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Month: October 2022

Room With a View, A (1985)

Room With a View, A (1985)

“He’s the sort who can’t know anyone intimately, least of all a woman.”

Synopsis:
When a British woman (Helena Bonham Carter) travelling in Italy with her spinster aunt (Maggie Smith) encounters a free-spirited young man (Julian Sands) staying with his father (Denholm Elliott) in the same rooming house, she becomes confused about her feelings for Sands, and rushes into a formal engagement with her priggish suitor (Daniel Day-Lewis) once she’s back home.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Coming of Age
  • Denholm Elliott Films
  • Historical Drama
  • Love Triangle
  • Maggie Smith Films
  • Merchant Ivory Films
  • Romantic Comedy

Review:
Director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant’s adaptation of E.M. Forster’s 1908 novel — scripted by their longtime collaborator, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala — was their breakthrough box office success, earning them 8 Oscar nominations (it won 3 — for costume design, art direction, and adapted screenplay). It also offered Helena Bonham Carter her first major role — and she’s perfectly cast as a sheltered but passionate young woman whose sexual awakening and coming of age are precipitated by two key events in Italy: witnessing a brutal stabbing on the streets of Florence, and being kissed in a field by Sands.

She gradually comes to realize that the man she believes she should marry (Day-Lewis) is nothing close to who she actually wants to be with:

… though it’s far from easy for her to acknowledge this openly — a tension which drives the entire screenplay. While the storyline is rather thin in major plot points, it’s richly textured, and populated by numerous quirky supporting characters — including Maggie Smith as Lucy’s manipulative aunt:

… Simon Callow as a local reverend who seems to always be hovering around the periphery of events:

… Judi Dench as the novelist “Eleanor Lavish”:

… Denholm Elliott as Sands’ father, “Mr. Emerson”:

… and Rupert Graves (in his debut role) as Lucy’s hyper-active brother. (The scene in which he, Sands, and Callow frolic nude in the lake is refreshingly unfiltered.)

Day-Lewis’s snobby “Cecil Vyse” — played for laughs — is ultimately too outrageous to generate much sympathy; but we fall for gorgeous Sands, and are glad to see him returning time and again into Lucy’s life: this is a romantic pairing we very much want to see succeed.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Helena Bonham Carter as Lucy Honeychurch
  • Julian Sands as George Emerson
  • Fine cinematography and location shooting

Must See?
Yes. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

  • Genuine Classic

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

Links:

St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, The (1967)

St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, The (1967)

“I’ll send flowers.”

Synopsis:
During the height of the Prohibition era, Chicagoland gangster Al Capone (Jason Robards) plots to kill his rival, Bugs Moran (Ralph Meeker).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Bruce Dern Films
  • Dick Miller Films
  • Gangsters
  • George Segal Films
  • Jack Nicholson Films
  • Jason Robards Films
  • John Agar Films
  • Prohibition Era
  • Ralph Meeker Films
  • Roger Corman Films

Review:
B-movie producer/director Roger Corman was given a substantial budget and studio backing (from 20th Century Fox) to make this “authentic” docudrama flick about one of the most notorious mass murders in gang warfare history. As Paul Frees’ voiceover narration helpfully informs us during the film’s opening shots:

In the years following the passage of the National Prohibition Act of 1920, the nation’s underworld rises to power and battles amongst itself, just as modern nations and corporations do. Open periods of gang warfare are followed by peace treaties, and attempts at consolidation and monopoly, each of which is shattered as new warfare erupts in quest of the booming bootlegging and vice profits. By 1929, the gangs of Chicago operate 21,207 speakeasies, and their gross income reaches $357 million. 618 members of the city’s underworld are murdered within nine years. Corruption extends from the mayor’s office to the humblest side-street speakeasy.

Robards was given a hard time for looking nothing like the actual Al Capone (Orson Welles was the original choice), but he’s effectively surly as the murderous kingpin who will stop at nothing to see his nemesis destroyed:

… and Meeker seems reasonably well-cast as Bugs Moran.

Meanwhile, throughout the film, the voiceover narration provides us with information about each of the leader’s various followers. Peter Gusenberg (George Segal), for instance, is described thusly:

Peter Gusenberg: born Chicago, Illinois, September 22 of 1898. Ex-convict. Mail-robber. Burglar. Hijacker. Professional killer. When, at the age of 13, he came home from school to find his mother dead, his first act was to pry the wedding ring from her finger and pawn it.

… and John May (Bruce Dern) gets the following description.

John May: born Chicago, Illinois, September 28, 1897. Married. Seven children. Twice arrested on charges of safe-blowing and burglary. No convictions. Has worked occasionally for the Moran gang as an auto mechanic. He has promised his wife he will stay out of further trouble with the law, but he is three months behind in the rent.

For others, we’re informed about the cause and date of their eventual demise as well:

Francesco Nittoni, alias Frank “The Enforcer” Nitti: born Montedoro, Sicily, January 9, 1887. Nitti is in charge of the Capone organization’s punishment squad, made up of accomplished strong-arm men and professional killers. On March 19, 1943, while under indictment for income tax evasion, Nitti will use a gun for the last time, to take his own life.

There are a lot of supporting characters in this tale — but history buffs interested in tracking it all will likely find it engaging. Meanwhile, all-purpose film fanatics may enjoy briefly spotting both Jack Nicholson (see him there?):

… and (of course) Dick Miller.

And, naturally, there’s plenty of violence to be had.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Milton Krasner’s cinematography
  • Lionel Newman and Fred Steiner’s score

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a one-time look. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Greatest Story Ever Told, The (1965)

Greatest Story Ever Told, The (1965)

“Come with me; I will make you fishers of men.”

Synopsis:
Despite a proclamation by King Herod (Claude Rains) to kill all newborn boys in Bethlehem, Mary (Dorothy McGuire) gives birth to her son Jesus, who grows up to become a spiritual leader (Max von Sydow).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Angela Lansbury Films
  • Biblical Stories
  • Carroll Baker Films
  • Charlton Heston Films
  • Christianity
  • Claude Rains Films
  • Donald Pleasence Films
  • Dorothy McGuire Films
  • Ensemble Cast
  • George Stevens Films
  • Janet Margolin Films
  • John Wayne Films
  • Jose Ferrer Films
  • Martin Landau Films
  • Max von Sydow Films
  • Paul Stewart Films
  • Richard Conte Films
  • Roddy McDowall Films
  • Sal Mineo Films
  • Shelley Winters Films
  • Sidney Poitier Films
  • Telly Savalas Films
  • Van Heflin Films

Review:
In between helming The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) and The Only Game in Town (1970) (his final film), George Stevens directed this lengthy, meticulously crafted ensemble tale about the life of Jesus Christ, filmed largely on location in the American Southwest. Anyone who’s attended Sunday School will instantly recognize all the tales told here, especially given how much of the language seems to be taken directly from the Scriptures — and it’s easy to see how Christians would appreciate this sincere and visually impressive dramatization of their holy book. Indeed, this film’s scale is truly epic, featuring gorgeous Ultra Panavision cinematography by William C. Mellor, and cameo roles for seemingly dozens of big-name Hollywood stars.

Swedish actor Max von Sydow made his American debut as the lead figure, offering an impressively human portrayal as perhaps the most famous and beloved individual of all time.

Other relatively significant roles in the narrative are played by Jose Ferrer as King Herod’s son, Herod Antipas:

… Charlton Heston as John the Baptist:

… Telly Savalas (who shaved his head for this role, and continued doing so ever after) as Pontius Pilate:

… and Gary Raymond as Peter.

Other appearances — some for several scenes, others for literally seconds (if that) — include Dorothy McGuire as Mary:

… Donald Pleasence as the Devil (who tries to tempt Jesus during his fast in the desert):

… Sal Mineo as a crippled man cured by a miracle:

… Claude Rains (in his final role) as King Herod:

… Sidney Poitier as Simon of Cyrene:

… and, perhaps most infamously, Shelley Winters as a “Woman Who Is Healed”:

… plus John Wayne speaking a single line in his iconic drawl near the end of the film: “Truly, this man was the Son of God.”

Other than von Sydow, my favorite performance is by David McCallum as a sorrowful Judas (though, as is the case across the board in this film, we don’t learn enough about him).

See the list of Actors above (or on IMDb) for an even more exhaustive list of who appears at some point.

Unfortunately, while Stevens’ film is entirely earnest — and gorgeous to look at — it’s lengthy, often slow, and not all that compelling as a cinematic narrative (there are no “plot twists” for anyone reasonably familiar with the arc of Jesus’s life). According to TCM’s article, the film wasn’t commercially successful at all — in fact, “audiences stayed away in droves, making The Greatest Story Ever Told the greatest financial flop ever made until the release of Heaven’s Gate in 1980.” However, the film was nominated for five Academy Awards, and, not surprisingly, became “a popular rental film at churches, schools, and film societies in the non-theatrical market.”

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Max von Sydow as Jesus Christ
  • Beautiful Panavision cinematography

  • Alfred Newman’s score

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended simply for von Sydow’s performance, and for its historical significance.

Links:

Greatest, The (1977)

Greatest, The (1977)

“I’m known as Muhammad Ali; Cassius Clay is dead.”

Synopsis:
Muhammad Ali (playing himself) reflects back on his life as a young man (Chip McAllister) and a rising boxing star, as he converts to Islam, refuses to be drafted into the Vietnam War, and receives support from his manager (Lloyd Haynes), trainer (Ernest Borgnine), and physician (John Marley).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • African-Americans
  • Biopic
  • Boxing
  • Ernest Borgnine Films
  • Robert Duvall Films

Review:
Muhammad Ali starred as himself in this adaptation of his 1975 autobiography of the same name (which was purportedly heavily influenced by his manager, Herbert Muhammad). Indeed, it presents a highly sanitized version of Ali’s life, sugarcoating and distilling key motivational moments, and conveniently skipping a whole lot. Then again, that’s par-for-the-course with a biopic — especially one with such heavy involvement from the person being covered.

I’m aware this film may have played differently upon its release, when Americans were likely keenly interested in getting to learn more about one of their beloved sports idols; these days, the storyline simply feels self-laudatory, as Ali easily snatches up a bodaciously beautiful girlfriend (Mira Waters):

… and then shows off his newfound piety by pursuing a primly dressed bakery worker (Annazette Chase) who he chooses to become his wife. (On a side note, I was interested to learn about the history and relevance of “bean pie” in Muslim Black culture.)

The most exciting moments in the film by far are the (real life) fight sequences, which are expertly woven into the dramatized storyline. Meanwhile, the cast is an interesting one, with Borgnine and Marley in key supporting roles as right-hand men for Ali:

… and cameos by other well-known actors, including Robert Duvall as fight promoter Bill McDonald:

… Dina Merrill as a nastily racist spectator:

… and James Earl Jones as Malcolm X.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Effective integration of real-life fighting footage into the dramatic narrative

Must See?
No, unless you’re an Ali fan.

Links:

Tunes of Glory (1960)

Tunes of Glory (1960)

“Though shalt not bash a corporal: that’s different; that’s the law.”

Synopsis:
When a new commander (John Mills) arrives to take over a Scottish Highlands battalion, the resentful acting officer (Alec Guinness) becomes drunk, at which points he lashes out at a young bagpiper (John Fraser) seen in a pub with his daughter (Susannah York), and must face the severe consequences of his actions.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Alec Guinness Films
  • John Mills Films
  • Military
  • Rivalry
  • Susannah York Films

Review:
Ronald Neame directed this adaptation of a 1956 novel by James Kennaway, about tense dynamics between radically different leaders at a Scottish Highlands military base shortly after the end of World War II. Guinness — who starred in Neame’s previous feature, The Horse’s Mouth (1958) — was originally considered a shoo-in for the rule-following character played by Mills, but Guinness wanted the challenge of playing a commander much different from his Oscar-winning role as Col. Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957).

Mills — whose character suffers from military-induced PTSD (he was water-boarded while a POW) — is in the unfortunate position of taking over command from a charismatic individual whose men mostly love him; when faced with meting out a harsh but required reprimand to Guinness, the extent of Mills’s shattered nerves comes into sharp focus.

To its credit, the film doesn’t present either man as either entirely likable or villainous, thus making the film’s shocking final third especially challenging to take in. Among numerous memorable faces in the cast (including Gordon Jackson and Duncan MacRae), watch for Kay Walsh as Guinness’s sometimes-girlfriend:

… Susannah York (in her cinematic debut) as Guinness’s grown daughter:

… and Dennis Price in a crucial supporting role as an oily major.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Alec Guinness as Major Jock Sinclair
  • John Mills as Lt. Col. Basil Burrow
  • Fine production design

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a one-time look for Guinness’s performance.

Links:

Smooth Talk (1985)

Smooth Talk (1985)

“I know my Connie; I’ve been watching you.”

Synopsis:
A teenager (Laura Dern) rebelling against her restrictive mother (Mary Kay Place) and seeking attention from boys encounters a mysterious, creepy older man (Treat Williams) who insists on taking her for a ride in his car.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Coming of Age
  • Laura Dern Films
  • Obsessive Love
  • Sexuality
  • Teenagers
  • Treat Williams Films

Review:
Just after her acclaimed supporting role in Peter Bogdanovich’s Mask (1985), Laura Dern was offered a breakthrough leading role in this independent feature — directed by Joyce Chopra, and based on a short story by Joyce Carol Oates — about a teenager’s rocky coming of age and sexual awakening. The first hour of the 90-minute film details Dern’s strained relationship with her exasperated mother (Place), who frankly comes across like an unreasonably cranky and snarky parental figure.

Meanwhile, we don’t get to know much about Dern’s quirky father (Levon Helm) or dour older sister (Berridge) either, instead following Dern as she spends time at the mall and a drive-in with her two besties (Margaret Welsh and Sara Inglis):

… and is clearly very interested in presenting herself as a sexually attractive young woman (albeit one who puts limits on how far she’ll go). The inclusion of Williams’ character (who we only see in brief snippets throughout the first hour) was actually at the core of Oates’s original story, which itself was inspired by serial killer Charles Schmid.

To that end, the final third of the film is its most creepy by far — but also its most puzzling (and ultimately unsatisfying), given that we’re not explicitly told whether Treat’s character is any kind of killer (or not), and too much is left to the imagination. What is clear is that Dern is somewhat intrigued by (and attracted to) this handsome stranger, while also recognizing the risks he poses to her if she agrees to his forceful demands.

While I admire much about this well-filmed coming-of-age tale (primarily Dern’s fearless, spot-on performance), it’s not must-see viewing except for fans of Dern’s or Williams’ work.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Laura Dern as Connie
  • Treat Williams as Arthur Friend
  • James Glennon’s cinematography

Must See?
No, though it’s recommended for one-time viewing. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Through a Glass Darkly (1961)

Through a Glass Darkly (1961)

“It’s so horrible to see your own confusion and understand it.”

Synopsis:
When a young woman (Harriet Andersson) recently released from a mental asylum arrives on a vacation island with her novelist father (Gunnar Björnstrand), her loving husband (Max von Sydow), and her younger brother (Lars Passgård), it quickly becomes apparent to everyone that Karin (Andersson) is far from well.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Family Problems
  • Ingmar Bergman Films
  • Max von Sydow Films
  • Mental Breakdown
  • Mental Illness
  • Scandinavian Films

Review:
Ingmar Bergman won his second Academy Award for Best Foreign Picture with this first entry in an informal trilogy of thematically related movies — followed by Winter Light (1963) and The Silence (1963) — which provides a deeply dark meditation on God, sanity, love, and familial relations. Andersson — who had starred in several of Bergman’s earlier films, including Sawdust and Tinsel (1953) and Smiles of a Summer Night (1955) — gives a heartbreaking performance as a young woman who knows her sanity is at ongoing risk, and must deal with not only manipulation by her father and brother, but knowing she can’t fully satisfy her loving, patient husband.

The film is stark and sparse, featuring only a quartet of actors, a single primary location (the island of Fårö), and minimalist but effective use of the Sarabande from Suite No. 2 in D minor for Violoncello by J.S. Bach. While it’s not must-see for all film fanatics, Bergman fans will likely appreciate seeing this early distillation of some of his most trenchant themes.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Harriet Andersson as Karin
  • Fine supporting performances
  • Sven Nykvist’s incomparable cinematography
  • Good use of location shooting in Fårö

Must See?
No, though it’s recommended for Bergman fans. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

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

Links:

Pierrot le Fou (1965)

Pierrot le Fou (1965)

“My name’s Ferdinand.”

Synopsis:
When a French man (Jean Paul Belmondo) married to a demanding Italian wife (Graziella Galvani) runs away with his kids’ babysitter (Anna Karina), the couple take a sporadically violent road trip to find Karina’s brother Frank.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Criminal Couple on the Run
  • French Films
  • Fugitives
  • Jean-Luc Godard Films
  • Jean-Paul Belmondo Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary begins his review of what he refers to as “one of Jean-Luc Godard’s most fascinating films” by providing a succinct synopsis of the storyline, which “takes twists at every turn as if the script were being revised each morning before filming.” Peary’s overview gives away numerous plot points but isn’t really a spoiler, so I’ll cite it in full here: “Ferdinand (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is bored with his bourgeois lifestyle. He walks out on a stuffy party and runs away with his daughter’s babysitter, Marianna (Anna Karina), his former lover.”

“The next morning, he finds a dead man in Marianne’s apartment, with scissors stuck in his back.”

“The couple flees Paris. Gangsters, led by a midget (Jimmy Karoubi), are after some money Marianne has. She accidentally destroys the money when she sets fire to the car.”

“Ferdinand and Marianne spend time in a remote cottage — but there is little romance. She gets bored and insists they go to the Riviera to see her ‘brother.’ She isn’t being honest with him.”

Peary adds that the film is “filled with allusions to artists and films, political ideas, and jabs at commercialism and contemporary mores”:

… and he asserts that “it’s good to see Belmondo back in a Godard film,” noting that “maybe this film shows, in a limited sense, what would have happened if Belmondo and Jean Seberg had stayed together longer in Breathless” (a clip from that film is even shown here).

Finally, Peary notes the “explosive ending”, argues that “technically, [the] film is excitingly audacious”, and points out a cameo by “Samuel Fuller (as himself, describing film as ‘an emotional battleground’.)”

I don’t share Peary’s enthusiasm for this movie, which I find annoying and pointless rather than fascinating; as Godard himself stated, Pierrot le Fou “is not really a film, it’s an attempt at cinema.” Sure, it’s filled with plenty of the director’s clever cinematic trickery, and the cinematography (by Raoul Coutard) is gorgeous — but we don’t care a single whit about these vapid characters or their outcomes. While it’s widely acclaimed, I consider this one must-see only for Godard completists.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Raoul Coutard’s cinematography

Must See?
No, though of course Godard fans will want to check it out.

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

Links:

My Night at Maud’s / Ma Nuit Chez Maud (1969)

My Night at Maud’s / Ma Nuit Chez Maud (1969)

“I don’t like people with no problems.”

Synopsis:
A Catholic (Jean-Louis Trintignant) secretly infatuated with a blonde (Marie-Christine Barrault) he sees at church bumps into an old schoolmate (Antoine Vitez) and ends up spending the evening with him and a divorced doctor named Maud (Françoise Fabian).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Bourgeois Society
  • Eric Rohmer Films
  • French Films
  • Religious Faith

Response to Peary’s Review:
In his review of this “third of Eric Rohmer’s six ‘Moral Tales'” — though “the first to get wide-spread circulation in America” — Peary points out the theme of “chance and probability” that runs through the entire screenplay, beginning with Trintignant running “into a Marxist friend… whom he hasn’t seen in 14 years… at a restaurant neither has been to before”:

… and eventually turning to “Trintignant, who is the type of guy who is always punctual, keeps appointments, and doesn’t sway from an ordered life, impulsively approach[ing] (on the street) a beautiful blonde… he’d seen at mass,” with further character-driven coincidences ensuing.

As Peary notes, “the humor is more subtle than in other Rohmer films — in fact, one could sit through the whole film without realizing he’s been funny on occasion” given that “the characters are always so serious” (though the humor “comes from seeing such loquacious intellectuals turning out to be as silly and awkward as everyone else when it comes to sex”).

I have a different take: while re-watching this film, I never thought I was viewing a romantic (or even an intellectual) comedy, and didn’t find the characters’ sexual choices to be “silly”. Peary further asserts that the moment when “Fabian’s daughter (Marie Becker) climbs out of bed just to see the lights on the Christmas tree” is “a simple, sweet, and honest gesture that makes us see how trivial the adult discourse is”:

… but I also disagree with this latter point; the “adult discourse” (involving “ultra-sophisticated… conversations about Pascal, probability and religion”) may be occasionally abstruse, but is far from trivial (or irrelevant). While this film is most certainly not for all tastes, I think it’s one-time must-see viewing for all film fanatics, especially those interested in French cinema.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Nestor Almendros’s cinematography

Must See?
Yes, as an exemplar of Rohmer’s unique style.

Categories

  • Foreign Gem

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

Links:

Murmur of the Heart (1971)

Murmur of the Heart (1971)

“Everyone has to discover love for himself.”

Synopsis:
In 1950s France, a teenager (Benoît Ferreux) with rowdy older brothers (Fabien Ferreux and Marc Winocourt) experiences a heart murmur while struggling to relate to his gynecologist father (Daniel Gélin) and developing a growing crush on his sexually promiscuous mother (Léa Massari).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Coming-of-Age
  • French Films
  • Incest and Incestuous Undertones
  • Louis Malle Films
  • Virginity

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “rude comedy” (I’m not so sure it’s a comedy) by Louis Malle about “incestuous feelings between [a] sexually curious 14-year-old… and his beautiful, sensuous Italian mother” is primarily concerned with “drawing a scathing portrait of the French bourgeoisie.” He argues that “in Malle’s customary uncontroversial way,” the “comedy [sic] advances [the] novel idea that the best way to show rejection of [the] bourgeoisie’s shackles is to break its sexual rules.” Maybe so — but there isn’t anything inherently amusing about this tale of sexual exploration and complicated mother-child dynamics.

While this film has quite a few fans who appreciate the “natural,” non-sensationalized way in which Ferreux and Massari grow increasingly affectionate with one another, I’ll admit I’m not among its admirers. Its best moments show the authenticity (based in large part on Malle’s own childhood) of Ferreux attempting to learn from a kind-hearted prostitute (Gila von Weitershausen) his brothers have taken him to:

… and navigating adolescent passes at girls once he’s at a sanitorium for his heart condition. Otherwise, frankly, the film feels manipulative; knowing the film’s taboo topic makes one simply wait with unease to see how it plays out.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Benoît Ferreux as Laurent

Must See?
No, though of course Malle fans will want to check it out.

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

Links: