Topic: Within My (Mom's) Lifetime Marathon

[Danae Cassandra]

Roman Holiday
Year of Release:
Directed By: William Wyler
Starring: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert
Genre: Romance, Comedy

Overview:
There is an old saying: "See Naples and die...see Rome and live!" And Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) plans to do just that. While on a high-profile tour of European cities, this modern-day princess decides to rebel against her regimented royal obligations once her regal entourage reaches Italy. Determined to take in all the sights and sounds of the Eternal City, she sneaks off on an adventurous exploration...one that leads to an encounter with handsome American newspaperman Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) and his affable photographer pal (Eddie Albert). Joe is desperate for an exclusive story — and he's got a colossal one once he discovers he's in the company of a runaway princess! Can romance be far behind? Nominated for 10 Academy Awards* and the winner of three, Director 'William Wyler's' timeless romp is an enthralling romantic comedy that will capture your heart and imagination.

My Thoughts:
This is a charming, entertaining film.  It is Audrey Hepburn's breakthrough role, and it won her a best actress Oscar.  She is luminous and perfect, and it's hard to imagine anyone else there.  Peck plays his cynical reporter well, but you can easily imagine Cary Grant in that role.  This is Hepburn's film all the way. 

While it's a lovely film, warm, kinda dreamy, it would have been even better filmed in color, and that's the biggest criticism I have.  The black and white cinematography doesn't really pop like Technicolor would have.  Still, as a romance it's a sweet, innocent little feel-good film.  It would not be made the same way today, either with the innocence of the romance or with our protagonists choosing responsibility and duty over their own desire.  Times have changed.  Worth seeing for Hepburn's performance, the iconic scenes of her and Peck spinning around Rome on a scooter, and as a lovely daydream; but don't bother if you can't take a bittersweet ending.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Happy Together (Chun gwong cha sit)
Year of Release: 1997
Directed By: Wong Kar-Wai
Starring: Leslie Cheung, Tony Leung, Chang Chen
Genre: Drama, Romance

Overview:
Winner of the Best Director prize at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, Wong Kar-Wai's Happy Together is a stunning display of filmmaking style and a touching story of love on the brink of dissolution.

Hong Kong cinema superstars Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung play a pair of lovers living out the waning days of their relationship as expatriates in Buenos Aires. Lusty tango bars, the salsa music of the La Boca sidewalks, and a hypnotic visit to the nearby Iguazu Falls give further dimension to the tensions growing between the two lovers.

With its "stylistic magic" (Newsweek), Happy Together cemented the international reputation of Wong, the director of such films as In the Mood for Love and Fallen Angels.

My Thoughts:
This is a magnificent film about the disintegration of a relationship. Two lonely people with little in common beyond physical attraction and mutual alienation try to make their romance work, only to find their differences too great to overcome. Each reaches out at different times and is rebuffed, and each is happiest when the balance of power in their relationship shifts in their favor. Po-Wing inserts himself back into Yiu-Fai's life after he is injured, turning to Fai despite their breakup and Fai's insistence on not wanting him back. In turn, Yiu-Fai tries to hold on tightly once he has accepted Po-Wing back into his life. His alternating of rejection of Po-Wing's attempts at intimacy with possessiveness of Po-Wing's time and violence as he slips away ultimately drive Po away. Moments of mutual happiness, such as when they slow dance together in their apartment, are rare. Yet they circle each other, noting that "lonely people are all the same," until Fai makes a friend and starts to break from the destructiveness of his relationship with Po. While Po's part of the ending is sad, a glimmer of hope exists (to my mind anyway) for Fai, in the potential of something new.

Wong Kar-Wei is a great director, and it really shows here. He contrasts a very realistic, gritty truth about relationships with high-art cinematography. The camera portrays the alienation of the couple quite well; both the alienation of each from the other and their alienation from the world around them. The non-linear storyline, moving back and forth from present into past, moving from snapshot to snapshot of their lives together and apart, shows the problems between them are not new, and in fact are longstanding. Each is at fault, and Wong is not afraid to show both characters in a bad light. The actors each give a fine performance, authentic and believable as their characters. Very highly recommended, unless you don't like unhappiness in film. Excellent film.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 4.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Lawrence of Arabia
Year of Release: 1962
Directed By: David Lean
Starring: Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Claude Rains
Genre: War, Drama, Adventure

Overview:
Winner of seven Academy Awards®, including Best Picture of 1962, Lawrence of Arabia stands as one of the most timeless and essential motion picture masterpieces. The greatest achievement of its legendary, Oscar®-winning director David Lean (1962, Lawrence of Arabia; 1957, The Bridge on the River Kwai), the film stars Peter O'Toole – in his career-making performance – as T.E. Lawrence, the audacious World War I British army officer who heroically united rival Arab desert tribes and led them to war against the mighty Turkish Empire. Newly restored and remastered at 4K resolution, the massive scope and epic action of the Director's Cut of Lawrence of Arabia can now be experienced like never before in this landmark 50th Anniversary Edition.

My Thoughts:
One of the true masterpieces of cinema. Also a personal favorite. There is nothing I can say that hasn't been said already, no praise high enough. I have no criticism of this film. Every part is magnificent. One of the finest films ever made.

The blu-ray transfer is magnificent; this beautiful film has never looked better.  It's so far above my old copies on DVD and VHS that it's another planet.  The restoration is spectacular, especially with all the missing parts of the film put back in.  I do wish that the audio transfer hadn't made the score quite so loud in comparison to the much softer vocals, but that's my only complaint here.  Maybe that would be fixed if we had surround rather than stereo.  Loads and loads of extras here in the limited edition that I look forward to checking out later.

Highly recommended for all film lovers.  An absolutely essential film.  Skip this only if you don't have the attention span for a four hour epic.  In which case I feel very, very sorry for you.  One of the BEST films of all time.

Bechdel Test:  Fail

Overall: 5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

The Secret of Kells
Year of Release: 2009
Directed By: Tomm Moore
Starring: Evan Mc Guire, Christen Mooney, Brendan Gleeson, Mick Lally
Genre: Fantasy, Animation

Overview:
Magic, fantasy and Celtic mythology come together in a riot of color and detail that dazzle the eyes in a sweeping story about the power of imagination and faith to carry humanity through dark times.

In a remote medieval outpost of Ireland, young Brendan embarks on a new life of adventure when a celebrated master illuminator arrives from foreign lands carrying a book brimming with secret wisdom and powers. To help complete the magical book, Brendan has to overcome his deepest fears on a dangerous quest that takes him into the enchanted forest where mythical creatures hide. It is here that he meets the fairy Aisling, a mysterious young wolf-girl, who helps him along the way. But with the barbarians closing in, will Brendan's determination and artistic vision illuminate the darkness and show that enlightenment is the best fortification against evil?

My Thoughts:
This is one of the most spectacular animated films you'll ever watch. No, seriously, the art is that good. It does justice to its inspiration, the stunning, intricate art of The Book of Kells, a 9th century illuminated Gospel. It's geometric and stylish, rather than realistic, with a rich, gorgeous color palette, echoing the insular art of the original Book.

The story itself is a mixture of Pagan fantasy and Christian faith, and can be watched by either faith - though it may take an educated viewer to fully appreciate it. The filmmakers could have developed the story a bit more, especially in regards to the cultural differences between Aisling and Brendan, and in regards to the importance of the Book. Those quibbles aside, this is a wonderful film and I would highly recommend it for lovers of animation.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 4/5

[Danae Cassandra]

The Da Vinci Code
Year of Release: 2006
Directed By: Ron Howard
Starring: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany
Genre: Suspense/Thriller, Drama, Action

Overview:
Dan Brown's international bestseller comes alive in the film THE DA VINCI CODE, directed by Ron Howard with a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman. Join symbologist Robert Langdon (Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks, 1993 Best Actor, Philadelphia, and 1994 Best Actor, Forrest Gump) and cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) in their heart-racing quest to solve a bizarre murder mystery that will take them from France to England – and behind the veil of a mysterious ancient society, where they discover a secret protected since the time of Christ. With first-rate performances by Sir Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina and Jean Reno, critics are calling THE DA VINCI CODE "involving" and "intriguing,"* "a first rate thriller.

My Thoughts:
I enjoy this film and find it entertaining, filled with twisty conspiracy theories and enough action to keep the viewer interested.  The pacing is pretty good there, because there are parts that are extremely talky but just when it gets to be too much something happens to distract our heroes from their chat.  Having never read the book, I can't comment on its faithfulness or lack thereof, but I enjoy the story and think it's complete.  I certainly haven't felt the need to read the book.  My biggest complaint would be that the best performances and most interesting characters are not the leads.  Hanks' Robert Langdon is surprisingly passive and unemotional, despite his pretty desperate situation he never seems fully engaged, and while Tatou's Sophie is charming she's also one-dimensional.  McKellen's Teabing is a much more interesting character, and steals every scene he's in.  Bettany's Silas is menacing and fanatical, but the extended cut here makes him more understandable and sympathetic.  

I definitely enjoyed the extended cut more than the theatrical, continuing a pattern there, and unlike the extended cuts of some other films, I don't know what I would cut here.  It does make this a nearly 3 hour film, though, so I wouldn't recommend it if you can't sit still that long.  I also wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for a movie to watch with a religious fanatic in the family.  Other than that, recommended.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Year of Release: 1969
Directed By: George Roy Hill
Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross
Genre: Western, Action, Adventure

Overview:
Settle back with your favorite sidekick and enjoy Hollywood's original buddy picture. Paul Newman and Robert Redford have never shined brighter in the roles that will forever identify them as the daring, debonair outlaws on the run—and head-over-heels in love with the same beautiful woman (Katharine Ross).

My Thoughts:
For being one of the greatest westerns of all time, this is a very atypical western.  Butch and Sundance aren't stock western outlaws, especially Butch, the music is distinctly modern, and it's more about the myth of Butch and Sundance than about any sort of reality.  And that's saying a lot, since most westerns are more mythology than reality.  This is a beautiful, stylish film, lighthearted in it's approach yet not really a comedy.  It has lovely cinematography which really , a unique approach to depicting the passage of time, and superb performances from lead actors Newman and Redford.  At its heart it's a story of a deep, abiding friendship, between two likeable, charismatic men who happen to operate on the outside of the law.  One of the great films of all time, highly recommended.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 4.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Murder By Decree
Year of Release: 1979
Directed By: Bob Clark
Starring: Christopher Plummer, James Mason, David Hemmings, Susan Clark, Anthony Quayle
Genre: Suspense/Thriller

Overview
When Scotland Yard is unable to stop the gruesome rampage of Jack the Ripper, a citizens' committee asks Sherlock Holmes (Christopher Plummer) and his trusted associate Dr. Watson (James Mason) to investigate. But even if Holmes' remarkable powers of deduction can unmask the manical fiend, can he and Watson face the most shocking secret of all? Find out in this masterful suspense thriller directed by Bob Clark (A Christmas Story) that both fans and critics have called the most exciting and original Sherlock Holmes movie ever made.

My Thoughts:
A decent enough Holmes film, if nothing spectacular.  I really liked the atmosphere the filmmakers created - the dark streets and fog really created a feeling of menace in Whitechapel, and the rest of the sets were very convincingly Victorian.  James Mason was solid, if uninspiring, as Watson.  It's got a good supporting cast too, though none of them are particularly memorable.  Plummer's Holmes is a fine enough character, but he's not Sherlock Holmes.  He's much too cheerful, emotional, and well-adjusted.  He also never really shows any of the brilliance Holmes is known for.  Honestly, this would be a better film if it wasn't a Sherlock Holmes film, if the film was exactly the same but he and Watson had different names.  The other complaint I have is that the title gives way too much away.  The clues lead you to certain conclusions, but the title practically hands you the solution. 

Recommended to Holmes completists - you'll want to see it and it's a good enough film, if only about average for a Holmes film.  Plummer may not play the character of Holmes anywhere near canon, but he's far from the worst portrayal I've ever seen (looking at you, Matt Frewer).  Shaky recommendation for more casual Holmes enthusiasts; there are far better out there.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 2.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

2001: A Space Odyssey
Year of Release: 1968
Directed By: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester
Genre: Science-Fiction

Overview:
Stanley Kubrick's dazzling, Academy Award®-winning achievement, a compelling drama of man vs. machine, a stunning meld of music and motion. Kubrick (who co-wrote the screenplay with Arthur C. Clarke) first visits our prehistoric ape-ancestry past, then leaps millennia (via one of the most mind-blowing jump cuts ever) into colonized space, and ultimately whisks astronaut Bowman (Keir Dullea) into uncharted realms of space, perhaps even into immortality. "Open the pod bay doors, HAL." Let an awesome journey unlike any other begin.

My Thoughts:
What an interesting and beautiful film.  An absolute classic of sci-fi, and I can see why it has that honor. 

First, it's a gorgeous piece of art.  The effects, the spectacular miniatures work, the spectacular camera work, all of that combines to make this one of the most beautiful films of all time.  It is dazzling visually and unforgettable. 

The story is more obtuse.  It deals a lot with symbolism and theme rather than plot.  Humanity evolves, as does our technology, and what will be the end of our evolution?  Or are we only just being born? 

I really wanted the middle section fleshed out more.  I wanted to see more of HAL and his interactions with his human shipmates.  The first and third sections, while I think I understand what they were trying to convey with them, I feel could have been cut down a bit to evolve the relationships in the middle section more. 

It's a small quibble though.  If you are a fan of sci-fi at all, you MUST see this film.  If you're only a fan of action sci-fi, however, you won't enjoy this.  It's a slow, cerebral film.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 4/5

[DSig]

This truly is a classic.  Stanley Kubrick, in all his brilliance and body of work, out did himself with this one (or A Clockwork Orange).  And for those that have not seen this on a WIDE WIDE theater screen, if you ever get the chance .. WOW ..
Thanks for reminding me on this one .. have to put it on my stack.

[Danae Cassandra]

The Company of Strangers
Year of Release: 1990
Directed By: Cynthia Scott
Starring: Alice Diablo, Beth Webber, Catherine Roche, Cissy Meddings, Constance Garneau, Mary Meigs, Michelle Sweeney, Winnie Holden
Genre: Drama

Overview:
They were seven old women stranded at a deserted farmhouse - miles from civilization. They didn't have much food, or a decent place to sleep. Or much in common. Strangers.

You wouldn't expect them to fare very well, to turn a crisis into a magical time of humor and spirit. But that's exactly what these surprising, remarkable women do...in Strangers in Good Company. A film about being old. And thinking young.

Directed by Academy Award-winner Cynthia Scott, this modern day classic is "a truly daring and unique movie...it is so endearingly funny and warmly touching one hates to leave these remarkable women!" (NY Daily News)

My Thoughts:
This is a quiet, moving film about friendship, life, death, and growing older. All of the cast are amateurs, and blurring the lines between fiction and non-fiction play themselves, just placed in a fictional situation. These ladies are so genuine, so charming and lovely that this works beautifully. They're people you'd enjoy spending an afternoon with, and a great reminder that just because you reach a certain age doesn't mean life is over. They're here, they're alive, and they still have hopes and dreams as well as fears. Combine these wonderful folks with the magnificent Canadian wilderness setting and it's a really lovely little film. Not recommended for action fans, or people who require a lot of plot, but as a study of character and friendship this is spot-on.

Bechdel Test: Pass

Overall: 3.75/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Letter Never Sent (Neotpravlennoye pismo)
Year of Release: 1959
Directed By: Mikhail Kalatozov
Starring: Innokenti Smoktunovsky, Tatiana Samoilova, Vasili Livanov, Yevgeni Urbansky
Genre: Drama

Overview:
The great Soviet director Mikhail Kalatozov, known for his virtuosic, emotionally gripping films, perhaps never made a more visually astonishing one than Letter Never Sent. This absorbing tale of exploration and survival concerns the four members of a geological expedition, who are stranded in the bleak and unforgiving Siberian wilderness while on a mission to find diamonds. Luxuriating in wide-angle beauty and featuring one daring shot after another (the brilliant cinematography is by Kalatozov’s frequent collaborator Sergei Urusevsky), Letter Never Sent is a fascinating piece of cinematic history and a universal adventure of the highest order.

My Thoughts:
This is a visually striking film.  The cinematography is really, truly beautiful.  Absolutely stunning.  Each shot, each movement, is gorgeously composed, and you could hang stills in galleries next to art photography and not know they were from a film.  The camera work is very definitely the star here.

That doesn't mean that's all there is to this film.  The actors all give solid performances.  There's a real empathy you develop for the characters.  The story is straightforward, yes, but it's well told.  In one view the film reads as propaganda: the characters are very patriotic, cooperative, willing to make sacrifices for the good of their group and their country.  They're hopeful of freeing Russia from dependence upon imported diamonds with a discovery of their own.  Yet, there's also a subtle criticism I read in the film.  These people give up everything for the state, they believe in it with all their hearts, but all it brings them is loss and death.  The voice on the radio tells them that they are eagerly awaited back home (for their discovery) and later that rescue has been sent out,  ... yet it never arrives.  

Excellent film, beautiful cinematography, recommended for film aficionados.  A typically bleak Russian ending makes this probably not a good choice for the more general viewer, though.

Bechdel Test: Fail  

Overall: 4/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Bonnie and Clyde
Year of Release: 1967
Directed By: Arthur Penn
Starring: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman, Estelle Parsons
Genre: Drama, Action, Crime

Overview:
Depression-era drifters Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) and Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) embark on a life of crime. They crave adventure – and each other. We are unprepared for the cascading violence that follows; we learn they can be hurt – and dread they will be killed. The vivid title-role performances get superb support from Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman and Estelle Parsons, 1967 Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winner. Bonnie And Clyde continually dazzles, thanks to director Arthur Penn, cinematographer Burnett Guffey (winner of the films second Oscar) and editor Dede Allen. Decades later, it's still a thunderous, thrilling ride.

My Thoughts:
This is a landmark film in the history of cinema.  It's one of the films that signaled the end of the Hays Code.  Our heroes are sexy, playful, sympathetic killers, and our villains are the mostly faceless agents of the law.  The film's quite violent for its day - people get shot and you actually see blood.  Yet at the same time the violence gets more realistic, it's also romanticized.  There's a sexiness to Bonnie and Clyde, at least until the end.

It's a film that brings us full circle.  If we want to blame (or partly blame) Bonnie and Clyde for ushering in a new era of violence in film, we must remember that we Americans have always found violence sexy.  Early pre-code gangster and prison films made heroes of criminals and had quite a bit of violence in them.  Bonnie and Clyde simply brings us back to this, to films where we have the anti-hero or villain-as-hero, and therefore authority as the villain. 

It's also an excellently made film.  Great direction, good cinematography.  All of the actors involved here gives a great performance, especially Beatty and Dunaway.  They do an excellent job of portraying both the love between Bonnie and Clyde and the co-dependence of their relationship.  As Merle Haggard sang "Some said that Cylde made her life a shame / But the legend made Bonnie the head of the game"

Excellent film, and recommended for anyone, really, except kids.  As a milestone in cinema history, a must-see for serious film aficionados.

Bechdel Test: Pass

Overall: 4/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Late Spring (Banshun)
Year of Release: 1949
Directed By: Yasujiro Ozu
Starring: Setsuko Hara, Chishu Ryu, Jun Usami, Hohi Aoki, Haruko Sugimura
Genre: Drama

Overview:
One of the most powerful of Yasujiro Ozu's family portraits, Late Spring (Banshun) tells the story of a widowed father who feels compelled to marry off his beloved only daughter. Eminent Ozu players Chishu Ryu and Setsuko Hara command this poignant tale of love and loss in postwar Japan, which remains as potent today as ever—and a strong justification for its maker's inclusion in the pantheon of cinema's greatest directors.

My Thoughts:
This is a quiet, intimate, beautiful film about family life.  It's about the relationships between family members and the expectations of family, both current, past, and future.  It's about choosing what you think is right over your own desires.  Noriko wants to stay at home, enjoying the close, loving relationship she enjoys with her father, who just as obviously loves her and wants her to stay.  Yet each comes to believe that Noriko marrying and setting up her own home and family is the best choice.  Each is saddened by this; why must things change?  Why can't we stay as we are?  Yet life must change.  I was left wondering if Somiya's health was declining and this was what drove him to accept that a marriage must be arranged for Noriko; he certainly seemed older than his stated age.  If this is the case, it is never stated.  I simply drew this question from the way Chisu Ryu portrayed Somiya. 

If it isn't apparent already, the performances in the film are spectacular.  It really feels like these people are real, that this is all taking place.  You can see the love between Noriko and Somiya through their actions, through their looks, everything comes through in the acting in even the quietest, simplest parts.  So much is said between them without words.  All of the supporting actors are really good as well.  Ozu had a great talent for drawing out a performance from a performer.

Excellent film, well worth watching.  This is a slice of life film, though, so be prepared for it to be slow.  Nothing explodes, so if that's your thing, this is not the film for you.  This is a family drama, not a romance, so don't expect that either.  But if you're looking for a great film, this is highly, highly recommended.

Bechdel Test: Pass (but barely)

Overall: 4.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

1963 - The Comedy of Terrors (3/5) - in the Horror Movie Thread

1964 - The Tomb of Ligeia (4/5) - in the Horror Movie Thread

1970 - An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe (3.25/5) - in the Horror Movie Thread

1971 - Daughters of Darkness (3/5) - in the Horror Movie Thread

1981 - The Beyond (2.5/5) - in the Horror Movie Thread

1983 - House of the Long Shadows (3/5) - in the Horror Movie Thread

[Danae Cassandra]

The Final Countdown
Year of Release: 1980
Directed By: Don Taylor
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Katharine Ross, James Farentino, Ron O'Neal, Charles Durning
Genre: Science-Fiction, Adventure, War

Overview:
The time is now. The place is aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz, America's mightiest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier on maneuvers in the Pacific Ocean. Suddenly, a freak electrical storm engulfs the ship and triggers the impossible: The Nimitz is hurtled back in time to December 6, 1941, mere hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. As the enemy fleet speeds towards Hawaii, the warship’s Captain (Kirk Douglas), a Defense Department expert (Martin Sheen), a maverick Air Wing Commander (James Farentino) and a desperate Senator in the Roosevelt administration (Charles Durning) must choose between the unthinkable. Do they allow the Japanese to complete their murderous invasion or launch a massive counter-strike that will forever change the course of history?

Katharine Ross and Ron O'Neal co-star in this spellbinding sci-fi action hit filmed on location aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz with the full participation of the U.S. Navy and the ship's crew. Blue Underground is proud to present THE FINAL COUNTDOWN with an all-new THX-Certified High-Definition Transfer from the original camera negative with remixed 6.1 DTS-ES and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX Soundtracks

My Thoughts:
This was a fun film.  I've always enjoyed the idea of time travel, and the questions it raises - if you change history, how do you know to do so?  The plot here is straightforward but decently executed, and the performances are all very solid.  

The real star here is the USS Nimitz and her aircraft.  If you're looking for a film with lots of beautiful flying and airplane action, you can't go wrong here.  It's an entertaining film with an interesting premise, and I'd recommend it to just about anyone.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3/5