All posts by scottmet99

2023 Films, Fantasy, Kids, Musical

Wonka-2023

January 3, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Wonka-2023

Director Paul King

Starring Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Olivia Colman

Scott’s Review #1,414

Reviewed January 3, 2024

Grade: B+

Wonka (2023) is only the third live-action film based on Roald Dahl’s iconic 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, following Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).

The latter was an inadequate and unnecessarily dark film starring Johnny Depp that threatened to ruin the trademark fantasy of the original.

Fortunately, director Paul King mostly known for directing the Paddington films opts for a warm and even gooey experience that does perfect justice to the original starring Gene Wilder with many connections to that film, especially costumes, characters, and locale.

It’s saccharine sweet but not sickeningly sweet instead feeling both fresh and genuine.

The wonderful and familiar featured song ‘Pure Imagination’ appears instantly as the film begins which does wonders to capture and captivate the nostalgic audience—mixed with other new gems like ‘A World of Your Own’ hooks newer and younger viewers.

The effort works well as a kindly old friend dusted off the shelf for a new waltz across the dance floor and a dizzying chocolate delight crowd-pleaser is the result of Wonka.

Wonka is released in December amid the sugary Christmas holiday season. A marketing win what parents could refuse a delicious trip to the cinema?

The wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician, and chocolate maker became the beloved Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) we know today begins with the young actor brazenly wearing a similar garb as Wilder did in the 1971 effort.

I adore this feat and pointed display because it makes crystal clear the attempt to leverage history instead of upheaval.

Chalamet is perfectly cast as Willy in large part because he resembles Wilder with his wiry build and waifish face. There exists a kindness and trustworthiness that transfers well from the big screen to the audience member.

Throughout the film, there is light peril that Wonka faces like a crooked debt owed to the even more crooked Mrs. Scrubitt’s (Olivia Colman) boardinghouse or the vengeful competitor Arthur Slugworth (Paterson Joseph) but it’s nothing he can’t handle with a grin and shrug of the shoulders.

His feathers are not ruffled easily because he believes in the magic of chocolate. In a dear flashback scene featuring his mother, played by Sally Hawkins, she inspires him to always believe in himself and be a good person.

This is at the heart of the film.

Along for the ride are new friends orphan Noodle (Calah Lane), Abacus Crunch (Jim Carter), and others trapped within Scrubbit’s and henchman Bleacher, played by Tom Davis.

There’s even a connection with the fan favorite Oompa-Loompa’s led by Lofty (Hugh Grant) who becomes a close ally in the end. As historical viewers will know the pair reunites in business.

Despite all these terrific additions the main attraction is the chocolate naturally. Highlights are a lavish chocolate attempted drowning, a chocolate store, and more than enough chocolate colorful flowers to whet one’s appetite.

The film is weird and zany without being too far out there and retains its touchy-feely approach.

Wonka (2023) successfully builds a multi-generational bridge between audiences with a powerful human connection. Grandparents, parents, and children alike can all see the film together with a common love of chocolate and magic.

The dangers are light-hearted and the filmmakers keep age-appropriate sensibilities and the result is family-friendly material with a kindhearted approach.

We all need this sometimes.

2023 Films, Drama

May December-2023

December 13, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

May December-2023

Director Todd Haynes

Starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton

Scott’s Review #1,412

Reviewed December 13, 2023

Grade: A-

Throughout May-December (2023) there exists a quiet gloominess and a sense of foreboding dread during nearly every scene that as a viewer I could not shake. The unsettling nature is what makes the film so fascinating to watch.

Making it even more peculiar is the feeling seeps through a mirage of cheeriness, small-town humility, and the Southern politeness of Savannah, Georgia, United States amongst a lofty helping of cakes, parties, and sunshine.

All is not as it seems.

As a fan of director Todd Haynes and his brilliant films Far From Heaven (2002) and Carol (2015), I had an idea of his style and tone from the get-go.

As excellent as May-December is I was left wanting perhaps one more potato chip than I was offered. I was slightly unsatisfied only because I had Haynes’s other films as a comparison and May-December is not quite on par with those masterpieces despite being exceptionally well made.

But we can’t always expect a classic like Led Zeppelin IV.

Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, Gracie Atherton-Yu (Julianne Moore) and her husband Joe (Charles Melton) who is twenty-three years her junior are happily preparing for their twins to graduate from high school.

When Hollywood actress Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) arrives in town to study the family to better understand Gracie and prepare for the role the family dynamics crack under the pressure of the spotlight.

Joe, in particular, who never got a chance to deal with his feelings and emotions as a teenager, begins to face the reality of having grown-up children. At the age of thirty-six, he confronts the rest of his life.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Gracie study each other, and the similarities and differences between the two women begin to surface causing friction.

Drama develops between Elizabeth, Gracie, Joe, and various family members as long-buried emotions and new scandals erupt in the small town.

I felt snippets of Persona, a 1966 avante-garde psychological thriller by Ingmar Bergman, and even the theatrical posters of the two women looking into the camera and facing side by side are identical in both films.

There’s also a teasing Single White Female (1992) similarity to a lesser degree.

The point is that May-December produces a haunting merging of two female characters in a creepy way.

Identity and obsession are also explored.

Portman and Moore play against and with each other deliciously. It’s not so much a rivalry but an obsession. Portman’s Elizabeth refers while speaking to a class of aspiring actors about becoming a character and we know she means Gracie.

When Gracie helps put Elizabeth’s makeup on just the right way resembling her more and more they look at the camera and see themselves in a mirror. It’s a haunting realization that both women are neurotic and have issues.

Does Gracie want to become Elizabeth as much as Elizabeth wants to become Gracie? Is it real or pretend because of the film?

At different points, I felt sympathy for both characters but at other times I didn’t. Elizabeth seems kind, then not so kind, then dismissive, then demanding.

Gracie seems kind, then neurotic, then sympathetic, then catty. Did she give her daughter’s scales as a graduation present? Did she intentionally point out her daughter’s unflattering arms?

Portman and Moore are successful at portraying these emotions in the subtlest of ways making the characters complex and tough to figure out.

The standout is Melton though. As Joe, the actor made me wonder how astonishingly quick the teenager had to grow up. He never had a childhood and is subsequently childlike, unable to make himself be heard until he broils over with rage.

Melton is on the map as an up-and-coming actor.

At the end of the film, when Elizabeth heads off to the airport I was left disappointed. I wanted more and felt there was more to uncover. What’s to become of Joe and Gracie? Could the three be friends if Elizabeth lived in the town?

What Haynes does so well is create tension even when there is none on the surface. The guttural feelings I was left with made May-December (2023) a quiet and powerful experience.

Oscar Nominations: Best Original Screenplay

Independent Spirit Awards Nominations: 1 win-Best Film, Best Director-Todd Haynes, Best Lead Performance-Natalie Portman, Best Supporting Performance-Charles Melton, Best First Screenplay (won)

2023 Films, Biography, Drama

Maestro-2023

December 3, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Maestro-2023

Director Bradley Cooper

Starring Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan

Scott’s Review #1,411

Reviewed December 3, 2023

Grade: A

Brilliance personified defines Maestro (2023), a film directed by and starring Bradley Cooper. As if that isn’t enough Cooper co-wrote the screenplay with Josh Singer and co-produced the project with Martin Scorcese and Steven Spielberg.

With riches such as these players involved equates to adequate muscle to make the film a necessary watch brimming with creativity and good storytelling.

There is no disappointment whatsoever in the buildup. Maestro expresses powerful acting, creative direction, and a musical score encompassing the works of the man being examined, Bernstein.

At the conclusion, I found myself feeling like I’d been hit by a Mack truck. The epic portrayal of one family’s love for one another was overwhelming.

Combined with the art appreciation left me astounded with culture and further knowledge of the composer.

The story is not as much of a straightforward biography as one might imagine though when the film begins in the 1940s the famous composer is just on the cusp of his first big break. By sheer luck, he is asked to fill in for an ailing conductor, Bruno Walter, one evening.

But at its core Maestro is a torrential and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan) who was a well-known theater actress.

They meet at a party and fall madly in love spending most of their time together. The intrigue is that Leonard is gay and quite openly so before he meets Felicia and becomes famous.

His boyfriend is David Oppenheim, played by Matt Bomer.

This sat well with me and I was impressed by their openness well before the LGBT movement. Unfortunately, we see little of David or Bomer after the early days and Leonard becomes enamored with several young aspiring composers. He then took to doing lines of cocaine into the 1970s and 1980s.

What the film does well is reveal that Felicia is aware of Leonard’s sexuality and loves him despite his appetite for men. This is not always easy for her. They share a love that is stoic and unadulterated and they become one in their bond making it unbreakable.

Maestro gets very dark in the later stages when Felicia is diagnosed with terminal cancer but this gives Cooper and Mulligan a chance to shine, and dazzle the audience with mesmerizing acting performances.

It’s tough to showcase one because both are so good.

Cooper has given the best performance of his career.

Enveloping himself into the role so much that it’s staggering how he gets the mannerisms of Bernstein. The composer’s energetic style of expressive body movements and gestures which he was noted for as a conductor are done to perfection by Cooper.

Mulligan doesn’t play the wife role. She has her own story and makes the audience empathize with Felicia’s struggles to deal with her husband’s sexuality especially when rumors come to light affecting her children.

Mulligan gives a genuineness and heart to Felicia’s battle with cancer.

Cooper’s direction is excellent. The first part is shot in black and white giving an artistic, old Hollywood-style feel making the cigarette smoking look glamorous and sophisticated. The lush art direction merges into blurry shadows and angular lighting that fits the mood.

The color enhances the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s time as the characters age. The hairstyles and outfits gleam with sophisticated New York style and the Bernstein’s Long Island home is palatial.

Ironically, the darkest parts of the film are the most vivid and colorful.

Finally, the musical score features legendary Bernstein pieces that give truth to the production not only reminding viewers how talented he was but the choices made enhance each scene where a number appears.

I smiled when a number from West Side Story, perhaps his best-known work was featured.

A knock-out scene of Leonard conducting at a cathedral is lengthy and dramatic culminating with Felecia looking on from the side of the church. At this moment, I knew that the couple were true soulmates.

Maestro (2023) is an exceptional piece of filmmaking that easily secures Bradley Cooper his place in cinema history both in front of and behind the camera.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor-Bradley Cooper, Best Actress-Carey Mulligan, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Makeup and Hairstyling

2023 Films, Christmas, Comedy, Drama, Winter

The Holdovers-2023

November 22, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Holdovers-2023

Director Alexander Payne

Starring Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph

Scott’s Review #1,410

Reviewed November 22, 2023

Grade: A

The snowy New England setting is just one of many aspects of The Holdovers (2023), director Alexander Payne’s latest release gets right. There’s a stuffy prep school, the tumultuous 1970-1971 in world politics, and teenage angst in the mix.

The early 1970s-era set pieces and Americana comfort food are brilliantly and prominently placed to offer security in a world with tragedy and loneliness The jazzy soundtrack also features hits of the time, embracing the viewer in beautiful nostalgia.

Finally, the three lead characters are well-defined and their complexities are displayed in raw form making them rich relatable flawed thanks to strong acting performances.

Paul Giamatti leads the charge as a sarcastic teacher with his great acting and meshes well with newcomers Dominic Sessa as a rival student and Da’Vine Joy Randolph as a kind but wounded cook.

Anyone who has seen Payne’s films like Election (1999), Sideways (2004), The Descendents (2011), or others knows that he sprinkles satirical depictions of contemporary American society in his works.

There is frequently sadness and morosity to the content saved from depression by warmhearted and caring characters.

I savored the quiet moments of human connection that were crafted in The Holdovers.

Events occur over about two weeks beginning at Christmas break and culminating in early January so holiday cheer and sadness are themes.

Paul Hunham (Giamatti) is a classics instructor at Barton University, a prep school outside of Boston. He is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go.

At first, despising each other he eventually forms an unlikely bond with one of them, a damaged, but witty troublemaker named Angus Tully (Sessa).

He also connects with the school’s head cook, Mary (Randolph), who has just lost her son in the Vietnam War (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and shows romantic interest in Lydia Crane (Carrie Preston), a Barton faculty member.

Giamatti is terrific and my favorite character. As a grumpy teacher, the character could have been a one-note standard or stock. But as events go on we learn more about his past and despite being an authority figure he has demons and insecurities of his own.

During emotional moments he calmly offers a voice of reason which is a comfort. He’s stoic and rough around the edges but he genuinely cares about people making him likable.

Sessa and Randolph, despite being supporting characters each have their own stories.

There wasn’t much awareness about mental illness in 1970 compared to current times and Angus, who takes medication is fearful of spiraling down the same rabbit hole that cost his father his sanity.

Will he follow in his Dad’s footsteps?

A teary scene occurs when Angus visits his father in a facility. Hopeful of progress, Angus is quietly shattered when his father reveals paranoia about his food being poisoned by the staff.

Sessa provides a low-key performance that envelopes the character.

Randolph as Mary is kind yet depressed. She tries to find the good in people while realizing she’s been left out of the game in many instances. Her breakdown scene at a Christmas party allows Randolph to flex her mighty acting muscles.

I relished in the retro Christmas lights, the suburban houses with 1960s and 1970s living room and kitchen set pieces, the sweaters, the hairstyles, and the coffee mugs and plates.

The set designers flawlessly depict a time long ago.

I wanted to sit down and dine on Mary’s scrambled eggs and bacon or Lydia’s Christmas cookies. I yearned to sip a Miller Lite with Paul and Angus.

Finally, I smiled pleasantly at the movie theater scene featuring Dustin Hoffman in Little Big Man, an obscure American Western film from 1970.

With precision, Alexander Payne creates another outstanding film featuring the trials and tribulations of good characters dealt losing hands.

The Holdovers (2023) proves that a quality film with terrific writing, a moderate pace, and dramatic and comic moments, draws cinema fans to theaters as much as a cliched superhero film.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Actor-Paul Giamatti, Best Supporting Actress-Da’Vine Joy Randolph (won), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing

Independent Spirit Awards Nominations: 3 wins-Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Performance-Da’Vine Joy Randolph (won), Best Breakthrough Performance-Dominic Sessa (won), Best Cinematography (won)

1989 Films, British, Drama

The Rainbow-1989

November 5, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Rainbow-1989

Director Ken Russell

Starring Sammi Davis, Paul McGann, Amanda Donohoe

Scott’s Review #1,409

Reviewed November 5, 2023

Grade: A-

Continuing my exploration of more obscure films by the British director comes The Rainbow, a 1989 picture adapted from a 1915 D.H. Lawrence novel.

Russell fans will know that he also adapted 1970s Women in Love from Lawrence, so there is a tie-in between films.

Even though The Rainbow was made nearly two decades after Women in Love, it’s a prequel. The antics of the Brangwen sisters are explored as they grow up in rural England, specifically one sister’s burgeoning sexuality and desires.

One could view The Rainbow as a feminist film that primarily centers on the eldest sister.

Born to a rich landowner, played by Christopher Gable, in the final days of the Victorian era (the late 1800s), Ursula (Sammi Davis) blossoms into a beautiful young woman full of imagination and promise.

She is quite free-spirited and begins to feel trapped by her surroundings. Still, her life changes when she has an erotic experience with Winifred (Amanda Donohoe), an adventurous and bisexual teacher.

From that point on, Ursula puts all of her passion and creativity into the pursuit of sexual fulfillment. She prefers men and develops a relationship with the dashing Anton (Paul McGann).

But she is constantly frustrated and continues to suffer from anguish and under-fulfillment as her development years go by.

Davis is delightful and mesmerizing as the lead character. Her flowing blonde locks, which she eventually cuts, give her a wholesome schoolteacher persona. But she is peppered with sassiness and experimentation, which Davis flawlessly executes.

Donohoe, who starred in another Russell film, the bizarre The Lair of the White Worm (1988), smolders with sophistication and sensuality. Winifred easily takes Ursula under her wing and teaches her the pleasures of sex.

Eventually marrying Ursula’s wealthy Uncle, Henry, she doesn’t sink into dull matrimony but remains a mentor and a source of temptation for Ursula.

McGann, as Anton, brings a boyish yet masculine quality to the film and succeeds as Ursula’s main love interest. Becoming a soldier, he smolders most during his plentiful nude scenes running around forests and up mountains with Ursula in tow.

These scenes are the zestiest as Russell plugs his all-too-familiar bizarre sequences of lust and bare flesh into the film.

There are many nude scenes to salivate over, turning the prim and proper Victorian upper-crust characters into horny, animalistic creatures.

The dynamics between Ursula, Anton, and Winifred are my favorite because it’s not played as a traditional love triangle with one pair to root for. It’s more sexual and interesting than that.

Not everything in The Rainbow works, however.

Even though I’m very familiar with Women in Love, the connection to that film is tough to capture. Gudrun (the other sister) is the main focus in Women in Love but has only a small role in The Rainbow.

To make matters more confusing, Ursula (in The Rainbow) is more similar to the character of Gudrun (in Women in Love).

Also, Glenda Jackson (who plays Gudrun in Women in Love) is cast as the mother in The Rainbow. The role is unspectacular, especially compared to the brilliant portrayal Jackson did in Women in Love.

She doesn’t have much to play except being their mother.

I finally decided to stop thinking about Women in Love and enjoy The Rainbow on its own merits.

Admittedly, the final sequence does satisfy, as Ursula forges ahead toward a new life, bringing us back to the start of Women in Love.

Reminiscent of E.M. Forster’s adaptations like A Room with a View (1985), Maurice (1987), or Howards End (1992), the quaint English cottages, landscapes, and villages are wonderful and capture a specific time capsule.

The Rainbow (1989) transported me to another time and offered a character study meshed in sexuality, coming of age, and feminist power.

1971 Films, British, British Horror, Horror, Horror Anthologies

The House That Dripped Blood-1971

October 31, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The House That Dripped Blood-1971

Director Peter Duffell

Starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing

Scott’s Review #1,408

Reviewed October 31, 2023

Grade: B+

Any horror project featuring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing is worth a watch, and The House That Dripped Blood (1971) includes both actors, though, sadly, not in any scenes together.

The British horror anthology is spooky and perfect for the Halloween season. The action surrounds a hulking house where bad events occur regardless of who inhabits it.

The film is divided into four short stories explaining the circumstances surrounding the individual inhabitants.

The production is low budget, which is perfect for a film like this, but the title makes it seem bloodier and gorier than it is.

All of the stories were initially written and later adapted into scripts by Robert Bloch.

Below is a summary, review, and rating of each vignette.

Framework: B+

Shortly after renting an old country house, a well-known film star, Paul Henderson, mysteriously disappears, and a local Sergeant calls Inspector Holloway (John Bennett) from Scotland Yard to investigate.

When he inquires at the local police station, he is told some of the house’s history.

He soon learns how four tenants met macabre fates.

The ‘Framework’ sequence sits between the vignettes and provides good context, but it’s largely just the interplay between Inspector and Sergeant.

This serves as an introduction to each chapter and ties the events together.

Method for Murder: A-

Charles Hillyer (Denholm Elliott) is a struggling writer who specializes in horror stories. He and his wife Alice (Joanna Dunham), move into the house thinking it will serve as inspiration. Charles creates a devious character named ‘Dominic’ after he ‘imagines’ seeing him outside a window.

Charles soon starts to see Dominic, who begins stalking and tormenting him.

My second favorite of the four chapters, I all but guessed the ‘twist’ from the get-go, but I was surprised by the ‘twist on top of a twist,’ which pleased me.

It’s great when a villain thinks they’ve gotten away with murder, only to be murdered themselves.

Waxworks: B+

Retired stockbroker Philip Grayson (Cushing) moves into the house with plans to read, garden, and relax. Though initially he occupies himself with his hobbies, he quickly becomes lonely. One day, while wandering around town, he happens upon a wax museum.

Grayson explores the museum and finds a sculpture of a dead woman he had loved. The museum’s proprietor explains that he based the likeness of the sculpture on his late wife, who had been executed after murdering his best friend.

Despite featuring Cushing, it’s a moderately good story but lacks the compelling nature of a couple of the other vignettes.

It’s less about the house itself and more about the wax museum and obsession as the subject matter.

While decent, Waxworks didn’t blow me away either.

Sweets to the Sweet: A

Widower John Reid (Lee) moves into the house next door along with his odd young daughter Jane (Chloe Franks). John hires former teacher Ann Norton (Nyree Dawn Porter) to tutor Jane. Ann bonds with Jane and helps her overcome a fear of fire.

Ann suspects John of abusing Jane, but is there more to the story? Why doesn’t he let Jane play with other children or with toys, and why does he do his best to keep her isolated?

Is there something wrong with Jane?

This is the best installment and has a resemblance to The Innocents (1961), featuring a governess and a spooky child. Viewers will find themselves switching allegiances to the characters as the story moves quickly.

The Cloak: B+

Finally, horror film actor Paul Henderson (Jon Pertwee) moves into the house while starring in a vampire film being shot nearby.

Irritated by the cast and crew’s lack of maturity or talent, he decides to buy a realistic cloak for his character (who happens to be a vampire). The shop he makes his purchase from is run by the enigmatic Theo von Hartmann (Geoffrey Bayldon), who eerily offers him a black cloak.

This one plays like a Hammer Horror Dracula installment and is good but not great. Less happens within the confines of the house than I’d like, and Paul is an unlikable character.

The action on the movie set and in the shop are the best parts.

1971 Films, British, Musical, Musical Comedy

The Boy Friend-1971

October 27, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Boy Friend-1971

Director Ken Russell

Starring Twiggy, Christopher Gable

Scott’s Review #1,407

Reviewed October 27, 2023

Grade: B+

With each Ken Russell film, I expect something wacky, and I sit back for a schizophrenic roller coaster ride.

His finest efforts, such as Women in Love (1970), The Devils (1971), and Tommy (1975), offer bombast and weirdness in their own way.

The British director decided to take on The Boy Friend (1971), a reworking of a 1953 traditional musical of the same name by Sandy Wilson, and turn it upside down on its ass. Those expecting a conventional affair with cheery sing-along numbers in perfect symmetry will be disappointed.

The messy project has its ups and downs and meanders off course on more than one occasion. With jagged storytelling and dragging sequences, it makes up for ground with sizzling visuals and costumes. It offers the audience a glimpse of theatrical drama and shenanigans both onstage and offstage.

On its own merits and given that the director is Russell, it gets a marginal thumbs-up, but it is nowhere near as fantastic as his other works.

The plot is a bit confusing, divided into three levels. Level one tells the main story: in the 1920s, in the south of England, a struggling theatrical troupe is performing a musical about romantic intrigues at a finishing school for young women in the south of France.

The cast awkwardly strives to impress a visiting, famous movie director, hoping for fame and fortune. They giggle, improvise, and scheme to get noticed, risking upstaging the other cast members.

Next, there is the musical itself. Four of the girls at the school are very forward and have boyfriends, but Polly, played by 1960s supermodel Twiggy, is shy and has no one to take her to the carnival masked ball that night.

Tony (Christopher Gable), a messenger boy from a dress shop, brings her a costume, and they fall in love.

Finally, the film features extensive fantasy sequences in which the characters’ dreams and hopes are enacted through music and dance, without dialogue.

Glenda Jackson, who won an Oscar for Russell’s Women in Love, returns in an uncredited appearance as the theatre star whom Polly must fill in for when she breaks her leg.

The crux of the film is the romance between Polly and Tony. While there is some chemistry between the duo, they never fully take off as the centerpiece.

The cleverness lies in the reveal of the twist on stage, cementing the pair’s connection as characters in the play.

Nonetheless, there are too many other things going on to care about the lovebirds for very long.

The musical numbers got my attention, especially towards the end of the film. My personal favorite, ‘It’s Nicer in Nice’, kicks off with high-caliber energy and shout-outs to other cities compared to Nice, France. It’s a fun regional experience with great culture and an upbeat rhythm.

The chirpy ‘It’s Never Too Late to Fall in Love’ follows soon after, offering a gleeful ending.

The fantasy sequences waste the story’s potential and offer no plot direction, yet are fun to watch anyway. Dripping with colors and razzle-dazzle, the chaotic events are dreamlike and foot-stomping.

Twiggy, with little to no prior film experience, is quite impressive in the lead role. Her voice is strong, and her acting skills are more than adequate. What might have been a disaster is not, thanks to her talents.

Although other Ken Russell films are tighter and more linear, The Boy Friend (1971) is worth watching, especially for his die-hard fans.

Oscar Nominations: Best Music, Adaptation, and Original Song Score

2023 Films, Crime Drama, Drama, Epic, Western

Killers of the Flower Moon-2023

October 22, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Killers of the Flower Moon-2023

Director Martin Scorsese

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone

Scott’s Review #1,406

Reviewed October 22, 2023

Grade: A

One great thing about legendary director Martin Scorsese, and there are plenty I could mention, is that he continues to challenge his audience with his films well into his eighties.

Any aspiring filmmaker, or any cinephile, should study his films.

Before I knew too much about his new picture, Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) I knew I wanted to see it because I trust Scorsese as a director.

His most recent films, The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and The Irishman (2019) are not easy watches but the payoff is tremendous.

Scorsese is not the kind of filmmaker to create feel-good fluff but leaves the audience pondering what they’ve seen long after leaving the theater.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, two frequent Scorsese collaborators and great actors appear in Killers of the Flower Moon assuring something of quality.

Be forewarned that at an enormous running time of three hours and twenty-six minutes, the film is long! Like a fine wine, it took me about an hour or so to immerse myself in the texture and storytelling but this only defends the richness of the experience.

Based on David Grann’s broadly lauded best-selling book, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is set in 1920s Oklahoma and depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror.

In 1918, Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio) returns from World War I to his uncle, rancher William “King” Hale (De Niro), who lives with Ernest’s brother Byron (Scott Sheperd) on the reservation. Hale pretends to be a friendly supporter of the Osage people, but he secretly schemes to murder them and steal their wealth.

Lily Gladstone who has starred mainly in independent films makes her breakthrough performance as Mollie Burkhart, a wealthy Native American woman who is the love interest of Ernest.

The cast is unwieldy and features stalwarts like Brendan Fraser and John Lithgow in small roles but the notable mentions are DiCaprio, De Niro, and Gladstone.

Each scene between the three crackles with phenomenal acting and attention to their craft. Gladstone quietly yet expressively emotes her character’s feelings and emotions. Mollie is a proud woman but not gullible as she presents a strong feminist quality.

Her scenes with DiCaprio resonate the most. His character of Ernest is complicated and possesses good and bad qualities. As Mollie professes early on he is handsome but not too smart.

Her statement comes further into play at the end of the film.

Amid the schemes and murders Killers of the Flower Moon embraces a sweet romantic story between Ernest and Mollie. They love each other and he adores her and their children but is it ultimately enough?

Any aspiring actors should hone in on scenes between DiCaprio and De Niro for inspiration. Each scene and line within the scene is delivered with naturalness. Carefully yet authentically executed their conversations are mesmerizing.

De Niro reportedly and unsurprisingly modeled his character after the callous and dastardly reality star turned-politician Donald Trump. Pretending to be well-intentioned but instead bullying and scheming his way to fortune by bamboozling the weak, De Niro channels his inner asshole with precision.

I immediately recognized what the actor was going for concerning the hateful politician.

In what only enhances the film, Scorsese appears at the beginning and end with impassioned moments about the importance of telling this story.

Filmed in Oklahoma, many sequences of open land, fields, streams, and other natural elements appear. Scorsese often uses the same film crews which enhances the authenticity.

The cinematography is filled with early 1900s facets and real Native American people are featured. The colors and tribal outfits offer culture and a glimpse into their way of life.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) is an important film because it teaches and reminds the audience that oppression and tragedy have existed in the United States and still do today.

The telling of one group of people is sound and a stark reminder of how many more stories exist each needing the help of a great filmmaker to bring exposure.

Scorsese does it again.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Martin Scorsese, Best Actress-Lily Gladstone, Best Supporting Actor-Robert De Niro, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Original Song-“Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)

1973 Films, British, British Horror, Horror

The Satanic Rites of Dracula-1973

October 16, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Satanic Rites of Dracula-1973

Director Alan Gibson

Starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Joanna Lumley

Scott’s Review #1,405

Reviewed October 16, 2023

Grade: B+

The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) is the eighth film in the Hammer Horror Dracula series, and the seventh and final one to feature Christopher Lee in the starring role. It also unites legendary horror actor Peter Cushing with Lee for the third time.

So, the territory and storyline are hardly uncharted, and a film like this is for a targeted audience.

For those unclear, Hammer Horror films are a series of low-budget British films produced by the London-based company, featuring gothic and fantasy themes.

Their heyday was from the mid-1950s until the 1970s.

The Satanic Rites of Dracula comes at the end of the horror genre reign of terror, but is enjoyable nonetheless. It’s redundant in a way because I’ve seen so many of them by now that there’s little intrigue anymore.

It’s no longer a surprise what’s going to happen in the film.

I love these films mostly because of their low budget and the creative, sophisticated sets and art design. But the main selling point is the Lee/Cushing pairing.

After a Secret Service agent barely escapes an English country estate where satanic rituals are being held and later dies, Van Helsing (Cushing) is asked to investigate.

He seeks the seven-hundred-year-old count (Lee), who is dead and living in London with his vampire bride and a breed of other undead women dressed in red robes.

Van Helsing’s granddaughter, Jessica, played by Joanna Lumley, is introduced, as is another Secret Service agent, Murray (Michael Coles).

The team naturally winds up at the English estate, where they discover shenanigans led by a female Chinese vampire (Barbara Yu Ling). They grapple with fire and brimstone as they determinedly attempt to take down Dracula once and for all (yeah, right!).

The film is silly but in the best of ways. I enjoyed the very beginning and ending most of all. When the Secret Service agent runs down the vast estate driveway in the darkness, the mysterious motorcycle-riding men add intrigue, and the plot is hatched.

As fans know, the finale will result in a fiery showdown between good and evil, and the benevolent Van Helsing drives a stake through the heart of the villainous Dracula.

This technique is used a few times during The Satanic Rites of Dracula, and comically, a stake and hammer always seem to be at the ready.

But the fun is good, besting evil after all, and delightful is seeing a vampire’s fangs come into view as the unsuspecting victim gasps in shock or shrieks in terror.

By 1973, Cushing and Lee could probably deliver their dialogue in their sleep, and the motivation doesn’t seem to be there. Lee barely appears until the final act.

The introduction of Lumley, well-known to Absolutely Fabulous fans, is wise and breathes new life into the familiar characters. She brings a Nancy Drew-type appeal, especially as she sneaks into the estate’s basement to investigate peculiar noises.

A hoot for Hammer Horror fans or fans of British horror, but it’s not one of the best in the series. Enjoyable mostly for additional tidbits like howling wind, creepy noises, and lavish drapes, furniture, and various set pieces.

The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) is a nice watch in October around Halloween.

1974 Films, Biography, British

Mahler-1974

October 15, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Mahler-1974

Director Ken Russell

Starring Robert Powell, Georgina Hale

Scott’s Review #1,404

Reviewed October 15, 2023

Grade: A

Anyone brave and open-minded enough to expose themselves to a Ken Russell film is in for an experience in great cinema. The British director frequently fuses music, odd visual sequences, and vivid colors into his art.

There is a specific mood one must be in to flourish in the moment and the dream-like perplexities of a film of this ilk, but the result will be an appreciation for creativity in filmmaking.

My personal favorite Russell film, and I’m still getting my feet wet in all things Russell, is Women in Love (1970), followed by The Devils (1971), a journey into madness.

Hardly straight-laced, Mahler (1974) conceptualizes the music of the famous Austro-Bohemian composer and delves into the life and times of the man.

Gustav Mahler (Robert Powell) is returning to his home in Vienna, Austria, following a stint conducting at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Traveling via train with his wife, Alma (Georgina Hale), he reflects on pivotal moments in his life.

Mahler dwells on memories of his overbearing father, of his once powerful but now failing relationship with Alma, and of the anti-Semitism that forced him to convert to Catholicism.

A garish sequence also reveals the death of his child.

A side story on the train features Alma’s lover, Max (Richard Morant), also on the train, urging her to leave Mahler and get off with him a couple of stops before Vienna.

Russell shifts time quite often, so that at first it’s tough to figure out what is happening and, more specifically, if events are in the past or the future.

But once acclimated, it’s easy to reflect on the stages of life and the various players. Better still is to ruminate on the happenings after the credits roll.

The best films require some pondering after they end, rather than being forgotten fifteen minutes later, and Mahler is one of those films.

Knowing Russell (has anyone seen The Devils?), one sometimes finds religion incorporated into his work. Mahler, a Jew, is forced to relegate his religion to get his work showcased. So, there is religious conflict and debate.

Mahler’s conversion to Catholicism is expressed by a wacky fantasy sequence in which he undergoes a baptism of fire and blood on a mountaintop, presided over by Cosima Wagner (the second wife of the composer, Wagner).

The character wears horrid black lipstick and other odd attire, such as a Prussian helmet and a bathing suit with a cross on the front and a swastika on the back.

The sequence is one of the best and technically brilliant, with fire, rocks, and mountains on display. It’s also choreographed amazingly well and features unique musical compositions.

The style of Mahler (the film) is visual and artistic, but it also offers classical music fans a chance to appreciate the compositions. Also, for novice fans eager to be introduced to quality music, the film is equally important.

I love my rock n roll like any other red-blooded American, but the chance to soak in classical pieces from Mahler and Wagner is a pure treat in cultural goodness.

British actor Robert Powell is cast exceptionally well, bearing a stark resemblance to the real Mahler. Oftentimes morose and sullen, he is a tortured artist. But the expressions in his work, such as the song cycle Songs on the Death of Children, reveal his complexity.

Powell is successful at exposing the audience to the emotional nuances that often pair with great artists.

Georgina Hale as Alma is just as good. Staunchly supporting her husband but yearning for her slice of the happiness pie, she is also conflicted.

Mahler (1974) is a film about filmmaking and art appreciation. Thanks to Russell’s vision, he challenges the conventional viewer with a unique journey through the weird and wild, but more importantly, the chance to revel in something brilliant.

1971 Films, British, Drama, Horror, Religious

The Devils-1971

October 4, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Devils-1971

Director Ken Russell

Starring Oliver Reed, Vanessa Redgrave

Scott’s Review #1,403

Reviewed October 4, 2023

Grade: A

Ken Russell, best known for directing the outstanding Women in Love (1970) and The Who’s Tommy (1975), creates a disturbing opus about perversion and scandal within the Roman Catholic Church in medieval times.

The film’s graphic portrayal of violence, sexuality, and religious blasphemy ignited shocked reactions from censors, and it initially received an X rating in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

It was banned in several countries and heavily edited for exhibition in others. This alone will pique the interest of open-minded, curious viewers.

It sure did mine.

The film is ironically entitled The Devils (1971) and stars Russell regular Oliver Reed, who also appeared in the aforementioned films.

Reed leads the charge as a sexy, rugged man who beds many women and is the center of a convent full of nuns’ nasty and naughty thoughts.

Vanessa Redgrave also appears as a lustful and evil nun with a hunchback.

During the period of seventeenth-century France, Father Grandier (Reed) was a priest whose unorthodox views on sex and religion influenced a passionate following of nuns, including the sexually obsessed Sister Jeanne (Redgrave).

When the power-hungry Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Logue) realizes he must eliminate Grandier to gain control of France, Richelieu vows to destroy the man. He portrays Grandier as a Satanist and spearheads a public outcry to destroy the once-loved priest’s reputation.

The Devils is outrageous and bizarre in the best possible way. Who doesn’t love a healthy dose of nun orgies and simulating fellatio on a large candlestick?

One nun violently masturbates as another looks on, giggling sadistically.

The camera loves Reed and Redgrave, who, interestingly, are not a couple in the film. These British actors were at the height of their careers in 1971, and both portrayed roles that must have been tremendously challenging.

Despite being set in France, the film opens in a naughty way with a nearly nude dance performed by skinny Louis XIII (played with wacky delight by Graham Armitage). Rumored to be gay, the king traipses around in colorful costumes and later shoots protestants dressed as gorillas for sport.

There are themes of exorcising and burning at the stake, and mentions of the warring Catholics and Protestants, so there is a seriousness amid the antics and shenanigans.

It took me a little while to become fully immersed in the chaotic land of Loudon, a town in western France where the film is set. In truth, a second viewing really helped me settle in and have a sense of what was going on.

The best films really are like fine wines.

Russell’s attempts to irritate and incite the overly religious are quite satisfying in a wicked way. As much as he mocks religion by making the traditionally sexually conservative filled with lust and animalistic sexual prowess, there is much more going on.

Beneath the surface, he challenges the ridiculousness of religion, which cinema lovers will embrace and delight in. There are history lessons to be had, though, and the film provides exceptional details of the political upheavals and tyranny that occurred.

The thunderous musical score by Peter Maxwell Davies is fabulous, especially during The Devil’s final act, when a central character endures a broiling on a wooden stake.

Those who own the wonderful Blu-Ray version of the film can enjoy various outtakes, cast interviews, and behind-the-scenes information.

An added delight for knowledgeable film fans is the inclusion of character actor Murray Melvin, famous for playing Reverend Runt in the classic Barry Lyndon (1975). He plays Father Pierre Barre.

The Devils (1971) is a perverse and operatic extravaganza of lunacy. It’s caked with sex and nudity and blasphemy that I loved every bit of.

The dangerous tone can be studied and thought about long after the film ends.

1953 Films, Camp, Drama, Musical Drama

Torch Song-1953

September 25, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Torch Song-1953

Director Charles Walters

Starring Joan Crawford, Michael Wilding, Gig Young

Scott’s Review #1,402

Reviewed September 25, 2023

Grade: B

Since I’m a huge fan of legendary Hollywood Actress Joan Crawford, I’ll willingly watch any of her films, both quality and mediocre.

Her style, confidence, clothes, makeup, and, yes, those eyebrows capture me every time I see her. She’s also a damned good actor.

Torch Song (1953) is a film made when her career was waning despite just scoring an Oscar nomination the year before for Sudden Fear (1952).

She would find success in the 1960s with Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1963).

The film is fun to watch because it reportedly best captures her true personality in a role that is realistic to who she was. Faye Dunaway even studied the role closely before she portrayed the star in 1981’s cult classic Mommie Dearest.

The story is about a talented and demanding Broadway star named Jenny Stewart, played by Crawford. She is used to snapping her fingers and having her every whim catered to without question. She rewrites scenes and fires talent for shows she stars in if she deems them beneath her.

One day, she meets her blind rehearsal pianist, Tye Graham (Michael Wilding), and finds herself attracted to him. At first, clashing over his refusal to put up with her bullshit, she comes to realize she admires him.

The feeling is mutual,l and the lovebirds tenderly nurture their budding relationship.

I’m unsure if non-Crawford fans would appreciate or enjoy Torch Song as much as we die-hards would. The story is essential, with few twists and turns, and it’s not hard to imagine that Jenny and Tye will wind up together.

Torch Song was famously spoofed by comedienne Carol Burnett in the 1970s on her television show when she replicates a dress rehearsal scene from the film in a hilarious fashion.

But Crawford is devilish and fierce in the film. She prances confidently in each scene wearing getups as outlandish as a haughty yellow nightgown with high-heeled slippers and a garish scene from the production wearing ‘black face’!

When she yanks off her wig, revealing her messy red hair, black face, and wide, emotion-infused eyes as she desperately watches Tye exit the auditorium, the scene rivals any scary scene from a horror film.

Jenny is the star as much as Crawford is, and one wonders if she had the same ferocious clout as the fictitious character. We’ll have to ask the cast if any are still alive.

India Adams dubbed Crawford’s singing voice. She lip-syncs to the recording Adams originally made for Cyd Charisse in a number discarded from the 1953 film The Band Wagon.

When she belts emotional numbers like ‘Two-Faced Woman, the comic relief is unintentional. Adams sounds nothing like Crawford, which makes the dubbing glaring and nearly pitiful. Crawford had a decent voice and sang songs that were only available on the home video release.

Oddly, actress Marjorie Rambeau, who played Crawford’s mother, received an Oscar nomination for the role. Her performance is adequate but not Academy Award-worthy.

This must have irritated Ms. Crawford, who wasn’t known for being a gracious co-star. She must have felt usurped.

Crawford seamlessly carries the film from beginning to end credits like the seasoned professional she always was. She pokes her co-stars and chews up the scenery like nobody’s business.

Deserving of mention is actor Michael Wilding since he is equal to Crawford in performance. He never appears outshined or swallowed whole during a scene; instead, he relays good chemistry with her.

A mediocre Torch Song (1953) is made better by the mix of the competitive Broadway lifestyle and the star playing a ferocious and seasoned veteran.

Oscar Nominations: Best Supporting Actress-Marjorie Rambeau

1989 Films, Adventure, British, Swashbuckler

The Return of the Musketeers-1989

September 24, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Return of the Musketeers-1989

Director Richard Lester

Starring Michael York, Oliver Reed

Scott’s Review #1,401

Reviewed September 24, 2023

Grade: B

The Return of the Musketeers (1989) is the third Musketeers film directed by Richard Lester, following 1973’s The Three Musketeers and 1974’s The Four Musketeers.

George MacDonald Fraser wrote each screenplay.

This is key to mention because a strong continuity helps make the film fun and charming.

The results of the same person directing and writing resonate on screen in several ways. The characters feel truthful, and their motivations are clear.

A rich sense of the characters’ history is apparent, making the film a pleasing adventure for fans of the franchise.

After ambitious Oliver Cromwell (Alan Howard) overthrows the king, Cardinal Mazarin (Philippe Noiret) enlists a down-and-out D’Artagnan (Michael York) to rally the Musketeers against him.

Porthos (Frank Finlay) accepts the mission at once, but Athos (Oliver Reed) and Aramis (Richard Chamberlain) hesitate at first. Eventually, the three reunite, but they are soon torn apart by infighting and a situation from their past.

They get a chance at redemption when they are sent to England to save the life of King Charles I (Bill Paterson).

There is some slapstick play to endure, making The Return of the Musketeers feel juvenile at times when characters are bopped over the head or otherwise trip and fall in silly form.

For this type of adventure film, the plot is too complicated and veers in different directions a shade too often. I wondered more than once if I was in France or England.

This makes the minor characters difficult to keep track of, and Christopher Lee’s character of Comte de Rochefort once again has little to do.

The costumes and the French setting are a major victory, and the history lessons provided, especially the British and French kings and queens, are more than fulfilling.

We delved into our history books to determine which King Louis reigned when and who was aligned with the film (it’s Louis XIV during the 1600s).

The point of the film, made 15 years after the second film, is to please fans, and the result is a huge success.

I’m a sort of fan with my hubby being a big fan, and we both enjoyed the resurfacing of familiar characters.

It feels like old-home week. The reunion of the musketeers feels like witnessing a family reunion. As D’Artagnan, Porthos, Athos, and Aramis embraced each other, we felt their warmth.

Since the characters played by Raquel Welch and Faye Dunaway (Milady) were dead, a creative idea was to introduce her daughter, Justine, played by Kim Cattrall, into the story. Athos also has a son named Raoul, played by C. Thomas Howell.

This provides a further nod to history and introduces compelling lead characters who have a connection to familiar characters.

It is also an example of good writing and storytelling. Despite the characters being new to the audience, we already care about them because of their ties to other beloved characters.

To make the film more sentimental, a sad incident occurred during filming. Actor Roy Kinnear, who plays lovable Planchet, died following an on-camera accident in which he fell off a horse.

His role was completed using a stand-in, filmed from the rear, with lines dubbed in by a voice artist.

The film is dedicated to him.

Reuniting most of the original cast years later makes The Return of the Musketeers (1989) a warm experience.

Beautiful costumes, locales, and history raise the film above expectations, considering it’s a third installment.

2022 Films, Christmas, Comedy, Drama, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, LGBTQ+ Romance, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Drama

Spoiler Alert-2022

September 15, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Spoiler Alert-2022

Director Michael Showalter

Starring Jim Parsons, Ben Aldridge, Sally Field

Scott’s Review #1,399

Reviewed September 15, 2023

Grade: A-

Spoiler Alert (2022) comes dangerously close to being classified as a Hallmark Television Movie of the Week tearjerker with standard cliches and a predictable storyline. While the ending is no surprise, the film works incredibly well and fires on all cylinders.

I laughed, cried, and felt an enormous connection to the central characters in what could become a seasonal holiday watch.

I recently reviewed another film that, on the surface, sounded saccharin and contrived but pulled me in nonetheless. The lesson learned is not to make assumptions about the quality of films.

The direction is conventional, but the story and characters are absorbing and heartwarming with spectacular acting, especially among the two lead actors, Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge. An added gift is the appearance of Sally Field in a supporting role as an overbearing but lovable mom.

In 2001, Michael Ausiello (Parsons), a writer for TV Guide, begrudgingly goes to a gay nightclub with his best friend in Manhattan. There, he meets photographer Kit Cowan (Ben Aldridge), and the two instantly connect.

As they begin dating, Michael struggles with insecurities about not being attractive enough for Kit, since he was an overweight child. Kit is athletic and good-looking, oozing confidence. Michael was a ridiculed kid watching soap operas with his mother and creating a pretend sitcom family.

He also overindulges in the Smurfs collection.

They both admit their fears of being in a long-term relationship since neither of them has been in one before, but they decide to continue dating.

Hurdles then plague the couple as Kit must come out to his parents, Bob (Bill Irwin), and Marilyn (Field), to explain who Michael is, and ultimately they all must face Kit’s stage IV cancer diagnosis.

I recognize how Spoiler Alert doesn’t possess the most original screenplay, written by David Marshall Grant and LGBTQ+ advocate Dan Savage, and based on a story written by real-life Michael Ausiello.

The tried and true story point of a gay male character struggling to come out to his parents has been done for decades in LGBTQ+ films.

The insecure partner feels inferior to the more confident partner, and it affects their relationship. This point has also been discussed before. Michael is convinced that Kit will dump him for someone else.

Hell, we’ve seen both of these cliches as recently as 2022 in Bros., a fantastic LGBTQ+ mainstream film that used both.

In Spoiler Alert, they work because of Parsons and Aldridge and the chemistry they have together, and the nuanced delivery of the characters separately.

While they each want love and a relationship, neither is desperate. As they banter back and forth, Michael awkwardly removes his clothes during their first intimacy, and the actors playfully frolic immediately at ease with one another.

Many cute scenes follow.

Events then grow serious as we move beyond Kit’s uneven coming out to his parents (of course, they embrace Kit and Michael instantly!) and dive headfirst into Kit’s cancer battle.

The film makes no secret that Kit will die of cancer. It’s practically shown in the opening scene as he and Michael lie in a hospital bed together, and Michael narrates the story.

It’s called Spoiler Alert for a reason. But instead of ruining the film, it only enhances the love story to come. We know that Kit and Michael become soul mates, and the pleasure is watching them grow and flourish together.

Since Michael’s mother, and presumed best friend, died of cancer, it only strengthens the investment in the character.

As Kit becomes weaker, my fondness for the two men becomes stronger. The maturity and love for one another are apparent, especially when Michael selflessly invites a man whom Kit had an affair with to say goodbye to Kit.

It’s a touching scene, but not as touching as the scene where Michael and Kit’s parents sob over Kit’s hospital bed.

Yes, Spoiler Alert (2022) may have manipulated me with a conventional film, but Parsons and Aldridge have better chemistry than most opposite-sex couples.

I thoroughly enjoyed my way through the film without dry eyes.

2022 Films, Comedy, Drama

A Man Called Otto-2022

September 13, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

A Man Called Otto-2022

Director Marc Forster

Starring Tom Hanks, Mariana Trevino, Truman Hanks

Scott’s Review #1,398

Reviewed September 13, 2023

Grade: A-

I hedged slightly on seeing the film A Man Called Otto (2022) because it looked like an overly sentimental, predictable melodrama. It also missed out entirely during the 2022-2023 awards season, which means that the film had its share of critical detractors.

But I do love and admire Tom Hanks, both professionally and personally, even though he can be accused of choosing marginally safe material.

Though the film explores a tried and true formulaic setup, my heartstrings were immediately and severely pulled by the events in the movie. I may have been manipulated into teariness, but in the best of ways, and I didn’t mind a bit.

I enjoyed A Man Called Otto much more than I ever thought I would.

It is an American remake of the 2015 Swedish film A Man Called Ove, based on the 2012 novel by Fredrik Backman.

Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks) is a grumpy widower whose only satisfaction comes from abiding by and enforcing his neighborhood rules and regulations and criticizing and judging his exasperated neighbors.

When a young Hispanic family moves in next door, he connects with the no-nonsense and very pregnant Marisol (Mariana Trevino), leading to an unexpected friendship that softens and unnerves the crotchety man.

As the pair bond, the audience learns more about Otto and his deceased wife Sonya (Rachel Keller) through flashbacks. The once youthful and determined couple faces terrible obstacles as we realize why Otto has become so depressed and irritable.

A Man Called Otto is very conventional, polished, and sentimental, and could arguably be accused of being a tad dramatic. It’s not a dangerous film, nor does it present material viewers have never seen before.

Nonetheless, it works!

The reasons it works so well start with Tom Hanks. A two-time Oscar winner who has played many types of characters before, he portrays his character with flourishing comedy and dramatic gusto.

We like Otto even though he could be classified as an asshole.

Despite Hanks’s acting ability, he is only part of the enjoyment of the film.

Worth mentioning is that the very liberal Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson co-produced the film, and I’m glad they did.

A heavy dose of diversity and inclusivity is plopped into the film. Otto’s neighbors are a black couple who have been Otto and Sonya’s best friends for decades.

Otto confronts a teenager named Malcolm for delivering advertising circulars, and the boy recognizes Otto as his former teacher’s husband, recounting that Sonya supported him as a transgender student when nobody else did.

Sonya courageously led an effort to convince the other teachers to call Malcolm by his desired name respectfully.

Another win is the frequent flashbacks to when Otto and Sonya first met. A nervous but smitten Otto intentionally gets on the wrong train to bring Sonya a book that she has accidentally dropped on the platform.

They eventually dine in a nice restaurant, where he encourages Sonya to have a lovely entrée while he dines on a meager bowl of soup because of financial issues.

Truman Hanks (Tom’s son), Rachel Keller, and Mariana Trevino deliver outstanding performances in supporting roles.

Finally, a feral cat that reminds me of my darling cat Zeus stole my heart. He also steals Otto’s.

It’s these trimmings that make the film a crowd-pleaser and a charming sentiment. The story feels fresh even though other films have had the same type of message. A case could be made that Otto is Ebenezer Scrooge in a non-Christmas film.

I may not necessarily need to see A Man Called Otto (2022) again since it’s a one-shot deal type of movie, but I’m glad I did. The film reaffirms that there are good people in the world who selflessly look out for each other without needing personal gain.

1982 Films, Drama, French, International, International Musical, Musical, Musical Drama

Une Chambre en Ville-1982

September 10, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Une chambre en ville-1982

Director Jacques Demy

Starring Dominique Sanda, Richard Berry

Scott’s Review #1,397

Reviewed September 10, 2023

Grade: A

Une chambre en ville (also known as A Room in Town) is a 1982 French musical drama film written and directed by Jacques Demy, with music by Michel Colombier, and starring Dominique Sanda, Danielle Darrieux, and Michel Piccoli.

Those familiar with Demy’s other works, such as The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), will be aware that his preferred genre is musical drama. In Une Chambre en Ville, the dialogue is entirely sung.

And those unfamiliar with his work are recommended to give his films a chance. They are flavorful and offer exceptional production design, to say nothing of other ingredients.

I liken the film most to The Umbrellas of Cherbourg because the story involves two people destined to be together, but who are thwarted by many obstacles that threaten to ruin their happiness.

Demy creates a distinct Shakespearean Romeo and Juliet final ending in the best possible way.

The story is set during a workers’ strike in Nantes, France, in 1955. A steelworker named Francois (Richard Berry) has a fling with the married daughter, Edith (Dominique Sanda), of his widowed landlady, Margo (Danielle Darrieux).

His girlfriend Violette (Fabienne Guyon), who works in a shop and lives with her mother, wants to get married, but he is unwilling, partly because they have no money and nowhere to live.

Oh, and he has also met Edith.

On the street, François is accosted by Edith, a beautiful woman who wears only a fur coat and has decided to take up part-time prostitution to pay bills. Her husband owns a struggling television shop.

The two have a blissful night together in a cheap hotel and fall madly in love.

Une Chambre en Ville is at first jarring because the dialogue is in the form of a song. But after merely a few minutes, I became invested and enamored with the characters. This occurs when Francois and Margo discuss the strike, and although she is upper class, she supports the workers.

They quickly bond.

Before this, though, the tone is set with black-and-white cinematography of the workers’ strike that quickly turns to color. My hunch is that Demy wanted to promote the seriousness of the situation and alert the audience that they were not watching a rosy musical with tap-along tunes.

There’s a message of pain, struggle, and depression, which doesn’t make the film a downer either.

As with Demy’s other films, the art direction and set designs are gorgeous. The director has a talent for introducing the most fragrant colors like red, yellow, blue, and green, which are powerful and enshroud the characters in pizazz and vibrancy.

The highlights are Margo’s apartment, drizzling with red color and contemporary patterns and furniture, and Edith’s husband’s television shop. The greenish hue reveals a tacky yet sophisticated French style. These and other sets are superior efforts.

The main attraction is Francois and Edith, and I was smitten with them almost immediately. Some may think this is odd because basically, Francois dumps his nice girlfriend for a sexy prostitute who flashes her naked body to him and then beds him.

Nonetheless, I became enraptured. They make ‘love at first sight’ seem believable and possible. The thing to remember is that they are both wounded by their circumstances and are reaching for their desires out of desperation.

The finale of Une chambre en ville is dazzling but painful to watch. I alluded to a Romeo and Juliet catastrophe, and this is no joke, as the star-crossed lovers meet a dire ending.

I won’t spoil the fun by revealing what happens.

Jacques Demy creates a film made in 1982 that feels nothing like a 1982 film, as we are believably transported to 1955.

Une chambre en ville holds up as well as Demy’s films made two decades earlier, and he proves none of his creativity and romantic dramatics have waned.

1986 Films, Comedy

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off-1986

September 7, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off-1986

Director John Hughes

Starring Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck

Scott’s Review #1,396

Reviewed September 7, 2023

Grade: B

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) is one of the best-known films in John Hughes’s collection of 1980s teen coming-of-age comedies.

On par with The Breakfast Club (1985) and Pretty in Pink (1986) in name recognition memory banks, especially for teenagers growing up in this decade.

Iconic moments like Ben Stein’s teacher’s monotone attendance roll call, the repeated phrase ‘Bueller’, and the term ‘Save Ferris’, which became the name of an alternative rock band, are legendary.

The film has its moments of creativity, and Matthew Broderick’s portrayal of the title character was charming and star-making.

Watching the film, though, decades later, the slapstick feels overwhelming to the drama, and there isn’t much angst like in other Hughes films.

There isn’t much deeper meaning beyond one day to skip school and go on an adventure.

This makes Ferris Bueller’s Day Off fun and lighthearted, but silly compared to more mature Hughes efforts. The film is about being young, free, and having fun, but not much more, and the hijinks between the students and the authority figures sometimes feel tired.

Ferris Bueller (Broderick) is brilliant at skipping school and getting away with it despite being an intelligent student. He causes the high school principal, Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), much irritation and ultimately pursues him to catch Ferris in the act.

The young man plans one final outing before graduation with his best pal Cameron (Alan Ruck) and his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara). They ‘borrow’ Cam’s father’s expensive Ferrari and journey through the streets of Chicago.

Ferris’s sister, Jeanie (Jennifer Grey), seethes with rage at her brother’s antics while their successful but dimwitted parents, Katie (Cindy Pickett) and Tom (Lyman Ward), remain clueless.

The film’s strengths are the frequent shots of Chicago and of Broderick himself, which elevate it above mediocrity decades after its initial release.

Broderick followed in the footsteps of contemporaries like Michael J. Fox and Emilio Estevez as the cool, likable all-American boy next door. His performance makes the film better than it might have been, and the fun is watching him outwit rivals like the principal and other villains he encounters.

Hughes creates a nice ‘day in the life’ style that follows the characters from early morning until evening, which keeps the events contained well.

A high point of the film, and where it picks up steam, comes when the gang reaches Chicago. We suspect the teenagers, while they skip school via fibs, merely have a case of ‘senioritis’ and are otherwise superior students. This is confirmed by the sophisticated and intellectually stimulating places they visit.

They have lunch at a swanky French restaurant and visit the world-renowned Art Institute of Chicago for good old-fashioned culture. Not to appear too snobby, they hobnob with blue-collar folks at an afternoon Cubs baseball game.

Where Ferris Bueller’s Day Off feels dated is with the ditziness of Ferris’s parents. The teen easily bamboozles his parents with his feigned illness, and when his father notices Ferris in a nearby taxi cab, he shrugs it off as his imagination.

The most laughable instance of the parents’ cluelessness is when mom Katie, in the passenger seat, appears not to notice her son running in front of their car when sister Jeanie slams on the brakes. She instead scolds Jeanie for driving recklessly.

These and other setups involving the over-the-top principal feel more like cliches than genuine laugh-out-loud moments. But this was common in 1980s comedies.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) feels fresh in some parts but dated in others, making the experience humorous but hardly legendary.

Whereas The Breakfast Club holds up very well, this film doesn’t hold up as well.

1997 Films, Action, James Bond, Spy

Tomorrow Never Dies-1997

August 28, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Tomorrow Never Dies-1997

Director Roger Spottiswoode

Starring Pierce Brosnan

Scott’s Review #1,394

Reviewed August 28, 2023

Grade: B

Pierce Brosnan made four appearances as the legendary film character, James Bond. While he gets a marginal thumbs-up as a whole and is not my favorite Bond, he has the ‘look’ and suave charisma.

This works in his favor and makes him entirely believable, even with every ridiculous one-liner or flat line of dialogue.

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) is the second chapter in the Brosnan book and is only marginally superior to GoldenEye, made two years earlier in 1995. All bets are that the two subsequent Bond films starring Brosnan nosedive quickly.

All good Bond films must include specific qualities such as a strong villain, a sexy yet strong ‘Bond girl’, dazzling stunts and chase scenes, a memorable theme song, and more than one exotic locale.

It’s just what the blueprint is and must never be broken.

Therefore, Tomorrow Never Dies feels more like the producers, director Roger Spottiswoode, and writer Bruce Feirstein sought a check-the-box exercise rather than creating anything brilliant or memorable.

I deem this film rather ordinary. Not bad, but not superior either, falling in the middle of the road when compared to other Bond franchise films.

Media mogul Elliot Carver, played completely over the top by actor Jonathan Pryce, wants his news empire to reach every country on the globe. Still, the Chinese government will not allow him to broadcast there.

Carver then decides to use his media empire to wage war between the Western world and China. Thankfully, James Bond (Brosnan) is on the job and travels to China to stop him with the help of Chinese secret agent Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh).

Anyone who knows a Bond film knows that the plot is secondary to the aforementioned necessary characteristics.

The story either got too complicated as the film progressed, or I lost interest because, at some point, all I could recall was a news media tycoon trying to start World War III over television ratings.

Yeoh is an exceptional ‘Bond girl,’ though the dose of progressivism, diversity, and female empowerment she brings to the table makes the term beneath her. Her charisma and martial arts chops make her a kick-ass rival, though she naturally ends up head over heels for Bond.

Still, the lengthy scenes between Yeoh and Brosnan do convey strong chemistry as they take down the bad guys and save the world together.

I expected a bit more from Teri Hatcher’s character, Paris Carver, a former girlfriend of Bond who is now Carver’s trophy wife. The setup was superior, and the love triangle could have gone further than killing off her character after just a couple of scenes.

As great an actor as Pryce is, it’s tough to believe he’s the same actor who made films like Two Popes (2019) and The Wife (2017) so good. He turns Elliot into a caricature, dead set on controlling the world, proving that an actor can’t always bring a mediocre script to life.

Tomorrow Never Dies takes viewers to lavish locations such as Bangkok, China, Hamburg, Germany, and London. The tone has a definite Asian feel, which works as well as You Only Live Twice did in 1967.

Finally, the title theme song and opening performed by Sheryl Crow is abysmal, but oddly sounds much better in the version that plays over the ending credits.

I marginally recommend Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), mostly for those in the Brosnan camp, of which I am aware there are many.

Its best quality lies in the degree of equality between Bond and the main female character, Wai Lin, which is further proof of how relevant the franchise remains.

1947 Films, Thriller

Dark Passage-1947

August 25, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Dark Passage-1947

Director Delmer Daves

Starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall

Scott’s Review #1,393

Reviewed August 25, 2023

Grade: B

In 1947, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were big Hollywood stars. Dark Passage is the third of four films a real-life couple made together in the 1940s. It must have catapulted audiences to theaters to see the power couple perform.

To Have and Have Not (1944), The Big Sleep (1946), and Key Largo (1948).

Dark Passage is based on the 1946 novel of the same title by David Goodis.

Vincent Parry (Bogart) has just escaped from San Quentin prison near San Francisco, California, after being locked up for murdering his wife, a crime he did not commit.

He finds a plastic surgeon to give him new features. After getting a ride out of town from a stranger, Vincent meets a young woman, Irene Jansen (Bacall). She lets him stay in her apartment while he heals and continues to try to clear his name.

The duo falls madly in love and attempts to figure out the puzzle and find the real killer.

Delmer Daves is a director with whom I am unfamiliar. The film’s first portion uses superior camera angles and a point-of-view (POV) filming from Vincent’s perspective.

The audience sees what Vincent sees, which was used to justify Vincent’s plastic surgery and the knowledge that viewers wouldn’t buy a different actor from Bogart. This makes sense and adds a creative technological perspective to the film.

Something about black-and-white filmmaking always conjures up 1940s cinema for me. That Dark Passage is a thriller with film noir elements, making it all the more effective.

A personal treat for me was to see the exterior sequences of San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge and Union Square are easy to spot, and having spent time in both locales, I was fascinated by what both looked and felt like in the 1940s.

Notwithstanding the ‘look,’ the main draw is Bogart and Bacall. Although I have not seen their other films, their chemistry is apparent in Vincent and Irene.

The tenderness between the pair, considering the characters have only just met, is strong, especially during a quiet scene when they sip after-dinner coffee next to a window with driving California rain.

They get to know each other, and so does the audience.

Bacall, who is terrific and smolders with sensuality and confidence, easily outshines Bogart, who doesn’t deliver his best work. This could be partly because he doesn’t speak until the midway point of the film, but there is an aura that Bacall has that Bogart doesn’t.

My favorite film of his is Casablanca (1942).

The story starts tremendously with mystery and intrigue. Who killed Vincent’s wife quickly becomes who killed Vincent’s friend after he is also found murdered.

A tremendous scene between Vincent, a man he hitches a ride from and a taxi cab driver who helps Vincent increases the thrill ride with quick and engaging dialogue meant to maintain suspense.

The climax fizzles with an overly complicated and overwrought build-up to the final reveal that drags. When the villains are unmasked, their motivations are suspect and underwhelming.

One character plummeting from a high-rise window to their death is pretty cool, especially for 1947. The shrieking neighbor and the dead body displayed along the sidewalk is a highlight.

Also, a portion of the film takes place in beautiful Peru, similar to the nightclub in Casablanca.

Dark Passage (1947) is a pretty good film but will be appreciated mainly by fans of Bogart and Bacall. The plot is up and down, but the behemoth Hollywood stars are the main attraction.

1978 Films, Drama

Interiors-1978

August 24, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Interiors-1978

Director Woody Allen

Starring Diane Keaton, Geraldine Page, Mary Beth Hurt

Scott’s Review #1,392

Reviewed August 24, 2023

Grade: A

Woody Allen films are not everyone’s cup of tea.

Typically, offbeat or even downright wacky comedies with quick-witted dialogue and irritating characters are not everyone’s preferred taste in film.

I’ve always adored the director’s works.

Allen hits a home run with Interiors (1978), his first dramatic film and my favorite. It even rivals classics like Annie Hall (1977) and Manhattan (1979), which most people frequently consider his best.

The famous director turns down the volume and slows the pace with a dark story about mental illness and the ravaging effect it has on a family, the struggling individual, and the other extended members.

Missing from this Woody Allen film are the prevalent one-liners and gimmicks mostly associated with his comedies. The only standard is the inclusion of frequent collaborator Diane Keaton, who plays a successful poet, Renata.

The story centers on a middle-aged and upper-class couple’s disintegrating marriage. It forces their three grown daughters (Keaton, Mary Beth Hurt, and Kristin Griffith) to reveal their feelings about themselves and each other. They also have their share of difficulties.

Renata is successful, but her husband is a struggling writer with marginal talent. He lusts after Renata’s sister, Flyn (Kristin Griffith), an actress only known for her good looks. Joey (Hurt) is a restless soul unable to decide on a career and jealous of Renata.

Mental illness is only one of their trials and tribulations.

The family resides in Manhattan, Connecticut, and Long Island, most likely the Hamptons, so they are wealthy and assumed to be happy, healthy, and thriving.

They are anything but.

None of the daughters is successful at providing ample support to their devastated mother (played by Geraldine Page), who has a mental illness and is extremely fragile.

The cast is tiny, with only eight principals, each with a perspective. There are no villains. Only complicated characters with rich texture and substance.

I love the brilliant characterization and development, and the many layers most of the characters possess. Each character, especially the father, mother, two of the daughters, and the new wife, Pearl, played exceptionally by Maureen Stapleton, can be examined in depth.

One might assume that the father Arthur played stoically by E.G. Marshall might be unlikable. After all, he requests a ‘separation’ from Eve, which the audience knows is a soft-touch way of ultimately asking for a divorce.

He then meets a new woman, a different type from his wife, and plans to marry her!

This does not go over well for anyone.

But Arthur is sympathetic, and so is Pearl (the new wife). I rooted for the pair even though I felt bad for Eve.

The film culminates in a stunning sequence at the family’s Hampton residence amid Arthur and Pearl’s wedding. The family begrudgingly attends the simple, dinner-party-style wedding and pretends to be happy.

From a visual perspective, the art direction is flawless. Muted grey and brown tones perfectly complement the drab, depressing subject matter.

People have compared Interiors to an Ingmar Bergman film, and I completely understand that. The film is dark, cold, and bleak, but it contains a sophistication and thought-provoking quality mirroring Bergman’s films like Wild Strawberries (1957) and others.

Woody Allen crafts an astonishingly good screenplay with confidence and precision that only he can do. Interiors (1978) could easily have turned into a soap opera melodrama, but it remains enthralling and devastating throughout.

Oscar Nominations: Best Director-Woody Allen, Best Actress-Geraldine Page, Best Supporting Actress-Maureen Stapleton, Best Screenplay-Written Directly for the Screen, Best Art Direction

1978 Films, Political Thriller, Science Fiction, Thriller

The Boys from Brazil-1978

August 20, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Boys from Brazil-1978

Director Franklin J. Schaffner

Starring Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier, James Mason

Scott’s Review #1,391

Reviewed August 20, 2023

Grade: B+

The Boys from Brazil (1978) is a taut political thriller with a neo-Nazi focus and a weird cloning subject matter. It’s a bit of a tough follow, but quite compelling all the way through, and doesn’t lag at all.

Sometimes political thrillers get overly complicated or drag, but this one doesn’t. The story is slightly hokey and impractical, even bordering on ludicrous, but since it’s so intriguing and action-packed, these adjectives can be overlooked.

Surprisingly, I wasn’t blown away by either Laurence Olivier’s or Gregory Peck’s performance, despite being a fan of both actors. Both actors overact and create stereotypes, but especially Peck’s character is a bit too cartoonish.

It took me half the film even to recognize either man, since both are heavily made up, making them hard to tell apart. It also took until the dramatic conclusion for either character to grow on me truly.

A brilliant one-scene cameo performance by Uta Hagen, a German-American actress, as a former Nazi guard now imprisoned, nearly steals the show and should have earned an Oscar nomination.

The story surrounds Doctor Josef Mengele, played by Peck, who clones Adolf Hitler ninety-five times and raises the boys in Brazil, giving them childhoods identical to Hitler’s in various parts of the world.

His goal is to create a band of Nazi leaders that can continue where Hitler left off, forming the Fourth Reich. Their fathers will be murdered, and the boys will be mothered as Hitler was.

Ezra Lieberman (Laurence Olivier), a Nazi hunter, learns of the plan from a young journalist (Steve Guttenberg) and is determined to thwart it.

The plot is a tough pill to swallow and takes some time to absorb fully, but it’s fresh and unique. I’m not sure if, in 1978, people had had enough of Nazi and World War II films, but both subjects are always worth dissecting again.

I’m not sure why it was so tough to get used to Peck as the evil doctor, but it was. It’s probably because Peck usually plays characters with a strong moral compass, and he was playing way against type.

His character looks weird, and Peck seems to be overacting sometimes, almost like he was playing a James Bond villain. It’s not exactly a role that measures up to Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

Olivier is better and the main protagonist of The Boys from Brazil, but I’m not sure he entirely wins me over. It’s not easy immersing oneself in the prim-and-proper British aristocratic actor playing a Jewish man who kvetches so often.

Still, by the finale, when Mengele meets Lieberman in a deadly showdown involving vicious Dobermans, a gun, and a Hitler clone, I was cheering for Olivier all the way.

Supporting characters played by Guttenberg, Anne Meara (Jerry Stiller’s wife) as Mrs. Curry, one of the Hitler clones’ mothers, and the aforementioned Hagen are excellent. I wish that each character were explored better and given more screen time.

The same can be said for Rosemary Harris in a one-scene performance. While quality, I wanted more from her character of Frau Doring, the wife of one of the murdered fathers of the Hitler clones.

Finally, James Mason has little to do as Colonel Seibert other than serve as second fiddle to Peck.

But The Boys from Brazil is the Olivier and Peck show.

The locales are a big win since they add an international vibe and relevance. Geographies such as Germany, Paraguay, Austria, and rural Pennsylvania, United States, are featured, which greatly elevate the film.

The taught nature of the film provides suspense, an ode to history, and an eerie measure of Trumpism in comparison to Nazi-ism. The Boys from Brazil (1978) isn’t prime steak, but it’s not a bad watch either.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor-Laurence Olivier, Best Film Editing, Best Original Music Score

1962 Films, Comedy, Thriller

The Notorious Landlady-1962

August 16, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Notorious Landlady-1962

Director Richard Quine

Starring Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Fred Astaire

Scott’s Review #1,390

Reviewed August 16, 2023

Grade: B+

If viewers can overlook The Notorious Landlady (1962) ‘s messy nature and intermittent schizophrenic pacing, the film is enjoyable.

It’s not platinum status, but it’s a decent enough flick, especially for Kim Novak and Jack Lemmon fans, who were big stars. This is the third and final film that the duo starred in.

Like the film, their chemistry fluctuates, but it is appealing to see Novak in a comic role, whereas the genre is familiar territory for the funny Lemmon.

After her husband mysteriously disappears, Carly Hardwicke (Novak) finds renting a room in her lovely London apartment impossible because everyone assumes she’s responsible.

American diplomat William Gridley (Jack Lemmon) is new to the city and desires to live with Carly. It doesn’t hurt that Carly is easy on the eyes. William becomes smitten with her, unaware of her troubles.

When his boss, Franklyn Ambruster (Fred Astaire), learns what Gridley has stumbled into, the two men try to clear her name. A series of lies and misunderstandings catapult events into a compelling mystery.

Even though neither William nor Carly is British, the foggy locale works well and provides a foreign mystery. They reside in a courtyard-type home, from which neighbors can see in or out to other apartments. This comes into greater play towards the end of the film.

This is just one example of Alfred Hitchcock’s influence on 1954’s Rear Window, which director Richard Quine heftily borrows. He’s wise to do so since he secured Novak, fresh from her role in Vertigo (1958) two years earlier.

Shit, even the title ‘The Notorious Landlady’ borrows the title of the 1946 Hitchcock masterpiece, ‘Notorious.’

There’s also a secret locked door that Carly references and forbids anyone from entering, adding suspense and foreboding.

Despite the tepid chemistry between the stars, I ultimately enjoyed their romance. It’s a hard sell that the gorgeous Carly would fall head over heels for the everyman William, but she does.

They win me over during a dramatic scene where an attempted romantic dinner of steaks goes awry, and instead, a massive fire erupts. The burgeoning lovers cling together in a sweet embrace that cements their appeal.

The tension is supposed to be about whether Carly murdered her husband and has designs on William. Red herrings like kitchen poisons and the like make an appearance, but I was more interested in the impending mystery of said husband than really believing she’d want to kill William.

The last act introduces a threatening character, an unexpected villain, and a race to save another character in dangerous peril.

A courtroom scene also adds to the tension.

The central storyline is satisfying, edge of your seat, and suspenseful. I assume Quine was going for it.

The Notorious Landlady shifts genres a whopping three times in the story! The tone is all over the place: first, romantic comedy, then suspense and drama, and finally, slapstick.

During the finale, when Carly and William race to a retirement community and scramble to stop an out-of-control wheelchair, I half expected Laurel & Hardy or The Little Rascals to make a cameo.

Poor Fred Astaire has little to do and struggles to be relevant compared to Novak and Lemmon’s characters. At times, I even forgot he was still in the film.

The Notorious Landlady (1962) is an entertaining vehicle and a must-see for fans of Novak or Lemmon eager to see a largely forgotten film that offers something fun.

1984 Films, Comedy, Romantic Comedy

Sixteen Candles-1984

August 14, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Sixteen Candles-1984

Director John Hughes

Starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling, Anthony Michael Hall

Scott’s Review #1,389

Reviewed August 14, 2023

Grade: B

While recently re-watching a string of John Hughes-produced or directed films from the 1980s, I set upon them with fresh eyes.

Some scenes or themes that worked in the mid-1980s would be inappropriate in a more sensitive, post-Me Too! era. movement.

Hughes, of course, was the king of the teen angst, coming-of-age, romantic comedies that usually starred Molly Ringwald.

Sixteen Candles, Hughes’s first directorial effort, was released in 1984 and launched him to superstardom and immense popularity. Films like The Breakfast Club (1985) and Pretty in Pink (1986) would follow to much acclaim.

What he did so well was provide maturity and a message to the otherwise dumb and raunchy comedies that populated the decade. He brought a fresh female perspective, whereas others were typically male and hormone-driven.

Already angst-ridden Samantha (Molly Ringwald) wakes up on the morning of her sixteenth birthday to find her busy family has completely forgotten her special day.

Samantha already pines for the handsome senior Jake (Michael Schoeffling), but worries that her dorkiness and lack of sexual experience will be a turnoff for the popular boy.

Meanwhile, Samantha must constantly rebuff the affections of nerdy Ted (Anthony Michael Hall), the only boy in the school who seems interested in her.

As enjoyable as Sixteen Candles is, I’d list it as the weakest of the Hughes films. It serves as more of a blueprint for the genius he would become.

Ringwald carries the film with ease, which is all the more impressive since this was one of her first film roles. She infuses Samantha with a blend of confidence, insecurity, and worry, so that most American teenage girls could see themselves in her.

Pretty but not a pinup blonde, Samantha is intelligent and the girl next door. She lives in a suburban neighborhood, is middle-class, has loving but distracted parents, and siblings focused on their trials and tribulations.

Most can relate to that.

A wonderful and tender moment between Samantha and her father, Jim, played brilliantly by Paul Dooley, nearly moved me to tears. His wisdom and kindness, as Samantha emotionally reveals her love for Jake to her dad, are warm and solid, epitomizing what a dad should be to his daughter.

A series of tepid misunderstandings occurs between Samantha and Jake, who, ironically, has noticed her and shares her attraction. She freezes when face-to-face with him and flees, so he naturally assumes she is a bitch and has no interest in him.

It takes so long for the lovebirds to connect that many possibilities and scenes go unexplored. The film ends as soon as they reveal their feelings, leaving the audience with little to celebrate.

We also know almost nothing about Jake. He is a rich kid whose parents are vacationing in Europe, but what makes him tick? He could have any girl in high school and date the pretty blonde girl, but what makes him so drawn to Samantha?

The casting of the four grandparents serves no purpose other than to provide comic relief and to convey an inaccurate message about how bumbling older people are.

One refers to Samantha’s ‘boobies’ while another stinks up the bathroom.

Worse yet, the inclusion of a foreign exchange Asian student named Long Duk Dong (Gedde Watanabe) is riddled with cliches and stereotypes only played for laughs.

These characters are caricatures.

Finally, the groping and taking advantage of drunk female characters now feels dated if not flat-out inappropriate. In 1984, the scenes are meant to be funny.

Still, Sixteen Candles (1984) accurately depicts the loneliness and problems that nearly every teenager has faced throughout history. With a warm message of belonging and a sweet subtext, the film is a recommended watch, but be wary of its stereotypes.

1983 Films, Crime Thriller, Thriller

Sudden Impact-1983

August 12, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Sudden Impact-1983

Director Clint Eastwood

Starring Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke

Scott’s Review #1,388

Reviewed August 12, 2023

Grade: B+

The groundbreaking and highly influential Dirty Harry, released in 1971, spawned four sequels. Sudden Impact (1983) is the third.

It is directed by, produced by, and stars Clint Eastwood (making it the only Dirty Harry film to be directed by Eastwood himself) and co-stars Sondra Locke, the star’s longtime girlfriend.

On the surface, the film is standard fare and relatively conventional, featuring slick cinematography, a predictable story, shoot ’em-ups, and cartoon villains.

It’s also quite bloody and violent, with a theme of justice being served.

Exactly what you’d expect from any action/thriller to come out in the two decades following the original.

By 1983, the clichés and story setups had been seen in so many crime-thriller films that they felt tired and stale and could be predicted in advance.

The expected Dirty Harry catchphrase in Sudden Impact is, “Go ahead, make my day,” which is probably what the film is best remembered for, though some assume the famous line appears in Dirty Harry.

This isn’t a glowing testament for Sudden Impact.

United States President Ronald Reagan embarrassingly used the “make my day” line in a March 1985 speech, threatening to veto legislation raising taxes.

The secret weapon of Sudden Impact, though, is the inclusion of Locke, who is a tour de force as an actor and elevates the film quite a bit. Her romance with Eastwood (on and off the silver screen) simmers with chemistry, making Sudden Impact feel like a much better film than it is.

Jennifer Spencer (Sondra Locke) is a thirty-something blonde bombshell who, along with her much younger sister, was gang raped, but the crime went unpunished. She now hunts down those responsible one by one and gruesomely shoots them in the testicles before killing them.

She’s not a gal to be messed with.

The murders attract the attention of Harry Callahan (Eastwood), who is on a forced vacation due to his violent approach to police work.

The case gets complicated when Harry develops a relationship with Jennifer, and it’s up to Harry to make the right decision when Jennifer’s life is threatened for a second time.

Locke and Eastwood always do well with marginal material- think Bronco Billy (1980) or Every Which Way But Loose (1978). Both of those films are more comical, so it’s riveting to see them co-star in a violence-based thriller.

Not to dwell on Locke (okay, I must), but she’s the best part of Sudden Impact. The first scene involves one of her vigilante murders, and her cold, calm steadiness is magnificent. Through icy eyes, she is filled with rage, though she is wise and calculating.

When she is not blowing balls to bits, Jennifer leads a successful life as an author and escapes to a whimsical carnival town outside San Francisco to focus on her work. She also finds time to finish killing the remaining members of the gang of rapists.

Locke mesmerizes in every scene she appears in.

Eastwood is good too, but his character is the same grizzled, sick-of-crime guy with a gun he’s had since the beginning. Harry’s arguments with the suits in the top office are tired, and the actors cast are handily stock types.

The win is Eastwood’s scenes with Locke. As they share dinner, a romantic tenderness perfectly offsets the rest of the story. We ask, will he send her to prison or let her go when he inevitably finds out she’s the killer?

Is she justified?

The rapists are cartoon-like and poorly cast, and there is no character development. The main villain, Mick (Paul Drake), shrieks, wails, and delivers his dialogue in an over-the-top fashion. He’s a poor man’s ‘Scorpio’ who he tries to emulate.

A female villain, an assumed lesbian named Ray Parkins, in a purely politically incorrect fashion, has every lesbian stereotype imaginable.

I liken Sudden Impact (1983) to a McDonald’s meal. A greasy Big Mac, fries, and a shake. It’s not fine dining, but it’s satisfying, and one knows exactly what to expect. Only in this case is Locke the special sauce.

1987 Films, Drama, Romantic Drama

Some Kind of Wonderful-1987

August 4, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Some Kind of Wonderful-1987

Director Howard Deutch

Starring Eric Stolz, Mary Stuart Masterson, Lea Thompson

Scott’s Review #1,386

Review August 4, 2023

Grade: B+

Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) is one of many John Hughes-written teenage romantic dramas to emerge in the 1980s.

It’s familiar territory in terms of storytelling and quite similar to the 1986 hit Pretty in Pink.

I’ll call it what it is: essentially a remake of Pretty in Pink.

Hughes attempts to ‘right the wrong’ of the ending of Pretty in Pink, which he was forced to rewrite because of pesky test audiences. Truth be told, I was happy with who wound up with whom in the film, but I guess I’m in the minority.

A romantic quadrangle is front and center, with differing social classes explored amidst the already tricky teenage years. Characters battle for status as they deal with powerful feelings and angst with their parents and friends.

A fun fact about Some Kind of Wonderful is that Hughes assumed his muse, Molly Ringwald, would star in the film. When she turned him down for more adult roles, he never forgave her, which led to the dissolution of their film collaboration.

But the show must go on.

Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz) is an artistic high school outcast who bravely tries to land a date with the most popular girl in school, Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson).

His tomboy best friend, Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) is secretly in love with him while Amanda’s rich on-again-off-again boyfriend, Hardy Jenns (Craig Sheffer), vows revenge on Keith.

Watts tries to convince Keith to stop pursuing Amanda, while his father (John Ashton) is dead set on Keith attending business rather than art school.

Before you start thinking this sounds like a corny story arc from the afternoon soap opera Days of Our Lives, it’s a pretty well-written story with many ups and downs and good, sincere acting.

Stolz is compelling as the boy-next-door/leading man. He is relatable and, therefore, easy to root for to get the girl.

The main attraction and best part of the film is the triangle between Keith, Watts, and Amanda. Hardy is merely along for the ride, serving as both a foil and necessary eye candy. Every girl wants him, so why would Amanda want Keith and not him?

When Hardy refers to Amanda as his ‘property,’ it makes him unforgivable to audiences. It might have been interesting if Hughes had made the character a viable romantic option for Amanda or Watts by softening him.

There are arguments for Keith winding up with either Amanda or Watts, and a tantalizing mention is that Watts could be gay, but this story goes nowhere.

1987 would have been too early for this quality to be featured much in mainstream film, but at least the thought is there.

Despite being popular, Amanda is not a bitch. Her best friend, Shayne (Molly Hagan), is though.

In a bit of irony, the character Keith, at the end of the film, feels rushed, jagged, and like an added-on scene. The similarities to the reshoot they did with the ending of Pretty in Pink are uncanny.

Other characters are added purely for comic relief and to offset the romantic-heavy drama. Keith’s tough guy friend Duncan (Elias Koteas) and Keith’s younger sister Laura (Maddie Corman) provide the film with some cute moments.

Teenagers, whether in 1987 or today, can relate to the well-meaning pressure Keith’s father puts on him, so the message is universally appreciated.

Nothing will surpass my top ranking of The Breakfast Club (1985) as my favorite John Hughes film, but Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) does a good job of capturing a slice of teenage angst we can all relate to.

Welcome to my blog!1,542 reviews posted so far! I'm Scott Segrell and I reside in Stamford, CT. My site features hundreds of film reviews I have written since I launched the site in 2014. I hope you enjoy reading my latest reviews or searching for your own favorites to see if we agree. Please see my featured films of the month, and don't forget to utilize the tags and category links.