Spartacus

Genre: antiquity drama 

With: Kirk Douglas (Spartacus), Laurence Olivier (Marcus Crassus), Jean Simmons (Varinia), Charles Laughton (Gracchus), Peter Ustinov (Batiatus), John Gavin (Julius Caesar), Tony Curtis (Antoninus), Nina Foch (Helena)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Screenplay: Dalton Trumbo (based on Howard Fast’s novel)

Release: 1960

Studio: Bryna Productions, Universal Pictures

Rating: PG-13

MBiS score: 8.5/10 

 

‟ I'm free. And what do I know? I don't even know how to read.” 

 

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Story-line: in the first century before Christ, Rome was asserting its might as the centre of the ‟civilized” world but its glory was far from immaculate. Power struggles were frequent between members of the ruling class, slavery and colonialism were the drivers of economic growth and jobless Romans were kept quiet with bread and circuses. Spartacus, the proud son of a Thracian slave, a forced labourer and a gladiator in training, will rebel against this world order and confront the Empire.  

Pluses: wondrous acting by Kirk Douglas (rugged, defiant but also tender), Jean Simmons (regal in a complex role), Laurence Olivier (notable for his toughness), Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov and a superior cast, an intelligent screenplay that blends insightful psychological portraits, period detail and virile − even funny − dialogues to compose a striking piece of history, straightforward helming by one of cinema’s great directors (behold the awesome combat choreography), suitable production values, fine editing and an evocative musical score by Alex North.

Minuses: none I can think of.   

Comments: SPARTACUS, a movie epic for all tastes, reminded me of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS and BEN-HUR in its use of atmosphere, colours, landscapes and settings. Although it features some violence, Stanley Kubrick’s work paints an old-world picture of political wranglings (as complex and dastardly as today’s), romance, heartbreak and surprising solidarity. On a historical level, the Roman Empire has never ceased to fascinate and influence our world despite its brutality. On a cinematic level, Kubrick’s oeuvre still enthralls and will remain an object of admiration for decades to come. 

 

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Joker Is Wild (The)

Genre: biographical drama (in black and white)

With: Frank Sinatra (Joe E. Lewis), Mitzi Gaynor (Martha Stewart), Jeanne Crain (Letty Page), Eddie Albert (Austin Mack), Beverly Garland (Cassie Mack), Jackie Coogan (Swifty Morgan), Barry Kelley (Captain Hugh McCarthy), Ted de Corsia (Georgie Parker), Leonard Graves (Tim Coogan)

Director: Charles Vidor

Screenplay: Oscar Saul (based on the book by Art Cohn)

Release: 1957

Studio: AMBL Productions

Rating: Approved

MBiS score: 8.3/10 

 

‟Make me laugh.”

  

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Story-line: Chicago in the mid-1920s. When Joe E. Lewis, a singer at Georgie’s 777 Club, receives an offer from the rival Valencia Club, he readily takes it because the Valencia is ‟a classy joint where they carry the drunks out instead of throwing ’em in the street”. Georgie, who doesn’t like the idea, warns him outright: his bar may be a speakeasy but employees don’t ditch him easily. As things turn out, Joe’s decision will impact his whole life.

Pluses: superb acting by Frank Sinatra, Eddie Albert, Mitzi Gaynor and a radiant Jeanne Crain, competent and well-paced direction, a thoughtful and realistic screenplay true to the mood of the times, irreproachable cinematography and fine production values (costumes especially).

Minuses: didn’t find any, baby!

Comments: Frank Sinatra − who has played in some 40 movies and won an Academy Award for FROM HERE TO ETERNITY − once mentioned that his most Oscar-worthy performance came in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM. I wouldn’t dare challenge his opinion but THE JOKER IS WILD amply demonstrates his overall range as a lead actor, playing drama impeccably, showing perfect timing as a comedian and hitting the right notes as a happy, sad, funny and frustrating character. And the movie itself is much more than a reverential show-biz biopic; in vivid, lively fashion, it tells the tragic story of an entertainer tottering between the limelight and skid row. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something in Joe’s life that approaches Frank’s times with the Rat Pack. Thus a great fit for the Chairman of the Board…

 

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 Il Grido

Also known as: Cri (le)

Genre: psychological drama (in black and white)

With: Steve Cochran (Aldo), Alida Valli (Irma), Dorian Gray (Virginia), Jacqueline Jones (Andreina), Gabriella Pallotta (Edera), Pina Boldrini (Lina), Guerrino Campanilli (Virginia's father), Betsy Blair (Elvia), Mirna Girardi (Rosina)

Director: Michelangelo Antonioni

Screenplay: Michelangelo Antonioni, Elio Bartolini and Ennio De Concini (based on Antonioni’s idea)

Release: 1957

Studio: SpA Cinematografica, Robert Alexander Productions

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.8/10 

 

Anguished when Alone, Anguished with Others

 

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Story-line: the setting is a languorous Italian town in the 1950s. Irma, the mother of a schoolgirl named Rosina, learns that her husband died three weeks before in Australia. Clearly distraught, she goes to the factory where her lover Aldo is employed, leaves his lunch with a co-worker and runs off. When Aldo catches up to her and learns what has happened, he is saddened but relieved: ‟We’ll finally get married… It’s been seven years after all…” Irma, however, would rather break up with Aldo.

Pluses: splendid acting by Steve Cochran (a violently passionate, disoriented Aldo) and Alida Valli, able support from Mirna Girardi, Gabriella Pallotta, Betsy Blair and cast, first-quality direction from a renowned helmer, a simple yet riveting screenplay that goes to the point and draws topical portraits of characters in limbo, impeccable production values, Gianni Di Venanzo’s beautiful cinematography even in unsightly locales and a lyrical, sensible musical score by Giovanni Fusco.

Minuses: none I can think of. By the way, the title can be translated as ‟The Scream.”

Comments: IL GRIDO, which doesn’t qualify as an Italian neo-realist movie yet captures some of its flavour, is the touching story of a man who hits the road with his little girl to mend a broken heart and find happiness wherever fate leads him. This early work by Antonioni, blessed with limitless humanity and poetic grace, is a fascinating exploration of one man’s restless quest for fulfillment and an homage to the women − deserving or loveless − he will meet along the way. 

 

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 Polytechnique

Genre: psychological drama (in black and white)

With: Maxim Gaudette (the killer), Karine Vanasse (Valérie), Évelyne Brochu (Stéphanie), Sébastien Huberdeau (Jean-François), Johanne-Marie Tremblay (Jean-François’s mother), Pierre-Yves Cardinal (Éric), Pierre Leblanc (Mr. Martineau), Francesca Barcenas (the injured student near the photocopiers)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Screenplay: Jacques Davidts (with help from Éric Leca and Denis Villeneuve)

Release: 2009

Studio: Remstar, Don Carmody Productions, Davis Films/Impact Canada

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.4/10

 

 

This is a man's world
But it would be nothing, nothing
Without a woman or a girl*

 

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Story-line: while university students are busy photocopying material for their courses, gunshots are heard nearby. An appalling event is unfolding, one that will end lives and shatter many more.

Pluses: a strong cast delivering note-perfect performances, a mature and illuminating screenplay that explores sensitive issues even-handedly and yields several heartbreaking scenes, economical direction that manages to transform a senseless act into a thoughtful artistic statement, irreproachable cinematography, a restrained musical score and a courageous ending.

Minuses: none, except that this important movie and the activism sparked by the Polytechnique shootings of 1989 have not brought the Canadian debate over firearms to a satisfying conclusion until now.  

Comments: in its study of rampant sexism and hatred towards women, the jarring POLYTECHNIQUE pays tribute to the 13 promising female students and the Poly employee whose lives were cut short more than 30 years ago and sheds light on the  goodness that shines forth in times of crisis. POLYTECHNIQUE, a clear condemnation of all forms of violence, was early proof of Denis Villeneuve’s brilliance as a director. 

 

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*It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World, by James Brown, Betty Jean Newsome, Anthony (pka Sir Jinx) Wheaton and O’Shea Jackson

Pote tin Kyriaki

English title: Never on Sunday

Genre: romantic comedy (in black and white)

With: Melina Mercouri (Ilya), Jules Dassin (Homer Thrace), Giorgos Foundas (Tonio), Titos Vandis (Jorgo or Jorgaki), Mitsos Ligizos (the Captain), Despo Diamantidou (Despo)

Director: Jules Dassin

Screenplay: Jules Dassin

Release: 1960

Studio: Lopert Pictures Corporation, Melinafilm

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.5/10

 

 

– Is she?

– She is.

 

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Story-line: in the sunny and vibrant port district of Athens, Ilya, a glorious prostitute, is sought after by all men who live from the sea. And when an aspiring philosopher from America catches sight of her, he too falls under the spell of this siren worthy of the Odyssey. 

Pluses: a triumphant performance by Melina Mercouri (a Cannes Festival winner), excellent support from Jules Dassin and a cast exhibiting great comic timing, a witty and hilarious screenplay that banks on Ilya’s charm, Greek customs and a picturesque setting, sensible and artistically-inclined direction by an underrated helmer, a swinging score by Manos Hatzidakis and one mythical musical scene in which Melina shows as much star power as Marlene Dietrich in THE BLUE ANGEL.  

Minuses: none, and I do mean none.

Comments: NEVER ON SUNDAY, an exuberant and invigorating comedy, plays like a fairy tale pitting the ambitions of men against the joys of a simple life. Lighthearted, endearing, zany yet utterly believable, Jules Dassin’s film ranks right up there with Billy Wilder's best comedies (IRMA LA DOUCE, among others). If you’re looking for sunshine in our forbidding world, this one won’t disappoint you. OK, fellas, let’s hear some more of that bouzouki music!   

 

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Iris

Genre: biographical drama 

With: Kate Winslet and Judi Dench (a young and older Iris Murdoch), Hugh Bonneville and Jim Broadbent (a young and older John Bayley), Eleanor Bron (the Principal), Angela Morant (the Hostess), Penelope Wilton (Janet Stone)

Director: Richard Eyre

Screenplay: Richard Eyre and Charles Wood, based on two books by John Bayley

Release: 2001

Studio: BBC, Fox Iris Productions et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.4/10 

 

“You must accept what I am. Nothing matters except loving what is good.” 

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Story-line: through multiple flashbacks and flashforwards, IRIS recounts two crucial periods in the lives of writers Iris Murdoch and John Bayley: their early years as a couple and their frightful old age marred by her mental illness.

Pluses: excellent acting by Judi Dench and Kate Winslet (both Oscar-nominated) as two sides of a fiery, daring woman determined to live life to the fullest, valiant turns by Hugh Bonneville and Jim Broadbent (an Oscar winner), a robust and wide-ranging screenplay that dazzles with its witty dialogues and always maintains interest, professional direction and production values, perfect editing (Martin Walsh) and a sad, beautiful musical score by James Horner.

Minuses: a warning to those looking for light entertainment: this sometimes brutal film depicts with uncanny realism the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease and the gruelling task of caregivers.   

Comments: exhilarating at times and heartbreaking at others, IRIS achieves its grand ambitions as it portrays two fascinating intellectuals in full bloom and through their inexorable decay late in life. Especially in these times of tumult and social reassessment, Richard Eyre's work gives us a sterling example of humanity and patience with its ode to great writing and difficult love. 

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French Connection (The)     

Genre: police drama

With: Gene Hackman (Jimmy ‟Popeye” Doyle), Fernando Rey (Alain Charnier), Roy Scheider (Buddy ‟Cloudy” Russo), Tony Lo Bianco (Sal Boca), Marcel Bozzuffi (Pierre Nicoli), Frédéric de Pasquale (Devereaux), Harold Gary (Weinstock), Arlene Farber (Angie Boca), Benny Marino (Lou Boca), Bill Hickman (Mulderig)

Director: William Friedkin

Screenplay: Ernest Tidyman (based on the book by Robin Moore)

Release: 1971

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox, Philip D’Antoni Productions, Schine-Moore Productions

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.7/10 

 

Who’s the Greater Menace to Society? 

 

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Story-line: in Marseilles, Charnier and Nicoli go about their business endeavours (legal and otherwise) in a calculated and professional manner. An ocean away in the Big Apple, NYPD detectives Doyle and Russo scrape by and scour the streets to make drug busts any way they can. Soon enough, these cold crooks and frantic narcs will be drawn together – albeit on opposite sides of the law – by a high-stakes drug deal logically labelled the ‟French connection”.  

Pluses: mind-blowing performances by Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey and Marcel Bozzuffi, an enthralling screenplay featuring memorable characters, mordant dialogues and non-stop action, virile direction, gritty cinematography in all locales, seamless editing, appropriate production values and an efficient musical score (by Don Ellis) that may have inspired the sinister string flourishes of JAWS a few years later.  

Minuses: whatever happened to that poor guy who lent his car to Popeye Doyle? Sorry I asked!

Comments: in THE FRENCH CONNECTION, an engrossing film even for those of us who have little taste for police dramas, Popeye Doyle attains mythical status as a lonely, driven and pathetic figure, a big-city version of Captain Ahab. From its surprising opening scenes to its breathless chases and stunning ending, William Friedkin’s draining thriller remains a Hollywood classic, having garnered 8 Academy Award nominations and 5 Oscars in 1972 (Writing, Lead Actor, Film Editing, Best Picture and Director). Need I say more?

  

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L.627

Genre: police drama 

With: Didier Bezace (Lucien ‟Lulu” Marguet), Cécile Garcia-Fogel (Kathy, Lulu’s wife), Lara Guirao (Cécile, Lulu’s prostitute friend). The members of Lulu’s narcotics squad are: Jean-Paul Comart (Dodo), Charlotte Kady (Marie), Jean-Roger Milo (Manuel), Nils Tavernier (Vincent) and Philippe Torreton (Antoine)

Director: Bertrand Tavernier

Screenplay: Michel Alexandre and Bertrand Tavernier

Release: 1992

Studio: Canal +, Les Films Alain Sarde, Little Bear et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.4/10

  

Of Dope Fiends and Dope Friends 

 

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Story-line: as a narcotics cop, Lulu Marguet doesn’t always follow the rules – hence his transfers from one police unit to another – but he gives his all every time he hits the street. As a private citizen, his life is no less hectic… and worrisome.

Pluses: tour-de-force performances by a charismatic Didier Bezace and an energetic cast, a relentless screenplay loaded with colourful characters and revealing dialogues, vigorous direction by one of France’s most important filmmakers, tight editing, eye-popping cinematography and a frenetic, original-sounding musical score.

Minuses: so you won’t be confused by the rapid stream of characters early on, here are a few pointers: (a) in the first act, the story focuses on Lulu and a bunch of bit players; (b) Cécile and Kathy, seen very briefly in the first act, will be featured more prominently as the story develops; (c) the narcotics squad comes in at around the 30-minute mark. Be advised that this film contains several scenes of police brutality (regrettable but apparently unavoidable) and gut-wrenching action.  

Comments: L.627 was a section of the French Public Health Code that outlawed drug trafficking and other related offences and, according to the screenplay, suspects accused of such offences were submitted to medical monitoring for 24 hours after their arrest. These are just a couple of the many insights to be gained from this hyperactive, adrenalin-pumping movie about police work in the City of Lights. Like his colleagues on the squad, Lulu has to deal with informants, exhausting shifts, drawn-out stakeouts, administrative incompetence, brushes with hardened criminals and a tattered private life. Sounds unpromising? Not so for Bertrand Tavernier (1941-2021), who has painted a riveting and ultimately endearing portrait of one basically good human being facing mayhem each and every day. And it’s quite a feat, actually. 

 

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Un prophète  

English title: A Prophet

Genre: crime drama 

With: Tahar Rahim (Malik El Djebena), Niels Arestrup (César Luciani), Hichem Yacoubi (Reyeb), Jean-Emmanuel Pagni (Santi), Adel Bencherif (Ryad), Pierre Leccia (Sampierro), Reda Kateb (Jordi), Taha Lemaizi (Hassan). Slimane Dazi (Lattrache), Leïla Bekhti (Djamila)

Director: Jacques Audiard

Screenplay: Thomas Bidegain and Jacques Audiard (from an original screenplay by Abdel Raouf Dafri and Nicolas Peufaillit)

Release: 2009

Studio: Why Not Productions, Chic Films et al.

Rating: 16+

MBiS score: 8.6/10 

 

If Some Guy Wants Your Shoes, Don’t Argue 

 

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Story-line: according to French penitentiary rules, Malik, who has just turned 18, must be transferred to a regular corrections center to complete his 6-year term for attacking a policeman. Considering his young age, the transfer entails much more than a change of scenery: he will have to adapt – and the sooner the better – to an adult world in which ethnic rivalries, violence, drugs and survival are constant concerns.   

Pluses: Tahar Rahim's calm and sturdy performance, able support from the intense Niels Arestrup and other cast members, a brutal, complex and realistic screenplay loaded with lively dialogues and scary happenings, fast-paced direction, fine photography, an understated but interesting musical score and a bracing denouement. 

Minuses: so you won't be misled by its title, take note that UN PROPHÈTE, aside from one line of dialogue, does not deal with religious issues. However, it does contain many instances of violence and racial hatred.

Comments: while some offenders find rehabilitation in the penal system, others use it as an alternative venue for criminal activities until their return to the underworld. Such is Malik's dilemma as he is torn between Arab and Corsican convicts whose power games and reward codes can cost you a lot more than whatever sentence you were handed by the judiciary. Astute and astounding, intimidating and implacable, the much-heralded UN PROPHÈTE is by no means a light movie. Let it sink in a while and you will realize how potent it truly is. 

 

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 Hunger

Genre: political drama 

With: Michael Fassbender (Bobby Sands), Liam Cunningham (Father Dominic Moran), Stuart Graham (Raymond Lohan), Liam McMahon (Gerry Campbell), Laine Megaw (Raymond’s wife), Lalor Roddy (William), Brian Milligan (Davey Gillen), Frank McCusker (the Governor), Des McAleer (Mr. Sands, Bobby’s father)

Director: Steve McQueen

Screenplay: Enda Walsh

Release: 2009

Studio: Blast Films, Channel Four, Film4, Northern Ireland Screen et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.1/10 

 

‟Lucky bastard!” 

 

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Story-line: Ireland, 1981. While their country is torn by the Troubles which have raged on for twelve years, IRA detainees at the Maze prison protest against their appalling living conditions and ask British authorities to treat them as political prisoners.

Pluses: fine acting by a skilled cast, brisk direction, a cold and well-written screenplay featuring striking scenes and brutal, ironic, sometimes humorous dialogues (typified by one frank conversation between Bobby Sands and Father Moran), appropriate production values and a potent ending.  

Minuses: even if I didn’t understand all of the political issues raised, I still found great value in this different, gripping film.

Comments: from the very start − when a prison guard checks his car for explosive devices before going to work − you realize that HUNGER was not conceived for light entertainment. Stark, tragic and powerful, Steve McQueen’s film focuses on suffering as one central tenet of human life. In episodes that transcend political causes and everything else, it proves that pain is not useless; it can purify, endure and accomplish great things even in the most unfavourable circumstances (Nelson Mandela’s years at Robben Island is a case in point). For this reason alone − to which you can add its other qualities − HUNGER is a worthwhile and sobering demonstration of human resolve that reminded me of another strong film about Ireland’s struggle, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER. 

 

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