Saturday, November 29, 2014
PT 109 (1963)
The movie PT 109 released in June of 1963 holds the distinction of being the first commercial theatrical film about a sitting United States President released while he was still in office, this was not to happen again until W in 2008, or arguably Primary Color in 1998. Based on the 1961 book PT 109: John F. Kennedy in World War II, PT 109 tells the story of future president John F. Kennedy and his command of the titular PT Boat in the Solomon Islands in 1943, and how he was able to save the majority of his crew when there boat was accidently rammed at night by a Japanese ship. Kennedy's was an impressive accomplishment here, and arguably a major source of the back problems that would afflict him for the rest of his life, this movie however is a rather dull affair that boarders on hagiography. Cliff Robertson was personally selected by the president to play his younger self, and he gives us a John Kennedy with very little personality and whose supposed charisma seems a bluff, which is too bad because Robertson is capable of doing better, the script and excessive reverence for his subject limited his performance here. Still the film is watchable and interesting as an artifact of its time. I did enjoy James Gregory and Robert Culp in supporting parts. **1/2
Friday, November 28, 2014
Fury (2014)
In the weeks before my father died the previews for Fury started showing on television and you tell in his eyes that my dad was interested. Now my dad would only go to see a movie in the theater maybe once or twice a year, but you could generally tell when something had caught his eye and that he would soon gather the family up to go the theater, this was one such occasion. Sadly my father passed away before he had a chance to see Fury, so about a week ago my mother, my sister and I went and saw it for him.
I think my dad would have loved this movie, though it took me a little while to get into it, Fury will now always hold a special place in my heart. That is kind of weird in that this is a violent and often profane film, but I think it captures something of how war must be, especially one was savage as the second world war, and perhaps especially towards the end. Fury follows roughly 24 hours in the experience of an American tank crew in Germany in April of 1945, just before the end of the war. The characters are not always the most likable, especially at first, but they grow on you, and are played by a great assortment of actors including Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Bernthal and Michael Pena. Logan Lerman ably grounds the film as the audiences surrogate character, the newest member of the tank crew, a fresh recruit just come from the states. There are some good character moments for everyone involved, most notably an extended interlude with some German woman, and several really good action sequences in this movie .This is also the film that finally put writer/director David Ayer on my cinematic radar screen. A strong war movie with pathos and character, and one that would have appealed to my father. ***1/2
I think my dad would have loved this movie, though it took me a little while to get into it, Fury will now always hold a special place in my heart. That is kind of weird in that this is a violent and often profane film, but I think it captures something of how war must be, especially one was savage as the second world war, and perhaps especially towards the end. Fury follows roughly 24 hours in the experience of an American tank crew in Germany in April of 1945, just before the end of the war. The characters are not always the most likable, especially at first, but they grow on you, and are played by a great assortment of actors including Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Bernthal and Michael Pena. Logan Lerman ably grounds the film as the audiences surrogate character, the newest member of the tank crew, a fresh recruit just come from the states. There are some good character moments for everyone involved, most notably an extended interlude with some German woman, and several really good action sequences in this movie .This is also the film that finally put writer/director David Ayer on my cinematic radar screen. A strong war movie with pathos and character, and one that would have appealed to my father. ***1/2
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
The Hunger Games (2012)
Well I finally saw it. The movie that made Jennifer Lawrence a household name and launched a tremendously successful franchise, The Hunger Games is adapted from the first volume in author Suzanne Collins young adult dystopian trilogy, one that was shrewdly divided into four money making parts by Hollywood. Lawrence is Katniss Everdeen, a young woman who circumstances more or less force into participating n the titular reality TV/ gladiatorial battle to the death hybrid that the oppressive government of Panem uses to commemorate their subjugation of "12 districts" in a North America of say a 100-120 years in the future. Well executed and grounded by Lawrence's performance the film is arguably more engaging then it deserves to be, slightly smarter then the usual popcorn fair. I was not blown away, but I was suitably impressed and look forward to seeing the future films in this series. After Divergent I fear I'm developing a slight weakness for this kind of film. ***
Monday, November 24, 2014
Sita Sings the Blues (2008)
This clever animated film tells one of the better known stories from Hindu scripture, the Ramyana's tale of the beautiful princess Sita and her long, often difficult relationship with the prince (later king) Rama, the seventh avatar of the God Vishnu (their marital problems mostly relate to a rigid sense of decorum and unfounded suspension). The story is told in a variety of animation styles, often collaged together and ranging from shadow figures, to moving icons, to squiggly lined figures, to flash style animation. This is all the more impressive in that the whole thing was animated almost entirely(the exception being some of the battle sequences) by one person, animator, writer, producer, director, and voice actress Nina Paley. The movie also features a parallel story about Paley's breakup with a former lover, a breakup that seemingly inspired her interest in Sita's sad tale of unmet devotion. This film also boasts fun musical numbers animated in sync to old Annette Hanshaw blues recordings from the 1920's.
This film has real spunk, creativity, and even freshness to it, though the story it tells is thousands of years old. The late Roger Ebert said of this film: "I am enchanted. I am swept away. I am smiling from one end of the film to the other. It is astonishingly original. It brings together four entirely separate elements and combines them into a great whimsical chord... To get any film made is a miracle. To conceive of a film like this is a greater miracle."[27 I concur with Mr. Ebert here, although the film is about 'the blues' its a joyous thing to watch, though maybe boarder line appropriate for kids. ***
This film has real spunk, creativity, and even freshness to it, though the story it tells is thousands of years old. The late Roger Ebert said of this film: "I am enchanted. I am swept away. I am smiling from one end of the film to the other. It is astonishingly original. It brings together four entirely separate elements and combines them into a great whimsical chord... To get any film made is a miracle. To conceive of a film like this is a greater miracle."[27 I concur with Mr. Ebert here, although the film is about 'the blues' its a joyous thing to watch, though maybe boarder line appropriate for kids. ***
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Call Her Savage (1932)
Silent screen "It Girl" Clara Bow made only a handful of 'talking pictures', the most famous of which is arguably this pre-code gem. Sometimes the plot of a movie is just so crazy that I can't think of anything better to say in a review then just summarize the plot. This movies only ninety minutes or so long, but they cram a whole lot of outrageousness into that brief run time, I'll try to summarize as quickly as I can.
Late nineteenth century wagon train. Wagon master having an affair lady in the group, even though his own wife and daughter are in the train as well. Old timer thinks wagon masters behavior will bring God's rather on the group. Indians attack the wagon train. Before he dies old timer warns wagon master that the sins of the father will be visited on the next 3-4 generations'. Wagon master laughs this off.
18 years later wagon masters daughter has married an ambitious young man who is away from home a lot trying to make his fortune in the railway business. While husband is away wife has an affair with an Indian prince, baby conceived, when born baby girl doesn't look Indian so wife never tells husband who raises girl as his own.
18 or so years later again (chronology in this film doesn't seem to add up by the way, they go from wagon trains to the 1930's in about 40 years). Nasa Springer (the baby from earlier) has grown into a wild young woman (Bow) who lives on Texas ranch with parents. Father sends Nasa to finishing school in Chicago, planes to marry her off to son of business associate. Two years later Nasa graduates from school, has become local tabloid fodder as wild girl "Dynamite Springer", does not want to marry dad's business associates son, so she elopes with playboy from prominent banking family. Father more-or-less disowns daughter.
For reasons not really explained Nasa and husband don't live together, husband off on business ventures, wife lives lavishly off allowance, parties a lot, appears to have affairs. Nasa gets visit from lawyer, husband sick, dying in New Orleans, wants to see her. Nasa goes to visit husband in private hospital, husband has gone crazy, tries to rape Nasa. Nasa, takes little money she has an moves into tenement house in New Orleans, is pregnant with unknown mans baby. Nasa has baby and takes him home to tenement house to live.
Some time later Nasa running low on money, reluctantly decides she must work as a prostitute to live. Nasa goes out to solicit work, leaves son in care of young girl, maybe 10 or 12 in the tenement house while she goes out. While Nasa is out successfully landing a customers, child molester who is after the babysitter accidently sets fire to tenement house, son suffocates to death. Nasa arrives back at burnt tenement house just as half Indian boyhood friend arrives to tell her that her grandfather (presumably the wagon master from earlier) has died and left her hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Nasa presumably morns baby, this would have had to happen between shots, divorces husband, takes new money and moves to New York City. Nasa hires young man to show her the town, the two start to fall in love, Nasa discovers young man is actually the son of another millionaire, this one in the mining industry. Mining heir tells skeptical father he wants to marry Nasa, father tells son Nasa is no good, has shady past, but aggress to have her over for dinner. Boyfriends father invites Nasa's now ex-husband and his new wife to dinner, fight ensues, young man breaks off engagement.
Nasa depressed, seems she plans to drink herself to death, but gets message that her mother is dying in Texas. Nasa goes to Texas, she tells her daughter who her real father was, Nasa gets more information on her biological father from half Indian friend, turns out he committed suicide over Nasa's mother many years ago. Nasa tells half Indian friend that they are both half casts, and now her crazy life makes more sense somehow. Movie ends.
I told you, a pretty crazy flick. **
Late nineteenth century wagon train. Wagon master having an affair lady in the group, even though his own wife and daughter are in the train as well. Old timer thinks wagon masters behavior will bring God's rather on the group. Indians attack the wagon train. Before he dies old timer warns wagon master that the sins of the father will be visited on the next 3-4 generations'. Wagon master laughs this off.
18 years later wagon masters daughter has married an ambitious young man who is away from home a lot trying to make his fortune in the railway business. While husband is away wife has an affair with an Indian prince, baby conceived, when born baby girl doesn't look Indian so wife never tells husband who raises girl as his own.
18 or so years later again (chronology in this film doesn't seem to add up by the way, they go from wagon trains to the 1930's in about 40 years). Nasa Springer (the baby from earlier) has grown into a wild young woman (Bow) who lives on Texas ranch with parents. Father sends Nasa to finishing school in Chicago, planes to marry her off to son of business associate. Two years later Nasa graduates from school, has become local tabloid fodder as wild girl "Dynamite Springer", does not want to marry dad's business associates son, so she elopes with playboy from prominent banking family. Father more-or-less disowns daughter.
For reasons not really explained Nasa and husband don't live together, husband off on business ventures, wife lives lavishly off allowance, parties a lot, appears to have affairs. Nasa gets visit from lawyer, husband sick, dying in New Orleans, wants to see her. Nasa goes to visit husband in private hospital, husband has gone crazy, tries to rape Nasa. Nasa, takes little money she has an moves into tenement house in New Orleans, is pregnant with unknown mans baby. Nasa has baby and takes him home to tenement house to live.
Some time later Nasa running low on money, reluctantly decides she must work as a prostitute to live. Nasa goes out to solicit work, leaves son in care of young girl, maybe 10 or 12 in the tenement house while she goes out. While Nasa is out successfully landing a customers, child molester who is after the babysitter accidently sets fire to tenement house, son suffocates to death. Nasa arrives back at burnt tenement house just as half Indian boyhood friend arrives to tell her that her grandfather (presumably the wagon master from earlier) has died and left her hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Nasa presumably morns baby, this would have had to happen between shots, divorces husband, takes new money and moves to New York City. Nasa hires young man to show her the town, the two start to fall in love, Nasa discovers young man is actually the son of another millionaire, this one in the mining industry. Mining heir tells skeptical father he wants to marry Nasa, father tells son Nasa is no good, has shady past, but aggress to have her over for dinner. Boyfriends father invites Nasa's now ex-husband and his new wife to dinner, fight ensues, young man breaks off engagement.
Nasa depressed, seems she plans to drink herself to death, but gets message that her mother is dying in Texas. Nasa goes to Texas, she tells her daughter who her real father was, Nasa gets more information on her biological father from half Indian friend, turns out he committed suicide over Nasa's mother many years ago. Nasa tells half Indian friend that they are both half casts, and now her crazy life makes more sense somehow. Movie ends.
I told you, a pretty crazy flick. **
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Keeper of the Flame (1942)
Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn's second film paring is not one of their better known, in part because it's not a romance film, at least not in any traditional sense. Keeper of the Flame is adapted (by Donald Ogden Stewart no less) from the novel of the same name by I. A. R. Wylie. It's a very topical story and kind of an odd one to have been produced during the United States involvement in the Second World War. I say its kind of odd because its a rather self-critical film when it comes to the American people, its a warning that fascism could happen here.
The story, which is set in the months of September and October 1941, just before American involvement in the war, concerns the death of American war hero, civic leader and millionair Robert Forrest, a beloved figure who accidently drove his car off a bridge that was washed out in a storm. Tracy plays Steven O'Malley, a dogged and well respected war correspond who looked up to Forrest, and upon hearing the news of his death quickly returned home to the United States with the intention of writing a glowing biography of the man, so that the deceased famed spirit of patriotism might live on. O'Malley tries to enlist the help of Forrest's reclusive widow Christine Forrest (Hepburn) in his efforts to write the mans life story, at first she demurs, but Robert's right hand man and personal assistant Clive Kerndon (Richard Whorf) manages to persuade her to cooperate, feeling that a book on Forrest by O'Malley would be of great service to Robert's legacy.
O'Malley starts on his book, is given access to Forrest's mountain estate, but quickly begins to feel that something about Forrest and his death is being covered up. He investigates, and starts to think that Mrs. Forrest may have been having an affair, and may have been more directly involved in her husbands death then she lets on. The truth of the matter is not what O'Malley at first suspects but turns out to be worse, Forrest had become a fascist, and was plotting to use his influence to bring about a fascist cue, and while his death was (for the most part) in fact an accident, it was one that Christine could have prevented as she, unlike her husband, was aware that the bridge had been washed out in the storm.
Keeper of the Flame is a wonderfully atmospheric film, it's rather reminiscent of the Hitchcock classic Rebecca, as both films are about a new comer to an isolated estate uncovering the hushed up legacy of its owners dead spouse. There's also a bit of Citizen Kane here too, a reporter investigating the life of a famous man who died under mysterious circumstances. Keeper of the Flame however is not up to par with those other films, even the movies very capable director George Cukor wasn't satisfied with it, to quote him about it on Wikipedia:
"Cukor himself was highly dissatisfied by the film. "I suspect the story was basically fraudulent," he told an interviewer.[68] Like many critics, he felt that "as a piece of storytelling, the unfolding of a mystery, the first half of Keeper of the Flame is a damn good show", but the rest of the film had substantial problems. He praised Spencer Tracy's work, saying: "Tracy ... was at his best in the picture. Subdued, cool, he conveyed the ruthlessness of the reporter sent to investigate Forrest's death without seeming to try. He was ideally cast in the role, grimly and skeptically exploring the secret of the dead boys' club hero who was in fact a rampant fascist."[69] <> Overall, though, Cukor felt the film was leaden, and that it had "a wax work quality".[68] Even screenwriter Stewart eventually came to feel the film was "tedious, wooden, and heavy-handed".[11]"
None the less I still feel that this is a good film, particularly interesting as an artifact of its time. Looking at it now I couldn't help but think of Forrest as a stand-in for Charles Lindbergh, another "boys club hero" beloved of his countrymen, with supposed fascist leanings, and who could quite easily have been elected President of the United States, though maybe that's just Philip Roth's The Plot Against America intruding on my thoughts. Warts and all though Keeper of the Flame still earns ***
The story, which is set in the months of September and October 1941, just before American involvement in the war, concerns the death of American war hero, civic leader and millionair Robert Forrest, a beloved figure who accidently drove his car off a bridge that was washed out in a storm. Tracy plays Steven O'Malley, a dogged and well respected war correspond who looked up to Forrest, and upon hearing the news of his death quickly returned home to the United States with the intention of writing a glowing biography of the man, so that the deceased famed spirit of patriotism might live on. O'Malley tries to enlist the help of Forrest's reclusive widow Christine Forrest (Hepburn) in his efforts to write the mans life story, at first she demurs, but Robert's right hand man and personal assistant Clive Kerndon (Richard Whorf) manages to persuade her to cooperate, feeling that a book on Forrest by O'Malley would be of great service to Robert's legacy.
O'Malley starts on his book, is given access to Forrest's mountain estate, but quickly begins to feel that something about Forrest and his death is being covered up. He investigates, and starts to think that Mrs. Forrest may have been having an affair, and may have been more directly involved in her husbands death then she lets on. The truth of the matter is not what O'Malley at first suspects but turns out to be worse, Forrest had become a fascist, and was plotting to use his influence to bring about a fascist cue, and while his death was (for the most part) in fact an accident, it was one that Christine could have prevented as she, unlike her husband, was aware that the bridge had been washed out in the storm.
Keeper of the Flame is a wonderfully atmospheric film, it's rather reminiscent of the Hitchcock classic Rebecca, as both films are about a new comer to an isolated estate uncovering the hushed up legacy of its owners dead spouse. There's also a bit of Citizen Kane here too, a reporter investigating the life of a famous man who died under mysterious circumstances. Keeper of the Flame however is not up to par with those other films, even the movies very capable director George Cukor wasn't satisfied with it, to quote him about it on Wikipedia:
"Cukor himself was highly dissatisfied by the film. "I suspect the story was basically fraudulent," he told an interviewer.[68] Like many critics, he felt that "as a piece of storytelling, the unfolding of a mystery, the first half of Keeper of the Flame is a damn good show", but the rest of the film had substantial problems. He praised Spencer Tracy's work, saying: "Tracy ... was at his best in the picture. Subdued, cool, he conveyed the ruthlessness of the reporter sent to investigate Forrest's death without seeming to try. He was ideally cast in the role, grimly and skeptically exploring the secret of the dead boys' club hero who was in fact a rampant fascist."[69] <> Overall, though, Cukor felt the film was leaden, and that it had "a wax work quality".[68] Even screenwriter Stewart eventually came to feel the film was "tedious, wooden, and heavy-handed".[11]"
None the less I still feel that this is a good film, particularly interesting as an artifact of its time. Looking at it now I couldn't help but think of Forrest as a stand-in for Charles Lindbergh, another "boys club hero" beloved of his countrymen, with supposed fascist leanings, and who could quite easily have been elected President of the United States, though maybe that's just Philip Roth's The Plot Against America intruding on my thoughts. Warts and all though Keeper of the Flame still earns ***
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