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Lost in Translation (2003)
Overrated -- John Hurt Was Right
Not a good movie. Well-photographed, the shots are nicely composed. But that's about all you can say about it. There's a strong current of racism and xenophobia in this film. I'm not saying that just to be politically correct. If you've ever travelled anywhere outside the United States, you'll notice a difference between American tourists. There are those who feel humbled by the experience of being the outsider and have genuine curiousity about and respect for the people and culture of the land they're visiting. Then, there are those who want to maintain a bubble, only making contact with fellow Americans and clinging to their USA Today. Sofia's characters seem more like the latter, even though they make the rounds of Tokyo and hang out with some Japanese people at one point. But her view of Japanese people is as comical little short folks who like to behave like children. Whereas the Americans are so sly and sophisticated. Even though the Americans in the movie are more childish than their Japanese hosts. There's also a strong ick factor in the relationship between Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannsen. He's just too damn old for her. Sure, there's no actual on-screen comsummation of the relationship, and he's even shown sleeping with a woman who's only old enough to be his daughter, passing up Scarlett, who's young enough to be his granddaughter. But the ending cops out by making it rather clear that they may have a future together. You don't hear what Bill whispers in her ear, but you see her teary-eyed smile and the prolonged embrace between them. Since both live in Los Angeles, you can surmise that an offering of further contact is made once both get back home, that they have found "true love." Yuck. Bill Murray's performance is okay, but nothing ground-breaking. Ms. Scarlett is alright, too, but nothing to write home about. You watch this movie and think about the fact that if the writer/director weren't the daughter of Francis Coppola, it would not have been made. Period. Even if you think the film has merit, it's too slight and glacially paced to have ever gotten financing if daddy weren't the executive producer. The script would have gone in the waste basket. Nepotism always trumps real talent in the film business.
Marjorie Morningstar (1958)
Great Soap Opera Wallow
This is just one of those glossy '50s tearjerkers, with glamorous people, pretty Technicolor, and fab costumes. The best thing about it is Gene Kelly, who is absolutely handsome, charming, and sexy as a slimy rogue who leads the sweet, innocent Natalie Wood down a treacherous emotional path. The two stars have tremendous chemistry, in spite of the large age difference between them. Kelly proves that he is (was?) a marvelous dramatic actor, a side seldom seen in his career outside of this movie. He should have done more of it. Wood is more of a raw, unpolished talent at this point in her career, but her vulnerability and ability to bring real tears to a scene makes her performance tremendously affecting. She's also radiant and beautiful, showing off her Audrey Hepburn-like ingenuous charisma. This is not a perfect movie, but you will be engrossed and emotionally moved by it. Fine performances also by the supporting cast, including Martin Milner, Ed Wynn, Carolyn Jones, and just about everyone else. A fine popcorn romance.
Auto Focus (2002)
Let Bob Crane Rest in Peace, Not Drag Through the Mud
This movie offends me on principle. If Bob Crane had dropped dead of a heart attack, even with his interesting "backstory," would this movie be made? I think not. It exploits the victim of an unsolved murder, whose killer was never properly brought to justice. It opens wounds for his surviving family, at least his first family. His second family seem as twisted, perhaps more so, than he was (his son from his second marriage runs a Web site where people can download Dad's self-porno videos for a monthly fee, with Mom's approval). And who the heck is Paul Schrader to judge this man? Paul has obsessions of his own, if you go down his film resume that includes "Hard Core," "Taxi Driver," etc. Bob Crane never assaulted anyone, was not a rapist or pedophile. He was a bit twisted, perhaps, but any more than the several Hollywood pervs that are so widely admired? What would Warren Beatty have been had he had access to a video camera? How do we know that guys like him didn't? How about Heidi Fleiss' clientele and their predilictions? The only weird thing about Bob Crane is that he was perhaps ahead of his time. Considering his background as a disc jockey, his eventual tendencies should have come as no surprise. If he were around now, maybe he'd be giving Howard Stern a run for his money. Aside from that, the movie is so deadly dull. And Greg Kinear is appropriate casting only from the standpoint that he, like Crane, is not an actor, but a made-actor from radio/TV. Crane at least did a better job. It is a pity to see a childhood icon dragged through the mud. Why spit on Colonel Hogan? Maybe Bob Crane wound up the way he did from playing that womanizing slimeball Hogan(after all, not being a real actor, he probably had to resort to that technique known as the "Method"). Why, he even married Helga/Hilda in real life. Give the poor dead man a break.
Teorema (1968)
Strange Metaphoric Movie
Pier Pasolini creates a surrealistic, dreamy mood in the story of a stranger who proves to be a life-changing catalyst for an entire family. The stranger doesn't say much, but he really doesn't have to. The beautiful male visitor is played by Terence Stamp, at the height of his striking good looks. He manages to seduce the entire family, and functions as a miraculous religious figure in the process. The sexuality is really of the gay male variety, but the women of the family manage to "beard" the total extent of Pasolini's intentions. The film also serves as a criticism of post-war industrialized Italy and its depersonalizing cultural destruction. Lots of haunting imagery. Also, it's one of Pasolini's more "watchable" films. Nothing too disturbing here in comparison to some of his other movies.
On the Fiddle (1961)
Fun Service Comedy
This is a perfectly charming little service comedy, with the added bonus of co-starring Sean Connery just before he attained fame in the role of James Bond. Even better, Connery plays totally against type, as a low-key version of Gomer Pyle -- an ingenuous, somewhat stupid-but-likeable serviceman. Alfred Lynch is the real star, though, playing a weasel-y British version of Sgt. Bilko, running numerous scams with his dim-witted buddy Connery. It's funny. Imagine American service sitcoms such as "McHale's Navy" and "Sgt. Bilko" crossed with the gently loopy charms of Ealing Comedies, and you'll get an idea of the tone of this film.
Woman of Straw (1964)
Not-Great-But-Compelling Thriller
This is not a brilliant movie by any means, but it's worth seeing if you can track it down on late-night television or the limited VHS release (poor transfer quality, so be warned if you happen to find one). Ralph Richardson in particular gives a great performance, playing the meanest tycoon this side of Montgomery Burns, with a bit of "The Magic Christian"'s Sir Guy Grande thrown in for good measure. It's not surprising his nephew (Sean Connery) would want to do him in. Connery spends much of the film looking and acting like he's still in James Bond character. He wears similar well-tailored clothing and has the same cool, slightly bored manner he affected in those movies. Towards the end, though, his character turns sociopathically chilling, and he hits some good acting notes in that part of the film. Gina Lollabrigida gives a good performance sporadically, as well. Her halting English does her in at times, as it does in most of her films, but she delivers great emotion when her character has terrible things happen to her. The film has a rather slow start, but builds nicely and offers some twists along the way.
The Only Game in Town (1970)
Bad Movie, Beautiful People
This is a pretty bad movie, but hard to look away from the pretty people inhabiting it. Warren Beatty was unbelievably gorgeous in his younger days. He also was a surprisingly effective and poignant actor. His performance elevates an otherwise pedestrian movie. It really is on par with a television movie, down to the cheesy soundtrack music. Elizabeth Taylor is incredibly miscast. She is lovely to look at, though rather old-looking, for some reason. She couldn't have been more than five years older than Beatty, but looks at least ten years his senior, in spite of being filmed in soft focus. She also is quite zaftig, though it's refreshing in light of the anorexic actresses one sees now. She's totally unbelievable as a showgirl. The average showgirl is tall and slender; the tiny, curvaceous Ms. Taylor would never have even gotten an audition. She also phones in her performance, which doesn't help her rather poorly-drawn character. The film is a series of relationship and situational cliches. You can predict the dialogue before it's spoken. You have to wonder, too, why a stalwart such as George Stevens would choose such a flaccid script as his final project. Someone must have waved a lot of money under these big names' noses to get this made. It's a shame to waste such directing and acting talent. But if you start watching, you probably won't be able to take your eyes off it. They don't make beauties like Beatty and Taylor in Hollywood anymore, at least with as much charisma to go with the looks.
Deadman's Curve (1978)
Good Movie; Underrated Performances
This is an excellent, emotionally compelling telling of the life of Jan Berry. The best thing is the performance of Richard Hatch as Jan, who should have at least been nominated for an Emmy for it, but was overlooked. He is brilliant as he captures Jan's handicap and struggle with aphasia. He also is uncanny at capturing Jan's personality and sense of humor, which is readily apparent to anyone who has seen Jan and Dean in concert. Bruce Davidson is also excellent in the less-showy role of Dean Torrence. Highly recommended for fans of mid '60s music, or anyone interested in dramatic biographical stories.
Kiss Me, Stupid (1964)
Hey, It's Funny
This is a pretty uproarious Billy Wilder comedy, unfairly underrated. Also very ahead of its time. It anticipated the loosening of morals and "free love" of the '60's. It may even be ahead of our times, the '90's. Lots of double entendres -- a laugh-a-minute comedy.
Ray Walston is brilliant as the paranoid, jealous husband who winds up pimping for a woman who he hires to play his wife, and then goes on to sleep with. Dean Martin is funny and sexy, even playing a loathsome letch. Kim Novak has never been funnier; I never even knew she could play comedy (or drama, for that matter -- she's a breathtaking beauty, but usually no actress). Excellent support, also, from Cliff Osmond and Felicia Farr (Mrs. Jack Lemmon).
This is a great sex comedy, satire on American marriage, and even a send-up of Tin Pan Alley. Wilder and IAL Diamond took actual Gershwin songs, and either made up their own stupidly funny lyrics, or presented some of Ira's hidden work for the first time to the public, I'm not sure which. In any case, if you haven't seen this hidden gem in Wilder's oeuvre, it's about time you did.
The Limey (1999)
Great Revenge Film Noir
"The Limey" is a wonderful reworking of the film noir tradition through the styles of French New Wave. It is also something of an homage to John Boorman's Lee Marvin classic,"Point Blank," in its time-shifting, flashback style and the incredible Energizer-bunny indomitability of the film's revenge-bent hero.
The most fabulous thing about this film is the performance by Terence Stamp. It may be his best performance ever, and if he doesn't get an Academy Award nomination out of it, he will be robbed. He is tough, intense, and thoughtful. Even in repose, when he is shown to be thinking of his dead daughter, he manages to register emotion on a basically expressionless face. You also have to give the old man credit for being willing to share screentime with his younger, incredibly beautiful self, which Soderbergh does in utilizing clips from Ken Loach's "Poor Cow" as a kind of combination flashback/home movie to fill in the character's back story. Most people would recoil at the idea of showing the contrast between their older and younger selves, actors or not.
This movie seems slow and laggy in spots, especially at the beginning, as you adjust to the jump cuts and overlapping dialogue. But the gimmicks fall into focus as the story unfolds, and they help the overall tone, rather than hinder it. There's plenty of violence and suspense.
Peter Fonda also gives a fine performance, as does Barry Newman. Interesting to note that both Fonda and Newman were in AIP cult films of the early '70's, "Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry" in Fonda's case, and "Vanishing Point" in the case of Newman. This film is a tribute to the old lions who make up its cast. They do a great job.