1954 Review Blog
Animal Farm
Grade: B 04/15/2010
Quite an unnerving piece of work, this animation of George Orwell's classic is pretty powerful. If you held this up, visually, side-by-side with CHARLOTTE'S WEB, it would be hard to tell them apart. However, this film is by no means a children's film. With the story about farm animals rising up to take over the farm they are a part of, it is full of the "Power Corrupts" parable and is rather violent...and the communist allegory is certainly not lost. Most of my enjoyment of this film came from the shock at how grown-up and no less Orwellian it was simply being animated. You will be quite surprised too.
1001 Movie to See Before You Die
Grade: B 04/15/2010
Quite an unnerving piece of work, this animation of George Orwell's classic is pretty powerful. If you held this up, visually, side-by-side with CHARLOTTE'S WEB, it would be hard to tell them apart. However, this film is by no means a children's film. With the story about farm animals rising up to take over the farm they are a part of, it is full of the "Power Corrupts" parable and is rather violent...and the communist allegory is certainly not lost. Most of my enjoyment of this film came from the shock at how grown-up and no less Orwellian it was simply being animated. You will be quite surprised too.
1001 Movie to See Before You Die
On the Waterfront
Grade: B+ 11/12/2010
It is so refreshing to see a movie that is simple on paper, elevated to near perfection by its actors. Brando, Malden, Cobb, and Steiger are all so electric as they play out a story that is as simple as a man grappling with his own conscience over his involvement in violent union-involved murder. People say that Elia Kazan created this movie as a sort of contrition over his House Unamerican Act finger-pointing. I like to stay ignorant of the director's personal life. If I didn't....I wouldn't like Polanski or Allen movies either. Powerful Movie and worthy of its 8 oscars. The only reason it didn't win all 11 it was nominated for was because Malden, Cobb, and Steiger all split the Supporting Actor vote.
1001 Movie to See Before You Die
Grade: B+ 11/12/2010
It is so refreshing to see a movie that is simple on paper, elevated to near perfection by its actors. Brando, Malden, Cobb, and Steiger are all so electric as they play out a story that is as simple as a man grappling with his own conscience over his involvement in violent union-involved murder. People say that Elia Kazan created this movie as a sort of contrition over his House Unamerican Act finger-pointing. I like to stay ignorant of the director's personal life. If I didn't....I wouldn't like Polanski or Allen movies either. Powerful Movie and worthy of its 8 oscars. The only reason it didn't win all 11 it was nominated for was because Malden, Cobb, and Steiger all split the Supporting Actor vote.
1001 Movie to See Before You Die
La Strada
Grade: B 08/19/2009
This is my first Federico Fellini film, and it is very impressive. I couldn't quite get into the early scenes, but the film got better and better as it progressed and finished quite extraordinarily. It plays like a greek tragedy, with Anthony Quinn playing the violent, grumpy Zampano and Giulietta Masina playing Gelsomina as a naive, childlike woman...both as broad archetypes with seemingly unavoidable fates. Apparently Fellini has a lot of circus stuff in his films, and this is no exception. LA STRADA impressed me, especially because of the superb performances by the leads. I can't wait to knock off some other Fellini films on this list like LA DOLCE VITA, 8 1/2, and SATYRICON.
1001 Movie to See Before You Die
Grade: B 08/19/2009
This is my first Federico Fellini film, and it is very impressive. I couldn't quite get into the early scenes, but the film got better and better as it progressed and finished quite extraordinarily. It plays like a greek tragedy, with Anthony Quinn playing the violent, grumpy Zampano and Giulietta Masina playing Gelsomina as a naive, childlike woman...both as broad archetypes with seemingly unavoidable fates. Apparently Fellini has a lot of circus stuff in his films, and this is no exception. LA STRADA impressed me, especially because of the superb performances by the leads. I can't wait to knock off some other Fellini films on this list like LA DOLCE VITA, 8 1/2, and SATYRICON.
1001 Movie to See Before You Die