2135 items found for ""
- The Americanization of Emily
THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY is a fascinating film from 1964 that provided surprising controversy and terrific starring roles for James Garner and a young Julie Andrews. Garner is Commander Charlie Edison, who seems to have navigated himself into a perfectly comfortable and enjoyable corner of the pre-D Day war effort in Europe. Charlie has countless beautiful English girls at his side and every perk imaginable as assistant to Admiral Jessup (Melvyn Douglas). His world turns when he meets his new driver Emily (Andrews) who finds Charlie's macho sexism nearly as offensive as his cowardice. As they get to know each other, their feelings begin to soften. At the same time, Jessup seems to lose his grip on reality, plunging Charlie into a dangerous mission to film the first man to hit the beaches at Normandy. James Coburn (In Like Flint) is excellent as Commander "Bus" Cummings, who has much more of a heart for battle than his best friend. Coburn and Garner made this film immediately after the war classic "The Great Escape" and their on screen camaraderie is flawless. But this film couldn't be more different than "Escape". Our hero is an anti-hero, a coward whose anti-war speeches are ahead of their time and perfectly written by brilliant screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky (The Hospital, Network). If you think Andrews can only be Poppins or Maria, you'll be surprised by her work as Emily, moody, dark and reserved. As you learn her background, she's earned the moods. Garner said years later, this was his favorite film role of all time. He broke two ribs during that scene on Omaha Beach! AFI nominated the film as part of its final 400 finalists for the Top 100 American Movies of all time. Dramatic, funny and enjoyable from start to finish, EMILY gets an A.
- American Hustle
One of the best films of 2013, David O. Russell's AMERICAN HUSTLE is a fast two hours of comedy, suspense, drama, great music and superb acting. Loosely recounting a story of players in the ABSCAM sting of the seventies, Christian Bale is a force of nature as genius con man Irving Rosenfeld. Bale is a long way from the abs of Batman here, almost unrecognizable sporting a beer belly and the worst film comb-over since Bill Murray in "Kingpin". Circling Irving are his beautiful partner in crime and love Sydney (Amy Adams, excellent), his wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), the New Jersey power politician Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner) and hungry, driven FBI agent Richie DeMaso (Bradley Cooper). What a cast. These players become increasingly entangled in a complicated scheme where every double cross is only upped by the one that follows and money begins to exchange hands between faux Arab shieks and Jersey politicians. There's nothing better than a screenplay that constantly surprises you and characters that have real reactions as unpredictable as they are genuine. Toss this all in with a barrage of seventies music, clothes and hairstyles and a fast moving story and you have another great film from Russell. Last year, Russell nailed it with Silver Linings Playbook. He's upped the ante and delivered again here with an even more entertaining movie. Lawrence is a force of nature in her supporting role and I think its the best Cooper has ever been. Get ready to be entertained. American Hustle twists, turns and seduces its way to a very enjoyable A
- American Grindhouse
The 2010 documentary AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE is an exhaustive look at the exploitation film from the first day of movies through today. These are the pictures most of us remember playing as double features in the drive-ins of the sixties of the seventies, right through the horror splatter films of the early 80's and beyond. Director Elijah Drenner has brought together an interesting & eclectic group of filmmarkers like John Landis, Joe Dante, Hershel Gordon Lewis to comment on the film history and brought Robert Forster in to narrate the journey through film history. This is an adult documentary, with fascinating looks at the early sex films masquerading as documentaries of the 50s (with separate shows for BOYS and GIRLS, 16 and above please) all the way through the biker films of the sixties, the emergence of mainstream pornography in the late sixties and how they are all related as uniquely American film genres. The glimpses at the theatres of the time, original trailers and films and the humorous and insightful (but mostly funny) observations of the filmmakers makes for an interesting documentary. Recommended for film buffs who aren't easily offended, its a solid B.
- American Graffiti
A box office smash in 1973, George Lucas's first hit AMERICAN GRAFFITI perfectly captures the innocence of one night in 1962. It's the last night before a large group of students head off to college, with Lucas serving up plenty of laughs and launching a galaxy of future stars as he tells their stories. Ron Howard (still Ronny back in '73) is Steve, the popular football player deciding whether to make out or break up with his long time girlfriend Laurie, played by Cindy Williams (Laverne and Shirley). Paul Le Mat is John, the recent graduate who's stuck around and still cruises in his bright yellow hot rod every weekend. Charles Martin Smith (Starman) is Toad, the nerdy friend who is about to finally score with Debbie, played by Candy Clark (The Man Who Fell To Earth). Harrison Ford is incredibly young, flashing future movie star charisma as Bob Falfa, a cowboy hat wearing dragster in town to challenge John. Suzanne Somers is a mystery blonde in a white T-bird who becomes a personal quest for Richard Dreyfuss in his first starring role as Curt. Wolfman Jack and his music wrap every moment of the flawless production design in early 60's rock and roll and he makes a terrific appearance as a local DJ giving out life advice. Fast moving, funny and incredibly nostalgic, Lucas shows a light touch that would be less evident in his later works like "Star Wars". He does manage to sneak in the licence plate THX 1138 for the sci-fi nerds in the audience. It truly captures an era, slightly before my time since I was 1 year old in 62, that feels so incredibly innocent compared to today's world. Every bit of the production design is flawless, as is the fast paced editing by Verna Fields (Jaws). Created for about $770,000, it sat on the shelf for nearly a year at Universal before they released it and it became a massive hit, making $115 million at the box office. It was followed by a sequel 6 years later in 1979, "More American Graffiti" that nobody saw, a total flop. The original remains a classic, a time capsule sure to induce smiling upon opening. It gets a B+, two malts and a sock hop from this corner.
- American Gigolo
In 1980, there was no movie with a bigger buzz than AMERICAN GIGOLO. A young Richard Gere had headlined in "Yanks" the year before to mild success, but this was his breakout role. Gere stars as Los Angeles male escort Julian, buffed and polished to be every woman's fantasy at an exorbitant hourly rate. Writer/Director Paul Schrader made this film a year after descending into a similar seedy social underbelly with George C. Scott looking for his runaway daughter in 'Hardcore". Schrader balances the endless shots of shiny Mercedes, perfect suits, shoes, sunglasses and modern beach side homes with a palpable loneliness that Julian tries to ignore in his pay for play relationships. Soon, Julian finds himself in a new kind of relationship with Michelle (Lauren Hutton) at the same time he falls under investigation for murder when one of his tricks ends up roughed up and killed a couple nights after his visit. Bill Duke (Predator) brings some menace as Leon, a pimp with little regard for Julian's standards and Hector Elizondo (Pretty Woman) brings humor and edginess to his role as the detective convinced Julian is guilty. Gere took a lot of heat when the film was released from critics who found him cold and emotionless, but I feel like they're missing the point. Watch Gere's Julian when he realizes he's framed or when he sees a spark with Hutton of something beyond what he's experienced. Gere's good, Duke and Elizondo are better. Very 80's in its frank nudity, casual drug use and Blondie music ("Call Me" stll holds up just fine) Gigolo is an interesting dive into the darker side of hustling. Giorgio Morodor delivers an interesting, driving score, hinting at the masterpiece score he'd deliver two years later for Schrader's "Cat People", to this day one of my favorite movie scores. No one's better at forcing us to explore humanity's dark side than Schrader. With the screenplays for "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull" and writing & directing "Hardcore", "Auto Focus" and GIGOLO, the man's a brilliant tour guide of our darkest drives. Put on your shades, slide lower in your seat and hang on. Julian's journey into the dark gets a B.
- American Gangster
Ridley Scott's 2007 crime epic AMERICAN GANGSTER delivers great performances and plenty of tension as two talented actors take two very different, colliding paths on opposite sides of the law. Denzel Washington is excellent as Frank Lucas, a loyal driver and right hand man for a lifelong gangster. When that crime kingpin and Harlem overlord dies, Frank battles for control of the drug business. Frank surrounds himself with his extended family and grows a powerful empire by thinking differently than anyone before him. Meanwhile, detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe, terrific) finds himself nearly alone as the flawlessly honest man willing to turn in the bad guys or the good guys if they break the rules. When he is appointed to run the new Narcotics Task Force in New Jersey, his work all begins to lead toward Lucas and his powerful family. Director Scott (Alien, Gladiator, Blade Runner) immerses the viewer in both sides of the law, following Lucas as he decides to purchase cocaine directly from the Asian fields, traveling to the East and forging a business relationship with powerful dictators in the middle of the Vietman War. It's interesting to see how many Vietnam references Scott weaves into the film, network news coverage of the war and its politics seems to be the only thing on any television in the movie. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin, Rudy Dee and John Hawkes are all excellent, with Brolin oozing sleeze as the most crooked 1970's detective on screen.Watch for Ted Levine (the infamous Jame Gumb "put the lotion in the basket" from Silence of the Lambs) as Crowe's boss. While it never quite reaches the classic status it's striving for, American Gangster is a very good film, with strong writing and powerful performances by Denzel and Russell. Denzel oozes danger in every scene and his catch phrase "My man...." makes you cringe everytime you hear it. Frank Lucas is a very dangerous man and Washington nails it. If it wasn't based on a true story, I would find the last half hour almost unbelievable. To say more would require a spolier alert, but life must be stranger than fiction as some of the characters you think you know suddenly choose a dramatically different direction. Washington, Crowe and Scott are in fine form and deliver a violent, powerful crime drama that gets an A.
- American Assassin
I've heard good things about the Vince Flynn book series featuring Mitch Rapp, a kick ass, young, take-no-prisoners secret forces soldier. I hope the books are better than the movie, cause this first Rapp film adventure is a major stink bomb. Rapp is a young man proposing on the beach when extremist Muslim terrorists attack the vacation spot, killing many tourists including his new fiance. Within about ten minutes, we see him go into seclusion and then emerge as a terrorist hunting, one-man killing machine. He's then recruited and put into a super secret, very predictable US forces group managed by tough ex-Navy Seal Stan Hurley. Poor Michael Keaton does what he can with the character of Hurley, who is part Mickey from "Rocky", part Mr. Myagi and 100% stereotypical, oozing macho dialogue and eye rolling one-liners. The worst part of the film is Dylan O'Brien as Rapp. O'Brien is apparently popular in "The Maze Runner" and "Teen Wolf" but I admit I've never had any interest in either and I think he's in way over his head trying to launch a film series. Maybe I just prefer my action heroes look older than 17, but no matter how much they muscle him up and have him grow lots of facial hair, O'Brien always looks like he wondered in from High School Musical. Bad casting, bad writing. The villains are okay, the concluding action sequence is pretty well executed but by then, my eyes hurt from rolling them every 5 minutes when somebody drops an idiotic line of dialogue or does something illogical in service of the screenplay. At one point, the bad guy pulls off Keaton's fingernails in graphic detail one at a time to try and extract information. I found myself wondering if I'd go through that rather than see a sequel to this mess. I don't think I need fingernails THAT bad.... Dumb beyond dumb, it gets a D.
- The American
A thoughtful character study that feels like a mashup of Hitchcock and "The Day of the Jackal", 2010's THE AMERICAN is a slow but sure thriller. George Clooney stars as an American assassin hiding out in Italy, preparing for his last mission. While his handlers start to question if he's still "got it", he finds moments of solace with a very select few. First is Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli from "Mission Impossible: III") a non-judgemental priest who finds him interesting company over a glass of wine. Their conversations are fascinating as the assassin remains as selective in his words as the priest does his advice. Second is beautiful prostitute Clara (Violante Placido) who carefully builds a personal relationship with him beyond their professional arrangement. Placido is terrific. The last character in his life is his final client Ingrid (the gorgeous Irina Bjorklund) who has ordered some very custom weaponry for the final mission. Like early Hitchcock, most of the film is very carefully choreographed character set up in exotic European locations. Nothing much happens, but it's beautiful to watch. When violence explodes, it's sudden, lethal and carries real consequence. It's interesting to see Clooney in a role that mostly asks him to lay low, displaying as little personality as possible. He can be pretty menacing when he turns off all that effortless charm on screen. THE AMERICAN won't be for all tastes, it's very methodical. But I thought it captured the feeling of being an American in a foreign country in a way that very few movies have. The last time it felt this tangible to me was Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation". There is a palpable, hard to describe cocktail of excitement and loneliness that I've felt places like Chile, where no one speaks English and you are there alone on business. Director Anton Corbijn, who also made the superb "A Most Wanted Man" gets it just right. Settle in for a long slow burn and enjoy THE AMERICAN. It's an adult thriller that gets an appreciative B. (Godfather fans: Violante Placido is the daughter of stunning Simonetta Stefanelli who, as Apollonia, fell in love with Michael Corleone, in The Godfather in 1972. The resemblance is startling.)
- Amazon Women on the Moon
It's hard to believe that this film came from directors Joe Dante (Gremlins), John Landis (The Blues Brothers, Animal House) and Carl Gottlieb, the screenwriter of "Jaws". Back in 1987, those gentlemen, along with actors like Arsenio Hall, Phil Hartman, Carrie Fisher and Michelle Pfieffer teamed up for AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON. It's meant to be a hilarious spoof of a 1950's grade B horror movie, interspersed with comedy sketches. It ends up being a very unfunny, dumb and lifeless bunch of skits occassionally enlivened by a mild chuckle or boobs. It's painful to watch all these people who would go on to do good work stumble through this painful mess. Blech. It gets an F.
- Amazing Stories
As a huge fan of Steven Spielberg's original anthology TV series on Sunday nights in the late 70's, I was really excited to see a modern reboot on Apple TV+. Alas, AMAZING STORIES is a lackluster reference (Tribute? homage?) to the classic series. The original season on NBC had episodes from Spielberg himself, Robert Zemeckis, Joe Dante, a group of directors relishing telling one short story for the small screen. This new update promises modern visions from today's leading filmmakers, but after completing all of season one, I'm still waiting. Five one-hour episodes comprise the first season. It opens strong with the first installment, "The Cellar" about an old Iowa home with a basement that has some time travel tricks up its sleeve. If you've seen "Somewhere In Time" with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, you pretty much get the idea as lovers trapped by time try to reconnect. Some good story aspects and suspense combined with great sound and special effects make it a winner. Episode 2 "The Heat" lands with a thud as two young girls on a track team deal with loss and violence. While some of the messaging is terrific, the entire episode creaks along, boring you into submission Episode 3 gets back on track. The always terrific Robert Forrester (Jackie Brown) stars as a grandfather who gets a mysterious superpower ring from his youth in the mail. It leads to some nice DC/Marvel tinged adventures with his grandson. It's heartfelt and fun. Episode 4 slips back into meh with the story of a woman emerging from a coma who seems to be a very different person. Throw in some aliens and family drama and you've got zzzzzzzzzzzzz..... The final episode delivers, with a World War II pilot crashing into the modern day through a wormhole. Bonding with a young widow and her stepson, they cram a lot of adventure and excitement into an hour. It ends the season on a high note, but still leaves me wondering what the hell happened to this reboot. With Apple size budgets and unbridled creativity on the table, this is the best that showrunners Edward Kitsis (Lost, Tron Legacy) and Adam Horowitz (Lost, Felicity) could come up with? Unless they improve the content dramatically for season two (if there is one) they should consider a name change to TRITE STORIES YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE. Season One gets a C-.
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Is it any wonder that Sony has scrapped the Spiderman series after this disappointing sequel to the very good 2012 kickoff of the Andrew Garfield series? THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 finds Peter Parker (Garfield quite good again as our web slinger) comfortable in his role as part time student/part time hero. Soon though, Oscorp rears its more sinister side and Peter finds himself battling not only his old friend Harry Osborn/Green Goblin, but the powerful super villain Electro. And that's when the film falls apart. Jamie Foxx can OWN the screen in great and lesser films (Django Unchained, White House Down, respectively). But he has a hopeless role here, reminding me WAY too much of Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze in the "Batman and Robin" debacle than forming any real threat to our hero. Dane DeHaan was quite good in "Chronicle" but feels all wrong for what's required to struggle with the duality of Harry & The Green Goblin. Emma Stone is still fine as Gwen Stacy and her chemistry is strong with real-life flame Garfield, but the biggest danger to her are the screen writers, who seem to think characters are disposable and character development is secondary. There are several very well staged action scenes, but a lot of them feel very familiar. How many times can Sony reboot this franchise and tell the same damn story again and again. Apparently plenty, since they just announced a NEW reboot with a new cast for next year. After this familiar, fair but creatively exhausted sequel, I am officially not aboard for any more Spiderman. Let's take Spiderman and the Fantastic Four and put them on the shelf for thirty years or so. Enough is enough. The ending is a downer and an unpleasant surprise. It feels gratuitous and like a desperate bid for some emotional connection to an overcrowded yet under-written plot. Garfield and Stone deserve better. Less than amazing, its gets a C-. Get the Raid, I've had enough of Spiderman.
- The Amazing Spider-Man
Kicked off our July 4th with a late night showing of THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN, which in a word, IS amazing! I went into this one wondering if it would wow me like my all time favorite comic book flick SPIDERMAN 2, or leave me shaking my head like the horrible SPIDERMAN 3. This Spidey reboot Rocks! Andrew Garfield is excellent as Peter Parker, with a likability that Tobey never had in the role. He is funny, emotional and a damn good actor. He's matched by Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy in an excellent performance. Their chemistry is palpable (no wonder they became an off screen couple). This is a terrific cast firing on every moment, with Denis Leary providing hilarious lines and great action as Gwen's dad and the police chief of NYC, Sally Field and Martin Sheen as flawless Uncle Ben and Aunt Mae & Rhys Ifans as Dr Conners/The Lizard in a Spidey villain performance right up there with Alfred Molina as Doc Ock in Spiderman 2. My biggest doubt going into the movie was the choice of Marc Webb (aptly named, no doubt) as director. After "500 Days of Summer", they chose him to direct this $215 million tentpole? Well I was wrong. Webb brings so much realism and emotion to the first hour's set up that you really connect with the characters and you become much more invested in them as the action ramps up. And it really is all about the action right? The action scenes are first rate, with the Lizard/Spidey's encounter on the bridge and the conclusion atop the Oscorp tower hitting all the right exhilerating notes. The web slinging "Spiderman soaring through Manhattan" scenes are SO superior to those even 5 years ago that it makes you realize how far digital effects have come even in that amount of time. I could make some minor complaints about a running time that goes maybe 15 minutes too long, or a forced Stan Lee cameo that takes you out of a great action sequence, but it would be silly to complain about minor points in what is for me, a great summer comic book movie. A really pleasant surprise, The Amazing Spiderman spins a solid A.