2002 Films, Drama, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, Top 250 Films

The Hours-2002

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Hours-2002

Director Stephen Daldry

Starring Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep

Top 250 Films #169

Scott’s Review #803

Reviewed August 17, 2018

Grade: A

The Hours (2002) is a film containing the ultimate in acting riches. With names like Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, and Julianne Moore associated with the film this is not surprising.

Not solely belonging to the ladies, however, Ed Harris, in particular, is dynamic in his role as are all the other males who appear in the film.

Told in three different sections in chronological order, but going back and forth, the stories all share connections via the novel Mrs. Dalloway, written by Virginia Woolf.

One of the best films of the decade!

Each segment of the film takes place within a single day, but decades apart. Wisely, director Stephen Daldry switches between the stories frequently leaving sort of a cliffhanger, making the drama more compelling and spicy.

In 1923, a depressed Virginia Woolf is portrayed by an unrecognizable Nicole Kidman in a role that won her the Best Actress Oscar.

Woolf resides outside of London and struggles to complete her novel amid nervous breakdowns and the watchful eye of her husband, who is aware of her mental pain.

In 1951, Laura Brown (Julianne Moore) seemingly has it all, living the “American Dream”. Residing in a nice neighborhood with a loving husband, she is pregnant with her second child, spending the days at home raising her young son, Richie, whom she is very close to yet does not understand.

After a fleeting lesbian dalliance with a neighbor, Laura goes off to a hotel with bottles of pills, intending to kill herself. She changes her mind after reading Woolf’s novel and dozing off, deciding instead to make a different decision.

Finally, in 2001, Clarissa (Meryl Streep), is bisexual and in a same-sex relationship. She lives with Richard (Harris), whom she dated in college, now the best of friends. He is gay, stricken with the AIDS virus, and close to committing suicide as he plans to jump out of a window.

This story (present times) is crucial to the film because it involves two characters from the 1951 story. These characters intersect with others in a touching and heart-wrenching way.

The greatest parts of The Hours are the brilliant acting and the richly written storytelling. Arguably, Kidman, Streep, and Moore all could have won Oscars for their performances, and I must mention that as brilliant as Kidman is (she is the sole Oscar recipient), and Streep is just universally good, I would have given the Oscar to Moore- the standout in my opinion.

Glamorous and intelligent, warm to her son, she makes a monumental and controversial decision. The character should not be sympathetic- yet she is. This is a testament to Moore’s infusing the character with confidence, reasonable thoughts, and even some empathy. We finally understand why she does what she does.

May I boast for a moment about Harris’s performance? Richard, once known as Richie as a kid (this will give something away), has lived a difficult life.

Abandoned, wounded, and suffering much loss, he is a tragic figure, pained beyond belief. His suffering is so monumental that we almost welcome his demise, and Harris offers so much of himself in this difficult role. He is both physically and emotionally hurt and Harris portrays this in spades.

Uniquely, all three stories work independently of each other. Yes, characters from one appear in another, but they are like well-crafted vignettes. Similarly, they each begin with breakfast, then involve the planning of a party or celebration of some sort, and culminate in sadness.

Yet, the film does not feel like a downer or preachy in any way, but rather, good, solid, humanistic story-telling, which I adore.

Sure, the film is considered a drama, but it also contains multiple gay or bisexual characters and therefore must be included in the chambers of LGBT filmmaking.

With an A-list cast, the film helps lead the charge (successfully so) to bring more rich LGBT films to center stage and garner mainstream audiences.

The great aspect of The Hours is that it is a mainstream film- a good solid drama.

Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Michael Cunningham, The Hours (2002) does not try to draw parallels with each story or necessarily connect them in an obvious fashion.

Rather, the film version provokes thought both with LGBT and feminist approaches. Each female central character lives in a world run by men, as Woolf argues in her novel.

The film brilliantly adapts the novel and brings it to large audiences in a fantastic, riveting fashion.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director-Stephen Daldry, Best Actress-Nicole Kidman (won), Best Supporting Actor-Ed Harris, Best Supporting Actress-Julianne Moore, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing

1988 Films, Camp, Independent, Musical, Top 250 Films

Hairspray-1988

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Hairspray-1988

Director John Waters

Starring Ricki Lake, Divine

Top 250 Films #170

Scott’s Review #130

Reviewed July 23, 2014

Grade: B+

Hairspray (1988) is one of director John Water’s later and much more mainstream comedies.

Influencing the Broadway musical of the same name that was created years later and inspiring a successful remake in 2007, the film is a wonderful watch one late at night accompanied by spirits.

It is fun, fun, fun.

The film tells the story of a cute, yet insecure, overweight teenager named Tracy Turnblad, wonderfully portrayed by Rikki Lake. Tracy lives in Baltimore in the racially conflicted 1960s, and she battles to appear on a local talent show.

With Waters directing, one might expect comedic raunchiness, but Hairspray is quite tame. It is the only Waters film to be rated PG, the others are rated X.

Not to be outdone, however, Hairspray does contain its share of light naughtiness.

The film itself, while campy and over the top, is important since it does its best to break down racial barriers, including interracial relationships, and sends an important message.

Tracy and her best friend Penny Pingleton judge people for who they are, not on race, income, or anything else.

Those characters in Hairspray who are written as racist or less than welcoming to interracial cohabitation (again the film is set in the early 1960s) look like buffoons and not with the progressive social times.

The supporting cast is high caliber- Divine and Jerry Stiller are perfectly cast as Tracy’s open-minded yet cautious and concerned parents.

Famous musicians appear in cameos- most notable are Debbie Harry, Ric Ocasek, and Sonny Bono in small but zesty roles.

The musical dance numbers are plentiful and perfectly fit the time of the film.

Hairspray (1988) is entertaining, relevant, and free with a powerful message mixed in with the entertainment.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Feature, Best Director-John Waters, Best Female Lead-Ricki Lake, Best Supporting Male-Divine, Best Supporting Female-Debbie Harry, Best Screenplay

1993 Films, Drama, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, Top 250 Films

Philadelphia-1993

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Philadelphia-1993

Director Jonathan Demme

Starring Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington

Top 250 Films #171

Scott’s Review #782

Reviewed July 3, 2018

Grade: A

Having the powerful distinction of being one of the first Hollywood LGBT films to deal with heavy issues such as HIV/AIDS and homophobia, Philadelphia (1993) is a film to champion.

The film does contain some less-than-positive stereotypes across the board, but it was a tremendous box office success and, more importantly, introduced a large audience to a still (at that time) taboo subject.

Hopefully, this had a tremendous effect on creating an understanding of a vicious disease and its ramifications.

Tom Hanks deservedly won the Best Actor Oscar for his lead performance as an AIDS and discrimination victim, as did the heartbreaking theme song “Streets of Philadelphia”, penned by Bruce Springsteen, win for Best Original Song.

Director Jonathan Demme creates a world that is quite realistic in portrayal at the corporate level. Hotshot attorney Andrew Beckett (Hanks) has a promising future at one of the country’s largest law firms in Philadelphia.

Assigned a high-profile case, it is noticed that Andrew has developed lesions across his body and is subsequently fired from the firm.

After deciding to sue the firm and having no luck finding an attorney to represent him, he finally meets struggling black attorney Joe Miller (Denzel Washington), who begrudgingly takes the case to gain exposure.

Philadelphia is a film that is a courtroom drama with a cause, firmly ensconced in the “message movie” genre. A lesser version, and perhaps one made even a decade or so after 1993, might be reduced to the Hallmark television movie category.

Fortunately, the timing is perfect, and Philadelphia can be remembered as a film championing LGBT rights.

Hanks’s performance is just dynamic- his character is meant to be empathetic, a victimized man unjustly suffering not only discrimination but a death sentence.

The audience knows what is to come, and as Andrew loses more weight and appears more sullen and haggard, the tale grows sadder.

The final act of Andrew’s court victory is to be celebrated, but it is also heartbreaking as a feeble and dying Andrew now lies close to death.

Hanks brilliantly infuses Andrew with courage, heart, and values, so much so that he becomes a hero to the audience even if their sexuality is different than his.

As much as the undying love for Hanks is deserved, the powerful supporting cast is a treasure. Washington is not as sympathetic a character as Andrew is, but he learns a lesson and eventually sets his machismo aside.

The heart-wrenching death scene culminating in the hospital room involves lover Miguel (Antonio Banderas), surrounded by Andrew’s family, all-embracing as one. There is beauty mixed with tragedy in this one scene alone.

Even Mary Steenburgen, as the tough defense lawyer, shows some heart. And who can say more about the dynamic Joanne Woodward as Andrew’s mother?

Unfortunately, there are a few stereotypes to endure, and sadly, many early LGBT films (and some still do!) include these for emphasis- or perhaps ignorance? Nonetheless, these make the film seem slightly dated, given the progress LGBT people have made in the decades since it was released.

Joe Miller is portrayed as a macho guy afraid to be viewed as gay- he even jokes around about being a “man” with his wife. Joe also grimaces when he shakes hands with Andrew and suddenly realizes Andrew has AIDS.

Nearly all of Andrew and Miguel’s gay friends are effeminate- this hardly seems possible.

Such is a monumental achievement when a film breaks barriers by telling a story of critical importance. Philadelphia (1993) does just that by patiently asking its audience for tolerance, understanding, and heart.

In return, the film educates, floods with emotion, and breaks hearts. Other LGBT films would come along that were arguably even better, but Philadelphia is a groundbreaking experience sure to be remembered as the first of its kind.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Actor-Tom Hanks (won), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Song-“Streets of Philadelphia” (won), “Philadelphia”, Best Makeup

2015 Films, Top 250 Films, Western

The Hateful Eight-2015

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Hateful Eight-2015

Director Quentin Tarantino

Starring Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Top 250 Films #172

Scott’s Review #319

Reviewed January 3, 2016

Grade: A

Quentin Tarantino does it again!

The modern equivalent of Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, or any of the great directors, his films are an experience to be reveled in.

The viewer is taken to another world and experiences a great fantasy. This time he dives into western territory with The Hateful Eight (2015), a brutal tale of eight strangers holed up in a shelter during a Wyoming blizzard shortly after the Civil War.

The film delivers blood, unique characters, and brilliant writing.

We are introduced to Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) and John “The Hangman” (Kurt Russell) early on, as Marquis hitches a ride on John’s stagecoach.

They are bounty hunters heading to Red Rock to deliver their prisoners and collect a large loot. Marquis has three dead bodies, but John has captured brutal female criminal Daisy Domergue, played wonderfully by Jennifer Jason Leigh, alive and well.

The group then picks up the new Red Rock sheriff, Chris Mannix, who is headed there to accept his new position.

Everyone is in a panic to reach safety before a vicious blizzard hits and the group comes to a shelter where they meet the other film principals, Joe Gage (Michael Madsen), Oswaldo (Tim Roth), Marco the Mexican (Demian Bichir), and General Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern).

These eight make up “The Hateful Eight” in the title.

The setting could not be better. The cold, wintry blizzard and the grand mountains of the West are authentic. However, most of the film is set inside Minnie’s Haberdashery, an inn where the eight (and some others) spend most of the film.

I found the setting tremendously effective as the howling wind, the driving snow through the windows, mixed with the glowing warmth of the lighting and the hot, steaming, soothing stew that they ate, and the hot coffee, which is ingeniously featured throughout the film.

These hot and cold elements contrast so well.

Shot in 70 mm film to ensure a widescreen, epic look, the film succeeds in the snowy, outdoor scenes, though I am not sure I would notice this camera style without it being touted with the release.

The characters bristle with authenticity and engagement and each one is interested in his or her own right- even the secondary characters.

My favorites are John “The Hangman”, Daisy, Marquis, and Sandy Smithers. John is probably the most likable character of the bunch and Kurt Russell (almost unrecognizable under the thick beard), gives the character charm and wit.

As the story unfolds, each character is mysterious, and their motives unclear, which makes the film fun. Are some in secret cahoots with others? When someone poisons the coffee, a whodunit erupts.

This is the beauty- the character motivations slowly come into play and a slow reveal occurs.

The gore/violence is fantastic. Without revealing too much, there are many deaths and the film is non-linear, with the middle portion of the story occurring before the first section. To keep things organized, Tarantino divides into chapters, and over three hours long, the film is a monster.

I like how Tarantino features an interracial relationship (black inn owner Minnie and her white husband).

Favorite scenes include the vomiting blood sequence and the brutal scene of the severing of the arm of a character. There is also the scene of Marquis dragging a victimized, naked soldier through the snow that is intense and shocking, involving brutal sodomy.

As with all of Tarantino’s films, the characters are cartoonish and not to be taken completely seriously and the violence will undoubtedly offend some, but that is the beauty of his films.

This is a masterful work by a masterful modern director.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Supporting Actress-Jennifer Jason Leigh, Best Original Score (won), Best Cinematography

2016 Films, Comedy, Drama, Musical, Musical Comedy, Musical Drama, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Drama, Top 250 Films

La La Land-2016

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

La La Land-2016

Director Damien Chazelle

Starring Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling

Top 250 Films #173

Scott’s Review #538

Reviewed December 6, 2016

Grade: A

La La Land (2016) breathes new life into the classic musical genre of the 1950s and offers a fresh glimpse into Hollywood.

The film explores the glitz and glamour, triumphs and heartbreaks, and dreams both broken and fulfilled in a town laden with broken hearts.

The bright, colorful film stars two of today’s top young, talented actors: Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. The chemistry between the leads and the dynamic musical numbers is incredible.

It’s a masterful nod to old Hollywood.

Mia (Stone) is an aspiring young actress struggling to survive the Hollywood scene. She serves lattes in a coffee shop on a studio lot and auditions endlessly for film and television parts without much luck.

Her passion is acting, but she also writes a one-woman play she plans to star in.

On the other hand, Sebastian (Gosling) is a dedicated jazz musician, struggling to make ends meet by playing demoralizing gigs that ruin the essence of jazz, meeting many people who tell him that jazz is a dying genre.

Sebastian’s dream is to open his nightclub one day.

Through circumstances, Mia and Sebastian meet and continue to run into each other, forging a wonderful friendship that eventually leads to romance.

The film is a gorgeous experience with bright sets, creative sequences, and numerous song and dance numbers to keep you humming. Mia and Sebastian even tap-dance one beautiful night following a Hollywood party under the moonlight with the Los Angeles skyline in view as they bond.

It is one of the best scenes in the film.

La La Land is seasonal and begins in the winter, though this is strictly an attempt to separate the chapters. Los Angeles is always warm, but the timing is Christmas, which is engaging in a warm climate.

In the first scene, we are immediately treated to a musical number. Stuck in stifling freeway traffic, the car drivers get out in unison, sing and dance, and then return to their cars to continue their mundane day.

Director Damien Chazelle cleverly balances the cheerful tone with the everyday redundant tasks and the struggles of artists hoping for a dream.

La La Land excels during the scenes of Sebastian and Mia as the chemistry is palpable. Gosling and Stone have something.

Supporting players like J.K. Simmons and Rosemarie Dewitt add pizzazz to their small but meaningful parts.

I adore the odes to classic Hollywood films that director Chazelle incorporates into his movie.

Classics such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious (1946) and the legendary film Casablanca (1940) are mentioned twice.

During a sweet moment, Sebastian takes Mia to see Rebel Without a Cause (1956) at an old-style theater; he is shocked that she has never seen the film and eagerly excited to introduce her to it.

This continues as he shares his love for jazz music with her.

Later, the theater closes, and the film takes a more dour tone as the struggles of both characters overwhelm them.

The film’s finale is terrific.

Suddenly, five years later, many events have happened. In a brilliant sequence, the characters’ lives are explained through a song as we see the period play out until we reach the point of the film where the song began, a treasure of an ode to the truth of the characters.

The sequence is emotional, heartbreaking, and choreographed without missing a beat,

Gosling and Stone sing all their songs, not live as in Les Miserables (2012), but wisely on a sound stage. They are neither novices nor Grammy winners, but they are honest, truthful, and with heart.

It is refreshing to see classic Hollywood told in such a riveting fashion, as seen through the young’s eyes.

Films and styles of decades past are renewed through this excellent piece of cinema.

I noted similarities to An American in Paris (1951) and countless other gems from years ago and stood proudly, knowing that a nostalgic piece of cinema is precisely what we need.

Oscar Nominations: 6 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-Damien Chazelle (won), Best Actor-Ryan Gosling, Best Actress-Emma Stone (won), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score (won), Best Original Song-“City of Stars” (won), “Audition (The Fools Who Dream),” Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design (won), Best Cinematography (won), Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing

2003 Films, Biography, Drama, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, Top 250 Films

Monster-2003

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Monster-2003

Director Patty Jenkins

Starring Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci

Top 250 Films #174

Scott’s Review #347

Reviewed January 9, 2016

Grade: A

Monster (2003) may feature one of the best acting performances of all time-Charlize Theron simply embodies the role of the notorious female serial killer, Aileen Wuornos, in a simply astounding triumph.

The mannerisms, the anger, and the charisma that Theron portrays are nothing short of brilliance.

This brazen acting is simply the best aspect of Monster and the main reason to witness the film.

Besides this, the film itself is also great.

The film immediately focuses on Theron- we meet the down-on-her-luck prostitute sitting in tatters underneath an overpass.

Suicidal and with five dollars to her name, she goes to a dive bar for one last beer- having blown someone for the five dollars she reasons that the money will go to waste if she does not spend it.

Her older confidante is Thomas, a grizzled man assumed to be an occasional client of hers, who is played by Bruce Dern. She goes to a gay bar and meets Selby Wall (Christina Ricci), a lesbian.

Aileen insists she is not gay but winds up spending the night with her in Selby’s family home. The two form a connection and bond immediately, spending more time together and becoming immersed in each other’s lives.

When Aileen is brutally raped and beaten by a client, she begins down a dark and murderous path, killing men she meets after she steals their money.

Selby eventually catches on to this and is conflicted over whether to turn her friend in or serve as an accomplice to her crimes as the police close in on the pair.

Enough cannot be said of Theron’s performance. She simply becomes Wournos- from her walk to her infamous manic mannerisms, and her hair flip.

Theron, a gorgeous woman, gained weight, used false teeth, and became simply unrecognizable in the role of a brutal, angry, and trashy-looking woman.

Ricci also deserves praise, but plays her role as a bit clueless or dimwitted, counterbalancing Theron’s manic, in-your-face role. It works well. Both characters are longing for love and companionship and both are misfits.

In a sweet scene, the pair go roller skating together, hand in hand, to the famous rock song, “Don’t Stop Believin”.

This is a great scene.

One can argue the fact that director, Patty Jenkins, softens the way that Wournos is written. Known as a hardened, mean woman, Jenkins writes her as much more sympathetic.

This can also be attributed to the fact that Theron emits some vulnerability to the character- the woman never knew love until she met and bonded with Selby.

Needless to say, Monster (2003) is a dynamic, energetic film, thanks in large part to the powerful performance of Charlize Theron- a role that awarded her the Best Actress Academy Award.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Actress-Charlize Theron (won)

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 2 wins-Best First Feature (won), Best Female Lead-Charlize Theron (won), Best First Screenplay

1986 Films, Camp, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Sexploitation, Top 250 Films

Reform School Girls-1986

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Reform School Girls-1986

Director Tom DeSimone

Starring Linda Carol, Wendy O. Williams, Pat Ast

Top 250 Films #175

Scott’s Review #348

Reviewed January 9, 2016

Grade: A

Let’s be honest here- Reform School Girls (1986) is neither a work of cinematic art nor a particularly well-acted film.

From a critic’s perspective, it is riddled with stereotypes and objectifies women.

Still, it’s one of my favorite guilty pleasures, with an offbeat charm that makes me want to watch the film over and over again. I never tire of it. I also don’t think it should be reviled, but rather, revered.

There is a perverse magnificence to the film and some similarities to another cult gem- Russ Myers’s Faster Pussycat, Kill!… Kill! (1965)

Critics be damned- not every film needs to be high art!

One of my absolute favorite cult actresses, Pat Ast, famous for another cult gem, 1972’s Heat, stars in Reform School Girls as a vicious correctional officer.

Alongside punk rocker-turned-actress Wendy O. Williams, they make the film a guilty masterpiece, as both women bring their share of odd energy and humor to the flick.

Sybil Danning co-stars as the corrupt Warden Sutter.

The plot of the film is pretty straightforward, and it screams late-night fun.

A virginal teenage girl named Jenny is sent to a reform school run by the sinister warden and her sadistic and abusive henchwoman, Edna (Ast).

While there, Jenny is intimidated by Charlie (Williams), who rules the roost via bullying and threats. Jenny is accompanied by several other terrified girls, who are stripped and degraded by Edna.

This leads to an attempted escape and protest scene by the girls and others as they try to remove themselves from their tormentors.

Reform School Girls is simply great fun.

The poor acting is actually a strength of the film, as one scantily clad female after another prances around the reform school.

Wendy O. Williams regularly wears skimpy panties, a bra, and heels, and is laughable playing a teenager since the actress was pushing forty years old.

The film’s climax is fantastic, as a chase culminates at an enormous tower on the prison grounds, resulting in the dramatic deaths of Charlie and Edna.

Edna’s charred remains are met by an uproar of cheers by the inmates- I half expected them to burst into a chorus of “Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead”.

Reform School Girls (1986) is a perfect cult classic for a late Saturday night.

1989 Films, Drama, Favorite Film of the Year, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, New York City, Top 250 Films

Last Exit to Brooklyn-1989

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Last Exit to Brooklyn-1989

Director Uli Edel

Starring Stephen Lang, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Top 250 Films #176

Scott’s Review #152

Reviewed August 13, 2014

Grade: A-

Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989) is a slice-of-life film set in lower-class Brooklyn, NY, in the early 1950s.

It tells the story of a group of struggling neighborhood people- sex workers, union members, drag queens, etc., whose lives intersect. Also in the neighborhood is a military base where soldiers come and go on their way to war-torn Korea.

The central characters, though there are several with small yet interesting stories, are Harry, played by Stephen Lang, a sexually conflicted union worker with a wife and newborn child.

He is in love with a selfish drag queen, and Marilyn Monroe lookalike, Tralala, played superbly by Jennifer Jason Leigh, a prostitute whose best days are behind her, and who will do anything for attention.

The sets and cinematography in the film are very well done- the feeling of despair and hopelessness is accomplished by the dowdy streets, homes, and bars that the cast frequents.

Some of the characters are sympathetic- the aforementioned plus Tralala’s love interest, the Diner boy madly in love with Tralala, and the virginal seeming (but not really) Donna, portrayed by a young Rikki Lake.

Other characters are abhorrent in their violence and hatred.

Last Exit to Brooklyn is quite a dark film and sometimes tough to watch, but it captures a dreary time and atmosphere. The Brooklyn set is excellent in its dreariness.

Jennifer Jason Leigh is the standout as the tough-talking, boozy prostitute who is losing her luster, and the final scene of the film is truly a heartbreaker.

The topics of union, strike, bisexuality, gangs, and drag queens are covered, and unique characters and conflict/loneliness are presented.

This film is an overlooked gem from 1989.

1999 Films, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, Top 10 Most Disturbing Films, Top 250 Films

Boys Don’t Cry-1999

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Boys Don’t Cry-1999

Director Kimberly Peirce

Starring Hilary Swank, Chloe Sevigny

Top 250 Films #177

Top 10 Most Disturbing Films #10

Scott’s Review #340

Reviewed January 9, 2016

Grade: A

Boys Don’t Cry (1999) is a fitting tribute to real-life figure Brandon Teena, a transgender man from Nebraska, who adopts a male identity and attempts to find love with Lana, played by Chloe Sevigny. Brandon is played by Hilary Swank.

Sadly, Brandon was brutally raped and murdered at the hands of some local men- a fact that the film does not gloss over.

Boys Don’t Cry is a heartbreaking and tragic film that will disturb some with its shocking and violent content- sadly it is a true story.

Swank deservedly walked away with the Best Actress Oscar statuette.

Set in working-class Nebraska and in the heartland, Brandon has the cards stacked against him from the start. Not exactly the most open-minded of areas, the film also sets a working-class environment for Brandon as most of his friends are poor factory or bar workers.

Born as Teena Brandon and female, Brandon (Swank) is a drifter and in trouble with the law for various unpaid tickets. He befriends ex-convicts John and Tom and becomes part of their crowd, falling in love with Lana- they are all unaware of Brandon being a female.

When Brandon’s secret is revealed, Lana is accepting and the pair decide to run away together, but Tom and John decide to murder Brandon.

Swank’s portrayal of Brandon is brilliant and believable and very few actresses could successfully pull this off. Swank has angular, androgynous features to begin with, but her drastic physical transformation is jaw-dropping.

Having closed-cropped hair and a male swagger, Swank immerses herself in the role, so much so, that as I watched the film I completely forgot that Brandon was not physically male.

Her physical transformation is not the sole reason for the fantastic performance though- Swank is emotionally there in the role and in a heartbreaking scene, after being beaten and raped, is treated poorly by a sheriff handling the accusations- just when Brandon could use an understanding ear.

What a cold world it can be for someone different from most others as Boys Don’t Cry reveals in a brutal, honest fashion.

Anyone who knows the true story of Brandon Teena knows he led a painful, tragic life, but was also filled with life and love- mainly for Lana.

Worth mentioning is Sevigny’s performance as Lana- in love with the person that was Brandon, not so much the gender. Sevigny portrays Lana as supportive, confused, and loving.

Director, Kimberly Peirce, became obsessed with the real-life case and does a fantastic job at tackling the film in a true, compelling way. To say nothing of the writing and the acting, Peirce also successfully uses a hand-held camera during Brandon’s strip scene and a surreal, muted light to portray the gloomy mid-west and the cold, hard lives that most of the characters lived.

Impressively, Peirce accomplished all of this on a shoe-string budget and took a wealth of inspiration from independent film legend John Cassavetes, who proved that gorgeous films can be made for very little money.

Many scenes take place in bars as Lana, a devoted karaoke singer, croons one tune after another, the highlight being Restless Heart’s 1988 country hit, “The Bluest Eyes In Texas”, which Lana sings in Brandon’s presence.

The use of somber songs gives the film a tragic soundtrack.

Famed film critic, Roger Ebert, described Boys Don’t Cry as “Romeo and Juliet set in a Nebraska trailer park”.

Boys Don’t Cry (1999) is an enormous victory in film for the LGBT community and, along with Brokeback Mountain (2006), is a perfect double-feature, as both are similar films, only one featuring males, the other females.

Both are tragic, bleak and all too real.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Actress-Hilary Swank (won), Best Supporting Actress-Chloe Sevigny

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 2 wins-Best First Feature (Over $500,000), Best Female Lead-Hilary Swank (won), Best Supporting Female-Chloe Sevigny (won), Best First Screenplay, Producers Award

1972 Films, Art, Top 10 Most Disturbing Films, Top 250 Films

Last Tango in Paris-1972

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Last Tango in Paris-1972

Director Bernardo Bertolucci

Starring Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider

Top 250 Films #178

Top 10 Most Disturbing Films #8

Scott’s Review #202

Reviewed December 5, 2014

Grade: A-

Last Tango in Paris is a very dark 1972 erotic art film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci (The Conformist, 1970), starring Marlon Brando as a disturbed, angry American man named Paul, whose wife has committed suicide.

He is left to survive on his own in Paris, lost and without her, where he runs a decrepit apartment complex.

Lonely and bitter, he meets a much younger Parisian woman (Maria Schneider), equally disturbed for different reasons, and they forge a relationship that is sometimes brutal and degrading but also contains mutual affection and need.

They are addicted to each other.

This film may very well be my favorite performance by Marlon Brando. He plays a hateful, unpleasant character, yet something about him is appealing, and the viewer sympathizes with his grief.

That is to Brando’s credit, of course. A lesser actor would not be as effective.

He is damaged, treats everyone like shit, but there is also a vulnerability to him that is mesmerizing to watch. Brando was such a great method actor that he morphed into the characters he played. Paul is certainly having the most raw and emotional performance of his career.

Actress Maria Schneider is also tremendous in the film. Equally disturbed, her character Jeanne experienced a vastly different upbringing- that of wealth and pampering.

She has a fiancé who loves her dearly, yet she is drawn to the power and abuse of Paul- the fact that he is an older man is sexy to her.

I kept thinking, “What is wrong with this woman?” She seemingly has everything, yet she yearns for excitement. Is Paul a fling for her? Does she care about him, or is she using him? Is he using her? Could they be using each other?

The film raises many psychological questions. Jeanne is clearly in emotional turmoil. Both Jeanne and Paul are.

Last Tango in Paris is a difficult film to watch- several scenes are unpleasant, even brutal, but it is a character study of two damaged individuals.

When Paul anally penetrates Jeanne on the floor of his apartment, forcing her to recite gibberish, it is almost too much to bear. Paul wants to know nothing about Jeanne. He does not want to know her name, her past, nothing- complete anonymity. He lives for the present, and their sex is animalistic, filled with lust and need.

But these examples are a testament to the power of Last Tango in Paris. It is not boring.

The finale leaves you wondering what will happen to Jeanne. Will she commit suicide? Will she return to her fiancé and life of luxury, her affair with Paul over? Was the affair only a fling for her, or does she love Paul?

The film is a dark, tragic, romantic story. It is brutal, raw, and honest, and is not to be missed.

Oscar Nominations: Best Director-Bernardo Bertolucci, Best Actor- Marlon Brando

1993 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Biography, Drama, Epic, Holocaust, Top 250 Films, War

Schindler’s List-1993

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Schindler’s List-1993

Director Steven Spielberg

Starring Liam Neeson

Top 250 Films #179

Scott’s Review #775

Reviewed June 19, 2018

Grade: A

Schindler’s List (1993) is a film that is arguably Steven Spielberg’s finest directorial work and Liam Neeson’s finest acting performance.

The film is as disturbing as it is awe-inspiring, as many emotions will undoubtedly envelop any viewer, most of them dark and dire.

Spielberg’s most personal story centers on the devastating Holocaust of World War II, which will grip and tear audiences to pieces.

The work deservedly secured the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, as well as numerous other accolades.

Oskar Schindler (Neeson) is a powerful German businessman who arrives in Krakow, Poland, during the atrocities of World War II, presumably to make his fortune.

Handsome and respected, he is charismatic and feared by the German army, who have forced most of the Polish Jews into the overcrowded ghettos where they await their fates.

Schindler himself is a Nazi, but becomes more humanistic than most and ultimately against the Holocaust killings. He establishes a factory and hires a Jewish accountant (Ben Kingsley) to assist.

As he is tremendously affected by the inhumanity he sees throughout the city, he makes arrangements to hire and thus save the lives of over a thousand Polish refugees.

He does so by allowing them to work safely and productively in his factory. The story is reportedly true and was a rare instance of humanity in a cold and ugly chapter in world history.

To be clear, Schindler does not start as a hero and is admittedly rather an unlikely one. The man is a businessman, greedy, and undoubtedly flawed. He plans to use the Jews because they are cheap labor and can be used to his advantage.

Because of the very long running time of the film (over three hours), Spielberg slowly depicts Schindler’s complex character growth and eventual determination to save these poor people from the Auschwitz gas chambers.

Spielberg shoots Schindler’s List entirely in black and white with tremendous results. The camera work adds such ambiance and style to the 1990s film that, throughout, I felt as if I were watching a documentary from the 1940s.

The film is epic and choreographed with precision and timeliness- some of the best camera work in cinema history as far as successfully creating the perfect solemn and dreary mood.

Supporting turns by Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes are notable. In vastly different types of roles, both shine.

As the understandably nervous Jewish accountant for Schindler’s factory, Itzhak Stern is best known for creating the famous “list”. This contains the names of those who would be transferred to the factory and thus have their lives spared.

Kingsley, a brilliant actor, fills the character with empathy and heart.

Conversely, Fiennes plays a dastardly character as Amon Göth, a commander at the concentration camp. Evil and known for taking glee from killings, he is the man instrumental in deciding to exterminate all of the people in the ghetto.

A pivotal character, Göth, is important because he is the man who makes Schindler realize how sickening and inhumane the treatment is.

Fiennes carves the character with such hate that he is believable in the role.

One of the most beautiful scenes is aptly named “the girl in red” and is highly symbolic and worthy of analysis. Oskar watches as prisoners are escorted, presumably to their executions. He notices a three-year-old girl walking by herself- she is clad in a bright red coat.

The coat is Spielberg’s only use of color throughout the entire film.

The scene is incredibly important as the girl stands out, proving that all the Nazi commanders are accepting of her death. In tragic form, Oskar later sees her dead body draped in her red coat.

The scene is sad and powerfully distressing.

Schindler’s List (1993) is an outstanding film that elicits raw emotion in anyone who watches it.

By no means an easy watch and most assuredly “a heavy”, the film depicts the true struggles and catastrophic events occurring not all too long ago.

A film for the ages that all must see to appreciate the terror and inhumanity that occurs throughout the world.

Oscar Nominations: 7 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Steven Spielberg (won), Best Actor-Liam Neeson, Best Supporting Actor-Ralph Fiennes, Best Adapted Screenplay (won), Best Original Score (won), Best Sound, Best Art Direction (won), Best Makeup, Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography (won), Best Film Editing (won)

1960 Films, Art, French, International, International Thriller, Thriller, Top 250 Films

Les Bonnes Femmes-1960

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Les Bonnes Femmes-1960

Director Claude Chabrol

Starring Bernadette Lafont

Top 250 Films #180

Scott’s Review #303

Reviewed December 19, 2015

Grade: A

Les Bonnes Femmes (1960) is a French film by Claude Chabrol, an excellent director whom I was shamefully unfamiliar with, save for the recently viewed Les Biches, made in 1968.

He has been labeled the French equivalent of Alfred Hitchcock, which is an accurate statement.

Les Bonnes Femmes is a brilliant film that came about during the experimental New Wave films of the 1960s and cannot be forgotten upon viewing it.

It has resonated with me, and I cannot stop thinking and analyzing it.

The film centers on four shopgirls living in Paris, all of whom happen to be young and beautiful and mysteriously look similar to one other. Their names are Jane, Jacqueline, Ginette, and Rita.

They are rather bored with their lives and meander aimlessly through life and the doldrums of their job by looking forward to social occasions, which mainly include men.

The girls party (some more than others), date, go to the zoo, swim, and enjoy typical young lady festivities.

So far, the film might sound like a typical, lighthearted, nice story- think a French Sex and the City. It is, by and large, this way on the surface, but throughout the film, there is a calm sense of dread- like something bad might be lurking in the shadows of coming around the bend.

One day, while the girls are at the zoo, a mysterious individual begins following them, though the viewer has no idea why or who it is.

The film contains more than a sense of dread. Instead, a sense of chilling violence is in the air. A brooding, cold, ugly feeling transpires due to superior direction and overall mood.

Paris, one of the world’s most gorgeous cities, appears bleak, dark, and gloomy throughout the film. The black-and-white cinematography undoubtedly adds to this, as greyness envelopes every shot.

Throughout Les Bonnes Femmes, there is plenty of foreshadowing as situations arise that give a sense of danger or that something terrible is imminent.

Early in the film, two girls are walking along the street when they are approached by two men in a car wanting to party with them. They accept, and the viewer wonders what a bad decision they may have made. The men wine and dine the women, who are looking for love.

One of the girls is quite a bit more reserved than the other and ends up spending the night with the men. Later, the shop owner tells a story about how she once acquired a serial killer’s bloody handkerchief after he was guillotined and has kept it for years.

Creepy? Yes.

The tigers snarling at the girls when they visit the zoo is laced with symbolism as is a, at first, fun game at the pool, as the men dunk the girl’s heads underwater until things escalate towards danger.

Jacqueline, the sweetest of the girls, meets a motorcycle man and spends time together. They are happy. The irony is that during these later scenes, in which an act of brutality occurs (one character is murdered), the tone is suddenly sunny, warm, and bright. A lovely afternoon in the woods quickly turns evil.

This was a shocking scene, as I was caught off guard. The ending of the film can be discussed in vast detail.

During the murder, it almost seems like the victim is welcoming death. Could this be? Additionally, is one of the shop girls his next intended victim, or is a new girl the killer’s next target?

In the final shot, we see him dancing with a girl, but it is unclear (at least to me) if it is one of the shopgirls.

Chabrol is not a happily-ever-after director. His films are known to be stormy, with dread looming. However,t they are also laced with style, sophistication, and a dark appeal.

I cannot wait to sink my teeth into more of his works.

1992 Films, Best Feature- Independent Spirit Award Winners, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, Los Angeles, Satire, Top 250 Films

The Player-1992

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The Player-1992

Director Robert Altman

Starring Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi

Top 250 Films #181

Scott’s Review #601

Reviewed January 11, 2017

Grade: A

The Player (1992) ranks up there with other Robert Altman classics such as Gosford Park (2001), Nashville (1975), and Short Cuts (1993).

The film is an excellent piece of Hollywood satire and centers on a jaded movie executive, played by Tim Robbins, who does an incredible job in the role.

Robbins plays Griffin Mill, a man with no scruples. Feeling usurped by a younger executive, played by Peter Gallagher, as well as receiving death threats, he goes on the hunt for the person he feels responsible for, which leads to murder.

The audience is unsure whether to love or hate Mill, thanks to Robbin’s performance. He is snarky, but also vulnerable and a tad sympathetic.

The film contains a slew of real Hollywood celebrities (Cher, Malcolm McDowell, Bruce Willis) playing themselves and is largely improvised (as many of Altman’s films are).

Whoopi Goldberg and Lyle Lovett star as odd police detectives.

The plot is nothing new, but it’s the realism and direction that make this movie a must-see, especially for Robert Altman fans.

The Player (1992) is a hidden gem.

Oscar Nominations: Best Director-Robert Altman, Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published, Best Film Editing

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best Feature (won)

1971 Films, Drama, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, Top 250 Films

Sunday Bloody Sunday-1971

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Sunday Bloody Sunday-1971

Director John Schlesinger

Starring Glenda Jackson, Peter Finch, Murray Head

Top 250 Films #182

Scott’s Review #1,062

Reviewed September 15, 2020

Grade: A

Whether it’s the late 1960s style with British sophistication or the ahead-of-its-time subject matter, John Schlesinger’s Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) is a brazen and mature piece of filmmaking.

With fantastic acting mostly from Glenda Jackson and Peter Finch, the film is subdued enough to contain the drama while letting the underlying plot marinate and flourish rather than being forced or overdone.

That’s not to say Sunday Bloody Sunday is an easy watch. The main characters stew and simmer rather than explode as the audience comes to grips with their feelings, emotions, and motivations, as painful as they can be.

Schlesinger offers the complexities of the characters as we get inside their heads across multiple scenes, with cameras carefully panning in on their facial expressions. The intention is to read their minds or think we know what they are thinking.

The three characters featured are Alex (Glenda Jackson), a divorced, restless recruitment worker; a young, free-spirited artist, Bob (Murray Head); and a gay, Jewish doctor, Daniel (Peter Finch).

Bob openly dates both Alex and Daniel, who are aware of each other and even have common friends. Instead of scheming against the other in hopes of poisoning their character with Bob, they deal with acceptance and a host of different emotions.

A triangle ensues, though not one with a clear couple to root for, nor is it clear who we want to root for. Sunday Bloody Sunday is not that trite or simplistic, and this is the beauty of the film.

Each character can be analyzed for individual motivations, peculiarities, and desires that sometimes overlap. The added perk of one character being straight, one character being bisexual, and one character being gay only adds flavor and lustful desire.

Sunday Bloody Sunday is a character study if ever there was one.

Screenwriter Penelope Gilliatt writes a piece so bristling with unpredictability that the characters and situations are deep and troubling. My favorite character is Daniel, the most adjusted of the three, but a character who would typically be written as the most maladjusted.

Schlesinger had directed the brilliant Midnight Cowboy (1969) two mere years earlier, a film that depicted gay characters as troubled and self-hating. Gilliatt crafts Daniel as confident, booming, and masculine, avoiding all stereotypes.

I immediately had thoughts of Ken Russell’s masterpiece, Women in Love, made only one year earlier in 1970, and starring Jackson. Both films, featuring four characters rather than only three, are British and explore the complexities of sexual orientation, jealousy, and loneliness.

Women in Love is a slightly better film, but only by a small margin, probably because it adds one additional character. Both explore and barely touch territory when it was still taboo to explore homosexuality in film.

Adorable is a scene at a Bar Mitzvah given to Daniel’s nephew. As the merriment commences, several women are bound to be interested in Daniel, what with him being a successful doctor. He doesn’t have any interest in it naturally, but he politely makes small talk with one woman.

The scene is so natural and at ease that it is terrific and reaffirming to see a gay character treated with such dignity and richness, his problems not being a result of being gay but of being a human being.

Daniel and Alex compete for Bob’s affection, but in a polite way. Instead of hating each other, they hate the situation. Bob is not the nicest guy in the world, so the question arises as to why they both feel the way they do about him.

But this hardly matters when the heart wants what it wants.

The most interesting and realistic scenes occur when each couple lies in bed together or when they make small talk over a meal. This offers a glimpse of the day-to-day treasures they could each enjoy.

Those in the mood for a film rife with emotion and psychologically complex feelings, wrapped in a good drama, will find Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) a pure treat. Trimmings like glimpses of the gorgeous city of London lend added nuance.

Each time this film is viewed, it could easily be watched from the perspective of either Alex, Bob, or Daniel.

Oscar Nominations: Best Director-John Schlesinger, Best Actor-Peter Finch, Best Actress-Glenda Jackson, Best Original Screenplay

1967 Films, British, Drama, Epic, Period Drama, Romantic Drama, Top 250 Films

Far from the Madding Crowd-1967

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Far from the Madding Crowd-1967

Director John Schlesinger

Starring Julie Christie, Terence Stamp, Alan Bates

Top 250 Films #183

Scott’s Review #315

Reviewed January 1, 2016

Grade: A-

A sweeping, gorgeous epic made in 1967, Far from the Madding Crowd is pure soap opera (this is not a negative), done very well, featuring a woman with three male suitors and many similarities to another brilliant epic, Gone with the Wind (1939).

The cinematography, score, and writing are excellent, and at close to three hours, it is a lengthy experience.

The film is based on the popular novel written by Thomas Hardy.

The setting is lovely, rural England, the landscape green and lush- mostly farmland, where Bathsheba resides, having recently inherited her Uncle’s enormous estate and is, frankly, overwhelmed with the heavy responsibility required to run it successfully.

Three men appear in one form or another to lend a hand, and each falls madly in love with her- she had her choice of any of them. Throughout the film, each is given a chance to win her heart, and each faces trials and tribulations.

The wealthy neighbor, William Boldwood, is older and insecure. Frank Troy is a bad boy who is a cavalry sergeant, and Gabriel, a former farmer, has lost all of his sheep.

Having only seen this film twice (so far), I notice more and more the similarities to Gone with the Wind. Both are set around the same period (the 1860s), and both films feature powerful, independent, gorgeous female characters with multiple male suitors.

Unlike Gone with the Wind, though, Bathsheba is not self-centered, but wholesome and honest.

Julie Christie was undoubtedly the “it” girl during the time the film was made, having recently starred in Darling (1965) and Doctor Zhivago (1965), among others, and Far from the Madding Crowd is a perfect film for her, focusing on her beauty and earnestness.

She is exceptionally cast.

What I enjoy most about the film is that we do not know which of the men Bathsheba will wind up with…if any of them. Gabriel (Alan Bates) is my personal favorite, but at the beginning of the film, she rebuffs his marriage proposal.

In a heartbreaking scene, one of his dogs goes mad and leads his entire flock of sheep to their death. He is then forced to work as her shepherd, a job beneath him. He is the most likable of the three men, and it is fun to root for their ultimate union. But is he prone to bad luck?

Frank Troy is dashing- a clear lady’s man, yet I did not root for him. A character, whom I found to have strange motivations, impregnated and almost married a young lady named Fanny, only to turn her away based on a misunderstanding, then ultimately changed his mind about Bathsheba.

In one scene, he manipulates the citizens into getting drunk on brandy, which leads to a crisis. He is charismatic and used to getting his way.

Finally, Boldwood is wealthy, sophisticated, and appealing to Bathsheba in a certain way (primary stability). Still, there is also something I find “off” about the character throughout the film- unstable, maybe, needy? I did not find his character likable either.

The overlap and the relationships between the men are also interesting aspects of Far from the Madding Crowd. Will they become friends? Would they kill each other for Bathsheba’s affection?

Many emotions run through all four characters, which makes the film rich in character development.

Grand, sweeping, and beautiful are words that describe Far from the Madding Crowd, a film I enjoy exploring and evaluating with each viewing.

Oscar Nominations: Best Original Music Score

1955 Films, Musical, Top 250 Films

Oklahoma!-1955

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Oklahoma! -1955

Director Fred Zinneman

Starring Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Rod Steiger

Top 250 Films #184

Scott’s Review #51

Reviewed June 20, 2014

Grade: A-

Oklahoma! (1955) is one of a slew of memorable Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals to emerge from the 1950s and 1960s Hollywood and to be based on a popular stage version.

The film has an old-west, homespun, comfortable appeal. It is best enjoyed during the summer months.

While Oklahoma! seems a bit too hokey and is not my favorite musical compared to other more sophisticated stalwarts such as My Fair Lady (1964), An American in Paris (1951), or The Sound of Music (1965), it emits a flavor and tasteful appeal of the West.

The plot focuses on a love triangle between a good old boy, Curly, a good girl, Laurey Williams, and brooding Jud, though the real rooting couple is Curly and Laurey.

The trio is supported by many townspeople who gossip about them and help Curly and Laurey admit their true feelings and unite as a couple.

Of course, Jud is the villain, and conflicts come into play throughout the production.

A lesser couple, Will Parker and Ado Annie, also enter each other’s arms amid traditional small-town events such as a lively summer fair.

Stars Gordon MacRae (Curly) and Shirley Jones (Laurey) are very handsome and likable in the lead roles, making for a nice pairing.

Gloria Grahame is as appealing and comical as Ado Annie, especially in her rousing turn bellowing out, “I Can’t Say No,” Charlotte Greenwood is the moral voice of reason as Aunt Eller.

What works best in the film are the settings of Oklahoma, as the viewer experiences such a feel for life in the heartland long ago (though the exteriors were shot in Arizona).

It’s pure fantasy enjoyment with a magical Wizard of Oz feel, though no cyclone or munchkins are anywhere in sight. The film version closely follows the original stage version.

The musical numbers are pretty catchy (“Oh What a Beautiful Morning,” “I Can’t Say No,” and “Oklahoma” are my favorites). The controversial mid-number “Dream Ballet” is provocative, artistically enjoyable, and jarringly different from the rest of the traditional tale.

This jaw-dropping number mirrors a similar spectacle in An American in Paris.

Perhaps Oklahoma! is not entirely on par with other musicals of its day but darned close.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Scoring of a Musical Picture (won), Best Sound Recording (won), Best Cinematography, Color, Best Film Editing

2013 Films, Art, Favorite Film of the Year, Science Fiction, Top 250 Films

Under the Skin-2013

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Under the Skin-2013

Director Jonathan Glazer

Starring Scarlett Johansson

Top 250 Films #185

Scott’s Review #219

Reviewed January 31, 2015

Grade: A

Under the Skin (2013) is a tough film to review- in a word it is mysterious.

The consensus is that people either love the film or hate it- it is one of those types of films. I love it and it appears on many 2013 top ten film lists.

The visual creativity alone astounds me.

To summarize, Scarlett Johansson plays the female alien presumably sent to Earth to meet young men and lure them, using her feminine wiles, into a pool of dark liquid where they are entrapped and subsequently peeled, their skin used for an unknown reason.

The oddity of the story is as appealing as it is confusing, but somehow fascinating beyond belief.

The film is set in Glasgow, Scotland, during present times. The film has a cold, dark tone to it and the city itself seems bleak.

Johansson, in an unnamed role, takes the clothes of a dead human woman and begins traversing the streets of Glasgow, picking up the men as they walk home or go to the grocery store.

She carefully selects men who will not be missed- men who are loners or family-less.

As the film goes along Johansson becomes more sympathetic. She yearns to become a human and to do what humans do- she goes to a diner and attempts to eat a delicious slice of cake and vomits the contents.

She has a strange man on a motorcycle following her, making sure she completes her assigned tasks. Some of these conclusions are surmised as the lack of dialogue in the film adds to the mystique.

A particularly frightening scene, and my favorite in the film, involves the female alien meeting a swimmer on the beach, who is on holiday in Scotland.

Her flirtation with him as she attempts to accost him is thwarted by a family in peril. A father, mother, and infant son are enjoying a day on the secluded beach.

Suddenly, their dog begins to drown as the waves become too intense. The mother struggles in a panic to swim to the dog and rescue it- the father then does the same.

What happens next is very sad and the female alien and the motorcycle man both leave the screaming infant to die without so much as a second glance.

This poses a few questions- are they, aliens, without emotions for human suffering? Do they not care? Do they revel in the misery? Do they simply not realize what is going on? The viewer will ponder these questions and others long after the film ends.

Later, the audience is confused further as the female alien meets a severely deformed man, and they bond as she drives him to, presumably, his death. She loves his hands and is fascinated by his tenderness towards her. As they talk she shows signs of caring for a human being as they begin a sweet friendship.

Why does she bond with this disfigured man instead of the more handsome men she meets? Does she relate to him due to her growing feelings of being a misfit and desiring to be human?

Visually the film is creative. Spellbinding is the sequence involving the men being submerged in the black fluid as they slowly disappear leaving only the skin. Their transformation is slow, methodical, and imaginative and one relishes what is going on.

The score is reminiscent of Rosemary’s Baby (1968) in its eeriness and visually the film must have been influenced by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

Under the Skin (2013) is a fantastic journey through a weird, perplexing, sometimes confusing world, but leaves me thinking and glued to the activity onscreen.

It is an art film that breaks barriers and provokes interest and intrigue not catering to mainstream expectations. It is what art films are meant to do- challenge.

More films should take risks like these.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best International Film

1970 Films, Christmas, Kids, Musical, Top 250 Films

Scrooge-1970

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Scrooge-1970

Director Ronald Neame

Starring Albert Finney, Alec Guinness

Top 250 Films #186

Scott’s Review #561

Reviewed December 25, 2016

Grade: A

A classic perfect for watching around the holidays, perhaps accompanied by a roaring fire and a bit of brandy, Scrooge (1970) is a magical, musical experience; the entire family should adore it.

The film is a retelling of Charles Dickens’ 1843 story, A Christmas Carol.

Set in London with spectacular London-style art direction, it is perfect in its depiction of life around the holidays in the historic city, circa the nineteenth century.

To be clear, this is the musical version of the popular tale, not to be confused with the 1935 or the 1951 versions of the story.

The film is not as dark or scary as those films are. Instead, the 1970 Scrooge would be a fantastic companion piece to the 1968 classic Oliver!, both based on Dickens stories and both mixing fantastic musical scores with dramatic elements.

Albert Finney takes center stage in flawless form as the old, cantankerous, miser Ebenezer Scrooge. He plays the character as both an older man and, through flashbacks, a young man (Finney was merely 34 years old at the time of filming).

Guinness, indeed a high-caliber actor, is effective as the ghost of Jacob Marley- Scrooge’s former business partner. Scrooge is a moneylender, mainly to the working class, and is unforgiving in his collection of debts.

Filled with hatred for all things good, especially the Christmas holiday, Scrooge refuses to attend a family Christmas dinner hosted by his nephew, Fred, or to give to any charities. He begrudgingly gives his minion and bookkeeper, Bob Cratchit, Christmas Day off.

Finally left alone on Christmas Eve night, Scrooge is visited by the spirit of Jacob Marley, who tells Scrooge that three ghosts will visit him during the night.

In a chilling scene, Marley takes Scrooge on a journey through the sky, where he is greeted by spirits doomed to traverse the Earth, as Jacob is, with shackles acquired from their life as living beings.

Since they are greedy and wicked, they are doomed in the afterlife, just as Scrooge will be if he does not change his ways.

In an excellent subplot, we get to know the Cratchits, led by their father, Bob, a poor but earnest man. The family has little, but makes the most of what they do have, and appreciates the glorious holiday. They prepare a meager Christmas bird and savor being together as a family.

Their youngest, Tiny Tim, is lame, and he lusts over a lavish train set in the local toy shop. Cratchit epitomizes goodness and richness of character, contrasting with Ebenezer Scrooge.

As Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and Christmas yet to come, he slowly realizes he needs to change his ways before it is too late. The audience is treated to stories of Scrooge’s youth, as we understand what has made him the miserly older man that he is today.

The clear highlight of this film is its musical numbers that will leave even the most tone-deaf humming along in glee. Throughout each sequence, we are treated to various numbers.

My favorite is “Thank You Very Much”, as it first appears during the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come sequence.

By this time, feeling more sympathetic and appreciative, Scrooge merrily dances and sings along with the townspeople, unaware of the fact that they are celebrating his death and are dancing on his coffin to celebrate the fact that their debts are now free and clear.

This catchy tune is a reprise at the end of the film.

Other cheery numbers are “Father Christmas” and “I Like Life”, which perfectly categorize the film as a merry, holiday one, despite its occasional dark tone. This is necessary to avoid making Scrooge too bleak.

I also adore the vivid set designs as the gorgeous city of London is perfectly recreated to show the festive Christmas holiday. The film is not high-budget, but it makes the most of it by using small yet lavish sets.

Scrooge is a perfect holiday film, with fantastic tunes and a meaningful story that comes across on screen as a celebration of life, never edging toward contrived or oversaturated.

A wonderful holiday feast.

Oscar Nominations: Best Original Song Score, Best Original Song for the Picture-“Thank You Very Much”, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction

1968 Films, Epic, Guy Films, Spaghetti Western, Top 250 Films, Western

Once Upon a Time in the West-1968

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Once Upon a Time in the West-1968

Director Sergio Leone

Starring Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale

Top 250 Films #187

Scott’s Review #886

Reviewed April 17, 2019

Grade: A

At one time dismissed as either frivolous or cartoon-like, the derogatory genre classification “spaghetti western” was originally played for laughs or featured a comical slant, often with bad lip-syncing.

Many of these films have aged tremendously well, though, and are now more widely appreciated and have become a part of the cinematic canon.

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) is a lesson in camp art that marinates like a fine steak, drizzling with texture and a good atmosphere across a sprawling two-hour-and-forty-six-minute landscape.

In a great sequence, the film begins with a mysterious harmonica-playing gunman (Charles Bronson), dubbed “Harmonica” for reasons eventually revealed, shooting three men sent to kill him.

Meanwhile, to get his hands on prized railroad land in Sweetwater, disabled railroad baron Morton (Gabriele Ferzetti) hires killers, led by blue-eyed baddie Frank (Henry Fonda), who murders property owner Brett McBain (Frank Wolff) and his family.

The film immediately exudes intensity, with a severe revenge theme.

The story develops further, with romance mixed in a Western style, as McBain’s newly arrived bride, Jill (Claudia Cardinale), inherits the land instead.

Jill is a former prostitute who catches the eye of most of the men she encounters. Both outlaws, Cheyenne (Jason Robards) and Harmonica, take it upon themselves to look after Jill and thwart Frank’s plans to seize her land.

With standard Western flair, they are both attracted to Jill and yearn for her affection while also feeling protective of her.

Not professing to be enamored with the Western genre- the stereotypical Cowboys and Indians and token damsel in distress have their limitations- Once Upon a Time in the West is a feast for the eyes and the ears with cinematography on par with Lawrence of Arabia (1963) and a killer musical score.

While the story may have a traditional backbone, the nuances are astounding. The sweeping mountains of the western United States are heavily featured, and the tension-infused music sets up every thrilling scene with gusto and foreboding.

Hot on the heels of another similarly themed masterpiece, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966), Leone delivers the goods at every turn, most notably setting up each scene with sizzling elements that emit a clear sense of danger.

The audience knows trouble is about to transpire, but not exactly when the shit will hit the fan. The family death scene is paced astoundingly well as the family merrily goes about preparing a delicious summer meal, unaware that destruction is around the corner.

Sure, the cast is a mix of American and Italian actors with varying degrees of accents, not exactly mirroring the Wild West.

Yes, Jill wears heavy mascara and a hairstyle straight out of the 1960s, and one character has brightly dyed red hair, but these intricacies give the film character rather than turn the production into a disheveled mess.

Forever known for heroic or everyman roles, Fonda plays against type, cast as the central, sadistic villain, and the result is superlative.

Leone’s ability to cast a legendary star in a production with little expectation is quite a feat, and Fonda seems to revel in role-playing him both dangerously and straight.

With his piercing blue eyes and a gaze sure to make children run away in terror, his brutal villainy is fully realized only at the film’s conclusion.

Dozens of iconic comparisons to Quentin Tarantino’s modern directing style can be drawn. The director undoubtedly watched and studied this film repeatedly, as numerous qualities of it mirror his own movies.

Viewers will delight in drawing these comparisons, including a harmonica reference, a revenge story, and the climactic reveal at the end of the film, presented as a flashback that pulls all the pieces together.

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) is a quality film that has finally gotten its due. Tremendous and compelling storytelling is combined with flavorful qualities and a dusty atmosphere.

The film is the sum of its parts, and while it was initially underappreciated, it has finally risen to the rank of a high-quality masterpiece.

Influencing many great directors, including Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, and Tarantino, is quite a testament to its staying power.

1965 Films, Comedy, Drama, International, International Comedy, International Drama, Italian, Top 250 Films

Juliet Of The Spirits-1965

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Juliet Of The Spirits-1965

Director Federico Fellini

Starring Giulietta Masina, Sandra Milo

Top 250 Films #188

Scott’s Review #725

Reviewed February 15, 2018

Grade: A

A true Fellini film in every sense and perhaps his most personal film, 1965’s Juliet of the Spirits, is a colorful and masterful experience with fluid art direction and stunning sets and costumes.

As with most of his films, the story and its intricacies are odd and do not always make perfect sense, but the film is meant to be absorbed and felt and exhibits more of a central plot than some of his other works.

Juliet of the Spirits is undoubtedly a must-see for fans of Fellini or any novice who wants an introduction to the great director.

In a compelling tidbit of background information, lead actress Giulietta Masina, wife and muse of director Fellini and sometimes deemed the female Charlie Chaplin, plays a true-to-life character.

In real life, the woman suffered from a philandering husband- Fellini himself!

For this reason alone, the film is fascinating as a true-to-life story, leading the audience to empathize with Giulietta and her life of doldrums and turmoil.

Giulietta Boldrini (Masina) is an affluent woman living in Italy with her successful and dashing husband, Giorgio (Mario Pisu). Despite wealth, two housekeepers, and free time to do whatever she pleases, she is dissatisfied with her life and surroundings.

This occurs mainly after she hears her husband mutter another woman’s name in his sleep. Concerned and intrigued, Giulietta hires investigators to unravel the mystery, which spawns an adventure for her.

Instead of being a cookie-cutter film with a basic plot explained above, in proper Fellini form, the character of Giulietta embarks on a journey into the dreamlike and odd experience, tapping into her repressed desires and innermost thoughts while being exposed to her larger-than-life and sexy neighbor, Suzy (Sandra Milo).

The oversexed Suzy enlightens Giulietta to the joys of her mansion, treehouse, dazzling, weird friends, and bubbling sensuality.

Juliet of the Spirits is a joy to watch and quite a bit more linear than other complex masterpieces, such as the 1960s La Dolce Vita or 1969’s Fellini Satyricon.

The plot is spelled out presently- Giulietta is depressed and anxious for something new and exciting. Her journey into this new life, marked by her wrestling with demons and resistance, makes this film so much fun.

Styles and colors are brilliant and lavishly loud. Take the gaudy and glamorous nest that Suzy calls home. Her palace is both tawdry and sophisticated, with a built-in underground swimming pool where she bathes after lovemaking and velvety red walls and furniture.

Fellini uses gorgeous reds, greens, and blues throughout the film to create dazzle and spectacles with larger-than-life characters.

To further focus on Suzy for a minute, the blonde bombshell frequently visits her very own treehouse, complete with a swing. She flirts with handsome young men who gaze up at the scantily dressed beauty as she tosses her high-heeled shoe down to them in a suggestive manner.

When they come up to the top of the treehouse by way of a mechanical basket, presumably for sex, this is too much for the overwhelmed Giulietta, who returns to the safety of her own home.

But she is excited and scared.

The film belongs to Masina, and we cannot help but wonder if Fellini created Juliet of the Spirits for the actress because of his reported years of cheating. Regardless, Masina plays a confident woman on the outside- insecure on the inside, flawlessly.

With her expressive eyes and a nice smile, Masina enthusiastically embraces the role, making her a perfect fit for a Fellini film.

Juliet of the Spirits mixes several film genres, including fantasy, drama, and light comedy, and contains interesting supporting characters.

Suzy’s seemingly clairvoyant mother is a great side character. Upon meeting Giulietta, she immediately sees that the woman is troubled. Giulietta’s father, whom we meet when she is a little girl appearing in a religious play, is boisterous and spirited.

I was fortunate enough to stay at the Grand Hotel in Rome, a lavish yet strange establishment where Fellini spent many nights as a guest. While watching Juliet of the Spirits, I fantasized that he drew inspiration for this film from the hotel.

The grand red textures, which appear in both the hotel and the Fellini film, could have created a truly inspiring facility.

Stalwart, creative, and masterful director Fellini once again crafts a stylish film that warrants thoughtful consideration after a solid viewing.

Too much analysis, however, will ruin the enchanting experience. Juliet of the Spirits (1965) is best enjoyed as a treat that will mesmerize you in glamorous fashion.

Oscar Nominations: Best Art Direction, Color, Best Costume Design, Color

1975 Films, Drama, Los Angeles, Satire, Top 250 Films

The Day of the Locust-1975

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Day of the Locust-1975

Director John Schlesinger

Starring William Atherton, Karen Black, Donald Sutherland

Top 250 Films #189

Scott’s Review #1,460

Reviewed January 16, 2025

Grade: A

I love films set in Los Angeles, especially those dealing with Hollywood and/or the dark underbelly of the City of Angels. With its lights and allure, there is a murky side laden with drama, jealousy, and loneliness.

John Schlesinger’s dark period piece The Day of the Locust (1975) examines the bleak lives of several aspiring people in 1930s Hollywood, just before World War II.

The prominent themes are alienation and desperation, with aspirations for success that do not come true, emphasizing the sad saying, ‘The road to Hollywood is paved with broken dreams.’

It’s a brilliant adaptation by screenwriter Waldo Salt, based on Nathanael West’s 1939 novel of the same title. The film horrifically depicts the Hollywood film industry in all its artificial glitz and glamour.

In the 1930s, Los Angeles ‘ sunny Hollywood shone like a beacon to helpless people across the city who were looking for fame, fortune, or a quick buck.

In one apartment block, blond bombshell Faye Greener (Black) aspires to be an actress, artist Tod Hackett (Atherton) seeks legitimacy, and a frightening child actor named Adore (Jackie Earle Haley) performs a grotesque homage to Mae West.

Introverted accountant Homer Simpson (Donald Sutherland) watches as society collapses under greed and ambition.

From a romantic standpoint, Homer and Tod vie for Faye’s affection in a tragic triangle fraught with jealousy and competition.

Schlesinger knows his way around dark, influential, intelligent films. He created stalwarts such as Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Sunday Bloody Sunday (1975), both unconventional and controversial, the former being the only film ever to win Best Picture and garner an X rating.

The Day of the Locust is no different.

There is scarcely a likable character in the cast, but I ascertain that Tod is the most stable and trustworthy in the rogues’ gallery.

He appears grounded and the voice of reason, though he mocks Homer later on at a party, so he’s not exactly Prince Charming. He arrives at work as a production illustrator in the art department at a major film studio and rents an apartment in the same community as the other characters.

Gently, he places a lovely flower in a crack in the wall.

Tod is smitten with Faye, a callous vixen who beds not one, not two, not three, but four men and makes no bones about it. Not exactly a feminist, she is more concerned with rising to stardom at any cost.

We meet Faye as she works as an extra in a lavish production. She smacks her gum and then snaps into character as a royal sophisticate, revealing a tacky, tawdry presence to the audience.

Later, during the grand finale, she tries to catch a glimpse of the big stars arriving in limos at a premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, one in a crowd of thousands.

She’s a lost soul, filled with self-delusion, desperately wanting the spotlight in whatever form she can get.

Her father is played by Burgess Meredith, who nearly steals the show as an elderly, washed-up ex-vaudevillian.

Despite the outstanding performances, the production design and cinematography are flawless, seamlessly portraying what life was like in Hollywood in the early days.

My favorite sequences are in the movie sets filled with pizazz, glamour, and intricacies.

The most significant scene, though, occurs at the star-studded event, a premiere of The Buccaneer, when all hell breaks loose, and a tragic death occurs, leading to subsequent bloodshed and further death and destruction.

It’s a spectacle, supposed to be the movie event of the year, with champagne and the ultimate celebration of film, but the stark nature of one’s rage overtakes the beautiful moment.

During this pivotal scene, we see the darkness of humanity counterbalanced against the glitz and glamour of movie stars.

Schlesinger masterfully takes us through this journey of human depravity with flawless ease.

The Day of the Locust (1975) is a brilliant film.

Oscar Nominations: Best Supporting Actor-Burgess Meredith, Best Cinematography

1974 Films, Crime Drama, Drama, Top 250 Films

Thieves Like Us-1974

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Thieves Like Us-1974

Director Robert Altman

Starring Keith Carradine, Shelley Duvall

Top 250 Films #190

Scott’s Review #1,071

Reviewed October 16, 2020

Grade: A

The first time I saw Thieves Like Us (1974), I was not blown away. I have forgotten what my original gripe was, but my lackluster star rating on Netflix years ago is confirmation of such.

All is now forgiven, and like a fine wine, this film gets better and better with each viewing.

It’s a gangster film, but a heart-wrenching story containing one of the sweetest romances in cinema history.

Based on the novel of the same name by Edward Anderson, director Robert Altman, famous for allowing his actors to ad-lib their lines to their heart’s content and peppering his films with overlapping, “real-life” dialogue, limits this technique this time around.

His stars, Keith Carradine and Shelley Duvall, regular fixtures in his films, are the main attraction, but supporting players like Louise Fletcher, Bert Remsen, and John Schuck give tremendous performances.

Set in the 1930s in the Deep South of Mississippi, the time period and location are key elements of the film’s success.

Having never set foot in this geographical area, I nonetheless found myself escaping there and ruminating on what it would have been like to live there during the Great Depression.

The many outdoor sequences with trees, forests, country roads, and home-cooked meals provide a luminous atmosphere and texture.

Small-town living has never felt so good and cozy.

Wisely, Altman steers clear of any racial overtones or dialogue within the film. The film is not about that.

There appear to be many black characters, mostly in the background, townspeople scenes, or as prisoners, which adds flavor. But they are represented as living among other folks without any aggression or stereotypes.

They are, and it feels like the South.

Altman crafts an experience of understated, good storytelling, proving a quality film can be quiet and proud, not needing explosive bells and whistles to prove showy. The dialogue crackles on its own and is smart.

The plot is compelling. Bowie (Carradine) is an escaped convict who embarks on a crime spree with fellow former prisoners Chicamaw (John Schuck) and T-Dub (Bert Remsen). While in hiding between bank robberies, Bowie meets a young woman named Keechie (Duvall), and the two quickly fall in love.

A life of crime doesn’t sit well with Keechie, however, so she and Bowie try to settle down, but the law is determined to bring him to justice.

The fun is in watching romance blossom between Bowie and Keechie. Despite Bowie being a criminal, his character contains sweetness and purity that match like a glove with the whimsical truth and simplicity of Keechie.

Throughout the film, I compared the characters to the legendary icons Bonnie and Clyde from the self-titled cinema masterpiece.

They are similar but different. The pair sits quietly on the front porch, talking about life and the future, optimistically planning their lives together, unaware of what fate has in store for them. Their innocence and their goofy humor made me fall in love with them.

The relationship between the three men is apt. They have each other’s backs and are loyal to a fault. The men are convicts and cause death and injury, but there is a humanity that Altman gives to each character.

We do not think of them as derelicts.

When Bowie poses as a sheriff to break Chickamaw out of prison, we root for the escape rather than for the warden. Bowie kills the warden, shocking Chickamaw. Even with disputes, there is care between the men.

It does take patience to get into this film; I probably did not give the film its due on my first watch. Once the film ended, I was left with a feeling of having experienced something of value and a visionary, cinematic story.

The homespun characters, eating a feast of meat and southern biscuits and discussing the day’s events, are richly and atmospherically rendered.

Carradine and Duvall would reunite a year later in another Altman masterpiece, Nashville (1975), playing vastly different, both unlikable, characters. Hence, a recommendation is to watch both films back-to-back to appreciate the dizzying, morphed characterization.

Thieves Like Us (1974) is no mere opening act for Nashville but of a different ilk.

The film is a treasure.

1967 Films, Drama, Los Angeles, Top 250 Films

Valley of the Dolls-1967

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Valley of the Dolls-1967

Director Mark Robson

Starring Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate

Top 250 Films #191

Scott’s Review #657

Reviewed July 3, 2017

Grade: A-

Based on the best-selling novel written by Jacqueline Susann a year earlier, the film version of Valley of the Dolls (1967) has become a cult classic in the years following release- it has earned the dubious description of “it’s so bad it’s good”.

The film dives headfirst into the soapy, dramatic world of Hollywood and Broadway, and the trials and tribulations three young women encounter as they try to “make it” in the backstabbing business.

The film teeters on camp, but it is a favorite of mine, as I love the theme of aspiring stars in La La Land. The set design and groovy styles of the late 1960s are also noteworthy.

Bored with her life in sleepy New England, Anne Welles decides to move to the bright lights of Manhattan, seeking fame, fortune, and excitement.

After she lands a secretarial job for an entertainment lawyer, who handles temperamental Broadway star Helen Lawson (Susan Hayward), Anne meets and befriends two other struggling young actresses.

Neely O’Hara (Patty Duke) is a vivacious, gifted singer, and Jennifer North (Sharon Tate) is a gorgeous blonde with limited talent but looks to die for.

The three women wrestle with the ups and downs of show business as they each achieve various levels of success and failure.

The film centers on both the love and the losses of each woman, and at times it’s rather soap-opera-like, especially the bitchy feud between Neely and Helen, but it’s a fun, entertaining experience.

Various men come in and out of the trio’s lives. The “dolls” referenced in the title are a nickname for pills that the girls readily pop, and alcohol is also used in the film.

One interesting aspect of the film I like is that the three women are very different from one another.

Anne is the most sensible of the three and arguably the most intelligent. Neely is wild, reckless, and constantly battles drugs and alcohol, yet she is both the most successful and the most talented. Jennifer is gorgeous but lacks the talent or the vigor to succeed in Hollywood.

Two of the three women do not have happy endings in their stories.

Some are admittedly a bit uneven, especially the performance of Duke as Neely. She plays the role wildly over the top, especially during her shrieking, drug-saddled tirades, but rather than find the performance irritating (some indeed might), I find the role loud, bombastic, yet sympathetic.

We root for Neely because she has talent despite her shortcomings, and she is a likable character to me, as I want her to find happiness.

Also playing up the camp is Hayward, as she fills Helen with fire, spite, and gusto, doing everything to make the audience view her as a queen bitch. Helen was scheduled to be played by the illustrious star Judy Garland (she would have been perfect!), but was reportedly fired for showing up for work drunk.

An enjoyable aspect of Valley of the Dolls is the humor, though sadly, the laughs are not always intentional. The finale involves a catfight between Neely and Helen in the classy ladies’ room of a famed theater.

With sheer delight, Neely yanks off Helen’s bright orange wig to reveal her natural head of hair. In campy fashion, Helen’s real hair is excellent- more shocking would have been if she were bald or had thinning hair, but her hair is bleached blonde and full.

In melodramatic fashion, Helen waltzes out of the theater sans wig.

Valley of the Dolls is a late-night treat that can be enjoyed and not taken overly seriously- the film differs vastly from the actual novel, and even the time (the 1960s versus the 1940s through the 1960s) is changed.

The film was followed by a much campier and satirical film, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, made in 1970 and directed by Russ Meyer.

Oscar Nominations: Best Original Song Score or Adaptation Score

1962 Films, Musical, Top 250 Films

The Music Man-1962

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Music Man-1962

Director Morton DaCosta

Starring Robert Preston, Shirley Jones

Top 250 Films #192

Scott’s Review #929

Reviewed August 9, 2019

Grade: A

The big-screen offering of The Music Man (1962) is based on the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, written by Meredith Wilson, and one of the most upbeat Hollywood renditions of stage productions.

Featuring talented stars like Robert Preston and Shirley Jones, the former appearing in the stage version, the film was one of the biggest hits of the year to be watched and re-watched whenever the mood strikes for sing-along tunes and a cheery story told from a purely Americana viewpoint.

In the summer of 1912, deceitful traveling salesman Harold Hill (Preston) arrives in River City, Iowa, intent on swindling the town folks out of their money. Masquerading as a traveling music instructor, he plans to trick parents into enrolling their kids in a marching band and selling the instruments.

He uses scare tactics to incorporate fear into the gullible parents and romantically sets his sights on the local librarian, Marian (Jones). Marian, distrustful of men, slowly falls in love with Harold, and his plot is eventually discovered, resulting in a witch hunt.

Of the plethora of musical releases bombarding Hollywood throughout the 1950s and 1960s, The Music Man arguably possesses the catchiest tunes and spirit.

It is impossible not to hum along to or tap one’s foot to the songs, which stick in the viewer’s heads for days after watching the addictive production.

My favorites are “Seventy-Six Trombones”, “Gary, Indiana”, and “Pick-a-little, Talk-a-little” as each has distinctive melodies, rhymes, and rapid-fire dialogue.

The soundtrack always pleasures the gloomiest days and speaks volumes about the legs the musical contains.

Besides the tunes, The Music Man’s best aspect is its romantic storyline. Preston and Jones’s chemistry is complete, and they are perfectly cast.

The studio wanted “a big name,” so Preston nearly didn’t make the cut, which would have been a shame. By infusing life and humor into a character who could be perceived as dastardly, he tips the likability scale and makes the character the hero.

Jones is a treasured singer and is just as good as Preston, playing the mousy and serious Marian. Her “slice of the Midwest” innocence and blonde hair portray her as corn-bred, but the actress makes the character work for her. Together, the duo is sensational.

The best sequence in which the pair appears is the remarkable “Marian the Librarian,” a sneaky and naughty number—the most adult rendition. Their mutual attraction becomes evident, and the film brings the audience to its knees at this moment.

The musical is purely a slice of Americana, which may limit its popularity across oceans, but it works and feels authentic. This is no surprise, given that composer Willson hails from the Midwest.

With an uplifting message and a nostalgic ode to a country once filled with promise and innocence, the film is arguably even more critical in today’s divisive environment.

The piece wisely does not celebrate small-town cliches but instead offers a wholesomeness. The townsfolk sing and dance together and celebrate life as a neighborly bunch; this nuance is refreshing.

The supporting cast adds flavor and comedy to the production. A very young child actor, soon-to-be-famous director Ron Howard, offers a heartfelt performance of “Gary, Indiana.”

Character actors Paul Ford and Hermione Gingold offer delightful hysterics as Mayor Shinn and his wife, Eulalie.

Oklahoma (1955) and Picnic (1955) are thematically similar, at least from geographical and time-period perspectives, but distant relatives in mood and drama. All three could be watched in one marathon weekend.

The Music Man (1962) provides the most warmth and, at its conclusion, will fill even the most stone-faced individuals with beaming smiles.

The film version is a perfect example of a stage musical successfully brought to the silver screen with energy and gorgeous singing and dancing.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Scoring of Music-Adaptation or Treatment (won), Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Color, Best Costume Design, Color, Best Film Editing

2007 Films, British, Drama, Favorite Film of the Year, Mob, Top 250 Films

Eastern Promises-2007

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Eastern Promises-2007

Director David Cronenberg

Starring Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts

Top 250 Films #193

Scott’s Review #205

Reviewed December 15, 2014

Grade: B+

Eastern Promises is a 2007 Russian mafia thriller directed by David Cronenberg (The Fly, A History of Violence) that stars Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, and Vincent Cassel.

The film is an uneven experience, seemingly meshing two stories together- one fascinating, one unnecessary.

Watts plays a British-Russian midwife named Anna, who works at a London hospital. She attempts to find the family of Tatiana, a fourteen-year-old girl who dies during childbirth leaving a diary written in Russian along with her newborn.

Anna struggles to unravel the mystery surrounding the girl which ends up involving the mafia.

Mortensen plays Nikolai, the mysterious chauffeur to crime lord Semyon, and Cassel plays Kirill, the disturbed, alcoholic son of Semyon.

The plot segues into a story of a somewhat relationship between Nikolai and Anna that is not quite romantic and also a much more intriguing relationship between Nikolai and Kirill as a brotherhood of sorts develops between them.

This relationship is complex- Kirill wants Nikolai to prove he is a straight male by having sex with one of several female prisoners he and his father keep as part of a sex trafficking group.

During this scene, and a few others, the two men seem close, almost too close, given the sexual nature of what is happening during the scene, so this relationship is left vague, but intriguing nonetheless.

The latter story holds more interest to me, whereas the former seems contrived and rather uninteresting. Was the intention of the film to imply a romantic interest between Anna and Nikolai?

I found zero chemistry between the two and wondered if the audience was supposed to root for them as a couple or not.

The four principal characters in Eastern Promises are interesting to unravel. I found the characters of Nikolai and Kirill complex and interesting.

Not so much with the character of Anna. Why did I not find her so compelling? Besides a skimmed over the mention of how she lost a baby what vested interest did she have in mixing with the Russian mafia and putting her mother and uncle in harm’s way?

Sure, anyone would want to find an orphaned baby’s family, but why not just call the police? This seems like a large plot hole. Conversely, Nikolai is a fascinating, layered character played wonderfully by Mortensen.

What are his true motivations? Is he a good guy or a bad guy? His attempts at being accepted by Semyon and the family to join the mob family make him seem dangerous- but his kindness towards one of the Ukrainian prostitutes is sweet.

Kirill is a despicable character, but what is his sexuality? Does that make him get so drunk and angry? How does one explain his conflict over the baby shifting his character too sympathetic?

Ultimately, Nikolai and Kirill are complicated- Anna and Semyon are more one-note.

I would have preferred the story solely revolve around the mafia family and the Godfather-type scenes, specifically the two throat-slashing scenes violently done, and perhaps leave out Watts’s character and story altogether.

A gritty scene that takes place in a steam room pits Nikolai against two rival mafia men. The scene is long and intense. Mortensen performs the scene completely naked, which adds to the rawness and the brutality of the fight.

It is one of the most masculine scenes I can remember watching.

At times compelling, but riddled with plot holes and requiring some suspension of disbelief, Eastern Promises (2007) is an entertaining Russian mafia film that remains a decent watch.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor-Viggo Mortensen

Welcome to my blog!1,538 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.

Scott's Film Reviews-1,538 Reviews posted!!! RECENTLY LAUNCHED-MY TOP 250 FAVORITE FILMS AND TOP 40 HORROR FILMS!!!

Monthly Archives: August 2025

The Hours-2002

Hairspray-1988

Philadelphia-1993

The Hateful Eight-2015

La La Land-2016

Monster-2003

Reform School Girls-1986

Last Exit to Brooklyn-1989

Boys Don’t Cry-1999

Last Tango in Paris-1972

Schindler’s List-1993

Les Bonnes Femmes-1960

The Player-1992

Sunday Bloody Sunday-1971

Far from the Madding Crowd-1967

Oklahoma!-1955

Under the Skin-2013

Scrooge-1970

Once Upon a Time in the West-1968

Juliet Of The Spirits-1965

The Day of the Locust-1975

Thieves Like Us-1974

Valley of the Dolls-1967

The Music Man-1962

Eastern Promises-2007