Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

Pánico en el Transiberiano / Panic on the Trans-Siberian / Horror Express (Eugenio Martin, 1972) 7/10

A renowned British anthropogist (Christopher Lee) boards the Trans-Siberian Express train from China to Russia. He is transporting in a crate a secret discovery - the frozen remains of a primitive humanoid creature that he discovered in a cave in Manchuria. He is hoping to prove that it is the missing link in human evolution. Also on the train is his friendly rival and colleague (Peter Cushing), a Polish Count and his wife, a monk (Alberto De Mendoza) who is the couple's spiritual advisor and a police Inspector. All hell breaks loose when the humanoid escapes the crate and starts murdering passengers and draining their brains of all memories and knowledge. Low budget horror film has shoddy effects but is briskly directed managing to maintain suspense and a sense of creepy atmosphere. Its screenplay takes obvious plot points from Howard Hawks' "The Thing".

Paranoia / A Quiet Place to Kill (Umberto Lenzie, 1970) 6/10

Crime does not pay especially if amour fou is the cause of murder. A professional race car driver (Carroll Baker) is told by her doctors to rest easy after a bad crash. The new wife (Anna Proclemer) of her ex-husband (Jean Sorel) invites her to come stay with them at their estate by the sea. Both women form a bond and since both women despise the husband they plan to kill him but the murder does not go according to plan. Convoluted thriller has every character holding back secrets and willing to commit murder. Good location work on the island of Mallorca.

Così dolce... così perversa / So Sweet... So Perverse (Umberto Lenzi, 1969) 6/10

Carroll Baker's second gialo with director Lenzi has freely borrowed elements from Henri-Georges Clouzot's film Les Diaboliques (1955). It also has all the other elements of the genre - wealthy, beautiful people behaving badly, chic women with and without clothes as the camera sometimes discreetly covers up naked torsos by going behind walls or furniture, flashy camera angles, a loud and very intrusive music score often with a song thrown in as well and the screen suddenly dissolving into a mix of psychedelic colours which usually signifies an orgasm. A wealthy industrialist (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is rejected by his wife (Erika Blanc) so he decides to take a string of mistresses finally settling with a newly moved in neighbour (Carroll Baker) upstairs who is repeatedly abused by her own lover (Horst Frank). He refuses to believe when he is warned that her abusive lover wants to murder him. And then he is murdered and the plot goes into a frenzy of twists and turns. Baker, in an interesting change of pace, does not play a victim although she goes through a moment or two of depression and hysteria. And although there are a couple of nipples flashed it's not Baker who strips and neither is there any blood which is rare for a gialo.

Reunion in Vienna (1933) - 5/10 - A banished Archduke (John Barrymore) returns to Vienna for a reunion party and tries to restart his relationship with his former lover (Diana Wynyard) while evading the police. The former lover is now married to a noted psychiatrist (Frank Morgan). I didn't really enjoy this movie very much. It isn't totally without merit, but the Archduke is abusive and overbearing and it is hard to figure out why everyone still kowtows to him, even if he is a noble. Diana Wynyard is the best of the three leads.

Jesus Camp (2006) - 7/10 - This film looks into the ministry of Becky Fischer and a children's summer camp for Evangelical Christianity. Many of these kids are homeschooled and we get a look into how they are taught/indoctrinated (depending on your point of view). I find it kind of scary and sad. It's a decent film, but not something that I'd ever want anything to do with.

The Mark of Zorro (1920) - 8/10 - Douglas Fairbanks stars as Don Diego in this adaptation which came out only about a year after The Curse of Capistrano was published. Fairbanks does a very nice job and the supporting cast is pretty good as well. I can see why the movie was popular and led to many other Zorro productions (and stories) over the years.

The Doll (1919) - 7/10 - Ernst Lubitsch directed this film about a young man who is scared of women, but whose rich uncle wants him to get married. He purchases a lifelike doll from a master craftsman named Hilarius so that he can get married and live in peace. However, due to a mishap, the craftsman's daughter, Ossi, pretends to be the doll. The movie has a fair amount of charm and is entertaining.

Tarzan of the Apes (1918) - 7/10 - This film adapts the first half of the novel and is a pretty decent origin story for Tarzan. Gordon Griffith stars as Tarzan as a boy while Elmo Lincoln stars as Tarzan as an adult. Lincoln was a bit stiff in his role, but Griffith was better.

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1917) - 7/10 - Mary Pickford plays Rebecca, a young teen who is sent to live with her strict aunts in the city to ease the burden on her mother who has six other children. Rebecca is free spirited and energetic and able to get into harmless mischief now and then. The first 40-45 minutes are the best part with plenty of humor. The circus section was the best part. They crammed a lot into the last 20-25 minutes, but it isn't bad. Overall a decent picture.

Hell's Hinges (1916) - 6/10 - A young parson and his sister travel to Hell's Hinges in the West to start a church. However, most of the residents of the town want nothing to do with law or religion so the saloon owner gets a gunfighter to take care of the problem. However, the gunfighter becomes enamored with the parson's sister and protects them instead. There were some interesting scenes and it isn't a bad film, but there were some parts that also felt a bit implausible to me.

The Regeneration (1915) - 8/10 - A boy is orphaned at age 10 and then grows up surrounded by violence in a poor neighborhood. When he grows up, he is recruited by gangsters and rises to the top role. Meeting a young woman trying to improve things for those in the settlement causes him to change, but it isn't easy to leave his past behind. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Rockliffe Fellows played Owen as an adult and did a good job. I'd never heard of him before, but his looks reminded me of Brando in On the Waterfront. Anna Q. Nilsson played the young woman and was good. She was very well known at the time and would later be one of the bridge players in Sunset Boulevard.

I've now seen at least one movie from every year 1915-2021 this year. I plan to work back to 1911 soon.

The Last Laugh (1924) - 8/10 - An elderly doorman at a high class hotel is very proud of his job and his uniform. When he is reassigned as the washroom attendant due to his age, he does not take it well and seems to age almost immediately. He also tries to keep it a secret from his family and the gossiping old women who live in his apartment building. The story is told without intertitles and is very well done.

Seven Chances (1925) - 8/10 - Buster Keaton stars as a junior executive at a company that is having financial problems. He learns that he will inherit a large fortune if he is married by 7pm on his birthday which is that day. He awkwardly goes around asking various women to marry him without success until news of his possible inheritance gets around and then he can't get away from the hordes of women. The movie is a bit slow in the beginning, but picks up halfway through and is pretty much nonstop from there.

Tell it to the Marines (1926) - 8/10 - William Haines stars as 'Skeet' Burns, a young smart aleck and slacker who decides to join the marines for some reason. He becomes enamored with a navy nurse (Eleanor Broadman) and also regularly runs afoul of his sergeant (Lon Chaney). The action eventually moves to sea and later to China. Overall it is a pretty nice film.

Orgasmo (Umberto Lenzi, 1969) 5/10

Hollywood star Carroll Baker's second gialo is more style over substance. She plays one of those extremely annoying damsels in distress who proves to be a complete ninny in the face of danger spending most of the time screaming. A rich American widow (Carroll Baker) moves to an Italian villa rented by her lawyer so she can get some rest and relaxation. She makes the acquaintance of an American student (Lou Castel) whose car breaks down in front of the villa and soon they are both lovers allowing Baker to perform in the nude in softcore sex scenes in the shower and bedroom. When the man introduces his "sister" into the equation the ménage à trois turns sinister involving orgies, alcohol and pill addiction, physical violence, blackmail and a death followed by a twist ending. Baker is the whole show looking chic, sensual but also extremely annoying as the screenplay turns her into a helpless victim. Glossy melodrama with typical mod 1960s touches.

Amici miei / My Friends (Mario Monicelli, 1975) 2/10

Four middle-aged friends (Ugo Tognazzi, Philippe Noiret, Gastone Moschin, Duilio Del Prete), later joined by a doctor (Adolfo Celi), spend most of their spare time playing idle pranks (or zingarate) in a bid to try and hold on to their childhood and youth. Hugely successful film - even overtook "Jaws" at the Italian boxoffice - is quite tiresome and annoying as neither are their pranks funny nor do they have any endearing qualities as human beings. They all come off as extremely foolish old men - assholes - and rightfully denigraded by their wives, mistresses, kids, dog and neighbors. The project was the brainchild of Pietro Germi who collaborated on the screenplay but died before it could be filmed. Monicelli took on the project and brought it to life to great acclaim winning three David awards - for the film, Tognazzi and Monicelli. The film is meant to celebrate friendship but is just too mean spirited to have an redeeming value.

Romanzo popolare / Come Home and Meet My Wife (Mario Monicelli, 1974) 8/10

If this film were to come out in the United States today there would no doubt be several people down with coronary attacks, lawsuits and horrified voices all up in arms in shock and disgust. A 50-year old Union leader (Ugo Tognazzi) and his 17-year old goddaughter (Ornela Muti) fall passionately in love and get married. This commedia all'italiana seems to have predated and combined two actual showbiz scandals - the Roman Polanski statutory rape case and the Woody Allen-Soon-Yi affair and marriage. And nobody batted an eyelid in Italy or elsewhere when this film came out and it went on to win awards for its screenplay. The fun begins when the old man becomes insecure and wonders if his wife is having an affair with his young friend, a cop (Michele Placido). The perceptive screenplay downplays the comic element and instead takes in the proletarian working class Milan setting and makes it very realistic. Tognazzi is a philandering communist and Muti is part working-class wife/mother and half modern 70s chick and feminist. Their conversation about her feelings for the cop and details about the actual seduction, although serious, has a comic touch as Tognazzi gradually gets more and more flustered and angry with each detail she imparts to him. The situation eventually plays itself out as the three adults come to terms with it in very different ways. Tognazzi and Muti are both memorable.

La morte non ha sesso / A Black Veil For Lisa (Massimo Dallamona, 1968) 6/10

A narcotics cop (John Mills) is hot on the trail of a series of murders where someone is bumping off drug dealers. At home the insecure jealous cop has his hands full with a philandering wife (Luciana Paluzzi). When he discovers the assassin (Robert Hoffman) behind the murders he blackmails him into putting a hit on his wife. Unfortunately the killer and his victim begin an affair instead. Italian gialo is transported to Germany and is minus blood, gore and sex coming off more like a noir instead. Excellent production values and a good cast but the film lacks bite.

Don't Make Waves (Alexander Mackendrick, 1967) 6/10

1960s Sex comedy set on and around the beaches of Malibu and based on the novel, "Muscle Beach", by Ira Wallach. British director Mackendrick places his camera in such a way as to emphasize the battle of the bosom. The heavyweights in the ring are Italian sex bomb Claudia Cardinale who goes up against up and coming American sex bomb Sharon Tate. Caught in-between is "innocent" tourist Tony Curtis who has his car wrecked by the Italian brunette and finds himself being resuscitated, mouth-to-mouth, by the blonde American after a surfboard knocks him out in the ocean. The former sexpot is the mistress of a rich swimming pool builder (Robert Webber) while the other one, cutely named Malibu, is the girlfriend of a bodybuilder ("Mr Universe" David Draper) who is conned into believing that sex is bad for his chiseled body. Silly film is a satire of all things found in and around California beaches including the sexual escapades that are part and parcel of its geography. One of the highlights is Sharon Tate jumping up and down in slow motion on a trampoline. The film gets capped by a mudslide followed by assorted sexual re-pairings. Curtis, all wide-eyed and innocent, does that same shtick he used to con Marilyn Monroe some years before. Cardinale is loud in a stereotypical Italian way while a tanned Tate, donning an assortment of bikinis, tries her level best not to tumble out of them. The film was not a success back then as beach themed films had started to wane but it has a certain charm about it with both leading ladies contributing a lot in that direction. And the title song, sung by The Byrds, is very catchy.

Where Sinners Meet (J. Walter Ruben, 1934) 7/10

What starts off as an arch drawing room comedy suddenly loosens up and takes on the mantle of a Noël Coward play - although its based on the 1921 British play "The Dover Road" by A. A. Milne. An adulterous couple (Diana Wynyard and Reginald Owen) are driving towards Dover with a plan to carry on to Calais and Paris. Their car breaks down and they find themselves at a hotel run by the mysterious Mr. Latimer (Clive Brook), a rich philanthropist who, along with his staff, provides eloping couples a week's hospitality by holding them prisoner so they can be sure they are doing the right thing by running away to get married. To her surprise she not only discovers certain annoying aspects about her lover which she hadn't noticed before but also finds his smothering wife (Billie Burke) staying at the hotel with her lover (Alan Mowbray). Soon the relationships start to crumble and elopement takes a backseat as witty repartée between the characters takes center stage with the host cleverly manoeuvring himself into a relationship with one of the ladies. Brooks and Wynward make a droll couple and make this very talky film quite a delight.

My Son (Christian Carion, 2021) 6/10

The dreary Scottish Highlands in winter - wet, overcast and often rainy - is the setting of Carion's remake of his own 2017 french film. A child goes missing from a campsite and the distraught mother (Claire Foy) sends for her ex-husband (James McAvoy). The police come up with nothing and its upto the child's father to search on his own. The plot tumbles into a potpouri of coincidences and clues which takes the man closer to the kidnappers. The film maintains suspense throughout but the wrap-up is far too easy and not very convincing. The entire film is shot in an eerie depressive mode - even the household interiors are either totally dark or lit with a yellow glow adding to the overall downbeat mood of the story. The two leads are both very good.

I guess I should play catchup...

My family does a zoom group every couple of weeks where we go through the list of the WGA's Top #101 Screenplays of all time. We're counting down about four a month and chat about them. It's just a goal to get us all seeing each other in these crazy times but it's just a preferable list to go down than the AFI List or the Academy Award Winners for Best Picture. Maybe Best Edited Films would be up there as well.

Anyway... I'lll just transplant my thoughts here as well.


#90: /Sideways/ (Alexander Payne): 9/10
At the end of the day, it's escapism. It thrives on being one of those films that generally does everything right schematically and lives on as a shared memory. Like, "Oh yeah! I remember when I went on a vacation with those guys. Let's do it again!" Strange that Alexander Payne does so little with it visually, although the today the blown-out sunlight is actually a little endearing (we'll never see it again). Today, it's clear that the film suffers a bit from a slightly schematic character development quality. Why on earth are they in wine country for, like, a week? Why is it the week before the wedding? Because it has to happen that way for the story to play out like they need. Worse, the women characters generally fill whatever role the men need. Agree with Mike D'Angelo that Maya would serve a better presence had she poked at Miles' pretensions instead of serving as a fawn-y dream object. It's a shame because this doesn't take into account what Miles needs in life (which is fundamentally a journey about a man who cannot continue down his past any longer) as well as underutilizes Virginia Madsen's talents besides "warmth." I don't think it's telling that all critics groups rubbered-stamped this film but it is telling that they did Virginia Madsen for Best Supporting Actress. Sadly, all women in the film largely have the same voice, save for Marylouise Burke as Miles' mother.

So, why four stars? For all of its escapism, the 127 min runtime is very enjoyable for the fullness of the journey. It allows for Payne's schematic approach to writing to just play out more naturally and pleasingly. And even though Jack never totally convinces as a real human being, Sideways captures as good as any film I've ever seen what it feels like to have a very different friend with whom the main thing you share at this point is history. It understands without saying outright that Miles wishes he could be as free as Jack, while Jack is constantly admiring Miles' knack for wordplay by casually suggesting jobs he should have. He admires his expertise. I've heard Mister Tee describe it as the male equivalent of Ginger and Fred of giving sex and class to each other. But Sideways also understands that this friendship always comes to an end and finds an almost mythic quality in this journey. Increasingly, I find the most beautiful moment in the film is when Jack proposes that they travel north and open a vineyard together. Because he's not entirely wrong. You can interpret it as "It's not love, it's location" but Jack clearly shouldn't be getting married and Miles probably would be happier working at a wine store. It hints at the kind of hazy choice all of us are faced with in our lives and almost none of us have the guts to take. And there's something gracious about this film to give these characters one of those moments.

Despite its flaws, it's just one of those movies I enjoy more every year. If I were to make a list of the top five most baffling Oscar nomination snubs since I began watching in 1995, Paul Giamatti missing out for Sideways has to be near the top. I remember reading the nominees and literally not being able to process it for a few moments. I read all of the names, wrote them down, and said "How are there six?"


#91: /The Verdict/ (Sidney Lumet): 7/10
What am I missing here? Did The Verdict walk so Law & Order could run? It's just a case. But it also feels a bit disappointing. The first act or so follows the minutiae of Frank Garvin's pathetic grasps at work, creating an excellent sense of working class Boston atmosphere and alcoholism. But the moment he's grasped by purpose to take the case on, it switches from being the character study I signed on for to being entirely about the case. We learn nothing about Frank Garvin. I think David Mamet finds something existential in his pursuit of justice but I just found it overwritten and never larger than itself. It's one of the few Sidney Lumet films I like the look of more than anything else. It just feels cold. In many ways, it never improves on the first image of Newman playing pinball.


#92: /Do the Right Thing/ (Spike Lee): 9.5/10
For me, one of the most endlessly rewatchable, sobering experiences. It's a blast. Part of that is because Spike fearlessly wants to tell a story about how everyone is racist/etc. towards everyone and wants to show that they're all slightly on the same playing field. He goes so far as to suggest they're all rooted in misunderstanding. We don't really see that kind of film today. Spike may have labeled himself a radical but this film doesn't seem revolutionary at all. For example, nobody takes Buggin' Out's activism any kind of seriously throughout the entire film. It's Sal's use of the N-word that causes anyone to turn on him whatsoever. He clearly cares about everyone in this film and finds comedy and tragedy in their misunderstanding. Until, of course, the end. I think I read somewhere on this board that Mister Tee felt that the cops rushing in, putting Radio Raheem in a chokehold, cue riot felt forced and out of nowhere. I wonder if it feels that way today.

Incredible stuff. Still love it.


#93: /Psycho/ (Alfred Hitchcock): 9.5/10
My favorite moment is at 00:43:20 when Norman, leaning forward says "We all go a little mad sometimes..." Then he leans back, smiles a boyish smile, the camera cuts away, and we hear him say "Haven't you?" over Marion's face as she takes in what he's just said. But it's that boyish smile that gets to me. It's convincing. What's remarkable about Norman Bates in these scenes is how our perception of him shifts, from harmless to threatening. Anthony Perkins plays him like a boy who is trying to make sense of the world and piece it together from a few experiences and lessons taught to him. Part of me wishes that Hitchcock hadn't cut away and we could see Norman say "Haven't you?" But ending the shot on that smile is quite a jolt.

Justifiably legendary stuff. I can't... quite... roll with the stop-and-go rhythm of the last 30-45 mins. I think that's just what happens when you do a two-act film. It has to pick back up. It suffers from the fact that everyone and their mother knows Norman is the killer, so I just can't experience it as it was meant to be experienced back then. It's hard to know how charitable to be. Intellectually, I'm in awe of how it shifts perspective to Norman completely as he cleans up the murder scene.


#94: Patton (Franklin Schaffner): 7.5/10
My first viewing.

Honestly... I don't have much of an opinion of this movie. It's fine. The war scenes are, y'know. The drama is, I guess. But really, it thrives as a character piece. George C. Scott's Patton is very good company from the distance of a screen. He's given incredible things to say. And it gives insight into a man who god knows what he would be doing if there wasn't a war on.

It honestly just feels old to me.


#95: /Hannah and Her Sisters/ (Woody Allen): 9.5/10
The Woody Allen movie that got me into Woody Allen movies. As a child, I remember finding Michael Caine's ecstatic adulterer to be endlessly charming -- the sight the middle-aged as foolish as children, which isn't just limited to Caine. Nobody in this film has it figured out. I don't know if Michael Caine deserved the Oscar but he's perfectly cast. I wonder if it's more than just his accent, which makes Elliot's desperate actions more palatable and funny than they have any right to be. When Brits do this stuff, it's just funnier. It's Woody's best cast film for sure.

But why -- during Allen's glorious run in the 1980s -- did the Academy go for this one over The Purple Rose of Cairo or Crimes and Misdemeanors? Certainly, 1986 couldn't have that much a weaker year. I think it's because Hannah and Her Sisters finds this wonderful, effortless balance between its devices (titles, multiple inner-monologues) and the overall hopefulness and relatability of its subject matter. It's a movie that says that over the course of one year, everything in your life can change, fall apart, and come back together. And it's about very busy people who only slow down when a crisis hits them. Who can't relate to that? But Allen just finds an energy in all of it. The "Hypochondriac" story alone feel like a dry run for 30 Rock. And as a director, Allen's mise-en-scene has possibly never been better. His camera has never been so gliding in coverage but he's also always capturing them in moments where they seem small, dwarfed by the little worlds that they've created for themselves. Often his dialogue feels like irrelevant behavioral chatter filling wonderful spaces underneath a magical soundtrack.

Intellectually, the ending is too soft (all conflicts are hand-waived away) but it just feels right because the whole darn thing is so life-affirming. In 2011, I was held at gunpoint and was a shaking, nervous wreck. This was the film I chose to watch afterwards to just feel good to (as Mickey says) put my world back into a rational perspective. Hannah and Her Sisters is my Marx Bros, so perhaps Woody is a bit off in his self-criticism of this work.


#96: /The Hustler/ (Robert Rossen): 9/10
There’s no getting around the fact that Piper Laurie’s character truly hasn’t stood the test of time. The way she’s written and performed. She’s so tragic, it’s painful, and the middle feels a bit too meandering or worse, cheap. Like how it pivots instantly from Laurie’s fate to the final showdown. Mike D’Angelo correctly points out that she starts off as the one person who can call Eddie out on his shit but ends up a sacrificial lamb. But it’s also a film of glorious detail and atmosphere. The whole film feels like a pool-hall lit, hungover haven for losers. And for a sports film, it’s often surprising too, like with Findlay’s game of billiards.

One other gripe: the film seems straining a bit for something more than it offers by way of history. We have Eddie telling Sarah why he loves the game but we don’t need that information. Instead we need “yo, where did you come from? Where did you learn?” Did he duck Korea? Was his old man a vet? There’s something more existential about his obsession and his drive to take down older men in this film and I wish that window had opened a bit in that scene. Same with Bert. I’m missing history from two beyond compelling characters, although their hotel bar conversation is such an incredible piece of acting.

But, y'know, other than that, it's great.


#97: /The Searchers/ (John Ford): 7.5/10
Roger Ebert writes in 2001 on his list of The Great Films:
“The Searchers” indeed seems to be two films. The Ethan Edwards story is stark and lonely, a portrait of obsession, and in it we can see Schrader's inspiration for Travis Bickle of “Taxi Driver;” the Comanche chief named Scar (Henry Brandon) is paralleled by Harvey Keitel's pimp named Sport, whose Western hat and long hair cause Travis to call him “chief.” Ethan doesn't like Indians, and says so plainly. When he reveals his intention to kill Debbie, Martin says “She's alive and she's gonna stay alive!” and Ethan growls: “Livin' with Comanches ain't being alive.” He slaughters buffalo in a shooting frenzy, saying, “At least they won't feed any Comanche this winter.” The film within this film involves the silly romantic subplot and characters hauled in for comic relief, including the Swedish neighbor Lars Jorgensen (John Qualen), who uses a vaudeville accent, and Mose Harper (Hank Worden), a half-wit treated like a mascot. There are even musical interludes. This second strand is without interest, and those who value “The Searchers” filter it out, patiently waiting for a return to the main story line.”

Wouldn’t that make it half a great film? That’s how I felt. Also, man, it doesn’t feel like five years, does it?

I might be inclined to call The Searchers the most needlessly overrated Great Film in the canon. Like, truly, how does one forgive the Jorgensen's stuff? I truly think it's how influential it was more than the movie itself. But the moment where Ethan chases after Debbie, possibly to kill her, but then lifts her up is a truly bracing moment more than fifty years onward.


#98: /The Grapes of Wrath/ (John Ford): 9/10
Still processing it to be honest. I can't shake the fact that it can be faintly dull until they get to California. It's like watching a slow-motion eulogy. Or more accurately, like wrangling a book into submission.


#99: /The Wild Bunch/ (Sam Peckinpah): 7/10
Like the movie. Love the ending.


#100: /Memento/ (Christopher Nolan): 9/10
It is really hard to watch this movie twenty years later while blocking out all that came later, back when Christopher Nolan was the baby of the Gen X wave of white dude cinema -- and the thinker of the bunch. The biggest knock against the film is that he directs the film like Christopher Nolan. Every scene feels like its primarily concerned with preserving forward momentum at the expense of behavioral moments, giving it a schematic quality that lends ever-so-mild credence to the knock against Memento that it's calling card cinema. But at this point, that's just Nolan, isn't it? On the other hand, every viewing reveals what an impossibly difficult high-wire act this screenplay was. In this viewing, it's the organizing principle of knowing when to tell us about Sammy, when to show us his wife dying, etc. As he does this, the "present" scenes, wind down and become more brief and slightly less eventful because Nolan knows what we're capable of absorbing and not. This does make for a slightly less engrossing middle chapter.

But it still packs the biggest wallop of Nolan's (or pretty much anyone else's) career.


#101: Notorious: I lied and said I watched it. I ran out of time.

Zelary (2003) - 9/10 - A nurse and her lover (a surgeon) are part of the resistance in Czechoslovakia during WWII. When their cell is discovered, they have to separate and the nurse has to flee to a remote mountain village where she will hide as the wife of a patient that she recently helped save. Adjusting to life in this rural area is a challenge. The movie is very well done and entertaining.

A Sailor-Made Man (1921) - 8/10 - Harold Lloyd stars as a wealthy scion who spends his days in idleness until he decides to marry a young woman. He then ends up enlisting in the navy and shenanigans ensue. Very entertaining as usual from Lloyd.

Robin Hood (1922) - 8/10 - Douglas Fairbanks stars as the Earl of Huntingdon who goes off to the Crusades with Richard the Lionheart, only to return to England as Robin Hood when Prince John is oppressing the people in Richard's absence. In some ways, I like this version more than the Errol Flynn classic, though overall I gave the later film a slight edge. We get nice castle and forest sets and plenty of action, though not really all that much as Robin Hood and his Merry Men. It's a fun movie and Fairbanks is pretty good as Robin Hood, though he was better in Thief of Bagdad. Wallace Beery was good as Richard and Alan Hale played Little John. Those are probably the best known of the supporting cast, though Enid Bennett as Maid Marian was also good.

The Pilgrim (1923) - 6.5/10 - Charlie Chaplin's tramp is an escaped convict here who gets mistaken for the new parson when he arrives in a town. They make him feel welcome and he does his best to fit in. This wasn't bad, but it definitely feels like a lesser Chaplin film.

Hanussen (1988) - 7/10 - A sergeant in the German army during WWI is wounded and as he recovers discovers that he seems to have psychic abilities including clairvoyance and will transference plus the ability to hypnotize people. After the war, he becomes a performer, professing to have no interest in politics, though he later gets caught up with the Nazis. The movie is based on the life of a real man who took the name Hanussen and was active back in the 1920s and early 1930s. It's a decent film.

Divided We Fall (2000) - 8/10 - A childless Czech couple helps a former Jewish neighbor and friend after he escapes from a Polish camp in 1943. They hide him in their home for two years at great risk. There is also a lot of humor in the film as they have to deal with a nosy collaborator and former coworker. I liked this one quite a bit.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) - 8/10 - I thought it was a very nice film with good fight scenes and a nice cast.

Pharaoh aka Faraon (1966) - 7.5/10 - Ramses is the son of the Pharaoh and chafes at restrictions set upon him by his father and the priests. He is popular with his soldiers and the people, but the priests control the wealth and much of the power. The priests plot to keep him in check while he works to gain what he wants. The movie was good, but the best part was the first 30-45 minutes. I thought that it got a bit bogged down after that, though it wasn't bad.

In Darkness (2011) - 8/10 - Leopold Socha was a sewer worker in Lvov, Poland during WWII. He and his partner were also petty thieves. When they encounter a group of Jews in the sewer after the Germans eliminated the Ghetto, they bring them food and use their knowledge of the sewers to hide them for a fee. Socha keeps helping them even after the money runs out, though. This film is based on a true story and seems pretty realistic in terms of what happened. I thought it was pretty well done with a nice performance by the actor who played Socha.

War-Time Romance (aka Voenno-polevoy roman) (1983) - 6/10 - During WWII, Sasha was a soldier on the front line. He was strongly attracted to Luba, a female soldier who was partnered with his commander. After the war, Sasha is happily married, but one day he sees Luba working as a street vendor. She has a young daughter whose father was killed during the war. His feelings for her are revived and he starts seeing her. The movie was okay, though a bit dull at times. Sasha was probably the least interesting of the characters. His wife, Vera, and Luba were much more interesting.

Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (2015) - 8.5/10 - This film documents the protests that started in Ukraine when the President backed down from signing an agreement to join the EU and instead moved to become more closely allied with Russia. The protesters were targeted by special police forces, but the movement grew into a revolution that lasted for months and became bloodier as it went along, even though the protesters were unarmed. The film features many interviews taken after the revolution along with footage taken during the the months of struggle. It is a very good film, though parts of it can be tough to watch.

The Boys of Paul Street (1968) - 8/10 - In 1902 Budapest, two rival groups of boys are preparing to go to 'war' against each other to decide who gets control of the "grund", a large vacant lot where they can play ball games, hold meetings, and so on. The groups hold planning sessions, spy on each other, and get ready for the upcoming battle. The boy in the middle of everything is Erno Nemecsek, the smallest boy in either group, but one with a lot of spirit. The adventures here are pretty serious to the kids involved, though much less so to the adults who interact with them. It's a pretty well done film.

Hungarians (Magyarok) (1978) - 6/10 - A group of Hungarian villagers are hired to travel to northern Germany during WWII where they will stay in a castle and work on a very large farm. They will earn very good wages for this seasonal work. While there, they witness poor treatment given to Polish and French prisoners. It isn't a bad film, but it is also not very engaging and you don't really get to know the villagers as individuals.

The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion, 2021) 9/10

Thomas Savage's Western novel set in Montana about two brothers is a modern reworking of the biblical story of Cain and Abel. Campion adapted the novel and shot this Western in New Zealand useing the island's stunning topography to create an intense yet slowburn experience as her camera wistfully takes in the vast landscape against which stands a giant mansion belonging to two bothers. The elder (Benedict Cumberbatch) is tall, slim, highly cultured, good looking, tough but extremely mean-spirited and a vicious sadist with a seething contempt for weakness. These traits are obvious signals towards an inwardly suppressed psyche which plays an important part later as the story plays out. The younger brother (Jesse Plemons) is stocky, a bit of a plodder, gentle and refined. When he unexpectedly marries a widow (Kirsten Dunst) and brings her to live on the ranch, his brother tries his best to undermine her. But he underestimates her unlikely protector - her teenage son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) - who he has relentlessly ridiculed and made fun of for being a "sissy". Adult drama that plays out with layers of emotions simmering below the surface and which emerge with a quiet but devastating force. Superbly directed film although I was very surprised that Campion took a rather Victorian attitude towards some of the scenes which was maybe intentional as she probably wanted the audience to slowly peel the layers and use the clues provided to discover the characters' motivations. The cast is superb. Cumberbatch gives an outstanding performance of simmering ferocity - like a poisonous viper always ready to strike - and is matched by both Plemons and Smit-McPhee who play characters who are very insular yet both still manage to stand tall and give vivid performances.

Deserves Oscar Nods for Film, Actor (Cumberbatch), Supp Actor (Plemons, Smit-McPhee), Campion, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Score, Editing.

Deception (Marcel Langenegger, 2008) 4/10

Potboiler posing as a slick erotic thriller has nothing really new to offer. The film has a strong whiff of deja vu - a been-there-seen-that kinda plot. Timid accountant (Ewan McGregor) befriends a charming lawyer (Hugh Jackson) and before he knows it he is upto his ears in lurid anonymous sex, blackmail, a kidnapping and murder. Michelle Williams is the woman who has him platonically transfixed while on the side he plays whoopee with Natasha Henstridge, who is his first encounter as a member of an exclusive sex club, and Charlotte Rampling is the older woman who teaches him rules about the sex club before showing him age is no barrier to good sex. The ludicrous twists and turns in the plot come at a fast pace although none of them are surprising. Skip this film unless you want to know how sex clubs work.

La mort en ce jardin / Death in the Garden (Luis Buñuel, 1956) 8/10

A film from Buñuel's Mexican period set in the jungles of South America but the oppression and rebelious situations are meant to reflect Franco's Spain which the director had fled. During a political uprising in an unnamed South American backwater town a disparate group of characters manage to get on board a river boat and escape. The group consists of an adventurer (George Marchal) who has escaped from prison, an elderly diamond miner (Charles Vanel), his deaf-mute daughter (Michèle Girardon), a prostitute (Simone Signoret) and a priest (Michel Piccoli). When the army gets too close they abandon the boat and trek into the jungle. Exhausted, starving and stripped off their past identities they keep going around in circles until fate does them a favour but only for a short while. Soon its back to darkness as the earlier moments of emotional and physical violence return. Its almost as if God is punishing them for their trespasses and thoughts of lurid sexuality. Buñuel films this adventure tale in stunning colour with an all-star cast which was quite rare for the director.

Cristo si è fermato a Eboli / Christ Stopped at Eboli (Francesco Rosi, 1979) 10/10

Contemplative look at the life in exile of Carlo Levi (Gian Maria Volontè), a doctor, writer, painter, and a native of Turin. The screenplay is based on his memoir which he wrote after the War describing his own experiences. For his anti-fascist views he was banished during the mid-1930s by Benito Mussolini's fascist government to Grassano and Aliano, remote towns in southern Italy. The locals believe that their back-of-beyond towns are so remotely situated that even Christ never ventured beyond the town of Eboli. The film views in great detail at a way of life in small remote towns where time appears to have stood still and the inhabitants appear stuck in medeival mode. This extremely long film moves at a lesisurely pace but is never boring as the camera explores the town and its colorful people - a banished drunk priest also an anti-fascist, the smarmy but genial mayor (Paolo Bonacelli), the unmarried housekeeper (Irene Papas) who has lived through 17 pregnancies by almost as many men, the town cop and other assorted neighbours. While the landscape is stunning the peasants remain backward in their thinking, superstitious and insular. However, they are welcoming and almost immediately take to the gentle doctor who decides to help them because the local doctors refuse to administer to the peasants. He forms a close bond with the community encouraged by his sister (Lea Masari) who, during a visit, insists he engage with the peasants instead of merely observing them. We see this world through the expressive eyes of Volontè (quietly superb), the magnificent camerawork of Pasqualino De Santis and through the emotional heartbeat of director Rosi whose film laments how many remote rural areas continue to remain isolated from economic and social prosperity simply because the central government cannot be bothered to venture in that direction.

The Big Clock (John Farrow, 1948) 8/10

During a jealous rage a tyrannical magazine publisher (Charles Laughton) strikes his mistress (Rita Johnson) with a blunt object and kills her. He confides in his loyal assistant (George Macready) and they decide to pin the murder on the man who was seen out on the town with the dead woman. Unbeknownst to anyone the mystery man is the magazine's star reporter (Ray Milland) who has troubles of his own - a wife (Maureen O'Sullivan) who is angry at him for neglecting her, a boss who has fired him and the whole town searching for him as the murderer. Tautly directed noir has an outstanding performance by Laughton as the sophisticated but quietly malevolent murderer and stunning cinematography by Daniel L. Fapp and John Seitz that visually provides all the right noir touches. Based on the novel by Kenneth Fearing this highly atmospheric film also benefits from snappy dialogue and a delightful performance by the great Elsa Lanchester as an eccentric artist. Remade years later as the political thriller No Way Out (1987) with Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman.

No Way Out (Roger Donaldson, 1987 6/10

Overbaked neo-noir thriller made Kevin Costner into a huge star which may or may not have been due to the scene in the backseat of a limo where he has it off with an alluring Sean Young - during sex scenes Costner almost always had the expression of a naughty boy caught with his hand inside a cookie jar. A Naval officer (Kevin Costner) finds himself seconded to the office of the Secretary of Defence (Gene Hackman). His college buddy (Will Patton), who happens to be a close aide to the Secretary, arranges the transfer. At the inaugural ball he meets an enticing woman (Sean Young) and they begin an affair. She also happens to be the mistress of the Secretary and during an argument with him gets killed when she falls and breaks her back. A massive cover-up ensues as the loyal aide tries to shield the Secretary and pin the murder on a suspected Russian mole in the Pentagon. Hackman is in slumming mode throughout, Costner spends a lot of the film running around looking serious and being chased while the dazzling Sean Young hardly gets enough screen time before coming to a spectacular end. A late twist in the plot is just as ridiculous as the rest of the plot - based on the 1946 novel The Big Clock by Kenneth Fearing, previously filmed as The Big Clock (1948) with Ray Milland and Charles Laughton and Police Python 357 (1976) with Yves Mintand and Simone Signoret. All three films have very different backgrounds where the basic premise of the story is set.

Cartouche (Philippe de Broca, 1962) 10/10

Rip-roaring slapstick action-comedy was de Broca's first film with star Belmondo. The film, inspired by Holywood sex comedies and spy films, takes on a farcical madcap tone which would become the director's personal style. On the surface it is a funny historical farce set during the Régence period in France but is based on an actual highwayman who robbed the rich and gave to the poor - a combination of both "Robin Hood" and "Oliver Twist". Cartouche (Jean-Paul Belmondo), a pickpocket, escapes the clutches of his Fagin-like boss (Marcel Dalio), joins the army, mistakenly gets branded a hero, returns to Paris and not only becomes leader of the gang of thieves but also wins the heart of a street wench (Claudia Cardinale). The film's joie de vivre suddenly turns dark during the last act as Cartouche openly jilts his lover for an aristocratic lady (Odile Versois) which ultimately leads to a tragic sacrifice. The fast-moving screenplay deftly moves the action from one set piece to the next with de Broca displaying his lightness of touch until the sudden dramatic shift in tone. Violence, which was played for laughs, suddenly turns serious and very brutal. The film's success rests on the shoulders of the dashing Belmondo and on his superb chemistry with the vivacious and sexy Claudia Cardinale who matches him every step of the way. The film is great fun and a must-see.

Ponzio Pilato / Pontius Pilate (Irving Rapper & Gian Paolo Callegari, 1962) 7/10

Tale of the Christ but from the perspective of Pontius Pilate (Jean Marais). Almost nothing is known about the man before Rome appointed him as Procurator of Judea and bits and pieces have been gathered from the gospels and historians about his life hence including his part in the crucifixation of Jesus Christ. This Italian sword and sandal version takes its cue from the Gospel of John which, like all the gospels, is anonymous and references a "desciple whom Jesus loved". Pilate continuously clashed with the citizens of Judea by way of the Jewish High Priest, Caiaphas (Basil Rathbone), who famously presided over the Sanhedrin trial of Jesus and according to the gospels organized a plot to kill the Messiah. The first clash between the Romans and the Jews is over the building of a water aquaduct with money taken from the Temple treasury. The second clash is over placing the Eagles of Rome (emblems of Caesar), as was customary, in a prominent place. Pilate choses to place them on top of Solomon's Temple causing a massive outcry by the jews. His wife (Jeanne Crain), already enamoured of the Messiah after hearing him speak, pleads with him to spare the people and take down the Roman emblems. The film's last third is taken up with the trial as Judas betrays Jesus who is then condemned by the people - Pilate gives them a choice of either saving Jesus or Barabbas the thief. The people choose Jesus to be crucified. In an unusual gimmick both Judas and Jesus are very badly played by the same actor - John Drew Barrymore - perhaps a subtle suggestion that Jesus and Judas represent both sides of the same coin. In between the main events the film includes erratic scenes of battle and moments of superflous interactions between secondary characters which seem jarring as if a longer version of the film was chopped up. Jean Marais, looking old and tired, is stiff as Pilate while Hollywood star Jeanne Crain is wasted in a small role as his wife. However, this rare film tackles the subject from an unusual angle with fairly good production values. Basil Rathbone is a standout speaking in his own voice in this dubbed version. The film's opening and closing scenes - set in Rome with Pilate on trial in front of Emperor Caligula over his disastrous handling of the events in Judea - are in Italian with subtitles. The film is well worth seeing from a historic perspective or if you are a fan of Biblical themed cinema.

The Forgotten (Joseph Ruben, 2004) 6/10

The film flits through various genres - thriller, psychological horror - and just when you are getting ready to understand the mystery the screenplay moves into science fiction territory. A woman (Julianne Moore) keeps claiming she had a son who died in a plane crash. Nobody believes her including a psychiatrist (Gary Sinise) and her husband (Anthony Edwards). Her alcoholic neighbor (Dominic West) also remembers his daughter who boarded the same flight. When shady National Security agents start chasing them they realise they are part of some strange experiment where the grownups involved were supposed to lose memories of their kids. What starts off as a neat little thriller - with huge potholes in the script - suddenly goes off into a prepostrous tangent. Moore and West are good but the rest of the cast is wasted, including Alfre Woodard as a cop and Linus Roache as a strange man who keeps popping up in an ominous way.

L'Homme de Rio / That Man From Rio (Philippe de Broca, 1964) 8/10

Extremely silly chase film defies all logic and is a series of precisely choreographed action set pieces which the star - Jean-Paul Belmondo - death defyingly manoeuvres himself through. A spoof of the James Bond films was heavily inspired by the Belgian cartoonist, Hergé and the Tintin adventures he authored. Belmondo was a big fan of detective novels and Tintin comics so he was the perfect choice to play the film's daredevil hero who follows his kidnapped girlfriend (a charming and very daffy Françoise Dorléac) from Paris to Rio. She has been forcefully abducted by her father's curator friend (Jean Servais) in search of an Amazon statuette. Relentlessly in pursuit the comic plot hinges on putting Belmondo through the wringer - hanging from skyscrapers, precariously dangling on skimpy planks of wood between buildings, flying and tumbling out of an airplane almost into the mouth of an alligator, getting knocked about in a bar-room fight, clinging to a speeding boat and swinging on a vine like Tarzan. Belmondo takes all this thrilling nonsense completely in stride as he attempts to outdo both Douglas Fairbanks and Harold Lloyd in screen heroics. This extremely fast paced film is directed with sharply timed precision by de Broca helped by the witty Oscar nominated screenplay that is made up of hilarious coincidences which conveniently allow Belmondo to go from one mad moment to another all over Rio de Janeiro including a fascinating detour through the then under construction Capital city of Brasilia. This film was a huge influence on Steven Spielberg's "Raiders of the Lost Ark".

Megalodon Rising (Brian Nowak, 2021) 1/10

I could almost hear the Megalodon shark in this very crappy film saying, "Stupid is as stupid does". But then its actions along with its appearance is also pretty stupid. An America vs China tussle gets waylaid when these giant sharks make a beeline for the San Diego coast after munching on a couple of war ships out on the ocean. With nary a twitch by anyone on the beach the monsters totally destroy a fleet of ships. Most of the shark's mayhem happens offscreen as the camera closes in on assorted Naval officers shouting and waving machine guns. Tom Sizemore is the only recognizable actor amongst a bunch of amateurs attempting to act and even he seems to have lost the knack of acting. To think stupid people actually spent money to make this turd of a film. What is even more stupid is that I actually sat through this piece of garbage.

Man of Iron (1981) - 7.5/10 - Man of Marble told the story of Mateusz Birkut and the strikes in Gdansk in 1970. This film continues the story with his son, Maciej Tomczyk (played by the same actor). It is now 1980 and the Solidarity movement is happening. A reporter named Winkel is assigned do a story on Tomczyk and get information that will compromise Tomczyk. He is getting pressure from a number of sides, but sets out to find out more about Tomczyk. We find out this information as Winkel does. I thought that this was a pretty good film overall. It was made shortly after Solidarity was formed so it was pretty relevant when it was released.

Katyn (2007) - 7/10 - In 1939, the Polish army on the eastern front surrendered to the Soviets. The enlisted were released and sent home while the officers were rounded up and sent to prison camps. Many of these officers were later executed by the Soviets, though their propaganda machine blamed it on the Germans when it was uncovered. The film spends time with the prisoners, but much more time is spent with those left behind - wives, sisters, children, etc. The production values, cinematography, and soundtrack are all top notch, though it is a bit difficult at times to become attached to the people in the film as they switch back and forth between different threads of the story. Still, I think it is a good film overall and worth seeing.

Itinéraire d'un enfant gâté / Itinerary of a Spoiled Child (Claude Lelouch, 1988) 6/10

Lelouch coaxed Belmondo back to the movies after he took a break to return to the stage. A surprise boxoffice hit in France the film is almost an African travelogue with scenes of elephants, lions and cheetahs in the wild. An abandoned child is raised in a circus around lions, falls off a trapeze and grows up to become a successful businessman (Jean-Paul Belmondo). He gets married, has children and then fed up with the daily drudge of life decides to abandon his business and family and disappears into thin air after taking a solo voyage in his boat. While everyone thinks he is dead he surfaces in Africa but is recognised by a former employee (Richard Anconina) who is working at the hotel where he is staying incognito. They bond and he uses the young man to keep a check on his children and business back home. A story about loneliness and the importance of family in one's life. Anconina was nominated for a César award but lost the award to Belmondo who won his first and only César. The charming score by Francis Lai was also nominated.

The Missing (Ron Howard, 2003) 9/10

Ron Howard's once reviled Revisionist Western is a tough and sweeping ode to the old West. It is also an homage to John Ford's "The Searchers", taking the classic film's central plot thread and memorably adding layers to all the clichés of the genre. A frontier medicine woman (Cate Blanchett) is forced to form an alliance with her estranged father (Tommy Lee Jones) when her teenage daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) is kidnapped by a renegade Apache witch-man and his gang of cutthroats. The film takes on the semblance of a thriller as the old man tracks the kidnappers through rough territory as the woman and her plucky younger daughter (Jenna Boyd) follow. The journey, fraught with difficulties, also allows the father and daughter to find some semblance of peace. None of the characters are clearly defined but as this extremely violent film progresses the screenplay gradually reveals bits and pieces about their past lives. The film also takes on a mystical hue as the battle of good (the healing powers of the Christian woman) versus evil (the witch-man's magical powers) shows the darker side of Native American beliefs. Both Jones and Blanchett are outstanding and there are vivid cameos by Aaron Eckhart as Blanchett's lover and Val Kilmer as a soldier who refuses to provide help. A great Western and a must-see

Bizalom (Confidence) (1980) - 8/10 - Kata has to go into hiding near the end of WWII in Hungary due to her husband's resistance activities. She is given false papers and placed with a man named Janos who is also in hiding. The two pose as husband and wife and eventually fall in love, even though each is married to another. The movie is filled with suspicion and fear of getting caught as the two navigate through the closing days of the war. It is a pretty good film.

Son of Saul (2015) - 7/10 - Saul is a member of a sonderkommando at Auschwitz late in WWII. The sonderkommandos are prisoners who collect the belongings of those killed by the Nazis. They also burn the bodies and clean the facility before the next group comes in. Saul has been doing this for a while and is desensitized like many others until he comes across a boy who briefly survives the gas chamber and he sees the boy as his son. As such, he becomes obsessed with giving the boy a proper Jewish burial. The film is shot so that the background is often out of focus so we don't get a clear view of the horrors that are going on there. It is a decent movie, but one that left me slightly unsatisfied.

Reza wrote:Cinderella (Kay Cannon) 1/10

The less said the better.

A ghastly mess. I'm in complete agreement with the guy who wrote this on IMDb. even though I fortunately fell asleep and missed most of it:

Makes Cats look like a 10

Worst movie ever. I just wish my money spent at Amazon didn't fund garbage like this .