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| gromit |
 Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 1:37 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9016
Location: Shanghai
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Last night around the time of the Paris attacks, I was watching a film about a terrorist cell in 1905 Russia, trying to assassinate members of the gov't and aristocracy. A Rider Named Death (2004) is interesting because it focuses upon a small terror cell and its handler. There's a relatively well-to-do debonair leader, his girl who makes the bombs, two working class fellas willing to risk their lives, and later a student. Since we focus on their activities, we get drawn into rooting for them to succeed in terror activities and assassinations.
They try and fail to kill a grand duke on three occasions. The first time, the duke takes a different route than expected. The 2nd attempt, the first assassin doesn't throw his bomb because the duke's wife and children are in the carriage. The other assassin heaves his bomb in, but it doesn't go off, and he is hunted down and killed. Next try, the bomb goes off but gets everyone nearby but the duke. After a trio of failures and the cell down to one man, with the head party committee ready to call it off, the leader makes a solo effort at an opera, and luck falls on his side and he not only kills the duke but walks away.
It's an odd film, but fairly effective. The central question they ask of recruits is why have you turned to violence? Some of them also debate Christianity and how belief in Jesus affects their terror operations. We never really get much explanation of why they want to overthrow the government, or what their specific grievances are. Though one man is involved because his wife was killed at a political demonstration by Cossacks. The central character is rather an enigma is seems to be a nihilist. They belong to a socialist party and reject anarchism.
Anyway, was odd to spend a couple hours with a small terror cell, and then wake up to hear about the mass attacks in Paris. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 12:44 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6967
Location: Black Hills
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| Finally saw "A Late Quartet," in which a string quartet unravels when its cellist learns he has Parkinson's (Chris Walken) and the simmering discontents of the second violin (PS Hoffman) boil over. As one who has spent most of my life with musicians, I found the film a mixed bag, with good acting pitted against some contrived plotting and the usual cliches about classical musicians. Most tedious was the old canard where PSH is telling the first violin that when he is playing, "you need to unleash your passion!" Yeah, because a guy who makes himself practice violin six hours a day, drives way out to horse farms to obtain the perfect blend of Siberian horse tails, and carefully fashions his own bows, probably isn't passionate enough about his art. I almost bailed on the film at the juncture. But I gather we are meant to view PSH's outbursts as somewhat irrational, most of the time, so I guess one can excuse such lines on that basis. Really, my problem with the film is that I was just way too aware that I was watching a sensitive arty film most of the time. It was difficult to really connect with the characters, except for Walken, whose character is the least self-absorbed and who manages to end his performing career on his own terms and with some grace. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 1:38 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| I really hated A Late Quartet for all the reasons you cited. So fucking pleased with itself that I wanted to barf. |
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| inlareviewer |
| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 6:51 pm |
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Joined: 05 Jul 2004
Posts: 1949
Location: Lawrence, KS
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| Caregivee and I are watching High Society, hadn't seen it in eons, and it actually holds up more than it doesn't. While Charles Walters is no match for George Cukor in the directorial department, he does give this musicalization of The Philadelphia Story a measure of style and gloss. If Cole Porter's songs aren't exactly top-drawer him, they shine like sterling silver compared to the dreck that passes for songwriting these days. Yes, Bing Crosby is a good 15 years too old for the Cary Grant role, but he does remind one of Ella Fitzgerald's famous dictum that there's nothing as relaxing as watching Bing Crosby. He comfortably intersects with Frank Sinatra in the Jimmy Stewart role -- "Well, Did You Evah?"" remains a treat -- Celeste Holm (rather underused) in the Ruth Hussey role, and certainly Grace Kelly, who, in her last screen role, is charming, accomplished, and, though no Katharine Hepburn, delicious when sending up the upper-crust for the Spy magazine crew -- "I'm delighted you're here. We have so much cake." -- and her tipsy night-before and hungover morning-after playing is exactly right. Also, she looks like that. Could regret the decision to lay out Dexter's scheme right from the first -- as with the film of Into The Woods and the Witch's motivations, the climax is diminished if we're already certain of what's afoot -- but, as it's limned by Louis Armstrong, am inclined to forgive, because any film with Satchmo in it is already a better experience. Also don't know why Mike O'Connor's last-minute proposal was dropped, and changing little sister Dinah to Caroline seems unnecessary. Still, if hardly a great musical, it's an elegant, classy and enjoyable era document all the same. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 8:16 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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inla--Thanks for your (IMO) totally accurate review of High Society, one of the less appreciated musicals in film history. The songs are, as you say, not top-drawer Porter, but still a lot of fun and sometimes ("Well, Did You Evah?". "Mind If I Make Love to You?") better than that. As for Grace Kelly...well, apart from Rear Window (which would be impossible to better) she was never better.
Charles Walters may not have been George Cukor, but in the realm of movie musicals, Cukor's dullish although Oscarwinning My Fair Lady was not in the same galaxy as the glorious Walters opus Lili. Walters also directed the near-great musicals Good News and Easter Parade, and the cruelly underrated Billy Rose's Jumbo, which features Durante, Martha Raye, and some of Doris Day's most luminous screen moments ("Over and Over Again" [magnificently choreographed by Busby Berkeley], "My Romance"). It also stars Stephen Boyd, but whatever.
IMHO Charles Walters deserves more respect, and perhaps a retrospective of his own. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 11:22 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9016
Location: Shanghai
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Eccentricities of a Blonde-haired Girl (2009) made by Manoel de Oliveira when he was a spry 100 years old. It's a very old-fashioned film that clocks in at a mere 58 minutes.
A young man on a train tells his seatmate, a stranger, about the troubles he had in a romance. Without that framing device and the flashforwards to the train, the main story might be about 45 minutes.
There really isn't that much to the whole affair.
The young man goes off to Cape Verde to make some good money on a trip arranged by a shady acquaintance. I'm surprised that trip isn';t added to the film, and it we could see if the deals were shady and how the young man reconciles that with his conscience and desire to have the money to get married.
The compositions are often lovely, and it seems evident that they are trying to present a number of locations as if they were paintings. Old fashioned pleasures and lifestyle are part of the themes at play. But it really feels like such a slight effort. Could have been told in 20 or 30 minutes, or expanded with the Cape Verde dealings. It winds up in a vague no-man's land. Looks lovely, but not much there. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| inlareviewer |
| Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 4:08 pm |
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Joined: 05 Jul 2004
Posts: 1949
Location: Lawrence, KS
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billyweeds wrote: inla--Thanks for your (IMO) totally accurate review of High Society, one of the less appreciated musicals in film history. The songs are, as you say, not top-drawer Porter, but still a lot of fun and sometimes ("Well, Did You Evah?". "Mind If I Make Love to You?") better than that. As for Grace Kelly...well, apart from Rear Window (which would be impossible to better) she was never better.
Charles Walters may not have been George Cukor, but in the realm of movie musicals, Cukor's dullish although Oscarwinning My Fair Lady was not in the same galaxy as the glorious Walters opus Lili. Walters also directed the near-great musicals Good News and Easter Parade, and the cruelly underrated Billy Rose's Jumbo, which features Durante, Martha Raye, and some of Doris Day's most luminous screen moments ("Over and Over Again" [magnificently choreographed by Busby Berkeley], "My Romance"). It also stars Stephen Boyd, but whatever.
IMHO Charles Walters deserves more respect, and perhaps a retrospective of his own. |
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"And take extra care with strangers/Even flowers have their dangers/And though scary is exciting/Nice is different than good." --Stephen Sondheim |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 8:29 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| Oh. My. God. You had to go and remind me of Torch Song. Well, I'm cringing and laughing at the same time, so it can't be all bad. But, um, it is, I'm afraid. "Two-Faced Woman." Oh. My. God. |
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| inlareviewer |
| Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 11:39 pm |
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Joined: 05 Jul 2004
Posts: 1949
Location: Lawrence, KS
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willybeeds: RIGHT? Joan and her Young Communists. The mind boggles.
"And spoil that line?"
Deathless. |
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"And take extra care with strangers/Even flowers have their dangers/And though scary is exciting/Nice is different than good." --Stephen Sondheim |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 7:55 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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inla--Btw, who is Dorothy P.? Having a lapse, I guess.
Or is Dorothy Parker a big fan of Lili? Just not getting the allusion.
Lili is on my top 20 list of all time. I not only cry at the fadeout, I cry from almost the first scene. Caron is one in a million. |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 11:37 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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| Does anyone know why I can't find the original Catfish movie anywhere? |
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Lost in my own private I dunno. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 2:09 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9016
Location: Shanghai
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Befade wrote: Does anyone know why I can't find the original Catfish movie anywhere?
The 2010 documentary?
I thought it was rather mediocre.
Check out talhotblond instead. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 3:25 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6967
Location: Black Hills
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2nd that. Tallhotblond is fascinating, a tangled web.
I can't think of any Dorothy P. besides Dorothy Parker. Unless he means Dorothy Paulsen, my 6th grade music teacher. She wasn't as witty as Parker, but she stayed more sober, at least until 330 pm. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 4:45 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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I'm certain he means Dorothy Parker. I just think it's a funny idea, Dorothy P. being a fan of something as sweet, charming, and totally non-edgy as Lili. It's like William Burroughs fawning over Mary Poppins.
Actually, a friend used to own a video store in Manhattan where on certain days customers got two for the price of one. One of the weirdest double-rentals was Pippi Longstocking and The Toolbox Murders. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 6:26 pm |
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Joined: 30 Oct 2014
Posts: 278
Location: Winnipeg: It's a dry cold.
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| Dorothy Provine? |
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Big bang, shmig bang; still doesn't explain how anything starts. |
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