Compact Film Reviews 61-70

BEFORE DAVID BEGAN WRITING FULL-FLEDGED FILM CRITIQUES, HE CRAFTED BRIEF CAPSULE REVIEWS—HERE ARE NUMBERS 61 THROUGH 70

 

61. Of Mice and Men (1939)

Adapted from John Steinbeck’s classic novel, Of Mice and Men delivers as an equally classic film. Burgess Meredith and Lon Chaney Jr. deliver top-notch performances in this well-written, well-directed work. A true American tragedy, the story follows a pair of drifters trying to survive during the Great Depression. Mr. Meredith’s hard-bitten, streetwise George Milton reveals an underlying tenderness in the way he tries to protect his traveling partner, the physically strong but mentally slow Lennie Small. With nary a wasted word, the film moves sure-handedly from first scene to last, a sequence of events careering toward an increasingly inevitable—though unjust, and even unnecessary—conclusion. Highly recommended.

****½ (out of *****) 

1939 • 106 MINUTES
United Artists • Hal Roach Studios

STARRING
• Burgess Meredith, Betty Field, Lon Chaney Jr.

ALSO STARRING
• Charles Bickford, Roman Bohnen, Bob Steele, Noah Beery Jr.

WRITTEN BY
• Eugene Solow (Screen Play)
• John Steinbeck (By)

DIRECTED BY
• Lewis Milestone

1939 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS (4)
• Best Picture (Lost to Gone with the Wind)
* Best Music Scoring (Lost to Stagecoach)
• Best Original Score (Lost to The Wizard of Oz)
• Best sound Recording (Lost to When Tomorrow Comes)

62. The Blue Dahlia (1946)

Mostly good acting and some intelligent writing bolster this Raymond Chandler film noir, starring Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, William Bendix, and Howard Da Silva. At the same time, several coincidences in the plot and a late rewrite to change the identity of the murderer work to undermine the overall story. Stylish and occasionally smart, good but not great.

**¾ (out of *****)








1946 • 96 MINUTES
Paramount Pictures

STARRING
• Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, William Bendix

ALSO STARRING
• Howard Da Silva, Doris Dowling, Tom Powers, Frank Faylen

WRITTEN BY
• Raymond Chandler

DIRECTED BY
• George Marshall

1946 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS (1)
• Best Original Screenplay (Lost to The Seventh Veil)

63. Fame (1980)

An interesting story that follows the travails of several students on their journeys through New York City’s Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Edited very tightly and eschewing excess dialogue, the teens’ stories engage the audience, providing both surprising and moving moments. The first film to have two songs nominated for Academy Awards, Fame does not disappoint musically, with fine, fun dance numbers.

***¼ (out of *****)








1980 • 134 MINUTES
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

STARRING
• Eddie Barth, Irene Cara, Lee Curreri, Laura Dean, Antonia Franceschi, Boyd Gaines, Albert Hague, Tresa Hughes, Steve Inwood, Paul McCrane, Anne Meara, Joanna Merlin, Barry Miller, Jim Moody, Gene Anthony Ray, Maureen Teefy

WRITTEN BY
• Christopher Gore

DIRECTED BY
• Alan Parker

1980 ACADEMY AWARDs (2)
• Best Original Song: “Fame”
• Best Original Score

Additional 1980 Academy Award NOMINATIONS (4)
• Best Original Screenplay (lost to Melvin and Howard)
• Best Film Editing (Lost to Raging Bull)
• BEST ORIGINAL SONG: “OUT HERE ON MY OWN” (LOST TO “FAME” FROM FAME)
• BEST SOUND (LOST TO The Empire Strikes Back)

64. Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Inglourious Basterds is Quentin Tarantino’s stylish riff on World War II and the Nazi menace. The film strikes an uneven tone in a couple of parts, with a regrettable lust for violence at certain moments. The overall story, though, about a teen who survives the massacre of her family to arrive at a potential turning point in the war, becomes quite involving. While Brad Pitt is good, Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna and Christoph Waltz as Colonel Landa are both fantastic.

***⅜ (out of *****)






2009 • 153 MINUTES
Universal Pictures • The EINSTEIN Company • A Band Apart • Zehnte Babelsberg Film GmbH

STARRING
• Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger, Mélanie Laurent

GUEST STARRING
• August Diehl, Julie Dreyfus, Sylvester Groth, Jacky Ido, Denis Ménochet, Mike Myers, Rod Taylor, Martin Wuttke

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY
• Quentin Tarantino

2009 ACADEMY AWARDS
• BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: CHRISTOPH WALTZ

ADDITIONAL 2009 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS (7)
• BEST PICTURE (LOST TO The Hurt Locker)
• BEST DIRECTOR: QUENTIN TARANTINO (LOST TO Kathryn Bigelow FOR The Hurt Locker)
• BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY (LOST TO The Hurt Locker)
• BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (LOST TO Avatar)
• BEST FILM EDITING (LOST TO The Hurt Locker)
• BEST SOUND EDITING (LOST TO The Hurt Locker)
• BEST SOUND MIXING (LOST TO The Hurt Locker)

65. Psycho (1960)

While much of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 classic psychological thriller may seem hackneyed now, it represented something fresh half a century ago, and it should be viewed in that context. Anthony Perkins breathes believable life into mama’s boy and creepy voyeur Norman Bates, and Janet Leigh gives a fine performance as the licentious and larcenous Marion Crane. The entire cast delivers, served expertly by both Joseph Stefano’s tight script and Mr. Hitchcock’s tense direction. Bernard Hermann’s intense score—now instantly recognizable—adds yet another perfect element to the mix.

**** (out of *****)


1960 • 109 MINUTES
Paramount Pictures • Shamley Productions

STARRING
• Anthony PERKiNS, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Janet Leigh

ALSO STARRING
• Martin Balsam, John McIntire

WRITTEN BY
• Joseph Stefano (Screenplay)
• Robert Bloch (Based on the novel by)

DIRECTED BY
• Alfred Hitchcock

1960 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS (4)
• Best Supporting Actress: Janet Leigh (Lost to Shirley Jones for Elmer Gantry)
• Best Director: Alfred Hitchcock (Lost to Billy Wilder for Best Picture The Apartment)
• Best B/W Art Direction–Set Decoration (Lost to Best Picture The Apartment)
• Best B/W CINEMATOGRAPHY (Lost to Sons and Lovers)

66. Marnie (1964)

Marnie makes for an interesting psychological study of a frigid woman who makes a habit of assuming false identities in order to gain employment at various companies, from which she then steals substantial sums of money. The script never gives in, keeping the title character—embodied fully and uncompromisingly by Tippi Hedren—a frustrating enigma deep into the film. Sean Connery is fine in his role as both love interest and rescuer. While not Alfred Hitchcock’s finest work, the direction is still measured and tight.

***⅛ (out of *****)





1964 • 130 MINUTES
Universal Pictures

STARRING
• Tippi Hedren, Sean Connery

ALSO STARRING
• Diane Baker, Martin Gabel

WRITTEN BY
• Jay Presson Allen (Screenplay)
• Winston Graham (From the novel by)

DIRECTED BY
• Alfred Hitchcock

NO 1964 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

67. California Suite (1978)

California Suite collects four Neil Simon vignettes set in the Beverly Hills Hotel, with wildly different levels of quality. Michael Caine and Best Actress Maggie Smith shine in their entry, while the pairs of Alan Alda and Jane Fonda, and of Walter Matthau and Elaine May, are merely adequate in theirs. Meanwhile, Bill Cosby and Richard Prior are given an embarrassingly bad farce to navigate. Uneven in the extreme, and really not worth a look.

** (out of *****)






1978 • 103 MINUTES
Columbia Pictures • Rastar

STARRING
• Alan Alda, Michael Caine, Bill Cosby, Jane Fonda, Walter Matthau, Elaine May, Richard Pryor, Maggie Smith

ALSO STARRING
• Herb EDELMAN, Denise Galik, Gloria Gifford, Sheila Frazier

WRITTEN BY
• Neil Simon (Based on his play)

DIRECTED BY
• Herbert Ross

1978 ACADEMY AWARDs (1)
• Best Actress: Maggie Smith

Additional 1978 Academy Award NOMINATIONS (2)
• Best Adapted SCREENPLAY (Lost to Midnight Express)
• Best Art Direction–Set Decoration (Lost to Heaven Can Wait)

68. The Strangers (2008)

The Strangers is a sullen tale of apparently senseless violence perpetrated against a young suburban couple staying at a remote vacation home. Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman are fine, and there are a couple of frightening moments, but there’s nothing really new or necessary. Despite claims of being inspired by actual events, the film seems more exploitive than enlightening, an example of the type of film (and its audience) that 2007’s Funny Games actually rails against. Skip it.

*½ (out of *****)





2008 • 86 MINUTES
Rogue Pictures • Intrepid Pictures • Vertigo Entertainment • Mandate Pictures

STARRING
• Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman

ALSO STARRING
• Kip Weeks, Laura Margolis, Gemma Ward, Glenn Howerton

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY
• Bryan Bertino

NO 2008 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

69. Galaxy Quest (1999)

This send-up of Star Trek and its aficionados contains plenty of laughs, faithfully riffing on the original television series. Though fans are initially depicted as complete misfits, they are in the end treated with a measure of respect and appreciation. The solid cast includes particularly fine performances by Alan Rickman and Sam Rockwell, though Enrico Colantoni’s alien leader outshines them all. Filled with humor, heart, and even a couple of surprises, this film is well worth a look, especially if you know anything about Star Trek.

***½ (out of *****)



1999 • 102 MINUTES
DreamWorks • Gran Via Productions

STARRING
• Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman

ALSO STARRING
• Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Daryl Mitchell

WRITTEN BY
• David Howard and Robert Gordon (Screenplay)
• David Howard (Story)

DIRECTED BY
• Dean Parisot

NO 1999 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

70. Away We Go (2009)

Away We Go is a pleasant enough film, mildly humorous, but I really wanted to like it more than I did. John Krasinski does a good job, bringing a geniality and likability to his character, and Maya Rudolph turns in a remarkably fine performance in her first major role. The problem lies in the parade of dysfunctional characters whose lives they run through; while occasionally comedic, the deliberate quirkiness feels contrived and undermines the reality of the story. The usually reliable Sam Mendes, director of 1999 Best Picture American Beauty, lacks the right touch here, not quite able to balance out the light and heavy moments of the main characters’ journeys. Not really bad, but not particularly good either.

**¾ (out of *****)

2009 • 98 MINUTES
Focus Features • Edward Saxon Productions • Big Beach Films • 
Neal Street Productions

STARRING
• John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph

ALSO STARRING
• Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney, Chris Messina, Catherine O’Hara, Paul Schneider

WRITTEN BY
• Dave Eggers & Vendela Vida

DIRECTED BY
• Sam Mendes

NO 2009 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS