Category: Movie Reviews

Valmont (1989)

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Historically, among the French aristocracy, love and marriage did not go together.  Marriages were made because of  wealth, status, etc.   Of course, there was a lot of heartache, cheating, and even… disaster. In such a world, marriage was a burden to be tolerated; lovers/mistresses were common.

At the opening, “innocent,” wide-eyed 15 y.o. Cecile de Volanges (Fairuza Balk) leaves the convent where she’s been studying/living since age 11.  Her mother has already arranged a marriage for her with a wealthy older man, Monseur de Gercourt (Jeffrey Jones).  It turns out that Cecile’s fiance is the (current) lover of Madame de Merteuil (Annette Bening), her mother’s “wise,” beautiful, and widowed cousin. No one notices that Cecile’s young music tutor, Danceny (Henry Thomas, the little boy from E.T.) is interested in her, too.

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At the Paris opera, they meet a former lover of Merteuil’s, Monseur de Valmont (a young Colin Firth).  He invites Merteuil to his aunt’s place.  Valmont goes to the country, as he knows that the lovely/naive young wife of a judge is visiting, Madame de Tourvel (Jennifer Tilly).

Valmont boldly decalres his love for her, but she says that she’ll stay true to her husband.  Wives who cheat are “weak” in her mind.  (Watch for a funny pond scene that is quite different from the one in Pride & Prejudice.)

When Merteuil comes to the estate, she proposes a cruel plan: she wants Valmont to seduce Cecile before her wedding night, as revenge against Gercourt.  The idea bores him, at first, but then she says that he can have her if the plan succeeds.

Cecile’s mother is angry/upset when she learns that her daughter has been receiving love letters from Danceny.  The girl confesses all to Merteuil- she loves Danceny and hates the thought of marrying the “old and ugly” Gercourt.  Merteuil double crosses Cecile and tells the mother.  The young lovers are separated, but Merteuil promises to help them be together.  That’s when the real drama begins!

The leads in this film are much more appealing/younger, and thus better suited, to their roles than Glenn Close and John Malkovich in Dangerous Liaisons, a fine film (I loved Michelle Pfeiffer’s interpretation).  You don’t want to miss the sizzling chemistry between Bening and Firth, as Roger Ebert pointed out in his review.   They are just fun to watch!  (This is my third time watching this film.  My mom likes it too, though the some of the characters are  “very naughty.”)

Three Quick Reviews

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The Artist (2011)

I saw this charming/B&W/nearly silent film the night after the Oscars w/ my friend Anita.  We wanted to see what all the fuss was about!  It was a cute, fun, and optimistic (RARE for movies these days).  

The two French leads (Oscar winner Jean Dujardin & Bernice Bejo) had a LOT of chemistry w/ each other.  Dujardin has ALL the qualities of a leading man.  Even the little dog hit the right notes! There are also American actors in supporting roles, including John Goodman.  

The Social Network (2010)

Though this film’s main character is Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg (Jesse Eisenberg, who I first saw in Roger Dodger), the actor w/ the meatiest role is young Brit Andrew Garfield, who plays Mark’s best friend Eduardo Saverin.  The audience’s sympathies lie w/ Eduardo, who was the first one to believe in (and fund) Mark’s idea.  Eventually, the two pals face-off in a lawsuit, when Eduardo’s shares in the company are reduced to almost nothing. 

Another lawsuit is brought by the creators of Harvard Connection, the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer, who will soon appear in Mirror, Mirror) and their close friend/programmar, Divya Narendra (Max Minghella, son of director Anthony Minghella). [There ARE desis out in Hollywood, so I don’t see why Minghella got this role!]

Sad to say, but there isn’t much for the ladies in this film to do.  Nor are they very well-developed, aside from young Rooney Mara, who has a small/pivotal role as Mark’s ex-gf.  (I don’t want to discuss Brenda Song, so we’ll skip that.) Rashida Jones played a sympathetic lawyer, but her role was quite small.  

 

 

 

 

The Young Victoria (2009)

My mom liked this movie more than Jane Eyre, perhaps b/c of its positive/uplifting viewpoint of a courtship.  We know that England’s Queen Victoria (EmilyBlunt) and her husband, German prince Alfred (Rupert Friend) were a match made by their elders, BUT grew to love each other deeply.  In Mrs. Brown, the elderly Victoria (Judy Dench) is coming out of a LONG mourning. 

Blunt is a VERY capable actor, BUT in this film, I was drawn more to Friend’s character.   After all, he’s the outsider who has to adjust to playing a secondary role in his adopted land.  (Alfred did a LOT for the arts and nature preservation in England.) 

Jane Eyre (2011)

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Jane Eyre was one of the most anticipated films of 2011, esp. for fans of Brit Lit (like me).  It was directed by a young American, Cary Fukunaga, who gives it a fresh new take.  (His mom is Swedish; his dad is Japanese).  Fukunaga doesn’t stray far from the book, as I thought he might from the early trailers.  The supernatural elements were edited out (check out the deleted scenes under the special features).

Though I feel that Charlotte Gainsbourg (who can act in English and French) was the best Jane, I liked the very realistic take of young Australian actress, Mia Wasikowska.  Gainsbourg showed us Jane’s “unearthly” side; Wasikowska is JUST the right age for the role.  She’s able to convey Jane’s brainy, observant, and innocent sides quite easily.

Every Jane MUST have her Rochester, of course!  Gainsbourg had veteran American actor William Hurt (who I ALWAYS enjoy watching). However, Hurt was too old for the role, and played up the angry/emotional side a BIT too much.  The newest Mr. Rochester is more of a fresh face (still in his mid-30s)- Irish actor Michael Fassbender.  (His mom is Irish; dad is German.)  I had never seen him before, BUT heard some rave reviews of his acting in the past few months. 

Wow, those critics and viewers were NOT exaggerating!  Fassbender is an AMAZING Rochester- “changeable,” articulate, intelligent, tortured, etc. He’s intense w/o being over the top (which is easy to do w/ such a larger-than-life character).  Being an internal actor, it looks easy onscreen.  (Soon, I’m going to check out two of his older films that are streaming on Netflix now, Fishtank and Hunger). My only complaint- he’s TOO handsome for this role.  A star is discovered! 

Yes, Billy Elliott is in this movie!  Jamie Bell in ALL grown up (and ADORABLE); he plays St. John Rivers, the young/repressed minister who helps Jane get on her feet after her cruel disappointment.  Bell does a fine job in his role, as do the two actresses that play his little sisters.  Judy Dench, who plays the housekeeper Mrs. Fairfax, is very understated (as the role requires). 

I didn’t think the going back and forth in time was as effective as it could have been.  My mom and one of her friends (an avid moviegoer) said the same thing.  The lighting was (intentionally) dark indoors, playing up the dark side of Thornfield.  On the other hand, the outdoor scenes are lovelier and lighter.  A good touch in this production was the use of Northern accents (accurate for some characters, like Jane).  I loved all the costumes; they were just terrific, esp. on Fassbender’s lean (an European ideal) physique.

Two Films Starring Timothy Hutton

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Did you know that Timothy Hutton’s father was also an actor?  Jim Hutton was a contract player in Hollywood for many years; he got into acting while serving in the army.  He was said to have been similar to Jimmy Stewart- very tall, lanky, and a bit absent-minded in his delivery.  Unfortunately, Jim Hutton died young, before his son (at 18 y.o.) won Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Ordinary People, a touching domestic drama directed by Robert Redford.  In that film, Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland played Tim’s parents- WOW!

Despite his “boy next door” type of looks, there is something mysterious about Timothy Hutton.  He’s the type of actor you see pausing and thinking about a scene.  But, that’s not a problem, b/c he’s VERY good at becoming a character.  I like the fact that Hutton gets intelligent, sometimes very understated, roles.

Beautiful Girls (1996)

The main character, a piano player living in NYC, Willie (Hutton), goes to his working-class hometown (Knight’s Ridge) to visit his dad, little brother (David Arquette), and friends.  Their high school reunion is coming up, too.

One friend, Mo (Noah Emmerich), is a factory manager who’s settled w/ a wife and 2 rambunctious young kids.  He admires Willie for following his dreams.  Tommy (Matt Dillon), a star athlete in his high school days,  has a snow plowing business and a girlfriend named Sharon (Mira Sorvino).  But he has an on-again, off-again relationship w/ his high school sweetheart, Darian (Lauren Holly), who’s married to a wealthy man and mother to a toddler.  Paul (Michael Rapaport) is another snow plower who recently broke up w/ his long-term girlfriend, Jan (Martha Plimpton), a waitress who wants to settle down.  Paul is immature; he’s still crazy about supermodels (posters are all over his bedroom).

Willie, who’s deciding whether he should take his own relationship to the next level, meets his father’s neighbor, Marty (Natalie Portman), a 13 y.o. “old soul.”  They have some interesting conversations; she reminds him of less complicated times (childhood, innocence).

Willie, and all his pals, are intrigued by a glamorous visitor to town, Andera (Uma Thurman), the cousin of local bartender, Stinky. She’s the personification of their dream girl, so they all try to impress her how they can.  Andera is spoken for back in Chicago and Willie has a girlfriend, a lawyer named Tracy (Annabeth Gish).

This film is quite good (have seen it 3x over the years); the dialogue is (mostly) true to life.  It’s VERY well cast, too.  You get to know something about each of these young people who are in transition.  (If you enjoyeded Diner, Barry Levinson’s 1982 film, you’ll like Beautiful Girls.)  Though the title refers to women, it’s mainly a story of male frienship and romantic issues (self-doubt, fear of commitment, etc.)  Rosie O’Donnell has a REALLY clever/humorous scene inside a drugstore.

The Substance of Fire (1996)

As a young boy living in Europe, Isaac Geldhart (Ron Rifkin), hides in an attic filled w/ books to evade the Nazis.  From his window, he sees crowds burning books written by Jews.  As an adult, Isaac is a respected publisher of finely-made/serious books in NYC, though the business (Kepler Geldhart) is losing money.  His wife died a few years ago, and he’s still taking it VERY hard, though he hides it (w/ his charm, intelligence, etc.)  His eldest son, Aaron (Tony Goldwyn, giving an understated performance), handles the financial affairs of the family business.  Another son, Martin (Hutton), is a landscape designer/college lecturer living in the Hudson Valley.  The youngest child, Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), is an actress on a local children’s TV show.

Aaron, who’s out as a gay man, wants to publish a novel written by his boyfriend, Val (Gil Bellows).  Isaac insists that his company will NEVER publish trash like that.  Aaron decides to take control (w/ the help of his siblings, who are also shareholders).  It’s a tough decision for the kids.  Isaac, whose behavior becomes domineering and irrational, is enraged; he even asks for his surname to be removed from Aaron’s company!  Isaac opens his own firm and cuts himself off from his children for many months.  With the help of his long-time secretary, the kids get into the house (a historic townhouse), which has become a total mess.  They realize that something could be seriously wrong w/ their father.

I saw this film last week on Netflix; it caught my eye b/c of its cast.  It has some strong acting, esp. from Rifkin and Hutton, BUT just tried to do a BIT too much (w/ not enough time).  I wanted to know some more backstory and character motivation (esp. when it came to the BIG sacrifice Martin made).   The premise is quite unusual/interesting; the (realistic) issues addressed are VERY emotionally-charged.

True Grit & Winter’s Bone

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True Grit (2010)

This 2010 remake of the famed John Wayne western adapted/directed by Joel and Ethan Coen brings to mind Miller’s Crossing (1990), their Prohibition era gangster drama starring Gabriel Byrne.  Unlike most other Coen brothers films, it’s w/o any irony; the viewer needs to take it seriously.  But there is some humor here.  It took a few minutes to get used to the style of speech used, but I found it quite engaging.  The cinematography is just terrific!

The protagonist, 14 y.o. Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), travels from her family ranch to a small, unnamed town to collect the body of her dead father.  She explains that he was murdered by Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), a former employee who stole her father’s horse and two California gold pieces.  Then Chaney fled deep into Indian territory.

Mattie, a smart/tough kid beyond her years, seeks out Deputy Marshall Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn (Jeff Bridges, one of my favorite actors), b/c she learns that he has “true grit.”  She raises the money to hire him by bargaining w/ a horse trader (Dakin Matthews).  But Marshall Cogburn is NOT your prototypical white knight; he’s scruffy, out of shape, cranky, and VERY fond of whiskey.

This mismatched pair is joined by a cocky/talkative Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf (Matt Damon, who gives an understated performance), who wants to capture Chaney and take him back to the Lone Star state for crimes he committed there against a state senator.  Mattie wants to kill Chaney to revenge her father.  Though they were both fought for the South in the Civil War, Cogburn and LaBoeuf DO NOT hit it off.

This is one film that truly needed a remake; the 1969 version had some good action, but it wasn’t outstanding when it came to acting.  I have to admit, it was a BIT difficult to figure out what Bridges was saying in a few scenes.  His performance was VERY different from that of Wayne.

Steinfeld’s Mattie is a HUGE improvement over Kim Darby.  To begin with, Darby was TOO old for the role of Mattie.  And we mustn’t forget that annoying voice!

Also, b/c of Darby’s feminine Mattie, there was romantic tension between her and Glen Campbell, who (badly) acted the role of LaBoeuf.  Aside from examples like Chris Kristofferson and Dolly Parton, most country singers are NOT capable actors.  Not sure why SO many of them keep trying…

Winter’s Bone (2010)

Another unflinching teen girl, Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence), is the main character in Winter’s Bone, a small budget indie  set deep in the poverty-stricken Ozark Mountains.  (The film was shot on location is Missouri.)  17 y.o. Ree single-handedly raises her 6 y.o. sister Ashlee and 12 y.o. brother Sonny.  She is close friends w/ Gail, a new mother who’s married to a chauvinistic young man.  She is loving, yet tough when she needs to be.

Her absent father is out on bail, but the family doesn’t know his exact location.  He cooked meth (common in their tight-knit community); her mother became catatonic a few years back, unable to deal w/ the circumstances/pain of her life.

One day, Sheriff Baskin (Garrett Dillahunt) tells Ree that if her father doesn’t show up for his court date, they will lose the house because it was put up as part of his bond.  Ree sets out to find her father, entering a world of meth, violence, and secrecy.  She starts with her meth-addicted uncle Teardrop (John Hawkes) and continues on to more distant relatives.  She even gathers the courage to reach out to the local crime leader, Thump Milton.   He refuses to even see her, sending his wife and other females out to warn her to leave the situation alone.

You will quickly be drawn into the (often unseen) world of this film.  Many critics have commented on its feminist viewpoint.  Also, we usually don’t see rural poverty depicted in such a natural way.  Lawrence does a SUPERB job; I can’t recall seeing a character quite like this before!  As I was watching Winter’s Bone, I kept thinking that a girl like Ree should be studying, planning for her adult life (job/college), and anticipating the senior prom.  But some girls’ lives are NOT so easy.