Film Viewing Due Date: 4/10
3/31/11
Film 33: An American in Paris
Film Viewing Due Date: 4/10
Sunset Boulevard Review
girl by locker says: Sunset Boulevard is a timeless masterpiece and there is so much that I love about it, I hardly know where to begin. In terms of plot, the movie centers around an aging silent film star, Norma Desmond (played by Gloria Swanson), trapped in time and clinging to her glory days. She takes in (or traps) a penniless young writer by the name of Joe Gillis (William Holden). From this pairing, Billy Wilder takes us on a harsh journey into the realities of Hollywood, what one must do to get ahead and then what happens to them when their moment has passed.
Billy Wilder took chances with this movie using real movies, names and actors to comment on his own industry. The silent film heyday only ended about 22 years before this movie premiered so many of the stars were still around. In fact, there is a great scene in which Norma Desmond is playing bridge with some of her former silent movie stars and we see Buster Keaton as himself. Norma and Joe would frequently watch movies together and the movies were always old silent movies Norma starred in (though in reality they were old Gloria Swanson silent movies). He even tossed in some Gone With the Wind references in which a producer kicks himself for passing it up because “Who wants to watch a movie about the Civil War?”
The acting is impeccable. I have read that this is Gloria Swanson’s greatest role and though I haven’t seen anything else with her in it, I can easily believe this is her best. She knocked it out of the park, and I actually felt pain for her character. It was so real. Whether it is someone who can’t get past his game winning touchdown in high school or an aging movie star holding on to her fading brilliance, we know people who can’t let go and live in the present.
To me, that is what makes this movie truly timeless - the theme. It is interesting how each era we find ourselves in, the glory days were only just before it. Even in the 1950’s, an era we now consider “golden” in Hollywood history, people thought the movies were better a decade or two before because “they don’t make them like they used to.” Producers have always been in it for the money and humanity has always used one another to get ahead in life. Nothing ever really changes.
I could go on. The cinematography, the other actors, the set, the house, the dead monkey…but I will simply just say that I rate this movie 5/5 on Netflix and would recommend putting it in your queue.
Juror #3 says: Sunset Boulevard had me engaged from the opening scene, with the daring music beating over the street curb title. Billy Wilder isn't considered a master for nothing, he uses every tool available to move the story forward and keep the audience alive. William Holden plays a down-and-out screenwriter who meets a former silent screen star (Gloria Swanson) looking for her rebound back into Hollywood. The two performances are masterful and complement each other in a ying-yang way, and in a slightly eery way as well. There are several one-liners I recognized but was unfamiliar that they were born from this film. As the movie was coming to an end I thought to myself, "it was good, I liked it." And then comes the final performance from Gloria Swanson - which catapults the movie into the "chills up the arm" category. There was however one part of the movie that surprised me, and I'm still trying to figure it out. Maybe someone here can help me. Why did Joe (Holden) cast away Betty? Was he so over Hollywood that he just couldn't continue on anymore? Other than that bit of mystery, I rate Sunset Boulevard a 5/5 stars.
Billy Wilder took chances with this movie using real movies, names and actors to comment on his own industry. The silent film heyday only ended about 22 years before this movie premiered so many of the stars were still around. In fact, there is a great scene in which Norma Desmond is playing bridge with some of her former silent movie stars and we see Buster Keaton as himself. Norma and Joe would frequently watch movies together and the movies were always old silent movies Norma starred in (though in reality they were old Gloria Swanson silent movies). He even tossed in some Gone With the Wind references in which a producer kicks himself for passing it up because “Who wants to watch a movie about the Civil War?”
The acting is impeccable. I have read that this is Gloria Swanson’s greatest role and though I haven’t seen anything else with her in it, I can easily believe this is her best. She knocked it out of the park, and I actually felt pain for her character. It was so real. Whether it is someone who can’t get past his game winning touchdown in high school or an aging movie star holding on to her fading brilliance, we know people who can’t let go and live in the present.
To me, that is what makes this movie truly timeless - the theme. It is interesting how each era we find ourselves in, the glory days were only just before it. Even in the 1950’s, an era we now consider “golden” in Hollywood history, people thought the movies were better a decade or two before because “they don’t make them like they used to.” Producers have always been in it for the money and humanity has always used one another to get ahead in life. Nothing ever really changes.
I could go on. The cinematography, the other actors, the set, the house, the dead monkey…but I will simply just say that I rate this movie 5/5 on Netflix and would recommend putting it in your queue.
Juror #3 says: Sunset Boulevard had me engaged from the opening scene, with the daring music beating over the street curb title. Billy Wilder isn't considered a master for nothing, he uses every tool available to move the story forward and keep the audience alive. William Holden plays a down-and-out screenwriter who meets a former silent screen star (Gloria Swanson) looking for her rebound back into Hollywood. The two performances are masterful and complement each other in a ying-yang way, and in a slightly eery way as well. There are several one-liners I recognized but was unfamiliar that they were born from this film. As the movie was coming to an end I thought to myself, "it was good, I liked it." And then comes the final performance from Gloria Swanson - which catapults the movie into the "chills up the arm" category. There was however one part of the movie that surprised me, and I'm still trying to figure it out. Maybe someone here can help me. Why did Joe (Holden) cast away Betty? Was he so over Hollywood that he just couldn't continue on anymore? Other than that bit of mystery, I rate Sunset Boulevard a 5/5 stars.
3/19/11
Film 32: Sunset Boulevard
Netflix Summary: Running from debt collectors, screenwriter Joe (William Holden) stumbles upon the crumbling mansion of former silent-film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). As he begins working for Norma, writing a comeback screenplay, their professional relationship evolves into something more. A provocative look inside Hollywood show business, Billy Wilder's classic noir won Academy Awards for Art Direction, Music and Screenplay.
From Wikipedia: In 1989, the film was among the first group of 25 deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. Polls conducted by the American Film Institute have demonstrated the lasting appeal of Sunset Boulevard and the esteem in which it is held by the modern filmmakers who respond to these polls. In 1998, it was ranked number twelve on a list of "100 Greatest Films".
Film Viewing Due Date: 3/29
3/18/11
All the King's Men Review
girl by locker says: Several years ago I read Robert Penn Warren’s novel All the Kings Men, and I loved it. In fact, I would put it in my top 10 list of favorite books of all time. While I know movies never live up to the books, I still sat down to watch the movie version with great anticipation. For the most part, my expectations were met, and I believe that it is the universal theme of the story that resonates with the viewer. In short, power corrupts. It is with an almost morbid curiosity that we watch the downfall of a man drunk on his own authority, spiraling out of control all the while holding onto it. We sit thinking, “That would never be me. I would never lose my principles.” But would we? Are there really any honest politicians? These ideas tie back nicely to the Treasure of the Sierra Madre as we watch Bogart greedily hoard his gold. We like to think we wouldn’t be corrupted by money, but we don’t know just as we don’t know how we would act if we were to reach a political office in which we could affect change if we could hold onto the office.
These questions are what fascinate me about the movie as well as the book (though I can also say that the book is so incredibly written that I was sucked into the story and couldn’t stop turning the pages). Broderick Crawford did an amazing job in the role of Willie Stark. He convinced me that he was a “dumb hick” in the beginning and a political wheeler dealer in the end. I bought his charisma and believed that people were drawn to him. My main issue with the movie, aside from the fact that it felt slow at times, was Joanne Dru’s acting in the role of Anne Stanton. She overacted and her dramatic face turns every time someone got angry with her annoyed me to no end. For these reasons, I give the movie a 4/5 on Netflix.
Juror #3 says: I hadn't read the novel All the King's Men thus I went into the film viewing blind. The story follows Jack Burden, an idealistic newspaper man turned political lackey to one Willie Stark. Willie begins a humble, country man-of-the-people rising to the heights of political power by becoming everything he once fought against. The story is complex, with lots of moving parts but the adapted screenplay does a really good job of boiling things down to a digestible plot. The acting was fantastic, and properly acknowledged by the Academy Awards with wins for Broderick Crawford (Best Actor) for his role as Jack Burden, and Mercedes McCambridge (Best Supporting Actress) for her role as Sadie - a political gun-for-hire. All the King's Men is engaging on several levels which includes political strategy, corruption, greed and power to name a few. Snappy dialogue, powerful one-liners and passionate speeches - one of which gave me chills (Willie and his hangover) - keep the film moving at a quick pace. If I had to critique the film it would be based on some of the Director's visual choices and a few odd edits. But overall All the King's Men was deserving of its Best Picture win, and has me wondering why anyone would have tried to remake it. I rate it 4/5 stars on Netflix.
These questions are what fascinate me about the movie as well as the book (though I can also say that the book is so incredibly written that I was sucked into the story and couldn’t stop turning the pages). Broderick Crawford did an amazing job in the role of Willie Stark. He convinced me that he was a “dumb hick” in the beginning and a political wheeler dealer in the end. I bought his charisma and believed that people were drawn to him. My main issue with the movie, aside from the fact that it felt slow at times, was Joanne Dru’s acting in the role of Anne Stanton. She overacted and her dramatic face turns every time someone got angry with her annoyed me to no end. For these reasons, I give the movie a 4/5 on Netflix.
Juror #3 says: I hadn't read the novel All the King's Men thus I went into the film viewing blind. The story follows Jack Burden, an idealistic newspaper man turned political lackey to one Willie Stark. Willie begins a humble, country man-of-the-people rising to the heights of political power by becoming everything he once fought against. The story is complex, with lots of moving parts but the adapted screenplay does a really good job of boiling things down to a digestible plot. The acting was fantastic, and properly acknowledged by the Academy Awards with wins for Broderick Crawford (Best Actor) for his role as Jack Burden, and Mercedes McCambridge (Best Supporting Actress) for her role as Sadie - a political gun-for-hire. All the King's Men is engaging on several levels which includes political strategy, corruption, greed and power to name a few. Snappy dialogue, powerful one-liners and passionate speeches - one of which gave me chills (Willie and his hangover) - keep the film moving at a quick pace. If I had to critique the film it would be based on some of the Director's visual choices and a few odd edits. But overall All the King's Men was deserving of its Best Picture win, and has me wondering why anyone would have tried to remake it. I rate it 4/5 stars on Netflix.
3/6/11
Film 31: All the King's Men (1949)
From Wikipedia: Rossen originally offered the starring role to John Wayne, who found the proposed film script unpatriotic and indignantly refused the part. Crawford, who eventually took the role, won the 1949 Academy Award for Best Actor, beating out Wayne, who had been nominated for his role in Sands of Iwo Jima.
The film was shot at various locations in California using local residents, something that was fairly unknown for Hollywood at the time.
Film Viewing Due Date: 3/16
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) Review
girl by locker says: As I sat down to write this review, I checked out IMDB to see what others thought. I read Roger Ebert's review and he writes that the The Treasure of the Sierra Madre "is a story in the Joseph Conrad tradition, using adventure not as an end in itself but as a test of its characters." To me, that sums up this movie perfectly. It is a story about three gold prospector's who head to the Mexican mountains in search of treasure, but the movie is actually more a story about greed and what gold dust can do to a man's soul.
Sierra Madre starts with our three heroes encountering one another down on their luck in Mexico and in search of of jobs. Upon Howard's (Walter Huston) suggestion, they decide to try their hand at gold mining. They begin their journey amicably enough though the moment they strike gold, their trust in one another begins to dissolve to the point where they eventually begin hiding their gold in separate locations so the others won't know where their goods are. Humphrey Bogart's descent from a "decent" man to the pit of greed was amazing.
I think the question of greed is one that we contemplate regularly. What would happen to us if we were to win the lottery or find a million dollars in a briefcase? We all like to think that we wouldn't let the money affect who and how we are, but we don't really know. That's what I liked about this movie. I liked the analysis of how wealth can affect and change a man (or person). I give Sierra Madre a 4 out of 5 on Netflix. (I took a star away because I got tired of the shoot outs with the bandits).
Juror #3 says: We are really on a roll now. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre was nothing short of fantastic. So much so that I highly recommend viewers watch the commentary track available on the special features option. You will learn about some wonderful happenings like how Bogart had completely lost his hair prior to shooting the film due to taking hormone shots so he could increase his chances of having a child with Lauren Bacall. So they made him wigs to wear while shooting.
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre was adapted by John Huston from a novel, he also directed the picture. The movie details the adventures of three men in their search to get rich by finding gold in the mountains. So as you would expect, greed plays a major theme. The film is brilliantly cast and includes John Huston's father Walter Huston, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor by portraying the wise old man looking for his last big score. I can only say that Walter Huston was a joy to watch. Tim Holt plays Bob Curtain, one of the gang of three, and he acted really well with his eyes - first showing dejection, then purity. As a side note - Ronald Reagan was the first choice for this role but was unavailable. I think Holt did more than an admirable job "filling in". Which brings us to Bogart playing a role very different from everything else I had seen him play, and he was brilliant. Bogart plays a character with a violent arc and, in the end, when he delves into madness, the audience is treated to Bogart's dedication to the role. There isn't anything not to like about The Treasure of the Sierra Madre so, for the second film in a row, I rate it 5/5 stars on Netflix.
Sierra Madre starts with our three heroes encountering one another down on their luck in Mexico and in search of of jobs. Upon Howard's (Walter Huston) suggestion, they decide to try their hand at gold mining. They begin their journey amicably enough though the moment they strike gold, their trust in one another begins to dissolve to the point where they eventually begin hiding their gold in separate locations so the others won't know where their goods are. Humphrey Bogart's descent from a "decent" man to the pit of greed was amazing.
I think the question of greed is one that we contemplate regularly. What would happen to us if we were to win the lottery or find a million dollars in a briefcase? We all like to think that we wouldn't let the money affect who and how we are, but we don't really know. That's what I liked about this movie. I liked the analysis of how wealth can affect and change a man (or person). I give Sierra Madre a 4 out of 5 on Netflix. (I took a star away because I got tired of the shoot outs with the bandits).
Juror #3 says: We are really on a roll now. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre was nothing short of fantastic. So much so that I highly recommend viewers watch the commentary track available on the special features option. You will learn about some wonderful happenings like how Bogart had completely lost his hair prior to shooting the film due to taking hormone shots so he could increase his chances of having a child with Lauren Bacall. So they made him wigs to wear while shooting.
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre was adapted by John Huston from a novel, he also directed the picture. The movie details the adventures of three men in their search to get rich by finding gold in the mountains. So as you would expect, greed plays a major theme. The film is brilliantly cast and includes John Huston's father Walter Huston, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor by portraying the wise old man looking for his last big score. I can only say that Walter Huston was a joy to watch. Tim Holt plays Bob Curtain, one of the gang of three, and he acted really well with his eyes - first showing dejection, then purity. As a side note - Ronald Reagan was the first choice for this role but was unavailable. I think Holt did more than an admirable job "filling in". Which brings us to Bogart playing a role very different from everything else I had seen him play, and he was brilliant. Bogart plays a character with a violent arc and, in the end, when he delves into madness, the audience is treated to Bogart's dedication to the role. There isn't anything not to like about The Treasure of the Sierra Madre so, for the second film in a row, I rate it 5/5 stars on Netflix.
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