WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[feaito]

I watched the awesome 2009 restored version of "The Red Shoes" (1948) on Blu Ray....all I can say is that my jaw dropped beholding the perfection of the print...the vibrant colors, sharpness, beauty....Never did Walbrook looked more menacing and devil-like....Moira Shearer more radiant with her very Red hair.....The ballet sequences, the music, the dancing, the drama, the pathos....a Must!!!! Powell & Pressburger -as the kids say- ROCK!! What a beautiful film!!!

[charliechaplinfan]

I watched Scarlet Street, not a very good print but a good film, the second time I've watched Edward G Robinson and Joan Bennett in films directed by Fritz Lang, this had more twists and turns than I expected and had a more satisfying end than Woman in The Window. I've watched so many Edward G Robinson films were he's the good guy that I fancy Key Largo soon.

[mrsl]

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I watched Wishful Drinkin' today with Carrie Fisher. It's a one-woman show with Carrie basically ripping her families apart. Some of her lines are funny though, but when you see the board with all those people on it, you wonder what is going on, until she stars explaining who everone is. It's a shame how much she hated her dad, but such is life and life does go on. Strange, she sees all of Eddie's faults, but none of Debbie's. Debbie made some pretty dumb moves after her divorce and the long struggle to give the kids a good life, then tossing it off to her next two husbands who screwed her up even more. At lease Eddie left her with some money, these two clowns spent all of theirs, and then all of hers. It's only about an hour long, and kind of interesting. Oddly, she doesn't seem to hold a whole lot against Liz, but she does say that Debbie doesn't so maybe it's a case of like mother, like daughter. Good for a quick rest in between starting to mix another batch of cookie batter.
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[MichiganJ]

Watched New York Confidential, which is surely one of the really great hard-hitting organized crime dramas I've ever seen. There's not a wasted moment in the film, and all of the performances are note worthy. For me the standouts include J. Carroll Naish and Anne Bancroft, both of whom I knew were in the cast but didn't recognize because they really became their characters. (I'm serious, here, too. It wasn't until Anne Bancroft did her cute lop-sided smile that I recognized her.) Broderick Crawford, one of the fastest talkers in cinema, is also great as the Syndicate Boss, and Richard Conte, well he's a tough-as-nails hitman/bodyguard that you want on your side.

Seriously, New York Confidential is a must see.

[ken123]

The book " Deep Politics and the Death of JFK " by Peter Dale Scott has some information about Lait & Mortimer in reguard to the Chicago - New York mobs that may be of interest, in the same book the Chicago mob and the racing wire cover several chapters, Drew Pearson tells you who actually runs in Chicago outfit in the same tome, Supermob by Russo is also an excellent book to find out the real American political system.

[Birdy]

I watched Leap Year with Amy Adams and the verrrry handsome Matthew Goode. Amy's character travels to Ireland to propose on Leap Day to her boyfriend. Her plane is diverted and she meets a pub owner (Goode) who helps her get to Dublin (eventually). I thought it was a very cute, silly travel story in the vein of It Happened One Night with adversarial attraction. Or maybe I was just warmed up by the green vistas of Ireland...or Goode's dimple.

[charliechaplinfan]

I watched The Bigamist, directed by Ida Lupino starring Joan Fontaine, Ida Lupino and Edmond O'Brien as bigamist spouse and wives, the film is told in such a way that you sympathise with all in the marriage, his secret being revealed only when his first spouse wants to adopt a baby. Edmund Gwenn plays the kindly man who's job it is to investigate people who want to adopt babies.

[charliechaplinfan]

I watched The Browning Version today, a film I'd never seen before, I was really effected by Redgrave's portrayal of Crocker Harris, at first look a cold, remote, correct and humourless master of an English public school. Dig deeper into this drama and you see that his wife is betraying him with a colleague so blatantly that it's talked about, his faith in teaching has been crushed. He is deeply wounded when the new master reveals that so good is Crocker Harris discipline they all call him the Himmler of the upper fifth, to see his hurt coming through in this portrayal and once again when one of his boys gives him a book inscribed lovingly, to see how touched he is, is very moving. Three men seem to care about him, Frank, his wive's lover, Taplow the boy and the new master, they give him strength to hold his head up high and make his final speech. With Nigel Patrick as Frank and Jean Kent as Mrs Crocker Harris, a wonderfully moving film.

[feaito]

I watched "Curse of the Golden Flower" (Blu Ray Release) and it was a great experience to re-visit this film and see it in a 46" LED TV...the print looked gorgeous and it plays like a Greek or Shakesperean Tragedy set in Ancient China. An excellently directed, handsome, visually stunning film; excellently acted all around...moving, a feast for the eyes.... awesome sets and costumes...the use of color and textures....Gong Li or Li Gong beautiful and ravishing....A MUST.

[charliechaplinfan]

I watched The Widow Couderc last night, starring Simone Signoret, Alain Delon and Ottavia Piccolo. Signoret is the widow, she lives on a farm, near Dijon which is coveted by her sister in law, she came to the farm as a young girl and was raped by the father and then by the son, she married the son who has now died. As she steps off the bus she meets a young man looking for work who helps her carry her incubator back to the farm house, she gives him a couple of days work and he stays in the attic, the two days stretch into more, Jean, the man is attracted to the Widow's neice who is free and easy with her favours, in turn the Widow is attracted to him and he soon has a place in her bed, the relationship although sexual seems to be driven by a need in both of them for each other, the Widow says that people would never understand about them and he replies that they never do. The in-laws over hear a conversation between Jean and the Widow, Jean is an escaped prisoner, we never find out what he has done but murder is suggested, they turn him in. It seems all of rural France turns up to capture him, the ending is bittersweet but seemingly perfect. Simone Sigoret is quite wonderful as the widow and Delon as Jean brings surprising depth to the role. The life of rural France is quite central to the plot, the town, the church, the townspeople and the hard manual work of a farmer in 1934 France.

[charliechaplinfan]

Three very different films over the last couple of days, although made with a three year span

Firstly was The Conformist, what can I say, too many phone calls and interruptions that meant that when I read the reviews on the imdb it seemed that I'd watched a different movie. It looked lovely and Jean Louis Trintignant gave a great performance from what I saw, however I missed the homosexual leanings that everyone was pointing out at the imdb. I really need to see this again, in the New Year uninterrupted.

More success was had with Deliverance, watched late at night, too late perhaps, second time of watching but no less gripping, is that really Burt Reynolds? He looks so different to the films my Mum watched. Reading again on the imdb, the actors did all their own stunts including Jon Voight climbing the cliff face.

Hello Dolly this afternoon much to hubby's delight but I had a large pile of ironing that needed a musical to help me through it. I like this film although for me they could cut out all the Michael Crawford segments (sorry Michael, I just love you in Some Mother's Do Ave Em) and concentrate on Walter Matthau and Barbra Streisand.

[feaito]

Deliverance is an absolutely gripping & harrowing film....strong stuff

Today I watched "Las Perles de la Couronne" (Pearls of the Crown) (1937) directed by the masterful Sacha Guitry, a totally amusing film that blends history, comedy and drama with much finesse and talent. What a great array of actors and characters! A total winner and absolute delight. I was so pleased that all the characters spoke in their original languages: Italian, Frenc & English. Something very smart on Guitry's part.

[JackFavell]

I just saw True Grit. It was a deceptively simple film. Very good, quite understated. I think I want to see it again, for I am sure that there are some things that need to be chewed on and watched again for depth. Few real highs and lows, but this was not a bad thing. It was more like real life unfolding in front of you.

Jeff Bridges seems to have taken a page out of Lee Marvin's book rather than from John Wayne's, and there is a little moment not too far into the movie where he takes the film for himself. Nothing pointed, but it made me smile. Matt Damon had some really good scenes, and LeBoeuf carried more humor than I remember his character having in the other version. Every character had a good moment. I especially liked the man who Mattie outwits to get her father's horses back from. He sounded familiar but I can't place him.

There were a couple of homages to Ford but so muted that they would not be obvious to a casual observer. There was a breathtaking sad ride under a starlit sky... and an unsentimental ending.....until one looks closely at the last shot.

[feaito]

We watched two films with almost all the families: the British dark comedy "Death at a Funeral" (2007) (I, for the nth time -LOVE IT) and the amusing romantic comedy "It's Complicated" (2009)....we laughed a lot and it was fun.

Afterwards my niece showed us the horror flick"Silent Hill" (2006), creepy and rather gorish, but fine.

[JackFavell]

Death at a Funeral is hysterical!