Reviews
Since You Went Away (1944)
Sobfest, indeed.
"Since You Went Away" is undeniably designed to be a sobfest. It's trite, full of cliches, and it's blatant morale-sustaining propaganda. It does, however, tell a very real story for those of us who lived through those terrible years. What we needed were sobfests, cliches, and anything that would sustain our morale. For those of us, even as children, who walked the terribly lonely walk to Woolworth's with a grandparent, to buy the new gold star flag to hang in the window signifying the death of a family member somewhere in Europe---for us, it was at Anzio, in Italy---or the Pacific, this film is frighteningly real. I treasure this film.
Return to Me (2000)
Wonderful
A delightful and wonderful film, which has entered my pantheon of great romantic comedies. IN many ways it's even better than "When Harry met Sally." IT wears well on viewing and re-viewing. The cast is excellent, and Minnie Driver gives us a really believable heroine, as contrasted to the much-too-cute Meg Ryan in other romantic comedies.
Tortilla Soup (2001)
Lovely!
"Tortilla Soup" is not a "great" film; but it certainly is an excellent and lovely film. The entire cast is superb, including Paul Rodriguez in a non-comic role. A great deal of attention is paid to accents in Spanish. For a Basque-Puertoriqueno , ELizondo's Mexican accent is absolutely believable, as is the Cuban accent of Julio Mechoso. Only one linguistic error occurs. In "daughter" Carmen's (Jacqueline Obradors) planned move to Barcelona, she says that she already speaks the language. She doesn't, because Spanish is not the official---nor the legal---language in Barcelona: it is Catalan (a Provencal Language, seemingly half-French and half-Spanish). But that's a minor point. Raquel Welch is wonderful as the woman pursuing Elizondo. This is a wholly believable film, and wonderful entertainment.
Return to Me (2000)
Wonderful
A delightful and wonderful film, which has entered my pantheon of great romantic comedies. IN many ways it's even better than "When Harry met Sally." IT wears well on viewing and re-viewing. The cast is excellent, and Minnie Driver gives us a really believable heroine, as contrasted to the much-too-cute Meg Ryan in other romantic comedies.
Billy Budd (1962)
One of the greatest films
After a hiatus of many years, "Billy Budd" has been re-released. When I saw it for the first time, when it first came out, I was stunned by the brilliance of the film. Arguably, "Billy Budd" is Herman Melville's greatest work, even better than "Moby Dick." Peter Ustinov wrote the screenplay for "Billy Budd" as well as produced, directed and starred in the film. "Starred" is, perhaps, the wrong word. The cast is like a wonderfully put-together ensemble cast. There is not a weak link in the cast. Robert Ryan, who in real life was a softie and a political liberal-radical, was wonderful as John Claggart, Master-at-Arms (the villain). Terrence Stamp, as Billy, was remarkable in his film debut. The direction was flawless, as was each and every acting job. Peter Ustinov's screenplay captures perfectly the text, the sense and the intent of Melville's writing. As is the book, the screenplay is sparse, direct, with everything necessary and nothing unnecessary. This has been, since I first saw it, on my list of 100 greatest films.
Tender Mercies (1983)
Brilliant
Robert Duvall is, arguably, one of the four or five greatest film actors of our time. This film, which could have been written specifically for him, is absolutely brilliant in its simplicity, trueness to life and in its character development. One of our better---and much too infrequently used---actresses, Tess Harper, is a perfect counterpart to Duvall. The rest of the cast, the direction, etc. Are equally brilliant. A TEN!!
Home of the Brave (1949)
Still brilliant, still gutsy
I first saw this film when it was released, when I was a kid of 12. It was light years ahead of its time in casting an African American actor in the lead role, with a cast that was otherwise all white. With one blow, the film --through James Edwards' acting-- destroys all the Hollywood and social stereotypes of black men. The film does so without making the hero, Moss, perfect(ala Sydney Poitier in later films). He's as flawed as the other soldiers in his group, but like them he is real! The screen play by Carl Foreman (later blacklisted)is brilliant, very hard-hitting, with brutal language and raw emotions. The entire cast is brilliant. I give the film a rating of 8 for quality with another 2 points for sheer guts.
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
Another Masterpiece by Redford
I never thought much of Robert Redford as an actor --he's fun as an actor, and he plays Redford well, and that's about it-- but he is one of our most brilliant and artistic directors. Like all of Redford's films, this one is visually beautiful. Like some of Redford's best films this one is also about life and death --old age and/or the coming of death are part of the resolutions of "The Milagro Beanfield War" and "A River Runs Through It. This is an unabashedly emotional and sentimental film, and that's great. No one does that better than Redford, without being Hollywoodish --mawkish and maudlin-- about it.
Matewan (1987)
An American Masterpiece
John Sayles is a national treasure! Ferociously independent --most of his films are made with privately organized funds-- and working with what has become a repertory company --most of his actors return to work with him for less than they would get elsewhere-- he has never made an uninteresting film. Even when his films may vary in overall quality, from merely good to great, they are each interesting and arresting.
My mother was an organizer in the southwest coal counties of West Virginia, arriving there in 1926 (having left college), near the end of the coal wars. Her only comment on the film, when I screened it for her before she died in 1988,was that the working conditions and the living conditions of the miners and their families were far worse than depicted in the film. She always spoke at union meetings surrounded by a body guard of 10-20 armed miners. A number of her young colleagues were assassinated (there's no other appropriate word for how they died).
The murder of Sid Hatfield, the town sheriff of Matewan, in the year following the year portrayed in the film, in broad daylight on the McDowell County courthouse steps precipitated the largest insurrection in the U.S. since the Civil War. More than 10,000 armed miners from the six coal counties, descended on the court house looking for the private detectives and law "enforcement" officers who were the assassins. They took over the court house and the town, and threatened open insurrection. Thew film is a great film. Unfortunately, like most of John Sayles's films, it did not play to a large audience.
Lonesome Dove (1989)
The best....ever!
None of the viewer comments takes note of the book, on which the TV mini-series is based. When it first came out (it won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction), the NY Times review said, "..at 800 pages, it was far too short." I read it straight through. I couldn't put it down. The Tv film is absolutely faithful to the book. Robert Duvall, probably the greatest living film actor we have, recreated Gus MacRae as no one else could. When I was young, I spent five years cowboying off and on, working both ranches and feed lots, up the crescent of the high plains, from Deming, New Mexico up through Miles City, Montana. The book and the film capture the feel of working cowboy existence (which hasn't changed much over a hundred years) perfectly. Larry McMurtry grew up among cowboys and small ranchers. One of the viewers comments on the ease of racial relationships. From the Civil War on, probably a third of the cowboys were African Americans and Mexicans. It is a brilliant film, with brilliant acting, and a brilliant script.
How Green Was My Valley (1941)
One of the greatest films ever made
I have read Richard LLewellyn's book, and the sequels, at least six times. While the movie lacks some plot details and descriptive material, the dialogue and movie narration are pure Llewellyn --and purely Welsh. It's always fascinated me that the "conquered" and "adjunct" peoples of the UK have done things with the English language that the English rarely have. Think of the English poetry and prose of the Irish poets, dramatists and novelists, and the poetry and prose of the Welsh writers. Unlike the Scots, the Cornishmen and the Irish, the Welsh accent is not so much in pronunciation as it is in the rhythym.
I have seen this film at least fifty times over the course of my life. It never pales. Walter Pidgeon is fantasic, as are the elder Morgan sons --the only really Welsh leads in the film. For people who have never heard Welsh hymns in Chapel, or have heard a Welsh choir live, the singing simply defies description.
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
The best romantic comedy ever made
In my considered opinion, "When Harry Met Sally" is the best romantic comedy ever made. I would rank it 9-1/2 out of 10 --the 1/2 subtracted for Meg Ryan's "too cuteness." Great writing, great directing, great acting, wonderful story.
Paradise Road (1997)
Better than the critics thought it to be.
I was very touched by this film. I've seen it 4 or 5 times, and it does not wear thin on re-viewing. Perhaps I bring powerful childhood associations to the film --my most beloved family member fought across the Pacific Theater in the 3rd Marine Division--, but I think many aspects of the Pacific war need to be told and retold. The war in the Pacific was a much more brutal, savage and bloody war for our soldiers, and for non-combatant Euro-American civilians than the war in Europe (with the notable historic exception --of course!-- of the Holocaust). I found Frances McDormand, and the rest of the British, Australian and American (Ms. Margulies)and Japanese cast very convincing. I would rate this film as an 7 on a scale of 10. As a classical pianist, I found the music touching and, likewise, convincing.
Battle Cry (1955)
The Context of the mid-1950s's
While I agree with the previous assessment of the film, I disagree with the writer's assestment of what was possible in the mid-1950's...or even slighty earlier. War was depicted much more realistically some of the time. I remember seeing two films then --and again last year-- one of these films as as kid, and the other as a young man, which were much more realistic. The first was "Battleground" (1949) and the second was "Attack" (1956). There was also, of course, "Stalag 17," and others. Even in its own combat-less way, as a semi-comedy, "Mister Roberts" was realistic. Three of these were "serious" Broadway plays --when Broadway was more than musicals. Those were "Attack," "Stalag 17," and "Mister Roberts."
Hard Times (1975)
Bronson's best film
Bronson teamed with James Coburn in the ensemble casts of two other great films: "The Magnificent Seven," and "The Great Escape." Of all the films Bronson has made, "Hard Times" is by far the best, and probably the only truly "serious" film. Framed in the gritty reality of the Great Depression, with great background music --1930's string band--Bronson found the role of a lifetime. I rate this film an 8 out of 10.
Hard Times (1975)
Bronson's best film
Bronson teamed with James Coburn in the ensemble casts of two other great films: "The Magnificent Seven," and "The Great Escape." Of all the films Bronson has made, "Hard Times" is by far the best, and probably the only truly "serious" film. Framed in the gritty reality of the Great Depression, with great background music --1930's string band--Bronson found the role of a lifetime. I rate this film an 8 out of 10.
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
The best romantic comedy ever made
In my considered opinion, "When Harry Met Sally" is the best romantic comedy ever made. I would rank it 9-1/2 out of 10 --the 1/2 subtracted for Meg Ryan's "too cuteness." Great writing, great directing, great acting, wonderful story.
Friendly Persuasion (1956)
Delightful
This is a delightful film., certainly as wonderful as the book. The story is, itself, a wonderful story. The acting --certainly out of character for Gary Cooper--is, likewise, excellent. Good direction and a well written screenplay from West's delightful book.
Missing (1982)
Retelling of the story of real people and real events during and after the early-1970's right wing military coup in Chile.
A powerfully written and directed film, with brilliant dramatic performances by Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek. Costa-Gavras retells the story of a conservative American businessman and his radical daughter-in-law as they seek out information about her missing husband, his only son. Their relationship develops from an antagonistic, mutually disrespectful and distant one, to a relationship and of profound respect with a deep bond between them. The details of her husband's --his son's-- arbitrary arrest, torture and summary execution, along with the similar treatment of thousands of others, are slowly revelaed and unraveled. The U.S. complicity in the murderous Chilean right wing military coup d'etat of the early 1970's is also revealed. A powerful story and brilliant film.