Lawrence of Arabia

Genre: adventure and war drama

With: Peter O Toole (T.E. Lawrence), Alec Guinness (Prince Faisal), Omar Sharif (Sherif Ali Ibn El Kharish), Anthony Quinn (Auda Abu Tayi), Jack Hawkins (General Allenby), José Ferrer (the Turkish Bey), Anthony Quayle (Colonel Brighton), Claude Rains (Mr. Dryden), Arthur Kennedy (Jackson Bentley), Donald Wolfit (General Murray), I.S. Johar (Gasim), John Dimech (Daud), Michel Ray (Farraj)

Director: David Lean

Screenplay: Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson

Release: 1962

Studio: Horizon Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing International

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.9/10 

 

– You figure that you will have a democracy and a parliament?

– I’ll tell you when we have a country. 

 

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Story-line: Britain, 1935. While riding his motorcycle with abandon, T.E. Lawrence is forced off the road and meets an unhappy fate. As his life, his death draws mixed emotions. For some people, he was a figure from the past and nothing more, for one former acquaintance, a mere office clerk in Cairo, for another, ‟a poet, a philosopher, a mighty warrior… and the most shameless exhibitionist since Barnum and Bailey”. This movie tells the story of the ordinary map drawer who came to be known as ‟Lawrence of Arabia”.

Pluses: an awesome and intoxicating performance by Peter O’Toole (in one of his earlier movie roles), great acting by Omar Sharif (the strong and enigmatic Ali), Alec Guinness (Faisal, a very smooth operator), Anthony Quinn (the hilarious brute) and other well-known thespians, a vigorous screenplay that uses truthful dialogues and dry wit to weave scene after potent scene, magical direction by David Lean, Freddie Young’s breathtaking cinematography that glorifies the mighty desert, magnificent production values and a musical theme (by Maurice Jarre) loved the world over.

Minuses: the script contains several insulting remarks about Arabs − uttered mainly by diehard colonialists − but refutes them in an understated way. Viewers who shun violence should note that LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, although a war movie, doesn’t feature excessive bloodshed. Its only drawback would be its length if you have precious little time on your hands; in all other respects, this Best Movie Oscar winner for 1962 should be on any movie buff’s priority list.     

Comments: LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, a grand and perfect epic, is so different and fascinating that it doesn’t matter what judgment you pass on its main character. In my book, Lawrence was everything he was said to be − an adventurer, a messianic figure, one of the builders of the Arab nation − and his legacy still reverberates today in history and international politics. Kudos to David Lean and crew for this supreme accomplishment in cinematic art.

 

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Maman et la putain (la)   

English title: The Mother and the Whore

Genre: romantic drama (in black and white)

With: Jean-Pierre Léaud (Alexandre), Bernadette Lafont (Marie), Françoise Lebrun (Veronika), Isabelle Weingarten (Gilberte), Jacques Renard (Alexandre's friend), Jean-Noël Picq (the Offenbach fan)

Director: Jean Eustache

Screenplay: Jean Eustache

Release: 1973

Studio: Élite Films, Ciné Qua Non,  Les Films du Losange et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.2/10 

 

Should You Look Before You Leap? 

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Story-line: if Alexandre doesn't have a job, it's probably because he has too much to do already. He lives with Marie, still loves his former squeeze Gilberte, is heartbroken when he learns that Gilberte will marry a doctor but is already attracted to Veronika, a girl he saw sitting at a restaurant terrace. Sounds complicated? It is! 

Pluses: an intense performance by Jean-Pierre Léaud as the intellectual and insatiable Alexandre (his quasi theatrical soliloquies are mesmerizing), strong support from Bernadette Lafont and Françoise Lebrun, a personal and quirky screenplay enlivened by playful, weighty or sometimes mean-spirited dialogues, leisurely direction, modest but adequate production values and Pierre Lhomme’s attractive – even brilliant – cinematography.

Minuses: LA MAMAN ET LA PUTAIN is a lengthy movie (three and a half hours) but it never feels boring, an amazing feat for a psychological drama featuring few characters and limited action.

Comments: LA MAMAN ET LA PUTAIN is a feast of human emotions – love, hate, ambivalence, commitment, desertion – and a fine example of that French fascination for esoteric relationships. Alexandre is trapped in a strange love triangle that takes unpredictable directions. As you see him waffling and wondering what to do, you may feel little sympathy for the relentless womanizer he seems to be but this will change once you get to know the man behind the snobbish facade. All things told, Jean Eustache’s film is a revealing study about relationships and a fine vehicle for Jean-Pierre Léaud – a Truffaut favourite – tackling another complicated and exacting role. 

 

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Ten Commandments (The)

Genre: religious drama 

With: Charlton Heston (Moses), Anne Baxter (Nefretiri), Yul Brynner (Rameses), Yvonne De Carlo (Sephora), John Derek (Joshua), Cedric Hardwicke (Sethi), Nina Foch (Bithiah), Judith Anderson (Memnet), John Carradine (Aaron), Edward G. Robinson (Dathan), Debra Paget (Lilia), Martha Scott (Yochabel), Vincent Price (Baka)

Director: Cecil B. DeMille

Screenplay: Æneas MacKenzie, Jesse Lasky Jr., Jack Gariss and Fredric M. Frank (using books by Dorothy Clarke Wilson, J.H. Ingraham and A.E. Southon)

Release: 1956

Studio: Motion Picture Associates, Inc., Paramount Pictures

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.8/10 

 

‟Who am I, Lord, that you should send me?” 

 

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Story-line: religious sources tell us that around 1700 to 1500 B.C., the children of Israel, who had fled southward because of a famine, had become such an influential group within Egypt that a fearful Pharaoh ordered their enslavement (as you can see, issues of immigration and nativism are nothing new). Thus, for decades and possibly generations, Hebrews toiled mercilessly under Egyptian taskmasters, building monuments and imploring God to rescue them from bondage. And God answered by sending them a child of man named Moses, an unlikely leader who would face Egypt armed only with a shepherd’s staff and his faith.    

Pluses: formidable acting by Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, a magnificent Anne Baxter (in a psychologically shifting role), other well-known thespians and a cast of thousands, amazing direction, an ingenious and well researched screenplay that uses symbols, sharp dialogues and eye-popping props and setups to recreate an important moment in Antiquity, blockbuster production values (sets, designs and costumes), awesome cinematography, very convincing special effects and an evocative musical score.

Minuses: although the screenplay takes some liberties with the Old Testament − by filling in the blanks, adding sentimental subplots and pumping up the drama − it does so in a measured and logical way. A few false notes are apparent (the Ethiopian king’s daughter who speaks with a noticeably American accent, the emphatic ‟cavalry charge” music during the Red Sea episode, a rather abrupt ending) but these are very minor gripes considering the movie’s scope and runtime (220 minutes).   

Comments: in 1923, Cecil B. DeMille made a movie loosely based on Exodus but, in this gigantic and glorious ‟remake”, he focused on the event itself and the burdens – humiliation, disbelief, ingratitude, loneliness – that Moses carried during his mission. In this regard (and several others), a parallel can be drawn with the indignities sustained by Jesus Christ who commented – in the Book of Matthew (8:29) – that “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Inspiring, breathtaking and memorable, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS remains a powerful cinematic experience more than six decades after its release.   

 

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Turist

Also known as: Force Majeure

Genre: comedy drama

With: Johannes Kuhnke (Tomas), Lisa Loven Kongsli (Ebba), Clara Wettergren (their daughter Vera), Vincent Wettergren (their son Harry), Kristofer Hivju (Mats), Fanni Metelius (Fanny), Karin Myrenberg (Charlotte), Brady Corbet (the American)

Director: Ruben Östlund

Screenplay: Ruben Östlund

Release: 2014

Studio: ARTE, BLS Business Location Südtirol-Alto Adige, Beofilm, C More Entertainment et al.

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.0/10 

 

A Therapy Session on the Slopes 

 

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Story-line: having just arrived at a comfy ski resort in the French Alps, Tomas, Ebba and their children see their vacation upended by an unforeseen event that breaks up the family’s harmony.     

Pluses: good acting by the two leads and supporting cast, sober direction, a subdued, well-observed and logically written screenplay that raises thorny issues and develops a fair amount of psychological tension and even danger, lovely and at times unusual cinematography (the drone scenes are spectacular), very good production values, an interesting score consisting of classical pieces and electro music, an understated but topical ending.

Minuses: before seeing FORCE MAJEURE, I was under the impression that it was per se a disaster movie like THE IMPOSSIBLE but I quickly realized I was very wrong. Yes, there is an avalanche at the 15-minute mark – the unforeseen event alluded to above – yet this incident is only the premise for the discussions and soul-searching to come. The movie in general – although I confess my bias against skiing vacations, which sound rather boring to me – feels a bit slow and uninteresting at times.      

Comments: Ruben Östlund’s drama on skis depicts a family in disarray – a workaholic dad, a disappointed mom, restless children wondering what’s happening – and treats its subject thoughtfully as it considers every detail, feeling or impression that such a crisis elicits. Also important are the story’s supporting characters, especially Mats and Fanny, who contribute meaningfully to the resolution of the conflict. FORCE MAJEURE is neither lively nor wickedly funny… it is a quiet, well-meaning and rational film that you will enjoy if you don’t approach it with excessive expectations. Anyone, it seems, can yield to panic.    

 

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Blow-Up

Also known as: Blowup

Genre: psychological drama

With: David Hemmings (Thomas), Vanessa Redgrave (Jane), Sarah Miles (Patricia), John Castle (Bill), Jane Birkin (the Blonde), Gillian Hills (the Brunette), Peter Bowles (Ron), Veruschka von Lehndorff (playing herself)

Director: Michelangelo Antonioni

Screenplay: Michelangelo Antonioni and Tonino Guerra with help from Edward Bond (from a story by Michelangelo Antonioni based on a short story by Julio Cortázar)

Release: 1967

Studio: Premier Productions, Carlo Ponti Production, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Bridge Films

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.7/10 

 

As Long as It Makes a Pretty Picture 

 

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Story-line: Thomas, a photographer in London, is so dedicated to his craft that he can spend hours around fashion models or go undercover to capture scenes of factory work. One day, while hunting for antiques, he chances upon fresh subjects for his camera... a man and a woman meeting in a park. Those pictures, however, will elicit more than an interest in aesthetics or art...   

Pluses: a strong turn by David Hemmings as the driven and not very likeable Thomas, a good supporting cast playing unconventional, sometimes wacky characters, supple direction, a cryptic, sketchy screenplay delivering obtuse dialogues and classic scenes of the psychedelic era (Veruschka’s photo shoot, Jeff Beck smashing his guitar!), magnificent cinematography, high-grade production values and a great musical score by Herbie Hancock (with contributions from the Lovin’ Spoonful and the Yardbirds).

Minuses: since the film is partly an exercise in style, its subject matter may feel slim to some viewers.

Comments: BLOW-UP shares several traits with another seminal film of the late 1960s and early 70s, the striking A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, notably an anti-hero who lives so much for the moment and in the moment that he borders on wantonness. Behind its facade of pop art, hard rock, harder drugs and frenzied sexuality, Antonioni’s work depicts a world whose priorities are muddled and creativity verges on the superficial. Adventurous, intriguing, phantasmagorical and wild, BLOW-UP is one of those swinging films you don’t see as much as you experience.     

 

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Whiplash

Genre: psychological drama

With: Miles Teller (Andrew Neimann), J.K. Simmons (Fletcher), Paul Reiser (Jim Neimann), Melissa Benoist (Nicole), Austin Stowell (Ryan), Nate Lang (Carl Tanner), Chris Mulkey (Uncle Frank), Damon Gupton (Mr. Kramer)

Director: Damien Chazelle

Screenplay: Damien Chazelle

Release: 2014

Studio: Bold Films, Blumhouse Productions, Right of Way Films, Sierra/Affinity

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.2/10 

 

Boot Camp for Bandmates 

 

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Story-line: for Andrew Neimann, a drum student at the Shaffer Conservatory, working under teacher Terence Fletcher would be a dream come true. To make it happen, however, he will have to accept Fletcher as he is, warts and all.

Pluses: heavy-duty acting by Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons (in a wide-ranging, Oscar-winning performance as the mercurial Fletcher), able support from a good cast, first-rate direction, an interesting screenplay dipped in acid and psychological stress, attractive cinematography, a fine musical score, convincing production values, great editing and sound (both rewarded with Oscars). Please note that the film was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay.

Minuses: the language used − although indicative of a very competitive academic environment – is excessively derogatory, cruel and vulgar in a jazz context (does music really soothe the savage beast?). I subtracted 0.2 from my overall score because of the single-mindedness of the screenplay and its questionable, dog-eat-dog moral message.    

Comments: Vic Braden (1929-2014), a lovable tennis teacher and psychology graduate, once said that he tried to match sadists against masochists at his training camps so all his players would be happy. You could say as much about the relationship between Andrew and Fletcher in the dynamic and very demanding WHIPLASH: in some way, they need each other so much that they’ll make life miserable for each other and everybody else. I guess this is what musicians call ‟paying your dues”… 

 

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Pasqualino Settebellezze

English title: Seven Beauties

Also known as: Pasqualino

Genre: comedy drama

With: Giancarlo Giannini (Pasqualino Frafuso a.k.a. Settebellezze), Fernando Rey (Pedro the Anarchist), Elena Fiore (Concettina, one of Pasqualino’s seven sisters), Piero Di Iorio (Francesco, Pasqualino's comrade), Shirley Stoler (the Camp Commandant), Enzo Vitale (Don Raffaele), Roberto Herlitzka (the Socialist), Lucio Amelio (the Lawyer), Mario Conti (Totonno), Ermelinda De Felice (Pasqualino's Mother)

Director: Lina Wertmüller

Screenplay: Lina Wertmüller

Release: 1975

Studio: Medusa Distribuzione

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.7/10 

 

Some Things I’d Rather Forget 

 

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Story-line: as he fumbles his way home after fleeing the Nazis with another Italian prisoner, Pasqualino Frafuso reflects on his life so far, recalling those happy times when he was a well-dressed hoodlum watching over his sisters but also the awful events that led him into World War II.

Pluses: a frantic, tireless and full-ranged performance by Giancarlo Giannini, fine support from Fernando Rey, Shirley Stoler and cast, professional, fast-paced direction, a colourful, jam-packed screenplay (admire that 4-minute silent scene in the courtroom!), faultless production values, amazing cinematography and a tangy musical score that captures the Felliniesque mood of the story.

Minuses: I didn’t understand every Italian reference in the movie but I won’t make a fuss over it. Some viewers may be shocked by the film’s off-colour jokes; personally, I found them cathartic. 

Comments: as a director, Lina Wertmüller (1928-2021) has always distinguished herself by her daring, fearless works that combine tragedy, humour, social comment and political criticism to great effect. The memorable and exuberant SEVEN BEAUTIES, which begins with a biting critique of Mussolini, Hitler and social mores, stands as one of her greatest achievements, an artistic triumph confirmed by four nominations at the 1977 Academy Awards and another at the Golden Globes. It also showcases one of her usual partners in crime, the ebullient Giancarlo Giannini. It’s a real treat to see Pasqualino go through circumstances he cannot control and prove to everyone − himself especially − that he is a survivor. In this sense, he may be seen as a metaphor for Italy’s struggle through the 1930s and 40s, a very turbulent period in its history. A remarkable journey! An outrageous film! Great entertainment for movie buffs!

    

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Love Story

Genre: romantic drama

With: Ali MacGraw (Jenny Cavilleri), Ryan O’Neal (Oliver Barrett IV), Ray Milland (Oliver Barrett III), Katharine Balfour (Mrs. Barrett), John Marley (Phil Cavilleri), Russell Nype (Dean Thompson)

Director: Arthur Hiller

Screenplay: Erich Segal (from his novel)

Release: 1970

Studio: Love Story Company, Paramount Pictures

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.4/10 

 

‟Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” 

 

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Story-line: sitting alone in an open-air stadium despite the bitter cold, Oliver reflects on his lost love Jenny. ‟What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died? That she was beautiful and brilliant? That she loved Mozart and Bach… the Beatles... and me?”

Pluses: first-grade acting by Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal as two passionate, wisecracking and contrasting characters, excellent support from a charming John Marley and a stern Ray Milland, fluid and alert direction, a respectful and moving screenplay that hinges on social attitudes and family relationships in the crisis-laden early 70s, irreproachable cinematography (by Richard C. Kratina) and Francis Lai’s beautiful music.

Minuses: although nothing extraordinary happens in LOVE STORY and its ending is revealed in the opening sequence, it does its very best to be likeable and maintains interest on the strength of its very charismatic protagonists. In some ways, it equals TERMS OF ENDEARMENT among top-quality tearjerkers.

Comments: sometimes, love begins in rocky circumstances; it nurtures a fragile bond that will hopefully strengthen and last a lifetime. Notwithstanding its Hollywoodish accents, LOVE STORY is exactly what it strives to be, a blissful, painful and enriching episode in the lives of two young people destined to be together in spite of forces that should drive them apart. Arthur Hiller’s work is an undeniable success, having been nominated for 6 Oscars (Actress, Actor, Direction, Writing, Best Picture, Actor in a supporting role) besides its winning musical score. When I saw it decades ago upon its release, I genuinely felt it was better than what I expected and, oddly enough, I felt exactly the same way when I saw it again for this review. LOVE STORY may not have been a trailblazer in movie history but, thanks to its honesty, screenplay and endearing leads, it has conquered hearts and minds the world over.  

 

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À bout de souffle

English title: Breathless

Genre: crime drama (in black and white)

With: Jean-Paul Belmondo (Michel Poiccard, a.k.a. Laszlo Kovacs), Jean Seberg (Patricia Franchini), Daniel Boulanger (Inspector Vital), Henri-Jacques Huet (Antonio Berrutti), Roger Hanin (Carl Zubart)

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Screenplay: François Truffaut, Claude Chabrol and Jean-Luc Godard

Release: 1960

Studio: Les Films Impéria, Les Productions Georges de Beauregard, Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.6/10 

 

In Memory of Jean-Luc Godard (1930-2022) 

 

− Do you know William Faulkner?

− No. Who's he? Have you slept with him? 

 

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Story-line: Michel Poiccard, a hyperactive criminal, steals a car in Marseilles and heads north to meet the American girl of his dreams and collect on an old IOU.

Pluses: a strong, devil-may-care performance by Jean-Paul Belmondo, fine support from Jean Seberg (yes… Jean the film icon!), a tongue-in-cheek screenplay bursting with flippant dialogues and moments of absurdity, Jean-Luc Godard’s nervous and creative direction, lovely cinematography (Raoul Coutard), deft editing (Cécile Decugis) and a swinging jazz score by Martial Solal.

Minuses: although Godard’s works are not among my favourites − years ago, I had quit on this particular movie at the 15-minute mark − I hung on this time around and warmed up to it after a while. Sensitive viewers may be bothered by politically incorrect dialogues and events and also by Michel’s fixation with cigarettes, newspapers, sex and American cars.

Comments: while watching this film, I wondered if it wasn’t some kind of inside joke about conventional French cinema and the rise of the nouvelle vague but I’ll leave that subject to the experts. Many in moviedom have hailed À BOUT DE SOUFFLE as a masterpiece and I can’t deny its audacity, originality and stylishness. Not only does it showcase Michel’s rebellious, ‟in the moment” personality – forever portrayed by Jean-Paul Belmondo (1933-2021), one of France’s biggest stars ever – but it remains to this day a symbol of innovative filmmaking. 

 

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 Alphaville

Also known as: Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution

Genre: science-fiction drama (in black and white)

With: Eddie Constantine (Lemmy Caution), Anna Karina (Natacha von Braun), Akim Tamiroff (Henri Dickson)

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

Screenplay: Jean-Luc Godard (inspired by a poem by Paul Éluard)

Release: 1965

Studio: André Michelin Productions, Filmstudio, Chaumiane

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.4/10 

 

In Memory of Jean-Luc Godard (1930-2022)  

 

− Has no one ever fallen in love with you?

− In love? What's that?

 

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Story-line: in an unspecified future time, journalist Ivan Johnson is dispatched to another galaxy to interview a scientist. Truth be told, Ivan is really Lemmy Caution, a private detective sent to fulfill an important mission. With Lemmy as your guide, expect drama, weirdness and mayhem in the soulless, futuristic world of Alphaville.

Pluses: roguish acting by Eddie Constantine and suitably cold support from Anna Karina and cast, a tight, sketchy direction nurturing a mood of mystery and danger, a surreal screenplay that appears fluffy and nonsensical at first but gains in depth and relevance along the way, startling visuals evoking a world mostly cloaked in darkness, rinky-dink production values mixing the ultramodern and the low-tech, an effective, omnipresent musical score and a very satisfying ending.

Minuses: although some reviewers have panned ALPHAVILLE as either highbrow or boring, I found it interesting and even substantial.

Comments: in other roles as Lemmy Caution, the rugged-faced Eddie Constantine (1917-1993) has played Lemmy as a detached, smart-alecky snoop who thrives on comic-book violence. In this nightmarish, Orwell-inspired film, Eddie plays it dark and sardonic as if it was all an elaborate joke… and it really works! The odd and wonderful ALPHAVILLE − one of Jean-Luc Godard’s more accessible works − is the chilling indictment of a world that has succumbed to totalitarianism, conformism and misogyny. 

 

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