Friday, 5 July 2019
A Little Romance (1979)
A French boy and an American girl, who go to school in Paris, meet and begin a little romance.
From memory: Likable, nicely made, but cutesy romantic comedy; Olivier's smirking performance, however, is a welcome distraction.
Halliwell (no star): "Treacly juvenile romance enriched by in-jokes and an enjoyably over-the-top star performance."
Maltin***: "Engaging film...A throwback to director Hill's WORLD OF HENRY ORIENT in its winning treatment of adolescence, but not quite as good. "
All That Jazz (1979)
Director/choreographer Bob Fosse tells his own life story as he details the sordid life of Joe Gideon, a womanizing, drug-using dancer.
From memory: Egocentric smorgasbord offers its share of brilliant moments, but also some pretensions, bad humor and a disagreeable focus on death.
Halliwell***: "Self-indulgent, semi-autobiographical tragi-comic extravaganza complete with heart operations and a recurring angel of death. Flashes of brilliant talent make it a must for Fosse fans."
Maltin**1/2: "Director-choreographerFosse's own 8½ casts a self-indulgent and largely negative look at his life; great show biz moments and wonderful dancing are eventually buried in pretensions, and an interminable finale which leaves a bad taste for the whole film.But that opening number...is a wow!"
Thursday, 4 July 2019
El corazón del bosque (1979)
Ten years after the Spanish Civil War, a returning exile seeks a loyalist fighter hiding in the hills.
From memory: Slow-paced, but beautifully realized tale with a complex plot, both political and mythical, great performances and excellent local cinematography.
Wednesday, 3 July 2019
When They See Us (2019)
Chronicles the true story of a notorious case of five black teenagers who were convicted of a rape they did not commit.
Intense, thorough, passionate and utterly heart-wrenching depcition of a gross injustice with an excellent script giving each episode a different stance and with an extraordinary great ensemble of actors; depressingly, it is obvious that the evenets are not simply historical, but can happen all over again today.
Tuesday, 2 July 2019
Carnival Rock (1957)
An ocean-side nightclub owner loves a singer who only has eyes for a gambler.
Quite doomy meldodrama, nicely made with a capable cast and some welcome musical interruptions.
Maltin**: "Forgettable melodrama..."
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