This is what I watched this week:
The Lion In Winter (1968) Kathryn Hepburn (Oscar), Peter O'Toole(nominated), Anthony Hopkins. TCM showed this in their Essentials spot Saturday. Great film with lots of drama. The story of the schemes, jealousys and plots of Englands King Henry II's wife and sons, during a Christmas holiday gathering at one of the palaces, is riveting. Henry wants to have the youngest son, John, his heir to the throne. Eleanor favors Richard. The rivalry also involves Alais, the French princess brought as a child to Henrys court as an alliance with France, betrothed to Richard. But now she is Henrys mistress. Alais brother, the King of France also comes for the holiday to see that Henry fulfills the contract and Alais is finally married to Richard. All the family is at each others throats. This was released as a Road Show film, with reserved seats. A prestige film. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063227/
The Bribe (1949) TCM. Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Charles Laughton. Big stars in a story about government agents after theives in racket to steal apare parts for airplanes. All the actors are good. The story is a bit confused and slow. But Ava Gardner is gorgeous and on screen almost all the time. One of her first big roles, and you can't take your eyes off her. A great beauty. 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041207/
Dave (1993) TV. Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Charles Grodin. Fun "what-if" film about the President having a heart attack and a look alike who is drafted to 'play' the part for a while. Droll and sharp satire. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106673/
The Bourne Identity (2006) TV. Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox. Great action spy film. Amnesia and people trying to blow you away. Non stop action. And the only person who will help is a screw-up gal who has her own problems. Watch it all the time. Whenever I am browsing the satellite channels and come across this, I always stop and watch for awhile. And love the music. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258463/
Crazy Heart (2009) DVD rental. Jeff Bridges(Oscar), Maggie Gyllenhaal(nominated), Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall. Good story of a washed up country singer appearing at bowling alleys and small bars in the fly-over hinterlands. After hefalls asleep at the wheel and has an accident, he is helped by the woman who showed up to interview him for her small town paper. They become lovers but because he drinks so much, she is not sure of their relasionship. When he loses her son at the mall one day, it is over for them. The rest of the story is his getting his act together and getting sober. Bridges is very good, as usual. Maggie is too. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1263670/
Up In The Air (2009) George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick. Interesting film on the corporate world of rats who are sent out to fire the mid level employees in the downsizing or corporate America. Clooney is one such guy. He lives out of his suitcase, the airports and planes.he travels in, and has no ties anywhere. He gives seminars on getting rid of the baggage and backpacks of life. It is a portrait of a man with nothing except the incredible free miles he has racked up in his travels. He has the 6th highest total in the world. But no family. His sisters hardly know him. George is just right and the two actresses are very good also. The world these people have to live in is foreign and hateful to me. But it is going on in almost every type of office today. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1193138/
That's all folks, for this time.
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