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Synopsis:
Three grown sisters — Meg (Jessica Lange), Lenny (Diane Keaton), and Babe (Sissy Spacek) — reunite in their Southern childhood home when Babe is accused of shooting her husband (Beeson Carroll).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Deep South
• Diane Keaton Films
• Homecoming
• Jessica Lange Films
• Play Adaptations
• Siblings
• Sissy Spacek Films

Review:
Crimes of the Heart — directed by Bruce Beresford and starring a triumvirate of Oscar-winning actresses — is, unfortunately, a disappointment. Pulitzer Prize winner Beth Henley adapted her monologue-saturated, flashback-heavy play for the screen, but her attempts to open up the stage-bound settings do little to mask the fact that her characters are basically talking at each other the entire time. And Henley’s unique strain of Southern gothic humor — Spacek’s overt lack of guilt for shooting her husband; Keaton’s “shrunken ovary”; their mother’s odd “double suicide” — ultimately doesn’t work within the context of a realistic film.

With that said, both Spacek and Lange give wonderful performances as damaged sisters coping in their own dysfunctional ways. Keaton, unfortunately, fares much worse, coming across — as noted by Paul Attanasio of the Washington Post — as “a parody of herself, all nervous gestures, daffy glances and Annie Hall tics.” Sam Shepard and Tess Harper (the latter nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar) are fine in minor roles, but don’t have enough screentime to make much of an impression. And, in the end, no amount of worthy acting can redeem what is essentially a flawed film.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Sissy Spacek as Babe
  
• Jessica Lange as Meg
  
• The hilarious moment when we first discover the notorious truth behind the girls’ mother’s suicide
  

Must See?
No. Despite its Oscar-nominated performances, this isn’t must-see viewing.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Roger Ebert’s Review
• Washington Post Review (Rita Kempley)
• Washington Post Review (Paul Attanasio)
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
After slipping on ice outside the home of an upper crust Ohio couple (Billie Burke and Grant Mitchell), curmudgeonly literary critic Sheridan Whiteside (Monty Woolley) commandeers their house as a recovery station. Meanwhile, his secretary (Bette Davis) falls in love with a local newspaperman (Richard Travis), and Whiteside — worried about losing his loyal employee to marriage — calls on the help of his seductive actress-friend (Ann Sheridan) to interfere.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Ann Sheridan Films
• Bette Davis Films
• Comedy
• Monty Woolley Films
• Play Adaptation
• Small Town America

Review:
Monty Woolley (a.k.a. “The Beard”) gave his signature performance in this adaptation of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s madcap ensemble play, co-starring a subdued Bette Davis (who had originally hoped to perform opposite John Barrymore), and a deliciously self-absorbed Ann Sheridan. Unfortunately, the script has dated over the years, with too many references to contemporary celebrities, and an annoying cameo appearance by Jimmy Durante (who inexplicably starts playing the piano and singing, “Did you ever have the feeling that you wanted to go, and still have the feeling that you wanted to stay?”). Most egregiously, however, it features a lead protagonist who’s simply too nasty for comfort: not only is Whiteside litigation-happy (he immediately threatens to sue his gracious guests for $150,000 dollars), but he’s constantly making mean-spirited comments (“My great-aunt Jennifer ate a whole box of candy every day of her life; she lived to be 102, and when she had been dead three days, she looked better than you do now”). Unlike Noel Coward’s ruthless publisher in The Scoundrel (1935) — who eventually gets his come-uppance — Whiteside is, inexplicably, beloved by many; ultimately, it’s hard to root for someone so irredeemably obnoxious.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Monty Woolley in his most famous curmudgeonly role
  
• Ann Sheridan’s over-the-top performance as the narcissistic Lorraine Sheldon
  
• Mary Wickes in her screen debut as Nurse Preen
  

Must See?
No, though it’s recommended simply to see Woolley in his most definitive role.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• DVD Savant (scroll down)
• TCM Articles
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
An overworked housewife (Carmen Maura) with an abusive husband (Angel de Andres Lopez), a wacky mother-in-law (Chus Lampreave), and two troubled sons (one a hustler, the other a drug dealer) relies on No-Doz and her prostitute-friend (Veronica Forque) to get by.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Black Comedy
• Family Problems
• Housewives
• Spanish Films

Review:
This early film by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar is an excellent introduction to his signature style: bizarre situations are accepted as commonplace, sex is on everyone’s minds, women are put-upon by their loutish partners, and female camaraderie is the linchpin of survival. Indeed, the similarities between this and Almodovar’s most recent film, Volver (2006), are too obvious not to notice; watch them back to back and you’ll find that he’s continuing to explore (and exploit) the issues he feels most strongly about. One must be prepared to suspend all judgment and belief when watching What Have I Done…? In what is likely the film’s most jaw-dropping sequence, Gloria blithely gives her son away to a pedophilic dentist in exchange for the bill.

What else can she do, when her husband refuses to let her work but won’t give her money? Indeed, as in Volver, Almodovar has the ultimate respect for female survival: a bizarre subplot about an abused young girl with telekinetic powers serves as a cross-generational reminder that endurance takes many forms. Above all else, however, Almodovar’s films should be enjoyed for the perversity of the characters, the colorful sets, and the seemingly improvised scripts. It’s impossible to predict what will happen next, so simply sit back and enjoy the surreal ride.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Carmen Maura as Gloria
  
• Veronica Forque as Cristal
  
• Chus Lampreave as Abuela
  
• Abuela advising her grandson and his friend to “visit Granada”
  
• Gloria and Cristal watching an exhibitionist john as he strips
  
• A bizarre subplot involving a neighbor’s “special” daughter
  

Must See?
Yes. This early Almodovar film is one of his wackiest, and a good introduction to his work.

Categories

• Important Director

Links:

• IMDb entry
• DVD Savant Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
In the 1930s, eight Vassar graduates — Lakey (Candice Bergen), Dottie (Joan Hackett), Priss (Elizabeth Hartman), Polly (Shirley Knight), Kay (Joanna Pettet), Pokey (Mary-Robin Redd), Libby (Jessica Walter), and Helena (Kathleen Widdoes) — search for love and happiness while keeping abreast of each others’ lives.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Candice Bergen Films
• Elizabeth Hartman Films
• Ensemble Films
• Friendship
• Jessica Walter Films
• Joan Hackett Films
• Shirley Knight Films
• Sidney Lumet Films

Review:
Sidney Lumet’s adaptation of Mary McCarthy’s best-selling novel starts out strong: through nifty editing (while an all-female chorus chants in the background), we’re introduced to each of the key players, as they gather together for the low-key wedding of their ostensible “leader”, Kay. From there, we follow Dottie (played by the marvelous Joan Hackett) as she explores sex for the first time with a notorious womanizer (Richard Mulligan), but quickly realizes that her dreams for a wild love affair in New York won’t come true. Unfortunately, from this point forward, Dottie becomes largely a persona non gratis, as she heads to Arizona to lick her wounds, and is barely seen again.

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:

• Joan Hackett as Dottie
  
• Elizabeth Hartman as Priss
  
• Shirley Knight as Polly
  

Must See?
No. While it starts out strong, this melodramatic ensemble tale doesn’t live up to its promise. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
In a film set in 19th century England, a biologist (Jeremy Irons) engaged to an upstanding young woman (Lynsey Baxter) falls in love with a mysterious “fallen woman” (Meryl Streep). Meanwhile, the actors (Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep) playing the leads carry on an affair during the film’s shooting.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Actors and Actresses
• Historical Drama
• Karel Reisz Films
• Meryl Streep Films
• Morality Police
• Obsessive Love

Review:
Meryl Streep is nothing short of extraordinary in Karel Reisz’s film version of John Fowles’ The French Lieutenant’s Woman. As both the titular heroine and the modern-day actress (Sarah) playing her, Streep astonishes us with her ability to completely immerse herself in dual roles. Yet it’s Anna — the “French lieutenant’s woman” — who ultimately captures our interest most keenly; she’s far more complex — and intriguing — than one would have imagined. Jeremy Irons, with his perennially concerned expression, is appropriately cast as Anna’s forlorn suitor, and the supporting cast members are all effective as well — but it’s Streep we’re really watching and waiting for.

Playwright Harold Pinter wrote the film’s screenplay, adding the parallel love story set in modern times in an attempt to provide a latter-day commentary. While it’s ultimately unnecessary, it never detracts from the power of the primary story, and remains a clever narrative device. Yet it’s the historical drama which holds the most interest, as we anxiously await the outcome of Irons’ doomed attraction. Fortunately, we’re rewarded for our patience: the plot takes unexpected twists and turns, and, like any good romantic mystery, makes us question what’s come before.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Meryl Streep’s wonderful performance(s)
  
• Jeremy Irons as the fatally love-struck Charles
  
• Beautifully evoked period detail
  
• Effective use of natural settings to convey the turmoil of Charles and Sara’s burgeoning romance
  

Must See?
Yes, for Streep’s standout performance

Categories

• Noteworthy Performance(s)
• Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Roger Ebert’s Review

Synopsis:
A visionary young architect (Gary Cooper) refuses to compromise his artistic integrity at any cost.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Courtroom Drama
• Gary Cooper Films
• King Vidor Films
• Love Triangle
• Non-Conformists
• Patricia Neal Films
• Raymond Massey Films

Review:
King Vidor’s adaptation of Ayn Rand’s bestselling novel is just as stilted as its source material. Rand wrote her own screenplay, and, like her central hero, refused to compromise the integrity of her philosophical vision; as a result, the characters are — as noted by DVD Savant — simply “walking ideas and arguments”, and the film itself comes across as “a presentation of a radical social philosophy using a soap opera format”. With that said, some believe there’s more to The Fountainhead than meets the eye; Savant himself refers to it as an “emotionally powerful piece of cinematic insanity, a movie that bears careful watching.” I’ve seen the film twice now, and must admit I find it difficult to take seriously — while it’s nothing if not sincere, it fails to involve viewers on anything more than a superficial level, and the didactic dialogue is an enormous distraction. Cooper’s infamous, lengthy courtroom speech in the final section of the film is frustrating rather than satisfying, given that his logic is hopelessly skewed:

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:

• Patricia Neal — stilted but undeniably beautiful in her first major film role
  
• Robert Burk’s stark cinematography
  

Must See?
Yes, for its status as an over-the-top cult favorite.

Categories

• Cult Movie

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• DVD Savant Review
• TCM Article