Tag: Movies

Movie reviews

Some Quick Film Reviews

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The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)

Well, you really CAN’T go wrong w/ such a stellar cast!  (Dev Patel, just 21 y.o., said how BIG of an honor it was to work w/ all these legends, in a recent NPR interview.)   My fave characters were portrayed by Judy Dench, Bill Nighy (he surprised me w/ his skill), & Tom Wilkinson.  Some viewers commented that Patel’s acting was very one-note (& I mostly agree w/ that).  Perhaps he got bogged down in the Indian accent (he’s a British desi, after all); perhaps he just needs to learn more.  The complete change of heart from Maggie Smith’s characters didn’t ring QUITE true IMO.  There are some GREAT life lessons in this film, BUT it’s NOT schmaltzy or stereotypical. 

Empire Falls (2005)

Fans of Paul Newman will be surprised by his (antihero) role in this HBO miniseries!  There are some  fine performances, esp. from Ed Harris, Aidan Quinn, Robin Wright Penn, & a young Danielle Panabaker.  I thought it started out quite strong, BUT there is something disjointed about it.  It’s set around two VERY different families in a working-class town of Maine. 

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Three reasons to see this film (in order): 1) Russell Crowe 2) Kevin Spacey 3) Guy Pearce.  I’m pretty sure this film was a star-making turn for Crowe.  Also, this is one of the BEST edited films I recall seeing.  I was surprised that Kim Basinger was so capable- she didn’t annoy me in this film!   I think you need to see it twice to appreciate it- I don’t think I paid attention the first time.

The Horseman on the Roof (1995)

This historical French film is GORGEOUS (& not just b/c of the two leads)!  There’s a LOT of natural beauty- greenery, mountains, snow, etc.  Olivier Martinez, who you may recall from Unfaithful,  portrays a true “romantic” (a individual of high ideals).  Juliette Binoche is perfect (as usual), though there is NOT much dialogue.   Plus, you have to give props to a woman who’s not afraid to act w/ a man prettier than her- LOL!   La Binoche never disappoints.

The Last Sunset (1961)

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I was flipping through channels a few days ago and happened upon this dramatic Western.  It just caught my attention from the first scene.  A striking man dressed all in black, Brendan O’Malley (Kirk Douglas), rides up to a simple ranch house in the Mexican desert and humbly asks for food and shelter.  From the way they look at each other, we know that there is something going on between him and the lady of the house, Belle Breckenridge (Dorothy Malone), a strong/beautiful woman.  She has a bright/lovely teen daughter, Missy (Carol Lynley), who’s very intrigued by the stranger.

When Mr. Breckenridge (Joseph Cotton, playing against type) comes home, he’s drunk.  The rancher offers O’Malley a job; he needs men (aside from his two Mexican ranch hands) to take his cattle to Texas.  O’Malley says that he can be “the gun” (protect the herd/ladies), but he knows someone who can be a great “trail man.”  He fails to mention that this man is also a marshall, Dana Stribling (Rock Hudson), who has been tracking him for SOME time.

After the drive, O’Malley says he’ll take 1/3 of the herd.  “Oh, and I also plan to take your wife,” he adds nonchalantly.

This film contains unlikely twists and turns.  The characters develop and change over time.  The more traditional handsome man, Hudson, is in the secondary role (the white hat).  I think he does a FINE job w/ his role of the straight-shooter.  Pay attention to the touching scene with Hudson, Lynley, and a baby calf.  But the star is Douglas, who captivates and smolders onscreen (and not just because of his muscles).  He portrays a troubled man full anger, regret, and finally… selflessness.

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.