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Toc Toc (2017)
Enjoyable, humane and superbly adapted
This movie, adapted from a play, is a very good choice of lighthearted entertainment and thought-provoking material at the same time. It carries the humor of modern European cinema, in particular expressed by french, italian and spanish cinema, it has marvellous technical aspects and is well suited for both adults and children. The plot is ingenuous and with an ensemble cast the viewer can fully appreciate the acting effort of all participants. Most important, it can retain the viewer's attention and interest despite being filmed , essentially, in a single doctor's waiting room. It also balances younger and older actors at the proper proportion. The most serious a comedy can become regarding a real medical problem!! I highly suggest it.
All About Eve (1950)
Well executed satirical comedy-drama
For me, thismovie is satirical but I cannot easily identify if it is a comedy, a dramedy, a cynical social comedy or an outright femmefatale drama. Maybe it is all of them in meticulously calculated quantities.
It must be pointed out thaat Mankiewicz' dialogue is visibly but not unbearably overdrawn, pompous, full of grammatical twists and exaggerations and theatrical mannerisms and expressions but for the most part they are mixed well with the performances. It is though one weak point of Mankiewicz pictures. You can notice it even more grotesquely in Cleopatra (1963).
All performances are very good, but I distinguish Anne Baxter who I think stands a little higher even than Bette Davis in this film. Baxter's voice, face, exressions and lines are filled with fake docility, fake humility and yet a spark glows constantly urging for ambition. She is even scary sometimes. Within her role, she easily passes from deference to cruel manipulation, lying and b;ackmailing on a whim! It is quite unfair that they couldn't puull out a four-way tie at the Academy and award Davis, Baxter, Swanson and Holiday equally the statuette. Baxter deserved to be in the Best Actress category. I don't believe she stole enough votes from Davis to strip her of the win but she contributed. I have not watched Eleanor Parker's performance who was the fifth nominee, but the other four were equally worthy of the award. Sentimentally, I woud like Davis to share it with Swanson. Obectively it should be a four-way tie at least. So, Baxter is a major driving force for the script. She is 40% of the picture and Davis gets the same percent for me. The rest is divided between George Sanders, Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter. It is no miracle that film received four female acting nominations. It is the only film to have achieved this. Davis also plays brilliantly tthe bored, alcoholic and insecure fading star who has to transit from ingenues to older roles.
The sets are austere and not elaborate but they are perfect for this movie and you can get a glimpse of how Broadway theatre worked in the mid-20th century.
The second weak point I can sense is a slightly urefined progress of Eve Harrington. I think Margot gets the truth behind her character quite too early and she starts loathing her before her friends do and this important for the plot but I will spare you a spoiler by not revealing why. It would be even smoother and more realistic if Margot slowly interacted and saw things and then pieced the puzzle together about Eve's true nature.
In general, male performances except Sanders' are weak and do not play a large part in advancing the plot. Any actor could have played Gary Merrill's role or Hugh Marlowe's and be quite the same.
All in all, I rate it with 9/10 and I have probably omitted some details, though I have expressed most of my thoughts.
The Wicker Man (1973)
Quite good and ever valid
Quite an interesting case, this film mixes a horror narrative very uncommon ,but chillingly possible due to the unexplored depths of human nature and soul, with a bland and scarily cloudy landscape of winter in the Highlands.. FIlmed on a resgricted budget and a studio facing bankruptcy, it is nonetheless coherent and magnetizes the viewer. It contains a cinematography that managed to capture the beautiful atmosphere of a Scottish island and several red herrings. A movie that also benefits from the presence of Christopher Lee and comes along ith a very powerful message: whre reason sleeps not only monsters are born but the human mass is also uncontrollable. Don't avoid watching it if you stumble on it on TV or cinema.
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Interim report
This particular film I have enjoyed watching for over 20 times since I watched it for the first time.
To begin with, and to its credit, it is a cinematic adaptation very very faithful to its base material, a very successful play, that has only toned down a bit the profanities due to cencorship of theera. That does not damage the film and such changes are only very subtle.Some scenes have been modified and their location has been moved from the only set of the play, a living room, to external spots in order to increase the realism of the film and provide a freedom of expression and movement not possible for a stage production. In my opinion, anyone who watches the movie will be so captivated that any stage production of the play will seem somewhat inferior and restricted.
Black and white cinematography was deliberately chosen to deminish and dissolve the beautiful characteristics of the actors, as Taylor's eyes would be a sgriking point of vividness in a setting of complete "drabness". Non-colour image makes the scenery more unnoticeable and enhances the actions of the actors. The external shots lend the film a breeze of late summer and early autumn melancholy and desolation.
Advise & Consent (1962)
Well made and enduring
I have watched the movie in full length only once, but it was very impressive and has persisted in my mind till today. It passes as typical for its era political drama at a first glance, but it is quite advanced and provocative for the political and social environment of the age it was shot. A first surprising element its the nature of political cooperation, ideological lines and bipartisanship which the movie presents. In today's heated, insulting political feuds political parties in the US have been crystallised into almost monolithic and compact organisations with few ideological deviations among their members and elected magistrates. So, the central idea of the political turmoil in the movie is not a juxtaposition between parties but between ideologies and regional and social differences which penetrate in both major parties. The story tones down a lot but does not erase the names and bordering lines of Democrats and Republicans; featuring instead on behaviours and acts of specific people from the whole ideological spectrum. Traditional conservatism, political manipulation by party bosses, and old-fashioned honesty and dignity are all featured in the process of hearing the candidate for Secretary of State, played by Henry Fonda, each fighting for or against the candidacy with its own means and for its own reasons. An innovative aspect is the addition of a sexually-oriented scandal, a very very advanced aspect for the era of the early '60s, when the Code was still present though waning for many years before. This plot thread could be relevant today very easily. The much screen time devoted to the Senate chamber helps unite the excellent cast to common scenes and a lot of interaction. Charles Laughton, Henry Fonda, Franchot Tone and others shine with their talent on the screen.
Contratiempo (2016)
Good part of an ongoing process
A quite intriguing, fascinating film that kept me at high alert at many points and I felt true agony and anxiety. Using a downplayed and somewhat gloomy photography, as light is not prevalent in the film, combined with the dark atmosphere of the events, the uncertainty and many illusions of the film are excellently projected. Its great use of winter and forest surroundings adds special colour to the film, something like a countryside taste which could fit any European country. Corruption and social variations form part of the support means of the plot, creating a contrast between the middle-aged couple with a comfortable but quiet and conventional living style and the glamorous world of modern business and art, mixed with conspiracies and secrets, supported by unscrupulous lawyers and magistrates. The film uses elements of Agatha Christie novels, such as the many twists of the plot, and also themes from Hitchcock epics, for instance long, prolonged, scenes filled with uncertainty and fear. It deserves viewing and I hope to see even better from the director, as I suspect he can make an even subtler, scarier and nail-biting crime mystery- thriller. I am sure he still stands on the middle steps of the ladder, having though already accomplished honourable results.
Cleopatra (1963)
Deserves top even not fully seen
Cleopatra is one of my favourite movies. The reasons for this are various.
THe most superficial aspect about the movie is that of a lavish production. I enormously enjoy
the rich, detailed and realistic sets and props, although they feature quite a few anachronisms, especially regarding Cleo's palace.
Beyond that, the movie features some very good performances, with Harrison and MacDowall topping the cast, of which only one earned an Academy Award nomination and another lost one for supporting role due to a minor technical formality. Historical realism, including appearances and characters, is not the point of this movie. Otherwise Taylor would not have played the title role. A screenplay composed by historical accounts, those of Plutarch among them, but also a book which I have not read but I deem probably a pseudo-historical novel, the story is supposed to emphasise the struggle of Cleopatra for independence and dignity through any possible means. Her love for Anthony and Ceasar is portrayed as genuine infatuation, which is not known as a historical certainty, but her egotism and Egypt's interests rest also on the top of her priority list. A proof of this is her departure from Actium after learning without verification that Mark Antony is dead, to head to Egypt for regroupment and defense. In general events and guidelines the film is accurate enough to satisfy the reasonable amateur-historian viewers. Several minor or supporting historical figures are omitted probably to create a trio of great role- characters.
As for the turbulent history of edits and releases I lament this the most for it is generally believed to have damaged the film and fracturing its continuity and meaning. Though the 250 min version which I have watched recently on Bluray proceeds logically through the plot, small abrupt cuts and connections occur and certain plot details and interconnections are cut. I have only seen photo stills from any cut scenes, among them a scene of the civil war between the Ptolemaic rulers which shows Cleopatra in her battlefield tent. I think that this opulent and well-crafted production deserves to present the viewers with all its magnificence of colours, sets and costumes and performances, for which so much ink, blood and gold has been wasted and nearly made 20th C-Fox sink financially. So, I will always yearn for a director's cut restored, remastered, reedited and re-scored in 1080p perhaps. I would personally sign a contract to buy a set of a 360 CLeopatra BLuray collection even if it cost 100 dollars, because I think that, after all, both the audience and the cast and crew deserve to have their toils fully compensated for having provided an epic which will be, when restored, the best crafted and also nearing the top in performances epic of the pre-CGI film era.
So for all the above I give a 9/10, awarded specifically for the director's cut which J.L.M. certainly exchanged his career for.
Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)
Good ingredients, near perfect concoction
This Southern erotic drama casts Taylor, Brando and Julie Harris, three actors of unrelated background to create perfectly cast roles. Harris had worked in a previous McCullers adaptation and had been nominated for an Oscar. Brando had his well known background and Taylor had just started her track into decline after a decade in the limelight. A number of factors derailed the intended result: Brando replaced other considered actors as Richard Burton and Montgomery Clift (who died just before filming began). On one side it is good that We were spared another Burton-Taylor pairing in the form of protagonists, although I think Burton would make a great love interest of Taylors in the role of her extramarital affair in this movie. Furthermore, Brando had been plagued by failures in the '60s and was not the hot billing he was back in the mid fifties though he is of course quite satisfactory here! The sepia tone and a general state of hypnotism and summer laziness are evident in the film and I think this makes it a little unbearable to watch uninterruptedly.
Also, the depiction of the locations of the events in the film do not provide much evident imagery that the film indeed unfolds in the South. It cold be anywhere in the warm states of the US. If I remember right, the novel was written not before World War II so it is almost contemporary to the film. No mentions or depictions of blacks, of the social routine in the South or the boiling discontent is depicted, much less is shown about segregation and racism. Of course I believe that, though unspecified, the exact place in the South that the film takes place is somewhere outside the Deep South. THat is supported by the film itself. Virginia, NC, Tennessee, Kentucky would be ideal for the setting of the film but not e.g. Mississippi. The setting is well restricted and confined. Finally, it is one of the cases I think a team of directors would do a better job than a single director. John Huston would be perfectly matched with a theatrical director to improve direction.
To add a further positiv point, it is a film that really pushed the boundaries of erotic scenes and depictions. This is evident as there are scenes which you cannot believed were shot with the specific actors(!!!), especially a particular scene with Taylor that surprised me. Violence, sexual repression and a general atmosphere of desire boil into the film not always explosively but the film nonetheles deserves the characterisation of an erotic drama, in my opinion.
Gone with the Wind (1939)
A well standing aged-ageless film!
Having watched it multiple times, I have always admired its colorfulness and its technical excellence.
One of the first colored films and certainly in the top color films of the black and white era, that is until the early sixties,it exploits all means to convey the traits of characters most effectively through color. Eye colors, hair colors and clothes are used for that purpose.
Its extended use of matte paintings is effectively counterbalanced by their absorption and adjustment with live action footage. Certainly well deserving its Production Design and Cinematography Oscars.
An equally well distributed and chosen although not flawless cast choice adds to the result. Gable and Leigh are the only, literally speaking, actors of the era that could convincingly incarnate Scarlett and Rhet Butler, and near their top throne also rests Olivia De Havilland. The main cast suffers mostly from Leslie Howard as Ashley. Though he is convincing as for the mental and intellectual traits of the novel character he lacks physical resemblance and his under- toned and flat performance is somewhat distant from the presence of Ashley in the novel who has a few emotional outbursts. The rest of the cast is magnificently positioned, to mention a few: Thomas Mitchell as Gerald is very suited to the emotional spectrum of his character and I would have wanted him in more scenes which were present in the novel but edited out of the film unfortunately, including one that involves Gerald in Atlanta after the bazaar to reproach his daughter, Barbara O'Neill is physically perfect though limited in stage presence and of course Hattie McDaniel shines as Mammy with the strong character and the tough heart. She is something of an accomplice more to Scarlett than a servant or executor. Also, Laura Hope Crews is satisfactorily presented as Pittypat and not deprived of quantity and quality of scenes. Unfortunately, many other characters omitted, edited out or merged with others from the novel are just a little more than extras, including the terrific Jane Darwell and Leona Roberts whose characters are much more significant in the book.
Apart from any above mentioned flaws I credit the production with its departure from Mitchell's descriptions of mansions etc, like Tara or the Twelve Oaks, and the quite limited running time of the film. I think it should be presented as a two 5 hour movies sequence to adequately be faithful to the book. I know this is impossible to have happened back then as neither Cleopatra of 1963 managed to be something that innovative, but I lament because only this specific cast could master the whole novel to perfection with all its nuances, so today the latter is not possible anymore. Nowadays it is feasible to make a TV series of better technical standards but such actors are almost impossible to find today!!!!
I refrain from criticizing the racial and sociopolitical stance of the film's depiction of slaves, Reconstruction an such things as it was 1939 back then and the novel remained faithful to the depiction of the characters in the book. It is important to understand that the film wasn't supposed to depict 1861-1871 faithfully and objectively but to adapt for the screen a very specific piece of fiction.
Murder by Death (1976)
A movie not fully exploited
The movie enjoys an almost ensemble and all-star cast including already established then stars like David Niven, Maggie Smith, Peter Sellers and many others. I consider they have done a very good acting in their diverse comic roles and all emit a sense of vividness and youthfulness helped by the colour cinematography.
Much of the action transpires in no more than a handful of sets, the dining room, the bedrooms and the kitchen and omitted possible sets as a gloomy corridor or a basement which I think flawed sensibly though not greatly the overall result as the film thus lost the chance to enhance a dark comedy approach which would feature a thread of thriller- horror flavour and suspense. The lack of suspense also lies on the fact that the viewer cannot believe that one of the sleuths is actually the murderer, so the canon that the sleuths are not suspect is difficult to discard.
A great plus is Truman Capote as the sardonic but well-liked host, in a rare acting performance. His presence should of course be used more, as he would definitely cast a wonderful shadow of omnipresence had his voice used to scare the sleuths more frequently.