Malcolm1980's 2024 Review Thread

[malcolm1980]

5/12

The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (Roger Corman) ***1/2 - This film is sort of a docudrama which depicts the events and circumstances leading up to the titular incident as well as exploring all the real-life characters involved. Director Roger Corman has just passed away. So this film is my traditional tribute watch. I have to say Corman really is underrated as a director. Sure, he's known for his genre films and B-movies but here he is, making a gangster picture and doing it quite well, I must say. Jason Robards plays Al Capone in this and his performance alone makes this film worth seeing. All in all, this is a very good piece of work from a director not known for this type film.

[malcolm1980]

5/14

Strange Impersonation (Anthony Mann) ***1/2 - A female research scientist is scarred by chemicals then her colleague steals away her fiance. She tries to get them back. Anthony Mann is quite possibly one of my favorite filmmakers. This film was actually on its way to being considered one of my top-tier films...until the ending happened, an ending I kind of expected but I hoped they wouldn't go there. So this drops to mid-tier but even as a mid-tier film, I think it's a fine piece of work. Brenda Marshall is terrific in the lead role and the twists and turns the story takes makes for a pretty good ride. So overall, this is a solid effort that's well worth seeing (despite my disappointment with the ending).

[malcolm1980]

5/15

Blood of the Condor (Jorge Sanjinés) *** - An indigenous community in Bolivia discover that a foreign Peace Corps who were supposed to be there to help them were secretly sterilizing their women. I haven't seen all that much of Bolivian cinema so this is a nice start. While it takes a little while to get into, the documentary like atmosphere with its utilizing indigenous non-actors while telling a narrative story makes it quite a compelling watch. Even though it's only a little over an hour long, it actually packs a lot into its anti-colonial message. It is rough around the edges but you can see the heart and soul and the sincerity of the filmmakers involved. This is definitely worth a look.

[malcolm1980]

5/16

Everybody's Woman (Max Ophuls) ***1/2 - A famous actress is found unconscious on the floor. When she is rushed to the hospital and doctors try to save her, we watch as we see a flashback of her turbulent life. Max Ophuls directed this Italian film that is actually quite progressive for its time. A lot of this woman's troubles involve the wrong men falling for her and she suffers whether or not she reciprocates, often through no fault of her own. It is a theme still relevant today as it was then. Isa Miranda, playing the titular woman here, is outstanding, as is a lot of Max Ophuls' leading ladies are. It is not quite top-tier Ophuls for me but it's quite close and is definitely worth a watch.

[malcolm1980]

5/17

Hundreds of Beavers (Mike Cheslik) ***1/2 - An apple farmer turned fur trapper goes hunting for beavers but of course the beavers are not going to take this lying down. This is all you need to know coming into this wild, wacky and hilarious film. It has been described as a modern day silent comedy (though technically NOT a silent film) a la Chaplin and Keaton combined with elements of a live-action Looney Tunes movie (with sprinklings of Monty Python and Itchy & Scratchy for good measure) and I would say those descriptions are dead-on. It largely works! People who will get into its weird, wacky wavelength will find plenty of laughs in this. It could've been a bit tighter since it's just a tad too long but apart from that, it is a refreshing and creative comedy that's probably destined to be a cult classic in years to come.

[malcolm1980]

5/18

Monkey Man (Dev Patel) ***1/2 - After his mother is brutally murdered and his village burned down when he was a boy, a young man seeks to exact revenge on the various corrupt officials responsible. Yes, the elevator pitch for this film is pretty much John Wick in India. But that's just over-simplifying it a little bit. Dev Patel's directorial debut (and what a film to pick for one's directorial debut) has a lot of layers of commentary on Indian society and corruption in government and religion. But of course, it's still got a lot of the over-the-top kick-ass violent action scenes and fight scenes you would come to expect and it's all quite stylishly made. Patel has a future as a filmmaker, I must say. Overall, a very good action picture.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (Kevin Reynolds) *** - This is the 1991 version of the Robin Hood legend has Robin of Locksley rebelling against the tyrannical Sheriff of Nottingham. I think it may have been a mistaken to have seen Robin Hood: Men In Tights before this film because I recognize a lot of what that movie made fun of here and it caused some unintentional giggles from me. But that said, this is quite an enjoyable take on the Robin Hood legend. Sure, Kevin Costner seems out of place with his American accent and modern day looks but that doesn't detract too much from the fun and enjoyable silliness (in a good way). Adding to this is Alan Rickman's delightfully evil, over the top and funny performance as the Sheriff of Nottingham. I can see why he won the BAFTA for it.

[malcolm1980]

5/19

The Stars Look Down (Carol Reed) *** - This is a British drama, quite possibly an early example of the British "kitchen sink" drama about the lives of English miners, their personal lives and the dangers of their profession, particularly the danger of unleashing flood waters during their dig. This is from director Carol Reed. The first two-thirds or so, I found to be just "eh", yes, it's a finely acted ensemble drama that has me shrugging my shoulders. But the film, at least in my opinion, comes to life in the last third. I won't say it explicitly but the plot description hints at it. I felt like that's the element the film should have centered itself around. It would've made for a more compelling, better drama. So, yeah, despite some good filmmaking, I wouldn't say this is overall one of Carol Reed's best but it's worth watching for the final third.