Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
I always found it amusing that Janet Suzman's 1 minute scene is over *before* her name appears in the "all-star" opening credits!
"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
I don't know if the film was all together forgetable. It has a certain camp appeal to it which is hard to resist. Faye Dunaway wearing a monocle and Lee Grant in an Oscar nominated performance. The latter's hair cutting scene was a doozy. LOL.ITALIANO wrote:She's actually not bad in Voyage of the Damned, but it was a forgettable role (among too many other stars) in a forgettable movie.
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Big Magilla
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I hope that at least the scene where she keeps falling down in the snow was kind of staged, too. It's painful to watch.
I'd say that Gervaise and a little known German movie called Die Letze Brucke are Schell's best performances. They showed a promise that was never truly fulfilled, that she could become a major international star (the fact that she could act in German, Italian, English and French could have helped). Schell DID become a star, she made several successful romantic movies in Germany and her native Austria, but when she tried to go international something didnt work. She had a wonderful "movie face", and of course THAT smile, but soon it became clear that her range was rather limited. The new Ingrid Bergman she wasn't.
Even in Le Notti Bianche, one of Visconti's early masterpieces, where she had a wonderful role, she isnt always convincing, and is clearly overshadowed by Marcello Mastroianni in his first truly great performance.
Of the movies she made in Hollywood none was really memorable. It's true that the best was probably The Hanging Tree, but her really big chance came when she was offered the role of Grushenka (one of the greatest female characters in Russian literature) in Richard Brooks's film of The Brothers Karamazov. It was Marilyn Monroe's dream part, and while I doubt that Monroe would have been right for it, it turned out that Schell wasnt that good either. She lacked Grushenka's obvious sexuality, she was just too frustratingly ethereal, except in a justly famous scene where she seduces Yul Brynner dancing in front of him to music played by gypsies. She was good in another forgotten movie called The Mark, but that one really belonged to Stuart Whitman playing with surprising honesty a child molester (Schell is the woman who "saves" him, of course, and with her healthy central European beauty she definitely wasnt miscast).
Back in Europe, her moment was over. She still had a few hits, married a (bad) director, did her share of Eurotrash, including that classic of "woman's prison" movies, 99 Women, whose incredible cast includes an unforgettable Mercedes MacCambridge, and some tv work before fading into a not completely deserved obscurity. Her last "important" movie were Voyage of the Damned, where she plays Katharine Ross's mother, and of course Superman.
Edited By ITALIANO on 1252877957
I'd say that Gervaise and a little known German movie called Die Letze Brucke are Schell's best performances. They showed a promise that was never truly fulfilled, that she could become a major international star (the fact that she could act in German, Italian, English and French could have helped). Schell DID become a star, she made several successful romantic movies in Germany and her native Austria, but when she tried to go international something didnt work. She had a wonderful "movie face", and of course THAT smile, but soon it became clear that her range was rather limited. The new Ingrid Bergman she wasn't.
Even in Le Notti Bianche, one of Visconti's early masterpieces, where she had a wonderful role, she isnt always convincing, and is clearly overshadowed by Marcello Mastroianni in his first truly great performance.
Of the movies she made in Hollywood none was really memorable. It's true that the best was probably The Hanging Tree, but her really big chance came when she was offered the role of Grushenka (one of the greatest female characters in Russian literature) in Richard Brooks's film of The Brothers Karamazov. It was Marilyn Monroe's dream part, and while I doubt that Monroe would have been right for it, it turned out that Schell wasnt that good either. She lacked Grushenka's obvious sexuality, she was just too frustratingly ethereal, except in a justly famous scene where she seduces Yul Brynner dancing in front of him to music played by gypsies. She was good in another forgotten movie called The Mark, but that one really belonged to Stuart Whitman playing with surprising honesty a child molester (Schell is the woman who "saves" him, of course, and with her healthy central European beauty she definitely wasnt miscast).
Back in Europe, her moment was over. She still had a few hits, married a (bad) director, did her share of Eurotrash, including that classic of "woman's prison" movies, 99 Women, whose incredible cast includes an unforgettable Mercedes MacCambridge, and some tv work before fading into a not completely deserved obscurity. Her last "important" movie were Voyage of the Damned, where she plays Katharine Ross's mother, and of course Superman.
Edited By ITALIANO on 1252877957
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Big Magilla
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I haven't seen the documentary yet but I will. Maximilian Schell's earlier one on Marlene Dietrich was quite fascinating.ITALIANO wrote:There is an interesting, and sometimes moving, documentary about Maria Schell's final years, made by her brother Maximilian, Meine Schwester Maria. The portrayal of the old former actress (and former star, because Schell was VERY popular at least in Europe during the 50s) only three years before her death is heartbreaking.Big Magilla wrote:Gervaise (1956) Rene Clement 8.5/10
I saw this several days ago and still can't get Maria Schell out of my head. They say as she slipped further and further into dementia in her last years she watched her old films over and over simulteanously on 11 different TVs. I wonder how often she watched this and whether she knew the difference between her real life and her reel one.
No Sunset Boulevard grandeur about it. Maria Schell is shown living in this small, simple wood house in a small, forgotten village in the Austrian Alps, surrounded only by snow, silence, and several tvs which show the movies she made when she was young and beautiful. The contrast between the images of the healthy blonde with the famous arresting smile and the old, poor and slightly demented woman (who looks like so many old peasants from the Alps) is maybe a bit too obvious, but undeniably effective.
The movie is about Maria, of course, but it's also about Maximilian, the exasperated brother, always there to help her (even by selling some of his most valuable paintings), maybe more out of duty than out of love. The complicated bond between brother and sister (two famous brother and sister, but that's not important in this case) is quite subtly depicted.
It's about getting old, and the different ways one can get old. In a very German way, it doesnt force you to cry about Maria Schell's sad destiny, it also shows how unbearable she could be at times. Still, a profound affection is clearly there.
The movie has another fascinating side (and this is why I keep calling it a "movie"). You can never be really sure about how much of it is a true documentary, and how much was planned and acted; in other words, how much Schell, demented or not, was at least in some moments intentionally playing herself, still an actress despite everything, in the last, most painful role of her career. This may make the movie more ambiguous, but it also makes you think about acting, and about truth as told by a camera.
And it ends with a beautiful image of Maria Schell's old face flashing once more that famous smile which made her a star.
According to comments on IMDb. Maximilian had to sell his beloved art collection in order to pay the bills on the family home where Maria lived spending money she didn't have to buy expensive chandeliers and TVs - she had 11 of them.
My Sister Maria apparently took three years to film with parts of it re-enacted by a stand-in. Obviously the scene where she accidentally burns down the house wouldn't have been done in real time or they would have been able to stop her but the scene where she falls in the snow is the real Maria.
Her best Hollywood film was The Hanging Tree opposite Gary Cooper. It's good to know she considered him her favorite actor. It's a wonderful film shockingly not on DVD in the U.S., though it is available in Europe.
There is an interesting, and sometimes moving, documentary about Maria Schell's final years, made by her brother Maximilian, Meine Schwester Maria. The portrayal of the old former actress (and former star, because Schell was VERY popular at least in Europe during the 50s) only three years before her death is heartbreaking.Big Magilla wrote:Gervaise (1956) Rene Clement 8.5/10
I saw this several days ago and still can't get Maria Schell out of my head. They say as she slipped further and further into dementia in her last years she watched her old films over and over simulteanously on 11 different TVs. I wonder how often she watched this and whether she knew the difference between her real life and her reel one.
No Sunset Boulevard grandeur about it. Maria Schell is shown living in this small, simple wood house in a small, forgotten village in the Austrian Alps, surrounded only by snow, silence, and several tvs which show the movies she made when she was young and beautiful. The contrast between the images of the healthy blonde with the famous arresting smile and the old, poor and slightly demented woman (who looks like so many old peasants from the Alps) is maybe a bit too obvious, but undeniably effective.
The movie is about Maria, of course, but it's also about Maximilian, the exasperated brother, always there to help her (even by selling some of his most valuable paintings), maybe more out of duty than out of love. The complicated bond between brother and sister (two famous brother and sister, but that's not important in this case) is quite subtly depicted.
It's about getting old, and the different ways one can get old. In a very German way, it doesnt force you to cry about Maria Schell's sad destiny, it also shows how unbearable she could be at times. Still, a profound affection is clearly there.
The movie has another fascinating side (and this is why I keep calling it a "movie"). You can never be really sure about how much of it is a true documentary, and how much was planned and acted; in other words, how much Schell, demented or not, was at least in some moments intentionally playing herself, still an actress despite everything, in the last, most painful role of her career. This may make the movie more ambiguous, but it also makes you think about acting, and about truth as told by a camera.
And it ends with a beautiful image of Maria Schell's old face flashing once more that famous smile which made her a star.
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Big Magilla
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The Big Parade (1925) King Vidor 9/10
Deserving of its iconic status as the first anti-war film. It was the first to show people from different walks of life thrown together in the Army as well. Visually stunning and with a great score composed by Carl Davis, I believe for Thames Television, which incorporates the songs obviously sung by the soldiers - Over There; You're in the Army Now, etc.
Gervaise (1956) Rene Clement 8.5/10
I saw this several days ago and still can't get Maria Schell out of my head. They say as she slipped further and further into dementia in her last years she watched her old films over and over simulteanously on 11 different TVs. I wonder how often she watched this and whether she knew the difference between her real life and her reel one.
It's Love I'm After (1937) Archie Mayo 7/10
Silly, but fascinating screwball comedy with Leslie Howard as a ham of an actor balancing romances with both Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland, the latter as a favor to his friend Patric Knowles. Eric Blore is a delight as Howard's ex-vaudevillian butler.
Fifth Avenue Girl (1937) Gregory La Cava 7/10
La Cava, who made this between My Man Godfrey and Stage Door, again proves to be able to produce a comedy with a social message without hitting you over the head with it. Ginger Rogers gets top billing, but the real star is Walter Connolly as he millionaire who hires her to pose as a gold digger to teach his lazy family a thing or two. Tim Holt and James Ellison co-star.
Deserving of its iconic status as the first anti-war film. It was the first to show people from different walks of life thrown together in the Army as well. Visually stunning and with a great score composed by Carl Davis, I believe for Thames Television, which incorporates the songs obviously sung by the soldiers - Over There; You're in the Army Now, etc.
Gervaise (1956) Rene Clement 8.5/10
I saw this several days ago and still can't get Maria Schell out of my head. They say as she slipped further and further into dementia in her last years she watched her old films over and over simulteanously on 11 different TVs. I wonder how often she watched this and whether she knew the difference between her real life and her reel one.
It's Love I'm After (1937) Archie Mayo 7/10
Silly, but fascinating screwball comedy with Leslie Howard as a ham of an actor balancing romances with both Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland, the latter as a favor to his friend Patric Knowles. Eric Blore is a delight as Howard's ex-vaudevillian butler.
Fifth Avenue Girl (1937) Gregory La Cava 7/10
La Cava, who made this between My Man Godfrey and Stage Door, again proves to be able to produce a comedy with a social message without hitting you over the head with it. Ginger Rogers gets top billing, but the real star is Walter Connolly as he millionaire who hires her to pose as a gold digger to teach his lazy family a thing or two. Tim Holt and James Ellison co-star.
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OscarGuy
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Halloween, Hallween 2 and Saw V.
The first Rob Zombie films is very stylized, but interesting. His directorial voice is strong, though I am a little chagrined at the further lack of character development, or even introductions, of the minor characters. Even Laurie, who's a key figure in the original, gets very little attention, though enough to get us to modestly empathize with her. And I like how it's modestly restrained in its gore components, something I wasn't expecting from Zombie. Better than I expected, but still not that good.
On the contrary, Halloween 2 is utter crap. There's even less character development, fewer cool, recognizable characters and it's far more gorey, bloody and visceral than I really wanted. The white horse symbolism gets played out fairly quickly and all though Shari Moon Zombie was decent in the first, she's horrid in the sequel. The same goes for the rest of the cast. Zombie's style is altered from the original. It was a thoroughly pointless movie that had one really cool Rocky Horror homage that I really liked.
Saw V, much like 3 and 4 seems like it's stretching credibility to a breaking point. Other than a creative "must work together" trap peppered through the film, the rest is rather a bland attempt at teaching people "lessons" and really, I have no idea where it's going from here. It was played out after 3, but it's still going.
The first Rob Zombie films is very stylized, but interesting. His directorial voice is strong, though I am a little chagrined at the further lack of character development, or even introductions, of the minor characters. Even Laurie, who's a key figure in the original, gets very little attention, though enough to get us to modestly empathize with her. And I like how it's modestly restrained in its gore components, something I wasn't expecting from Zombie. Better than I expected, but still not that good.
On the contrary, Halloween 2 is utter crap. There's even less character development, fewer cool, recognizable characters and it's far more gorey, bloody and visceral than I really wanted. The white horse symbolism gets played out fairly quickly and all though Shari Moon Zombie was decent in the first, she's horrid in the sequel. The same goes for the rest of the cast. Zombie's style is altered from the original. It was a thoroughly pointless movie that had one really cool Rocky Horror homage that I really liked.
Saw V, much like 3 and 4 seems like it's stretching credibility to a breaking point. Other than a creative "must work together" trap peppered through the film, the rest is rather a bland attempt at teaching people "lessons" and really, I have no idea where it's going from here. It was played out after 3, but it's still going.
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
The Far Country (1954; Anthony Mann) 9/10
Magnificent western, one of many Mann made with James Stewart, this one about a loner (Stewart) driving cattle up to the Klondike. Gorgeous color cinematography, great performance (especially Stewart and Ruth Roman) and a wonderful final shot.
Magnificent western, one of many Mann made with James Stewart, this one about a loner (Stewart) driving cattle up to the Klondike. Gorgeous color cinematography, great performance (especially Stewart and Ruth Roman) and a wonderful final shot.
"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
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OscarGuy
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I enjoyed Inglourious much more than I expected. I still think Jackie Brown and the two Kill Bills are better and Pulp Fiction's classic, but Inglorious is another wonderful movie. And very cathartic.
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin