Monday, May 6, 2013
The HBO film 'The Girl' shows the Master of Suspense as a sadist, rapist. But are its merits as a film on par with any of Hitchcock's work?
After watching two films about the life and work of Alfred Hitchcock (Hitchcock and The Girl), my love of the Master of Suspense has been severely tested. The Girl is a HBO movie set around the filming of both The Birds and Marnie, both of which star blonde model Tippi Hedren. Now, I know Hedren has never shied away from claiming Hitchcock was mean to her and a spiteful, nasty person…depicting Hitch as someone who controlled every aspect of Hedren’s life…on and off camera. But, this movie takes “mean and spiteful” to new levels. Hitchcock here is depicted as a sexual deviant and even as a rapist. Most books about Hitch do not portray him as an innocent, kind soul when it comes to ladies, but to make accusations like the ones in this…
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Anthony Hopkins' film portrayal of Hitchcock falls flat, though Helen Mirren nails his wife. Also--to what extent do an artist's personal failings make us want to push them away, and will we lose out on great art?
Where do we draw the line between the person and the artist? Do we boycott Woody Allen films since he married his adopted step-daughter? Do we run away from Roman Polanski films since he has been accused of having sex with a minor? Do we swear off films by Elia Kazan after he sold out friends to the Communist Witch hunts of Joseph McCarthy? If we would alienate all of these film directors films because of their personal (and sometimes illegal, as in the case of Polanski) predilections, we would be missing out on some of the greatest cinema ever. I would have missed seeing Match Point, one of my favorite movies of recent years, if I had stopped seeing Woody Allen films. I would have never watch Polanski’s Frantic on DVD and …
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Margaret Thatcher's passing this week calls to mind the excellent 2011 biopic, in which Meryl Streep did possibly her best work ever.
With the passing of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher this week, I thought I would reminiscence on one of the best biopics of recent years…which happens to be about Dame Thatcher. Not being a Margaret Thatcher fan, I was hesitant about watching The Iron Lady. But, as an Anglophile and a movie geek, it was a must see. Meryl Streep won the 2012 Oscar for Best Actress for her role as the tough, feisty politician. At first, I was SURE she robbed Viola Davis of a well-deserved Oscar for Davis' role in The Help. After seeing The Iron Lady, I know why Streep won and I feel that she rightfully deserved it over Davis. Davis' performance was great, but Streep hits close to perfection with her portrayal of Thatcher. Now I love …
Saturday, February 23, 2013
The Oscar-nominated documentary 'The Invisible War' charts the staggering, traumatic problem of rape, mostly of women, in the U.S. military.
This week, I thought I would review one of two Oscar-nominated documentaries I saw recently: The Invisible War. Will it win on Oscar Night, February 24, 2013? We will just have to wait and see. The Invisible War is a night and day difference from Searching for Sugar Man (which I reviewed last week)…in not only subject but also tone. Sugar Man is never too deep or heavy but Invisible War is weighty right from the start…all of which is attributed to the more serious subject matter of Invisible War…serious, dark, disturbing and all too true, apparently. Earlier: Review of Oscar-nominated Searching for Sugar Man That subject matter is about sexual crimes (mostly against women, but one or two male victims are interviewed as well) in the …
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Director Joe Wright takes a classic novel by Tolstoy and enchants it to fill the needs of today's audience.
I was an Anna Karenina virgin. I walked into the theater knowing two things: One, the film was based on a classic novel by Leo Tolstoy. And two, the book was over 800 pages long and took place in 19th century Russia. I dreaded the film, I dreaded my decision to write a review on it, and I thought I was about to watch something straight out of PBS’ Masterpiece Theatre. I was mistaken on all accounts. For other Karenina virgins like myself, the main story revolves around a young, aristocratic woman named Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley) who falls in love and begins an affair with the eligible Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Once pregnant with his child, she comes clean to her husband (Jude Law) and leaves with Vronsky, though …
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Can the spark be restored in a 31-year-old marriage? How about in a 31-year-old marriage where the cable subscription is considered an anniversary present. Check out our review of 'Hope Springs' here.
Can this relationship be saved? We see this theme everyday whether it be on a movie screen, on a daily talk show or on the shelves at the local book store. Hope Springs brings it to the big screen yet again, but this time it is geared towards an age group audiences rarely see - the "over 55's." And though I have no personal experience in this realm, I am going to bet it is one of the most candid and true-to-life adaptations of marriage ever brought to the big screen. Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) have been married for 31 years. They don’t sleep in the same bed, their morning routine could be timed to a tee, and the only physical intimacy Arnold seems capable of is his cold, brief kiss goodbye on Kay’s cheek every day…
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Gonzalo López-Gallego’s sci-fi thriller offers new take on 'found footage' formula.
When a new mainstream blockbuster isn’t screened for critics, it’s usually a sure sign that the studio has no confidence in the film’s merit. Apollo 18 has all the earmarks of being the sort of mediocre time-waster relegated to the quality dumping ground of early September. One can imagine the filmmakers reciting their pitch for the producers at Dimension Films. “It’s Paranormal Activity in space!” And yet, Apollo 18 is one of the most pleasant surprises in recent months: a genuinely effective thriller that’s unlike anything audiences have seen before. Instead of copying the styles of past shaky-cam shockers, Spanish director Gonzalo López-Gallego (in his English-language debut) puts his own indelible spin on the increasingly fascinating …
Monday, December 6, 2010
Darren Aronofsky's latest movie is a dark, seductive cinematic dance with multiple personalities.
Black Swan is a dizzying and disturbing exercise in art-house horror, but despite some great performances it can't quite hold itself together. It's a film that's lost in wild directorial pirouettes, visceral detail and nightmarish imagery. It may be director Darren Aronofsky's most disturbing film yet, but it's definitely not his strongest, despite the best efforts of his prima ballerina. After a celebrated realistic hiatus with The Wrestler (2008), Aronofsky is back to surrealism. In his latest offering, he examines the psychological underbelly of New York's highly competitive ballet world and the young women who suffer within it. Aronofsky makes the ballet world seem like some evil conspiracy against its delicate ballerinas. It's a …
Virginia Llorca
12:56 am on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Kind of you to bother to rethink it. Accountability is a word that needs to be "tossed" about as much as some others are. more ›