Dirigible (1931), The Black Dahlia (2006), Kitchen Stories (2003), Stagecoach (1939)

Dirigible

There was a period in his rising carer in which Frank Capra was best known as a director of 'action films', Dirigible being the most commercially successful of these. The film stars Ralph Graves and Jack Holt (Capra's preferred leading mean of the time) as  "Frisky" Pierce and Jack Bradon respectively. "Frisky" and Jack are old friends and genial rivals who have each carved out a nitch for themselves in the U.S. Navy, with "Frisky" appropriately a dare devil pilot, and Jack the premier captain and champion of the nations small airship 'fleet'. Famed explorer Louis Rondelle (Hobart Bosworth) is about to attempt another of his multiple attempts to reach the south pool and Rear Admiral John S. Martin (Emmett Corrigan) decides it would be great PR (if logically confusing) to attempt this feat with the aid of a big blimp. At first "Frisky" is to accompany Jack, but as a favor to the formers worried wife (Fay Wray), Jack drops "Frisky" from the expedition without explanation ,thus rather off putting "Frisky" Pierce. The Zeppelin doesn't make it, for some reason it falls apart in a storm on the way there, everybody survives however so famed explorer Louis Rondelle chooses to make his next effort with Pierce. That expedition is also ill fated, and Rondelle, Pierce and a small group get stranded in the Antarctic, with who better then Dirigible dean Jack Bradon to mount a rescue. Sure it costs some people there lives, and probably millions of dollars, but at least the frostbitten misadventure convinces dare devil Pierce to cool down (rim shot) and spend more time with his worry full wife. The scenes of the blimp fiasco are interesting if a little hard to interpret, and the arctic sequences work in there way, but mostly this is just a pleasant if dull outing. Fair

The Black Dahlia

Brian De Palma is a director I know from reputation rather then from his work, in fact this is the first of his films that I've seen. To be honest at first I had a hard time getting over the set design, the seemingly forced period references, and archetypal dialogue, the very conscious use of genera conventions, but I should have trusted the source material as coming from James Ellory if nothing else. This is a genera picture, it is an homage, to the actually Black Dahlia killing the film fictionalizes among other things. Accepting this one can really get into the narrative, and the film making, and the characters, who are types, but multi-faceted. Strong cast with Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart, and a crazy Hillary Swank. Though its not as good as LA Confidential it dose superbly captures the same heightenedly seamy grove, motoring relentlessly through a nourish, psychological maze, quite satisfying, even Great.

Kitchen Stories

In the 1950's a team of Swedish scientists went to live with single Norwegian men to monitor their use of kitchen space so as to design a kitchen for optimal efficiency. As part of the study rules the researchers and their subjects are never suppose to talk to each other, but two of them do and become good friends. I appreciate the idea of this movie, it sounded cute, but its mostly very slow and understated, pleasant, but weak, like watered down lemonade. To well done to be poor, but not more then Fair.

Stagecoach

I'm kind of ashamed I hadn't seen this till now, its essential film literacy viewing. Stagecoach sums up the western in one film, and with John Ford directing to boot. Iconic Monument Valley, Indians on the war path, outlaws, saloon girls, innocents, honest men and heels, it even has John Wayne (this is the movie generally credited with making him a star). Obviously adapted from The Outcasts of Poker Flat, the story concerns a diverse group of characters thrust together on a stagecoach trying to make it to safety ahead of Geronimo's forces. From the drunken doctor, to the honest Marshell, the good hearted saloon girl, the faithful officers wife, the gentlemanly card shark, the crooked banker, and on through the noble outlaw, its a showcase of western types lovingly and expertly portraid. It didn't set me on fire, but its solid, and an indisputable part of the cannon. Good

Take Shelter (2011), The Usual Suspects (1995), H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds (2005)

Take Shelter

I've long thought that Michael Shannon was an interesting actor and have wanted to see him in a lead role, also that Jessica Chastain is intriguing and surprisingly omnipresent all of a sudden, so I thought I'd watch this movie. Having seen it now I'm surprised at the extent of its critical praise, it just didn't quite come together for me. The apocalyptic overtones in addition to the cast drew me, but I felt the film never quite settled on what it wanted to be. This is at least partially appropriate in that Shannon's character is never quite sure what he is experiencing, is it mental illness, prophetic intimations of impending disaster, or just a big metaphor about wanting to protect his family? At little of each? I often like slow films, as well as movies that don't spell everything out for you so you must draw your own conclusions, but this one was just not quite satisfying, it never gave you quite enough, it felt like they were almost there, but never quite made it to the promised land. The performances here are better then the material. Fair  

The Usual Suspects

My first memories relating to this film go back to 1995. My grandfather was visiting us for a time that summer and was to sleep in my room, as a consequence I was to sleep in a roll away bed in my brothers room. It was the first or second night and while my brother feel asleep easily I did not, and ended up spending most of the night listing to the audio for the local ABC affiliate that was then available over the radio (I think I finally feel asleep during Agribusiness Weekly). I must have heard the World New Now review for The Usual Suspects three times, and was quite intrigued, much more intrigued then I was about the other film reviewed that night, The Babysitters Club. It's a bit of a surprise that I didn't see this movie until now, though I'd had a couple of opportunities. This is a signature piece of 90's crime and paranoia cinema, with a great cast, and an intriguing conceit. Gabriel Byrne is ever a woundedly noble presence, and Kevin Spacey in ever a showy part. Not Seven, but I'll still round it to Great.

H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds For nearly two decades I've thought that they should do a movie of H.G. Well's The War of the Worlds in its original Victorian England setting. That's what I thought this movie would be, and it was not. Instead its yet another contemporary adaptation, and while structurally more faithful to the original narrative then the Spielberg version that came out that same year, it is in every way an inferior production. The budget very minimal, the special effects 90's Sci-Fi Channel quality, the acting, consistently very, even amature bad. The prolonged theological musings and faith crises of the distressed (and for some reason Australian) minister are not interesting, I guess their suppose to be deep or a commentary on Evangelicalism, or something, but they're junk. The movie is overfull of badly realized coincidences, lead C. Thomas Howell's a blank slate, and this alien corpse at the end is so bad, it's just foam padding from a child's gym and some string, I half expected the movies characters to recognize it as such. Just awful. Poor I just learned that another adaption released under the same name and in the same year was actually set in the 1890's, but apparently that movie is quite poor as well.

Seven (1995), The Battle of the River Plate (1956), Game Change (2012)

Seven

A fine example of the 1990's Paranoia film (see also: Conspiracy Theory, Twelve Monkeys, The Usual Suspects, Enemy of the State, The X-Files, ect.). David Mills (Brad Pitt) is a determined and vaguely agitated young detective who has transferred into the homicide squad of an Urban hell of a community, he is partnered with older detective William R. Somerset (Morgan Freeman), a methodical, well read, and quasi-detached fellow on the verge of retirement. The two stumble into the web of a serial killer who is carrying out murders based on each of the iconic Seven Deadly Sins. Mills and Somerset grate against each other at first, but bond in there resolve to take the psycho down. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Mills fetching young wife.

This is an early David Fincher film and it comes fully formed in his signature style and aesthetic, the feel of  the oily wallpaper is almost tangible. The gritty nature of the city and a brief reference about Mills transferring in from "up state" made me at first think the setting was New York (but as a Homicide fan I could also see it being Baltimore). However the climax of the film takes place in a nearby dessert, a rather California feeling one. The sense of disconnect between the eastern seaboard vib of the city, and the near bleached quality of the boardering desert convinces me that the setting is suppose to be a no- place place, much as the villain turns out to be a no- man, man. Creepy, engaging, very well made. I'd even call it Great.


The Battle of the River Plate

Late entry in the Powell/Pressburger cannon, and one of the weaker ones. The Battle of the River Plate is remembered, when it is remembered at all, as the only battle of the Second World War to occur off the coast of South America. The German 'pocket battelship' Graf Spee was having a heck of a spree downing British navel vessels as it criss-crossesd the Atlantic. Eventually the ships method of being relayed attack co-ordinates is deciphered (via the racing pages of Latian American newspapers) and a small armada of British ships attack the vessel, forcing it to limp into the harbor of then neutral Montevideo for repairs. A rather extensive portion of the film is devoted to diplomatic fights over the warships statues in a neutral country, and people trying to figure out what it's stoic Captain Hans Langsdorff (Peter Finch) will do when it comes time to leave port.

The film is quite slow and feels long, the build up to the initial battle is interminable and hardly counts as a build up, the wait for the second quote- unquote "battle" proves this movie to be mostly about waiting, and for something that's not that satisfying. The characters, almost entirely male, are cardboard officers club sorts, and though the story is based on a true one the people in it are among the most flat ever rendered on the British screen, and that's saying something. The villains in this film aren't Nazi's, there just Germans, we get no sense of the ideological element, or point of the war, both sides respect each other and play war as gentleman's cricket. This is fitting with P & P's long standing depiction of the the 'good' or 'sympathetic' German in their war pictures, but perhaps its taken a little far hear. Kind of boring, I can't bring myself to call it poor, so how about Fair.


Game Change

HBO movie adapted from the McCain/Palin portions of the book by the same title written by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. I've read the book and this is a very straight forward adaptation of the material there in. The likes of Palin and McCain downplay the movie as well as the book and say that its not accurate, but I have a sinking suspicion that it mostly is. I didn't think McCain came off that bad, for a politician, but the portrait of Sarah Palin's not a flattering one. Julianne Moore is spot on as Palin, picking up the mantel from Tina Fey, of course the former plays her more serious but given the part is also funny. Much as I remember my reaction to her in 2008, Palin here gives off a great first impression, followed by steadily mounting concern. This is even played as a bit of a horror movie, a 'what hath McCain wrought' on the Republican party. Palin's notoriety has largely run its course by now, but she seems pretty committed to keeping her brand out there, even if its just for the merchandising. Good


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