Europa '51

I've only seen a few movies that accurately portray the anguish of losing a child.  This is one of them  (In America & The Sweet Hereafter being the others).  But despite the heaviness of themes, Rossellini somehow manages to tell a story that isn't overall depressing.  In fact, this is a film that makes you think - about many aspects of society and life values.  Highest recommendation.

The Mating Season

I wish Hollywood could make comedies as good as this again.  Thelma Ritter is wonderful and Gene Tierney is always mesmerizing.  Wonderful film, highly recommended.

The Language of Films

I've always thought films spoke different languages.  A summary of the plot is the traditional way to describe a film, but sometimes the plot isn't the main focus of the director.  If I were to tell you that I watched a film about gangs in New York city last night, then I could have been referring to Goodfellas - but I might also have been referring to West Side Story.  Clearly the language of these films separates them far more than a casual plot.  Terrence Malick has developed his own language for his films.  Audiences judging his works based on plot, will probably be disappointed.  I imagine To The Wonder will divide audience again.  Some directors or films strive to make you "think".  Life of Pi seemed to be asking it's audience to analyze "faith" - in much the same way that A.I. asked it's audience to analyze "love".  So, the next time you dive into another mindless summer popcorn sequel - remember being a film fan doesn't have to always be a passive experience.

Good things come in threes

Where do you draw the line between inspiration and plagiarism in film?  Courts have examined, critics have disputed, fans have debated - yet the practice still lives on, mainly because the potential for big money is so tempting.  There are countless examples of two studios green-lighting similar properties at the same time, hoping to beat the other.  Tombstone vs. Wyatt Earp.  1492: Conquest of Paradise vs Christopher Columbus: The Discovery.  Or perhaps one of the most interesting of these scenarios is when very similar plots all materialized in Like Father Like Son (1987), 18 Again! (1988), Vice Versa (1988), and Big (1988).

Many times there is a clear hit, or winner.  Or one is viewed as basically a knock-off, cheap, quick money-grab imitation.  (Mac & Me I'm looking at you.)  But remarkably, two of today's most acclaimed/successful directors both started down their career paths in similar fashions.  When Arthur Penn's Bonnie & Clyde hit the theaters in 1967, it changed the way violence and film could coexist.  It also must have inspired two young directors, Steven Spielberg and Terrence Malick.  A few years later Badlands and The Sugarland Express both explored similar ideas with similar characters.  Malick and Spielberg's careers have differed greatly since that time, but have always found it interesting that they were drawn to similar stories at that time.  It probably isn't fair to compare or judge one against the other, but you can clearly see the early talents of two exceptional directors.  I'm not sure that we will ever see this much talent tackle such similar ideas within such a close time frame again - but if you are looking to burn six or seven hours, this will make a tremendous triple feature.

Too Smart For Its Own Good

I enjoy revisiting films fter a certain amount of time has elapsed.  HD has given me many excuses to re-look at a film that I may have watched as a teenager or younger film enthusiast.  Sometimes my only contact with a film was via a small 4x3 television - and perhaps even an "edited for network presentation" version at that.  So, when Empire of The Sun recently was given the HD treatment, I felt that this was the right time to take a peek at a film that I never saw in a theater, and my prior exposure was probably less than ideal.  Overall I enjoyed the film, felt it lacked in certain places - but came away thinking that it probably deserves to be remembered as one of Spielberg's "lesser" films.  That is until I stumbled upon this review.  (Essentially the reviewer reveals that much of the film is not necessarily "real", but false memories and imaginations from the POV of the main character - not a single shot can be trusted.)  I don't remember ever having such a revelation after watching a movie.  I felt as though I immediately needed to watch it again, with the veil lifted from my eyes.  Truly, this film has depth and stories that I was unaware of - but I don't feel alone, for I don't think many others caught on to the subtleties as well.  But this led me to wonder: if a film is too smart for its audience is it still "good"?  I suppose the definition of good can be debated, but essentially it seems that the point of this film may have been too ambitious for most viewers to catch on to.  And if the audience doesn't "get" it, then perhaps it failed in communicating it's story or goals. 

I truly wonder what direction Spielberg's career would have gone had this film been critically and financially successful.  It reminds me of the story behind John Ford's The Fugitive.  Apparently when this Ford film essentially flopped he decided to abandon a career path of art-films, and focus on western crowd pleasers instead. 

Certainly critical and commercial success help dictate the path that a film director must take, but it does make me wonder things like: what if Altman's Popeye had been a hit, or if Cameron's Terminator had flopped.  We'll never know, but I'm guessing the films that followed would probably have been different.

Odd Man Out

Although The Third Man may be his most famous work, Carol Reed's Odd Man Out might be his greatest.  For some reason this film has fallen tragically out of print and is almost impossible to find on DVD.  This is truly a great movie - and deserves to be seen.

A Discovery

I watch old movies.  I realize that this isn't for everyone.  But part of the fun is stumbling upon a film that no one else talks about - or has fallen between the cracks of film history.  Film Noir seems to be rich with this type of scenario.  Films that were churned out and perhaps now forgotten.  Turner Classic recently invited Film Noir expert Eddie Muller to program an evening of noir and he presented a real doozy.  99 River Street just blew me away.  It's got a lot of the usual noir cliches, but when it ended I felt like I was now in some sort of private club that now carried a 99 River Street card. 

If these venetian blinds, dark alleys, and femme fatale suit your fancy then I recommend working your way through this list - some real knockouts!