Tag: Marraige

“Edge of the City” (1957) starring John Cassavetes, Sidney Poitier, Jack Warden, & Ruby Dee

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A railroad worker in New York forms a close bond with his African American coworker while they both endure harassment from their hostile supervisor. -Synopsis

A brooding/down-on-his luck man, Axel North (John Cassavetes- best known later as an indie director), comes to NYC and spends one night sleeping on the streets. In the morning, he runs into Tommy Tyler (Sydney Poitier), a Black man w/ a friendly personality, who helps him get a job. The men work on the docks as stevedores; the word comes from estivador (Portuguese) or estibador (Spanish)- a man who loads ships/stows cargo. Axel and Tommy (though of differing personalities) quickly become friends, though Axel is hesitant about opening up. Tommy, a family man, says that his neighborhood welcomes all backgrounds (as renters). A bitter/racist co-worker, Charles Malik (Jack Warden), manages to make their life difficult whenever he can!

Y’all ever seen this movie? It’s a hidden gem which tackles real issues in a naturalistic manner. I learned about it from a movie group on Fb. This was the debut of director Martin Ritt; he was best known for collabs w/ close pal Paul Newman (The Long Hot Summer, Paris Blues, and Hud). As classic film fans may recall, Paris Blues is also centered on an interracial friendship. Lucy (Tommy’s wife) is played by Ruby Dee; you can see her again as Poitier’s wife in A Raisin in the Sun (1961). Lucy and her (white) friend, Ellen (Kathleen Maguire), are both educated/progressive-minded women.

As an artist, I feel that we must try many things – but above all we must dare to fail. -John Cassavetes

John Nicholas Cassavetes was born in NYC in 1929; his father was an immigrant from Greece and his mother was 1st gen Greek-American. The family moved back to Greece in the early 1930s; young Cassavetes spoke Greek as his 1st language. The family moved back to the U.S. in 1936. As a teen, he wrote for his H.S. paper, and then attended college briefly in Vermont (before being expelled for bad grades). Soon after, Cassavetes enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA); several of his friends were already attending. After graduating, he began to perform on stage; he also appeared in minor roles in films/TV. After appearing in Edge of the City, Cassavetes gained critical acclaim; critics compared him to Marlon Brando. He then became a contract player for MGM.

[1] Martin Ritt’s first film offers an exceptional existentialist answer (three years later) to Elia Kazan’s more conservative “On The Waterfront.” […]

“Edge of the City” boldly dives into this (then) unknown territory… the courageous struggle against thinly-veiled bigotry and violence has hardly aged at all.

[2] The film’s low budget does show, but you’re so impressed with the ensemble cast you don’t really care. […]

…my personal favorite in this film is Ruby Dee. She should have gotten some award for her performance, her final scene with Cassavetes is outstanding.

[3] Cassavetes, always an intense actor, shows grit in his portrayal of a film. Am surprised that Montgomery Clift didn’t get this part.

Spoiler-Free Review: “No Other Choice” (2026) directed by Park Chan-wook

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A 40-something man, Man-su (Lee Byung-hun), works at a paper factory; his managerial job provides his family w/ a comfortable life. His wife, Miri (Son Ye-jin), is SAHM of two kids (a teen boy and young girl). All of the family members have hobbies/interests which enrich their lives. Their home is lovely and spacious- a blend of French country house (preferred by South Koreans in the ’70s/’80s) and brutalist architecture. Man-su has a large greenhouse and loves gardening. Abruptly, Man-su’s entire work team is downsized; he is forced to work random jobs for many mos. Desperate to get back his livelihood and pride, he forms a plan to beat the competition when a perfect job opens up!

During the 2019 Busan International Film Festival, director Park Chan-wook confirmed that he was adapting Donald Westlake’s 1997 horror novel, The Ax. At that time, Costa-Gavras held the rights (after adapting it in French in 2005); the Greek filmmaker assisted Park during development. No Other Choice was selected as South Korea’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2026 Oscars. It was submitted to the 2025 Venice Film Fest and received critical acclaim. I went to a screening w/ the DC Movie Club at Alamo Drafthouse (Bryant St) this past Spring.

If you’re NOT facing job loss, I’m guessing you have fam or friends who’ve dealt w/ it (esp. in the past yr)! This film taps into many (IRL) concerns of the modern age: economic anxiety, loss of status (public/private), crisis of identity (incl. perceived diminishment of masculinity), and the rise of AI. Here we have a dark comedy w/ absurd (yet somewhat relatable) moments rooted in the intense desperation of Mansu (as well as other male characters in his position). We see how the genders respond to uncertainty; as one astute viewer pointed out: “None of the women say ‘no other choice.'” Check this movie out on Disney+/Hulu or HBOMAX. There are few (modern) directors who can surprise (jaded) audiences, make them think, as well as entertain w/ (unique) shots/ visuals!

Spoiler-Free Review: “Nosferatu” (2024)

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A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake. -Synopsis

In Wisborg, Germany in 1838, a young/ambitious estate agent, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), reluctantly leaves his anxious bride, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), in hopes of securing a lucrative deal. While her husband is away, Ellen lives in the household of their close friends, Anna (Emma Corrin) and Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). The Hardings are in a more comfortable life, having (inherited) wealth; they are raising 2 young children. After Thomas arrives at the isolated castle of mysterious/rich Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard), an evil presence begins to haunt Ellen’s mind.

Over 100 yrs ago, F. W. Murnau made the silent classic of the same title. This kicked off how vampires (incl. Dracula) could be depicted in film. Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu the Vampyre was released 50+ yrs after Murnau’s version; I recently learned of this movie. If you are Gen X (like me), you may be most familiar w/ Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula (1992) starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, and Keanu Reeves.

American director Robert Eggers (b. 1983) is known for being fresh, well-researched, unique locations, and fine details in his (period-specific) films. This was my 1st time watching on of his movies; horror fans may be familiar w/ his debut- The Witch (2015). If you know me (online), y’all know that I went to see this b/c of Hoult. The movie’s pacing is deliberate and somber; as some viewers noted, it felt slow in the middle. You may feel a sense of dread, rather than jump scares (as used in “typical” horror movies). The snow is not CGI; Eggers used a technique (from the 1940s- shoutout to my classic film fans) where frozen potato flakes are crushed and made into snow-like particles. The exterior of Orlok’s castle was filmed at Hunedoara Castle (AKA Corvin Castle); it’s a Romanian castle located in Transylvania (one of the largest European medieval castles).

[1] …the attention to detail here is impeccable; the period costumes and sets are dazzling, and the cinematography is top-notch, with repeated uses of muted grey night-time sequences that border on black-and-white (intentional I’m sure, as an ode to the Murnau original).

[2] The story, adapted from both Dracula and Nosferatu… but mostly Nosferatu, was very well written. With dialog that felt natural and authentic to the time period, another one of Eggers specialty, the film flowed rather nicely and almost transports you to that time and place.

[3] And despite how good some of the acting is in this film, it failed completely to connect with me on an emotional level. […]

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews



“Far from the Madding Crowd” (1967) starring Julie Christie, Peter Finch, Alan Bates, & Terence Stamp

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A willful passionate girl and… the three men who want her! -Tagline

Making this film may have proved to be one of the last chances to film rural England as it looked in the middle of the 19th century. -Richard MacDonald (Production Designer)

Bathsheba is a young woman dealing w/ 3 different men, though NOT knowing what love really is; the audience is caught in the middle of her personal choice and their own thoughts of who’d be her right man. She ignores the shepherd next door, Gabriel Oak (Alan Bates), saying she’s NOT in love w/ him. He gave a good speech re: why she should marry him (and gifted her a baby lamb). Gabriel decides NOT to pursue things further, yet coincidence (common in Thomas Hardy’s works) brings him to the farm she soon inherites. The gentleman farmer, William Boldwood (Peter Finch), seems like a safe choice; he’s rich and devoted. The housemaid, Liddy, tells Bathsheba that Mr. Boldwood has been courted by “sixes and sevens” (a condition of confusion and disarray). He is NOT discouraged, even after Bathsheba tells him “no,” then to wait for her decision. As for the military man, Sgt. Troy (Terence Stamp), their attraction is more about lust than love.

The director (John Schlesinger) created a somewhat (unbalanced) movie. Many viewers (over the decades) commented that they wanted to see more of the Bathsheba/Gabriel’s (slow burn) interactions; however, Schlesinger chose to focus the bulk of the time on the Bathsheba/Troy (love-bombing) relationship. Some felt that Christie was miscast for this role; she didn’t show nuance or exhibit any changes. If you’re near my age (Gen X/Y), you may know Bates as the landlord/patriarch in Gosford Park; Stamp was the villain (Emperor Zod) in Superman II. You may know Christie from Doctor Zhivago and as Gertrude in Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet. All three actors ended up having prolific careers.

[1] I personally really liked it, though I can see why people might not. It does have a couple of cliché moments and the film is overlong. On the other hand, the film looks gorgeous, the scenery is evocative and the cinematography positively shimmers. The music is hauntingly beautiful, the script is literate and thoughtful and the complex story unfolds slowly and deliberately, is faithful in detail and spirit to the book.

[2] The film is stolen for me though by Peter Finch, who begins a hat trick of devastating performances, here, in The Trials of Oscar Wilde and Sunday Bloody Sunday. His Boldwood is a remarkable creation, so eligible, so tragic, so lost and helpless. […]

The Boldwood plot has a darker outcome here than in the book, which I’m sure Hardy would have approved of.

[3] I just couldn’t believe that Julie Christie was this headstrong 19th century maiden. She looks far too contemporary for me; as she is just the perfect 60s icon in costume (same as in Doctor Zhivago). […]

I felt that Bathsheba didn’t evolve through the film. Julie Christie played the same way from start to finish, in spite of the ordeal she had to go through.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Noir City DC 2025: “Tomorrow is Another Day” (1951) starring Steve Cochran & Ruth Roman

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They take their lives in their hands… when they take each other in their arms! -Tagline

Prison Warden: Your generation grew up, married, raised families, went to war. But nothing happened to you, Bill. You just got older.

Bill Clark (Steve Cochran) leaves prison after 18 yrs; he has the thinking of an awkward teen (he was sentenced at age 13) and a grown man’s body. Feeling lonely, he visits a dance hall (Dream Land), where he meets a jaded/platinum blonde, Cathy Higgins (Ruth Roman). Taking pity on the earnest/persistent man, Cay shows Bill around town. After the sudden shooting of a police detective (her “sugar daddy”), the odd couple decides to hit the road. Along the the way, they hitch a ride w/ a family, Stella (Lurene Tuttle) and Henry Dawson (Ray Teal), and their young son who’re going to pick lettuce in California.

Cay: I came to New York from upstate. I was gonna be a dancer. I was a brunette. Started on my toes and wound up on my heels.

The amount ($222.35) that Bill receives from his warden would equal about $2,700 (2024). Less than 10 taxi dance halls existed in NYC (1951), compared to 100+ about 20 yrs earlier. Cay’s comment (quoted above) is a reference to an older slang term for a promiscuous woman (having round heels). Perhaps the censors let it go, b/c of the noir nature of the film. As critics have pointed out, this is the rare noir w/ a (male) virgin. I had NOT heard of this movie until I saw it at the film fest; it was well-made and kept me interested. Film scholars noted that WB tacked on the (happy) ending, BUT I didn’t mind it! This movie delves into issues we’re facing today (in a sometimes lonely/uncertain/disillusioned world): the need for autonomy, intimate/romantic connection, friendship/community, and a sense of purpose.

[1] I can’t think of any other film from the pre-Moon Is Blue period that deals with so many tough social issues (without, of course, QUITE breeching the Production Code): prostitution, rape, pimping, and even premarital sex.

[2] Roman’s the revelation; in her best-known role… Here she modulates persuasively from bottle-blonde taxi dancer to sacrificing wife and mother-to-be (and a brunette, to boot). Cochran’s almost as good, waffling between the suspicion of a wounded child and the explosive reactions of an under-socialized male.

[3] There’s a whole sub genre of noir that involves flights from big cities into the open spaces of America and how those open spaces are no longer safe; the decay of urban environments will follow relentlessly, and the open spaces are even more dangerous because there are fewer places to hide.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews