lights-5 Reviews

Romanoff and Juliet (1961)

Political satire that's never out of date

[10/10 · 3 August 2004]

We live in a world where politics and agendas influence every facet of our lives. This gentle satire isn't just one about the Cold War, it's about diplomacy in any age at any time.

Ustinov had a unique sense of humor which is evident in this movie. What makes it special is that there is an overwhelming sense of romance in the film too. The running gag line in the movie (we/they know they/we know we/they know their code) comes to my mind in nearly every espionage film I see. I always want to turn to friends and say the line, but as this film has had such limited exposure in the last few decades, I know no one else will get the joke.

Why isn't this movie available on DVD???

The Assisi Underground (1985)

Exceptional Story, Flawed Film

[8/10 · 6 April 2004]

I don't know how this film played when pruned to 115 minutes, but I just saw a 3 hour + version on cable. It is, like so many films of people in Europe sheltering and hiding Jews during WW II, a very moving and inspiring story. I had no idea how many of Italy's Jews were saved, primarily by the Catholics, especially the church itself.

The film is slow, and the real hardships that many Jews must have experienced in Italy is barely touched upon, but it still is a story that is fascinating.

There is the very real appeal of Assisi and Perugia, Italy. I was reminded of the wonderful scenes in San Gimignano in "Tea With Mussolini."

I found Ben Cross's performance uneven, but mostly fine as the padre, but Maximillian Schell steals the movie from everyone with his layered portrayal of the German Catholic doctor who is in control of Assisi.

In a film of this length, I wanted to see more than just the group in Assisi, but obviously the Golan-Globus budget didn't allow for more locations.

In all, I'm very grateful the film was made, and am glad I saw it, especially in the long version.

Play for Today: 84, Charing Cross Road (1975) Season 6, Episode 4

The Best Live Adaptation of a Wondrous Book

[5 February 2004]

Though this slim volume by Helene Hanff has been dramatized numerous times (the Anne Bancroft/Anthony Hopkins film, the play in both London and New York), this is possibly the best adaptation of them all.

Plus, there is not only this fine program, but we have the author's own reactions to its preparation and production recorded in the sequel to "84" and "The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street," a book called "Q's Legacy."

The superb performances by Jackson and Finlay and the faithful duplication of the bookshop and Hanff's apartment, were all filmed in a BBC studio with the author looking on. They even went so far as to use the actual books she bought from Marks & Co.--restored to their original condition by the Queen's own bookbinder. The whole thing just reeks of authenticity. I also prefer the excerpts chosen from the book in this version to the later film. Jackson also worked very hard to get the inflections and mannerisms of Miss Hanff.

The film is good, made great by Hopkins's portrayal of Frank Doel, but in an effort to "open up" the story, they lost its focus and added too much extraneous material.

All this deepens the tragedy that Miss Hanff, despite her legion of fans, wonderful books and their sale to theatre and movies, died in abject poverty.

Song of Russia (1944)

Merry Comrades and Uncle Joe

[14 October 2003]

Thanks to TCM for airing this astounding propaganda film in October 2003. Others have commented on the nearly unbearable Soviet propaganda in the film, but I watched the Stalin-supplied footage with awe as I had never seen most of it before, at least in this quality and quantity.

The story is stock melodrama with the morals that we (America) must support our Russian allies at all costs and that the scorched earth policy is major war strategy.

But through it all is the luminous face of Susan Peters, who was tragically paralyzed two years after this film's release and died in 1952. She is charming, delightful and disarming enough to inspire a whole village as well as the American conductor (Robert Taylor) who falls in love with her. They marry in an unlikely semi-religious ceremony.

The notions that 1.)An American would be invited on a 40-city tour of Russia in early 1941, and 2.)That he would be able to take his Russian bride out of the Soviet Union (after the German invasion!) "for the greater good of Mother Russia," are pure fantasy. The huge symphony orchestras and the vast, aristocratic, jewel-bedecked audiences we see at theatre after theatre are laughably anti-communist, and the men would most likely have been conscripted by that time.

Yet, as films reflect the history of our lives, I found this a fascinating chapter of the very brief period of US/USSR alliance. I'd love to see it again.

The Italian Job (2003)

A car chase in L.A. How Original.

[5/10 · 2 June 2003]

This is a pretty good movie. Well-plotted and directed, good infusion of humor, yet it falls flat. First, the one sheet gives you no clue what kind of movie it is, with the cast all standing around. Unless you remembered the original 1969 film, you were clueless. Second, I have rarely seen such an interchangeable cast in any film. Other than Seth Green, any of the men could have been playing any of the male roles.

But my huge objection to this film was the car chase in L.A. There's not a foot of interesting tarmac or any surface that we have not seen cars racing over in a hundred films or on the nightly news. This movie is about a car chase. The original did it on wonderful European locations. So did the Bourne Identity. Not a single surprise in L.A. Of course the Minis went over the Sepulveda Dam. Of course they drove on sidewalks. Of course they drove the flood control channels and the LA River. But even the thoroughly ordinary Metrorail tunnels couldn't make this chase scene interesting. Made me want to shoot the neighbors for having that party. How much better it would have been if the chase had been in the mansion (which is why they chose the Minis in the first place).

RFK (2002 TV Movie)

RFK tiptoes where 1985 mini-series marched

[24 March 2003]

The only thing this TV-movie did better than the 1985 mini-series "Robert Kennedy & His Times" was the casting of Lyndon Johnson, though neither actor was remotely like the real man in manner, speech or action.

These two docudramas cover virtually the same identical territory, though the 1985 one does it in 6 hours, and thus can go into much greater detail. I happened to watch them back-to-back (the 1985 mini-series is airing on the Starz TrueStories channel this month) and the mini-series is far better at getting into the mind of RFK--especially without ghostly pronouncements by his brother. Too bad the actor playing Johnson is so jarring, because most of the other casting is quite wonderful, especially Beatrice Straight as Rose and Veronica Cartwright as Ethel Kennedy. The blending of actual footage and newly shot footage is seamless and effective. The locations (Hickory Hill and Hyannisport) look far more like the real places than in the 2002 FX production.

The casting of RFK and JFK is always problematic and neither of these productions does terribly well. At least not for those of us who remember the real men. But for those who want to know of these events, they are adequate. It's not the actors' faults. The Kennedy brothers were so visible, memorable and distinctive that unless you're both a great actor and a virtual lookalike, no one can do it.

The V.I.P.s (1963)

Delicious Moments

[10 March 2003]

As another user has said, I love this movie. I too saw it multiple times in theatres (the first Dick/Liz film made it a must-see at the time) and have played the grooves off the laserdisc. DVD anyone????

In the classic "Grand Hotel" style, the film follows several A stories and several more B stories during one night, fogged in at Heathrow. Though the script has some dreadful stuff, there are moments throughout the movie which seem indelibly etched on my mind: Burton's face as he sits in the hotel lobby, every Smith/Taylor scene, every Rutherford scene, every Welles scene.

Am I the only one who enjoys good melodrama? This one is so rich with such beautiful people, gorgeous clothes and glorious character actors, it has to be fattening.

I love the score, the sets, the richness of the colors and the way so many of these actors are captured in their absolute prime. I don't remember any film that wasn't a costume drama that shows off Liz's beauty any better. Rod Taylor, always handsome, often underrated, has some marvelous moments. And despite some pretty maudlin scenes, you get some idea why Liz fell for Burton so hard.

Signs (2002)

Most tedious film of the year

[1/10 · 18 February 2003]

Perhaps it's because "Taken" presented an alien-theme story that kept you on the edge of your seat for most of 20 hours that this film seemed so staggeringly slow and tedious. "Taken" didn't drown in so many cliches, either. This was "Night of the Living Dead" meets "Field of Dreams."

The story had nothing unique or particularly interesting about it, and I didn't feel the actors were ever in character, not even the kids. I never felt they were uneasy or scared, and thus, neither was I. After about 35 endless minutes, I watched most of the movie at double speed with subtitles, didn't miss a thing, and even then, it seemed slow. I think the day is over when anyone can be spooked by someone taking 5 minutes to walk down a corridor with thumping sounds off screen.

Can this have been made by the same director as "The Sixth Sense"? It doesn't seem possible.

The deleted scenes on the DVD were more interesting than the film itself and they added needed character background. I can't believe they were cut for time when the movie had so many scenes that contained endless minutes of nothing.

Others have mentioned the plot holes, and I totally agree. The entire concept of a race which can be destroyed by water coming to earth is plain silly. And why, when the TV reports that people in other areas have found "ancient" ways of defeating the aliens, do they not report what that method is? "I'mmmm melllltinnnggggg..."

Meet Joe Black (1998)

Beautiful film in spite of itself

[2/10 · 4 May 2002]

I have seen both the original 1934 film of Death Takes a Holiday, the 1971 TV-movie version, as well as the play on stage numerous times. I agree that in many ways, this film is superior, though mostly because of the very dated acting styles in the original. Also, Claire Forlani turns in a luminous performance, as does Anthony Hopkins (as always).

There are two elements from the original play which I miss in this remake. One is that the premise of the story is that Death appears in human form in order to find out why humans cling so desperately to life. The other is that nothing on earth dies while he is on 'holiday.' I realize these concepts don't fit well with the 'Hollywood-ized' happy ending, but I do feel they're at the core of the story. In all the stage versions and both earlier filmed versions, I found the premise of the girl (originally Grazia, then Peggy) being one who constantly defies--and seeks--death, who then goes with him, a very romantic ending. It always felt as if she became immortal.

Oddly, in all film versions, the role of Death has been miscast. Brad Pitt is quite wooden, March silent-movie stiff, Markham a little too ingratiating. Onstage, this role is usually cast with a true romantic leading man: handsome, suave, sensual. This does help make the whole story work. The original play's premise is that death arrives to take Grazia as she crashes her car, then he finds he can't because of her beauty and vitality. I find this a much more solid and believable foundation for the story than the convoluted meeting between a guy and Susan in a coffee shop, and then at a dinner table. Originally, SHE is the reason for it all--why he takes human form, why he takes a holiday, why he seeks the answer to his question.

By opening up the film as Hollywood will do, all the stuff about Hopkins's business is extraneous and the idea of Joe attending at board meetings (and the IRS resolution) rather preposterous. The original confined the story to a remote country house, the 1971 one confines the now Kennedy-like family to a private island. Meet Joe Black did the opposite and brought in the whole world and is the worse for it.

Yet MJB does work, in spite of itself. Perhaps because the idea of seeing death in person and trying to figure out how he thinks is quite compelling. Despite his stature, Hopkins is not the center of the film, nor should he be. Forlani is, and it is she who makes her scenes with Pitt work. I was prepared to hate this film because I've loved the original story since I first saw it in about 1954, yet I find the film compelling and enchanting.

The Legend of 1900 (1998)

Fascinating voyage into a unique man's mind

[10/10 · 27 March 2002]

I finally got a DVD of this film, which never played in theatres here. I was so stunned by its rich characters, atmosphere, emotion and subject, I watched it twice in one night. This film is so intensely beautiful, it hurts. It reminds me in some ways of "The Red Violin," following a piano and pianist through the years. Tim Roth's 1900 has a liquid face that tells us so much before he actually gets to verbalize his feelings about his life. The relationship between 1900 and Max is rich and satisfying. The music is sublime. Others have said there is too much dialogue, but I disagree. The narration is economical and we wait so long for words from 1900, that when they come, you're grateful for every one.

But mostly, the joy for the viewer is exploring the mind of 1900, a man of great depth, a skewed vision of the world and someone unlike anyone most of us ever know. That's why I go to films--to meet unique characters who subtly alter the way we see the world. Roth's performance is outstanding, as are those of every other actor in this film. It's tragic that the film is marred by a really tacky model of the Virginian at sea and a deck set with items never found on the deck of any ship. The interiors, however, are beautiful and the piano, costumes, extra casting and dock areas are all first rate.

Alias (2001–2006)

Superb action adventure show

[22 October 2001]

This show reminds me of "I Spy," not only for the action, adventure and spy genre, but for the locations. "I Spy" was actually shot all over the world, but the producers (and art directors, location managers and set designers) of this show do an incredible job of making you feel like you're in Morocco or wherever. Garner is great as a character who is basically a fantasy woman, yet she roots the character so firmly to the ground that you're kept off balance. I especially like the writing, plot lines and character arcs, and the cliffhanging, serial nature of the stories. The plot line about the 14th century genius is great and it feels like this is a puzzle that could take several seasons to unravel. Production values are excellent, the show is well cast and the credits and graphics are great. Great escapism.

Little Mo (1978 TV Movie)

Superb performance by Glynnis O'Connor as one of tennis's greats.

[8 July 2001]

Every year when Wimbledon is on, I wonder why this movie is not shown on TV. Maureen Connolly was the first woman to win all grand slam titles in one calendar year yet there is no book about her. Connolly's life is the stuff of drama and O'Connor gives us a real feel for how working your way up the ranks of tennis worked then. Disfunctional families now seem almost mandatory for a top-seeded player, but during Connolly's time, the public didn't know such things. Though the Wimbledon segments were not shot there, the film reproduces the landmarks and signage faithfully. I know, I went to Wimbledon in 1993 and saw her name on the sign by Centre Court.

I can only assume the film is basically factual as I've never found any book with enough information about this fascinating woman to know. All I know is that the film works very well and O'Connor is radiant. I really love this movie!

The Red Violin (1998)

Film as finely tuned and passionate as the most superb violin.

[10/10 · 2 April 2000]

I was moved and fascinated by this film. Its uniquely crafted story and the use of dual flashback/flashforward sequences make it without peer. But despite the splendid locations, acting, photography and story, it was the playing of Joshua Bell which lifted this movie to incredible heights. The "Red Violin" is supposed to (in the story) be unique in all the world. Whatever actual instrument Bell used, he made it sound as though the notes could have come from this violin and this violin only.

The resemblance of the violin's sound to the human voice and Bell's inspiring playing truly made the instrument itself a character in the film.