One Special Night (Roger Young, 1999) 7/10
Two strangers (James Garner and Julie Andrews) meet by chance, get caught in a blizzard and end up spending Thanksgiving night together in a nearby cottage. Charming, sentimental fluff that allows two great stars (and friends) to co-star together for the third time in their careers.
Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
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Finding Fanny (Homi Adajania, 2014) 7/10
Deepika Padukone plays a lonely but happy-go-lucky widow - her husband choked to death eating the cake on their wedding day six years before - and lives with her mother-in-law (Dimple Kapadia), once the town flirt, in a small village in Goa. A road trip is planned to help find the local postmaster (Naseeruddin Shah) his lost love, Fanny, of 46 years before . Also along for the ride are a young man (Arjun Kapoor), who has long loved the widow, and a lascivious painter (Pankaj Kapoor) who has eyes only for the older widow's ample rump (shades of Botero) and whom he wishes to paint. Quirky characters and quirky situations abound as they all bicker, fight, laugh and discover each other on the journey. The outstanding performances and the Goan scenery compensate for the languid pace of the story.
Deepika Padukone plays a lonely but happy-go-lucky widow - her husband choked to death eating the cake on their wedding day six years before - and lives with her mother-in-law (Dimple Kapadia), once the town flirt, in a small village in Goa. A road trip is planned to help find the local postmaster (Naseeruddin Shah) his lost love, Fanny, of 46 years before . Also along for the ride are a young man (Arjun Kapoor), who has long loved the widow, and a lascivious painter (Pankaj Kapoor) who has eyes only for the older widow's ample rump (shades of Botero) and whom he wishes to paint. Quirky characters and quirky situations abound as they all bicker, fight, laugh and discover each other on the journey. The outstanding performances and the Goan scenery compensate for the languid pace of the story.
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The Hour Before the Dawn (Frank Tuttle, 1944) 5/10
On the eve of WWII a pacifist (Franchot Tone) falls in love with an Austrian refugee (Veronica Lake). She is part of a gang of Nazi spies out to help german planes bomb a nearby British military base. Odd mixture of comedy (courtesy of the annoying Binnie Barnes) and drama with both stars badly miscast.
On the eve of WWII a pacifist (Franchot Tone) falls in love with an Austrian refugee (Veronica Lake). She is part of a gang of Nazi spies out to help german planes bomb a nearby British military base. Odd mixture of comedy (courtesy of the annoying Binnie Barnes) and drama with both stars badly miscast.
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The Hundred-Foot Journey (Lasse Hallström, 2014) 8/10
A young Indian chef (Manish Dayal) and his family escape riots in India by taking asylum in England and then make their way to the South of France. The family (headed by the great Om Puri) set up an Indian dhaba/eatery ("Maison Mumbai") in a small village right opposite a one-star Michelin french restaurant run by a haughty propreitess (Helen Mirren). The inevitable clash and rivalry between the two individuals, their cultures and the eventual realisation that art (cooking - Murgh Masala vs Beef Bouillon), no matter in what form, eventually bridges cultures. The 100 foot journey by the young chef takes him not only across the street (between restaurants) but takes him to Paris and fame. A typically sentimental Hallström fairy tale - this time he has Bollywood in tow - that remains extremely pleasing to the eye and the senses thanks to his camera gorgeously capturing images of market places, the kitchen (with mouth watering dishes of food on plates) and the lush countryside of France. An old fashioned story (yes, it teaches us tolerance) given spark by the prickly Puri and his "almost" girlfriend, the icy Mirren. And how many films are out there that can bring a tear to the eye with the word "zeera"? Bollywood certainly can, and now so can Hollywood.
A young Indian chef (Manish Dayal) and his family escape riots in India by taking asylum in England and then make their way to the South of France. The family (headed by the great Om Puri) set up an Indian dhaba/eatery ("Maison Mumbai") in a small village right opposite a one-star Michelin french restaurant run by a haughty propreitess (Helen Mirren). The inevitable clash and rivalry between the two individuals, their cultures and the eventual realisation that art (cooking - Murgh Masala vs Beef Bouillon), no matter in what form, eventually bridges cultures. The 100 foot journey by the young chef takes him not only across the street (between restaurants) but takes him to Paris and fame. A typically sentimental Hallström fairy tale - this time he has Bollywood in tow - that remains extremely pleasing to the eye and the senses thanks to his camera gorgeously capturing images of market places, the kitchen (with mouth watering dishes of food on plates) and the lush countryside of France. An old fashioned story (yes, it teaches us tolerance) given spark by the prickly Puri and his "almost" girlfriend, the icy Mirren. And how many films are out there that can bring a tear to the eye with the word "zeera"? Bollywood certainly can, and now so can Hollywood.
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The November Man (Roger Donaldson, 2014) 7/10
A dynamic lead performance by Pierce Brosnan (aged but looking incredibly suave and fit) as an ex-CIA operative brought back in from the cold for a mission that pits him up against a former student and the CIA as he fights to protect a young Russian woman from assorted assassins (the one with the long nose is scary but hilariously inept). Notwithstanding the pot holes in the script, the film has enough high-tech action scenes to keep you awake and guessing. Brosnan should certainly continue making more thrillers as he looks very cool holding a gun.
A dynamic lead performance by Pierce Brosnan (aged but looking incredibly suave and fit) as an ex-CIA operative brought back in from the cold for a mission that pits him up against a former student and the CIA as he fights to protect a young Russian woman from assorted assassins (the one with the long nose is scary but hilariously inept). Notwithstanding the pot holes in the script, the film has enough high-tech action scenes to keep you awake and guessing. Brosnan should certainly continue making more thrillers as he looks very cool holding a gun.
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Ambush (Sam Wood, 1949) 5/10
Cavalrymen ambush the Apaches to rescue a general's kidnapped daughter. Robert Taylor's star presence enhances this rather routine and extremely talky western. The excellent supporting cast - John Hodiak, Arlene Dahl, Jean Hagen, Don Taylor - adds colour. Unfortunately most of the film is shot at night including a number of the action sequences which makes it hard to see what's happening.
Cavalrymen ambush the Apaches to rescue a general's kidnapped daughter. Robert Taylor's star presence enhances this rather routine and extremely talky western. The excellent supporting cast - John Hodiak, Arlene Dahl, Jean Hagen, Don Taylor - adds colour. Unfortunately most of the film is shot at night including a number of the action sequences which makes it hard to see what's happening.
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Turn the Key Softly (Jack Lee, 1953) 7/10
Three convicts - Yvonne Mitchell (took the rap for her burglar boyfriend but wants to get a job and go straight), Joan Collins (imprisoned for prostitution now hopes to get married to her boyfriend) and Kathleen Harrison (a petty shoplifter pining for her dog) - are released from prison and their first day out in London hold many surprises. Contrived drama but location shooting and good performances make it worth viewing.
Three convicts - Yvonne Mitchell (took the rap for her burglar boyfriend but wants to get a job and go straight), Joan Collins (imprisoned for prostitution now hopes to get married to her boyfriend) and Kathleen Harrison (a petty shoplifter pining for her dog) - are released from prison and their first day out in London hold many surprises. Contrived drama but location shooting and good performances make it worth viewing.
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Hazard (George Marshall, 1948) 3/10
Silly film about a compulsive gambler (Paulette Goddard) on the run and a detective (Macdonald Carey) hired by the casino boss to bring her in. The cross country journey from Chicago to New York is relentlessly boring and not helped by Goddard's incessant chattering.
Silly film about a compulsive gambler (Paulette Goddard) on the run and a detective (Macdonald Carey) hired by the casino boss to bring her in. The cross country journey from Chicago to New York is relentlessly boring and not helped by Goddard's incessant chattering.
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Un soir....un train (André Delvaux, 1968) 7/10
A dreamy film full of symbolic touches as a Flemish professor (Yves Montand) and his French mistress (Anouk Aimée) on a train journey dose off and the man thinks back to the time when they first met. Upon waking up he finds the woman has disappeared and what follows is a sort of Kafkaesque nightmare as strange events befall him leading to a tragic ending. Well acted but pretty weird.
A dreamy film full of symbolic touches as a Flemish professor (Yves Montand) and his French mistress (Anouk Aimée) on a train journey dose off and the man thinks back to the time when they first met. Upon waking up he finds the woman has disappeared and what follows is a sort of Kafkaesque nightmare as strange events befall him leading to a tragic ending. Well acted but pretty weird.
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Waterfront (Michael Anderson, 1950) 8/10
A good-for-nothing seaman (a surprisingly restrained Robert Newton) abandons his wife (Kathleen Harrison) and children in their Liverpool slum home and disappears for 14 years. Upon his return he faces hostility from his daughter, meets his son for the first time and makes amends with his family. An excellent screenplay vividly brings post war England to life. Memorable also as being one of Richard Burton's early screen roles (as suitor to the daughter) and he makes his presence felt through his distinct voice and screen presence.
A good-for-nothing seaman (a surprisingly restrained Robert Newton) abandons his wife (Kathleen Harrison) and children in their Liverpool slum home and disappears for 14 years. Upon his return he faces hostility from his daughter, meets his son for the first time and makes amends with his family. An excellent screenplay vividly brings post war England to life. Memorable also as being one of Richard Burton's early screen roles (as suitor to the daughter) and he makes his presence felt through his distinct voice and screen presence.
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Hunted (Charles Chricton, 1952) 10/10
A man (Dirk Bogarde) murders his wife's lover and goes on the run taking along with him a little boy (the outstanding Jon Whitely) who has witnessed the crime. Extremely moving film about two broken individuals running from their past and learning to depend on each other. Brilliantly photographed on location in the stark Northern English countryside. Elizabeth Sellars (as the two timing wife) and Kay Walsh (as a sympathetic woman) are also very good in very brief roles. A real sleeper.
A man (Dirk Bogarde) murders his wife's lover and goes on the run taking along with him a little boy (the outstanding Jon Whitely) who has witnessed the crime. Extremely moving film about two broken individuals running from their past and learning to depend on each other. Brilliantly photographed on location in the stark Northern English countryside. Elizabeth Sellars (as the two timing wife) and Kay Walsh (as a sympathetic woman) are also very good in very brief roles. A real sleeper.
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Charade (Roy Kellino, 1953) 6/10
Three short stories written by and starring James Mason and his then wife, Pamela Kellino, and directed by her ex-husband. The first involves a murder in Paris. The second is about duelling Austrian soldiers and the third is about a man troubled by his wealth. Well acted and suspenseful.
Three short stories written by and starring James Mason and his then wife, Pamela Kellino, and directed by her ex-husband. The first involves a murder in Paris. The second is about duelling Austrian soldiers and the third is about a man troubled by his wealth. Well acted and suspenseful.
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Life Is Beautiful
1997, Roberto Benigni
I took another opportunity to watch on TCM a film I had yet to see.
I find Life Is Beautiful a good film that had the potential to be a great film, but is marred by the story delving into too much outrageousness to serve the subject matter. About the first hour concerns Benigni's character wooing a princess. As I knew going in that this is about a father and his young son in a concentration camp and the father's attempt to protect his son by convincing him that this is all some game, I thought the attempt to woo the princess was part of a story he is telling his son while they are already in the camp. I was struck to find that his character is actually wooing the princess and he and his son end up in the camp later.
The reason I was struck was because I thought the wooing was so full of unlikely coincidences that it did not correspond well to something that was actually reality. This over-fantasy in a reality situation continued even to scenes in the camp, such as Benigni's character's non-translation to other memebers of the camp and its consequences, or lack thereof.
This is too bad, because during times when the father's ruse is actually more grounded in reality, the film is quite adapt at simultaneously bringing both humor and pathos. This is most on display at the ending, which almost seamlessly moves from heart-breaking tragedy to surprising humor mixed with the cheer of somewhat-winning-against-all-odds.
Both the coutryside photography during the first hour and the score effectively added to the atmosphere.
B
1997, Roberto Benigni
I took another opportunity to watch on TCM a film I had yet to see.
I find Life Is Beautiful a good film that had the potential to be a great film, but is marred by the story delving into too much outrageousness to serve the subject matter. About the first hour concerns Benigni's character wooing a princess. As I knew going in that this is about a father and his young son in a concentration camp and the father's attempt to protect his son by convincing him that this is all some game, I thought the attempt to woo the princess was part of a story he is telling his son while they are already in the camp. I was struck to find that his character is actually wooing the princess and he and his son end up in the camp later.
The reason I was struck was because I thought the wooing was so full of unlikely coincidences that it did not correspond well to something that was actually reality. This over-fantasy in a reality situation continued even to scenes in the camp, such as Benigni's character's non-translation to other memebers of the camp and its consequences, or lack thereof.
This is too bad, because during times when the father's ruse is actually more grounded in reality, the film is quite adapt at simultaneously bringing both humor and pathos. This is most on display at the ending, which almost seamlessly moves from heart-breaking tragedy to surprising humor mixed with the cheer of somewhat-winning-against-all-odds.
Both the coutryside photography during the first hour and the score effectively added to the atmosphere.
B
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The Reckless Moment (Max Ophuls, 1949) 9/10
Compact little film noir made by the great Max Ophuls with the camera and the leading lady in constant gliding motion. A housewife (the great Joan Bennett) suspects her teenage daughter may have murdered her lover so to avoid a scandal dumps the body far away from her home. The next day she is confronted by a blackmailer (a soft spoken James Mason) who has letters written by the daughter to her lover. The tension mounts as the woman is faced with increasing plot twists. Tautly paced film with Ophuls' tracking shots adding to the urgency felt by the distraught woman. A forgotten little masterpiece.
Compact little film noir made by the great Max Ophuls with the camera and the leading lady in constant gliding motion. A housewife (the great Joan Bennett) suspects her teenage daughter may have murdered her lover so to avoid a scandal dumps the body far away from her home. The next day she is confronted by a blackmailer (a soft spoken James Mason) who has letters written by the daughter to her lover. The tension mounts as the woman is faced with increasing plot twists. Tautly paced film with Ophuls' tracking shots adding to the urgency felt by the distraught woman. A forgotten little masterpiece.
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The Magic Bow (Bernard Knowles, 1946) 3/10
Slow and very tedious film about the life of the 19th century Italian violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini (Stewart Granger) and the two women (Phyllis Calvert & Jean Kent) who loved him. Yehudi Menuhin subs for Granger on the violin interludes but it's all pretty much a big yawn. A disappointing film from the Gainsborough studio.
Slow and very tedious film about the life of the 19th century Italian violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini (Stewart Granger) and the two women (Phyllis Calvert & Jean Kent) who loved him. Yehudi Menuhin subs for Granger on the violin interludes but it's all pretty much a big yawn. A disappointing film from the Gainsborough studio.