Law Abiding Citizen (2009) d. F. Gary Gray. Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx. After my second viewing I am sure the protagonists are well matched. Foxx as the Assistant District Attorney Nick Rice, in charge of the murder case involving the wife and child of Clyde Shelton (Butler), is so sure he is doing the right thing by doing a deal, that he forgets justice. It takes ten long years of planning for Clyde to bring his plan to fruition. But after he has killed both men who murdered his family, and tells Nick he has only just begun, doubts begins to form in Nicks bosses mind, and his assistant attorneys,Sarah Lowell. She says to him in a key scene "I'd like to know it was for more than just the conviction rate. I like to feel some of it was for justice." The slow dawning on Nick that maybe, just maybe, there is something more important than his career and that is what Clyde is showing him with all the mayhem. Foxx shows with very subtle expressions that he does get it and by the end in the cell with Clyde, both men are resigned to what will come. Nick leaves, and lets the fire bomb go off and Clyde, resignation and weariness on his face, awaits the holocaust.
Terrific film with two fine performances. The scene of the first killing by Clyde is gruesome but Butler and Grey subtly show the madness that ten years of waiting for justice has brought this man. Each step of his plan to kill those responsible for the injustice done to him and his family shows his brilliance, but also his descent to the dark side. Butler is spot on in the courtroom scene where he tells off the judge who went along with Nicks plea bargain and let the killer off with a 5 year sentence. Clyde's 10 years of plotting and planning, and reading the law, makes for a riveting scene and dialog.
The scenes of gritty warehouse areas in the grey dawn, or at night, bring to mind the great black and white films of the past. F. Gary Gray and his cinematographer have captured the film noir quality of light and dark, wet pavements, the shadowy faces, the bleak factory/warehouse areas, and the cold, physical and emotional, of the great 'classics' like "Kiss Of Death" or "White Heat."
I score it a 9/10. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1197624/
October 31, 2009
October 24, 2009
Some Enchanted Evening.........
....on a beautiful beach in the blue, blue Pacific:
South Pacific (1958) Mitzi Gaynor, Rossano Brazzi, John Kerr, Juanita Hall, France Nuyen, Ray Walston. All the songs are in the film version. None were cut, which shows how Rodgers & Hammerstein's masterpiece was revered by Josh Logan, the director and the producers, Buddy Adler, George Skouras and 20th Century. Yesterday 10/23/09, it was shown on TCM in all its' glory and I sat with a smile on my face. I have even gotten so I am not distracted by the color filters used on the camera for different songs and scenes. It is a very small innovation Logan used and compared to what is used in films today, seems quaint that it was so vilified in "58. The delivery of Gaynors lines is somewhat theatrical, but she is darling all the same. Brazzi is fine as the romantic lead, and Hall and Nuyen perfect. When I saw the road show play in the early 50's I loved it. When I read Michenors book, I loved it. So, what can I say? I love to sit and let this film just wash over me. And that beach she "washes that man right out of her hair" on - is mahvelous, darlings. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052225/
South Pacific (1958) Mitzi Gaynor, Rossano Brazzi, John Kerr, Juanita Hall, France Nuyen, Ray Walston. All the songs are in the film version. None were cut, which shows how Rodgers & Hammerstein's masterpiece was revered by Josh Logan, the director and the producers, Buddy Adler, George Skouras and 20th Century. Yesterday 10/23/09, it was shown on TCM in all its' glory and I sat with a smile on my face. I have even gotten so I am not distracted by the color filters used on the camera for different songs and scenes. It is a very small innovation Logan used and compared to what is used in films today, seems quaint that it was so vilified in "58. The delivery of Gaynors lines is somewhat theatrical, but she is darling all the same. Brazzi is fine as the romantic lead, and Hall and Nuyen perfect. When I saw the road show play in the early 50's I loved it. When I read Michenors book, I loved it. So, what can I say? I love to sit and let this film just wash over me. And that beach she "washes that man right out of her hair" on - is mahvelous, darlings. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052225/
October 23, 2009
Du Maurier, Cristie novels to film.....
The last 3 films I watched all the way through were:
My Cousin Rachel (1952) OIivia deHavilland, Richard Burton, John Sutton, Audrey Dalton. Daphne Du Maurier's Gothic novel of a young man and his cousin by marriage, Rachel. The film perfectly mimics the novels ambiguity and at the end you still can't tell for sure if this 'cousin' is angel or devil. As Philip Ashley moans at the end...."Rachel, my torment..... ". Beautiful black and white cinematography, costumes, and a great Franz Waxman music score. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044937/
Death On The Nile (1978) Based on an Agatha Christie novel of a rich heiress, who steals her best friends fiancee, marries him, and then is followed and harassed by the former friend on their honeymoon. It culminates on a steamer going up the Nile River to visit the temples of Karnac. A very large cast of A-list actors, in 1920's styles and sets, has fun with this mystery. Peter Ustinov, as Hercule Poirot and David Niven as his friend, Col. Johnny Race try to figure out who has murdered the heiress, Linnet Doyle. Frankly, all the talk by Ustinov, in his accent, made me doze off. Rewound and tried again, but I went to sleep again. I do love the music theme by Nino Rota. Lovely. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077413/
A Little Trip To Heaven (2005) Julia Stiles, Forrest Whitaker, Peter Coyote, Jeremy Renner, Philip Jackson. Shot in Iceland, financed in part by Icelandic Film Fund, Nordic Film and TV-Fund etc., and using almost all crew members from Iceland. The story is of a couple and the woman's brother who are involved with insurance scams. Whitaker is a company investigator sent to the town where the woman who is the beneficiary of a million dollar policy lives to see if he can discover anything fishy so they can refuse to pay off. Interesting story. The two loser guys she has to put up with are worthless, but for some reason she seems sympathetic so Whitaker wants to help her and her little boy. You feel cold watching these landscapes and night scenes. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420740/
Yesterday it rained all day, and the beautiful Autumn Sunset maple in the backyard last all its' leaves. The walnut trees still are golden. And we have another variety of maple in the front yard that is just starting to turn colors, so it will still be pretty for a while. But Halloween is fast approaching and chill and creepy and things that go bump in the night will soon be here........
My Cousin Rachel (1952) OIivia deHavilland, Richard Burton, John Sutton, Audrey Dalton. Daphne Du Maurier's Gothic novel of a young man and his cousin by marriage, Rachel. The film perfectly mimics the novels ambiguity and at the end you still can't tell for sure if this 'cousin' is angel or devil. As Philip Ashley moans at the end...."Rachel, my torment..... ". Beautiful black and white cinematography, costumes, and a great Franz Waxman music score. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044937/
Death On The Nile (1978) Based on an Agatha Christie novel of a rich heiress, who steals her best friends fiancee, marries him, and then is followed and harassed by the former friend on their honeymoon. It culminates on a steamer going up the Nile River to visit the temples of Karnac. A very large cast of A-list actors, in 1920's styles and sets, has fun with this mystery. Peter Ustinov, as Hercule Poirot and David Niven as his friend, Col. Johnny Race try to figure out who has murdered the heiress, Linnet Doyle. Frankly, all the talk by Ustinov, in his accent, made me doze off. Rewound and tried again, but I went to sleep again. I do love the music theme by Nino Rota. Lovely. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077413/
A Little Trip To Heaven (2005) Julia Stiles, Forrest Whitaker, Peter Coyote, Jeremy Renner, Philip Jackson. Shot in Iceland, financed in part by Icelandic Film Fund, Nordic Film and TV-Fund etc., and using almost all crew members from Iceland. The story is of a couple and the woman's brother who are involved with insurance scams. Whitaker is a company investigator sent to the town where the woman who is the beneficiary of a million dollar policy lives to see if he can discover anything fishy so they can refuse to pay off. Interesting story. The two loser guys she has to put up with are worthless, but for some reason she seems sympathetic so Whitaker wants to help her and her little boy. You feel cold watching these landscapes and night scenes. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420740/
Yesterday it rained all day, and the beautiful Autumn Sunset maple in the backyard last all its' leaves. The walnut trees still are golden. And we have another variety of maple in the front yard that is just starting to turn colors, so it will still be pretty for a while. But Halloween is fast approaching and chill and creepy and things that go bump in the night will soon be here........
Cheers for "Law Abiding Citizen "
Went to the opening Friday morning show on Oct. 16 of this film. Cheers all around for a very entertaining show.
Law Abiding Citizen
Action, mystery & an intense think piece. I like that it has a prologue setting up the two antagonists. Following in the main body of the story is the mastermind and determined wronged man, Clyde(Gerard Butler), taking his revenge on the system that has betrayed him and his dead wife and child. By the end epilogue, we see his main foil, the district attorney, Neil(Jamie Foxx), with his family at his childs recital. Clyde, the "bad man", has taught the smart "good man" attorney to treasure what matters.The action scenes with the explosions are awesome and I loved that the director and writers let us see how Clyde did what he did by the end of the film. Great locations in gritty areas of Philadelphia. A good time at the movies with an old-fashioned suspense/thriller. 9/10
I'm going to see this one again this week.
Law Abiding Citizen
Action, mystery & an intense think piece. I like that it has a prologue setting up the two antagonists. Following in the main body of the story is the mastermind and determined wronged man, Clyde(Gerard Butler), taking his revenge on the system that has betrayed him and his dead wife and child. By the end epilogue, we see his main foil, the district attorney, Neil(Jamie Foxx), with his family at his childs recital. Clyde, the "bad man", has taught the smart "good man" attorney to treasure what matters.The action scenes with the explosions are awesome and I loved that the director and writers let us see how Clyde did what he did by the end of the film. Great locations in gritty areas of Philadelphia. A good time at the movies with an old-fashioned suspense/thriller. 9/10
I'm going to see this one again this week.
October 14, 2009
October 12, 2009
3 from the studio era; 2 from the new century-----
----As the world turns and my Heartland USA home has to have the furnace or fireplace on to take off the chill, I watched some old favorites and a couple of newer films:
A Stolen Life (1946) Bette Davis, Glenn Ford, Dane Clark, Walter Brennan, Charles Ruggles. Great cast. Bette plays twins, Kate and Pat, and the story is about their romance with the man who comes to the New England villiage and island to do maintainance on the lighthouse. Wonderful atmospherics, great musical score, and the players are all at their best. Bette was instrumental in securing the role for Glenn, for which he was very grateful, having just returned after 3 years in the service in WWII. He had no contract and was not working. Years later when Bette needed a job, he was a number one box office star, and returned the favor. He cast her as Apple Annie in "Pocketful Of Miracles." A real gent. A rainey afternoon by the fire kind of film. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038984/
Sirocco (1951) Humphrey Bogart, Marta Torin, Lee J. Cobb, Everett Sloane. Just barely kept me awake. Bogey is so tired and cynical that you quit caring what happens to him. Lots of going to underground caverns, staying in dirty surroundings, and all the characters are unworthy - theives, murderers. It is about the French occupied Syria and the insurgency that happened, and gun running, smuggling, murders, etc. Not nice or pretty and after a while, we don't care. That is unforgivable in a film of this sort. We have to identify with someone and here we just don't. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044040/
Home From The Hill (1960) Robert Mitchum, Eleanor Parker, George Peppard, George Hamilton. Texas heat and sensibilities. A huge ranch/farm with oil wells, have made the patriarch answer to no one, not his wife or their son. A force of nature, he uses people the same as his dogs, expected to heel at his voice. It seems the night of his wedding to Eleanor, he brings his bride home to see his mistress and their son, a five year old who has been living on the ranch ever since. Troubled wife stays in the home in order to raise their son her way. But by age 18, sonny becomes enamored of a school friend, and she ends up pregnant. By this time sonny so hates his parents, he doesn't want to marry, let alone have kids. A tangled web and how it all comes out made a engrossing, if not exciting, film. Peppard, as the illigitimate son, is very good and looks great. A good melodrama and gorgeous cinematography. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053917/
Panic Room (2002) Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forrest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam, Jered Leto. This film was on TV last weekend and I had to stop and watch. Still gives a great rush with the gals trying to outwit and out last the three intruders. Great house set and atmosphere. I've reviewed this before, so - 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258000/
In Enemy Hands (2004) William Macy as Chief of Boat Nathan Travers on the U.S.S Swordfish in the north Atlantic during WWII when the German U-boats were taking out more than half of the merchant ships with supplies for the allies. One crew on a U.S. sub gives battle and is sunk by U-429 and picked up as prisoners. I know nothing about subs, the navy etc., but this held my interest yesterday evening. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0316824/
Reading the news makes a happy person sad. More wars, less health care, still losing jobs, maniacs on the loose. But Friday another Gerard Butler film in theaters, so things aren't all bad. LOL! Hi-ho everybody!
A Stolen Life (1946) Bette Davis, Glenn Ford, Dane Clark, Walter Brennan, Charles Ruggles. Great cast. Bette plays twins, Kate and Pat, and the story is about their romance with the man who comes to the New England villiage and island to do maintainance on the lighthouse. Wonderful atmospherics, great musical score, and the players are all at their best. Bette was instrumental in securing the role for Glenn, for which he was very grateful, having just returned after 3 years in the service in WWII. He had no contract and was not working. Years later when Bette needed a job, he was a number one box office star, and returned the favor. He cast her as Apple Annie in "Pocketful Of Miracles." A real gent. A rainey afternoon by the fire kind of film. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038984/
Sirocco (1951) Humphrey Bogart, Marta Torin, Lee J. Cobb, Everett Sloane. Just barely kept me awake. Bogey is so tired and cynical that you quit caring what happens to him. Lots of going to underground caverns, staying in dirty surroundings, and all the characters are unworthy - theives, murderers. It is about the French occupied Syria and the insurgency that happened, and gun running, smuggling, murders, etc. Not nice or pretty and after a while, we don't care. That is unforgivable in a film of this sort. We have to identify with someone and here we just don't. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044040/
Home From The Hill (1960) Robert Mitchum, Eleanor Parker, George Peppard, George Hamilton. Texas heat and sensibilities. A huge ranch/farm with oil wells, have made the patriarch answer to no one, not his wife or their son. A force of nature, he uses people the same as his dogs, expected to heel at his voice. It seems the night of his wedding to Eleanor, he brings his bride home to see his mistress and their son, a five year old who has been living on the ranch ever since. Troubled wife stays in the home in order to raise their son her way. But by age 18, sonny becomes enamored of a school friend, and she ends up pregnant. By this time sonny so hates his parents, he doesn't want to marry, let alone have kids. A tangled web and how it all comes out made a engrossing, if not exciting, film. Peppard, as the illigitimate son, is very good and looks great. A good melodrama and gorgeous cinematography. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053917/
Panic Room (2002) Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forrest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam, Jered Leto. This film was on TV last weekend and I had to stop and watch. Still gives a great rush with the gals trying to outwit and out last the three intruders. Great house set and atmosphere. I've reviewed this before, so - 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258000/
In Enemy Hands (2004) William Macy as Chief of Boat Nathan Travers on the U.S.S Swordfish in the north Atlantic during WWII when the German U-boats were taking out more than half of the merchant ships with supplies for the allies. One crew on a U.S. sub gives battle and is sunk by U-429 and picked up as prisoners. I know nothing about subs, the navy etc., but this held my interest yesterday evening. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0316824/
Reading the news makes a happy person sad. More wars, less health care, still losing jobs, maniacs on the loose. But Friday another Gerard Butler film in theaters, so things aren't all bad. LOL! Hi-ho everybody!
October 01, 2009
A Mitchum/Kerr classic; Ashley Judd; Craig; & Neeson
This week I watched:
Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957) Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum. A wonderful film about a nun and a marine who end up on a south Pacific Island during WWII, all alone. She, because the priest she was caring for wandered off and died, and she missed the last boat to safety. He, because his ship was blown out from under him and he was the only survivor, when he came up near a life raft. After drifting for days, he ends up on this small island. During the next weeks, the Japanese invade and set up an outpost; leave, come back; and then the American fleet finally arrives and the Marines take the island. They have help from our two unlikely heros, and with Mr. Allison wounded and carried on a stretcher, attended by Sister Angela, the movie ends with the astonished warriors watching as the two come down the hill to be taken to the ship. A two-character study and both actors are marvelous. Pitch perfect in their roles. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050490/
High Crimes (2002) Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, James Caviezel. As usual Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd are very good in their roles. She is a successful lawyer and a servicemans wife. Freeman is a former military defense lawyer who was drummed out because of drinking. She hires him to help her through the maze of military rules regarding the court. Trouble is she has been blind sided by the fact that for 15 years her husband has seemed the loving husband and father, and now is accused of a massacre in San Salvadore in a special ops during the drug war. Many twists and turns and by the end we have pretty much figured it out. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0257756/
Defiance (2008) Daniel Craig, Liev Schrieber, Mark Feuerstein. Based on true story that I had never heard before. A group of Jewish villagers in Belarus are given a chance to flee the roundup by German soldiers, by the men and boys in a family of Jewish rogues. One (Tuvia/Craig) wants to save them all if he can. The other (Zus/Schrieber) wants to fight the Germans in hit and run skirmishes. Craig takes the group and starts building shacks to get them through the winter. Zus and Tuvia have a fight about what to do and finally Zus leaves and joins the Russian resistance fighters. This film is life affirming and shows what can be done with a determined leader and cooperation. They continue to live in the forests for 3 years in all. Craig is very good, as is Schrieber. Also in the cast as a Jewish intellectual from the city, who learns how to fight after all, is Mark Feuerstein, lately of Royal Pains on TNT channel. He is a standout in a large cast. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034303/
Taken (2008) Liam Neeson. I can't believe what a mistaken impression you can get from a preview. I saw the scene of the girl under the bed "taken" about 3 dozen times during its' publicity for the theater opening, and then recently for the DVD release. So, I thought it was a ghost or some kind of zombie flick. I didn't even bother to read about it. Big mistake. This is a terrific thriller about a kidnapping. Neeson is just mesmerizing - and not bad as an ass-kicking, blow 'um all away, former CIA operative. Very enjoyable and had me on pins and needles, and even squealing now and then. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/
I'm about ready to quit watching the news. I'm so mad that the Dems can't get a bill with a public option through congress. If the Doctors and Nurses are for it, and 65 per cent of the voters, it just shows who is being bought and sold in D.C. Arrrrrg! Over and out.
Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957) Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum. A wonderful film about a nun and a marine who end up on a south Pacific Island during WWII, all alone. She, because the priest she was caring for wandered off and died, and she missed the last boat to safety. He, because his ship was blown out from under him and he was the only survivor, when he came up near a life raft. After drifting for days, he ends up on this small island. During the next weeks, the Japanese invade and set up an outpost; leave, come back; and then the American fleet finally arrives and the Marines take the island. They have help from our two unlikely heros, and with Mr. Allison wounded and carried on a stretcher, attended by Sister Angela, the movie ends with the astonished warriors watching as the two come down the hill to be taken to the ship. A two-character study and both actors are marvelous. Pitch perfect in their roles. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050490/
High Crimes (2002) Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, James Caviezel. As usual Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd are very good in their roles. She is a successful lawyer and a servicemans wife. Freeman is a former military defense lawyer who was drummed out because of drinking. She hires him to help her through the maze of military rules regarding the court. Trouble is she has been blind sided by the fact that for 15 years her husband has seemed the loving husband and father, and now is accused of a massacre in San Salvadore in a special ops during the drug war. Many twists and turns and by the end we have pretty much figured it out. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0257756/
Defiance (2008) Daniel Craig, Liev Schrieber, Mark Feuerstein. Based on true story that I had never heard before. A group of Jewish villagers in Belarus are given a chance to flee the roundup by German soldiers, by the men and boys in a family of Jewish rogues. One (Tuvia/Craig) wants to save them all if he can. The other (Zus/Schrieber) wants to fight the Germans in hit and run skirmishes. Craig takes the group and starts building shacks to get them through the winter. Zus and Tuvia have a fight about what to do and finally Zus leaves and joins the Russian resistance fighters. This film is life affirming and shows what can be done with a determined leader and cooperation. They continue to live in the forests for 3 years in all. Craig is very good, as is Schrieber. Also in the cast as a Jewish intellectual from the city, who learns how to fight after all, is Mark Feuerstein, lately of Royal Pains on TNT channel. He is a standout in a large cast. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034303/
Taken (2008) Liam Neeson. I can't believe what a mistaken impression you can get from a preview. I saw the scene of the girl under the bed "taken" about 3 dozen times during its' publicity for the theater opening, and then recently for the DVD release. So, I thought it was a ghost or some kind of zombie flick. I didn't even bother to read about it. Big mistake. This is a terrific thriller about a kidnapping. Neeson is just mesmerizing - and not bad as an ass-kicking, blow 'um all away, former CIA operative. Very enjoyable and had me on pins and needles, and even squealing now and then. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/
I'm about ready to quit watching the news. I'm so mad that the Dems can't get a bill with a public option through congress. If the Doctors and Nurses are for it, and 65 per cent of the voters, it just shows who is being bought and sold in D.C. Arrrrrg! Over and out.
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