Bugsy Malone (1976)
“Not the sarsaparilla racket!”
“Not the sarsaparilla racket!”
“Is there a man in the world who suffers as I do from the gross inadequacies of the human race?”
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Review: Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“To make love is a way of compensating for death, to prove that you exist.”
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Response to Peary’s Review: Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“Why did I ever marry? What a fool I was.”
“Sacrifice is dated, mother. You don’t reform a man; he just drags you down.”
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Review: As with every ensemble film, some vignettes in The Group are inevitably more compelling than others; we find ourselves wishing to know more about certain characters — and much less about others. Shirley Knight turns in a nuanced, compassionate performance as the do-gooding Polly, but her travails (which include an affair with a psycho-analyzed communist, and a mentally ill father) don’t do her justice. Elizabeth Hartman as Priss is equally compelling, and we definitely wish her character had more screentime. Libby — an amusingly clueless character in the book — is, unfortunately, portrayed with annoying smugness by Jessica Walters, and is easily the most irritating of “the group”. Kay’s failing marriage to an alcoholic philanderer (Larry Hagman, perfectly cast, but lacking nuance) is the primary thread of the story, but her character’s gradual transformation is less than convincing. Others in the group barely register at all. Lakey (Bergen in her film debut) is only on-screen for a few minutes at best, and her “surprise revelation” near the end of the movie goes absolutely nowhere. Pokey provides comic relief and little else, while Helena is merely the film’s convenient narrator. Even so, the film is at least 1/2 hour too long. While screenwriter Sidney Buchman tries his best to do justice to all the subplots in the story, eight protagonists is — ultimately — too many. Redeeming Qualities and Moments: Must See? Links: |
“You have to be patient! All men are children.”
“Don’t forget, it’s fiction — a bit autobiographical, but fiction.”
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Response to Peary’s Review: Of the original scenes in the movie, none stand out as particularly humorous or insightful; we get the sense that Doinel hasn’t moved far beyond his limitations with both women and work, but at this point it’s difficult to have much patience for his immaturity. It’s also annoying to watch Claude Jade (Doinel’s wife) continue her long-suffering tolerance for her philandering husband; her patience and good will is truly inhuman, and clearly wishful thinking on Truffaut’s part. Ultimately, as Peary notes, Love on the Run “doesn’t do one of cinema’s great characters justice”, and is only “minor Truffaut”. Redeeming Qualities and Moments: Must See? Links: |
“I have set myself beyond the pale. I am nothing. I am hardly human any more.”
“Do you want to stand alone against the whole world?”
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Review: Ultimately, it’s hard to root for this staunchly selfish man, who considers his own needs more important than everyone else’s. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“She’s changed him; she’ll change me — she’ll change everything!”
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Review: Unfortunately, young Seberg hadn’t yet discovered her acting chops; her delivery of lines is stilted at best, and the obvious post-dubbing doesn’t help matters any. Yet she exudes charm and youthful beauty, and remains compelling to watch. Her character’s close relationship with Niven (nicely cast against type) reminds one of Gidget and her widowed father, though with a decidedly sensual tinge; Cecile is remarkably comfortable with the explicit knowledge of her father’s summertime affair with the sexy yet safely innocuous Elsa (Mylene Demongeot). Also impressive is Deborah Kerr in a thankless yet pivotal role as Cecile’s godmother — a ruinous presence in Cecil’s idyllic existence. Other than Seberg and Kerr, the most memorable elements of the film are the gorgeous Technicolor visuals and sun-drenched French Riviera settings — this is very much a summertime film, with events compressed into the span of one tragically memorable vacation. The closing shot — reminiscent of Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons — makes for a daringly downbeat finale in an era of mostly cheerful denouements; in a way, it’s easy to see why modern critics (such as Eric Henderson at Slant Magazine) cite Bonjour Tristesse as a film waiting to be reclaimed: like Douglas Sirk, Preminger is now viewed by many as an auteur whose talents remained largely misunderstood during his lifetime. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
No, but it’s recommended. Links: |