As a lunchtime teaser, I am going to give you my favourite films corresponding to each letter of the alphabet, it's both fun and excruciating, so have a go yourself!
(Excluding 'the' from the beginning of each title)
A: (The) Apartment: Best dramedy ever made, with a never better Jack Lemmon. A review of this film can be seen on the 'Seven Best Billy Wilder Films' below.
B: (The) Breakfast Club: Teenage angst locked in detention.. let's see what fun can be had.
C: Chinatown: Citizen Kane is the greatest film ever made, but Chinatown is my favourite C movie. 'Seven Best Scripts' is an upcoming list; Chinatown might be mentioned...
D: Die Hard: It topped my list 'The Seven Best Films of the 80's' and is in pole position here.
E: (The) Exorcist: Arguably the most frightening film ever made, and in my opinion William Friedkin's greatest achievement.
F: Freaks: Oh Freaks is a helluva horror shocker, with an ending that delivers deformity, due to an overdose of karma.
G: Goodfellas: First place in my 'Seven Best De Niro/Scorsese Collaborations' and my favourite movie. Just don't call Tommy DeVito a funny guy...
H: Hud: Paul Newman is cooler than anyone you'll ever meet. Watch Hud and The Hustler back to back and you'll understand why.
I: It Happened One Night: The Capra touch worked on any genre; screwball, drama, thriller, war. It Happened One Night happens to shine brightest on a remarkable filmography.
J: Jaws: The first official blockbuster, this film has a lot of teeth.
K: King of Comedy: Rupert Pumpkin will go to any length to show he's funny.
L: (The) Lord of the Rings: I really could have chosen Lawrence of Arabia, but as a twenty-one year old man, one trilogy in particular has defined my childhood. I amalgamated the three epics into a 'super-film'; there's no better way to waste a day.
M: Magnolia: When 'Inherent Vice' comes out in a few months, I can finally do a 'Seven Best Paul Thomas Anderson Films' list. Magnolia would probably top that list.
N: North by Northwest: Hitchcock never pervaded more flair into a film than with North by Northwest. Essentially The Thirty Nine Steps in America; this feature can be seen on my very first list, 'The Seven Best Hitchcock Films'.
O: On The Waterfront: Brando, along with James Dean, kicked off the method generation. His character Terry Malloy is brooding and inarticulate, soaked in aggressive energy. Brando at his best basically.
P: Pather Panchali: I believe this is the most personal film ever made, beautifully simplistic with an affecting ending.
Q: (The) Queen: I really got stuck on Q...
R: Rear Window: This too features on my 'Seven Best Hithcock Films' list. Voyeurism is one of the most engaging themes in cinema, and it is looked in on with great skill here.
S: (The) Straight Story: The Straight Story topped my 'Seven Best David Lynch Films' list. Like Pather Panchali; beautifully simplistic and affecting.
T: (The) Third Man: With a memorable zither score and Orson Welles classing up Vienna in a famous cameo (and mocking Switzerland in the process), The Third Man is a perennial feature on every critic's greatest British films of all time.
U: Unforgiven: Eastwood on dynamite form, with Freeman, Harris and Hackman supporting him. A darn fine Western!
V: Vertigo: Easily the best film beginning with 'v'. Hitchcock's masterpiece!
W: (The) Wicker Man (1973): Antithetic to most horror films though terrifying nonetheless, it is part of my 'Seven Best Horror Films' list. Just steer clear from the remake (actually if you want a laugh, seek it out).
X: X2: This film may well appear in my next list, 'The Seven Best Films with Marvel Characters'. It is certainly the best X-Men movie, involving more mutants with relevance, freezing and burning through an intensified narrative. Oh, and Nightcrawler's opening assault on the White House is magnificent!
Y: Y Tu Mama Tambien: A Mexican road trip where two teenage boys learn a lot with an attractive older woman.
Z: Zoolander: The sequel is on its way, but surely it wont succeed its predecessor in superiority. After all, Zoolander is still hot!
The Seven Best Films with Marvel Characters is coming to you soon! Look out for it!
And as we are approaching the end of the year (sort of) the Seven Best and Worst Films of 2014 will be drawn up come December. Will Godzilla smash its way to the top? Was X-Men Days of Future Past really that good? And will The Lego Movie build its way into contention? Just wait and see!
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Friday, 26 September 2014
Monday, 1 September 2014
The Seven Best Billy Wilder Films
7: Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Starring: Tyrone Power, Charles Laughton and Marlene Dietrich
In Seven Words: Leanard Vole murders(?) Emily French, a trial ensues...
Review: I'm guilty. It was eight words, not seven. Though, is Leanard Vole guilty of murdering the ageing, rich widow, Emily French? A potentially convoluted story (expect nothing less from an Agatha Christie novella) is unravelled for screen. What works well is that the "whodunit" components commensurate with Russell Harlan's stoic framing of courtroom theatricality. This particular mise-en-scene fits with any courtroom, because it is applicable as live theatre (see '12 Angry Men' as a keen example of this). The triumph of the film though lies with Charles Laughton, one of the great actors of stage and screen, who's ailing barrister, named Sir Wilfrid Roberts, acts as the defendant for Leanard Vole (Power). His conflicting views match with the conflicting narrative, though Wilder, unlike Alfred Hitchcock, is certain to show both sides, drip feeding the viewer with sustainable evidence. Laughton recalls his 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' role, as this vulnerable, albeit sincere Sir Wilfrid. I should also mention Marlene Dietrich, who defies her 55 years, by summoning her 'femme fatale' specialities that rock the films dénouement. Sneaking in above 'Sabrina', 'Witness for the Prosecution' acts as an exciting document, showcasing the steady skills of an uncompromising director.
6: Double Indemnity (1944)
Starring: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G Robinson
In Seven Words: Insurance is the slightly ironic murder weapon...
Review: Double Indemnity is unquestionably a fine film, though by no means an outstanding achievement. Fred MacMurray is insurance salesman Walter Neff. He's done something terrible, and begins to leave a message for his colleague Walter Keyes (Robinson) through a Dictaphone, explaining a shady commitment to a cardinal sin. The pervading presence of flashback is without a doubt the films strongest asset, due to it representing MacMurray's own retrospective guilt of predetermined murder. Barbara Stanwyck, as Phyllis Dietrichson, is his motive. Her husband is the victim. For her wish is to claim his accident policy in the event of any grisly demise he might have. MacMurray's routine house call acts as the inciting incident and, although initially against Dietrichson's palpable plan of "accidental death", her adhesive occupancy of his psyche changes his mind. With more flirting, the plan drives forward... Double Indemnity isn't my favourite Wilder film for one reason: Fred MacMurray. Undoubtedly Stanwyck is glorious, as is the black and white cinematography, and the train track set piece of murder, superb. Though, MacMurray grows tiresome, he lacks the sustainability of a leading man. I realise he represents the every day salesman, however Bogart or Grant would have enhanced Neff, given him more gravitas and, above all else, would have composed a better suited protagonist.
5: Ace in the Hole (1951)
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling and Robert Arthur
In Seven Words: 'Good news is no news' Charles Tatum...
Review: Ace in the Hole recently showed up in Bill Hader's '200 Comedy Films You Must Watch' list. Is it a comedy? For its biting cynicism and acerbic wit, Hader has a point. Personally, I would define it as a body of film noir with comedic legs. It runs on its screwball plot structure, with Charles Tatum (Kirk Douglas), as a narcissistic, wisecracking reporter laying claim to the story of a man he meets, Leo Minosa, who is trapped in a mineshaft when searching for Indian artefacts. Tatum milks the story for all it's worth, hoping to regain his superior job at the New Yorker, which is a better fit than the Albuquerque Sun-Bulletin. This exploitation reaches the knowledge of New Mexico's finest, along with a corrupt sheriff (hard boiled irony) and mining experts. Tatum's sardonic and brash defence, along with an intimidating demeanour gifts him many get-out-of-jail-free cards. Yet, with the understanding that the real Minosa can be rescued relatively easily, as well as forcing Minosa's cash register raiding wife Lorraine into his crazy scheme, the newspaperman might be on the verge of being found out. The Simpsons adapted Ace in the Hole for an early 90's episode, 'Radio Bart', and one can see why. The material, whilst being, in the best sense of the word, ridiculous, is an attack on American media, something that The Simpsons writers would have been enthused to poke fun at. But I digress. This is one of Wilder's great films, because it amalgamates two opposing genres of the period that shouldn't work, film noir and screwball comedy, but just like a Heston Blumenthal dish, it does work. Bitter and sweet, in the best way possible.
4: Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Starring: Gloria Swanson, William Holden and Erich Von Stroheim
In Seven Words: Silent screen star Swanson has her swansong...
Review: Hollywood has been scrutinized in plenty of pictures: Mulholland Dr., The Player, Barton Fink, A Star is Born.. these films propagate the adversities of success or the attempt of being successful. In Sunset Boulevard, the whirring machine of Hollywood has devoured the exiled star Norma Desmond (Swanson), who, once queen of the silent era, is now neglected by the silver screen, a recluse inhabiting the past. The film factory itself is also cynically surveyed, as the opening sequence sees the body of Joe Gillis (Holden) floating in a swimming pool, accompanied with Gillis's own voice-over: 'A murder has been reported from one of those great big houses in the ten thousand block. You'll read about it in the late editions I'm sure'... And the flashback commences, where we see this talented yet expendable writer Gillis, acquaint with an ageing actress wrapped in her own embittered grandeur. Though Swanson's grandiose, theatrical performance rides on the waves of absurdity, it is harnessed by her loyal butler, discoverer and ex-husband, Max (Von Stroheim). Max is the accepted reality, Norma is living under illusion by her own choice, to evade her depression from lack of fame. Max is her carer, her director if you will. This counterfeit reality induces the sorry ending of Norma, Joe and ultimately Max, who lost his actress to delusion. Widely cynical, Sunset Boulevard is the greatest film about Hollywood ever made.
3: Some Like it Hot (1959)
Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis.
In Seven Words: The year before Psycho made drag dark...
Review: My reviews are lengthier than normal, I realise that. But it is because Wilder is such an exciting director to discuss, his films are an infusion of substance borrowed from Capra and Hitchcock, and even Luis Bunuel, who's avant-garde cynicism must have been an influence. With Some Like It Hot, the flippancy is more light-hearted, on the verge of screwball. Wilder and I.A.L Diamond (co-writer) cater us with a romp about two jazz players Joe and Jerry (Lemon and Curtis) who witness the Saint Valentines Day Massacre of 1929, and to escape the gangsters who spot them, they join an all-female band en route to Miami. This is where Monroe surfaces, as the ditzy (Marilyn was anything but) yet charming Sugar Kane, the band's vocalist and ukulele player. Her appearance is met with enamour by both gentleman, and they compete for her affection whilst under wig and dress, maintaining their feminine guise. Featuring the iconic last line 'Nobody's perfect', said by a potential suitor in response to Jerry revealing himself to be a man, Some Like it Hot is often hilarious, magnificently structured in plot, and as I said earlier, bordering on screwball. Certain scenes involving Sugar and Joe (or Josephine) reminisce and even surpass the very best moments of It Happened One Night and Bringing up Baby. Wilder with his most buoyant picture, and very nearly his greatest comedy film.
2: The Apartment (1960)
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley Maclaine and Fred MacMurray
In Seven Words: Corporate climber falls for an elevator girl...
Review: What is Wilder's obsession with insurance? Exploited in Double Indemnity and Ace in the Hole, the equitable transfer policy is utilized once more for The Apartment; it is where our protagonist, C.C. Baxter (Lemmon) earns his living, in a high rise building in New York. The film ironically succeeds as an antidote to depression. Even though the black and white mise-en-scene centres around a lonely guy in an office (without family and a girlfriend), his self-deprecation and treatment evokes satire, and this draws delight. Baxter starts off as a pushover, allowing his company's executives to stay at his apartment, whilst entertaining their girlfriends. He hopes this will inspire a promotion, gifting him with an office of his own. Despite Baxter being taken advantage of, he elicits some old school courage, and asks out an elevator girl, Miss Kubelik (Maclaine). Unbeknownst to Baxter, Kubelik is herself being cajoled by the personnel director, Jeff D. Sheldrake (MacMurray). As Baxter is promoted by Sheldrake (with a catch for exclusive rights to his apartment) his affection for Miss Kubelik grows stronger, as do hers for him, but with the obstacle of the company boss standing in their way, there is little they can do. They are company captives, and this is where the more dramatic elements of the film derive from. The Apartment was Billy Wilder's ode to Brief Encounter, another film where two lovers find it difficult to be together. It is perhaps a paradox that Wilder's picture is more brittle than David Lean's masterpiece. A film that is essentially a comedy has managed to escape the confines of its genre, and branched off into dramatic junctures that swing abrupt emotional punches at its audience. The culmination of a gun shot noise outside Baxter's apartment pre-empts the audience, as well as Kubelik, into believing that he has attempted suicide. We have forgotten that we are watching a comedy, though when she bursts in and sees he is just holding an overflowing bottle of champaign, that realisation of what The Apartment is kicks in. The share of delight from Baxter and Kubelik, knowing they can be together at last, pronounces The Apartment as something quite wonderful: it is a cold film that gives you a warm hug.
1: Lost Weekend (1945)
Starring: Ray Milland, Jane Wyman and Phillip Terry
In Seven Words: 'I'm not a drinker! I'm a drunk!'
Review: A statement from writer Don Birnam (Milland) and a statement of intent from Wilder: The Lost Weekend is hard hitting, trenchant realism about the effects of alcohol abuse. Don Birnam is an alcoholic, and The Lost Weekend follows his escalation from falling off the wagon to being stationed at deaths door. Milland gives an Oscar winning performance as Birnam, who's distant and cold persona brings him little sympathy from most. One can identify these traits in most of Wilder's protagonists, Walter Neff, Charles Tatum, Jeff Sheldrake, etc. The internal feelings of the audience do not lie with Birnam though, they lie with what he is doing to himself. He is unpleasant, though we stick with him, as does his girlfriend Helen (Wyman), due to the sadness of the situation. His unwillingness to extricate himself from drinking denies him the desire to write, which is his true passion. The drink is superficial, though his devotion to it is not, and that devotion must be relinquished. Yet, as the film goes on, the comprehension is that the only person that can help Birnam is himself, and that deep-rooted battle is what we empathise with most of all. His drop into deceit through his love affair with booze provokes a hallucinatory climax, where his alcoholism grips him whilst he shakes and screams. This does not trigger a bitter ending however, with the arrival of Helen and the image of Birnam dropping his cigarette into a glass of whiskey establishing him as cured. This is Wilder's masterpiece; his quintessential sub-textual themes of cynicism, satire and a socio-political problem injected into the central character(s) are embedded into every word that is said and every shot that is shown. The opening of the film, by panning the city-scape and zooming in on the ajar window of Birnam, plays out in reverse for the ending of the film, with a close-up on Birnam writing his retrospective novel, and then the camera withdrawing to the wide angle of the metropolis. This is a bold comment by Wilder, because he is proclaiming that the issue explored in The Lost Weekend has plagued many people, and will continue to do so, but it can be quelled. That sense of catharsis is relevant for any era, and it is acquired from Wilder's greatest motion picture.
My Next Article Will Be.... The Seven Best Films with Marvel Characters
Starring: Tyrone Power, Charles Laughton and Marlene Dietrich
In Seven Words: Leanard Vole murders(?) Emily French, a trial ensues...
Review: I'm guilty. It was eight words, not seven. Though, is Leanard Vole guilty of murdering the ageing, rich widow, Emily French? A potentially convoluted story (expect nothing less from an Agatha Christie novella) is unravelled for screen. What works well is that the "whodunit" components commensurate with Russell Harlan's stoic framing of courtroom theatricality. This particular mise-en-scene fits with any courtroom, because it is applicable as live theatre (see '12 Angry Men' as a keen example of this). The triumph of the film though lies with Charles Laughton, one of the great actors of stage and screen, who's ailing barrister, named Sir Wilfrid Roberts, acts as the defendant for Leanard Vole (Power). His conflicting views match with the conflicting narrative, though Wilder, unlike Alfred Hitchcock, is certain to show both sides, drip feeding the viewer with sustainable evidence. Laughton recalls his 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' role, as this vulnerable, albeit sincere Sir Wilfrid. I should also mention Marlene Dietrich, who defies her 55 years, by summoning her 'femme fatale' specialities that rock the films dénouement. Sneaking in above 'Sabrina', 'Witness for the Prosecution' acts as an exciting document, showcasing the steady skills of an uncompromising director.
6: Double Indemnity (1944)
Starring: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G Robinson
In Seven Words: Insurance is the slightly ironic murder weapon...
Review: Double Indemnity is unquestionably a fine film, though by no means an outstanding achievement. Fred MacMurray is insurance salesman Walter Neff. He's done something terrible, and begins to leave a message for his colleague Walter Keyes (Robinson) through a Dictaphone, explaining a shady commitment to a cardinal sin. The pervading presence of flashback is without a doubt the films strongest asset, due to it representing MacMurray's own retrospective guilt of predetermined murder. Barbara Stanwyck, as Phyllis Dietrichson, is his motive. Her husband is the victim. For her wish is to claim his accident policy in the event of any grisly demise he might have. MacMurray's routine house call acts as the inciting incident and, although initially against Dietrichson's palpable plan of "accidental death", her adhesive occupancy of his psyche changes his mind. With more flirting, the plan drives forward... Double Indemnity isn't my favourite Wilder film for one reason: Fred MacMurray. Undoubtedly Stanwyck is glorious, as is the black and white cinematography, and the train track set piece of murder, superb. Though, MacMurray grows tiresome, he lacks the sustainability of a leading man. I realise he represents the every day salesman, however Bogart or Grant would have enhanced Neff, given him more gravitas and, above all else, would have composed a better suited protagonist.
5: Ace in the Hole (1951)
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling and Robert Arthur
In Seven Words: 'Good news is no news' Charles Tatum...
Review: Ace in the Hole recently showed up in Bill Hader's '200 Comedy Films You Must Watch' list. Is it a comedy? For its biting cynicism and acerbic wit, Hader has a point. Personally, I would define it as a body of film noir with comedic legs. It runs on its screwball plot structure, with Charles Tatum (Kirk Douglas), as a narcissistic, wisecracking reporter laying claim to the story of a man he meets, Leo Minosa, who is trapped in a mineshaft when searching for Indian artefacts. Tatum milks the story for all it's worth, hoping to regain his superior job at the New Yorker, which is a better fit than the Albuquerque Sun-Bulletin. This exploitation reaches the knowledge of New Mexico's finest, along with a corrupt sheriff (hard boiled irony) and mining experts. Tatum's sardonic and brash defence, along with an intimidating demeanour gifts him many get-out-of-jail-free cards. Yet, with the understanding that the real Minosa can be rescued relatively easily, as well as forcing Minosa's cash register raiding wife Lorraine into his crazy scheme, the newspaperman might be on the verge of being found out. The Simpsons adapted Ace in the Hole for an early 90's episode, 'Radio Bart', and one can see why. The material, whilst being, in the best sense of the word, ridiculous, is an attack on American media, something that The Simpsons writers would have been enthused to poke fun at. But I digress. This is one of Wilder's great films, because it amalgamates two opposing genres of the period that shouldn't work, film noir and screwball comedy, but just like a Heston Blumenthal dish, it does work. Bitter and sweet, in the best way possible.
4: Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Starring: Gloria Swanson, William Holden and Erich Von Stroheim
In Seven Words: Silent screen star Swanson has her swansong...
Review: Hollywood has been scrutinized in plenty of pictures: Mulholland Dr., The Player, Barton Fink, A Star is Born.. these films propagate the adversities of success or the attempt of being successful. In Sunset Boulevard, the whirring machine of Hollywood has devoured the exiled star Norma Desmond (Swanson), who, once queen of the silent era, is now neglected by the silver screen, a recluse inhabiting the past. The film factory itself is also cynically surveyed, as the opening sequence sees the body of Joe Gillis (Holden) floating in a swimming pool, accompanied with Gillis's own voice-over: 'A murder has been reported from one of those great big houses in the ten thousand block. You'll read about it in the late editions I'm sure'... And the flashback commences, where we see this talented yet expendable writer Gillis, acquaint with an ageing actress wrapped in her own embittered grandeur. Though Swanson's grandiose, theatrical performance rides on the waves of absurdity, it is harnessed by her loyal butler, discoverer and ex-husband, Max (Von Stroheim). Max is the accepted reality, Norma is living under illusion by her own choice, to evade her depression from lack of fame. Max is her carer, her director if you will. This counterfeit reality induces the sorry ending of Norma, Joe and ultimately Max, who lost his actress to delusion. Widely cynical, Sunset Boulevard is the greatest film about Hollywood ever made.
3: Some Like it Hot (1959)
Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis.
In Seven Words: The year before Psycho made drag dark...
Review: My reviews are lengthier than normal, I realise that. But it is because Wilder is such an exciting director to discuss, his films are an infusion of substance borrowed from Capra and Hitchcock, and even Luis Bunuel, who's avant-garde cynicism must have been an influence. With Some Like It Hot, the flippancy is more light-hearted, on the verge of screwball. Wilder and I.A.L Diamond (co-writer) cater us with a romp about two jazz players Joe and Jerry (Lemon and Curtis) who witness the Saint Valentines Day Massacre of 1929, and to escape the gangsters who spot them, they join an all-female band en route to Miami. This is where Monroe surfaces, as the ditzy (Marilyn was anything but) yet charming Sugar Kane, the band's vocalist and ukulele player. Her appearance is met with enamour by both gentleman, and they compete for her affection whilst under wig and dress, maintaining their feminine guise. Featuring the iconic last line 'Nobody's perfect', said by a potential suitor in response to Jerry revealing himself to be a man, Some Like it Hot is often hilarious, magnificently structured in plot, and as I said earlier, bordering on screwball. Certain scenes involving Sugar and Joe (or Josephine) reminisce and even surpass the very best moments of It Happened One Night and Bringing up Baby. Wilder with his most buoyant picture, and very nearly his greatest comedy film.
2: The Apartment (1960)
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley Maclaine and Fred MacMurray
In Seven Words: Corporate climber falls for an elevator girl...
Review: What is Wilder's obsession with insurance? Exploited in Double Indemnity and Ace in the Hole, the equitable transfer policy is utilized once more for The Apartment; it is where our protagonist, C.C. Baxter (Lemmon) earns his living, in a high rise building in New York. The film ironically succeeds as an antidote to depression. Even though the black and white mise-en-scene centres around a lonely guy in an office (without family and a girlfriend), his self-deprecation and treatment evokes satire, and this draws delight. Baxter starts off as a pushover, allowing his company's executives to stay at his apartment, whilst entertaining their girlfriends. He hopes this will inspire a promotion, gifting him with an office of his own. Despite Baxter being taken advantage of, he elicits some old school courage, and asks out an elevator girl, Miss Kubelik (Maclaine). Unbeknownst to Baxter, Kubelik is herself being cajoled by the personnel director, Jeff D. Sheldrake (MacMurray). As Baxter is promoted by Sheldrake (with a catch for exclusive rights to his apartment) his affection for Miss Kubelik grows stronger, as do hers for him, but with the obstacle of the company boss standing in their way, there is little they can do. They are company captives, and this is where the more dramatic elements of the film derive from. The Apartment was Billy Wilder's ode to Brief Encounter, another film where two lovers find it difficult to be together. It is perhaps a paradox that Wilder's picture is more brittle than David Lean's masterpiece. A film that is essentially a comedy has managed to escape the confines of its genre, and branched off into dramatic junctures that swing abrupt emotional punches at its audience. The culmination of a gun shot noise outside Baxter's apartment pre-empts the audience, as well as Kubelik, into believing that he has attempted suicide. We have forgotten that we are watching a comedy, though when she bursts in and sees he is just holding an overflowing bottle of champaign, that realisation of what The Apartment is kicks in. The share of delight from Baxter and Kubelik, knowing they can be together at last, pronounces The Apartment as something quite wonderful: it is a cold film that gives you a warm hug.
1: Lost Weekend (1945)
Starring: Ray Milland, Jane Wyman and Phillip Terry
In Seven Words: 'I'm not a drinker! I'm a drunk!'
Review: A statement from writer Don Birnam (Milland) and a statement of intent from Wilder: The Lost Weekend is hard hitting, trenchant realism about the effects of alcohol abuse. Don Birnam is an alcoholic, and The Lost Weekend follows his escalation from falling off the wagon to being stationed at deaths door. Milland gives an Oscar winning performance as Birnam, who's distant and cold persona brings him little sympathy from most. One can identify these traits in most of Wilder's protagonists, Walter Neff, Charles Tatum, Jeff Sheldrake, etc. The internal feelings of the audience do not lie with Birnam though, they lie with what he is doing to himself. He is unpleasant, though we stick with him, as does his girlfriend Helen (Wyman), due to the sadness of the situation. His unwillingness to extricate himself from drinking denies him the desire to write, which is his true passion. The drink is superficial, though his devotion to it is not, and that devotion must be relinquished. Yet, as the film goes on, the comprehension is that the only person that can help Birnam is himself, and that deep-rooted battle is what we empathise with most of all. His drop into deceit through his love affair with booze provokes a hallucinatory climax, where his alcoholism grips him whilst he shakes and screams. This does not trigger a bitter ending however, with the arrival of Helen and the image of Birnam dropping his cigarette into a glass of whiskey establishing him as cured. This is Wilder's masterpiece; his quintessential sub-textual themes of cynicism, satire and a socio-political problem injected into the central character(s) are embedded into every word that is said and every shot that is shown. The opening of the film, by panning the city-scape and zooming in on the ajar window of Birnam, plays out in reverse for the ending of the film, with a close-up on Birnam writing his retrospective novel, and then the camera withdrawing to the wide angle of the metropolis. This is a bold comment by Wilder, because he is proclaiming that the issue explored in The Lost Weekend has plagued many people, and will continue to do so, but it can be quelled. That sense of catharsis is relevant for any era, and it is acquired from Wilder's greatest motion picture.
My Next Article Will Be.... The Seven Best Films with Marvel Characters
Friday, 1 August 2014
The Seven Best Films Every Child Must Watch
7: Fantastic Mr Fox (2009)
Starring: George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Jason Schwartzman
In Seven Words: Foxy riles farmers by stealing their chickens...
Review: A contemporary classic, with Dahl's quirky style modernized by quirk King, Wes Anderson. Stop motion animation is a risky, arduous assignment to deliver. Fortunately, Wes Anderson's filmography bounces in stylised risk, and is all the better for it. Fantastic Mr Fox; a tale made by one great storyteller, and renovated by another great storyteller.
6: The Lion King (1994)
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons and James Earl Jones
In Seven Words: Hamlet made easy with lions and stuff...
Review: Reigns as the best of all of Disney's animated films. Essential viewing for all children over the age of four, and the beginners guide to Shakespeare. A masterful opening illuminates a sunlit African aesthetic, with an assembly of creatures great and small lining up to see the future King atop of Pride Rock. With wonderful characterisation of hyenas, a mandrill and of course lions, as well as a glorious soundtrack written by Elton John, Tim Rice and Hans Zimmer, The Lion King roars into classic territory.
5: E.T: The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
Starring: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore and Peter Coyote
In Seven Words: The odd couple where alien meets boy...
Review: My childhood nostalgia certainly didn't qualify as a 'home' for E.T., though having viewed Spielberg's sixth cinematic feature again recently, its perennial qualities shone through to my adult self. Henry Thomas gives one of the great child performances, as a curious boy who befriends a lost alien and attempts to help it return to its home. Spielberg can paint sentimentality onto any film canvass, it is his trademark stroke. Frequently, it is a master stroke, though occasional mawkish moments he applies in some of his features are the most vulnerable source for a critical drubbing. Fortunately, E.T. lifts off with plenty of heart.
4: Spirited Away (2001)
Starring: Miyo Irino, Daveigh Chase and Suzanne Pleshette
In Seven Words: The dangers of gluttony against hard work...
Review: A subconscious trip, brimming with morals, into the vivid spirit world. Gluttony is scrutinized through this lurid, 'Alice in Wonderland' type adventure. It was the first feature of Hayao Miyazaki I had seen, and I was instantly transfixed by the Japanese artistry of story telling that captivates throughout. Miyazaki is clearly inspired by Western culture; the ancient Greek world of Hades is an undoubted influence to the spirit world presented here. Though, the grandeur of the movie prevails with the mesmeric Asian style of animation. Spirited Away is a perfect film for children because they will identify with and be galvanised by the petite ten-year-old heroine, Chihiro, through her own personal journey. A must see.
3: Where is the Friends Home? (1987)
Starring: Babek Ahmed Poor and Ahmed Ahmed Poor
In Seven Words: A schoolboy friendship tested in textbook style...
Review: A straightforward synopsis is augmented through a carefully constructed narrative and the focal theme of virtue. A school boy has to return his friends notebook, else the friend faces expulsion. Iran's most outstanding cultural export, as a lesson can be learnt for all children, in the most palpable relevance of friendship I have ever witnessed. One for all the ages.
2: The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Starring: Judy Garland, Ray Bolger and Frank Morgan
In Seven Words: Dorothy travels to Oz via tornado trip...
Review: I know nobody who has never seen the tale of Dorothy Gale abscond to Oz. Often cited as one of the greatest films ever made (Victor Fleming contributed to two of those recognised with that particular proclamation in 1939, this and Gone with the Wind), The Wizard of Oz sings and scares its way into the mind of every child that views it. There is an even more important film that should be viewed by all children in my opinion, but The Wizard of Oz is certainly habitual in my nostalgia.
1: Mrs Doubtfire (1993)
Starring: Robin Williams, Sally Field and Mara Wilson
In Seven Words: Dad dresses in drag to see children...
Review: Mrs Doubtfire is a prevalent picture to any viewer that sees it, particularly those whose parents are divorcing/or have divorced. Although the odd curse word is dotted around the picture ('shit' being the most outstanding of swears spoken), the mute button can be pressed for a second, because I feel it imperative that Mrs Doubtfire should be a movie to be seen, adored and understood. The bitter-sweet denouement, with the parents not getting back together, though deciding to co-parent there son and daughters amicably, is one of the best endings in 90's cinema. Robin Williams will be remembered for this, even in front of Aladdin, Good Will Hunting and Mork and Mindy. The film Mrs Doubtfire entered the world when I did, and I know it will endure well after my sell by date. A very funny and touching movie.
My Next Article Will Be.... The Seven Best Billy Wilder Films
Starring: George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Jason Schwartzman
In Seven Words: Foxy riles farmers by stealing their chickens...
Review: A contemporary classic, with Dahl's quirky style modernized by quirk King, Wes Anderson. Stop motion animation is a risky, arduous assignment to deliver. Fortunately, Wes Anderson's filmography bounces in stylised risk, and is all the better for it. Fantastic Mr Fox; a tale made by one great storyteller, and renovated by another great storyteller.
6: The Lion King (1994)
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons and James Earl Jones
In Seven Words: Hamlet made easy with lions and stuff...
Review: Reigns as the best of all of Disney's animated films. Essential viewing for all children over the age of four, and the beginners guide to Shakespeare. A masterful opening illuminates a sunlit African aesthetic, with an assembly of creatures great and small lining up to see the future King atop of Pride Rock. With wonderful characterisation of hyenas, a mandrill and of course lions, as well as a glorious soundtrack written by Elton John, Tim Rice and Hans Zimmer, The Lion King roars into classic territory.
5: E.T: The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
Starring: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore and Peter Coyote
In Seven Words: The odd couple where alien meets boy...
Review: My childhood nostalgia certainly didn't qualify as a 'home' for E.T., though having viewed Spielberg's sixth cinematic feature again recently, its perennial qualities shone through to my adult self. Henry Thomas gives one of the great child performances, as a curious boy who befriends a lost alien and attempts to help it return to its home. Spielberg can paint sentimentality onto any film canvass, it is his trademark stroke. Frequently, it is a master stroke, though occasional mawkish moments he applies in some of his features are the most vulnerable source for a critical drubbing. Fortunately, E.T. lifts off with plenty of heart.
4: Spirited Away (2001)
Starring: Miyo Irino, Daveigh Chase and Suzanne Pleshette
In Seven Words: The dangers of gluttony against hard work...
Review: A subconscious trip, brimming with morals, into the vivid spirit world. Gluttony is scrutinized through this lurid, 'Alice in Wonderland' type adventure. It was the first feature of Hayao Miyazaki I had seen, and I was instantly transfixed by the Japanese artistry of story telling that captivates throughout. Miyazaki is clearly inspired by Western culture; the ancient Greek world of Hades is an undoubted influence to the spirit world presented here. Though, the grandeur of the movie prevails with the mesmeric Asian style of animation. Spirited Away is a perfect film for children because they will identify with and be galvanised by the petite ten-year-old heroine, Chihiro, through her own personal journey. A must see.
3: Where is the Friends Home? (1987)
Starring: Babek Ahmed Poor and Ahmed Ahmed Poor
In Seven Words: A schoolboy friendship tested in textbook style...
Review: A straightforward synopsis is augmented through a carefully constructed narrative and the focal theme of virtue. A school boy has to return his friends notebook, else the friend faces expulsion. Iran's most outstanding cultural export, as a lesson can be learnt for all children, in the most palpable relevance of friendship I have ever witnessed. One for all the ages.
2: The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Starring: Judy Garland, Ray Bolger and Frank Morgan
In Seven Words: Dorothy travels to Oz via tornado trip...
Review: I know nobody who has never seen the tale of Dorothy Gale abscond to Oz. Often cited as one of the greatest films ever made (Victor Fleming contributed to two of those recognised with that particular proclamation in 1939, this and Gone with the Wind), The Wizard of Oz sings and scares its way into the mind of every child that views it. There is an even more important film that should be viewed by all children in my opinion, but The Wizard of Oz is certainly habitual in my nostalgia.
1: Mrs Doubtfire (1993)
Starring: Robin Williams, Sally Field and Mara Wilson
In Seven Words: Dad dresses in drag to see children...
Review: Mrs Doubtfire is a prevalent picture to any viewer that sees it, particularly those whose parents are divorcing/or have divorced. Although the odd curse word is dotted around the picture ('shit' being the most outstanding of swears spoken), the mute button can be pressed for a second, because I feel it imperative that Mrs Doubtfire should be a movie to be seen, adored and understood. The bitter-sweet denouement, with the parents not getting back together, though deciding to co-parent there son and daughters amicably, is one of the best endings in 90's cinema. Robin Williams will be remembered for this, even in front of Aladdin, Good Will Hunting and Mork and Mindy. The film Mrs Doubtfire entered the world when I did, and I know it will endure well after my sell by date. A very funny and touching movie.
My Next Article Will Be.... The Seven Best Billy Wilder Films
Tuesday, 8 July 2014
The Seven Best David Lynch Films
7: Wild at Heart (1990)
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern and Willem Dafoe
In Seven (or more) Words: Roger Ebert described this as 'lurid melodrama' and 'soap opera'. There is some accuracy to this, though Wild at Heart, a candid description of the director himself, is supposed to be over-the-top macabre. Plus, some of the dialogue is Lynch at his snappy best. A psychotic prelude to Natural Born Killers.
6: Lost Highway (1997)
Starring: Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette and Robert Blake
In Seven (or more) Words: Lost Highway is David Lynch's darkest nightmare; visceral, disturbed and confused, as is the eerie incarnation of the 'mystery man' played by Robert Blake. The substance of the film is illuminated through Lynch's uncompromising camera framing and, although the plot perplexes, Lost Highway drives as highly viewable.
5: Eraserhead (1977)
Starring: Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart and Allen Joseph
In Seven (or more) Words: David Lynch marked his style with Eraserhead, an anomaly of a film, with an abnormal titular character. The sound design is as engaging as it is vexing.
4: The Elephant Man (1980)
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt and Anne Bancroft
In Seven (or more) Words: The first film I saw of David Lynch, with John Hurt emotionally naked under hefty prosthetics. One scene in particular will always stay with me, where the humanistic assessment of our protagonist elicits the scream 'I am not an animal! I am a human being!'. The Elephant Man might have been aberrant in appearance, though at his core, Joseph Merrick was one of us.
3: Blue Velvet (1986)
Starring: Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan and Dennis Hopper
In Seven (or more) Words: Extraordinary. Dennis Hopper will always be remembered for a triumvirate of movies: Easy Rider, Apocalypse Now and Blue Velvet. The latter encompasses Lynch's trademark visual flair with an ominous sound design in his preferred small town surroundings.
2: Mulholland Drive (2001)
Starring: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring and Justin Theroux
In Seven (or more) Words: Mulholland Drive is Lynch's last outstanding piece of film making, and very nearly his greatest achievement. Again, the lucidity that is prominent in most of his work frames the whole picture, with his film noir aesthetic conspicuous both in style and substance. An explanation is difficult, things just happen. Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring are both sublime, that much is obvious. As a warning, the film contains perhaps the most shocking moment I have ever witnessed in cinema. It involves a rotting corpse. Hypnotic viewing.
1: The Straight Story (1999)
Starring: Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek and Jane Galloway
In Seven (or more) Words: One of my all time favourite films. Lynch distributes his least Lynchian film; a tale of a man, with poor sight and a disabled daughter, who finances a trip across state to see his brother, who he hasn't spoken to in ten years, though who has been stricken by a stroke. The man's name is Alvin. His mode of transport. A lawnmower. The acting is exemplary, particularly from Richard Farnsworth, who was Oscar nominated, though who tragically took his own life six months after the film was released, due to his own terminal batter with cancer. The stunning images of Iowa to Wisconsin validates both states as picture perfect. The script is splendid, with Alvin contributing to other lives whilst on his travels. With every bit of advice he bequeaths, a life lesson is learnt. David Lynch differs from his usual brand of story telling, and in doing so, exhibits his masterpiece.
My Next Article Will Be.... The Seven Best Films Every Child Must Watch
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern and Willem Dafoe
In Seven (or more) Words: Roger Ebert described this as 'lurid melodrama' and 'soap opera'. There is some accuracy to this, though Wild at Heart, a candid description of the director himself, is supposed to be over-the-top macabre. Plus, some of the dialogue is Lynch at his snappy best. A psychotic prelude to Natural Born Killers.
6: Lost Highway (1997)
Starring: Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette and Robert Blake
In Seven (or more) Words: Lost Highway is David Lynch's darkest nightmare; visceral, disturbed and confused, as is the eerie incarnation of the 'mystery man' played by Robert Blake. The substance of the film is illuminated through Lynch's uncompromising camera framing and, although the plot perplexes, Lost Highway drives as highly viewable.
5: Eraserhead (1977)
Starring: Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart and Allen Joseph
In Seven (or more) Words: David Lynch marked his style with Eraserhead, an anomaly of a film, with an abnormal titular character. The sound design is as engaging as it is vexing.
4: The Elephant Man (1980)
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt and Anne Bancroft
In Seven (or more) Words: The first film I saw of David Lynch, with John Hurt emotionally naked under hefty prosthetics. One scene in particular will always stay with me, where the humanistic assessment of our protagonist elicits the scream 'I am not an animal! I am a human being!'. The Elephant Man might have been aberrant in appearance, though at his core, Joseph Merrick was one of us.
3: Blue Velvet (1986)
Starring: Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan and Dennis Hopper
In Seven (or more) Words: Extraordinary. Dennis Hopper will always be remembered for a triumvirate of movies: Easy Rider, Apocalypse Now and Blue Velvet. The latter encompasses Lynch's trademark visual flair with an ominous sound design in his preferred small town surroundings.
2: Mulholland Drive (2001)
Starring: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring and Justin Theroux
In Seven (or more) Words: Mulholland Drive is Lynch's last outstanding piece of film making, and very nearly his greatest achievement. Again, the lucidity that is prominent in most of his work frames the whole picture, with his film noir aesthetic conspicuous both in style and substance. An explanation is difficult, things just happen. Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring are both sublime, that much is obvious. As a warning, the film contains perhaps the most shocking moment I have ever witnessed in cinema. It involves a rotting corpse. Hypnotic viewing.
1: The Straight Story (1999)
Starring: Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek and Jane Galloway
In Seven (or more) Words: One of my all time favourite films. Lynch distributes his least Lynchian film; a tale of a man, with poor sight and a disabled daughter, who finances a trip across state to see his brother, who he hasn't spoken to in ten years, though who has been stricken by a stroke. The man's name is Alvin. His mode of transport. A lawnmower. The acting is exemplary, particularly from Richard Farnsworth, who was Oscar nominated, though who tragically took his own life six months after the film was released, due to his own terminal batter with cancer. The stunning images of Iowa to Wisconsin validates both states as picture perfect. The script is splendid, with Alvin contributing to other lives whilst on his travels. With every bit of advice he bequeaths, a life lesson is learnt. David Lynch differs from his usual brand of story telling, and in doing so, exhibits his masterpiece.
My Next Article Will Be.... The Seven Best Films Every Child Must Watch
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
The Seven Best Films of the 80's
7: Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Starring: Robert De Niro, James Woods and Joe Pesci
Starring: Robert De Niro, James Woods and Joe Pesci
In Seven (or more) Words: An interminable and insuperable gangster film of the 80's. Once Upon a Time in America consumes not only your time, but your conscious, as the viewer is swathed in Leone's depiction of four gangsters in New York and the loyalty, or lack of, in criminality. The extended version of this film, due out in September of this year, runs at 256 minutes...
6: Back to the Future (1985)
Starring: Michael J Fox, Lea Thompson and Christopher Lloyd
In Seven (or more) Words: 'The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?'... Doc Brown quotes ostensibly what everyone is thinking about the film itself; flashy, fun and fucking loud! Back to the Future is uproariously entertaining, with Michael J Fox slipping into the shoes of Marty McFly with such aplomb. Sorry Eric Stoltz, but this was the greatest recasting of all time.
Starring: Michael J Fox, Lea Thompson and Christopher Lloyd
In Seven (or more) Words: 'The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?'... Doc Brown quotes ostensibly what everyone is thinking about the film itself; flashy, fun and fucking loud! Back to the Future is uproariously entertaining, with Michael J Fox slipping into the shoes of Marty McFly with such aplomb. Sorry Eric Stoltz, but this was the greatest recasting of all time.
5: Stand By Me (1986)
Starring: Will Wheaton, River Phoenix and Kiefer Sutherland
In Seven (or more) Words: Like with most motion pictures, Stephen King can be thanked for the story, adapted from his novella 'The Body'. Above all else, Stand By Me is about friendship, something that we can all relate to. King describes it as 'the best adaptation of any of his books to date'. He might be right.
Starring: Will Wheaton, River Phoenix and Kiefer Sutherland
In Seven (or more) Words: Like with most motion pictures, Stephen King can be thanked for the story, adapted from his novella 'The Body'. Above all else, Stand By Me is about friendship, something that we can all relate to. King describes it as 'the best adaptation of any of his books to date'. He might be right.
4: Ran (1985)
Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao and Jinpachi Nezu
In Seven (or more) Words: King Lear retold. Visually magnificent, the set-up of static cameras a key factor to this, Ran is a medieval masterpiece.
Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao and Jinpachi Nezu
In Seven (or more) Words: King Lear retold. Visually magnificent, the set-up of static cameras a key factor to this, Ran is a medieval masterpiece.
3: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck and Mia Sara
In Seven (or more) Words: Marvellously entertaining, Ferris takes a day off school. With his girlfriend Sloane and best friend Cameron, they have a riot (at times), whilst trying to evade being sighted by the principal, Ed Rooney. A film to live by.
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck and Mia Sara
In Seven (or more) Words: Marvellously entertaining, Ferris takes a day off school. With his girlfriend Sloane and best friend Cameron, they have a riot (at times), whilst trying to evade being sighted by the principal, Ed Rooney. A film to live by.
2: Raging Bull (1980)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty and Joe Pesci
In Seven (or more) Words: A cyclone of poweful punches and performances.
Starring: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty and Joe Pesci
In Seven (or more) Words: A cyclone of poweful punches and performances.
1: Die Hard (1988)
Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman and Bonnie Bedelia
In Seven (or more) Words: Die Hard is blown up entertainment. At its crux, that's what it is. It is the finest action movie ever made, the finest Christmas movie ever made and once more, it is the finest movie the 80's offers. Everyone loves Die Hard!
Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman and Bonnie Bedelia
In Seven (or more) Words: Die Hard is blown up entertainment. At its crux, that's what it is. It is the finest action movie ever made, the finest Christmas movie ever made and once more, it is the finest movie the 80's offers. Everyone loves Die Hard!
Just Missed The Cut: The Shining.. Cinema Paradiso.. Blade Runner.. The Temple of Doom.. E.T... Do the Right Thing.
The Next Article Will Be.... The Seven Best David Lynch Films
The Next Article Will Be.... The Seven Best David Lynch Films
Monday, 9 June 2014
The Seven Best Terrible Al Pacino Films
7: Dick Tracy (1990)
Starring: Warren Beatty, Madonna and Al Pacino
In Seven (or more) Words: In other words the Seven Worst Al Pacino Films? Pretty much. We begin with Dick Tracy, where Pacino chews scenery and spits out a grotesque creation worthy of the films comic-book composition. Marmite.
6: Gigli (2003)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez and Al Pacino
In Seven (or more) Words: Don't mistake me, if Pacino had a greater role, this film would rival for the number one spot. As it is, Al cameos as a mob boss, which in all fairness is what he does best. Still, Gigli is much maligned and possibly a contender for the worst film of the 21st century.
5: Jack and Jill (2011)
Starring: Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes and Al Pacino
In Seven (or more) Words: I don't know why I watched this. Al Pacino plays himself for a few minutes, before realising that, for all the money in the world, appearing in an Adam Sandler vehicle just isn't worth it. Again, this would be topping the list if Pacino had more extensive screen time.
4: 88 Minutes (2007)
Starring: Al Pacino, Alicia Witt and Deborah Kara Unger
In Seven (or more) Words: Before I ramble on, I must clarify Al Pacino is one of my favourite actors, and has submitted some of the most unique and celebrated performances in cinematic history; The Godfather, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and Scent of a Woman to name a few. Having said that, 88 Minutes is fucking diabolical. I doused my eyes with drops post film, but this did not liberate the mind from the '106 minutes' of footage I had just witnessed. And to think, Mr Pacino made three inferior movies.
3: Righteous Kill (2008)
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Curtis Jackson
In Seven (or more) Words: With Michael Mann's Heat, where a profusion of action was hurled at excited audience members, one understated scene stood out. It occured in a late night cafe and had two of the greatest screen actors conversing over a coffee. This was the first time we observed them on screen together. Thirteen years later, Jon Avnet, the man behind 88 Minutes, rekindled these two giants of cinema as two New York City Detectives. The Director hasn't made anything since. This film is probably the reason why.
2: Revolution (1985)
Starring: Al Pacino, Donald Sutherland and Nastassja Kinski
In Seven (or more) Words: It took me a long time to get hold of this. With a cacophony of muddled accents and a convoluted narrative, Revolution was a misfire. The predatory attack of Pacino's performance from critics was unjust, due to it being a rarity at the time for him to act in such a misjudged movie. A flop yes. But the blame cannot be bequeathed solely to its star.
1: Stand Up Guys (2012)
Starring: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin
In Seven (or more) Words: Generic. Just like my reviews I guess. Stand Up Guys cannons into first. Why? Watch it. It is abhorrently bad. It hurts to say that, due to my adoration for its three legendary stalwarts. Nonetheless, this is the worst Pacino has ever done. And the ending... dire.
My Next Article Will Be.... The Seven Best Films of the 80's
Starring: Warren Beatty, Madonna and Al Pacino
In Seven (or more) Words: In other words the Seven Worst Al Pacino Films? Pretty much. We begin with Dick Tracy, where Pacino chews scenery and spits out a grotesque creation worthy of the films comic-book composition. Marmite.
6: Gigli (2003)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez and Al Pacino
In Seven (or more) Words: Don't mistake me, if Pacino had a greater role, this film would rival for the number one spot. As it is, Al cameos as a mob boss, which in all fairness is what he does best. Still, Gigli is much maligned and possibly a contender for the worst film of the 21st century.
5: Jack and Jill (2011)
Starring: Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes and Al Pacino
In Seven (or more) Words: I don't know why I watched this. Al Pacino plays himself for a few minutes, before realising that, for all the money in the world, appearing in an Adam Sandler vehicle just isn't worth it. Again, this would be topping the list if Pacino had more extensive screen time.
4: 88 Minutes (2007)
Starring: Al Pacino, Alicia Witt and Deborah Kara Unger
In Seven (or more) Words: Before I ramble on, I must clarify Al Pacino is one of my favourite actors, and has submitted some of the most unique and celebrated performances in cinematic history; The Godfather, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and Scent of a Woman to name a few. Having said that, 88 Minutes is fucking diabolical. I doused my eyes with drops post film, but this did not liberate the mind from the '106 minutes' of footage I had just witnessed. And to think, Mr Pacino made three inferior movies.
3: Righteous Kill (2008)
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Curtis Jackson
In Seven (or more) Words: With Michael Mann's Heat, where a profusion of action was hurled at excited audience members, one understated scene stood out. It occured in a late night cafe and had two of the greatest screen actors conversing over a coffee. This was the first time we observed them on screen together. Thirteen years later, Jon Avnet, the man behind 88 Minutes, rekindled these two giants of cinema as two New York City Detectives. The Director hasn't made anything since. This film is probably the reason why.
2: Revolution (1985)
Starring: Al Pacino, Donald Sutherland and Nastassja Kinski
In Seven (or more) Words: It took me a long time to get hold of this. With a cacophony of muddled accents and a convoluted narrative, Revolution was a misfire. The predatory attack of Pacino's performance from critics was unjust, due to it being a rarity at the time for him to act in such a misjudged movie. A flop yes. But the blame cannot be bequeathed solely to its star.
1: Stand Up Guys (2012)
Starring: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin
In Seven (or more) Words: Generic. Just like my reviews I guess. Stand Up Guys cannons into first. Why? Watch it. It is abhorrently bad. It hurts to say that, due to my adoration for its three legendary stalwarts. Nonetheless, this is the worst Pacino has ever done. And the ending... dire.
My Next Article Will Be.... The Seven Best Films of the 80's
Sunday, 8 June 2014
The Seven Best David Lean Films
7: Ryan's Daughter (1970)
Starring: Robert Mitchum, Trevor Howard and John Mills
In Seven (or more) Words: The thing about David Lean is, that he could unite excessive grandeur with depth in character. Roger Ebert noted that in this film, the acting capsized due to the perpetual scale employed on screen. Although Ryan's Daughter is massive in scope, I believe the likes of Robert Mitchum and Trevor Howard commensurate with the sublime scenery, constituting a finely balanced picture.
6: Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Starring: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie and Geraldine Chaplin
In Seven (or more) Words: Lean's biggest foray into romance, in terms of the size of the picture, Doctor Zhivago dispatched Omar Sharif as more than a secondary character, combining chemistry and charisma opposite a stunning Julie Christie. Preferable to Boris Pasternak's original novel.
5: The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Starring: William Holden, Alec Guinness and Sessue Hayakawa
In Seven (or more) Words: Runs a double narrative with William Holden and Alec Guinness positioned at both ends, although the denouement shunts them together in one of the most action heavy endings of 50's cinema. Palpable tension fixates the viewer, though the highlight is Alec Guinness, who received an Academy Award for Actor in a Leading Role, in realising outstanding bravery and conveying profound intentions as Colonel Nicholson. Lean was right to trust him.
4: Oliver Twist (1948)
Starring: Robert Newton, Alec Guinness and Kay Walsh
In Seven (or more) Words: Lean delved in Dickens twice, directing two incomparable book-to-screen adaptations. With Oliver Twist, Lean utilised Alex Guinness superbly, as the most dimensional Fagin to have appeared in a feature. The tangible Gothic aesthetic, previously seen in Great Expectations, is arguably the most constant of captivating visuals ever committed to cinema. Seek it out!
3: Great Expectations (1946)
Starring: John Mills, Valerie Hobson and Alec Guinness
In Seven (or more) Words: I can only echo what I said about Oliver Twist. Except Great Expectations is ever so slightly superior. The emergence of Magwitch, and his dialogue with the boy Pip, is the greatest scene Lean ever filmed. In my opinion.
2: Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness and Anthony Quinn
In Seven (or more) Words: Off a smorgasbord of prodigious pictures, this is Lean at his biggest and boldest. Taking a punt on O'Toole as a relative newcomer was risky, but ranks as an extraordinary casting decision. At 3 hours and 38 minutes, the film is flawless.
1: Brief Encounter (1945)
Starring: Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard
In Seven (or more) Words: Lean with his most beautiful achievement. It is a lovely film about love. Simple and graceful, the antipode of Showgirls, this is wonderful to watch. Superlatives aside, if you ever feel indecisive in love, seek this film out. Heavenly.
My Next Article Will Be.... The Seven Best Terrible Al Pacino Films
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