I was especially disappointed in this film since I already know how enjoyable the pairing of Newman and Redford can be in a period piece directed by George Roy Hill (THE STING). This film wasn't about anything. A pair of outlawas rob, are pursued, flee, rob, pursued, the end. No character building. No "one last score" scenario. Nothing really interesting. Just running and robbing...andmeither are particularly interesting or innovative. The banter between Newman and Redford is well written, and the cinemtography is as good as any number of westerns, but there is nothing to make this movie stand out. I was surprised.
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Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski has always been my favorite Coens Bros. character, but Marge Gunderson certainly gives him a run for his money. She is so innocently clever and spritely, that the crimes being commited on her watch are all the more horrible. The acting is top notch (Especially Frances McDormand and William H. Macy) and the humor/drama relationship is finely tuned. In a film handled less delicately, the goofy personnas of the midwest may feel contrived. In FARGO, they are perfect. What a fun, funny, disturbing, original film.
Very intense, very exciting, and almost sickeningly suspenseful. This movie has been made fun of and spoofed for a while now, but the original still never fails to entertain. Glenn Close as Alex Forrest is one deranged bitch, and the cycle of liking her, sympathizing with her, cowering away from her, and ultimately wanting to strangle her is a journey taken by both the audience and by Michael Douglas's character. I enjoyed it, even if it got a bit too dramatic and overblown toward the end. That roller coaster thing was pretty stupid.
This might very well be the finest, most exciting, most intricate screenplay I have ever seen on film. Sure it is an ADAPTED screenplay, but the verbal fencing match that Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor engage in is simply mesmerizing. Watching them go at each other and sucking in the young couple into their despair is nothing short of masterful entertainment. Mike Nichols directs, and the entire film is so expertly executed that you could swear it was real, and done in one take. What a perfect film. I loved it!!!
LE MILLION reminded me of the more recent, French film, DELICATESSAN. It is a simple, yet odd little story...with random music and rhythm thrown into the mix. It is a bit silly and nonsensical, but the enthusiasm by which the film is made and performed is a bit infectious. The last third of the film takes place at an opera, and there is FAR too much opera going on instead of advancing the plot, but overall, this film was enjoyable. Michel owes all of his debtors, has won the lottery, but the ticket is in the jacket his girlfriend gave to a mob boss hiding in her apartment, who in turn pawned it to a famous opera singer who is performing as a Bohemian. I like these films where things have gone SO wrong SO quickly. Fun.
As I began watching THE SEARCHERS, I was immediately focused on how AWFUL the acting is. It is so stagey and lines are so poorly delivered, it felt like an elementary school play. I thought to myself, this is going to be a BIG disappointment...and this movie is in the top 20 of AFI's 100 greatest films of all time. However, I was won over, by the infectious, saturated technicolor, the wonderful direction by the legendary John Ford, the complex, racially charged story, and even John Wayne. I think John Wayne is one of the worst actors ever...and this movie did not change my mind, but he has an oddly attractive quality that makes him enjoyable. Not only that, but the man can do stuntwork, ride horses, and gunsling in ways that make him see ultimately authentic. In the end...I got why people herald this film as a masterpiece.
THE BICYCLE THIEF is cheered as a Masterpiece by many, many critics. They talk about the socialist undertones, the exhibition of a stratafied Italian society, and one of the best Father/Son relationships EVER in films. Well...watching Antonio search Rome for his ticket to gainful employment is interesting, the relationship between Antonio and Bruno is sweet and compelling, and the desperation is palpable. However, I didn't see the film as much more than a man looking for his stolen bike. It is like a serious, Italian version of PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE. Man loses bike. Man wants bike. Willing to go to great lengths to get bike. End scene.
After I watched PINOCCHIO, I went to my Mom and started badgering her. How could she let my childhood pass by without ever introducing me to this classically wonderful Disney film. It has bright colors, wonderful animation, great music, scares, adventure, and just all-around magic. This is by far, one of the greatest animated films ever, and it shows that Disney has been so successful over the years not ONLY because of their always being on the cusp of animation technology, but because they can tell a heartfelt story like no other studio can.
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These are Kevin's viewings out of the above Steven Jay Schneider tome Archives
May 2012
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