Pursuit of Happiness, The (1971)
“I have to go into court and play a part in a stupid charade to convince some judge that I’m not really me in order to receive some justice!”
“I have to go into court and play a part in a stupid charade to convince some judge that I’m not really me in order to receive some justice!”
“I have a strange premonition that the Canary is headed for disaster.”
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Review: Redeeming Qualities and Moments: Must See? Links: |
“And dad, I might add that she’s the finest wife any man could hope to have!”
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Review: Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“Would it not be the achievement of all time to keep the brains of great thinkers, scientists, authors, statesmen, alive? To derive benefit from their wisdom and thinking power, even after their death — to make them literally immortal?”
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Review: Part of the success of the screenplay (which eventually becomes too confusing for its own good) is in the way we’re never quite sure who’s “good” or “bad”: we know that Donovan was a fraudulent financier and an overall not-nice person, but is his motivation in getting a convicted murderer out of jail completely self-serving or not? And how far will Professor Mueller (von Stroheim) go with his project, even if it means placing Arlen’s life at increased risk? Meanwhile, the film is surprisingly hypnotic to look at (see stills below), with creepy, shadow-filled gothic sets and stunning noir cinematography by Oscar-winning D.P. John Alton. Film fanatics will likely enjoy seeing von Stroheim in a semi-leading role as mad (but-not-too-mad) Prof. Mueller, while Czech figure-skater-turned-actress Vera Hruba Ralston delivers a notoriously awful performance — fun for laughs if nothing else. The Lady and the Monster isn’t must-see viewing, but it’s certainly worth a look if you can find a copy. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“I wanna go back to sleep! If I don’t get at least 600 years, I’m grouchy all day.”
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Response to Peary’s Review: … to timely satire (when shown a photo of Norman Mailer by an inquisitive archaeologist, Allen informs him that Mailer “donated his ego to Harvard Medical School”): … to mind-blowing lunacy (Allen wins a Miss America award [!]: … and later — oh, so randomly — channels Blanche DuBois in a scene from A Streetcar Named Desire). For such a silly story, Sleeper is surprisingly full of memorable moments: few will be able to forget the botched “nose cloning” sequence near the end of the film, for instance: … or the movie’s coterie of futuristic “gadgets” — including the efficient Orgasmatron box: … the drug-providing “Orb” (which provokes Allen into a rare fit of laughter on-screen): … and some instant chocolate pudding powder which quickly grows out of Allen’s control. Though most of the supporting actors are unknowns, Keaton — in her second film with Allen, after Play it Again Sam (1972) — is charmingly nutty as Allen’s foil and love interest, who undergoes a dramatic transformation from squealing hedonist to committed revolutionary: Meanwhile, Allen himself has loopy fun channeling Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and Bob Hope (among others). Like the best must-see films, Sleeper — which, mercifully, never takes itself too seriously — can easily be revisited by film fanatics from time to time, and is the perfect introductory Allen movie to show to one’s non-ff friends. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die) Links: |
“My mother thinks I’m the devil and that God is a UFO.”
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Review: Early on, for instance, we see poor “Ruby” (Mayo) being told that she’ll have to pay $55 for the privilege of interviewing for a job; to emphasize the point that there’s no way Ruby can afford this exorbitant and inexplicable fee, Turko offers a close-up of a few pennies (!) in Ruby’s hand. Later, Ruby agrees to participate in a cheesy porn film (a satire of Star Wars called, naturally, Sex Wars) to earn some quick money — but when things go comically haywire through no fault of her own, she’s assigned all the blame and thrown off the set. Most frustrating of all is the way Ruby’s half-black baby (his mixed race is merely exploited as one more strike against Ruby) disappears from the majority of the film altogether; as a result, we never believe that she’s really desperate to create a life with him. A truly authentic film about the perils of solitary teen motherhood clearly has yet to be made. Redeeming Qualities and Moments: Must See? Links: |