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Month: March 2007

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

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“Now it isn’t that I don’t like you, Susan, because, after all, in moments of quiet, I’m strangely drawn toward you, but — well, there haven’t been any quiet moments.”

Synopsis:
When a wacky heiress (Katharine Hepburn) falls for a nerdy paleontologist (Cary Grant), she does everything in her power to keep him at her side.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Barry Fitzgerald Films
  • Cary Grant Films
  • Comedy
  • Heiresses
  • Howard Hawks Films
  • Katharine Hepburn Films
  • Living Nightmare
  • Mistaken Identities
  • Romantic Comedy
  • Scientists

Response to Peary’s Review:
Howard Hawks’ “zany, lightning-paced screwball comedy” received a scathing review from The New York Times upon its release, where it was panned as simply one predictable comedic gag after the other: “After the first five minutes of the Music Hall’s new show—we needed those five to orient ourselves—we were content to play the game called ‘the cliche expert goes to the movies’ and we are not at all proud to report that we scored 100 percent.” Indeed, …Baby bombed at the box office, Hawks was fired from his next production, and Hepburn was forced to buy out her contract. Nowadays, however, Bringing Up Baby is recognized as a true classic of 1930s cinema, with hilarious dialogue, countless well-executed pratfalls, and excellent comedic performances by both Grant and Hepburn (who is accurately described by DVD Savant as “a female cross between Bugs Bunny and Groucho Marx”). As Peary notes, however, “your enjoyment of the film may depend on how long you can tolerate” watching Hepburn mischievously causing one problem after the other for Grant; indeed, in order to fully appreciate Bringing Up Baby, you must give yourself over to its inspired lunacy, and rest assured that everything will turn out — as it should — just fine in the end.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Katharine Hepburn’s marvelously loopy performance (her first comedic role) as the screwball heiress; as noted by DVD Savant, she “makes the script play like her own improvisation”
  • Cary Grant as the put-upon, bespectacled scientist who wants nothing more than to retrieve his “intercostal clavicle” and get married at 3:00
  • Charles Ruggles as “big game hunter” Major Horace Applegate
  • Hepburn limping gaily after losing the heel of one shoe, chanting, “I was born on the side of the hill… ”
  • Countless hilarious lines and rejoinders:

    “There is a leopard on your roof and it’s my leopard and I have to get it and to get it I have to sing.”

Must See?
Yes. This classic comedy should be seen at least once by all film fanatics.

Categories

  • Genuine Classic
  • Historically Relevant
  • Important Director
  • Noteworthy Performance(s)

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

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“Thank you ever so.”

Synopsis:
Showgirl Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) becomes engaged to a wealthy nebbish (Tommy Noonan), then takes a cross-Atlantic trip with her man-loving friend Dorothy (Jane Russell). On the way, Lorelei flirts with the owner of a diamond mine (Charles Coburn) and is trailed by a private detective (Elliott Reid), who falls in love with Dorothy.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • At Sea
  • Charles Coburn Films
  • Detectives and Private Eyes
  • Dumb Blondes
  • Friendship
  • Golddiggers
  • Howard Hawks Films
  • Jane Russell Films
  • Marilyn Monroe Films
  • Musicals
  • Showgirls

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell “give delightful, supercharged performances” in this classic musical comedy — which, despite bland male romantic leads and a lackluster second half, remains an enjoyable diversion. Monroe performs what may be her most famous musical number ever (the oft-mimicked “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”), and Russell — in one of her best roles — gets to perform a showstopper of her own (“Ain’t There Anyone Here for Love?”) while surrounded by scantily-clad Olympic athletes.

In addition, the script contains countless zingy lines (“The chaperone’s job is to make sure nobody else has any fun; but nobody chaperones the chaperone — that’s why I’m so right for this job!” reasons Russell), and a surprising feminist subtext. As Peary notes, Monroe and Russell’s loyal friendship is remarkably strong for a pre-1970s film, and Monroe (who is “only dumb when men want her to be”) gets to make the eminently reasonable point that “men are attracted only to women with good looks, yet resent women who are attracted to men with money.” Lorelei may be a gold-digger, but she recognizes the way the world works, and — much like Monroe herself — is more than willing to trade her “wares” in return for what she wants out of life.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Marilyn Monroe, perfectly cast in an iconic “dumb blonde” role
  • Jane Russell as Monroe’s loyal, man-crazed friend
  • Several colorful, energetic musical sequences, including one of the most famous in cinematic history: “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”
  • The surprise appearance of “Mr.” Henry Spofford III (and valet)
  • Charles Coburn as “Piggy”
  • Countless memorable lines and double entendres:

    “Those girls couldn’t drown…”
    “I like a man who can run faster than I can.”
    “I just LOVE finding new places to wear diamonds!”

Must See?
Yes. Every film fanatic should see Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at least once. Discussed at length in Peary’s Cult Movies 3.

Categories

  • Genuine Classic
  • Important Director
  • Noteworthy Performance(s)

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

Quick Millions (1931)

Quick Millions (1931)

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“Racketeering is just getting what the other guy’s got — in a nice way.”

Synopsis:
An ambitious trucker (Spencer Tracy) rises to power and becomes notorious racketeer “Bugs Raymond”.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Gangsters
  • George Raft Films
  • Rise-and-Fall
  • Social Climbers
  • Spencer Tracy Films

Review:
Long out of circulation (though it shows up occasionally on television), Quick Millions is primarily known today as the feature debut of Rowland Brown, notorious director of Blood Money (1933). Unlike its more famous counterpart, however, Quick Millions is a disappointment: it possesses only a few moments of inspired direction, and suffers from a cliched, instantly forgettable plot. Ultimately, Quick Millions is only recommended for diehard fans of early gangsters flicks, and/or those curious to see Spencer Tracy in his first “legitimate” leading role.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Spencer Tracy as the “guy with a one-ton brain who’s too nervous to steal and too lazy to work”
  • George Raft soft-shoeing to “Frankie and Johnny” at a party

Must See?
No, though it’s a must for Spencer Tracy fans.

Links:

North by Northwest (1959)

North by Northwest (1959)

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“Now you listen to me — I’m an advertising man, not a red herring!”

Synopsis:
Successful advertising executive Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is kidnapped by spies (led by James Mason) who think he is a U.S. secret agent named George Kaplan. When the police don’t believe his story, Thornhill accepts the help of a mysterious blonde (Eva Marie Saint) he meets on a train — but can she be trusted?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Cary Grant Films
  • Eva Marie Saint Films
  • Hitchcock Films
  • James Mason Films
  • Living Nightmare
  • Martin Landau Films
  • Mistaken Identities
  • “No One Believes Me!”
  • Spies

Response to Peary’s Review:
North by Northwest, one of Hitchcock’s “most enjoyable pictures”, features “outstanding performances, technical brilliance, a great deal of humor, terrific locations for suspense scenes, [and] one of Bernard Herrmann’s finest scores.” As Peary notes, even at 136 minutes, Hitchcock “keeps the picture moving” without a single dull moment, as “his characters move quickly from one locale to another”, and new plot developments continue to crop up.

North by Northwest may be the perfect movie to show new film fanatics who aren’t yet familiar with Hitchcock’s oeuvre. Not only is it consistently great fun, but it deals with some of Hitch’s favorite themes: false accusations, mistaken identities, and “everyday” men who are forced into situations where they must rise to the occasion and help those in need. The remarkably risque romance between Grant and Saint (those endless kisses in the train compartment!) is classic Hitchcock as well: it develops logically out of the proceedings, and serves as the perfect motivation for Grant’s final heroic actions. Scene after scene in North by Northwest is both memorable and humorous — and, though we suspect that everything will turn out okay in the end (it has to!), we’re never really sure how; that was Hitchcock’s genius.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Cary Grant — pitch perfect in the lead role as a man who finds himself thrust into a nightmarish situation beyond his control
  • Eva Marie Saint as Grant’s mysterious love interest
  • James Mason as Phillip Van Damm, cold-hearted head of the spy ring
  • Martin Landau in a bit role as Van Damm’s right-hand-man
  • Jessie Royce — only one year older than Grant in real life — as his mother
  • Grant getting himself strategically thrown out of an auction
  • Grant entering the bedroom of a strange woman, who immediately falls for him
  • Grant running for his life from a lethal cropduster
  • The final climactic scene on Mt. Rushmore
  • Bernard Herrmann’s riveting score

Must See?
Absolutely. This remains one of Hitchcock’s most entertaining movies, and merits repeat viewing by all film fanatics.

Categories

  • Genuine Classic
  • Important Director

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

Lineup, The (1958)

Lineup, The (1958)

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“Sounds like the usual M.O.: tourists — reputable travelers — being used as innocent smugglers.”

Synopsis:
Police detectives investigate a heroin-smuggling scheme in San Francisco.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Car Chase
  • Criminal Investigation
  • Don Siegel Films
  • Drug Dealers
  • Eli Wallach Films
  • Police
  • Richard Jaeckel Films

Review:
Don Siegel’s little-seen crime drama remains a taut, gritty thriller which deserves wider viewing. After a rather creaky beginning (in which the nature of the crime — surreptitious smuggling of heroin in unsuspecting passengers’ luggage — is established), things quickly become exciting, as we watch two psychopathic “middlemen” (Eli Wallach and Robert Keith) slyly rounding up their bounty at any cost. More often than not, this involves killing the passenger, if or when he discovers that something is awry — a task done with cold-hearted smoothness by Wallach, while creepy Keith waits nearby ready to document the poor sucker’s “final words” in his notebook. Siegel handles his multiple action scenes with finesse, and makes good use of on-location shooting in San Francisco; indeed, many locales no longer exist, thus making this an invaluable time-capsule glimpse of The City in the late 1950s.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Eli Wallach as “Dancer”, the psychopathic middleman
  • Robert Keith as Dancer’s less violent — but equally tenacious — partner
  • Richard Jaeckel as the duo’s cocky young getaway driver
  • Creatively shot murder sequences
  • Excellent use of San Francisco locales
  • A truly exciting final car chase

Must See?
No, but fans of Siegel’s work will undoubtedly want to seek it out.

Links:

Non-Stop New York (1937)

Non-Stop New York (1937)

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“She’s the only person alive who knows that we were in that apartment last night.”

Synopsis:
A British actress (Anna Lee) tries to get back to New York in time to save an innocent man from being put to death.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Actors and Actresses
  • Airplanes and Pilots
  • Anna Lee Films
  • Falsely Accused
  • Mistaken Identities

Review:
At only 69 minutes, Robert Stevenson’s Hitchcockian thriller zips along at a fast pace, allowing us just enough time to ogle the fantastic set designs in the film’s luxury “non-stop” aircraft. Viewing this airplane-cum-cruise ship, it’s impossible not to salivate — if only cross-country flying was actually this plush! (Especially enviable is the heroine’s ability to step outside the plane and feel the wind blowing across her face…) The story itself is slight yet enjoyable, with Anna Lee’s radiant smile lighting up the screen, and hulking Francis Sullivan a suitably menacing mobster.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Anna Lee as the plucky actress determined to save a falsely accused man from dying
  • Francis Sullivan as the sinister mobster
  • A fascinating glimpse of an early (likely science-fictional) luxury aircraft

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Salamandre, La (1971)

Salamandre, La (1971)

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“The girl’s name is Rosemonde.”

Synopsis:
Two writer friends (Jean-Luc Bideau and Jacques Denis) research a contested news story concerning an enigmatic young woman (Bulle Ogier) who may have deliberately shot her uncle.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Character Studies
  • Love Triangle
  • Swiss Films
  • Working Class
  • Writers

Review:
Alain Tanner’s second feature film — a clever satire on the writing process and ‘truth’ in reporting — provocatively explores the nature of veracity in storytelling, and the ways in which personal involvement inevitably skews our perception. While not as pointed as his debut film — Charles, Dead or Alive (1969) — or as openly humorous as his later, more accessible ensemble film Jonah, Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000 (1976), La Salamandre remains a classic entry in Tanner’s oeuvre.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Bulle Ogier as the seductive, sullen Rosemonde
  • An unromanticized look at the boredom and limited prospects of working-class life

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended.

Links:

Sterile Cuckoo, The (1969)

Sterile Cuckoo, The (1969)

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“It’s gonna be nice to get away from all these weirdos.”

Synopsis:
Eccentric Pookie Adams (Liza Minnelli) pursues a quiet entymology student named Jerry (Wendell Burton), who she meets on the bus while travelling to college.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Alan J. Pakula Films
  • Character Studies
  • First Love
  • Liza Minnelli Films
  • Nonconformists
  • Romance

Review:
Alan J. Pakula’s debut film offers an insightful exploration into the exhilaration, complications, and devastation of “first love”. Many scenes — such as when Pookie and Jerry are about to make love for the first time — ring remarkably true, and are handled with sensitivity and gentle humor; and Minnelli’s Pookie — while unbelievably irritating at first — quickly becomes sympathetic, as we recognize a little bit of ourselves in her desperation to have a romantic relationship at any cost. Unfortunately, as pointed out by numerous reviewers (see links below), Pakula occasionally turns his non-conformist love story into a “traditional romance”, complete with montages of the lovers running across fields and holding hands while sappy music plays in the background. These scenes detract from the authenticity of the story, since we prefer to see these characters up close in all their awkward realism, rather than from a fuzzy distance. Fortunately, for every generic montage, Pakula provides a well-written, sensitive scene which brings us back to the truth of Pookie and Jerry’s relationship.

Perhaps inevitably, things slowly begin to crumble between the misfit couple, as Jerry (well played by an appropriately bland Wendell Burton) realizes he wants to spend time with the other “weirdos” around him in college, and actually focus on his studies. Ironically, as we watch Pookie become increasingly desperate to hold on to Jerry (she fabricates a pregnancy, and guilts him into spending time with her), we start to care for her more and more, as we recognize the true depth of her neuroses. Our compassion is due in no small part to Minnelli’s powerhouse performance; a couple of particularly poignant scenes late in the movie — in which she pleads on the telephone with Jerry, and cracks up at a frat party — especially showcase her acting chops, and give credence to her worthy Oscar nomination. Ultimately, while The Sterile Cuckoo is an uneven film, Minnelli makes it worth seeking out at least once.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Liza Minnelli’s inimitable performance as Pookie
  • Jerry nervously taking Pookie’s clothes off before they make love for the first time
  • Pookie’s desperate call to Jerry
  • Pookie trying her best not to disturb Jerry as he spends his entire spring break studying

Must See?
Yes, simply to see Minnelli’s Oscar-nominated performance.

Categories

  • Noteworthy Performance(s)
  • Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links:

Tin Men (1987)

Tin Men (1987)

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“I’m going to find out everything about this son of a bitch, and then I’m going to find the one thing that cuts him right to the quick.”

Synopsis:
When two rival aluminum siding salesmen (Danny DeVito and Richard Dreyfuss) in 1963 Baltimore accidentally hit each other’s cars, they seek continued revenge.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Barbara Hershey Films
  • Barry Levinson Films
  • Black Comedy
  • Con-Artists
  • Masculinity
  • Revenge
  • Richard Dreyfuss Films
  • Salesmen

Review:
Barry Levinson’s fourth feature film — taking place, once again, in his hometown of Baltimore — suffers from an incurable dilemma: its two lead characters (as well as their “tin men” colleagues) are utterly unsympathetic. In fact, it’s downright uncomfortable watching these hucksters con gullible homeowners into paying for aluminum siding when they haven’t been given anything close to a fair sell. Of course, this is part of Levinson’s point, given that a major subplot of the film revolves around the Home Improvement Commission’s investigation of the tin men’s practices; yet the commissioners are clearly posited as the “bad guys”, and thus, we’re left without a clear side to root for.

Similarly, when Dreyfuss shamelessly cuckolds DeVito by seducing his unhappy wife (Barbara Hershey), we’re not sure how to react — especially when the two fall genuinely in love. Are we supposed to root for the happiness of a man as devious and conniving as Dreyfuss? Since he undergoes a sort of character transformation (shifting from self-avowed bachelor to pseudo-family man), he’s supposedly more sympathetic than DeVito, who remains selfish and clueless about his dire straits until the very end — yet DeVito is, ironically, the more compelling of the two con-men. It’s his performance — as well as Levinson’s impressive set designs, and some occasional moments of genuine humor — which keep us watching, even as we cringe at the story itself.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Danny DeVito as the eternally optimistic “tin man” whose life goes slowly downhill
  • Jackie Gayle as Tilley’s Bonanza-bashing partner, Sam
  • A detail-perfect evocation of 1960s Baltimore

Must See?
No, but it’s probably worth watching simply for DeVito’s performance (which Peary nominates for an “Alternate Oscar” as one of the best of the year).

Links:

Swimming to Cambodia (1987)

Swimming to Cambodia (1987)

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“Who needs metaphors for hell or poetry about hell? This really happened, here on this earth.”

Synopsis:
Spalding Gray discusses his experiences while filming a small role in The Killing Fields (1984).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Actors and Actresses
  • Character Studies
  • Jonathan Demme Films

Review:
Spalding Gray is one of the best-known monologists of the late 20th century, and Jonathan Demme’s Swimming to Cambodia — an edited combination of two live performances, accompanied by Laurie Anderson’s evocative sound effects — provides a fascinating glimpse at his prowess. In this unusual storytelling event, Gray intersperses humorous vignettes from his experiences filming in Thailand with a concise history of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia — an unexpected, yet surprisingly effective, marriage of ideas. Gray’s monologue is poignant rather than hilarious; he’s not a stand-up comedian, but rather an astute commentator on the intersection of personal travails and public tragedies.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Spalding Gray’s charismatic storytelling presence
  • Laurie Anderson’s memorable sound effects

Must See?
Yes. All film fanatics should see at least one of the late Spalding Gray’s filmed monologues, and this is probably his best.

Categories

  • Historically Relevant

Links: