Tag: Romance

Film classics to watch on YouTube

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Hey all!

Recently, I rewatched Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope (1948) on YouTube.  I’d seen it a few years ago, but didn’t recall the ending.  The stars of the film are John Dall, Farley Grainger (who later starred in Strangers on a Train), and one of my favorite actors of all time- Jimmy Stewart.  This film is very different from the English play it’s based on, mainly because of the censorship rules of its time.  The film is pretty great, technically, which is expected from Hitchcock.  Some of you may also be interested in Rope Unleashed, a 30 minute behind the scenes look with Hume Cronyn, Granger, Patricia Hitchcock (the director’s daughter), and writer Arthur Laurents.

Below are some (full-length) film classics that you can watch (FREE) on YouTube!

Thanks for visiting!

-EMMA

Mary Galante – 1934; starring a young Spencer Tracy

Pygmalion – the inspiration for My Fair Lady; 1938; starring Leslie Howard

Love Story – 1944; inspiration for An Affair to Remember; starring Margaret Lockwood & Stewart Granger

The Stranger – 1946; starring Orson Welles & Edward G. Robinson

Borderline – 1950; starring Fred McMurray, Clare Trevor, & Raymond Burr (best known as Perry Mason)

Witness to Murder – 1954; starring Barbara Stanwyck, George Sanders, & Gary Merrill

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.”)

Wiseguy (Season 1, Part 2)

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Season 1, Part 2 of the unusual ’80s drama continues w/ the always gorgeous OCB agent, Vinnie Terranova (Ken Wahl), going undercover as a bodyguard to unstable billionairre Mel Proffit (Kevin Spacey) in Vancouver.  Proffit is into guns and drugs big time, we discover over this series of eps.

Fans of Spacey are in for a treat here, b/c aside from Mel’s drug dependency and eccentric ways, there are a FEW believable and touching moments, too!  Vinnie gets himself wrapped up w/ Mel’s stunning younger sister Susan (Joan Severance, a former model).  I was surprised to see such capable acting from a novice (too bad that she’s mainly remembered for her looks and skimpy outfits).

Mel’s most trusted associate (aside from Susan) is hitman Roger Lococco (Canadian actor William Russ; he later played the father on Boy Meets World).  Lococco, a Vietnam vet who operates according to his own code, is VERY intriguing.  Vinnie is mystified by him, yet feels like they’re connected somehow.  We eventually learn that Roger is MORE than what he seems.  Russ is a strong actor, so able to create a fine foil (or perhaps, frenemy) for Wahl.

We also see more of Agent Terranova’s field supervisor, Frank McPike (Jonathan Banks), in this arc.  He becomes vulnerable, and more likeable, after his wife asks for a separation.  McPike, who has a young son, gets a love interest.  Vinnie calls on The Lifeguard (Jim Byrnes) more often to discuss his true feelings, not merely business.  They finally meet each other!

Yes, this show has action: guns, fistfights, explosions, etc.  But what keeps me watching are the interesting (sometimes wacky, admittedly) characters that Vinnie has to deal w/ on a daily basis.  He gets involved in their lives, sometimes TOO much.  Though it’s set in the late ’80s, the show is not 100% gung-ho about the police, government, etc.  Vinnie admits in this story arc that he doesn’t want this type of life for long; he thinks of a wife, kids, and wanting to “worry about crabgrass.”  If there was a modern show like this, I’d probably tune in!

Here is my earlier review of Season 1, Part 1.

https://knightleyemma.com/2011/11/21/wiseguy-season-1-part-1/