Tag: Romance

“In the Cut” (2003) starring Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo, & Jennifer Jason Leigh

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Everything you know about desire is dead wrong. -Tagline

On the LES of NYC, Frannie Avery (Meg Ryan- age 41 and de-glamorized)- a college English teacher/writer- begins an affair w/ Det. Giovanni Malloy (Mark Ruffalo- age 35 w/ a mustache)- one of the cops investigating the murder of a young woman. Malloy’s partner, Det. Ritchie Rodriguez, is played by Nick Damici (who I haven’t seen in any other movies/shows). Malloy believes the murder is the work of a serial killer. Frannie continues her relationship w/ Malloy, even after catching him in a lie (which could be dangerous). This is the (controversial) film that tanked Ryan’s acting career and derailed that of director Jane Campion. Originally, Nicole Kidman (who served as a producer) wanted to play Frannie. She decided to drop out, as she was going through a (much publicized) divorce from Tom Cruise. Mickey Rourke was considered for a supporting role; however, he was allegedly vetoed by Kidman b/c of his hard-partying reputation. The film is based on a 1996 novel by Susanna Moore.

Frannie: I was at the Red Turtle with one of my students.

Det. Rodriguez: One of your students?

Frannie: Cornelius Webb, but it was early, three-thirty. I was there for a short time, then I went home.

Det. Malloy: Cornelius Webb. Is that with two B’s or not two B’s?

It’s rare to see an erotic thriller (or neo noir) from the POV of a (complicated/independent) woman, as many critics/podcasters/viewers have commented. Usually, the male cop is the central figure, as in Laura (1944) or Basic Instinct (1992). Ruffalo went undercover w/ NYPD officers to prepare for his role. Malloy is macho, rough-hewn, and uses the language of the streets. However, he can also be soft-spoken, compassionate, and witty. Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh- age 40) is Frannie’s slightly younger/half-sister; the women have a close/warm relationship. Pauline is a stylist who lives above a go-go (strip) bar; she’s self-aware, yet looking for love (in ALL the wrong places). The costumes were bought from the The Job (2001), a cancelled TV show, for only $400.

I think the scenes are really good though, I think they’re very honest. Jane didn’t want them to be coy, so I don’t think they are at all. And I love how much dialogue is in those scenes. That’s what makes them really intimate. -Meg Ryan re: the love scenes (at TIFF during film’s debut)

Warning: This film NOT for sensitive viewers (incl. those expecting the rom com version of Ryan); it’s gritty, bloody, w/ dark themes and nudity. I saw this movie (which has an R-rated and Unrated versions) many yrs ago; it’s now available to rent (Amazon Prime video). Last week, I came across a (new) pod review of it, so decided to take a (2nd) look. One common complaint from viewers was that characters don’t develop or change. They’re also unapologetic re: their desires. This may remind some of you of European films. One of the main notes Campion gave to Ruffalo was “never apologize.” The filmmakers create an undercurrent of foreboding, showing us how it’s like to be a (big city) woman who is being perceived by (potentially dangerous/deadly) men.

[1] Ryan has never been better than she is here. She plays Frannie almost as if she were one of the urban walking dead, just right for a modern woman who feels no real emotional connection with the world and the people around her.

Mark Ruffalo is excellent as the cop who may be more of a threat to Frannie than the killer who’s terrorizing the area.

[2] This is certainly one of the most unique films I have come across, but I don’t say that in an overly positive manner. It is a very good-looking film, and ignoring camera angles and editing techniques, it still looks very solid on a visual scope.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Noir City DC 2025: “Tension” (1949) starring Richard Basehart, Audrey Totter, Cyd Charisse, & Barry Sullivan

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Introduction

Hey y’all, thanks for visiting! Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy; I was sick w/ a bad cold/cough for 4+ wks (had NOT happened before)! I went to my doctor (2x), took prescribed meds, and even got chest x-rays (no issues found). I had a work deadline to meet, so ended up taking just 2 days for sick leave. I got the (latest) COVID booster and flu shot last weekend, then was able to have a couple more days off. Aging is NOT fun…

This is my 5th year attending Noir City DC film fest; it’s held at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, MD (my neighborhood). Sadly, Eddie Muller (TCM; Film Noir Fdn.) didn’t attend the opening wknd/intro the movies. I’m trying to save money (V tough to do in current economy), so chose 3 films (I’d never seen before).

All the best,

EMMA.

Review & Analysis

In Every Two-Timing Kiss You Will Feel… TENSION -Tagline

Freddie: They’re still at it. Tryin’ to find out who owns Germany, who owns the A-bombs, floods, cyclones, earthquakes, riots!

Foster Hirsch (film historian/author) did the intro for this (lesser-known) MGM noir; it was a box office failure. “MGM (which projected a wholesome Americana) was NOT the studio for noir,” Foster commented. “This story is about post-WWII disillusionment,” he added. The score was composed by Andre Previn (then just 21); portions were recycled as title theme for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). Director John Berry’s Hollywood career was cut short after He Ran All the Way (1951); he was was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). He went to work in England and France, returning to the US in the early ’70s.

A meek pharmacist creates an alternate identity under which he plans to murder the bullying liquor salesman who has become his wife’s lover. -Synopsis

Warren Quimby (Richard Basehart) has been suffering in silence (for several yrs) over his wife’s shameless flirting and cheating. His sympathetic employee, Freddie (Tom D’Andrea), thinks he needs to take some action. After WWII, the couple met in San Diego and married in a hurry; Claire bitterly recalls: “you looked kind of cute in your uniform then.” When Warren decides to confront Claire and her rich/brawny liquor salesman lover, Barney Deager (Lloyd Gough), he ends up getting a humiliating beating!

Warren: Gee, it’d be wonderful to live out here, darling. Fresh air. Room to entertain. It’s a great spot for kids.

Claire: You want to know something? I think it’s a miserable spot. It’s 30 mins. from nowhere.

Here we find one of the nastiest femme fatales of the genre, as Foster noted. In one revealing scene, Warren (hopeful) takes Claire to the suburban house he intends to buy: she doesn’t even get down from the car to look. When he starts to talk about having a quieter life, she (annoyed) takes the wheel, honks the horn to drown him out, and asks him whether he’s coming w/ her or staying. Then, Claire hits the gas pedal to throw fumes in Warren’s face as he (meekly) gives in to her rejection. Who knows IF this toxic pair were ever in love!? There is no respect in their relationship!

The cuckolded hubby starts thinking of revenge; there are murder tales in mags and the eye doctor points out (cutting edge) contact lenses “which can change your entire personality.” Warren creates the identity of Paul Sothern, a traveling cosmetics salesman; he rents an apt and makes friends w/ aspiring photographer/girl-next-door, Mary Chanler (Cyd Charisse). At last minute, Warren (AKA Paul) can’t go through w/ the murder; he tells Barney that he can have the tramp. The next morning, two cops arrive at the Quimby’s apt, explaining that Barney was found dead! Lt. Collier Bonnabel (Barry Sullivan) drives the plot in the 2nd half of the movie (available on HBO MAX).

[1] Tension is one of those diamonds in the rough you find when you least expect it.

[2] Unlike some noir thrillers that get too clever to make sense, Tension is well-plotted. The pacing keeps Basehart and Totter twisting until the end.

[3] Though there are a few ridiculous elements to the story, standout performances, good direction and fine camera work make this one a winner.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Movie Review: “Far From the Madding Crowd” (2015) starring Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen, & Tom Sturridge

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I re-watched this movie (Amazon Prime video) recently after listening to a (glowing) review on the Swoon Worthy pod. I recall NOT being V impressed w/ it when it was released in theaters; I saw it w/ my mom (when she lived nearby). I’m now more motivated to read the book; in my HS English classes, we read Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure– two of Hardy’s other famous novels. I’m NOT sure how close this adaptation stays to the source novel, BUT I do think it makes for a successful romantic drama. The director (Thomas Vinterberg- Danish) and lead actor (Matthias Schoenaerts- Belgian) are NOT British; perhaps this contributes to the freshness and modern vibes. I’m also a fan of Carey Mulligan; I think she capably handles a LOT of types of roles.

Some of y’all regular readers will know of this (iconic) story: Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) is a beautiful/independent/young woman who’s pursued by 3 different suitors: quiet/reliable sheep farmer- Gabriel Oak (Schoenaerts), charming/impulsive Army officer- Sgt. Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge), and a middle-aged/gentleman farmer- William Boldwood (Michael Sheen). As Mark Kermode noted, John Schlesinger (who directed the 1967 adaptation) was primarily interested in the relationship of Bathsheba (Julie Christie) and Sgt. Troy (Terence Stamp), the screenwriter here (David Nicholls) fleshes out the roles of all 3 men. Mulligan does a fine job in creating (different types of) chemistry w/ her co-stars. I noticed how hands-on Bathsheba got; she works alongside household servants, farmhands, etc. Her companion is a cheeky/observant young maid, Liddy (Jessica Barden); the actress has a prominent role in the series Dune: Prophecy (HBO MAX).

What is missing from the 1967 film (will review soon), is the (intro) segment w/ the growing friendship of Bathsheba and Gabriel during when she was working on her aunt’s farm. We get a sense that he admires her for her practical side, NOT only her beauty and friendly/open nature. At that time, Gabriel was of higher social status than Bathsheba (on the way to owning the farm he leased). There is a deleted scene (check YouTube) where Bathsheba saves Gabriel from (possible) death; that scene should’ve been kept in the final cut! After the (tragic) loss of his flock, Gabriel is forced to leave the farm and seek out work; by coincidence, he comes upon a barn on fire. He works (along w/ many farmhands) to save the barn; after the smoke clears, Bathsheba (the mistress of this farm) emerges!

Some viewers were confused as to how such a smart businesswoman could fall SO hard/fast for a man she barely knows. We have to remember that Bathsheba is only in her early 20s and inexperienced w/ men and love; Frank is NOT much older than her (and used to getting his way w/ women). They have a meet-cute, BUT it’s potentially problematic, as it occurs late at night while she is surveying her property. Frank appears in the fields soon after, saying that he’s there to help bring in the harvest. IF they’d lived in our (modern) times, this pair could’ve had a brief fling and gone their separate ways (astute viewers commented). In Victorian England, that was NOT an option!

I feel many elements combined to make this a captivating (though NOT an escapist) film; Hardy always contains dark themes after all. I was esp. impressed w/ the cinematography, music, and how Sheen brought (unexpected) empathy to the role of Mr. Boldwood. Book readers have commented that Mr. Boldwood is arrogant, entitled, and obsessive. I got (more) of an appreciation for Shoenaerts; he is tall/broad, w/ expressive eyes, and a strong screen presence (needed for a character who doesn’t say much). I think will have to look up more of his films; Mulligan picked him out for Gabriel after seeing him in Rust and Bone.

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Spoiler-Free Review: “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life” (2025)

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A young woman in Paris, who dreams of becoming a successful writer and experiencing true love, may finally have her Jane Austen moment… -Tagline

Writer-director (Laura Piani) was inspired to write this story during her time working at Shakespeare and Company, a famed bookstore in Paris. Agathe (Camille Rutherford) is a 30-something/Parisian/single bookseller who shares banter w/ her pal/co-worker Felix (Pablo Pauly). As Austen may’ve said, she is at the risk of being an “old maid” and he is a scoundrel (prone to hookups/situation-ships). Agathe accuses Felix of “breadcrumbing,” yet you still can imagine attraction btwn the two friends. Felix (secretly) submits the first few chapters of Agathe’s novel; to her shock, she is selected to attend a writer’s retreat (The Jane Austen Residency)! When she gets to England, she meets Oliver (Charlie Anson), a Lit prof whose parents run the residency.

This is type of mid-budget/rom com that rarely gets made (in the US) today! FYI: This film is in BOTH French and English. It deals w/ real-world issues, yet has quiet humor. None of the characters are glam, young, or look like “typical” movie stars. I recommend it for those who’re NOT only Austen fans, BUT enjoy quiet movies and (slow burn/brainy) types of romances. A neighborhood gal pal and I had a good time!

[1] The acting works for the screenplay. While short, nothing is forced. Nothing is contrived, either. Everything that happens here doesn’t elicit any disbelief.

[2] This movie has the capacity to make you smile and laugh and feel contentment with its conclusion. I’d recommend a watch.

[3] It was nice to get a fresh take on an Austin-like writer, rather than as a retelling of one of her characters. As Agathe observes, Austen was the first writer to write women as humans, and idea which absolutely needs to be revisited in the current media world. This film successfully does that in making Agathe a messy and imperfect human in the best way.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Close-Up on Civil Wars: “Ride with the Devil” (1999) & “The Wind That Shakes The Barley” (2006)

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Ride with the Devil (1999) starring Skeet Ulrich, Tobey Maguire, Jewel, & Jeffrey Wright

On the Western frontier of Missouri, the American Civil War was fought not by armies, but by neighbors. Informal gangs of local Southern Bushwhackers fought a bloody and desperate guerrilla war against the occupying Union army and pro-Union Jayhawkers. Allegiance to either side was dangerous. But it was more dangerous still to find oneself caught in the middle... -Prologue

Jake [after reading a letter to a Union soldier]: One mother’s very much like another.

Pitt Mackeson: Remember one thing, her boys will kill you if they can.

Jake Roedel (Tobey Maguire) and Jack Bull Chiles (Skeet Ulrich) are best friends/neighbors in rural Missouri when the American Civil War starts. Jake lives w/ his German/immigrant father, who feels their ppl should have nothing to do w/ this war. After his older sister’s wedding, Jack Bull’s father is murdered by Union soldiers, who were also looking for him! Jack Bull (more the leader of the pair) and Jake (the follower) run away from home that same night. One year goes by; the young men have joined the Bushwhackers (loyal to the Confederacy); they ride w/ Black John (Jim Caviezel) and infiltrate enemy territory (disguising themselves as Union soldiers in blue uniforms). As one critic said: “This is guerrilla warfare- or terrorist tactics- depending on one’s viewpoint.”

Y’all prolly haven’t heard of this movie, unless (like me) you’re into history or fan of Taiwanese-American director Ang Lee (Sense & Sensibility; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). The screenplay is by James Schamus; it is based on the novel Woe to Live On by Daniel Woodrell. Lee (who attended NYU film school w/ Spike Lee) is an immigrant to the US; he makes unexpected choices here (which brings depth/richness to what could’ve been a simple war story). You’ll get a kick out of seeing young/international actors (NOT yet famous): Mark Ruffalo, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Simon Baker, Jeffrey Wright, Jewel, and Jonathan Brandis.

I remember on the set you [Ang Lee] kept repeating: I don’t wanna make a white man’s movie, I don’t wanna make a white man’s movie. -Jeffery Wright, actor

Jake (called “Dutchie” as an insult) is an outsider among the men at the Bushwhacker camp; long-haired/wild-eyed Pitt Mackeson (Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers) antagonizes him whenever they meet. Jake wants to prove himself as an American; unlike most of his peers he can read/write. I learned re: the division btwn (native-born) Americans and German immigrants (who settled in the Midwest in large numbers in the mid-1800s). Perhaps the most interesting character is Daniel Holt (Jeffrey Wright- from DC; then known for theater work), a Black man recently freed by his master, George Clyde (Aussie actor Simon Baker). George is a quiet observer (until the 2nd half of the movie) and an expert marksman. Wright commented that the ensemble cast “all got to be pretty good w/ horses.”

[1] Lee handles the subject with aplomb, never rushing the deep introspection that the plot demands in favour of action and this lends the film a sense of the reality of war – long periods of boredom and waiting interposed with occasional flashes of intensely terrifying fighting. The action is unglamorised and admirably candid, recognizing that both sides committed a great number of atrocities.

[2]  What is beautiful about the movie, like all of Lee’s films, is that he doesn’t “side” with his characters. He creates characters, embodies them with life, problems, and ambiguity… and endows them with a reality that often hits far closer to home than with which many are comfortable.

But as an exploration of the greater human ambiguity that surely dwelt within the Civil War, it is a masterpiece.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

The Wind That Shakes The Barley (2006) starring Cillian Murphy, Liam Cunningham, & Padraig Delaney

Against the backdrop of the Irish War of Independence, two brothers fight a guerrilla war against British forces. -Synopsis

In the early 1920s, rural Ireland is a battlefield of republicans fighting British security forces. Med school grad, Damien O’Donovan (Cillian Murphy), is the pride of his village; he is planning to train at a London hospital. On the day when he’s about to leave, he witnesses the brutal abuse of commoners at the railroad station. Damien pledges loyalty to the local IRA brigade, commanded by his older brother, Teddy (Padraig Delaney- in his 1st film). In the 2nd half of the movie, we learn that IRA leaders negotiated a Free State (yet still under British crown). Teddy and Damien have V different reactions!

I saw this film several yrs ago, BUT didn’t do an in-depth review; I recall being impressed, as I was on re-watch! The British director (Ken Loach) is known for Socialist realism; he often focuses on the working class/ordinary ppl. Most of the actors come from County Cork (where the story is set). Fans of Game of Thrones will get a kick out of seeing Liam Cunningham (whose character sees things from a Socialist lens). In the past yr, you may’ve noticed Cunningham speaking re: a free Palestinian state. Last month, I came across a news clip w/ screenwriter (Paul Lafferty); he’d been released from jail after protesting in London (in support of Palestinians). Yup, these filmmakers are real ones!

The young rebels are lean, proud, and V determined; they hunger for respect, freedom, and opportunity denied them on their native land. Early in the film, a teen boy is beaten to death by British soldiers after refusing to speak English (instead replying in Gaelic). You will see the (guerrilla) tactics used by the IRA, though the violence is brief (and NOT glamorized). As some viewers commented, there is NOT much blood shown; this was to protect the (fragile/period) costumes on a small budget. Damien wisely comments that Britain will never give Ireland freedom, b/c that will open the door for colonies- India and some African nations. This film (told on a small scale/intimate in nature) makes history come alive!

[1] The Wind That Shakes the Barley is a film that doesn’t shy away from the unrelenting terror and bloodshed of the revolution. The working-class accents and dialects are authentically preserved, with constant debate and war never ceasing. The film raises an important question about whether the Irish Revolution was a socialist or nationalist one.

[2] The film consists of two parts. Part 1 is about violence on the side of the English occupier, Part 2 is about Irish disunity.

The English violence in the movie did cause some discomfort at the time of release. We are accustomed to war crimes perpetrated by Germans, but the English? It should, however, not be forgotten that the English used WWI veterans in the Irish war of independence. Particularly the “Black and tans” were notorious.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews