Category: Movie Reviews

Imitation of Life (1959)

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This melodrama is based on a novel and directed by Douglas Sirk (known for his distinct style and focus on “women’s problems”).  In our time, his influence can be seen in Todd Haynes’ Far from Heaven and the AMC’s Mad Men.  

Widowed/single mother, Lora Meredith (Lana Turner), temporarily loses her 6-year old daughter, Susie, at the beach on Coney Island.  She scrambles to find the girl amid the crowd, and runs into a handsome photographer, Steve Archer (John Gavin), who offers his help.  When she finds Susie, she is with a kind black woman, Annie Johnson (Juanita Moore) and her 8-year old daughter, Sarah Jane (who has dark brown hair and looks white).  “Her father was almost white,”  Annie explains to the surprised Lora, who thought Annie was the girl’s nanny.  It turns out that Annie is also a widow, and she and her child have no place to stay.  Lora asks them over to her humble Manhattan apartment. 

In no time, the four are functioning as family.  Lora goes out into the theater world to seek work as an actress; Annie takes care of the home, kids, and picks up little jobs now and then.  The girls go to school and grow up like sisters, though conflicts arise when Sarah Jane insists on hiding her true racial identity.  For many months, Steve and Lora date.  Though he loves his art, he gets a stable job in marketing.  He’s good with Susie, too.  But he’s not as perfect as he seems…

In time, Lora achieves the success she dreamed of professionally.  She becomes a star of theater, then movies, working with notable directors.  The family moves to a spacious house on Long Island.  Annie is always there- the “wind beneath her wings”- serving as a homemaker, confidant, and partner.  In one poingnant scene, Lora admits that Annie was more of a mother to Susie than she was (because of her high ambitions).

The girls grow into beautiful, charming, independant-minded teenagers.  Susie (petite, blonde Sandra Dee) has a positive outlook on life, though Sarah Jane (Susan Kohner, an actress of Czech and Mexican heritage) is troubled and restless. 

There is much to admire in this film, but also troubling aspects (reflecting the limitations of Hollywood and US.)  Why is Annie always humble, obliging, and wise?  Why doesn’t she have weak moments, like Lora?  Why weren’t African American actresses chosen to play Sarah Jane (as in the 1934 version)?  I’ll have to watch that version, too.  Some of the themes in this film are very modern: navigating a man’s world without a husband, raising a child as a single parent, and mother-daughter conflicts. 

Lora and Annie are like two sides of a coin- one has the strength to face the outside world (with her beauty and confidence), while the other has a quiet, inner strength (stemming from her spirituality).  Moore won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance. 

I was impressed by Kohner’s performance; I thought she did a fine job of a rebellious, conflicted individual seeking a place in the world. 

Gilda (1946)

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In post-WWII Buenos Aires, Argentina, petty American gambler Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford) is rescued by wealthy businessman Ballin Mundson (George Macready).  In no time, Johnny becomes his “right-hand man,” managing his casino.  Why does Mudson help Johnny so much?  (Many critics pointed to the homoerotic dialogue and imagery in the first section of the film.)  

Ballin goes to the US for a short time; when he returns, Johnny learns that his wife is an American dancer, Gilda (Rita Hayworth), Johnny’s former love.  We can tell that they had a bitter, nasty break-up.

When Gilda is brought back to Argentina by Tom, she slaps Johnny hard across both sides of his face. In reality, Rita Hayworth’s smacks broke two of Glenn Ford’s teeth. He held his place until the take was finished.   -IMDB

Gilda: If you’re worried about Johnny Farrell, don’t be.  I hate him!
Ballin: And he hates you.  That’s very apparent.  But hate can be a very exciting emotion.  Very exciting.  Haven’t you noticed that?

While her controlling, disinterested husband is busy running his hotel/casino and overseeing a tungsten cartel, Gilda is left to her own devices.  She buys beautiful, expensive things and openly flirts with several men, so Ballin decides to make Johnny her watchdog.  The younger man resents this position, and bites back at Gilda.  He stops her from fooling around with any men, delivering her to her husband’s mansion. 

All of the goings-on of the place are observed by a lowly (yet wise) employee, Uncle Pio (Steven Geray).  He calls Johnny a “peasant” and has empathy for Gilda’s situation. There is a sub-plot involving former Nazis and a local detective.  To find out more, watch the film.

Johnny (to Gilda): What was that word?  It [decent] sounds funny coming from you.

This is an uneven film with a flimsy plot, but it’s also well-loved by many viewers.  It packs a punch because of the presence of the gorgeous femme fatale and the (almost palpable) chemistry between Hayworth and Ford.  If you’re interested in the themes explored in this film, check out Separate Tables (starring Hayworth, Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, & David Niven) and The Lady from Shanghai (starring Hayworth and Welles).  I need to check out more movies with Ford; so far, I’ve seen 3:10 to Yuma, The Fastest Gun Alive, and The Courtship of Eddie’s Father. 

In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011)

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Yes, this is Angelina Jolie’s movie (her directorial debut), but don’t let that put you off- it’s quite a tale!  There are no flashy directorial moves, and the pace can seem slow, but I feel the subject matter is worth a look.  However, if you are a sensitive person, this is not the film for you!  (FYI: There are 2 versions of the film- one where actors tell the story in English and the other in Bosnian/Serbian.  I saw the English version.)  The time is the recent past; the setting is the Bosnian War.  Here is some info from Wikipedia:

The war came about as a result of the breakup of Yugoslavia.  Following the Slovenian and Croatian secessions from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1991, the multi-ethnic Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was inhabited by Muslim Bosniaks (44 percent), Orthodox Serbs (31 percent) and Catholic Croats (17 percent), passed a referendum for independence on 29 February 1992.  This was rejected by the political representatives of the Bosnian Serbs, who had boycotted the referendum and established their own republic. Following the declaration of independence, the Bosnian Serbs, supported by the Serbian government of Slobodan Milošević and the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA), mobilized their forces inside the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to secure Serbian territory, then war soon broke out across the country, accompanied by the ethnic cleansing of the Bosniak population, especially in Eastern Bosnia.

Love in a time of conflict is not uncommon in film, but this is a compelling depiction.  This film focuses on a promising romance twisted and killed by war.  A dark-haired woman, who lives with her sister and baby nephew in a humble apartment, goes out to a bar/nightclub and dances with a blonde man; they are obviously very into each other.  There is a live band playing and the mood is joyous.

     

The encounter each other a time later when the woman, a Muslim painter named Ajla (Zana Marjanovic) is a prisoner in the camp run by the Serbian man, a soldier named Danijel (Goran Kostic).  Danijel meets with Ajla in private, just to talk at first, because there is no one else to relate to in the prison.  He needs to let off steam, and show her that he’s not a monster.  Danijel also softens the blow for her, while the other women are treated horribly (beaten, raped, and worked like dogs cooking and cleaning).  Is she in love with Danijel or merely protecting herself?  (It’s up to the viewer to decide.)  They think of a plan that will enable Ajla to escape the prison.   

       

Ajla is unable to escape; she sees brutality all around her, and somehow stays sane.  Meanwhile, her sister suffers a terrible loss and joins a group of rebels.  Danijel is not the typical grunt soldier, he’s the son of a particularly successful/brutal general, Nebojsa (Rade Serbedzija).  His father is grooming him for leadership.  The stress of war gets to the younger man, and he turns on the woman closest to him.  He keeps her hidden away for quite a whille, but Ajla is not safe- not even from Danijel!  

I wished there was more information in this film about the politics of this war.  The secondary characters needed more development.  This film come off as limited at times, but the lead actors work very well together.  They have great chemistry with each other, and connect deeply with their characters.  (Nobody is a well-known face here, aside from Serbedzija.)  Ajla is dignified and strong even in the toughest situations.  Danijel slowly transforms from a rather sympathetic antagonist into a fallen, broken man.

 

  

Some films at AFI Latin American Film Festival

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7 Days in Havana

Did you enjoy “Paris, I Love You?”  Then you may enjoy this film as well.  It’s a compilation of 7 different short films (directed by some famous directors from all over the world).  The setting is modern-day (communist) Cuba, where people are struggling in their personal and professional lives (just like anywhere else). 

In the first film, a young American film student (who knows only a little Spanish) goes out to a club with his cabbie looking for a beautiful girl.  He finds a rather unusual individual who defies stereotype, as does the American in his reaction. 

In another tale, a jaded/drunken Serbian director comes to Cuba to get an award.  But the highlight of his trip is meeting a  cabbie with a great talent for music.

A beautiful/ambitious singer is torn between two men- her loving/long-time boyfriend (a struggling basesball player) and a smooth-talking stranger who offers her a contract to work in Spain.  (To heighten the contrast- one man is a dark-skinned Afro-Cuban and the other is fair/redheaded.)

Calvet

This is a documentary of Jean Marc Calvet, a French artist living in Nicaragua, who is still struggling with demons (though he’s settled with a family and earns good money).  In his own words, he recounts his boyhood, addictions, various jobs (legal/illegal), and especially- his intense regret in not being there for this 18 y.o. son.  (He speaks in both French and Spanish.)  Will he be able to find his son?  If so, how will his son react to his long-absent father?       

Clandestine Childhood

Juan is an observant/sensitive 11 y.o. boy who comes from Cuba to Argentina (in 1979) with his family and a group of their comrades.  He attends school (under the name Ernesto), makes some friends, and gets a big crush on a pretty classmate.

But he’s not quite like the others- his parents and uncle are guerrillas, and the family is hiding out in an uncle’s house.  Juan also has a baby sister, Vicky.

His grandmother comes for a brief visit, and says she can care for the kids.  But Juan’s mother angrily insists that her children belong with her.

Not as a Stranger (1955) starring Robert Mitchum & Olivia de Havilland

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At the opening, Lucas Marsh (Robert Mitchum, one of my favorite actors) is an idealistic intern at a private hospital.  Luke has dreamed of being a doctor since childhood, though he comes from very humble roots (his mother is dead and his father is a drunkard).  His best friend is Alfred Boone (Frank Sinatra in a fine supporting role), the jovial son of a comfortable family who loves chasing women.  Al comments to a classmate that though they all want to be doctors, Luke “wants it more- he has to.”  Luke works as a lab researcher, usually late into the night.

While working, Luke strikes up a friendship with a 1st gen. Swedish-American nurse from Minnesota, Kristen (Olivia de Havilland).  She even arranges it so that he and Al can watch an important surgery.  When Luke’s father spends the money his mother saved for his education, he’s desperate (though he conceals it well).  He gets some help from Al and his teacher, Dr. Aarons (Broderick Crawford), but it’s not enough.  Dr. Aarons, who is Jewish, went through a lot of trouble to become a doctor, and sees great potential in Luke.   

When Kris invites Luke and Al to dine with her friends Bruni and Oley (Harry Morgan from M.A.S.H.), Luke learns that Kris has saved quite a bit of money.   It’s obvious that Kris likes Luke more than a friend, so he asks her out.  (After all, she’s a fine nurse with a “pretty face” and “nice figure.”)  After a few dates, he decides to propose, though Al reminds him that he doesn’t love her.  They nearly come to blows (Luke has a hot temper).  “It’s not like that.  Things are not always black and white,” Luke replies.

They marry and move into her little apartment.  They continue with their respective work; Kris helps Luke prepare for his exams and with his people skills.  (Since he has such high standards, it’s difficult for him to tolerate weakness in others.) 

Marsh, you’re one of the most brilliant students we’ve ever had here.  You’ll be a great physician.  Stop living your life like a Greek tragedy, or you’ll muff it!  -Dr. Aarons
After graduation, the couple move to a small town, where Luke shares a practice with Dr. Runkleman (Charles Bickford), the most experienced doctor in the area.  Dr. Marsh is pleasantly surprised to learn that the older man keeps up with the latest research.  The life of a country doctor is tougher and more tiring than anticipated.  

There is also temptation- a wealthy young widow, Mrs. Lange (Gloria Grahame), summons Dr. Marsh to her home late one night (to check him out).  He’s taken aback by her looks and boldness.  At home, Kris wants to start a family. 

The secret of Robert Mitchum’s success(ful) appeal as an actor was his ability to easily combine tough masculinity and tender vulnerability in one persona, unlike any of his peers (John Wayne, William Holden, Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston).  One felt that Mitchum concentrated more on fully and honestly showing all sides of whatever character that he was playing, even the weak and not-so-tough moments… 

–A commentor on YouTube

This film is a must-see for any fan of cinema!  It has well-developed characters, great dialogue, and takes the viewer on a journey.  The editing and pacing are also well done; this is important since the film clocks in at 2 hours and 15 minutes.  (The director is a groundbreaker in the field, Stanley Kramer; he also directed Inherit the Wind, The Defiant Ones, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and many others.)  The ending is fitting and very fulfilling- I got a bit teary-eyed.