Welcome to the 848th Edition of my series. I have one more performance today of MURDER AT CAFE NOIR. It starts at 4 pm and is at the Pulse Opera House. It has been a very fun show. I don't have much more to say now so I'll just get on with my selections.
Agora (2009): This is part five of my five-part Rachel Weisz series. Alejandro Amenabar directed and co-wrote this historical Roman drama. Weisz stars as the teacher Hypatia who through the years teaches much of the future leaders. She also must deal with a couple of her students in Orestes, played by Oscar Isaac, and Davus, played by Max Minghella, both of which have feelings for her. Ashraf Barhom, Homayoun Ershadi, Sami Samir, Richard Durden, Oshri Cohen, Charles Thake, Harry Borg, Yousef Sweid, Clint Dyer, George Harris, Michael Lonsdale, Amber Rose Revah, and many others co-star in this historical drama. This is a very complex movie that is hard to explain. Religion is used a lot to oppress the people and is very clear in this movie. This is available to watch on Filmrise and on imdb tv.
Smoke (1995): I had no idea this was going to be a tribute selection to William Hurt and have decided to turn this into a trilogy. Wayne Wang directed this comedy on New York City life. Harvey Keitel stars as Auggie Wren who owns the local smoke shop and tries to appreciate the little things in life. William Hurt stars as writer Paul Benjamin who is a disheartened writer and has a near death that sets up a series of events. Forest Whitaker, Stockard Channing, Harold Perrineau, Jared Harris, Ashley Judd, Giancarlo Esposito, Jose Zuniga, Stephen Gevedon, Deirdre O'Connell, Victor Argo, Michelle Hurst, Erica Gimpel, and many others co-star in this film. This is a nice slice of life film with Keitel and Hurt putting on great performances. It has the perfect blend of comedy and drama. This is available to watch on Showtime.
Dark Waters (2019): This is part two of my Mark Ruffalo trilogy. Todd Haynes directed this film based on a New York Times article by Nathaniel Rich. Ruffalo stars as attorney Rob Bilott who takes on an environmental agency that has had a long history of pollution resulting in the harm of many. When Bilott is consulted by a family friend whose cows have died in masses, he is reluctant but learns that is the least of what is going on, he puts everything on the line. Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Pullman, Bill Camp, Victor Garber, Mare Winningham, William Jackson Harper, Louisa Krause, Kevin Crowley, Bruce Cromer, Denise Dal Vera, Abi Van Andel, John Newberg, Barry Mulholland, Jeffrey Grover, Jim Azelvandre, and many others co-star in this film. Ruffalo also produced this movie so must have been something he was pretty passionate about. This is a very eye-opening look at what has happened in our world. This is also available on Showtime.
Freudy Cat (1964): This is my animated short for the week which features Sylvester, voiced by Mel Blanc. Sylvester is a very paranoid cat, convinced that kangaroo Hippety Hopper is everywhere. Sylvester Jr. takes his dad to a cat psychiatrist and confides in him about the "giant mouse". This takes past clips and weaves them in with the psychiatrist session. This is a pretty fun few minutes and is the last to feature Sylvester Jr. and Hippety Hopper. This is available to watch on HBO Max.
Rembrandt (1936): Alexander Korda directed this biopic on the famed painter Rembrandt van Rijn who we simply know as Rembrandt. Charles Laughton plays the famed painter whose work offends his patrons and is quite the starving artist while he was alive as he focused on what he wanted rather than what was wanted politically. Elsa Lanchester co-stars as Henrickje who was his maid but forms a relationship with but unable to marry. Like many painters from this era, his work becomes far more known in today's society. Gertrude Lawrence, Edward Chapman, Walter Hudd, Roger Livesey, Sam Livesey, Allan Jeayes, John Clements, Raymond Huntley, Abraham Sofaer, Austin Trevor, and many others co-star in this biopic. Laughton really brings Rembrandt to in this moving biopic. This is available to watch on HBO Max.
The Small Back Room (1949): Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger directed this WWII film based on the novel by Nigel Balchin. David Farrar stars as British scientist Sammy Rice who is a bomb disposal expert. There are lots of booby-trapped explosives dropped by Nazi bombers and look to dispose them before more people die. He also has a lot of personal issues in which he turns to pills and alcohol for. Jack Hawkins, Kathleen Byron, Leslie Banks, Michael Gough, Cyril Cusack, Milton Rosmer, Emrys Jones, Walter Fitzgerald, Renee Asherton, Sidney James, Sam Kydd, Michael Goodliffe, Geoffrey Keen, Robert Morley, and many others co-star in this film. This is also known as the title of HOUR OF GLORY. This is a compelling WWII story that takes place outside of the battle lines with a good performance out of Farrar. This is available to watch on the Criterion Collection.
The French Dispatch (2021): Wes Anderson directed this film and co-wrote with Roman Coppola, Hugo Guinness, and Jason Schwartzman. This centers around the outpost of a fictional American newspaper in the 1960s that is published in" The French Dispatch Magazine". This is an anthology of short stories, all of which are quite strange in a Wes Anderson sort of way. Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Lea Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothee Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Matthieu Amalric, Steve Park, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Bob Balaban, Henry Winkler, Lois Smith, Tony Revolori, Denis Menochet, Larry Pine, Morgane Polanski, Felix Moati, Christoph Waltz, Cecile de France, Guillaume Gallienne, Rupert Friend, Alex Lawther, Tom Hudson, Stephane Bak, Hippolyte Girardot, Liev Schreiber, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Elizabeth Moss, Jason Schwartzman, Griffin Dunne, Anjelica Huston, and many others co-star in this film. I would have loved to have seen Wes Anderson and his team of writers together in a room coming up with these stories. Anderson is an acquired taste for some and there is no disputing that he is very different. There is no other explanation I can give on the homage to the world of journalism. This is available to watch on HBO Max.
Those Calloways (1965): Norman Tokar directed this live-action Disney film based on the novel SWIFTWATER by Paul Annixter. Brian Keith stars as Cam Calloway, a small town New England man that lives with his wife Lydia, played by Vera Miles, and son Bucky, played by Brandon De Wilde. Cam, along with his son, dreams of building a sanctuary for wild geese that migrate overhead but is thwarted at every try. With the help of some of his community, his dream might finally come true. Walter Brennan, Ed Wynn, Linda Evans, Philip Abbott, John Larkin, Parley Baer, Frank DeKova, Roy Roberts, John Qualen, Tom Skerritt, Paul Hartman, Russell Collins, John Davis Chandler, Chet Stratton, and many others co-star in this Disney film. This is a family oriented film with Brennan and Wynn coming in with the comic relief when needed. This is available to watch on Disney Plus.
Sweet Smell of Success (1957): This is part three of my Burt Lancaster trilogy. Alexander Mackendrick directed this film of corruption. Lancaster stars as Broadway columnist J.J. Hunsecker who employs unscrupulous press agent Sidney Falco, played by Tony Curtis, to prevent his sister from marrying a jass musician. Susan Harrison, Martin Milner, Jeff Donnell, Sam Levene, Joe Frisco, Barbara Nichols, Emile Meyer, Edith Atwater, and many others co-star in this film. This goes far deeper than just the plot I described. Lancaster and Curtis are great as the unlikable characters they play and give a good look at the world of corruption in journalism. This might make a good double feature to go along with WALL STREET. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
Behind the Burly Q (2010): I end the week with this documentary which was directed by Leslie Zemeckis. This takes a look at the early days of burlesque with interviews by people who were involved. Alan Alda is also interviewed being the son of comedian Robert Alda and grew up in that world as a child. This also features the comedy duo of Abbott and Costello who got their start and has interviews with Costello's daughter Chris Costello. I have seen a little burlesque in the modern era and always enjoy it since having friends that take part in it. It was really good to see some of these early days of burlesque. This is available to watch on Broadway HD and is really worth a watch.
Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Mark Ruffalo, Viola Davis, William Hurt, Donnie Yen, and many others.
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