Number of times I've seen it ( )
Copyright © 2003-2008 Movies Kick Ass. All Rights Reserved
MOVIES I'M WATCHING
this filmal
JULY
07/01/08 Mrs. Miniver (1)
Greer Garson plays the title character, a British wife and mother coping with the
outbreak of WWII. Walter Pidgeon plays her husband and it has to be said that the
chemistry between them is the best thing in the film. Directed by William Wyler, the
movie basically works as Allies propaganda, a film that tries to rescue the values of
Western civilization setting likeable characters in situations where we would condemn
anyone who hurt them. Teresa Wright steals most of her scenes as Miniver son's
(Richard Ney) love interest. She infuses the film with all the real life force it has.
If a film like this was made nowadays would it succeed like this one did back in 1942?
Even more important would it even be greenlit by a studio?
Greer Garson plays the title character, a British wife and mother coping with the
outbreak of WWII. Walter Pidgeon plays her husband and it has to be said that the
chemistry between them is the best thing in the film. Directed by William Wyler, the
movie basically works as Allies propaganda, a film that tries to rescue the values of
Western civilization setting likeable characters in situations where we would condemn
anyone who hurt them. Teresa Wright steals most of her scenes as Miniver son's
(Richard Ney) love interest. She infuses the film with all the real life force it has.
If a film like this was made nowadays would it succeed like this one did back in 1942?
Even more important would it even be greenlit by a studio?
07/04/08 The Ruins (1)
Obviously inspired by "The Descent" comes one of the most satisfying horror films in
recent months, sad how it never fully comes together though.
Read my review.
Obviously inspired by "The Descent" comes one of the most satisfying horror films in
recent months, sad how it never fully comes together though.
Read my review.
07/02/08 Get Smart (1)
Anne Hathaway is a goddess.
Try to get the theme song and the Madonna song out of your head later though...
Read my review.
Anne Hathaway is a goddess.
Try to get the theme song and the Madonna song out of your head later though...
Read my review.
07/03/08 WALL-E (1)
2008's first masterpiece. I give up waiting for Pixar to do something wrong, they've been
practically flawless since they began.
This is surely the best they've ever done though, if only because of the love it exudes.
Expect my review very soon.
2008's first masterpiece. I give up waiting for Pixar to do something wrong, they've been
practically flawless since they began.
This is surely the best they've ever done though, if only because of the love it exudes.
Expect my review very soon.
07/05/08 Hello, Dolly! (1)
Barbra Streisand lights up the screen as widow Dolly Levi, a successful matchmaker
trying to get her own match, who comes in the shape of grumpy Horace Vandergelder
(Walter Matthau). A joyful musical directed by Gene Kelly, its great charm lies in the
effervescence in every single element, from Streisand who is divine to supporting roles
by Michael Crawford and Marianne McAndrew who steal all their scenes and of course
the brilliance of Michael Stewart's musical. The film may often seem pointless, but who
needs a point with this much fun and romance?
Barbra Streisand lights up the screen as widow Dolly Levi, a successful matchmaker
trying to get her own match, who comes in the shape of grumpy Horace Vandergelder
(Walter Matthau). A joyful musical directed by Gene Kelly, its great charm lies in the
effervescence in every single element, from Streisand who is divine to supporting roles
by Michael Crawford and Marianne McAndrew who steal all their scenes and of course
the brilliance of Michael Stewart's musical. The film may often seem pointless, but who
needs a point with this much fun and romance?
07/06/08 WALL-E (2)
A glorious work of art.
Read my review.
A glorious work of art.
Read my review.
07/07/08 Stromboli (1)
The movie that had Ingrid Bergman condemned by the U.S senate and the church! That
headline was probably used during the film's release as means to attract attention
towards a film mostly remembered now for being where Bergman began an extramarital
affair with director Roberto Rossellini, which led to a scandal of which she almost never
recovered. The movie itself is neorealism at its poetic best, it tells the story of a
Lithuanian refugee (Bergman) who marries an Italian fisherman (Mario Vitale) when
she's unable to get a visa to go to America. He takes her to the island of Stromboli; a
desolate piece of land with conservative people, incessant child cries and a volcano. The
plot wanders aimlessly like its heroine, who turns out to be more complex than we
might've guessed. It's true that Bergman has a hard time fitting among the local actors,
just watch how extreme her lines seem when compared to others, but with this overt
theatricality (in contrast with the documentary like sequences, including a majestic
fishing scene, he uses to show town life) Rossellini makes the differences obvious and
the ethereal resolution inevitable.
The movie that had Ingrid Bergman condemned by the U.S senate and the church! That
headline was probably used during the film's release as means to attract attention
towards a film mostly remembered now for being where Bergman began an extramarital
affair with director Roberto Rossellini, which led to a scandal of which she almost never
recovered. The movie itself is neorealism at its poetic best, it tells the story of a
Lithuanian refugee (Bergman) who marries an Italian fisherman (Mario Vitale) when
she's unable to get a visa to go to America. He takes her to the island of Stromboli; a
desolate piece of land with conservative people, incessant child cries and a volcano. The
plot wanders aimlessly like its heroine, who turns out to be more complex than we
might've guessed. It's true that Bergman has a hard time fitting among the local actors,
just watch how extreme her lines seem when compared to others, but with this overt
theatricality (in contrast with the documentary like sequences, including a majestic
fishing scene, he uses to show town life) Rossellini makes the differences obvious and
the ethereal resolution inevitable.
07/08/08 The Green Butchers (1)
Danish dark comedy about Svend (Madds Mikkelsen) and Bjarne (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), two
butchers, who become overnight successes after accidentally selling human flesh.
Director Ander Thomas Jensen's film sometimes goes all over the place, but when its at
its best (during it most outrageous, beautifully shot sequences) it thrives with the kind
of macabre sentiment that filled original fairy tales. Mikkelsen gives a great
performance, just watch him as he goes all Peter Lorre sometimes, but Lie Kass steals
the film with an effortlessly charming delivery of lines, intense sex appeal and the kind
of inner hell that was all the rage in the 50's.
Danish dark comedy about Svend (Madds Mikkelsen) and Bjarne (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), two
butchers, who become overnight successes after accidentally selling human flesh.
Director Ander Thomas Jensen's film sometimes goes all over the place, but when its at
its best (during it most outrageous, beautifully shot sequences) it thrives with the kind
of macabre sentiment that filled original fairy tales. Mikkelsen gives a great
performance, just watch him as he goes all Peter Lorre sometimes, but Lie Kass steals
the film with an effortlessly charming delivery of lines, intense sex appeal and the kind
of inner hell that was all the rage in the 50's.
07/09/08 Rosetta (1)
It's true that a story does not a good film make, but Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne take
this concept to the point of dragging with this film about the title character (played by
Emilie Dequenne) a poor teenager living in a trailer park while taking care of her
alcoholic mother (Anne Yernaux) and trying desperately to get a job. While everything
in the film should be poised to make for an exemplary melodrama, the Dardennes
remove every bit of sentimentality, a la "Mouchette", and deliver an angry tale of
existence. Definitely not a film to watch in the wrong mood, what remains unclear to me
is the need for that finale. It's as if they realized a little optimism is always welcome.
It's true that a story does not a good film make, but Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne take
this concept to the point of dragging with this film about the title character (played by
Emilie Dequenne) a poor teenager living in a trailer park while taking care of her
alcoholic mother (Anne Yernaux) and trying desperately to get a job. While everything
in the film should be poised to make for an exemplary melodrama, the Dardennes
remove every bit of sentimentality, a la "Mouchette", and deliver an angry tale of
existence. Definitely not a film to watch in the wrong mood, what remains unclear to me
is the need for that finale. It's as if they realized a little optimism is always welcome.
07/10/08 Norma Rae (1)
Sally Field plays the title character; a Southern textile factory worker who decides to
join the union to stop the unfair treatment they're being object to. Probably looks a bit
dated nowadays because of the million knockoffs it inspired, but what remains timeless
is how good Field is, her sexualized Norma gives her a human quality most filmmakers
try to remove from their characters, as if they needed to be chaste saints to be taken
seriously. Martin Ritt directs with a stoic sense that sometimes feels documentary like
and his way of avoiding any romanticizing of the subject is great, but sometimes the
union leader (Ron Leibman) feels a bit too forced in his "guy from the big city as
saviour" role. Good that Field knocks him down to earth every time.
Sally Field plays the title character; a Southern textile factory worker who decides to
join the union to stop the unfair treatment they're being object to. Probably looks a bit
dated nowadays because of the million knockoffs it inspired, but what remains timeless
is how good Field is, her sexualized Norma gives her a human quality most filmmakers
try to remove from their characters, as if they needed to be chaste saints to be taken
seriously. Martin Ritt directs with a stoic sense that sometimes feels documentary like
and his way of avoiding any romanticizing of the subject is great, but sometimes the
union leader (Ron Leibman) feels a bit too forced in his "guy from the big city as
saviour" role. Good that Field knocks him down to earth every time.
07/13/08 Ma Vie En L'air (1)
The way a romantic comedy should be made. Borrowing elements from films like "When
Harry Met Sally" and "Amélie", this French romcom follows Yann (the charming Vincent
Elbaz...think Matthew McCounaghey with a personality) a man terrified of flying who is
so in love with the idea of his ex girlfriend that he doesn't see when the one comes
around. That she is played by the lovely Marion Cotillard certainly helps a lot to ease
the plot. Harmless and cute in a refreshing way, your life won't be changed by this, but
it will certainly feel a bit more romantic while it lasts. Gilles Lellouche as Elbaz's best
friend steals the movie.
The way a romantic comedy should be made. Borrowing elements from films like "When
Harry Met Sally" and "Amélie", this French romcom follows Yann (the charming Vincent
Elbaz...think Matthew McCounaghey with a personality) a man terrified of flying who is
so in love with the idea of his ex girlfriend that he doesn't see when the one comes
around. That she is played by the lovely Marion Cotillard certainly helps a lot to ease
the plot. Harmless and cute in a refreshing way, your life won't be changed by this, but
it will certainly feel a bit more romantic while it lasts. Gilles Lellouche as Elbaz's best
friend steals the movie.
07/12/08 The Bank Job (1)
Jason Statham is perhaps the epitome of manly.
Read my review.
Jason Statham is perhaps the epitome of manly.
Read my review.
07/13/08 Everyone Says I Love You (4)
Minute by minute and scene by scene it's perhaps my favorite Woody Allen movie. Not
the best of his career mind you (that's a toss up between "Annie Hall" and "Purple
Rose of Cairo" so far), but the one I can watch and watch all over.
It's always great to see how Woody has pushed actors to levels that probably took
them to discover things that helped them become who they are now, here it's a joy to
watch Edawrd Norton, Natalie Portman and especially Julia Roberts.
Minute by minute and scene by scene it's perhaps my favorite Woody Allen movie. Not
the best of his career mind you (that's a toss up between "Annie Hall" and "Purple
Rose of Cairo" so far), but the one I can watch and watch all over.
It's always great to see how Woody has pushed actors to levels that probably took
them to discover things that helped them become who they are now, here it's a joy to
watch Edawrd Norton, Natalie Portman and especially Julia Roberts.
07/13/08 In the Heat of the Night (1)
The controversial Academy Award winner has Rod Steiger as a chief of police in a racist
Mississippi town who gets help from a black detective (Sydney Poitier) in solving a
crime. Nowadays it plays like an exceptionally well made crime film, but some of the
themes that made it so relevant during its release seem a bit dated. Steiger is
fantastic in a role that seems to require very little of him and Poitier is at his 60's best,
defiant and powerful. Haskell Wexler's camera work is magnificent, we probably
wouldn't have those C.S.I shows without this film.
The controversial Academy Award winner has Rod Steiger as a chief of police in a racist
Mississippi town who gets help from a black detective (Sydney Poitier) in solving a
crime. Nowadays it plays like an exceptionally well made crime film, but some of the
themes that made it so relevant during its release seem a bit dated. Steiger is
fantastic in a role that seems to require very little of him and Poitier is at his 60's best,
defiant and powerful. Haskell Wexler's camera work is magnificent, we probably
wouldn't have those C.S.I shows without this film.
07/14/08 Hancock (1)
Curious to see what "the twist" that had been dividing people so much was all about I
headed to see this, only to be hugely annoyed by something that anyone who
watches the trailer can at least suspect.
Read my review.
Curious to see what "the twist" that had been dividing people so much was all about I
headed to see this, only to be hugely annoyed by something that anyone who
watches the trailer can at least suspect.
Read my review.
07/15/08 The Children's Hour (1)
Never before had I wanted to slap a child as much as I did Mary Tilford (Karen Balkin);
a spoiled little brat who decides to tell her grandma (Fay Bainter) that her teachers
(played by Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine) are secret lovers, turning their lives
upside down in a small New England town. I was expecting a contrived tale of double
morality and prejudice, but my surprise was that it's one of the most powerful films
ever made that touches the subject of homosexuality. Why? Perhaps because it
doesn't even bother with making it the issue, instead concentrating on the damaging
nature of a lie. At no point does director William Wyler invite us to wonder whether the
nature of the claims is real or not, because simply it should make no difference. When
it does, it comes in the shape of lost trust and loyalty, nothing more. MacLaine is
splendid (the work she does with her eyes is amazing), while Bainter and Miriam
Hopkins bring the gravitas that comes with being of vintage Hollywood. But the real
surprise here is Hepburn, who once again proves what a terrific actress she was and
in a few scenes gives the film a twist it never expected. Watch her in that final
sequence and you will understand what dignity is all about, she gives you chills.
Never before had I wanted to slap a child as much as I did Mary Tilford (Karen Balkin);
a spoiled little brat who decides to tell her grandma (Fay Bainter) that her teachers
(played by Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine) are secret lovers, turning their lives
upside down in a small New England town. I was expecting a contrived tale of double
morality and prejudice, but my surprise was that it's one of the most powerful films
ever made that touches the subject of homosexuality. Why? Perhaps because it
doesn't even bother with making it the issue, instead concentrating on the damaging
nature of a lie. At no point does director William Wyler invite us to wonder whether the
nature of the claims is real or not, because simply it should make no difference. When
it does, it comes in the shape of lost trust and loyalty, nothing more. MacLaine is
splendid (the work she does with her eyes is amazing), while Bainter and Miriam
Hopkins bring the gravitas that comes with being of vintage Hollywood. But the real
surprise here is Hepburn, who once again proves what a terrific actress she was and
in a few scenes gives the film a twist it never expected. Watch her in that final
sequence and you will understand what dignity is all about, she gives you chills.
07/16/08 C.R.A.Z.Y (1)
Chronicle of a young man (Marc-André Grondin) growing up in the 70's while coming to
terms with his sexuality. With superb acting all around (especially from Michel Coté and
Danielle Proulx as his parents), a great sense of pacing, nice music and a quirky sense
of humor, the film as a whole feels like a waste of time. It goes all over the place and
instead of making sense of the fact that it works best as an exploration of family
dynamics, it chooses a favorite character, tries to make him a hero and a victim, while
reducing everyone else to his, slightly loony, sidekicks. Only by the end does it tap
back into the energy it starts with; for the rest of the time it feels like a well made
essay on pointlessness.
Chronicle of a young man (Marc-André Grondin) growing up in the 70's while coming to
terms with his sexuality. With superb acting all around (especially from Michel Coté and
Danielle Proulx as his parents), a great sense of pacing, nice music and a quirky sense
of humor, the film as a whole feels like a waste of time. It goes all over the place and
instead of making sense of the fact that it works best as an exploration of family
dynamics, it chooses a favorite character, tries to make him a hero and a victim, while
reducing everyone else to his, slightly loony, sidekicks. Only by the end does it tap
back into the energy it starts with; for the rest of the time it feels like a well made
essay on pointlessness.
07/17/08 The Sundowners (1)
How to make a film about a family of sheep herders bearable and even entertaining?
Cast Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr as the leads, give them more sexiness than its
normal and get Peter Ustinov to play a supporting role for slight comedic relief. Fred
Zinnemann's minor classic is mostly remembered for being one of the first pictures to
be shot on location in Australia. The sceneries are magnificent, the Aussie clichés come
a dime a dozen (yet it's almost impossible to dislike the film). Kerr is magnificent and
Glynis Johns almost steals the movie from her as a sassy bar keeper. While it has all
the spirit of an epic, the film moves more like a traditional family melodrama which
makes it easily forgettable.
How to make a film about a family of sheep herders bearable and even entertaining?
Cast Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr as the leads, give them more sexiness than its
normal and get Peter Ustinov to play a supporting role for slight comedic relief. Fred
Zinnemann's minor classic is mostly remembered for being one of the first pictures to
be shot on location in Australia. The sceneries are magnificent, the Aussie clichés come
a dime a dozen (yet it's almost impossible to dislike the film). Kerr is magnificent and
Glynis Johns almost steals the movie from her as a sassy bar keeper. While it has all
the spirit of an epic, the film moves more like a traditional family melodrama which
makes it easily forgettable.
07/20/08 Show Boat (1)
Irene Dunne stars as the daughter of show boat owners who wants to become an
actress. Her mother (Helen Westley) is against it, but her father (Charles Winninger
who truly owns the whole film) endorses it as well as her romance with a gambler
(Allan Jones). Directed by James Whale, with a sensibility for musical timing one
wouldn't expect from someone who made some of the best horror films of all time, the
film is perhaps best remembered for being one of the first modern musicals in which the
songs are used with "suspension of disbelief" as opposed to being obvious ruptures
from the traditional plot. While the story drags at times, since it becomes nothing but
an intergenerational melodrama in which all the characters are at the service of
Dunne's fate, you won't be able to get "Ol' Man River" out of your head afterwards.
Irene Dunne stars as the daughter of show boat owners who wants to become an
actress. Her mother (Helen Westley) is against it, but her father (Charles Winninger
who truly owns the whole film) endorses it as well as her romance with a gambler
(Allan Jones). Directed by James Whale, with a sensibility for musical timing one
wouldn't expect from someone who made some of the best horror films of all time, the
film is perhaps best remembered for being one of the first modern musicals in which the
songs are used with "suspension of disbelief" as opposed to being obvious ruptures
from the traditional plot. While the story drags at times, since it becomes nothing but
an intergenerational melodrama in which all the characters are at the service of
Dunne's fate, you won't be able to get "Ol' Man River" out of your head afterwards.
07/18/08 The Dark Knight (1)
If the first one was good, this one takes everything up a notch.
Has Christopher Nolan directed any bad films yet?
Read my review.
If the first one was good, this one takes everything up a notch.
Has Christopher Nolan directed any bad films yet?
Read my review.
07/21/08 Love Finds Andy Hardy (1)
Despite the fact that the film is named after Mickey Rooney's iconic character, the film
belongs to the wonderful Judy Garland who plays Andy's new neighbor; a cute girl who
falls for him, but must watch as he deals with his trouble with two other girls (played by
Lana Turner and Ann Rutherford). Innocent entertainment and great portrait of
Americana, the film is at its best when it doesn't try too hard, like in the dialogues
between Andy and his wise father Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) which are astoundingly
moving. While the film tries its best to remain funny and happy, Garland can't help but
throw in her bit of melancholy and with her performance of "In-Between" she'll make
you laugh as she breaks your heart.
Despite the fact that the film is named after Mickey Rooney's iconic character, the film
belongs to the wonderful Judy Garland who plays Andy's new neighbor; a cute girl who
falls for him, but must watch as he deals with his trouble with two other girls (played by
Lana Turner and Ann Rutherford). Innocent entertainment and great portrait of
Americana, the film is at its best when it doesn't try too hard, like in the dialogues
between Andy and his wise father Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) which are astoundingly
moving. While the film tries its best to remain funny and happy, Garland can't help but
throw in her bit of melancholy and with her performance of "In-Between" she'll make
you laugh as she breaks your heart.
07/22/08 Alice (1)
Mia Farrow turns in her best Giulietta Massina as the title character, a lonely housewife
with an eye for the whimsical. After falling for a saxophone player (Joe Mantegna) she
visits a herbalist who provides her with the elements to become invisible, talk to ghosts
and even fly. The great thing about Woody Allen is that the situations never come off as
forced; you have no idea the film will take these Fellinian twists, but they don't take you
out of the main story. Farrow is stunningly sexy and moving (William Hurt is splendid as
her husband) and while the plot feels rushed near the end, Alice is a very Lewis Carroll
attempt at escaping from the materialistic 80s, it would announce the entertaining,
hilarious and more cynical than ever Allen that would come with the 90s.
Mia Farrow turns in her best Giulietta Massina as the title character, a lonely housewife
with an eye for the whimsical. After falling for a saxophone player (Joe Mantegna) she
visits a herbalist who provides her with the elements to become invisible, talk to ghosts
and even fly. The great thing about Woody Allen is that the situations never come off as
forced; you have no idea the film will take these Fellinian twists, but they don't take you
out of the main story. Farrow is stunningly sexy and moving (William Hurt is splendid as
her husband) and while the plot feels rushed near the end, Alice is a very Lewis Carroll
attempt at escaping from the materialistic 80s, it would announce the entertaining,
hilarious and more cynical than ever Allen that would come with the 90s.
07/23/08 Viaggio in Italia (1)
Most films that have troubled couples in foreign cities, underplay the role of human
relationships and relinquish every bit of action to the so called "magic" of these locales.
Not so in this Roberto Rossellini film about Katherine and Alex Joyce (Ingrid Bergman
and George Sanders) a married couple who goes to Italy to fix a legal matter (revealed
beautifully in the economical first sequence) only to realize they are complete strangers
to each other. What to some might seem terribly vague becomes a beautifully
transcendental study of love. Scenes in museums become portals to another time,
Italian expressions and traditions turn out to be moving instead of just shocking and
Sanders and Bergman are terrific. The scene in Pompeii is electrifying.
Most films that have troubled couples in foreign cities, underplay the role of human
relationships and relinquish every bit of action to the so called "magic" of these locales.
Not so in this Roberto Rossellini film about Katherine and Alex Joyce (Ingrid Bergman
and George Sanders) a married couple who goes to Italy to fix a legal matter (revealed
beautifully in the economical first sequence) only to realize they are complete strangers
to each other. What to some might seem terribly vague becomes a beautifully
transcendental study of love. Scenes in museums become portals to another time,
Italian expressions and traditions turn out to be moving instead of just shocking and
Sanders and Bergman are terrific. The scene in Pompeii is electrifying.
07/25/08 Tabu (1)
F.W. Murnau's last film is a love story set in the South Pacific, in which a young
fisherman (Matahi) falls for a beautiful girl (Anne Chevalier) who has been chosen as
maiden to the gods, becoming "tabu". Co-written by Robert J. Flaherty, the film offers
nothing new in terms of story, despite the fact that its affecting take on the weight of
cultural legacy is stunning. Mostly remembered for its use of exotic locales (shot in a
quasi documentary style by Floyd Crosby) the film's ending has a somewhat elegiac
feeling.
F.W. Murnau's last film is a love story set in the South Pacific, in which a young
fisherman (Matahi) falls for a beautiful girl (Anne Chevalier) who has been chosen as
maiden to the gods, becoming "tabu". Co-written by Robert J. Flaherty, the film offers
nothing new in terms of story, despite the fact that its affecting take on the weight of
cultural legacy is stunning. Mostly remembered for its use of exotic locales (shot in a
quasi documentary style by Floyd Crosby) the film's ending has a somewhat elegiac
feeling.
07/27/08 Smart People (1)
Enjoyable, but terribly shallow even when it thinks it's literate and clever.
Read my review.
Enjoyable, but terribly shallow even when it thinks it's literate and clever.
Read my review.
07/28/08 Funny Games (1)
A bizarre, but brilliant experiment.
Read my review.
A bizarre, but brilliant experiment.
Read my review.
07/29/08 Anastasia (1)
Romanticized account of the appearance of a woman (Ingrid Bergman) who assured to
be Grand Duchess Anastasia, who had survived the Russian revolution. Yul Brynner
plays the fortune hunter who discovers her and trains her and the magnificent Helen
Hayes plays the Dowager Empress. Great entertainment in Cinemascope, with nothing
to offer other than grand melodrama and gorgeousness. Served as Bergman's grand
return to Hollywood after being condemned for her moral choices and the film got her
what may seem an undeserved Academy Award (then again that year was a mess) but
in a way Bergman's dignified performance as Anna and as herself, the way she
overcame obstacles and reclaimed a long lost throne couldn't be more similar if they
tried. Too bad the happy ending was real for only one of them.
Romanticized account of the appearance of a woman (Ingrid Bergman) who assured to
be Grand Duchess Anastasia, who had survived the Russian revolution. Yul Brynner
plays the fortune hunter who discovers her and trains her and the magnificent Helen
Hayes plays the Dowager Empress. Great entertainment in Cinemascope, with nothing
to offer other than grand melodrama and gorgeousness. Served as Bergman's grand
return to Hollywood after being condemned for her moral choices and the film got her
what may seem an undeserved Academy Award (then again that year was a mess) but
in a way Bergman's dignified performance as Anna and as herself, the way she
overcame obstacles and reclaimed a long lost throne couldn't be more similar if they
tried. Too bad the happy ending was real for only one of them.
07/30/08 Husbands and Wives (1)
Woody Allen is some sort of beautiful paradox. On the one side no filmmaker is more
self aware if what he wants to explore (or as selfless in letting others grab the
spotlight), but at the same time while we're thinking he knows himself so well, he
reveals a completely different side that doubts every little thing. This film, slightly
premonitory for what would happen for him during its release deals with the problems
of two couples, one played by Allen and Mia Farrow (so sublime that it's a real shame
she's never been recognized for any sort of awards) the other by, the always brilliant,
Sydney Pollack and Judy Davis (who is a force of nature). Throw in Juliette Lewis as a
seductive neo Lolita, existentialism galore and Allen using an original documentary like
approach and you'll end up with a description the sly devil himself uses when Lewis'
character criticizes the book he's writing...
Woody Allen is some sort of beautiful paradox. On the one side no filmmaker is more
self aware if what he wants to explore (or as selfless in letting others grab the
spotlight), but at the same time while we're thinking he knows himself so well, he
reveals a completely different side that doubts every little thing. This film, slightly
premonitory for what would happen for him during its release deals with the problems
of two couples, one played by Allen and Mia Farrow (so sublime that it's a real shame
she's never been recognized for any sort of awards) the other by, the always brilliant,
Sydney Pollack and Judy Davis (who is a force of nature). Throw in Juliette Lewis as a
seductive neo Lolita, existentialism galore and Allen using an original documentary like
approach and you'll end up with a description the sly devil himself uses when Lewis'
character criticizes the book he's writing...