waha99 Reviews

Cookie's Fortune (1999)

Parts better than the whole...

[6/10 · 22 February 2004]

Yesterday on "This American Life", the NPR series, Ira Glass spoke of the "I'm Wishing"-type song that introduces many Disney animated features, and indeed, many musicals. Simply put, the first song of the movie establishes the dreams and wishes of the hero/heroine of the film, and then the rest of the film is about fulfilling that dream or wish.

Robert Altman doesn't work that way. As his movies begin, the "I'm Wishing" song has not only already been played, it was played several days ago and is probably more than likely forgotten. The characters of his films are already long established in their own worlds, and Altman leaves it up to us to work out the details of his film-residents. This movie is no exception: we are not introduced to the residents of Holly Springs (the setting of this story), we are simply shown the seemingly everyday goings-on of various folks and the blanks left open at the beginning of the movie are filled in gradually throughout the rest of the film.

I guess I'm not an Altman fan, although I certainly admire the way he can bring several loose parts together to unify the whole of a movie. This movie is very typical of his filmography-multi-character, story seemingly dropped in on instead of began, humorous in places, touching in others, great performances. I watched this movie several hours ago and now am thinking back on the elements I liked...Glenn Close gives one of her best performances, Julianna Moore grows into hers, Charles Dutton is masterful, Ned Beatty is reliably good as always. It's a thrill to watch Patricia Neal working, as always. Liv Tyler is good. Chris O'Donnell is merely okay, as is Lyle Lovett.

Oh, the plot? Cookie (Neal) commits suicide early in the film, and we see how various people react to her death, and how they react to other's reactions to her death.

Yes, I do recommend this film. For Altman enthusiasts it may be perfect, so give this one a chance. 6/10

Appointment with Fear (1985)

UGH

[1/10 · 13 August 2003]

Horrible, dreadful stuff. You know you're in for a film with little inspiration behind it when a mid-80's dance number in inserted in what could have turned out to be the best scene of the whole flick-the sex scene!

Sad and insipid; it makes other horror films of the 1980's look great in comparison.

The Naked Spur (1953)

A great western

[9/10 · 13 August 2003]

Simply one of the best westerns ever made. Stewart's performance is one his very best in an almost anti-hero role; Millard Mitchell is outstanding; Robert Ryan is a superb (and snaky) villain; Meeker is an oily jerk, and Janet Leigh shines in an early role for her. The Technicolor cinematography is beautiful; it shows of the glories of the Colorado Rockies wonderfully.

**** out of four; 9/10. See this one!

Red River (1948)

An all time classic

[9/10 · 13 August 2003]

"Red River" is one of those movies that transcends its own genre and simply becomes a classic movie, period. Montgomery Clift is outstanding and John Wayne really deserved at least an Oscar nomination for his (almost villainous) role as the rancher who leads his herd of cattle across Texas and Indian Territory to Kansas.

Topaz (1969)

Far from Hitchcock's best

[4/10 · 11 August 2003]

As a matter of fact, I'd be more than likely to call this Hitchcock's most notable failure. It's not a bad film, but it is just not on the level you'd expect even Sir Alfred's lesser films to be.

Part of this may be Hitchcock's own worries over the film; according to "The Dark Side of Genius", Hitchcock was admittedly not interested in the film; he felt as if he was in way over his head. I can't help but feel that hands-off approach influenced the outcome of the film as we see it today.

Watch for the great Roscoe Lee Browne (a true American treasure of an actor) in a small role. Too bad we couldn't have him featured throughout the film more; a great oppurtunity was lost there.

** out of four; 4/10. See it once just for Browne's performance.

Rope (1948)

Interesting film

[8/10 · 11 August 2003]

Two men murder a friend of theirs for the thrill of it, hide the body in a wooden chest, and then invite friends and family over for a dinner buffet served off of the chest! Hitchcock's experimental film (shot in continuous ten minute takes) comes off more as a filmed stage play than as a "film", and perhaps with this material that is the best approach; the acting all around is very good and given the restrictions Hitchcock set for himself, watch how he finally manages to draw some suspense in the scene when James Stewart finally discovers the body in the chest.

*** out of 4; 8/10.

Notorious (1946)

One of the few perfect Hollywood films!

[10/10 · 9 August 2003]

Alfred Hitchcock was hitting on all eight cylinders when he directed this classic film. Every scene seems to be shot with care, not only with concerns of camera placement/movement, but also acting. Cary Grant is surprisingly somber, even hateful, in one of his most un-Grant-ish roles. Ingrid Bergman is simply magnificent, far better than even her great role in "Casablanca" and she rarely ever achieved this level of perfection again. Claude Rains...the third lead in the film...is one of the bad guys, yes, but he is also kind, polite, considerate, caring. A real gentleman.

This last point is worth pointing out because Hitchcock always seemed to be interested in showing us not only villains, but also heroes, who go against type. Think of "Secret Agent", with Robert Young playing a very nice guy, but wait....he turns out to be the villain! Or, 1971's "Frenzy", Barry Foster is a wonderful guy, a friend to all, certainly a more likable guy than the boorish hero. Now take a look at Claude Rains. In an era when Nazi's were portrayed almost to the point of wearing a handlebar mustache and a black cape, Rains (with Hitchcock's direction) presents us with a true gentleman who just happens to be a Nazi.

Several scenes in this movie have been singled out over the years as a sign of Hitchcock's genius: the two-minute kissing scene; the revelation of the key; the discovery of the bottle; the poisoning of Bergman's character; the final sequence where Grant finally rescues Bergman. I have a personal favorite scene: the scene, on the plane, where Grant tells Bergman that her father has just committed suicide. Her speech (supposedly written by Hitchcock himself and inserted into the script) perfectly wraps up her character's complex emotional state. Simply filmed, wonderfully acted.

One last note: the ending of this film is one of the most perfect, ever, for a Hollywood film. Once again pay attention to Claude Rains' facial expressions; they convey his fate as well as anything that could have been graphically filmed.

**** out of four; 10/10; A+...all these ratings and grades describe this true classic!

They Were Expendable (1945)

Probably the greatest WWII film of its era.

[10/10 · 27 May 2003]

Rather than re-hash Tom Martin's excellent review of the film, I would rather provide some personal reflections.

This really is the most human of all the late-era WWII films, minus much of the blatantly propagandistic speeches that mar so many movies from that era. Rather, the dialogue is beautifully understated. Robert Montgomery's "looking for the Arizona too" comment to Wayne sums up the feelings of its time much more than a five minute speech on how important it is to win the war could ever do.

The cinematography is top notch, as it is in most of Ford's films. Watching this I believe we can definately see how Orson Welles would be influenced by his work over the years.

Robert Montgomery's work here is fantastic; again, as Martin states in his review, probably his best work in front of the camera. He seems war-weary (and in one of the Duke's biographies this is probably how Montgomery really was at this time, as he had seen quite a bit of action during the war before the film was made). John Wayne's character provides us with proof that he truly was a great actor. Watch the scene where he sits in a bar listening to a broadcast from San Francisco about the fall of Coregidor; his emotions are completely shown by the camera; no "let's get them dirty so-and-so's" speeches here, this is pure, wordless acting.

All in all, a great film; the best of the WWII era, and certainly one of the best of the 1940's. No hesitations here on my score: 10* out of 10.

Resisting Enemy Interrogation (1944)

Good training film

[7/10 · 27 May 2003]

This film was originally produced and released as a training film for the Army Air Force during WWII. It covers the various (supposed) tactics that the Nazis would use to gather information from American (and other Allied Forces members) pilots and soldiers who are captured. Rather than being a dull, *by the numbers* lesson, however, the filmmakers present a solidly told little story in which the air crew of the mythical B-99 gradually...and presumably unintentionally...give up information that foils the success of a near-future air raid. If you see this, do tolerate a little preaching that occurs at the very end of the film (by an uncredited Lloyd Nolan) since this film WAS intended to teach a lesson; the ending is perfectly suitable for this kind of film. Certainly not on a par with Citizen Kane, but a solid enough piece of film making that deserves to be seen by a wider audience. 7* out of ten.

Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues (1985 TV Movie)

Typical mid-1980's TVM

[26 January 2003]

In one hundred years, this made-for-TV "flick" could be used as a textbook example of how most such shows were made: cardboard acting, washed out color cinematography, easy-to-get-to California locations, unsexy "sexy" love scenes, laughably inane car chases, stilted dialogue,,,the only thing missing is a disease of the week and it would have been "THE" complete TVM!

The plot? Oh, seems that Lisa Hartman is a Wyoming cop who enlists James Brolin's "streetwise" cop to track down the killer of a friend of hers. Only he seems way too polished (the whole movie does, honestly) to be truly "streetwise"; perhaps his (emptily portrayed)bitterness was supposed to get that point across, as television movies were still pretty heavily guidelined as to what they could and could not show, and tell, during that time. It took a landmark mini-series, "Lonesome Dove" to truly push the boundaries for television during that time.

In the end, this movie is about as significant as the second billing of a Monogram double-billing. Perhaps not even as significant, since at least Monogram would have made this in black-and-white, which would have vastly improved on the transparently dull color of this movie, and there would have been the chance of perhaps this thing being an example of film-noir with a feminist touch. Hmmm....didn't someone say that the best way to criticize a movie was to make another, and better, movie???

I Confess (1953)

Good, not great Hitchcock...

[7/10 · 13 August 2002]

I Confess is one of those movies that almost reaches the brink of greatness, but just doesn't quite make it. Hitchcock's direction is certainly fine, if not a bit pedestrian. There are no signature scenes that seems to be present in many of his other films (such as the shower scene in Psycho, or the Mount Rushmore chase in North By Northwest). There is a flashback sequence, showing Clift before his character was a priest, that starts off beautifully....the camera is slightly cock-eyed, and Anne Baxter descends the staircase in slow motion, almost flowing down the stairs. However, the rest of the flashback just doesn't live up to the potential established in that first shot. Karl Malden is good as usual. Clift does an okay job in the role of the priest who hears the confession of the murderer. Anne Baxter is very good, and the supporting cast is certainly fine. I have also had a problem with the musical score of this film. Seems that Jack Warner had a standing rule at WB studios, of filling nearly every second of a film's soundtrack with background music. I'm sure Hitchcock and Tiomkin both cringed at this insane policy. Tiomkin DOES provide the film with a beautiful love theme of sorts. I recommend this film, but I don't guarantee that you'll be watching a classic. *** out of ****.

Make Mine Music (1946)

Some great sequences, and some duds...

[6/10 · 21 July 2002]

An episodic musical tapestry a' la Fantasia, only this one utilizes the pop music of circa 1946. Some are worth viewing, and others are worth fast-forwarding through. My own personal favorites are the two Benny Goodman numbers, "All the Cats Join In" and "After You've Gone". I haven't seen the now-deleted "The Martins and the Coys" sequence, but I do oppose the tampering of classic films in the name of "PC". If I had known this was the case with "Make Mine Music", I would have never bought the VHS tape.