Neff-2 Reviews

The Happening (1967)

Sure, it's not perfect but there's some groovy stuff here

[22 December 1999]

Hey, the premise is pretty good: some fairly appealing but terminally bored young people kidnap a restaurateur (Anthony Quinn), and then they find that neither Quinn's wife nor his business partner partner want him back. After spending some time with the old coot Quinn, they end up feeling sorry for him, and they help him wreak vengeance on the people who have been making his life miserable all these years. The performances are a bit idiosyncratic: Michael Parks working on his James Dean thing, but with blonde hair; George Maharis trying to look like a hippie in a ducktail; Robert Walker Jr being typically odd and, of course, a very young Faye Dunaway overacting broadly and getting away with it. Some of the hijinks might seem slow and lame, but some of it is funny, and I can't vouch for others' musical taste, but I like the theme song.

Men (1997)

An off-beat film that has some endearing moments

[10 December 1999]

"Men" is no blockbuster Hollywood film. Instead it's a character drama that revolves around Stella (Sean Young), a budding chef who likes cooking things up with men as much a she likes cooking up souffles. During the course of the film she beds a guy she sees through a shop window, the owner of the restaurant where she works, a fat drunk from Alabama and a spacy photographer (if that isn't redundant.) What's amazing is that through all this, you like her and respect her as a decent person, aided by Young's trademark off-center style. It's not for everyone, but if you like characters better than car crashes, give it a go.

Come to the Stable (1949)

Good Christmas fare appealingly presented

[9/10 · 10 December 1999]

Loretta Young and Celeste Holm are two nuns from a French convent on a mission to establish a children's hospital in a rural village much to the consternation of composer Robert Masen (Hugh Marlowe) who would like to see his place in the country stay just like it is. Against all odds the indomitable sisters move Masen and several other unlikely contributors into making the hospital a reality. It's fine family viewing with a warmth an innocence unseen in today's more cynical Christmas pics.

Good Sam (1948)

A sweet, underrated Christmas yarn from a legendary comedy director

[10 December 1999]

In this comedy-drama from Leo McCarey, Gary Cooper plays Sam, seemingly the one guy in the world who takes the Christian tenet of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you seriously. And for his efforts, he is constantly being taken advantage of to the point that his wife, the sassy Ann Sheridan, is ready to take the kids and leave him. Sly writing relieves some of the sappiness, and Cooper has such a solid male presence that he doesn't seem terminally wimpy despite the fact that others use him like a doormat. Finally, after Sam threatens to abandon his Good Samaritan philosophy, all his selfless deeds pay off, and his family comes together in a warm, homespun conclusion. To those who say this isn't worthy of Capra, well, I love Capra, but McCarey has a body of work that any director would be proud of.

The Cheaters (1945)

One of the great underrated Christmas movies of all time

[28 January 1999]

The Cheaters is one of the best, yet largely unseen, Christmas movies of all time. A winning combination of comedy and drama, it features stellar performances by two of the great character actors of the Forties, Joseph Schildkraut and Eugene Pallette. It delivers a positive message about the holiday, while also offering a cynical edge.