A message for Mike!

Mike has asked me if it’s possible to find an English version of Alexandre le bienheureux, a French comedy I’ve reviewed a while back.

Frankly, I’ve surfed around the Net and visited popular movie purchase and rental sites but was unable to find what Mike is looking for. The film is sometimes listed as Very Happy Alexander or simply Alexander but has apparently never been translated or subtitled in English. I’ve seen only one reference to an ‘English’ version on www.yidio.com and it doesn’t seem to lead anywhere. I’ve also read comments from fans who experience this same problem.

So Mike, I’m really sorry I can’t help you but I do thank you for your comment!

MBiS

It’s been a while since my last post…

… but I’ve grabbed a few movies along the way and I’d like to share them with you. Even without a full review, you'll enjoy them, I'm sure. 

The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock, 1963; starring Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor)

- The special effects may look cheap by today’s standards but this horror flick remains a classic. Tentative score: 8.8

Margin Call (J.C. Chandor, 2011; starring Paul Bettany and Zachary Quinto)

- Though not as hard-hitting as WALL STREET, this financial market drama is well-acted and quite watchable. Tentative score: 8.1
  

Brodeuses (A Common Thread) (Éléonore Faucher, 2004, starring Claire Moutiers and Ariane Ascaride)

- From a slim premise (a pregnant girl struggles to find work), Éléonore Faucher has crafted a serious, touching little film about life. Tentative score: 8.2

Hemingway & Gellhorn (Philip Kaufman, 2012, starring Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman)

- Unforgettable characters, romance, drama, politics and irony. A potent mix, a superb film. As Hemingway would say, ‘The best way to know if you can trust someone is by trusting him.’ Tentative score: 8.6
  

Le gamin au vélo (The Kid with the Bike) (Luc et Jean-Pierre Dardenne, 2011, starring Thomas Doret and Cécile De France)

- The Dardenne brothers have done it again… a small-scale drama that entertains and rings oh so true. Tentative score: 8.2

Bye now!

MBiS 

© 2012 - All rights reserved

Irma la Douce

Genre: period comedy
With: Shirley MacLaine, Jack Lemmon, Herschel Bernardi
Director: Billy Wilder
Release: 1963
Studio: United Artists Films
Rating: –
MBiS score: 8.2/10


QuickView 


Story-line: in the gay Paris of old, the arrival of Nestor Patou, the new cop on Casanova Street, upsets Irma la Douce and other local prostitutes.
Pluses: wonderful acting by leads MacLaine and Lemmon, a funny screenplay, exemplary direction and that charming little dog named Coquette.
Minuses: none, except for the ending that some may consider fanciful.
Comments: forget shocking exposés on the oldest profession… IRMA LA DOUCE is a superlative feel-good film played for laughs and little else. It’s so cute it feels like a fairy tale for grown-ups. Three cheers for Billy Wilder, one of the greatest directors ever!


MBiS

© 2012 – All rights reserved