The Night Walker (William Castle, 1964) 6/10
Typical B-movie premise as in all of William Castle's low budget productions although this time round he gives it a touch of class via his lead actors. This must have been a great casting coup for him - reuniting two of Hollywood's top former co-stars and an offscreen couple from the 1930s. In their third film together, but first since their divorce 12 years earlier, both Robert Taylor and Barbara Stanwyck provide old fashioned glamour in what is basically a schlocky psychological thriller. A rich blind man suspects his wife (Barbara Stanwyck) of having an affair after he hears her talking about a lover in her dreams at night. He accuses his lawyer (Robert Taylor) of being her lover which the man denies. When he is killed in a mysterious explosion her dreams keep getting worse as she not only imagines her husband has returned to haunt her but a much younger man (Lloyd Bochner) keeps waking her up at night and takes her on dates. She thinks she is losing her mind when the man takes her to a chapel where wax dummies preside over their wedding. Desperate for help she seeks out the lawyer who tries to investigate the mystery. Silly but eerie hokum has Stanwyck screaming with great gusto in what was her last big screen film. Taylor offers stolid support and the twisty plot, courtesy of Robert "Psycho" Bloch, provides enough campy moments to make this a fairly easy film to sit through.
En toute innocence / No Harm Intended ( Alain Jessua, 1988) 8/10
Elegant little thriller is based on a potboiler by André Lay. The languid atmosphere of the plot masks the deep undercurrents running through the characters. A wealthy architect (Michel Serrault) runs his firm from his country estate with help of his son and daughter-in-law (Nathalie Baye). The happy threesome are looked after by their outspoken but devoted housekeeper (Suzanne Flon) and all seems well between the young couple. When the old man unexpectedly catches his daughter-in-law making love to his son's work colleague he drives off in anger and meets with a bad accident that leaves him with a broken leg, partial paralyses and loss of speech. A deadly cat-and-mouse game ensues between the old man and the woman when she tries to silence him by hook or by crook and he proves to be an equal and wily match for her. There is a strong influence of Claude Chabrol which permeates throughout the film as ordinary people suddenly display nasty traits long kept hidden. Serrault is very good as the rigid man who finds his very ordered life up in shambles, but it's Baye who is a revelation, playing against type, as the desperate woman who transforms her intense guilt into something quite vicious. Both lose all sense of proportion as their duel rapidly and relentlessly escalates. Suzanne Flon, as always, is a marvelous presence as she tarries with the pernickety old man stuck in a wheelchair and comes up with a surprise or two of her own.
Flic Story (Jacques Deray, 1975) 8/10
Deray's police procedural is based on the autobiography of Roger Borniche, a French police detective, who spent nine years in pursuit of psychotic escaped gangster and murderer Emile Buisson. Deray, known for his crime thrillers, gives this story a strong whiff of Jean-Pierre Melville. With Delon in the cast the film's opening is remarkably similar to the master's "Le samourai" except Delon here plays Borniche the detective with Jean-Louis Trintignant as Buisson, his cold-blooded adversary. The screenplay takes a departure from the usual gangster films - the suave detective dislikes violence and frowns upon his colleague's brutal methods of obtaining information from suspects. Brief but brutal scenes show the gangster rubbing out informers although he too is a man who eventually comes to terms with his pursuer as both form an unspoken bond. There is a departure from the old Hollywood adage that criminals follow a special code amongst themselves. That idea is thrown to the wind as the sociopath gangster here trusts nobody and is quick to gun down anyone who stands in his way. The film superbly invokes the late 1940s through detailed mise-en-scene. Lovely Claudine Auger plays the detective's concerned girlfriend and has a memorable moment at the end during a decisive moment with Trintignant as she plays Piaf on the piano for him. Edge of the seat entertainment with memorable turns by both stars.
Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Wild Strawberries (1957) - 9/10 - Isak Borg is a 78 year old retired doctor and professor who has long been distant and somewhat cold with those close to him. He is about to receive an honorary degree from where he went to college, but decides to drive there instead of flying after having a disturbing dream the night before the ceremony. He is accompanied by his daughter-in-law who has been having marital difficulties with his son. During the trip, Isak has visions of the past and also has various interactions with the people he meets along the way, including his 96 year old mother, that cause him to reassess his behavior. Ingmar Bergman put together a splendid film and I enjoyed it a lot.
Dirty Pretty Things (2002) - 8.5/10 - Okwe is a Nigerian doctor living illegally in London, working as a taxi driver and as the night porter at a sketchy hotel. He sleeps on the couch of Senay, a Turkish refugee who works as a maid at the hotel. Okwe makes a surprising discovery in the bathroom of one of the hotel rooms that sets off a chain of events that will alter each of their lives. I thought the movie was very good with nice performances from the leads and the supporting cast.
The Sheepman (1958) - 7/10 - This western stars Glenn Ford stars as a stranger who arrives in town making waves right from the start. He further riles the town folk when they discover that he plans to bring in a herd of sheep right in the middle of cattle country. Shirley MacLaine plays a young woman who is engaged to the Colonel (Leslie Nielsen), a man who more or less runs the town. It turns out that the stranger and the Colonel have history. There is a lot of humor in the film and while it certainly isn't a great film, it was fun.
Jolson Sings Again (1949) - 6/10 - This movie pretty much picks up where The Jolson Story left off and follows Al Jolson as he entertains the troops, gets sick, and retires only to eventually make a comeback through the making of "The Jolson Story". As a result, we get a picture within the picture. This movie isn't as good as the one that preceded it, but it is okay.
Dirty Pretty Things (2002) - 8.5/10 - Okwe is a Nigerian doctor living illegally in London, working as a taxi driver and as the night porter at a sketchy hotel. He sleeps on the couch of Senay, a Turkish refugee who works as a maid at the hotel. Okwe makes a surprising discovery in the bathroom of one of the hotel rooms that sets off a chain of events that will alter each of their lives. I thought the movie was very good with nice performances from the leads and the supporting cast.
The Sheepman (1958) - 7/10 - This western stars Glenn Ford stars as a stranger who arrives in town making waves right from the start. He further riles the town folk when they discover that he plans to bring in a herd of sheep right in the middle of cattle country. Shirley MacLaine plays a young woman who is engaged to the Colonel (Leslie Nielsen), a man who more or less runs the town. It turns out that the stranger and the Colonel have history. There is a lot of humor in the film and while it certainly isn't a great film, it was fun.
Jolson Sings Again (1949) - 6/10 - This movie pretty much picks up where The Jolson Story left off and follows Al Jolson as he entertains the troops, gets sick, and retires only to eventually make a comeback through the making of "The Jolson Story". As a result, we get a picture within the picture. This movie isn't as good as the one that preceded it, but it is okay.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
I'm currently working on watching all of the films in the original and adapted screenplay categories that I've missed. I've got 51 left in the original category and 27 in the adapted category, though a few of those are lost or locked in archives.
The Late Show (1977) - 7/10 - Art Carney is an aging private detective who has an old friend show up at his door with a gunshot wound. This leads to his involvement with a woman (Lily Tomlin) looking for her cat and also a few murders. I liked Carney here, but the story itself was more convoluted than it needed to be. It was okay, but I thought it could have been a lot better.
The Ides of March (2011) - 7/10 - Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) is an idealistic campaign worker who is helping a Democratic governor (George Clooney) running for President just prior to the Ohio primary. His immediate boss (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is less idealistic and a bit more jaded. Meyers gets involved in a couple of things (one involving an intern played by Evan Rachel Wood) that threaten his idealism and tune him into just how dirty politics can be. I didn't totally buy everything here, but thought it was a decent movie overall.
Road to Utopia (1945) - 6/10 - Bob Hope and Bing Crosby are grifters who end up on a boat to Alaska. They find a map to a gold mine and set out to find it, but there are those who want to steal the map. There are plenty of gags and comedic situations, but I didn't really think most of it was very funny, though there were exceptions. It did get better once they actually made it to Alaska. There were plenty of songs in the picture and those were good. I liked Road to Morocco a bit better.
The Seven Little Foys (1955) - 7/10 - Bob Hope stars as Eddie Foy who starred on Broadway and the Vaudeville circuit. For a few years, he also toured with his seven children. The movie seems to have taken a number of liberties with the actual story, but that isn't uncommon in biopics and the movie itself was fairly entertaining. Charley Foy served as the narrator. It was nice to see James Cagney briefly reprise his George M. Cohan role.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) - 9/10 - This Coen Brothers film features George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson as three convicts who escape from the chain gang in 1937 Mississippi and search for hidden treasure while trying to elude the law. Clooney's character also wants to get home and keep his wife from remarrying. The movie is hilarious and features great songs and cinematography as well. The supporting cast is good, too.
The Late Show (1977) - 7/10 - Art Carney is an aging private detective who has an old friend show up at his door with a gunshot wound. This leads to his involvement with a woman (Lily Tomlin) looking for her cat and also a few murders. I liked Carney here, but the story itself was more convoluted than it needed to be. It was okay, but I thought it could have been a lot better.
The Ides of March (2011) - 7/10 - Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) is an idealistic campaign worker who is helping a Democratic governor (George Clooney) running for President just prior to the Ohio primary. His immediate boss (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is less idealistic and a bit more jaded. Meyers gets involved in a couple of things (one involving an intern played by Evan Rachel Wood) that threaten his idealism and tune him into just how dirty politics can be. I didn't totally buy everything here, but thought it was a decent movie overall.
Road to Utopia (1945) - 6/10 - Bob Hope and Bing Crosby are grifters who end up on a boat to Alaska. They find a map to a gold mine and set out to find it, but there are those who want to steal the map. There are plenty of gags and comedic situations, but I didn't really think most of it was very funny, though there were exceptions. It did get better once they actually made it to Alaska. There were plenty of songs in the picture and those were good. I liked Road to Morocco a bit better.
The Seven Little Foys (1955) - 7/10 - Bob Hope stars as Eddie Foy who starred on Broadway and the Vaudeville circuit. For a few years, he also toured with his seven children. The movie seems to have taken a number of liberties with the actual story, but that isn't uncommon in biopics and the movie itself was fairly entertaining. Charley Foy served as the narrator. It was nice to see James Cagney briefly reprise his George M. Cohan role.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) - 9/10 - This Coen Brothers film features George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson as three convicts who escape from the chain gang in 1937 Mississippi and search for hidden treasure while trying to elude the law. Clooney's character also wants to get home and keep his wife from remarrying. The movie is hilarious and features great songs and cinematography as well. The supporting cast is good, too.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
D-Day Remembered (1994) - 7.5/10 - This documentary gives an overview of the events leading up to D-Day through the end of the day with lots of footage from England and Normandy. It wasn't as long or as in depth as other documentaries on D-Day probably are, but it was good.
Building Bombs (1989) - 7/10 - This is a good documentary about the Savannah River nuclear weapons plant in South Carolina. The documentary discusses how management (including Dupont and the Department of Energy) underestimated or covered up the danger to the environment and workers caused by nuclear waste and the radioactive elements in use at the plant.
Hellfire: A Journey from Hiroshima (1986) - 7.5/10 - This documentary focuses on Toshi and Iri Maruki, well known mural artists from Japan. They were married shortly before the U.S. and Japan were at war. They had relatives in Hiroshima and visited the city after hearing news of the devastation. After the war, they painted a number of murals depicting the horrors of Hiroshima and they also went on to paint other visions of hell as well, including some committed by the Japanese during WWII. I thought this was an interesting film and it is worth seeing.
Freedom On My Mind (1994) - 8.5/10 - This documentary looks at the voter registration drive in Mississippi from 1961-1964 that included lots of intimidation, arrests, murders, etc. A separate delegation was sent to the Democratic Convention in 1964, but was not seated because Johnson was afraid of losing the southern white vote. The story is told through interviews with people who participated in the project and through footage from the time. I thought it was very well done.
Building Bombs (1989) - 7/10 - This is a good documentary about the Savannah River nuclear weapons plant in South Carolina. The documentary discusses how management (including Dupont and the Department of Energy) underestimated or covered up the danger to the environment and workers caused by nuclear waste and the radioactive elements in use at the plant.
Hellfire: A Journey from Hiroshima (1986) - 7.5/10 - This documentary focuses on Toshi and Iri Maruki, well known mural artists from Japan. They were married shortly before the U.S. and Japan were at war. They had relatives in Hiroshima and visited the city after hearing news of the devastation. After the war, they painted a number of murals depicting the horrors of Hiroshima and they also went on to paint other visions of hell as well, including some committed by the Japanese during WWII. I thought this was an interesting film and it is worth seeing.
Freedom On My Mind (1994) - 8.5/10 - This documentary looks at the voter registration drive in Mississippi from 1961-1964 that included lots of intimidation, arrests, murders, etc. A separate delegation was sent to the Democratic Convention in 1964, but was not seated because Johnson was afraid of losing the southern white vote. The story is told through interviews with people who participated in the project and through footage from the time. I thought it was very well done.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
M. Hulot's Holiday (1953) - 7/10 - Jacques Tati's Monsieur Hulot goes on a vacation to a seaside resort in his ancient automobile. Mishaps seem to follow him around throughout his time there, both to himself and to others. He plays tennis, sets off some fireworks, spends some time at the beach, and so on. I found it mildly amusing, though not nearly as much fun as Mon Oncle. My favorite bit was the shark boat.
Ballad of a Soldier (1959) - 8.5/10 - Alyosha is a 19 year old Russian soldier on the front lines during WWII. When he manages an incredible deed on the battlefield, the general plans to give him a decoration, but he request leave to return home to help his mother fix a leaky roof. This is granted, but the trip does not exactly go as planned. This is an excellent film that has great cinematography and acting. It is a war film, but it does a great job humanizing the soldiers and civilians who are living through it and is much more than 'just' a war film.
Ballad of a Soldier (1959) - 8.5/10 - Alyosha is a 19 year old Russian soldier on the front lines during WWII. When he manages an incredible deed on the battlefield, the general plans to give him a decoration, but he request leave to return home to help his mother fix a leaky roof. This is granted, but the trip does not exactly go as planned. This is an excellent film that has great cinematography and acting. It is a war film, but it does a great job humanizing the soldiers and civilians who are living through it and is much more than 'just' a war film.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Passport to Pimlico (1949) - 7/10 - A prank by a group of boys leads to the discovery of an ancient treasure and the news that part of ancient London is actually the Duchy of Burgundy and separate from England. This leads to a number of things, including ignoring rationing, black marketeers setting up openly, and England restricting access to/from Burgundy. I found the movie amusing and entertaining.
The Man in the White Suit (1951) - 7/10 - Alec Guinness plays Sidney Stratton, an inventor who has to do his experiments in secret in the labs of places where he works. He creates a fabric which will not tear or stain and could revolutionize the clothing industry. At first people are excited about it, but soon realize what it could mean for many workers and industries. The film is a decent comedy and I enjoyed it.
The Jazz Singer (1927) - 4/10 - This movie about a Jewish boy who runs away from home to be a jazz singer is interesting as the first movie to incorporate synced sound to the actual voices on the screen, though I thought it was a bit disappointing in how much of the film did not feature that. The story itself and the acting aren't that great. The use of blackface and some of the songs that were used seem pretty antiquated these days.
Genevieve (1953) - 8/10 - This is a fun comedy about two friends who take their antique cars to Brighton every year for a vintage car rally. Alan brings his wife, Wendy, who really isn't too keen on attending this year. Ambrose brings his latest girlfriend, Rosalind, along. Alan and Ambrose are friends, but also have a rivalry centered around their cars. They make a bet as to who can make it home first from the rally. Along the way, there are numerous mishaps and pranks that lead to delays. It was an enjoyable film.
The Desert Rats (1953) - 7/10 - Richard Burton plays a British officer who is put in charge of Australian troops at Tobruk in North Africa while Rommel's army lays siege. The movie started out pretty slow, but I thought it got better as it progressed and I ended up liking it.
Boomerang! (1947) - 7.5/10 - Elia Kazan directed this dramatization of a real murder case. A popular priest is murdered one evening on a fairly busy, but dark street corner. There are many witnesses, but the killer gets away. The police don't make any progress for weeks until a drifter is arrested. His conviction seems certain based on various evidence, except that a state prosecutor investigates further and believes that the man is innocent. This is a decent crime noir film. Dana Andrews does a nice job as the prosecutor. The supporting cast is pretty good, too, with Jane Wyatt, Arthur Kennedy, Lee J. Cobb, and others.
The Man in the White Suit (1951) - 7/10 - Alec Guinness plays Sidney Stratton, an inventor who has to do his experiments in secret in the labs of places where he works. He creates a fabric which will not tear or stain and could revolutionize the clothing industry. At first people are excited about it, but soon realize what it could mean for many workers and industries. The film is a decent comedy and I enjoyed it.
The Jazz Singer (1927) - 4/10 - This movie about a Jewish boy who runs away from home to be a jazz singer is interesting as the first movie to incorporate synced sound to the actual voices on the screen, though I thought it was a bit disappointing in how much of the film did not feature that. The story itself and the acting aren't that great. The use of blackface and some of the songs that were used seem pretty antiquated these days.
Genevieve (1953) - 8/10 - This is a fun comedy about two friends who take their antique cars to Brighton every year for a vintage car rally. Alan brings his wife, Wendy, who really isn't too keen on attending this year. Ambrose brings his latest girlfriend, Rosalind, along. Alan and Ambrose are friends, but also have a rivalry centered around their cars. They make a bet as to who can make it home first from the rally. Along the way, there are numerous mishaps and pranks that lead to delays. It was an enjoyable film.
The Desert Rats (1953) - 7/10 - Richard Burton plays a British officer who is put in charge of Australian troops at Tobruk in North Africa while Rommel's army lays siege. The movie started out pretty slow, but I thought it got better as it progressed and I ended up liking it.
Boomerang! (1947) - 7.5/10 - Elia Kazan directed this dramatization of a real murder case. A popular priest is murdered one evening on a fairly busy, but dark street corner. There are many witnesses, but the killer gets away. The police don't make any progress for weeks until a drifter is arrested. His conviction seems certain based on various evidence, except that a state prosecutor investigates further and believes that the man is innocent. This is a decent crime noir film. Dana Andrews does a nice job as the prosecutor. The supporting cast is pretty good, too, with Jane Wyatt, Arthur Kennedy, Lee J. Cobb, and others.
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The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970) - 7.5/10 - The Jewish people in Italy in the late 1930s are starting to feel some of the restrictions on their lives, though not as much as those in Germany. A group of young friends gather at the estate of the Finzi-Contini family, a wealthy Jewish family that seems unaffected by any repression. The group includes both Jews and gentiles and they enjoy playing tennis and hanging out with one another. Giorgio has been friends with Micol Finzi-Contini since childhood and is in love with her, but she seems to see him more as a brother. The effects of the war increase as time passes, though it is mostly secondary to the unrequited feelings that Giorgio has. I thought that this was a pretty good film.
Children of Heaven (1997) - 8.5/10 - Ali is a third grade boy in Tehran who picks up his younger sister's shoes fro the cobbler, but they disappear while he is running another errand. He tries to find them without success. The family is poor and can't afford to buy her new shoes. He and his sister then share his worn pair of sneakers while trying to come up with a solution without their parents finding out. I thought it was a very good movie and the two children did a great job. They really seemed like siblings who were close to one another.
Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter (1994) - 7/10 - Deborah Hoffman created this documentary about her aging mother who is suffering from Alzheimer's and is in her mid-80s. She has suffered from memory problems for nearly 15 years, but the death of her husband over five years earlier put more of the burden of taking care of her on her daughter. There is humor and care in here as Deborah relates some of the things her mother has become fixated on over the years. Doris is also on camera quite a bit. It was an interesting film. The mother would live for nearly a decade after the documentary was made.
Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern (1995) - 7.5/10 - Jeanne Jordan directs and narrates the documentary about her family farm and the financial problems facing her family. The Iowa farm has been in the family for over 100 years, but farming has become less profitable in recent years. The parents come up with a plan to get out of debt by selling off their stock, machinery, and other items and getting out of farming. I thought it was interesting and pretty well done. My dad grew up on a farm in Ohio and my uncle continued to farm it up until around 25 years ago. The land is either rented to other farmers or is in the land bank now, though.
Little Caesar (1931) - 7.5/10 - Edward G.Robinson stars as Rico, a small time hood who knocks off gas stations, but has higher aspirations. He is quick with the gun and works his way up to be the boss of Chicago's north side. He is threatened by the police and also by rival gangsters. It was a fun pre-code movie.
Children of Heaven (1997) - 8.5/10 - Ali is a third grade boy in Tehran who picks up his younger sister's shoes fro the cobbler, but they disappear while he is running another errand. He tries to find them without success. The family is poor and can't afford to buy her new shoes. He and his sister then share his worn pair of sneakers while trying to come up with a solution without their parents finding out. I thought it was a very good movie and the two children did a great job. They really seemed like siblings who were close to one another.
Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter (1994) - 7/10 - Deborah Hoffman created this documentary about her aging mother who is suffering from Alzheimer's and is in her mid-80s. She has suffered from memory problems for nearly 15 years, but the death of her husband over five years earlier put more of the burden of taking care of her on her daughter. There is humor and care in here as Deborah relates some of the things her mother has become fixated on over the years. Doris is also on camera quite a bit. It was an interesting film. The mother would live for nearly a decade after the documentary was made.
Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern (1995) - 7.5/10 - Jeanne Jordan directs and narrates the documentary about her family farm and the financial problems facing her family. The Iowa farm has been in the family for over 100 years, but farming has become less profitable in recent years. The parents come up with a plan to get out of debt by selling off their stock, machinery, and other items and getting out of farming. I thought it was interesting and pretty well done. My dad grew up on a farm in Ohio and my uncle continued to farm it up until around 25 years ago. The land is either rented to other farmers or is in the land bank now, though.
Little Caesar (1931) - 7.5/10 - Edward G.Robinson stars as Rico, a small time hood who knocks off gas stations, but has higher aspirations. He is quick with the gun and works his way up to be the boss of Chicago's north side. He is threatened by the police and also by rival gangsters. It was a fun pre-code movie.
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Death of a Salesman (1951) - 7.5/10 - Willy Loman is an aging traveling salesman whose career is spiraling down the drain and his mental health seems to be going with it. He's always talked himself and his kids up to unrealistic heights and he now lives partly in the past. I thought that Fredric March did a pretty nice job as Willy and the rest of the cast was decent, too. This was the first time that I actually liked the story. I hated the play when I had to read it in high school and I still hated it when I had to read it in college. I also hated the Dustin Hoffman version from the 1980s. Perhaps it is the perspective of age, but I think it has a lot to do with the performance and the direction in the film.
Othello (1965) - 5/10 - Laurence Olivier stars as the Moorish general with Maggie Smith as his wife, Desdemona. I've never really liked this story with the jealous and treacherous Iago plotting against Othello and Cassio. This version seems to be fairly well acted, but I still didn't like it all that much.
Othello (1965) - 5/10 - Laurence Olivier stars as the Moorish general with Maggie Smith as his wife, Desdemona. I've never really liked this story with the jealous and treacherous Iago plotting against Othello and Cassio. This version seems to be fairly well acted, but I still didn't like it all that much.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Woah Foster won!!Sabin wrote:YOU LIED TO ME!Reza wrote
I seriously doubt it although Tahar Rahim is good.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
YOU LIED TO ME!Reza wrote
I seriously doubt it although Tahar Rahim is good.
"How's the despair?"
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
I seriously doubt it although Tahar Rahim is good.Sabin wrote:So, what's the verdict? Is it getting anything?Reza wrote
The Mauritanian (Kevin Macdonald, 2021) 6/10
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
So, what's the verdict? Is it getting anything?Reza wrote
The Mauritanian (Kevin Macdonald, 2021) 6/10
"How's the despair?"
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The World of Suzie Wong (Richard Quine, 1960) 7/10
An architect (William Holden) moves from America to find his artistic soul in Hong Kong and finds his muse in a local prostitute (Nancy Kwan). While she is attracted to him he only wants to paint her in a variety of poses. When he suddenly realizes that he has fallen in love with her he decides to keep her as his mistress but she will not agree to this arrangement wanting him to commit to a permanent relationship. A daring subject for its time, the film was based on a bestselling book and a hit Broadway play dealing with a bittersweet inter-racial love story. Shot on location in Hong Kong the film superbly captures the city in all its colorful glory. Both Holden and Kwan have wonderful screen chemistry - he is sweet and gentle while she is feisty and funny - and both get able support from Michael Wilding and Sylvia Syms playing two of the more bearable British expatriates living in Hong Kong.
Helen of Troy (Robert Wise, 1956) 4/10
Adaptation of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey is given an epic treatment in Cinemascope by director Robert Wise. In keeping with the trend of Roman and Biblical screen spectacles during the 1950s this is a huge production but unfortunately the stilted screenplay here relies on far too many dull exchanges between a cast of stiff character actors playing assorted Greek royalty. The film comes alive during the spectacular battle scenes of the Trojan War with thousands of charging soldiers. The idealistic Prince Paris of Troy (Jacques Sernas) defies his father, King Priam (Sir Cedric Hardwicke), his mother Queen Hecuba (Nora Swinburne), his clairvoyant sister Cassandra (Janette Scott) and his war mongering brother Prince Agamemnon (Robert Douglas) and leaves for Sparta to brokerage peace with the Greek kings. But he falls in love with Queen Helen (Rosanna Podestà) - the beauty whose "face launched a thousand ships" - and runs foul of her despicable husband King Menelaus (Niall MacGinnis) who plans to keep him imprisoned. He escapes with the help of his lover and brings her to Troy which results in the mighty armies of Sparta laying siege to the fortified city and palace. Rescuing the Queen becomes secondary as the armies are more interested in looting gold which results in the formation of the Trojan Horse which plays a decisive role in the battle and proves disastrous for the star-crossed lovers. Sernas and Podestà, both dubbed, look sensational but cannot act as they merely posture with deadpan expressions. Brigitte Bardot, just short of stardom, plays Helen's slave and seems more animated during her brief scenes than the film's leading lady. Stanley Baker plays a perpetually angry Achilles - the part Brad Pitt played in the remake "Troy". A rousing Max Steiner score, including a 5-minute overture, and Harry Stradling's stunning colour cinematography are major plus points in what is basically a pretty dismal film.
The Mauritanian (Kevin Macdonald, 2021) 6/10
Someday there will be a kick-ass film based on the terrors inflicted on innocent prisoners by the United States Government at Guantánamo. This film is not it, although we do get to see the main protagonist suffer notorious forms of torture that involved savage beatings, water boarding, binding in contorted stress positions, hooding, subjection to deafening noise, sleep disruption, sleep deprivation to the point of hallucination, subjection to extreme cold, death threats
and sexual humiliation. One has been conditioned to believe that such inhuman torture methods were only either part of medieval history or in the recent past the sadistic playtime of the Stalin, Nazi and Vietcong menace. Never could it be imagined that a country priding itself as the Leader of the World would fall so low as to do exactly that. Of course that "holier than thou" aura of the United States has been repeatedly shattered during the last few years. Based on the bestselling memoir, "Guantánamo Diary", written by Mohamedou Ould Salahi, whom the United States held, without charge, for fourteen years and officially acknowledged by them that he had been tortured. The case comes to light when defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and her associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley in an underwritten part) decide to defend languishing prisoner Salahi (Tahar Rahim) who had been abducted from his home in Mauritania on suspicion of being involved in the 9/11 attacks. Their controversial advocacy along with fabricated evidence uncovered by the military prosecutor (Benedict Cumberbatch) reveals a shocking conspiracy by officials to falsely condemn the prisoner by coercing a confession out of him using extreme torture methods. The screenplay lacks drama and takes a rather bland route merely ticking off all the major events in the life of this prisoner and comes across as a flat legal procedural. At the center of the film is the outstanding performance of Tahar Rahim who underplays yet perfectly conveys the character's humour, wit, confusion, trauma and who uses his strong religious faith to sustain him through his incredible ordeal of fourteen years in prison. Jodie Foster, wearing a startling white wig and in brusque "Clarice Starling" mode, not only adds marquee value but also adds spice to all her scenes opposite Rahim. Although the film is a strong indictment against the Bush era I found the film's emphasis on forgiveness hard to take as it deflects completely from the major issue of the United States government still refusing to apologise for its hand in the goings-on in Guantánamo which is still very much around and kicking. The film ends on a memorable note with footage of Salahi being welcomed back home and singing a Bob Dylan song.
I Loved a Woman (Alfred E. Green, 1933) 6/10
An art student (Edward G. Robinson) inherits his father's meat packing business, marries a social climber (Genevieve Tobin), sells tainted meat during the Spanish Civil War and falls in love with an ambitious opera singer (Kay Francis) who is a self confessed nymphomaniac. Francis, although with little screen time, manages to steal the show as a very modern woman for her time (the story is set during 1890-1915) while Robinson alternates between being ruthless in business and a sweet puppy dog with his tongue hanging out in the presence of his notorious lover. The film has fascinating similarities to "Citizen Kane".
The Girl on the Train (Ribhu Dasgupta, 2021) 1/10
Hideous Bollywood remake of Paula Hawkins' novel which Hollywood made into a mediocre movie some years ago with Emily Blunt. This version can't decide if it wants to be in English or Hindi and for some inexplicably unexplained reason the plot is set in London. It starts off with a typical Bollywood production number and segues into the novel's convoluted plot - not sure if the novel was convoluted or was it the ragged editing here that made it seem confused and belligerent. It also doesn't help that Parineeta Chopra gives what is possibly the worse performance of her career with the entire cast following suit. A brilliant lawyer (Parineeta Chopra) gets married to a dreamy man but during a car accident loses her unborn baby and takes to the bottle in typical Bollywood fashion - drunks, on Bollywood screens, act differently to their Hollywood counterparts. Sadly the heroine here does not sing in a club while drunk which might have livened up this film. Anyway her husband dumps her and takes up with another woman while the sad drunk daily whizzes past their house on a train spying on the couple. When another woman goes missing and turns up dead suspicion falls on the drunk who was seen in the vicinity. Red herrings and suspicious characters abound making the plot more and more confusing as it goes along. It also doesn't help that the film's constant flashbacks and flashforwards begin to intertwine making it more of a jumbled mess. I also kept wondering why the stern female cop on the case (Kirti Kulhari) was constantly wearing a Sikh-like turban. When the final twist in the plot arrives one heaves a massive sigh of relief that this atrocious piece of garbage is finally over.
I Care a Lot (J Blakeson, 2021) 7/10
Not since the Wachowski brothers' "Bound" has there been a more sexy and kick-ass pair of lesbian conwomen as in this black comedy. Maria (Rosamund Pike) runs a profitable business by convincing the legal system to grant her guardianship over elders, under the guise that they cannot look after themselves. The elders are placed in an assisted living facility, kept away from all contact with the outside world and given high doses of medication to make them almost catatonic. Meanwhile she sells their assets and homes for her own profit. Helping her manoeuvre each con is her younger partner and lover (Eiza González). The fun with such plots is waiting for the fuck-up which invariably hangs just around the corner, and here it comes in the guise of an elderly lady (Dianne Wiest) who is taken in as usual but there is a slight hitch this time round. Her safety deposit box contains a cache of uncut diamonds and a mean mafia boss (Peter Dinklage) with a nasty temper turns up with an interest in the wrongly incarcerated old lady. A spirited cat-and-mouse game ensues between the cool and calm babe and the vicious killer who wants back his diamonds and his mother. Pike takes her iconic feminist character and runs with it. She is not afraid to add campy touches - inhaling on a vape and blowing out smoke like a dragon. The plot keeps upping the scale getting nastier by the minute until the ironic ending which badly deflates everything that has gone on before. It harks back to the forced plot points forced on by censorship during Hollywood's golden era. Coming off the Trump era the ending here is especially disappointing and should have maintained its icy mean streak right on till the finish line. This is another feather in the cap for Pike who makes a chilly femme fatale and was rewarded with Golden Globe award. Wiest is almost as good as the feisty old lady with a surprising blue vocal streak.
An architect (William Holden) moves from America to find his artistic soul in Hong Kong and finds his muse in a local prostitute (Nancy Kwan). While she is attracted to him he only wants to paint her in a variety of poses. When he suddenly realizes that he has fallen in love with her he decides to keep her as his mistress but she will not agree to this arrangement wanting him to commit to a permanent relationship. A daring subject for its time, the film was based on a bestselling book and a hit Broadway play dealing with a bittersweet inter-racial love story. Shot on location in Hong Kong the film superbly captures the city in all its colorful glory. Both Holden and Kwan have wonderful screen chemistry - he is sweet and gentle while she is feisty and funny - and both get able support from Michael Wilding and Sylvia Syms playing two of the more bearable British expatriates living in Hong Kong.
Helen of Troy (Robert Wise, 1956) 4/10
Adaptation of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey is given an epic treatment in Cinemascope by director Robert Wise. In keeping with the trend of Roman and Biblical screen spectacles during the 1950s this is a huge production but unfortunately the stilted screenplay here relies on far too many dull exchanges between a cast of stiff character actors playing assorted Greek royalty. The film comes alive during the spectacular battle scenes of the Trojan War with thousands of charging soldiers. The idealistic Prince Paris of Troy (Jacques Sernas) defies his father, King Priam (Sir Cedric Hardwicke), his mother Queen Hecuba (Nora Swinburne), his clairvoyant sister Cassandra (Janette Scott) and his war mongering brother Prince Agamemnon (Robert Douglas) and leaves for Sparta to brokerage peace with the Greek kings. But he falls in love with Queen Helen (Rosanna Podestà) - the beauty whose "face launched a thousand ships" - and runs foul of her despicable husband King Menelaus (Niall MacGinnis) who plans to keep him imprisoned. He escapes with the help of his lover and brings her to Troy which results in the mighty armies of Sparta laying siege to the fortified city and palace. Rescuing the Queen becomes secondary as the armies are more interested in looting gold which results in the formation of the Trojan Horse which plays a decisive role in the battle and proves disastrous for the star-crossed lovers. Sernas and Podestà, both dubbed, look sensational but cannot act as they merely posture with deadpan expressions. Brigitte Bardot, just short of stardom, plays Helen's slave and seems more animated during her brief scenes than the film's leading lady. Stanley Baker plays a perpetually angry Achilles - the part Brad Pitt played in the remake "Troy". A rousing Max Steiner score, including a 5-minute overture, and Harry Stradling's stunning colour cinematography are major plus points in what is basically a pretty dismal film.
The Mauritanian (Kevin Macdonald, 2021) 6/10
Someday there will be a kick-ass film based on the terrors inflicted on innocent prisoners by the United States Government at Guantánamo. This film is not it, although we do get to see the main protagonist suffer notorious forms of torture that involved savage beatings, water boarding, binding in contorted stress positions, hooding, subjection to deafening noise, sleep disruption, sleep deprivation to the point of hallucination, subjection to extreme cold, death threats
and sexual humiliation. One has been conditioned to believe that such inhuman torture methods were only either part of medieval history or in the recent past the sadistic playtime of the Stalin, Nazi and Vietcong menace. Never could it be imagined that a country priding itself as the Leader of the World would fall so low as to do exactly that. Of course that "holier than thou" aura of the United States has been repeatedly shattered during the last few years. Based on the bestselling memoir, "Guantánamo Diary", written by Mohamedou Ould Salahi, whom the United States held, without charge, for fourteen years and officially acknowledged by them that he had been tortured. The case comes to light when defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and her associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley in an underwritten part) decide to defend languishing prisoner Salahi (Tahar Rahim) who had been abducted from his home in Mauritania on suspicion of being involved in the 9/11 attacks. Their controversial advocacy along with fabricated evidence uncovered by the military prosecutor (Benedict Cumberbatch) reveals a shocking conspiracy by officials to falsely condemn the prisoner by coercing a confession out of him using extreme torture methods. The screenplay lacks drama and takes a rather bland route merely ticking off all the major events in the life of this prisoner and comes across as a flat legal procedural. At the center of the film is the outstanding performance of Tahar Rahim who underplays yet perfectly conveys the character's humour, wit, confusion, trauma and who uses his strong religious faith to sustain him through his incredible ordeal of fourteen years in prison. Jodie Foster, wearing a startling white wig and in brusque "Clarice Starling" mode, not only adds marquee value but also adds spice to all her scenes opposite Rahim. Although the film is a strong indictment against the Bush era I found the film's emphasis on forgiveness hard to take as it deflects completely from the major issue of the United States government still refusing to apologise for its hand in the goings-on in Guantánamo which is still very much around and kicking. The film ends on a memorable note with footage of Salahi being welcomed back home and singing a Bob Dylan song.
I Loved a Woman (Alfred E. Green, 1933) 6/10
An art student (Edward G. Robinson) inherits his father's meat packing business, marries a social climber (Genevieve Tobin), sells tainted meat during the Spanish Civil War and falls in love with an ambitious opera singer (Kay Francis) who is a self confessed nymphomaniac. Francis, although with little screen time, manages to steal the show as a very modern woman for her time (the story is set during 1890-1915) while Robinson alternates between being ruthless in business and a sweet puppy dog with his tongue hanging out in the presence of his notorious lover. The film has fascinating similarities to "Citizen Kane".
The Girl on the Train (Ribhu Dasgupta, 2021) 1/10
Hideous Bollywood remake of Paula Hawkins' novel which Hollywood made into a mediocre movie some years ago with Emily Blunt. This version can't decide if it wants to be in English or Hindi and for some inexplicably unexplained reason the plot is set in London. It starts off with a typical Bollywood production number and segues into the novel's convoluted plot - not sure if the novel was convoluted or was it the ragged editing here that made it seem confused and belligerent. It also doesn't help that Parineeta Chopra gives what is possibly the worse performance of her career with the entire cast following suit. A brilliant lawyer (Parineeta Chopra) gets married to a dreamy man but during a car accident loses her unborn baby and takes to the bottle in typical Bollywood fashion - drunks, on Bollywood screens, act differently to their Hollywood counterparts. Sadly the heroine here does not sing in a club while drunk which might have livened up this film. Anyway her husband dumps her and takes up with another woman while the sad drunk daily whizzes past their house on a train spying on the couple. When another woman goes missing and turns up dead suspicion falls on the drunk who was seen in the vicinity. Red herrings and suspicious characters abound making the plot more and more confusing as it goes along. It also doesn't help that the film's constant flashbacks and flashforwards begin to intertwine making it more of a jumbled mess. I also kept wondering why the stern female cop on the case (Kirti Kulhari) was constantly wearing a Sikh-like turban. When the final twist in the plot arrives one heaves a massive sigh of relief that this atrocious piece of garbage is finally over.
I Care a Lot (J Blakeson, 2021) 7/10
Not since the Wachowski brothers' "Bound" has there been a more sexy and kick-ass pair of lesbian conwomen as in this black comedy. Maria (Rosamund Pike) runs a profitable business by convincing the legal system to grant her guardianship over elders, under the guise that they cannot look after themselves. The elders are placed in an assisted living facility, kept away from all contact with the outside world and given high doses of medication to make them almost catatonic. Meanwhile she sells their assets and homes for her own profit. Helping her manoeuvre each con is her younger partner and lover (Eiza González). The fun with such plots is waiting for the fuck-up which invariably hangs just around the corner, and here it comes in the guise of an elderly lady (Dianne Wiest) who is taken in as usual but there is a slight hitch this time round. Her safety deposit box contains a cache of uncut diamonds and a mean mafia boss (Peter Dinklage) with a nasty temper turns up with an interest in the wrongly incarcerated old lady. A spirited cat-and-mouse game ensues between the cool and calm babe and the vicious killer who wants back his diamonds and his mother. Pike takes her iconic feminist character and runs with it. She is not afraid to add campy touches - inhaling on a vape and blowing out smoke like a dragon. The plot keeps upping the scale getting nastier by the minute until the ironic ending which badly deflates everything that has gone on before. It harks back to the forced plot points forced on by censorship during Hollywood's golden era. Coming off the Trump era the ending here is especially disappointing and should have maintained its icy mean streak right on till the finish line. This is another feather in the cap for Pike who makes a chilly femme fatale and was rewarded with Golden Globe award. Wiest is almost as good as the feisty old lady with a surprising blue vocal streak.
Last edited by Reza on Wed Mar 03, 2021 12:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Tsotsi (2005) - 8/10 - This South African crime drama stars a hardened young criminal who doesn't hesitate to use violence to get what he wants. He steals a car at gunpoint and accidentally kidnaps the baby in the backseat. He tries to care for it, even forcing a young mother to feed the baby. The baby causes him to remember his own childhood and leads to changes in his hardened exterior. I thought the movie was well acted and has a nice soundtrack as well.
Interiors (1978) - 6.5/10 - This Woody Allen film is about a family with three grown children. The father decides that he want to live alone for a while and informs his wife that he wants a separation. The mother is depressed as a result of this, though she didn't really seem very happy prior to the announcement either. The three daughters have to deal with this and their relationship with each other as well. The movie was okay, but I didn't really like it all that much, though it has a decent cast. Geraldine Page plays the mother and her character annoyed the heck out of me through much of the film with her behavior. She's an interior decorator and there are a few instances with one of the daughters and her husband where she doesn't seem to have much regard for their opinions.
Passion Fish (1992) - 9/10 - Mary McDonnell stars as daytime soap opera star May-Alice Culhane who wakes up in the hospital after an accident and discovers that she is now a paraplegic. She has a very bad attitude toward rehab and goes through a lot of caregivers after being released from the hospital and moving into her old family home in Louisiana. Things start to change when a woman named Chantelle (Alfre Woodard) moves in and the two eventually form a bond. I enjoyed this movie a lot and think that McDonnell and Woodard each did a great job in their roles. Plus there is the classic scene with "I didn't ask for the anal probe."
Of Human Bondage (1934) - 6.5/10 - Leslie Howard stars as Philip Carey, a man with a club foot who gives up on being an artist and attends medical school. He falls for a waitress named Mildred (Bette Davis) who is very cold to him and treats him poorly, often flirting or running off with other men. This role made Bette Davis a star, but I only found the movie to be okay.
Interiors (1978) - 6.5/10 - This Woody Allen film is about a family with three grown children. The father decides that he want to live alone for a while and informs his wife that he wants a separation. The mother is depressed as a result of this, though she didn't really seem very happy prior to the announcement either. The three daughters have to deal with this and their relationship with each other as well. The movie was okay, but I didn't really like it all that much, though it has a decent cast. Geraldine Page plays the mother and her character annoyed the heck out of me through much of the film with her behavior. She's an interior decorator and there are a few instances with one of the daughters and her husband where she doesn't seem to have much regard for their opinions.
Passion Fish (1992) - 9/10 - Mary McDonnell stars as daytime soap opera star May-Alice Culhane who wakes up in the hospital after an accident and discovers that she is now a paraplegic. She has a very bad attitude toward rehab and goes through a lot of caregivers after being released from the hospital and moving into her old family home in Louisiana. Things start to change when a woman named Chantelle (Alfre Woodard) moves in and the two eventually form a bond. I enjoyed this movie a lot and think that McDonnell and Woodard each did a great job in their roles. Plus there is the classic scene with "I didn't ask for the anal probe."
Of Human Bondage (1934) - 6.5/10 - Leslie Howard stars as Philip Carey, a man with a club foot who gives up on being an artist and attends medical school. He falls for a waitress named Mildred (Bette Davis) who is very cold to him and treats him poorly, often flirting or running off with other men. This role made Bette Davis a star, but I only found the movie to be okay.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Ju Dou (1990) - 7.5/10 - Janshin is an old man who makes his living dying cloth in 1920s China. He has already beaten two wives to death for failing to give him a son and heir. He purchases a young and beautiful new wife named Ju Dou (Gong Li) and starts beating her as well. Jinshan's adopted nephew, Tianqing, falls in love with Ju Dou and the two begin an affair. Ju Dou becomes pregnant and has a son, but they must raise the boy as Jinshan's for fear of scandal or worse. I thought it was a good movie and an effective tragedy.
To Be or Not to Be (1983) - 8/10 - Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft star as popular Polish actors who have a theater in Warsaw. WWII arrives and throws everything into disarray. They get involved in a spy mission to retrieve a list of the members of the Polish underground. I thought that this remake of the 1942 classic was pretty entertaining and funny. I don't think that Charles Durning deserved an Oscar nomination, but the supporting cast (Jose Ferrer, Christopher Lloyd, etc.) was pretty good. It isn't in the same class as the original, but it was fun.
The Contender (2000) - 8/10 - Joan Allen stars as a Senator who is nominated to fill the vacant Vice Presidency under President Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges). She comes under scrutiny during her confirmation hearings for alleged sexual escapades while she was in college. She refuses to comment on it because she doesn't see at anyone's business whether the allegations are true or not I thought that it was a pretty entertaining film.
Nixon (1995) - 7/10 - Anthony Hopkins stars as Richard Nixon in this biopic from Oliver Stone. There is a lot of good stuff mixed in here, but the film didn't totally work for me. It's not a bad film, but it felt a bit bloated and, at the same time, skipped over a lot of stuff. Stone seems to be trying to portray Nixon's complicated character and the (perhaps) inevitable downfall that awaited him rather than a complete biography. I don't have a problem with that, but I also didn't think it quite came together.
To Be or Not to Be (1983) - 8/10 - Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft star as popular Polish actors who have a theater in Warsaw. WWII arrives and throws everything into disarray. They get involved in a spy mission to retrieve a list of the members of the Polish underground. I thought that this remake of the 1942 classic was pretty entertaining and funny. I don't think that Charles Durning deserved an Oscar nomination, but the supporting cast (Jose Ferrer, Christopher Lloyd, etc.) was pretty good. It isn't in the same class as the original, but it was fun.
The Contender (2000) - 8/10 - Joan Allen stars as a Senator who is nominated to fill the vacant Vice Presidency under President Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges). She comes under scrutiny during her confirmation hearings for alleged sexual escapades while she was in college. She refuses to comment on it because she doesn't see at anyone's business whether the allegations are true or not I thought that it was a pretty entertaining film.
Nixon (1995) - 7/10 - Anthony Hopkins stars as Richard Nixon in this biopic from Oliver Stone. There is a lot of good stuff mixed in here, but the film didn't totally work for me. It's not a bad film, but it felt a bit bloated and, at the same time, skipped over a lot of stuff. Stone seems to be trying to portray Nixon's complicated character and the (perhaps) inevitable downfall that awaited him rather than a complete biography. I don't have a problem with that, but I also didn't think it quite came together.