WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[MikeBSG]

Last night I went out to see "Greenberg," the independent film starring Ben Stiller, written and directed by Noah Baumbach.

While there were some funny bits here, the movie as a whole didn't work for me. It seemed like a Woody Allen film without the comedy or visual style. the ending seemed very indebted to "Manhattan." The other Baumbach film I've seen, "The Squid and the Whale," reminded me strongly of John Sayles. When is Baumbach going to make a Baumbach movie?

[srowley75]

Yesterday, I watched "Myra Breckinridge."

What a mixed bag! I've never cared much for Mae West, and her scenes here didn't even seem like they were part of the same movie. Raquel Welch had some unspeakable dialogue to deliver, and she did okay with it. Rex Reed made so little an impression that whenever he showed up I was surprised. He would walk offscreen, and i'd promptly forget he was in the film.

To my great surprise, John Huston came out the best. He was really funny. If it hadn't been for him, I would have given up on the movie very early on.

I like this film a lot. It's another one of those raucous descents into bad taste from the late 1960s and 70s, the type of outrageously nasty film they just don't seem to do well anymore (possibly the last great movie of this sort was Showgirls).

And don't forget Mae West's dialogue, as well as her soul-sister solo number. See, this is what I call a film people must see before they die. And, if at all possible, watch with a group of friends, a la Rocky Horror. No type of film is more fun to watch with friends than the sort that leaves you feeling an odd mix of shock, disgust, and laugh-out-loud incredulousness.

Rex Reed has over time become one of my favorite film critics. Not that I agree with him on everything, but I find his curmudgeonly take on mainstream film immensely entertaining. Summer movies are worth it just for his rant-filled reviews. Rarely does such a high-profile critic abandon restraint and blast away as he does. His Speed Racer review is a classic.

[feaito]

I watched the French film "Palais Royal! " (2005) directed by Valérie Lemercier, who also stars in this comedy with wry humor. Her character resembles, in a way, the role that Diana Spencer had in the Bristish Royal family. She's the daughter of a Count who's married to the second son of a King of an un-named country of Northern Europe. The king dies in an accident and the widowed queen (skillfully played by a radiant Cathérine Deneuve) schemes in order to make her favorite second-born son become King, instead of the rightful heir. A rather amusing black comedy.

[Lzcutter]

I thought I had posted about seeing Toy Story 3 back in May as a sneak but I can't find the post so maybe I imagined it.

Anyways, I had an appointment with my dentist down in Los Angeles last Thursday (the one who said I didn't need a root canal, just a crown. Yea!!! Well worth the trip two weeks ago for the second opinion) so I had a long holiday weekend with MrCutter. We had a BBQ, got to see fireworks from various spots around the valley thanks to a friend inviting us up to his house in the hills but to bring this back to the thread at hand, I insisted that we go see Toy Story.

Hard to believe that it all started 15 years ago but this film is just as good as the first one. It is a bit on the dark side but the journey the toys go on is not only a bit scary and dark but the lessons they learn are so heart warming and so touching that by the end men around me were sniffling and I think I saw a glint of tears down MrCutter's face.

Of course, I was crying like a baby. While some don't care for Buzz's homage to Zorro, MrCutter and I thought it was hysterical. But we are big Zorro fans, especially the ones with Antonio Banderas.

If you haven't seen Toy Story 3 get thee to a movie theater. You won't be disappointed and you will have a wonderful two hours at the movies that you won't regret.

[MikeBSG]

I also liked "Toy Story 3."

What did you think about "Toy Story 2"? I ask because my children loved the first "Toy Story" and were rather indifferent toward 2. They never even wanted to have it on video (or even rent it.) They seemed to like "Toy Story 3" much better.

[feaito]

Last night I saw for the first time "Bathing Beauty" (1944), a forget-about-the-plot-and-performances film which amused me beacuse of its songs, musical numbers, ravishing Esther in the pool and a quite hilarious ballet dancing sequence with Skelton, whom I do'nt usually find very funny, but in this particular film is pretty fun to watch. Lina Romay is a doll! The quality of the print I saw is good indeed. Fine entertainment after a day's work.

[feaito]

I watched "The House of Mirth" (2000), a truly excellent film, based upon Edith Wharton's novel, which captures completely the atmosphere of the early XXth Century. The film benefits from a very good cast and equally good performances, especially Gillian Anderson's in the leading role as the doomed Lily Bart. Kudos too for the people in charge of the costumes, sets and art direction, and not only that, the actors really immerse themselves in the way people of the Era behaved, talked and related to each other, something absent from recent period productions like "The Tudors" (simply awful, with all the young people looking and behaving like Calvin Klein and Victoria's Secret models). Lily Bart must be one of the most pitied heroines that ever existed...all her sincerity and dignity could not defeat all the double-standard, hypocrisy, envy, jealousy, duplicity, venom and hatred that surrounded her. We helplessly and desperately witness her downfall... A very fine film and very sad story indeed.

[feaito]

I finally could see again, after many years -an excellent print this time- "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946), one of the legendary American Film Noirs of the 1940s, with Lana Turner in one of her best roles as the alluring Cora Smith. We commented with my wife that most probably no woman living in a roadside restaurant ever looked like Lana looked in this picture (perfectly coiffured, immaculated manicured and made-up, etc.) but that's part of Classic Hollywood's -and MGM's- magic and charm. She and the excellent John Garfield -as the drifter who falls for her- have a tremendous chemistry going on and aided by a rather superb supporting cast (Cecil Kellaway, Hume Cronyn, Leon Ames, Audrey Totter, etc.) raise this film to an iconic level, in spite of its flaws. The plot is involving, its twists rather unexpected and you don't realize it and more than 100 minutes have passed. A very good film, which may not be as good as Wilder's masterpiece "Double Indemnity" (1944) but nevertheless holds its own against it. I wished Audrey Totter's character would have had more screen time. I would have fallen for her rather than for Lana. She's more my type of gal.

[feaito]

I saw Almodovar's "The Flower of My Secret" (La Flor de Mi Secreto) (1995) a movie that I first saw some 14 years ago and which was good to revisit. Marisa Paredes -excellent as usual- plays an authoress of romantic novels (á-la Barbara Cartland or Corín Tellado) who remains incognito and who wants to break free from the genre and venture into more serious stuff. She's also having problems with her husband (impersonated by Imanol Arias). A well made & crafted drama, reminiscent of those Woman's pictures made by Douglas Sirk in the 1950s -Almodóvar tends to pay homage to to that Era in some of his films- and with charming performances by the always hilarious Chus Lampreave (priceless!!) and Rossy de Palma, as Paredes' mother and sister, respectively. A fine film.

[feaito]

I watched "Knights of the Round Table" (1953) a MGM spectacle in Cinemascope and Technicolor, filmed on location in England -although some studio-bounded retakes are quite apparent in some sequences- and was very pleased, because I did not expect much from it. I had seen it many years ago when I was in school and loved it, but when one revisits this kind of film as an adult they do not always fare very well. I had a terrific time watching it and enjoyed every minute of this adventure yarn. 100% pure entertainment, with the beautiful Ava Gardner as Guinevere, Stanley Baker & Anne Crawford as the scheming and evil Modred and Morgan Le Fay, Mel Ferrer as the heroic Arthur and Bob Taylor as the noble Lancelot du Lac. An ideal matinée movie suited for all the family.

[charliechaplinfan]

I watched for the first time The Desperate Hours starring Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March. It's Bogie at his nasty criminal best, with absolutely no redeeming features. Despite Bogie's strong characterisation it's a film with two strong leading roles, adapted from a stage play. Fredric March is the honest householder who keeps his family together and tries to out manouevre Bogie. It's a pleasure to watch two strong acting talents with a good script. Bogie had wanted Spencer Tracy for the second role but Tracy pulled out, I'm glad he did, the film is perfectly cast as it is.

[Ann Harding]

Yesterday I went to see Le Bonheur (1935), a Marcel L'Herbier picture with Charles Boyer, Gaby Morlay and Michel Simon. Philippe (C. Boyer) is working as a caricaturist for an arnachist newspaper. His newspaper sends him to a station to take the portrait of a famous movie star, Clara Stuart (Gaby Morlay). Later, he takes a gun and shoots her. She is only injured and Philippe is put on trial. But during the trial, his victim asks the jury to show clemency. Clara has fallen in love with him... This melodrama proved to be really interesting in spite of a narrative that was terribly simplistic. Charles Boyer was particularly effective as the anarchist shooting a movie star to attract attention. But his motives are far more complex than expected. He loathed society and its 'star-system', nevertheless he also falls in love with Clara. His scenes with Gaby Morlay convey brilliantly his motivations. Morlay plays with ease the movie-star married to an impoverished aristocrat (reminiscent of both Negri and Swanson). Deep down she is also dissatisfied with her personal life even if her career is a success. Michel Simon is a hoot playing Morlay's effeminate manager. Overall, it's a worthy feature, well directed and beautifully lit by Harry Stradling.

[charliechaplinfan]

I've watched three excellent movies over the weekend. The first A Star Is Born the 1937 version, I love the depiction of 1930's Hollywood in this one and the shots that we see of the homes and Grauman's Chinese theatre. Janet Gaynor is sweet as Esther and Fredric March gives one of his best performances as Norman Maine. I still prefer the 1954 version, this version is still worth a look.

Nothing Sacred one of my favorite screwball comedies, Carole Lombard is perfect casting as Hazel Flagg and shares really good chemistry with Fredric March. I think of all Carole's films this is the most romantic, with Fredric March coming off well as her costar, I usually find it difficult to concentrate on any of the other stars when Carole is in screwball mode.

The Woman in the Window was tonight's offering, a great film from Fritz Lang, well cast with Edward G Robinson in the lead with Joan Bennett as the beautiful femme fatale.

[feaito]

Yesterday I saw the highly anticipated film: "Madonna of the Seven Moons" (1945) a film that absorbed me from start to finish. My wife and I literally were entranced by it. It has a je-ne-sais-quoi, an out-of-this world kind of charm. The magical, eerie story of lovely Maddalena and her secret, set in Italy in between wars is entertainingly told and swiftly paced. Besides, one realizes that the British weren't bound by a strict Production Code like the Americans, so the story takes "licenses" that couldn't have taken place in the USA. Maddalena is a very pure girl, who wants to become a nun, but after a fateful event, her father summons her from the convent where she's studying to be married to a rich husband....years pass, Maddalena is beloved & adored by her husband, but she's haunted by her past and when her grown-up daughter comes back to Italy after 5 years studying in England, dramatic events start to unfold.

I had never seen Phyllis Calvert onscreen, she's beautiful, classy and earthy at the same time (you'll understand that when you see the film). Her daughter Angela, impersonated by the equally lovely Patricia Roc (who was Calvert's same age!) is very different from her mother Maddalena, she's liberal, devil-may-care, uninhibited, free....who has she taken after? Enter the mysterious gypsy-thief Nino Barucci, aptly portrayed by Stewart Granger, who's madly in love with the equally mysterious Rossana of the Seven Moons and enter his brother Sandro (Peter Glenville), a young cad, who after having an affair with a friend of Angela, is obsessed with the latter. Lovely Jean Kent plays one of Nino's many conquests. The pacing and the events that take place in rapid succession will leave you breathless, but you will be rewarded by 110 minutes of pure entertainment and one of the most mysteriously romantic films of all time. My grandmother always talked about this film and I'm happy that could finally watch it.

[feaito]

I have just finished watching the swashbuckling-adventure film "Fanfan La Tulipe" (1952) a delightful picture(released on DVD by Criterion) directed by Christian Jaque and starring the highly talented Gérard Philipe. The film's a delightful comedy about a devil-may-care lad (Fanfan) who enlists to fight in Louis XV's army, in order to escape from marriage -forced upon him by the angry father of a young girl with whom he has been fooling around. Gina Lollobrigida plays a Sergeant's daughter who traps men into enlisting, making them believe she's a gypsy and telling them their fortunes. But many adventures await Fanfan, after all, he's determined to marry the King's daughter -no less- and in the process he gets to know the King's lover -la Marquise de Pompadour (Genviève Page who impersonated Princess Urraca in "El Cid" (1961)) and Her Royal Highness Princess Henriette de France, and saves them both from highwaymen! The film is a French equivalent -in a way- to the tongue-in-cheek swashbuckler adventure yarn, "The Crimson Pirate", although "Fanfan" has more finesse. There's a remarkable colorized version of this film (from 1997) of which an excerpt is included on the DVD. The colorization is truly awesome.