handled the situation any differently (or better). A good look at a woman making the best of a lot of hard choices.
Finally, there is old pro Susan Sarandon at the absolute top of her game as The Meddler. Rose Byrne plays her quite capable and fully mature daughter, but she is about all that is left in her mother’s life and the mom just can’t stop-well-meddling. The film is funny and touching in many ways.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups.
Sunday, April 9, 2017
WWI- part 2
As promised, here are my top five films about World War I.
5. Grand Illusion (1937 French) was directed by the exalted Jean Renoir, stars Jean Gabin and Erich von Stroheim, and is the first of the great prison camp movies. The contrast between the cultured German commandant and the horrors of the war are deliberate and effective. Should run 117 minutes; beware hacked-up versions.
4. Paths of Glory (1957) is a Stanley Kubrick masterpiece as modern as today's sound bytes. A French general orders his troops on a futile, suicidal (and stupid) mission. They do their best, but fail. To avoid bringing blame for the debacle on himself, he picks three of the survivors to charge with cowardice. A withering indictment of war, featuring Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker and Adolph Menjou. Menjou makes a splendidly slimy bad guy.
3. Gallipoli (1981) is Australian Peter Weir's memorial to the war from Down Under. Mel Gibson is one of the featured actors (this was before he came to America and became rich, famous and controversial). The youthful exuberance of the lads on their way to the front plays nicely against what we know waits for them there. For three-fourths of the film the war seems like a great adventure, a lark. We, and they, are jerked up short by the last reel. This is a splendid film.
2. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) is admittedly about a strange little offshoot of the Big War. But it is that rarest of animals, a spectacular entertainment with intelligence. Peter O'Toole (in his debut) shines as the English junior officer who led the Arabs into battle. It has gorgeous location cinematography and it never drags despite its nearly four hour length. The film won a fist full of Oscars, including Best Picture. Watch out for hatcheted versions; running time should be at least 222 minutes.
1. When all is seen and done, nothing quite comes up to the understated epic, All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). Told from the German side, which somehow enhances its universal appeal, this is the film that just seems to look and feel like World War I should. It is based on Eric Maria Remarque's wonderful novel, and stars the underrated Lew Ayers. It should run at least 130 minutes. The 1979 made-for-TV remake with Richard Thomas is not bad, but it is a 7 and the older version is a 10.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are for mature 10-year-olds and up; not for little kids.
As promised, here are my top five films about World War I.
5. Grand Illusion (1937 French) was directed by the exalted Jean Renoir, stars Jean Gabin and Erich von Stroheim, and is the first of the great prison camp movies. The contrast between the cultured German commandant and the horrors of the war are deliberate and effective. Should run 117 minutes; beware hacked-up versions.
4. Paths of Glory (1957) is a Stanley Kubrick masterpiece as modern as today's sound bytes. A French general orders his troops on a futile, suicidal (and stupid) mission. They do their best, but fail. To avoid bringing blame for the debacle on himself, he picks three of the survivors to charge with cowardice. A withering indictment of war, featuring Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker and Adolph Menjou. Menjou makes a splendidly slimy bad guy.
3. Gallipoli (1981) is Australian Peter Weir's memorial to the war from Down Under. Mel Gibson is one of the featured actors (this was before he came to America and became rich, famous and controversial). The youthful exuberance of the lads on their way to the front plays nicely against what we know waits for them there. For three-fourths of the film the war seems like a great adventure, a lark. We, and they, are jerked up short by the last reel. This is a splendid film.
2. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) is admittedly about a strange little offshoot of the Big War. But it is that rarest of animals, a spectacular entertainment with intelligence. Peter O'Toole (in his debut) shines as the English junior officer who led the Arabs into battle. It has gorgeous location cinematography and it never drags despite its nearly four hour length. The film won a fist full of Oscars, including Best Picture. Watch out for hatcheted versions; running time should be at least 222 minutes.
1. When all is seen and done, nothing quite comes up to the understated epic, All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). Told from the German side, which somehow enhances its universal appeal, this is the film that just seems to look and feel like World War I should. It is based on Eric Maria Remarque's wonderful novel, and stars the underrated Lew Ayers. It should run at least 130 minutes. The 1979 made-for-TV remake with Richard Thomas is not bad, but it is a 7 and the older version is a 10.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are for mature 10-year-olds and up; not for little kids.
Sunday, April 2, 2017
WWI- part 1
World War I seems as remote to us now as gaslights or horse-drawn streetcars. It was an indecisive Chapter One conclusively ended by World War II. But to our grandparents and great-grandparents, it was as real and memorable as the Gulf War is to us. A couple of interesting things about the subject: Woodrow Wilson won the 1916 presidential election with the slogan “He kept us out of war.” And five months later, we entered the war. It was exactly 100 years ago this month.
By the way, the recent movie and Broadway play Warhorse is set in World War I.
I’ve picked my 10 best films about the War To End All Wars, and we’ll start with 10 through 6.
10. The Big Parade (1925) was made less than 10 years after the actual event. It is a silent. John Gilbert is no longer a household word, but he was to our grandmothers. Its great battle scenes are still as good as any ever filmed. Interesting vignettes are tied together very well into a satisfying whole. Altogether, one of the best overviews of the war.
9. Another silent, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) is even earlier. It features two brothers who fight on different sides. Wallace Beery is excellent, as is Alan Hale (that was his son as the captain on Gilligan's Island). And speaking of household words, Rudolf Valentino has one of his major roles in this film, so you can see what all the swooning was about. Beware the dreadful 1962 remake.
8. Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell To Arms was brought to the screen semi-faithfully and very romantically in 1932. Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes are the American doughboy and British nurse who fall in love and lose. It has superb cinematography. Avoid the 1957 remake with Rock Hudson.
7. John Ford's The Lost Patrol (1934) features a very familiar story that is very well done. A small British unit in the desert is repeatedly attacked and diminished by snipers. It stars Victor McLaglen and Boris Karloff (as a religious type, but at least as a regular human). Good action; good score; good fun.
6. Wings (1927) is the answer to the trivia question, "What movie won the very first Oscar for best film?" It features Richard Arlen, Gary Cooper and Clara Bow (the "It" girl). The aerial battle sequences are still some of the best ever filmed. The plot is a little thin. Another silent. It is interesting how effective battle scenes can be without any sound.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD, and are fine for all ages. The top five WWI films are coming soon.
World War I seems as remote to us now as gaslights or horse-drawn streetcars. It was an indecisive Chapter One conclusively ended by World War II. But to our grandparents and great-grandparents, it was as real and memorable as the Gulf War is to us. A couple of interesting things about the subject: Woodrow Wilson won the 1916 presidential election with the slogan “He kept us out of war.” And five months later, we entered the war. It was exactly 100 years ago this month.
By the way, the recent movie and Broadway play Warhorse is set in World War I.
I’ve picked my 10 best films about the War To End All Wars, and we’ll start with 10 through 6.
10. The Big Parade (1925) was made less than 10 years after the actual event. It is a silent. John Gilbert is no longer a household word, but he was to our grandmothers. Its great battle scenes are still as good as any ever filmed. Interesting vignettes are tied together very well into a satisfying whole. Altogether, one of the best overviews of the war.
9. Another silent, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) is even earlier. It features two brothers who fight on different sides. Wallace Beery is excellent, as is Alan Hale (that was his son as the captain on Gilligan's Island). And speaking of household words, Rudolf Valentino has one of his major roles in this film, so you can see what all the swooning was about. Beware the dreadful 1962 remake.
8. Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell To Arms was brought to the screen semi-faithfully and very romantically in 1932. Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes are the American doughboy and British nurse who fall in love and lose. It has superb cinematography. Avoid the 1957 remake with Rock Hudson.
7. John Ford's The Lost Patrol (1934) features a very familiar story that is very well done. A small British unit in the desert is repeatedly attacked and diminished by snipers. It stars Victor McLaglen and Boris Karloff (as a religious type, but at least as a regular human). Good action; good score; good fun.
6. Wings (1927) is the answer to the trivia question, "What movie won the very first Oscar for best film?" It features Richard Arlen, Gary Cooper and Clara Bow (the "It" girl). The aerial battle sequences are still some of the best ever filmed. The plot is a little thin. Another silent. It is interesting how effective battle scenes can be without any sound.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD, and are fine for all ages. The top five WWI films are coming soon.
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