Fellow Movie Lovers
EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES
Over thirty years ago a close friend of mine was diagnosed with scleroderma (a debilitating connective tissue disease that involves changes in the skin, blood vessels, muscles and internal organs); she was given approximately six years to live; the younger of her two sons was six months old.
As I watched this, not extraordinary, but well intentioned film I questioned why some are fated to overcome insurmountable obstacles for the betterment of mankind, while others are felled. My friend and John Crowley, heroes created by unwanted circumstances.
John Crowley is blessed with a staggering intellect. He attended the U.S. Navel Academy at Annapolis, received a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, a law degree from Notre Dame, an MBA from Harvard. He and his wife Aileen have three children, two cursed with Pompe disease, a severe neuromuscular disorder, which manifests itself like the worst combination of cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy; with a life expectancy of five years. It is a disease so rare that there are less than six thousand cases in the world.
Extraordinary Measures focuses on John Crowley’s herculean efforts to find a cure, an enzyme, to save his and other children’s lives. Brendan Fraser gives a credible and passionate performance as John Crowley; Keri Russell, an actress of fathomless sensitivity, is Aileen Crowley; Meredith Droeger as Megan Crowley is enchanting in her depiction of a child so thirsting to survive and desperately struggling to live and play as her peers; her presence provided the flawless moments in the film.
Harrison Ford (also a co-producer) as the cantankerous, irascible, and brilliant research scientist Dr. Robert Stonehill, I found problematic, and after some research discovered that in actuality he is fictional; a composite of all the doctors and researchers Crowley dealt with over the years. There was something missing; as fine an actor as he is, there was a lack of conviction in his characterization.
The movie entertains with the friction between the experimental and empirical world of science and the bottom line decisiveness of the financial world; always a tenuous marriage; divorce, a ubiquitous specter lurking in the shadows.
Extraordinary Measures is not a great film but it succeeds in awakening the audience to the greatness of one individual. John Crowley (presently 43 years old) and my friend are monuments to the power of one. One person with boundless fortitude and tenacity can alter the universe.
TWO & ½ STARS
For Now……………..Peneflix
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Fellow Movie Lovers
Fellow Movie Lovers
THE LOVELY BONES
Those of you who read Alice Sebold’s 2002 novel of the same name will find this well-acted but tedious film a test of one’s concentrative powers. The genius of Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings and District 9) was on a directorial hiatus.
The mundane script is rescued or resuscitated by Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) playing Susie Salmon (‘like the fish”), Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as Susie’s parents and particularly Susan Sarandon as the glitzy, boozy Grandma Lynn and Stanley Tucci (Julie Julia) who depicts Mr. Harvey with the perfect mixture of creepiness and cunning to give the viewer goose flesh. He is a marvelous actor who seems to finally be receiving the accolades he has been worthy of for years.
The Lovely Bones losses its way and the audience by spending too much time in “the in between”!
TWO STARS!
THE BOOK OF ELI
We have all seen movies that we like but are hard pressed to describe why. I found myself wallowing in this dilemma as I journeyed through another post-apocalyptic film,
trapped in the gray area between dusk and dawn.
Possibly it was the spiritual aspect, saving the last King James Bible from evil saboteurs or the prophet Eli, who is the harbinger, protector of the Book, possessing supernatural powers in his role as savior. Eli is supposedly the first word uttered from the Cross.
The Hughes brothers, Albert and Allen deserve our approbation in casting Denzel Washington as Eli. You never doubt his faith or tenacity in achieving his mission, and overcoming dauntless obstacles as he walks west; we meet him at the thirty year point of his trek. Washington is stupendous. And Gary Oldham (Carnegie) as the debauched villain who goes to nefarious lengths to confiscate the Book. Oldman is Beelzebub and bedazzles in the role.
Jenifer Beals (Flashdance), still beautiful, plays the blind mother of Solara (Mila Kunis, Extract); the disciple of Eli. Characters in need of more depth or definition.
The ending is worth the journey.
TWO & ½ STARS!
3 IDIOTS
A Bollywood blockbuster with a ridiculous title. Westerners will think of the three Stooges and there are some similarities but this is a substantive at time times moralizing film starring actors at their pinnacle. Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor have tantalized, traumatized and driven to tears Eastern audiences for years and only recently are they mesmerizing western film lovers.
So much is demanded of the Bollywood actors. They must sing, dance, act with such effortlessness that us Westerners discount the immeasurable proficiencies required of them; many are from acting dynasties; like the Barrymores.
Discard, at the ticket counter, your filmatic prejudices and give this insightful and delightful film a well deserved chance. You will have a surprisingly good time.
THREE STARS!
In answer to your e-mails I am not viewing or reviewing Mel Gibson’s upcoming movie,
The Edge of Darkness. Mr. Gibson has been onerous, erroneous and vituperative in his comments and opinions on a religion that is not compatible with his. He has a constitutional right to express his thoughts but will see not a cent of my currency unless it is for a JUF Fundraiser!
For Now……………..Peneflix
THE LOVELY BONES
Those of you who read Alice Sebold’s 2002 novel of the same name will find this well-acted but tedious film a test of one’s concentrative powers. The genius of Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings and District 9) was on a directorial hiatus.
The mundane script is rescued or resuscitated by Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) playing Susie Salmon (‘like the fish”), Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as Susie’s parents and particularly Susan Sarandon as the glitzy, boozy Grandma Lynn and Stanley Tucci (Julie Julia) who depicts Mr. Harvey with the perfect mixture of creepiness and cunning to give the viewer goose flesh. He is a marvelous actor who seems to finally be receiving the accolades he has been worthy of for years.
The Lovely Bones losses its way and the audience by spending too much time in “the in between”!
TWO STARS!
THE BOOK OF ELI
We have all seen movies that we like but are hard pressed to describe why. I found myself wallowing in this dilemma as I journeyed through another post-apocalyptic film,
trapped in the gray area between dusk and dawn.
Possibly it was the spiritual aspect, saving the last King James Bible from evil saboteurs or the prophet Eli, who is the harbinger, protector of the Book, possessing supernatural powers in his role as savior. Eli is supposedly the first word uttered from the Cross.
The Hughes brothers, Albert and Allen deserve our approbation in casting Denzel Washington as Eli. You never doubt his faith or tenacity in achieving his mission, and overcoming dauntless obstacles as he walks west; we meet him at the thirty year point of his trek. Washington is stupendous. And Gary Oldham (Carnegie) as the debauched villain who goes to nefarious lengths to confiscate the Book. Oldman is Beelzebub and bedazzles in the role.
Jenifer Beals (Flashdance), still beautiful, plays the blind mother of Solara (Mila Kunis, Extract); the disciple of Eli. Characters in need of more depth or definition.
The ending is worth the journey.
TWO & ½ STARS!
3 IDIOTS
A Bollywood blockbuster with a ridiculous title. Westerners will think of the three Stooges and there are some similarities but this is a substantive at time times moralizing film starring actors at their pinnacle. Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor have tantalized, traumatized and driven to tears Eastern audiences for years and only recently are they mesmerizing western film lovers.
So much is demanded of the Bollywood actors. They must sing, dance, act with such effortlessness that us Westerners discount the immeasurable proficiencies required of them; many are from acting dynasties; like the Barrymores.
Discard, at the ticket counter, your filmatic prejudices and give this insightful and delightful film a well deserved chance. You will have a surprisingly good time.
THREE STARS!
In answer to your e-mails I am not viewing or reviewing Mel Gibson’s upcoming movie,
The Edge of Darkness. Mr. Gibson has been onerous, erroneous and vituperative in his comments and opinions on a religion that is not compatible with his. He has a constitutional right to express his thoughts but will see not a cent of my currency unless it is for a JUF Fundraiser!
For Now……………..Peneflix
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Fellow Movie Lovers
Fellow Movie Lovers
EMMA JANE AUSTEN’S MASTERPIECE PREMIERS SUNDAY JANUARY
24TH ON PBS
It was amazingly serendipitous when I arrived home from a gluttonous culture junket to New York City, where I had just seen the Jane Austen Manuscript Exhibit (Morgan Library), to find the CD of this remarkable mini series from a generous friend!
I spent a delicious afternoon with Emma in the comfort of my home, surrounded by pillows, snacks and the ultimate adult pacifier, the remote control! This is a not to be missed jewel.
Jane Austen (1775-1817) wrote this classic anonymously (1815) after the success of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility and in her own words created a heroine only she could love.
Emma is wealthy, spoiled, acutely intelligent and entertains herself by playing cupid in her small and stilted world. She can be cruel, mean-spirited and spiteful but her appeal lies in her ability to recognize her errors and correct them; conquering all hearts in the process. Her unchained passion and joy in every wakening moment is infectious. Despite her faults her friendship would be a gift, a protected one.
There have been a myriad of Emma’s, in recent years, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Beckinsale, but Romola Garai (Atonement) surpasses them all; she is the Emma you envision as you devour the novel. Her luminosity is a film makers dream; like Scarlett O’Hara she is not a traditional beauty but before you realize it she has imprisoned your soul. Her every expression speaks volumes and her smile should be minted.
Jonny Lee Miller (Endgame) as Mr. Knightly is her intellectual match and they spar with masterful agility. The most entertaining trait of the film is the triumph of the art of conversation; they trade barbs, with wit, skill and acerbity. Their blatant honesty is riveting and delightful to behold. They were made for each other and we root for their awakening.
Wandering through the Jane Austen Manuscript Exhibit I was astounded by the millions of hand written words; minutely and meticulously written, words that danced from her mind to her pen, words that still enthrall and enchant after almost two hundred years.
She died mysteriously at the age of forty-one (now diagnosed as Addison Disease) and leaves behind a legacy that will thrive and edify through eternity.
FOUR STARS!
For Now………….Peneflix
EMMA JANE AUSTEN’S MASTERPIECE PREMIERS SUNDAY JANUARY
24TH ON PBS
It was amazingly serendipitous when I arrived home from a gluttonous culture junket to New York City, where I had just seen the Jane Austen Manuscript Exhibit (Morgan Library), to find the CD of this remarkable mini series from a generous friend!
I spent a delicious afternoon with Emma in the comfort of my home, surrounded by pillows, snacks and the ultimate adult pacifier, the remote control! This is a not to be missed jewel.
Jane Austen (1775-1817) wrote this classic anonymously (1815) after the success of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility and in her own words created a heroine only she could love.
Emma is wealthy, spoiled, acutely intelligent and entertains herself by playing cupid in her small and stilted world. She can be cruel, mean-spirited and spiteful but her appeal lies in her ability to recognize her errors and correct them; conquering all hearts in the process. Her unchained passion and joy in every wakening moment is infectious. Despite her faults her friendship would be a gift, a protected one.
There have been a myriad of Emma’s, in recent years, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Beckinsale, but Romola Garai (Atonement) surpasses them all; she is the Emma you envision as you devour the novel. Her luminosity is a film makers dream; like Scarlett O’Hara she is not a traditional beauty but before you realize it she has imprisoned your soul. Her every expression speaks volumes and her smile should be minted.
Jonny Lee Miller (Endgame) as Mr. Knightly is her intellectual match and they spar with masterful agility. The most entertaining trait of the film is the triumph of the art of conversation; they trade barbs, with wit, skill and acerbity. Their blatant honesty is riveting and delightful to behold. They were made for each other and we root for their awakening.
Wandering through the Jane Austen Manuscript Exhibit I was astounded by the millions of hand written words; minutely and meticulously written, words that danced from her mind to her pen, words that still enthrall and enchant after almost two hundred years.
She died mysteriously at the age of forty-one (now diagnosed as Addison Disease) and leaves behind a legacy that will thrive and edify through eternity.
FOUR STARS!
For Now………….Peneflix
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Fellow Movie Lovers
Fellow Movie Lovers
Soon to be released:
FISH TANK
Andrea Arnold (Oscar winning creator of Wasp, 2004) delivers a knock out punch with this rough, raw and brutally honest film, attracting and repulsing, simultaneously.
Mia (freshly discovered, Katie Jarvis) is fifteen, no longer in school, disenfranchised from, and hater of society; a pure misanthrope. Her only escape a pathetic imitation of break-dancing (one could not help but recall Jennifer Beals in Flashdance). We do not like her and she does not want us to. Living in the housing projects in Essex, England where privacy is anathema and one’s vulnerabilities showcased for all to witness, replicating a fish tank; with her alcoholic and abusive mother and her younger foul-mouthed sister; dysfunctional climbs to the nose bleed level.
Added to this menacing mix is the ragingly sensual Connor (adroitly played by Michael Fassbender, Inglorious Basterds) lover of Mia’s mother; but from the initial meeting the chemistry between Mia and Connor is palpable and if exploited, could result in explosive consequences. The success of the film rests in the gradual culmination of this relationship.
“Coming of age” films are a truism that has become trivialized, almost a cliché; usually referring to a teen’s sexual awakening or enlightenment. Someone comes of age in all films, regardless of the date on their birth certificate. From The Lost Weekend to An Education, bookends for Old Yeller, Biker Boyz, Lords of Flatbush, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Scent of a Woman, Midnight Cowboy, Cocoon; there are no time restrictions or boundaries as to the age you “come of age”, if ever.
Arnold softens this excruciating painful film with luscious views of the sky and the perfect formation of birds in flight, a metaphor for Mia’s entrapment and struggle for a space of her own.
Can Mia rise above her hubris, her histrionics? Only if you believe in Divine intervention!
THREE STARS!
For Now……………Peneflix
Soon to be released:
FISH TANK
Andrea Arnold (Oscar winning creator of Wasp, 2004) delivers a knock out punch with this rough, raw and brutally honest film, attracting and repulsing, simultaneously.
Mia (freshly discovered, Katie Jarvis) is fifteen, no longer in school, disenfranchised from, and hater of society; a pure misanthrope. Her only escape a pathetic imitation of break-dancing (one could not help but recall Jennifer Beals in Flashdance). We do not like her and she does not want us to. Living in the housing projects in Essex, England where privacy is anathema and one’s vulnerabilities showcased for all to witness, replicating a fish tank; with her alcoholic and abusive mother and her younger foul-mouthed sister; dysfunctional climbs to the nose bleed level.
Added to this menacing mix is the ragingly sensual Connor (adroitly played by Michael Fassbender, Inglorious Basterds) lover of Mia’s mother; but from the initial meeting the chemistry between Mia and Connor is palpable and if exploited, could result in explosive consequences. The success of the film rests in the gradual culmination of this relationship.
“Coming of age” films are a truism that has become trivialized, almost a cliché; usually referring to a teen’s sexual awakening or enlightenment. Someone comes of age in all films, regardless of the date on their birth certificate. From The Lost Weekend to An Education, bookends for Old Yeller, Biker Boyz, Lords of Flatbush, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Scent of a Woman, Midnight Cowboy, Cocoon; there are no time restrictions or boundaries as to the age you “come of age”, if ever.
Arnold softens this excruciating painful film with luscious views of the sky and the perfect formation of birds in flight, a metaphor for Mia’s entrapment and struggle for a space of her own.
Can Mia rise above her hubris, her histrionics? Only if you believe in Divine intervention!
THREE STARS!
For Now……………Peneflix
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Fellow Movie Lovers
Fellow Movie Lovers
THE WHITE RIBBON
This sinister but compelling film by Michael Haneke is a study of the inhabitants of a small German town over a year’s time, 1913-14. A town so isolated or encapsulated that life revolves around farming, procreating and prayer; its existence rests in the hands of the powerful but just landlord, the Baron. His world doomed and soon to be “gone with the wind.”
The film evolves as the school teacher (Christian Friedel) reflects on a series of unresolved disasters that have plagued his dreams throughout the years and the intensity and tautness of this film is that, in reality oftentimes one is left with only speculation.
Brilliantly filmed in black and white, eliminating the softening effects of color; our focus is on the chilling and underlying evil seeping from the pores of those whose innocence should be unquestioned. The children so blond, beautiful and beguiling, similar in countenance that you are tested as to which family they belong to. In conclusion, it is not relevant.
The white ribbon, a symbol of purity, is worn by the children of the Pastor; it is removed when their souls are expunged of the wrongs or sins committed. The Pastor (Burghart Klaussner, is galvanizing in the role) wields his religion with axe like precision. He is a master of dehumanization and intimidation, producing not good but mendacious, cunning and amoral products.
Watching this dark, mysterious world, with the clairvoyance of almost a hundred years you see the roots of fascism, anti-Semitism all germinated in the name of religion, where God is removed from the equation, replaced with a self aggrandizing, self serving populace, terrified of the “other” and questing for its erasure.
To paraphrase Edmond Burke’s profound statement that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing, The White Ribbons’s success lies in the untainted purity of the school teacher, the nanny he courts and the youngest son of the Pastor; these characters rise above the fray, redeem the film from moralizing and bequeath the viewer the gift of hope.
FOUR STARS!
For Now……….Peneflix
THE WHITE RIBBON
This sinister but compelling film by Michael Haneke is a study of the inhabitants of a small German town over a year’s time, 1913-14. A town so isolated or encapsulated that life revolves around farming, procreating and prayer; its existence rests in the hands of the powerful but just landlord, the Baron. His world doomed and soon to be “gone with the wind.”
The film evolves as the school teacher (Christian Friedel) reflects on a series of unresolved disasters that have plagued his dreams throughout the years and the intensity and tautness of this film is that, in reality oftentimes one is left with only speculation.
Brilliantly filmed in black and white, eliminating the softening effects of color; our focus is on the chilling and underlying evil seeping from the pores of those whose innocence should be unquestioned. The children so blond, beautiful and beguiling, similar in countenance that you are tested as to which family they belong to. In conclusion, it is not relevant.
The white ribbon, a symbol of purity, is worn by the children of the Pastor; it is removed when their souls are expunged of the wrongs or sins committed. The Pastor (Burghart Klaussner, is galvanizing in the role) wields his religion with axe like precision. He is a master of dehumanization and intimidation, producing not good but mendacious, cunning and amoral products.
Watching this dark, mysterious world, with the clairvoyance of almost a hundred years you see the roots of fascism, anti-Semitism all germinated in the name of religion, where God is removed from the equation, replaced with a self aggrandizing, self serving populace, terrified of the “other” and questing for its erasure.
To paraphrase Edmond Burke’s profound statement that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing, The White Ribbons’s success lies in the untainted purity of the school teacher, the nanny he courts and the youngest son of the Pastor; these characters rise above the fray, redeem the film from moralizing and bequeath the viewer the gift of hope.
FOUR STARS!
For Now……….Peneflix
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Fellow Movie Lovers
Fellow Movie Lovers
THE LOSS OF THE TEARDROP DIAMOND
One could never doubt the prolific and prodigious talents of Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) and this lesser known work exemplifies the breath taking depth of his skill.
He used as fodder for most of his works the dysfunctional family he was straddled with: alcoholism and madness were prime elements and he magically raises these detriments to the highest artistic levels.
Inspired by the schizophrenia of his beautiful sister Rose, his female characters are touched with fragile minds and spirits. Key examples, Blanch in Streetcar Named Desire and Laura in The Glass Menagerie. They are not grounded or rooted in the real world and view it through intelligent but fantasy laden eyes; their only coping mechanism, the imagination.
The Loss of the Teardrop Diamond which was the third but unrealized collaboration with Elia Kazan (1909-2003, A Streetcar Named Desire and Baby Doll) is the Diamond in the trilogy. We owe a tremendous debt to actor turned director Jodie Markell for conceiving and creating this deliciously fabulous film. Every member of the cast is superlative in their characterizations of life in Tennessee, in the early 1920’s.
Brice Dallas Howard (daughter of Ron Howard) is resplendent as Fisher Willow the sophisticated, educated heiress, trying desperately to reenter a world she shuns and is not suited for. She has to prove that the “sins of the father” are not inherited. William’s Fisher Willow is a provocative blend of Scarlett O ’Hera (Gone with the Wind) and Maggie (Cat on a hot Tin Roof) Howard is hypnotic in every scene. Fisher is a woman for all seasons: brilliant, opinionated, kind and lacking in all pretentions. She was a twenty-first century woman thrust into a milieu of early twentieth century elite superficiality: debutants, garden parties and the universal quest for a husband.
Fisher needs an escort and focuses on Jimmy Dobyne (Chris Evans, simmers as the poor but proud object of her affections); grandson of a governor who refuses to be intimidated or compromise his values because of his lack of wealth. He is a shining example of the strongest steel experiencing the hottest fire. Fisher is the quintessential flame!
The minor roles are majorly played by Ann-Margaret as Fisher’s Aunt Cornelia; she has made the aging process an art form; she exudes strength and believability in her limited screen presence. Mamie Gummer (Meryl Streep’s daughter) as Fisher’s only friend, Julie is dazzling and the resemblance to her mother, uncanny. But worthy of an Academy Award nomination is Ellen Bursten as Miss Addie, the paralyzed but prophetic catalyst for Fisher’s epiphany. This is a gifted and memorable performance.
Tennessee Williams deserves the ultimate credit for the conception of this work of art but Jodie Markell wins the trophy for the realization of this……..
FOUR STAR MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!
For Now…………Peneflix
THE LOSS OF THE TEARDROP DIAMOND
One could never doubt the prolific and prodigious talents of Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) and this lesser known work exemplifies the breath taking depth of his skill.
He used as fodder for most of his works the dysfunctional family he was straddled with: alcoholism and madness were prime elements and he magically raises these detriments to the highest artistic levels.
Inspired by the schizophrenia of his beautiful sister Rose, his female characters are touched with fragile minds and spirits. Key examples, Blanch in Streetcar Named Desire and Laura in The Glass Menagerie. They are not grounded or rooted in the real world and view it through intelligent but fantasy laden eyes; their only coping mechanism, the imagination.
The Loss of the Teardrop Diamond which was the third but unrealized collaboration with Elia Kazan (1909-2003, A Streetcar Named Desire and Baby Doll) is the Diamond in the trilogy. We owe a tremendous debt to actor turned director Jodie Markell for conceiving and creating this deliciously fabulous film. Every member of the cast is superlative in their characterizations of life in Tennessee, in the early 1920’s.
Brice Dallas Howard (daughter of Ron Howard) is resplendent as Fisher Willow the sophisticated, educated heiress, trying desperately to reenter a world she shuns and is not suited for. She has to prove that the “sins of the father” are not inherited. William’s Fisher Willow is a provocative blend of Scarlett O ’Hera (Gone with the Wind) and Maggie (Cat on a hot Tin Roof) Howard is hypnotic in every scene. Fisher is a woman for all seasons: brilliant, opinionated, kind and lacking in all pretentions. She was a twenty-first century woman thrust into a milieu of early twentieth century elite superficiality: debutants, garden parties and the universal quest for a husband.
Fisher needs an escort and focuses on Jimmy Dobyne (Chris Evans, simmers as the poor but proud object of her affections); grandson of a governor who refuses to be intimidated or compromise his values because of his lack of wealth. He is a shining example of the strongest steel experiencing the hottest fire. Fisher is the quintessential flame!
The minor roles are majorly played by Ann-Margaret as Fisher’s Aunt Cornelia; she has made the aging process an art form; she exudes strength and believability in her limited screen presence. Mamie Gummer (Meryl Streep’s daughter) as Fisher’s only friend, Julie is dazzling and the resemblance to her mother, uncanny. But worthy of an Academy Award nomination is Ellen Bursten as Miss Addie, the paralyzed but prophetic catalyst for Fisher’s epiphany. This is a gifted and memorable performance.
Tennessee Williams deserves the ultimate credit for the conception of this work of art but Jodie Markell wins the trophy for the realization of this……..
FOUR STAR MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!
For Now…………Peneflix
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Fellow Movie Lovers
Fellow Movie Lovers
SHERLOCK HOLMES
This film is a sad and ridiculous example of the crucifixion of two fictional characters worthy of a better fate. And feted they have been throughout filmdom. Their have been fifty-nine actors, stage, screen and radio that have played Sherlock: John Barrymore, Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer, Peter O’ Toole, Roger Moore. But it is Basil Rathbone, who reigns supreme as Sherlock Holmes, starring in fourteen movies between 1939, The Hound of Baskerville, culminating in 1946 with Dressed to Kill.
And Sherlock’s sidekick or alter ego the faithful Dr. Watson depicted by Nigel Bruce.
They were uniquely refined in their characterizations and were elegant in their solving of the most heinous of crimes, murder.
The talents of two intelligent actors, Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law were squandered in this recent rendition of purified drivel.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was trained as a doctor but credits his passion and genius for storytelling to his mother, Mary. He wrote fifty-seven novels; four of them adventures of Sherlock Holmes (also fifty-six short stories revolving around his two favorite protagonists); his fecundity, boundless.
In the great beyond he is not just turning over but performing a Cirque du Soleil after witnessing this atrocity!
ONE STAR!
For Now………….Peneflix
Please be aware that I am changing the way of informing you of my most recent reviews. It will be easier for all if you become a Follower (at no extra charge), regardless you will be alerted. You have been wonderful in your encouragement and I am loving my new career!
SHERLOCK HOLMES
This film is a sad and ridiculous example of the crucifixion of two fictional characters worthy of a better fate. And feted they have been throughout filmdom. Their have been fifty-nine actors, stage, screen and radio that have played Sherlock: John Barrymore, Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer, Peter O’ Toole, Roger Moore. But it is Basil Rathbone, who reigns supreme as Sherlock Holmes, starring in fourteen movies between 1939, The Hound of Baskerville, culminating in 1946 with Dressed to Kill.
And Sherlock’s sidekick or alter ego the faithful Dr. Watson depicted by Nigel Bruce.
They were uniquely refined in their characterizations and were elegant in their solving of the most heinous of crimes, murder.
The talents of two intelligent actors, Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law were squandered in this recent rendition of purified drivel.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was trained as a doctor but credits his passion and genius for storytelling to his mother, Mary. He wrote fifty-seven novels; four of them adventures of Sherlock Holmes (also fifty-six short stories revolving around his two favorite protagonists); his fecundity, boundless.
In the great beyond he is not just turning over but performing a Cirque du Soleil after witnessing this atrocity!
ONE STAR!
For Now………….Peneflix
Please be aware that I am changing the way of informing you of my most recent reviews. It will be easier for all if you become a Follower (at no extra charge), regardless you will be alerted. You have been wonderful in your encouragement and I am loving my new career!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Fellow Movie Lovers
Fellow Movie Lovers
ME AND ORSON WELLES
This film focuses on a small episode in the life of Orson Welles. Richard Linklater’s adaptation of Robert Kaplow’s novel should be seen by all devotees of Orson Welles, one of the most remarkable minds of the twentieth century; William Shakespeare, the undisputed titian of the written word and those who willingly shed the travails of their lives, and use, in this instance, the darkened theatre as a time machine to scroll back to the year 1937, the nadir of the depression.
Orson Welles (1915-1985) was the son of gifted parents; his father an inventor, his mother a beautiful concert pianist, both dead by the time he was fifteen. A prodigy from birth: pianist, painter, magician, actor, director, and writer. Midas in all in touched, just twenty-one in 1937, directing and performing (Brutus) in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar at the Mercury Theatre in New York. It is staged in contemporary attire, very iconoclastic and avant-garde for the times. A precursor to Barbara Gaines, the founder and Artistic Director of the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
Me and Orson Welles, incredibly casted, revolves around Richard (Zac Efron) who at seventeen feels destined to be an actor; Sonja (Claire Danes) Orson’s “girl Friday”, also yearning for discovery and Orson (Christian McKay, uncanny in his resemblance to the actual Orson Welles) who is a master of manipulation and intimidation.
This is a play within a play luminously acted by all the major and minor characters but as I watched and relished the movie I could not help but dwell on the fact that we excuse in geniuses flaws and cruelties that we would not tolerate in lesser mortals.
Orson Welles said of himself, “I have an unfortunate personality”. He used his stratospheric talents (Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, War of the Worlds) to achieve his goals, denigrating and destroying those less equipped to challenge his monumental mind, will and ego.
Rita Hayworth (one of his three wives) said upon their divorce, “I can’t take his genius anymore” a testimony of conflicts unresolved, at least in her estimation.
But Orson Welles stated: “a film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet”. The success of this film attests to the insightful and poetic eye of Richard Linklater.
FOUR STARS!
For Now…………Peneflix
ME AND ORSON WELLES
This film focuses on a small episode in the life of Orson Welles. Richard Linklater’s adaptation of Robert Kaplow’s novel should be seen by all devotees of Orson Welles, one of the most remarkable minds of the twentieth century; William Shakespeare, the undisputed titian of the written word and those who willingly shed the travails of their lives, and use, in this instance, the darkened theatre as a time machine to scroll back to the year 1937, the nadir of the depression.
Orson Welles (1915-1985) was the son of gifted parents; his father an inventor, his mother a beautiful concert pianist, both dead by the time he was fifteen. A prodigy from birth: pianist, painter, magician, actor, director, and writer. Midas in all in touched, just twenty-one in 1937, directing and performing (Brutus) in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar at the Mercury Theatre in New York. It is staged in contemporary attire, very iconoclastic and avant-garde for the times. A precursor to Barbara Gaines, the founder and Artistic Director of the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
Me and Orson Welles, incredibly casted, revolves around Richard (Zac Efron) who at seventeen feels destined to be an actor; Sonja (Claire Danes) Orson’s “girl Friday”, also yearning for discovery and Orson (Christian McKay, uncanny in his resemblance to the actual Orson Welles) who is a master of manipulation and intimidation.
This is a play within a play luminously acted by all the major and minor characters but as I watched and relished the movie I could not help but dwell on the fact that we excuse in geniuses flaws and cruelties that we would not tolerate in lesser mortals.
Orson Welles said of himself, “I have an unfortunate personality”. He used his stratospheric talents (Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, War of the Worlds) to achieve his goals, denigrating and destroying those less equipped to challenge his monumental mind, will and ego.
Rita Hayworth (one of his three wives) said upon their divorce, “I can’t take his genius anymore” a testimony of conflicts unresolved, at least in her estimation.
But Orson Welles stated: “a film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet”. The success of this film attests to the insightful and poetic eye of Richard Linklater.
FOUR STARS!
For Now…………Peneflix
Friday, January 1, 2010
Fellow Movie Lovers
Fellow Movie Lovers
CRAZY HEART
Through the years there have been many iconic movies made about alcohol addiction and the devastation left in its wake. A few come to mind:
The Lost Weekend, Ray Milland
I’ll Cry Tomorrow, Susan Hayward
Days of Wine & Roses, Jack Lemmon & Lee Remick
Who’s Afraid of Virginia, Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor
Animal House, John Belushi
A Star is Born, James Mason
The Verdict, Paul Newman
Sideways, Paul Giamatti
Leaving Las Vegas, Nicholas Cage. The quintessential example of self destructiveness ever depicted on the screen; suicide by alcoholic poisoning; there had to be a simpler way to exit Las Vegas.
Many awards and accolades were doused upon these movies and their stars.
Personally, I am tired and find very little entertainment value in viewing the loss of control, both of the tongue (liquid courage) and the body (regurgitation from excessive imbibing; although in recent times, vomiting seems to be pervasive tool in too many films). So it was with trepidation that I went to see Crazy Heart and was genuinely pleased and surprised with the product……..Jim Bean, not withstanding.
Based on the novel by Thomas Cobb; a project conceived by Jeff Bridges and Robert Duvall, it is a stunning tale of a once renowned, but now just a shell of his former self, country western singer traveling the country in his dilapidated yet beloved automobile; playing one night stands in tragically depleted bowling alleys and sad bars to equally tragic and sorrowful souls. His only partner, the ubiquitous bottle.
Jeff Bridges reaches amazing heights as Bad Blake. He is not mean, he is pathetic, flawed, but traces of his talent surface while performing. Instead of turning away from his debauchery you want to shake him and wake him from his malaise. Maggie Gyllenhall so wonderfully cast as Jean is the catalyst, his muse; she is a junior reporter, concentrating on music, enthralled with his past. The contrast between the two is riveting; she is light to his bleakness; clean and pristine to his slovenliness and indolence. She is pivotal in his metamorphosis.
This movie is loosely based on two musicians whose musical careers took divergent paths; one to glory and one to anonymity. T-Bone Burnett (music producer, “O Brother Where Art Thou?”) and his gifted but misguided childhood friend, Stephen Bruton, who died this past May, defeated by cancer.
Colin Farrell, as Tommy Sweet, the successful musician, is astounding in his versatility; he sings and plays the guitar with the utmost of professionalism.
The music by Ryan Bingham adds to the delightful flavor of the film; the concerts are electric!
Jeff Bridges elevates Crazy Heart to the limited level of….
FOUR STARS!
For Now……..
Peneflix
CRAZY HEART
Through the years there have been many iconic movies made about alcohol addiction and the devastation left in its wake. A few come to mind:
The Lost Weekend, Ray Milland
I’ll Cry Tomorrow, Susan Hayward
Days of Wine & Roses, Jack Lemmon & Lee Remick
Who’s Afraid of Virginia, Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor
Animal House, John Belushi
A Star is Born, James Mason
The Verdict, Paul Newman
Sideways, Paul Giamatti
Leaving Las Vegas, Nicholas Cage. The quintessential example of self destructiveness ever depicted on the screen; suicide by alcoholic poisoning; there had to be a simpler way to exit Las Vegas.
Many awards and accolades were doused upon these movies and their stars.
Personally, I am tired and find very little entertainment value in viewing the loss of control, both of the tongue (liquid courage) and the body (regurgitation from excessive imbibing; although in recent times, vomiting seems to be pervasive tool in too many films). So it was with trepidation that I went to see Crazy Heart and was genuinely pleased and surprised with the product……..Jim Bean, not withstanding.
Based on the novel by Thomas Cobb; a project conceived by Jeff Bridges and Robert Duvall, it is a stunning tale of a once renowned, but now just a shell of his former self, country western singer traveling the country in his dilapidated yet beloved automobile; playing one night stands in tragically depleted bowling alleys and sad bars to equally tragic and sorrowful souls. His only partner, the ubiquitous bottle.
Jeff Bridges reaches amazing heights as Bad Blake. He is not mean, he is pathetic, flawed, but traces of his talent surface while performing. Instead of turning away from his debauchery you want to shake him and wake him from his malaise. Maggie Gyllenhall so wonderfully cast as Jean is the catalyst, his muse; she is a junior reporter, concentrating on music, enthralled with his past. The contrast between the two is riveting; she is light to his bleakness; clean and pristine to his slovenliness and indolence. She is pivotal in his metamorphosis.
This movie is loosely based on two musicians whose musical careers took divergent paths; one to glory and one to anonymity. T-Bone Burnett (music producer, “O Brother Where Art Thou?”) and his gifted but misguided childhood friend, Stephen Bruton, who died this past May, defeated by cancer.
Colin Farrell, as Tommy Sweet, the successful musician, is astounding in his versatility; he sings and plays the guitar with the utmost of professionalism.
The music by Ryan Bingham adds to the delightful flavor of the film; the concerts are electric!
Jeff Bridges elevates Crazy Heart to the limited level of….
FOUR STARS!
For Now……..
Peneflix
Fellow Movie Lovers
Fellow Movie Lovers
Welcome to 2010! Thank you for your encouragement, comments and becoming followers of Peneflix.
Now I realize that many of you are not movie lovers and may be tiring of my copious e-mails regarding my movie reviews (as I would feel about sport Blogs) so please let me know and I will erase you from my list; but will still remember your birthdays and go to your children’s weddings.
This will save all of us from the onset of carpel tunnel.Fellow Movie Lovers
Welcome to 2010! Thank you for your encouragement, comments and becoming followers of Peneflix.
Now I realize that many of you are not movie lovers and may be tiring of my copious e-mails regarding my movie reviews (as I would feel about sport Blogs) so please let me know and I will erase you from my list; but will still remember your birthdays and go to your children’s weddings.
This will save all of us from the onset of carpel tunnel.
May you be richly blessed in the joys of the New Year.
For now………..Peneflix
May you be richly blessed in the joys of the New Year.
For now………..Peneflix
Welcome to 2010! Thank you for your encouragement, comments and becoming followers of Peneflix.
Now I realize that many of you are not movie lovers and may be tiring of my copious e-mails regarding my movie reviews (as I would feel about sport Blogs) so please let me know and I will erase you from my list; but will still remember your birthdays and go to your children’s weddings.
This will save all of us from the onset of carpel tunnel.Fellow Movie Lovers
Welcome to 2010! Thank you for your encouragement, comments and becoming followers of Peneflix.
Now I realize that many of you are not movie lovers and may be tiring of my copious e-mails regarding my movie reviews (as I would feel about sport Blogs) so please let me know and I will erase you from my list; but will still remember your birthdays and go to your children’s weddings.
This will save all of us from the onset of carpel tunnel.
May you be richly blessed in the joys of the New Year.
For now………..Peneflix
May you be richly blessed in the joys of the New Year.
For now………..Peneflix
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
