Review: Movies galore
Twenty Dollars at the local Movie Village brings you as many movies as you can watch in one month. And this is as far as I got. Next post I will be reviewing classic horror movies of all shapes and sizes. This time around, I sweat and salivate on Audrey Hepburn, mostly.
The Most Dangerous Game
Fay Wray, Leslie Banks
For a movie like this made by a famous director for his other film (King Kong), TMDG has alot going for it, and against it. In the for section, Leslie Banks' Count Zaroff is an evil character whose hunting trade is of people, and he is the best part of the film. His campy demure and facial expressions, topped off with a silly accent and fine lines, make the movie go quickly and effortlessly through it's just over 60 minutes. But Fay Wray's performance coupled with Joel McCrea's lead character of a hunter turned hunted, is slow moving and sometimes laughable, which makes rooting for the bad guy in this film so much easier. Had it not been for a silly demented man-hunter, this movie would have crashed all the way from the beginning.
** of *****
==========
An affair to remember
Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr
Cary Grant dazzles again, and Deborah Kerr is a sweetheart in this movie. It's a bit on the long side (damn that middle part), but the ten minutes of tension towards the end of the movie and the subsequent happy ending (woops?) is all worthwhile. There's not much I can do that isn't said by watching the film, really, which is terrible for a review but basically the thing speaks for itself. Go watch it already, you'll enjoy yourself.
***1/2 of *****
==========
Bang the drum slowly
Robert DeNiro, Michael Moriarty
Good sports movies are hard to come by. Sure, there are alot that are pretty decent, the ones that truly strike a chord seem to have been made mostly in the 70's, and this one is included. DeNiro plays a struggling catcher on the Yankees who finds out hes's dying, and Moriarty plays the pitcher. They're two completely different characters who form a bond with eachother throughout the last year or so of the catcher's life. And though it still somehow gets centered mainly on Moriarty until the pivotal points of the movie, DeNiro still amazes, as the slow witted catcher with a problem that he doesn't want to tell anyone, so as not to get pity. This is real story with baseball as the backdrop, and that's how it should be done, to get real sports movies.
*** of *****
==========
Hopscotch
Walter Matthau, Sam Waterston
What a thriller. It's Matthau being funny, cunning, and the best part about this movie, beside his partner, Glenda Jackson who seems to just be along for the ride. The biggest and only problem I had with this film was the amount of un-neccesary swearing by the CIA agents that were after him. It was incomprehensible and only made me dislike the movie, along with strange overdubbing on specific scenes. Other than that, flawless.
**** of ******
==========
Anatomy of a murder
James Stewart, Lee Remick
The James Stewart vehicle continues. It's a movie with a plot that could be ripped from any headline in any era, the killing of a man after the raping of a woman. But the problem with this story is not only that it drags on and on and on, but the District Attorney's side of the trial is a complete mockery. It makes all points moot, and a really boring trial scene, which takes up half the movie. Had it not been for Lee Remick's part beautiful, part slutty role, this movie would have probably fallen apart, if released within the last twenty years. But being released as it was, it turned into a big hit for everyone, and trapped somewhere in here, I could see it just a little bit, but not enough to stay interested for too long.
** of *****
==========
How to steal a million
Audrey Hepburn, Peter O'Toole
Have you ever wanted to delay the inevitable, have you ever wanted to make a movie longer than it was, just to make sure the friends you make onscreen stay a little longer? That's the curse(Curse?) of Audrey Hepburn. She's dazzling, beautiful, awe inspiring, and somehow always fit with the perfect man in capers like these. It wasn't so much that the story was fun, or the acting was great, or her father looked creepy on closeups, or even that I recognized the chief of police from Hepburn/Grant's Charade, but every single time she was on screen, I could not stop smiling and feeling anxious. It's easy to fall in love with her, especially on movies like these. That wasn't much of a review, was it? The movie still gets good points, see?
***.5 of *****
==========
Bewitched
Nicole Kidman, Michael Caine, Will Ferrell
This was a hard movie to watch. Not that it's as terrible as everyone says, but when I was watching this movie, many things were obvious to me:
1. Nicole Kidman always seemed to be trying too hard
In a good way. Her being cast in this movie was perfect. She's soft, elegant, silly, and funny. She's never had the problem of being difficult to watch (except maybe.. Eyes Wide Shut), and her grace even in a fun role is evident.
2. This was a Will Ferrell and his friends movie.
It's kind of like Anchorman, only not as funny in that way. Remember the scene in Anchorman, with all of the fighting? You just kept laughing at all of the cameos? This movie is like that, but more with completely pointless ones. The only funny cameo is Steve Carell.
3. The witches folks rule.
In Michael Caine, and Shirley MacLaine, as witches. Makes sense right? Right. Even just their presence makes it fun to watch, and I've already mentioned Kidman. If there weren't as many of these witches, well heck, I might have packed up and left early.
4. Will Ferrell is funny, but not the right funny
Don't get me wrong. I like him. But in this kind of movie, his comedy is only about 50% on.
I guess, since my mother came away happy, and seeing as that made me happy, here's my final say. Go see this with your mother. You'll crack a few smiles, but then in leaving, you might wonder when someone will find the right role for Ferrell to fit into, because this really isn't it.
** of *****
==========
Sabrina
Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden
Through Bogart's laid back cool, to Holden's outlandish car driving and overlooking of the woman that secretly loves him, this is another prime example of Audrey Hepburn's method acting. She's sweet, young, and outgoing as Sabrina, the girl over the garage who falls in love with both sets of brothers. This movie has turned into a remake with Harrison Ford and Greg Kinnear, and though I haven't seen it, I could certainly see it during the movie. It was a very strong film that wasn't the kind you would catch yourself "ooh" ing over, just your classic staple of a confused love story.
*** of *****
The Most Dangerous Game
Fay Wray, Leslie Banks
For a movie like this made by a famous director for his other film (King Kong), TMDG has alot going for it, and against it. In the for section, Leslie Banks' Count Zaroff is an evil character whose hunting trade is of people, and he is the best part of the film. His campy demure and facial expressions, topped off with a silly accent and fine lines, make the movie go quickly and effortlessly through it's just over 60 minutes. But Fay Wray's performance coupled with Joel McCrea's lead character of a hunter turned hunted, is slow moving and sometimes laughable, which makes rooting for the bad guy in this film so much easier. Had it not been for a silly demented man-hunter, this movie would have crashed all the way from the beginning.
** of *****
==========
An affair to remember
Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr
Cary Grant dazzles again, and Deborah Kerr is a sweetheart in this movie. It's a bit on the long side (damn that middle part), but the ten minutes of tension towards the end of the movie and the subsequent happy ending (woops?) is all worthwhile. There's not much I can do that isn't said by watching the film, really, which is terrible for a review but basically the thing speaks for itself. Go watch it already, you'll enjoy yourself.
***1/2 of *****
==========
Bang the drum slowly
Robert DeNiro, Michael Moriarty
Good sports movies are hard to come by. Sure, there are alot that are pretty decent, the ones that truly strike a chord seem to have been made mostly in the 70's, and this one is included. DeNiro plays a struggling catcher on the Yankees who finds out hes's dying, and Moriarty plays the pitcher. They're two completely different characters who form a bond with eachother throughout the last year or so of the catcher's life. And though it still somehow gets centered mainly on Moriarty until the pivotal points of the movie, DeNiro still amazes, as the slow witted catcher with a problem that he doesn't want to tell anyone, so as not to get pity. This is real story with baseball as the backdrop, and that's how it should be done, to get real sports movies.
*** of *****
==========
Hopscotch
Walter Matthau, Sam Waterston
What a thriller. It's Matthau being funny, cunning, and the best part about this movie, beside his partner, Glenda Jackson who seems to just be along for the ride. The biggest and only problem I had with this film was the amount of un-neccesary swearing by the CIA agents that were after him. It was incomprehensible and only made me dislike the movie, along with strange overdubbing on specific scenes. Other than that, flawless.
**** of ******
==========
Anatomy of a murder
James Stewart, Lee Remick
The James Stewart vehicle continues. It's a movie with a plot that could be ripped from any headline in any era, the killing of a man after the raping of a woman. But the problem with this story is not only that it drags on and on and on, but the District Attorney's side of the trial is a complete mockery. It makes all points moot, and a really boring trial scene, which takes up half the movie. Had it not been for Lee Remick's part beautiful, part slutty role, this movie would have probably fallen apart, if released within the last twenty years. But being released as it was, it turned into a big hit for everyone, and trapped somewhere in here, I could see it just a little bit, but not enough to stay interested for too long.
** of *****
==========
How to steal a million
Audrey Hepburn, Peter O'Toole
Have you ever wanted to delay the inevitable, have you ever wanted to make a movie longer than it was, just to make sure the friends you make onscreen stay a little longer? That's the curse(Curse?) of Audrey Hepburn. She's dazzling, beautiful, awe inspiring, and somehow always fit with the perfect man in capers like these. It wasn't so much that the story was fun, or the acting was great, or her father looked creepy on closeups, or even that I recognized the chief of police from Hepburn/Grant's Charade, but every single time she was on screen, I could not stop smiling and feeling anxious. It's easy to fall in love with her, especially on movies like these. That wasn't much of a review, was it? The movie still gets good points, see?
***.5 of *****
==========
Bewitched
Nicole Kidman, Michael Caine, Will Ferrell
This was a hard movie to watch. Not that it's as terrible as everyone says, but when I was watching this movie, many things were obvious to me:
1. Nicole Kidman always seemed to be trying too hard
In a good way. Her being cast in this movie was perfect. She's soft, elegant, silly, and funny. She's never had the problem of being difficult to watch (except maybe.. Eyes Wide Shut), and her grace even in a fun role is evident.
2. This was a Will Ferrell and his friends movie.
It's kind of like Anchorman, only not as funny in that way. Remember the scene in Anchorman, with all of the fighting? You just kept laughing at all of the cameos? This movie is like that, but more with completely pointless ones. The only funny cameo is Steve Carell.
3. The witches folks rule.
In Michael Caine, and Shirley MacLaine, as witches. Makes sense right? Right. Even just their presence makes it fun to watch, and I've already mentioned Kidman. If there weren't as many of these witches, well heck, I might have packed up and left early.
4. Will Ferrell is funny, but not the right funny
Don't get me wrong. I like him. But in this kind of movie, his comedy is only about 50% on.
I guess, since my mother came away happy, and seeing as that made me happy, here's my final say. Go see this with your mother. You'll crack a few smiles, but then in leaving, you might wonder when someone will find the right role for Ferrell to fit into, because this really isn't it.
** of *****
==========
Sabrina
Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden
Through Bogart's laid back cool, to Holden's outlandish car driving and overlooking of the woman that secretly loves him, this is another prime example of Audrey Hepburn's method acting. She's sweet, young, and outgoing as Sabrina, the girl over the garage who falls in love with both sets of brothers. This movie has turned into a remake with Harrison Ford and Greg Kinnear, and though I haven't seen it, I could certainly see it during the movie. It was a very strong film that wasn't the kind you would catch yourself "ooh" ing over, just your classic staple of a confused love story.
*** of *****
posted by De Lifte at 1:22 AM
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