Tag: movie review

Movie Review: The Ultimate Gift (2007)

The Ultimate Gift (2007)

3 out of 5 stars

I added this DVD to my Netflix Queue back in late July.  Terry and I found nothing worthy of watching on DirecTV (live or via DVR) last night so I slipped in this DVD for a Sunday evening viewing.

I thought of giving this movie higher marks, because it succeeded in making me care about Emily, Alexia and even Jason.  But it failed on its message.  I applaud and approve of the Twelve Gifts, but found at least two vital ones missing and a third implied one that galled me.

Death underlay the entire plot, starting with the death of Red Stevens, followed by the knowledge that his son died when Jason (his grandson) was about seven or eight.  Emily is dying and we meet her at Red’s funeral, although no explanation is given why an unrelated little girl with a pink umbrella is attending the funeral of one of the wealthiest men in America.  Security must have been preoccupied by a Westboro protest.   With all this death, the Gift of Life should have been an obvious addition to the list.

In the midst of Jason’s Gift of Learning month, he seeks his father’s plane crash site in the Central American jungle, despite warnings of lethal drug lord patrols and occupation.  Predictably, Jason and his reluctant guide are kidnapped and held captive, presumably for ransom, with a threat of execution if the money is too long in arriving.  In a cruel twist, the captors remove the prisoners from their cells for Christmas Day and invite them to join in their drunken celebrations.  Afterwards, they are returned to their cells with the gift of knowing they will die the next day.  Again, death looms, but the Gift of Freedom seems most precious when it is taken from you.

But what disappointed me most about the entire message boiled down to Jason receiving his reward in a textbook happy ending.  Yes, he learned his lesson(s).  I just don’t agree that any earthly reward should be expected.  My BFF died for me, and may/would have gone to Hell for me.  I should strive to do no less than Him.  That doesn’t mean I will succeed, and I am most assuredly doomed to failure, but I need no material motivation to do what is good and true and right.

Despite the film’s shortcomings, the acting by the main players was above par.  Especially, Abigail Breslin, whom I recognized from Signs fame.  Drew Fuller sported the worst haircut or hairstyle of any supposedly rich brat I’ve ever seen in a movie, but his performance overcame that handicap and then some.   I enjoyed seeing Brian Dennehy and James Garner as well.

A family friendly film that you’ll need a Kleenex or two for (unless you’re completely oblivious to children dying of leukemia).

Movie Review: Jesse James (1939)

Jesse James (1939)

3 out of 5 stars

One of the few color films I’ve watched since returning to the Turner Classic Movies channel.  This airing happened to be a premeire for the TCM channel, the first time they’d ever shown the film.    Released the same year as The Wizard of Oz, by a still young 20th Century Fox, Jesse James starred then leading man Tyrone Power as Jesse and Henry Fonda as his brother, Frank James.  Jesse’s love interest, played by Nancy Kelly, garnered more screen time than Henry Fonda, though.

Filmed in Missouri, but not in the James boys’ home town of Kearney, which is just on the other side of North Kansas City from where I live on the Kansas side of the metro area.  Even in the 1930s, Kearney proved to be too modern for the production, so they decided to use Pineville, in the southwestern corner of the state, near the Oklahoma and Arkansas borders.  Ah, Missouri, the only state that borders eight other states.

The treatment of the horses during this film appalled me.  I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who became outraged.  Apparently, this film proved the straw that broke the camels back: “The film gained a measure of notoriety, however, for a scene in which a horse falls to its death down a rocky slope toward the end of the film. This scene was one of many cited by the American Humane Association against Hollywood’s abuse of animals, and led to the association’s monitoring of filmmaking.” (Animal Cruelty, Jesse James Wikipedia article)

Not the best western I’ve ever watched, but not the worst either.  Fun to see so many big name actors early in their careers.  I can officially say I’ve seen a movie starring Randolph Scott now.

And that just reminded me of endless hours on summer vacation in an old van driving across the desert southwest.  My mom would pop in an eight track tape of one of her favorite bands, The Statler Brothers, and I’d here songs like this one called “Whatever Happened to Randolph Scott?”

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJlD5roDqNw?rel=0&w=640&h=480]

Movie Review: Days of Wine and Roses (1962)

Days of Wine and Roses (1962)

4 out of 5 stars

When I recorded this movie to my DVR from the Turner Classic Movie channel last week, I didn’t read the synopsis.  I grew up listening to Henry Mancini vinyls my parents owned, and learned to play (and sing) on the piano, at an early age the song ‘The Days of Wine and Roses.’  I did review the rating provided by DirecTV (two ratings actually provided by different services, one of which I believe is Rotten Tomatoes) and noted it received high marks.

After dinner last night, I decided to watch the movie.  Terry had slipped into a food coma while we watch the latest Warehouse 13 episode so I thought it was safe to start a black-and-white movie with the volume turned down a bit, turning closed captioning on to catch any whispered conversations.  I soon realized the story was not what I thought it would be, not that I had any idea what it should have been.  The tone seemed a bit dark even for the early 60s.  But I don’t mean dark as in murder or torture or rape, but the slow, sinister destruction of a bright young couple in the immutable grip of alcoholism.  Fascinating, but unsettling, to watch.  Both Lemmon and Remick deserve their awards and accolades for their performances.

The musical score disappointed.  Aside from the constant repeating motif of the ‘Days of Wine and Roses’ melody, not much music intruded into the drama.  I assume all the music heard at the cocktail parties was composed by Mancini and provided an appropriate jazzy background ambiance.

Robert Osbourne commented that during the filming of Days of Wine and Roses, Lemmon’s father’s health to a turn for the worst.  Lemmon would spend the evenings after shooting at the hospital and before production wrapped up, his father passed away.

During and after the filming:  “Director Blake Edwards became a non-drinker a year after completing the film and went into substance recovery. He said that he and Jack Lemmon were heavy drinkers while making the film. Edwards used the theme of alcohol abuse often in his films, including: 10 (1979), Blind Date (1987) and Skin Deep (1989). Both Lemmon and Remick sought help from Alcoholics Anonymous long after they had completed the film. Lemmon revealed to James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio his past drinking problems and his recovery. The film had a lasting effect in helping alcoholics deal with their problem. Today, Days of Wine and Roses is required viewing in many alcoholic and drug rehabilitation clinics across America.” (Wikipedia article, Filming section).

When Terry woke up, about halfway through the film, at about the point where things really start spiraling downward for the Clays, he got up and made a couple of frozen strawberry lemonades.  He couldn’t resist adding some vodka.  I couldn’t resist the sarcasm … here we were, watching a couple destroy themselves and their relationships with each other, their children, their family, their friends, with alcoholism, and we were drinking alcohol while watching this unfold.

To put this in a bit of perspective, the vodka we bought was the first liquor we’ve purchased in several years.  We normally buy some hard lemonade, wine or beer, once or twice a quarter, which sits in the refrigerator taking up space until we might remember to grab one on a weekend.  The frozen strawberry lemonade tastes wonderful with or without the vodka.

But still, really, I could have smacked him.

Movie Review: Captains Courageous (1937)

Captains Courageous (1937)

4.5 out of 5 stars

I’m taking full advantage of TCM finally making the leap to HD quality broadcasting.  I have hours and hours of four and five star movies already recorded.  If only I didn’t need to sleep. 

I started watching Captains Courages late Sunday morning.  Terry joined me about halfway through, which prompted me to provide a recap of the first half of the movie.  So many great actors appear in this film:  Spencer Tracy, Lionel Barrymore, John Carradine, Mickey Rooney and of course Freddie Bartholomew.  But the story, written originally by Rudyard Kipling, provided the wind to the actors’ sails in this must-see family adventure classic. 

I haven’t read Kipling’s Captains Courageous, but I plan to download an ebook edition from Project Gutenberg or Feedbooks in the near future and compare the original publication to the screen adapation.  Interestingly, and sadly, Kipling passed away the year before this film was released to theatres.

Movie Review: 36 Hours (1965)

36 Hours (1965)

4 out of 5 stars

I liked this film quite a bit.  Starring such well known actors as “James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, and Rod Taylor. … On 2 June 1944, a German army doctor tries to obtain vital information from an American military intelligence officer by convincing him that it is 1950 and World War II is long over.”  (Wikipedia contributors. “36 Hours.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 23 Jul. 2012. Web. 25 Aug. 2012.)

Terry joined me for the last half of the film and it kept his interest, which is saying quite a bit for the black-and-white format.  I actually liked the quality of the cinematography, as I’m paying particular attention to gray scale presently as I start learning to sketch with pencil.

In reading through the Background list in the Wikipedia article, I see that science fiction television took this plot and ran with it (ST:TOS, ST:TNG, Mission: Impossible, Buzz Lightyear, etc.).  By the end of the movie, I wondered if James Garner’s characer would ever trust a clock or a calendar again.

Movie Review: The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

The Ox-Box Incident (1943)

3.5 out of 5 stars

Another highly acclaimed western which had the misfortune of releasing the same year as Casablanca.  Not your typical western either.

I spend Sunday afternoons reviewing the upcoming schedule on TCM for likely recordable prospects for the DVR.  I also review their website and send e-mail alerts to myself if the movie I want to watch happens to be scheduled more than two weeks out (the DVR only has fourteen days with of programming at any given time).  The guide on the DVR showed a 94% approval rating and close to a five star rating for The Ox-Bow Incident, so I made sure I got it recorded.

I thought the film very well done.  All the performance appeared to be above par and it was interesting to see Harry Morgan and Anthony Quinn.  The only time I struggled to believe the character came when the letter contents were revealed to the audience.  I could not connect the dots between the man I saw protrayed and the writer of that letter.  No man about to die would write these words to his wife.  Some of them yes, but he would not philosophize to the extent presented in the movie.

Contents of letter from one victim (Martin) to his wife:

“My dear Wife, Mr. Davies will tell you what’s happening here tonight. He’s a good man and has done everything he can for me. I suppose there are some other good men here, too, only they don’t seem to realize what they’re doing. They’re the ones I feel sorry for. ‘Cause it’ll be over for me in a little while, but they’ll have to go on remembering for the rest of their lives. A man just naturally can’t take the law into his own hands and hang people without hurtin’ everybody in the world, ’cause then he’s just not breaking one law but all laws. Law is a lot more than words you put in a book, or judges or lawyers or sheriffs you hire to carry it out. It’s everything people ever have found out about justice and what’s right and wrong. It’s the very conscience of humanity. There can’t be any such thing as civilization unless people have a conscience, because if people touch God anywhere, where is it except through their conscience? And what is anybody’s conscience except a little piece of the conscience of all men that ever lived? I guess that’s all I’ve got to say except kiss the babies for me and God bless you. Your husband, Donald.”

I would have found it much more believable had everything from ‘A man just naturally can’t take the law’ to ‘that ever lived?’ had been deleted.  That whole middle section screams philosophy, not undying love for your spouse.  I’m not saying I don’t agree with the contents, I just don’t believe a dying (about to be murdered) man would write it to his wife.

Movie Review: They Were Expendable (1945)

They Were Expendable (1945)

3 out of 5 stars

Not exactly what I expected from a Ford/Wayne film.  Not sure why Donna Reed even bothered to appear in it.

Filmed during WWII, but released after the war ended.  I just didn’t connect with the characters.  I need to find a better or different film to get a feel for our fight in the Pacific (outside of Pearl Harbor films).

It felt war weary, although it was about the Battle of the Philippines early in WWII.

Similar to The Desert Fox, the musical score made heavy uses of the Navy Song “Anchors Aweigh” and the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”  I did tear up when I heard “Taps” played on a harmonica for a slap-dash funeral of two crewman of Wayne’s destroyed PT boat.

Movie Review: The Desert Fox (1951)

The Desert Fox (1951)

4 out of 5 stars

I nearly jumped for joy when DirecTV announced the arrival of a ‘new’ HD channel to their line-up:  TCM (Turner Classic Movies).  I much prefer to watch ‘old’ movies when I get a chance.  Just like ‘old’ books, there are so many lost gems to be found, read (or watched).  I spent thirty minutes scrolling through two weeks worth of schedule, seeking the four and five star treasures among the chaff of late night B (or C) 1950s science fiction or horror films.  By the way, if you’re a Johnny Weismuller fan, you might want to check out this Friday’s Tarzan marathon. But I digress.

One of the first movies I flagged to record happened to be The Desert Fox.  I knew some of the highlights of Rommel‘s military career as a field marshal, especially in North Africa, and his mysteriously in congruent and quiet death late in World War II.  Released just six years after the war ended, 20th Century Fox took a risk in filming from the point of view of the enemy, albeit of a highly and widely respected man.

I thought the film held up well (being over sixty years old now).  Jessica Tandy gave a superb and convincing  portrayal of Rommel’s wife as well as James Mason as Rommel.  Actual vintage war footage appeared throughout the film, include a brief clip of Eisenhower addressing the troops, presumably on D-Day.

And speaking of D-Day, the musical score during the war footage flashback montage started off with the Air Force anthem, ‘Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder’ (when depicting the air raids), and switched to the Nay anthem, ‘Anchors Aweigh’ (when depicting the mighty guns of the battleships pounding the European coast).  I did not discern either the Army song or the Marine’s Hymn, but probably just lost track of the melodies amidst the bombardments.

I have added Desmond Young’s biography of Rommel to my ‘To Read’ list.  Unfortunately, it’s not yet available (and may never be made available) in ebook format, but my local library in Leavenworth has a hardcover print copy available and waiting for me on the shelf.  It seems to be surprisingly short (under three hundred pages), so would make a quick read on a weekend.  A bit of trivia as respects the movie, The Desert Fox: the author, Desmond Young, appeared in the film as himself.  He actually met Rommel, briefly, as a soldier in the Indian Army, when he became  a prisoner of war in the North African theater.

Movie Review: The Conspirator (2011)

The Conspirator (2011)

4 out of 5 stars

At one point in my life I probably knew that the first woman executed in the United States was a member of the ring of conspirators who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.  I’ve slept since then and forgotten all I might have known beyond remembering that John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln and that the term ‘Your name is Mudd’ has it’s origins from that event.

I did not know, however, that Mary Surrat was tried in a military court martial, where the presumption of guilt (not innocence) presides and the rules of evidence are less stringent than a civilian court of law.

The Civil War (and it’s aftermath) have never held my historical attention like 20th century wars seem to (especially World War II).  Even living in northeastern Kansas, near the legacy of John Brown and the Lawrence Massacre by Quantrill, I tend to turn a blind eye to that time period.

But I can see parallels to our own times, one hundred and fifty years later, in the aftermath of 9/11 and our treatment of the accused (presumption of innocence, imprisonment with benefit of habeas corpus and trial by a jury of your peers).  The Patriot Act is not so far removed from what Lincoln signed into law in 1863 or what Woodrow Wilson signed during World War I.  Sadly, we did this to ourselves (the Civil War and afterwards).

This film kept my interest as well as any court room drama does, regardless of what century you place it in.  Frederick Aiken’s closing statement in Mary Surrat’s defense enthralled me.

The BluRay also included a 67 minute documentary (as well as other extras) that provided further historical background about the conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln.

Movie Review: One for the Money (2012)

One for the Money (2012)

3 out of 5 stars

I can count on one hand (well, half a hand) the number of movies produced by Lionsgate that I enjoyed (most of them I couldn’t finish).  The most recent one I liked was Man on a Ledge and before that it was Conan, but only barely.  So I had a chip on my shoulder when I started watching One for the Money earlier this week.  I convinced myself I would not like the film but soon found myself laughing and forgetting the whole Lionsgate bad reputation stigma.

I only scratched my head once in confusion during the movie.  And it had nothing to do with the plot and everything to do with a t-shirt Katherine Heigl wore early in the movie.  Why would a girl from Jersey (where the movie was set) be wearing a University of Kansas t-shirt?  I even checked Heigl’s biography at IMDB.com but could find no trace of her being from Kansas, or attending KU, or having any ties to my home state whatsoever.  Perhaps the director is a fan?

Wardrobe malfunctions aside, the movie was funny and predictable, and I didn’t mind wasting my time watching it.  A little brevity goes a long way during the dog days of Summer.