Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

Emma1 Comment
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Photo from the poster of the film

Hannah (Mia Farrow), Holly (Dianne Wiest), and Lee (Barbara Hershey) are sisters (somewhere in their 30s) from a show business family in Manhattan. Their parents, Norma (Maureen O’Sullivan- Farrow’s real mother) and Evan (Lloyd Nolan) are still together, though can be combative and cranky towards each other.

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Thanksgiving at Hannah and Elliot’s Upper West Side Manhattan apartment

Hannah has been married to Elliot (Michael Caine) for four years. He is a British financial advisor, but has a penchant for poetry. Unbeknownst to Hannah, he has developed feelings for Lee (revealed via his internal monologue at the opening of the film). 

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Elliot (Michael Caine)

However, Lee has been living for several years w/ an older European painter, Frederick (Max Von Sydow). He isn’t a people person, but is a boyfriend, mentor, and financial support for Lee.  

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A view of Central Park

Hannah is the success of the sibling trio, but taking a break from acting to raise her children. Her first husband, Mickey (Woody Allen), is a comedy show writer and hypochondriac. Mickey goes on a (rather funny) quest for religion, fearing he might die soon.  

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A flashback scene: Mickey (Woody Allen) and Holly (Dianne Wiest) at a concert

Holly is the insecure single sister who is a struggling actress; she recently started a catering business with her actress friend (or perhaps frenemy), April (Carrie Fisher). One time, Hannah even set up Holly w/ Mickey. (Wow, looks like even 30 yrs ago, there was a lack of eligible single men in NYC- LOL!)

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April (Carrie Fisher)

On a catering job, Holly and April meet an architect, Michael (Sam Waterston in an uncredited role). Michael was bored at the party, thought they were pretty, and ended up showing them around Manhattan, pointing out his favorite buildings. (That sounds like a cool date, or in this case- quasi-date!)

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Michael (Sam Waterston) meets Holly (Dianne Weist)

Michael takes Holly to the opera (which he loves); she gets excited about the potential for a relationship. April tells her that Michael also asked her to the opera when they meet after a rehearsal. (Uh oh, not a good sign!) 

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View of a bookstore in Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan

Elliot hangs around Lee’s neighborhood, then runs into her one afternoon. They browse through an old bookstore together. He doesn’t reveal his feelings, but insists on buying her a volume of e.e. cummings poetry. 

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Lee (Barbara Hershey) looks through a book of poetry with Elliot (Michael Caine)

I’d never seen this film before, though I’d heard about it many times. Both Caine and Wiest won Oscars for their roles. The dialogue is great, but you shouldn’t expect less from Allen (who wrote and directed). Though the themes are quite serious, there are some funny moments. I also enjoyed seeing the scenery of ’80s NYC- it was quite different from when I lived there (2005-2009). Check out this film for yourself!  

The Salesman (2016) directed by Asghar Farhadi

Emma3 Comments
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Actress Taraneh Alidoosti and director Asghar Farhadi

For years on both sides of the ocean, groups of hardliners have tried to present to their people unrealistic and fearful images of various nations and cultures in order to turn their differences into disagreements, their disagreements into enmities and their enmities into fears. Instilling fear in the people is an important tool used to justify extremist and fanatic behavior by narrow-minded individuals.

However, I believe that the similarities among the human beings on this earth and its various lands, and among its cultures and its faiths, far outweigh their differences.

-Excerpt from Iranian director Asghar Farhadi’s official statement re: not attending the 2017 Oscars (where this film has been nominated Best Foreign Language Film of the Year)

NOTE: This review contains SPOILERS for the film.

The film is openly an allegory about social, urban and marital decay. But way beyond it, it is about the costs of masculine pride. …this is a superb statement about the unbearable consequences of trying to live up to codes of honour that centre on the female body.

-Excerpt from IMDB review

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Shahab Hosseini in A Separation

This is the new film from the famed/respected Iranian director who brought us A Separation. I went to see it two weeks ago (it was a sold-out screening) at AFI in Silver Spring, MD. This movie is NOT as interesting as A Separation (which also co-stars Shahab Hosseini), BUT it’s worth a look (esp. if you like naturalistic cinema). It would’ve been more effective if had been shorter; the running time is a BIT over 2 hrs. There is a much left unsaid (b/c of censors); the limits put on artists are referred to also in the play (A Death of A Salesman) w/in the film.

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Raana (Taraneh Alidoosti) and Emad (Shahab Hosseini) in The Salesman

A married couple in Tehran, Emad (Hosseini- an engineer turned actor) and Raana (Taraneh Alidoosti), recently moved into a new apt (thanks to their older friend, Babak). They are irritated to discover that one room is locked b/c the previous tenant (“a woman who had many male visitors”) hasn’t come to get her stuff. Babak’s calls go unanswered by the former tenant, so Emad’s friends pry open the door and empty out her stuff. We learn that this woman (no one ever mentions the word “prostitute”) had a young son; his drawings are in one corner of the room.

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Shahab Hosseini at the Cannes Film Festival

WHAT exactly happened to Raana the night she was mistaken for this prostitute and assaulted? It’s left up to the audience to decide, b/c we don’t hear SVU-style details. Hosseini (winner of the Best Actor award at Cannes Film Festival) is in almost every scene; he characterizes an Everyman who slowly breaks down. He can’t communicate well w/ Raana, get help from the law (she wants to forget about it), so gets obsessed w/ finding the attacker (revenge).

…words of truth are spoken not in the real life, but on a theater stage while playing roles.

-Excerpt from IMDB review

Now, this is NOT the type of man you’d expect to act irrationally, being a mild-mannered teacher at a boy’s high school (day job) and actor (in the theater after work). Raana is also acting alongside him and their friends. One of the actresses in the troupe is a divorced single mom w/ an adorable young son. Though Raana and Emad don’t have kids, they are good w/ this boy when they babysit him one evening.

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Emad (Shahab Hosseini) gets his makeup done before the play.

How does Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman relate to their lives? Sorry, I can’t answer that, b/c I haven’t read/seen that play yet. Farhadi said in an interview that the play is VERY popular in Iran, where modern audiences have embraced it.

The last twenty minutes of film are really breathtaking and the spectators associate with Emad more than anytime and I think they regularly ask themselves “if I were him, what would I do?”

-Excerpt from IMDB review

If you’re looking for suspense and tension, then wait until the last quarter of this film. There are intense moments, for sure! By then, Emad is VERY on edge, and getting close to becoming the villain in his own story. Maybe he’s NOT that far from the domineering, volatile, working-class man he played in A Separation? Raana, who has been in a fog of depression, is shocked when she sees his behavior. We wonder: What will happen w/ their marriage?

Lucy Gallant (1955) starring Jane Wyman & Charlton Heston

Emma1 Comment
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A poster for the film

[1] The scenes of the hotels being so full and nothing for people to buy in the boom towns is very accurate. The development of the great department store is really telling the story of famed Texas department stores such as Neiman-Marcus…

[2] I love the story of the strong, driven, successful woman. She so reminds me of the woman I always aspired to be. It was such a perfect match between Jane Wyman and Charlton Heston. They really complimented each other.

[3]…and the ups and downs of the relationship could fit today’s challenges for a woman who wants to have it all. But what I’ll admit right now is how I loved the clothes!!!

[4] Thelma Ritter was a little doll in here. I’m so used to her in her usual matronly-maidish clothes — but seeing her in those Edith Head creations at the end was wonderful.

 -Various IMDB comments

If you liked Giant (1956), then give this film a look. The story centers on Lucy Gallant (Jane Wyman), a fashionable upper-class woman who leaves NYC for a Texas boom town in the ’30s. Upon getting off the train, she meets Casey Cole (Charlton Heston), a local cowboy. He carries her over the mud, since her heels are NOT quite suited for this environment.

Casey takes a liking to Lucy, even taking her to the boarding house where he sometimes stays while in town; it’s owned by an older friend, Molly (Thelma Ritter- a character actress who’s great in everything), and her husband, Gus. Molly is pleasantly surprised to see Casey w/ such a classy woman. (It’s cool to see Thelma Ritter in some glam clothes later in the film; she usually plays housekeepers.) After settling her in, Casey heads off to his OWN ranch.

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Casey Cole (Charlton Heston)

To get started in business, Lucy sells her wedding trousseau to local women (wives and daughters of men who’ve recently discovered oil). We learn that her father died amid a financial scandal, then her fiancé left her at the altar. Casey is impressed by Lucy’s plans and ambitions, BUT also skeptical (after all, she has NEVER worked before). Lucy is (obviously) attracted to Casey, BUT she keeps him at arm’s length, since her main focus is starting a clothing store.

One day, Lucy and Casey have a picnic on his ranch. He’s thinking re: selling his family’s land to a large oil company, then settling down (w/ a wife and kids, of course). Well, Lucy gets the hint, BUT she says that she MUST return to take care of the store. The store gets started on a good footing, thanks to unique inventory, loyal customers, and her long hours of hard work.   

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Lucy Gallant (Jane Wyman) at a fashion show

This is one of those classic films that is still VERY relevant today! Can women “have it all” (career, family, social life, etc)? Why are MANY men intimidated by successful women, esp. those who earn more than themselves? There is good chemistry between Wyman and Heston; their characters are BOTH quite confidant, tough, and stubborn-minded. Will they EVER get together!? 

Hidden Figures (2017) starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, & Janelle Monae

Emma5 Comments
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A poster for the movie Hidden Figures

NOTE: This review contains SPOILERS for the film.

This is a crowd-pleasing Hollywood movie (which I saw w/ my mom 2 wks ago), BUT about a subject we’ve NEVER heard about- three professional African-American (then referred to as “Negro”) women at NASA in the ’60s. ALL the ladies give strong performances here; they have strong chemistry that makes their long-time friendship seem real. At the center is Katherine Coleman (Taraji P. Henson of Empire)- a former child prodigy, widow, mom of 3 young daughters, and mathematician. Her mind works fast, BUT working w/ the team of engineers (under Al Harrison- Kevin Costner in a low-key performance) prepping for the first manned rocket launch IS a challenge. Katherine grows in her job, gaining confidence and respect (even from racist senior engineer Paul Stafford- Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory).

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Katherine works out the math for a future rocket launch.

In some ways, the film is traditional, esp. how the problems are wrapped up quite nicely. We get the feeling that MAYBE Mary Jackson’s (Janelle Monae) hubby, Levi (Aldis Hodge- star of Underground), is NOT all in for his wife working such long hours and becoming an engineer. However, there are moments where you want to cheer, b/c these ladies are succeeding w/ SO much stacked against them (in a segregated South- Langley, VA). Even going to the bathroom is a hassle, since the “colored” restroom is located on the other side of the large campus!

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Katherine surrounded by her coworkers (all white and male) engineers.

This story would NOT have been told w/o the 2014 book upon which it’s based by Margot Lee Shetterly. She is the daughter of a NASA engineer (her dad); she also grew up in the same town as these “human computers.” As a youngster, Shetterley knew these ladies as neighbors and fellow churchgoers. Yes, we are in the time before IBM was a household name, though eventually Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) learns FORTRAN to program the new computer.  

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Col. John Glenn (Glen Powell) meets Katherine Johnson.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a math/science/history nerd to LOVE this film. (I personally liked the historical elements, esp. the clothes and cars.) One of my fave elements was the slow burn romance between Katherine and a National Guardsman, Major Jim Johnson (Mahershala Ali- also in Moonlight). “It’s very rare to see a black man pursuing a black woman” (as was discussed on the JAN 25th Slate Culture Gabfest). Henson and Ali have great chemistry. The surprise proposal/family dinner scene had me in tears!

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The “computers” gather around the TV to watch Col. Glenn’s historic launch.

Films like this are important, esp. today when certain world leaders are trying to close-up borders, restrict (legal) immigration, and creating unease (in anyone who isn’t straight/ white/Republican/ male). Why NOT take the example of astronaut John Glenn (Glen Powell) in this film?  According to historians (and his contemporaries), Glenn was considered “ahead of his time” when it came to race relations. Though one of the white women supervisors tried to rush him inside, Glenn (who later became an Ohio senator) walked over to where the black computers were standing in the welcome line; they shook hands and chatted briefly. Without the combined work on dozens of black women, he would never have gone into space! 

Magnificent Obsession (1954) starring Jane Wyman & Rock Hudson

Emma5 Comments
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Nancy (Jane Wyman) drives Joyce (Barbara Rush) to see her father at the hospital.

I saw this film (in color, NOT in black and white as it was shot) on TCM recently, hoping it’d be on par w/ All That Heaven Allows (1955), which also stars Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson. Boy, was I wrong! This is a melodramatic mess that doesn’t make sense w/ regards to characterization (esp. that of Bob Merrick), time lapses, and many of its events. The actors do what they can w/ the material, BUT you can tell that Hudson still has more to learn. He was NOT yet famous at this time; Wyman (8 yrs older than her co-star) is quite capable.   

[1] I always thought Jane Wyman had a beautiful complexion and a lovely smile. No, she’s not the Marilyn Monroe type which would have been completely out of the context of this movie. 

[2] The problem, I believe, is that Jane Wyman had what you rarely saw in actresses then, and never see today: grace. Not to mention dignity and intelligence. Her characters were complex, independent women…

-IMDB comments re: Jane Wyman 

Helen Phillips (Wyman) becomes a widow after only a 6 months of marriage to her husband, a respected/older doctor in upstate New York. The paramedics were too late in coming to help Dr. Phillips; instead, the life of “sportsman” (playboy, I’d say)- Bob Merrick (Hudson)- was saved. The issue was that there was ONLY one “resuscitator” available in the area. This incident racks Bob w/ guilt.

Nancy Ashford (Agnes Moorehead), a nurse and friend of the Phillips’, is upset by this loss, and also worried re: the future of the hospital. Soon, Helen learns that her husband left her almost nothing to live on; he often saw patients for free and donated money for a school in Mexico. (Um OK, why keep monetary issues hidden from his wife? That’s NOT cool!)

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Bob Merrick (Rock Hudson) finds a new philosophy for his life.

Bob discovers that Helen (who he met earlier when he was escaping from the hospital) was the widow of the dead doctor. He had been VERY impressed by her (yeah, in just a few mins.) and badgered her to go out to dinner w/ him (though she’s a total stranger and NOT his type).  

He later runs into Joyce (Barbara Rush), Dr. Phillip’s grown-up daughter, as well as some of the hospital staff who’d treated him. They look at him like he’s crazy, barging into the place and insisting on giving $25,000 to Nancy (to assuage his guilt). She refuses the money, of course, thinking him TOO rash. 

[3] A lot of films of this era would place a “God” character into the narrative. Randolph serves that function. …it’s made very clear in the operating room scene. In that scene, he literally looks down on Rock from above, a serene smile on his face, and gives him the strength to continue.

-IMDB comment (re: character of Edward Randolph)

One evening, Bob gets drunk and ends up near the home of Dr. Phillips’s old friend, Edward Randolph, a painter.  The older man explains the philosophy by which the doctor lived- doing good for others w/o expecting any recognition or reward in return. Bob listens intently, thinking how he’s lived his life in recent years (dropping out of med school to spend the inheritance from his dead father).  

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Bob (Rock Hudson) relentlessly pursues Nancy (Jane Wyman)- yeah, even in her black (widow) attire!

[4]…this is the weakest of the Douglas Sirk/Ross Hunter melodramas. Maybe the wild plot has something to do with it, but I think Sirk simply lacks control over the proceedings and has yet to properly develop the style that flourishes in the following films (All That Heaven Allows, Written on the Wind, Imitation of Life, etc.) 

-IMDB comment 

The story goes downhill from there, as Bob continues to pursue Helen. (Does he think he’s in love? Or does his guilt contribute to his obsessive behavior?) While trying to get away from him, she rushes out of a taxi, and is hit by a passing car. She ends up blind (getting into cheesy soap opera territory)!

After a few months, we see that Helen is still quite positive-minded and getting around well, w/ help from friends and Joyce. She esp. likes going down to the local beach and chatting w/ a young girl who plays/reads there. Bob comes upon this same beach and begins a friendship w/ Helen; he calls himself by a different name, thinking that she’d NEVER care for him otherwise. (Groan, as if she doesn’t know his voice!?) There is more to the story…  Well, YOU can check this film out yourself, BUT I wouldn’t recommend it.