Bewertungen

20-year-old girl, living sort of a hippie lifestyle in a shack in the Northwest mountains, meets a drifting musician and falls in love (he's not deterred by the fact she's pregnant by her absent-husband from a teenage marriage she walked away from). Soon after that, however, she's diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer, which means losing her leg or beginning radiation treatments. She opts for radiation (although her gorgeous mane of brunette hair pretty much stays intact), but the cancer spreads to her lung. TV-movie for CBS (released theatrically in some overseas markets) comes with the caveat it's "suggested by" a true story and based in part on the real-life heroine's recorded journal. Of course it was popular and garnered big ratings: it's "Love Story" for television, and frosted with sentimental folk songs donated by John Denver and his collaborators. Bill Butler's cinematography is uncommonly good for the medium, although director Joseph Sargent pitches the drama at too high a decibel (this is a very noisy movie). There's the boyfriend's music trio constantly practicing in the apartment, young people banging on pots and pans, a screaming baby, and the heroine's bad temper after the side-effects of the radiation and pain pills take over. The acting by leads Cristina Raines and Cliff DeYoung is adequate, though the role of the boyfriend-turned-second-husband is a chore (and what is the source of this guy's financial state? We hear one aside from a friend about "daddy's money", which doesn't exactly endear us to him). In support, Brenda Vaccaro is excellent in a non-showy role as Raines' doctor and Meg Foster is nicely subdued as the sexy single lady who lives downstairs. Is the movie sincere? I would say it is--viewers obviously thought so--and the early-'70s milieu (the hippie ascetic, the naïve optimism) is almost embraceable. ** from ****

Flop comedy stars Michael Caine as a British private investigator in 1947 Los Angeles who's hired to find a missing woman--adopted years before as an infant--which leads him to a Beverly Hills family and two glamorous sisters, Natalie Wood and Kitty Winn, one of whom may be the unwitting girl in question. Talented screenwriter W. D. Richter bottoms out with this tongue-in-cheek "Big Sleep"/Bogart wannabe adapted from Keith Laumer's novel "Deadfall" (no relation to the 1968 Michael Caine film which derived from Desmond Cory's novel "Deadfall"). Snippy-facetious, unfunny nonsense in ugly color was reportedly shelved for a year under the title "Fat Chance" by Twentieth Century Fox, who finally released it December 1975 with the suspiciously brief running-time of 87mns. Director Peter Hyams, who rewrote Richter's script without credit, claimed he bore the brunt of the movie's failure, which nearly sank his career until the success of "Capricorn One" in 1978. NO STARS from ****

Timothée Chalamet and Elle Fanning star in this Woody Allen relationship-comedy about a cheerfully blithe student in upstate New York who takes his sweetheart to Manhattan for a tour around the city, a romantic getaway that doesn't go as planned. She gets sidetracked while attempting to interview a film director for her college paper, while he meets up with the kid sister of an ex-girlfriend whose flip talk matches up perfectly with his. An above-average quota of sharp lines and funny digs from writer-director Allen almost makes this handsomely-produced effort worth-seeing. Ultimately, the central characters aren't as engaging as they're meant to be (some of Chalamet's friends dotting the movie's peripheral lines are more entertaining). Allen is on the right track here, doing solid work with his young players (with Chalamet as a Woody stand-in)...if only he'd broaden his scope a bit. What these neuroses lack in freshness they make up for in tidiness. **1/2 from ****

Six rather tepid episodes in the history of prostitution, from prehistoric times (not featuring Raquel Welch) to The Gay 1890s (featuring Raquel Welch). French-Italian-West German co-production (in French with subtitles) was helmed by six different directors: Claude Autant-Lara, Mauro Bolognini, Philippe de Broc, Franco Indovina, Michael Pfleghar, and Jean-Luc Godard (who directed the "Anticipation - Love in the Year 2000" segment). A bit more levity and spice might have helped; this seems awfully tame for 1967. Welch's sassy installment involving the bedding of an elderly banker is the liveliest of the lot. *1/2 from ****

This documentary on author/interviewer/DJ/philanthropist Ben Fong-Torres is the epitome of "nice". The son of Chinese immigrants attending school in Oakland, CA, Fong-Torres (his surname deriving from the story his father told of buying the appropriate papers to leave China on the black-market, becoming a "Torres" inadvertently) lucked into a job at the then-fledgling newspaper-styled magazine Rolling Stone, a countercultural publication mixing rock music and politics. Crafting "The Rolling Stone Interview", Fong-Torres became a celebrity himself among music business insiders, with some famous names only willing to talk with him. We learn almost as much about the rest of the RS team (co-founder Jann Wenner, writer Cameron Crowe, photographer Annie Liebowitz, etc.) as Ben Fong-Torres himself, even going back to visit the old office building where it all happened. An entertaining 99mns featuring guests Elton John, Steve Martin, Bob Weir, Country Joe McDonald, Carlos Santana and Quincy Jones. There's nothing kinky or scandalous or salacious about Ben Fong-Torres. He still grieves the murder of his older brother Barry (the target of '70s-era anti-Asian violence), but he's also a beloved husband and father who isn't into drugs and remains devoted to his still-living mother. He's a nice guy. **1/2 from ****

When most actors forget their lines on-stage, it's an excruciating moment for the performer but not always for the audience; we're not familiar with this presentation and are not sure what is or is not intentional. John Cassavetes' "Opening Night" captures some of that audience hesitation: do we laugh at what might be a mistake or is this part of the drama? The problem with "Opening Night" is with the lead character, a famous stage actress portrayed by Gena Rowlands. She feels miscast in a play about a slightly older woman and can't get a grip on the material. When she's good, she's great--but she's falling apart backstage and begins acting unprofessionally. Everyone throws their arms around this lady when she's clearly not able to perform, and I didn't find her so lovable. A second problem: Cassavetes, who wrote, directed and co-stars in the picture, is so madly in love with both Rowlands (his spouse in real-life) and her character that he can't see what a burden she is to the entire company. The film is set in New York City but was filmed in Pasadena, CA and the dislocation is acutely felt. However, there are good scenes in the movie--a young fan getting killed in a car accident outside the theatre, Rowlands feeling the girl's ghost in her dressing room and, later, attending her wake uninvited--but the play-within-the-film doesn't look like something that would keep an audience in their seats (it's a psycho-drama straight out of Cassavetes' repertoire). Gena Rowlands is a great camera subject, but this role is rather like her Greatest Hits: we keep seeing Rowlands' previous movie personalities instead of learning about this new one. ** from ****

Little female ruffian, growing up with an alcoholic father in 1800s Maine, becomes a great beauty, learning early that putting forth a do-gooder façade will cover up for her other, more nefarious deeds such as stealing men and using them for her own benefit. Star and executive producer Hedy Lamarr gives herself a juicy role in this technically mediocre melodrama distributed by United Artists, and she's more than capable of carrying the picture on her amply-evident, luscious shoulders. Adapted from the 1941 novel by Ben Ames Williams (who wrote "Leave Her to Heaven" a few years later), the screenplay was worked on by a handful of writers, giving final credit to Herb Meadow (likewise, director Edgar G. Ulmer was said to have gotten help from Douglas Sirk). Supporting cast including George Sanders is solid, yet it all rests on Lamarr, who appears to relish this opportunity at bringing to life a scheming, cunning woman with an angel's face. **1/2 from ****

US Army Major in 1916 Mexico, who's been accused of cowardice after "taking cover" during battle, is ironically assigned to pick five men as candidates for the Medal of Honor after showing bravery in America's war with Mexican revolutionary Poncho Villa. Horse trek through the barren desert to Texas has our six men--and one woman, taken prisoner after being accused of aiding the enemy--tired, thirsty and angry (seems they'd rather have the woman than the Medal!). Box-office disappointment for Columbia Pictures had its running-time cut by the studio, though it still feels lengthy at 123mns, particularly without much levity (but instead a heavy dose of psychological examination). Gary Cooper was thought to be too old for his role--and, indeed, when he's dragged by a rolling railroad handcar, the picture takes on a masochistic tone. That said, Cooper gets the job done; it's not a flattering role (John Wayne famously called the movie "unpatriotic"), but the actor gives it a bit of shading and he's very good in his scenes with Rita Hayworth. The supporting ensemble is solid and the Utah locations are well-captured, making the film an above-average western, though it isn't one that leaves good memories behind. Director Robert Rossen, who also co-adapted the screenplay with Ivan Moffet from the novel by Glendon Swarthout, was still trying to restore the cut footage when he died in 1966. **1/2 from ****

Officers working from a state-of-the-art yet practically empty police station in the Nevada desert have in their custody a hitman (Gerard Butler) and a con artist (Frank Grillo), the latter of whom has punched a female rookie cop (Alexis Louder) in the face in order to get himself arrested on purpose. Turns out the con-man has a contract hit out on him and, having barely escaped a bomb-laden car, is tired of being on the run. Next on the scene is a second assassin (Toby Huss), a psychotic who mows down several officers. There's also a dirty cop stealing drugs on the side who's committed a murder and has no choice but to join the bad guys. Directed by Joe Carnahan and written by Kurt McLeod and Joe Carnahan, from a story by McLeod and Mark Williams, "Copshop" has a jazzy opening with '70s exploitation-action music and quick editing to match--but after that, it's all downhill. The dialogue is fake-edgy, the scenario is would-be tense, and the characters are a collection of Tarantino drop-outs. NO STARS from ****

Chief of pathology at a teaching hospital hopes to wed the daughter of the head of the Governor's Board; seems they grew up together (but hardly look the same age) and, while she's a sexy lady, a marriage would benefit his career, according to his mother, a doctor herself. Complicating matters is the girl's relationship with yet another doctor, a ladies' man who does second-rate work in the operating room (gee, that's comforting). This terrible teleplay by Sam H. Rolfe works in a murder, an overeager cop who snoops around like Hercule Poirot, and an attempt at a twist ending that defies explanation. Kim Basinger (with a whopper crop of frosted blonde hair) has her moments, but Robert Culp--preening and seething and popping up every few minutes like a bad penny--is way over-the-top. * from ****

Molly Shannon gets her first starring role in a feature and almost proves endearing (her sunny smile alone is a big attraction); however, this odd little effort from writer-producer-director Mike White puts us in the uncomfortable position of rooting for Molly Shannon's hapless Peggy while she continually makes terrible choices. After the death of her dog, middle-aged single lady adopts another dog from an animal rescue foundation and gets a big crush on the resident animal trainer (they kiss, but he tells her he's celibate). Nevertheless, Peggy has been inspired to go vegan while becoming a no-nonsense animal rights activist--at one point, taking home 15 dogs from the pound! White confuses immature or irresponsible behavior with the old "follow your passion" ploy, and our heroine's final bus ride into the sunset--after walking out on her job and leaving her house behind--doesn't exactly equal a happy ending. Terrific supporting cast includes Peter Sarsgaard, John C. Reilly (very funny as Shannon's perplexed neighbor), Regina King as a marriage-minded co-worker, and Laura Dern as Shannon's hyper-vigilant sister-in-law (who has fur coats in her closet!). Brad Pitt was one of the producers. ** from ****

A weekend shooting party at the country estate of an industrialist and his family in 1932 Gosford Park is interrupted by a murder. Smartly-assembled British ensemble piece, with exteriors shot at the English house Wrotham Park, has been well-directed by Robert Altman from an Oscar-winning original screenplay by Julian Fellowes (who later created TV's "Downton Abbey"). Dryly humorous and engaging without being the slightest bit provocative. The cast is the main draw, with Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Alan Bates, Charles Dance, Stephen Fry, Emily Watson, Kristen Scott Thomas and co-producer Bob Balaban doing wonderful work. **1/2 from ****

In Victorian London, a paleontologist brings back the complete skeleton of a primitive man from his trip to New Guinea; not to be outshone, his competitive half-brother has written a manuscript on the cause and prevention of mental disorder and intends to win the Richter prize over his sibling's ancient bones. Unfortunately for both, the skeleton regrows flesh after being exposed to ordinary tap water... UK thriller from Tigon Pictures (distributed Stateside by Columbia) has enough laboratory and asylum scenes to keep the squeamish on edge. We also get the proverbial locked room full of things belonging to the scientist's wife (proclaimed dead but actually committed); the rejected daughter (who resembles Bridget Fonda) proclaiming to her father, "You saved all your love for her!"; a monkey unwisely injected with human blood plus blood from the regrown flesh; an escapee from the institution; the tavern brawl full of bosomy wenches, etc. Handsomely photographed by Norman Warwick; otherwise unexciting. *1/2 from ****

Oscar-nominated documentary feature on former actress and singer Marlene Dietrich, interviewed by actor-turned-director Maximilian Schell under the proviso her voice be recorded but not her present-day image. Schell, speaking in German and English with Marlene about her life and career and great loves, conducted his interviews over the course of several days at her Paris residence in 1982, interspersing their conversation with clips of Dietrich's films and stage appearances. Some of Marlene's hard-as-nails comments will be surprising to fans ("My films don't interest me. Me look at myself? No, no, really! Take "The Blue Angel" for instance. Everyone's sick of it, aren't they? I really can't stand it anymore."). On the other hand, the vulnerability in Dietrich's voice while recalling distant names and experiences is heartbreaking--and reportedly infuriated the star after she was shown the film (she didn't speak to Schell for over a year). All was forgiven, however, once the documentary received praise and nominations upon its release. It's a fine final bow from this once-magnificent screen personality, who went on to live to age 90, passing in 1992. Awarded the Best Documentary prize from the Boston Society of Film Critics, the National Society of Film Critics, and the New York Film Critics Circle. **1/2 from ****

French adaptation of Ambrose Bierce's acclaimed story won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Subject. It is brief at 28mns--and doesn't include the backstory which Americans got to see on a Season Five episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"--but maybe that's a good thing. Not knowing why Peyton Farquhar is being hanged by soldiers adds to the overall mystery of this version. Director Robert Enrico mounts the story like a fever dream, with our protagonist running-running-running for his life after the rope breaks. The cinematography by Jean Boffety and the music from Henri Lanoë adds to the intense romanticism of the tale: a prisoner, suddenly freed, enjoying the sand and the flowers and the earth as if he'd never felt nature before. Actor Roger Jacquet is a beautiful camera subject, and the end is, of course, a heartbreaker. Winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes for Best Short Film, also at BAFTA for Best Short Film (France). Most Americans first saw this version as an episode of "The Twilight Zone": S05-E22, airing Feb. 28, 1964. *** from ****

Young washroom attendant in New York City--talented at forging signatures and imitating voices--is innocently mistaken for a graduate of Princeton by a wealthy shipping magnate, who hires the kid for $1000 to travel to Italy and persuade the millionaire's son to stop all his rebellious fooling around and come home. Writer-director Anthony Minghella's "The Talented Mr. Ripley", adapted from Patricia Highsmith's novel "Mr. Ripley" (previously filmed in French in 1960 as "Plein soleil", or "Purple Noon"), is a beautifully-produced, well-acted character portrait/crime-drama, and yet I got no pleasure from watching it. The mechanics of the plot intentionally work their way uneasily under our skin until smug, cunning Ripley (Matt Damon, who lays it on thickly) is spiraling out of control along with viewers. This is terrific for those who are attuned to the premise, yet there are three side-plots that caused me to lose interest: the discovery of a suicide's body during a religious ceremony in the seaside village of Mongibello (a pregnant woman who was secretly involved with volatile rich boy Dickie Greenleaf, played erratically by Jude Law); the introduction of a culture-vulture best friend of Dickie's (Philip Seymour Hoffman, nastily mannered like a gay Cheshire Cat); and Cate Blanchett's socialite from the States, who keeps popping up like a bad penny. The actors are doing exactly what the director wants them to do--and they're highly-capable--but, aside from Gwyneth Paltrow as Dickie's too-trusting fiancée (who isn't much of a character), nobody in "Mr. Ripley" merits much interest. This is a very stylish picture, but is it an ingenious thriller? I didn't think so (in fact, neither was "Purple Noon"); however, the movie was a big hit, and both critics and audiences seemed to enjoy the lies and deceptions and murders. ** from ****

Although it played film festivals in both Canada and the US, this 53mn French-Canadian documentary on the life and career of French-born dancer-turned-actress Leslie Caron was a VOD or television release in most other countries (the documentary is so short--and short-sighted--that I can't imagine it playing any place else). That is not to say the beautifully-aged Caron hasn't had a marvelous life, but director Larry Weinstein and his producers just hit the highlights of this lady's career (and the films chosen for discussion aren't even in chronological order). Are there any fresh revelations? Caron admits to leaving her two children behind with ex-husband Peter Hall while she pursued the film career he didn't expect her to keep after they wed--also to a two-year love affair with Hollywood lady-killer Warren Beatty after they co-starred in "Promise Her Anything"--but these remembrances aren't used to get us to the next chapter on Caron's journey (the effect is rather like flipping through an autobiography). The final moments are best: showing Leslie Caron in a positive place after leaving France for England after decades of waiting for the French film community to use her again following 1977's "The Man Who Loved Women". For what this is--a brief jaunt down memory lane with one of Old Hollywood's brightest stars--"The Reluctant Star" is enjoyable, but fans will certainly want more clips and more conversation. **1/2 from ****

Rex Harrison is miscast as a barrister in Paris who's been lax in the sack lately with his wife; after receiving some evidence that he's visited the local No Tell Hotel, she sets up a rendezvous between herself as an admirer and her possibly-unfaithful husband. What with randy men exhausting their women, plus a revolving bed and Harrison in a second role as a portly porter, this had the ingredients for a kicky romp; unfortunately, director Jacques Charon hasn't the knack to keep our fancies fulfilled (imagine this scenario with Clive Donner or Richard Lester at the helm!). Funny dialogue early on in this adaptation of Georges Feydeau's play "La puce à l'oreille" ("The Flea in Her Ear") by John Mortimer, who had already translated the play in 1967 as a television movie in the UK. Whimsical title song composed by Bronislau Kaper and Sammy Cahn, and performed by Claudine Longet. *1/2 from ****

Documentary on international success Tower Records music store from director Colin Hanks begins with the caveat that Tower Records had earnings of over $1B in 1999--and yet, just five years later, filed for bankruptcy. In 1949, Tower Records founder Russell Solomon's father turned half of his Sacramento drug store into a music shop; when Russ wanted to expand on what they had, his father gave him the reins and made him president of his own company! In 1961, Tower Record Mart became Tower Records, and a new location employing young adults brought out all the neighborhood teenagers who hung out in the parking lot and made out in the listening booths. Tower Books later opened in 1962 while the music outlet expanded to the Bay Area in 1968, to L. A.'s Sunset Strip in 1970, and then onto Japan and New York City. Solomon had a huge success on his hands, a family-oriented all-purpose music emporium...but the music biz is fickle and transitory, and Tower needed to keep up with changing technology in order to stay in the game. This is a marvelous portrait of a incredible chain that lasted many years but seemed to vanish in an instant. Interviews with loyal employees and celebrity customers make the journey an intimate one. *** from ****

Alicia Silverstone plays a single mom returning to her cozy-quaint hometown and reconnecting with her high school friend, now the local veterinarian. He had a crush on her many years ago, but he's married now to his practice partner and tells wifey not to worry about the two of them--she does anyway, until the two ladies become friends. That's right about the time Silverstone starts growing pale and frail and the married vets need to decide what will become of her son. Since her days as a rock video vixen, Silverstone has worked steadily on both the big and small screens, though most of her performances have been in projects that went under the radar. This drama for CBS-TV and Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions has Prestige stamped all over it (the teleplay was adapted from the book by K. C. McKinnon, the director was veteran John Erman, and the score is by Marvin Hamlisch)...and yet the old tear-jerking ploys are still in full force! The whole town turns out to give candle-maker Silverstone a fond farewell, and later are led in a sing-along to "Amazing Grace" at the neighborhood church. Alicia has gone from "Clueless" to Shameless--and yet, the movie operates at a level where criticism is practically irrelevant, For many viewers channel-surfing on a dull night, movies like this are a life raft, something to cling to when it's still too early to go to bed. *1/2 from ****

By 1978, the comedy-western was a fading movie genre, and not even Jack Nicholson's fans were eager to see this one. Nicholson directed and stars as a bank robber/horse thief in 1860s Texas who is saved from hanging by a spinster needing a man to work her father's mine. There's gold in them there hills! Nothing quite comes together here: Néstor Almendros is a wonderful cinematographer, but his work here is too deep and somber for a comedy; John Belushi, Christopher Lloyd and Danny DeVito have roles too small to allow them to shine; and Nicholson's scattershot performance (perhaps modeled on Gabby Hayes?) seems an afterthought. One asset: lovely Mary Steenburgen is plaintive yet direct in her film debut. *1/2 from ****

French-Italian-West German co-production from French director and co-writer Claude Chabrol is an alleged comedy adapted from Lucie Faure's novel "Le Malheur Fou" (translated as The Mad Misfortune). Misfortune, indeed! Story concerns the frustrated marriage of two writers in Paris, a put-upon American (a hopelessly miscast Bruce Dern) and his sex-hungry spouse (Stéphane Audran). One feels the actors must have owed Chabrol a favor, but what he does to them on-screen is beyond contempt. Ann-Margret's acclaimed turn in "Tommy" the year before surprisingly opened very few new doors for the actress--or maybe it was just her choices that were terrible. This one's as bad as they come. NO STARS from ****

In S01-E06, Gena Rowlands plays a lonely doctor's wife contemplating having an affair with a married man--a country club acquaintance of she and her husband (Leslie Nielsen). She gets as far as the motel (which looks like a redressed Bates Motel on the Universal lot) but, once she gets inside the room, changes her mind. Unfortunately, her paramour picks that particular moment to have a heart attack and die! Rowlands informs the police anonymously and then splits. Later, Gena is with the man's wife (Ida Lupino) when the police arrive with the bad news, but the scorned widow only wants to know who that little floozie was--and she won't rest until she finds her. Tightly-wound teleplay by William D. Gordon and Barry Trivers, working from Alec Coppel's story, is enacted quite brilliantly by the talented trio. The only slip-up comes at the end, which is a bit too rosy and cozy. Otherwise, *** from ****

Aidan Quinn was Emmy-nominated for his rich, sensitive performance as a budding young lawyer who returns home to his parents with "pneumonia" but is really a homosexual man recently diagnosed as suffering from AIDS; he has to tell his parents not only is he gay, he's also sick. Emmy-winner for writers Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, from Sherman Yellen's story, is an acting showpiece for Quinn, also Gena Rowlands and Ben Gazzara as his parents; Sylvia Sidney as his wise, funny grandmother; and John Glover as a flamboyant, dying man Quinn befriends (each of whom were deservedly Emmy-nominated). Other films have since tackled this subject matter--and done it very well--but this austere television movie set the bar very high. 14 Emmy nominations in all, also winning for Woody Omens' cinematography, Outstanding Editing and Outstanding Sound Mixing. Jerrold L. Ludwig's editing won the American Cinema Editors Award in the television division. Director John Erman and his crew won the DGA award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Specials. Sidney received the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a TV movie or special, while NBC received the Peabody Award. ***1/2 from ****

Italian-Spanish-West German-Argentinian co-production, also known as "Appointment in Beirut" and never released in the US, stars Laurence Harvey as an alcoholic croupier in London fired for his bad behavior and blacklisted. In desperation, he accepts an offer from a man in the fog to work at a casino club in Lebanon where the local police are out to thwart international criminals working the roulette table. Harvey's help is needed to catch them, but he falls for club performer Ann-Margret, who may be in-cahoots with the leader of the crime ring. Not-uninteresting mishmash caper in Italian and English (most of it dubbed) is intriguing due to its obscurity alone, though the production is better than expected and the star leads (though looking somewhat burned by their lack of better employment in Hollywood) are solid. ** from ****