Malcolm1980's Movie Reviews Thread 2015

[malcolm1980]

I'm going to move all my reviews so far to this thread.

1/1

California Split (Robert Altman) ***1/2 - This is my first movie of 2015 and it's a pretty great one. George Segal and Elliott Gould are excellent as two gamblers who befriend each other, hang out with a couple of hookers and generally try to have fun but as we get to know them, we slowly but surely realize that their lives are not all fun and games. The film is often funny and director Robert Altman does not sensationalize or drum it into our heads the darkness that's lurking underneath the laughs and good times. It's almost as if the real story is happening underneath and in the periphery of what we see on the screen. The ending in particular is haunting

Imitation of Life (Douglas Sirk) **** - Oh, man. Douglas Sirk is definitely one of my favorite all-time filmmakers now. This is the fourth film from him I've seen and the fourth film from him I love. This is a remake of a previously adaptation of the Fannie Hurst novel. I've seen the earlier version and I think this is better. Well, for one thing the "upstairs"/white storyline in this one is just as interesting and compelling as the "downstairs"/black storyline. Even the weak link of the various narrative threads, the mother-daughter love triangle, was improved. The anti-racism theme is much more pronounced. Lana Turner, Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner are all excellent and the film is moving. It is soapy and melodramatic for sure but it's subversive and brilliantly directed.

Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdrome (George Miller/George Ogilvie) **1/2 - Most people consider this the weakest of the Mad Max trilogy. And I unfortunately agree. I didn't hate it though. The final action sequences were genuinely fun and there are some funny elements in it but the film, despite an obviously bigger budget, pales in comparison with the second Mad Max film. It becomes way too ridiculous and outrageous for my taste at times. But the cinematography is good, Maurice Jarre's score is good, Tina Turner is pretty good as well. The film is overall entertaining but all in all forgettable.

[malcolm1980]

1/2

Starred Up (David Mackenzie) ***1/2 - A juvenile offender prone to violent and angry outbursts gets transferred to an adult prison alongside his convicted father. It is in many ways, an exemplary but rather standard prison drama. But the performances of Jack O'Connell (who is going to blow up soon and I can't wait to see what he does next) and Ben Mendelsohn as the father-son pair make it the standard prison drama tropes rather special. The violence is of course shocking and harrowing and the circumstances surrounding it and rather bleak but underneath all the darkness, there is a spark of hope and humanity, particularly in the ending, which makes this stand out from most other prison dramas. I'm glad I watched this with the subtitles on. Those accents are heavy. It's not an easy watch but by the end you will be happy you did.

[malcolm1980]

1/3

Park Row (Samuel Fuller) **** - During the 1880's, a principled ambitious journalist decides to start his own paper to counter the sensationalistic-type journalism of the newspaper he used to work for. From the first frame to the last, this film is just brimming with passion. Based on what I know about writer-director Samuel Fuller, it would not surprise me if the lead character of this film is based on himself. It's a film that's basically about the ethics of journalism and normally, films like this tend to be a little preachy but somehow the combination of Fuller's pulpy filmmaking sensibilities and the passion for his message makes for a absolutely thrilling combination. I'd like to thank the person who recommended this to me. It is a terrific film.

Ruggles of Red Gap (Leo McCarey) ***1/2 - A stuffy English butler is lost in a card game by his master to a "new money" American couple. The lady hopes that the presence of an English butler would help refine her unsophisticated cowboy husband. This film is probably the ancestor or the original creator of the template for all fish-out-of-water/culture-clash type of comedies of subsequent years. The plot is predictable, of course but the cast is excellent and there's a lot of genuinely funny scenes and even manages to be touching. Director Leo McCarey of course is master at this type of thing Charles Laughton in particular is hilarious as the title character. You're guaranteed to be smiling by the film's end.

[malcolm1980]

1/4

English Only, Please (Dan Villegas) *** - A Filipino-American, dumped by his Filipina girlfriend, hires a Filipina translator to tutor him in Filipino so he can properly recite an angry Filipino piss-off speech to her. Hmmm. I wonder if the two of them will get together. Yes, it's a Filipino rom-com. Yes, they're pretty much exactly like rom-coms of any nationality. Yes, a lot of the familiar narrative beats are all there but the script was co-written by Antoinette Jadaone, one of Filipino cinema's most exciting voices. She somehow makes formulaic rom-coms somehow more intelligent and far more palatable for at least my taste. It also helps that the two leads, Derek Ramsay and Jennylynn Mercado are gosh-darned charming as well. It's pure fluff but entertaining and not insulting.

Pride (Matthew Warchus) ***1/2 - I'm surprised by how much I loved this movie. It's the true story of a group of gay rights activists who lent a helping hand to striking miners during the turbulent Thatcher administration. Lots of things can go wrong in this type of film. It could have been too manipulative, too preachy, too sappy, too formulaic, etc. But it's none of those. What it is, as it turns out, is an honest, sweet, funny, moving portrait of how two different groups of people can get together and make a difference, united by their common humanity. Again, it sounds corny but the script has enough bite and intelligence and the cast is so great that it earns its feel-good status. It manages to avoid most pitfalls that films of this ilk tend to commit. More people should see this wonderful little film. I highly recommend it.

Anna Karenina (Clarence Brown) **1/2 - This Hollywood adaptation of the Leo Tolstoy novel is lavishly produced and features some fine performances from Greta Garbo and Fredric March (heck, even Freddie Bartholomew). Now, I haven't read the book but I can tell that the adaptation is strictly of the Cliff Notes variety and probably this film didn't even begin to touch the novel which I've been told is rather complex. This film seems a bit too simplistic and seem to telegraph every emotion and message of the story, just in case there's some idiot in the audience who didn't get it. Still, it's Greta Garbo and she's always a treat to watch.

[malcolm1980]

1/10

Force Majeure (Ruben Ostlund) **** - This is the Swedish entry to the Best Foreign Language Film race. Personally, I slightly prefer this to Ida. A Swedish family goes on a ski vacation. While dining on a restaurant patio, they witness a controlled avalanche which seemed to be headed for them. The husband panics and immediately runs away. The avalanche stops. The family survives. And things get AWWWWWKKKKWARRRRDDDD to say the least. Yes, everyone is safe and sound but the near-miss might revealed some cracks in their relationship which may almost be as life-changing and devastating. This film is thought-provoking, scathing, sometimes sad and even surprisingly funny (darkly funny but funny) and will surely inspire conservations when seen with a significant other (I'm not joking when I say that this film might make or break some couples!). The cast is strong and I have to remark on the great cinematography. Despite being a ski resort, it managed to make it look stark and somewhat foreboding. It is one of the best films of the year.

The Good Fairy (William Wyler) ***1/2 - I've never heard of this movie before it was recommended to me. It's always wonderful to discover relatively obscure gems and this is one of them. A young woman raised in an orphanage ("orphan asylum") finds employment in the outside world. She's very naive and pledges to do a good deed a day (hence the title). Wacky misunderstandings ensue. Margaret Sullivan plays the title character and manages to make her naiveté and good-heartedness not annoying or stupid (which is in itself a feat). There are plenty of big laughs as well (it helps if your cast includes Frank Morgan) courtesy of a script by none other than Preston Sturges. Honestly, it feels more like a Sturges film than a William Wyler film.

[malcolm1980]

1/11

The Imitation Game (Morten Tyldum) *** - This film is about Alan Turing, a genius mathematician who helped break the code of the Germans thereby becoming one of the key figures to help win World War II essentially saving the world. First off, I honestly don't know why this is being criticized for side-stepping the gay issue. Sure there were no gay sex scenes or gay kissing scenes but I don't think they were particularly needed here. It still remains a compelling story about a man who, despite all his accomplishments, was tragically persecuted simply because he was gay. Though it's not a particularly GREAT film (they still do stuff that Oscar-baity biopics often do) and I do think a great film can be made given its subject matter, it is still a very good one featuring some excellent performances by Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley. I would like to take this opportunity to cite Alex Lawther as young Turing is every bit as good (if not better) than Cumberbatch.

[malcolm1980]

1/15

A Most Violent Year (J.C. Chandor) ***1/2 - I read a review of this film saying that it feels like it's straight out of the '70s. It does feel like one of those grown-up thrillers mainstream Hollywood studios used to do before audience's attention spans demanded shiny things that go boom. This one is about a man trying to expand his oil business but is getting violent resistance from a mysterious competitor attempting to ruin him. The film feels more like a mob movie than anything even though there are no actual mobsters. It's oil people! It's a crime film but instead of drugs or guns, it's oil. It's an excellently acted, refreshing and thrilling piece of cinema. Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain are both terrific. J.C. Chandor is indeed one of cinema's most exciting directors.

The Informer (John Ford) ***1/2 - I think it's good timing that I saw this film on the same day Pope Francis arrived in my country for a visit since this is a VERY Catholic film and I mean that in a really good way. It's about guilt, forgiveness and redemption. This one is about an IRA man who rats on a fellow comrade who in turn got killed and he spends the night drowning his guilt with liquor. Its borderline sympathetic depiction of the IRA aside, this is a real compelling piece of work from John Ford. I can't help but wonder if he saw M when he made this because a lot of the shots really remind me of it. Victor MacLagen is great as the title character.

[malcolm1980]

1/16

Alice Adams (George Stevens) *** - A young lady from a poor family wants to mingle with and become one of the higher classes. I have to say that Katharine Hepburn's gift for acting is prevalent here because she managed to make a social climber sympathetic. The film itself though is kind of minor. It's fluff. It doesn't cut deep enough to be either a satire or a drama with the exception of one scene. In that one scene, which I won't spoil, Hattie McDaniel managed to pretty much steal it despite the fact that she barely had any lines. The film is worth seeing just for that.

Selma (Ava DuVernay) **** - Martin Luther King Jr.'s push to pass the Voting Rights Act so black people can vote in Alabama is brought to life on film by Ava DuVernay who really should have been nominated for Best Director. She crafted potent, cinematic drama that will sure rouse both anger and inspiration. It is of course, sadly, still relevant in present day American society since a lot of its lessons are still unlearned. The cast is strong. David Oyelowo made me forget that I'm watching an actor, not the real Martin Luther King. Some history biopics feel like moving dioramas but the film has actual real well-rounded characters that come to life on the screen. For all its criticisms on historical accuracy (oh, please, this isn't a documentary), its heart is big and its message important. But it never lectures. It never forgets that it's supposed to be a movie, not a history lesson. Ava DuVernay is a fantastic filmmaker. I can't wait to see what she does next!

The Hands of Orlac (Robert Wiene) **1/2 - This comes Robert Wiene, the director that brought the world the silent masterpiece, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. It's safe to say that this is no The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. This one is about a pianist who severely injured his hands in train wreck and his doctor transplanted to him the hands of a murderer. Later on, he believes like the hands are compelling him to commit crimes. It is kind of a silly premise and the film plays it very, very straight but I feel like it just didn't work completely. Plus it's a tad too overlong. Conrad Veidt is excellent as the title character though and the film is watchable because of him.

Mad Love (Karl Freund) *** - This is the Hollywood remake of The Hands of Orlac. This is the one of the rare cases where I prefer the Hollywood version over the original non-Hollywood version. The plot is the same as the original but the main protagonist is no longer Orlac but rather the doctor, Dr. Gogol (love that name) played by Peter Lorre (who's as usual typecast as the creepy anti-hero). The film actually embraces the silly premise and is all the more better because of it. As an added bonus, this film's production design and cinematography is heavily influenced by German expressionism.

[malcolm1980]

1/18

My Man Godfrey (Gregory LaCava) ***1/2 - This is another one of those major classic films that I haven't gotten around to seeing until now. A poor, homeless man (a.k.a. a "forgotten" man) is hired as a butler by an eccentric (to say the least) rich family resulting in a few complications. William Powell gives one of his great on-screen performances as pretty much a straight man to Carole Lombard, as the younger daughter who's hopelessly in love with him and Alice Brady, as the perpetually cheerful and perpetually clueless matriarch. Also great is Gail Patrick who handles her character's arc very believably (which I'm not gonna spoil here). The film is often laugh out loud funny but manages to have some depth and thought into it. The ending is pitch perfect.

Day of the Outlaw (Andre de Toth) **** - A gang of bandits led by a former American cavalry officer on the run from the law take an entire town hostage as their leader recuperates from a gunshot wound. I was surprised by this film. It is a bit edgier and grittier than most other American Westerns of that era (this is no John Ford or Howard Hawks type of Western). It almost feels more like a Spaghetti Western (or am I crazy?). The film keeps you on the edge from the time the bandits take over and never lets up until the end. The third act in particular is exemplary. This is one of those happy cinematic discoveries I've been having lately.

Wanda (Barbara Loden) ***1/2 - A poor, uneducated woman abandons her family and eventually hooks up with a pretty thief. This was one of the very few American films, written and directed by a woman (still kind of rarity these days, unfortunately). Its writer-director-star, Barbara Loden's career was tragically cut short by her death from breast cancer which is really too bad because this film shows that she had what it takes and could have been a rich film career. The film feels like a John Cassavetes film with its gritty realism and apparently mostly improvised dialogue. It's very rough-around-the-edges which just adds to its realism. It's imperfect but more people should see it.

[malcolm1980]

1/23

A Day in the Country (Jean Renoir) ***1/2 - A family from Paris go on holiday in the countryside where they meet a couple of guys who decide to try and seduce (or at least charm the pants off) the women. This is a short feature from Jean Renoir who intended it to be longer but was left unfinished (but they made the best out of existing material and created something narratively complete). At first it seems like a light, frothy comedy but somehow eventually turns into something sadder and more poignant. Great performances by the cast. This feels a bit like a warm-up to the major masterpiece that is The Rules of the Game but even in its unfinished, truncated form, it still stands as a complete major work from a great filmmaker.