Category: 1990s

A Variety of Movies: It Happened One Night, Cape Fear (1962), Miller’s Crossing, White Palace & Shattered Glass

Emma2 Comments

It Happened One Night (1934)

Peter (Clark Gable) & Ellen (Claudette Colbert)
Peter (Clark Gable) & Ellie (Claudette Colbert)

This is one of Hollywood’s earliest rom coms… but it ALWAYS seems fun, fresh, and witty whenever I see it.  (I’ve probably seen it 4X so far.)  It was directed by Frank Capra.  Basically, it’s about two VERY different people who fall in love (over a few days) while traveling from Miami to NYC.  My fave part is when the would-be couple is getting ready to sleep in the haystack.  You can see that Ellie is falling in love w/ Peter, and he ALMOST gives her a kiss as he tucks her into “bed.”  The lighting is VERY romantic in that scene!

Peter puts up a "wall" in the cabin
Ellie and Peter are separated by “the walls of Jericho”

See, people used to wear pjs- LOL!  This may NOT be a PC movie (to viewers today), but it’s still a GREAT one!    Watch how grumpy news reporter Peter cares for heiress Ellie- she’s a sheltered young woman who has never been alone for many days or w/o money.  He acts tough/brusque to hide the fact that he’s interested in her.  Peter is prejudiced against the super-wealthy, as we learn from several scenes.

When trying to hitch a ride, Peter insists "it's all in the thumb"

Who can forget the hitchiking/leg-revealing scene?  Peter is mad about her bold move; Ellie says “the limb is mightier than the thumb.”  Many fans of this film regret the fact that there is no kiss at the end.  The finale was rushed b/c both actors were scheduled to do other movies.  This film was shot w/in 4 wks- WOW!!!

Did you know that there is a 1956 update to this movie (w/ song/dance added in)?  It’s called You Can’t Run Away From It (w/ Jack Lemmon and June Allyson).

 

Cape Fear (1962)

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I’ve seen this film before, as well as the remake Scorcese did w/ DeNiro and Nolte.  The original is thought of as the better version by fans, though I think Nolte was quite good as the father/lawyer, Sam Bowden.  To be senisitive to viewers, there is nothing more troubling than “assault” to describe the violation of women.  Some scenes were cut to make the film less troubling.  But after seeing Law & Order: SVU, the main issue in this thriller isn’t controversial (to modern eyes).

The consummate villain- Max Cady (Robert Mitchum)
The consummate villain- Max Cady (Robert Mitchum)

The best acting here is done by Mitchum- he TOTALLY inhabits Max Cady, an EVIL man out for revenge against the witness who helped put him in prison.  He can be charming, compelling AND menacing!  While in prison, Cady studied law, so he knows how to use it to his advantage.  After he beats/assaults the young female traveler he met at a bar, she is reluctant to file a report (b/c everything will be exposed in public.)  Times have changed, thank goodness!

The concerned family man- Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck)

Peck has some nice moments in this film, esp w/ his wife and teen daughter.    After all, he’s one of Hollywood’s most solid/trustworthy heroes.  However, I thought his demeanor was sometimes a BIT too cool/controlled.  There are nice parts here for helpful police chief (Martin Balsam) and clever PI (Telly Savalas).  But as many fans have said, Mithchum stole the show!

  

Miller’s Crossing (1990)

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I didn’t know anything about this Coen bros film before I saw it.  This film has a small (but VERY loyal) fan base.  It’s a gangster pic filmed in New Orleans (b/c that city has blocks of untouched ’20s bldngs.)  At first, I thought the city was Chicago (but it goes unnamed in the film).  Now, it MAY take you a mins to get used to the dialogue, esp b/c Gabriel Byrne had a much thicker Irish accent then.  You’ll also hear insults/slang from the Prohibition era.

Troubled couple: Tom (Gabriel Byrne) & Verna (Marcia Gay Harden)
Tom (Gabriel Byrne) & Verna (Marcia Gay Harden)

Tom is a complicated/tough/clever anti-hero.  He’s loyal to his boss Leo, but having an affair w/ Leo’s gf, Verna.  John Turturro plays Verna’s bookie brother, Bernie.  He’s the one who stirs things up in this film!  The Italian mob boss is played by Jon Polito w/ loads of gusto.

Irish mob boss- Leo (Albert Finney)
Irish mob boss, Leo (Albert Finney)

All the main characters are GREAT in their roles, esp Byrne.  (You’ve rarely seen a character like Tom!)  I was VERY impressed by how effortlessly Marcia Gay Harden (in her 1st movie role) stands up to Byrne.  IMHO, this film doesn’t always flow very well.  I watched it b/c the characters were compelling, and I wanted to know what Tom’s final move would be.  Will he kill for the 1st time in his life?

 

White Palace (1992)

Max (James Spader)- a VERY young widower
Max (James Spader) plays a young widower

Opposites attract in this simple/formulaic Hollywood romance.  Max Baron (James Spader) is a 27 y.o. Jewish ad exec.  Since losing his wife in a car accident 2 yrs ago, he hasn’t looked at another woman.  His friends/fam keep badgering him to start dating.  (They have a list of pretty/Jewish/single gals ready for him.)   Nora Baker (Susan Sarandon) is a 43 y.o. lapsed Catholic who waitresses at White Palace, a popular burger joint in the inner city.  She lives in a little house (that she decorates w/ pics of Marilyn Monroe) in an area known as Dogtown.

Max cooks dinner for Nora (Susan Sarandon)
Max cooks dinner for Nora (Susan Sarandon)

After his best pal’s bachelor party one night, Max doesn’t feel like going home.  He decides to stop at a bar and have a drink.  Nora approaches him, wondering what a guy like him (wearing a tux, no less) is doing there.  He isn’t in the mood for talking, but she compliments him w/ “you have a beautiful face” and “you remind me of Tony Curtis.”  Then they both reveal a painful secret from their respective pasts.

Hmmm... will this relationship last?
Hmmm… will this relationship last?

In no time, Max and Nora are involved in a steamy relationship.  Nora wants to keep him at arm’s length (emotionally), but Max says “I can’t get you out of my head.”  But is this love?  And even so, can they overcome their differences: age, education, social status, etc?  The dialogue in this film is rather simple, but what keeps it from being boring is the fine acting by the two leads.  (The fact that they look GORGEOUS doesn’t hurt either!)

 

Shattered Glass (2003)

Stephen Glass (Hayden Christensen) entertains his co-workers
Stephen Glass (Hayden Christensen) entertains his co-workers at The New Republic

This small indie film is based on a true news scandal, not unlike that of NYT reporter Jayson Blair (who was exposed in 2003).  It involves Stephen Glass, a 25 y.o reporter for the small (yet VERY prestigious) magazine, The New Republic.  The year is 1998, and Stephen is juggling his stressful job AND law school (to please his parents).  He goes out of his way to please his co-workers, some of whom are also his friends.  It becomes clear to the viewer that Stephen is VERY nervous and insecure, thanks to the characterization by Christensen.  (Like many viewers said, he’s NOT wooden like in the Star Wars films.)

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When one of his stories “doesn’t check out,” Stephen frantically tries to cover it up.   A reporter from Forbes Online in NYC discovers holes w/in the story, too.  The New Republic editor, Chuck Lane (Peter Sarsgaard), grows more suspicious w/ each new piece of info that’s unverifiable.  He wonders if Stephen is merely a “scared kid” who failed to check his sources.  When he questions the reporter, Stephen feels unfairly persecuted.

Sarsgaard plays his (understated) role VERY well, and steals the last 1/3 of the movie.  He’s a natural/believable actor who can fit into ANY role!  Chloe Sevigny plays a friend/fellow reporter who feels Stephen did no wrong.  If you want to see a smart movie about an interesting topic, check this movie out.

3 must-see period films

Emma1 Comment

Lost in Austen (BBC, 2008)

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This show (seen last year on BBC) is a MUST-SEE for all Jane Austen fans!  It has a great cast (including gorgeous/talented new faces), looks beautiful (costumes, cinematography, lighting), and is full of humor.  There are jokes viewers of ALL ages will get, BUT there are also in-jokes for devoted fans of Jane.  (I liked those jokes best, of course!)

Amanda (Jemima Rooper) and Elizabeth (Jemma Arterton)

Amanda Price is a modern-day JA fan who enters into her fave novel, Pride and Prejudice.  She takes the place of P&P’s main protagonist Elizabeth Bennett.  But life in Georgian England is NOT as easy as it seems in the book!

The newest Mr. Darcy (Elliot Cowan)

Amanda meets the the entire P&P gang, plus a few NEW characters (Mr. Collins has brothers- LOL!)  Alex Kingston (ER) and Hugh Bonneville (Daniel Deronda, Miss Austen Regrets) are TERRIFIC as the Bennett parents.  

But the best part is Amanda’s complicated relationship w/ the newest Mr. Darcy!  As in the novel, Darcy is tall, imposing, and irritatingly proper.  (His voice is VERY cool, too!)  At first, he is shocked by Amanda’s (modern/odd) behavior.  She doesn’t want to fall for Darcy- she wants to keep  things EXACTLY like the novel.  But things quickly go wrong!     

eliot

An interview w/ Elliot Cowan:

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/celebrity/article4635114.ece

 

 

Middlemarch (BBC, 1994) 

middlemarch_dvd

I bought this DVD a few weeks ago b/c it was a VERY good price.  (If you’re a fan of Austen or Dickens, you should definitely check it out!)  It’s a miniseries based on George Eliot’s most famous novel.  She (the pen name of George was in honor of her long-time love, George Henry Lewes) was a writer who could describe a wide swath of society, much like Dickens.  There are MANY interesting/young people trying to carve out a place in the world w/o compromising their dreams.  (These include Jonathan Firth, Colin’s younger brother, and the unusually handsome/intense Rufus Sewell.) 

Dorothy (Juliet Aubrey)

The main female character is intelligent, serious-minded, natural beauty Dorothea Brooke (Juliet Aubrey).  She and her younger sister Cecilia (a more conventional girl) were orphaned before their teens, so they live on the estate of their wealthy bachelor uncle, Mr. Brooke.  (The estate is near to the town of Middlemarch.)  Though she has many fine qualities, Dorothea wants to “do something more” w/ her life than what’s expected of a young woman of her time.  She draws up a plan for improving the cottages of Brooke’s tenants, but he doesn’t want to spend money on the project.   

Even though her youthful/outgoing neighbor (Sir James Chettam) is in love with her, Dorothea merely sees him as a friend.  But she quickly grows interested in Rev. Casuabon, a VERY serious/middle-aged/scholarly man.  Dorothea thinks that she can help him in his work.   They have a brief courtship before marrying, much to the disappointment of her family/friends.   

During most of their honeymoon in Italy, Casuabon buries himself in libraries while Dorothea sees the sights with handsome/young Will Ladislaw (Casuabon’s cousin).  Will paints for fun, but wants to find a profession where he can make an impact.

Middlemarch9

Back home, Dorothea is impressed by the painting of a beautiful lady hanging in her house.  Will tells her the story of the unconventional romance between his British grandfather and Polish grandmother (in the picture).  Sadly, the lady wasn’t treated very well by her in-laws.  As he tells it, she is full of quiet amazement at the idea of such a relationship.  (We KNOW Dorothea hasn’t married for love.)     

Casuabon is emotionally distant and refuses his young wife’s help w/ scholarly work.  Dorothea desperately wants to make him happy, but she grows disenchanted with the cold, lonely marriage.  But she never complains. 

Will, who begins work as her uncle’s assistant, continues to see her as a friend.  Casuabon suddenly prohibits Will from coming to his house.  Dorothea is shocked- they did nothing wrong!   Did her husband sense something neither she nor Will can admit?              

Dr. Lydgate (Douglas Hodge)

The main male character is intelligent, ambitious, and worldly Dr. Tertius Lydgate (Douglas Hodge).  Unlike most of the others in the provincial town of Middlemarch, he is a well-trained MD (w/ specializations done in Scotland and Paris.)  Most docs of that day were NOTHING like ours!  Lydgate is a newcomer who elicits much attention- sometimes of the negative kind.  The other doctors bristle against his techniques (such as warning patients against wacky potions and refusing to operate when not needed).   They feel he’s too young to overstep them.

Like Dorothea, he gives part of his time to the poor.  (They become friends as the story goes along.)  Lydgate’s an idealist who hopes to create BIG changes.  In his personal life, he is quickly drawn to the vivacious and chatty Rosamund Vincy, the daughter of a tradesman.  They fall in love and marry, though he’d intended to wait until he was financially/professionally more stable.   Rosamund dreams of status and money, ignorant of the goals he has.  Will marriage curtail Lydgate’s ambitions?

A GREAT in-depth review of this film:

http://costumedramas.wordpress.com/2009/04/18/middlemarch-1994/

The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)  movie_WindThatShakes

  We have a responsibility to attack the mistakes and brutalities of our own leaders, past and present.  If you lie about the past you won’t tell the truth about the present.– British director Ken Loach  playing

You may not have heard of this film that came on recently on Encore; I saw it first in the BBC catalog.  It’s a glimpse into the Irish war for independence in the early 1920s as seen through the eyes of a group of very young men in rural County Cork.  At the center of the group is idealistic/sensitive Damien O’Donovan (Cilian Murphy- a native of Cork; The Way We Live Now, Red Eye, Batman Begins) and his older/charismatic brother Teddy (Padraig Delaney).  Damien is soft-spoken, slightly built, and well-respected for his smarts.   Teddy is tall, talks forcefully, and a natural leader.    harassment

Though most of his scrappy country pals are IRA (led by Teddy), Damien is about to go to a London hospital for training.  Then he witnesses some humiliating, unnecessary, and violent events perpetrated by the Black and Tans (British soldiers sent to quash the growing rebellion).         damien_sinead

He takes up arms quickly- his community needs him.  Even Damien’s long-time female friend is part of the rebellion- she works as a messenger.      bros

This film juxstaposes the beauty of Ireland with the violence of the rebellion.   In some cases, long-time friends are pitted against each other b/c they have to preserve themselves.   Freedom is not the only issuse; in one scene Damien examines a little boy who’s near starvation.  How will this rag tag group of guys defeat the soldiers?  When a compromise is reached with England, Damien and Teddy are pitted against each other.  

More info re: this film: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wind_That_Shakes_the_Barley_(film) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460989/   cillian

More info re: Cilian Murphy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilian_Murphy http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0614165/

“Hilary and Jackie” (1998)

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hilary_and_jackie_ver1

If you think being an ordinary person is any easier than being an extraordinary one, you’re wrong.

This 1998 biopic film received a LOT of praise, BUT I didn’t see it until last week.  This movie is based on the book A Genius in the Family by Hilary and Piers du Pre, siblings of world-famous cellist, Jacquline Du Pre.  It’s directed by Anand Tucker, a desi Brit (or British Asian as they say in England) who also directed Shopgirl and produced Girl with A Pearl Earring.  It’s an intelligent, beautiful, and emotionally moving film centering on the unconditional love between two VERY different sisters.

lil-sis

As very little girls (somtime in the ’50s), dark-haired/serious Hilary (the flautist) and blonde/bubbly Jackie (the cellist) are schooled in dance and music by their ambitious mother in their London home.  At first, Hilary comes out on top, winning a competition to play for the BBC.  When a jealous Jackie causes a commotion during the recording, their mother exclaims: “If you want to be together, you have to be as good as each other!”

Jackie (Brit Emily Watson) eventually surpasses Hilary (Aussie Rachel Griffiths; currently in the ABC drama Brothers and Sisters); she’s deemed a “prodigy,” given private lessons, and gets into the London School of Music.  Hilary attends also, but she is less confidant in her playing and not a star. While still a college girl, Jackie is invited to play at a wedding… in Italy!  Then she gets a tour of her own.

After this introduction of the main girls, we see Hilary’s section of the story.  Hilary struggles to meet the expectations of her teachers, though she still plays private concerts.  The day of an important exam, she is offered a concert by a fellow student, Kiffer (David Morissey), an energetic and optimistic composer.  After her test, Kiffer follows Hilary home.

sis-in-shock

Jackie, home for vacation, wants to have Hilary all to herself.  Kiffer bursts in the house, excitedly declaring his love for Hilary.  Soon, she and Kiffer are a serious couple, and he’s a part of the family.

jackie_farm

Several years go by…  Hilary and Kiffer now have kids and live in an old farmhouse in the country.  They are still deeply in love.  Jackie shows up all of a sudden, QUITE depressed and distraught.  She wants attention and love, dissatisfied with her glamorous life.  Hilary doesn’t know what’s wrong, but wants to help in ANY way she can.

hilary_and_daniel

In Jackie’s section of the story, we see things from HER point of view.  We learn about her relationship with husband Daniel (James Frain), a fellow prodigy (on the piano).  Though they have music in common, Jackie is insecure about their relationship.  She sometimes wonders is she’d be loved if she wasn’t a famous, successful musician.

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When Jackie seeks refuge with Hilary, she brings a LOT of emotional baggage with her.  Can their relationship withstand Jackie’s demands and volatile personality?  There is more to the story, so go see for yourself.  All the actors are suited for their roles and do work togther SUPERBLY!  This film is a must-see!

“The Mayor of Casterbridge” (2003)

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mayor_dvd

 

Are some actions simply unforgivable?  Can someone truly change his/her nature?  These are the central questions posed in The Mayor of Casterbridge, a very engaging A&E miniseries from 2003.  The stars are: intense/commanding Ciaran Hinds (Persuasion; Jane Eyre), handsome/charming James Purefoy (Vanity Fair; Rome), unconventional/poised Jodhi May (The Last of the Mohicans; Daniel Deronda), and mysteriously pretty Polly Walker.  It is an adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s novel; it follows the book very closely (as several viewers/readers noted on IMDB).  Everything is top-notch in this film: acting, pacing, costumes, and music (creating the right mood for Hardy, but is never too much).     

 If you thought the premise of Tess was a shocker, check this out!  At a country fair, jobless/angry/drunken Daniel Henchard (Hinds) sells his wife and baby daughter for a few coins.  When he sobers up, he can’t believe what he’s done.  He runs into a chapel, grabs the Bible, and swears to not drink for 21 years.     

About 19 years later, Henchard’s wife Susan (Juliet Aubrey) and her grown-up daughter, Elizabeth Jane (May) set out to find him.  Susan says she is a widow and refers to her husband as “a relation by marriage.”  She is shocked to learn how “high” he has become when they reach Casterbridge; Susan spies Henchard (wearing the mayoral robe and medal) inside his fine house.  The mayor sees the ladies also, and decides to take action to make up for the “terrible deed.”        

 

Farfrae (James Purefoy), the optimistic Scotsman the mayor confides in.
Donald Farfrae (James Purefoy)

 

On the same night that his family comes to town, Henchard meets an optimistic Scotsman, Donald Farfrae (Purefoy), who has developed a technique to restore bad grain.  The mayor persuades Farfrae to become his manager, and he also confides in the younger man.  Later on, Henchard grows terribly jealous of Farfrae- an even-tempered, fair-minded man (unlike the mayor).  Just as in Hardy’s other works (i.e. Far from the Maddening Crowd, Jude the Obscure, and Tess of the D’Urbervilles) you will find lies, mysterious letters, sudden revelations, strong females, and a lot of drama. There are secrets at every turn in this story, so check it out for yourself!    

Movie Review: “The Wedding Banquet”

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Director Ang Lee’s films are very impressive- both in his native Mandarin Chinese and English- including Eat Drink Man Woman, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Sense and Sensibility, and Brokeback Mountain.  He has an eye for detail and subtlety.  The conflict between desire and duty is something he exlpores often.  Yet he struggled for 15 years to get his vision out to the public, because he wouldn’t compromise to meet someone else’s standards.  (He was a stay-at-home dad for many years while his wife earned a living.)  If the soft-spoken director had compromised, we wouldn’t have a gem like The Wedding Banquet, Lee’s second film (released in 1993).

 

 

Love, lies, food, family- FUN!!!

The Wedding Banquet, which Lee co-wrote, is a film infused with culture, humor, sensitivity… I could go on and on!  You will laugh, cry, and be (pleasantly) surprised as you watch this comedy.  This film (in Mandarin and English) challenges viewers’ expectations and shatters stereotypes we may have of the Chinese community, gay men, and “traditional” parents.  The main character, Wai Tung, is a well-off, buttoned-down Chinese immigrant businessman who lives in a comfy brownstone with his sweet/funny white American partner Simon, a physical therapist in NYC.   His traditional Chinese parents, who live in Taiwan, are busily looking for a nice, educated girl for him to marry.  Wai Tung wants to help out one of his tenants who has been living for 2 years in a (not so functional) loft in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (before that area became hipster and pricy).  Wei Wei is a painter, independent-spirited- truly a starving artist.  Simon suggests that Wai Tung marry Wei Wei to help her get a green card and make his parents happy.  What could go wrong? 

 

For one thing, the petite beauty, Wei Wei, has a big crush on Wai Tung.  And Wai Tung’s enthusiastic parents, who unexpectedly come to visit, want to follow wedding customs of their homeland.  They are very disappointed by the impersonal city hall ceremony.  (Their reactions are similar to that of Ang Lee’s parents, he explains in an interview.)  Out of the blue, an old army friend of Wai Tung’s father (and owner of a big restaurant) insists on throwing a wedding banquet.  But it’s all pretend, right?

 

Father, whose health is declining, wants a grandson to carry on the family name.  Mother is overjoyed to finally have a “daughter” who can take care of her son when they are gone.  Wai Tung is torn between his established life and one envisioned by the parents he respects and loves deeply.  Wei Wei, seeing the kindness and generosity of her new in-laws, begins to feel guilty.  Even the bubbly, accommodating Simon grows tired of pretending after a while.  How will this mess be settled?  Go find out ASAP!