Reza, the Hispanic characters are Puerto Rican. There's an issue with some in the Puerto Rican community about the casting of Rachel Zegler who is Colombian, Polish, Italian & German descent, not Puerto Rican. They want only Puerto Ricans to play Puerto Ricans.
I don't recall any issues with Natalie Wood's accent in the original. There was a bit of a fuss over her voice being dubbed but I don't think that came out until after Audrey Hepburn being dubbed in My Fair Lady when Marni Nixon became famous for having dubbed her as well as Wood and Deborah Kerr, the latter in both The King and I and An Affair to Remember. Why, I don't know. Actors and actresses, unless they were highly trained singers, were almost always dubbed.
Also, the Spielberg film does not re-order the songs, it uses them in the order in which they were sung in the original 1957 Broadway production. "I Feel Pretty" was always intended to be ironic. It's the staging that has changed.
Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
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Big Magilla
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Reza wrote: Natalie Wood, used then for boxoffice assurance, especially got a major drubbing for her accent and for her dubbed singing. She was ridiculed for speaking with a faux hispanic accent in the original film while the entire Hispanic cast here speaks english with the exact same accent as Wood.
Reza, I didn’t realize that you were an expert on Puerto Rican accents. Impressive!
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Undefeated (2011) - 8/10 - The story of a Memphis, Tennessee high school football team where the team has never had much success and the students face many challenges. The coach tries to teach them how to play winning football, but also, more importantly, how to overcome adversity and succeed in life. It's a pretty good film.
Anne Frank Remembered (1995) - 8/10 - Interviews with people who knew the Franks, including those who helped hide the family and some who were interned with her is combined with archival material to paint a more complete picture of Anne Frank.
Tupac: Resurrection (2003) - 8/10 - The story of Tupac's life is told through movies, photographs, and interviews. A lot of my students were fans of Tupac around the time this film came out, but I was only slightly aware of who he was at the time, other than being a rapper. Still, I thought the movie was pretty good.
Anne Frank Remembered (1995) - 8/10 - Interviews with people who knew the Franks, including those who helped hide the family and some who were interned with her is combined with archival material to paint a more complete picture of Anne Frank.
Tupac: Resurrection (2003) - 8/10 - The story of Tupac's life is told through movies, photographs, and interviews. A lot of my students were fans of Tupac around the time this film came out, but I was only slightly aware of who he was at the time, other than being a rapper. Still, I thought the movie was pretty good.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
West Side Story (Steven Spielberg, 2021) 5/10
It appears the germ for this remake grew in Spielberg's mind during the racist and troubled Trump Administration. The United States was then increasingly in the throes of issues stemming from skin color which took a turn for the worst with outbreaks of repeated violence not seen since the 1960s and before. The story (with its central theme taken from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet") is a screen adaptation of the celebrated 1957 Broadway musical with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim which was in 1961 adapted into an Oscar winning film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins whose groundbreaking choreography was brought to the screen intact. Elements of that choreography can be seen in this remake as well along with a number of the songs which are shot at different locations compared to in the first film. Two street gangs are at odds with each other and ever ready to "rumble" using fists, chains or knives for control over a neighborhood on the West Side of Manhattan - the white American Jets vs the Puerto Rican Sharks. Riff (Mike Faist), the leader of the Jets, proposes a rumble but his mentor Tony (Ansel Elgort) tries to dissuade him. At a local dance Tony falls helplessly in love with Maria (Rachel Zegler) sister of Shark leader Bernardo (David Alvarez) which does not go down well with the latter. During a heated exchange at the rumble a knife is brought out leading to death and tragedy. The film's central romance is rather troublesome and a little hard to comprehend - the two lovers fall instantly in love and then later not even the murder of a close relative dampens that love which is rather hard to digest. However, the love duet "Tonight" which the lovers perform on the fire escape is magical and equivalent to the balcony scene in Shakespeare's play. Some of the songs get their locations moved. The dynamic "America" originally sung and danced on the rooftop is now performed on the street, while "Gee, Officer Krupke" is moved from the street to inside a police precinct in this remake. Tony Kushner's screenplay is from start to finish a desperate cry for love and brotherhood with its relentless message for people to tolerate each other despite difference in skin color. The song "I Feel Pretty", sung originally by Maria in the dress shop where she works, is here moved to a huge department store where Maria and her friends work as cleaners. Hispanic cleaners - a stereotype which Kushner rubs in deep. While there are a few exciting bits - mostly revolving around Bernardo's fiery and sassy girlfriend Anita (Ariana DeBose) who performs the exhuberant "America" with flashing legs and swishing skirts in a dazzle of color and movement - this role brought Rita Moreno an Oscar in the original film version and Spielberg uses the now 94-year old actress as a mascot creating a new role for her as the owner of a drugstore and close confidante to Tony. The rest of the film doesn't hold a candle to the original which still remains electrifying. This version seems very flat with its "authentic" hispanic cast looking like kids play acting during a high school production. The previous version was criticised for not using Hispanic actors. Natalie Wood, used then for boxoffice assurance, especially got a major drubbing for her accent and for her dubbed singing. She was ridiculed for speaking with a faux hispanic accent in the original film while the entire Hispanic cast here speaks english with the exact same accent as Wood. While this remake is well intentioned because of its themes, its overall a monumental waste of time and talent especially since Spielberg brings nothing new to the material. It's all churned out intact with a few wispy changes here and there which make no impact whatsoever. Zegler makes an appealing debut and has a good voice but does not have Natalie Wood's beauty. The less said about Elgort the better. The production and costume design are outstanding though. With the exciting 1961 movie so easily available it was a mistake to regurgitate it again. Go watch the memorable original instead of this.
CODA (Sian Heder, 2021) 7/10
Charming coming-of-age story is certainly formulaic but has great heart. Ruby (Emilia Jones) is a child of deaf adults (CODA). She is the only hearing member of her family and lives with her hearing impared parents (Troy Kutsur & Marlee Matlin) and older brother (Daniel Durant) and has been their interpreter forever. She helps with the family business - going out to sea early every morning on a boat with her father and brother to catch fish which they sell to earn their living - and attends school later in the day. An awkward kid because of her situation she longs for friends and a life of her own. When she decides to pursue her passion for singing, encouraged by a teacher to apply for a scholarship, she feels guilty for abandoning her family. Feel-good film comes alive in all the scenes between Ruby and her family as they joke, argue and go through everyday life. Jones and especially Kotsur (very funny) are standouts in a great ensemble cast.
It appears the germ for this remake grew in Spielberg's mind during the racist and troubled Trump Administration. The United States was then increasingly in the throes of issues stemming from skin color which took a turn for the worst with outbreaks of repeated violence not seen since the 1960s and before. The story (with its central theme taken from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet") is a screen adaptation of the celebrated 1957 Broadway musical with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim which was in 1961 adapted into an Oscar winning film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins whose groundbreaking choreography was brought to the screen intact. Elements of that choreography can be seen in this remake as well along with a number of the songs which are shot at different locations compared to in the first film. Two street gangs are at odds with each other and ever ready to "rumble" using fists, chains or knives for control over a neighborhood on the West Side of Manhattan - the white American Jets vs the Puerto Rican Sharks. Riff (Mike Faist), the leader of the Jets, proposes a rumble but his mentor Tony (Ansel Elgort) tries to dissuade him. At a local dance Tony falls helplessly in love with Maria (Rachel Zegler) sister of Shark leader Bernardo (David Alvarez) which does not go down well with the latter. During a heated exchange at the rumble a knife is brought out leading to death and tragedy. The film's central romance is rather troublesome and a little hard to comprehend - the two lovers fall instantly in love and then later not even the murder of a close relative dampens that love which is rather hard to digest. However, the love duet "Tonight" which the lovers perform on the fire escape is magical and equivalent to the balcony scene in Shakespeare's play. Some of the songs get their locations moved. The dynamic "America" originally sung and danced on the rooftop is now performed on the street, while "Gee, Officer Krupke" is moved from the street to inside a police precinct in this remake. Tony Kushner's screenplay is from start to finish a desperate cry for love and brotherhood with its relentless message for people to tolerate each other despite difference in skin color. The song "I Feel Pretty", sung originally by Maria in the dress shop where she works, is here moved to a huge department store where Maria and her friends work as cleaners. Hispanic cleaners - a stereotype which Kushner rubs in deep. While there are a few exciting bits - mostly revolving around Bernardo's fiery and sassy girlfriend Anita (Ariana DeBose) who performs the exhuberant "America" with flashing legs and swishing skirts in a dazzle of color and movement - this role brought Rita Moreno an Oscar in the original film version and Spielberg uses the now 94-year old actress as a mascot creating a new role for her as the owner of a drugstore and close confidante to Tony. The rest of the film doesn't hold a candle to the original which still remains electrifying. This version seems very flat with its "authentic" hispanic cast looking like kids play acting during a high school production. The previous version was criticised for not using Hispanic actors. Natalie Wood, used then for boxoffice assurance, especially got a major drubbing for her accent and for her dubbed singing. She was ridiculed for speaking with a faux hispanic accent in the original film while the entire Hispanic cast here speaks english with the exact same accent as Wood. While this remake is well intentioned because of its themes, its overall a monumental waste of time and talent especially since Spielberg brings nothing new to the material. It's all churned out intact with a few wispy changes here and there which make no impact whatsoever. Zegler makes an appealing debut and has a good voice but does not have Natalie Wood's beauty. The less said about Elgort the better. The production and costume design are outstanding though. With the exciting 1961 movie so easily available it was a mistake to regurgitate it again. Go watch the memorable original instead of this.
CODA (Sian Heder, 2021) 7/10
Charming coming-of-age story is certainly formulaic but has great heart. Ruby (Emilia Jones) is a child of deaf adults (CODA). She is the only hearing member of her family and lives with her hearing impared parents (Troy Kutsur & Marlee Matlin) and older brother (Daniel Durant) and has been their interpreter forever. She helps with the family business - going out to sea early every morning on a boat with her father and brother to catch fish which they sell to earn their living - and attends school later in the day. An awkward kid because of her situation she longs for friends and a life of her own. When she decides to pursue her passion for singing, encouraged by a teacher to apply for a scholarship, she feels guilty for abandoning her family. Feel-good film comes alive in all the scenes between Ruby and her family as they joke, argue and go through everyday life. Jones and especially Kotsur (very funny) are standouts in a great ensemble cast.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Best Boy (1979) - 7.5/10 - Ira Wohl made this film about his 52 year old mentally retarded cousin, Philly. Philly's parents are elderly and Ira wants to help Philly become more independent so that he will be able to survive after his parents have died. Philly seems to have a happy disposition and is able to do some things on his own. It's a decent film.
Bowling for Columbine (2002) - 8/10 - Michael Moore looks into gun violence in the United States with special emphasis on the Columbine High School incident in 1999 and the shooting death of a six year old girl by a six year old boy in Moore's hometown of Flint, Michigan. He interviews Charlton Heston, James Nichols, and others. There are the usual Moore ambush tactics mixed in, but it is a good film.
Faces Places (2017) - 8.5/10 - French photographer JR and director/artist Agnes Varda travel around rural France taking pictures of people, putting up large murals of the photos, and hanging out with each other. It's a very cool film and fun to watch.
Bowling for Columbine (2002) - 8/10 - Michael Moore looks into gun violence in the United States with special emphasis on the Columbine High School incident in 1999 and the shooting death of a six year old girl by a six year old boy in Moore's hometown of Flint, Michigan. He interviews Charlton Heston, James Nichols, and others. There are the usual Moore ambush tactics mixed in, but it is a good film.
Faces Places (2017) - 8.5/10 - French photographer JR and director/artist Agnes Varda travel around rural France taking pictures of people, putting up large murals of the photos, and hanging out with each other. It's a very cool film and fun to watch.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Wine Country (Amy Poehler, 2019) 4/10
In order of preference what I liked about this film. The song "Message of Love" on the soundtrack sung by Chrissie Hynde courtesy of The Pretenders. Brought back great memories from 1981. Followed by the Napa Valley location. Period. It's where a group of 40-something friends gather together to celebrate the 50th birthday of one of them. It's been planned by a control freak (Amy Poehler who also directs) and all the ladies are harbouring some guilty and/or boring secret which is finally revealed through the course of the film. Nothing much really happens in terms of plot. The ladies, gab, get drunk, complain and bitch out one another. Some funny moments which is to be expected considering the entire female cast of Saturday Night Live - Amy P plus Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer, Maya Rudolph, Paula Pell, Emily Spivey (who had a hand in the script) and Tina Fey - are on hand. But mostly it falls flat with the ladies trying too hard. There IS something clearly missing with this particular formula. And I know exactly what it is. However, I won't be divulging that piece of information because it is more than likely to be considered politically incorrect by the woke generation. And I wouldn't want them to get excited.
Triple Frontier (J. C. Chandor, 2019) 7/10
Mark Boal, who won an Oscar for The Hurt Locker, wrote this screenplay too. And like the previous film this too starts by traveling a similar path of war. Instead of soldiers in Iraq we jump straight into a standoff between an ex-military hotshot (Oscar Isaac) leading his team against a drug lord in South America - triple frontier of the title refers to the wild, sometimes lawless high-altitude borderland of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. When an informer provides the whereabouts of the kingpin he persuades his Special Ops vet pals (Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam, Pedro Pascal, Garrett Hedlund), all now retired and leading somewhat frustrated civilian lives, to come in on a planned heist. They are to break into the kingpin's jungle home and steal cash hoarded by him. A fool proof plan that predictably goes awry in a very bad way. The film channels John Huston's "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (and many subsequent similarly themed heist flicks) in how greed comes in the way of the most thought out plan. It's all very familiar except for the exotic location (a combo of Colombia and Hawaii) making do for the South American setting where the vets go over the Andes on foot when their helicopter crashes while on the run after the heist. As an action-packed adventure film its very watchable as a throwback to films of the 90s with Sylvester Stallone or Gene Hackman. Wonderful use of songs by Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Metallica and Creedence Clearwater Revival. The cast is uniformly fine with Isaac very intense and in command. The sentimental ending was a bit much but who knows maybe buddies tend to do stuff like that. NOT!!
Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (Karan Johar, 2006) 9/10
Karan's films usually go by the tag - "it's all about loving your family" - but an air of melancholy hovers over the opening credits of this one bringing into sharp focus the plight of the film's four protagonists whose lives seem to be in a quandry and desperately uncertain. A soccer star (Shah Rukh Khan) wins an important match, signs a lucrative contract, is seen to be in a distant relationship with his wife (Priety Zinta) - an ambitious fashion editor - when he suddenly gets hit by a car which ends his sporting career. Just before his accident he chances upon a seemingly runaway bride (Rani Mukerji) who is unsure of her relationship with her childhood buddy (Abhishek Bachchan) - an event manager with a flamboyant womanizing father (Amitabh Bachchan) - whom she is about to tie the knot with. She is persuaded not to look for love but to get married to her buddy. Fast forward 4 years - the soccer star has an injured leg, is short-tempered with a massive inferiority complex and dependent on his successful wife whom he suspects of having an affair with the event manager although they only have a professional relationship. The latter's wife is struggling with infertility and finds her husband childish whom she is unable to love. The two sad people come together, form a friendship advising each other on making their marriages work and unexpectedly not only fall in love but embark on an extra-marital affair. The film flopped because the public could not believe that the film's leading stars would violate the sanctity of marriage. In fact a story goes that once the affair in the story begins a desi couple watching in the cinema loudly proclaimed it was a dream sequence and when they realized what was actually happening they stormed out of the cinema in anger and disgust. Never underestimate the power of the paying public in the sub-continent who not only worship characters on the screen but can outright reject them too if they don't conform to strict ideals. This superbly produced film has all the usual suspects behind the camera - Anil Mehta's lush cinematography, Mickey Contractor on makeup, Farah Khan's sensual and rambunctious choreography Sarmishta Roy's production design, the music of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy with a hit-load of songs (lyrics to all by Javed Akhtar) - the tearjerking title song, "Mitwa", an evocative sufi rock ballad by Pakistani singer Shafqat Amanat Ali, the club song "Where's The Party Tonight?", and "Rock 'N' Roll Soniye" a 60's Rock 'N' Roll track, and Manish Malhotra's costumes - check out the lovely romantic ballad "Tumhi Dekho Naa" where the extras are all dressed in colours corresponding to Rani's chiffon sarees (she wears seven different ones through the song - the filming for the song was done at multiple locations and ended up being extremely time-consuming. The "blue section" of the song was shot at Columbia University in Upper West Side, the "yellow section" was shot at Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, the "orange section" at Bear Mountain, the "red section" at the Pier A Park in Hoboken, and the "green section" at the Union Station in New Haven). Bachchan Sr has a field day bedding call girls and later romancing Khan's mother Kirron Kher - the Chandigarh lady with a hefty ass. As with all SRK films he makes a huge romantic dent with his leading lady - Kajol who was initially approached for the part was busy shooting for "Fanaa" although she makes a cameo appearance in a song - so Rani, who was to play the supporting part Priety played, got bumped up as the film's leading lady making a huge impact. Also shining in small roles are Arjun Rampal and John Abraham. But it's Karan who faultlessly guides this melodrana through all its many highs and lows with a sure hand. The second half of this very long film is a series of pat encounters between both couples as the laugh, cry, fight and look for solutions to their problems which they cannot find. A rare Bollywood film that is relentlessly downbeat and morose but done in such a flamboyant manner with scenes of mirth, song and dance interspersed to make it a very moving experience. And just like Woody Allen's films this one too has spectacular views of New York throughout. The film received 12 Filmfare award nominations - Best Picture, for Karan's direction, the lead performances by Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji, both Amitabh and Priety for their supporting roles, Javed Akhtar for his lyrics to two songs, the music directors, the playback singing by Alka Yagnik and Sonu Nigam and the film's lone winner - Abhishek Bachchan for his supporting performance.
In order of preference what I liked about this film. The song "Message of Love" on the soundtrack sung by Chrissie Hynde courtesy of The Pretenders. Brought back great memories from 1981. Followed by the Napa Valley location. Period. It's where a group of 40-something friends gather together to celebrate the 50th birthday of one of them. It's been planned by a control freak (Amy Poehler who also directs) and all the ladies are harbouring some guilty and/or boring secret which is finally revealed through the course of the film. Nothing much really happens in terms of plot. The ladies, gab, get drunk, complain and bitch out one another. Some funny moments which is to be expected considering the entire female cast of Saturday Night Live - Amy P plus Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer, Maya Rudolph, Paula Pell, Emily Spivey (who had a hand in the script) and Tina Fey - are on hand. But mostly it falls flat with the ladies trying too hard. There IS something clearly missing with this particular formula. And I know exactly what it is. However, I won't be divulging that piece of information because it is more than likely to be considered politically incorrect by the woke generation. And I wouldn't want them to get excited.
Triple Frontier (J. C. Chandor, 2019) 7/10
Mark Boal, who won an Oscar for The Hurt Locker, wrote this screenplay too. And like the previous film this too starts by traveling a similar path of war. Instead of soldiers in Iraq we jump straight into a standoff between an ex-military hotshot (Oscar Isaac) leading his team against a drug lord in South America - triple frontier of the title refers to the wild, sometimes lawless high-altitude borderland of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. When an informer provides the whereabouts of the kingpin he persuades his Special Ops vet pals (Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam, Pedro Pascal, Garrett Hedlund), all now retired and leading somewhat frustrated civilian lives, to come in on a planned heist. They are to break into the kingpin's jungle home and steal cash hoarded by him. A fool proof plan that predictably goes awry in a very bad way. The film channels John Huston's "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (and many subsequent similarly themed heist flicks) in how greed comes in the way of the most thought out plan. It's all very familiar except for the exotic location (a combo of Colombia and Hawaii) making do for the South American setting where the vets go over the Andes on foot when their helicopter crashes while on the run after the heist. As an action-packed adventure film its very watchable as a throwback to films of the 90s with Sylvester Stallone or Gene Hackman. Wonderful use of songs by Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Metallica and Creedence Clearwater Revival. The cast is uniformly fine with Isaac very intense and in command. The sentimental ending was a bit much but who knows maybe buddies tend to do stuff like that. NOT!!
Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (Karan Johar, 2006) 9/10
Karan's films usually go by the tag - "it's all about loving your family" - but an air of melancholy hovers over the opening credits of this one bringing into sharp focus the plight of the film's four protagonists whose lives seem to be in a quandry and desperately uncertain. A soccer star (Shah Rukh Khan) wins an important match, signs a lucrative contract, is seen to be in a distant relationship with his wife (Priety Zinta) - an ambitious fashion editor - when he suddenly gets hit by a car which ends his sporting career. Just before his accident he chances upon a seemingly runaway bride (Rani Mukerji) who is unsure of her relationship with her childhood buddy (Abhishek Bachchan) - an event manager with a flamboyant womanizing father (Amitabh Bachchan) - whom she is about to tie the knot with. She is persuaded not to look for love but to get married to her buddy. Fast forward 4 years - the soccer star has an injured leg, is short-tempered with a massive inferiority complex and dependent on his successful wife whom he suspects of having an affair with the event manager although they only have a professional relationship. The latter's wife is struggling with infertility and finds her husband childish whom she is unable to love. The two sad people come together, form a friendship advising each other on making their marriages work and unexpectedly not only fall in love but embark on an extra-marital affair. The film flopped because the public could not believe that the film's leading stars would violate the sanctity of marriage. In fact a story goes that once the affair in the story begins a desi couple watching in the cinema loudly proclaimed it was a dream sequence and when they realized what was actually happening they stormed out of the cinema in anger and disgust. Never underestimate the power of the paying public in the sub-continent who not only worship characters on the screen but can outright reject them too if they don't conform to strict ideals. This superbly produced film has all the usual suspects behind the camera - Anil Mehta's lush cinematography, Mickey Contractor on makeup, Farah Khan's sensual and rambunctious choreography Sarmishta Roy's production design, the music of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy with a hit-load of songs (lyrics to all by Javed Akhtar) - the tearjerking title song, "Mitwa", an evocative sufi rock ballad by Pakistani singer Shafqat Amanat Ali, the club song "Where's The Party Tonight?", and "Rock 'N' Roll Soniye" a 60's Rock 'N' Roll track, and Manish Malhotra's costumes - check out the lovely romantic ballad "Tumhi Dekho Naa" where the extras are all dressed in colours corresponding to Rani's chiffon sarees (she wears seven different ones through the song - the filming for the song was done at multiple locations and ended up being extremely time-consuming. The "blue section" of the song was shot at Columbia University in Upper West Side, the "yellow section" was shot at Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, the "orange section" at Bear Mountain, the "red section" at the Pier A Park in Hoboken, and the "green section" at the Union Station in New Haven). Bachchan Sr has a field day bedding call girls and later romancing Khan's mother Kirron Kher - the Chandigarh lady with a hefty ass. As with all SRK films he makes a huge romantic dent with his leading lady - Kajol who was initially approached for the part was busy shooting for "Fanaa" although she makes a cameo appearance in a song - so Rani, who was to play the supporting part Priety played, got bumped up as the film's leading lady making a huge impact. Also shining in small roles are Arjun Rampal and John Abraham. But it's Karan who faultlessly guides this melodrana through all its many highs and lows with a sure hand. The second half of this very long film is a series of pat encounters between both couples as the laugh, cry, fight and look for solutions to their problems which they cannot find. A rare Bollywood film that is relentlessly downbeat and morose but done in such a flamboyant manner with scenes of mirth, song and dance interspersed to make it a very moving experience. And just like Woody Allen's films this one too has spectacular views of New York throughout. The film received 12 Filmfare award nominations - Best Picture, for Karan's direction, the lead performances by Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji, both Amitabh and Priety for their supporting roles, Javed Akhtar for his lyrics to two songs, the music directors, the playback singing by Alka Yagnik and Sonu Nigam and the film's lone winner - Abhishek Bachchan for his supporting performance.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Encounters at the End of the World (2007) - 7.5/10 - Werner Herzog went to Antarctica to interview the people who lived there and to visit some of the unique sights not often shown. He wasn't interested in making another penguin documentary. I didn't really care for some of the music used in the nature scenes, but the visuals were cool and the interviews with people were good.
What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015) - 7.5/10 - A biography of Nina Simone, a talented pianist and singer who was also an activist in the Civil Rights movement, but suffered from mental illness that wasn't diagnosed until later in life. It's a pretty standard, but good film.
What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015) - 7.5/10 - A biography of Nina Simone, a talented pianist and singer who was also an activist in the Civil Rights movement, but suffered from mental illness that wasn't diagnosed until later in life. It's a pretty standard, but good film.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Last Days in Vietnam (2014) - 9/10 - The Fall of Saigon and the evacuation of Americans and South Vietnamese is discussed by a number of people who were directly involved. There's also a lot of archival footage that is used very well in a very interesting film.
Ra (1971) - 6/10 - Noting the similarities between ancient Egyptian pyramids and those in Central America, Thor Heyerdahl had a large reed boat constructed using old techniques and assembled a crew to attempt crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the boat. He made two expeditions and there are definite similarities to his earlier expedition in the Pacific in Kon-Tiki. I didn't find this movie quite as interesting as that one, but it was okay.
Ra (1971) - 6/10 - Noting the similarities between ancient Egyptian pyramids and those in Central America, Thor Heyerdahl had a large reed boat constructed using old techniques and assembled a crew to attempt crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the boat. He made two expeditions and there are definite similarities to his earlier expedition in the Pacific in Kon-Tiki. I didn't find this movie quite as interesting as that one, but it was okay.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
[quote="Big Magilla"Beauty and the Beast (2017) 9/10 - Proof that a remake of a musical can be just as exhilarating an experience the second time around. Songs have been added to the score and the backstory fleshed out more, but the essential charm remains. [/quote]
I loved the song "Evermore" sung by Dan Stevens. Surprised it was not nominated as it seemed to be right up the Academy's alley.
I loved the song "Evermore" sung by Dan Stevens. Surprised it was not nominated as it seemed to be right up the Academy's alley.
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Big Magilla
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Instead of watching the classic Christmas movies I usually find myself watching at this time of the year, I have been re-watching other, mostly feel-good classics over the last few days.
Chicago (2001) - 9/10 - The inventive staging and the performances of Zellweger, Zeta-Jones, Gere and Latifah remain fresh and engaging, but this time around I was really taken by John C. Reilly's "Mister Cellophane" - can't get that tune out of my head.
Vertigo (1958) - 10/10 - Hitchcock's masterpiece remains strong with James Stewart at his late career best with Kim Novak matching him in the final scene. It doesn't get much better than this one.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - 10/10 - The only Christmas film so far. Stewart at his peak after World War II with Donna Reed and a superb supporting cast keeping up with him all along the way.
The Wizard of Oz (1939) - 10/10 - I watched this early Friday before the devastating tornadoes hit the Midwest later in the day. Don't know if I could watch it again right now in the wake of that, but everything about it was as fresh as I remember it from seeing it for the first time as a child.
One Night in Miami... (2020) - 9/10 - not an old film but another one that takes place in times gone by. I hadn't realized it, but I watched this on Saturday morning, the anniversary of Sam Cooke's murder which occurred just months after the events depicted in the film.
My Fair Lady (1964) 10/10 - Sheer bliss. Audrey Hepburn was the epitome of Hollywood fashion and glamor in her day and does beautifully in the lady portion of the film but is quite good in the flower girl portion opposite Rex Harrison as well.
Harold and Maude (1971) 8/10 - The unlikely romance between Brewster McCloud's Bud Cort and Rosemary Baby's Ruth Gordon remains a delightful treat fifty years on. Hard to fathom, but Gordon's character would be going on 130 instead of 80, now.
Beauty and the Beast (1991) 10/10 - My favorite fairy tale became my favorite animated film and has remained so for thirty years. "Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, beauty and the beast."
Beauty and the Beast (2017) 9/10 - Proof that a remake of a musical can be just as exhilarating an experience the second time around. Songs have been added to the score and the backstory fleshed out more, but the essential charm remains.
I hope to find time for North by Northwest, E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial, The Shawshank Redemption, and Forrest Gump in the next few days.
Chicago (2001) - 9/10 - The inventive staging and the performances of Zellweger, Zeta-Jones, Gere and Latifah remain fresh and engaging, but this time around I was really taken by John C. Reilly's "Mister Cellophane" - can't get that tune out of my head.
Vertigo (1958) - 10/10 - Hitchcock's masterpiece remains strong with James Stewart at his late career best with Kim Novak matching him in the final scene. It doesn't get much better than this one.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - 10/10 - The only Christmas film so far. Stewart at his peak after World War II with Donna Reed and a superb supporting cast keeping up with him all along the way.
The Wizard of Oz (1939) - 10/10 - I watched this early Friday before the devastating tornadoes hit the Midwest later in the day. Don't know if I could watch it again right now in the wake of that, but everything about it was as fresh as I remember it from seeing it for the first time as a child.
One Night in Miami... (2020) - 9/10 - not an old film but another one that takes place in times gone by. I hadn't realized it, but I watched this on Saturday morning, the anniversary of Sam Cooke's murder which occurred just months after the events depicted in the film.
My Fair Lady (1964) 10/10 - Sheer bliss. Audrey Hepburn was the epitome of Hollywood fashion and glamor in her day and does beautifully in the lady portion of the film but is quite good in the flower girl portion opposite Rex Harrison as well.
Harold and Maude (1971) 8/10 - The unlikely romance between Brewster McCloud's Bud Cort and Rosemary Baby's Ruth Gordon remains a delightful treat fifty years on. Hard to fathom, but Gordon's character would be going on 130 instead of 80, now.
Beauty and the Beast (1991) 10/10 - My favorite fairy tale became my favorite animated film and has remained so for thirty years. "Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, beauty and the beast."
Beauty and the Beast (2017) 9/10 - Proof that a remake of a musical can be just as exhilarating an experience the second time around. Songs have been added to the score and the backstory fleshed out more, but the essential charm remains.
I hope to find time for North by Northwest, E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial, The Shawshank Redemption, and Forrest Gump in the next few days.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Spellbound (2002) - 8/10 - The film follows eight kids who are participating in the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee. They have interviews with the kids, their families, friends, teachers, etc. and show them in action. They all make it to Washington, D.C. and then we get to see the spelling bee along with interviews after their part in the competition is over. One kid annoyed me, but the rest were cool. It is a pretty nice film and brings back memories from when I was in spelling bees in junior high, though I didn't make it out of regionals.
4 Little Girls (1997) - 8/10 - Spike Lee directs this film about the 16th Street Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama that killed four young girls. The civil rights movement at the time is examined. Relatives, friends, and others who were there are interviewed. An elderly George Wallace looks like a fool in his brief interview. Fortunately, most of the time is spent with people who knew the girls.
A King's Story (1965) - 6/10 - The life of Edward VIII is covered here from his birth through his abdication. Orson Welles narrates and Edward himself is interviewed throughout the film. It is a decent film, though it leaves out many of the more questionable parts of Edward's character - sexual affairs when younger, racist attitudes, Nazi sympathies, etc.
4 Little Girls (1997) - 8/10 - Spike Lee directs this film about the 16th Street Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama that killed four young girls. The civil rights movement at the time is examined. Relatives, friends, and others who were there are interviewed. An elderly George Wallace looks like a fool in his brief interview. Fortunately, most of the time is spent with people who knew the girls.
A King's Story (1965) - 6/10 - The life of Edward VIII is covered here from his birth through his abdication. Orson Welles narrates and Edward himself is interviewed throughout the film. It is a decent film, though it leaves out many of the more questionable parts of Edward's character - sexual affairs when younger, racist attitudes, Nazi sympathies, etc.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Waste Land (2010) - 7.5/10 - Brazilian artist Vik Muniz lives in New York City, but decided to return to Brazil for his latest project, which was to create art out of objects found at Rio de Janeiro's largest landfills. He hired some of the people who worked in the landfill to help create portraits of themselves out of found materials which he subsequently photographed. Proceeds from sales and a museum exhibit went to help the workers and their organization. It was an interesting film.
The War at Home (1979) - 8/10 - A look back at the anti-war movement on the Madison campus of the University of Wisconsin, starting in 1965. They use contemporary interviews along with archival footage and photographs. It makes for a decent film.
The War at Home (1979) - 8/10 - A look back at the anti-war movement on the Madison campus of the University of Wisconsin, starting in 1965. They use contemporary interviews along with archival footage and photographs. It makes for a decent film.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Unforgivable (Nora Fingscheidt, 2021) 5/10
A woman (Sandra Bullock) is released from prison after twenty years and goes looking for her kid sister who got abandoned and eventually adopted. The sister (Aisling Franciosa), now grownup and a budding pianist, suffers nightmares from some trauma in her past which her adopted parents have hidden from her. There are constant flashbacks to the crime scene when both sisters are being evicted from their house and a cop gets shot in the face with a shotgun. Visiting that old house she discovers that it is now occupied by a lawyer (Vincent D'Onofrio) and his wife (Viola Davis). She uses the lawyer to try and reach the adopted parents (Richard Thomas & Linda Emond) of her sister. As if all this plot was not enough the screenplay decides to get more convoluted by having the dead cop's deadbeat sons plot to kidnap the kid sister for revenge. They go ahead with the plan but pick up the wrong girl. Overwrought film has a deadpan Bullock sleepwalk through the entire film her face completely devoid of makeup - after a while wanted to reach into the screen and draw her lips with bright red lipstick to snap her out of the morose mood in which she spends the entire movie. And what's up with Viola Davis? Seeing her in this part was incredibly jarring and I kept wondering why she would take such a thankless small part in the film. She has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the plot. She's there just to fill in the slot of the token black actor - although there are two in the film - playing an absolutely superflous female character who just happens to be married to a white guy. I'm surprised there was no gay character in the plot (we get to hear praise about an Asian-American though) as that would have completed all the dots which Hollywood now likes to ensure most of their films are filled out with. Put 'em all in so nobody can fuckin' complain.
Malignant (James Wan, 2021) 5/10
Thunder and lightning, doors opening and closing mysteriously, wet footprints leading to nobody, flashing lights, loud music cues and things literally going bump in the night. All familiar tropes of the horror genre. A strange entity is on a murder rampage and a woman (Annabella Wallis) can see it all happening as if she is at the location. The cops think she may be behind the killings until a cop is directly attacked by the entity and they discover she, as a child, had been part of an experiment watched over by three doctors who fall victim to the entity. A hypnotist tries to pry open her past through her repressed memory to reach some kind of conclusion about the woman's background and her connection to the murderous entity. Then the plot hits the shit fan because a character does something which no real person would ever do for real - take a torch and decide to go inside a spooky abandoned hospital located on an eerie cliff above the sea during a rainstorm at night. The screenplay checks off every creepy thing in the book and puts it all together for shock value. However, the best is saved for the completely over-the-top moment towards the end set inside a prison cell which is a real blood fest as the entity literally smashes every inmate into a pulp which is followed by a similar massacre inside a police precinct with cop entrails the order of the day. But hell hath no fury than a woman who's had her unborn foetuses die in on her. The gratuitous slashings don't hold a candle to that.
Night at the Museum (Shawn Levy, 2006) 6/10
Do our toys come to life when we fall asleep at night? A child's thought is brought to life in this charming film that works like a thriller. Loser divorced Dad (Ben Stiller) gets a job as a night guard at a museum. To his astonishment all the exhibits - Teddy Roosevelt on a horse (Robin Williams), a T-Rex skeleton, Octavius Caesar (Steve Coogan), a tribe of pygmies, a cowboy (Owen Wilson) and many others - come alive at night courtesy of a magic stone causing much mayhem. When three retired guards (Dick Van Dyke, Bill Cobbs, Mickey Rooney) plan to steal the stone the new guard and the live exhibits try to stop them. Stiller amuses while doing his shtick.
Cruella (Craig Gillespie, 2021) 8/10
Cruella de Vil of 101 Dalmations fame gets a back story. Flamboyant costume designs, an over-the-top Emma Thompson channeling Meryl Streep â la "The Devil Wears Prada", and most importantly revenge form the basis of the screenplay. Cruella (Emma Thompson) is orphaned when her mother is thrown off a cliff after being chased by dalmations at a party hosted by the glamorous Baroness (Emma Thompson) who heads a fashion house of couture. The two meet years later when Cruella catches the eye of the Baroness and gets offered a job. During the day she creates designs for the haughty woman while at night she taunts her and shows up as competition under the alter ego of Cruella. The battle of wits exposes a deep connection between the two women much to the horror of both. Stone and her faux Brit accent confidently carries this Dickensian tale while Thompson hilariously steals every scene. Dazzling fun.
Four Good Days (Rodrigo Garcia, 2021) 5/10
A mother (Glenn Close) is reunited with her daughter (Mila Kunis) under harrowing circumstances. The daughter is a heroin addict wanting to get clean which nobody believes as there have been 14 previous attempts at rehab. The two journey towards a difficult path hoping it will lead to recovery but the way is clouded with lies and deceit which both women try to resolve and overcome. Well acted film is otherwise a rather bland melodrama that goes through familiar tropes.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (Andy Serkis, 2021) 2/10
The crappy sequel to the equally crappy original is finally here with more of the same banter between a journalist (Tom Hardy) and the alien symbiote, Venom, that imbues him with superhuman abilities. A prison interview with a serial killer (Woody Harrelson) brings him fame but the death penalty to the killer who during a confrontation bites the journalist and injects Venom blood. Growing tentacles the prisoner manages to escape the day of his execution and tries to reach his girlfriend (Naomie Harris) - also very troubled and with the power to kill with a scream - out of an asylum. Michelle Williams returns, hopefully for a big paycheck, as the journalist's girlfriend. Poor Hardy gets a throrough physical bashing courtesy of the snarling and toothy alien.
Till Death (S. K. Dale, 2021) 7/10
The woman-in-peril genre gets a retread with Megan Fox more than able to hold herself against all odds. The odds here are painstakingly against her. Disgruntled husband has caught on that stunningly beautiful wifey (Megan Fox) is having it off with his colleague so plans a lovely anniversary surprise. A drive to their lakeside cottage in the dead of winter, lots of strewn rose petals amongst lit candles of the romantic kind followed by epic love making. The morning after, usually always pretty anti-climactic as such things go, proves to be the ultimate bitch. As she wakes from (un)blissful slumber she finds herself handcuffed to hubby who then proceeds to shoot a bullet into his head. The screenplay traps the lady in a situation from which she has to extradite herself. That's not all because her husband hired the man who once mugged her to come kill her in exchange for a cache of diamonds inside a safe. The killer is accompanied by his reluctant brother, the lady's lover turns up, there's lots of dragging of dead bodies (yes, more than one), oozing blood everywhere, attempts at escape in a car with survivors from this potpourri finding themselves in the middle of the frozen lake just as it starts to crack. Nothing new here but what there is gets an exciting retread with Fox giving it her best. The most amazing aspect of the film is that the entire film was shot inside a studio with every bit of snow - frozen or otherwise - absolutely fake. The magic of Hollywood.
Cleopatra (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1963) 8/10
The bosom gets to appear center stage throughout - Cleopatra's by way of Elizabeth Taylor, who became the first actor to receive a paycheck of a million dollars for a film. The famous Hollywood costume designer, Edith Head, once said that Ingrid Bergman always insisted her costumes must cover her bosom but Elizabeth Taylor always wanted her's exposed. This 4-hour fest records not only history but the love story that caused a major scandal - La Liz dumped her fourth husband (the humiliated Eddie Fisher who saw karma come and bite his ass for dumping Debbie Reynolds) and flaunted Richard Burton as her lover while they shot the film in Rome causing the paparazzi to go into delirious raptures trying to capture the two stars in flagrante delicto. And they did. The two would marry the following year. Elizabeth Taylor, in all her beautiful glory, mostly overacts - one critic called her a "fishwife" - but does have a few quietly reflective and tender moments with both her co-stars. She's fun to watch as she plays (in and out of bed) with both Caesar and Antony. The film is also a continuous fashion show with Taylor dressed to her teeth in a new outfit in every scene. Burton plays Mark Antony in love with his mentor's wife. His mellifluous voice is used to magnificent effect and almost disguises the often corny dialogue which the actors spout in all serious sincerity as if they are doing Shakespeare at the Old Vic. Rex Harrison is very good as Julius Caesar who conquers Egypt and Cleopatra by marrying her, producing a son and bringing them to Rome - her entrance into the city is a spectacle by itself like one of Busby Berkeley's production numbers. All the film's excesses actually make this a film not to be missed. The film has magnificent production values - Leon Shamroy's stunning cinematography, the fantastic sets, the exquisite costumes (by Irene Sharaff, Renié and Vittorio Nino Novarese), the sound design and the visual effects during the sea battles. The distinguished supporting cast - Hume Cronyn, Pamela Brown, Kenneth Haigh, Andrew Keir, Martin Landau, Robert Stephens, Gwen Watford, Jean Marsh, Michael Hordern - while good, all appear to come off almost invisible in the presence of the three flamboyant stars although Roddy McDowell, as the sly Octavius Caeser, is memorable and manages to hold his own. The film flopped, almost bankrupted the Fox studio yet still managed Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Rex Harrison), sound design, the memorable Alex North score and editing. It won for its cinematography, production design, costumes and special visual effects.
Nobody Runs Forever / The High Commissioner (Ralph Thomas, 1968) 3/10
This almost seems like an audition for Rod Taylor for the part of James Bond. It came in the wake of Sean Connery refusing to play Bond after "You Only Live Twice" when a search was on to cast someone else in the part. He plays an Australian outback Bush cop who is sent to London on a case where he gets to don a tuxedo, hobnob with upper class types and knocks around with the birds in bed and the boys on the streets. Extremely dull adaptation of Jon Cleary's 1966 novel "The High Commissioner", played by Christopher Plummer involved in important but very vague peace negotiations between the East and West. A hick outback cop (Rod Taylor) - he prefers beer to champagne - is sent to bring in the diplomat for having killed his first wife years before when he had a different name and alias. However, before the arrest can be made the cop finds himself defending his prisoner from assassins out to get him. There are encounters with three pretty ladies - the diplomat's loyal wife (Lili Palmer), his secretary (Camila Sparv) and a mysterious party girl (Dahlia Lavi) whom he beds in a very James Bond-like manner. This is really not like any Bond film. The action is low key both in bed and on the streets as Taylor flounders, Plummer smirks and the ladies just smoulder in and out of pretty frocks. Great cast is wasted including Franchot Tone in his last film appearance as the bedridden American Ambassador, Leo McKern as the head of the Aussie police force, Clive Revill as a butler and Burt Kwok as an Eastern diplomat. The character of the Aussie cop proved very succesful as the author wrote several novels. Pity this film adaptation proved to be such a damp squib.
Taking Lives (D. J. Caruso, 2004) 6/10
Serial killer (Paul Dano) kills his victims and takes over the identity of each dead person. Years later Quebec cops (Tchéky Karyo & Olivier Martinez), trying to solve various murders, bring in a special FBI agent (Angelina Jolie) to help them. When a local art dealer (Ethan Hawke) catches sight of the murderer he sketches the man which attracts the attention of an elderly lady (Gena Rowlands) who claims she is his mother. And then the art dealer gets attacked by a deranged man (Kiefer Sutherland). Tense film starts off well but mid-point veers off into cheesy territory with red herrings galore and a denouement that one can easily and annoyingly predict. Jolie looks bored throughout. And now I know where Bollywood picked up a major plot point for its film "Kahani" which runs circles around this one.
Sooryavanshi (Rohit Shetty, 2021) 4/10
A subpar Rohit Shetty film with an incredibly stupid screenplay full of familiar clichés - Mumbai under attack by Muslim terrorists of which some have lived as sleepers within the country waiting for the signal to rise and attack while others wait it out across the border to the West for the signal from the resident mastermind (Jackie Shroff). Meanwhile its upto Mumbai cop Sooryavanshi (Akshay Kumar) to ferret out the scum and save the day. Annoyingly the screenplay wastes our time via two hours of corny jokes - the cop cannot remember peoples' names - a plot full of lazy coincidences and potholes plus the dull pairing of Akshay with a shockingly underused Katrina Kaif as his estranged wife (both actors are stiff as logs). Akshay gets his slow-mo entrance â la Rohit Shetty, drives vehicles ferociously and hangs upside down from a helicopter as he lifts and bitch-slaps the villains (Gulshan Grover, Kumud Mishra, Sikander Kher, Abhimanyu Singh, Nikitin Dheer) who are all more interesting than the lead pair. The film finally picks up during the last half hour with the dramatic and very cartoonish entrance of both Simmba (Ranveer Singh) and Singham (Ajay Devgan) as they join hands with the title cop in going on a shooting rampage with comic banter flying faster than the bullets from their guns. Sad to see Katrina looking old, tired and puffy which even her fluttering chiffon saree (during two songs) cannot deflect or disguise. The "Tip Tip Barsa Paani" song gets a second life here between Akshay and Katrina although it does not hold a candle to the original with the sensuous Raveena Tandon. Skip this Shetty.
A woman (Sandra Bullock) is released from prison after twenty years and goes looking for her kid sister who got abandoned and eventually adopted. The sister (Aisling Franciosa), now grownup and a budding pianist, suffers nightmares from some trauma in her past which her adopted parents have hidden from her. There are constant flashbacks to the crime scene when both sisters are being evicted from their house and a cop gets shot in the face with a shotgun. Visiting that old house she discovers that it is now occupied by a lawyer (Vincent D'Onofrio) and his wife (Viola Davis). She uses the lawyer to try and reach the adopted parents (Richard Thomas & Linda Emond) of her sister. As if all this plot was not enough the screenplay decides to get more convoluted by having the dead cop's deadbeat sons plot to kidnap the kid sister for revenge. They go ahead with the plan but pick up the wrong girl. Overwrought film has a deadpan Bullock sleepwalk through the entire film her face completely devoid of makeup - after a while wanted to reach into the screen and draw her lips with bright red lipstick to snap her out of the morose mood in which she spends the entire movie. And what's up with Viola Davis? Seeing her in this part was incredibly jarring and I kept wondering why she would take such a thankless small part in the film. She has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the plot. She's there just to fill in the slot of the token black actor - although there are two in the film - playing an absolutely superflous female character who just happens to be married to a white guy. I'm surprised there was no gay character in the plot (we get to hear praise about an Asian-American though) as that would have completed all the dots which Hollywood now likes to ensure most of their films are filled out with. Put 'em all in so nobody can fuckin' complain.
Malignant (James Wan, 2021) 5/10
Thunder and lightning, doors opening and closing mysteriously, wet footprints leading to nobody, flashing lights, loud music cues and things literally going bump in the night. All familiar tropes of the horror genre. A strange entity is on a murder rampage and a woman (Annabella Wallis) can see it all happening as if she is at the location. The cops think she may be behind the killings until a cop is directly attacked by the entity and they discover she, as a child, had been part of an experiment watched over by three doctors who fall victim to the entity. A hypnotist tries to pry open her past through her repressed memory to reach some kind of conclusion about the woman's background and her connection to the murderous entity. Then the plot hits the shit fan because a character does something which no real person would ever do for real - take a torch and decide to go inside a spooky abandoned hospital located on an eerie cliff above the sea during a rainstorm at night. The screenplay checks off every creepy thing in the book and puts it all together for shock value. However, the best is saved for the completely over-the-top moment towards the end set inside a prison cell which is a real blood fest as the entity literally smashes every inmate into a pulp which is followed by a similar massacre inside a police precinct with cop entrails the order of the day. But hell hath no fury than a woman who's had her unborn foetuses die in on her. The gratuitous slashings don't hold a candle to that.
Night at the Museum (Shawn Levy, 2006) 6/10
Do our toys come to life when we fall asleep at night? A child's thought is brought to life in this charming film that works like a thriller. Loser divorced Dad (Ben Stiller) gets a job as a night guard at a museum. To his astonishment all the exhibits - Teddy Roosevelt on a horse (Robin Williams), a T-Rex skeleton, Octavius Caesar (Steve Coogan), a tribe of pygmies, a cowboy (Owen Wilson) and many others - come alive at night courtesy of a magic stone causing much mayhem. When three retired guards (Dick Van Dyke, Bill Cobbs, Mickey Rooney) plan to steal the stone the new guard and the live exhibits try to stop them. Stiller amuses while doing his shtick.
Cruella (Craig Gillespie, 2021) 8/10
Cruella de Vil of 101 Dalmations fame gets a back story. Flamboyant costume designs, an over-the-top Emma Thompson channeling Meryl Streep â la "The Devil Wears Prada", and most importantly revenge form the basis of the screenplay. Cruella (Emma Thompson) is orphaned when her mother is thrown off a cliff after being chased by dalmations at a party hosted by the glamorous Baroness (Emma Thompson) who heads a fashion house of couture. The two meet years later when Cruella catches the eye of the Baroness and gets offered a job. During the day she creates designs for the haughty woman while at night she taunts her and shows up as competition under the alter ego of Cruella. The battle of wits exposes a deep connection between the two women much to the horror of both. Stone and her faux Brit accent confidently carries this Dickensian tale while Thompson hilariously steals every scene. Dazzling fun.
Four Good Days (Rodrigo Garcia, 2021) 5/10
A mother (Glenn Close) is reunited with her daughter (Mila Kunis) under harrowing circumstances. The daughter is a heroin addict wanting to get clean which nobody believes as there have been 14 previous attempts at rehab. The two journey towards a difficult path hoping it will lead to recovery but the way is clouded with lies and deceit which both women try to resolve and overcome. Well acted film is otherwise a rather bland melodrama that goes through familiar tropes.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (Andy Serkis, 2021) 2/10
The crappy sequel to the equally crappy original is finally here with more of the same banter between a journalist (Tom Hardy) and the alien symbiote, Venom, that imbues him with superhuman abilities. A prison interview with a serial killer (Woody Harrelson) brings him fame but the death penalty to the killer who during a confrontation bites the journalist and injects Venom blood. Growing tentacles the prisoner manages to escape the day of his execution and tries to reach his girlfriend (Naomie Harris) - also very troubled and with the power to kill with a scream - out of an asylum. Michelle Williams returns, hopefully for a big paycheck, as the journalist's girlfriend. Poor Hardy gets a throrough physical bashing courtesy of the snarling and toothy alien.
Till Death (S. K. Dale, 2021) 7/10
The woman-in-peril genre gets a retread with Megan Fox more than able to hold herself against all odds. The odds here are painstakingly against her. Disgruntled husband has caught on that stunningly beautiful wifey (Megan Fox) is having it off with his colleague so plans a lovely anniversary surprise. A drive to their lakeside cottage in the dead of winter, lots of strewn rose petals amongst lit candles of the romantic kind followed by epic love making. The morning after, usually always pretty anti-climactic as such things go, proves to be the ultimate bitch. As she wakes from (un)blissful slumber she finds herself handcuffed to hubby who then proceeds to shoot a bullet into his head. The screenplay traps the lady in a situation from which she has to extradite herself. That's not all because her husband hired the man who once mugged her to come kill her in exchange for a cache of diamonds inside a safe. The killer is accompanied by his reluctant brother, the lady's lover turns up, there's lots of dragging of dead bodies (yes, more than one), oozing blood everywhere, attempts at escape in a car with survivors from this potpourri finding themselves in the middle of the frozen lake just as it starts to crack. Nothing new here but what there is gets an exciting retread with Fox giving it her best. The most amazing aspect of the film is that the entire film was shot inside a studio with every bit of snow - frozen or otherwise - absolutely fake. The magic of Hollywood.
Cleopatra (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1963) 8/10
The bosom gets to appear center stage throughout - Cleopatra's by way of Elizabeth Taylor, who became the first actor to receive a paycheck of a million dollars for a film. The famous Hollywood costume designer, Edith Head, once said that Ingrid Bergman always insisted her costumes must cover her bosom but Elizabeth Taylor always wanted her's exposed. This 4-hour fest records not only history but the love story that caused a major scandal - La Liz dumped her fourth husband (the humiliated Eddie Fisher who saw karma come and bite his ass for dumping Debbie Reynolds) and flaunted Richard Burton as her lover while they shot the film in Rome causing the paparazzi to go into delirious raptures trying to capture the two stars in flagrante delicto. And they did. The two would marry the following year. Elizabeth Taylor, in all her beautiful glory, mostly overacts - one critic called her a "fishwife" - but does have a few quietly reflective and tender moments with both her co-stars. She's fun to watch as she plays (in and out of bed) with both Caesar and Antony. The film is also a continuous fashion show with Taylor dressed to her teeth in a new outfit in every scene. Burton plays Mark Antony in love with his mentor's wife. His mellifluous voice is used to magnificent effect and almost disguises the often corny dialogue which the actors spout in all serious sincerity as if they are doing Shakespeare at the Old Vic. Rex Harrison is very good as Julius Caesar who conquers Egypt and Cleopatra by marrying her, producing a son and bringing them to Rome - her entrance into the city is a spectacle by itself like one of Busby Berkeley's production numbers. All the film's excesses actually make this a film not to be missed. The film has magnificent production values - Leon Shamroy's stunning cinematography, the fantastic sets, the exquisite costumes (by Irene Sharaff, Renié and Vittorio Nino Novarese), the sound design and the visual effects during the sea battles. The distinguished supporting cast - Hume Cronyn, Pamela Brown, Kenneth Haigh, Andrew Keir, Martin Landau, Robert Stephens, Gwen Watford, Jean Marsh, Michael Hordern - while good, all appear to come off almost invisible in the presence of the three flamboyant stars although Roddy McDowell, as the sly Octavius Caeser, is memorable and manages to hold his own. The film flopped, almost bankrupted the Fox studio yet still managed Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Rex Harrison), sound design, the memorable Alex North score and editing. It won for its cinematography, production design, costumes and special visual effects.
Nobody Runs Forever / The High Commissioner (Ralph Thomas, 1968) 3/10
This almost seems like an audition for Rod Taylor for the part of James Bond. It came in the wake of Sean Connery refusing to play Bond after "You Only Live Twice" when a search was on to cast someone else in the part. He plays an Australian outback Bush cop who is sent to London on a case where he gets to don a tuxedo, hobnob with upper class types and knocks around with the birds in bed and the boys on the streets. Extremely dull adaptation of Jon Cleary's 1966 novel "The High Commissioner", played by Christopher Plummer involved in important but very vague peace negotiations between the East and West. A hick outback cop (Rod Taylor) - he prefers beer to champagne - is sent to bring in the diplomat for having killed his first wife years before when he had a different name and alias. However, before the arrest can be made the cop finds himself defending his prisoner from assassins out to get him. There are encounters with three pretty ladies - the diplomat's loyal wife (Lili Palmer), his secretary (Camila Sparv) and a mysterious party girl (Dahlia Lavi) whom he beds in a very James Bond-like manner. This is really not like any Bond film. The action is low key both in bed and on the streets as Taylor flounders, Plummer smirks and the ladies just smoulder in and out of pretty frocks. Great cast is wasted including Franchot Tone in his last film appearance as the bedridden American Ambassador, Leo McKern as the head of the Aussie police force, Clive Revill as a butler and Burt Kwok as an Eastern diplomat. The character of the Aussie cop proved very succesful as the author wrote several novels. Pity this film adaptation proved to be such a damp squib.
Taking Lives (D. J. Caruso, 2004) 6/10
Serial killer (Paul Dano) kills his victims and takes over the identity of each dead person. Years later Quebec cops (Tchéky Karyo & Olivier Martinez), trying to solve various murders, bring in a special FBI agent (Angelina Jolie) to help them. When a local art dealer (Ethan Hawke) catches sight of the murderer he sketches the man which attracts the attention of an elderly lady (Gena Rowlands) who claims she is his mother. And then the art dealer gets attacked by a deranged man (Kiefer Sutherland). Tense film starts off well but mid-point veers off into cheesy territory with red herrings galore and a denouement that one can easily and annoyingly predict. Jolie looks bored throughout. And now I know where Bollywood picked up a major plot point for its film "Kahani" which runs circles around this one.
Sooryavanshi (Rohit Shetty, 2021) 4/10
A subpar Rohit Shetty film with an incredibly stupid screenplay full of familiar clichés - Mumbai under attack by Muslim terrorists of which some have lived as sleepers within the country waiting for the signal to rise and attack while others wait it out across the border to the West for the signal from the resident mastermind (Jackie Shroff). Meanwhile its upto Mumbai cop Sooryavanshi (Akshay Kumar) to ferret out the scum and save the day. Annoyingly the screenplay wastes our time via two hours of corny jokes - the cop cannot remember peoples' names - a plot full of lazy coincidences and potholes plus the dull pairing of Akshay with a shockingly underused Katrina Kaif as his estranged wife (both actors are stiff as logs). Akshay gets his slow-mo entrance â la Rohit Shetty, drives vehicles ferociously and hangs upside down from a helicopter as he lifts and bitch-slaps the villains (Gulshan Grover, Kumud Mishra, Sikander Kher, Abhimanyu Singh, Nikitin Dheer) who are all more interesting than the lead pair. The film finally picks up during the last half hour with the dramatic and very cartoonish entrance of both Simmba (Ranveer Singh) and Singham (Ajay Devgan) as they join hands with the title cop in going on a shooting rampage with comic banter flying faster than the bullets from their guns. Sad to see Katrina looking old, tired and puffy which even her fluttering chiffon saree (during two songs) cannot deflect or disguise. The "Tip Tip Barsa Paani" song gets a second life here between Akshay and Katrina although it does not hold a candle to the original with the sensuous Raveena Tandon. Skip this Shetty.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Power of the Dog (2021) - 7/10 - Benedict Cumberbatch is a mean rancher named Phil in 1925 in Montana who lives with his kind hearted brother (Jesse Plemons). When the brother marries a widow (Kirsten Dunst) and brings her home, Phil does what he can to belittle her and sap her confidence. The widow's son is a somewhat effeminate college student who also has come under Phil's scathing attacks. The acting and setting are excellent, but I didn't really enjoy the film all that much. Sure, Cumberbatch's character is pretty unlikable, but I think it was the mood of the film and the languid pace at times that I didn't care for.
An Inconvenient Truth (2006) - 7.5/10 - Al Gore is a fairly effective speaker as he gives his presentation on global warming. The film also delves a bit into his background and motivations.
An Inconvenient Truth (2006) - 7.5/10 - Al Gore is a fairly effective speaker as he gives his presentation on global warming. The film also delves a bit into his background and motivations.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
O.J.: Made in America (2016) - 9/10 - This was pretty comprehensive and was very well done.
Last Men in Aleppo (2017) - 7.5/10 - The White Helmets are a volunteer organization in Syria and the film shows them rescuing people from the rubble after Russian airstrikes during the Syrian Civil War. They also secure the dead bodies, clean up some of the rubble, and try to help people. All of this takes a toll and some of the members die during their work. It's a good film, though I was already familiar with the topic due to the earlier White Helmets short and Watani: My Homeland.
Last Men in Aleppo (2017) - 7.5/10 - The White Helmets are a volunteer organization in Syria and the film shows them rescuing people from the rubble after Russian airstrikes during the Syrian Civil War. They also secure the dead bodies, clean up some of the rubble, and try to help people. All of this takes a toll and some of the members die during their work. It's a good film, though I was already familiar with the topic due to the earlier White Helmets short and Watani: My Homeland.