Ship of Fools

Genre: psychological drama
With: Oskar Werner, Simone Signoret, Vivien Leigh
Director: Stanley Kramer
Release: 1965
Studio: Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group - Pacific Title & Art Studio
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.3/10


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Story-line: in 1933, on a cruise ship leaving Veracruz (Mexico) and headed for Bremerhaven (Germany), several characters meet, bond or clash.
Pluses: a formidable cast (including Jose Ferrer, Lee Marvin, George Segal and Elizabeth Ashley), Simone Signoret’s undeniable star power, Oskar Werner’s touching turn, top-flight direction and a particularly tragic story.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: intolerance, restless love, Nazism and human misery… such is the fare offered to our tourists on the SHIP OF FOOLS. Here’s to a quality film from yesteryear that deserves to be seen by all movie buffs.


MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Rope

Genre: crime thriller
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Release: 1948
Studio: Transatlantic Pictures, Warner Bros. - Warner Bros., Universal
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.0/10


Some People Can’t Get A Joke


In a New York City apartment where they will soon entertain guests, Brandon Shaw (John Dall) and Phillip Morgan (Farley Granger) are keeping themselves busy by strangling a good friend of theirs, David Kentley (Dick Hogan), with a piece of rope. When David dies, Brandon is so ecstatic that he calls the act a masterpiece, an artistic triumph. Has the duo committed the perfect crime? Brandon believes so… and it’s a murder for connoisseurs, not for the common man! With Edith Evanson (Mrs. Wilson), Cedric Hardwicke (David’s father), Constance Collier (Mrs. Atwater), Douglas Dick (Kenneth Lawrence), Joan Chandler (Janet Walker) and James Stewart (Rupert Cadell).

If this film’s premise seems too grotesque, cruel or disgusting to you − for good reason, I might add − you should brace yourself for a few minutes of queasy viewing while Brandon basks in the glory of his crime (Phillip’s reaction, for reasons I won’t reveal, is far less enthusiastic). When the duo’s guests arrive and the party begins ‘in earnest’, the movie will take on a less threatening tone but you mustn’t expect tact or moderation from Alfred Hitchcock, given his reputation as a ‘master of the macabre’; there will be humour, yes, but only in shades of black. Most of ROPE, which is based on true events and a Patrick Hamilton play, hinges on a few pivotal words such as ‘concealment’, ‘cat and mouse’ and ‘impunity’. It should be enough to build a fine and chilling movie spectacle… which is exactly what Hitchcock and a writing team composed of Hume Cronyn, Arthur Laurents and Ben Hecht have accomplished here.

Aside from its shocking subject matter, ROPE is a cinematic curiosity for reasons of technology. According to Moviehead, a commentator here in Canada, Hitchcock wanted to shoot his story in one long take, as if in real time, but obviously couldn’t because his cameras didn’t allow it. He thus decided to film it in segments that were linked together to simulate continuous action; you will surely notice these links, which appear as odd close-ups, interrupting the narrative every eight minutes or so. This inconvenience aside, Hitchcock’s direction is flawless and the movie’s dramatic tension develops logically and very effectively. Acting is also irreproachable (especially by John Dall) but it’s James Stewart’s inspired performance that really fires things up. As for production values, they are satisfactory but by no means extravagant… since all of the action takes place in a single apartment. The movie’s strong payoff is also well worth your time and viewing effort.

In the same way that crime requires motive, you may need some incentive to see ROPE, considering its dark, unappealing side. If you can’t find one too readily, let me suggest mine: Hitchcock’s movie instructs us on the criminal mind and on human nature itself. As abhorrent as its content may seem at first, it does reflect some people’s thinking… and thus serves a useful purpose. Chicken strangling, anyone?


MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Gloire de mon père (La) - Château de ma mère (Le)

Also known as: My Father’s Glory − My Mother’s Castle
Genre: family biographies
With: Philippe Caubère, Julien Ciamara, Nathalie Roussel
Director: Yves Robert
Release: 1990
Studio: Gaumont, Production de la Gueville, TF 1 Films Productions, Ministère de la Culture de France − Orion Classics
Rating: G − PG
MBiS score: 8.5/10 and 8.2/10 respectively


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Story-line: this French double bill recounts Marcel Pagnol’s childhood under the smiling skies of Provence.
Pluses: fine acting, vivid dialogues (especially if you understand French), outstanding cinematography, direction and period detail, resplendent settings and one of the most beautiful musical themes ever used in cinema.
Minuses: none whatsoever. Due to its revelatory nature and stronger content, I did prefer the first picture devoted to Joseph, Marcel’s father.
Comments: as if born into nobility, Marcel Pagnol, a great writer and moviemaker revered in all of France, deserved nothing less than a blessed childhood. At first glance, you may think it was excessive to dedicate two full-length films to his parents but, once you set foot in Marcel’s magical kingdom, your enchantment will be total and your pleasure genuine. Salut, Pagnol!


MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Three Days of the Condor

Genre: political thriller
Director: Sydney Pollack
Release: 1975
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.6/10


I Really Thought This Was A Desk Job


When Joe Turner (Robert Redford) returns to his office at the American Literary Historical Society after a routine errand, he discovers that all of his co-workers have been murdered. What should he do? Why did this happen? Joe needs answers and, to get them, he will turn to his superiors… at the CIA. With Faye Dunaway (Katherine ‘Kathy’ Hale), Cliff Robertson (Higgins), John Houseman (Wabash) and Max von Sydow (Joubert).

The years 1973 to 1975 were especially agitated in the United States. The last months of a wasteful war in Vietnam (remember the slogan ‘Peace with honour’?), an economy choked off by stagflation, the culmination of the Watergate scandal and Richard Nixon’s resignation… these events and others deeply worried Americans, sparked acrimonious debate and caused much soul-searching in the Republic. It is often said that times like these nurture great art and Hollywood did react to the chaos ambient with excellent and thought-provoking works, among them THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, an intelligent movie unafraid of tackling big issues. It begins innocuously enough with everyday scenes and a poppy jazz theme by Dave Grusin but suddenly turns dangerous, even desperate, when Joe finds himself stranded in a new, sinister world. To get his bearings and, more urgently, to survive from day to day, he will need to connect the dots and summon up his resources which are, fortunately for him, abundant and varied.

Guided by James Grady’s novel and a taut screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel, Sydney Pollack has fashioned a magnificent political thriller here, a work of limited scope that also carries, as if by paradox, implications for our whole planet. Rarely will you see a game of hide-and-seek so chilling, so important and so tightly rendered. Of course, THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR wouldn’t be as hard-hitting without its stellar cast led by Robert Redford who delivers one of his best roles ever. Equally unforgettable are Faye Dunaway and Cliff Robertson, along with Max von Sydow, the great Swedish actor. Production values, notably cinematography, are beyond reproach.

I have no doubt that THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR will keep you on tenterhooks for the duration but, at the risk of being too insistent, I urge you to pay special attention to its last ten minutes. Right then and there, you will hear the most implacable tenets of modern geopolitics stated with unusual bluntness… and they are very damning for our Western way of life. If only for these pungent remarks on the conduct of world affairs, Pollack’s film ranks as one of the finest in its genre.


MBiS

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Play It Again, Sam

Genre: comedy
With: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts
Director: Herbert Ross
Release: 1972
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.2/10


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Story-line: your love life may be in a rut, Allan Felix, but help is on the way!
Pluses: an original premise in which magic realism is used to good effect, a very enjoyable screenplay penned by Woody Allen, solid acting and hilarious one-liners.
Minuses: none whatsoever. I only wish it was a little longer…
Comments: one of my favourite Woodys, PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM depicts his cinematic alter ego as a lovable, neurotic loser you’ll root for all the way. It’s so full of great scenes and dialogues that I’d like to store it permanently in my movie-playing mind. Enjoy this fun film about the one subject that touches all of us!


MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Destinées sentimentales (Les)

Also known as: Les Destinées, Sentimental Destinies, Sentimental Destiny
Genre: slice-of-life drama
Director: Olivier Assayas
Release: 2000
Studio: Arena Films, CAB Productions, TF1 Films Productions et al. – Wellspring
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.4/10


Lives Battered By The Winds Of Change


LES DESTINÉES SENTIMENTALES takes place in Charente (the west central region of France famous for cattle and cognac) and its story begins circa 1900. The Protestant community of Barbazac, smallish in numbers and surrounded by a vast Catholic majority, faces a new kind of crisis: marital problems between its pastor, Jean Barnery (Charles Berling), and his wife Nathalie (Isabelle Huppert). According to some of the Faithful, Nathalie has been seeing another man but nobody knows for sure. What everyone hopes for is a resolution of the issue, and the sooner the better. With Emmanuelle Béart (Pauline), Olivier Perrier (Philippe Pommerel, Pauline’s uncle), Dominique Reymond (Julie Barnery Desca), André Marcon (Paul Desca, Julie’s husband), Alexandra London (Louise Desca) and Julie Depardieu (Marcelle).

The word ‘epic’ is often associated with extraordinary stories that involve numerous characters and issues of great import but, as the Canadian Oxford Dictionary tells us, it also applies to ‘an exceptionally long and arduous task or activity’. In this light, the fascinating LES DESTINÉES SENTIMENTALES can be considered an epic on a personal if not universal scale. Jean Barnery’s life was indeed tumultuous. Over a thirty-year period, the film follows him and two local families of entrepreneurs, the Barnerys (porcelain makers by trade) and the Pommerels (a group of distillers). Considering the life-changing events he will face during his time (personal and family crises, a World War, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression), you can only admire his will and resourcefulness.

French moviemakers often take pains to depict people at work (were they painters, psychologists, farm labourers or sculptors) and, in the present case, Olivier Assayas shows us some of the effort required to make fine porcelain and quality spirits; as director and screenwriter (with Jacques Fieschi), he also delivers a splendid adaptation of Jacques Chardonne’s novel. His actors − without exception! − serve him excellently. Charles Berling, for one, has built himself a great career and his acting here attests to his stature in Gallic cinema. As for the radiant Emmanuelle Béart, I won’t reveal how she fits into the story (as tempting as it may be) but Pauline’s role is deserving of her formidable talent. Isabelle Huppert also shines as a tough-minded woman and Olivier Perrier’s screen presence is noteworthy. Dialogues ring very true, whether they speak of love, business or life in general, and visuals are simply sumptuous. If you choose to see this film (and I sincerely hope you do), its lightning start may confuse you temporarily but its three-hour length will give you ample time to catch up… and the spectacle is never boring!

While writing this review, I stumbled upon the terms ‘humble’ and ‘grandiose’ in my trusty dictionary. Normally, I wouldn’t dare use them both to describe a movie but, then again, LES DESTINÉES SENTIMENTALES doesn’t care much for antonyms and lexicology. This rare film simply moves on… and brings us back to the priorities of life.


MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Grand Prix

Genre: sports drama
With: James Garner, Yves Montand, Eva Marie Saint
Director: John Frankenheimer
Release: 1966
Studio: Cherokee Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM)
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.5/10


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Story-line: rev up your engines… another season of Formula One racing is under way.
Pluses: a strong international cast, interesting characters, solid thrills, first-rate production values and a powerful ending.
Minuses: GRAND PRIX may be a lengthy film (at 3 hours)… but it doesn’t feel long at all.
Comments: even if you care little about motor sports, this spectacular drama will astound you with its portrayal of men and women living in a jet-set world of speed, glamour and danger. GRAND PRIX is a genuinely suspenseful film that goes full throttle.


MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved

Jindabyne

Genre: psychological drama
Director: Ray Lawrence
Release: 2007
Studio: Film Finance Corporation Australia (FFC), Nomura Babcock & Brown Productions, Redchair Films, April Films
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.2/10


Gone Fishing, Gone Wrong



The workweek has not ended yet but Stewart (Gabriel Byrne), Carl (John Howard), Rocco (Stelios Yiakmis) and Billy (Simon Stone) are already dreaming about the great fishing they’ll enjoy over the weekend. Escaping the daily grind should do wonders for the foursome… and then again, it might not. With Laura Linney (Claire, Stewart’s wife), Sean Rees-Wemyss (Tom, their son), Betty Lucas (Vanessa, Stewart’s mother), Leah Purcell (Carmel, a teacher and Rocco’s friend), Deborra-Lee Furness (Jude, Carl’s wife), Eva Lazzaro (Caylin-Calandria, Carl and Jude’s granddaughter), Chris Haywood (Gregory), Tatea Reilly (Susan) and Alice Garner (Elissa, Billy’s wife).

As far as wilderness movies go, DELIVERANCE will please the action fan, MEAN CREEK showcases the younger set and JINDABYNE appeals to adult audiences of both sexes. This Australian production may not be a ‘pure’ adventure film − for it spends a good deal of time on personal and family issues before and after that fateful weekend − and its meticulousness may try some viewers early on but, when all is said and done, Ray Lawrence’s film stands as a mature, realistic take on guilt, responsibility and misunderstanding in our plain, everyday world.

Robert Burns famously wrote that ‘The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry’ and JINDABYNE illustrates this fact of life with a frankness that rattles the conscience. For Stewart and his group, problems at home will be compounded by what happens on the other side of the mountain, new issues will arise and relationships will sour; even their long-awaited encounter with nature will seem creepy and hostile at times. Facing the unexpected and uncovering truths you never imagined, especially ugly ones, can infect your mind not for a day but for a week, a year or the rest of your life. Gender issues are also raised in JINDABYNE and we all know how potent and divisive they can be.

Whatever the genre, a movie is a collaborative work and, in JINDABYNE’s case, the result of many strong efforts. Beatrix Christian’s screenplay, which is based on a Raymond Carver short story, opens with a flush of intriguing snippets and, generally speaking, paints a rich and observant portrait of ordinary lives. Ray Lawrence, who brought us LANTANA, a film of similar ambitions, shows tact and patience in directing JINDABYNE’s complicated story. On screen, his acting team delivers solid turns, particularly Laura Linney. Production values, for their part, are satisfying throughout.

You have surely noticed how life can alert you to what’s ahead though you scarcely realize it at the time. Such a moment stands out in JINDABYNE, on the Friday night before the big outing, as the guys are sharing a meal with their ladies in a restaurant. When Billy acknowledges his love for Elissa, you will hear this curious exchange (quoted from memory):

- Carl: You’ll see, Elissa. Billy is leaving home a boy and he’ll return a man.
- Elissa: I want him to return as he is now.
- Jude: You can’t be sure… with those perverts.

Was it a sign of things to come? I do believe it was... but don't take my word for it. See JINDABYNE, a deceptive and ultimately haunting experience in cinema and in life.


MBiS

© 2011 – All rights reserved