Susan Sarandon

The Hunger (1983)

 

A love triangle develops between a beautiful yet dangerous vampire (Catherine Deneuve), her cellist companion (David Bowie), and a gerontologist (Susan Sarandon).

From memory: Extremely stylish vampire tale is more focused on visuals and (erotic) atmosphere than on a convincing story; in the end it all appear s pretentious and quite silly.

Halliwell (no star): Absurd attempt to update Dracula with lashings of sex, rock music and flashy photography. An ordeal."

Maltin*1/2: "Kinky trash masquerading as a horror film...Bowie's quite good as Deneuve's companion...with an aging scene that's the film's highlight. As for the rest, beware, unless seeing Deneuve and Sarandon in bed together is your idea of a good time." 

 

Atlantic City, USA (1980)

 

 

In a corrupt city, a small-time gangster and the estranged wife of a pot dealer find themselves thrown together in an escapade of love, money, drugs and danger. 

 

From memory: grand portrait of a city's changing thought is poetic, subtle and muli-faceted; Burt Lancaster is excellent as the aged gangster. 

 

Halliwell***: "Elegiac character drama which often achieves the mood it seeks but on the whole remainstoo understated for its own good."

 

Maltin****: "Rich character study of a city in transition...European in its ambience and storytelling approach, though its setting is an American resort. Lancaster gives one of his finest performances..."

 

 

La mortadella (1971)

A couple fall in love in Italy in the 1960s, while working at a meat factory in Emilia stormed by the
workers' protest.

Susan Sarandon

Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Sarandon

Moonlight Mile (2002)

As he copes with the death of his fiancée, a young man befriends her parents and must figure out what he wants out of life.

Saccharine melodrama has a good cast and is well made, but the multiple stories of love and loss have all been told better before.

Halliwell*: "Over-sweet account of how various individuals cope with loss; it has its moments, though they are not as many as one would hope."

Maltin**1/2: "Delicate material is handled with skill and good humor, until the young hero meets a woman who's too good to be true, and the story's credibility is derailed. Salvaged, to a great degree, by superior acting from Hoffman and Sarandon."

The Calling (2014)

A detective hasn't had much to worry about in the sleepy town of Fort Dundas until a string of gruesome murders in the surrounding countryside brings her face to face with a serial killer driven by a higher calling.

Solid, but not too spectacular serial killer mystery with quite a construed plot; the performances are Ok, but rather perfunctory as well.

In the Valley of Elah (2007)

A retired military investigator works with a police detective to uncover the truth behind his son's disappearance following his return from a tour of duty in Iraq.

Good movie: excellent acting, good story.

On renewed viewing: On the surface a crime mystery, the movie subtly comes to reveal the harrowing effects that war inflicts on all who are involved; Jones' subdued and controlled performance is excellent.

Maltin***1/2: "Riveting whodunit takes us into dark, difficult terrain, all of it mirrored on Jones' haunted face; his exceptional performance anchors this outstanding film."

The Company You Keep (2012)

A former Weather Underground activist goes on the run from a journalist who has discovered his identity.

Subdued and pleasantly melancholic political thriller with a good ensemble works more with atmosphere than suspense.

Maltin**1/2: "Impressive cast can't breathe fire into this story despite its promising ingredients."

Arbitrage (2012)

A troubled hedge fund magnate desperate to complete the sale of his trading empire makes an error that forces him to turn to an unlikely person for help.

Superior drama that manages to tell ist story with hardly any action; the supporting cast is excellent, but it's Richard Gere who gets extra credit for portraying a slippery, and thoroughly objectionable character and giving him some charisma.

Maltin**1/2: "Gere is perfectly cast in this credible, well-crafted debut fiction feature for writer-director Jarecki...But if you don't care what happens to Gere - and we didn't - the whole thing seems a bit empty."

The Lovely Bones (2009)

A young girl is murdered and watches over her family - and her killer - from purgatory.

Although obviously made with a lot of talents involved the director overdid the phantasmagorical elements on the verge to kitsch.

On renewed viewing: I still think this movie could have been better.

Maltin **1/2: "Well-made, well-acted adaptation of Alice Sebold's bestseller suffers from overabundant, heavy-handed images of an Edenic afterlife that don't connect with the rest of the film."

The Big Wedding (2013)

A long-divorced couple fakes being married as their family unites for a wedding.

Slightly entertaining but quite unfunny comedy; the biggest joke is the quantity of first-rate stars wasting their talent and our time.

Maltin**: "Considering the couple in question is played by De Niro and Keaton, one might hope for more than this sitcom-like movie delivers. The Big Question is how this Big Wedding attracted an A-list cast with such B-grade material."

Robot & Frank (2012)

An ex-jewel thief receives a gift from his son: a robot butler programmed to look after him. But soon the two companions try their luck as a heist team.

Amiable sci-fi tale, very touchingly told with subdued humour.

Maltin***: "Quirky, low-key social satire with a sci-fi touch..."