Set in Manhattan during the height of the AIDS epidemic, a disenchanted struggling gay actor named Jeffrey (Steven Weber) vows to be completely celibate. No sooner has he sworn off sex when he meets a hunky but sensitive guy (Michael T. Weiss) at the gym. But when the sensitive guy reveals his HIV status, Jeffrey is torn. Based on the play by Paul Rudnick (SISTER ACT) and directed by Christopher Ashley, a theatre director whose only feature film credit this is. This didn't work for me at all! In fact, I found most of it ghastly. The gay men in it are all stereotypes and to add insult to injury, the film ridicules gay men who don't fit into the stereotype! But to be fair, everyone in the movie is a stereotype. There's not a recognizably human being in the bunch! A romantic comedy about two gay men during the AIDS crisis is intriguing but I'm not sure this exaggerated over the top mess was the way to go. The movie comes alive only once during a segment with a motivational guru (Sigourney Weaver) that's genuine amusing. There are much better films addressing the AIDS crisis (LONGTIME COMPANION, THE NORMAL HEART, ANGELS IN AMERICA). With Patrick Stewart, Nathan Lane, Olympia Dukakis, Christine Baranski, Robert Klein, Victor Garber, Kathy Najimy, Debra Monk and Bryan Batt.
Set in the Philippines in 1942, an American naval officer (Tyrone Power) finds himself stranded after his ship is sunk by the Japanese. He and another survivor (Tom Ewell) lead a band of natives in fighting the Japanese until General MacArthur's promised return. Based on the novel by Ira Wolfert and directed by Fritz Lang (THE BIG HEAT). Inspired by the life of Iliff Richardson, a survivor of the sinking of PT-34 in WWII, who joined the Philippine guerrilla forces. It's well done but it's clearly a paycheck movie for Fritz Lang. It's a straightforward movie with little of the psychological exploration usually examined by Lang in his darker movies. Harry Jackson's (MOTHER WORE TIGHTS) handsome Technicolor cinematography benefits from being shot entirely on location in the Philippines. I'm not much of a fan of war movies but I liked this one. With Micheline Presle, Tommy Cook, Juan Torena and Jack Elam.
Set in a small mining village in Wales in 1895, a school teacher (Bette Davis) is determined to bring education to the village despite the initial resentment of the locals. When she discovers a young miner (John Dall) in his teens has a superior mind, she takes it upon herself to educate him to reach his full potential. Based on the play by Emlyn Williams and directed by Irving Rapper (NOW VOYAGER). One of my least favorite film genres is "the teacher who inspired me" movie. I'm Bette Davis's number one fan and a Davis completist but I've been avoiding this movie for decades. So I figured it's about time and bit the bullet. My fears were confirmed although it's not as bad as it could have been. Thank heavens for Davis (playing older than she is), who brings a tough unsentimental strength to her school mistress. Even when the movie threatens to sink into a maudlin morass, she holds back the mush. A good performance but not among her best. The supporting cast is good and they include John Dall, Mildred Dunnock, Nigel Bruce, Rhys Williams and in Oscar nominated performance, Joan Lorring as the devious minx who almost ruins everything.
A secret agent (William Powell) in the employ of Polish insurgents is carrying a secret letter addressed to the Czar of Russia. At the same time, a Russian secret agent (Luise Rainer) is secretly carrying a letter with orders to arrest the Polish agent on sight. By a mishap, each agent hides their letter in the secret compartment of a candlestick but the candlesticks are stolen and it's a race against time to retrieve them. Based on the novel by Baroness Orczy (THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL) and directed by George Fitzmaurice (RAFFLES). This was Rainer's follow up film to her Oscar winning turn in THE GOOD EARTH and she's perfectly cast. It's a nice combination of spy movie and romantic comedy and reunited with her GREAT ZIEGFELD co-star Powell, it's a an above average entertainment. So enjoyable in fact that one can forgive the movie's dubious deus ex machina conclusion. Apparently, the public also enjoyed it enough to place it in MGM's profit column. With Robert Young, Maureen O'Sullivan, Frank Morgan, Henry Stephenson and Douglass Dumbrille.
The libertine son (Rudolph Valentino) of a wealthy Frenchman (Josef Swickard) living in Argentina, follows his family when they return to Europe. He lives as an artist in Paris and falls in love with a married woman (Alice Terry). When WWI breaks out, he remains aloof from the conflict. Based on the novel by Vicente Blasco Ibanez (BLOOD AND SAND) and directed by Rex Ingram (1922's SCARAMOUCHE). A massive box office hit (the highest grossing movie of 1921) and it made Rudolph Valentino into a superstar in the silent era. Unusual since although there is a romance at the movie's core, it's remains a fiercely anti war movie. WWI had ended only three years prior so I suspect their bitterness and pain made the subject relatable to U.S. audiences. Curiously, Valentino's wastrel is hedonistic and narcissistic for the majority of the film and only redeems himself at the end. Neither his character or Alice Terry's adulterous wife are very appealing (as characters, not actors). While I enjoyed it, it felt overlong and didactic in execution. It's still a racy film what with female nudity, lesbians and German soldiers in drag! Remade in 1962. With Alan Hale, John St. Polis, Wallace Beery and Bridgetta Clark.
A boxer and amateur pilot (Anthony Franciosa) is killed in a plane crash. His "soul" is retrieved by an angel (Wally Cox), who assumes he would not have survived the crash. But the angel is wrong and the problem now becomes restoring the boxer to live out what would have been his natural life. Temporarily, he is put into the body of a millionaire whose wife (Diana Van Der Vlis) and her lover (Paul Stevens) are plotting to murder him. Based on the play by Harry Segall and directed by Alex Segal (RANSOM). Previously filmed under the title HERE COMES MR. JORDAN in 1941 and remade under its original title in 1978. This is a rather pedestrian version despite Franciosa's energetic performance. It goes through its paces but there's no charm or magic, qualities sorely need when dealing with fantasy films. With a 21 year old Elizabeth Ashley in her television debut, Robert Morley, Joey Bishop and Frank McHugh.
While his wife (Zoey Deutch) is at home with a high risk pregnancy, a recovering alcoholic (Nicholas Hoult) is serving on a murder jury. As the trial progresses, to his horror, he realizes that he may have been responsible for the victim's death, not the man (Gabriel Basso) on trial! Directed by Clint Eastwood (UNFORGIVEN). This is a terrific courtroom drama that got screwed over by its studio, Warner Brothers. You would think a film by a two time Oscar winning director (Eastwood) would get better treatment. This is a quality movie that should have been nurtured and prepared for the Oscar season (yes, it's that good) but inexplicably Warners give it a few half hearted dates briefly in some major cities then went directly to streaming! It received excellent reviews. Eastwood injects the necessary tension required in a good courtroom thriller but he clearly has other things on his mind than just thrills. The uncomfortable ambiguity of a justice where a good man (Hoult) can have his life ruined, a decent District Attorney (Toni Collette) confronting that justice isn't always fair and should a "bad" person be punished for something he did not do. Eastwood doesn't give us answers, he leaves it up to us. Worth seeking out. With Kiefer Sutherland, J.K. Simmons, Chris Messina and Amy Aquino.
Set in a post Chernobyl world, William Shakespeare V (theatre director Peter Sellars) attempts to reconstruct his ancestor's play, KING LEAR. Loosely (very loosely) based on the play by William Shakespeare (perhaps inspired is a better word) and directed by Jean Luc Godard (LE MEPRIS). While I found much of the movie self indulgent, clearly we're in the hands of a major cinematic artist. This is no more filmed Shakespeare than the science fiction film FORBIDDEN PLANET (based on THE TEMPEST). Filmed in a fragmented off the cuff style, actors were often given the material just before the shoot with no time to prepare. Only Godard knew what he was doing and there's some speculation that even he was doing it all on the spur of the moment. Sound effects of squawking seagulls and snorting pigs seem arbitrary as they accompany some scenes. I have no idea what Godard was attempting to accomplish but if it's a mess, it's the kind of mess that could only have been made by a cinematic master. With Burgess Meredith as Lear, Molly Ringwald as Cordelia, Woody Allen, Julie Delpy, Norman Mailer, Leos Carax and Jean Luc Godard playing himself I assume.
Police detective Dick Tracy (Morgan Conway) must solve a series of vicious murders in which varied victims from different social and economic backgrounds are slashed to death. Based on the comic strip character created by Chester Gould and directed by William A. Berke (I SHOT BILLY THE KID). The first in a four series film franchise featuring the famed comic strip character Dick Tracy. These are low budget quickies (this one is barely over an hour long) that are moderate fun although done without any style or flair. Conway seems chosen to play Dick Tracy more because of his resemblance to the comic strip character than any acting ability. Not that he's bad, mind you but he just seems to be reciting lines. For a 1945 movie, I found it surprisingly violent. With Anne Jeffreys, Jane Greer, Mike Mazurki and Tommy Noonan.
A dean and professor of classics (Anthony Hopkins) at a New England college is forced to resign after being accused of making racist remarks during class. After his wife (Phyllis Newman) dies suddenly, he attempts to have a neighbor and writer (Gary Sinise) write a book about the incident. The writer refuses but the two men become friends. Based on the novel by Philip Roth (PORTNOY'S COMPLAINT) and directed by Robert Benton (PLACES IN THE HEART). Roth's novel was acclaimed and a best seller. The movie version was dismissed by critics and audiences upon its release. The film's examination of political correctness and racial identity has resonance but there's a big problem. While their performances are exemplary, Hopkins and Nicole Kidman (as his lover) cannot surmount their miscasting. Simply put, they're just so wrong for their parts that it's an impediment to the film's believability. A missed opportunity. With Wentworth Miller, Ed Harris, Kerry Washington, Margo Martindale, Anna Deavere Smith, Harry Lennix and Jacinda Barrett.
Set in 1718 Jamaica, the acting governor (Peter Boyle) of the island puts the island's primary judge (Bernard Behrens) into prison and confiscates his wealth. So his daughter (Genevieve Bujold) hires a pirate (Robert Shaw) to assassinate him. Based on the short story THE SCARLET BUCCANEER by Paul Wheeler and directed by James Goldstone (RED SKY AT MORNING). If you don't ask too much of it, this faux swashbuckler is modestly entertaining. But you know it's not the real thing. Robert Shaw's buccaneer doesn't have the panache of an Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power and while the movie is a parody/satire of the genre, it's a half hearted attempt and holds back. It needed to go full throttle like Richard Lester did with his THREE MUSKETEERS (1973) which was a satire yet a genuine swashbuckler. Even John Addison's score can't seem to make up its mind. Parts of it are thrilling and parts of it are Mickey "hey, this is a comedy" Mouse music. With James Earl Jones, Beau Bridges, Anjelica Huston, Geoffrey Holder, Dorothy Tristan and Avery Schreiber.
Set in a small cafe in the working class district of Paris called Au P'tit Zouave where the owner (Robert Dalban) is a fence for stolen goods. It has a small clientele of regulars as well as a couple of boarders. But when a handsome stranger (Francois Perier) moves in, it sets forth in motion a turn of events that will not end well. Directed by Gilles Grangier (SPEAKING OF MURDER). Although written directly for the screen, the movie has the feel of a filmed play as the entire action takes place in the cafe. For much of its running time, it seems almost plotless as the various characters live their lives with love and death occasionally rearing their heads. But it slowly moves toward a dire finale that will leave you with conflicted emotions. There's a lot of charm and humor in the film which makes its sad end unexpected (though I had an inkling near the end) but life goes on as usual. Highly recommended and worth seeking out. Among its talented cast: Dany Robin, Paul Frankeur, Jacques Morel, Marie Daems, Alice Field and Annette Poivre.
