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.
Showing posts with label movie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movie. Show all posts
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.
2/21/11
Film 30: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
From Wikipedia: Director Stanley Kubrick listed The Treasure of Sierra Madre as his 4th favorite film of all time in his list of his top ten favorite films, and director Paul Thomas Anderson watched it at night before bed while writing his film There Will Be Blood.
Film Viewing Due Date: 3/3
2/3/11
Film 29: Out of the Past (1947)
Film Viewing Due Date: 2/13
The Big Sleep (1946) Review
girl by locker says: It was our first Bogart/Bacall film, and I have to say that they were the best part of the movie. Their onscreen chemistry is notorious and not without reason. Sparks fly and they have some great scenes together, in particular one with the two of them in a night club speaking in double entendres about horseracing. It’s fun. It’s sharp. It’s why we watch the movie.
Bacall: Speaking of horses, I like to play them myself. But I like to see them work out a little first. See if they’re front-runners or come from behind…I’d say you don’t like to be rated. You like to get out in front, open up a lead, take a little breather in the back stretch and then come home free.
Bogart: You’ve got a touch of class, but I don’t know how far you can go.
Bacall: A lot depends on who’s in the saddle.
Beyond the Bogart/Bacall romance, I found the plot terribly confusing. Everything revolves around a dying, wealthy old man, his two daughters who are out of control and their gambling debts. The family is getting blackmailed and Bogart is brought in to find out who is doing it and have it stopped. But in addition to the blackmail, there is the disappearance of Sean Regan, a gentleman who worked for the family, the murder of the family’s chauffeur and sexual improprieties that the youngest daughter is apparently photographed doing. It’s not that it seemed too improbable, but it just didn’t resonate with me. It was too convoluted, and I felt I needed an org chart to keep track of what was going on and how everyone was connected. Overall, I give this movie 3/5 on Netflix.
Juror #3 says: I watched this film with my parents during a recent visit. About five minutes into the film, upon the realization it was a "who done it" my mother said that we should all write down who we thought "did it", along with the time, and see who guessed right first. So now you all can see where my geek roots stem from. Unfortunately The Big Sleep is not the best movie with which to play this little game. Talk about confusing. Not only could I not guess who "did it" but I couldn't even figure out what had "been done." The film is well shot and the chemistry between Bogart and Bacall is everything it's known to have been. But it didn't quite overcome the script flaws - for instance, the love between the two characters happened, seemingly, in seconds and I didn't buy it. That wasn't due to the acting, it was never created in the script (or through the production possibly). Either way, it bothered me. Overall I enjoyed the acting and the cinematography. I'll rate it 3/5 stars on Netflix.
Bacall: Speaking of horses, I like to play them myself. But I like to see them work out a little first. See if they’re front-runners or come from behind…I’d say you don’t like to be rated. You like to get out in front, open up a lead, take a little breather in the back stretch and then come home free.
Bogart: You’ve got a touch of class, but I don’t know how far you can go.
Bacall: A lot depends on who’s in the saddle.
Beyond the Bogart/Bacall romance, I found the plot terribly confusing. Everything revolves around a dying, wealthy old man, his two daughters who are out of control and their gambling debts. The family is getting blackmailed and Bogart is brought in to find out who is doing it and have it stopped. But in addition to the blackmail, there is the disappearance of Sean Regan, a gentleman who worked for the family, the murder of the family’s chauffeur and sexual improprieties that the youngest daughter is apparently photographed doing. It’s not that it seemed too improbable, but it just didn’t resonate with me. It was too convoluted, and I felt I needed an org chart to keep track of what was going on and how everyone was connected. Overall, I give this movie 3/5 on Netflix.
Juror #3 says: I watched this film with my parents during a recent visit. About five minutes into the film, upon the realization it was a "who done it" my mother said that we should all write down who we thought "did it", along with the time, and see who guessed right first. So now you all can see where my geek roots stem from. Unfortunately The Big Sleep is not the best movie with which to play this little game. Talk about confusing. Not only could I not guess who "did it" but I couldn't even figure out what had "been done." The film is well shot and the chemistry between Bogart and Bacall is everything it's known to have been. But it didn't quite overcome the script flaws - for instance, the love between the two characters happened, seemingly, in seconds and I didn't buy it. That wasn't due to the acting, it was never created in the script (or through the production possibly). Either way, it bothered me. Overall I enjoyed the acting and the cinematography. I'll rate it 3/5 stars on Netflix.
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