Your Place or Mine (Aline Brosh McKenna, 2022) 7/10
Cute Rom-Com has an uptight single L.A. mom (Reese Witherspoon) and her 20-year best buddy (Ashton Kutcher), a serial womanizer in N.Y. exchange places for a week. She moves into his swanky Manhattan apartment while in town to sit for an exam while he babysits her son in L.A. He changes her son's life by encouraging him to eat all the wrong foods, watch a horror film ("Aliens") on tv and try out for the ice hockey team. She befriends his vivacious neighbor and ex-girlfriend (Zoë Chao), discovers an unpublished manuscript for a novel he has written, and shows it to a publisher (Jesse Williams) with whom she has a one night stand. Will they get together at the end? It wouldn't be a Rom-Com if they didn't. Despite having minimal scenes together - they just speak to each other via zoom calls across split screens, sort of like Rock Hudson & Doris Day many moons before - both Witherspoon (at her perky best) and Kutcher have delightful chemistry. And there are a whole bunch of songs on the soundtrack by The Cars which kind of adds the icing onto the plot.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (Kevin Reynolds, 1991) 7/10
Plodding, overlong film is nevertheless great fun. Kevin Costner, despite his American twang, makes a sometimes dashing, if often dull, Robin Hood (he won a Razzie) but is still a worthy successor in the role to Errol Flynn who appeared in the classic 1938 version. The historically dodgy screenplay brings interesting touches - introduction of a droll Moor sidekick (Morgan Freeman) who saves Robin from a dungeon in the Holy Land â la the Crusades, and a nasty but very witty and ruthless Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman):
Sherriff (to wench): You. My room. 10.30 tonight
Sheriff (to another wench): You. 10.45.....and bring a friend.
Intense gore - amputations, flogging, burnings, hangings, gougings, stabbings - are the order of the day as the Merry Men - Will Scarlett (Christian Slater - horrendous accent part II), Friar Tuck (Michael McShane), Little John (Nick Bimble) - join hands in battle with Robin against the evil Sherriff who hopes to take over the country in absence of King Richard (Sean Connery in a surprise cameo). Along for a bit of romance is lovely Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as the feisty Maid Marian while Bryan Adams sings his Oscar nominated song, "Everything I Do) I Do It for You". Spielberg's "Raiders of the Lost Ark" set the tone for most of the future action-adventure films and this one is in the same vein. The film's infamous moments involve a bare-arsed Costner taking a shower under a waterfall and Rickman rolling his eyes when interuppted during his rape of a spreadeagled Mastrantonio. Despite the film's murky cinematography there is much to admire on the production front with superb sets and costumes, but without doubt the saving grace of the film is Alan Rickman's demented, over-the-top, Bafta-winning performance who is delightfully evil and an antidote to the antiseptic Costner. And it is interesting to see the Moor, a Muslim, cleverer than all the heathens around him as he uses a binocular, helps a woman give birth to a breech baby and introduces gunpowder during the concluding battle.
Plane (Jean-François Richet, 2023) 6/10
Scottish actor Gerard Butler, like Irish Liam Neeson, has also made a career of playing lonesome simmering male characters who find themselves under extraordinarily dangerous circumstances. It's strictly B-movie territory with danger, thrills and many death defying moments that keep the audience on the edge of their seats. In order to get to the seat's edge you need to put your brain in neutral and suspend all sense of belief in order to enjoy the ride. Hell, if you can do it through those endless Marvel & DC inspired comic book movies then you can certainly do the same here. A commercial pilot (Gerard Butler), eager to meet up with his college age daughter in Hawaii, flies a plane (Yes, they used a lot of imagination while deciding on the film's title) from Manila to Honolulu via Tokyo for his family reunion. However, the plane journey disastrously goes astray when extreme turbulence followed by a lightning strike causes them to miraculously safely crash land on an island in the Philippines. Once on the ground their troubles only become bigger when the pilot and one of the passengers (Mike Colter) - a handcuffed prisoner wanted for a homicide - find themselves battling for survival against rebels on the island. The film easily skirts its potboiler elements with scenes of genuine thrills and suspense with full credit going to Butler who plays a protagonist who is a real flesh and blood character getting beat up but also dishing out with equal ferocity. The movie delivers exactly what it promises - a fun time at the movies. Nothing more and nothing less.
Big Guns (Duccio Tessari, 1973) 6/10
One of countless similarly themed Italian and/or French films with a plot that either involved a police procedural, the mafia, bitter cops or hitmen trying to go straight with most of them starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Franco Nero or Alain Delon. The latter here plays a hitman who wants to retire from the business but gets drawn in further when his bosses inadvertently kill his wife and son instead of him. The plot naturally segues into revenge mode with Delon giving his usual steel-eyed but dead pan performance as he takes on the mob bosses and their stooges played by an eclectic group of familar actors from the past - Anton Diffring, Roger Hanin, Marc Porel, Ettore Manni, Alberto Farnese, Umberto Orsini, and yesteryear Hollywood star Richard Conte. Carla Gravina is the moll who sides with Delon and gets thrashed around for doing just that. Interesting to see only ordinary cars used during the very natural chase sequences unlike in films today where the film's hero drives only luxury brands which the filmmaker's proceed to destroy during highly unrealistic action set pieces involving death-defying stunt work. Overlong but stylish film has many of the murders inspired by and shot as in "The Godfather" which was the gangster film that brought on countless imitations in its wake. Ornella Vanoni sings the memorable classic song, "L'Appuntamento", over the film's opening credits.
Yellowstone (Stephen Kay, John Dahl, Christina Alexandra Voros & Guy Ferland, 2020 - Season 3) 7/10
The season concentrates on issues related to land and how man goes to any length to get it. The on-going issues Native Americans still encounter with the White Man mainly boils down to a fight about land which has always been the case from the start. In addition the Dutton family continues to face various corporations trying to wrest control of their land. The season cliffhanger has a strong whiff of The Godfather, Part III.
Yellowstone (Stephen Kay, Guy Ferland, Christina Alexandra Voros & Taylor Sheridan, 2021-22 - Season 4) 7/10
A season full of reflection, introspection and revenge for the previous season end cliffhanger. And the fight continues against the land mafia. On the personal front a cowboy comes of age and leaves the ranch and a spur-of-the-moment wedding closes the season.
Le choc (Robin Davis, 1982) 6/10
A trenchcoat, a gun and a cigarette dangling from the mouth makes for the coolest image ever and achieved magnificently on screen by only two men - Humphrey Bogart and Alain Delon. When a hitman (Alain Delon) wants to retire from his life as a hired assassin the Organization won't let him. He hides out at one of his business investments in the countryside - a turkey farm - where he falls in love with the beautiful wife (Catherine Deneuve) of the farmer (Philippe Léotard). Returning to Paris to confront his employers he discovers they have looted all his money from the bank and demand they do one last job in return for all his money. This troubled production - Deneuve did not get along with the director so Delon directed all her scenes in the film - is fast paced if quite a tad predictable with a typical french sensibility about the world of crime it is set in. Routine film has the grand allure of watching these two beautiful stars do their thing - action and romance - which if you think carefully is not a bad way to spend an hour and a half. And where else would you ever get to see the sensual Deneuve play, of all things, a turkey farmer. Stéphane Audran has an amusing cameo as the assassin's cat-loving investment advisor.
Shotgun Wedding (Jason Moore, 2023) 5/10
A destination wedding on an island is beset by pirates and the bride (Jennifer Lopez) and groom (Josh Duhamel) come to the rescue of their guests who are being held hostage. Extremely silly film has Lopez grappling with grenades and shotguns as she scurries about in a diaphanous wedding dress that resembles a tent. Through all the chaos the couple manage to almost break up before coming together again. Loud animated performances by the supporting cast - Cheech Marin and an unrecognizable Sonia Braga as the bride's parents, Lenny Kravitz as her ex-boyfriend and Jennifer Coolidge as the groom's vulgar mother. Frantic nonsense seems over familiar and hence all the laughs fall flat.
Rosita (Ernst Lubitsch & Raoul Walsh, 1923) 7/10
For a change of pace Mary Pickford decided to dispense with playing a little girl on screen and imported Ernst Lubitsch from Europe to direct her as a fiery street singer in Seville who catches the eye of a lecherous king (Holbrook Blinn) and a nobleman (George Walsh). The director-star duo hated each other but the film proved to be a success. Based on the 19th century French opera "Don César de Bazan", the film, as per Pickford's insistence, was given spectacular production values by the studio. The Danish designer Sven Gade collaborated with William Cameron Menzies, to create a replica of Seville on the backlot while it was photographed by Charles Rosher. Although Pickford is no Pola Negri (who was the exotic star of various european Lubitsch films) she manages to hold her own in this often very witty film to which the director brings his special "touch".
Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Quiet Girl (2022) - 8/10 - A shy and withdrawn girl who doesn't get much attention at home is sent away to live with her mother's cousin during the summer until the girl's pregnant mother gives birth. During the summer, the girl finds the attention and affection that she had been missing. It's a fairly simple film, but I really liked the setting and the performance of the girl in the lead role.
Fanny (1932) - 8/10 - This picks up right after Marius ended and focuses on Fanny and how she deals with her new situation. I liked this film more than the previous one and think having Marius only appear for a small role was good.
César (1936) - 7.5/10 - 20 years have passed since the events in Fanny. Fanny's husband is dying and Fanny's son, Césariot, is grown up and about to join the army. Césariot seeks out Marius to try and find out what kind of person he is. Overall, I liked this and would put it on par with the first film in the trilogy and a step below the second.
Aftersun (2022) - 8/10 - A woman pieces together a vacation she took with her father to a Turkish resort when she was 11 using her memory and old videos that they took during the trip. Her father is dealing with a number of issues, but is doing his best to be a good dad and hold it together. It's clear that he loves his daughter a lot and that she returns the affection. Frankie Corio was excellent as 11 year old Sophie and Paul Mescal also did a nice job as her father. I liked the film quite a bit and suspect that I might like it even more if I rewatch it at some point.
Babylon (2022) - 8/10 - Life in Hollywood during the late 1920s/early 1930s seems to be one big drug fueled party, at least for a while. Many have dreams of making it big, whether through acting, making tons of money, or behind the camera. There is a ton of humor and the film seemed to fly by, even with a 3+ hour runtime. It doesn't all land, but much of it does and it is quite the spectacle.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - 8/10 - Puss in Boots is down to his last life and it makes him more cautious. Then he discovers a possible way to recover those lost lives and goes on a quest. It's a lot of fun.
Fire of Love (2022) - 8.5/10 - This film looks at Katia and Maurice Krafft, French volcanologists who traveled the world and studied volcanoes before, during, and after eruptions. A lot of their stunning footage of volcanoes is incorporated into the film and this, combined with other archival footage and the narration, paints a good picture of the couple. They spent about 20 years studying volcanoes before dying due to a volcano in Japan in 1991.
Tár (2022) - 8/10 - Cate Blanchett stars as a world renowned conductor who has a new book coming out and has plans to record Mahler's Fifth Symphony soon. She can be arrogant, callous, manipulative, and controlling in addition to being brilliant. We get to live in her world for quite some time before her eventual downfall, though the seeds are planted early in the film. Blanchett definitely earned her Best Actress nomination and I enjoyed the film quite a bit.
The Sea Beast (2022) - 8/10 - A very nice animated tale about a land where ships with 'Hunters' hunt giant sea beasts to keep a kingdom protected. This was has gone on for generations and there are many tales and storybooks about the exploit of the Hunters. One young orphan girl runs away from the orphanage to join the crew of the most accomplished ship. The animation is pretty nice, especially the parts with the sea, and I enjoyed the story.
RRR (2022) - 8.5/10 - When a sadistic governor and his equally sadistic wife take a young tribal girl away from her village, it set off a chain of events which involves two men who fight against the British Raj. The men have different approaches, but become close friends without knowing the true nature of the other. Sure it is ridiculously exaggerated and over the top at times, but it is still a lot of fun with the action sequences and humor and occasional songs. Heck, they even express their love of nachos in one big song and dance number.
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) - 8.5/10 - The film is very well acted and has nice cinematography. It does a good job depicting the senselessness and some of the horrors of WWI.
Glass Onion (2022) - 8/10 - An eccentric billionaire gets together with his friends on a Greek island for a murder mystery game. Benoit Blanc somehow also ends up with an invite. Janelle Monáe was pretty good here (as expected) and the story was pretty entertaining. I'd still give the edge to the first film, but I enjoyed this one, too.
L'Argent (1983) - 8/10 - When two teens pass off a fake 500 franc note at a photo shop, it sets off a chain of events that ruins the life of an honest man and leads him to a life of crime. It's a fast paced minimalist film.
Fanny (1932) - 8/10 - This picks up right after Marius ended and focuses on Fanny and how she deals with her new situation. I liked this film more than the previous one and think having Marius only appear for a small role was good.
César (1936) - 7.5/10 - 20 years have passed since the events in Fanny. Fanny's husband is dying and Fanny's son, Césariot, is grown up and about to join the army. Césariot seeks out Marius to try and find out what kind of person he is. Overall, I liked this and would put it on par with the first film in the trilogy and a step below the second.
Aftersun (2022) - 8/10 - A woman pieces together a vacation she took with her father to a Turkish resort when she was 11 using her memory and old videos that they took during the trip. Her father is dealing with a number of issues, but is doing his best to be a good dad and hold it together. It's clear that he loves his daughter a lot and that she returns the affection. Frankie Corio was excellent as 11 year old Sophie and Paul Mescal also did a nice job as her father. I liked the film quite a bit and suspect that I might like it even more if I rewatch it at some point.
Babylon (2022) - 8/10 - Life in Hollywood during the late 1920s/early 1930s seems to be one big drug fueled party, at least for a while. Many have dreams of making it big, whether through acting, making tons of money, or behind the camera. There is a ton of humor and the film seemed to fly by, even with a 3+ hour runtime. It doesn't all land, but much of it does and it is quite the spectacle.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - 8/10 - Puss in Boots is down to his last life and it makes him more cautious. Then he discovers a possible way to recover those lost lives and goes on a quest. It's a lot of fun.
Fire of Love (2022) - 8.5/10 - This film looks at Katia and Maurice Krafft, French volcanologists who traveled the world and studied volcanoes before, during, and after eruptions. A lot of their stunning footage of volcanoes is incorporated into the film and this, combined with other archival footage and the narration, paints a good picture of the couple. They spent about 20 years studying volcanoes before dying due to a volcano in Japan in 1991.
Tár (2022) - 8/10 - Cate Blanchett stars as a world renowned conductor who has a new book coming out and has plans to record Mahler's Fifth Symphony soon. She can be arrogant, callous, manipulative, and controlling in addition to being brilliant. We get to live in her world for quite some time before her eventual downfall, though the seeds are planted early in the film. Blanchett definitely earned her Best Actress nomination and I enjoyed the film quite a bit.
The Sea Beast (2022) - 8/10 - A very nice animated tale about a land where ships with 'Hunters' hunt giant sea beasts to keep a kingdom protected. This was has gone on for generations and there are many tales and storybooks about the exploit of the Hunters. One young orphan girl runs away from the orphanage to join the crew of the most accomplished ship. The animation is pretty nice, especially the parts with the sea, and I enjoyed the story.
RRR (2022) - 8.5/10 - When a sadistic governor and his equally sadistic wife take a young tribal girl away from her village, it set off a chain of events which involves two men who fight against the British Raj. The men have different approaches, but become close friends without knowing the true nature of the other. Sure it is ridiculously exaggerated and over the top at times, but it is still a lot of fun with the action sequences and humor and occasional songs. Heck, they even express their love of nachos in one big song and dance number.
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) - 8.5/10 - The film is very well acted and has nice cinematography. It does a good job depicting the senselessness and some of the horrors of WWI.
Glass Onion (2022) - 8/10 - An eccentric billionaire gets together with his friends on a Greek island for a murder mystery game. Benoit Blanc somehow also ends up with an invite. Janelle Monáe was pretty good here (as expected) and the story was pretty entertaining. I'd still give the edge to the first film, but I enjoyed this one, too.
L'Argent (1983) - 8/10 - When two teens pass off a fake 500 franc note at a photo shop, it sets off a chain of events that ruins the life of an honest man and leads him to a life of crime. It's a fast paced minimalist film.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Le dialogue des Carmélites (Philippe Agostini & Raymond Leopold Bruckberger, 1960) 7/10
The power and limits of faith get a look over in this true story taken from a stage play by Georges Bernanos, which in turn was adapted from the 1931 novel, La Dernière à l'échafaud, by Gertrud von Le Fort. The story is set in a Carmélite convent during the french revolution under Robespierre's Reign of Terror where the cloistered nuns are given an ultimatum to renounce their faith or face prosecution. The first half is deceptively calm as we see two postulant nuns join the order, the rituals involved in integrating them in, and the daily convent life conducted within the peaceful setting of cloistered halls and very small rooms occupied by the nuns. Death is first encountered when the gentle old Mother Superior (Madeleine Renaud) dies and her position is taken over by a foreign nun (Alida Valli). When the revolutionaries take over France the nuns are forced to decide which path to take. Renounce their faith or die - Pierre Brasseur is the flint-eyed commissaire de la République heading the tribunal. The nuns undertake a vote at the behest of a senior nun (Jeanne Moreau) to decide if they should renounce Christ or die. They willingly become martyrs in the name of Christian faith as their gruesome end is reflected on the horror-stricken face of the nun who instigated the vote but ends up staying alive as ordered to be the one to revive the Carmélite Order. Slow, hard going film is superbly acted and photographed. Jean-Louis Barrault, in a cameo, reprises his role of a mime which he once made famous in Marcel Carné's Les Enfants du Paradis (1945).
The Covered Wagon (James Cruze, 1923) 8/10
Historically important film was the first epic in the Western genre and its plot set the tone for what was to come in all subsequent films set in the Wild West - both silent and sound. Two covered wagon trains converge at Kansas City and move towards the Oregon Trail with some deciding to try their luck for gold in California. Intense heat, snow, food supplies running out, a buffalo hunt, a treacherous river crossing, and an attack by Native Indians are all part of the exciting screenplay which was how it was on these trails. At the center is a love triangle between the leader of one of the trains (J. Warren Kerrigan), the pretty daughter of the leader of the second train (Lois Wilson) and her villanous fiancé (Alan Hale). Cruze manages to cram a whole lot of plot into its relatively short running time with a mostly static camera capturing the story with almost a documentary-like realism.
Ray (2021)
Anthology series based on four short stories by Satyajit Ray highlighting ego, revenge, envy and betrayal - each is tweaked and brought into the present which drastically changes the tone of the original but gives the stories a modern perspective thus making them accessible to a younger generation.
a) Forget Me Not (Srijit Mukherji, 2021) 8/10
Spooky Twilight Zone-like episode about a hotshot entrepreneur (Ali Fazal) with a razor sharp memory who to his annoyance finds he can no longer recall certain parts of his past life. This is triggered at a bar where a woman approaches him, greets him fondly and speaks about a sexual tryst they had some years back while staying at a hotel in Aurangabad where they also visited the Ajanta caves. Thinking it's some kind of joke he rudely disses the woman but is shocked to see her name listed on his phone when she calls him from across the room. Matters keep getting worse as he starts forgetting to attend meetings. And then there is a secretary who aborted his child upon his say so and his dear college friend whom he discovers working as an elevator operator and to whom he offers a job at his company as a ....lowly peon. Is he stressed out or is it an early form of dementia? Or is he being made a victim of a revenge plot? Shot mostly inside board rooms, and at night with the camera panning the Mumbai skyline - the episode's stunning opening inside the bar - and at the spectacular Ajanta caves. Based on the Bengali short story "Bipin Chowdhury'r Smritibhrom" (Bipin Chowdhury’s Memory Loss).
b) Bahrupiya (Srijit Mukherji, 2021) 7/10
A downtrodden low paid makeup artist (Kay Kay Menon) inherits a small fortune and a book on prosthetics from his beloved late grandmother and uses the art of makeup to transform his personality and life but gets carried away and lives to regret it. This psychological thriller has echoes of "Frankenstein". Menon is outstanding. Based on Ray's short story "Bahurupi"
(Chameleon).
c) Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa (Abhishek Chaubey, 2021) 8/10
A renowned poet and singer (Manoj Bajpayee), traveling on a train from Bhopal to Delhi, encounters a wrestler turned sports journalist (Gajraj Rao) with whom he had a previous encounter which the latter recalls and brings up a past embarrasing indiscretion. Poetry by Ghalib and Ahmad Faraz which Bajpayee recites with perfect urdu diction. Based on Ray's short story "Barin Bhowmick-er Byaram" (Barin Bhowmick's Ailment).
d) Spotlight (Vasan Bala, 2021) 4/10
Popular film star (Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor), already under pressure after being panned by critics for always maintaining the same look on screen, has an existential crisis after meeting Didi (Radhika Madan) a revered cult leader. Kafkaesque in its tone this is the least interesting episode
An Action Hero (Anirudh Iyer, 2022) 8/10
Ayushmann Khurrana who plays the proverbial non-action "everyman" in Bollywood films sends up the Bollywood action-hero in this clever action flick. He has the look and attitude down right - shaved chest protruding through open buttons on his shirt, a look that consists of arrogance with a slight smirk, and macho posturing that includes swigging whiskey straight from the bottle - which could be an homage to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan except the portrayal almost seems closer to a hilarious parody. The star suddenly finds himself in over his head when he fails to pose for a photograph with a fawning fan who just happens to be the brother of a nasty local politician (Jaideep Ahlawat) who has allowed his factory premises as a location for a fight sequence. A chase ensues - the star in his recently delivered Mustang and the goon in his Fortuner - which ends up inadvertently with the latter's death. The plot shifts into revenge mode as our action-hero takes flight to the UK with the politician in hot pursuit. The wicked screenplay takes assorted digs at the ruthlessly hypocritical Indian media, movie stardom and its reverberation on the public, and the hilarious concept of machismo and how it plays a role in an actor's real life. There is an interesting and hilarious look at on-screen vs off-screen brawling - super cool as the film's hero beats up a never-ending stream of goons on screen versus the painful reality of getting seriously bruised during an off-screen skirmish. Both merge into the other as the film progresses with the introduction of a Pakistani Don and an item number - no less than the late Pakistani singer Nazia Hassan's iconic "Aap Jaisa Koi" - danced by the statuesquely sexy Malaika Arora dressed in a figure hugging lime green mini-dress with a tight neckline that does full justice to breasts that seem to be on the verge of bursting out in truly spectacular fashion. That they don't is full marks to the costume designer and the fabric used for that outfit. Quirky film uses unusual location shots in England (Portsmouth & the Isle of Wight), has witty dialogue and great chemistry between Khurrana and his nemesis - the Haryanvi-spouting Jaideep Ahlawat. Great fun.
The New Daughter (Luis Berdejo, 2009) 5/10
Recently divorced writer (Kevin Costner) moves his teenage daughter and young son to a secluded mansion in the backwoods of South Carolina. We need not answer the first question that springs to mind as to why would a single parent do just that - choose to live in isolation in a huge house. An Indian burial ground in the backyard eventually signals every horror trope in the book with the daughter getting possessed by something sinister. Adding to this is writer's block and a testy relationship with his daughter who refers to her wayward mother as a slut - Mom abandoned them all by running off with another man. Slow film manages to overcome the clichés of the genre (decapitated pet cat, straw voodoo doll, weird sprouting acne on the teen's back) by creating an ominous mood that involves night walkers and their need to procreate using a female as their vessel. Costner sleep walks through all the mayhem which is carefully disguised by shooting in the dark so the walkers can only be heard but not really seen.
Safety Last (Fred C. Newmeyer & Sam Taylor, 1923) 6/10
Silent comedy with its preponderance of sight gags is really not my forte. So technically this, for me, cancels out Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and the star of this one - the white-faced, straw hat-wearing, horn-rimmed bespectacled Harold Lloyd. However, having resisted many of the "classics" from this genre I thought its time to give them a serious look-in. Lloyd was basically a stunt performer and the plots of his films put him in outrageously dangerous situations as he precariously climbs or dangles from a building or participates in a chase sequence. This film has the iconic shot of him hanging from the hand of a giant clock high up on a building which he proceeds to climb from the outside as a stunt to win money for attracting a crowd to the store inside the building. Lloyd's real-life wife, Mildred Davis, appears as his lady love on screen and gets to kiss him at the fade-out as they walk away holding hands. Dramatic camera angles create the illusion of Lloyd in precarious positions high up on the ledge or was that really the actor performing those death defying stunts? The film's early scenes with Lloyd in pratfall mode while playing a cat-and-mouse game with the store manager or trying to impress his girlfriend are no longer fresh but the film's last act on the building remains a tour-de-force of stunt acting for which this comedy is rightfully remembered today as a classic from the silent age of comedy.
Yellowstone (Taylor Sheridan, 2018 - Season 1) 8/10
Ruthless rancher (Kevin Costner) holds sway over large land holdings alienating and enticing local Native Americans and land developers to try and wrest control from him. Aiding and abetting him, at various times, are his kids - his eldest son (who is killed during the opening), his bitter and abrasive daughter (Kelly Reilly), his younger alienated son (Luke Grimes), his adopted politician-lawyer son (Wes Bentley), and his loyal and trusted foreman (Cole Hauser). There is murder, suicide, sex, grizzly bears and knockout brawls. Costner plays a variation of JR in "Dallas" & the plot and characters have more than a whiff of "The Godfather". Stunning location shots of Montana and Utah.
Yellowstone (Ed Bianchi, Stephen Kay, John Dahl, Ben Richardson & Guy Ferland, 2019 - Season 2) 8/10
The series continues its mix of family melodrama and tough, brutal business negotiations that invariably end up in bloodshed. Every character is deeply flawed and badly scarred as they go about their way in the world. Costner brings a quiet compelling intensity to his part as the aging patriarch surrounded by cutthroat vultures trying to bring down his empire and his brood of kids with massive personal issues of their own.
Babylon (Damien Chazelle, 2022) 5/10
Hollywood was a happening place way back during the 1920s where anything could happen and did. Tinseltown was populated by the likes of a suave silent matinée idol (Brad Pitt) who passes himself off as an exotic Italian even to his many wives, an ambitious starlet (Margot Robbie) desperate to be a star, an obese ageing actor who likes to be bathed in golden showers by a starlet straddling his naked tummy, a Mexican film assistant (Diego Calva) who wants a bigger role in the movies, a gossip journalist (Jean Smart), a lesbian Chinese-American cabaret singer (Li Jun Li) who sings about pussies, a black jazz trumpeter (Jovan Adepo) and various directors, producers, a mob boss (Tobey Maguire) and assorted studio executives. There are also drug and sex addicts, and even a defecating elephant. Chazelle's epic film covers just about everyone with almost every character an amalgam of someone who really did populate Hollywood back then. The screenplay shows how capitalist greed makes people willing to completely overhaul their original personas - many times to their accute detriment - in order to participate in the American dream of upward mobility. And in doing so often achieving it by paying a very heavy price. Stunning production values - sets, costumes and score are tops - do not overcome what is basically a bloated 3-hour film that bombed at the boxoffice.
The power and limits of faith get a look over in this true story taken from a stage play by Georges Bernanos, which in turn was adapted from the 1931 novel, La Dernière à l'échafaud, by Gertrud von Le Fort. The story is set in a Carmélite convent during the french revolution under Robespierre's Reign of Terror where the cloistered nuns are given an ultimatum to renounce their faith or face prosecution. The first half is deceptively calm as we see two postulant nuns join the order, the rituals involved in integrating them in, and the daily convent life conducted within the peaceful setting of cloistered halls and very small rooms occupied by the nuns. Death is first encountered when the gentle old Mother Superior (Madeleine Renaud) dies and her position is taken over by a foreign nun (Alida Valli). When the revolutionaries take over France the nuns are forced to decide which path to take. Renounce their faith or die - Pierre Brasseur is the flint-eyed commissaire de la République heading the tribunal. The nuns undertake a vote at the behest of a senior nun (Jeanne Moreau) to decide if they should renounce Christ or die. They willingly become martyrs in the name of Christian faith as their gruesome end is reflected on the horror-stricken face of the nun who instigated the vote but ends up staying alive as ordered to be the one to revive the Carmélite Order. Slow, hard going film is superbly acted and photographed. Jean-Louis Barrault, in a cameo, reprises his role of a mime which he once made famous in Marcel Carné's Les Enfants du Paradis (1945).
The Covered Wagon (James Cruze, 1923) 8/10
Historically important film was the first epic in the Western genre and its plot set the tone for what was to come in all subsequent films set in the Wild West - both silent and sound. Two covered wagon trains converge at Kansas City and move towards the Oregon Trail with some deciding to try their luck for gold in California. Intense heat, snow, food supplies running out, a buffalo hunt, a treacherous river crossing, and an attack by Native Indians are all part of the exciting screenplay which was how it was on these trails. At the center is a love triangle between the leader of one of the trains (J. Warren Kerrigan), the pretty daughter of the leader of the second train (Lois Wilson) and her villanous fiancé (Alan Hale). Cruze manages to cram a whole lot of plot into its relatively short running time with a mostly static camera capturing the story with almost a documentary-like realism.
Ray (2021)
Anthology series based on four short stories by Satyajit Ray highlighting ego, revenge, envy and betrayal - each is tweaked and brought into the present which drastically changes the tone of the original but gives the stories a modern perspective thus making them accessible to a younger generation.
a) Forget Me Not (Srijit Mukherji, 2021) 8/10
Spooky Twilight Zone-like episode about a hotshot entrepreneur (Ali Fazal) with a razor sharp memory who to his annoyance finds he can no longer recall certain parts of his past life. This is triggered at a bar where a woman approaches him, greets him fondly and speaks about a sexual tryst they had some years back while staying at a hotel in Aurangabad where they also visited the Ajanta caves. Thinking it's some kind of joke he rudely disses the woman but is shocked to see her name listed on his phone when she calls him from across the room. Matters keep getting worse as he starts forgetting to attend meetings. And then there is a secretary who aborted his child upon his say so and his dear college friend whom he discovers working as an elevator operator and to whom he offers a job at his company as a ....lowly peon. Is he stressed out or is it an early form of dementia? Or is he being made a victim of a revenge plot? Shot mostly inside board rooms, and at night with the camera panning the Mumbai skyline - the episode's stunning opening inside the bar - and at the spectacular Ajanta caves. Based on the Bengali short story "Bipin Chowdhury'r Smritibhrom" (Bipin Chowdhury’s Memory Loss).
b) Bahrupiya (Srijit Mukherji, 2021) 7/10
A downtrodden low paid makeup artist (Kay Kay Menon) inherits a small fortune and a book on prosthetics from his beloved late grandmother and uses the art of makeup to transform his personality and life but gets carried away and lives to regret it. This psychological thriller has echoes of "Frankenstein". Menon is outstanding. Based on Ray's short story "Bahurupi"
(Chameleon).
c) Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa (Abhishek Chaubey, 2021) 8/10
A renowned poet and singer (Manoj Bajpayee), traveling on a train from Bhopal to Delhi, encounters a wrestler turned sports journalist (Gajraj Rao) with whom he had a previous encounter which the latter recalls and brings up a past embarrasing indiscretion. Poetry by Ghalib and Ahmad Faraz which Bajpayee recites with perfect urdu diction. Based on Ray's short story "Barin Bhowmick-er Byaram" (Barin Bhowmick's Ailment).
d) Spotlight (Vasan Bala, 2021) 4/10
Popular film star (Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor), already under pressure after being panned by critics for always maintaining the same look on screen, has an existential crisis after meeting Didi (Radhika Madan) a revered cult leader. Kafkaesque in its tone this is the least interesting episode
An Action Hero (Anirudh Iyer, 2022) 8/10
Ayushmann Khurrana who plays the proverbial non-action "everyman" in Bollywood films sends up the Bollywood action-hero in this clever action flick. He has the look and attitude down right - shaved chest protruding through open buttons on his shirt, a look that consists of arrogance with a slight smirk, and macho posturing that includes swigging whiskey straight from the bottle - which could be an homage to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan except the portrayal almost seems closer to a hilarious parody. The star suddenly finds himself in over his head when he fails to pose for a photograph with a fawning fan who just happens to be the brother of a nasty local politician (Jaideep Ahlawat) who has allowed his factory premises as a location for a fight sequence. A chase ensues - the star in his recently delivered Mustang and the goon in his Fortuner - which ends up inadvertently with the latter's death. The plot shifts into revenge mode as our action-hero takes flight to the UK with the politician in hot pursuit. The wicked screenplay takes assorted digs at the ruthlessly hypocritical Indian media, movie stardom and its reverberation on the public, and the hilarious concept of machismo and how it plays a role in an actor's real life. There is an interesting and hilarious look at on-screen vs off-screen brawling - super cool as the film's hero beats up a never-ending stream of goons on screen versus the painful reality of getting seriously bruised during an off-screen skirmish. Both merge into the other as the film progresses with the introduction of a Pakistani Don and an item number - no less than the late Pakistani singer Nazia Hassan's iconic "Aap Jaisa Koi" - danced by the statuesquely sexy Malaika Arora dressed in a figure hugging lime green mini-dress with a tight neckline that does full justice to breasts that seem to be on the verge of bursting out in truly spectacular fashion. That they don't is full marks to the costume designer and the fabric used for that outfit. Quirky film uses unusual location shots in England (Portsmouth & the Isle of Wight), has witty dialogue and great chemistry between Khurrana and his nemesis - the Haryanvi-spouting Jaideep Ahlawat. Great fun.
The New Daughter (Luis Berdejo, 2009) 5/10
Recently divorced writer (Kevin Costner) moves his teenage daughter and young son to a secluded mansion in the backwoods of South Carolina. We need not answer the first question that springs to mind as to why would a single parent do just that - choose to live in isolation in a huge house. An Indian burial ground in the backyard eventually signals every horror trope in the book with the daughter getting possessed by something sinister. Adding to this is writer's block and a testy relationship with his daughter who refers to her wayward mother as a slut - Mom abandoned them all by running off with another man. Slow film manages to overcome the clichés of the genre (decapitated pet cat, straw voodoo doll, weird sprouting acne on the teen's back) by creating an ominous mood that involves night walkers and their need to procreate using a female as their vessel. Costner sleep walks through all the mayhem which is carefully disguised by shooting in the dark so the walkers can only be heard but not really seen.
Safety Last (Fred C. Newmeyer & Sam Taylor, 1923) 6/10
Silent comedy with its preponderance of sight gags is really not my forte. So technically this, for me, cancels out Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and the star of this one - the white-faced, straw hat-wearing, horn-rimmed bespectacled Harold Lloyd. However, having resisted many of the "classics" from this genre I thought its time to give them a serious look-in. Lloyd was basically a stunt performer and the plots of his films put him in outrageously dangerous situations as he precariously climbs or dangles from a building or participates in a chase sequence. This film has the iconic shot of him hanging from the hand of a giant clock high up on a building which he proceeds to climb from the outside as a stunt to win money for attracting a crowd to the store inside the building. Lloyd's real-life wife, Mildred Davis, appears as his lady love on screen and gets to kiss him at the fade-out as they walk away holding hands. Dramatic camera angles create the illusion of Lloyd in precarious positions high up on the ledge or was that really the actor performing those death defying stunts? The film's early scenes with Lloyd in pratfall mode while playing a cat-and-mouse game with the store manager or trying to impress his girlfriend are no longer fresh but the film's last act on the building remains a tour-de-force of stunt acting for which this comedy is rightfully remembered today as a classic from the silent age of comedy.
Yellowstone (Taylor Sheridan, 2018 - Season 1) 8/10
Ruthless rancher (Kevin Costner) holds sway over large land holdings alienating and enticing local Native Americans and land developers to try and wrest control from him. Aiding and abetting him, at various times, are his kids - his eldest son (who is killed during the opening), his bitter and abrasive daughter (Kelly Reilly), his younger alienated son (Luke Grimes), his adopted politician-lawyer son (Wes Bentley), and his loyal and trusted foreman (Cole Hauser). There is murder, suicide, sex, grizzly bears and knockout brawls. Costner plays a variation of JR in "Dallas" & the plot and characters have more than a whiff of "The Godfather". Stunning location shots of Montana and Utah.
Yellowstone (Ed Bianchi, Stephen Kay, John Dahl, Ben Richardson & Guy Ferland, 2019 - Season 2) 8/10
The series continues its mix of family melodrama and tough, brutal business negotiations that invariably end up in bloodshed. Every character is deeply flawed and badly scarred as they go about their way in the world. Costner brings a quiet compelling intensity to his part as the aging patriarch surrounded by cutthroat vultures trying to bring down his empire and his brood of kids with massive personal issues of their own.
Babylon (Damien Chazelle, 2022) 5/10
Hollywood was a happening place way back during the 1920s where anything could happen and did. Tinseltown was populated by the likes of a suave silent matinée idol (Brad Pitt) who passes himself off as an exotic Italian even to his many wives, an ambitious starlet (Margot Robbie) desperate to be a star, an obese ageing actor who likes to be bathed in golden showers by a starlet straddling his naked tummy, a Mexican film assistant (Diego Calva) who wants a bigger role in the movies, a gossip journalist (Jean Smart), a lesbian Chinese-American cabaret singer (Li Jun Li) who sings about pussies, a black jazz trumpeter (Jovan Adepo) and various directors, producers, a mob boss (Tobey Maguire) and assorted studio executives. There are also drug and sex addicts, and even a defecating elephant. Chazelle's epic film covers just about everyone with almost every character an amalgam of someone who really did populate Hollywood back then. The screenplay shows how capitalist greed makes people willing to completely overhaul their original personas - many times to their accute detriment - in order to participate in the American dream of upward mobility. And in doing so often achieving it by paying a very heavy price. Stunning production values - sets, costumes and score are tops - do not overcome what is basically a bloated 3-hour film that bombed at the boxoffice.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Summer Time Machine Blues (2005) - 7.5/10 - The members of a scifi club are unhappy when the remote for their air conditioner stops working and they may be forced to spend the sweltering summer without the benefit of cooler air. Then a time machine appears and they concoct a plan to use it to retrieve the remote and save their summer. It takes a while for this film to really get going, but once it does, I enjoyed the overlapping timelines, quirky humor, and various characters.
Triangle of Sadness (2022) - 7.5/10 - A male model and his controlling social media influencer girlfriend get invited to take a trip on a yacht with a group of very rich (and not necessarily well behaved) people. Things go well at first, but take a turn for the worse. I didn't really enjoy the opening section of the movie, but started liking it quite a bit more once they got on the yacht
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022) - 7.5/10 - A cleaning woman (and war widow) in 1950s London becomes infatuated with owning a Christian Dior dress and travels to Paris to buy one, making a number of friends along the way. Leslie Manville does a nice job as Mrs. Harris. The movie is old-fashioned and doesn't really add anything new, but it's pleasant to watch and a good way to spend a couple of hours. The costumes are also very nice.
The Fabelmans (2022) - 8.5/10 - I've read various mixed reactions to Stephen Spielberg's film based on his youth, but I enjoyed it. Gabriel Labelle is really good as Sammy Fabelman. I also liked Michelle Williams and Paul Dano as his parents. Judd Hirsch was good in his brief role as Uncle Boris, but it seemed like a very small role to get an Academy Award nomination.
La Chienne (1931) - 8/10 - A middle aged cashier with a domineering wife falls for a pretty woman who happens to be a prostitute who is in love with her pimp. The pimp has the woman start a relationship with the man to try and get money out of him. The cashier paints as a hobby and this also comes into play. I like Fritz Lang's version (Scarlet Street) more, but this is a pretty good film.
Certified Copy (2010) - 8/10 - A British author is giving a speech in Tuscany about his latest book. The book is about original art and copies of original art and whether there is really any difference between the two. A woman is in the front row for the speech, but has to leave due to her son's behavior so she leaves her number with the author's friend. The woman meets with the author the next day and they spend the day driving and walking around to various places. It's an interesting film with a bit of mystery thrown in about their relationship.
Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood (2022) - 7.5/10 - In 1969, a 4th grader is recruited by NASA for a special mission to the moon in advance of the Apollo 11 mission in the science fiction fantasy. The film has the man narrating the story of his childhood during this time and it does a pretty good job capturing the feel of the era.
Triangle of Sadness (2022) - 7.5/10 - A male model and his controlling social media influencer girlfriend get invited to take a trip on a yacht with a group of very rich (and not necessarily well behaved) people. Things go well at first, but take a turn for the worse. I didn't really enjoy the opening section of the movie, but started liking it quite a bit more once they got on the yacht
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022) - 7.5/10 - A cleaning woman (and war widow) in 1950s London becomes infatuated with owning a Christian Dior dress and travels to Paris to buy one, making a number of friends along the way. Leslie Manville does a nice job as Mrs. Harris. The movie is old-fashioned and doesn't really add anything new, but it's pleasant to watch and a good way to spend a couple of hours. The costumes are also very nice.
The Fabelmans (2022) - 8.5/10 - I've read various mixed reactions to Stephen Spielberg's film based on his youth, but I enjoyed it. Gabriel Labelle is really good as Sammy Fabelman. I also liked Michelle Williams and Paul Dano as his parents. Judd Hirsch was good in his brief role as Uncle Boris, but it seemed like a very small role to get an Academy Award nomination.
La Chienne (1931) - 8/10 - A middle aged cashier with a domineering wife falls for a pretty woman who happens to be a prostitute who is in love with her pimp. The pimp has the woman start a relationship with the man to try and get money out of him. The cashier paints as a hobby and this also comes into play. I like Fritz Lang's version (Scarlet Street) more, but this is a pretty good film.
Certified Copy (2010) - 8/10 - A British author is giving a speech in Tuscany about his latest book. The book is about original art and copies of original art and whether there is really any difference between the two. A woman is in the front row for the speech, but has to leave due to her son's behavior so she leaves her number with the author's friend. The woman meets with the author the next day and they spend the day driving and walking around to various places. It's an interesting film with a bit of mystery thrown in about their relationship.
Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood (2022) - 7.5/10 - In 1969, a 4th grader is recruited by NASA for a special mission to the moon in advance of the Apollo 11 mission in the science fiction fantasy. The film has the man narrating the story of his childhood during this time and it does a pretty good job capturing the feel of the era.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Pathaan (Siddharth Anand, 2023) 8/10
What can you say about the dynamics of a Bollywood action-adventure film in which the breasts of both leading men - the deadly Pathaan (Shah Rukh Khan) and his adversary a rogue RAW agent (John Abraham) - are bigger and more supple than those of their sexy leading lady. The two actors face-off and go shirtless while shamelessly showing off their set of strong bands of muscles lining the walls of their abdomen. A homo-erotic pas de deux where ballet steps are not the order of the day but flexing of muscles and dangling huge guns while riding the rooftop of a bus or hanging off a helicopter turn the bronzed twosome into boys comparing the size of their genitals. Poor Deepika Padukone (as a Pakistani ex-ISI agent) tries hard to attract attention with her enticing dance steps - during the celebrated dance number "Besharam Rang" - using an assortment of flimsy revealing outfits to help in her quest. Truth be told she is a heavenly vision especially in that saffron coloured two-piece bathing suit that caused many Modi-inspired politicians and goons in India to break into a sweat-induced hissy fit as they urged the powers that be to ban the film. Was it that sexy saffron outfit that had them in a tizzy or was it the fact that Shah Rukh Khan, THE Muslim actor, was making his comeback on the big screen after four long years? The fact is that the film is a stupendous hit even if the Director Siddharth Anand channels his own previous film "War" - the slow-mo star entrances (he did that with Hrithik Roshan & Tiger Shroff), the hit song on the waterfront with the sexy babe (Vaani Kapoor did the honours wearing next to nothing) - and for safe measure fearlessly rehashes the "Mission Impossible" and "James Bond" franchises to quite positive results. Shah Rukh is certainly back with a vengeance looking rather grungy with long straggly hair but seriously buffed up as he quips, smiles and plays action hero with aplomb. Lovely Dimple Kapadia is the perfect personification of "M" while both John Abraham and Deepika Padukone are kick-ass during the completely over-the-top action sequences with and without the sometimes wobbly VFX. Hey, this ain't Shakespeare so you need to put logic totally aside before venturing into the film. And then the film pulls out the icing on the cake as a former franchise gets to rub shoulders with this one with the amusing cameo appearance of Tiger (Salman Khan). Its a film with very many paisa vasool moments barring the few moments that sag which one can ignore. Tiger may be zinda but Pathaan is most certainly back!!
Gorky Park (Michael Apted, 1983) 7/10
Helsinki substitutes for pre-perestroika & pre-glasnost Moscow in the film because Russian authorities refused to allow this Hollywood production access to actual locations claiming that the three ruthless murders in Gorky Park that open the story could never have taken place in Russia. Michael Cruz Smith's best-selling novel comes flying through with drab colours and moods hell bent on keeping the plot's tone in perfect sync to that. The police procedural is headed by a methodical and relentless cop (William Hurt intoning with a Brit accent) who deduces the identities of the faceless, bullet-ridden corpses and suspects the involvement of a rich American businessman (Lee Marvin) and a beautiful young woman (Joanna Pacula) who may or may not be connected to the export of sable for its prized fur. After two hours the "Russian" drabness - the architecture, the characters and their moods - begin to grate one's nerves. An eclectic cast of character actors - Brian Dennehy, Ian Bannen, Michael Elphik, Richard Griffiths, Alexander Knox, Ian McDiarmid - bring much needed colour to the proceedings, while Lee Marvin alone brings a strong touch of wit and glamour to the film by way of his performance. Maybe I'm imagining it but the ending has a lovely whiff of Pasternak's "Doctor Zhivago" followed by Hurt finally smiling sweetly as he releases the frisky sables as Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake waltz plays dramatically on the soundtrack.
Reunion in France (Jules Dassin, 1942) 7/10
The first of two propaganda war efforts by Joan Crawford (she followed immediately with "Above Suspicion" the following year and was promptly fired by MGM) has her dressed to the nines in gowns by Irene while being flippant with Nazis in Paris. Many moments of the star also very dewey-eyed as she rattles of important dialogue which aims to keep the morale high not just for France but also for the Yanks who were by then finally ensconsed in the thick of war after first trying to avoid being part of the German fracas on the Continent. John Wayne was rather odd casting opposite La Crawford (apparently she tried to seduce him off the set but he did not respond) and appears over 40 minutes into the film. However, it would be the last time he would be billed second to a female co-star. The plot involves a spoiled rich girl (Joan Crawford) - she doesn't ask for cake but initially comes off as superficial and silly as the myth surrounding Marie Antoinette - who arrives in Paris to discover her lover (Philip Dorn) is in thick with the Nazi menace, helps a downed American flyer (a miscast John Wayne), and returns to her lover after discovering some positive news about him. The Nazis are shown as the buffoons they were very much not although the screenplay does manage to create a sense of danger and suspense despite Miss Crawford's impeccably coiffured hair not making a single dent as she is roughed up, and gets to drive a getaway car as Nazi bullets are fired in her direction. Jules Dassin, who is at the helm, would years down the line go on to much greater glory with "Rififi", and with marriage to Melina Mercouri result in her deliciously over-the-top performances in "Never on Sunday", "Phaedra" and "Topkapi" amongst many other films he would lovingly direct for his greek-goddess lover and eventual bride. John Carradine plays a menacing Nazi while Wayne amusingly addresses one particularly nasty one as "bub".
Above Suspicion (Richard Thorpe, 1943) 7/10
Crawford does Nancy Drew in this adaptation of Helen MacInnes' espionage thriller which was in keeping with the WWII propaganda films then prevalent courtesy of Hollywood. Oxford University professor (Fred MacMurray) and his newly wedded wife (Joan Crawford) are roped in by one of his foreign office friends to do a spot of spying on the Continent while on their honeymoon. They are to use clues to find a missing scientist who has developed an antidote to a newly developed Nazi weapon. The game is on and Joan giddily gets into spy mode as if she is at a scavenger hunt. It was her last film at MGM where she was unceremoniously fired before jump-starting her career later at Warners. Adding some heat to the proceedings are Basil Rathbone as the Professor's former schoolmate now the ruthless Gestapo chief and Conrad Veidt (in his last role - he died soon after the film's shoot) who surprisingly plays against type. Typical WWII fluff has the two stars effortlessly traipsing through studio-bound sets depicting Oxford, Paris, Salzburg and the Italian Alps. Great fun!
EO (Jerzy Skolimowski, 2022) 7/10
Skolimowski's film, part narrative and part documentary, is a plea against man's ill-treatment of defenceless animals. It is inspired by and an homage to Robert Bresson's Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) and follows the life of a circus donkey whose ownership keeps changing hands. The film takes in flashbacks from the donkey's point of view as we see him being loved by his first owner - a beautiful circus performer who is forced to let go of him when townfolk protest against animals in captivity who are made to perform under torture. The circus is forced to sell the donkey who ends up in a sanctuary, is then captured in the streets and becomes a mascot for a football team, gets beaten up by hooligans, is captured by a gang trading in illegal horse and donkey meat, and finally manages to find shelter and peace at the home of a haughty aristocrat (Isabelle Huppert). The film uses drones to photograph the countryside surrounding the donkey in spectacular fashion. The camera sweeps upwards and downwards giving the story an almost romantic visage while the screenplay makes you question man's inhumanity while showing the animal in all its stubborn innocence. The donkey serves as a comment on human behaviour. This Polish film was nominated for an Oscar in the International Feature category.
Armageddon Time (James Gray, 2022) 6/10
Understated, if bittersweet, memory piece looks at a jewish family - Mom (Anne Hathaway), Dad (Jeremy Strong), Grandfather (Anthony Hopkins) - through the eyes of a young impressionable boy whose coming-of-age takes place during the 1980s in Queens, New York. Tough life lessons (race, class, prejudice) and his close friendship with an impoverished young black friend help shape his character into the artist he eventually becomes. Predictable but heartwarming little film is well acted by the entire cast.
What can you say about the dynamics of a Bollywood action-adventure film in which the breasts of both leading men - the deadly Pathaan (Shah Rukh Khan) and his adversary a rogue RAW agent (John Abraham) - are bigger and more supple than those of their sexy leading lady. The two actors face-off and go shirtless while shamelessly showing off their set of strong bands of muscles lining the walls of their abdomen. A homo-erotic pas de deux where ballet steps are not the order of the day but flexing of muscles and dangling huge guns while riding the rooftop of a bus or hanging off a helicopter turn the bronzed twosome into boys comparing the size of their genitals. Poor Deepika Padukone (as a Pakistani ex-ISI agent) tries hard to attract attention with her enticing dance steps - during the celebrated dance number "Besharam Rang" - using an assortment of flimsy revealing outfits to help in her quest. Truth be told she is a heavenly vision especially in that saffron coloured two-piece bathing suit that caused many Modi-inspired politicians and goons in India to break into a sweat-induced hissy fit as they urged the powers that be to ban the film. Was it that sexy saffron outfit that had them in a tizzy or was it the fact that Shah Rukh Khan, THE Muslim actor, was making his comeback on the big screen after four long years? The fact is that the film is a stupendous hit even if the Director Siddharth Anand channels his own previous film "War" - the slow-mo star entrances (he did that with Hrithik Roshan & Tiger Shroff), the hit song on the waterfront with the sexy babe (Vaani Kapoor did the honours wearing next to nothing) - and for safe measure fearlessly rehashes the "Mission Impossible" and "James Bond" franchises to quite positive results. Shah Rukh is certainly back with a vengeance looking rather grungy with long straggly hair but seriously buffed up as he quips, smiles and plays action hero with aplomb. Lovely Dimple Kapadia is the perfect personification of "M" while both John Abraham and Deepika Padukone are kick-ass during the completely over-the-top action sequences with and without the sometimes wobbly VFX. Hey, this ain't Shakespeare so you need to put logic totally aside before venturing into the film. And then the film pulls out the icing on the cake as a former franchise gets to rub shoulders with this one with the amusing cameo appearance of Tiger (Salman Khan). Its a film with very many paisa vasool moments barring the few moments that sag which one can ignore. Tiger may be zinda but Pathaan is most certainly back!!
Gorky Park (Michael Apted, 1983) 7/10
Helsinki substitutes for pre-perestroika & pre-glasnost Moscow in the film because Russian authorities refused to allow this Hollywood production access to actual locations claiming that the three ruthless murders in Gorky Park that open the story could never have taken place in Russia. Michael Cruz Smith's best-selling novel comes flying through with drab colours and moods hell bent on keeping the plot's tone in perfect sync to that. The police procedural is headed by a methodical and relentless cop (William Hurt intoning with a Brit accent) who deduces the identities of the faceless, bullet-ridden corpses and suspects the involvement of a rich American businessman (Lee Marvin) and a beautiful young woman (Joanna Pacula) who may or may not be connected to the export of sable for its prized fur. After two hours the "Russian" drabness - the architecture, the characters and their moods - begin to grate one's nerves. An eclectic cast of character actors - Brian Dennehy, Ian Bannen, Michael Elphik, Richard Griffiths, Alexander Knox, Ian McDiarmid - bring much needed colour to the proceedings, while Lee Marvin alone brings a strong touch of wit and glamour to the film by way of his performance. Maybe I'm imagining it but the ending has a lovely whiff of Pasternak's "Doctor Zhivago" followed by Hurt finally smiling sweetly as he releases the frisky sables as Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake waltz plays dramatically on the soundtrack.
Reunion in France (Jules Dassin, 1942) 7/10
The first of two propaganda war efforts by Joan Crawford (she followed immediately with "Above Suspicion" the following year and was promptly fired by MGM) has her dressed to the nines in gowns by Irene while being flippant with Nazis in Paris. Many moments of the star also very dewey-eyed as she rattles of important dialogue which aims to keep the morale high not just for France but also for the Yanks who were by then finally ensconsed in the thick of war after first trying to avoid being part of the German fracas on the Continent. John Wayne was rather odd casting opposite La Crawford (apparently she tried to seduce him off the set but he did not respond) and appears over 40 minutes into the film. However, it would be the last time he would be billed second to a female co-star. The plot involves a spoiled rich girl (Joan Crawford) - she doesn't ask for cake but initially comes off as superficial and silly as the myth surrounding Marie Antoinette - who arrives in Paris to discover her lover (Philip Dorn) is in thick with the Nazi menace, helps a downed American flyer (a miscast John Wayne), and returns to her lover after discovering some positive news about him. The Nazis are shown as the buffoons they were very much not although the screenplay does manage to create a sense of danger and suspense despite Miss Crawford's impeccably coiffured hair not making a single dent as she is roughed up, and gets to drive a getaway car as Nazi bullets are fired in her direction. Jules Dassin, who is at the helm, would years down the line go on to much greater glory with "Rififi", and with marriage to Melina Mercouri result in her deliciously over-the-top performances in "Never on Sunday", "Phaedra" and "Topkapi" amongst many other films he would lovingly direct for his greek-goddess lover and eventual bride. John Carradine plays a menacing Nazi while Wayne amusingly addresses one particularly nasty one as "bub".
Above Suspicion (Richard Thorpe, 1943) 7/10
Crawford does Nancy Drew in this adaptation of Helen MacInnes' espionage thriller which was in keeping with the WWII propaganda films then prevalent courtesy of Hollywood. Oxford University professor (Fred MacMurray) and his newly wedded wife (Joan Crawford) are roped in by one of his foreign office friends to do a spot of spying on the Continent while on their honeymoon. They are to use clues to find a missing scientist who has developed an antidote to a newly developed Nazi weapon. The game is on and Joan giddily gets into spy mode as if she is at a scavenger hunt. It was her last film at MGM where she was unceremoniously fired before jump-starting her career later at Warners. Adding some heat to the proceedings are Basil Rathbone as the Professor's former schoolmate now the ruthless Gestapo chief and Conrad Veidt (in his last role - he died soon after the film's shoot) who surprisingly plays against type. Typical WWII fluff has the two stars effortlessly traipsing through studio-bound sets depicting Oxford, Paris, Salzburg and the Italian Alps. Great fun!
EO (Jerzy Skolimowski, 2022) 7/10
Skolimowski's film, part narrative and part documentary, is a plea against man's ill-treatment of defenceless animals. It is inspired by and an homage to Robert Bresson's Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) and follows the life of a circus donkey whose ownership keeps changing hands. The film takes in flashbacks from the donkey's point of view as we see him being loved by his first owner - a beautiful circus performer who is forced to let go of him when townfolk protest against animals in captivity who are made to perform under torture. The circus is forced to sell the donkey who ends up in a sanctuary, is then captured in the streets and becomes a mascot for a football team, gets beaten up by hooligans, is captured by a gang trading in illegal horse and donkey meat, and finally manages to find shelter and peace at the home of a haughty aristocrat (Isabelle Huppert). The film uses drones to photograph the countryside surrounding the donkey in spectacular fashion. The camera sweeps upwards and downwards giving the story an almost romantic visage while the screenplay makes you question man's inhumanity while showing the animal in all its stubborn innocence. The donkey serves as a comment on human behaviour. This Polish film was nominated for an Oscar in the International Feature category.
Armageddon Time (James Gray, 2022) 6/10
Understated, if bittersweet, memory piece looks at a jewish family - Mom (Anne Hathaway), Dad (Jeremy Strong), Grandfather (Anthony Hopkins) - through the eyes of a young impressionable boy whose coming-of-age takes place during the 1980s in Queens, New York. Tough life lessons (race, class, prejudice) and his close friendship with an impoverished young black friend help shape his character into the artist he eventually becomes. Predictable but heartwarming little film is well acted by the entire cast.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Zazie dans le Métro (1960) - 8.5/10 - Zazie is a wild, foul mouthed 10 year old who spends a couple of days with her uncle in Paris when her mom visits her boyfriend. Zazie wants to spend her time on the metro, but it is closed due to a strike so she and her uncle travel around Paris in other ways. It's a crazy and entertaining film. Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner would be proud of the one chase scene. The visit to the the Eiffel Tower and the trip around Paris were lots of fun.
The Seventh Seal (1957) - 8.5/10 - A knight returning from the Crusades plays a game of chess with Death in a bid to extend his life. We see the knight and his squire go on a journey and meet various people during the game. This was a rewatch, but it had been so long since I saw it that I had forgotten much about it. It's very good.
Miracles of Thursday (1957) - 8/10 - A group of prominent citizens in a small Spanish town that has seen tourism and other visitors decline over the years come up with a scheme to fake an appearance by their patron saint, San Dimas, in order to improve business in town. Their scheme has some minor success, but really gets rolling when a stranger (Richard Basehart) who seems to know all that they have been up to arrives in town.
Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea (1977) - 8.5/10 - Jan is a fairly boring, but successful rocket designer who lives in an apartment with his twin brother Karel, a womanizer who pilots rocket ships which carry tourists on sightseeing tours to the past. When Karel died while eating breakfast, Jan impersonates him and gets caught up in a Nazi time travel conspiracy. The film is pretty funny at times and I thought it was also very entertaining.
The Seventh Seal (1957) - 8.5/10 - A knight returning from the Crusades plays a game of chess with Death in a bid to extend his life. We see the knight and his squire go on a journey and meet various people during the game. This was a rewatch, but it had been so long since I saw it that I had forgotten much about it. It's very good.
Miracles of Thursday (1957) - 8/10 - A group of prominent citizens in a small Spanish town that has seen tourism and other visitors decline over the years come up with a scheme to fake an appearance by their patron saint, San Dimas, in order to improve business in town. Their scheme has some minor success, but really gets rolling when a stranger (Richard Basehart) who seems to know all that they have been up to arrives in town.
Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea (1977) - 8.5/10 - Jan is a fairly boring, but successful rocket designer who lives in an apartment with his twin brother Karel, a womanizer who pilots rocket ships which carry tourists on sightseeing tours to the past. When Karel died while eating breakfast, Jan impersonates him and gets caught up in a Nazi time travel conspiracy. The film is pretty funny at times and I thought it was also very entertaining.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Rough Cut (Don Siegel, Peter R. Hunt & Robert Ellis Miller, 1980) 6/10
Burt Reynolds does Cary Grant in this light caper film with a troubled history - directors were hired, fired and re-hired, three endings were shot and a fourth was substituted, and Larry Gelbart who wrote the screenplay had his name removed from the final project. At a posh party Reynolds tries to pick up the stunning Lesley-Anne Down by speaking like Cary Grant by way of Tony Curtis (as in "Some Like It Hot"). He follows her as she steals jewels from one of the rooms in the mansion. The premise apes any number of similarly plotted films from the 1930s when stars like William Powell and Kay Francis stole diamonds and fell in love, or when Cary Grant played a cat burglar in Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief". While the two stars cannot compare to the ones from the past they both do have a certain charm as they play competing thieves - he is a master while she is merely a kleptomaniac - who play cat-and-mouse with a Scotland Yard detective (David Niven) who plans on using her as a bait to catch him during a heist involving $30 million in diamonds. Meanwhile the lovely pair quip and fall in love as the screenplay keeps pointing a finger at assorted Hitchcock films. There is also a brief scene set in Wimbledon during the 1979 semi-final match between Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors. Nelson Riddle orchestrates the action with Duke Ellington classics. Glossy film is more than a tad shallow which the interesting cast - also Timothy West, Patrick Magee, Joss Ackland, Isabel Dean - manage to pull off. Barely.
The Burmese Harp (Kon Ichikawa, 1956) 10/10
Stunning anti-war film was the first film to show the losses of war from the Japanese soldier's perspective. When Japan surrenders at the end of WWII a soldier goes missing in Burma and his comrades wonder if a Budhist monk who plays the harp is that man in disguise. A soldier, who plays the harp, is assigned to go and convince a group of Japanese soldiers, holed up in a mountain, to surrender as the war has ended and Japan has been defeated. However, the men refuse to give in and end up killed when the British bomb their hideout. The soldier, who had been beaten unconcious by the men, is the sole survivor. He dons the garb of a monk and begins the journey on foot to the camp where his comrades were sent. On the way he keeps stopping to bury dead soldiers and refuses to return to Japan as he has decided to study as a monk and promote peace. Highly acclaimed Japanese film was nominated for an Academy Award in the foreign language category.
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (Sophie Hyde, 2022) 8/10
A widow (Emma Thompson), who has never experienced an orgasm, cunnilingus or performed fellatio, hires a young sex worker (Daryl McCormack) to show her a good time. Being uptight by nature she gets cold feet at the last minute and wants no part of it but he patiently persuades her to go through with it. All the while both talk to each other revealing not only intimate details about themselves but also mundane anecdotes about their families. The screenplay, often hilarious but also very moving, goes bravely and very frankly into discussion about the complexities of sex and how it effects older women while taking a completely non judgemental attitude towards sex work. Thompson, as expected is superb, but its newcomer McCormack who is fantastic in a role that is so subtle. The film's last image, involving Thompson, is devastating yet extremely euphoric as it proudly celebrates the acceptance of female empowerment.
Where the Crawdads Sing (Olivia Newman, 2022) 7/10
Southern gothic gets reworked courtesy of the best selling novel by Delia Owens which reminds of far better films from Hollywood's distant past that involved a murder set in the South - "Intruder in the Dust" and "To Kill a Mockingbird". While not exactly like those films this one does have a pretty strong whiff about aspects of them. The film's highlight is the Louisiana marshland location stunningly photographed by Polly Morgan. A young girl (Daisy Edgar-Jones), abandoned in the wild by her parents and siblings, grows up alone in a derelict house on the marshes from the age of seven. The story covers ten years of her life as she survives by selling clams, is shunned by the townfolk, finds love with a young man (Taylor John Smith) who teaches her to read and write but who then moves away, becomes a naturalist, and befriends and is betrayed by the town jock (Harris Dickinson) who ends up mysteriously killed for which she is suspected and charged. A court room trial ensues as she is defended by a kindly lawyer (David Strathairn). The old fashioned story invokes nostalgia and is grounded by the deeply-felt central performance by Daisy Edgar-Jones.
The Old Way (Brett Donowho, 2023) 6/10
Old fashioned Western with a typical revenge narrative as old as the hills but still manages to play out with feeling. A retired gunslinger (Nicolas Cage in, believe it or not, his first film in this genre), now married with wife and daughter, faces retribution from his distant past when his wife is savagely killed by a gang of men. He is forced to go after the men but has the added responsibility of dragging his precocious young daughter along with him. Cage, who mainly appears in trashy low budget films, is quite good decked out in a stetson and holding a gun and does exactly what scores of actors before him - John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Clint Eastwood - did just that. I'm just happy this genre remains alive and kicking.
Memoirs of a Geisha (Rob Marshall, 2005) 5/10
A sumptuously faithful, evocative but rather dull film adaptation of Arthur Golden's celebrated novel tells the story of a young Japanese girl who is sold by her impoverished family to a geisha house to support them by training and eventually becoming a geisha. The film centers around the sacrifices and hardships faced by pre-World War II geisha, and the challenges posed by the war and a modernizing world to geisha society. The story is told exclusively from the point of view of the titular geisha (Ziyi Zhang). We see her life from a poverty-stricken child to her years spent in servitude, her training and emergence as a geisha, her brief reign that gets interrupted by the war, and her re-emergence as a geisha. Along the way she faces kindness from a handsome businessman (Ken Watanabe), bitter opposition from a rival (Gong Li at her cartoonishly tantrum-throwing best) at the geisha house, and strict but loving training by a veteran geisha (Michelle Yeoh). The film is a feast for the eyes with superb cinematography, costume and production design, with a score by John Williams and cello solos by the great Yo-Yo Ma. However, the film is a monumental bore, maybe because of its kitschy mish-mash of Chinese (the actresses), Japanese (the story), and Hollywood (an American male point of view) and also due to the puritanical way sex is depicted which is disastrously pure Americana. Produced by Steven Spielberg who should have known better than to venture down this territory.
Burt Reynolds does Cary Grant in this light caper film with a troubled history - directors were hired, fired and re-hired, three endings were shot and a fourth was substituted, and Larry Gelbart who wrote the screenplay had his name removed from the final project. At a posh party Reynolds tries to pick up the stunning Lesley-Anne Down by speaking like Cary Grant by way of Tony Curtis (as in "Some Like It Hot"). He follows her as she steals jewels from one of the rooms in the mansion. The premise apes any number of similarly plotted films from the 1930s when stars like William Powell and Kay Francis stole diamonds and fell in love, or when Cary Grant played a cat burglar in Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief". While the two stars cannot compare to the ones from the past they both do have a certain charm as they play competing thieves - he is a master while she is merely a kleptomaniac - who play cat-and-mouse with a Scotland Yard detective (David Niven) who plans on using her as a bait to catch him during a heist involving $30 million in diamonds. Meanwhile the lovely pair quip and fall in love as the screenplay keeps pointing a finger at assorted Hitchcock films. There is also a brief scene set in Wimbledon during the 1979 semi-final match between Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors. Nelson Riddle orchestrates the action with Duke Ellington classics. Glossy film is more than a tad shallow which the interesting cast - also Timothy West, Patrick Magee, Joss Ackland, Isabel Dean - manage to pull off. Barely.
The Burmese Harp (Kon Ichikawa, 1956) 10/10
Stunning anti-war film was the first film to show the losses of war from the Japanese soldier's perspective. When Japan surrenders at the end of WWII a soldier goes missing in Burma and his comrades wonder if a Budhist monk who plays the harp is that man in disguise. A soldier, who plays the harp, is assigned to go and convince a group of Japanese soldiers, holed up in a mountain, to surrender as the war has ended and Japan has been defeated. However, the men refuse to give in and end up killed when the British bomb their hideout. The soldier, who had been beaten unconcious by the men, is the sole survivor. He dons the garb of a monk and begins the journey on foot to the camp where his comrades were sent. On the way he keeps stopping to bury dead soldiers and refuses to return to Japan as he has decided to study as a monk and promote peace. Highly acclaimed Japanese film was nominated for an Academy Award in the foreign language category.
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (Sophie Hyde, 2022) 8/10
A widow (Emma Thompson), who has never experienced an orgasm, cunnilingus or performed fellatio, hires a young sex worker (Daryl McCormack) to show her a good time. Being uptight by nature she gets cold feet at the last minute and wants no part of it but he patiently persuades her to go through with it. All the while both talk to each other revealing not only intimate details about themselves but also mundane anecdotes about their families. The screenplay, often hilarious but also very moving, goes bravely and very frankly into discussion about the complexities of sex and how it effects older women while taking a completely non judgemental attitude towards sex work. Thompson, as expected is superb, but its newcomer McCormack who is fantastic in a role that is so subtle. The film's last image, involving Thompson, is devastating yet extremely euphoric as it proudly celebrates the acceptance of female empowerment.
Where the Crawdads Sing (Olivia Newman, 2022) 7/10
Southern gothic gets reworked courtesy of the best selling novel by Delia Owens which reminds of far better films from Hollywood's distant past that involved a murder set in the South - "Intruder in the Dust" and "To Kill a Mockingbird". While not exactly like those films this one does have a pretty strong whiff about aspects of them. The film's highlight is the Louisiana marshland location stunningly photographed by Polly Morgan. A young girl (Daisy Edgar-Jones), abandoned in the wild by her parents and siblings, grows up alone in a derelict house on the marshes from the age of seven. The story covers ten years of her life as she survives by selling clams, is shunned by the townfolk, finds love with a young man (Taylor John Smith) who teaches her to read and write but who then moves away, becomes a naturalist, and befriends and is betrayed by the town jock (Harris Dickinson) who ends up mysteriously killed for which she is suspected and charged. A court room trial ensues as she is defended by a kindly lawyer (David Strathairn). The old fashioned story invokes nostalgia and is grounded by the deeply-felt central performance by Daisy Edgar-Jones.
The Old Way (Brett Donowho, 2023) 6/10
Old fashioned Western with a typical revenge narrative as old as the hills but still manages to play out with feeling. A retired gunslinger (Nicolas Cage in, believe it or not, his first film in this genre), now married with wife and daughter, faces retribution from his distant past when his wife is savagely killed by a gang of men. He is forced to go after the men but has the added responsibility of dragging his precocious young daughter along with him. Cage, who mainly appears in trashy low budget films, is quite good decked out in a stetson and holding a gun and does exactly what scores of actors before him - John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Clint Eastwood - did just that. I'm just happy this genre remains alive and kicking.
Memoirs of a Geisha (Rob Marshall, 2005) 5/10
A sumptuously faithful, evocative but rather dull film adaptation of Arthur Golden's celebrated novel tells the story of a young Japanese girl who is sold by her impoverished family to a geisha house to support them by training and eventually becoming a geisha. The film centers around the sacrifices and hardships faced by pre-World War II geisha, and the challenges posed by the war and a modernizing world to geisha society. The story is told exclusively from the point of view of the titular geisha (Ziyi Zhang). We see her life from a poverty-stricken child to her years spent in servitude, her training and emergence as a geisha, her brief reign that gets interrupted by the war, and her re-emergence as a geisha. Along the way she faces kindness from a handsome businessman (Ken Watanabe), bitter opposition from a rival (Gong Li at her cartoonishly tantrum-throwing best) at the geisha house, and strict but loving training by a veteran geisha (Michelle Yeoh). The film is a feast for the eyes with superb cinematography, costume and production design, with a score by John Williams and cello solos by the great Yo-Yo Ma. However, the film is a monumental bore, maybe because of its kitschy mish-mash of Chinese (the actresses), Japanese (the story), and Hollywood (an American male point of view) and also due to the puritanical way sex is depicted which is disastrously pure Americana. Produced by Steven Spielberg who should have known better than to venture down this territory.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
your name. (2016) - 8/10 - Taki is a high school boy in Tokyo whose mind starts randomly switching places with a high school girl named Mitsuha who lives in a rural part of Japan. They initially think that they are dreaming, but eventually realize there is much more going on than a dream and they have to adjust. The animation and story are each very good.
Summer Days with Coo (2007) - 8/10 - A young boy finds a small kappa child that has survived in hibernation inside a rock for 200 years. The boy's family befriends and adopts the kappa. They also help him search for others of his kind who may have survived, but public attention soon finds them. I thought this was pretty nice with a good story and animation.
Okja (2017) - 8/10 - Mija is a young girl who grew up on a remote mountain with a large intelligent animal called Okja. Okja is a genetically engineered super pig and, unknown to Mija, is part of a program to create a new food source. When the company reclaims Okja, Mija sets out to get her back. This is a pretty good satire with a nice lead performance from the girl who played Mija. The cgi for the super pigs is pretty good and the story moves along at a nice pace.
The Lift (1983) - 7.5/10 - The lifts in a building in Amsterdam start to act in an erratic fashion and people end up dead. The lifts seemingly have a mind of their own at times. A repairman is sent by the lift company to investigate, but can find nothing wrong and the lifts appear to be operating normally while he is there. He starts to dig deeper, even though he is taken off the case by his boss. I enjoyed this science fictio
Dreams (1990) - 8.5/10 - Akira Kurosawa wrote and directed this film based on recurring dreams that he had. There are eight vignettes covering a variety of scenarios. I enjoyed them all, though my favorites are probably the first one with the little boy and the kitsune and the one where he meets van Gogh. The funeral procession near the end was cool, too.
A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) - 8/10 - A traveling tax collector/scholar runs out of money so he spends the night in an old abandoned temple that is home to ghosts who want to feed on the living. He meets a beautiful woman there as well as a Taoist swordsman. The romance, comedy, and adventure were all well balanced and fun.
Bacurau (2019) - 8/10 - Bacurau is a small and remote Brazilian town whose matriarch, Carmelita, has recently passed away at the age of 94. The town gathers to celebrate her life and to mourn. Soon after, strange things start happening such as the town disappearing from online maps and a couple of strangers on motorbikes riding through town. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
Carnival of Sinners (1943) - 8/10 - A one handed artist arrives at a mountain inn one evening and relates his tale of a deal he made with the devil and his struggles to evade the consequences. It was a fairly familiar story, but well done.
Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) - 8/10 - Baron Frankenstein has been experimenting with when the soul leads the body. However, Frankenstein really plays only a peripheral role in this story. Instead, the focus is on a young man whose father was executed for murder when he was a boy and the woman that he loves who is tormented by three young aristocratic scions due to her scarring. It was pretty entertaining.
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) - 8/10 - Peter Cushing stars as Victor Frankenstein with Christopher Lee as The Creature. It's a nice version of the Frankenstein story with plenty of gothic atmosphere.
Summer Days with Coo (2007) - 8/10 - A young boy finds a small kappa child that has survived in hibernation inside a rock for 200 years. The boy's family befriends and adopts the kappa. They also help him search for others of his kind who may have survived, but public attention soon finds them. I thought this was pretty nice with a good story and animation.
Okja (2017) - 8/10 - Mija is a young girl who grew up on a remote mountain with a large intelligent animal called Okja. Okja is a genetically engineered super pig and, unknown to Mija, is part of a program to create a new food source. When the company reclaims Okja, Mija sets out to get her back. This is a pretty good satire with a nice lead performance from the girl who played Mija. The cgi for the super pigs is pretty good and the story moves along at a nice pace.
The Lift (1983) - 7.5/10 - The lifts in a building in Amsterdam start to act in an erratic fashion and people end up dead. The lifts seemingly have a mind of their own at times. A repairman is sent by the lift company to investigate, but can find nothing wrong and the lifts appear to be operating normally while he is there. He starts to dig deeper, even though he is taken off the case by his boss. I enjoyed this science fictio
Dreams (1990) - 8.5/10 - Akira Kurosawa wrote and directed this film based on recurring dreams that he had. There are eight vignettes covering a variety of scenarios. I enjoyed them all, though my favorites are probably the first one with the little boy and the kitsune and the one where he meets van Gogh. The funeral procession near the end was cool, too.
A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) - 8/10 - A traveling tax collector/scholar runs out of money so he spends the night in an old abandoned temple that is home to ghosts who want to feed on the living. He meets a beautiful woman there as well as a Taoist swordsman. The romance, comedy, and adventure were all well balanced and fun.
Bacurau (2019) - 8/10 - Bacurau is a small and remote Brazilian town whose matriarch, Carmelita, has recently passed away at the age of 94. The town gathers to celebrate her life and to mourn. Soon after, strange things start happening such as the town disappearing from online maps and a couple of strangers on motorbikes riding through town. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
Carnival of Sinners (1943) - 8/10 - A one handed artist arrives at a mountain inn one evening and relates his tale of a deal he made with the devil and his struggles to evade the consequences. It was a fairly familiar story, but well done.
Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) - 8/10 - Baron Frankenstein has been experimenting with when the soul leads the body. However, Frankenstein really plays only a peripheral role in this story. Instead, the focus is on a young man whose father was executed for murder when he was a boy and the woman that he loves who is tormented by three young aristocratic scions due to her scarring. It was pretty entertaining.
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) - 8/10 - Peter Cushing stars as Victor Frankenstein with Christopher Lee as The Creature. It's a nice version of the Frankenstein story with plenty of gothic atmosphere.
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Big Magilla
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
I think the politics of Avatar is that humans in general are bad, blue fish people are good. Pretty simple-minded. Maybe an 8 for Special Effects, but no more than a 6 overall.
6 is too high a rating for The Menu and too low a rating for Triangle of Sadness. I loved Triangle of Sadness with its fresh take on The Admirable Crichton, would rate it a 10. I hated The Menu which starts out well but soon descends into an exercise in cruelty and would rate it no higher than 4.
6 is too high a rating for The Menu and too low a rating for Triangle of Sadness. I loved Triangle of Sadness with its fresh take on The Admirable Crichton, would rate it a 10. I hated The Menu which starts out well but soon descends into an exercise in cruelty and would rate it no higher than 4.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Triangle of Sadness (Ruben Östlund, 2022) 6/10
What farting was to Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles", vomiting and defecation is to this extremely Buñuel-like black comedy dissecting the despicable ultra-rich. The scene in question is set on a gravity defying yacht rolling askew during a storm at sea with passengers finding themselves not only copiously barfing but literally rolling in the aisles and tumbling down staircases. The screenplay proceeds to trip the characters off their high pedestal while the drunk captain (Woody Harrelson) harangues the passengers over the intecom about socialism and capitalism. And then pirates attack, blow up the boat and survivors find themselves on an island where the lowly toilet cleaner (Dolly De Leon) takes command of the situation as the only competent survivalist among the group. After a while this satire runs out of steam and what seemed to be an original idea merely ends up recalling that old British chestnut - J.M. Barrie's play, "The Admirable Crichton" - with the class system being put to the test. The film inexplicably won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival.
Avatar: The Way of Water (James Cameron, 2022) 8/10
Purely from an entertainment point of view this is a fantastic film superbly directed and choreographed by James Cameron. Like the first installment this too continues its heavy message. Frankly I'm surprised Cameron hasn't been booked for treason as the story's main theme repeats its indictment of the United States as a world aggressor along with an added dig at Israel and its repeated and uncalled aggression against Palestine which ironically makes them into the very Nazis the jews faced during WWII. The film is also a stunning travelogue and its middle section brings on a child-like delight in its under-sea images just like in an aquarium. The last third of this over 3-hour film constitutes an epic battle set-piece where the Na'vi, the indigenous species on the habitat of Pandora, repel the human invaders and hunters. There is also a "save the whales" message as action scenes recall "Moby Dick" and Cameron tops it all with yet another suspenseful set-piece that pays homage to "Titanic". Kate Winslet, under heavy VFX makeup, plays one of the reef people where the story's main characters - Sam Worthington & Zoe Saldaña (the main Na'vi characters) - take refuge. Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang (as the former dead military officer now turned into the vengeful villain), also return. Spectacular film must be seen on the largest screen possible and in 3-D.
What farting was to Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles", vomiting and defecation is to this extremely Buñuel-like black comedy dissecting the despicable ultra-rich. The scene in question is set on a gravity defying yacht rolling askew during a storm at sea with passengers finding themselves not only copiously barfing but literally rolling in the aisles and tumbling down staircases. The screenplay proceeds to trip the characters off their high pedestal while the drunk captain (Woody Harrelson) harangues the passengers over the intecom about socialism and capitalism. And then pirates attack, blow up the boat and survivors find themselves on an island where the lowly toilet cleaner (Dolly De Leon) takes command of the situation as the only competent survivalist among the group. After a while this satire runs out of steam and what seemed to be an original idea merely ends up recalling that old British chestnut - J.M. Barrie's play, "The Admirable Crichton" - with the class system being put to the test. The film inexplicably won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival.
Avatar: The Way of Water (James Cameron, 2022) 8/10
Purely from an entertainment point of view this is a fantastic film superbly directed and choreographed by James Cameron. Like the first installment this too continues its heavy message. Frankly I'm surprised Cameron hasn't been booked for treason as the story's main theme repeats its indictment of the United States as a world aggressor along with an added dig at Israel and its repeated and uncalled aggression against Palestine which ironically makes them into the very Nazis the jews faced during WWII. The film is also a stunning travelogue and its middle section brings on a child-like delight in its under-sea images just like in an aquarium. The last third of this over 3-hour film constitutes an epic battle set-piece where the Na'vi, the indigenous species on the habitat of Pandora, repel the human invaders and hunters. There is also a "save the whales" message as action scenes recall "Moby Dick" and Cameron tops it all with yet another suspenseful set-piece that pays homage to "Titanic". Kate Winslet, under heavy VFX makeup, plays one of the reef people where the story's main characters - Sam Worthington & Zoe Saldaña (the main Na'vi characters) - take refuge. Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang (as the former dead military officer now turned into the vengeful villain), also return. Spectacular film must be seen on the largest screen possible and in 3-D.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Menu (Mark Mylod, 2022) 6/10
This black comedy proceeds to f**k the mickey out of pretentious foodies, the anal creator and fawning students, but then peters out despite over-the-top dramatic flourishes. The plot gets together a select group of people - bankers, celebrities, and uptight WASPs - for a dining experience at an exclusive restaurant on a remote private island. They are presided over by a supercilious celebrity chef (Ralph Fiennes, looking pained as if he has a rod up his arse) and assisted by a Maître d'hôtel (Hong Chau) who unabashadly acts like a dominatrix. The mantra at the center of the food tasting has the chef sonorously intoning, "Do not eat. Taste. Savour. Relish". Plates of food are ravishingly photographed as the diners are forced by the chef to admit to certain indiscretions against him and in their own lives. As he prattles on with the onslaught of each food course the experience devolves into a potpourri of violence, horror and death with the fifth and final course being S'more which is served as dessert with a coat of marshmallows to be toasted, a hat made of chocolate and scattered graham crackers. Fiennes dances a fine cat-and-mouse class warfare with the only voice of reason (Anya Taylor-Joy) in the room as she wins out over the exotic menu with her order of a simple cheese burger. So are they trying to say that McDonald's wins out over fancy restaurants that serve small morsels on large white plates decorated with specs of colorful sauces? Truth be told, and going by experience, it's deliciously true.
Isle of Fury (Frank McDonald, 1936) 5/10
Bogart, in one of his first lead roles, battles a giant octopus in this B-film set on a remote Pacific island in this adaptation of a story by Somerset Maugham. The screenplay involves a love triangle between a fugitive (Humphrey Bogart) wanted for murder, his wife (Margaret Lindsay) and the mysterious man (Donald Woods) saved from a shipwreck. Minor but atmospheric action-drama.
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (Guy Ritchie, 2023) 7/10
The hypocricy in the West and in Hollywood is simply appalling. The release of Ritchie's film was pulled back last year because the villains in the film are Ukrainians. Ofcourse having Muslims, the Chinese, or the North Koreans as comic book villains is perfectly alright. As long as the colour of your skin is white its easy for the West to sympathise as it has with the Ukrainian war. The film went straight to a streaming service in the United States while getting a cinema release in the international market. Ritchie's film resembles an episode from the "Mission Impossible" franchise minus the elaborate Cruise stunt set pieces. Deadpan Jason Statham makes a marvelously grumpy British agent sent on a mission to retrieve a "device" before a billionaire arms dealer (Hugh Grant) can sell it to the highest bidder - the dastardly Ukraines. Grant, now a Ritchie regular and having a jolly good time, is hilarious as the witty crook who has a meltdown in front of his favorite movie star (Josh Hartnett hilariously aping Brad Pitt) who is used by the team to infiltrate the villain's lair. While not topnotch Ritchie this is still a fun action-adventure set in many exotic locations around the world.
This black comedy proceeds to f**k the mickey out of pretentious foodies, the anal creator and fawning students, but then peters out despite over-the-top dramatic flourishes. The plot gets together a select group of people - bankers, celebrities, and uptight WASPs - for a dining experience at an exclusive restaurant on a remote private island. They are presided over by a supercilious celebrity chef (Ralph Fiennes, looking pained as if he has a rod up his arse) and assisted by a Maître d'hôtel (Hong Chau) who unabashadly acts like a dominatrix. The mantra at the center of the food tasting has the chef sonorously intoning, "Do not eat. Taste. Savour. Relish". Plates of food are ravishingly photographed as the diners are forced by the chef to admit to certain indiscretions against him and in their own lives. As he prattles on with the onslaught of each food course the experience devolves into a potpourri of violence, horror and death with the fifth and final course being S'more which is served as dessert with a coat of marshmallows to be toasted, a hat made of chocolate and scattered graham crackers. Fiennes dances a fine cat-and-mouse class warfare with the only voice of reason (Anya Taylor-Joy) in the room as she wins out over the exotic menu with her order of a simple cheese burger. So are they trying to say that McDonald's wins out over fancy restaurants that serve small morsels on large white plates decorated with specs of colorful sauces? Truth be told, and going by experience, it's deliciously true.
Isle of Fury (Frank McDonald, 1936) 5/10
Bogart, in one of his first lead roles, battles a giant octopus in this B-film set on a remote Pacific island in this adaptation of a story by Somerset Maugham. The screenplay involves a love triangle between a fugitive (Humphrey Bogart) wanted for murder, his wife (Margaret Lindsay) and the mysterious man (Donald Woods) saved from a shipwreck. Minor but atmospheric action-drama.
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (Guy Ritchie, 2023) 7/10
The hypocricy in the West and in Hollywood is simply appalling. The release of Ritchie's film was pulled back last year because the villains in the film are Ukrainians. Ofcourse having Muslims, the Chinese, or the North Koreans as comic book villains is perfectly alright. As long as the colour of your skin is white its easy for the West to sympathise as it has with the Ukrainian war. The film went straight to a streaming service in the United States while getting a cinema release in the international market. Ritchie's film resembles an episode from the "Mission Impossible" franchise minus the elaborate Cruise stunt set pieces. Deadpan Jason Statham makes a marvelously grumpy British agent sent on a mission to retrieve a "device" before a billionaire arms dealer (Hugh Grant) can sell it to the highest bidder - the dastardly Ukraines. Grant, now a Ritchie regular and having a jolly good time, is hilarious as the witty crook who has a meltdown in front of his favorite movie star (Josh Hartnett hilariously aping Brad Pitt) who is used by the team to infiltrate the villain's lair. While not topnotch Ritchie this is still a fun action-adventure set in many exotic locations around the world.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Not sure why I watched Brad's Status on Amazon last night but I've had some passing interest in it for a while. If I don't always like Mike White, I've always admired him and he's certainly having a high-water mark in his career right now. This film vanished without a trace more than any other film he's made. I have some problems with it but I enjoyed it. It's about Ben Stiller as a middle-aged non-profit owner who is taking his far more promising son on a tour of colleges. It's a pretty well-observed mid-life crisis film. Or rather, overly-concerned. Ben Stiller's Brad Sloan is cringingly narcissistic in how he makes every single thing about him. There are two things I find very interesting about this film. One of them is that Stiller doesn't play this character for anything other than total emotional honesty in every moment. Every thought that he has is more or less relatable (even if his actions aren't) and understandable. But without betraying any of his emotional honesty, we're allowed to see the flip-side of the rational-behaving world reacting to his narcissism. I don't think the film goes deep enough into its final thesis (which probably should come a half hour earlier) that nobody thinks about anything other than themselves, but that's certainly Brad's problem. I liked how Mike White drew the balance most of the time.
The other thing I liked about the film is the terrific find in Austin Abrams as Brad's laid back, confident son.
What I liked less about the film I touched on already. It never quite figures out where to take its story and its message. Ben Stiller's late night drink session with a Harvard tour guide turns into him getting ripped apart for his privilege, which, y'know, fair enough. But shortly after he has a dinner with an old college friend (Michael Sheen) who just did a favor for his son which feels like a total backpedal. I think a stronger film would've found a way to tie its themes together: nobody thinks about anyone other than themself; keep your mid-life crisis to yourself, white man; and ultimately, we're all living things. But it's a noble enough effort from a storyteller who has had a lot on his mind for a over twenty years now.
The other thing I liked about the film is the terrific find in Austin Abrams as Brad's laid back, confident son.
What I liked less about the film I touched on already. It never quite figures out where to take its story and its message. Ben Stiller's late night drink session with a Harvard tour guide turns into him getting ripped apart for his privilege, which, y'know, fair enough. But shortly after he has a dinner with an old college friend (Michael Sheen) who just did a favor for his son which feels like a total backpedal. I think a stronger film would've found a way to tie its themes together: nobody thinks about anyone other than themself; keep your mid-life crisis to yourself, white man; and ultimately, we're all living things. But it's a noble enough effort from a storyteller who has had a lot on his mind for a over twenty years now.
"How's the despair?"
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Quartet (James Ivory, 1981) 9/10
Exquisite adaptation of British novelist Jean Rhys' semi-autobiographical roman à clef based on her extramarital affair and acrimonious break-up with her literary mentor Ford Madox Ford, the English author and editor of The Transatlantic Review literary magazine. The affair occurred in Ford's Paris home under the eye of his common-law wife, Australian artist Stella Bowen, while Rhys's husband Jean Lenglet was in jail. Ruth Prawar Jhabvala adapts the novel for Merchant-Ivory, with the story set in 1920s bohemian Paris and looking in on expatriates living in small drafty little hotels and in large flats while moving around as writers or painters in sidewalk cafes, bistros, nightclubs and low-life dives. When an art dealer (Anthony Higgins), dealing in stolen art work, goes to jail he suggests his destitute wife (Isabelle Adjani) move in with a wealthy English art dealer (Alan Bates) and his wife (Maggie Smith), a painter. He has a habit of inviting vulnerable young women to move into their spare room and then seduces them. His affairs are conducted with the silent approval of his increasingly distraught wife who tolerates his sexual peccadillos because she does not want him to leave her. Reluctant at first the young woman succumbs to the older man's lechery who, along with his wife, escorts her around their social haunts in a charade of respectability, deflecting suspicion and gossip about the ménage à trois. As with all Merchant-Ivory films this too has stunning production values capturing a time and place that no longer exists. While Adjani received an acting award at the Cannes film festival it is both Bates and Smith who walk away with the film personifying the cold spirit of pre-war England which Rhys alludes to in her novel.
Montana Moon (Malcolm St. Clair, 1930) 2/10
A wacky socialite (Joan Crawford) falls in love and gets married to a hick cowboy (Johnnie Mack Brown) but they clash over their very different friends and lifestyles. They decide to divorce when she dances an erotic tango with her sleazy former boyfriend (Ricardo Cortez) but she gets kidnapped by a masked bandit. Corny, creaky film has an animated Crawford paired opposite the unbelievably dull Brown.
The Bolshoi Ballet (Paul Czinner, 1957) 7/10
Czinner directs the dazzling prima ballerina Galina Ulanova of the Bolshoi ballet during a performance of Giselle at Covent Garden. Nominated for an Oscar for its music score.
Devil and the Deep (Marion Gering, 1932) 8/10
Pity Hollywood neglected Tallulah Bankhead who was in the same class as Garbo and Dietrich. She was a "difficult" personality but always extremely memorable in the few films she made. She spins both Cary Grant and Gary Cooper around her fingers while married to a sadistic Charles Laughton who plays a submarine commander. The ending is a doozy as the submarine sinks and Cooper leads a mutiny against a crazed Laughton. Bankhead swims out of the sunk submarine dressed in a Travis Banton evening gown. Cooper is stiff but Bankhead, Laughton and a very young Grant are superb. Great melodrama.
Children of Divorce (Frank Lloyd, 1927) 6/10
Flapper (Clara Bow) rejects her poor lover (Einar Hanson) and steals the rich boyfriend (Gary Cooper) of her best friend (Esther Ralston) causing misery for everyone which evdntuslly leads to tragedy. Both Bow and Ralston are very good with Cooper a stiff co-star. An anti-divorce melodrama.
The Trespasser (Edmund Goulding, 1929) 7/10
Gloria Swanson's first talkie and she is superb (winning an Academy Award nomination) in this predictable melodrama about a woman sacrificing her love for a life spent raising their child all by herself.
Souls For Sale (Rupert Hughes, 1923) 8/10
Fascinating silent film about Hollywood and filmmaking that manages to cover a host of genres from comedy to drama to melodrama to suspense and action. A woman (Eleanor Boardman) escapes from her husband on her honeymoon by jumping off a train and literally finds herself on a movie set where she catches the eye of the director (Richard Dix). While he goes about making her into a huge star she is suddenly confronted by her husband who is now wanted for being a serial killer. The film not only shows in great detail how films and stars were created during the silent era but is also an exposé of the film world's real and perceived transgressions. A who's who of silent cinema appear in cameos - Charles Chaplin, Erich von Stroheim (shown directing "Greed"), Mae Busch, Barbara La Marr, Lew Cody, William Haines, Fred Niblo, Jean Hersholt, Zasu Pitts, June Mathis, Aileen Pringle, Blanche Sweet, Bessie Love, Anna Q. Nilsson, Florence Vidor, King Vidor and Patsy Ruth Miller. The film's apocalyptic finale followed by Dix urging Boardman to act her heart out as everything burns around her hilariously proves the old adage that "the show must go on".
Africa sotto i mari / Woman of the Red Sea (Giovanni Roccardi, 1953) 4/10
B-film that provided Sophia Loren her first starring role. It is like a National Geographics documentary as it explores the flaura and fauna of the Red Sea. An industrialist forcibly gets his daughter (Sophia Loren) aboard his yacht in order to get her away from her suitor. The ship is on an expedition to the Red Sea to make a film about the underwater world. Loren, with huge hips and a dark tan, is the whole show as she moves around with barely anything on while swimming and exploring underwater and getting into assorted dangerous scrapes. Lovely colour cinematography.
Remember the Day (Henry King, 1941) 4/10
Elderly school teacher (Claudette Colbert), while waiting to meet a former student now a Presidential candidate, recalls her life as a teacher getting involved in the lives of the children and finding love with a fellow teacher (John Payne). The two stars make this sentimental film bearable.
The Truth About Youth (William A. Deiter, 1930) 4/10
An old bachelor (Conway Tearle) wants his irresponsible ward (David Manners) to marry their housekeeper's vivacious daughter (Loretta Young). However, the impulsive young man runs off and gets married to a cabaret dancer (Myrna Loy) who then kicks him out when she finds he has no money of his own. Meanwhile the young lady surprises the old bachelor with her decision to marry a man she loved all along. Interesting stars with Loy hilariously bitchy when she dumps Manners. Slow film.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Wallace Worsley, 1923) 10/10
Epic film version of Victor Hugo's classic novel was Universal studio's most successful silent film of 1923. The role of Quasimodo, the hunchback, has been played by many famous stars in sound films - Charles Laughton, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Hopkins - but it was Lon Chaney and his iconic performance that set the tone for the other actors to follow. Chaney was known as the man of a thousand faces due to the elaborate makeup he put on to play grotesque characters in many films. The story revolves around the deaf, half-blind hunchback bell ringer at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in 15th century Paris, his infatuation with the kind and beautiful gypsy dancer (Patsy Ruth Miller) who is the adopted daughter of the city's beggar king (Ernest Torrence). She is loved by the dashing Captain of the guards (Norman Kerry) who comes to her rescue when Quasimodo, goaded on by his evil master, kidnaps her. When the hunchback is sentenced to be lashed she comes to his help. Impressive spectacle has romance, huge sets, a cast of thousands, melodrama and a memorable finalé. Chaney, playing a truly repulsive character manages to imbue him with a great deal of sympathy and is the heart and soul of this film.
Exquisite adaptation of British novelist Jean Rhys' semi-autobiographical roman à clef based on her extramarital affair and acrimonious break-up with her literary mentor Ford Madox Ford, the English author and editor of The Transatlantic Review literary magazine. The affair occurred in Ford's Paris home under the eye of his common-law wife, Australian artist Stella Bowen, while Rhys's husband Jean Lenglet was in jail. Ruth Prawar Jhabvala adapts the novel for Merchant-Ivory, with the story set in 1920s bohemian Paris and looking in on expatriates living in small drafty little hotels and in large flats while moving around as writers or painters in sidewalk cafes, bistros, nightclubs and low-life dives. When an art dealer (Anthony Higgins), dealing in stolen art work, goes to jail he suggests his destitute wife (Isabelle Adjani) move in with a wealthy English art dealer (Alan Bates) and his wife (Maggie Smith), a painter. He has a habit of inviting vulnerable young women to move into their spare room and then seduces them. His affairs are conducted with the silent approval of his increasingly distraught wife who tolerates his sexual peccadillos because she does not want him to leave her. Reluctant at first the young woman succumbs to the older man's lechery who, along with his wife, escorts her around their social haunts in a charade of respectability, deflecting suspicion and gossip about the ménage à trois. As with all Merchant-Ivory films this too has stunning production values capturing a time and place that no longer exists. While Adjani received an acting award at the Cannes film festival it is both Bates and Smith who walk away with the film personifying the cold spirit of pre-war England which Rhys alludes to in her novel.
Montana Moon (Malcolm St. Clair, 1930) 2/10
A wacky socialite (Joan Crawford) falls in love and gets married to a hick cowboy (Johnnie Mack Brown) but they clash over their very different friends and lifestyles. They decide to divorce when she dances an erotic tango with her sleazy former boyfriend (Ricardo Cortez) but she gets kidnapped by a masked bandit. Corny, creaky film has an animated Crawford paired opposite the unbelievably dull Brown.
The Bolshoi Ballet (Paul Czinner, 1957) 7/10
Czinner directs the dazzling prima ballerina Galina Ulanova of the Bolshoi ballet during a performance of Giselle at Covent Garden. Nominated for an Oscar for its music score.
Devil and the Deep (Marion Gering, 1932) 8/10
Pity Hollywood neglected Tallulah Bankhead who was in the same class as Garbo and Dietrich. She was a "difficult" personality but always extremely memorable in the few films she made. She spins both Cary Grant and Gary Cooper around her fingers while married to a sadistic Charles Laughton who plays a submarine commander. The ending is a doozy as the submarine sinks and Cooper leads a mutiny against a crazed Laughton. Bankhead swims out of the sunk submarine dressed in a Travis Banton evening gown. Cooper is stiff but Bankhead, Laughton and a very young Grant are superb. Great melodrama.
Children of Divorce (Frank Lloyd, 1927) 6/10
Flapper (Clara Bow) rejects her poor lover (Einar Hanson) and steals the rich boyfriend (Gary Cooper) of her best friend (Esther Ralston) causing misery for everyone which evdntuslly leads to tragedy. Both Bow and Ralston are very good with Cooper a stiff co-star. An anti-divorce melodrama.
The Trespasser (Edmund Goulding, 1929) 7/10
Gloria Swanson's first talkie and she is superb (winning an Academy Award nomination) in this predictable melodrama about a woman sacrificing her love for a life spent raising their child all by herself.
Souls For Sale (Rupert Hughes, 1923) 8/10
Fascinating silent film about Hollywood and filmmaking that manages to cover a host of genres from comedy to drama to melodrama to suspense and action. A woman (Eleanor Boardman) escapes from her husband on her honeymoon by jumping off a train and literally finds herself on a movie set where she catches the eye of the director (Richard Dix). While he goes about making her into a huge star she is suddenly confronted by her husband who is now wanted for being a serial killer. The film not only shows in great detail how films and stars were created during the silent era but is also an exposé of the film world's real and perceived transgressions. A who's who of silent cinema appear in cameos - Charles Chaplin, Erich von Stroheim (shown directing "Greed"), Mae Busch, Barbara La Marr, Lew Cody, William Haines, Fred Niblo, Jean Hersholt, Zasu Pitts, June Mathis, Aileen Pringle, Blanche Sweet, Bessie Love, Anna Q. Nilsson, Florence Vidor, King Vidor and Patsy Ruth Miller. The film's apocalyptic finale followed by Dix urging Boardman to act her heart out as everything burns around her hilariously proves the old adage that "the show must go on".
Africa sotto i mari / Woman of the Red Sea (Giovanni Roccardi, 1953) 4/10
B-film that provided Sophia Loren her first starring role. It is like a National Geographics documentary as it explores the flaura and fauna of the Red Sea. An industrialist forcibly gets his daughter (Sophia Loren) aboard his yacht in order to get her away from her suitor. The ship is on an expedition to the Red Sea to make a film about the underwater world. Loren, with huge hips and a dark tan, is the whole show as she moves around with barely anything on while swimming and exploring underwater and getting into assorted dangerous scrapes. Lovely colour cinematography.
Remember the Day (Henry King, 1941) 4/10
Elderly school teacher (Claudette Colbert), while waiting to meet a former student now a Presidential candidate, recalls her life as a teacher getting involved in the lives of the children and finding love with a fellow teacher (John Payne). The two stars make this sentimental film bearable.
The Truth About Youth (William A. Deiter, 1930) 4/10
An old bachelor (Conway Tearle) wants his irresponsible ward (David Manners) to marry their housekeeper's vivacious daughter (Loretta Young). However, the impulsive young man runs off and gets married to a cabaret dancer (Myrna Loy) who then kicks him out when she finds he has no money of his own. Meanwhile the young lady surprises the old bachelor with her decision to marry a man she loved all along. Interesting stars with Loy hilariously bitchy when she dumps Manners. Slow film.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Wallace Worsley, 1923) 10/10
Epic film version of Victor Hugo's classic novel was Universal studio's most successful silent film of 1923. The role of Quasimodo, the hunchback, has been played by many famous stars in sound films - Charles Laughton, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Hopkins - but it was Lon Chaney and his iconic performance that set the tone for the other actors to follow. Chaney was known as the man of a thousand faces due to the elaborate makeup he put on to play grotesque characters in many films. The story revolves around the deaf, half-blind hunchback bell ringer at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in 15th century Paris, his infatuation with the kind and beautiful gypsy dancer (Patsy Ruth Miller) who is the adopted daughter of the city's beggar king (Ernest Torrence). She is loved by the dashing Captain of the guards (Norman Kerry) who comes to her rescue when Quasimodo, goaded on by his evil master, kidnaps her. When the hunchback is sentenced to be lashed she comes to his help. Impressive spectacle has romance, huge sets, a cast of thousands, melodrama and a memorable finalé. Chaney, playing a truly repulsive character manages to imbue him with a great deal of sympathy and is the heart and soul of this film.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The 300 Spartans (Rudolph Maté, 1962) 4/10
Tonight or Never (Mervyn LeRoy, 1931) 4/10
King Richard and the Crusaders (David Butler, 1954) 4/10
Hats Off (Boris Petroff, 1936) 1/10
Night After Night (Archie Mayo, 1932) 7/10
The Shanghai Gesture (Josef von Sternberg, 1941) 4/10
They Call It Sin (Thornton Freeland, 1932) 5/10
The Bandit of Zhobe (John Gilling, 1959) 5/10
Call Me Madam (Walter Lang, 1953) 6/10
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (Henry Hathaway, 1935) 6/10
Call Her Savage (John Francis Dillon, 1932) 8/10
The Plastic Age (Wesley Ruggles, 1925) 1/10
La ragazza di Bube / Bebo's Girl (Luigi Comencini, 1964) 4/10
No, No Nanette (Herbert Wilcox, 1940) 2/10
Crossroads (Jack Conway, 1942) 5/10
Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend (Robert Moresco, 2022) 4/10
Ineffectual if straight forward biography of Italian entrepreneur Ferruccio Lamborghini played by Romano Reggiani when young and by Frank Grillo during his later years. The screenplay follows his life from the manufacturing of tractors at the start of his career, to creating military vehicles during World War II, and then on to designing and building the Lamborghini cars. His rivalry with Enzo Ferrari (Gabriel Byrne in a silent cameo) is a constant in his life while his private life is a shambles - first wife dies in childbirth, the second (a miscast Mira Sorvino) suffers through his womanizing, and his son is ignored. More than his life the film holds more attraction for its lovely location work shot in Umbria, Italy.
The Wonder (Sebastián Lelio, 2022) 7/10
Frightening parable involving brain washed religious fanaticism in 1860s rural Ireland which sadly still holds true in many parts of the world. An English nurse (Florence Pugh) arrives in Ireland and is tasked by elders of the community to watch over an 11-year old girl who has not had any food for four months. The watch is conducted by the nurse and a nun who are then to report their findings. The deeply religious girl, robust and full of health, continues life with great energy saying she is sustained by "manna from heaven". After sometime the nurse deduces what has been taking place and becomes privy to some shocking information divulged by the girl. The elders of the village, including the local priest (Ciarán Hinds) and doctor (Toby Jones), refuse to believe the nurse when she explains what has been going on. Meanwhile deprived from the company of her mother and sister the young girl's health suddenly starts deteriorating and despite pleading with the parents to feed the child they ignore the anguished nurse who is then forced to take drastic action to save the child from death. Slow but gripping psychological drama is a subtle deportation on faith and skepticism and how religion can entail abuse. The film is grounded by the superb central performance by Florence Pugh who commands the screen from start to finish.
Vikram Vedha (Pushkar–Gayathri, 2017) 8/10
The Tamil original which was recently remade by Bollywood as a vehicle for Hrithik Roshan (Vedha) and Saif Ali Khan (Vikram). Critically acclaimed film is a cat-and-mouse game between honest cop Vikram (R. Madhavan) - who sees life strictly in black and white - and gangster Vedha (Vijay Sethupathi) - who believes in the grey. The latter walks into the police station and gives himself up and relates to the former three stories which gradually changes the cop's perception about good and evil. Tautly written thriller manages to sustain suspense right to the end as the stories being related gradually fit all the pieces of the puzzle together. Both stars won Filmfare awards.
Jerry & Marge Go Large (David Frankel, 2022) 7/10
Charming fact-based caper comedy about a retired production line manager (Bryan Cranston) who finds a flaw in a lottery and ends up betting and winning. When his wife (Annette Bening) and many in their small town join their funds the winnings increase by huge amounts. Along the way the elderly couple learn to bond again as lovers. Cranston and Bening make a cute couple making this extremely goofy premise stick.
A Woman of Paris (Charles Chaplin, 1923) 9/10
Highly unusual film for Chaplin who went out of his comfort zone as a comedian and directed (but did not act in) this drama. It was a starring vehicle for his frequent co-star (and lover) Edna Purviance which due to its boxoffice failure proved to be the beginning of the end of her career. However, it boosted the career and sophisticated image of Adolphe Menjou who is charming as her rich and elegant protector. The story begins with her eloping with her poor artist boyfriend (Carl Miller) from their small french village but circumstances make them part and she ends up alone in Paris where she attracts the attention of a rich playboy who makes her his mistress and keeps her in luxury. When after a year she runs into her old boyfriend their love is rekindled but their relationship is thwarted by his disapproving mother. Memorable film has bold themes, features depth of character rare for the period, underplayed acting and assured direction by Chaplin who many years later wrote a memorable new music score for the film.
Tonight or Never (Mervyn LeRoy, 1931) 4/10
King Richard and the Crusaders (David Butler, 1954) 4/10
Hats Off (Boris Petroff, 1936) 1/10
Night After Night (Archie Mayo, 1932) 7/10
The Shanghai Gesture (Josef von Sternberg, 1941) 4/10
They Call It Sin (Thornton Freeland, 1932) 5/10
The Bandit of Zhobe (John Gilling, 1959) 5/10
Call Me Madam (Walter Lang, 1953) 6/10
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (Henry Hathaway, 1935) 6/10
Call Her Savage (John Francis Dillon, 1932) 8/10
The Plastic Age (Wesley Ruggles, 1925) 1/10
La ragazza di Bube / Bebo's Girl (Luigi Comencini, 1964) 4/10
No, No Nanette (Herbert Wilcox, 1940) 2/10
Crossroads (Jack Conway, 1942) 5/10
Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend (Robert Moresco, 2022) 4/10
Ineffectual if straight forward biography of Italian entrepreneur Ferruccio Lamborghini played by Romano Reggiani when young and by Frank Grillo during his later years. The screenplay follows his life from the manufacturing of tractors at the start of his career, to creating military vehicles during World War II, and then on to designing and building the Lamborghini cars. His rivalry with Enzo Ferrari (Gabriel Byrne in a silent cameo) is a constant in his life while his private life is a shambles - first wife dies in childbirth, the second (a miscast Mira Sorvino) suffers through his womanizing, and his son is ignored. More than his life the film holds more attraction for its lovely location work shot in Umbria, Italy.
The Wonder (Sebastián Lelio, 2022) 7/10
Frightening parable involving brain washed religious fanaticism in 1860s rural Ireland which sadly still holds true in many parts of the world. An English nurse (Florence Pugh) arrives in Ireland and is tasked by elders of the community to watch over an 11-year old girl who has not had any food for four months. The watch is conducted by the nurse and a nun who are then to report their findings. The deeply religious girl, robust and full of health, continues life with great energy saying she is sustained by "manna from heaven". After sometime the nurse deduces what has been taking place and becomes privy to some shocking information divulged by the girl. The elders of the village, including the local priest (Ciarán Hinds) and doctor (Toby Jones), refuse to believe the nurse when she explains what has been going on. Meanwhile deprived from the company of her mother and sister the young girl's health suddenly starts deteriorating and despite pleading with the parents to feed the child they ignore the anguished nurse who is then forced to take drastic action to save the child from death. Slow but gripping psychological drama is a subtle deportation on faith and skepticism and how religion can entail abuse. The film is grounded by the superb central performance by Florence Pugh who commands the screen from start to finish.
Vikram Vedha (Pushkar–Gayathri, 2017) 8/10
The Tamil original which was recently remade by Bollywood as a vehicle for Hrithik Roshan (Vedha) and Saif Ali Khan (Vikram). Critically acclaimed film is a cat-and-mouse game between honest cop Vikram (R. Madhavan) - who sees life strictly in black and white - and gangster Vedha (Vijay Sethupathi) - who believes in the grey. The latter walks into the police station and gives himself up and relates to the former three stories which gradually changes the cop's perception about good and evil. Tautly written thriller manages to sustain suspense right to the end as the stories being related gradually fit all the pieces of the puzzle together. Both stars won Filmfare awards.
Jerry & Marge Go Large (David Frankel, 2022) 7/10
Charming fact-based caper comedy about a retired production line manager (Bryan Cranston) who finds a flaw in a lottery and ends up betting and winning. When his wife (Annette Bening) and many in their small town join their funds the winnings increase by huge amounts. Along the way the elderly couple learn to bond again as lovers. Cranston and Bening make a cute couple making this extremely goofy premise stick.
A Woman of Paris (Charles Chaplin, 1923) 9/10
Highly unusual film for Chaplin who went out of his comfort zone as a comedian and directed (but did not act in) this drama. It was a starring vehicle for his frequent co-star (and lover) Edna Purviance which due to its boxoffice failure proved to be the beginning of the end of her career. However, it boosted the career and sophisticated image of Adolphe Menjou who is charming as her rich and elegant protector. The story begins with her eloping with her poor artist boyfriend (Carl Miller) from their small french village but circumstances make them part and she ends up alone in Paris where she attracts the attention of a rich playboy who makes her his mistress and keeps her in luxury. When after a year she runs into her old boyfriend their love is rekindled but their relationship is thwarted by his disapproving mother. Memorable film has bold themes, features depth of character rare for the period, underplayed acting and assured direction by Chaplin who many years later wrote a memorable new music score for the film.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Fabelmans (Steven Spielberg, 2022) 6/10
Spielberg goes back to his childhood (played by Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord as a kid and Gabriel LaBelle as a 16-year old) in this memory piece and we get to see how he discovered movies and how the flickering medium turned into his passion. We also get to meet his parents - his engineer dad (Paul Dano) and housewife mom (Michelle Williams) trapped in an imperfect marriage, his sisters who participated in the early home movies he shot, and his assorted jewish relatives who are portrayed in a comical and grotesque manner - not unlike how Woody Allen portrayed members of his own family in Annie Hall (1977) and Radio Days (1987). While the film is worth a watch to see how it all started for Spielberg (it's autobiographical in a "loosely based" manner) it is rather shocking how pundits are predicting that this will win the director his third Oscar with the film to follow suit as the year's best. Far from it. Williams is good as the emotionally fragile mom who has a secret agenda which is discovered by her son via his movie camera. This is minor Spielberg as he takes a bit of a detour to show where the wunderkind came from.
Tár (Todd Field, 2022) 8/10
Field builds his screenplay around a highly disciplined symphony conductor (Cate Blanchett), who like a chameleon is adept at camouflaging her life, keeping the internal hidden while creating a witty (almost snarky) external persona that shifts according to the situation at hand. The film also vividly depicts how abuse of power can totally destroy careers often with the use of social media as a tool which keeps a celebrity constantly under scrutiny and in the public eye. Lydia Tár is viewed almost in a clinical way - the film almost seems like a documentary at times - as she goes about her career, teaching students in class, and interacting with her wife (Nina Hoss) and child. She refuses to let the facade crumble when a young woman, her former lover whom she blacklists, commits suicide and there are accusations of predatory behaviour and the casting couch with a slew of young potential female musicians she hires for the orchestra. A ferocious Blanchett dominates the film like a sleek panther as she goes about quietly manipulating everyone around her with power bringing on a sense of entitlement which allows her to blindly crash through people and life. The film makes marvelous use of its production design - her spacious modern apartment alone is something to see - and cinematography. Field uses numerous shots of Blanchett's car racing through a tunnel which obviously is meant to symbolize something which unfortunately I failed to get.
Network (Sidney Lumet, 1976) 10/10
Paddy Chayevsky's biting screenplay is not only laugh-out-loud hilarious but is frighteningly close to the crazy reality of today's world. This is Lumet's finest moment as he directs four of his actors to go completely over-the-top - Ned Beatty as a god-like network supremo, Robert Duvall as a tv network programming head, Peter Finch as a news anchor who receives visions and, on the verge of a complete breakdown, becomes the toast of the failing network as an angry prophet live on air who's (now) iconic catchphrase is, "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore", and Faye Dunaway as the ruthlessly ambitious chief of programs who sees in the crazy Finch a means to boost ratings and is even very willing to see him kill himself on air in order to win high ratings for the network. These epic characters are superbly balanced by equally over-the-top yet moving soap opera sequences involving William Holden who plays the veteran news division President - his loveless affair with Dunaway and his later confession about it to his distraught wife (Beatrice Straight) are sequences that allow an almost washed-up Holden (by then a miserable alcoholic) to shine bright once more. The wicked and overloaded screenplay manages a lot more in its dissection of ills in the world - sexism and ageism, upper-middle-class anomy and capitalist exploitation, psychics and revolutionary ripoffs, and the failure to communicate on a human level. Highly acclaimed film famously lost the Oscar to Rocky but won richly deserved awards for Finch, Dunaway, Straight and Chayefsky while Lumet, Holden, Ned Beatty, the editing and cinematography of Owen Roizman were all nominated. A classic film not to be missed.
Uunchai (Sooraj Barjatya, 2022) 8/10
Barjatya moves out of house and hearth for the first time in a long while but retains the Rajishri production house's usual time-tested themes of family and friendship. The heartwarming screenplay takes on the form of a travelogue as three elderly friends - a famous writer (Amitabh Bachchan), a shopkeeper (Anupam Kher) and a businessman (Boman Irani) - take on the task of a trek to the Everest base camp. This was the long gestating plan of their dear friend (Danny Denzongpa) who suddenly passed away before the trek could be undertaken. With great reluctance the three friends decide to go ahead with the plan in memory of their departed friend. The film, consisting of their very funny and never ending banter, is a trip that covers Agra (we get a glimpse of the Taj), Kanpur, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Kathmandu and the trek by foot all the way to the Everest base camp. The film is overlong - encompassing sad moments involving selfish children (shades of "Make Way For Tomorrow" and "Baghban") and disappointed family members (Kher's brothers during the trio's stopover at their haveli) - but still manages to entertain. The three leads are all very good and get superb support from Neena Gupta as Irani's delightfully tart-tongued wife, Sarika as a mysterious passenger they take along on the trip and Parineeti Chopra as the chirpy trek guide. Nafisa Ali makes a cameo appearance as Bachchan's estranged wife. A film with old school values is a celebration about friendship which Barjatya superbly conveys in very simple terms. Kudos to the cinematography which captures the superb location work in Nepal.
Cobalt Blue (Sachin Kundalkar, 2022) 6/10
Picture postcard views of Kerala and its distinct colonial architecture stand out in this soap opera about a young gay literature student (Neelay Mehendale) and his non-conformist sister (Anjali Sivaraman) who both fall in love with and are jilted by their mysterious paying guest (Prateik Babbar). It is an orthodox Marathi household where the parents are hell bent on ensuring their hockey mad daughter gets married. When the younger son falls in love with the guest he is overcome with feelings long suppressed. However, he gets the shock of his life when the gyest runs off with his sister who subsequently returns home after he leaves her too. The resulting chaos in the family is offset by the feelings - each very different - which the siblings both go through. Sad but wiser both end up moving on in life. Bittersweet memory piece looks at first love and its shattering aftermath. Both leads give stiff self concious performances while Babbar, as the sexy enigma, is vivid in his small part - his character acting as a catalyst for the siblings to find what they are searching for in life. The story is based on director Sachin Kundalkar's novel which he adapted himself.
Sita Ramam (Hanu Raghavapudi, 2022) 6/10
This extremely overlong Telugu film takes it's romantic and strife-ridden cue from Mani Ratnam's Roja (1992) - an intense love story set during the Kashmir insurgency. The screenplay follows, in non-linear fashion, the story about an orphan soldier (Dulquer Salmaan) serving on the Kashmir border in 1965 who, helped by a radio newscaster, ends up getting letters from hundreds of sympathetic people. One letter catches his eye. It is from a girl called Sita (Mrunal Thakur) who professes love and so the lovestruck soldier makes it his mission to find her. This premise is counterbalanced by a character twenty years later - a rabid Pakistani (Rashmika Mandanna) who hates Indians and who is tasked by her late grandfather, a Pakistani Army officer, to deliver a letter written in the past by an Indian officer to a woman named Sita. Reluctantly she goes to India in order to find Sita and in the process learns about the orphan soldier. Long rambling film is beautifully shot but since Kashmir is the backdrop and a Pakistani character involved we get typical scenes that do the usual needful mischief - creating a feeling of hatred between both countries and a laughable justification of why Kashmiris are up in arms against the Indian army. As with most dubbed films this too loses much in nuance which the Hindi dialogue cannot convey with accuracy. The film is one of the highest grossing Indian films of last year and has received great acclaim for the lead actors.
The Dawning (Robert Knights, 1988) 6/10
A young girl (Rebecca Pidgeon) comes of age via her friendship with an IRA gunman (Anthony Hopkins) who has escaped from prison. Set during the period of the "Irish Troubles" the film focuses on an Anglo-Irish family - young school girl who lives with her aunt (Jean Simmons) and grandfather (Trevor Howard) and is infatuated with a young family friend (Hugh Grant). Exquisitely filmed on location the film has a Merchant-Ivory vibe. This was Pidgeon's film debut and Howard's final film as he died shortly after production ended. The pre-Hannibal Lecter Hopkins has great chemistry with Pidgeon.
Love Hostel (Shanker Raman, 2022) 7/10
Bollywood goes Tarantino in this blood soaked chase thriller. The "Love Hostel" is a safehouse for eloping lovers who have decided to go ahead and get married against the wishes of their "loved" ones. The court books them in for a week allowing their kin to come, forgive and give their blessings. The couple here in question - a Muslim butcher (Vikrant Massey) and his affluent, smart-mouthed Hindu wife (Sanya Malhotra) - go on the run when her MLA grandmother hires a ruthless honour-killing criminal (Bobby Deol) to get them. When advised by a cop to accept the marriage the old lady interjects that the foolish girl chose "Eid" over "Diwali" hence she deserves to be killed. Raman's screenplay makes pointed digs at the current climate in India under PM Modi's rule which is not conducive to minorities and in particular Muslims. Fast moving film retains suspense right till its chilling climax.
Spielberg goes back to his childhood (played by Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord as a kid and Gabriel LaBelle as a 16-year old) in this memory piece and we get to see how he discovered movies and how the flickering medium turned into his passion. We also get to meet his parents - his engineer dad (Paul Dano) and housewife mom (Michelle Williams) trapped in an imperfect marriage, his sisters who participated in the early home movies he shot, and his assorted jewish relatives who are portrayed in a comical and grotesque manner - not unlike how Woody Allen portrayed members of his own family in Annie Hall (1977) and Radio Days (1987). While the film is worth a watch to see how it all started for Spielberg (it's autobiographical in a "loosely based" manner) it is rather shocking how pundits are predicting that this will win the director his third Oscar with the film to follow suit as the year's best. Far from it. Williams is good as the emotionally fragile mom who has a secret agenda which is discovered by her son via his movie camera. This is minor Spielberg as he takes a bit of a detour to show where the wunderkind came from.
Tár (Todd Field, 2022) 8/10
Field builds his screenplay around a highly disciplined symphony conductor (Cate Blanchett), who like a chameleon is adept at camouflaging her life, keeping the internal hidden while creating a witty (almost snarky) external persona that shifts according to the situation at hand. The film also vividly depicts how abuse of power can totally destroy careers often with the use of social media as a tool which keeps a celebrity constantly under scrutiny and in the public eye. Lydia Tár is viewed almost in a clinical way - the film almost seems like a documentary at times - as she goes about her career, teaching students in class, and interacting with her wife (Nina Hoss) and child. She refuses to let the facade crumble when a young woman, her former lover whom she blacklists, commits suicide and there are accusations of predatory behaviour and the casting couch with a slew of young potential female musicians she hires for the orchestra. A ferocious Blanchett dominates the film like a sleek panther as she goes about quietly manipulating everyone around her with power bringing on a sense of entitlement which allows her to blindly crash through people and life. The film makes marvelous use of its production design - her spacious modern apartment alone is something to see - and cinematography. Field uses numerous shots of Blanchett's car racing through a tunnel which obviously is meant to symbolize something which unfortunately I failed to get.
Network (Sidney Lumet, 1976) 10/10
Paddy Chayevsky's biting screenplay is not only laugh-out-loud hilarious but is frighteningly close to the crazy reality of today's world. This is Lumet's finest moment as he directs four of his actors to go completely over-the-top - Ned Beatty as a god-like network supremo, Robert Duvall as a tv network programming head, Peter Finch as a news anchor who receives visions and, on the verge of a complete breakdown, becomes the toast of the failing network as an angry prophet live on air who's (now) iconic catchphrase is, "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore", and Faye Dunaway as the ruthlessly ambitious chief of programs who sees in the crazy Finch a means to boost ratings and is even very willing to see him kill himself on air in order to win high ratings for the network. These epic characters are superbly balanced by equally over-the-top yet moving soap opera sequences involving William Holden who plays the veteran news division President - his loveless affair with Dunaway and his later confession about it to his distraught wife (Beatrice Straight) are sequences that allow an almost washed-up Holden (by then a miserable alcoholic) to shine bright once more. The wicked and overloaded screenplay manages a lot more in its dissection of ills in the world - sexism and ageism, upper-middle-class anomy and capitalist exploitation, psychics and revolutionary ripoffs, and the failure to communicate on a human level. Highly acclaimed film famously lost the Oscar to Rocky but won richly deserved awards for Finch, Dunaway, Straight and Chayefsky while Lumet, Holden, Ned Beatty, the editing and cinematography of Owen Roizman were all nominated. A classic film not to be missed.
Uunchai (Sooraj Barjatya, 2022) 8/10
Barjatya moves out of house and hearth for the first time in a long while but retains the Rajishri production house's usual time-tested themes of family and friendship. The heartwarming screenplay takes on the form of a travelogue as three elderly friends - a famous writer (Amitabh Bachchan), a shopkeeper (Anupam Kher) and a businessman (Boman Irani) - take on the task of a trek to the Everest base camp. This was the long gestating plan of their dear friend (Danny Denzongpa) who suddenly passed away before the trek could be undertaken. With great reluctance the three friends decide to go ahead with the plan in memory of their departed friend. The film, consisting of their very funny and never ending banter, is a trip that covers Agra (we get a glimpse of the Taj), Kanpur, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Kathmandu and the trek by foot all the way to the Everest base camp. The film is overlong - encompassing sad moments involving selfish children (shades of "Make Way For Tomorrow" and "Baghban") and disappointed family members (Kher's brothers during the trio's stopover at their haveli) - but still manages to entertain. The three leads are all very good and get superb support from Neena Gupta as Irani's delightfully tart-tongued wife, Sarika as a mysterious passenger they take along on the trip and Parineeti Chopra as the chirpy trek guide. Nafisa Ali makes a cameo appearance as Bachchan's estranged wife. A film with old school values is a celebration about friendship which Barjatya superbly conveys in very simple terms. Kudos to the cinematography which captures the superb location work in Nepal.
Cobalt Blue (Sachin Kundalkar, 2022) 6/10
Picture postcard views of Kerala and its distinct colonial architecture stand out in this soap opera about a young gay literature student (Neelay Mehendale) and his non-conformist sister (Anjali Sivaraman) who both fall in love with and are jilted by their mysterious paying guest (Prateik Babbar). It is an orthodox Marathi household where the parents are hell bent on ensuring their hockey mad daughter gets married. When the younger son falls in love with the guest he is overcome with feelings long suppressed. However, he gets the shock of his life when the gyest runs off with his sister who subsequently returns home after he leaves her too. The resulting chaos in the family is offset by the feelings - each very different - which the siblings both go through. Sad but wiser both end up moving on in life. Bittersweet memory piece looks at first love and its shattering aftermath. Both leads give stiff self concious performances while Babbar, as the sexy enigma, is vivid in his small part - his character acting as a catalyst for the siblings to find what they are searching for in life. The story is based on director Sachin Kundalkar's novel which he adapted himself.
Sita Ramam (Hanu Raghavapudi, 2022) 6/10
This extremely overlong Telugu film takes it's romantic and strife-ridden cue from Mani Ratnam's Roja (1992) - an intense love story set during the Kashmir insurgency. The screenplay follows, in non-linear fashion, the story about an orphan soldier (Dulquer Salmaan) serving on the Kashmir border in 1965 who, helped by a radio newscaster, ends up getting letters from hundreds of sympathetic people. One letter catches his eye. It is from a girl called Sita (Mrunal Thakur) who professes love and so the lovestruck soldier makes it his mission to find her. This premise is counterbalanced by a character twenty years later - a rabid Pakistani (Rashmika Mandanna) who hates Indians and who is tasked by her late grandfather, a Pakistani Army officer, to deliver a letter written in the past by an Indian officer to a woman named Sita. Reluctantly she goes to India in order to find Sita and in the process learns about the orphan soldier. Long rambling film is beautifully shot but since Kashmir is the backdrop and a Pakistani character involved we get typical scenes that do the usual needful mischief - creating a feeling of hatred between both countries and a laughable justification of why Kashmiris are up in arms against the Indian army. As with most dubbed films this too loses much in nuance which the Hindi dialogue cannot convey with accuracy. The film is one of the highest grossing Indian films of last year and has received great acclaim for the lead actors.
The Dawning (Robert Knights, 1988) 6/10
A young girl (Rebecca Pidgeon) comes of age via her friendship with an IRA gunman (Anthony Hopkins) who has escaped from prison. Set during the period of the "Irish Troubles" the film focuses on an Anglo-Irish family - young school girl who lives with her aunt (Jean Simmons) and grandfather (Trevor Howard) and is infatuated with a young family friend (Hugh Grant). Exquisitely filmed on location the film has a Merchant-Ivory vibe. This was Pidgeon's film debut and Howard's final film as he died shortly after production ended. The pre-Hannibal Lecter Hopkins has great chemistry with Pidgeon.
Love Hostel (Shanker Raman, 2022) 7/10
Bollywood goes Tarantino in this blood soaked chase thriller. The "Love Hostel" is a safehouse for eloping lovers who have decided to go ahead and get married against the wishes of their "loved" ones. The court books them in for a week allowing their kin to come, forgive and give their blessings. The couple here in question - a Muslim butcher (Vikrant Massey) and his affluent, smart-mouthed Hindu wife (Sanya Malhotra) - go on the run when her MLA grandmother hires a ruthless honour-killing criminal (Bobby Deol) to get them. When advised by a cop to accept the marriage the old lady interjects that the foolish girl chose "Eid" over "Diwali" hence she deserves to be killed. Raman's screenplay makes pointed digs at the current climate in India under PM Modi's rule which is not conducive to minorities and in particular Muslims. Fast moving film retains suspense right till its chilling climax.