Welcome to the FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of my long running blog that I
write. Most know on a weekly basis I write SHAUN BERK'S 10 MOVIE
RECOMMENDATIONS where I include 10 very diverse films each week and the
first 4 anniversary blogs have really just been more of the same format
but with five years I knew I had to do something different and then I
thought of this which I have been working off and on with for about a
year. I thought this would be the perfect five-year anniversary and
who would have thought it would last this long? Not me, I know that
much. I was going to do it on Monday but I figure I will just release
it now. I will be going to Chicago tomorrow to try out again for
AMERICA'S GOT TALENT which I have no intelligence to say "no" so I will
give it a shot again as I got pretty far a couple years ago. This is
not a top 100 list and as you see it is alphabetical because I just
could not do rankings. You will also see that some of them are grouped
as one entry like a trilogy and that sort of thing. This really was
movies that have really stuck with me through the years. Some might be
films I feel are very underrated that I really enjoyed and want to give
more exposure. Others might be favorites from a particular genre or
even person. To be honest if I do this again in another month, these
100 would probably be different but please do not expect this for a
long time. I now encourage you to go through and see what I came up
with. It is a long read so it might just require to skim through it.
About a Boy (2002): The Weitz brothers directed this film which stars
Hugh Grant in my favorite film with him. Here he plays Will, an
immature man who slowly becomes friends to a young boy named Marcus
played by Nicolas Hoult. Will poses as a single father to get dates.
Marcus has his own issues like being picked on a lot at school and his
mother, played by Toni Collete, who is suicidal. In this friendship,
Will tries to teach Marcus how to be more cool and Marcus teaches Will
how to grow up some. I like the narration that comes from both of the
main characters. I really like a good drama which is character-driven
like this one.
Almost Famous (2000): This is the ultimate movie
focusing a lot on a rock tour. Cameron Crowe wrote and directed this
film which is partly based on his following of Led Zeppelin during a
tour. Patrick Fugit stars as William, a rather naive high-schooler who
has the gift of writing and writes local rock reviews. Phillip Seymour
Hoffman plays the real-life Lester Bangs who gives him paid assignments
and becomes the mentor to William. William then decides to do an
interview with the fictional up-and-coming rock band Stillwater and is
then given a shot by Rolling Stone to do a story for their magazine.
When first meeting him, they do not want anything to do with him but
when talking to him they found he was not so bad and they include him
on a life-changing tour. Kate Hudson has her breakthrough performance
as the "band-aid" Penny Lane and was so great in this film but has not
been the same since. Billy Crudup plays the guitarist of the band and
the one in the band that is the friendliest to William. Frances
McDormand was also good as William's over-protective mother. This is a
great authentic portrait of that time and you can just tell how much
Cameron Crowe cared about the story.
American History X (1998):
This movie really takes a look at racism. Edward Norton plays Derek
Vinyard who is in a Neo-Nazi group where he ends up in prison for hate
crimes. When in prison he starts to see the error of his ways but when
getting out he sees that his brother Danny, played by Edward Furlong,
is on the same path that he was on and must save him from going down
that road. Avery Brooks plays the principal of Danny's school and also
does what he can for Danny by having him write a paper on what his
brother has done. This was very interesting in the way they did not
take sides as it shows the prejudice on both sides and usually when
Derek or Danny did something violent, they were provoked by something
the blacks should not have been doing. It also shows the price of
hatred which I liked. There are some pretty graphic scenes but if you
can get past the one in the beginning, you can probably get through the
film and really learn from it.
American Splendor (2003): Harvey
Pekar gets his own movie treatment for his underground comic of the
title which is a comic just based on his struggles. Paul Giamatti plays
him but the real Harvey, his wife, and some of his friends have
interviews in it. It shows him in his file clerk job who on the side
did some comics and with his friendship with underground writer Robert
Crumb, he was able to get them published and had quite a following
reading about this "hero" who was just an everyday guy and had quite a
bit of struggles whether at home, at work, wherever. He actually died
last July and I had the pleasure of getting to see him speak earlier
this year when he was at Ball State. I also got a couple of his books
when meeting him so I got one for me and one for my dad who is a fan of
him.
Apocalypse Now (1979): This is Francis Ford Coppola's great
Vietnam film which is based on Joseph Conrad's HEARTS OF DARKNESS.
Martin Sheen stars as Captain Willard who is sent to Cambodia to kill a
very decorated soldier named Colonel Kurtz who has kind of gone off the
deep end and is seen as a god in Cambodia. Marlon Brando plays Kurtz
who does not really come in until the climax. The biggest thing was the
rough journey getting to Cambodia for Willard and the other soldiers
which include Lawrence Fishburne, Frederick Forrest, and many others.
The highlight of this film for me is Robert Duvall as Lt. Col. Kilgore
who houses Willard's group. The story is a bit far fetched but I do not
feel Sheen's portrayal is that way. A lot of filming was in the
Philippines where Martin Sheen nearly died during filming of a heart
attack. Just a little bit of trivia on this story. Boris Karloff was
actually the first to play Colonel Kurtz on the stage in HEARTS OF
DARKNESS. Brando and Coppola had a very rough working relationship
during this film.
The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward
Robert Ford (2007): This is one of those movies which has just stuck to
me which I think about all the time. Andrew Dominik directed this film
which was based on a novel by Ron Hansen. I have always been interested
in the legend of Jesse James where for years, many people consider him
a "Robin Hood" and many films have portrayed him as a anti-hero. While
I have used some of these on the blog, I have never really bought into
him being any kind of hero. This movie actually addresses what it made
people think he was such a hero. Brad Pitt plays Jesse James which
starts with his first meeting with Bob Ford, played very well by Casey
Affleck. As most know, he actually shot Jesse James and the title
already shows it. Bob Ford read the dime novels about Jesse James and
his brother Charlie was already with the gang. In reading these books,
he thought they were all so true and thought he was this
larger-than-life hero and would get quite the wake-up call when he
joins the gang and learns of the true Jesse James. I guess this is a
western but not a real conventional one and if you're looking for
all-out action, this is not it. This is more of a drama of a man who
finally gets what he wishes for and spirals into his worst nightmare.
Affleck was phenomenal as Bob Ford. Sam Shepard plays Frank James in
the beginning but this was the era where Frank leaves the gang. Sam
Rockwell, Mary-Louise Parker, Zooey Deschanel and many others co-star.
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis wrote a beautiful music score and placed the
score in the absolute right places in the film where they use Hugh
Ross' narration. I could actually listen to this score over and over
again. Nick Cave actually has a cameo as a singer in the bar. Roger
Deakins did the cinematography which was also great. This is one of the
few that I give the label of beautiful where everything just worked.
The
Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974): This is actually a tv movie
and a very good one that could have probably competed with the Oscars
that year. Cicely Tyson plays the title character who is 110 years old
and has lived as a slave. She agrees to do an interview and tell the
story of her life when she was a slave, her adjustment to freedom, and
her activism. It is a well-told stroy and Tyson was great as Jane
Pittman. This is told from her chair and then flashes back to the eras
that she is speaking of so it was a rather difficult part to play that
she really pulled of.
Being John Malkovich (1999): This is one
of those that has always really stuck to my mind. Charlie Kaufman wrote
the screenplay and Spike Jonze directed this very unusual story. John
Cusack plays struggling puppeteer Craig who takes a job as a file clerk
while discovering a portal to the brain of John Malkovich where you can
see the world through his eyes for 15 minutes and then you get dumped
into the New Jersey turnpike. Cameron Diaz plays Craig's wife Lotte who
looks very unusual and Catherine Keener plays Craig's new colleague
Maxine who Craig hits on. The three of them however really take to this
portal and find other are interested. Lotte and Maxine also form their
own friendship. The three of them eventually gain total control of
Malkovich where Craig tries to use him to save his career in the puppet
industry. This was very well done where Malkovich does play himself. It
is a very creative idea executed very well in front of the camera.
A
Better Tomorrow (1986): This is a great Hong Kong action film directed
by John Woo. Lung Ti and Leslie Cheung play brothers Ho and Kit. Ho is
in a criminal organization and Kit is a police officer. Ho did some
time in prison and really wants to go straight and reconnect with Kit
but Kit is very bitter towards his brother blaming him for the death of
their father and promotions that he did not get in the force. Chow
Yun-Fat also stars as Mark Lee who is a long-time friend of Ho and also
struggles in his older age when he was wounded during a shootout. John
Woo shows how violence can become an art. There is a sequel that is
also very good.
Bonnie and Clyde (1967): Faye Dunaway and Warren
Beatty play the bank robbing couple of the 30s upon their meeting and
their career in the life of crime. They are very good in their roles
and work very well together. It may have been a bit romanticized but I
have seen documentaries on them and the movie portrays them pretty
accurately. They portray them as anti-heroes but the law really wants
them. Not much else to say but a good film on the life of Bonnie Parker
and Clyde Barrow.
Boogie Nights (1997): Paul Thomas Anderson directed this great
portrait of the porn industry in the 70s starring Mark Wahlberg in what
may be his best performance. He stars as Eddie Adams who is recruited
by porn director Jack Horner, played by Burt Reynolds in what may be
his own best performance, when his "asset" is discovered. Jack Horner
is the "patriarch" of this family with Julianne Moore, playing the
"mother" named Amber Waves of the porn family. Eddie Adams becomes
Dirk Diggler who has quite a rise in the industry but succumbs to drugs
when going to the top. Each person really has their own unique issue
that they really want and we really care about these characters even if
they are in a profession we might not like.
Bram Stoker's
Dracula (1992): I have watched quite a few films on the Dracula legend
but for me this one tops it. Francis Ford Coppola directed this version
which is more based on the novel. Gary Oldman is great as the title
character where we first see him as a 14th Century warrior whose wife
dies and we see how he becomes immortal making one of the first
back-stories of Dracula. Many years later, we see the basics of the
story where Jonathan Harker, played by Keanu Reeves, goes to
Transylvania for a business deal but is soon taken hostage and
imprisoned in his castle. Dracula then makes his way to Britain
wreaking havoc upon the town and seeing resemblance in Jonathan's
fiancee Mina, played by Winona Ryder, to his own wife believing she is
reincarnated. Anthony Hopkins plays Van Helsing and Tom Waits is rather
fun as Renfield. It is also interesting the way Dracula progressively
looks younger through the film. This is really a very beautiful version
of the legend showing the reason behind the evil and a human side of
Dracula. There is also a great climax in the interaction between Mina
and Dracula.
Breezy (1973): This is a early film directed by
Clint Eastwood and is a rather unconventional love story. Kay Lenz
plays the title character who is a very young hippy girl who enters the
life of a middle-aged business-man named Frank, played by William
Holden, who reluctantly takes her in but then unexpectedly falls in
love with her even with their mass differences in life-style. With
their differences, they both learn from each other on life. I found
this on On-Demand one time and saw Clint Eastwood was directing it and
I like William Holden so I checked this out and saw this needs to be on
the radar a little more. This is a good and unconventional love story I
guess about how opposites attract that I hope to give some more
exposure to it. I don't care what anyone says, Clint is the greatest.
Bubba
Ho-Tep (2002): This is my favorite Bruce Campbell film. It's
unfortunate that not more people have heard of this movie. I'll always
explain where Bruce stars as an aging Elvis who is alive but took the
name of an impersonator and that Ossie Davis plays JFK who survived the
assassination but was turned black by the government. Together they are
in a nursing home and take on a mummy who is feeding off of souls of
the elderly at the nursing home. When explaining, yes it sounds a bit
absurd but director Don Coscarelli and the actors really pull this off
to make it a compelling film. I felt this was Bruce's best performance
of his career and I really believed that Davis was a black JFK. There
were also some great references to their lives and they bring you right
with them to destroy this mummy. I also really liked Brian Tyler's
music score of the film. It was like these two icons team up to redeem
themselves of some of their misdeeds. This is one I have watched pretty
regularly through the years. If you get it on DVD, there is a great
commentary track where Bruce Campbell is watching it in character as
"The King" because he was asked to view it for its accuracy. It is the
best audio commentary ever.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
(1969): This is my favorite in the western genre. Paul Newman and
Robert Redford play the two title characters who are the leaders of the
Hole in the Wall Gang which is a group of train robbers. When robbing
too many trains, a special posse is on their trail so they flee to
Bolivia hoping to escape the law. The two are portrayed in an anti-hero
way where the two leads are just perfect for their parts and we have
some great action scenes. This is a very fun and well-done western.
Casino
Royale (2006): As a long-time fan of the Bond franchise, I have come to
call this one my favorite which introduces the great Daniel Craig who
will one day play me in my biopic THE RISE AND FALL OF SHAUN BERKEY.
This is based on the first Bond novel but United Artists could not get
the rights because CBS had them at the time so they decided to purchase
the rights and start a bit of a revamp to the series. This is more of
the rise of James Bond and in some ways a character study. Bond has
just been promoted to the 00 status but M, played again by Judi Dench,
sees the loose cannon he can be sometimes. Mads Mikkelson plays Le
Chiffre who Bond must stop. This movie shows the things that make him
into the cold-hearted person he is in the other stories. Eva Green
plays Vesper Lynd who is Bond's love interest in this film. Jeffrey
Wright plays his CIA friend Felix Leiter who has been portrayed by many
people in the franchise. The opening scene really brings us in and when
watching that, I realized we have a new Bond and the best in my
opinion. I really like the dark side that Craig brings to the part. I
heard they are now in production for the next James Bond film with him
in it as they have struggled to get it off the ground.
Catch Me
if You Can (2002): This is a true story of former con man Frank
Abagnale Jr. who before the age of 19 ran away from home and conned
lots of money posing as a co-pilot, doctor, and attorney. Leonardo
DiCaprio plays this person and is very good in his part. Tom Hanks
plays FBI agent Carl Hanratty who is looking to bring down Frank but
comes to admire him. Christopher Walken plays Frank Sr. who teaches him
son some about the art of the con but not nearly as good as his son
did. Steven Spielberg directed this film. The real-life Abagnale was
actually on the set some to give advice. Much of the film was pretty
authentic as they also had former FBI agents on hand from that era.
Hanks and DiCaprio worked very well together.
Chasing Amy
(1997): This is Kevin Smith's third View Askew film where it centers
around two comic book artists and best friends named Holden, played by
Ben Affleck, and Banky, played by Jason Lee. Tension starts between
them when meeting Alyssa Jones who is another comic book writer and is
a lesbian. Holden takes quite a liking to her and she even really likes
him and form a relationship. However, he hears about things she did
when she was younger and has a hard time handling it. So we have a
Kevin Smith movie which is pretty vulgar, lots of pop culture
references but it has a message where one should not worry about
someone's past and focus on the present. There is a great argument
where Banky and a guy named Hooper argue over Archie's sexuality. Joey
Lauren Adams plays the part of Alyssa and was very good in her part.
Clerks
(1994): This is my favorite of Kevin Smith's View Askew films and this
is the first of them. We take a look at Dante and Randal. Dante is the
clerk at a convenience store who is working a 24 hour shift much to his
dismay. Randal plays the clerk at the video store who hangs out more at
the convenience store with Dante and lacks people skills very much. For
Dante, lots of life-changing events happen during his shift, causing
him to break certain rules at the store. The big highlights are of the
discussions between Dante and Randal and the strange customers that
Dante must deal with on a daily basis. We get a hilarious discussion on
STAR WARS which all of the Smith films reference that in some way.
Kevin Smith actually sold his comic book collection to find this film
and the movie is in black and white. It is an element that works but it
was not some statement or anything, it was just all Kevin could afford
but makes this first of some great comedies. Jason Mewes and Kevin
Smith play Jay and Silent Bob who are some very significant characters
through the series. There is also a sequel made many years later which
was also quite hilarious but like Tarantino's RESERVOIR DOGS, this will
likely always remain my favorite of Smith's.
A Clockwork Orange
(1971): My dad introduced me to this film when I was 17 by getting me
this on VHS for Christmas one year. This is one of those that you may
not like but you won't forget it. Stanley Kubrick directed this bizarre
futuristic film based on the novel by Anthony Burgess. Malcolm McDowell
stars in his breakthrough film as Alex De Large who is the leader of a
gang called the Droogs. They go around to raid houses and just really
enjoy themselves at the expense of the residents. Soon however, his
gang members turn on him which gets Alex sent to prison. To get out
early, he agrees to a new unorthodox therapy where he becomes fearful
of what he loves which is most notably violence and Beethoven. Upon his
release, many people he has hurt want revenge and he is defenseless due
to his fear of violence. The bizarre part of the film is the imagery
which is just really hard to explain. The one scene that just always
sticks into my mind is when Alex is torturing a couple and singing
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN at the same time. This movie is not for everyone
but lives on as quite the classic. This movie was originally rated X on
account of no one really knowing what to think. Through the years, it
became rated R and deserves that rating.
Confessions of a
Dangerous Mind (2002): This is my favorite George Clooney film which he
directs and co-stars in as Jim Byrd, a CIA man. This is based on the
autobiography by Chuck Barris. Sam Rockwell stars as Chuck Barris who
many know as the host of THE GONG SHOW and producer of controversial
shows like THE DATING GAME and THE NEWLYWED GAME. He also claims is was
a front for his life as an assassin for the CIA which to this day there
is no real proof one way or the other. Rockwell is perfect for the
part, mostly becoming Chuck Barris. I contend that it is a true story
and that he really was an assassin for the CIA. This is Clooney's
directorial debut.
Crazy Heart (2009): This was probably my
favorite film of 2009 as the THE WRESTLER was my favorite of 2008. I
guess the two are rather similar. Jeff Bridges plays washed-up country
musician Bad Blake who has lead a pretty reckless lifestyle and now
performs at venues like bowling alleys. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays
newspaper journalist Jean Craddock who aspires for more and wants to do
a story on Blake. They soon form a relationship and Bad forms quite a
bond with her and her four year old son. However, his lifestyle soon
catches up to him and must re-evaluate his life as his former touring
partner Tommy Sweet, played very well by Colin Farrell, wants to tour
with him again. Like Rourke in THE WRESTLER, Bridges plays this
character to absolute perfection and I even liked a lot of the music
being quite a non-country fan. Bridges and Farrell did their own
singing and were very good. I am big on films where there is a lot of
character development and this one really did it as it worked without
the big budget and special effects.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon (2000): Ang Lee directed this Hong Kong martial arts film which
introduced a new sub-genre to the genre which was more fantasy and
introduced Chow Yun-Fat to the world of martial arts when he is most
known for his action films. Here he plays Li Mu Bai whose sword has
been stolen by his enemy Jade Fox. Michell Yeoh co-stars as Shu Lien
who has been a long-time friend of Li Mu Bai. Ziyi Zhang is also in a
star-making performance as a nobleman's daughter who has quite a
secret. Chow was good in his martial arts debut. There was also a lot
of emotional depth in a love story that has some great martial arts
footage with cool special effects.
The Curse of Frankenstein
(1957): This is my favorite of the Hammer Films and my favorite
adaptation to the Mary Shelley classic. Peter Cushing plays Victor
Frankenstein who is obsessed with creating life as he has good
intentions but they go awry. His creature, played by Christopher Lee,
goes onto wreak havoc all over town where he even murders bringing the
blame to the creator. This is a really good version and it is still
pretty chilling even today. To my knowledge this is Lee's only
portrayal of the Creature and I cannot really say that was a good
performance since he did not have much room to show his acting but
Cushing was very good as Frankenstein making me like this one better
than Universal's since at least they gave him his name whereas
Universal named him Henry Frankenstein taking away the symbolism of the
name. I still enjoy watching the Universal version but favor this one.
I was in a stage version of this one time and is my favorite part I
have played when I played an evil gravedigger named Peter Schmidt.
The
Dark Knight (2008): I have two superhero films on this and both of
which are the same year with this one being DC comics and the other
being Marvel comics. This is the second part to Christopher Nolan's
great Batman revamp with the first being BATMAN BEGINS. In this one
Batman has his biggest challenge yet when the Joker, played very well
by Heath Ledger, absolutely terrorizes Gotham City. Christian Bale
reprises his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne where he feels he is doing what
he does because he has to but that there needs to be a better way of
fighting crime where he supports district attorney Harvey Dent who is
trying to fight crime through the law. The Joker wreaks havoc so much
that Batman is blamed for the things that Joker does. I really thought
Heath Ledger is the best person to have ever played the Joker, yes even
better than Jack Nicholson. I really believed he is very maniacal and
Ledger was hardly recognizable in the part. When I first heard about
him doing it I questioned it but he sure proved me wrong. Just for the
record this was not Ledger's last film, he died during the filming of
Terry Gilliams THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSAS. I refuse to believe
that just doing this movie is what drove him to his death. Gary Oldman
plays Commissioner Gordon who supports Batman's efforts to fight crime.
This is a very dark version where Batman is more of a vigilante than a
hero and must in some ways resort to the Joker's ways in order to
compete with him. This is far from that sitcom in the 60s and the films
in the 80s and 90s with exception to Tim Burton's BATMAN. This is the
way Batman is meant to be portrayed.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along
Blog (2008): I know this is not technically a movie but I don't care.
It's my blog and I'll use it if I want to. Joss Whedon actually wrote
this during the Writer's Strike that was going on at the time. He found
a loophole and was able to get it posted on the internet in order to
get around the strike and avoid trouble. There ended up being three
episodes that were about 15 minutes long. It has come a very long way
as it is available on itunes and even on Instant Netflix so if you have
not caught this yet, if you have Netflix, please watch it. If you are
in the area, contact me and I will show it. Doogie Howser, I mean Neil
Patrick Harris plays the title character who is trying to join a crime
syndicate called the Evil League of Evil headed by Bad Horse. However,
his big crimes get foiled by the egotistical Captain Hammer, played by
Nathan Fillion. Things also get complicated for Dr. Horrible when he
meets Penny, played by Felicia Day, who is a very idealistic young girl
wanting to help the homeless and he really likes but does not know how
to say it. She starts dating Captain Hammer when she believes he saved
his life. This was just so much fun and have some really good songs and
very significant being something cleverly put out during the writer's
strike.
Ed Wood (1994): This is my favorite Tim Burton/Johnny
Depp collaboration where Depp plays the title character who was a
director in the 50s and is regarded as the "Worst Director of All
Time". It shows his start in the film industry and meets a has-been
Bela Legosi, played well by Martin Landau, who he befriends and
includes in his movies. It also has great use of black and white to pay
homage to the era. Some of Wood's hit bad films include PLAN 9 FROM
OUTER SPACE, GLEN OR GLENDA, and BRIDE OF A MONSTER. It shows his
struggles and his hard work to make the film good, but they were just
so bad but quite funny. Depp was very good Ed Wood and this is a great
homage to the movie scene in the era.
Enter the Dragon (1973): This is my favorite of Bruce Lee's films with
most of them I am not crazy about but this one was done very well. He
is a martial artist who agrees to go to an island ran by a recluse
named Han who holds an international tournament. Han is also suspected
of smuggling drugs. John Saxon co-stars as Roper who comes there as
refuge being on the run from the mafia. The last focus comes onto Jim
Kelly, no not that former Bills QB, but a black man named Williams who
is constantly harassed by the police where he lives. This film
showcases a lot of international talent like Bob Wall, Kieh Shih, Sammo
Hung, and look for Jackie Chan as an extra. This is one that set a few
standards for martial arts films in the future. This is actually an
American film so if the other martial arts films listed here cannot be
watched because you do not like subtitles, this is in English.
Evil
Dead 1, 2, and Army of Darkness (1981, 1987, and 1992): In other words,
the Evil Dead Trilogy. The first one was really what made Sam Raimi and
Bruce Campbell. Bruce plays the iconic Ash who along with some friends
decide to go to vacation in a cabin only to find out that it is
possessed with flesh-possessing demons. Bruce Campbell went pretty
in-depth in his book IF CHINS COULD KILL of the very difficult task
this was to finish, and just to get out to the public but their hard
work really paid off. In the second one, it is very similar to the
first except that Ash has learned a lot and is not as fearful as he is
in the first one. In some ways this is more of a remake or maybe
re-imagining. In ARMY OF DARKNESS, Ash is transported to 1300 A.D.
which is full of zombies so he must do what he must to get back to the
modern era. This is a great horror/comedy series which has lived on
through pop-culture. They now have a musical. At one point Muncie Civic
Theater was going to do it but lost their rights which made my dreams
go up in smoke. Hopefully, one day they will do it.
Excalibur (1981): This is an adaptation of the Arthurian legend that
has received a lot of mixed opinions. It is likely the darkest version
of all time but maybe the more realistic. Nicol Williamson plays
Merlin who is a lot meaner than we are used to but Merlin is
half-devil. He then becomes the mentor to Arthur who is able to pull
the sword out of the stone. He then marries Guinevere and forms a
Knights of the Round Table. Helen Mirren plays Arthur's conniving
sister Morgana who sires a very evil son named Mordred. There is a lot
of very disturbing imagery but I think well done. The highlight for me
was Nicolas Clay who plays Lancelot and complicates Arthur's marriage.
Nigel Terry plays Arthur in this film. Also look for early roles in
Gabriel Byrne, Patrick Stewart, and Liam Neeson. It also has a pretty
cool music score.
The Exorcist (1973): This is my favorite in
the horror genre. Linda Blair plays Regan who has started acting rather
strange putting concern into her mother. Jason Miller plays Father
Karras who is questioning if he is meant to be a priest but then is
called up when learning that Regan is possessed by evil. I remember
first seeing this on a special run in the theaters which was great to
watch on the big screen. This is not something for everyone but was a
well written horror film. William Friedkin directed this film where the
demon and the priest go at it in full force.
Falling Down (1993): This was always one of my favorites growing up.
Michael Douglas stars in this film as Bill who gets stuck in traffic
and abandons his car becoming very frustrated with society which he
reacts very violently to things. It starts where he goes to a
convenience store run by a Korean man but does not like his high-prices
so he destroys his store. That was just the start of many things.
Robert Duvall plays Predergast, a cop assigned to this case and is
nearing an early retirement that his wife seems to be the one who wants
it. Barbara Hershey plays Bill's estranged wife who has a restraining
order on him but knows he is out looking for his daughter. This was a
pretty dark comedy and one I have just always enjoyed. It also has
quite the all-star cast.
Fargo (1996): This is my favorite of
the Coen Brothers. It is a rather complex story where William H. Macy
plays car salesman Jerry Lundegaard who really needs some money and has
a strange scheme seeking it. His father-in-law owns the place he works
at and has a lot of money. He then arranges for two criminals, played
by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare, to kidnap is wife so that his
father pays the ransom and then he gets half the ransom. Things don't
quite go as planned though when the criminals compromise things through
their own stupidity like kidnapping someone without license plates. The
highlight of the film is of Frances McDormand who plays the pregnant
sheriff Marge Gunderson. Look for Bruce Campbell who is on a tv when he
was on the soap opera GENERATIONS. Macy was also very good, becoming a
more sought-after character actor.
A Few Good Men (1992): Rob Reiner directed this adaptation to the
Aaron Sorkin play which is based on a true story. Tom Cruise plays
Daniel Kaffee who is a slacker Navy attorney who just always does plea
bargains intending to do the same thing with this one. He is then
appointed to defend two marines accused of murdering a colleague. He
is then joined by Lt. Cmr. Galloway, played by Demi Moore, who is
reluctant to join him on account of his reputation. Kaffee then sees
that he has quite a case when investigating Col. Jessup, played very
well by Jack Nicholson, who seems to have a lot to hide. I had the
honor of being in this play which was a great experience. This is
actually based on a Code Red in the Marines of a marine named David Cox
and nine others severely beat another marine. Cox was acquitted and
honorably discharged but was then murdered which is a murder that has
not been solved. This was a great military courtroom drama but not
sure if you can handle the truth.
The Fisher King (1991): This is likely my favorite of Terry Gilliam
who directed this movie. Jeff Bridges plays shock jock radio dj Jack
who inadvertently causes a tragedy making him live a little more
reclusively and with regret. He then meets a strange homeless man
named Perry, played by Robin Williams, who is out for the Holy Grail.
Jack soon learns that Perry was once married and his wife was part of
the tragedy that he inadvertently caused making him search for
redemption by helping Perry in his search for the so called Holy
Grail. Amanda Plummer plays Lydia who becomes Perry's love interest.
This is a great character study with good performances from the leads.
Gladiator
(2000): This is one of those that I have watched many times which takes
place during the Roman Empire during the rule of an aging Marcus
Aurelius, played by Richard Harris. Russell Crowe stars as the
fictional Roman general Maximus who is loved by his people and by
Marcus Aurelius who wants Maximus to be heir over his son Commodus.
This does not sit well with Commedus when his father dies as he has
Maximus' wife and son killed where Maximus is captured into slavery and
becomes a gladiator which sends him back to Rome.. Joaquin Phoenix
plays Commedus very well. Russell Crowe is just in full force in this
film and just keeps us engaged in the action and see his family in the
afterlife. I also liked Connie Nielson as Lucilla which is the daughter
of Marcus who is also struggling to keep her son safe with her
brother's rule. Ridley Scott directed this one.
The Godfather
Trilogy (1972, 1973, and 1990): This is one of those that I am just
going to include the whole trilogy and yes I put part three. In 1972,
Francis Ford Coppola found a great book written by Mario Puzo and
decided to make that into a screenplay. It is a great mafia story but
if what you are expecting is a lot of killing, this is not it. Sure
there are many murders but there is also focus on the Corleone family.
Don Vito Corleone, played very well by Marlon Brando, is the patriarch
of the family and a very respected man. We also get star-making
performances from a young Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and
Diane Keaton. Pacino plays Michael Corleone, who is a WW2 hero coming
home for his sister's wedding. He has tried to stay out of the business
but finds that is not easy to do. James Caan is Sonny Corleone and the
oldest of the Corleone family who has a tendency to fly over the
handle. Robert Duvall is Tom Hagan, the Corleone family attorney and
Don Corleone's foster son. The main story on this one is that Virgil
Sollozzo, played by Al Lettieri, wants to bring the drug trade to each
of the five families which is declined by Don Corleone feeling that
while drugs make money, they can bring a lot of trouble in the long
run. I also feel that this story got it right as I feel that has been
the big decline in the mafia through the years. Coppola also had to
fight with the producers to get the people he wanted. Pacino was very
unknown at the time and the producers wanted someone like Robert
Redford to play the part but Coppola liked Pacino in his earlier
performance in THE PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK. We have many iconic scenes
like the horse's head, "Luca Brasi swims with fishes", the restaurant
scene with Michael, and many others. This is a great mafia drama which
would result in what many people considered a better sequel in part
two. In this one, Pacino has become Don Corleone and decides to expand
his family out to Vegas so we see his family's adjustment. There are
also some really good flashback scenes where Robert De Niro plays a
young Vito Corleone where we see his rise. De Niro was great in that
part. The main part of the modern storyline was that Michael's house
was viciously attacked and is looking to find who was in on the hit.
Still many beautiful elements mixed with some graphic killings. Many
years later in 1990 we get treated to the one with more mixed views
with was part three. I have come to view that as "misunderstood". For
me parts 1 and 2 get 4 out of four stars and part 3 gets 3 our of 4
stars. This takes place many years after part 3 where Al Pacino plays
an aging Don Corleone who believes he has gone legit like what he has
always wanted but find that is not easy to do. Andy Garcia co-stars as
Vincent who is the son of Sonny Corleone and clearly takes after his
father with his fiery temper. One of the biggest criticisms was of
Sofia Coppola who plays Michael's daughter and just did not have the
experience for that part. I am glad she decided to follow in he
father's footsteps to become a director and has done some pretty good
things in that field. We also see more vulnerability come with Don
Corleone and his age but Pacino still does some great things making it
watchable for me. It is better than many other part threes in my
opinion. There is also some interesting scenes of the corruption within
the Vatican in Italy. Looking at the trilogy as a whole, I have many
friends who dismiss it as "long and boring". Yes, they are quite of
length and there are many moments where there is conflict in the family
and there are family issues where they don't kill people in every
minute. There is some great scenes of dialogue and many great actors of
old and new so it is meant to be conveyed as more of a drama, maybe a
family drama.
Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah (2001): Yes, I'm
using this Japanese film from Toho studios where Godzilla has waken and
is out to destroy Japan but the government do not believe that it is a
big deal. However, to stop Godzilla, we have Mothra, King Ghidora, and
a monster called Baragon who all look to stop the radioactive monster.
I remember seeing this on On-Demand and I have seen a few of these this
was what I felt was the best one done in the series and I have seen
that some fans of these films agree. It panders more to adults and has
some very good action. No, it does not have CGI but they make the most
of what they have. This is the first movie where King Ghidorah is on
the good side. If you can get a hold of this one, you might actually
like it.
Goodfellas (1990): This is Martin Scorsese's mafia film
which is based on the novel WISE GUY by Nicolas Pileggi. Ray Liotta
stars as Henry Hill who always admired the gangster lifestyle as a kid
and cannot be a full-time member because he is not full Italian. Robert
De Niro stars as his mentor Jimmy Conway and Joe Pesci plays the fiery
Tommy Devito. Together they take part in many robberies but it gets bad
when Jimmy and Tommy start killing people. This was a very authentic
gangster picture and even having real-life gangsters including Hill
himself on hand. Liotta was great as Henry Hill.
Gran Torino
(2008): I did not know what this would be like. I heard all about how
great it was so I finally got to watching it to see if it deserved so
much praise and I did not leave disappointed. Clint Eastwood directed
and stars as disgruntled Korean War vet Walt who does not get along
with his kids or neighbors. His neighborhood is changing and witnesses
a lot of mischief and gang activity. He then catches a Hmong boy named
Thao, played well by Bee Vang, who lives next-door trying to steal his
prized car of the same title. Seeing that he was put up to it, he
decides to help him and do whatever he can to keep him out of the
gangs. Through interactions with him, he slowly forms a friendship with
the neighbors and learns a little more about life. Like AMERICAN
HISTORY X, this looks at each side of racism including rival gang
activity between the Koreans and Mexicans which is pretty realistic.
Descriptions of the film bill Walt as a bigot which I did not really
find true. He is bigoted towards the crime and gang activity he sees.
He saw that Bee was not a bad kid and helped him. This movie sure lived
up to the hype and had a great ending.
Hard Candy (2005): This
is my Ellen Page selection for this blog where she plays a 14 year old
girl named Hayley meeting a 32 year old man, played by Patrick Wilson.
He decides to take her to his apartment but she turns the tables on him
believing he is a pedophile and taking him hostage in his own apartment
to get him to confess to what he has done. The majority of the film
took place in the apartment with a bit part from Sandra Oh but
otherwise it was these two characters that had to keep it going and
they did. Hayley is very determined to get him to confess she resorts
to some pretty extreme measures of torture. It is a very suspenseful
film with good performances.
Harvey (1950): I have always really
liked James Stewart and I laughed so hard watching this comedy. He
plays the very friendly Elwood P. Dowd who has a 6 foot invisible
rabbit friend named Harvey who is his very dear friend. His sister
Veta, played by Josephine Hull, and niece Myrtle, played by Victoria
Horne try to have him committed to an insane asylum for what they
believe are hallucinations but ends up getting herself committed
instead. James Stewart was great as Elwood and you really believe that
he has this rabbit friend. He also has a great monologue explaining how
Harvey has made his life so much better. I sometimes use a monologue by
the taxi driver near the end for my auditions. I think we should all
have a friend like Harvey in our lives.
Heat (1995): This is the historical on-screen encounter between Robert
De Niro and Al Pacino directed by Michael Mann. Al Pacino plays Lt.
Vincent Hanna who is on the trail of a group that had a botched bank
robbery. Robert De Niro plays the head of the group Neil McCauley who
is planning one more robbery after the botched one due to one of their
members flying off the handle. This film focuses on the lives of these
two people and in many ways the only way they differ is the side of the
law that they are on. Ashley Judd, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Natalie
Portman, and many others co-star. There is a really good scene between
Neil and Vincent where they have a cup of coffee at a cafe discussing
their difficult lives. This also has a great climatic showdown.
House
of Flying Daggers (2004): This is my favorite martial arts film of this
particular genre of martial arts which is more fantasy martial arts.
Ziyi Zhang stars as blind dancer Mei in the Tang Dynasty of China who
is believed to be part of a rebel group of the title. Zhang Yimou
directed this martial arts epic which really becomes a beautiful love
story mixed with lots of martial art fighting with awesome
cinematography. Two officers named Leo and Jin look to use Mei to bring
down the group but end up falling in love making things very
complicated.
In America (2002): A lot of you are probably
noticing that I really like a good, independent drama. Jim Sheridan
directs this film where an Irish immigrant family really struggles to
make it in New York. Paddy Consadine plays Paddy who is an aspiring
actor struggling to get a part. Samantha Morton is his wife Sarah who
does what she can to pay for the apartment. Sarah and Emma Bolger play
their daughters Christy and Ariel. The story is really told from
Christy's eyes where this family has struggled lot and experienced the
loss of the girls' brother and the parents' son where each person deals
differently. The girls also find an unexpected friend in their unusual
neighbor Mateo, played by Djimou Hounsou. This is a great show of a
struggling family sticking together and my favorite of that year.
Indiana Jones Trilogy (1981, 1984, and 1989): I went ahead and just
included these three. I have not seen the recent fourth one. RAIDERS
OF THE LOST ARK is where we meet our friend Indiana Jones, a character
played by Harrison Ford, who is a very adventurous archaeologist which
gets him into many dangerous situations. Here, he must find an
artifact called the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis find it.
Karen Allen plays Marion who knows Indiana pretty well and accompanies
him on his adventure. She is the biggest reason I may watch the fourth
one. I like her a lot and hate she did not have a much bigger career.
The next one is TEMPLE OF DOOM which is actually a prequel to the first
one where Indy is asked to find a mystical stone and stumbles on a very
strange cult with a terrible plan. Kate Capshaw co-stars in this one
as Willie who is a night-club singer. Also with Indiana is a
resourceful Asian child named Short Round. This one was not nearly as
good but had some good moments like the climax on the bridge. There
were some pretty gross-out gags though. The last one is called LAST
CRUSADE which should have remained that way where we meet Indiana's
father Henry, played by Sean Connery. We find that Indiana takes after
his father quite a bit and then he sets out to look for his father who
goes missing in his pursuit for the Holy Grail. He then joins his
estranged father to pursue the Holy Grail but has more problems with
Nazis. River Phoenix plays a young Indiana Jones in the beginning of
the film. Connery is very good as his father and we then learn more
about Indiana Jones through this one. Steven Spielberg directed this
trilogy which was written by George Lucas with an iconic score from
John Williams as well as a pop culture icon in Indiana Jones.
Iron
Man (2008): This is the second of my superhero selections both being in
the same year but unfortunately having to be a bit overshadowed by THE
DARK KNIGHT. This character is really kind of Marvel's answer to Batman
where we have Tony Stark who like Bruce Wayne is quite the playboy and
a bit of a prick but do what they can to fight evil. Like Batman, Tony
Stark uses his intelligence to create Iron Man. Tony Stark owns a
weapons company called Stark Industries meant to supply the U.S. army
with his partner Obediah Stone, played by a very creepy looking Jeff
Bridges. In Afghanistan, Tony is captured by terrorists and must make
an armored suit in order to escape. He then learns that Obediah has
been double-dealing the weapons to the terrorists. He then decides to
progress his creation in order to fight evil and becomes Iron Man. This
is really more of a story of Tony working non-stop to create this
perfect outfit where we are with him through all of his struggles to
complete what he wants. Robert Downey Jr. is just perfect for this part
and in my opinion has the best acting of all the superhero films.
Gwyneth Paltrow is good as Stark's assistant Pepper Parks. Jeff Bridges
is also very good as the traitorous Obediah Stone who goes onto
complete his own outfit to destroy Tony Stark. In 2010, they released
the sequel which I liked but not as much as this one. Jon Favreau
directed this one and did a very good job.
Iron Monkey (1993): This is my martial arts film from Donnie Yen who
plays Wong Kei-Ying who is the father of the much featured Hong Kong
folk hero Wong Fei-Hung who is a child in this one. Rongguang Yu plays
the title character who is a Robin Hood-type who is fighting the
corrupt governement. Wong Kei-Ying is forced to finding Iron Monkey by
the government but begins to see that he shares his values and teams up
with the Iron Monkey. Sze-Man Tsang played Wong Fei-Hung as a child
and showed some very good martial arts skills. I had no idea until now
that she is a girl but passed very well. This one is quite a martial
arts classic followed by a not-so-good sequel.
It's a
Wonderful Life (1946): This is likely my favorite Christmas film and
one I have been watching for years and never tire of it where I
probably find different things each time I watch it. This is a Frank
Capra film. James Stewart stars as George Bailey, a small-town boy from
a town called Bedford Falls who we meet as a kid and we see him grow
into a pretty good man. Through the years he marries, he has three good
children but things get very overwhelming when dealing with the town
crook Mr. Potter, played by Lionel Barrymore, who is trying to take
over the town of Bedford Falls but cannot get a small bank which
George's father founded. Lots of things happen which drive George to
the edge sending a second-class angel named Clarence, played by Henry
Travers in his best performance in his great career as a character
actor, who must show that George has what the title implies and shows
things that would have happened if he had not been born. Look for Carl
Switzer who is most known as Alfalfa in THE LITTLE RASCALS in a small
part during the reunion scene. There are also a couple characters named
Bert and Ernie who hang out a lot where there is a lot of debate
whether that is where the SESAME STREET characters. It shows that we
really should not take little things for granted because they can
become big things as George learns in his glimpse.
JCVD (2008):
This one really surprised me. I saw this DVD when I was walking through
Wal-Mart and seeing a picture of Jean-Claude Van Damme, I was just
about to dismiss this until I read into a bit and found this might
actually me quite good so I went ahead and purchased it. Van Damme
plays himself where he has returned to France and is now having a lot
of struggles. He is a has-been actor who lost a part to Seagal, he is
having a lot of tax problems, and is in a legal battle for custody of
his daughter. However, he must forget those things when he is in a
hostage situation they make it look like he is leading it which he must
make it look that way to keep the hostages alive while relying on his
fight skills to try getting out of it. This is Van Damme's best movie
and a very clever idea from a guy named Mabrouk El Mechri who actually
directed it. There is also a really good monologue from JCVD reflecting
on his career and as people in the wrestling business call it a shoot
like my friend Jake pointed out.
Johnny Got His Gun (1971): This
film was the basis for the Metallica song ONE and is a great anti-war
film. Timothy Bottoms stars as Joe who is hit by a mortar shell during
WW1 and suffers the worst fate and no it is not death. He loses his
arms, legs, eyes, ears, mouth, and nose but no one takes into account
that he still has his mind. He then lives through flashbacks and
strange dreams while finally finding a way to communicate with the
people in the hospital. There is also a very interesting scene where he
speaks to Jesus who is played by Donald Sutherland. This is one of
those films that show the horrors of war and the mistreatment of
veterans. I was glued to the television from start to finish. There is
also a 2008 version which I have not seen but have heard good things
upon.
Kill Bill (2003 and 2004): I just went ahead and put both
volumes on this one. This is Quentin Tarantino's dream film where he
pays homage to the classic martial arts, samarai, western, even anime a
little bit. Uma Thurman stars as The Bride who was an assassin in the
Deadly Viper Association and decides to leave when she gets married.
This did not sit well with Bill, played by David Carradine, who along
with the others kill her husband and leave the bride for dead. They
succeeded with her husband but only put her in a coma. When getting out
of the coma, she decides to take her revenge. The others in the group
are Vivica A. Fox, Lucy Liu, Michael Madsen, and Daryl Hannah. In part
one, she starts out with a very good fight in the home with Vivica Fox.
It's the fight with Lucy Liu that was the best though where she has
become the head of the Yakuza and the Bride must fight many others
before getting to her. There was a really cool animation sequence on
Liu's character when she was a child. Part of this too was like a
live-action Anime film where there is a lot of purposely exaggerated
violence, among other things. Many of the henchman are wearing Kato
masks that Bruce Lee wore in GREEN HORNET. Also, Uma's yellow suit is a
replica of what Bruce Lee wore in his last film GAME OF DEATH. In the
second volume, they take the action down a bit where it is really more
drama when pursuing the rest of the people leaving her for dead. This
one was more of a western. In this one, we see flashbacks of how she
learns the skills that she learns from Pai Mei, played by Gordon Liu,
and in the other scenes she puts what she learns to use leading into
the final confrontation with Bill. Tarantino is very good about giving
comeback roles to people like in this one he has David Carradine and
even Daryl Hannah. Also we have Sonny Chiba who is the Japanese martial
arts legend in the 70s, I guess the Japan's answer to Bruce Lee. I am
hearing information that in 2014, we will have a part three, possibly
with Vernita's (Vivica Fox) daughter seeking revenge on the Bride.
The Killer (1989): This is another of my John Woo/Chow Yun-Fat
collaborations where Chow plays a conflicted hitman who when on a job,
accidentally blinds a female singer at a bar. He decides to take one
more job so that he can get the money necessary for a surgical
procedure to get her site back. Things happen where his employers
betray him and must do whatever possible to survive. He then teams up
with a cop named Li Ying in order to take them down. They soon form a
friendship trying to take this group down. These have always been my
favorite action films where Woo turns it into an art and adds beauty
around the violence.
King Kong (2005): Yes, this is the Peter
Jackson version I am speaking of and make no mistake I like the 1933
version but this one for me went just a step higher. Did the movie need
to be over three hours? No, probably not and at first I wondered if I
was even going to like it but what did it for me was the relationship
between King Kong and Ann Darrow. In both the 1933 and 1976 version,
Ann Darrow is very resistant of the big ape who saves her from a very
savage tribe. In this one, she is once again saved by him and while she
first fears him due to the fear of the unknown but then she realizes
that he saved her life and befriends Kong. Jack Black plays Carl Denham
who is an over-ambitious movie producer who decides to do a movie on
this island hiring Ann Darrow as one of the actresses. There were just
so many little things that went a long way for me including a scene
where she is sitting on Kong's paw and they are both just looking out
at the world. Another trademark for the Kong films is that the crew
captures Kong to take him to New York and exploit him. He is soon
driven to the edge and escapes and in this one Ann just gives herself
to him. Naomi Watts was very good as Ann Darrow in this movie.
The
King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007): This was a great
documentary of two men pursuing the national record in Donkey Kong. In
the 80s, classic video game legend Billy Mitchell set a record for this
game. Steve Wiebe is a teacher who when unemployed bought the arcade
game for his home in hopes to break the record. When Wiebe breaks his
record in an annual tournament, Mitchell sends a controversial tape of
setting a new record. Steve then goes to Florida to call out Billy
Mitchell to compete for the Guinness Book of World Records. I love
watching films where people are so dedicated to something that I deem
insignificant and this was a very entertaining documentary on these
guys.
Lars and the Real Girl (2007): This was one I was very
surprised by. Ryan Gosling plays the title character who is a shy,
young man in a small town. He then announces he has a girlfriend which
turns out to be a sex doll that he ordered. Sex was not what he had in
mind but more of a deep, meaningful relationship. His brother-in-law
and sister become concerned but see that he is happy so they support
him and his girl becomes another person in the community because of
what he feels. There is not much more to say but this did turn out to
be a very good love story. This is the type of plot that could have
really gone wrong but it was done so well where you really care about
Lars and his girl.
The Last Samurai (2003): This is my favorite Tom Cruise film and when
I first saw this poster, I did not like this idea but I found I was
absolutely wrong. This is a movie that takes place in the post
American Civil War world where our favorite scientologist plays bitter
and cynical Civil War veteran Nathan Algren. He is then brought to
Japan to train a group of Japanese soldiers against a Samurai clan in
Japan's attempt to go to the more western values. In an attack that he
leads, Nathan becomes wounded and is captured by the group. Ken
Watanabe plays Katsumoto who is the head of the Samurai clan who spares
Nathan. Nathan slowly begins to respect their culture and learning
their ways. This has a similar plot line to both DANCES WITH WOLVES
and the more recent AVATAR where a person is angry at their group and
begins to like the ways better of the other side. This is a very
beautiful film in my opinion and enjoyed the whole thing. I'm glad I
watched a show about the history of the Samurai the night before I went
to see this.
Leaving Las Vegas (1995): This is one of two
Nicolas Cage films I am featuring on this one. Mike Figgis directs this
movie which stars Cage as Ben who was a Hollywood screenwriter who has
lost his job, his family and many other things because of his drinking.
He then goes into Vegas intending to drink himself to death. He then
meets a prostitute named Sera, played by Elizabeth Shue, who form an
unusual relationship. They agree to see each other but she must agree
not to stop him from killing himself and he must not question her
profession. Julian Sands co-stars as Sera's pimp Yuri. This is a pretty
depressing film but I also found it to be quite compelling Cage did a
good job in this one. There are some pretty graphic scenes where it is
not for everyone but an interesting film emphasizing acceptance.
Leon:
The Professional (1994): This is also one that has stood out in my mind
and made me a fan of Jean Reno. Luc Besson directed this film which
stars Natalie Portman, in her film debut, as Mathilda whose father has
some dirty dealings with some corrupt DEA agents where her father and
the rest of her family is murdered. The only killing that really upsets
her is the one of her younger brother. When escaping, a man named who
lives in an apartment down the hall reluctantly takes her in to protect
her. She then sees that Leon is a rather unusual man with the job of a
"cleaner". When she sees this, she asks him to help avenge the murder
of her little brother and even train her to do what he does for a
living. They soon form an adult/child friendship and becomes a bit of a
father figure to her and he for the first time experiences life while
helping her take revenge on Norman Stansfield, played by Gary Oldman.
This movie was actually made in France and the first copy released in
the United States had some pretty heavy editing. I then found a dvd
which gives about an additional 20 minutes which really make sense of
some plotholes you might find in the first copy. Portman and Reno work
so well together and Jean Reno was great as a conscientious
professional killer who finally learns how to live through a young
girl. Portman also made a great debut starting quite a career. The DVD
that I have is the International Cut.
Life is Beautiful (1997): This is my Italian film where much of
America including myself first got to know the funny Roberto Benigni
who wrote, directed, and stars as Guido. Guido is a very funny man who
meets the love of his life Dora, played by his real-life wife Nicoletta
Braschi, where they then have a son. Guido's world begins to change
however when they are all put in Nazi concentration camps where he
stays with his son but Dora is separated from him. In camp, Guido does
whatever he can to ease his fears by making him believe it is a big
game where the winner gets a big tank. Make no mistake, this is not a
holocaust comedy. This is a drama during the horrible Nazi rule where
a father uses comedy so that his son is not scared. This was such a
well done film on that era and Benigni won quite a bit of rewards
including the great Oscar moment where he walks on the top of the
chairs to get to the stage.
Lolita (1962 and 1997): I decided
to promote both on this one because I think they are both very good and
each one has its qualities. This is based on a novel by Vladimir
Nabokov so I'll just explain the story first. We have a professor and
writer named Humbert Humbert, yes same first and last name, who rents a
room in a home lead by Charlotte Hayes and her 14 year old daughter
Delores which is the character the title references. Humbert forms a
liking to the daughter so to get closer to her, he marries Charlotte.
Humbert must always compete with Clare Quilty who has his own devious
intentions towards Delores. The first one was directed by Stanley
Kubrick and the second one is directed by Adrian Lyne and I thought
they both did a very good job. The part of Humbert was played by James
Mason in the first one and Jeremy Irons in the remake. Again, I did not
see any superiority towards their performances. With the part of
Delores "Lolita" Hayes, the first one was with Sue Lyon and the second
one was Dominique Swain. I actually liked Swain just a little bit
better but Sue.
No comments:
Post a Comment