Category: Movie Reviews

20th Anniversary: “Pride & Prejudice” & “Star Wars: Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith”

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Recently, there were special events (incl. re-releases) centered on 2 much loved (and much-maligned) blockbuster movies from my mid-20s- Pride and Prejudice (P&P) and Star Wars: Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith (TRS). Nostalgia is a big thing these days, esp. among those who are Xennials (b. 1977-1983) and Millennials (b. 1981-1996). Were you a fan (or hater) of P&P and/or TRS upon 1st release? Have you re-watched these movies? Have your opinions changed? Let me know your thoughts (in comments below)!

P&P (which boasted a cast of soon-to-be famous/cute/young faces) is an important film to my fam: we watched it in the theater over Thanksgiving 2005 (w/ my future BIL)! On a recent re-watch, I realized that it’s still a fun/well-made movie, though NOT accurate to Jane Austen’s book (as many have said in past). The young/British director, Joe Wright, had a fresh/controversial take on the Bennett fam (incl. their farm-style home, hairstyles, clothes, and-perhaps a BIT too quirky- personalities). I was (again) impressed by ALL the British character actors. When it came to casting, Rosamund Pike (who studied Austen in college) fitted the role of Jane perfectly. The best things about this adaptation are its music (composed by Dario Marinelli) and Matthew McFadyen. The tall/theatrically-trained actor conveys Mr. Darcy’s (unspoken) shyness, sadness (he lost parents when young), and vulnerability. And when Darcy (a socially awkward hero) finally smiles- wow, he wins over the audience!

In the climax of TRS, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen)- in Sith mode- declares to his Jedi mentor/BFF, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor): “If you’re not with me, then you’re my enemy!” For the “olds” (like me), this may remind you of former prez. (Dubya’s) words after 9/11: “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” Is the acting good? Well, it’s a mixed bag; Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is compelling/effective in his scenes. The film’s most important element is Anakin’s seduction to the Dark Side of the Force by Palpatine. One reviewer on IMDb said: “He is the lifeblood of the film.” Is the writing good? Well, it’s still basic (as w/ the 2 earlier prequels). Is the directing (by Lucas himself) effective? This is tough to judge, but Star Wars fans know Lucas is infamous for NOT saying much to help along the performance of his actors. There are times when I cringed, wondering why he didn’t give the actors another take of a scene. The first 20 mins. (mainly action) are quite exciting, as are the final 30 mins. (incl. the battle btwn. Anakin and Obi-Wan). The music (composed by John Williams) continues to be impressive, as you’d expect. Hey, I still got a BIT emotional at the end- I’m NOT immune to nostalgia!

“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (2024)

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Ficus Religiosa is a tree with an unusual life cycle. It seeds, contained in bird droppings, fall on other trees. Aerial roots spring up and grow down to the floor. Then, the branches wrap around the host tree and strangle it. Finally, the sacred fig stands on its own. -Opening lines of the film

[1] This raw and unsettling film features actual footage from the violent 2022 uprising in Iran over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was taken into custody for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. 

[2] This film works because it takes us inside a family unit that is impacted by these very issues. It appears to use actual protest footage (suitably obscured) mixed in along with the fictional actors. This gives it a more urgent edge.

[3] The film features a fantastic script, wonderful actors and images of an unknown Iran. You can see Iran like we can rarely see it, with its modernity, its rich history and ancient monuments, its poverty as well as its drawbacks.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

You MAY have heard a BIT re: this Iranian film; it was on Pres. Obama’s list of faves rom 2024. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (from filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof) was shot almost entirely in secret; financing came from French and German production companies. The movie had its premiere at Cannes (2024), where it was nominated for the Palme d’Or, winning the Special Jury Prize (considered the 3rd most prestigious prize at the festival). At the recent Oscars (2025), it was the official submission of Germany for Best International Feature Film.

Iman (Missagh Zareh) ia a devout/middle-aged/self-made man who lives w/ his wife, Najmeh (Soheila Golestani), and their 2 daughters: college student Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and older teen Sana (Setareh Maleki). He has just been appointed as an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. The position provides him a higher salary w/ option for a (larger) apt for his family (which his wife long wanted). As protests against the government unfold, Iman discovers that he was NOT hired to use his legal expertise to investigate cases. He is expected to approve judgments presented to him by his superiors (w/o assessing any evidence), incl. death sentences! This position requires him to remain anonymous; he is ordered to withhold info from friends/family and given a handgun for protection!

This film is a must-see for those who want to understand the situation in modern Iran. We are taken beyond the headlines to see what is happening-“kitchen table issues” (as US politicians like to say). Though it could’ve been edited down some more, it’s still a tense/engaging domestic drama w/ enaging dialogue and acting. What we see is a situation involving “Chekhov’s Gun”- literally. I came to feel for the two daughters, who are seeking to know the truth of their world; the news is being censored. As with any young people, these young women want some sort of personal freedom (EX: living away for college). This movie shows how political pressures affect each member of the family.

“Duel in the Sun” (1946) starring Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, & Gregory Peck

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A biracial (white/Native American) teen girl, Pearl Chavez (Jennifer Jones), who was raised in Mexico is sent to live w/ her distant relatives on a ranch in Texas. She is warmly welcomed by Laura Belle McCanles (Lilian Gish) and her lawyer son, Jesse (Joseph Cotten). Pearl meets w/ hostility from the patriarch, Sen. Jackson McCanles (Lionel Barrymore). Pearl is (at first) wary of the interests of younger son, Lewt (Gregory Peck), who is undisciplined/untamed. Jesse is calm/educated; he ultimately sides w/ the railroad against his father, saying: “I’d rather be on the side of the victims than of the murderers.” Long-held family tensions are exacerbated by her presence!

David O. Selznick spent the rest of his life trying to top Gone With the Wind. He was also obsessed w/ making 2nd wife (Jones) into the greatest leading lady. He didn’t succeed at either, but it wasn’t for lack of trying (from what I’ve heard from classic movie critics)! Jones got an Oscar for her 1st film- The Song of Bernadette. Selznick realized that she couldn’t play saintly women forever, so Pearl became the total opposite.

This movie is a hot/cringe-y mess, to keep it short! I saw it last month; I’m sure also watched it as a kid, BUT blocked it out (LOL)! This was one of few times where Peck played the bad guy; it may be awkward for fans (b/c he’s NOT doing his best). I’m thinking most of blame was on direction/producing- it’s doing TOO much (as Gen Z say)! The issues of (overt) racism and consent (or lack thereof) will offend those who are more sensitive viewers- so be warned.

[1] One thing with Selznick, he spared no expense. He got the best in talent for this film. Dimitri Tiomkin did the score, King Vidor the direction, Ray Rennahan the color photography which is absolutely stunning. […]

It misses being a classic mainly because Selznick couldn’t keep his hands off it. Sometimes the acting is about as subtle as a sledgehammer from all the performers. I’m willing to bet it’s Selznick more than Vidor.

[2] Everything about “Duel in the Sun” is overripe: the music, the photography (those red sunsets a la GWTW), the strong emotions and the climactic duel on a blazing desert sun by the two mismatched lovers. Indeed, the excesses are almost operatic in proportion–and yet, a viewer can get caught up in this sprawling western rightly termed “Lust in the Dust” by some reviewers.

[3] Pearl just can’t resist Lewt, no matter how bad he treats her. Leave your political correctness at the door, folks. This one’s got a little something to offend almost everybody.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Sibyl” (2019) starring Virginie Efira, Adele Exarchopoulos, Gaspard Ulliel, & Sandra Huller

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This French film (made for ONLY 5M euros) from Justine Triet (director/co-writer) and partner, Arthur Harari (co-writer/supporting actor), follows a 30-something psychotherapist, Sibyl (Virginie Efira). She is also wife to Etienne (Paul Hamy) and mom to 2 young kids. Sibyl decides to return to writing (her 1st career), yet still keeps a few patients. Harari plays Dr. Katz (Sibyl’s therapist), as is required in the mental health profession. One night, while dealing w/ writer’s block, Sibyl gets a (frantic) call from 20-ish/up-and-coming actress, Margot (Adèle Exarchopoulos). As Sibyl becomes more… and more wrapped up in Margot’s (turbulent) life, she starts to blur her past from the present… and reality from fiction!

I became curious re: this (genre-defying) film b/c it involved Triet, Harari, and Huller; it was made before they achieved international fame/critical acclaim w/ Anatomy of a Fall (2023). This is the last film released during his lifetime for Gaspard Ulliel (who plays Igor); he died in a ski accident in 2022 at just age 38. I hadn’t seen Efira’s acting before; she hails from Belgian. Efira and Niels Schneider (who plays Gabriel) are a couple IRL w/ one child. Exarchopoulos (then only 26 y.o.) has a French mother and Greek father; she co-starred in several well-known indies. The movie w/in the movie (starring Margot and Igor) was shot on the island of Stromboli (a part of Sicily, Italy).

From the trailer, I was expecting the tone of a dark/thriller; however, there are funny moments! This is free on streaming, so check it out (if in the mood for something unusual). Some viewers wondered: “Who is the patient and who is the therapist?” Gathering from reviews (IMDb; Letterboxd)- ppl are conflicted re: on this movie. Some called it a “hot mess” w/ “hot people”- LOL! Some expected more, yet did enjoy Huller’s performance as a perfectionist/Type A director. As in Anatomy of a Fall, Huller speaks more in English than in French. How cool is it that she can act in 3 languages!?

[1] You have to suspend your disbelief quite a lot and go with the flow. Having a love for making movies and understanding what can go on behind the scenes (it almost feels like someone is doing their own curing by doing the movie – the writer, the director, producers … all of the above and more?)

[2] I can’t recall seeing a film with so many good and great elements: cinematography, acting, a good deal of great dialogue, that was assembled into such a let down of total experience.

[3] The most enjoyable scenes for me were those with Sandra Huller, playing a film director, especially her reactions to the difficulties the actors are creating on her set. Her sensible response to the psychotherapist’s behaviour is long awaited and ultimately very satisfying.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“To Live and Die in LA” (1985) starring William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, & John Pankow

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A federal agent is dead. A killer is loose. And the City of Angels is about to explode. -Tagline

A fearless Secret Service agent will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter who killed his partner. -Synopsis

LA-based Secret Service agent, Richard Chance (William Petersen), becomes obsessed w/ finding counterfeiter, Eric Masters (Willem Dafoe), responsible for the killing of his former partner/friend, Jimmy Hart (Michael Greene). Chance loves the thrill of base jumping (similar to bunjee jumping); he is in a (complicated) relationship w/ a beautiful/blonde parolee, Ruth Lanier (Darlanne Fluegel). Chance gets a new partner, John Vukovich (John Pankow- best known for comedy)- who comes from a family of cops. Masters, a painter-turned-criminal, knows that the Secret Service is after him. Chance takes more… and more risks while conducting the investigation. Masters is NOT hesitant to use violence- even kill!

[1] I consider myself just another member of the crew, the highest paid member of the crew.

[2] If you’re going to make a film or an album of music or a painting, you cannot afford to stop and think what other people will think of it. You’ve got to take into consideration what your editor thinks, if, say, you’re a writer. But I don’t have anyone to answer to. I make a film because I want to. Sometimes they’re successful, sometimes they’re not, but the way I think about my films is always very personal. [2018]

-William Friedkin, filmmaker

The screenplay was written by Gerald Petievich (who worked mainly on police TV shows/movies) and William Friedkin (who also directed). Known as a filmmaker who stays on-budget and on-time, yet goes his own way, Friedkin (who passed away in 2024) grew up in a working-poor family in Chicago. His mother was a nurse; his father worked many different jobs (yet never made enough to support the family). After watching Citizen Kane (1941), he fell in love w/ movies. Friedkin went to work for local (WGN) TV after graduating HS; he started making docs (one of which won the Golden Gate Award at the 1962 San Francisco Film Festival). In 1965, he moved to Hollywood and started directing TV, incl. an ep of the The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962). Hitchcock (famously) chastised him for NOT wearing a tie- LOL!

Richard Chance [to Ruth]: Guess what? Uncle Sam don’t give a shit about your expenses. You want bread, f***k a baker.

This neo noir is called “very 80s”; it was influenced by TV’s Miami Vice. The clothes, music, and production design reflect that time period well. There are several tense stunts/action scenes; one fan commented watching Ronin (where you’ll see how this movie influenced a car chase). The dark tone of To Live and Die in LA is NOT a big surprise when I recall an interview where Friedkin commented policemen in his neighborhood were never friendly. The baddies are just as interesting as the (NOT so heroic) cops!

Here we see (hot/young) Petersen in his 1st film role; he is locked-in to the role (incl. w/ physicality of running, jumping, fighting, and… more). Some viewers/critics wondered: “Was he an athlete?” Yes, Petersen played football growing up, then became interested in acting in college. As Chance interacts w/ Ruth, you see just how much of a cold bastard he can be! Masters seems to have a much better relationship w/ his love interest/avant garde performer, Bianca Torres (Debra Feuer). Fans of (veteran character actor) Dafoe, will get a kick out of seeing how young he looks here. Though he stands at just 5’7″- he dominates (larger) scene partners w/ his intensity/screen presence. You see John Turturro (young) and Dean Stockwell (who passed away in 2021) in small/memorable roles.

[1] “To Live and Die in L.A” is an excellent non-stop action movie, having an excellent pacing and being a politically incorrect police story.

[2] The film works on many levels. Yes, it is about counterfeiting and superficial (re: counterfeit) relationships. It is about greed, survival, justice and morality. It is also about human beings using and laying to waste other human beings.

[3] The good guys are flawed. This isn’t really new, since the mid 1960s there were plenty of flawed heroes in Westerns or police thrillers. The difference is that not only their characters are flawed, they are vulnerable, destructible, they make mistakes. And they pay for their mistakes. Similarly the villains: yes, they are formidable and glamorous… They make mistakes too. And they pay too.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews