My Left Foot

Directed by: Jim Sheridan

Written by: Shane Connaughton, Jim Sheridan (screenplay); Christy Brown (book)








"My Left Foot" tells the story of Christy Brown, a young man from Ireland born with cerebral paulsy. His left foot, from which the title is derived, is the only part of his body which he can control. He is smart and creative, but is often written off because he is trapped within his body's limitations.

Daniel Day-Lewis once again brings his "A game" and brings Christy to life for the film. It's well worth watching the film for his performance.

Beyond him, though, it's a really compelling and interesting story.

Glengarry Glen Ross

Directed by: James Foley

Written by: David Mamet (play and screenplay)










This movie is, ostensibly, about the pressures of real estate sales.

David Mamet's script is fantastic. The screenplay holds a little too closely to the original play format (most of the scenes taking place in one room, lots of talking), but the dialogue is sharp and the story is compelling enough to allow the audience to overlook that limitation.

The acting consists of some of the finest performances ever put in the same film ever. Alec Baldwin's part is small and he only appears in one scene, but he is hard to forget. Jack Lemmon manages to make his character absolutely pathetic. Ed Harris makes his character's desperation real and tangible.

I'd have never thought that the world of real estate sales could be so emotionally powerful. But "Glengarry Glen Ross" changed all that.

Watchmen (Director's Cut)

Directed by: Zach Snyder

Written by: Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons (graphic novel - writer and illustrator, respectively); David Hayter, Alex Tse (screenplay)









To start, I'm a huge fan of the original "Watchmen" graphic novel, and was very excited when I heard a movie was in production. I struggled to wrap my mind how they were going to adapt the complex narrative structure and visual dynamics into a linear film.

The truth was, they didn't. They distilled the story down to the core plot, removing most of the flashbacks and the "Tales of the Black Freighter" story-in-a-story. Still, what was left was still a pretty decent adaptation, though it was a very loose adaptation. Some elements are almost shot-for-shot reproductions, while others were changed significantly.  (The most noticeable item that was removed was the fake giant alien squid invasion at the end, and I was rather bummed that it was changed.)

The acting in "Watchmen" is mostly not great. Most of the characters come off as cardboard. This is a major hinderance to the enjoyment of the film because it drags it down too often. At points, it felt like some of the actors were reading their lines without understanding why they were saying what they were saying. In retrospect, though, they were not given the greatest script to work with, focused too much on visuals and recreating dialogue that was written to be said by characters on a page.

This movie has grown on me more, as I've reflected on it. But the director's cut is far too long to enjoy, and it has too many flaws to ignore without much running in its favor. It is not, by any means, a comic book / superhero movie acceptable for children. And I wouldn't recommend watching it without any familiarity with the original source material.

Superman II (The Richard Donner Cut)

Directed by: Richard Donner, Richard Lester

Written by: Mario Puzo (story and screenplay), David Newman (screenplay), Leslie Newman (screenplay)


There's a lot of history and controversy  regarding the multiple versions of "Superman II." The version I watched for this review is the "Richard Donner Cut," which more closely aligns with the original vision for the film. The original theatrical release had two directors due to some conflict between Donner (who directed the first movie) and the producers.

Overall, it's a pretty straight forward superhero flick. Very enjoyable. I've never seen the "theatrical" cut of the film, so I can't make a direct comparison.

I was surprised by the amount of emotional turmoil that Superman experiences in this film. He's torn between his love for Lois Lane and the powers he was given. This tension gives Superman a much deeper and more complex personality, often missing from most superhero stories.

Guarding Tess

Directed by: Hugh Wilson

Written by: Hugh Wilson, Pj Torokvei










I remember my parents watching this movie, and at some point it made its way on to my DVD lists and crawled its way to the top of the pile.

Nicholas Cage performs well as Agent Chesnic, who has been assigned to protect former first lady Tess Carlisle (MacLaine) because he is one of the few people who can tolerate her. He manages to put up with her fussy, formal manner, while ostensibly keeping her safe. Not everyone is as honorable as Agent Chesnic, though.

The two main stars - Cage and MacLaine - do very well in their parts. Cage is charming and awkward, but genuine and heartfelt. MacLaine is believable in her part, bringing the fictional first lady to life. The supporting cast also does a great job, though they are slightly hindered by a script which limits their roles.

Despite the actors charms, the plot is relatively thin, focusing mainly on character interactions (and the antics that ensue) for the first half of the film, and the dramatic action developing only near the end. That action, though, is quite memorable. In fact, it was a vague recollection of the big twist which stood out in my mind and made me want to watch the movie at all.

Overall, a charming movie, but not necessarily essential viewing.

Field of Dreams

Directed by: Phil Alden Robinson

Written by: W.P. Kinsella (book); Phil Alden Robinson (screenplay)










"Field of Dreams" is a film about baseball and yet not about baseball. It is, instead, about the things that tie one generation of Americans to the previous and the next. Baseball is merely the medium the film uses to discuss this theme.

Kevin Costner shines in this film (which, I hate to say, he rarely does). He brings the confusion and anguish of Ray Kinsella to life. His supporting cast does a great job, too. James Earl Jones as Terrence Mann steals every scene he is in and plays well off Costner. (And, as a brief side note, the Mann character was modeled after J.D. Salinger, but he threatened to sue, and so the character was altered enough to avoid litigation.) Burt Lancaster plays one of the most memorable characters and manages to navigate the emotional climax of the film.

Baseball serves as the backdrop to the story, but runs like a red seam through the entire film. I wouldn't categorize this as a sports film, though. It's a story, more, about family. It's about the search for history and the resolution of dreams left unfulfilled.

This is, by far, one of my favorite movies, and the end nearly brings me to tears every time I see it.

The Maltese Falcon

Directed by: John Huston

Written by: John Huston (screenplay); Dashiell Hammett (novel)










"The Maltese Falcon" stands as one of the essential and archetypal P.I. films. When parodies of private detectives arise in pop culture - the Prairie Home Companion segment "Guy Noir" comes to mind - it is usually based on this (and a bit of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe as well).

Beyond it's place as a cultural touchstone, "The Maltese Falcon" is still a pretty good film as well.

The story surrounds every character doing whatever they can - including murder - to acquire the priceless statue named in the title. Detective Sam Spade (Bogart) gets drawn into drama when his partner is killed. From there it is a game of cat and mouse, lies and half-truths until the location and possession of the statue is resolved (with one final twist I won't give away here).

The plot development is a bit rough at points, as characters lie and mislead each other as well as the audience. This can be frustrating, but ultimately everything is resolved and explained. It's a fun ride, though, and well worth watching.

Casablanca

Directed by: Michael Curtiz

Screenplay written by: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch

Play written by: Murray Burnett, Joan Alison








Where do I even start with this movie? If I were forced to make a list of all-time great movies, this one would have to lead the list. It is nearly perfect in every way, and I can't say how many times I've watched it. No matter how many times I watch it, though, I'm still surprised by little details here and there. I've seen it on TV, VHS, DVD, and in multiple theaters (and I'm working on convincing myself that I need the Blu-Ray edition, as well). It is as entrenched in my heart as it is in the culture.

This film is the essential performance by Humphrey Bogart. His presence dominates the movie from beginning to end. He is at times brash, witty, quiet, bossy, contemplative, humorous, romantic, and heartless - all over the course of an hour and forty-two minutes. It is impossible for me to imagine this film with anyone else in the lead, despite stories that he was not the first choice.

The rest of the cast is just as great as Bogart. Ingrid Bergman exposes her character's tortured heart through her eyes and a the pitch of her voice. Claude Rains establishes his Captain Renault as one of the slimiest, most corrupt police officials ever. Even Peter Lorre's brief lines are enough for him to make his character powerful and sympathetic.

With repeat viewings, some of the subtlety of Michael Curtiz's direction has revealed itself as just as important as the performances. For example, when we first meet our protagonist, the audience sees his hands first - holding a cigarette, playing chess, and signing a check. This first moment, before we ever see his face or hear his voice, establishes Rick as a man in control of many things at once - which will play out over the course of the film.  Later, the tension between the characters is drawn out until a flashback sequence (which I usually despise) fills in some of the gaps, while also leaving enough unexplained to keep the audience paying attention.

See this movie.  See it now.

Charly

Directed by: Ralph Nelson

Written by: Daniel Keyes (novel); Stirling Silliphant (screenplay)









I was channel surfing a while back when I stumbled across this film adaptation of "Flowers for Algernon" about to begin. I wasn't aware that there had ever been a movie made, and for whatever reason, I was drawn to watch it from beginning to end.

It's a mostly-faithful adaptation of the novel (at least, as far as I remember the novel), with a little more focus on the romantic element (again, from what I remember).

Cliff Robertson's performance is outstanding, handling a complex character very delicately and respectfully. It would have been very easy to over-play the part or become a ham, but he did not fall into those traps. This would be the main reason to watch the film.