Change Your Image
frankwiener
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Syriana (2005)
Lost in the Desert without a Compass
As someone with strong emotional ties to the Middle East and as someone who considers himself regularly engaged in current events in the region, I was very surprised at how quickly I lost interest in this film. Was its major point the ruthless, greedy involvement of the US energy industry in corrupt, oppressive, and non-Democratic regimes/monarchies in the area? If so, I didn't learn a single, new lesson from it. Early on, I became so confused by the convoluted combination of plots, which were very challenging for me to connect, that I started to fade away into the blazing desert sunset without a drop of water in my canteen. At some point, the task of connecting the film's simultaneous moving parts just wasn't worth it to me, and I became more and more lost and disinterested with each passing minute.
How did the tragic death of Matt Damon's son connect or contribute to the story? Unlike much of the events, this one at least succeeded in gaining my attention. For full disclosure, I should add that I am not much of a Clooney or Damon fan, certainly not during this experience in which I was far too distant from and apathetic to their characters, but I am certain that George Clooney would murder me in real life without even batting an eyelash if he believed that it would save his Democrat Party. No doubt about it. As to the oil industry, I have the smallest carbon footprint of anyone I know, especially since I have been unwilling to travel long distance for the past few years and consider my non-electric bicycle to be my basic means of transportation. I'm doing my part.
Spartacus (1960)
Do I Look Like Spartacus?
I know Spartacus, and, sir, I am no Spartacus! So, Senator Booker of New Jersey, there will never be a "Spartacus moment" for me. That I can assure you.
I must say as a skinhead and a bald man for as long as I can remember, Kirk Douglas in this movie sported a crew cut that I could die for, and I was never really focused on male hairstyles before I watched this classic for one more, possibly my last, time. I just don't know why Kirk didn't keep the distinctive look as a long-term trademark because I don't think that he was ever seen this way again. Too bad!
Even with a stellar cast including Olivier, Laughton, Douglas, Simmons, and Ustinov, this film ran for about an hour longer than necessary. I suppose that the intention was to produce it as an historical epic, but it would have been much more successful with an additional hour left on the cutting floor. The supporting cast including Charles McGraw, Woody Strode, and John Ireland was also excellent. I admit that I never caught the sexual innuendo behind the oyster and snail scene with Olivier and Curtis until someone explained it to me, but were scenes like this needed to move the action forward?
In spite of its excessive length, the film was still often appealing in a visual sense and deservedly won three Oscars in categories that richly contributed to its visual beauty. The fourth Oscar was also very much deserved by Peter Ustinov, who played the part of contemptuous, disdaining Batiatus so naturally and effortlessly.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Music Is in the Ear of the Beholder
First of all, I am not a Stephen Sondheim fan and can't think of any of his songs that truly made an impression on me other than maybe "Anyone Can Whistle", which his fans, and there appear to be many of them, may find strange. I'm just being honest. As far as musicals go, to the contrary, I can think of at least a dozen Rogers and Hammerstein songs and Andrew Lloyd Weber songs that are truly unforgettable and very pleasing to my ears. As I've stated ad nauseum here, musicals, especially cinematic renditions of musicals, are often as good as the music, and this music just doesn't cut it for me.
Aside from the unremarkable and somewhat tedious music, this is one movie that couldn't end soon enough for me. Don't ask me how I managed to watch it to the end. Rats, roaches, repeated throats that are cut without any artistic efforts of suspense whatsoever, and an endless parade of repulsive looking characters and scenes of Victorian London just aren't my thing. Do I need to apologize to all of those who love this dreary dreck? I won't. There is far too much blood, gore, violence, and ugliness in the real world for me to endure the same as entertainment. Just fuggedaboudit.
Ghost (1990)
A Rare Multi-Genre Triumph
What I love most about this film is how it cuts across so many genre lines and still succeeds, mostly due to the original concept of writer Bruce Joel Rubin, the superb direction Zucker, the comic talent of Whoopi Goldberg, and a wonderful, classic song entitled "Unchained Melody", written by Alex North and Hy Zaret. Although the Righteous Brothers' version of 1965 is the most famous, the song first found success way back in 1955 when I was only six years old, and I still love it. Unlike other reviewers, I believe that it is a song that has truly weathered the test of time, and very different time it is indeed, only to be resurrected in this very popular film, which in some ways serves as a tribute to it.
The film is a thriller, a horror movie, a comedy, and a love story all rolled up into one. While I am not a love story aficionado in any sense, this one worked for me only because of its other aspects. It makes great use of its New York City locale, especially the New York subway system unlike any film since the original "Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three".
I wasn't keen on Demi Moore's adolescent boy look at all and found that it significantly disrupted the critical, emotional impact of Sam's and Molly's relationship. As to Whoopi, I never could understand why she abandoned her unique art by hosting a silly talk show called "The View" in which she has repeatedly expressed opinions on very serious subjects of which she is no expert and is forced to apologize for them on far too many occasions. Whoopi should have stuck to comedy performances rather than attempting to delve into the most complex issues of our time, subjects which she has absolutely no depth of knowledge. Why would she? I'm sure it was a very lucrative move for her but a very sad one all the same as it drastically cheapened her professional standing.
Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965)
Why Texas and Not Oregon?
When this movie ended, I was trying to figure out how a film starring the likes of Steve McQueen, Lee Remick, and Don Murray could have been so tedious. To the young whippersnapper who stated that all movies from the 1960's were like this, honey, you don't even have a clue because there were some terrific movies from this era and some were even in black and white.
In the end, I decided that the problem was the lackluster script. It just didn't move as required, and I found myself losing interest in all of the characters. Although Lee Remick was both talented and beautiful, there wasn't much that she could do with this role other than hold her adorable, little girl close to her and sometimes sit sadly on her porch, which was literally in the middle of nowhere. As to McQueen, I was very disappointed, especially with his performance as a singer. It was just weird. Furthermore, I didn't understand his character at all and was even annoyed by it.
While I loved the tune, written by Elmer Bernstein and made famous by Glenn Yarbrough, the movie never once lived up to its vigorous theme song. I'm not sure, but I don't even believe Yarbrough sang the song even once during the movie, which might have succeeded to awaken me from my deep slumber at some point.
When I lived in Oregon, it seemed to rain endlessly, at least in the late fall and through the winter, and I found myself singing this song on a regular basis. It helped me survive there, but it just couldn't push me through this dreary movie, as much as I wished that it could, at least for the sake of Lee and Steve, who will still rate among my very favorites, as long as I forget this very depressing experience.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Best Film of All Time? Seriously, Folks?
With 11,297 imdb user reviews on record for this one film, who will ever actually read this one? Just for the sake of loyalty, maybe my dog, Peanut, will. He is, by the way, known to chomp on a "ripe" worm or two if he ever should get the opportunity.
This is a very good film, but does it rate as the number one film of all time as imdb users believe that it does? As an old timer, I have certainly seen my share of prison films. This may be a generational issue, but, in my view, this could not possibly top classic prison films such as "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" with Paul Muni, "Brute Force" with Burt Lancaster, "Caged" with Eleanor Parker, or "White Heat" with James Cagney, which, oddly enough, imdb does not even include among its list of prison genre films.
Tim Robbins gives a great performance, but he's no Cagney or Muni. He and Morgan Freeman are so low key at times that I actually had trouble staying awake through a film that was about 30 minutes too long, if not even more than that.
The other issue that I have may pertain to the original novel by Stephen King. As I have never read any of King's novels, it is very difficult for me to judge them. I have, however, watched my share of film adaptations of King's books, and, while very entertaining, they almost always seem extremely far-fetched to me. I knew some really weird people in high school but no one even remotely as bizarre as Carrie White--or her mother, for that matter. Having traveled throughout the State of Maine for two entire years of my life, it was difficult to accept that such a large prison could be located anywhere in the state, and then I discovered that the prison used for the film was actually in the much more populous State of Ohio, which did not surprise me at all. Could anyone achieve the ultimate accomplishment of Andy Dufresne with the single resource at hand? And, just as one of many other examples, the prison warden and the really mean guard were far too one-dimensional for me. I got it, Mr. King. You have enormous contempt for organized religion, but what is your preferred form of spiritual bliss? Surely you have some remnant of immaterial, philosophical, or transcendental fulfillment, but I wouldn't know for sure.
The Pianist (2002)
Institutional Dehumanization
Unlike many other reviewers, I will not compare this film to "Schindler's List". Although both films take place during the same era and are based on the same European Holocaust that occurred at the time, they are very different products with their own, unique perspectives and emphases. Each one is to be valued in its own right. Each one stands alone in its importance.
Director Roman Polanski escaped from the Jewish ghetto of Krakow, Poland during World War II when the Nazis invaded his country. My mother and my maternal grandparents were born within an hour's drive from Krakow but were fortunate to leave Poland for the United States before the war. They caught the last boat out and landed in New York on Black Monday, October 28, 1929. After that date, it would have been impossible for them to leave Poland before the Germans invaded ten years later in 1939. Most of my grandfather's family remained in that area of southern Poland and were never heard from again after the invasion. Although centered in Warsaw, this film allowed me a glimpse of the brutality that my own family members certainly experienced in Poland during the war.
Perhaps because of the personal connection, I found myself periodically turning the movie off in order to rest from its overwhelming intensity. There were times when I actually couldn't even breathe as I watched, undergoing a mixture of very strong feelings including anger, rage, sadness, disgust, and horror. If I experienced this reaction merely from watching the events unfold on a screen, how did the actual victims of such horrific violence and degradation feel as they actually lived through it?
I commend Mr. Polanski for his very skillful and meticulous efforts in recreating the traumatic ordeal that he himself managed to survive. Among other dire conditions, the constant need for fundamental food, water, warmth, and sleep was very successfully conveyed from start to finish. I had already been a Polanski fan from "Rosemary's Baby" and "Chinatown", among his other works, but now my admiration for his brilliance is sealed.
Although the entire cast is excellent, the outstanding work of Adrien Brody as Wladislaw Szpilman, the pianist whose memoirs served as a basis for the film, was appropriately acknowledged with his Oscar as best actor. Like Polanski was in real life, he is forced into the role of powerless observer as he directly witnesses the worst atrocities imaginable. He plays the part perfectly, and his very expressive face, which does not always require words, surely helps him to accomplish the task at hand. Brody's highly controlled emotions do not explode until he sees his entire family being boarded onto the boxcar. Instinctively, he knows that he will never see any of them ever again as he wanders in a state of complete confusion and despair through the dangerous and deadly streets of Warsaw. Among all of the superb cast members, Thomas Kretschmann must also be recognized for his noteworthy performance as the German officer who spares Szpilman's life in appreciation of his talent as a musician.
Aside from Kretschmann's character, Polanski was determined to recognize the noble and courageous efforts of non-Jewish Poles and Germans who risked their very lives and those of their families in order to save their fellow human beings. Again, this is based on Polanski's own, direct experience during the war. For all I know, one of the rural villages where Polanski found refuge could have been my own grandmother's tiny hamlet in the Carpathian foothills, not far from Krakow.
What is most shocking and disturbing to me is how easy it is for a political regime, such as the Nazis in Germany during World War II, to dehumanize and humiliate an entire segment of the population, in this case a very sizeable one. After seeing this film, perhaps we can begin treating each other with the basic decency and respect that we deserve in spite of any differences that may divide us. Is it possible?
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Taking the Hits
After 1,361 IMDb reviews, what is left to be said about this film? Once again, I am late to the party, viewing it for the first time twenty years after its making. Without spoiling the details, I will say that during the final twenty minutes, I felt like a fighter in a ring who was getting the daylights punched out of me. For me, the ending was so painful that I was ready to collapse on the floor so that the referee could stop the fight due to severe injury, in this case catastrophic emotional injury. I don't intend this as a criticism, but I actually couldn't bear any more psychological torture. I don't recall this happening before, at least not recently.
After watching this film, I have become a solid fan of Clint Eastwood, not only as an actor but as a director. Don't ask me why it took me so long to reach this point, but I will never see Clint in the same way again. He just seems so natural and so real on screen that you never realize that he is acting from a script, reciting words that someone else has written. In this film, he plays a senior citizen, about the same age that I am, who is tortured by the past and what he perceives as failures in the course of his life. Perhaps one must reach the age of 75 in order to empathize fully with this kind of torment. Who among us at this age hasn't experienced failure, at least to some extent? Some us have been knocked down more than others, yet somehow we are still standing in spite of it all. Don't ask me how. Eastwood's Frankie Dunne, a Yeats reading gym owner, forces me to confront my own life as does Morgan Freeman's Eddie Dupris. Unlike Dunne, however, Dupris seems to have reached a state of peaceful reconciliation in regards to his fate as a would-be contender.
Aside from Eastwood's and Freeman's excellent portrayals of two weather weary seniors, Hillary Swank is superb as Maggie Fitzgerald, the very determined student of her no-nonsense boxing trainer and manager, Dunne. Kudos are also in order for Bryan O'Byrne as a not so sympathetic priest, as well as to Margo Martindale as Maggie's crude and cold mother and to Lucia Ryker who rarely, if ever, spoke but who looked as mean and nasty as could be in the form of Maggie's championship opponent.
As others have stated, this is a movie that unexpectedly punches the viewer smack in the gut. It poses many questions about winning and losing in life and about what the most important elements of our lives might be. It never once clobbers us over the head with the answers. In my case, as the credits rolled at the end, I was left sitting in the dark, forced to review my entire life, including all of the hits taken and all of the attempts at recovery. I was amazed by how powerfully this film affected me. It was totally unexpected. Thank you, Mr. Eastwood.
The Hours (2002)
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
After more than 700 imdb reviews of "The Hours", what hasn't already been said? I didn't get to see this movie until 22 years after it's release, so I am, once again, very late to the party. Having once been an English major and having been very impressed by the British writers of the early twentieth century, especially Virginia Woolf, I feel compelled from within to write this, the 712th review of this film.
The subject of suicide is very dark and disturbing to me. Although I can't remember ever seriously contemplating it, there have been very troubling periods of my life when it probably wouldn't have been entirely ruled out as a possibility. Although I am no expert, I think that the act of suicide is motivated by intense pain, either physical or emotional. I am very fortunate never to have been forced to endure such intolerable pain.
What has most perplexed me about suicide, a very complex matter in the first place, is when highly successful people reach the point where they no longer have the will to live. Based on the fact that actor Ed Harris is just slightly younger than I am, I estimate that his mother in the film, Laura Brown (Julianne Moore), contemplated suicide at the same time that I was her son's age. As oppressive as the 1950's were supposed to be, I never knew anyone in my parent's generation, known as "the greatest generation" and for very good reason, who succeeded at suicide. Whether they considered suicide or not is unknown to me, but not one of their peers actually followed through with it. In fact, all of the suicides I have personally known ended their lives in the 21st century. As much as Hollywood tries to convince me that the 1950's were so stifling and so awful, it has actually been the 21st century that has posed the most daunting emotional challenges, not only to me personally but to all of the people around me. In the 1950's and beyond, my mother's very existence revolved around her children, and it is unthinkable that she would ever even weigh a decision to abandon us, even if she had good reason to do so, especially in my case as such a rotten child.
As an impressionable college student who very much appreciated the gifted writing talent of Ms. Woolf, I was very troubled that someone who had achieved such a high degree of success should feel the necessity to end it all, and I still am distressed by the thought of it at the ripe old age of 75. My level of discomfort, however, could not possibly approach Ms. Woolf's state of extreme distress. I find this so very sad, especially considering that she had such a strong network of potential emotional support, something that was so obviously missing in my own life, marked by a constant condition of extreme alienation and isolation from the human race itself. The pain, both physical and emotional, of the film's character of Richard Brown, on the eve of receiving the most prestigious award for his craft, directly paralleled that of author Woolf. For me, it is all very unsettling, but I am not afraid of facing such a difficult, unpleasant subject.
The acting was excellent, and I have nothing to add to that which has already been said in these reviews. I must commend director Stephen Daldry for his outstanding ability to weave so skillfully three different but intertwined stories from three very different periods.
In 1979, Merrill Streep began her very successful acting career as Joanna Kramer, who, for whatever reason, decided to abandon her young son. Over two decades later, she ended this film with Laura Brown, who had made the exact same decision. This remarkable cinematic coincidence did not escape me.
Speaking of coincidences, Ms. Streep and I came into the world practically in the same place and at the same time. She was born two months after me at a hospital in Summit, New Jersey, only a few miles from my childhood home and where several of my playmates were born. She became a huge Hollywood actress and a household word, and I became...well, that's for another review.
Crash (2004)
Could Los Angeles Possibly Be This Miserable?
This movie, which somehow won the Oscar for best movie of 2006, is one of the worst movies that I have seen in a long time. Instead of a "1" rating, I decided to give it a "3" for the sake of some decent acting and at least some of the musical score, but not all of it.
I do not live in a large city, so maybe I just can't appreciate the message here. Everything in the film is based entirely on race and ethnicity, which is completely alien to my personal experience. Not one of the characters is sympathetic in any consistent way. In fact, I couldn't stomach most of them, regardless of their race or ethnicity. To me, the film represents everything that is wrong with the Hollywood film industry, which does nothing but emphasize cardboard stereotypes and the differences that divide us, not just as Americans but as human beings. I can't think of one truly redeeming element of the film. To me, it is a waste of resources and of any talent that any member of the cast may have. Perhaps it would have worked as a television show, but I don't watch television, so I wouldn't know. All I know is that I will never set foot in the City or County of Los Angeles again. After experiencing this totally depressing, unpleasant journey, why would I? How many car crashes does the average Los Angeles motorist experience in one, single day, or even 36 hours? It's safer to ride the bus, which doesn't say much.
Among the highly improbable turn of events is the rescue of a black woman by a white police officer who had earlier sexually abused her in front of her husband during a traffic incident. How likely is that? Then we have the Iranian immigrant who purchases a gun in a highly telegraphed scene and subsequently attempts to kill a locksmith only because the locksmith advised him that his door needed to be replaced rather than the lock before his business is burglarized and ransacked. O-kay.
I have not researched the films of 2006, but it must have been one awful, lean year if this is the best that it had to offer.
A Night to Remember (1958)
A Movie to Remember
This is another classic film that I had not seen in many years until I found the VHS version in an overlooked, plastic bin at a local thrift store. Now, this was a rare find, and I own it forever, not that the young 'uns can even begin to fathom what the heck that means.
As an American, I know by now that my inability to recognize many names in a British film from the golden era of the 1950's means nothing as to the potential quality of the film. The cast here was outstanding, which was not only a credit to their abilities but to the remarkable skills of their director, Roy Baker, who is also known for his direction of iconic British television series such as "The Saint" and "The Avengers".
The film very effectively captures the human aspects of a developing sense of ultimate doom. Even though we know the tragic outcome of the event, we are taken on the ill-fated sea journey itself as we experience the inescapable realization by 1,500 human beings of their horrible, impending deaths. While hope endures to the end that one of the closest ships would arrive on time to save all of the passengers, it becomes apparent that none of them will make it, including the Carpathia, regardless of the effort of its captain and crew.
With this recent viewing, I found myself somewhat traumatized by the immensity of the tragedy, especially since the original writer of the book, Walter Lord, and the director, Baker, took such great pains to expose the individual stories of a select group of passengers and crew, adding significantly to the overwhelming sense of catastrophe and sadness.
"We were so sure." These are the words that haunt us to this day. Never be so sure of anything...of anything whatsoever. That, to me, is the most powerful message. This film serves as a very effective tribute to those who died on that day. We must never forget them or the circumstances that led to their shocking, awful deaths.
No Way Out (1987)
Stay With It
It's hard to believe that 35 years have passed since I rented the tape from my local video store. Remember those? The owners were always so helpful in my decision to choose the best films of the era, but there's no sense in dwelling in the past now that we nearly managed to survive the first quarter of the twenty first century. God help us.
What surprised me was how much I had forgotten about this film. I won't add a spoiler alert and will not describe the twist at the end, but now you know that it's there, and if you think that the characters of Fred Thompson and Gene Hackman turn out to be lovers, you'll be
very disappointed. While we're on the topic of homosexuality, I seriously wonder whether a gay character can be depicted today quite as negatively as that of Will Patton. Just a thought.
One of the strengths of this film is its excellent cast, but somehow Patton stands out to me. I spent five very regrettable, unfulfilling years in Washington D. C. (ask me why, and I won't have a reasonable answer!), and the nefarious, driven Patton character, Scott Pritchard, seemed disturbingly real to me, as if I had actually met someone like him at least a dozen times on Capitol Hill alone. Patton played the role perfectly, and that notable, blonde crown was just the right touch. I knew that he would be trouble from the first moment that he appeared.
I admit that I'm not a fan of lovey-dovey, smoochy scenes, and much of the beginning concerned the development of the Costner-Young relationship. I believe that this was necessary before the real suspense and action, the film's greatest strength, begins. Maybe I'm just jealous that I am not Kevin Costner and never will be Kevin Costner, including his special ability to impress a woman at a social gathering and to exercise his special skills in the back of a limousine cruising through the imposing monuments of the nation's capitol. Even an old geezer like me, who has never seen the back of a limousine, found himself breathing rather heavily there as Susan deftly and gracefully removes her dress.
If you happen to be like me, as my title states, stick around for a very thrilling ride, including many twists and turns through the cold corridors of power, influence, and corruption in Washington, D. C. By the way, I didn't think that Susan was taking a photo of Tom's face, but I guess that I was mistaken. I even managed to catch more than one glimpse of my old apartment on the sixteenth floor of River House near the Pentagon in Arlington. Ah, the memories!
The Mating Season (1951)
Surprise!
I didn't expect to appreciate this 1951 comedy as much as I did, but it's excellent pacing, effective script, and wonderful cast all contributed to a very positive cinematic experience. This film is almost as old as I am but seems to have aged much better than I have. Behind the comic facade lurks a very serious undercurrent concerning social status in America, which is just as relevant today as it was in 1951. The theme that prevails is that people are to be judged as individuals rather than by the socio-economic realm in which they exist.
John Lund, who also starred in "Foreign Affair" with Marlene Dietrich and Jean Arthur, gave a great performance as the newly wed who discovers that his working class mother has been hired by his aristocratic bride as their maid while he is forced to play along with the idea without revealing her identity. Gene Tierney as the wife is as charming as ever. I don't think that I would have liked the classic "Laura" very much without being enchanted by her quirky loveliness. Miriam Hopkins perfected the art of portraying some of the most obnoxious characters in cinema ("The Heiress", "Children's Hour"., etc.) and does so again as Tierney's repulsive and excessively snobby mother. But the performer who really steals the show, once again, is the one and only Thelma Ritter. No one can bring the silliest lines and the dullest movies to life like Thelma, who was recognized for her outstanding work here with the first of five Oscar nominations.
La battaglia di Algeri (1966)
All For What?
Although I was very impressed by this film as a brainwashed, leftwing adolescent, I find it mostly boring and tedious today. When I read about the nation of Algeria today, in spite of its vast wealth in oil and gas, I am completely unimpressed by its continuous political oppression since it achieved independence in 1962. I must ask, what was the ultimate outcome of its independence in terms of political freedom? Algeria may have achieved independence, but its people are far from free today.
While the pace of the film was exciting during my first viewing many years ago, the action loses its momentum with the second experience. I do give director Pontecorvo much credit for the ability to recreate acts of terrorism and their deadly results cinematically. The musical background also effectively contributes to the dramatic circumstances. I recognize these attributes in my rating.
1776 (1972)
A Musical Is As Good As Its Music
Once again, having read so many glowing reviews on this website, I find myself in the minority. As much as I respect and value the subject matter here, I can't appreciate this as a musical, especially since so much of the music is not only mediocre but unpleasant to my ears. The very serious subject of the birth of our nation does not deserve all of the silly distractions that occur here. At 2 hours and 20 minutes, the length could have been shortened significantly without sacrificing important events and character development. If this film were produced as a straight drama, it would have made the impact that the occasion deserves. Perhaps I would feel differently about the live Broadway show, but, for me, I was disappointed with the film adaptation. While the performances of Howard da Silva and William Daniels were excellent, they could not compensate for all of the weaknesses.
Mask (1985)
The Second Time Around
Having read several user reviews, all glowing and full of praise, I am surely the outlier here and will most likely find disapproval, but I can take it.
For some reason, the second viewing of this film wasn't nearly as powerful as the first. I feel very strongly that it should have been reduced by 30 minutes as it seemed to lag during the several biker gang sequences. I got the message very, very early that the mother, Rusty Dennis, was unconventional, hard as nails, and loved the fast and dangerous life in spite of the special needs required by her son, Rocky, who was diagnosed with a rare, disfiguring disease called craniodiaphyseal dysplasia. In spite of her love and devotion to Rocky, I still found Rusty to be a very disagreeable character for many reasons, and I am sure that I would not have liked her if I knew her in real life. Still, Cher was extremely photogenic and did an excellent job with the script that was handed to her, and Eric Stoltz was outstanding as Rocky. I was disturbed by the total waste of two great talents, Estelle Getty and Richard Dysart, as the very unremarkable grandparents. Anyone could have played those roles. For me, Sam Elliot was very one dimensional and tended to react with the same bland facial expressions again and again. Perhaps this is what the character, Gar, required, but I had trouble empathizing with both him and Rusty.
Although cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs captured the rather sterile, dusty atmosphere of Azusa, California very well, I found the soundtrack to be mostly annoying. Although I was born and raised in Central Jersey at the same time as Bruce Springsteen, for the most part, I could never appreciate his music or his singing voice, and I'm not apologizing to anyone for my opinion. For me, it was just one more disagreeable element, but, Stoltz and Kovacs saved the entire project.
Stand by Me (1986)
When a Theme Song Outperforms a Movie
This is another instance where I must diverge from the consensus that the film deserves an 8.2 rating out of a possible 10. That is very high for the average rating of a movie, especially one from the 20th century and 36 years old at the time of this writing.
I was 10 in 1959 when the movie was supposed to occur, but I was 12 when Ben E. King's hit, which serves as the film's theme, soared to the top of the charts in 1961. That places me at the same age of the boys when the critical song was most popular, so I should be able to relate to the story on that basis, but I don't. The theme song and the soundtrack were the most positive aspects of the film. I loved the song in 1961 and still love it today, over 60 years later. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not get involved with the story, the somewhat lethargic, if not banal, screenplay, or the characters. Even the location in the Eugene, Oregon area couldn't inspire me very much. I lived in Eugene for a short time a decade before the film was made, and I don't believe the beauty of the region was captured as it could have been.
I remember the age of 12 as being one of the most difficult eras of my life, but my best friends came along when I was around 17, so I couldn't relate to Richard Dreyfuss's final words either. The age of 12 was nothing more than a total nightmare for me even without the sight of a deceased classmate. Life was bad enough without that, thank you.
I wish that I could rate this film higher, but I just can't. No apologies either.
La jetée (1962)
Over My Head
My mind is not abstract enough to understand this film. I couldn't understand how anyone could survive a nuclear holocaust, even below ground. Perhaps no one did. I can't say for sure.
Considering how insane the world has become with world "leaders" who are either homicidal, or feebleminded, or, worst of all, ineffective and impotent, this was nothing more than a 27 minute nightmare for me, especially when we seem to be living in an endless Cuban missile crisis right now. Perhaps only those who were at least 12 years old in October of 1962.could understand what I mean. Is it a mere coincidence that this film was produced in the same year?
I couldn't understand the significance of the observation deck of then Orly Field in Paris, but it seemed to be critical to the overall theme. It reminded me of one of my favorite destinations as a child, the outdoor deck at the old Newark Airport, which, like so many fond memories of my youth, is nothing but a faded memory to me now.
Heathers (1988)
Che Sera Sera
Considering the apparent cult devotion to the film, I am prepared for down votes, so go ahead. I've been here for a while and can take it.
For me, the best part of the entire film is the opening and closing theme song of Che Sera Sera sung by Sly and the Family Stone. I actually date back to 1956 when it was a major hit by Doris Day and the much repeated (!) theme song of Hitchcock's remake of "The Man Who Knew Too Much" in the same year. As much as I love that movie, I never liked the way Doris sang it, but this version provides the perfect, serene setting that clearly telegraphs "prepare yourself for trouble and conflict because it's coming fast and furious". Perhaps the rest of the film just can't live up to the very effective first scene.
I have seen Winona Ryder in other films before, and there is just so much that any actor can do with a shoddy script. Unlike many other reviewers, I did not appreciate the trite, silly, and embarrassingly profane dialogue. My high school experience twenty years earlier was less than ideal, to make a huge understatement, but this high school, which is supposed to be somewhere in Ohio, seems totally implausible even for southern California, which is probably where all of the creators attended high school.
I haven't seen Christian Slater before, but he thoroughly annoyed me throughout the movie. Was it his odd, affected manner of speaking? The main problem, at least for me, is that Veronica, played by Ryder, under no circumstances would depend upon the disagreeable likes of the Heathers for an active social life at ANY high school in America. It is completely unlikely that she would subject her character to any of these people. Why would she do that? I missed the motivation behind her association with "friends" she did not like, but I admit that I started to lose my attention early.
Having endured, as a nation, the insane level of violence in our public schools that we have experienced in the 21st century, I had a very difficult time laughing at any of this. The Columbine incident would not occur until more than a decade after this film was made, so I suppose I understand that the general sentiments on the matter of public school violence was much different in 1988, but I'm not sure. This was difficult for me to sit through, but I was determined to do it because I knew that I would never see it again, and I still struggle to understand how it could be so popular after what we have witnessed in this country in the 21st century.
I actually know someone in real life who used to call her father an "idiot". I'm not sure if she still does. Perhaps she was inspired by this film. Observing it in real life is even more repulsive than in a movie.
Island in the Sun (1957)
Soapsuds in the Sun
Sadly, Hollywood, once again, uses a very serious subject and makes a mockery of it with banal dialogue and overall superficiality. Instead of focusing on the painful abuse of one people by another, the director here presents a confusing plot involving no fewer than five separate couples and their romantic complications. Some of the cast, including Belafonte and Dandridge, are each included in more than one of these hookups.
Admittedly, I am not a fan of romantic drama, but I have seen soap operas of the same era that remained loyal to their serious subject matter without sacrificing the subject's gravity among a series of confusing, romantic entanglements. Regrettably, this film allows its very important political and social themes to suffocate under the heavy emphasis of frivolous relationships. One film that comes to mind is "Home Before Dark" (1958) in which director Mervyn Leroy never allows the important subject of mental illness to lose its impact beneath some very compelling portrayals of individual relationships. It helps to have two leads, Jean Simmons and Dan O'Herlihy, so strongly committed to their roles. I don't feel that many cast members here are emotionally invested in their roles.
Unfortunately, as is the case with the important topic, an otherwise capable cast is also wasted here. Even the likes of James Mason and Joan Fontaine cannot save this faulty production. Belafonte's one "moment in the sun" occurs during the public showdown with Mason, but it isn't enough, probably because of the otherwise lethargic dialogue.
Aside from a very nice theme song rendered by Belafonte, the cinematography by Freddie Young ("Dr. Zhivago", "Lawrence of Arabia". "Lust for Life", among many others) is exceptional. Having spent some time in Barbados, I especially appreciate the scenes of the spectacular, far less commercialized east coast of the island, most notably the finale. For me, the views of a much more lush and mountainous Grenada are very obvious, including the aerial shots of Grenada's capital, St. George's. Young was able to capture the best of both islands, and his photography is the film's greatest attribute.
Great Expectations (1999)
Good But Cannot Top the 1946 Production
Although I very much enjoyed this updated interpretation of the classic Dickens novel, no remake has ever surpassed the authenticity of the atmosphere created so masterfully by David Lean in his glorious, if not gloomy, black and white version of 1946. Beyond the prevailing murkiness of Lean's remarkable setting, the extraordinary 1946 cast can never be duplicated, especially the unique quirkiness of many of the most eccentric characters. In my humble view, none of the young Estellas could match the bratty nastiness projected by Jean Simmons nor her stunning beauty. Furthermore, Francis J. Sullivan was born to play the role of Jagger and no other actor can even approach him in this endeavor. Thirdly, Martita Hunt sets a very high standard for Miss Havisham that simply has not been met. I could go down the entire list, but I'll stop it there for the sake of brevity.
This cast here performs admirably, and I do appreciate all of the modern cinematic techniques and gimmicks, such as the unexpected, colorful mechanization of the steamship and the specifics of Miss Havisham's worm infestation, just to mention two instances of many, but, for me, there is no substitution for the 1946 film. No one could ever strip Miss Havisham's rotting banquet table quite as dramatically and effectively as John Mills when he tries to save her from burning to death. I sorely miss elements such as that here and so much more, but if you love the book, as I do, this very different rendition must be experienced and appreciated.
Great Expectations (1946)
Expectations Exceeded, Now More Than Ever
Way back in 1961, Dickens' classic novel "Great Expectations" was required reading for eighth graders in my school district. God only knows what eighth graders in New Jersey are required to read today. I don't want to think about that today. I'll think about it tomorrow. In spite of the fact that the book was literally shoved down our throats, I was impressed by the novel, and it marked the beginning of my long appreciation for its amazingly prolific creator. Wisely, my English teacher projected this movie on a screen for us, and it helped us in understanding at least some of the complicated plot elements.
Flash forward more than sixty years later, and I find myself enjoying director David Lean's outstanding achievement even more than ever. Having experienced life for the past six decades, I can appreciate many aspects of the production much more than I could at age 12, including the compelling circumstances and themes of the basic story, the superb acting of the British cast, and Lean's special touch as director. The entire mood of the film is successfully established at the very start in the spooky churchyard scene, and, unlike other reviewers, I never felt that the subsequent action ever let me down, thanks to an excellent script, fine direction, and a seemingly endless supply of fascinating, eccentric characters who are so ably brought to life by an exceptionally talented group of actors. That having been said, I won't dispute those who found Valerie Hobson's performance a bit of a letdown, especially when the standard set by the rest of the cast was so high. I also can't disagree with those who believe that John Mills was too old for the role of the grown Pip, but he was a great actor, and he truly excelled here in skillfully providing us with a wide variety of emotions and reactions.
Although the cast as a team is first-rate, accolades especially go to Martita Hunt as a superlative Miss Havisham, Alec Guinness in his film debut as Pip's a quirky, lovable buddy, Francis Sullivan as Jagger, Finlay Currie as Magwitch, Bernard Miles as Joe, and Freda Jackson as Mrs. Joe. I also thought that Tony Wager plays the perfect Pip, especially when good child actors seem to be a rarity, today and yesterday. Sadly, his life ended from poor health at the relatively young age of 58 after a long career, mostly in television. A young and beautiful Jean Simmons is as striking as ever in her role as the nasty, young Estella, which marked the beginning of a very successful career for her in both Britain and the United States. I would love to see her as Miss Havisham in the 1989 television series.
As to the ending, it was Dickens who was pressured by his advisors to change the original conclusion to a more positive one, so I can't blame the screenwriters, the producers, or the director for that.
Anne Frank Remembered (1995)
The Worst and the Best of Us
While George Stevens' outstanding film "The Diary of Anne Frank" is very moving and very powerful, it is an artistic product in which professional actors and a robust script bring the darkest days of modern history to life. This documentary, consisting mostly of the words of actual victims of the Nazi Holocaust during World War II, is at times even more penetrating. In Stevens' film, the experience of eight Jews hiding for more than two years in the attic of an Amsterdam spice factory is dramatized very effectively while this very gripping account describes very painfully and sadly what actually happened to Anne and her family after they were discovered and transported from their native Amsterdam, first to a camp in northern Holland and then to even more horrifying facilities of death and misery in Poland. In this instance, we observe and listen to the words of the eyewitnesses who came in contact with the Frank family during their horrific and tragic imprisonment by the Nazis.
Although the statements of the victims are extremely compelling, I was most impressed by the remarkable courage of Miep Gies, as well as her associates, who assisted the Franks and their fellow captors throughout their period of hiding. This woman was a true hero who risked her very life and those of her family so that others might live. There were other "righteous gentiles" throughout Europe who could have easily turned away to pursue a life of complacency during the Nazi occupation, but they chose a different, much more difficult path for the sake of their fellow human beings. In the face of very dangerous circumstances, would I possess the unselfish courage demonstrated by individuals such as Miep Gies? Although the experiences of the Holocaust victims are very troubling to hear, this is a film that must be seen so that history may not be repeated. Unfortunately, the shocking brutality and inhumanity of the past is recurring in Ukraine today. Once again, it will take many bold acts of courage to reverse. Pray and act for peace.
Voyna i mir (1965)
1812 vs. 2022
Having devoted two hours each of the past several evenings to this film, I feel that I now have "War and Peace" withdrawal, if such a condition is possible. The cast, the direction, and the cinematography here are superb. I suppose the director, Sergey Bondarchuk, who also co-wrote the script and stars as the intellectual aristocrat Count Pierre Bezukhov, was determined to present a film that was worthy of the classic novel by Leo Tolstoy, which ranges from 1250-1400 pages, depending upon the specific edition. On this basis, I accept the length of the film, although I do believe that at least some of the dialogue and the lengthy battle scenes, as dramatic and spectacular as they are, could have been shortened. Unfortunately, it is impossible, at least for me, to read subtitles and to appreciate fully the cinematic beauty of a film, especially in this case. The fact is that I am not getting any younger, and my complete understanding of the relationships of the characters suffered as I became entranced by the breathtaking visual images exploding on the screen.
As I watched over several evenings, I had the opportunity during the day to research at least some of the historical circumstances of Napoleon Bonaparte's aggressive, unprovoked invasion of Russia in 1812. Although my ancestral heritage is solidly eastern European (the southeastern corner of Poland as well as Belarus) and I have developed a keen interest in the geographical origins of my family, by no means am I a qualified historian. What struck me was that the entire motivation behind Napoleon's disastrous Russian invasion was the establishment of an economic blockade against his archrival, Britain. In consideration of the enormous amount of resources devoted to such a monumental and very risky undertaking in order to weaken the economy of a third nation, I find it all even more perplexing and disturbing, especially in view of the loss of life on both sides and the misery inflicted upon the civilian population of Russia.
As I watched the cinematic re-enactment of the invasion of a sovereign country, Russia, by another, France, I could not avoid the comparison of this event to the present invasion by Russia of neighboring Ukraine and all of the horrifying, human suffering that has resulted from it. In the end, the shared motivation behind both invasions is the most vulgar exercise of power for power's own sake at a staggering cost to the lives of millions of people. What has changed over the past 210 years? How far has humanity advanced during this time? With the advancement of technology, which now dominates nearly every aspect of our lives, we are deceived into believing that the human species is progressing at a rapid pace while, in reality, our sense of humanity and decency has not improved at all. To the contrary, we seem to have taken a huge step backwards in spite of the gifts that have bestowed upon us as a species.
To me, "War and Peace" is a study of life and death. Bondarchuk's greatest success is conveying so effectively Tolstoy's reverence and appreciation for life itself. Nothing communicates this so powerfully as a soldier in combat who is forced to face death on a cold, heartless battlefield that is void of all humanity, decency, and compassion. What soldier wouldn't rather be gliding across a gleaming ballroom floor with the love of his life?
Europa '51 (1952)
Even the Likes of Bergman and Massina Can't Rescue This Turkey from the Mack Truck
Having read several glowing reviews of this film, I am not sure that I just watched the same movie. Did the enraptured authors see the same, disastrously dubbed version that I did or something else?
At least three post-World War II Italian films are among my all-time favorites, including De Sica's "Umberto D" and "Bicycle Thieves" and Fellini's "La Strada", which starred his amazing spouse, Giulietta Masina, who happens to appear here in the most bizarre cinematic circumstances.
Whatever director Rosselini wanted to accomplish here was totally destroyed by some of the worst English dubbing that I have ever witnessed in more than seven decades of movie viewing. Did Ms. Masina realize how mutilated her role would be when it was recited in pure Brooklynese by one of the bimbos "hosted" in "The Apartment" rented by Jack Lemmon? In fact, all of the Italian actors, which were most of them, spoke in the horribly dubbed English words of mechanical, robotic voices that very offensively rendered totally ludicrous a very serious movie on a very compelling subject. That, by itself, is very sad and very annoying.
As to the plot, why did guilt-ridden Irene (Bergman) agree to her transfer to an insane asylum? That, by itself, seriously weakened her character. While she was free of police custody and apparently a foreign citizen, she should have fled from her totally obtuse husband and from the entire country. True, this essential act would have eliminated the film from its existence, but would that have been a bad thing? Alexander Knox as the totally unsympathetic husband appeared in nearly 100 films over a span of more than 50 years and surely deserved much more than this awful role, which will never influence my high opinion of him.
Disastrous English dubbing, poor character development, overwrought, melodramatic dialogue, and tedious discourse of political and religious nature aside, what was the resolution in the end? Not that there needs to be a resolution to every story, but the entire presentation seemed pointless to me. Who did Irene help? Herself? Anyone else? What did she accomplish for the dying prostitute? When I suffered from a near fatal case of pneumonia, I barely had the energy to open my mouth, let alone shriek, seemingly without end, about the thieves in my awful neighborhood. At the time, the whereabouts of my wallet was the last thing on my exhausted, fever-ridden mind.
In honor of the much valued talent of Ingrid Bergman and Giulietta Masina, I gave this an extra star.