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Reviews
The Winslow Boy (1999)
Excellent movie!
The Winslow Boy was an excellent movie - a period piece with a modern feel. I recommend it not only to people like me who love Merchant-Ivory movies, but to anyone who enjoys smart and precise acting and direction. The final resolution of the mystery is not as important to the viewer as are each character's struggles and sacrifices. This movie is a very enjoyable and rewarding experience.
The Purple Heart (1944)
What would you do in their shoes?
This is a beautiful movie. The story is about what happens to the captured crew of an American Army Air Corps bomber in Japan during WWII.
The performances of the actors are excellent and deeply felt (remember that it was filmed during the war). Once you have watched the first 30 minutes, you must stay to learn their fate at the hands of the Japanese.
Separate Tables (1958)
A Movie as Good as a Play
I found "Separate Tables" in the library - I had never heard of it before. It's a good movie and has some intriguing moments, mostly when Burt Lancaster is in the scene. This movie obviously came from a well-written stage play and the director maintained the "interior" feeling throughout.
Something I really liked about the movie was it's willingness to portray real human weaknesses that the characters may never be able to overcome. I also liked to see the group dynamics and the characters' willingness or lack or willingness to judge each other.
I highly recommend other movieholics to try to find this video at the video rental store. I just haven't decided whether to buy a copy for myself.
All About Eve (1950)
All About Eve doesn't end believably.
I recently watched this movie again and there are some things that bother me about it. Without giving away the ending it's hard to make my point, but I'll try. Eve and Margo reveal their true selves slowly to viewers and to the other characters, but they become less believable to me as the movie draws to its end. I don't blame the actors: they are consistently excellent. The writing is good and enjoyable to follow. It's the character development that is weak. Eve, Margo, and the others are sharply defined at the beginning of the film even though as viewers we have to wait for motivations to become apparent. Unfortunately, the basic dynamics of the characters don't remain true through the film.
So even though I admire the acting, this film is not one that I will want to return to again and again.
Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)
Delightful, piquant war effort
This film was delightful and fun! It will lift your spirits - as I imagine it was meant to do in 1944. I enjoy watching films made during WWII - it helps me understand the attitudes and thoughts of the people living and fighting then. The sentiment is occasionally rather precious (for a Sturges film), but that is my quibble. I have always enjoyed watching Sturges' Sullivan's Travels. Watching "Hail the Conquering Hero" has convinced me to find and view more of Sturges' films. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.