The Coen Brothers
part 1
The Coen brothers, film makers of the weird, remind me of some not-so-legendary hitters of my youth, say Dick Stuart or Frank Howard. When they stepped up to the plate they either struck out or hit it out of the park. Their homers, however, tended to be tape-measure jobs.
Fargo (1996) won them an Oscar for best screenplay. Best described as a comic murder mystery, it is their most accessible film and a solid commercial hit. Frances McDormand also won an Oscar for best actress as a pregnant police chief in a small Minnesota town. Wry observations on the local mores, and terrific performances by McDormand and William H. Macy as a two-bit hustler in way over his head.
In Blood Simple (1985) a husband hires a seedy private eye to murder his cheating wife. McDormand, Dan Hedaya and especially M. Emmett Walsh are superb, but the best thing is the intricate Coen screenplay that keeps you guessing to the very end. Unusual camera angles and shots strengthen the Coen’s unique spin on film noir.
Raising Arizona (1987) is a bizarre comedy viewers tend to either love or hate. Holly Hunter and Nicholas Cage are a childless couple who badly want a baby. When they see a magazine article about a couple with quintuplets, they resolve to snatch one for themselves on the curious theory that no one with five children the same age will notice that one of them is gone. Some of the funniest chase scenes ever.
Miller’s Crossing (1990) is a splendid gangster film, topped only by the Godfather trilogy. John Turturo, Gabriel Byrne and Albert Finney head a fine cast in a movie long on style and story. There are the patented Coen triple and quadruple crosses; you’re never sure what will happen. Slow starting, but stick with it, it’s worth it.
Crimewave (1985) is a real mess about thugs on a killing spree. Barton Fink (1991) starts out being about playwright John Turturo going to Hollywood to write a screenplay then halfway through it falls down and can’t get up. The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) features Tim Robbins as a know-nothing who mysteriously rises to the top of a heartless corporation. Hard to follow and not worth the effort.
The Big Lebowski (1998) is somewhere between great and goshawful. John Goodman is excellent as a wacky Vietnam veteran; Jeff Bridges is Jeff Bridges. Call it a solid single.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. None are suitable for children under 14.
And as they say on TV, but wait, there’s more! Stay tuned for part 2 on the Coens.
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Sunday, December 8, 2019
A YEAR OF DOCS
If you like documentary movies, this year’s films should suit you to a tee! I count at least eight worth seeing so far, and the year isn’t over.
Maiden is the improbable but true story of a group of determined women who enter the Whitbread Around-The-World yacht race. Tracy Edwards, a cook in her day job, gathers a mismatched bunch of British women to try their luck and skill. They are demeaned and belittled by the yacht racing establishment and the world in general. Undaunted, they brave bad weather, high seas and a sometimes leaky boat in an attempt to complete an incredible feat.
Pavarotti documents the career of Luciano Pavarotti, perhaps the world’s greatest tenor. Even if you don’t like opera much (me neither!) you will love this film. The singing is just super and he was one heck of a guy. Generous almost to a fault, he spread his talent and money freely. And Lord, what a voice! Do NOT confuse him with the disgraced Placido Domingo!
You don’t have to be all that old to remember the glory days of 60 Minutes. And the news terrier who just wouldn’t turn loose was Mike Wallace. Mike Wallace Is Here is about that legendary reporter and the many people he hacked off. I remember him as being used as a threat- watch out, Mike Wallace could cover this!
Toni Morrison went from humble beginnings in Ohio to legendary books, the Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am does a good job outlining her life and work. I must confess Beloved and Song Of Solomon are sort of over my head, but she is clearly one of our greatest writers.
Molly Ivins was a Texas reporter and gadfly. She was unequaled in sticking it to the famous and prominent. Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins is a bushel of fun even if you are a reddish person. She famously called George W. Bush “Shrub” and that will give you an idea of her persona.
In 1980 Communist China, in a completely misguided effort to control population growth, enacted a policy of limiting couples to having only one child. Violators were severely punished. The main result was that most people wanted sons, not daughters. The number of female babies killed is an unredeemable scandal. Another result was a dearth of marriageable women for many years. The policy finally ended in 2015. One Child Nation is an eye-opening film about this draconian policy. Strangely enough, it is banned in China!
Other 2019 docs of note include Aquarela, a surrealistic paean to water, and Knock Down The House, the story of the four young women Democrats who changed Congress.
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for adults, but Maiden would be fine for mature young girls.
If you like documentary movies, this year’s films should suit you to a tee! I count at least eight worth seeing so far, and the year isn’t over.
Maiden is the improbable but true story of a group of determined women who enter the Whitbread Around-The-World yacht race. Tracy Edwards, a cook in her day job, gathers a mismatched bunch of British women to try their luck and skill. They are demeaned and belittled by the yacht racing establishment and the world in general. Undaunted, they brave bad weather, high seas and a sometimes leaky boat in an attempt to complete an incredible feat.
Pavarotti documents the career of Luciano Pavarotti, perhaps the world’s greatest tenor. Even if you don’t like opera much (me neither!) you will love this film. The singing is just super and he was one heck of a guy. Generous almost to a fault, he spread his talent and money freely. And Lord, what a voice! Do NOT confuse him with the disgraced Placido Domingo!
You don’t have to be all that old to remember the glory days of 60 Minutes. And the news terrier who just wouldn’t turn loose was Mike Wallace. Mike Wallace Is Here is about that legendary reporter and the many people he hacked off. I remember him as being used as a threat- watch out, Mike Wallace could cover this!
Toni Morrison went from humble beginnings in Ohio to legendary books, the Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am does a good job outlining her life and work. I must confess Beloved and Song Of Solomon are sort of over my head, but she is clearly one of our greatest writers.
Molly Ivins was a Texas reporter and gadfly. She was unequaled in sticking it to the famous and prominent. Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins is a bushel of fun even if you are a reddish person. She famously called George W. Bush “Shrub” and that will give you an idea of her persona.
In 1980 Communist China, in a completely misguided effort to control population growth, enacted a policy of limiting couples to having only one child. Violators were severely punished. The main result was that most people wanted sons, not daughters. The number of female babies killed is an unredeemable scandal. Another result was a dearth of marriageable women for many years. The policy finally ended in 2015. One Child Nation is an eye-opening film about this draconian policy. Strangely enough, it is banned in China!
Other 2019 docs of note include Aquarela, a surrealistic paean to water, and Knock Down The House, the story of the four young women Democrats who changed Congress.
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for adults, but Maiden would be fine for mature young girls.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Larry McMurtry
Larry McMurtry is alive and well at 83 years old at this writing. He was involved in the making of some of the greatest movies of all time. Some were taken from his novels and he wrote the screenplay for others. These are the best of those films.
Hud (1963) is based on McMurtry’s fine novel Horseman Pass By. It is a terrific film featuring Paul Newman as a thoroughly bad guy. He was nominated for an Oscar, but lost to Sidney Poitier for Lillies Of The Field, in which Poitier’s character is as nice as Newman’s character was nasty. Patricia Neal and Melvyn Douglas did win Oscars, as did James Wong Howe for cinematography. On a cattle ranch threatened by bovine disease, patriarch Douglas tries to steer his errant son Hud in the right direction with very doubtful results.
The Last Picture Show (1971) is an absolutely splendid film about the denizens of a small, dusty Texas town. Their lives and loves range from desperate to hectic. Larry McMurtry co-wrote the screenplay with director Peter Bogdanovich. They were nominated for an Oscar but lost to Ernest Tidyman for The French Connection. Ben Johnson and Cloris Leachman won statues for their performances. The film got six more nominations. Well, Airport was nominated for best film but not Last Picture Show. Good grief!
Terms Of Endearment (1983) won just about everything on Oscar night. It was based on Larry McMurtry’s fine novel of the same name. James L. Brooks won an Oscar for his screen adaptation. Other winners included best movie, best director (Brooks), Shirley MacLaine for best actress and Jack Nicholson for best supporting actor. This is a real tear-jerker with MacLaine at the bedside of dying daughter Debra Winger. Nicholson has a fine time as MacLaine’s romantic interest and reluctant family member.
Brokeback Mountain (2005) featured a screenplay which won the Oscar by McMurtry and producer Diana Ossanna. This is a daring, taboo breaking movie that will either outrage you or break your heart. Maybe both. Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger are hired to protect their boss’ sheep in a cold, lonely locale. Their proximity leads to romance, though both go on to “normal” lives after the job is over.
And finally, what I think is the best mini-series ever made, the marvelous Lonesome Dove (1989). McMurtry and director Peter Bogdonavich wrote the screenplay about retired Texas rangers hired to drive cattle from Texas to Montana. Gus, played by Robert Duvall, and Call, played by Tommy Lee Jones, are perfectly paired. Gus is the garrulous fun-loving rascal and Call is the silent, brooding don’t-mess-with-me partner. Also appearing along the way are Diane Lane, Robert Urich, Danny Glover, and a host of others. Their adventures include a flood, a stampede, an Indian attack, and a snake encounter. It is Duvall’s constant chatter that carries this four-episode film, though he has plenty of help. This very successful series sired a bunch of follow-ups, including Return To Lonesome Dove, Streets Of Laredo and Dead Man’s Walk. As is usually the case, these “offspring” are just OK.
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for adults
Larry McMurtry is alive and well at 83 years old at this writing. He was involved in the making of some of the greatest movies of all time. Some were taken from his novels and he wrote the screenplay for others. These are the best of those films.
Hud (1963) is based on McMurtry’s fine novel Horseman Pass By. It is a terrific film featuring Paul Newman as a thoroughly bad guy. He was nominated for an Oscar, but lost to Sidney Poitier for Lillies Of The Field, in which Poitier’s character is as nice as Newman’s character was nasty. Patricia Neal and Melvyn Douglas did win Oscars, as did James Wong Howe for cinematography. On a cattle ranch threatened by bovine disease, patriarch Douglas tries to steer his errant son Hud in the right direction with very doubtful results.
The Last Picture Show (1971) is an absolutely splendid film about the denizens of a small, dusty Texas town. Their lives and loves range from desperate to hectic. Larry McMurtry co-wrote the screenplay with director Peter Bogdanovich. They were nominated for an Oscar but lost to Ernest Tidyman for The French Connection. Ben Johnson and Cloris Leachman won statues for their performances. The film got six more nominations. Well, Airport was nominated for best film but not Last Picture Show. Good grief!
Terms Of Endearment (1983) won just about everything on Oscar night. It was based on Larry McMurtry’s fine novel of the same name. James L. Brooks won an Oscar for his screen adaptation. Other winners included best movie, best director (Brooks), Shirley MacLaine for best actress and Jack Nicholson for best supporting actor. This is a real tear-jerker with MacLaine at the bedside of dying daughter Debra Winger. Nicholson has a fine time as MacLaine’s romantic interest and reluctant family member.
Brokeback Mountain (2005) featured a screenplay which won the Oscar by McMurtry and producer Diana Ossanna. This is a daring, taboo breaking movie that will either outrage you or break your heart. Maybe both. Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger are hired to protect their boss’ sheep in a cold, lonely locale. Their proximity leads to romance, though both go on to “normal” lives after the job is over.
And finally, what I think is the best mini-series ever made, the marvelous Lonesome Dove (1989). McMurtry and director Peter Bogdonavich wrote the screenplay about retired Texas rangers hired to drive cattle from Texas to Montana. Gus, played by Robert Duvall, and Call, played by Tommy Lee Jones, are perfectly paired. Gus is the garrulous fun-loving rascal and Call is the silent, brooding don’t-mess-with-me partner. Also appearing along the way are Diane Lane, Robert Urich, Danny Glover, and a host of others. Their adventures include a flood, a stampede, an Indian attack, and a snake encounter. It is Duvall’s constant chatter that carries this four-episode film, though he has plenty of help. This very successful series sired a bunch of follow-ups, including Return To Lonesome Dove, Streets Of Laredo and Dead Man’s Walk. As is usually the case, these “offspring” are just OK.
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for adults
Sunday, November 17, 2019
THE WAR OF THE WORDS
Words, as such, don’t at first blush seem to be a good source for movies. But it turns out that there are at least five very good movies based on words. For no reason I can think of, all of these films came out in the 2000's.
Akeelah and the Bee (2006) is about a studious girl from south LA who becomes a spelling whiz. Veterans Lawrence Fishburne (as a stern taskmaster) and Angela Basset (as a sort of hit-and-miss mom) provide solid support, but the movie (and our heart) is stolen by young Keke Palmer. Largely because of her, it becomes super cool to be a good student.
Spellbound (2002) is a documentary about the National Spelling Bee. It was nominated for an Academy Award. It follows eight teenage contestants from their local bees to the big one. It’s uncanny how much suspense is built up by the movie’s story and pace. And check out the words these kids can spell!
Bee Season (2005) tries to do more with the spelling bee format, and largely succeeds. Father Richard Gere and mother Juliette Binoche find their marriage is slowly sinking. He finds an outlet coaching their precocious daughter Eliza (Flora Cross) in spelling contests. There’s a trick to how she does it- you’ll have to find out for yourself. Large lessons are learned about winning, losing, trying and giving.
Do you like crossword puzzles? I am a big fan. Whether you like them or not, you will like Wordplay (2006). The film centers around New York Times puzzle editor Will Shortz and his merry band of fans and followers. Former president Bill Clinton and The Daily Show host Jon Stewart are counted among the group, and appear in the movie with delightful insights into puzzling as a hobby or habit. There is, of course, a contest
and the tension builds nicely. There are also some dandy revelations about how puzzles are constructed and how different people go about trying to solve them.
Last, and perhaps least, is another documentary, Word Wars (2004) which is about an international Scrabble competition and those who participate. The world of Scrabble, like any sport, has its superheroes and its also-rans and villains. These people are very strange! But interesting!
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are suitable for all ages, but the boredom factor will come into play for most 8 and under.
Words, as such, don’t at first blush seem to be a good source for movies. But it turns out that there are at least five very good movies based on words. For no reason I can think of, all of these films came out in the 2000's.
Akeelah and the Bee (2006) is about a studious girl from south LA who becomes a spelling whiz. Veterans Lawrence Fishburne (as a stern taskmaster) and Angela Basset (as a sort of hit-and-miss mom) provide solid support, but the movie (and our heart) is stolen by young Keke Palmer. Largely because of her, it becomes super cool to be a good student.
Spellbound (2002) is a documentary about the National Spelling Bee. It was nominated for an Academy Award. It follows eight teenage contestants from their local bees to the big one. It’s uncanny how much suspense is built up by the movie’s story and pace. And check out the words these kids can spell!
Bee Season (2005) tries to do more with the spelling bee format, and largely succeeds. Father Richard Gere and mother Juliette Binoche find their marriage is slowly sinking. He finds an outlet coaching their precocious daughter Eliza (Flora Cross) in spelling contests. There’s a trick to how she does it- you’ll have to find out for yourself. Large lessons are learned about winning, losing, trying and giving.
Do you like crossword puzzles? I am a big fan. Whether you like them or not, you will like Wordplay (2006). The film centers around New York Times puzzle editor Will Shortz and his merry band of fans and followers. Former president Bill Clinton and The Daily Show host Jon Stewart are counted among the group, and appear in the movie with delightful insights into puzzling as a hobby or habit. There is, of course, a contest
and the tension builds nicely. There are also some dandy revelations about how puzzles are constructed and how different people go about trying to solve them.
Last, and perhaps least, is another documentary, Word Wars (2004) which is about an international Scrabble competition and those who participate. The world of Scrabble, like any sport, has its superheroes and its also-rans and villains. These people are very strange! But interesting!
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are suitable for all ages, but the boredom factor will come into play for most 8 and under.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
THE FORGOTTEN WAR- 70 YEARS LATER
Unbelievably (to me, anyway) next year marks seventy years since the Korean War began in 1950. While nowhere near the fertile movie ground of WWII or Viet Nam, Korea did spawn a handful of excellent films.
M*A*S*H (1970) has a much darker, manic tone than the popular TV series it sired. Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Sally Kellerman, Tom Skeritt, Gary Burghoff and Bud Cort were virtual unknowns. M*A*S*H is director Robert Altman’s breakthrough film. Its bloody O.R. and irreverent wisecracks are a microcosm of the war.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is a good political thriller that features heart-pounding suspense and some neat plot twists. Frank Sinatra is good as a government agent as is Angela Lansbury, uncharacteristically venomous . Some wag has said Lawrence Harvey was typecast as an automaton, but he makes a good one. Harvey was a POW of the North Koreans, and they have tried to program him into the perfect killing machine. Can Sinatra reprogram him?
A James Michener story is the basis for Men Of The Fighting Lady (1954) with Van Johnson and Walter Pigeon. The Lady of the title is the aircraft carrier from which dangerous raids are launched into North Korea. The battle footage and special effects are so good that the Pentagon called Film Editor Gene Ruggiero on the carpet to explain how he got this footage. The answer was, standard war footage and painted backdrops, skillfully edited. It was good enough for the Pentagon and good enough for an Oscar, too.
Another Michener tale is the backbone of Sayonara (1957) which garnered Supporting Actor Oscars for Red Buttons and Miyoshi Umeki. Marlon Brando, James Garner and Martha Scott complete the cast of this tale of interracial love during the Korean War. Frankly, it's a little dated, but has its moments.
The Steel Helmet (1951) was actually made during the Korean War. It is directed by a virtual unknown, Samuel Fuller, and the best known cast member is Steve Brodie. And yet, it probably comes about as close as any movie to showing what it was really like in Korea. This is a very good sleeper.
Pork Chop Hill (1959) was an actual place in Korea, and this fine movie portrays an American unit's order to hold the hill against the advancing Chinese hordes at all cost. Gregory Peck heads a stellar cast that also features Rip Torn, George Peppard and Harry Guardino. Hard-hitting and authentic, it has a decidedly dark tone like most movies about the Korean War.
All of the movies in this column are available on DVD. None are suitable for children under 12.
Unbelievably (to me, anyway) next year marks seventy years since the Korean War began in 1950. While nowhere near the fertile movie ground of WWII or Viet Nam, Korea did spawn a handful of excellent films.
M*A*S*H (1970) has a much darker, manic tone than the popular TV series it sired. Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Sally Kellerman, Tom Skeritt, Gary Burghoff and Bud Cort were virtual unknowns. M*A*S*H is director Robert Altman’s breakthrough film. Its bloody O.R. and irreverent wisecracks are a microcosm of the war.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is a good political thriller that features heart-pounding suspense and some neat plot twists. Frank Sinatra is good as a government agent as is Angela Lansbury, uncharacteristically venomous . Some wag has said Lawrence Harvey was typecast as an automaton, but he makes a good one. Harvey was a POW of the North Koreans, and they have tried to program him into the perfect killing machine. Can Sinatra reprogram him?
A James Michener story is the basis for Men Of The Fighting Lady (1954) with Van Johnson and Walter Pigeon. The Lady of the title is the aircraft carrier from which dangerous raids are launched into North Korea. The battle footage and special effects are so good that the Pentagon called Film Editor Gene Ruggiero on the carpet to explain how he got this footage. The answer was, standard war footage and painted backdrops, skillfully edited. It was good enough for the Pentagon and good enough for an Oscar, too.
Another Michener tale is the backbone of Sayonara (1957) which garnered Supporting Actor Oscars for Red Buttons and Miyoshi Umeki. Marlon Brando, James Garner and Martha Scott complete the cast of this tale of interracial love during the Korean War. Frankly, it's a little dated, but has its moments.
The Steel Helmet (1951) was actually made during the Korean War. It is directed by a virtual unknown, Samuel Fuller, and the best known cast member is Steve Brodie. And yet, it probably comes about as close as any movie to showing what it was really like in Korea. This is a very good sleeper.
Pork Chop Hill (1959) was an actual place in Korea, and this fine movie portrays an American unit's order to hold the hill against the advancing Chinese hordes at all cost. Gregory Peck heads a stellar cast that also features Rip Torn, George Peppard and Harry Guardino. Hard-hitting and authentic, it has a decidedly dark tone like most movies about the Korean War.
All of the movies in this column are available on DVD. None are suitable for children under 12.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
FLIM FLAM FILMS
We all like to be fooled (if it doesn’t cost too much) and to see others take the bait. Herewith are the best flicks about scams, flim-flam movies.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) is based on Lee Israel’s book of the same name. In this film we’re in on the scam from the start, only wondering if they’ll get caught. Melissa McCarthy portrays the woman who gets really good at forging the signature of authors and creating valuable editions. Richard Grant plays her abetter, often taking their forgeries to dealers for cash. This is a fascinating story well played. Both actors were nominated for Oscars, but lost to Olivia Colman for The Favourite and Mahershala Ali for Green Book.
The Sting (1973), which won the Oscar for best movie, has both Paul Newman and Robert Redford, and Scott Joplin’s wonderful ragtime music. The story lets you in on the scam but still manages to fool the ill-tempered victim (Robert Shaw) and most of the audience (me included). So, at the end, you get this wonderful jaw-dropping jolt of understanding and it all falls into place. Loads of fun.
George C.Scott stretched a bit as The Flim Flam Man (1967) but you eventually buy into his character and enjoy yourself as he charms and cheats his way across the South. Michael Sarazin is his too-honest apostle. We’re in on most of the scams; the fun is in watching him work them.
House of Games (1987) is director-writer David Mamet's successful venture into Alfred Hitchcock territory. Nothing is as it seems and you are kept guessing to the end. Joe Mantegna is the con man and Lindsay Crouse the psychologist who is in over her head. Mamet's dialogue is always slightly stagy, but you get over that in 10 minutes and are trying to figure out who is doing what to whom.
Under Suspicion (1992) is a snappy, surprising little con game of a movie with Liam Neeson (before he was anybody) as a down-at-the-heels PI and Laura San Giacomo as his employer. Her late husband was a famous painter and some of his canvasses are missing. Neeson is on board to recover them and thinks he knows how
to come out with more than his salary. Neat turns in the plot right to the end.
Paper Moon (1973) features the irresistible father-daughter team of Ryan and Tatum O’Neal (Oscar, Best Actress). Tough con-man Ryan finds orphan Tatum is a fast learner and soon she is better at their various scams than he is. Funny, touching without too much schmaltz, and a lot of fun.
All of the movies in this column are available on DVD. All but House of Games and Under Suspicion are fine for kids eight and up.
We all like to be fooled (if it doesn’t cost too much) and to see others take the bait. Herewith are the best flicks about scams, flim-flam movies.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) is based on Lee Israel’s book of the same name. In this film we’re in on the scam from the start, only wondering if they’ll get caught. Melissa McCarthy portrays the woman who gets really good at forging the signature of authors and creating valuable editions. Richard Grant plays her abetter, often taking their forgeries to dealers for cash. This is a fascinating story well played. Both actors were nominated for Oscars, but lost to Olivia Colman for The Favourite and Mahershala Ali for Green Book.
The Sting (1973), which won the Oscar for best movie, has both Paul Newman and Robert Redford, and Scott Joplin’s wonderful ragtime music. The story lets you in on the scam but still manages to fool the ill-tempered victim (Robert Shaw) and most of the audience (me included). So, at the end, you get this wonderful jaw-dropping jolt of understanding and it all falls into place. Loads of fun.
George C.Scott stretched a bit as The Flim Flam Man (1967) but you eventually buy into his character and enjoy yourself as he charms and cheats his way across the South. Michael Sarazin is his too-honest apostle. We’re in on most of the scams; the fun is in watching him work them.
House of Games (1987) is director-writer David Mamet's successful venture into Alfred Hitchcock territory. Nothing is as it seems and you are kept guessing to the end. Joe Mantegna is the con man and Lindsay Crouse the psychologist who is in over her head. Mamet's dialogue is always slightly stagy, but you get over that in 10 minutes and are trying to figure out who is doing what to whom.
Under Suspicion (1992) is a snappy, surprising little con game of a movie with Liam Neeson (before he was anybody) as a down-at-the-heels PI and Laura San Giacomo as his employer. Her late husband was a famous painter and some of his canvasses are missing. Neeson is on board to recover them and thinks he knows how
to come out with more than his salary. Neat turns in the plot right to the end.
Paper Moon (1973) features the irresistible father-daughter team of Ryan and Tatum O’Neal (Oscar, Best Actress). Tough con-man Ryan finds orphan Tatum is a fast learner and soon she is better at their various scams than he is. Funny, touching without too much schmaltz, and a lot of fun.
All of the movies in this column are available on DVD. All but House of Games and Under Suspicion are fine for kids eight and up.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
I DON’T GET IT
Part 2
In September of 2016 I ran an article titled “I Don’t Get It”. It featured movies I liked but did not understand (at all!) Many readers were stunned that Mr. Movie didn’t understand these. Well, as promised way back then, there are more!
The most recent is the oddly-titled The Last Black Man In San Francisco (2019). Jimmie and his best friend Mont work on the house built by Jimmie’s grandfather although someone else lives there. This awkward scenario continues until the tenants move out. Jimmie moves in, squatting in the house until someone else buys it. He resumes living with Mont and his grandfather. He is last seen rowing a boat toward Golden Gate bridge. I don’t get it!
Birdman (2014) is hardly obscure. It won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. It stars Michael Keaton (as the Birdman) and features Amy Ryan, Zach Galifianakis and Edward Norton. The title character was a famous superhero, played by Mr. Keaton. He hears Birdman as an inner voice. He wants to mount a play based on a Raymond Carver short story. He fantasizes flying through the city as Birdman. At the end of his play, he shoots himself before a live audience. I don’t get it!
In Her (2013) Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly, a lonely guy who falls in love over the phone with his artificial intelligence virtual assistant. The contact, Samantha, is voiced by Scarlett Johannson. Those who know Theodore, including his ex-wife, are uncomfortable with his attachment to a computer voice. He tries and fails to form attachments to real persons, and is heartbroken when Samantha tells him she is leaving the computer service. Spike Jonze (yep, that’s his name!) won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Good for him. I don’t get it!
I greatly admire the work of director Sofia Coppola (Somewhere, Marie Antoinette, Lost In Translation). Her very first effort was The Virgin Suicides (1999) and I really liked it. Don’t ask why. The five Lisbon sisters are tightly controlled and watched by their extremely protective parents played well by James Woods and Kathleen Turner. The movie has some young men in the town reflect back on these girls and how they loved them from afar. Eventually all five girls commit suicide. I don’t get it!
I’m not sure you’re supposed to understand Holy Motors (2012), a French-German collaboration. I’m not sure either spoke the other’s language! Anyway, it is a series of unconnected vignettes, most of which are intriguing. In the first one, a man wakes up and goes through a secret door in his apartment. He is then in a crowded theater where a young child and a giant dog wander up and down the aisles. After that, it gets weird! I really don’t get it. But I really liked it!
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups
Part 2
In September of 2016 I ran an article titled “I Don’t Get It”. It featured movies I liked but did not understand (at all!) Many readers were stunned that Mr. Movie didn’t understand these. Well, as promised way back then, there are more!
The most recent is the oddly-titled The Last Black Man In San Francisco (2019). Jimmie and his best friend Mont work on the house built by Jimmie’s grandfather although someone else lives there. This awkward scenario continues until the tenants move out. Jimmie moves in, squatting in the house until someone else buys it. He resumes living with Mont and his grandfather. He is last seen rowing a boat toward Golden Gate bridge. I don’t get it!
Birdman (2014) is hardly obscure. It won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. It stars Michael Keaton (as the Birdman) and features Amy Ryan, Zach Galifianakis and Edward Norton. The title character was a famous superhero, played by Mr. Keaton. He hears Birdman as an inner voice. He wants to mount a play based on a Raymond Carver short story. He fantasizes flying through the city as Birdman. At the end of his play, he shoots himself before a live audience. I don’t get it!
In Her (2013) Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly, a lonely guy who falls in love over the phone with his artificial intelligence virtual assistant. The contact, Samantha, is voiced by Scarlett Johannson. Those who know Theodore, including his ex-wife, are uncomfortable with his attachment to a computer voice. He tries and fails to form attachments to real persons, and is heartbroken when Samantha tells him she is leaving the computer service. Spike Jonze (yep, that’s his name!) won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Good for him. I don’t get it!
I greatly admire the work of director Sofia Coppola (Somewhere, Marie Antoinette, Lost In Translation). Her very first effort was The Virgin Suicides (1999) and I really liked it. Don’t ask why. The five Lisbon sisters are tightly controlled and watched by their extremely protective parents played well by James Woods and Kathleen Turner. The movie has some young men in the town reflect back on these girls and how they loved them from afar. Eventually all five girls commit suicide. I don’t get it!
I’m not sure you’re supposed to understand Holy Motors (2012), a French-German collaboration. I’m not sure either spoke the other’s language! Anyway, it is a series of unconnected vignettes, most of which are intriguing. In the first one, a man wakes up and goes through a secret door in his apartment. He is then in a crowded theater where a young child and a giant dog wander up and down the aisles. After that, it gets weird! I really don’t get it. But I really liked it!
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups
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