195. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Running Time: 130 minutes
Directed By: Frank Capra
Written By: Philip Van Doren Stern, Frances Goodrich
Main Cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers, Thomas Mitchell
Click here to view the trailer

ON MY JOURNEY I SAW AN ANGEL SAVE A MAN

With the Christmas season officially kicking off yesterday, at about the time Santa Claus was being courted down Main Street, New York City as part of the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I figured it would only be fitting for me to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and allow Jimmy Stewart's George Baily to fill me with holiday spirit.

"What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Mary"

 

George Bailey (Stewart) is the greatest man you'd ever want to meet. He resides in Bedford Falls and even at an early age, he had a penchant for helping people. When he was just twelve-years-old, George jumped into a freezing lake to rescue his little brother Harry, losing the hearing in his left ear. However, George is all grown up now and has big dreams. His plans include traveling the world, going to college and then becoming an architect. George plans to "kick the dust of this crummy little town off his feet" and become somebody - words he tells to Mary Hatch on a romantic evening stroll home from Harry's graduation festivities. On that very same stroll, George finds out, via his Uncle Billy (Mitchell) that his father has had a stroke. His father later dies and George stays behind to see to the family business, the Bailey Bros. Building and Loan. When George gives a passionate speech in front of the board of directors, prompting them to keep the Building and Loan open and reject chief shareholder Mr. Potter's idea of halting home loans for working families, the board agrees - but only if George stays behind to manage the Building and Loan. With the idea that Harry will return home from college in four years and take George's spot, so that he can then commence with his plans, George accepts. However, things continually go unaccording to plan and when Harry returns home, he does so with a new wife and a promising future, one that George doesn't have the heart to dash. Meanwhile, Mary and George's relationship continues to blossom and is the one thing that George can rely on.

SPOILER ALERT!

I'm not one of these people who has seen "It's a Wonderful Life" umpteen times, can quote it and who watches it every single Christmas, come hell or high water. This viewing probably makes my second or third and every time I watch it, I'm a little less than impressed. Sure, it's a Capra picture, starring Jimmy Stewart and it's certainly GOOD, but is it as fantastically, life changing as everyone makes it out to be...not in this movie reviewers eyes. Now, despite those last few sentences, I'll go ahead and tell you now that "It's a Wonderful Life" has, at least, a good shot of making a "Ten Worth Mentioning" spot on my next TOP 20. All I'm saying is that I'm not quite as gaga for it as others. However, much like everyone else, I do love Jimmy Stewart and felt that in "It's a Wonderful Life" he was cast 100% correctly and does a marvelous job portraying down on his luck, everyman George Bailey. Much like "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", Capra lays a lot of ground work in hopes that the finale will payoff the entire movie and all the investment you've put into these characters. I feel that "Mr. Smith" does a better job of paying off the audience and I'm also of the opinion that the ending to "It's a Wonderful Life" is a bit too stretched out and drags on a little too long. George is shown a world in which he never existed, via Clarence and having to listen to him, over and over, refuse to believe that Clarence is genuine or that he's really being shown a George-less world becomes a little tiresome. Then, he finally realizes that it is true, snaps back to reality, runs home and we're finished before you can say "Hark the Herald Angels Sing".

However, Jimmy Stewart does have an uncanny ability to take a script and squeeze every bit of life and raw emotion out of it as possible. He takes what he's given - mere words on a page and truly makes them his own and breathes life into them with his passion. When you talk about great actors and I mean actor's who are on a completely different level than everyone else, then for me Jimmy Stewart is on that level and always will be. Be prepared to whistle or sing "Buffalo Gal Won't You Come Out Tonight" after watching this one and keep your eyes peeled for numerous Stewart speeches and of course, the "Lasso Around the Moon" scene.

RATING: 7/10  Let's play it safe and call it a '7'. I'm not sure if that will stick, as I could see it rising or lowering in due time, but for now it seems about right. Also, in case you weren't aware, "It's a Wonderful Life" is barely a Christmas movie and can probably be enjoyed year round.

MOVIES WATCHED: 586
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 415

November 23, 2012  6:48pm

699. Le dernier combat/The Last Battle (1983)

Running Time: 92 minutes
Directed By: Luc Besson
Written By: Luc Besson, Pierre Jolivet
Main Cast: Pierre Jolivet, Jean Bouise, Fritz Wepper, Jean Reno, Christiane Kruger
Click here to view the trailer

POST-APOCALYPTIC SURVIVAL

With my wife at work, I had a few extra hours to kill before gathering around the dinner table this afternoon, so why not jump in and write the review of the movie I watched last night - "The Last Battle. This is the first Luc Besson film from THE BOOK and unfortunately, the last.

The film takes place in the future, a post-apocalyptic world where everything has been reduced to ruins and we zoom in on a lone man, living in an office building. The film's first shot shows the Man (Jolivet) making love to a blow-up doll, signaling that women in this version of the future may be scarce. We see him scavenging for different materials and ultimately we learn that he's building an airplane. After a while, the Man encounters a group of thugs, killing their leader and inciting a riot among the other thugs. When he returns home, to his office building, he leads the thugs to him and he's chased out of his temporary home, flying away in his homemade airplane. Meanwhile, "The Brute" (Reno) is trying desperately to gain access into a hospital, where a lone doctor (Bouise) is hiding out. The doctor proves to be too intelligent for the Brute though and outwits him at every turn. We're not sure why the Brute wants into the hospital, just that he desperately wishes to gain access. Later, the Man encounters the Brute and is severely wounded. When he goes down a hole to escape the Brute, he finds a secret passageway into the hospital, much to the surprise of the doctor. The doctor invites him in and sees to his injuries, patching him up and welcoming him. What is the doctor harboring and what will happen if the Brute gains access to the hospital? Oh and in this futuristic world, no one can speak...so there's no dialogue in the entire film.

SPOILER ALERT!

I actually started watching this on Tuesday night, but ended up stopping after twenty minutes because I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. It's a good thing I stopped when I did, because I would have ended up hating this one and ultimately, after last night's viewing, I actually really liked it. According to THE BOOK "The Last Battle" was made for next to no money and it just shows what you can do with a good idea and a some talent. This film is actually really a genius idea and yet, it's so simple. At first, I thought the no dialogue thing was going to hurt it for me, because above all else, I love great dialogue in a film. However, I loved the fact that none of the characters spoke, as it only added to the mystique and uniqueness of the whole movie. I thought all of the actors did a really great job. Not being able to express their character's emotions through the use of words must have been difficult, but everyone was on target, especially Pierre Jolivet, whom I loved.

If I had to complain, I'd say that there really didn't seem to be any ultimate goal in the film. Usually when you see a post-apocalyptic film, the characters in it have some sort of goal - they have to search for food, make their way to a power grid or do something that gives their actions meaning. In "The Last Battle", The Man really doesn't have a goal. He's builds an airplane and then he just flies away and eventually lands near the hospital where he has a fight and is picked up by the doctor. However, even that argument became invalid when I read THE BOOK and it was made clear that apparently the doctor was trying to repopulate the world, using the woman he had locked up and the Man. I wasn't really clear on that when I was watching, but THE BOOK pointed it out. That means that the characters actions are deemed valuable, the Brute is clearly labeled as the bad guy, because his attempts to gain access into the hospital were so that he could kill the woman and everyone has a proper place and action.

Anyway, it's a fine film, one that I'd recommend to the right crowd. Some people are going to hate it though, because it's just not a film that's going to appeal to every taste. I'm really surprised that this is the only Luc Besson film in THE BOOK, because people usually go ape for "The Professional" and it was excluded. Not complaining, just surprised. Personally, I was never a huge fan of "The Professional", so I'm good with their choice.

RATING: 7.5/10  Can it make the TOP 20 or Ten Worth Mentioning list or did it arrive too late to really spark something for me? We shall see...

MOVIES WATCHED: 585
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 416

November 22, 2012  11:50am
Happy Thanksgiving

793. Rain Man (1988)

Running Time: 133 minutes
Directed By: Barry Levinson
Written By: Ronald Bass, Barry Morrow
Main Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Jerry Molen, Ralph Seymour
Click here to view the trailer

LEVINSON WEEK: THE CONCLUSION

Right on schedule and just like I announced, two days after it began, "Levinson Week" is already ready to conclude with the watching of "Rain Man" - easily Barry Levinson's best film from THE BOOK and probably his all-time best film.

Charlie Babbitt (Cruise) is a used car salesman who, while on his way to Palm Springs with his girlfriend Susanna (Golino), is given the news that his father has died and is summoned to the funeral and will reading. Charlie had a falling out with his father when he was a teenager and hasn't spoken to him since, but shows up to the reading of the will to see if he was included. At the reading, it is announced that Charlie was given his father's classic Buick Roadmaster and his prized rose bushes. However, his father's $3 million estate was trusted to Wallbrook Mental Institution, so Charlie visits them to find out why. Once there, Charlie learns that one of the patients is actually his brother, whom he never knew he had. His name is Raymond Babbitt (Hoffman) and he's autistic. After spending a few hours with him, Charlie decides to take Raymond with him, without permission, so that he can fight for legal custody of him and hopefully be named the new beneficiary to Raymond's $3 million. Charlie and Raymond take off for Los Angeles, with Raymond fighting Charlie all the way. Raymond is used to certain routine and when that is disrupted he gets antsy, to say the least. When Raymond refuses to fly, Charlie has no other choice but to spend three days in the Buick with Raymond, driving cross country to L.A.. Over the course of the three days, the brother's bond.

 SPOILER ALERT!

I mean, seriously, who the fuck doesn't like Rain Man? The first time I saw "Rain Man" I caught it near the end (somewhere around the hearing at the end, when the doctor asks Ray if he wants to return to Wallbrook or go with Charlie) and just by seeing that little bit, I knew it was something that I'd end up loving, if I ever got to see the whole thing. I eventually did see the whole thing...many times and enjoy it every time I watch it. Why? Mostly because of Dustin Hoffman's performance as Raymond Babbitt. I mean, when you can completely transform yourself into a totally different person, with absolutely no traces of your real self to be found, it's uncanny and amazing and after watching this, there's no denying the abilities and talents of The Hoff. But you know what? I also really like Tom Cruise in this. He, without a doubt, holds his own next to the superstar Dustin Hoffman, knows his part and plays it well. In fact, I just like Tom Cruise - call it a guilty pleasure if you want, but there's just something about the guy that makes me want to pay attention to him. Granted, I hated "Top Gun" earlier this season, but I wouldn't say that was particularly his fault.

The film is your classic piece of Hollywood fodder, but even Hollywood nails it on the head every now and then. In the case of Barry Levinson, I'd say he fell ass backwards into this one and I credit none of my love for this film to him. I have to applaud Hollywood too, for not going with a happy ending. They could've easily had Raymond develop more of an attachment to Charlie, but instead they keep him true to character - a man who doesn't get emotionally attached. I liked that. It made the ending a little more sad. I think we'd all like Raymond to break down, when he boards the train and want to stay with Charlie, but the right call was made and it works out really well.

RATING: 9/10  I just can't go '10', just because. I have nothing special or interesting to say about Barry Levinson so I'll skip my usual "A Word or Two About the Director" thing and just say that I'm kind of glad "Levinson Week" had ended. But seriously, who the fuck doesn't like Rain Man?

MOVIES WATCHED: 584
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 417

November 20, 2012  6:17pm

Wilder Week - COMING SOON

764. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)

Running Time: 119 minutes
Directed By: Barry Levinson
Written By: Mitch Markowitz
Main Cast: Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, Tung Thanh Tran, Chintara Sukapatana, Bruno Kirby
Click here to view the trailer

LEVINSON WEEK: PART THREE

Chugging right along in the "Levinson Week" festivities, we come to Levinson's third feature from THE BOOK, his 1987 offering, "Good Morning, Vietnam".

"Good Morning, Vietnam" tells the story of real life disc jockey Adrian Cronauer (Williams), who is brought into Vietnam (before the crisis escalated) to hopefully boost morale among the troops. Cronauer is known for his comedic talents and plans to bring it all to the radio every morning at six, kicking things off with his signature greeting - "Good Morning, Vietnam!". Of course, this wouldn't be a movie if there wasn't a conflict to be resolved and here we see Cronauer bump heads with the commanding officers and his superiors, who have strict orders for him to watch his language, tone down his brand of comedy and to refrain from playing popular rock songs. To put it into perspective, think Howard Stern - Cronauer is sort of like his generation's Stern, saying what he wants, doing what he wants and having trouble answering to authority. Meanwhile, Cronauer tails a beautiful Vietnamese girl (Sukapatana) around town, hoping to get a date, but instead following her into an English class, where he winds up becoming the new teacher. He also befriends her brother, Tuan (Tran).

Guess what? I didn't laugh once! Is it just me or did anyone else think that Levinson should have pried the cocaine out of Robin Williams' hands before shooting? I mean, I just do not find the guy funny and he was more of an annoyance than a joy. I also didn't care for the unique mix of comedy and drama, as it just didn't work for me. For some reason, when I think Robin Williams, I think pure, strict comedy. I don't know why, because the guy's been in just as many drama's as he has comedies, but I just can't seem to buy him as a serious actor. Therefore, when I see him touring the Vietnamese war sites in "Good Morning, Vietnam", it comes off like a fish out of water. In the radio booth, Williams is himself, but he's far too erratic for my tastes and it was like listening to seventy-five alarm clocks going off right in your ear. If THE BOOK insisted on including a Robin Williams picture, they would've been better off including something like "Insomnia" or "One Hour Photo" if they wanted him serious or "The Birdcage" if they wanted strict comedy. 

Also, we all know how I feel about war films, so there's that and even the cast was a bust here, with talented men like Forest Whitaker barely being able to show his talents and serving as a sidekick for Williams' Cronauer. You know, watching all these Levinson films in a row is really putting things into perspective. I've always thought of Levinson as a talented filmmaker, yet he clearly isn't (at least as far as my tastes are concerned). Anyway, there's only one Levinson film left and if it holds up, it should be a nice conclusion for Barry.

RATING: 4/10  Not for me, in the slightest. Next up in "Levinson Week": "Rain Man".

MOVIES WATCHED: 583
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 418

November 19, 2012  1:58pm

720. The Natural (1984)

Running Time: 137 minutes
Directed By: Barry Levinson
Written By: Roger Towne, Phil Dusenberry, from novel by Bernard Malamud
Main Cast: Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, Wilford Brimley
Click here to view the trailer

LEVINSON WEEK: PART TWO

Sometimes my "one week" director tributes end up getting stretched over two or three weeks, but expect "Levinson Week" to be wrapped up in a matter of two - three days, as I flip my switch to blitz mode and rocket through these remaining movies of the season.

I've been looking forward to watching "The Natural" ever since I did a double shot of Newman and Redford back in February 2011. In Barry Levinson's 1984 feature, Redford stars as Roy Hobbs, a baseball prodigy who picks up the game at a young age, being taught how to handle and hit a ball with uncanny accuracy by his since deceased father. When he's on the cusp of breaking into baseball and becoming the greatest player to ever play the game, he is shot by a crazed woman in black (Barbara Hershey) and his dreams are dashed, before anyone ever knows his name. Sixteen years later Hobbs re-enters the baseball diamond as a right fielder for the New York Knights, despite hesitancy from Coach Pop Fisher (Brimley), who is reluctant to let a thirty-five year old rookie play for his team. Pop benches Hobbs, that is until he sees him hit one day and realizes that Hobbs has magic capabilities, complete with a magic bat - "Wonder Boy". From here, standard sports movie rules apply as Hobbs takes the last place Knights and turns them into a sensational team, all the while being at the center of a scandal that threatens to see Pop lose his shares of the Knights to an evil judge, unless he can win the pennant. Meanwhile, Hobbs falls under the spell of the not so innocent damsel Memo Paris (Basinger) and reunites with his teenage love Iris (Close), all the while being chased by crooked sports columnist Max Mercy (Duvall).

SPOILER ALERT!

Perhaps the biggest disappointment since "The Hustler", "The Natural" had me ready to throw in the towel by about the ninety minute mark, as this movie played out like a baseball game that went into unwarranted extra innings. THE BOOK doesn't make not of any flaws (except to point out that the  style is hardly realistic) and only points out the fine ensemble cast as the reason for this film's inclusion. I'm right there with them on that note, agreeing 100% about the ultra fine cast. Robert Redford, of course, heads up the group and I can definitively say that Robert Redford is a favorite of mine. You won't hear me complaining about Robert Duvall, Wilford Brimley or Darren McGavin either, as they all were right on key, turning in fine performances and supporting Redford beautifully. Also, if you don't blink, you'll catch glimpses of Michael Madsen and Joe Don Baker, who also do a fine job adding a little something to the cast list. As for the ladies, Kim Basinger has never impressed me in anything she's done and while I am a fan of Glenn Close, I didn't care for her here. I'd much rather see Close portraying an evil or psychotic woman (ie. "Fatal Attraction" or "Dangerous Liaisons").

Sports movies are a tough one for me, because the way I see it you've only got two choices for an ending. Either the team loses the big game or they win the big game. For years and years, the cliche ending was, of course, to have the team triumph in the end, win the pennant/Superbowl/World Series/playoffs/match and close the movie while the team celebrated, hoisting the main character (because he's the one that hit/threw the game winning point) onto their shoulders as the film fades to black. In more recent years and with films like the remake of "Bad News Bears" or "Friday Night Lights", it has become more commonplace for the main team to lose, a device used only for the intention of throwing the audience and trying too hard to be original. I'm begging to see a sports movie where they go for secret option #3, where the big game gets rain delayed and the team neither wins, nor loses.

I was having a good time with "The Natural". They were throwing me curve balls for a while there (no pun intended). I didn't see Barbara Hershey's character pulling a gun coming, nor was I able to predict Bump Bailey's death. However, once Hobbs joined the team and was put into the game, the rest of the movie was pretty much a paint by numbers model and the ending had home run written all over it. However, the formula was working just fine, outstanding even, but the addition of the corrupt judge storyline and the overly melodramatic ending, with Hobbs' son (whom he'd never met) and Iris in the stands and donning his bloodstained jersey, he nails a home run into the lights, blowing them up and rounding the bases while electricity blows up overhead...it was all way too much! Redford is great, in fact most of the cast is great and for a while the movie works really well. However, certain pieces of the plot and the length work against the picture and ultimately it doesn't stand out.

RATING: 6.5/10  Uh oh, Levinson seems to be stuck on a '6.5' with only two movies left to get him out of his rut. Plus, I too am in a rut, not having seen a really decent movie since "Brazil" and in dire need of being blown away. "Rain Man" can't get hear soon enough! Next up in "Levinson Week": "Good Morning Vietnam" - oh yay...more war!

MOVIES WATCHED: 582
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 419

November 19, 2012  2:50am

687. DINER (1982)

Running Time: 110 minutes
Directed By: Barry Levinson
Written By: Barry Levinson
Main Cast: Mickey Rourke, Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Kevin Bacon, Tim Daly
Click here to view the trailer

LEVINSON WEEK: PART ONE

Sure, Barry Levinson isn’t the biggest name in the movie industry and making him my final tribute of the season is a bit of a lackluster send off. However, he IS the director of “Rain Man” and that, in my book, garners him, at least, a few points.

In detailing the plot of “Diner” it would be easier for me to list the primary characters and talk about each of their roles and since I’m in the home stretch, I’m all about making things as easy as possible. Why would it be easier? Because the film is really only about a group of friends who spend a lot of their time hanging out at a “Diner”. There’s many different plotlines and the film lacks a complete, central story, therefore, outlining each character and talking about their role in the film makes sense:

Robert “Boogie” Sheftell (Mickey Rourke): Boogie is a compulsive gamble who spends his days working at a hair salon and his nights attending law school. Over the course of the film, Boogie makes a bet, loses a bet and fears for his life when he realizes he can’t come up with the $2000 to pay his bookie. Meanwhile, he also bets with his friends about how far he can get on his dates with Carol Heathrow.

Edward “Eddie” Simmons (Steve Guttenberg): Eddie is engaged and lives with his mother. He sleeps until two in the afternoon and has hesitancy about his impending nuptials. He’s also a big Baltimore Colts fan (the film is set in the 50s, in case I forgot to mention that) and before he’ll marry his fiancé, Elyse, he plans to make her take a football quiz.

Laurence “Shrevie” Schreiber (Daniel Stern): I’ve always been a big Daniel Stern fan and am of the opinion that he was a severely underutilized actor. Sure, he got breaks in “Home Alone” and on “The Wonder Years”, but I feel he could’ve gone a bit further. Shrevie is the only married man of the group, but his marriage isn’t all roses and kittens. He misses the days when he courted his then girlfriend/now wife and dreads the mundane life that his marriage provides him with.

Timothy “Fen” Fenwick Jr. (Kevin Bacon): Bacon looks super young here. Fen doesn’t have much of a role in the film, he’s kind of just there. He drinks a lot, starting early in the morning and finishing…early in the morning.

Modell (Paul Reiser): Apparently Levinson ran out of time and didn’t have time to think up a proper name for Reiser’s character. Ahh the 80s, when Resier starred in multiple “must see” movies (see “Beverly Hills Cop”). Again, Modell is kind of just there. He has a few idiosyncrasies, which the group love and hate him for and I swear, I thought for sure that Levinson was going to develop a homosexual relationship between him and Eddie….not that there’s anything wrong with that!

William “Billy” Howard (Tim Daly): I always wanted to check out the TV show “Wings”, yet as I write this I’ve never seen a full episode. Billy is the oldest of the group and is in love with a girl, who announces that she’s pregnant, but really wants nothing to do with Billy. He spends the film sulking about that.

So there you have it, that’s the cast and I have to say that the film really comes off like the extended pilot episode of a new television series. Like I said, there really isn’t any sort of point A to point B plot and rather, the film is filled with a bunch of little vignettes and antecdotes. Also, “Diner is VERY formulaic and nothing much really happens to these people, nor am I truly convinced that I should even care what happens to them. Why do these characters deserve my time and attention, what’s so special about their story that I should watch? When the most gripping idea you have for me is a gambler’s inability to pay his bookie and a newlywed’s cold feet, then you really need to go back to the drawing board and come up with something that hasn’t been done thousands of times in the past. Oh and did anyone else think they were going to kill someone off at the end? Man, I really thought I had this film pegged and I really thought we’d be seeing a funeral scene. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

I’m not saying that the movie is particularly bad. It runs it’s course and it’s not THAT offensive. Nothing happens, but unless you put a lot of thought into that, it’s not easily noticeable. The acting isn’t particularly good (I just can’t believe that I’m forced to include Steve Guttenberg’s name on a blog that has , multiple times, also included the name Henry Fonda…*sigh*), but Mickey Rourke isn’t bad and it makes you happy that he’s had a career resurgence lately. Kevin Bacon holds his own too and it’s easy to see that these two would be the two that would shine the brightest, out of all these supposed stars. Oh and Ellen Barkin’s in the cast too (as Shrevie’s wife) and it made me wonder whatever happened to her? Has she been around and I just missed her, or did she fall off the face of the Earth? She was certainly a looker in the 80s and makes me wish that THE BOOK had included a personal favorite of mine – “Sea of Love”.

RATING: 6.5/10  Lets call that a review. “Diner” is an okay movie, but I expected more from the director of “Rain Man”. Next up in “Levinson Week”: “The Natural”. 

MOVIES WATCHED: 581

MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 420

November 17, 2012  8:01pm