Saturday 31 August 2019
Take a Letter, Darling (1942)
A struggling painter takes a job as a secretary to a female advertising executive.
From memory: Another good, witty and fast-paced romantic comedy from a master of the genre.
Halliwell**: "Smartish romantic comedy."
Maltin***: "Witty repartee..."
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Friday 30 August 2019
Greenfingers (2000)
A prison inmate with a green thumb goes on to compete in a national gardening competition.
Likeable, but unremarkable comedy drama.
Halliwell (no star): "Corny comedy of an isolated group of macho men gaining self-respect in an unexpected way; it is loosely based on a true story but has little connection with reality."
Maltin**1/2: "Minor but diverting film...A bit too pat, but pleasant."
Les années lumière (1981)
A young drifter meets up with a strange old man who claims that he has been taught to fly by birds.
From memory: Powerful parable from a master director, compelling and complex, despite the absurdity of its premise, and the two leads are excellent.
Maltin***: "Thoughtful yarn well acted by its two leads."
Thursday 29 August 2019
A Monster Calls (2016)
A boy seeks the help of a tree monster to cope with his single mother's terminal illness.
Finely directed drama interspersed with animated sequences is fascinating and hold's one's attention to its unbearably heartwrenching ending.
Le dernier métro (1980)
In occupied Paris, an actress married to a Jewish theater owner must keep him hidden from the Nazis while doing both of their jobs.
From memory: Despite the director's usual excellence in style and casting, this effort seems derivative and somewhat old-fashioned, and the ending is quite disappointing.
Halliwell****: "Tightly enclosed symbolic melodrama of oppression and release that concentrates on individual lives caught up in a moment of mass madness and seeking refuge in their dedication to their art."
Maltin**1/2: "A film with charm and style but no point - a problem underscored by its abrupt quizzical finale. Watching the elegant Deneuve provides most of this film's appeal."
The Stunt Man (1980)
A fugitive stumbles on a movie set just when they need a new stunt man, takes the job as a way to hide out and falls for the leading lady.
From memory: Quite original, fast-paced, entertaining tale with some black humor; Peter O'Toole's performance is outstanding.
Halliwell*: "Overlong, curious, but sometimes compelling melodrama which entertains on the surface while its actual aims are harder to fathom."
Maltin***: "An outrageous black comedy in which reality and make-believe blur...Crammed with first-rate action and sly wit, plus a mesmerizing performance by O'Toole as the Christ-like Eli Cross. Attention must be paid, but the rewards are more than ample. Dazzlingly scripted...and directed; amusing score..."
Tuesday 27 August 2019
Paradies: Hoffnung (2013)
A chubby, virginal teen at a weight-loss camp develops a crush on her doctor and becomes determined to seduce him.
Grim, bleak and unpitying look at human aspirations and desires in a heartless world; no paradise and not much hope to be found.
Hidden Figures (2016)
The story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.
Well-meant, likeable vindication of the female African-American's participation in NASA is professionally staged with an excellent cast, but is disappointing in its bending the singular success stories into white savior tales.
Heartland (1979)
A widow with a young daughter travels to a ranch in Wyoming to manage the household of a rancher.
From memory: Excellent, laconic revisionist Western with a feminist message; beautifully photographed with a good cast.
Halliwell*: "Impressive if not very likeable semidocumentary which certainly rubs one's nose in the unfairness of life."
Maltin***1/2: "Simple, well-told story...Well acted, well filmed, and beautifully understated..."
Kaltgestellt (1980)
In the late 1970s the German secret service fights against RAF terrorism and searches for constitutional enemies in the public service, and a liberal teacher takes on a V-man and loses his job.
From memory: Committed German political thriller dissecting the country's surveillance tactics, suspenseful with an excellent cast.
Sunday 25 August 2019
Ballet Shoes (2007)
The story of three orphan girls, adopted by an eccentric explorer, Great Uncle Matthew, and his niece Sylvia, in 1930s London.
Pleasant and not too saccharine period piece is nicely made with an excellent cast; an above-average TV production.
The Pyramid (2014)
An archaeological team attempts to unlock the secrets of a lost pyramid only to find themselves hunted by an insidious creature.
Riduculously inconsistent found footage horror movie comes up with usual cliches of the genre, plus some gore and mediocre acting.
Fury (2014)
A grizzled tank commander makes tough decisions as he and his crew fight their way across Germany in April, 1945.
Although the horrors of war are depicted with more visceral detail and realism, well cast and with excellent cinematography, this is still an old-fashioned WWII war drama with a heroic ending.
Saturday 24 August 2019
The Funhouse (1981)
Four teenage friends spend the night in a carnival funhouse and are stalked by a deformed man in a Frankenstein mask.
From memory: High-pitched and violent horror show with a grim humor and made with style, but a far cry from the director's infamous The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
Halliwell (no star): "A violent, freak-show horror that tries for black humour but misses most of the time; it sticks to the usual equation: teenage sex equals gruesome death."
Maltin**1/2: "Intense drama...there is sex, violence, suspense and an increasing tension as they encounter the unkown. Stylish visuals help create an eerie atmosphere in this not entirely succesful chiller.here"
Friday 23 August 2019
Opération lune (2002)
This hard-hitting mockumentary exposes how Stanley Kubrick faked the 1969 moon landing, with seeming-endorsements from many key players in NASA and the US government.
Mildly amusing mockumentary for those in the know, but in an age of conspiracy theories (and some actually believe NASA and Kubrick staged the moon landing) and doubts about media's honesty a quite dubious attempt.
The Boy With Green Hair (1948)
This parable looks at public reaction when the hair of an American war orphan mysteriously turns green.
From Memory: Although a bit stilted and pretentious, this still is a powerful anti-war parable with a clear side blow against McCarthyism.
Halliwell (no star): "Muddled, pretentious and unpersuasive fantasy, typical of this producer's do-goodery. One of those oddities which made Hollywood endearing, but not very entertaining apart from Pat O'Brien's garrulous grandpa."
Maltin***: "Thought-provoking allegory...Controversial on its release because of its pacifistic point of view."
Thursday 22 August 2019
Smile (2019)
A young and lonesome 18year old girl visits the legendary techno festival "Heimat" for the first time in her life, longingly hoping for experiences of proximity, joy and intensity.
Visually stunning and imaginative movie is a fascinating watch, although it tells a quite simple tale.
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