FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
A politically ambitious scientist (Paul Meurisse) promoting the societal benefits of artificial insemination finds himself falling for a voluptuous country girl (Catherine Rouvel) who wants a baby.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Comedy
• French Films
• Jean Renoir Films
• Scientists
• Sexuality

Review:
The central premise of this fantasy-laced sex comedy by Jean Renoir — that one must give in to bodily passions rather than attempting to rationalize all aspects of life — ultimately fails to provide enough narrative juice to bolster its rather innocuous storyline and forgettable protagonists.

While Renoir’s point remains just as viable and important as ever, it’s been explored elsewhere — and to greater effect — by many other filmmakers (c.f. Woody Allen’s Sleeper, for example). Shot at his father’s country home in the South of France, Picnic on the Grass is always pleasing to look at, but never really all that engaging.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Beautiful nature imagery
  

Must See?
No; this one is strictly must-see for Renoir fans. Listed as a film with Historical importance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Eye for Film Review
• SciFilm Review

Synopsis:
A husband (Albert Finney) and wife (Diane Keaton) with four daughters (Dana Hill, Viveka Davis, Tracey Gold, and Tina Yothers) undergo a bitter separation after fifteen years of marriage.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Alan Parker Films
• Albert Finney Films
• Diane Keaton Films
• Karen Allen Films
• Marital Problems

Review:
Alan Parker’s no-holds-barred portrait of a marriage unraveling (note the single non-actor genre listed above) doesn’t make for easy viewing: from the opening scene, in which we watch Albert Finney sinking into deep despair as he overhears the excited voices of his wife and four daughters in a nearby bedroom, it’s clear that things have gone terribly wrong in what appears to be an idyllic situation.

After all, George (Finney), father of four healthy daughters and husband to a beautiful wife, is about to win a prestigious writing award, and lives in virtual paradise in a converted farmhouse among the rolling hills of Marin County, California.

Yet despite all this, George’s marriage to Faith (Keaton) is clearly no longer viable: he has a not-so-secret lover (Karen Allen), and Faith has his bag packed, ready for him to leave as soon as the awards ceremony is over.

The remainder of this bleak but compelling film is essentially concerned with portraying the ways in which George, Faith, and their kids handle the separation. Faith sinks into depression, eventually taking on a lover (Peter Weller), a silent-but-handsome construction worker who has fortuitously arrived to build a tennis court on her property.

George continues his affair with Sandy (Allen), yet maintains a ferocious sense of ownership over his house and family. Sherry (Dana Hill), their oldest daughter, reacts with understandable dismay and confusion at seeing her parents struggling to make sense of their situation.

The younger three girls (whose personalities are unfortunately not given much of a chance to emerge) remain staunchly devoted to both parents, even when their volatile father acts with shocking levels of violence.

Meanwhile, there’s an ongoing attempt by each of the characters to determine what exactly “went wrong” in this marriage — a question not easily answered.

Most of the film works well: the lead actors (Finney, Keaton, Hill, Allen) all give nuanced performances; Bo Goldman’s script is often incisive (“You’re kind to strangers.” “Yeah, strangers are easy.”); and beautiful Marin County locales are used to remarkable effect (helped in no small part by Michael Seresin’s stunning cinematography). However, the film isn’t entirely satisfying. One scene in particular — the critically panned “restaurant scene” between Finney and Keaton, occurring late in the film — is horribly misdirected by Parker as screwball farce, rather than being allowed to serve its more serious explanatory purposes:

And the final, deeply disturbing scene — while clearly designed NOT to provide any type of closure to this stickiest of narratives — doesn’t quite ring true. Nonetheless, most film fanatics will want to check out this undeniably powerful film at least once, for its many strengths.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Diane Keaton as Faith (nominated as Best Actress of the year in Peary’s Alternate Oscars)
  
• Albert Finney as George (nominated as Best Actor of the year in Alternate Oscars)
  
• Dana Hill as Sherry
  
• Michael Seresin’s cinematography
  

Must See?
No, but it’s worthy viewing at least once.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Roger Ebert’s Review
• Slant Magazine Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
When a high-powered lawyer (Jeff Chandler) successfully defends a wealthy philanderer (Phillip Reed) against murder, the local sheriff (Jack Carson) takes offense and plots to charge Chandler with bribery of a juror (Gail Russell).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Courtroom Drama
• Falsely Accused
• Gail Russell Films
• Jack Arnold Films
• Jack Carson Films
• Jeanne Crain Films
• Jeff Chandler Films
• Lawyers
• Sheriffs

Review:
This minor but reasonably effective courtroom thriller by B-director Jack Arnold isn’t quite as seedy or melodramatic as its title would imply. Rather than focusing on the titular tattered dress — representing a corrupt client’s supposed motivation for a crime of passion — the screenplay concerns itself with the cat-and-mouse dynamics between rags-to-riches Chandler (a once poor, now highly successful big city lawyer with a reputation for successfully defending guilty clients) and Jack Carson’s duplicitous sheriff, who takes offense at what he sees as a serious breach of both justice and authority in “his” town.

Chandler acquits himself well in the central role, and Gail Russell is, as always, a welcome presence:

— but it’s Carson who really stands out here as an inspired casting choice; he roundly flouts his all-American “good boy” persona and taps into Sheriff Hoak’s depraved but honor-bound morality to create a character we can’t help but feel afraid of.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Jack Carson as Sheriff Hoak
  

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a look.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review (scroll down to second review)
• All Movie Guide Review

Synopsis:
A restless teenager (Elise Caron) runs away from her bourgeois Parisian home with her boyfriend (Philippe Lebas) and his buddy (Francois Cluzet), just as the 1968 student uprisings and strikes begin.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Coming of Age
• French Films
• Road Trip

Review:
French writer-director Diane Kurys‘ follow-up to her autobiographical debut film Peppermint Soda (1977) appears to continue where this earlier film left off. It begins with a demonstration of passionate adolescent devotion, as Frederic (Philippe Lebas) leaps onto a public stage to declare his undying love for Anne (Elise Caron) in front of her parents. When Anne decides to be with Frederic against her parents’ wishes (we never learn exactly what they have against him, though class difference is implied as the nominal reason), the film’s theme of youthful rebellion begins, as Anne — determined to join a kibbutz — runs away from home with Frederic and his older buddy, Bruno (Francois Cluzet). Kurys’ film is at its best in these early, heady scenes, which perfectly capture the energy and exuberance of late adolescence, when one finally breaks free from the constraints of home and follows one’s heart.

Caron nicely portrays Anne’s determination to live life on her own terms — and it’s a pleasant surprise to see her, fairly early on, deciding to leave her new lover behind when he expresses ambivalence over actually making the journey they’ve fantasized about for so long.

The two quickly reunite, however, and the bulk of the film simply follows them — and “third wheel” Bruno — as they journey south, then back to Paris again, all while hearing news about the strikes and student uprisings that began just as they left town. While it’s somewhat interesting to gain a time capsule perspective on this tumultuous era in French history, the film itself unfortunately loses its sense of direction as the strikes take over the narrative; Kurys’ attempt to show parallels between Anne’s newfound sense of freedom and the struggles of a nation to revolt against an “old morality” come across as a bit heavy-handed, especially as the trio encounter a series of characters (i.e., a truck driver, a policeman) who conveniently represent various “voices” and perspectives on current events. Left sadly unexplored is the muted love triangle between Anne, Frederic, and Bruno; their complex dynamics together — especially given Cluzet’s wistful, sensitive performance as Bruno — could have provided a much more interesting narrative trajectory.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Elise Caron as Anne
  
• Francois Cluzet as Bruno
  
• An effective rendering of adolescent love
  

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
A Coca-Cola executive (James Cagney) in Cold War Germany panics when he learns that his ward — the teenage daughter (Pamela Tiffin) of his supervisor (Howard St. John) — has married a Communist (Horst Buchholz).

Genres:

• Billy Wilder Films
• Cold War
• Comedy
• Cross-Cultural Romance
• Jimmy Cagney Films
• Play Adaptation

Review:
It’s difficult to understand how the director of such cinematic classics as Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Some Like it Hot (1959) could be responsible for helming this tediously unfunny Cold War comedy (based on a one-act play by Hungarian author Ferenc Molnar). In his final starring role, Cagney delivers his nonstop dialogue at an impressively rapidfire pace (indeed, Peary actually nominates him as Best Actor of the year in his Alternate Oscars book!):

But the story’s incessant madcap pacing, dated premise, irritating characters, and insipid dialogue (“Do you realize that Otto spelled backwards is Otto?”) conspire to make it a film you’ll likely suffer through rather than enjoy. Then again, it’s received uniformly positive reviews from critics over the years, so perhaps I’m a lone dissenter…

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Daniel Fapp’s Oscar-nominated widescreen cinematography
  
  

Must See?
No; definitely feel free to skip this one.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• DVD Savant Review
• Combustible Celluloid Review
• TCM Article
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
A con-artist (W.C. Fields) and his estranged wife (Alison Skipworth) help their niece (Julie Bishop) fight back against a corrupt lawyer (Clarence Wilson) who is trying to swindle them out of their house and possessions.

Genres:

• Comedy
• Con-Artists
• Inheritance
• W.C. Fields Films

Review:
This early W.C. Fields flick — just one of fifteen Fields titles listed and/or reviewed in Peary’s book — is ultimately not one of his best. Its premise of a naive young couple (Julie Bishop and Phillip Trent) being bilked out of their inheritance by a shyster lawyer (oily Clarence Wilson) is rather flimsy:

… and while Fields and co-star Alison Skipworth are clearly poised to “save the day” by fighting fire with fire against Wilson, they’re ultimately such unsavory characters themselves (they clearly state that they intend to convince their hapless niece and her husband to sell their ferryboat to Wilson for $500 so they can pocket the additional $500 he’s agreed to pay) that it’s hard to root for them.

Like John Ford’s later Steamboat Round the Bend (1935), Tillie and Gus ends with a climactic steamboat race, which is not really all that exciting (despite tastelessly putting the life of Bishop’s baby at risk).

Fortunately, the film is redeemed somewhat by a few humorous sequences — as when Fields feigns naivete during a poker game:

or attempts to “mix paint” along with the directions of a radio show host.

Diehard Fields fans won’t be disappointed, but the rest of us don’t need to bother with this one.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Several amusing sequences
  

Must See?
No, though fans of W.C. Fields will certainly be curious to check it out.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• All Movie Guide Review

Synopsis:
The lives of a small-town American family are disrupted when the son (Farley Granger) of a businessman (Robert Keith) is drafted into the Korean war, and his brother (Dana Andrews) refuses to write a letter labeling him “indispensable”.

Genres:

• Cold War
• Dana Andrews Films
• Dorothy McGuire Films
• Family Problems
• Farley Granger Films
• Korean War
• Mark Robson Films
• Mildred Dunnock Films
• Small Town America
• Veterans

Review:
Made to capitalize on the success of Samuel Goldwyn’s Oscar-winning The Best Years of Their Lives (1946), this sincere tale of life on the American homefront during wartime rings true in many ways, despite its failure to reach the emotional heights of its acclaimed predecessor. Dana Andrews returns in a starring role as a small town father, son, and brother who is proud of his status as a WWII veteran, and happy to finally be able to enjoy life with his wife (Dorothy McGuire) and two children. When the Cold War heats up in Korea, however, and the draft board comes knocking harder than ever, he’s faced with some tough decisions: will he write a letter of “indispensability” for the father of a fresh-faced 19-year-old employee at his factory? Will he write the same letter for his own brother? Will he volunteer his own services once again? These challenging themes are handled respectfully and powerfully; it’s especially refreshing to see Granger standing up to the draft board, voicing his skepticism of America’s involvement with another country’s civil war (though naturally, all attitudes turn patriotic by the end of the movie).

In addition, there are several quietly powerful scenes involving the wives of Andrews and his WWI veteran father (Robert Keith); it’s nice to see Mildred Dunnock (playing Keith’s loyal wife) given another meaty supporting role after her Oscar-winning turn the same year in Death of a Salesman (1951). Unfortunately, however, the primary subplot — involving Granger’s romance with a “college girl” (Peggy Dow) whose parents consider her too good for him — is both dated and cliched, and takes up far too much screen time. (With that said, fans of Dow’s performance as loopy, love-struck Nurse Kelly in Harvey (1950) will surely enjoy seeing her in an even more substantial supporting role — especially considering that she gave up Hollywood permanently to become a housewife and mother shortly after this film was released). While it hasn’t endured as a must-see classic, there’s enough affecting material in I Want You to make it worth a look at least once, and fans of The Best Years… will surely want to check it out.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• An affecting look at homefront sentiments during a draft
  
• Harry Stradling’s cinematography
  

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
Psychopathic gangster Mad Dog Coll (John Chandler) vies for dominance over rival Dutch Schultz (Vincent Gardenia) while romancing an exotic dancer (Kay Doubleday).

Genres:

• Biopics
• Gangsters
• Rise-and-Fall

Review:
After the success of Murder, Inc. (1960) (which he co-directed with Stuart Rosenberg), Burt Balaban helmed this similarly themed Depression-era biopic about sociopathic mobster “Mad Dog” Coll (Chandler), who was infamously gunned down in a Manhattan phone booth in 1932. The film provides cursory glimpses into Coll’s troubled childhood, but mostly focuses on his quick rise to fame and rapid descent into death (he was killed at the age of 23). The storyline — primarily focusing on Coll’s rivalry with Dutch Schultz, and his wooing of an exotic dancer — isn’t all that distinctive; and while Chandler is effective at portraying Coll’s sociopathic tendencies, he doesn’t offer much depth or insight into the character. What’s most notable are the fine supporting performances throughout, including Jerry Orbach as Coll’s loyal but increasingly ambivalent childhood friend, Vincent Gardenia as Coll’s arch-enemy Schultz, Telly Savalas (in his feature film debut) as a police lieutenant, and Kay Doubleday as Coll’s girlfriend (whose love of the finer things in life blinds her to Coll’s violent tendencies).

P.S. DVD Savant notes in his review of Murder, Inc. that this hard-to-find film is a cult favorite, though it’s not listed as such in Peary’s book.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Creative opening credits
  
• Kay Doubleday as Coll’s girlfriend, Clio
  
• Fine supporting performances
  
  
  

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a look if you happen to catch it.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• All Movie Guide Review
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
A singer (Stuart Whitman) and his wife (May Britt) find themselves terrorized by a hitman (Peter Falk) working for an infamous New York City crime syndicate.

Genres:

• Depression Era
• Gangsters
• Hitmen
• Historical Drama
• Peter Falk Films
• Sylvia Miles Films

Review:
Based on the real-life crime syndicate dubbed “Murder, Inc.” by the press, this historical “expose” is primarily notable as a breakthrough film for Peter Falk, who completely steals the show as notorious hitman-turned-stool-pigeon Abe Reles.

Whenever Falk is in the picture (which is most of the first half of the movie), the story hums along, as we watch in trepidation to see what will happen next to his unwitting victims — the perennially frightened Stuart Whitman and his foolishly outspoken wife (Britt).

Unfortunately, the second half of the movie — in which police diligently work to topple the syndicate, and crime boss “Lepke” Buchalter (David J. Stewart) makes a fatal mistake — moves slowly, ultimately feeling more didactic than thrilling. Yet the film remains worth a look at least once, simply for its fine performances throughout (especially by Falk).

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Peter Falk as Abe Reles
  
• Fine supporting performances
  

Must See?
No, but it’s definitely worth a look simply for Falk’s standout, Oscar-nominated performance.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• All Movie Guide Review
• DVD Beaver Review
• DVD Savant Review