Don't Look Up (2021)

 Despite being packed with stars, the film manages to be more than a popcorn film. Not much more, but rather a popcorn film with heart and a message. 

Here, by chance doctoral candidate Kate Dibiaski (Jennifer Lawrence) discovers a never before seen comet but her shock and awe is short-lived once it is determined that the comet is hurdling toward Earth and it most certainly could destroy the planet. Even her professor, Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) is shocked. At first, the two appear to be a great team, livid that the President, Janie Orlean (Meryl Streep) and her dumbass chief of staff son, Jason (Jonah Hill) can't handle the devastating news because mid-terms are coming up. 

However, after a sex tape leaks, she needs the country back on her side so she decides to send a drone up to deflect the comet only to have that dashed at the last minute by the super rich businessman, Peter Isherwell (an unrecognizable Mark Rylance) who wants to harvest the drone for its resources. Kate is livid so much so that she's censured while an uncomfortable Randall tries to buy into this plan, despite his misgivings. It doesn't help that he's the face of reason after Kate's outburst. She's condemned for hers while he (has one later) is not. And the anchorwoman, Brie (Cate Blanchett) comes onto him in a big way though he appears to be happily married with two college-aged sons. 

Naturally, the two converge again toward the end, both of the film and the world and after the inevitable failure of Peter's plan, Randall makes amends with his wife and Kate finds solace in the arms of a religious rebel, Yule (Timothee Chalamet), while Janie leaves her son alone and escapes to a secret preservation pod to hopefully survive the ordeal. 

Sure, the film is a bit cheesy and ridiculous but it is also a great allegory on the present times and how hesitant the government was to act on COVID. So there is that. And while it is ridiculous and trite, with the end is coming being done in films several times (namely the delightful Seeking a Friend for the End of the World), this one managed to be different as this time, maybe, just maybe, the world could have been saved. But the acting was great and you couldn't tell that this film was made during the middle of an epic pandemic and it was a complex film with many moving parts. While it may not have made you re-evaluate your life or moved you, it was nevertheless a delightful ride. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Ariana Grande has a great little sub-plot as a pop star who has a break-up and reconciliation with her ex and then supports Randall's and Kate's cause and sings a great song for them. 

-There are a great much of tidbits McKay sneaked into the script including Janie's ridiculous affair with numerous people and Jason's line on how hot his mother is and that if she wasn't his mother, he'd definitely sleep with her if that wasn't the case, a great nod to one of Trump's line. 

-Once the staff realizes that Peter's mission failed, they rush to their loved ones.

-It is ironic that Janie only offered to save Randall and his wife (or Brie) but Kate never got that call. 

-Kate's ex-boyfriend, Philip (Himesh Patel) is a jerk-face. For the record. 

-Rob Morgan and Tyler Perry are great in their supporting roles. 

-Apparently, there is a post credits scene which I was unaware of so let me know what its like. 

Licorice Pizza (2021)

 After more than eighteen months, I finally returned to the movie theater for this little gem. Fortunately, masks were required in addition to showing proof of vaccination, so I did feel safe. 

This film is certainly unique. Meeting seemingly by chance as Alana (Alana Haim) works her boring day job, Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) is immediately smitten and believes that they are destined for each other despite Alana being ten years older than him and he's still a teenager, so yeah, a relationship would be illegal and yet we are supposed to root for them to end up together. 

Still, while Alana struggles to find her true passion in adulthood, Gary has his life all figured out. He's done some acting, still auditions for commercials and is also a wheeler dealer, starting his own businesses, somehow, though his mother (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) is rather supportive of all of his various endeavors, including water beds (gross) and an arcade. 

Along the way, there are tons of crazy adventures for the teen, including delivering a water bed to Barbra Streisand's boyfriend (at the time), Jon Peters (Bradley Cooper), who threatens to kill his little brother and he gets arrested for what turns out to be for nothing as the cops foolishly arrested and manhandled the wrong child. Alana has her own adventures, dabbling in acting and meeting famous movie star, Jack Holden (Sean Penn), probably based on William Holden before she starts volunteering for a young politician, Joel Wachs (Benny Safdie) who is single for a reason, as it turns out. But, of course, all of their various adventures make them realize how much they like each other and end up together. While the relationship might be all wrong as I don't understand why a grown woman (albeit one who still lives at home with her parents) would find a teenager super attractive (though life with him is never boring) but at least it was a satisfying ending.

Despite me not being completely thrilled with the age difference in the plot, it kept you on your toes and was never boring and Paul Thomas Anderson is a masterclass, with brilliant writing and cinematography and flawless editing, this film is nevertheless superb and definately a must see by all. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-An interesting tidbit is that Alana's family, including her parents and sisters are portrayed by her real life sisters and parents.

-Cooper Hoffman is the son of the late great actor Philip Seymour Hoffman.

-The controversary surrounding John Michael Higgins faking a Japanese accent while he speaks to his Japanese wife while speaking normally to everyone else is just stupid and ultimately doesn't serve a purpose as he can't understand Japanese anyway but both of them certainly seem to understand English. And no, I didn't find that part funny.

-On the other hand, the scene where they let gravity take the moving van to get gas is both thrilling and hilarious. 

-Skylar Gisondo is also great as Lance, a fellow child actor, who Alana brings to a Seder and he announces that he's an atheist so the evening doesn't end well. 

-While Alana might be a well-known singer, I truly think she's also an extremely talented actress. 

Being the Ricardos (2021)

 Well, Lucy (Nicole Kidman) is having a hell of a week. Despite being cleared by the committee, newspapers have caught wind that she's a communist (not true), tabloids have reports that her husband, Desi (Javier Bardem) cheated on her and she's twelve weeks pregnant (though she continues to smoke and drink) and is worried about how that will effect her hit TV show as Desi wants the writers to incorporate it into the show though they're convinced that CBS will disagree.

Told in five acts, following the TV show as it develops and gears up to film live on Friday evening (in front of a live studio audience) with flashbacks, you learn how much Lucy contributes to the show thought she's gunning for Desi to also be credited as being an EP and how much she needs the show, given that it saved her career. She was dropped by her studio after her first juicy role but then found success on radio and TV shows and she was insistent that she and her husband work together though he's of Cuban descent. And then, at the very end just when her show appears to be saved, she learns the truth: Desi did in fact cheat on her, his pregnant wife (scumbag) and how she gets through the show after the reveal. 

While I do think the film would have benefitted from a bit more of an explanation of why being viewed as a communist was such a big deal in 1952, I found the film solid, though Bardem was miscast as Desi. He did his best but while Kidman managed to disappear under Ball's skin (despite being at least a decade older than Ball actually was), Bardem didn't managed to capture Desi's innocent charm. The rest of cast was also great, and the screenplay was snappy, thanks to Sorkin's immense talents in that regard. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-The supporting cast includes J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy and Tony Hale and all are brilliant.

-I need to watch Lucy's good film with Henry Fonda, the one which led to her contract not being renewed. 

-Lucy has some great revelations while folding laundry. I wish I did.

-The beginning scene where Lucy has to guess who it is covering her eyes seems to be rather stupid. 

-I'm glad the show did have a female writer.

-The film ending mentions nothing of communism but rather that Lucy filed for divorce immediately after the show ended. 

Joe Bell (2021)

 This is a brilliant little drama with a limited cast. Mark Wahlberg is great as Joe Bell, who feels (rightfully so) that he failed his son, Jadin (the great Reid Miller) in his life and is determined to honor his memory by walking across the country to raise awareness on the evilness of bullying. The ending packs a powerful, emotional punch. 

Now, this is an important film in many ways, but it takes a while for Joe Bell to take his own advice though his son warned him early on that he's a hypocrite. Which is accurate. And while he urges forgiveness, he curses out a note apologizing on his son's grave. It never fails to surprise me how cruel children can be. 

While this is a great film, and even though Jadin was appearing on screen while he was just existing in Joe's mind, you never learn how Jadin did what he did, nor do we hear the argument from his parents over how the school handled (or rather fail to handle) the situation where a bunch of others beat Jadin up for not accepting him the way he was. Still, the acting is great with a role that fits Wahlberg like a glove and Connie Britton shines as Jadin's mom. She's always spectacular and both of the Bell boys (Miller and Maxell Jenkins) are also great. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Gary Sinise has a great cameo as a county sheriff who relates to Joe in more ways than you can imagine.

-It truly is dangerous for Joe to be doing what he does.

-The only funny part is when Joe groans over having to explain himself to another lawman.

-It is a given that Cher will be at a gay bar on drag night. A given. 

-It is not clear if Marcie (Morgan Lily) is a sibling or not.

The Bishop's Wife (1947)

 Well, I can officially say that this isn't the best Christmas movie with an angel in it.

Dudley (Cary Grant) comes back to Earth to make Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) realize how lucky he is. But Henry is determined to build a new cathedral and is pandering to his wealthiest client, Mrs. Hamilton (Gladys Cooper) who is a nasty, bitter woman lording her money over people so they will obey her every command. And he ignores his wife, Julia (Loretta Young), which is never acceptable. He has no time to visit his old parish nor his friends and then Dudley comes along. Dudley is supposed to make Henry's life easier though he doesn't really do that; instead, he spends time with Julia and finally gets Henry to see her as a person again and gets people to open up and repent or admit the truth about themselves. In the end, everything works out and Henry starts to love his wife all over again. Sure, no new cathedral, but is it really needed? I never thought so, when renovating the existing one would be a better idea instead of naming of an unremarkable, rich dead man. 

While Cary Grant is a delight, it is also weird seeing not getting the girl, though he couldn't, as he isn't alive and Julia's married to someone else and with Hays code, she had to stay with her husband. Still, the film was packed wall to wall with talent and the characters are interesting and some scenes had good banter, the film just fell flat to me as I didn't find Henry a character to root for. So, this will not be added to my Christmas movie rotation. Grade: B

Side Notes:

-Two children actors from It's a Wonderful Life make appearances here: Bobby Anderson (little George Bailey) is a leader of a snow ball gang and Karolyn Grimes (Zuzu) is Debby Brougham, the delightful daughter of Julia and Henry.

-Oscar-nominated Elsa Lanchester, Monty Woolley and James Gleason all also have supporting roles.

-The dog, Queenie, is huge. 

-Donating money is never a bad thing and yet, it oddly feels that way in the case of this film.

-There is no way Young and Grant performed all those ice skating moves themselves. 

Johnny Belinda (1948)

 Boy, how times have changed.

While this film doesn't specify when the events occurred, as no motor vehicles are shown, it was probably turn of the century Canada where the entire town and even her own father (Charles Bickford) and Aunt Aggie (Agnes Moorhead) call Belinda MacDonald (Jane Wyman), the Dummy. It's an insult, big time. Fortunately, the town's new doctor, Robert Richardson (Lew Ayres) realizes her potential and soon Belinda's his star student. However, the town bully, Lachlan McCormick (Stephen McNally) also has his eye on her. His girlfriend, Stella (Jan Sterling) has to tell him to stay away from her. Yeah, that is something that you should never have to tell your significant other, to stay away from another. But Locky gets drunk and rapes her. And you know what happens in Hollywood when you have unprotected sex, whether consensual or not. And Belinda does get pregnant. Naturally, her father does not react well, though trying to bully the information out of the victim isn't the best way to handle things.

However, the town interprets the event incorrectly, believing that the doctor is the culprit so life becomes difficult for all parties, and Locky turns into a murderer as well after he and Mac fight due to Mac discovering the truth. And the town then tries to strip Belinda of her son and Locky attempts to kidnap him but she shoots him in the back, dead. So a trial ensues. Fortunately, Stella's big crush on the doctor comes through and she admits that she married a complete and total jackass so Belinda gets her happy ending, thank goodness. 

While the plot is basically a soap opera, it also displays how gossip can ruin a person and how you should never underestimate a person just because they can't hear (in this case) and fortunately, the great acting elevates this film into something special. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-It is bizarre that Robert offers to marry Belinda after Johnny is born, but not once he finds out that she's pregnant as this was a time when being born out of wedlock can truly brand a person for life. Yeah, if he had just married her once he was informed, the two deaths could have been avoided. 

-Apparently, at some point for some unknown reason, Locky's wealth evaporates through the course of the film.

-Aunt Aggie really does manage to redeem herself by the end of the film. 

-Even though Robert Richardson is supposed to be the hero of the film, it is actually Belinda as Robert makes some assumptions about Belinda from time to time, including assuming that Belinda blocked out the rape from her mind like it's a trauma (which it is), and while she may have, he should never assume.

-Belinda never has her follow up visit with Dr. Gray. 

-The timeline between announcing the marriage bands between Locky and Stella and their actual wedding is bizarre as I thought the bands were read in the weeks leading up to the wedding, not months as they don't get married until after the baby is born. 

The Search (1948)

 This film details a story seldom told: What happened to the child survivors of the Holocaust?

They are scooped up and taken to transient camps, identities are noted and if no family members are still living, they are eventually taken to Palestine. However, one little boy (Ivan Jandl) can't or rather doesn't speak. 

Now, the viewers know the whole story, his mother (Jarmila Novotna) survived and is going to cross all of Europe over and over again until she finds her son, dead or alive. However, the little boy escapes from the transport as the scars of surviving Auschwitz never die, but he finds an American GI, Ralph Stevenson "Steve" (Montgomery Clift) who takes pity on the boy and befriends him, gets him to start opening up and takes to calling him Jim. Everything is fine until Steve's co-worker's family shows up and this stirs up all the emotions little Jim has long buried. He wants his mother who is believed to be dead and Steve wants to bring him to the US though that is a difficult and lengthy process. Fortunately, everything does work out in the end, with an ending that could have only happened in Hollywood (though I'm sure there were some miraculous reunions) and while I'm glad the mother and child were reunited, it left Steve out in the cold, without complete closure.

Still, this is a film that could not have been made today, filmed in the aftermath of the war in Nuremberg with what appear to actual survivors of the Holocaust, with the hollow eyes and true fear of the truck nearly breaks down. Little Ivan was awarded a special Oscar and he undeniably deserved it. While Clift was good, in his screen debut, his role was relatively small though he was nevertheless nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the start of what would be a promising and bright future which was tragically cut far too short. That all being said, this film should still be considered a must-watch. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Wendell Corey was also great in his small role as Steve's superior officer.

-I'm glad of the amount of languages used and that none of the children magically spoke English. 

-I do wish the DVD offered a subtitle option. 

-While English might be considered the best language by Steve, it is not the only language. 

-I wonder what finally triggered Jim into recognizing his real name. 

California Suite (1978)

 Based on Neil Simon's play, this is sort of mish-mash of great actors thrown together in what should have been four separate movies as none of the characters ever overlap, which is annoying.

There is the long-divorced couple, living on opposite ends of the country who need to figure out who their wayward daughter should live with; the bickering couples competing to ruin their vacation for the other couple; the devoted husband who can't say no to the stripper his horny brother got for him and the British stage actress finally nominated for her first Oscar. 

By far, the best plot is the latter, with Maggie Smith brilliant as an actress, Diana Barrie, who both wants to win and regrets flying in all this way knowing that's a big chance she could lose, but at least she has her supportive husband, Sidney Cochran (Michael Caine) only in a twist, he's a homosexual. He loves her, adores her, but they mostly have a fake marriage. 

It is a shame that this film managed to get so many good actors in mediocre plots in a film that just makes no sense. I found the talents wasted. Still, Maggie Smith was great, clearly the best role in a film with too many roles, jam packed to the point of overflowing. Grade: B-

The Power of the Dog (2021)

 This is a great slow burn of a film.

 It is about two brothers, Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (Jesse Plemons) who are ranch hands and seem to be different night and day, just as the Randall brothers in Outlander. And then George falls in love with the sensitive cook at a local restaurant, Rose (Kirsten Dunst). Naturally, Phil reacts badly to the news, intimidating her constantly, driving her to the bottle, and while you might think Phil is jealous, halfway through, the film suddenly takes a different direction.

It is after Rose's son, the intelligent Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) arrives and stumbles onto Phil's secret stash of medical magazines, heavily implying that he's a homosexual and he softens toward Peter and the two bond, despite Rose's attempts at thwarting the match. But the pairing can never be, not just because its 1926 Montana but because like any good adaptation of a novel, a death occurs and it manages to be suddenly though you do eventually piece everything together. 

Now, while the plot seems minor, it is a devastately beautiful coming of age film for young Peter, as well as a good character study for Phil. And the acting matches the complex characters beat for beat. Jane Campion penned (and directed) a wonderful screenplay and the score and cinematography will leave you haunted for days. And with all the subtleties, the film just might actually deserve a second viewing. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Probably my only problem with the film is that Thomasin McKenzie, one of the greatest actresses of her generation is painfully underused as the assistant housekeeper. Keith Carradine also has a cameo as the governor.

-It is weird how the brothers call their parents Old Lady and Old Gent, I feel its demeaning.

-Despite Phil's Yale education, he often acts like a barbarian, refusing to clean for a fancy dinner and George can barely tell him to clean as Phil is just so intimidating. It's disturbing. 

-I do wish we were given as to why and how the brothers became ranchers. 

-It seems foolish to burn hides that could have had a better purpose. 

-The reason why Peter doesn't become ill is he uses gloves. A small detail that turns out to be vitally important. 

Tick, tick...Boom! (2021)

 This film was a delightful masterpiece and who knew Andrew Garfield could sing. And play the piano.

Detailing the week leading up to his thirtieth birthday (which will officially end his youth), Jonathan Larson (Garfield) is hyper-focused and has tunnel vision, unable to focus on anything other than his showcase for a musical about outer space and the future which he has slaved away on for eight years (yikes!) and pushes off talking to his sweet girlfriend, Susan (Alexandra Shipp) and can't be happy that his friend, Michael (Robin de Jesus) has a great job and swanky new apartment, freaking out when his power in his apartment is cut, thinking that marketing or advertising jobs are beneath him, even though he'd be brilliant at it.

 And then his showcase finally happens, but the results are mixed. While he is lauded, the show won't get the funding it needs and Jonathan receives some devastating news so he learns that his problems are superficial but digs in his heels and keeps going.

This was the show that Jonathan wrote and never lived to see, dying painfully young and far before his time, and while Rent is by far his most famous production, I actually found this one better. The songs blend in with the plot so much better and move it forward effortlessly and the ending one nearly had me crying as it was just so good.

Filmed during the pandemic, the actors do an amazing job of transporting us back to 1990 New York City, capturing the atmosphere and attitudes not to mention the look of the time and make us forget that the pandemic was swirling around outside. They create the character for us before our very eyes and are excellent. Garfield certainly better be in consideration for an Oscar. And the cameos, wow. And this film manages to mean something, makes you glad to be alive which is especially poignant considering when it was made. This film is a must watch and without a doubt, one of the best of the year. Grade: A

Side Notes:

-There are plenty of great cameos in one of the musical numbers: Andre De Shields, Phillipa Soo, Joel Gray, Bebe Neuwirth (rocking the gray hair), Brian Stokes Mitchell and Chita Rivera.

-Richard Kind and Bradley Whitford (always great) have small roles as Walter Bloom and the great Stephen Sondheim, whom Jonathan adores.

-My witching birthday was my last, my thirty-first.

-Jonathan does keep a messy apartment. 

-Showing how hectic a dinner can get was a great scene. 

-Vanessa Hudgens is great as one of the vocalists in Jonathan's workshop. 

-The show really did need a full band.

-Also, what in the world is the fake fat that they were attempting to advertise? 

King Richard (2021)

 Will Smith is brilliant as Richard Williams, both the hero and villain of the story.

Growing up in the segregated south, abandoned by his own father, he's determined to give his daughters everything in life, but he also wants his daughters to succeed so he can prove to the world that Richard Williams matters. Still, his methods are bizarre, at best. Still, life isn't easy in Compton and he has to deal with men leering at his daughters and god forbid, he tries to defend their honor, he gets beaten up in return. And while he values education above all, he doesn't listen to the advise of the experts who have a proven track record of success, but still, life is hard and Richard isn't the most consistent, making important decisions with the input of his wife, Oracene (the brilliant Aunjanue Ellis), which is unacceptable. However, we all know how his unconventional methods managed to prove successful, and even after Venus (Saniyya Sidney) loses a tough match to the one number ranked opponent in the world, she's still a success and signs a great deal, giving herself and her family more money than they could have ever dreamed. And they make a difference in the community, which also matters.

Now, while we know the end result, the film was great, with solid performances especially from Smith and Ellis, each delivering work worthy of at least an Oscar nomination, and it was great how the film handled the leap in time, making everything as realistic as possible and doing so during a pandemic is no small feat and Beyonce's song over the end credits is a stroke of genius. This film is utterly great, from top to bottom and one I'd consider a must-watch. I'm glad I got HBOMax just for this viewing. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-That shooting scene toward the beginning of the film, was Richard responsible for that man's death or was it the result of a drive-by shooting?

-Pay attention to Tony Goldwyn and Jon Bernthal in small roles as the girls' coaches.

-It is bizarre that Nike's original deal was a one night only deal, especially before Venus hit a single ball on the court.

-Richard picked tennis just because not many African Americans were playing it. Venus and Serena paved the way for so many.

-I understand why Richard values education and wants his kids to be kids as they will not get their childhood back, but at the same time, he needs to the listen to the advice of others as they've done this before and know what they're doing.

Respect (2021)

 While Jennifer Hudson may have been born to portray Aretha Franklin, this film was not the exact right vehicle for her to do so. 

The prologue of Aretha's childhood is a tad too long but it does create the backdrop of her father's (Forest Whitaker's) abuse and neglect, forcing her to sing for his famous friends and doing nothing when his twelve-year-old daughter becomes pregnant (more on that later), and shows how her career with the civil rights movement and how much of an influence singing truly had own her life from a young age.

Then, we get into the meat of the story, when Aretha's recording career finally begins along with her abusive marriage to Ted White (Marlon Wayans). Her recording career is beyond lackluster, at first, though it does slowly turn around after she marries Ted, though he mostly blows smoke out his ass. Fortunately a manager change to Jerry Wexler (Marc Maron) really make her career take off, but at a price, especially when Ted's abuse is made public (he beat her up in a hotel lobby, like a dumbass) and then she (rather suddenly) falls into alcoholism before being saved, once again, by religion.

Aretha's life was full of both the good and bad and while the script tried to show everything, I felt that it was Aretha's life being told by others, as in the one interview when Ted walks all over her. It isn't until close to the end when she finally finds her voice, alienating her family believing that they are trying to feed off her fame and she's frustrated because she's the breadwinner for the whole family, which cannot be easy, surviving with all that pressure on her which is why she cracks under the pressure. There should have been a few more hints that she was descending into alcoholism before she fell off a stage that she should have never been allowed to go on. S

 However, despite the clunky script, Hudson was great as was Audra MacDonald in the small role of Aretha's mother and a brilliant cameo from Mary J. Blige as one of Aretha's heroes, livid that Aretha is trying to sing her song but she also brings to light an issue that film shows and also sweeps it under the rug, who is the father of Aretha's two older children? The film never says, not even in the epilogue, which is a total shame. The film is also great at blending the songs in with moving the plot forward and the songs are impeccable along with the other dressings (the editing, score, costumes, set design and cinematography) so that makes it even more of a shame that the screenplay is weak. Grade: B

Side Notes:

-If my twelve-year-old become pregnant, I'd be knocking down the door of every man who's ever touched until the truth was out. that man should be in prison. We needed more context as to what happened when Clarence found out, but the film glossed over that part.

-Tituss Burgess was great as the pastor James, who helped Aretha with her gospel record.

-Despite Jerry warning her that a gospel album would never sell, it would become her best selling album.

-Her first manager, John Hammond (Tate Donovan) compares her to Billie Holliday, and says that she's much better behaved. Her father retorts that's because she didn't grow up in a whole house, which may have true and yet she was still the one who had two children as a teenager.

Stillwater (2021)

 Matt Damon is a force to be reckoned with in this film. In his tour de force performance, he stars as Bill Baker, an unemployed oil rigger who somehow scraps together the money to fly out to Marseilles to visit his daughter, Allison (the great Abigail Breslin) who is five years into her nine year prison term for a murder she swears she didn't commit. And when the French judge choices not to investigate some new 'evidence' Bill takes justice into his own hands with the help of his French neighbor Virginie (Camille Cottin) and her young daughter. And the investigate isn't easy and he has no official help and certainly makes things worse, far worse. 

 For a while it appears that he's forged out a good life for himself, working construction, forming a bond with young Maya (Lilou Siauvaud) and spending some time visiting his daughter. He eventually runs into the actual murderer again and handles the situation poorly, by kidnapping the young man, holding him hostile until the DNA results come in. I kept waiting for something to happen though I never would have that would be it. 

By kidnapping this guy, the plot twist finally comes in. Reasonable doubt. The viewer has to believe that Allison is innocent but the murderer, Akim (Idir Azougli) says that Allison told him to kill her roommate. She later reveals that wasn't true, but her roommate was cheating on her and she wanted her out their shared apartment. However, while Virginie covers for him with the police, she kicks him out, deservingly so, but in the end, Allison is freed and able to return to the US so while some might consider this a happy end, it is also a hollow one. 

While it was a slow moving film, the performances were great and I'm a sucker for a solid love story, though it didn't work out for the two likeable leads, and I also love a good third act plot twist, which this film had, and while I liked that it wasn't a thriller in the traditional Hollywood sense, I really wish that we had move of Allison's back story, but maybe they thought we'd be so familiar with Amanda Knox's story that we wouldn't need it, but I still felt that we did. The performances were brilliant and ultimately, the script was solid, all the right ingredients for a solid film, I just wished it was slightly better. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-So Bill has a criminal record and can't vote because of it, so how is he able to own two firearms? That makes no sense to me. 

-I wonder how Bill is able to get a work visa so quickly. 

-Bill also prays before every meal, that is an unusual sight in any movie or TV show, but it was a nice touch. 

Passing (2021)

 Well, this film was a disappointment, to me at least.

It was an interesting concept, one that's been done before (see below) but now, it seemed that it would finally be done right, only just wasn't very interesting.

Irene Redfield (Tessa Thompson) seems happy with her life. She has a loving doctor husband, two adorable growing boys and adores her volunteer work. And then she runs into her friend from long ago, Clare Bellew (Ruth Negga) who is now passing for white, seemingly forgetting about her true heritage, feeling that it would be easier and better for her to live her life as white. Irene is both appalled and slightly jealous and protective of Clare's new life and doesn't want her to interfere but Clare finds it freeing to spend time with Irene and not have to pretend she's white. But it's reeking havoc on Irene's life and while her husband, Brian (Andre Holland) claims he loves her, Clare happens to the be the life of her party and soon, Brian's besotted with her too. But everything comes to a sudden, devastating end with Clare's husband, her white husband, John (Alexander Skarsgaard) discovers her truth and Clare falls out a window to her death, though it is Irene pushes her, in a snap reaction, still perhaps trying to protect her from ruining the carefully constructed life she had. And that's how it ends. I kept waiting for something to happen, but I can't say that's what I was expecting.

Despite the lush sets and brilliant performances, the screenplay is slightly chunky, with big gaps in the timeline and the film just failed to be interesting. I hope this doesn't make a bad person, but I felt that Clare should have been the lead character, not Irene. While the ingredients were all there, they were not assembled properly, which is the biggest shame of all. Grade: B-

Side Notes:

-Despite the gross miscasting of Jeanne Crain as Pinky, in Elia Kazan's Pinky, that film was ultimately much better as it was incredibly interesting with solid supporting performances from Ethel Waters and Ethel Barrymore. Yes, casting a white actress to portray a light-skinned African-American woman was just wrong but it was 1949 so Hollywood wouldn't have been able to tolerate an African-American actress kissing a white actor on screen. 

-I wonder why Brian and Irene need to take so many naps.

-Irene knows racist exists but wants it locked away, forever, though Brian doesn't feel the same way, discussing several tragic lynchings to his sons ignoring Irene's cutting glares.

-Irene doesn't pass as white, but rather cleverly hides her true appearance, knowing that's what must be done so she isn't profiled. 

Worth (2021)

 This film shows the unglamorous part of life, trying to figure out how much a person's life is worth, monetary speaking. It's cold, harsh and unfeeling. 

Ken Feinstein (the always great Michael Keaton) is an attorney, former chief of staff for Ted Kennedy and yet still finds time to teach at Georgetown. He opts to take undesired position of figuring out settlements for the families, and it is ugly from the very start. Emotions are high and no one is accepting the moneys thrown at them. Everyone wants more money, especially the upper level earners. 

Ken's biggest opposition comes in the form of fellow opera lover Charles Wolf (Stanley Tucci) who lost his wife who strongly feels that the formula is broken, which it is. And given scope of 9/11, the issues are endless, same-sex partners who are unable to get married via civil unions and those who developed health issues long after the cut off period need to be recognized, and eventually Ken does come to terms with the traditional formula created by the insurance company is broken, and while some families want to sue, the lawsuits will take years and bankrupt everyone in the process, most, far more than needed to sign the paperwork do so. 

Now, there are plenty of twists, including some that you'd never expect. Take the deceased firefighter's Nick Donato's widow, Karen (Laura Benanti), who doesn't think that there enough money in the world to replace Nick. And she lavishes praise on him, not having one ill word to say about him, and despite the fact they had three little boys, he managed to have mistress and two even younger daughters on the side, yeah, I was shocked, and not in a good way. And the mistress (never shown on screen), wants money for her daughters.

The film isn't perfect, as the characters are rarely shown outside of the law firm and you don't know Charles Wolf's background and why he finds so many tempos in the settlement breakdown memo and you do need more background on him to fully understand his character. That being said, for the most part, the screenplay was tight even though the process probably did need more explanation for those not in the industry, and the acting was solid as the conflicted characters, trying both to have a heart and stay within the confines of the formula. And the opera music was a nice, added touch. Grade: B+

Side Notes: 

-Amy Ryan gives good support as Ken's law partner.

-Ken's young junior partner, Priya ( Shunori Ramanathan) was nearly killed, as she was due to start work at the World Trade Center just days after 9/11. She is grateful to still be alive.

-Why are married people worth more than single people? While I understand, it is just another way to bring us down. 

Peyton Place (1957)

 You might think that Peyton Place is a picturesque New England town and on the surface, you'd be right. The reality is the citizens aren't as shallow as the surface. 

The film has numerous characters and while Lana Turner has top billing as Constance MacKenzie, it is truly an ensemble piece. The turning point of the film comes far into the movie, but as this film takes place in 1941 and was still filmed under the Hays Code so there is a lot of sexual frustration and tension before the turning point when shopgirl Selena Cross (Hope Lange) murders his lecherous, drunk stepfather, Lucas (Arthur Kennedy) and then hides the body and now she's on trial for murder. This brings Allison MacKenzie (Diane Varsi) back into town to testify in Selena's defense and gets the town conscience Dr. Matthew Swain (Lloyd Nolan) to betray Selena's trust, revealing the truth, that her stepfather raped and impregnated her several months earlier (as every time characters have unprotected sex in films, regardless of consent, she becomes pregnant) and while Lucas left town, it drove his wife (Betty Field) to madness, committing suicide while she was working in the MacKenzie house. Naturally, this testimony changes the entire course of the trial and yes, the film has a happy ending, thank goodness for all involved as all the characters, with maybe the exception of the gossipy Marion (Peg Hillias), they are all truly good people despite having and keeping their secrets. 

Now, while the film is trite and overly wrought and far too melodramatic at times, it is still solid and forces you to peer beyond the surface and not judge your neighbor as you don't know what's really going on with them nor understand their true motivations behind their actions. Still, there is plenty of realistic character growth throughout and the performances are truly great. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-There did need to be a lot more development as to the dysfunctional relationship between Norman Page (Russ Tamblyn), also the name of my great-uncle, and his overprotective mother. Ironically, he doesn't want to live until his life is in danger from jumping out of airplanes.

-Selena didn't want the truth about her rape to come out due to her rock-solid relationship with Ted Carter (David Nelson), who wants to become a lawyer. But he doesn't care and stands by her after the verdict is read.

-Terry Moore is also great as Betty Anderson who is known as the class flirt, but she also has substance.

-It is a shame that Ms. Thornton (Mildred Dunnock) isn't given the high school principal job and instead give it to the newcomer Michael Rossi (Lee Phillips) and somehow manage to scrounge up two thousand more dollars yearly for his salary, something which I don't understand. 

-Nowadays Nellie's disturbing ramblings would be interpreted as a cry for help but back then, it was an annoyance for Connie so she left, leaving Nellie alone to hang herself, and Allison was the one who discovered the body, going into shock afterward.

-Times have changed since this film. No longer does being illegitimate have the stigma it did back then. 

Thelma and Louise (1991)

 Now, this was an excellent film. You think that Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon) are just headed out for a fun road trip, but things take a quick and ugly turn when Thelma is nearly raped by this total asshole, Harlan (Timothy Carhart) and Louise holds a gun against his head and refuses to apologize so she shoots him, fatality. 

So, they are on the run, and need cash which leads to their next big, bad mistake. The honey trap, J.D. (Brad Pitt) who claims that he just needs to hitch a ride to get back to school when he's actually a convicted felon, for robbery and yet Thelma leaves him alone with a buttload of cash, big mistake, huge. Yeah, he robs them blind though first he does give Thelma her first night of true pleasure in her life (her marriage is a farce). So, Thelma robs a bank and then they speed wildly down the highway, never a good idea to drive at 110 mph, so they force a state trooper into his car trunk and then get payback at a creepy truck driver by blowing up his tanker so yeah, they make a bunch of stupid, stupid choices, but they are both also victims, Louise was raped back in Texas which is why she avoids the entire state (not a bad choice, by the way) though she refuses to admit it and of course, Thelma has a mentally abusive husband, louse of a husband and then is quiet nearly raped herself, yet, all the stops are pulled out. I mean, for just four crimes (and only one fatality), it is an all out manhunt and just when it appears that they've escaped, they haven't but together they make the choice to end it all, by driving off a cliff into their inevitable end. 

Still, they have some support, namely from Louise's long-term boyfriend, Jimmy (Michael Marsden) who wires her some money and doesn't ask too many questions and then the head detective Hal (Harvey Keitel) who just wants to talk to them and does want to help even after the incident with the state trooper, though no one listens to his pleas either. 

Though this is an excellent film, I do wish we learned how Louise and Thelma became friends in the first place as they live different lies, Thelma's a bored, unhappy housewife while Louise is a busy but great waitress. And then, how does J.D. manage to meet up with them again after the first gas station? But seriously, these are largely just nit-picky details in an otherwise great film. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Despite her excellent performance, Sarandon is easily a decade too old for her role.

-Thelma is trapped in a loveless marriage with Darryl (Christopher McDonald), but she knows him so well that when he greets her happily on the phone, she knows something is up, and it is.

-If they really needed money, they should have just pawned off their wedding ring (Thelma) and new 'engagement' ring (Louise).

-Darryl, Thelma's husband, is 100% having an affair.

-While I don't condone murder, Harlan needed to be punished and based on what the waitress said, this wasn't the first time he'd done something wrong.

-The waitress (Lucinda Jenney) doesn't believe that the two women are murderers because she was left a big tip, probably because Louise is a waitress herself and knows how difficult the job can be. 

-I can't explain the kiss between Thelma and Louise at the end. 

-I can't believe that Louise goes back to her drink after spending time on the dance floor; first rule of going out, never leave your drink unattended.

-Props to Hans Zimmer's brilliant score, he should have at least earned an Oscar nomination for this. 

Silence of the Lambs (1991)

 So, I finally saw this movie, and it wasn't as scary as I anticipated. 

Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster, great) is a novice FBI officer, still in training when she's called to interview convicted and disgusting serial killer, Hannibal Lector (Anthony Hopkins) in order to pump him for more information on another serial killer, Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), who skins his victims after he kills them. Yeah, this film has a bunch of upstanding citizens in it. Still, it is solid, and the woman who would be Buffalo Bill's next victim does manage to survive, which is good, she was just trying to be nice and help him move some furniture, so lesson learned, don't be nice to people. Still, it is disturbing at how evil and intelligent Lector is and how quick he turns a situation on its head. 

Sure, the film is gritty and downright nasty at times, but Foster is brilliant and so is Hopkins, though his role is quite small, it is shocking that he won an Oscar for Best Actor as opposed to Best Supporting Actor, still, this film nevertheless made his career. While this film was quite good, I have no intentions of watching it again. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Brooke Smith plays the almost victim of Buffalo Bill, so it is surprising how she didn't notice the signs of a serial killer, considering she was married to one in the TV show Big Sky. 

-The lambs part comes in to play when Clarice describes her childhood to Lector. 

-Apparently, Buffalo Bill is also having issues his sexuality and gender.

-Clarice stumbles upon Buffalo Bill through a case of sheer dumb luck.

-It is a miracle that she's find as the FBI only had an inkling of where she'd be.

-Pay attention to Kasi Lemmons as Clarice's friend in Quantico, she's great in her small role. 

Misery (1990)

 This is the film which won Kathy Bates her only Oscar. 

It was shocking to see her so young on film, in one of her first major roles as the deranged epic fan, Annie Wilkes, who can't believe her luck when she stumbles onto her favorite author of all-time, Paul Sheldon (James Caan) who nearly dies in a wretched car crash (overturning into a ditch during a sudden snow storm).

At first, you think she's kind, but she's actually completely evil and manipulative and desperately wants the Misery, the character to survive so she forces Paul to burn his manuscript, the only copy of the book he has (this was before the flash drive was invented) and then re-write it to appease her. It is basically a battle of the wills, though for most of the plot, Paul seems complacent, but in reality, he's just planning his next move.

Fortunately, Paul does also have a savvy and concerned agent, Marcia (the legendary Lauren Bacall) who alerts the local sheriff, Buster (Richard Farnsworth) who eventually stumbles onto the truth, only to die as a result, as Annie does have a murderous past, a maternity nurse who killed babies. Babies, doesn't get much worse than that. Still, in the end, Paul does win, though it is a bloody mess and just when you think Annie's dead, she comes back so he has to kill her again, just like in Fatal Attraction. 

Now, while it was bizarre and certainly creepy and disturbing, Bates was great (as she should have been, considering she won an Oscar for the role), but Caan and Farnsworth were great also, matching the performances beat for beat. The film needed the good performances as there so few characters in the film. Still, she was such a wretched character, the film was different to watch. Grade: B

Side Notes:

-Who knows if Annie spills her wine on purpose or if it was an accident? Paul was attempting to drug her, but his plot failed.

-Annie is truly the biggest Paul Sheldon fan, even naming her pig Misery, after the character.

-I wonder what Annie does for money, as she's clearly done time in prison, but is still able to live in the nice, albeit dated, farmhouse and keep Paul hostage. 

-Annie is probably her most deranged when she purposely breaks Paul's ankles again. 

-When you write a book, make sure you have a back-up copy. 

Ghost (1990)

This movie was better and more interesting than expected. 

Of course I knew the plot, Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) is murdered and can't fully pass over or leave the love of his life, Molly Jansen (Demi Moore). And I figured out that Sam's co-worker, Carl (Tony Goldwyn) was actually the man behind Sam's murder, which Sam actually figured out pretty quickly as well, but it got fascinating as Sam uses seer Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg) to sabotage Carl, though it does almost backfire as nearly she and Molly wind up dead and Sam's ghost is responsible for the death of two people. Still, the journey was a truly great ride, though I do wish the ending had had an epilogue, something with Molly and Oda Mae long after Sam finally passes over. 

Goldberg won her only Oscar for this role and while it is a bizarre role, she was truly great. And I don't know why Swayze wasn't considered a good actor, but this role will prove them wrong, as he was great, probably the best in the film. Still, despite the predictability, there were some truly funny, truly romantic and truly thrilling moments. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Oda Mae may have thought she was a fraud in the beginning, but that proves to be incorrect.

-I did feel that we needed to get some sort of closure for the subway ghost (Vincent Schiavelli) as his role was small but painfully vital. Also, his teeth are disgusting.

-Carl really is slimy, not only is he laundering money (for unknown reasons, though greed is likely the main culprit), but he also tries (and thanks to Sam's interventions, fails) to seduce Molly.

-Though the cat is only about two scenes, he plays an important role nonetheless.

-Stephen Root has a cameo as one of the police officers who tries to get Molly to believe that Oda Mae's a fraud.

-How many bullets can that little handgun hold? Apparently tons.

-If you've lived an evil life, you get dragged away by evil demons?

-We never really learn why Sam can't say I love you. 

-The scene where Carl fakes a contagious disease to clear a crowded elevator doesn't age well, especially during this pandemic. 

Annie Hall (1977)

 While the film might be named after Annie Hall (Diane Keaton), Alvie Singer (Woody Allen) is the main character and narrator of this bizarre, non-linear classic romantic comedy. 

The film details the relationship between the two, from their first meeting to after the end. Alvie is a comedian, and appears to be successful while Annie is on the up swing as a singer (and she's quite good) but it isn't easy and certainly one of the best scenes is when they meet with their respective therapists and complain about the frequency of intercourse. Annie whines about having sex constantly, three times a week while Alvie states that they rarely do it. So yes, they fight over sex, over intelligent and how they each wish to better themselves. And Alvie has the fear of commitment, which is understandable as he had two ex-wives, one divorce was his fault, the other wife was just plan odd. And he's Jewish, and doesn't seem to be secure in his religion while Annie isn't ashamed of her bland mid-west family. Still, you root for them, because you're supposed to, though I wasn't terribly upset when she finally wanted to improve her life and no longer wanted to deal with Alvie's shit, forever holding her back, so she moves and is thrilled with her life choice. It is a surprising feminine film, complete with a great screenplay and effortless acting. It is a truly good film, a classic, with good reason. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-While Alvie really is an ass, accusing Annie of having her period every time she complains of a headache, and while that's pure, utter bullshit, at least it's mentioned as that was rare in those times and it needs to be normalized.

-Pay attention for Christopher Walken's small role as Annie's brother who has issues, namely, he wishes to purposely drive head-on into another car, with no regard for himself or others. 

-Carol Kane is the sweet first wife of Alvie while Janet Margolin is his second, feminist wife. Shelley Duvall has a quick fling with him. She's obsessed with rock bands, while he finds them trite. 

Nashville (1975)

While this film had a truly realistic feel with some brilliant performances, there were just too many characters to keep track of. 

Ronee Blakley is sort of the main character, as adorable country star Barbara Jean who recently survived a devastating fire only to collapse and nearly suffer a mental breakdown before her miraculously recovery. She's much loved and appears to be the headliner of the show, the music festival in Nashville. But there are others, Haven Hamilton (Henry Gibson) is the old-fashioned star, but is supportive of the younger generation. Karen Black is Connie White, another country singer who replaces Barbara Jean on the first day of performances. 

The second best performance of the film belongs to Lily Tomlin, who portrays Linnea Reese, the white singer of an all-black gospel choir, who is also unhappily married to Del (Ned Beatty) and the devoted mother of two deaf children, something she isn't upset about about much to the surprise of British documentarian, Opal (Geraldine Chaplin). She is also an affair with Tom Frank (Keith Carradine) who is breaking free of his trio and sings the Oscar-winning song: I'm Easy, which is one of the several great songs in this film. 

The established stars are complimented by up-and-comers: Albaquerque (Barbara Harris), escaping an unsupportive husband and Sueleen (Gwen Wells) who can't recognize that her singing voice is truly terrible and as a result, she is basically forced to strip to keep her job. 

Still, despite all the characters, the film still makes time for plot twists and turns, and everyone is pretty much interconnected, but I just couldn't keep them straight and the videocassette stops in the middle of a scene and then you have to switch cassette tapes which is just stupid and annoying. Still, the film was a delight (although the ending is just tragic) and one that can be easily watched again. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-The only two stars nominated for Oscars where Ronee Blakley and Lily Tomlin (shockingly her only nomination), and both were well-deserved. Neither would win.

-Of course Linnea would sleep with Tom over her husband, after all, her husband is Ned Beatty.

-The car crash scene in the beginning is certainly interesting and leads Opal to being obsessed with junkyards and American cars and consumerism. 

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

 This was another excellent film.

Apparently based on a true story, Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) and his pal of unknown origin, Sal (John Cazale) set out to rob a bank and boy are they unprepared. Their third accomplice chickens out nearly immediately and the vast amount of funds were already collected so the bank hardly has any money and Sonny needs it so his new 'wife', Leon (a brilliant Chris Sarandon) can get that sex change operation he was told he should want, though it appears he may actually want it. 

While the concept is simple, it is a superb film, complete with several twists and turns, including the reveal of Leon, and there is always the suspense of anyone could die at any time. And Sonny is constantly just pulling at threads, just trying to live the life he wants, and he needs money to do it. A TV reporter even asks him why he can't just get a job and Sonny acts like he could work, then he would. 

Now, there are a few problems, the main one is, how in the world do the cops figure out the bank is being robbed? (I suspect the third accomplice who left at the beginning.) Still, something needed to happen as they were clearly amateurs, and it made for good film making. Sidney Lumet delivers another excellent film, as this one is great, start to finish, with effortless performances and gritty feel makes you feel like you're transported back to August 1972, Brooklyn, New York, watching a bank being robbed. Grade: A

Side Notes:

-The funniest scene is when Sonny asks for and receives some pizza to feed the hostages and tries to pay for it with the stolen money.

-Sonny doesn't want to hurt anyone because he's a Catholic.

-Charles Durning is great as the first, most sympathetic cop. 

-Sonny's female wife, Angie (Susan Peretz) is particularly annoying and Sonny gets frustrated with her very quickly. 

Coming Home (1978)

 This film was both brilliant, realistic, tragic and disappointing.

It is 1968, and the US is at war with Vietnam. Sally Bender Hyde (Jane Fonda) decides, more on a whim, to volunteer at a hospital which treats wounded veterans. Her own husband, Bob (Bruce Dern) is a captain and is now overseas himself and is proud to serve. And he doesn't want her to work while he's away, but she clearly has other ideas. The scene when she goes to volunteer is a scene in which you cannot take your eyes off the screen, not even for a millisecond. She walks into Luke Martin's (Jon Voight's) urine bag and he flips out. Turns out that Sally went to high school with Luke (what are the odds?) and she befriends him as he slowly recovers and gets released and starts to protest the war. The two even begin an affair while Bob remains overseas before finally returning home with a minor injury. But he's not himself anymore, drinking too much and still sleeping with his pistol, which doesn't freak Sally out as much as you would think. 

The ending is both predictable and ambiguous. While Luke tries to urge high schoolers to take the war and their involvement in it seriously, while Sally buys steaks for a cookout and Bob strips his clothes and goes into the ocean, just like in at least two versions of A Star is Born, so that way of implying that he was committing suicide is just stupid and besides, there was already a suicide, the brother of Sally's friend, Vi (Penelope Milford), Billy (Robert Carradine, years before he was the father on the Lizzie McGuire show), who is suffering from sort of mental breakdown and commits suicide in the worst way, as his friends bang on the office door, desperate for a nurse to come around and shoots a syringe full of air into his veins, dying by the time help finally arrives. So while Bob killing himself may have been realistic as he refused Sally's help, livid that she cheated on him while he was away, upset that he belongs nowhere, but I still felt that another suicide was just too much for this film. 

Despite my issues with the ending, the acting (especially Voight) is brilliant and four of actors were nominated for Oscars (with Voight and Fonda winning), and they were all well-deserved awards. And the film is painfully realistic, with the gritty hospital scenes and difficult performances that seem effortless to the actors is so small feet, too bad the ending was just too problematic for me. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-This film also shows how difficult it was to be in a wheelchair before all the regulations they have today.

-We never truly learn how Luke and Bob got injured in the war. 

-The weird subplot of Luke being spied upon should also been developed more, though it was a twist the film did need. 

-The subject of children is never discussed in this film.

-When Bob returns from the war, he reacts more strongly to Sally's hairstyle change than to her new car. 

Heaven Can Wait (1978)

 Well, this film wasn't completely spectacular, more like an elevated rom-com with a superb, white cast. 

Apparently, after you die, you board a giant white plane in the sky and finish your journey. Joe Pendleton's (Warren Beatty's) problem is that he was taken prematurely, by some over-zealous escort (Buck Henry) and can't return to his actual body because he's been cremated (so maybe I shouldn't get cremated after all) so he's placed inside billionaire Leo Farnsworth and initially is livid as Farnsworth is a total racist asshole, set to destroy an entire village by building another, perhaps unnecessary factory, which is how he meets Betty Logan (Julie Christie). However, Joe was a quarterback and is desperate to get back to fighting shape, so he vows to change how his millions of companies are run and then trains like a fool, buys the Rams for a price far, far more than they are worth and nearly makes it back, only to have it all dashed away again as Leo's wife, Julie (Dyan Cannon) and executive secretary, Tony (Charles Grodin) finally succeed in killing him. So he's given another body, that of Rams quarterback Tom Jarrett (the one who replaced him in the role), and he's memory's erased but he gets the girl anyway. 

Now, despite the unconventional plotline, the idea is good and does have several good twists and the acting is good but I feel the film could have made a bigger impact if Joe focused more on changing Leo's businesses for the good of all people, not just focus on his own desires as he was finally in the position to do something good. Still, Joe did his research, studying the pamphlets as though they were his play book, but can he really trust the board to change the entire corporation without his input? However, you do kind of just have to go with it and the journey is an interesting one, even though I would have done this film differently. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Vincent Gardenia is the bizarre detective investigating Leo's disappearance and focuses his questioning largely on Leo's sudden dislike of hats. 

-You could easily compare running a company to winning a football game. 

-Julia's reaction upon seeing her husband is actually alive is just great.

-Jack Warden is also great as Max Corkle, Joe's trainer and was rewarded with an Oscar nomination as was Beatty and Cannon. None of them won. 

-I don't see how Tony thought he was going to get away with shooting Leo, his final plan was just ridiculous. 

Chinatown (1974)

 This was another excellent film, with a painfully sad ending.

J.J. Gittes (a great Jack Nicholson) is a private detective in 1930s Los Angeles. Currently, the city is going through a drought and the water company has different ideas on how to solve the problem. Noah Cross (John Huston) wants to funnel the water into the valley to feed the orange crops and incorporate the valley into the city while the mild-mannered and seldom seen Hollis Mulwray (Darrell Zwerling) wants to give the water to the people so he's promptly killed. And to complicate matters, Mulwray's wife, Evelyn (Faye Dunaway) hires Jake to determine if her husband is cheating on him. And then, they sleep together and her husband is barely cold in his grave, but that's before Jake finds the proof he needs on who killed Hollis and just when you expect it to be Evelyn, and that she lied to you all the time, but she's not a murderer. Her father is, and a rapist. But the ending is sad, as the city will lose, the drought will get worse, the bad guy gets away with murder because he has the police in his pocket and Evelyn dies. Jake is let off for unknown reasons. So yeah, I hate movies that have sad endings all the way around. Still, the screenplay was tight (it won the film's sole Oscar) and the acting was superb. Roman Polanski truly weaved together a brilliant film despite all his personal struggles. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Polanski portrays the man who sliced up Nicholson's nose, in a truly horrified realistic scene.

-The scene where Evelyn admits that the alleged 'other woman' is actually her daughter/sister Katherine (Belinda Palmer) is also a great scene though the truth is truly revolting. 

-Jake does want the truth, though he is also money hungry, just like the rest of them. 

Lenny (1974)

This is a superb, interesting film portraying the controversial and troubled life of randy comic Lenny Bruce (Dustin Hoffman, brilliant). It takes him from a struggling comic to him ruining himself with all his arrests due to profanity and his dissent into drugs and lethal overdose. While he starts out relatively mundane, his act quickly turns dirty but hilarious after he meets and, in short order, marries Honey (Valerie Perrine) a stripper. He also brings attention to current events and tries to call out how stupid racism is (though he uses the 'n' word to do so, something that would not fly these days). However, because of his use of profanities, he's arrested which creates some interesting scenes in the courtroom, including some that are just downright bizarre. 

However, this film is also unique in the fact that it mixes recordings of the people surrounding Lenny's life as the police try to solve his sudden death, just before he was about to report to prison and the film is done in nearly a documentary style, realistic to a fault, with some great editing (which was denied an Oscar nomination) in gritty black and white but you don't miss a beat (though the DVD didn't include subtitles which is just a crime) and while the ending is painfully sad, this film manages to tell Lenny's story portraying him as a flawed man, and Lenny wouldn't have had it any other way. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Dustin Hoffman is completely brilliant but props to the unknown Valerie Perrine as his wife, that phone call between the two is a scene of pure emotional acting as those you were watching the actual scene between a heart-broken and devastated Lenny and Honey, who is likewise heart-broken and going through withdrawal.

-The supporting cast is also full of unknowns which only adds to the documentary feel of the film. 

-Lenny must have been left-handed as Hoffman uses his left hand to write something down in one of the courtroom scenes. 

-Also Clarence Thomas makes a cameo appearance as one of Lenny's lawyer. 

The Apartment (1960)

 This is another gem from Billy Wilder, even though the film is rather dated.

C.C. Baxter (a brilliant Jack Lemmon) is a nameless, faceless guy who works in the accounting department is a sea of thousands at an insurance company but he rises above the rest by offering his apartment to the executives for them to carry on their extra-martial affairs so he can get a promotion and his plan seems to be working, until he realizes that one of mistresses is elevator operator Fran Kubelik (Shirley Maclaine), whom he has a giant crush on, so much so that he's looked up her card and knows all of her personal information, which isn't creepy or anything. Fran is having an affair with Jeff Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), the big boss on the 27th floor. But this isn't the first affair Mr. Sheldrake has had, and when Fran discovers this, she attempts suicide and nearly dies in Baxter's bed. Fortunately, his neighbor, Dreyfuss (Jack Kruschen) is a doctor which saves him. And her. She survives, Baxter gets another promotion and Mr. Sheldrake's wife leaves him, so everything seems to be working out until Fran learns that Baxter quits his job, refusing to sit on the sidelines as the unhealthy affair continues. And that is the trigger Fran needs. 

Now, I won't completely spoil the ending, as the screenplay is a clever one, as Billy Wilder is extremely talented in both writing and directing. And there are certainly both funny and heartfelt scenes with wicked dialogue and effortless performances of a time not long ago, all but forgotten, life before computers or even remote controls for the TV, using a tennis racket as a pasta strainer, the simple life, although it wasn't all that simple for Baxter and Fran, but the found each other, in the end. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-While dated, this film still manages to be solid, showing you how life was back then. It is just shocking seeing all those people in an office setting, doing God knows what, researching insurance.

-You could apparently get booze delivered to your apartment in New York City in the 1960s, who knew?

-Who plays gin rummy these days?

-It is sad that Baxter had no family worried about him on Christmas.

-Baxter should really clean out his sofa more often.

-At the office Christmas party, there are tons of couples making out with each other. It's shocking.

Sunrise at Campobello (1960)

 First of all, the film title is misleading. While there is scene with a beautiful sunset, a sunrise at Campobello is shown, in one of the last perfect moments in the life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Ralph Bellamy) before he is stricken with a 'mild' case of polio, never to walk without assistance again. This film deals with how he battles the disease and slowly returns to politics again, with great success. Of course, the path isn't easy for him despite the excellent he gets from his wife, Eleanor (Greer Garson), whom he calls Babs, and friend, Louis Howe (Hume Cronyn). Still, his devoted mother, Sara (Ann Shoemaker) still babies him and feels that he's pushing himself far too much. Even the children, especially the oldest two, get their own personalities, which is also lovely to see. 

Now, while the film is far too long (nearly two and a half hours), the acting is impeccable though both Garson and Bellamy are easily a decade too old for their parts but they excel. Bellamy was robbed of an Oscar nomination while Garson treasured hers. I also found this film gave us an intimate portrait of the inner lives of the Roosevelts though it is naturally sugar-coated for Hollywood purposes. But it does show his mother in a meddling, nearly menacing light, which by all respects, appears to be accurate. Still, the film is worth watching for the performances and scenery alone as both are brilliant. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Missy LeHand (Jean Hagen) a long-term mistress of Franklin does appear as his loyal legal assistant.

-It apparently was easy to fool the public before social media. 

Georgetown (2019)

 This is a bizarre little film, almost too strange to be true. 

Ulrich Mott (Christoph Waltz) is a fake diplomat, worming his way into the elite society of Washington DC, mostly through his much older wife, and World War II survivor Elsa Brecht (Vanessa Redgrave), who also happens to be a homophobe, which does come into play in the two pivotal scenes in the films. The only one who thinks he's full of shit is Elsa's professor daughter, Amanda (Annette Bening). And then Elsa dies. And while she's ninety-one, which is super old, she didn't die of natural causes, it was murder and Ulrich is the prime suspect and is put on trial, trying to use his government immunity as he feels that she was killed because of his connections. What and who Ulrich really is is slowly revealed throughout the film and that ending twist is a killer (unfortunately for Elsa, literally) and while it's super crazy, it's also just crazy enough to be true and the film is based on real events so this film does blur the lines between fiction and reality. But the acting is solid and it is interesting as you have to know the truth or at least how this film ends, even though the screenplay is a little bizarre. You just kind of have to roll with it. Grade: B

Side Notes:

-This is the second film where Annette Bening and Vanessa Redgrave portrayed mother and daughter; the first was the far superior Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool.

-Corey Hawkins does what he can with his bland role of defense attorney, dealing with the volatile Mott. 

North by Northwest (1959)

 This is the film where Cary Grant just had to get the girl.

Roger Thornhill (Grant) is a marketing executive in New York City but is mistaken for another man, and his perfectly structured life spins dangerously out of control. He's nearly killed and then arrested for drunk driving when he was actually kidnapped and drugged and then he is hellbent to figure out who this George Kaplan who is mistaken for actually is. The truth is revealed to the viewer early on so it's no spoiler: George Kaplan is a fictional person made up to try and capture Soviet spy Philip VanDamm (James Mason), illegally trading secrets to the enemy and apparently making a fortune doing so, based on his house on top of Mount Rushmore. 

On the run for the alleged murder of an innocent man who just happened to have an empty house, Roger runs into Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint, brilliant) and the two hit it off and she even helps him and they have some epic banter straight out of a rom-com. Turns out, though, she's a double spy so things get sticky really quick and just when Roger is given a chance to resume his normal life, he refuses to surrender Eve to VanDamm as she is innocent and he's sick of her being used by someone that's not himself. 

But this being Hollywood and Cary Grant, he miraculously saves the girl and all is right in the world. Upon watching this film for a second time (the first was easily fourteen years ago), I was able to follow the plot much better and pick up on so many double entendre lines this time around. However, I felt the one scene as Eve and Philip prepare to fly away with Roger desperately trying to save her is way too long and then at the end, there is a giant leap in time to get to the epilogue so the plot pacing is a bit annoying at times, but this film is fully solid and great though something like this wouldn't happen this day in age what with all the social media and cell phones around; however, this was a great thriller without a doubt. Still, I wish Grant didn't always have to be the hero. It would have been nice for the girl to save herself, but this was 1959, Hollywood wasn't there yet. Fortunately, now they would be. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Jessie Royce Landis, who plays Grant's mother, is actually basically the same age as her son and looks younger thanks to her vivid red hair.

-One of my favorite lines is Eve's "It's going to be a long night and I don't particularly like the book I've started." 

-Roger has two ex-wives, I wonder what the real story is behind that. 

-If I could get my own, private cabin in a train, I might travel more.

-Food service on that train is remarkably quick.

-Also of note, no minorities have roles save the waiters on the dining cab of the train, which is unacceptable this day in age. 

Some Like it Hot (1959)

 This film just proves that love has no boundaries. 

Musicians Jerry (the brilliant Jack Lemmon) and Joe (Tony Curtis) are constantly down on their luck, some through their own making (Joe loves gambling before paying the bills) and some through crazy circumstance as it is Chicago during the prohibition. They escape the claws of death so many times as, despite all their stupidity, they are clever. 

Disgusted as women, they flee to Florida but Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe) is also in the band and complicates things for the two men immensely. Naturally, she's beautiful and talented and both Daphne (Lemmon) and Josephine (Curtis) fall in love with her but once they arrive in Florida, a wealthy divorced, older man, Osgood (Joe E. Brown) latches himself onto Daphne and eventually even Daphne falls under his spell and accepts his proposal without thinking of the complications it would bring. And Joe has yet another disguise of his own to get Sugar to finally fall in love with a man though this one isn't good for her just like all the others. There is tons of brilliant dialogue and sticky situations throughout, and an ending that cannot be forgotten, and the acting just happens to be top-notch also.

Now, while the film has not dated the best, as you have two straight men disguised as men, not because they are struggling with their sexuality but rather because they feel that it is a necessity for them, and this creates numerous awkward situations (as it was designed) but all that aside, this film only further cements why Billy Wilder was a true genius. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Jack Lemmon was only one in the cast who received an Oscar nomination for his multi-layered performance and he was clearly the best (why is his greatness largely forgotten today?), though Monroe was great also. She was a much better actress than given credit for, just great in the painfully awkward to watch Bus Stop. 

-The costumes and lightning are great. Nothing in this film was done by accident.

-Despite the prohibition being present, there is a lot of alcohol drunk in this film. 

The Graduate (1967)

 The weekend of great films continues. 

This film is another classic in American cinema and with good reason. Just Mike Nichol's second film, this was likewise daring and revolutionary for its day. 

Everyone knows the plot, but upon re-watching it, the beginning scene when Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) insists that Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) drives her home, she makes him incredibly uncommon, basically she harasses him and he acts shell-shocked as one would. Yet, he has the affair, out of boredom more than anything before falling head over heels in love with the Robinson daughter, Elaine (Katharine Ross) so naturally, things get complicated real quick.

The acting in this film is top-notch and Hoffman (in one of his first films) delivers a performance that rightfully made him a star and Bancroft deserved an Oscar solely for her looks that could kill. Ross is also brilliant in her smaller role. And with the unique camera and sound work, from the snorkel point of view to the edits which jump between different events, this film is beyond worth remembering, not to mention the score and songs are all top-notch. Grade: A

Side Notes:

-Benjamin gets really lucky, rescuing Elaine from her wedding at the first church he tries, though how he manipulates people to get this is more than suspect.

-Ben absolutely stalks Elaine when he arrives at Berkeley.

-It is heavily implied that Elaine is pregnant and her wedding to Carl Smith (Brian Avery) is a shotgun wedding.

-Ben's dad is none other than William Daniels, aka Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World. 

-One word: Plastics.

-Ben might not have any plan for his future but his life in college was rather successful, winning several awards and everything.

-While Mrs. Robinson conceived Elaine out of wedlock, and informs her daughter that its too late to leave with Benjamin, Elaine snaps back that it isn't, at least not for her. 

-For an alcoholic, Mrs. Robinson certainly drinks a lot. 

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

 I finally watched this film and it was absolutely ground-breaking.

Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) meets Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) completely by change. He's trying to steal her mother's car and she catches him. She finds his life of crime oddly satisfying and joins him, solely because she finds him attractive and fascinating. And yes, the two do eventually fall in love though he's incapable of making love to her until just before the final scene. 

Now, surprisingly few of their actual robberies are shown, though there must be plenty of them as that is how they make a living for approximately two years, gathering a gang as they go along, starting with the clueless getaway driver, C.W. Moss (Michael J. Pollard) before meeting up with Clyde's beloved older brother, Buck (Gene Hackman) and his jittery wife, Blanche (the great Estelle Parsons). Blanche and Bonnie get along like oil and water though when push comes to shove, Bonnie does comfort Blanche in her time of need. 

As time continues, there are more and more shoot outs and close encounters with law enforcement as they scurry all over the mid-west, robbing banks. There are a few plot holes, which unfortunately hangs a cloud over this brilliant screenplay including the scene with Bonnie's family. How in the world does Clyde get word over to them so they can come and visit? And how do they each have so many outfits? Still, the editing (kudos to Dede Allen), cinematography and score are utterly sensational. The acting is utterly flawless. All five of the main leads were Oscar-nominated and Parsons did win. And the ending was expected but also unexpected as Bonnie and Clyde finally appear to want to leave the wild life behind but are betrayed by C.W's father and are shot countless times by the police in an ambush. It is a wretchedly bloody end. However, they had just recovered from being injured so I'm surprised that they even made it to the end of the film. This film more than earned its slot in essential film history and film viewing. Grade: A

Side Notes:

-Bonnie and Clyde are almost like the Robin Hoods of bank robbing as they refuse to take any money owned by an individual person. 

-Does Bonnie end up actually killing anyone?

-Blanche is a preacher's daughter and is one of the few to still be alive at the end of the film.

-It would have been nice if this film had a bit of an epilogue, telling the audience what happened to C.W. and Blanche.

-The beginning credits were utterly brilliant, mixing in snapshots with the credits. 

All My Life (2020)

 There's no reason to dig in depth to the plot as it's fairly routine, girl and boy meet, fall in love and get engaged before cancer comes and ruins everything and while this film was largely paint by the numbers, though it was based on a true story, there were a few good scenes and Jessica Rothe and Harry Shum, Jr manage to deliver solid performances. 

The only two good scenes come when Jenn Carter bangs the steering wheel, devastated that her brand new husband has just months to live and before when Sol Chau tries to get her to leave him, knowing that his body isn't able to fight the disease much longer and doesn't want her to suffer along with him. 

Despite the good moments, Sol is suffering from liver cancer and while he does bear a scar, and mentions constant side effects, he doesn't appear ill, no scenes of him puking or anything like that and this film lacks the gritty realism this topic deserves. 

Fortunately, Jenn and Sol have a good support system around them, though Sol's parents are oddly never mentioned or shown and the serious topic of death is discussed off the screen, which was disappointing. Thank goodness the supporting cast was solid though there were too many of them for any of them to be really more than cookie cutter characters. Still, this film was far better than I anticipated (I had super low expectations) and it's nice seeing Glee's Shum, Jr in something again. Grade: B

Side Notes:

-The solid supporting cast includes Jay Pharoah, Chrissie Fit, Marielle Scott, Molly Hagan, Keala Settle and Mario Cantone.

-I feel that a scene was missing at the end, as Jenn goes straight from leafing through the box Sol left her to swimming alone in the ocean on the honeymoon she should have taken with him. Also, swimming in the ocean alone probably isn't a good idea. 

-The dog appears, disappears and then re-appears again. 

-I don't understand why Sol's numbers were doing well and then he took a turn for the worse. Clearly, something was missed. 

Music Box (1989)

Well, this was another interesting film.

Jessica Lange shines as Ann Talbot, a criminal attorney, who's unexpectedly cast in the role of defending her father, Michael Laszlo (Armin Mueller-Stahl) who's accused of unspeakable war crimes in Communist Hungary in the waning days of World War II. 

She's in shock, having no idea that her father was capable of such cruelty and refuses to believe that this could be possible and defends him with a vengeance, getting witness testimony revoked by various means and getting a key witness tossed out, thanks to some secret paperwork which disputes the testimony. 

For reasons I couldn't fully grasp (as the DVD did not have subtitles), Ann then visits the sister of the other alleged-mastermind and retrieves the title object which reveals the truth, proving that my suspicions were correct all along. 

So, yes, the plot may have already sort of been done before to better success (Judgment at Nuremberg, for example), but the final scene with Lange and Mueller-Stahl is riveting and heart-breaking. Also, the communist overtones are a bit odd, as Michael is now an American citizen and loathes the communist party, but perhaps it is all just a show. 

What I found more interesting was that Michael was being blackmailed and is probably responsible for the hit-and-run that killed that man. That is what should have driven the plot, not anything else. That would have made the film more fascinating. However, I didn't write the screenplay. Still, the acting is solid, especially the witness testimony, reliving the wretched moments of the Holocaust. Lange was likewise great. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Ann's Hungarian is pretty good for someone who barely speaks it.

-Another interesting side plot is that the prosecuting attorney, Jack Burke (Frederic Forrest) who was driving intoxicated and killed his wife in a wretched car accident, but he's never charged. That could also have made into a film all its own. 

The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)

 While this film was simple, it was still good, though parts certainly dragged. 

Jack and Frank Baker (Jeff and Beau Bridges) have never held a day job, going to various night clubs and dinner clubs keying away on the piano time after time. However, their act is getting a bit stale after fifteen years so to freshen it up, they hire a singer, former escort Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) who's quite talented if soft-spoken and rough around the edges. With her, they finally get tons of gigs, even one that requires some major travel. Jack brings his large dog along despite Frank's objections. However, Frank then has to head back because his son (never shown on screen) has a minor car accident and needs to leave, Jack and Susie let loose, perhaps a bit too much and they end up having sex. 

That is the beginning of the end. Susie feels that Jack is selling out, wasting away his time and talents every night and then he calls her a whore as she leaves the act to sing commercials. And then Frank gets a gig which fails on every level. Its for a telethon, but not to something like cancer, but rather a new gymnasium for a school and their act is interrupted when a donation comes in. Jack and Frank have a blow-up fight which was a long time coming, but it forces Jack to break-out on his own and apologize to Susie and yes, the brothers mend the fences. 

While there are plenty of slow parts and several unnecessary close-ups, and I wish I knew which city this was set in, and more character development on the part of Susie, it is also very nice seeing a film where musicians don't have a drug problem (though Jack is seldom without a cigarette in his mouth) and Frank doesn't cheat on his wife (also unseen) with Susie. Jack may be a bit insensitive to women, but even he's a good guy, caring for his neighbor's daughter (Ellie Raab) because she's having issues with her mother so that part was at least refreshing. The acting was also solid and Pfeiffer was actually quite good in an unwritten role, giving it her all. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-It is weird that we never see Frank's wife or children as they play an important part of his life.

-Frank does tell Jack off for smoking, telling him how wretched it is for his health. He's right.

-Frank really did need to switch up the act. 

-Susie should have been better trained for their first gig, but she pulled it together brilliantly. 

-It is shocking at how many of the audition singers were just not good. 

Minari (2020)

 This was a simple, quiet yet brilliant film.

The Yi family moves to Arkansas because while Jacob (Steven Yeun) is quiet and keeps his head down, he has dreams as big as the moon: he wishes to be a successful farmer. His wife, Monica (Han Ye-Ri) is less optimistic, fretting that she's not good at her job (separating baby chicks by gender) and worried about her son, David (Alan Kim) who has a heart condition. 

And the struggles are real: the homemade well runs dry, the gusty and unconventional Grandam (the Oscar-winning Youn Yuh-jung) suffers a wretched stroke which leaves half of her body paralyzed and then, just when things get better, the barn full of crops burns down. 

While the plot may be simple, the acting is great, with multiple dimensional characters, with flaws that you both sympathize with and scold them for the actions at the same time, such as Jacob adores his son, but still threatens him with a stick. And David starts out with hating his grandma, then likes her and after the stroke, starts to hate her again. The children want desperately to fit in while there is thinly veiled racism all around them. And Monica and Jacob are a real couple as they love each other but want different things; however they can't live without each other. When the barn burns, Monica is the one who sobs even though it is Jacob's dream going up in smoke. It's something subtle that other screen plays lack. And though the film isn't perfect (do the kids ever go to school?), it is brilliant nevertheless. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Will Patton is great as Paul, the oddly religious farmhand who carries a cross as his church.

-The Grandma, Soonja, is hilarious, and certainly not the traditional, cookie cutter grandmother as she doesn't bake cookies and fees David some weird tea so he won't wet the bed anymore. 

-Soonja also steals from the offering dish at the church, yet she believes that a spirit resides in her dresser. 

-Sexing chickens has got to be one of the worst jobs. And apparently, the male chickens are burned because they are useless, which is just so sad. 

-Minari is a plant that Soonja plants in the creek so everyone can have access to it.

-While the ending might be up in the air, I hope the Yis get every happiness they deserve. 

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)

 The plot of this film was excellent though the character development was beyond weak.

Jane Fonda earns her first Oscar nomination for her indefatigable Gloria Beatty, hellbent on winning a dance marathon. Focusing on the dance marathons that apparently swept the country during the Great Depression, these pushed people to the limits forcing them to move until they dropped (quite literally). How the amount of couples survived as long as they did is beyond me as it appears that you only got a ten minute break every two hours but still the marathon continued for at least a month and a half. 

Now of course Gloria has a dance partner and that is last minute fill-in, Robert Syverton (the attractive Michael Sarrazin) and in what appear to be flashbacks, he's served time in prison (this twist shook me) but you barely get to know either of them, literally nothing more than their hometowns and Gloria's dashed dreams of being an actress. We don't know what Robert did for a living. Some of the supporting characters are even more developed. 

Gloria goes through three different partners over the course of the film, one of whom literally dies on her during the wretched and inhumane sprints, and then she finds out that everything's a lie. If you win, they  deduct the expenses from the winning total. And that must be some total as the contestants are fed seven times a day, and there is the music to consider, almost always a live band is on hand. Still, it makes no sense as the contestants get sponsorships and tickets and concessions are sold daily. So Gloria quits the contest and I don't blame her as the whole thing is rigged and when she asks Robert to shoot her, he obliges. So the scenes I thought were flashbacks are actually flash forwards which gave the film some much needed spark. 

While this film had a great premise and excellent acting and though I hate remakes, I feel that this would have worked better as a mini series so we could truly know the characters and get tons more development as the film suffered mightily because of it. However, the set (the dance floor) was great and the twist clever. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-There are two excellent supporting characters: Gig Young as the MC with whom Gloria has a checkered (albeit unknown) past. He also tries to liven up the marathon unnecessarily and asks Robert and Gloria to get married so the crowd has something else to root for. Susannah York is great as the British actress who has a breakdown after Red Button's sailor suffers a fatal heart attack though the MC refuses to admit it to the fellow dancers or the audience but it's obvious.

-Another great supporting couple is Bruce Dern and Bonnie Bedelia as married couple James and Ruby. She's pregnant but powers through everything. She's also far more naïve and doesn't even know how pregnant she is when asked. 

-Crazy as it seems, some of the dancers get discovered by Hollywood and actually get a true career out of the whole thing. 

-I have no idea how it is possible for these dancers to sleep standing up.  

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

 This happens to be my dad's favorite films, but it is certainly not mine despite being a masterpiece.

Essentially a two person drama, this film explores tons of subjects still only hinted at in 1969, though it was given an X rating though it seems relatively tame by today's standards. Joe Buck (Jon Voight) doesn't realize until the end of the film that he's no hustler though he desperately wants to be, leaving his small town Texas. It is only through flashbacks when you realize that not only was he likely sexually abused (though by whom it's unclear) as a child and then raped his girlfriend, as it is heavily implied. Still, he seems to be a good guy (at least until toward the end) and compared to Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman), he actually has morals. Ratso is a mess, suffering from a cough that never goes away and has a limp. He steals, just enough to get by as they live in a condemned building with no heat or electricity. 

Just when Joe's life finally makes sense again, Ratso takes a turn for the worst so Joe robs and gags a nice old man, still struggling with his sexuality just as Joe appears to be doing. But when Ratso dies en route to Miami, Joe saves his dignity by putting his arm around him so they can finish the journey together. 

Now, there are tons of flashbacks, trying to truly delve into the mind of Joe Buck. Joe is meant to be the main character, and yet, I feel that you manage to learn more about Ratso and Hoffman's performance is certainly the one you can't take your eyes off of, though Voight is no slouch. Sylvia Miles is brilliant in her small cameo as Cass who is Joe's first mark, though he turns out to be just another one of hers. However, the set is also a true character as you feel as though you are really in an abandoned building, not one that was created on a sound stage and there are a variety of real characters, so despite the jumbled flashbacks, this film is superb. Grade: A

Side Notes:

-The term Joe uses for homosexual is outdated and unacceptable, but the fact that it was said showed just how much Hollywood changed in a few short years.

-During Joe's sex scene with Sylvia Miles, there are some bizarre shows on the TV.

-The scattered amount of times Ratso covers when he coughs just disgusts me, especially given the pandemic. 

-The scene where the mother and son play around with a mouse (unclear if its real or fake) is just plain disturbing. 

Howard's End (1992)

 Despite the brilliant performances, I found this film lacking, skipping between scenes with nothing connecting them. 

The characters were connected as they would only in Dickens novels or others from the pre-WWII era.  Emma Thompson shines as Margaret Schlegel, the eldest, practical sister with her smart, sensible younger brother, Tibby (Adrian Ross Magenty) and high-strung but well-meaning sister, Helen (Helena Bonham Carter). Before the film started, Margaret befriend the matriach of the Wilcox family, Ruth (the regal Vanessa Redgrave) and Helen had a torrid albeit brief affair with the calm Wilcox son, Paul (Joseph Bennett). And then as the film unravels, Ruth and Margaret befriend each other despite Ruth's failing health. After her death, there is the debate over who should inherit Ruth's family home and against all odds, Margaret falls in love with Ruth's widower, Henry (Anthony Hopkins) though they have different philosophies. On the other hand, there are the Basts, who are poor, working class though Leonard Bast (Samuel West) has a creative and imaginative mind. 

Things don't get interesting until Leonard and Helen have a one afternoon stand and she becomes pregnant (as that always happens in Hollywood films) and the marriage between Henry and Margaret disintegrates before our very eyes. 

Everything works out in the end. The hot-headed Charles Wilcox (James Wilby) kills Leonard for him knocking up Helen (though he didn't even know) but is charged with manslaughter and Margaret gets Ruth's family home (the titular Howard's End). 

Still, despite the brilliant performances and the fact that Bonham Carter was robbed of a supporting Actress nomination at the Oscars, the film is just too dis-jointed at the beginning, skipping around between scenes so quickly, almost like little connected vignettes. It's a shame as the characters were perfectly cast and the cinematography and set design were utterly brilliant. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Margaret deserves far better than Henry. He had a mistress (in such a ridiculous plot twist) which happens to be Jacky Bast (Nicola Duffett). She forgives him rather quickly. I wouldn't have been that forgiven. 

-There is always that double-standard. Men can sleep around (provided they don't impregnate the woman) while women cannot.