The Philadelphia Story is a classic, enchanting romantic comedy that has gone down in history as one of the much-loved romantic comedies of all time.
I will admit that because the film is decades old it has lost some of its charm and appeal, but the abilities of the actors is what truly carries this movie.
Based on a Broadway play, The Philadelphia Story is about a spoiled young woman named Tracy (Hepburn) who is engaged to marry stuffy upper class executive George (Howard). But soon Tracy's ex-husband Dexter (Grant) enters the picture as the wedding day approaches, as well as a charismatic newspaper spy (Stewart) who is hired to take pictures and grab an interesting scoop on the wedding. The wedding attracts a lot of attention from the media, and Dexter invites journalists from Spy magazine into Tracy's estate to record events leading up to the wedding in an attempt to get revenge on Tracy for their break-up many years ago.
For a classic, this love triangle in a romantic comedy is quite sophisticated. The snappy dialogue flows fantastically from scene to scene, accompanied by classy direction from George Cukor.
My only complaint: the film didn't have enough to keep my interest throughout the running time. There just wasn't enough substance to sustain interest in the viewer for the full 110 minutes.
One of the film's strengths is its tendency to steer away from conventions and predictability, but maybe a few of these thrown in could have made the film a bit more entertaining. But don't think I'm looking for some mindless Hollywood romantic comedy - most of which I detest - but I'd much prefer a bit more substance to keep my interest. Even after saying that, I will admit laughing at some of the witty dialogue delivered by some talented actors.
Cary Grant is at his usual high standard here, as is Katharine Hepburn. James Stewart, in his Oscar-winning role, plays a very fascinating fast-talking (!) reporter.
Overall, I found The Philadelphia Story to be pure classic cinema from the golden age of MGM studios. It's appealing, albeit dated, and very well crafted. A must for film buffs.
Classic romantic comedy
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Brilliant biopic...
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Ray is a film that instigated a craze of music-orientated biopics in Hollywood, and there's little wonder considering the quality we're presented with here.
Before this film, Jamie Foxx had a limited number of memorable performances on his résumé. Suffice to say, Foxx proved an able actor and delivers a truly outstanding performance. Throughout the whole movie he seems like Ray Charles. He physically looks like him and talks like him. The resemblance is uncanny. The man we see on screen does not appear to be Jamie Foxx; it feels like it's actually Ray Charles. It's no wonder that Foxx got an Oscar for his remarkable portrayal.
Ray is the story of the life and career of singer Ray Charles - a man who lived an extraordinary life. The film traces his humble beginnings when he sang in night clubs right up to his clash with fame and creating a title for himself as one of the most legendary soul performers in music history.
One of the more interesting aspects of his life that the film examines is the man's drug addiction and the problems it posed towards his career. The sound editing also won an Oscar, and there's little wonder why it did. Whenever we see the character of Ray singing, the words appear to be in perfect sync with his mouth. Although Foxx never actually sang the songs himself, but rather used recordings of the real Ray Charles singing, you would never notice.
The whole film is made even more heart-wrenching during the tragic scenes, especially with the thought in mind that it actually happened. The whole film is made in an engaging style, and it's filmmaking at its finest.
Truthfully, I was never really a Ray Charles fan before watching this movie. But after this experience I felt compelled to begin listening to some of his songs, and now it's impossible not to enjoy the man's music. Kerry Washington and Regina King both are stunning here as the leading ladies in Ray's life. And with each new character added to the story, the performance from the respective actors is tremendous.
Ray is a cinematic masterpiece. The whole film is brilliant, heart-wrenching and powerful. Quite simply, this film cannot be missed. The real Ray Charles died during production.
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A potent, powerful narrative
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Truman Capote painstakingly wrote a non-fiction novel of the true story surrounding the brutal slaughter of a Kansas family in their home. This novel was a literature masterpiece that is still widely acclaimed to this day. The novel was titled In Cold Blood and was the source material for this film of the same name.
The true story that is told in the movie: Perry Smith (Blake) and Dick Hickox (Wilson) were convinced (by Hickox's former cell mate) that a wealthy family in Kansas possessed a safe containing $10,000. Driven by the promise of cash they drove several hundred miles to the home. On November 14, 1959, the two men broke into the Kansas farmhouse belonging to the Clutter family. Failing to find the safe, they killed all four members of the much-respected Clutters.
The film chronicles the lead-up, then the aftermath of the murder. The men are on the run as they travel first to Mexico before returning to the United States where they are eventually caught. The other half of the film tells the story of their conviction and subsequent execution. While we see Perry and Dick on the run we are also shown the other side of the story; the investigation by Kansas Bureau of Investigation (they are called this because the FBI did not approve of the script) as they work to find the identities of the men who committed such a heinous crime.
Some criticism the film received (from dumb audiences) is in relation to the film following the two men who executed a horrendous crime. Why are we supposed to care about them? It's very straightforward - the men are not shown as psychopaths or deranged killers. There is no need. In real life the men were ordinary and real. This makes the film even more chilling; that individually they are two personalities incapable of conceiving the crime. But together they form a third personality that committed the quadruple homicide.
In Cold Blood is a character film that boasts several fine performances. Robert Blake's performance is iconic and flawless. I was immediately engaged in everything he was doing. And the final shot of the movie really hit home. Blake is truly electrifying. The poignancy of his portrayal broke me down to tears. He is matched by an equally superb performance from Scott Wilson as his partner Hickox. Both men never appear to be acting; they are wholly believable and engaging. For a few times during the film I forgot I was watching a movie.
The direction and cinematography assisted in this feeling as well. Using grainy black and white photography almost makes it appear to be archive footage. The film has been tagged as a "semi-documentary" because it frankly feels like a documentary rather than a staged movie. The writer/director Richard Brooks created an unnerving atmosphere. This is definitely one of his best movies. His script was naturalistic and exceptional; even finding space for some sneaky film references (such as Blake talking about The Treasure of the Sierra Madre). Topped off beautifully with a jazzy score courtesy of Quincy Jones. The score really helps to establish the atmosphere as well.
Overall, In Cold Blood is a powerful and compelling experience that tells a truly fascinating story. Like the book, the film is a documentary-style narrative that portrays the characters exactly how they were without being over-the-top or typical Hollywood. In this day and age it's very hard to find a movie as moving and potent as this sublime production. In a nutshell: In Cold Blood cannot be missed at any cost. The story of Capote writing his novel is told in the film Capote.
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Essential classic film.
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The Hustler is another classic film that reminds audiences that lots of the world's greatest movies are filmed in black and white. The film is an atmospheric adaptation of a novel by Walter Tevis.
At first glance the film superficially looked like a simple film about pool. That assumption is only half true. While the film does revolve around the game of pool the film is about something a lot deeper - human nature, strength of character and the negatives of gambling.
The Hustler introduces us to the central character; Fast Eddie Felson (Newman). Eddie is a swaggering small-time hustler who makes his money by suckering people into a high stakes game of pool that he can easily win.
His luck soon changes when he and his partner walk into a pool facility that gives people the opportunity to shoot a few games of pool. Eddie is pitted against Minnesota Fats (Gleason), but his greed gets the better of him. The rest of the film stems off of that initial game of pool against Fats. Eddie meets an array of new people who teach him quite a bit about life.
The film features yet another memorable, magnificent performance from Paul Newman. His character of Fast Eddie Felson is an anti-hero for sure. There are several disagreeable character traits exhibited throughout the film - he's greedy, boastful and a drunk - but somehow Newman manages to allow the audience to empathise with him. Eddie is a despicable character; however Newman's portrayal can't be faulted. He displays an assortment of different emotions expressed during the film. When he's sober he appears quite calm. A few drinks guzzle down his throat and suddenly he becomes a different person. For scenes that call for it, Newman is absolutely exhilarating.
Other important characters include a girl named Sarah Packard (Laurie); a girl that Eddie meets by chance. Laurie had her moments to shine; especially when she appears distraught or simmering with anger. George C. Scott is stimulating and riveting as a gambler who teaches Eddie how to win when it really matters. The icing on the cake was Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats. Fats is not a significant character, but an important symbol. Gleason truly is remarkable in this movie.
The technical aspect of The Hustler is flawless. I was captivated when a pool game was being played. The cinematography in particular was outstanding. An Oscar was earned for the cinematography and there is little wonder. These scenes captured the genuine atmosphere of a bar or a place where people like to shoot some pool.
And of course the long shots that show a character sinking multiple balls must have been head aching to film. Each stroke of the pool cue looks very precise and planned out. The director must be applauded for achieving such realism in this aspect. The typical environment was captured skilfully on camera. In a pool-shooting environment the scene is lit by the dim glow of a bar lamp or the glare of an overhead pool table light. As a result the film is almost faultless.
The Hustler is an impressive classic gem of a movie. In addition to being exceptionally crafted, the film is also fantastic entertainment marred only marginally by its over-length. The film delivers a poignant message and moves at a brisk pace. I'm very glad I finally gave this film a shot (pun intended).
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Riveting western...
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Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid opens with a title card that reveals "most of what follows is true". That title card is accurate. In reality, there were two men named Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. They really did rob banks in addition to trains.
The filmmakers executed substantial research before getting involved with the project with the intention that they could make the movie as accurate as possible. No-one will ever know what actually happened of course (apart from the two men), but the film was never meant to be an in-depth history lesson. The filmmakers are allowed to get away with inventing some creative dialogue. Even if the two men were alive today they wouldn't be able to know what they said word for word.
Butch Cassidy on the Sundance Kid tells an engrossing, funny, fast-paced tale of the two historical figures in the form of a western. Butch Cassidy (Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Redford) are the two leaders of a gang of thieves. The two men are exceedingly proficient in their main area of aptitude - for Butch it's ideas and brains, for Sundance it's his ability with a firearm. When their gang commit a few too many robberies a special posse is organised with the objective of eliminating the two outlaws.
The plot is a complex of interesting sub-plots with the main objective in mind of chronicling the rise and fall of the protagonists. However the film is not powered by the plot - it's powered by the fantastic performances and great character development.
The film runs at a brisk 105 minutes and moves at an invigorating pace. There are a lot of exciting western shoot-outs and engaging robbery scenes. The film works because there's always something interesting to exhibit on the screen. The film was crafted beautifully; each shot has been framed with style, each location looks gorgeous. And above all the costumes and props look highly authentic. The costume donned by each character looks genuinely stunning. And the atmosphere is spectacular. It's easy to find yourself immersed in the action occurring on the screen because every detail you see is impenetrably hard to fault. The film won an Oscar for Best Cinematography with good reasoning!
I was very impressed with the performances from all the actors. Paul Newman makes a realistic Butch Cassidy. He looks like a person who would use his brains rather than brawn. Newman's dialogue is snappy and fascinating. Kudos to Newman for pulling off yet another great performance! Robert Redford has the look of a gun-touting outlaw.
The film's atmosphere is also established skilfully by director George Roy Hill. It's his direction coupled with the fantastic cinematography that gets the audience engrossed in the film. Within the first 10 minutes I was already hooked.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a classic western that is witty, funny and entertaining. In the film you'll find both action and humour; a prize-winning combination for a western. Don't be put off by its age. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is quite simply one of the most breathtaking films in history.
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Cinematic diarrhoea
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Refuses to come alive
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It still hurts.
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Pathetically entertaining.
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It completely pains me to say this, but Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is nowhere near as horrible as some people made it out to be. I saw it for Stallone's presence in the cast and didn't expect much from the tame PG rating and...well...the title as well as the sickening poster.
Stallone plays a police sergeant named Joe Bromowski; he's tough, cool and enjoys his insignificant existence. But his mother Tutti (Getty) arrives in town to visit her only son Joe. For Joe, this is a true nightmare; he unknowingly embarrasses him at every opportunity, interferes with his life as a bachelor, starts tidying up his house and doing the laundry.
When Tutti witnesses a murder she wants to use all her knowledge to the advantage of her son, hoping to get him promoted.
Stallone's performance (which earned a Razzie award for 'Worst Actor') contains more lines of dialogue than you're ever likely to hear in one sitting. And here's the weird part: he's actually understandable to an extent. Comedy isn't his thing, nor will it ever be, but his performance isn't too bad. As for Estelle Getty...well, she's just playing an overprotective mother. Do you expect this to be Oscar material? Her facial expressions at times are enough to warrant a Razzie.
The violence is tame throughout, which is a real shame because with some 'tough guy' scenes mixed in there it could've made an okay action flick. Instead we're stuck with this.
There are a few scenes that are very funny, but other scenes are embarrassing and could make one cringe (especially when the mother blows the smoke from the barrel of a gun after firing). Stallone's mum should've shot...the screenwriter, that is.
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Van Damme's career low point.
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Street Fighter is a woeful film adaptation of the popular Capcom arcade game. I'm sure there are many fans (or nerds, more precisely) who expected very good results...but what was released was far from good.
I don't think words can describe what a complete and spectacular disaster this film turned out to be.
First and foremost...the plot was utterly useless. It was an even worse excuse for Van Damme to execute fight moves that look incredibly fake and downright stupid!
And why was the film so tame?! Whose idea was it to water down all the violence?! As a result the film feels tremendously bad, tame, childish and corny beyond belief! And then of course the script...was dismal. Attempts at humour made the already painful experience exceedingly worse. And I didn't know it was possible for this film to be any worse.
The one-liners made me gasp in embarrassment. And of course the wooden Belgian made the lines sound even worse. But what made Van Damme worse than ever is the tame violence and the horrible script. Some of his movies were pathetically entertaining because they showcased awesome action...but the fight scenes didn't even look impressive. Instead they're underwhelming and childish.
And you just need to see Kylie Minogue in the cast to further cement our every fear. Her lines sounded so contrived and unnatural. There is not enough room to criticise all things that are wrong with this movie.
The poor excuse for a plot basically follows Colonel William F. Guile (Van Damme) who is in the middle of a war against some evil dictator who couldn't look sinister even if he's pitted against Kermit the Frog! Guile and his team of soldiers (including many who are scaringly good at martial arts for grunts) must go and free some hostages who are being held for ransom.
Many have looked upon Street Fighter as the worst movie ever made. This title sounds rather accurate. The entire film is childish, embarrassingly corny and even extremely boring. Why couldn't the character kill the screenwriters instead?!?!
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