H is for How the West Was Won

H is for How the West Was Won, a wonderful film from 1962. I was surprised that I really enjoyed this film. It is long, 2 hours and 44 minutes, and it being in full color helped. It has a musical overture at the beginning to help set the tone for the movie; the old intermission about halfway through called an Entr’acte that used to be used in movies so that theatergoers could get up and go to the bathroom and buy some popcorn; and exit music as the movie comes to an end. This sweeping epic is set between 1839 and 1889 across four generations of the Prescott family.

I have always loved the West, beginning when I was a little girl on family vacations that led us over the Mississippi River to the majestic mountains that Wisconsin does not have. I share the wanderlust of those early settlers, preferring the open spaces to the crowded East, which may be why I liked these stories so much.

There was music, great storytelling and many famous actors in this tale of the American West. Somewhat romanticized, it gave a picture of the Prescott family on their journey west, through the Civil War years, and the aging of the family. The Prescott’s are the ones who tie the ends of the story together.

The saga begins when Zebulon Prescott (Karl Malden) and his wife Rebecca (Agnes Moorehead) get set to travel west with their two beautiful daughters, Eve (Carole Baker), and Lilith, aka Lily (Debbie Reynolds). Due to unkind circumstances on the voyage, the two sisters must find their own way in life. Marriage being a primary goal for young women at the time, Eve has her sights on Linus Rawlings (James Stewart), a frontiersman, and Lily, who is a singer and dancer, on the suave gambler Cleve Van Valen (Gregory Peck).

Dangers are everywhere, including rapids on the rivers, thieves, and Indians disgusted with the white man. I particularly liked the part of the film where the Arapahoe give those railroaders something to think about.

It is a sweeping epic with three directors for five distinct sections of the movie. John Ford directed The Civil War, Henry Hathaway directed The Rivers, The Plains, The Outlaws, and George Marshall, The Railroad. There is some narration spoken by Spencer Tracy, and many cameos by famous actors, including John Wayne and Henry Fonda.

The film won Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, as well as Best Sound and Best Film Editing. For its time, I think it was a good film, establishing what settlers heading West encountered as they searched out new lives and lands for themselves. There’s great singing and dancing, especially by Debbie Reynolds, and a little humor here and there amongst the inevitable tragedies that occurred along the way. My husband and I really enjoyed How the West Was Won. The time flew by, and I never tired of the story of these brave settlers traveling toward their dreams.

How the West Was Won (1962) Trailer 

G is for The Great McGinty

G is for The Great McGinty, a 1940 black and white film written and directed by Preston Sturges. It is a comedy and a political satire, and won Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Just 82 minutes long, it is cleverly written, and was Mr. Sturges’ directorial debut.

Dan McGinty (Brian Donlevy) is a man who is down and out, and in the breadlines during the Great Depression, when he is approached with a corrupt proposition. He will be given $2.00 for each time he votes for mayoral candidate Tillinghast in the election. Dan sees this as a sure thing to earn some quick cash, and proceeds to vote in many precincts, each time getting proof of his deception so he can collect. The Boss (Akim Tamiroff), who asked that a man be hired to carry out this voter fraud, is amazed at what Dan has done so successfully, and hires him to shake down business owners for “protection” money.

An idea is hatched: Dan should run for mayor during the next election, and follow The Boss’s bidding. He must first, however, get married as no one wants to vote for a bachelor he is told. Upon mentioning this to his secretary Catherine (Muriel Angelus), she suggests he marry her.

The Great McGinty has elements of slapstick comedy that make the film more entertaining. What could have been a boring movie or even have turned preachy with its political theme instead turns into a pleasant romp. Adding to the intrigue are the secrets that Catherine has kept from Dan until after they are wed, namely that she was once married and has two small children. The ready-made family helps catapult him into the good graces of the public.

The rest of the film is a cross between a romantic comedy and a serious drama where Dan, moving up in the political world, grows a conscience, much to the chagrin of the Boss, who continues to threaten Dan to comply with his orders so he can grow rich off government contracts. Sound familiar?

It should. Only thing different today is that election fraud consists of discrediting voters, not the populace out to vote repeatedly. (See my review of the documentary film, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.)

Preston Sturges was a well-known screenwriter and director in his time. He came from a wealthy family, and loved writing and storytelling. For early cinema, which I broadly classify as up until 1940, The Great McGinty is a tale of social conscience that should win over the greed of organized crime and dirty politics. But does it? Anything can be bought in the world of greed, corruption and favoritism that is politics. Mr. Sturges wanted to direct the film so badly, he sold the screenplay to Paramount for $10.00 with the understanding that he would direct the film.

In 1944, in The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek, McGinty and The Boss reprise their roles. Sounds like another screwball comedy from esteemed screenwriter Preston Sturges.

The Great McGinty Trailer 1940 

F is for Fargo

F is for Fargo, a film from 1996 that put brothers Joel and Ethan Coen on the movie-making map. It won Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, as well as Best Actress for Frances McDormand. It launched the careers of Frances, William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi due to their great performances in this crime drama.

At the beginning of the film is a statement that the story you are about to see is true. It is not. Leave it to the Coen brothers to try and fake you out. But human nature being what it is, it could have been true. I like to say it is the truth about a fictitious story.

Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) is a car salesman in the Minneapolis area, short on money and brains. He devises a plot to have a couple of thugs, Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare), from Fargo, North Dakota kidnap his wife Jean (Kristin Rudrüd), hold her for ransom and demand the money from his father-in-law, Wade Gustafson (Harve Presnell). Trouble is the best-laid plans don’t always work out, and these plans go seriously awry.

Enter Police Chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), seven months pregnant, and the smartest of the bunch we see on screen. She begins investigating the mysterious murders of two civilians and a State Trooper near Brainerd, Minnesota, who were killed in the night on a lonely highway somewhere in her jurisdiction.

She soon finds a trail to follow and pursues the criminals. I liked how the filmmakers let us see firsthand how unforgiving the North Dakota and even the Minnesota winters can be. You can almost feel the cold piercing through even the warmest coat and gloves, and the ice and snow making travel difficult and dangerous for all involved. The musical score sets the scene for the film nicely. I appreciated the accents and nuances of language that the Lundegaards in particular showcased. It’s very Norwegian or Scandinavian which is what much of Minnesota is or was when originally settled. This is Prairie Home Companion country after all.

The film is rated R for strong violence, language and sexuality. The violence is especially disturbing. Fargo inspired a successful TV series of the same name, which is currently in production with its fourth season. I have not watched it, as I rarely have time to indulge in extended series with lots of hours of viewing involved, and also because I really don’t like violence in film, despite my watching it from time to time.

The Coen brothers have created some other great films; comedies Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski are two I particularly enjoyed, as well as more serious movies such as No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man, and Suburbicon. A common theme they often employ is showing how absurd it is to lust after money, and how people will do horrible things when trying to get it. Hopefully those films will wake some viewers up.

Fargo - Original Theatrical Trailer 

E is for The Exorcist

E is for The Exorcist. I first saw The Exorcist in a theater in 1973. Shocking and disturbing, it is not a film that is easily forgotten. It won two Academy Awards, one for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the other for Best Sound. William Peter Blatty wrote the novel The Exorcist, and also wrote the screenplay. William Friedkin directed.

The film is rated R for strong language and disturbing images. This is an understatement. Unless you can stomach some horrific scenes of a young girl’s possession by the devil, don’t watch this film.

Branded a horror film, which it definitely has elements of, it is also a mystery/thriller. The suspense builds slowly as we follow the descent of the poor little girl inexplicably chosen as a vessel for the devil, and her mother’s frantic attempts to save her from what would be certain death.

Chris McNeil (Ellen Burstyn) is an actress living in Georgetown in Washington, D. C. where she is completing a film. Her 12-year-old daughter Regan (Linda Blair) is a sweet, artistic girl, and the relationship between mother and daughter is loving and respectful. However, Regan begins to act strangely, and the terror heightens as she becomes more and more violent, accompanied by bizarre incidents in the house where they live.

Desperate to find a cure for her daughter’s increasingly life threatening condition, Chris is told by psychiatry to seek out an exorcist. Initially skeptical, she is finally left with no other choice.

Father Karras (Jason Miller), even while questioning his faith, is drawn to helping Chris and Regan, and since he has training in psychiatry, appears to be a logical choice. He contacts his superior who sends for Father Merrin (Max von Sydow), a priest who has experience with exorcisms. We first met him briefly at the beginning of the film at an archeological dig in Iran. The two men boldly carry out the exorcism of the devil that has taken possession of Regan.

I watched the Extended Director’s Cut of The Exorcist on DVD, so I don’t know that it was exactly like the film I saw back in the 1970’s. But the disturbing images I recalled from the film back those many years were still present.

I think you’ll either be intrigued by this film or turn it off midway. There is no doubt it is well written and executed. Whether it is to your tastes is a personal thing. As my faithful readers know, I always review scary movies during the month of October for Halloween, and if you like that type of film, you might want to watch The Exorcist.

Ellen Burstyn went on to have a great career in film and was an Academy Award winner for Best Actress in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Linda Blair continued to work in film, albeit for not such well-known movies. The Exorcist placed both of them in the limelight and was a definite boost to their careers. It is now considered a film classic.

The Exorcist - Original Theatrical Trailer 

D is for Designing Woman

D is for Designing Woman, a film from 1957 that won Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Directed by Vincente Minnelli, and starring Gregory Peck and Lauren Bacall, some parts are a little dated for today, but the humor makes for a riotous timeless comedy.

I watched Gregory Peck in the wonderful Roman Holiday not long ago, and he is an excellent romantic lead. In this romantic comedy, Mike (Gregory Peck) and Marilla (Lauren Bacall) meet in LA, and it is love at first sight. They are inseparable for days and quickly get married. But now Mike, a sportswriter for a newspaper, and Marilla, a fashion designer, must learn to live together in very different worlds.

They both have apartments, very different styles and furnishings, in New York City. Even more jarring for each of them is the other’s social acquaintances. Mike is in the poker playing, fight-going male world, and Marilla is in the arts where her friends are dancers, musicians, and theater people, a veritable whirlwind of creative souls.

Complicating their relationship is jealousy. They really didn’t have enough time before they wed to share all the skeletons in their closets. Marilla is especially jealous of a relationship she suspects Mike had with Lori (Dolores Gray), an actress, singer and dancer, whom Marilla unwittingly designs fashions for in the theater.

The film employs the use of voice-overs, not just from one person, but from several of the main characters. In this way, we get to see Mike and Marilla’s story unfold through the perspective of different sets of eyes.

The funniest bits come from unlikely characters, notably a friend of Mike’s, one Maxie Stultz (Mickey Shaughnessy) who appears brain damaged from years of fighting in the ring. The other is Randy (Jack Cole), a free-spirited dancer who jumps and twirls across any surface he chooses. My husband and I were both laughing out loud at their antics. Jack Cole was an illustrious choreographer with many film credits to his name.

I must say that I am enjoying seeing some of these older films. More time is spent on dialogue, relationships and the comedy than some of the current films we are getting today. I think I’ve mentioned before that Gregory Peck was my Mom’s favorite actor, and I can surely see why. He is charming, good at physical comedy, and at romance. Lauren Bacall is sharp, point on with her characterization of Marilla, and beautiful too. She has an elegance seldom seen today.

We recognized many actors who later went on to TV shows in the 1960’s, such as Chuck Connors, and Ed Platt from Get Smart. We laughed at one scene where Mike awakens his boss in the middle of the night with a phone call. He and his wife are sleeping in twin beds! Cigarette smoking is very prevalent in the film, and it is odd to see Lauren Bacall puffing away on one. How times have changed. Give Designing Woman a watch. You won’t be disappointed.

Designing Woman trailer 

C is for Citizen Kane

C is for Citizen Kane, lauded as one of the best films in all of cinematic history. Famously written and directed by Orson Welles, this film from 1941 received an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles. It’s a black and white film that is both a mystery and a drama. The cinematography is ground breaking for its time, and a delight to watch.

Said to be loosely based on the life of William Randolph Hearst, Citizen Kane is the story of a young boy, Charles Foster Kane, placed with a guardian until he reaches the age of 25 when he is set to inherit his fortune. How parents could give away their child to a stranger is puzzling to me, but then perhaps they thought he would be provided with the kind of education that would help him manage the wealth he’d receive.

The famous word the film is known for is Rosebud. Once you see Citizen Kane, you will never forget what it stands for. The film opens with the death of Charles Kane, and a bevy of reporters work to find out the truth of his life, and especially of the last word he spoke aloud before he died: Rosebud.

The reporter Jerry Thompson (William Alland) interviews Kane’s business associates, friends, an ex-wife and others in the pursuit of what his life stood for. Besides being about Charles Kane, the film is also about politics, wealth, the working class, scandal, and all of these are way too familiar to us as the fake news and buying of candidates continues on in the current political arena. His best friend Jedediah Leland (Joseph Cotten) is faithful to him early on, and then finds Kane’s manipulations too much to continue being involved with him.

The mansion called Xanadu that Kane built in Florida is probably eerily like the Hearst Mansion in California. I can’t really say as I’ve never visited the place, but I’m sure they had in common the opulence, garish furnishings, and perhaps even a zoo. No wonder Kane’s second wife Susan (Dorothy Comingore) felt like she was caged in that place.

Orson Welles was only 25 years old when he came out with this story. He absolutely shined as a director who took risks in how the story was filmed, from the flashbacks to Kane’s childhood, to the early days as a newspaper owner to the empire it became, to his failed run for governor. We learn about Kane only as the reporter learns about his life as he searches out those who knew him best. Orson Welles performance is Oscar worthy, and he should have won for Best Actor that year.

The highest honors at the Academy Awards in 1942 went to How Green Was My Valley, and Sergeant York, which was a sentimental choice at best, probably because America was now in World War II. Should have gone to Citizen Kane in my opinion. Watch it if you haven’t.

Citizen Kane - Theatrical Trailer 

B is for The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer

B is for The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, a black and white film from 1947 that won Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards for screenwriter Sidney Sheldon.

Richard “Dick” Nugent (Cary Grant) is an artist who charms the ladies, often causing fights among the other men involved with them. He ends up in the court room of Judge Margaret Turner (Myrna Loy) who allows him to walk out without sentencing him. Unbeknownst to her, he is scheduled to give a speech at the high school of her sister Susan (Shirley Temple). Susan is immediately infatuated with the suave and debonair Richard, and believes she has fallen in love with him, misreading his interactions with her.

When Susan shows up at his apartment ready to be his model, it causes all sorts of drama when Margaret finds her there. Richard wants nothing to do with this precocious 17-year-old, but is talked into dating her by Margaret and District Attorney Tommy Chamberlain (Rudy Vallee) so that she’ll get him out of her system.

Susan’s boyfriend Jerry White (Johnny Sands) is bereft at her sudden change of heart, and Richard tries his best to get them back together. This is a comedy after all, and there are many laugh out loud moments. One night Richard and Margaret arrange a meeting at an elegant restaurant and dance spot, and people keep showing up and joining them. It felt like a comedy routine: how many people can you get around a table at one time? Quick witty dialogue among the participants ensues, and it is very well acted.

Shirley Temple didn’t act very much after this film. My husband commented that 1947, those years between the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War, was an interesting period. There are some awkward moments of male dominance toward women (the uncle threatening to spank the wayward Susan for example), but on the other hand, Judge Turner is a woman with a very important role in society.

Something that irritated me was that Richard’s artwork is never shown. His easel and workspace is more of a suggestion, and I believe it was just painted scenery in the background. He could have been any number of creative men; artist seems to have been picked out of a hat. He doesn’t even look like an artist: not starving, not bedraggled (always wearing a suit), and his speech to the students doesn’t even have to do with art.

Where Cary Grant shines is in the slapstick kind of comedy he was so good at, like when he is at a picnic and is coerced into competing in some physical races, including sack racing, and an obstacle course.

Sidney Sheldon was an accomplished writer penning novels, screenplays and TV shows, his biggest hits in the 1960’s on TV were The Patty Duke Show and I Dream of Jeannie. His The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer is a cute film, and if nothing else, will leave you laughing.

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer trailer 

A is for An American in Paris

A is for An American in Paris, a musical from 1951. It won six Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay for Alan Jay Lerner, Best Picture, Cinematography, Set Decoration, Costume Design, and Best Music (scoring of a musical picture). Although nominated, Vincente Minnelli did not win for Best Director.

The film takes place in post World War II Paris. GI Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) has remained in the city and is an artist, painting scenes of the beautiful city and selling them on the streets. Jerry as narrator introduces us to his story at the beginning of the film, and makes every movement in his very tiny apartment a dance.

His best friend, Adam Cook (Oscar Levant, who was a brilliant musician and composer), also lives in the building, and is a concert pianist lacking an audience. The third gentleman central to the story is a Frenchman, Henri Baurel (Georges Guétary) who is a stage entertainer.

The female interests are Milo Roberts (Nina Foch) and Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron). Milo decides to become a patron of the arts by promoting Jerry’s work, but not without some ulterior motives for she is attracted to Jerry.

The young Lise is engaged to Henri, but Jerry spies her in a club and goes after her. This really is how it looks; he practically stalks her. This is a part of the film that was not well written. We never see what the connections are between Lise and Jerry and why they are in love. Conversation is practically absent. What they do together is dance, and that of course is quite delightful. Leslie Caron was an accomplished ballet dancer, and her introduction to us through the love-smitten eyes of Henri showcases her talents in bold colors and variations of dance that really do her credit.

Even the relationship between Jerry and Milo is better defined in their dialogue and interactions. We know exactly what their relationship is and is not, and the two actors do a great job depicting it.

The film has some memorable songs, written by Ira Gershwin (lyrics) and George Gershwin (music). Gene Kelly choreographed all the dances, including the beautiful introduction to Lise, as well as the totally amped up fantasy dance sequence at the end of the film. He was quite a talent.

Nina Foch was a tall, beautiful blonde who had a long career in acting, and incidentally was married for a time to James Lipton of Inside the Actors Studio fame. She also taught acting classes. Oscar Levant was well known for keeping the music of George Gershwin alive after he died. It would have been lovely to hear him play on stage.

An American in Paris is a classic musical that is well worth your time. Have you seen it, and what are your thoughts about the relationship between Jerry and Lise? Despite my criticisms of that part of the story, I basically enjoy the film for the music and dancing, and for the Paris setting.

 An American in Paris - Trailer

Unbreakable

Not long after M. Night Shyamalan came out with The Sixth Sense, he filmed and released a movie in 2000 called Unbreakable. If you’ve seen The Sixth Sense, you will know that it has quite a reveal at the end of the film, and know that you never, ever, tell anyone the details leading up to the surprise ending. Unbreakable is like this. Don’t worry. No spoilers from me.

David Dunn (Bruce Willis) has been looking for a job in New York City, and is on the train on the way back home to Philadelphia to his estranged wife Audrey (Robin Wright), and his son Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark). The train derails in a tragic accident, and David is strangely uninjured, the only survivor.

Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) is an art dealer, obsessed with comic books and all things in the superhero vein. He has a medical disorder that leaves him susceptible to serious bone fractures, and has had a physically excrutiating and miserable time his entire life because of it.

After the train crash is publicized and David identified as the sole survivor, Elijah contacts David and asks him if he has ever been sick. Thus begins the building of a tentative relationship between David and Elijah. As David remembers who he is through the questions that Elijah asks, and as he recalls unusual things that have happened to him in his life, his self-awareness builds. He lets Joseph in on his journey of self-discovery, and meanwhile Audrey decides she wants to make a go of it again with David, once so distant and untouchable.

What I liked a great deal about this film were the performances by Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. Bruce gives a nuanced performance as the depressed security guard searching for some meaning to his life, whereas, Samuel plays Elijah as a slightly crazed and frantic man almost stalking David around in desperation.

M. Night Shyamalan has come out with some interesting films since The Sixth Sense. I liked The Village. Lady in the Water was a little weird, but I appreciated it anyway, and reviewed the film on this blog, and Signs was absolutely terrifying. I heard Shyamalan has come out with a new film and wonder what he has in store for us this time. I have heard him interviewed, and he said Hitchcock was an inspiration to him. He takes the suspense and thrills in classic Hitchcock films even further, especially in the strong final reveal at the end of his films.

Unbreakable is rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements including some disturbing violent content, and for a crude sexual reference. I suggest that anyone who enjoys superhero Marvel comic films watch this subtle and engrossing mystery. Two men so opposite of each other that you will wonder what their connection is. Are they just ordinary men, or men with extraordinary gifts?

Have you seen Unbreakable, and what did you think of it? Comment below, and happy movie watching days.

Hancock

Hancock is not your typical superhero movie, but that is what made it so entertaining and charming.  John Hancock (Will Smith), is a dysfunctional superhero who terrorizes Los Angeles as much as he saves its citizens from the bad guys. I liked this film very much, especially as early on I knew there would be some kind of reveal happening midway, but I never predicted what the actual twist was.

Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) is an ambitious public relations executive who wants to help change the world. His audacious suggestions to a pharmaceutical company for a branding campaign with a heart logo seems a bit over done, even to an optimist like me. The pharmaceutical company didn’t like it either. He has a son Aaron (Jae Head) and a wife Mary (Charlize Theron) and they live in a nice neighborhood somewhere in LA.

One typically busy California day, Ray gets stuck in horrible traffic, and making matters worse, on a railroad track. Hancock saves him from certain death from an oncoming train, and in the process causes a lot of damage to virtually everything close to the train and Ray’s car. Ray is now Hancock’s biggest fan, and explains to him how he can improve his reputation as a superhero. Citizens are as angry with Hancock as they are happy to receive his help. He drinks too much, is rude and vulgar, and causes a great deal of destruction to the city during his miraculous rescues. He needs a complete makeover.

Hancock ends up going to prison at Ray’s assurance that it will help in the long run in gaining the public’s confidence again. He actually begins to work on himself in therapy while incarcerated, and when the chief of police calls asking him to help them in a dangerous hostage situation, Hancock responds.

The film is rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language. Even superheroes have flaws is what this film seems to be saying, just like humans, and I knew we’d get to know where Hancock came from before the end of the film. It didn’t disappoint. Will Smith does a great job as always with his charm and the spot on comedic acting skills he’s delivered in so many films. Some of my favorites of his are Men In Black (1, 2 and 3), and Independence Day. He can play a good romantic lead too as in the very funny Hitch, and a more serious role as in The Pursuit of Happyness and Ali, both performances nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards. He’s one of the best actors of our day.

Jason Bateman is a good counter to Hancock’s dysfunction as he is one very upbeat person. And the mysterious Charlize Theron plays Mary as the sexy, yet restrained woman that Ray fell in love with, a good mother and wife.

Hancock is pure entertainment. I recommend it highly. I’ll be reviewing another atypical superhero film next time, Unbreakable.

2018 A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal

 

I’m excited to be participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge for a third year! This year I am continuing to review films that won Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, with a few Best Adapted Screenplays thrown in, and even some that were nominated in the writing categories, but did not win. It’s really all about the alphabet when you do the Blogging from A to Z Challenge!

The list of films I’ll be reviewing include 14 films that won Best Original Screenplay, six that won Best Adapted Screenplay, one that was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, and five that were nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. I’ll include links to trailers for these films for your viewing pleasure.

Check back on April 1^st for the beginning of the challenge and my first review!

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Beauty and the Beast was nominated for two Academy Awards this year, but did not win. The nominations were for Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design. It lost to Phantom Thread and The Shape of Water respectively. The film is rated PG for some action violence, peril and frightening images.

I liked this mostly live version of the classic tale. I recall seeing the animated version of Beauty and the Beast way back in 1991 accompanied by a child who enjoyed it too. There were two teenage girls sitting nearby who were crying their eyes out at the end of the film. I thought it a little odd, as it wasn’t affecting me that way. But then I was an adult. The films were based on Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s 18^th century fairy tale.

Even though I am much older now, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of a Beast under a wicked spell who cannot be changed until a lady loves him freely.

Belle (Emma Watson) is an independent young woman, living with her father Maurice (Kevin Kline). When Maurice leaves on business and does not return, Belle ventures out to find him. She happens upon the castle that holds the Beast (Dan Stevens) under his curse, along with all his servants who have been turned into normally inanimate objects that can now speak, as after all, they once were human.

The egotistical hunter and former soldier Gaston (Luke Evans) is intent on having Belle for his bride, and incites the villagers to go after the Beast with destruction on their minds.  The tension mounts as we wonder if the Beast will escape alive.

The sets and costumes were delightful, really well done and consistent to the era we are supposedly seeing in the countryside of France. It is a sweet love story after all, with Belle growing to like the ungainly beast, and he loving her in return. The music written by Alan Menken is really quite lovely, and the songs, lyrics by various writers, are sung well and add another dimension to the story.

Watching Emma Watson play Belle, I kept being reminded of Kristen Stewart who famously played Bella in The Twilight Saga films. Why this kept happening I’m not sure. Could be their looks, or perhaps their acting?

The ensemble cast that lent their voice talents to the servants cast under the spell along with the Beast included Emma Thompson, Ian McKellen, Ewan McGregor, and Stanley Tucci.

I watched Beauty and the Beast at home one evening when I needed something light and uplifting to raise my spirits, as there has been so much hate and negativity in the world lately. Maybe it is a fairy tale, and we all know just because a woman loves a flawed man he won’t miraculously turn into a nice guy for her affections. But then this is a fairy tale, a story that can give hope, and so for a couple hours that’s what we escape to. Hope.

Icarus

Icarus won Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards this year for producers Bryan Fogel and Dan Cogan. I found it an interesting title for a film that exposes the doping of Olympic athletes in Russia. (Icarus is the man in Greek mythology who flew too close to the sun, and plunged to his death.) The film is rated TV-MA, and I watched it on Netflix.

The film begins with a quote from George Orwell: “During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

Filmmaker Bryan Fogel has been an avid bicyclist for many years. He decided to see if his performance on a grueling cycling course through France would be improved by drugging up with testosterone and human growth hormone among other substances. He is subsequently referred to a Russian, head of the lab that tests for chemicals in athletes’ urine, Grigory Rodchenkov. He agrees to help Fogel with his project and the documentary is born.

Fogel and Rodchenkov develop a friendship while Rodchenkov gives him pointers on how to give himself injections and in what amounts to improve his athletic skills. Rodchenkov even tests his urine, as they would do in Russia. Sadly, all the drugs and training don’t seem to make a difference when Fogel competes in the race in France.

Rodchenkov though is willing to spill all about the systematic doping of Russian athletes, and thus continues this engrossing documentary. You need to sit through the early part where Fogel does his regime of therapies, and then the film turns into a sort of political thriller.

Interestingly, throughout the film Rodchenkov is reading George Orwell’s 1984 and referring to it as he describes his experience working for the Russian government. His role was to enhance athletes’ performance in a state supported doping program, and to then assist in a cover-up of what they were doing so that World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) would not find out.

Icarus documents an expose of a program that has been in place for decades to enhance the performance of Olympic athletes of Russia. This ultimately led to Rodchenkov having to go into hiding at the recommendation of the United States Department of Justice.

I hope most athletes despise drug enhancements during competition. There should be an equal playing field just based on one’s strength and natural abilities. But when a political regime comes into the picture that wants to show superiority of their people, that’s when calculated deceit comes into play.

The documentary film itself was really well done. The cinematography and music in between actual interviews is beautiful, and keeps the viewer from becoming bored with straight question and answer sessions. I appreciated the film’s artistic quality that enhanced the entire experience.

The ending quote of the film is: “This film is dedicated to whistleblowers, who seek truth over consequences, and to clean athletes everywhere who choose to play by the rules.” I think you would find this an interesting documentary whether you follow sports or not.

Last Men in Aleppo

Last Men in Aleppo was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards this year (lost to Icarus). The film is about the White Helmets, a group of men in Syria who scour the city searching for survivors after homes and buildings have been bombed. Unfortunately, they must also deal with fatalities, often of children and babies. The film was written and directed by Feras Fayyad of Syria, and co-directed by film editor Steen Johannessen of Denmark.

In 2017, a short film about this group of volunteer rescue workers called The White Helmets won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. This recent award for a film about the group possibly contributed to why the feature film Last Men in Aleppo did not win this year. (Plus Icarus was an excellent film and deserved to win.)

Syria has been at war for over five years now, and the brave men searching for victims in the rubble at times despair of the West coming to help them. They face death and destruction by rebel shelling, and by Russian warplanes dropping bombs.

The motto of the Syria Civil Defense (White Helmets) is, “To save a life is to save all of humanity.” I don’t usually become political in my posts, but in this case I am going to provide a link to a website that will give you more information about the plight of the people in Syria. Here it is: Syria Civil Defense

I would be surprised if anyone could watch this film and not be deeply affected by seeing the death and fear on screen that these innocent victims live with on a daily basis. Humanitarian aide should not be dictated by politics or religion, but be given because we are all human. The White Helmets are unarmed and neutral and don’t see a difference between people. What some may label as an enemy is still a soul worth saving.

There is no sparing the viewer of Last Men in Aleppo of the death and injury sustained to civilians as their city is bombed. The men who seek to save them are relentless in removing rubble from the crumbling buildings to find even one survivor, while others choose to leave Syria, fleeing a war zone that grows more dangerous by the day.

Last Men in Aleppo won the World Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. The film is not rated. I watched it on Netflix. The film is really a historical document, like news coverage you might see on a quality news station, only longer. It’s mainly about the search and rescues, even though we see and hear the bombs going off and dropping throughout the city. It also shows the admiration the people have for the White Helmets, and their own struggle to survive in a city where resources are scarce.

I really don’t have anything else to add to my review here. The film’s images speak for the people of Syria.

90th Academy Award After Thoughts

I watched the Academy Awards with a friend a couple of days after the original telecast. Unusual for me, as I’ve watched this awards show faithfully every year for over two decades. But I opted instead to go to a live blues performance and skipped the Sunday show. Apparently others skipped it too, as the numbers of viewers were lower than normal.

I found the show to be respectful and dignified, not without humor, but with a certain serious note to it. Jimmy Kimmel was fine as host, and I liked they went to a theater where a sneak preview of A Wrinkle in Time was showing to honor moviegoers. Sweet.

As far as the awards went, I did okay with a few of my predictions. They were really more of a wish list for me, and I was not really surprised over some of the winners, such as Costume Design for Phantom Thread. I have yet to see it, but it is after all about couture.

Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Film Editing won for Dunkirk. As Adam of The Academy Award Project says, war movies typically score in these areas.

Four awards for The Shape of Water, including Best Picture of the year were well deserved. I was happy Jordan Peele won for Get Out as Best Original Screenplay. Haven’t seen Best Foreign Language Film, A Fantastic Woman yet, but will do so, and look forward to Daniela Vega’s performance. Also will be seeing Call Me by Your Name, winning Best Adapted Screenplay for James Ivory at the age of 89.

What disappointed me was Frances McDormand winning for Best Actress. Seriously, Sally Hawkins deserved it. I read someone stole McDormand’s Oscar from her that evening. She got it back that night, and I quipped on Facebook that he stole it intending it go to its rightful owner, Sally.

I was turned off from the start by the trailer for Three Billboards . . . and after reading about the flaws in the writing of the screenplay, chose not to see it. I may never watch it. Too much violence, and not a good role model for the change we need to see in the world.

Her speech was interesting. I am all for women’s stories and screenplays to be funded and filmed, and then she brought up inclusion rider. This is a stipulation in a contract requiring a certain level of diversity among cast and crew.

I think there would be no need for an inclusion rider if more screenplays were produced and written by women of all ethnicities and about women’s stories. I think that would pretty much solve the issue of inclusion right off the bat. Where crew is concerned could be a different story and may be necessary. What we need is fewer superhero movies or war movies, etc. and more real human stories some examples of which were showcased this year with nominations.

That’s my take on the festivities. What do you think?

Lonely Are the Brave

I first became aware of Lonely Are the Brave, a 1962 black and white film, at the Hollywood in New Mexico exhibit at the Albuquerque Museum (the exhibit is no longer on view). I was intrigued by the story of cowboy meets modern day southwest, and the fact that the screenplay was written by Dalton Trumbo, a screenwriter I admire. The screenplay was based on the book The Brave Cowboy by Edward Abbey, and was filmed in New Mexico.

Jack Burns (Kirk Douglas) is a cowboy making his living herding sheep, and in between jobs he travels across the high desert to Albuquerque on his horse Whiskey. He is unhappy to find fences where there used to be none as he crosses the vast desert landscape. His world is changing. When he shows up at the home of Paul Bondi (Michael Kane) and his wife Jerry (Gena Rowlands), he discovers that Paul is in jail for helping illegals gain access to the States.

Jack decides to break Paul out of prison. Not a man to be deterred, he picks a fight in a bar with a one-armed man and eventually makes it into jail where he finds Paul. (Carroll O’Connor has a role as a truck driver coming from Missouri to New Mexico. You don’t really know his part of this tale until the ending.)

Jack plans a jailbreak, and some of the other prisoners escape with him. A manhunt for Jack ensues headed by Sheriff Morey Johnson (Walter Matthau). Deputy Sheriff Gutierrez (George Kennedy) is not happy about Jack’s successful escape from his prison, and hunts Jack as he travels up the Sandia Mountains on his horse Whiskey. I especially enjoyed the scenery of Albuquerque, as the film focuses heavily on the foothills and steep cliffs of the Sandia Mountains. That was one of the best parts of the film, seeing the Rio Grande, the skyline of Albuquerque circa 1962, and the canyons and arroyos of New Mexico, often from a bird’s eye view.

A thoughtful tale of the old way colliding with the new, I appreciated how Trumbo wrote the character of Sheriff Johnson who was played so well by Walter Matthau. Matthau should have gotten an award for his performance. He shows a compassion for the predicament of Jack, and even some admiration for what the escapee is doing in fleeing straight up over the mountains.

I recommend Lonely Are the Brave if you know the Southwest, particularly Albuquerque, and if you like good storytelling. The filming was really superb and my husband and I both marveled at how they made the action so suspenseful, and how dangerous it must have been to the performers and to the horse Whiskey!

Kirk Douglas approached Dalton Trumbo to write the screenplay as he had worked with him previously on Spartacus. It was a good choice as Trumbo was able to infuse the storytelling with an understanding of this good man caught between worlds as the times changed around him.

Predictions (or more accurately, wish list) of winners at the 90th Academy Awards

Inspired by a fellow blogger who posted his as well as his wife’s predictions, I could not resist making a few of my own. I am only going to share my thoughts on categories where I’ve seen at least three of the five nominated films (or two of the three nominated in one category). It was difficult to pick in some cases, kind of like choosing apples or oranges. But here are my preferences for the win.

Original Screenplay: Get Out

Jordan Peele wrote a tight, well-constructed screenplay melding social commentary within a horror genre, with just the right amount of humor thrown in now and then to lighten up the darkest moments.

Animated Feature: Loving Vincent

When an entire film is painted and then animated, well you can’t get better than that. And the story of the last days of Vincent Van Gogh was touching.

Production Design: Beauty and the Beast

For lavish and magical sets, this film wins hands down.

Makeup and Hairstyling: Darkest Hour

He looked like Churchill.

Film Editing: I, Tonya

That wasn’t really Margot Robbie doing those triple axels. But it sure looked like she was jumping and skating like Tonya.

Documentary Feature: Icarus

An interesting expose into the doping within sports, most notably Olympic athletes by the Russians, this is a well-done documentary that plays like a thriller.

Costume Design: Beauty and the Beast

Great costuming, and so many different styles of dress really helped tell the classic story.

Director: Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water

He made this monster movie that is so much more fit together perfectly.

Cinematography: The Shape of Water

Beautiful visuals, from the opening scene to the last.

Supporting Actress: Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird

A nuanced performance of a demanding mother with heart not quite ready to let go.

Actress: Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

The range of emotion she gives in this superior film is extraordinary. And without talking. Wow.

Picture: The Shape of Water

This is the one that will be remembered for years to come, and watched again and again.

Who do you want to win in your favorite category?

Enjoy the Awards show, and I’ll post again later in the week.

Get Out

Although I had heard some things regarding the Academy Award nominated film Get Out, I wasn’t really all that well informed about what the movie was about. Described as horror-comedy and social thriller, it is everything this type of film should be: a knuckle biting, writhing in your chair experience, with you and your fellow moviegoers whispering, “Get Out” as the film progresses. The film is rated R for violence, bloody images, and language including sexual references.

Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) is an African-American photographer who has been dating a white woman, Rose Armitage (Allison Williams) for four months. She insists on taking him to her parents’ home in the secluded countryside for a weekend.

Things are strange right from the start of Chris’s visit. Rose’s father Dean (Bradley Whitford) and mother Missy (Catherine Keener) seem typical parents, kind of clueless as to how their conversation and actions may be perceived by Chris. Their live-in help are even stranger: two African-Americans, Georgina (Betty Gabriel) and Walter (Marcus Henderson) who are just plain odd. Chris is an observant young man and notices the incongruent behavior immediately.

Chris has a friend who works for the TSA, Rod Williams (LilRel Howery), who had warned him prior to his leaving the city not to take this trip. The situation at the Armitage estate becomes crazier and crazier, and eventually the sheer terror of Chris’s situation takes hold of him. These people are up to no good.

Get Out has been nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director for Jordan Peele, Best Actor for Daniel Kaluuya, and Best Original Screenplay, written by Jordan Peele. As a first time director, Mr. Peele did a fantastic job. He also did a fantastic job writing the screenplay; it is so tight and well thought out, and I really admired it. There is just the right amount of fear and comedic relief in this horror story. His vision to show what it is like for African-Americans, the stereotypes and the actual harm others can wish on them, is shown here along with the more sci-fi aspects of this very evil family Chris finds himself stuck with for the weekend.

The film had a kind of feel I recalled from seeing The Stepford Wives long ago. Walter and Georgina, and a guest at a party the Armitage’s host particularly had that same vacant expression on their faces, which really made me wonder what was going on. When it is revealed what this family is doing, it was truly horrific.

I saw Get Out in the theater and enjoyed my fellow movie lover’s reactions. We were all held glued to the screen by this story. All the actors did a marvelous job at their really quirky characters, and I especially enjoyed the performance of LilRel Howery who played TSA agent Rod. Will Chris get out okay? And will Jordan Peele or Daniel Kaluuya get out of the Academy Awards ceremony with a coveted award? Watch and see for yourself.

The Post

Nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, The Post is a fine example of what film can be: educational, thought provoking, historical, entertaining, and all without gratuitous violence.

This film is based on the true story of the unfolding of events in the early 1970’s when The Washington Post received stolen government documents that had been laboriously photocopied and would come to be known as the Pentagon Papers. They were volumes of top-secret files outlining the deceit that occurred within the U.S. government to prolong the Vietnam War, a war that could not be won.

Over 50,000 American servicemen and women died during this ill-fated conflict, including a cousin of mine that is a bitter and traumatic memory still today for me. I had to witness his burial at the tender age of a high school freshman. It made me the anti-war/pro-peace person I am today. But enough about me.

The publisher of The Washington Post, Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep), came into her position after the untimely death of her husband. Her right hand man is Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks), a rather irascible and keen editor who has the trust of both Katharine and his employees.

Journalist Ben Bagdikian (Bob Odenkirk) gets a lead on obtaining the government documents, and when The New York Times is censored by the Attorney General’s office from publishing them, the caretakers of the purloined papers, who believe it is necessary to make them public for the good of the country, contact Bagdikian.

The decision of whether to publish this information is not taken lightly. The press and national government are closely linked. They are shown celebrating each other’s birthdays and retirement, and dining at expensive restaurants together. They are friends and colleagues. Katharine really agonizes over this decision as she and others could be jailed for printing it.

She also has to overcome the distrust of male colleagues and superiors in the company, as this is after all the 1970’s, and she is the first woman to serve as CEO of a major newspaper.

I enjoyed seeing the actual newspaper come to print, including the focus on the typesetting procedures, something that is no longer used today. Technology has certainly advanced quite a lot in the last four plus decades.

Similar to Best Picture winner Spotlight (2015), journalism and its value to the public interest is a focus here. Steven Spielberg does a fantastic job keeping the forward motion of the story going. Meryl Streep is unlikely to win for Best Actress, as there are some great performances by women at the Academy Awards this year. Bob Odenkirk, from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul fame, is cast well as Bagdikian and plays his role brilliantly. Liz Hannah and Josh Singer wrote the screenplay. Josh  co-wrote the screenplay for Spotlight, for which he won Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. The Post is a great film and one I hope you’ll watch. It is rated PG-13 for language and brief war violence.