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

[Precious Doll]

I purchased a DVD box set of 6 Anna Neagle films sometime ago to obtain a copy of Victoria The Great.

Where did you find this box set? Can't find it on Amazon.

http://www.moviemail-online.co.uk/scripts....age.y=0

Also Amazon's UK site.

[Big Magilla]

Star! (1968; Robert Wise) 3/10

Dull, overblown biography of Gertrude Lawrence (Julie Andrews, in one of her least interesting performances). The epitome of bad late 1960s musicals.

It's certainly overlong, but the musical sequences are quite enjoyable. Julie makes a marvelous Gertie and Daniel Massey perfectly captures his real life godfather, Noel Coward.

It would have been better if they had concentrated less on Gertie's marriages and more on her stage career. The film should have ended with her all but dying on stage during a performance of The King and I and her burial in the ball gown she wore while singing "Shall We Dance?".

[Big Magilla]

I purchased a DVD box set of 6 Anna Neagle films sometime ago to obtain a copy of Victoria The Great.

Where did you find this box set? Can't find it on Amazon.

http://www.moviemail-online.co.uk/scripts....age.y=0

[Reza]

I purchased a DVD box set of 6 Anna Neagle films sometime ago to obtain a copy of Victoria The Great.

Where did you find this box set? Can't find it on Amazon.

[Precious Doll]

The Violent Men (1955) Rudolph Mate 6/10

I purchased a DVD box set of 6 Anna Neagle films sometime ago to obtain a copy of Victoria The Great. I have finally got around to viewing the rest and needless to say they don't match Victoria The Great or The Lady with the Lamp in quality terms.

I Live in Grosvenor Square (1945) Herbert Wilcox 5/10

Sixty Glorious Years (1938) Herbert Wilcox 6/10

Derby Day (1952) Herbert Wilcox 4/10

The Lady is a Square (1959) Herbert Wilcox 4/10



Edited By Precious Doll on 1256713133

[Reza]

Callas Forever (Franco Zeffirelli, 2002) 7/10

Facinating fictional film about Maria Callas making a comeback in a film version of Carmen. Fanny Ardant is amazing as the temperamental diva.

[Penelope]

Star! (1968; Robert Wise) 3/10

Dull, overblown biography of Gertrude Lawrence (Julie Andrews, in one of her least interesting performances). The epitome of bad late 1960s musicals.

[Damien]

The Best Way to Walk (1976; Claude Miller) 7.5/10

That wasn't the title it was released as in the U.S. It might have been just The Best Way, but I can't remember because I hated it. And I couldnt stand Patrick Dewaere



Edited By Damien on 1256699004

[Penelope]

The Best Way to Walk (1976; Claude Miller) 7.5/10

At a boys summer camp in 1960, two counselors (Patrick Dewaere, Patrick Bouchitey) become involved in a tense game of humilation and desire. Even at 86 minutes, it's still perhaps a little too lengthy, but also still very involving, especially thanks to the superlative performances of the two leads; Dewaere, particularly, is magnetic.

[Damien]

It's hard to see how this film was so ignored by the Academy at the time of its release. The only thing I can think of is that it was covering ground similar to what Ordinary People had two years earlier, although that seems too flimsy of an excuse. I definitely would've supported nominations for Keaton and Hill in lead and supporting, respectively.

Back in 1982, people really hated Shoot The Moon, probably because of its unrelenting tone. It was highly touted Still Keaton was talked up as a possible Best Actress nominee. I think Finney is even better.

[flipp525]

One quibble: is my memory failing after all these years? I'd have sworn the Beatles' If I Fell was the song Keaton was singing in the tub. Do I have scenes mixed up?

No, you're totally right, Tee; it was the Beatles song -- she and Finney even talk about it earlier in the film. Was the Stones' song placed elsewhere in the film? Regardless, that was absolutely Keaton's money scene. Just wonderful.



Edited By flipp525 on 1256677212

[Mister Tee]

flipp, I agree almost to the letter with your comments on Shoot the Moon. The scene with Weller stood out for me in the era as one of the few to convey the tentativeness of lovers coming together -- Raggedy Man had a similarly delicate one, but, for the most part, in the movies people fell into bed far more effortlessly than they do in life. In a more general sense, the film struck me as a rarity: showing what a violent rupture a divorce inflicts on an entire family. It was somewhat brutal -- like an extended version of that first Winslet/DiCaprio fight in Revolutionary Road -- and I think that has alot to do with why the film was passed over by Academy voters. (That and the fact that it didn't do much business, plus came along VERY early in the year -- January, I believe)

Omitting Keaton was the prime sin: she's wonderful in the role (during that stretch, she gave a number of stretchy, non-dithering roles -- in this, Manhattan, and Mrs. Soffel -- for which she got sadly little recognition). There was no way she, a recent winner, was going to compete for the Oscar in a year which already was dealing with two "would have won any other year" performances from Streep and Lange. But the fact that she was kept from a nomination was enraging.

One quibble: is my memory failing after all these years? I'd have sworn the Beatles' If I Fell was the song Keaton was singing in the tub. Do I have scenes mixed up?

[Sabin]

Pusher (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn) - 6/10

Not bad. I enjoyed the story within the clear limitations presented. Nothing that special but of merit and displaying talent.


(RE: TRAFFIC - and minor spoilers!)

I think my charges of hopelessness is an overstatement only in the sense that Benicio Del Toro uses the system to create something for future generations. As a whole, Catherine Zeta-Jones (d)evolves into one woman cartel, Michael Douglas bails on his policy, Erika Christensen becomes a year-long drugged-out casualty in a week...the most you can say about Traffic is that it acknowledges that the cycle of substance and abuse can be manipulated for some good only by playing the game, like Del Toro's character does. This may be true, but Traffic has crafted a mold this decade that is becoming tiresome. Traffic is better than most but it's pretty simplistic. Soderbergh elevates the material.

[Okri]

How does Traffic believe in nothing but "hopelessness?"

[Penelope]

Crossfire (1947; Edward Dmytryk) 8/10

Taut, interesting combo of noir thriller and earnest social drama as police detective Robert Young investigates a hate crime. Richard Brooks' novel was original about the killing of a gay man, but RKO changed it to the killing of a Jewish man; yet, the film retains aspects that makes you think all this is happening precisely because of homophobia and Robert Mitchum's character, in particular, struck me as being gay (and comfortable with it). Some of the dialogue is a bit trite and forced, but the actors really make it work and it's probably Dmytryk's best film.