Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

[Reza]

Ain't Them Bodies Saints (David Lowery, 2013) 5/10

Lowery seems to be channeling Terence Malick - shades of "Badlands", with memories of "Bonnie and Clyde" and with the film's shimmery cinematography harking back to Vilmos Zsigmond's "McCabe and Mrs Miller" and "Heaven's Gate", here photographed by Bradford Young. Deathly slow but visually ravishing film has a young man (Casey Affleck) take the fall for his wife (Rooney Mara), who shot a cop (Ben Foster), and goes to prison. After five years he escapes to return to his wife and daughter who was born in the interim. The cop, who was only wounded), develops feelings for the wife and it all ends as expected with bounty hunters giving chase leading up to the inevitable violent finalé. The film scores points on authenticity - the actors all look like real people from Texas and the cast is uniformly superb particularly Affleck as the desperate husband and father who wants to see his family one last time and Keith Carradine as his weary father-figure who feels he is somewhat to blame for the young man's doings. Rooney Mara, as the etherial wife, plays it too deadpan with her part relegated to just being a damsel in waiting. In the end the film is all style with no real substance. It feels too much like an amalgamation almost as if Lowery strung together bits from his favourite films.

[Reza]

P.S. I Love You (Richard LaGravenese, 2007) 3/10

May as well get this out of the way first - Hilary Swank is not comfortable in a Rom-Com and seems totally out of place which rather defeats the purpose of the whole story. The sappy plot (trying to revive memories of "Ghost") has bits and pieces which lift the film but overall it's all just a bunch of clichés strung together. A young widow (Hilary Swank) goes to pieces when her husband (Gerald Butler) dies - this happens as soon as the opening credits end which is a pity as for once Butler is not like a stiff waxwork and is actually a breath of fresh air during the opening moments and the few scenes he appears in scattered throughout the film - though his attempts at singing with a guitar are cringeworthy along with his attempt at an Irish accent. The deceased leaves behind 10 letters for his wife which are delivered to her at specific moments during the next year as a means to guide her to live life again. A sojourn to Ireland (the husband's country) is one of the film's highlights which she undertakes with her two besties (Gina Gershorn & Lisa Kudrow), a trip arranged by her husband. Just seeing the countryside of County Wicklow is a sight for sore eyes in this stupefyingly stupid film - the shenenigans the girls get upto there all ring false. Adding to all the woes in this film is a scruffy Harry Connick Jr who mopes around Swank and then has a silly epiphany with her at the end. The only one who feels like a real human being is Kathy Bates who delivers the film's best performance as Swank's wise, worried mother. A misguided chick flick with a leading lady living the curse of her two Oscars which seem to have rightfully ended her career.

[Reza]

The Ballad of Lefty Brown (Jared Moshe, 2017) 7/10

Elegiac Western that pays homage to the slow, often dimwitted "sidekick" - played by the likes of Gabby Hayes, Walter Brennan & Andy Devine - in so many films in this genre by the likes of John Ford, Raoul Walsh and Howard Hawks. The film asks the question what does a Western sidekick do after he is suddenly bereft of his Western hero. Lefty Brown (Bill Pullman) has been a sidekick to his best friend (Peter Fonda in full-on John Wayne mode) for 40 years. When out together in search of cattle rustlers his hero is suddenly shot through the head by a sniper it becomes Lefty's main aim in life to catch the killer and bring him to justice. And so begins this slow moving ballad as the bumbling old man rides across Montana (the film's superbly shot vistas are by David McFarland) with a number of moments that take you back to the classics of the genre - "The Searchers", Rio Bravo", "Ride the High Country", "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". He is all alone on his quest as nobody - not the feisty widow (Kathy Bates) or the other two friends from the past, a sheriff (Tommy Flannagan) who is now an alcoholic and the one who has become Governor (Jim Caviezel) of the state - believes he can get the job done. His journey takes him on a quest which not only reveals his own strengths but also bitter truths about close friends. The film's pace is incredibly slow which works in it's favour as it seems to be a reflection of the slow old illiterate sidekick who literally bumbles along. Pullman, who has often played sidekicks in most of his films, gives a superbly shaded performance and captures every nuance of the character. This B-film is a wonderful addition to the Western genre which in its quiet way makes a strong impact.

[Reza]

How to Be Very, Very Popular (Nunnally Johnson, 1955) 2/10

Unbelievably silly comedy was the studio's attempt to repeat the success of "How to Marry a Millionaire" by pairing Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable once again. Monroe refused and got suspended so Sheree North got the part in what turned out to be Grable's final film. Two stripper's, on the lam after witnessing a mob killing, hide out in a college fraternity. Unfortunately this is not a musical - the girls get to perform one lively number during the opening after which the silly premise involves North getting hypnotised by a student (Orson Bean) while Grable is pursued by another over-aged student (Robert Cummings). Charles Coburn is a welcome relief as the blustery college president. The film bombed big time with the only memorable moments being Sheree North trying to copy Monroe at the insistance of the studio.

[Reza]

Twist of Fate / Beautiful Stranger (David Miller, 1954) 6/10

Old fashioned mystery-thriller involves romance, lovely Riviera locations, smugglers, murder and a plot so full of holes that it is actually fun trying to figure out whose doing what to whom. An actress (Ginger Rogers) involved with a rich married industrialist (Stanley Baker) falls in love with a penniless artist (Jacques Bergerac - then married to Rogers). A weasilly gambler (Herbert Lom) is the catalyst that results in a dead body causing much anguish all around. This is a second rate B-film, badly acted but enjoyable just to see where the ridiculous plot is heading.

[Reza]

The Blue Max (John Guillermin, 1966) 8/10

A visually stunning film with fantastic flying sequences before CGI made it easy. A story about class, honour and betrayal as it traces the rise of a lower class German foot soldier (George Peppard) during WWI who moves from the Army into the Air Corps. Ruthlessly ambitious and with a massive chip on his shoulder he is transferred to a unit where all the pilots come from the upper class. He is reckless in his pursuit of "The Blue Max", Germany's highest medal given to pilots who have shot down at least 20 enemy planes. He attracts the attention of not only a General (James Mason), who uses him as a poster boy to boost morale in the country, but also his wife (the stunning Ursula Andress) who two times her husband with the young officer and her husband's nephew (Jeremy Kemp) - both pilots are intense rivals in the air. The soap opera plot on the ground is needless to say fun to watch - after all Ursula Andress gets to do a nude scene - but the film's main raison d'être are the exceptional flying sequences shot by the great Douglas Slocombe. The star trio play well together - Peppard, while not a great actor, has enormous star presence with his good looks and piercing blue eyes while Mason is very imposing in uniform. The film's best performance comes from Jeremy Kemp whose slyly comic cynicism neatly balances out the overall blandness of Peppard. This is a spectacular war film with wonderful production values, an outstanding score by Jerry Goldsmith and a devastating and memorable finale. Worth watching.

[Precious Doll]

Early Man (2018) Nick Park 4/10
Walking Out (2017) Alex Smith & Andrew J. Smith 2/10
The Arch (1968) Shu Sheng Tong 6/10
Abracadabra (2017) Pablo Berger 3/10

Repeat viewings

The Age of Innocence (1993) Martin Scorsese 7/10
Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) Dorothy Arzner 8/10
The Set-Up (1949) Robert Wise 6/10
Crimes of Passion (1984) Ken Russell 10/10
La Chinoise (1967) Jean-Luc Godard 7/10
Went the Day Well? (1942) Alberto Cavalcanti 6/10
Rocco and His Brothers (1960) Luchino Visconti 8/10

[Precious Doll]

The Bookshop (2017) Isabel Coxiet 4/10
1945 (2017) Ferenc Torok 4/10
Last Flag Flying (2017) Richard Linklater 4/10
Isle of Dogs (2017) Wes Anderson 6/10
Permanent (2017) Colette Burson 5/10
Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017) Frederick Wiseman 5/10

Repeat viewings

Caravaggio (1986) Derek Jarman 9/10
Stay Hungary (1976) Bob Rafelson 5/10

[Precious Doll]

Love, Simon (2018) Greg Berlanti 4/10
LBJ (2017) Rob Reiner 6/10
Reconstruction (1968) Lucian Pintille 4/10
Chappaquiddick (2018) John Curran 5/10
On Chesil Beach (2018) Dominic Clarke 4/10
The Hussy (1979) Jacques Doillon 5/10
Legend of the Mountain (1979) King Hu 7/10

Repeat viewings

North Sea Hijack (1980) Andrew V. McLaglen 6/10
Accident (1967) Joseph Losey 6/10
The Last Detail (1973) Hal Ashby 7/10
The Challenge (1982) John Frankenheimer 6/10
North Dallas Forty (1979) Ted Kotcheff 6/10

[Precious Doll]

Benilde or the Virgin Mother (1975) Manoel de Oliveira 4/10
Peter Rabbit (2018) Will Gluck 4/10
Animal (1977) Claude Zidi 4/10
The Divine Order (2017) Peta Biondina Volpe 7/10
The Butterfly Tree (2017) Priscilla Cameron 1/10
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017) Angela Robinson 8/10
Ready Player One (2018) Steven Spielberg 4/10

Repeat viewings

Cool Hand Luke (1967) Stuart Rosenberg 4/10
Society (1989) Brian Yuzna 6/10
Doc (1971) Frank Perry 6/10
Guys and Dolls (1955) Joseph L. Mankiewicz 5/10

[Sabin]

/Carol/ (Todd Haynes) - 8.5/10

Sad day. I rewatched Carol at Cuties in East Hollywood, and I found myself terribly conflicted about a film that I had very recently considered a work of art. And now? I think it's a gorgeous piece of filmmaking and a great script, and occasionally the two of these things are not in sync. Phylis Nagy's screenplay was deservedly nominated for an Oscar (and should have won) but while Haynes' film cineaste approach is more successful here than Far From Heaven (I think...it's been fifteen years) some of his choices aren't dramatically satisfying. I'll risk heresy: I think these two leads were perhaps miscast or misdirected. Both Carol and Therese represent cinematic callbacks to yesteryear, the clash of old Hollywood and new Hollywood. But I never sense attraction between them, let alone love. They both exist too much in their own worlds to be interested in people besides themselves. Haynes is more interested in the swoony quality that they evoke...and it is a beautifully swoony experience. Watching the film, one gets the sense that to Carol, Therese is an indulgence, but nowhere near as important as her home-life drama. That can be effectively dramatized, but it requires a meaner plot...or a meaner Carol. I certainly don't buy Carol's admission of love at the end, nor do I remotely want Therese to return to her over Carrie Brownstein (who must have been edited).

It's a strong mood piece assisted by a strong plot and beautiful dialogue. And truly, the film's MVP is Carter Burwell. Although at times I noticed that the film tends to autopilot over his beautiful score, that might just be due to how often I listen to the soundtrack.

Not the film of 2015. Just a very, very good one.

[Precious Doll]

Bloody Milk (2017) Hubert Charuel 6/10
See You Up There (2017) Albert Dupontel 9/10
The Breadwinner (2017) Nora Twomey 6/10
Mary Magdalene (2018) Garth Davis 2/10
My Dearest Señorita (1972) Jaime de Arminan 6/10
End of Innocence (1957) Leopoldo Torre Nilssonn 7/10
Novitiate (2017) Maggie Betts 4/10
Justice is Done (1950) Andre Cayatte 6/10

Repeat viewings

Executive Suite (1954) Robert Wise 6/10
Golden Boy (1939) Rouben Mamoulian 6/10
Shark (1969) Samuel Fuller 6/10
Holiday (1938) George Cukor 6/10
Henri-Georges Cluzot's Inferno (2009) Serge Bramberg & Ruxanra Medrea 7/10
Murder, My Sweet (1944) Edward Dmytryk 6/10

[Precious Doll]

Giant (2017) Aitor Arregi & Jon Garano 5/10
The Mercy (2018) James Marsh 2/10
Ismael's Ghosts (2017) Arnaud Desplechin 1/10
The Death of Stalin (2017) Armando Iannucci 6/10
Normandy Nude (2018) Philippe LeGuay 4/10
Montparnasse Bienvenue (2017) Leonor Serraille 6/10
The Workshop (2017) Laurent Cantet 4/10
Thelma (2017) Joachim Trier 4/10
Losses to Be Expected (1992) Ulrich Seidl 7/10
La Prisonnière (1968) Henri-Georges Clouzot 6/10

Repeat viewings

Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) Monte Hellman 6/10
Vanishing Point (1971) Richard C. Sarafian 4/10
I Never Sang For My Father (1970) Gilbert Cates 6/10
Georgy Girl (1966) Silvio Narizzano 6/10
None But the Lonely Heart (1944) Clifford Odets 6/10

[Precious Doll]

Rodin (2017) Jacques Doillon 2/10
Barbara (2017) Mathieu Amalric 4/10
Tomorrow and Hereafter (2017) Noemie Lvovsky 1/10
Redoubtable (2017) Michel Hazanavicius 7/10
Number One (2017) Tonie Marshall 3/10
Maryline (2017) Guillaume Gallienne 4/10
Jungle (2017) Craig Mclean 3/10
Reinventing Marvin (2017) Anne Fontaine 6/10
Safari (2016) Ulrich Seidl 6/10
Casting JonBenet (2017) Kitty Green 7/10
State of the Nation: Austria in Six Chapters (2002) Barbara Albert, Michael Glawogger, Ulrich Seidl & Michael Sturminger 7/10
War in Vienna (1989) Michael Glawogger & Ulrich Seidl 6/10
Golden Years (2017) Andre Techine 3/10

Repeat viewings

The Ritz (1976) Richard Lester 7/10
Interlude (1957) Douglas Sirk 4/10
Electra Glide in Blue (1973) James William Guercio 6/10

[Precious Doll]

Black Panther (2018) Ryan Coogler 4/10
Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017) Dan Gilroy 7/10
Double Lover (2017) Francois Ozon 7/10
Madame Hyde (2018) Serge Bozon 4/10
Custody (2017) Xavier Legrand 8/10
Catch the Wind (2017) Gael Morel 4/10
The Guardians (2017) Xavier Beauvois 7/10

Repeat viewings

Home From the Hill (1960) Vincente Minnelli 4/10
Remember the Night (1940) Mitchell Leisen 6/10
David and Lisa (1962) Frank Perry 6/10
Johnny Belinda (1948) Jean Negulesco 9/10