Month: July 2017

Today’s quick review: A Christmas Story. Ralphie Parker (Jean Shepherd) reminisces on a Christmas from his childhood in the 1940s. As a nine-year-old boy (Peter Billingsley), he has his heart set on a Red Ryder BB gun that the adults in his life consider too dangerous for him. With Christmas drawing near, Ralphie tries every trick in the book to get his flustered mother (Melinda Dillon) and foul-mouthed father (Darren McGavin) to buy him the gun for Christmas.

A Christmas Story is a Christmas comedy filled with all the mischief and innocence of youth. Jean Shepherd narrates as an adult Ralphie, using his warm voice and evocative turns of phrase to show life through the eyes of a boy. His rosy-tinted nostalgia is tinged with sharp irony where his family life diverges from the ideal. But in spite of a few rough spots, his memories of childhood are joyful, and the story’s irony is comical rather than bitter.

Watch A Christmas Story if you are in the mood for an honest, nostalgic, and funny look at Christmas through the eyes of a child. The film is filled with iconic moments, and it handles its tone and humor with considerable skill. Some swearing makes it inappropriate for young children, but otherwise A Christmas Story is a great family film and a holiday classic.

8.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 to 8.0 for spot-on tone and iconic moments.

Today’s quick review: Silent Movie. Hollywood director Mel Funn (Mel Brooks), attempting to rebound from a slump in his career, pitches his new movie idea to the chief of Big Picture Studios (Sid Caesar): the first silent movie in 40 years. The chief, in desperate need of a hit, agrees on one condition: the film must be filled with stars. Together with his friends Marty Eggs (Marty Feldman) and Dom Bell (Dom DeLuise), Funn sets about recruiting the celebrities needed to make the film a hit.

Silent Movie is a comedy from Mel Brooks done in the style of an old silent film. The only sounds in the film are its soundtrack and a few comical sound effects. The humor focuses on slapstick, including Mel Brooks’ takes on several classic slapstick routines. The visual humor is supplemented with jokes about the medium and a few of Mel Brooks’ more typical jokes that do not need proper dialogue.

The plot and script are deliberately light, reminiscent of early 20th-century comedies. Funn, Eggs, and Bell roam around Hollywood in search of celebrities to recruit for their movie, including Burt Reynolds, James Caan, and Liza Minnelli. These comedy sequences form the bread and butter of the movie, but they have very little plot importance; the loss of any of these scenes would not hurt the story substantially.

As such, Silent Movie is a comedy with a pleasant flavor and very little substance, more a series of connected shorts than a cohesive whole. Watch it if you are in the mood for a breezy, experimental comedy with a healthy dose of slapstick. But Silent Movie offers little to those who are not fans of its particular brand of comedy; skip it unless the concept of a loving tribute to the silent films of old appeals to you.

6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for amusing comedy and a creative premise that somewhat constrains its story potential.

Today’s quick review: To Catch a Thief. When jewels along the French Riviera begin to disappear, suspicion falls on John Robie (Cary Grant), a retired cat burglar. To prove his innocence, John must catch the real burglar in the act by staking out his potential targets. One such target is Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis), whose headstrong daughter Francie (Grace Kelly) proves to be a handful for John.

To Catch a Thief is a crime drama from Alfred Hitchcock. Unlike most Hitchcock films, To Catch a Thief has no psychological horror and only a modest amount of suspense. The film is a straightforward crime film with skillful acting, an interesting plot, and well-written dialogue. The presence of John’s old crew, an insurance agent from Lloyds of London, and the overeager police gives the linear plot a bit of complexity.

Cary Grant plays the confident, canny John Robie, out to prove his innocence in spite of appearances. To do so, he must charm Jessie Stevens, an easy task, and her daughter Francie, a more difficult one. Their relationship is romantically antagonistic, with Francie trying to poke holes in John’s cover as an American lumber tycoon and John trying to maintain his disguise long enough to scope out the real thief.

Watch To Catch a Thief if you are in the mood for a cerebral, well-executed crime film. While the plot has one or two rough spots and suffers from the lack of an identifiable villain, To Catch a Thief is a polished, satisfying movie worth acquainting yourself with. Skip it if you are looking for a crime film with a bit more action.

7.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for quality of acting and storytelling.

Today’s quick review: Phenomenon. After a close encounter, George (John Travolta), a simple country mechanic, develops incredible intelligence and extraordinary abilities. He uses his newfound intelligence to woo his crush Lace (Kyra Sedgwick) and help his friends Nate (Forest Whitaker) and Doc Brunder (Robert Duvall). But the town’s admiration quickly turns into fear, and with his abilities developing further and further, George must find a way to regain control of his rapidly evolving life.

Phenomenon is a science fiction drama about a man who develops inexplicable abilities. Despite the science fiction premise, the focus of the film is on George and his relationships. George is a kind-hearted man of middling intelligence who becomes a genius overnight as a result of his strange experience. The change breeds as much awe as mistrust, and George has trouble adapting to the new facts of his life.

As a personal drama wrapped around a sci-fi premise, Phenomenon depends heavily on John Travolta and Kyra Sedgwick to carry the movie. John Travolta does a decent job as George, but his performance never quite tips over from kind but dopey man to active protagonist. For her part, Kyra Sedgewick plays a cold Lace with little chemistry with George. The outline of a nice relationship arc is there, but the substance of it never clicks into place.

Watch Phenomenon if you are looking for a lighter, more sentimental take on themes better explored in K-PAX and Limitless. The film delivers a few good sentimental moments but has weak characters and little overt plot. Phenomenon has enough going on that it is bound to catch a few viewers the right way, but most should skip it in favor of either harder sci-fi or more skillful romance.

6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for spots of quality amidst generally lackluster execution.

Today’s quick review: Grosse Pointe Blank. Martin Blank (John Cusack), a professional hitman, returns to his hometown of Grosse Pointe, a Detroit suburb, for his tenth high school reunion. While there, he tries to patch things up with Debi Newberry (Minnie Driver), his ex-girlfriend, and catch up with his old classmates. But Grocer (Dan Aykroyd), a rival hitman, follows him to Detroit with a plan to have him eliminated.

Grosse Pointe Blank is a crime comedy with great characters and an all-star 80s soundtrack. John Cusack leads as Martin Blank, a hitman beginning to have doubts about his career. Martin is awkward at times, coming across as more menacing than he means to, but his wit and scraps of conscience make him a sympathetic protagonist. His hasty disappearance ten years ago and his unusual profession place him in an awkward position at his reunion, particularly with Debi, whom he stood up on prom night.

The characters and writing of Grosse Pointe Blank combine for a very amusing film. John Cusack has great chemistry with each of his supporting actors, including his assistant Marcella (Joan Cusack), his reluctant psychiatrist Dr. Oatman (Alan Arkin), and his old best friend Paul (Jeremy Piven). John Cusack and Minnie Driver play off each other marvelously, bonding over their shared sense of humor, high school memories, and 80s disaffection.

Watch Grosse Pointe Blank if you are looking for a well-written comedy brought to life by a wonderful cast. The characters are colorful, the dialogue is packed with witticisms, and the film shows glimpses of a light but fully realized world of assassins. Skip it if you dislike 80s nostalgia.

7.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 to 8.0 for great characters and humor.

Today’s quick review: Margin Call. On the verge of the 2008 financial crisis, Wall Street analyst Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto) makes a shocking discovery: his firm is massively overleveraged, and even a small dip in the market will cost the company more than it is worth. As the news travels up the corporate ladder, Will Emerson (Paul Bettany), Sam Rogers (Kevin Spacey), and Jared Cohen (Simon Baker) are left with a difficult decision: whether to unload their worthless assets on an unsuspecting market or to bankrupt the firm by keeping them.

Margin Call is a financial drama that depicts the early hours of the 2008 financial crisis. The film focuses on the actions of a single firm as it discovers and reacts to the pending collapse of the housing bubble. As the first to discover the bubble, they are faced with a moral conundrum. To survive the coming devaluation, the firm will have to sell its now-worthless assets to anyone who will buy them, ruining its reputation in the process and triggering the bubble’s inevitable collapse.

Margin Call matches this focused, personal look at the financial crisis with a talented ensemble cast. Zachary Quinto, Paul Bettany, and Kevin Spacey kick off the plot as the lower levels of management, while Simon Baker, Demi Moore, and Jeremy Irons join the cast as the problem escalates. No one character is fleshed out in all that much depth, but their interactions reveal plenty and do an excellent job of exploring the problem from all angles.

Watch Margin Call if you are in the mood for a minimalistic drama with a strong cast and good writing. Stylistically, it is at the opposite end of the spectrum from The Big Short: where The Big Short is an edgy, documentary-style look at the years leading up to the crisis, Margin Call is a sober drama taking place over a matter of hours. Skip Margin Call if you are looking for a more expansive look at the financial crisis or a more personal drama.

7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for good acting and a focused plot.

Today’s quick review: Who Am I?. Morgan (Ron Smerczak), a corrupt CIA official, sends a team of special agents to South Africa to steal experimental technology worth a fortune then has the team eliminated. The only survivor (Jackie Chan) suffers a head injury and is left with no recollection of who he is. With the help of Yuki (Mirai Yamamoto), an offroad racer, and Christine (Michelle Ferre), an intrepid journalist, he must follow the clues to discover his identity before Morgan can silence him for good.

Who Am I? is a Hong Kong martial arts comedy from Jackie Chan. As is typical for his movies, Jackie Chan’s character is a kind-hearted, resourceful martial artist swept up in a larger plot. He must use his wits, his friends, and every improvised weapon he can get his hands on to survive against the waves of thugs who wish to kill him.

Who Am I? offers novel, fast-paced action in a standard action movie framework. Jackie Chan supplements his impressive martial arts abilities with a sense of creativity and fun. Fight scenes and chases are not just about skill or speed but about using props and the surrounding environment to gain an advantage. Jackie is a long-suffering action hero, and his efforts are just as likely to leave him in an uncomfortable position as to put him ahead.

Who Am I? has a tidy story with a good premise. The plot is not particularly memorable, but it progresses nicely and offers plenty of opportunities for action. The humor revolves around Jackie’s poor luck in and out of battle and often contrasts his comedic niceness with the seriousness of his enemies. The result is an action adventure with a light sense of humor and exceptional stunts.

Watch Who Am I? if you are looking for lots of action without much gore or drama. The film is standard Jackie Chan fare, but none the worse for it. Chan fans will enjoy Who Am I? as one of his better Hong Kong films with a new set of stunts to marvel at. Skip Who Am I? if you are looking for a more serious thriller or something with a stronger plot.

6.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for great stunts, charm, and a decent plot.

Today’s quick review: To Be Or Not To Be. Frederick (Mel Brooks) and Anna Bronski (Anne Bancroft), a pair of renowned Polish theater actors, fall onto hard times when Germany invades Poland at the start of World War II. When Andre Sobinski (Tim Matheson), a displaced Polish lieutenant and an admirer of Anna, is sent back to Poland by British Intelligence, the couple are embroiled in a dangerous attempt to keep a list of Polish Underground members from falling into the hands of the Nazis.

To Be Or Not To Be is a comedy from Mel Brooks. Mel Brooks stars as Frederick Bronski, whose skill at comedy is equaled by his ineptitude at drama. Anne Bancroft plays opposite him as Anna Bronski, his wife and acting partner. Unbeknownst to Frederick, Anna has been meeting with Sobinski backstage during his act. The trio are forced to put aside their personal problems when a Nazi spy gets his hands on a list that could spell the end of the Polish resistance.

While the tone of To Be Or Not To Be is consistently light, the serious subject mater offers less escape than that of a typical comedy. The plot itself could easily belong to a wartime thriller, and only the comedic treatment of individual scenes and constant jabs at the Nazis keep it from descending into drama. The comedy is pleasant and clever, very naturally offering chances for the Bronskis to act their way out of trouble.

Watch To Be Or Not To Be if you are looking for a competent comedy with more serious undertones. While the humor edges out the drama, the plot carries a bit more weight than most comedies; plan accordingly. Skip it if you are looking for a more outrageous comedy.

6.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for strong cast and writing but subject matter a touch too serious for its style of comedy.

Today’s quick review: The Twelve Chairs. When his mother-in-law dies, Vorobyaninov (Ron Moody) learns that she left a fortune in jewels in one of the twelve dining room chairs she was forced to leave behind during the Soviet Revolution a decade before. Together with Ostap Bender (Frank Langella), a crafty opportunist who strongarms his way into the hunt, Vorobyaninov embarks on an arduous journey to find the missing chairs and the fortune they contain.

The Twelve Chairs is Mel Brooks’ movie adaptation of the classic Russian story of the same name. Despite nominally being a comedy, The Twelve Chairs has a dramatic plot and tone. The comedy is confined to the periphery: jokes slipped into the dialogue, roles filled with comedic actors, and the occasional madcap chase. At its core, the film is a tale of greed infused with a hefty dose of Russian fatalism.

The main duo are oddly sympathetic. Ron Moody plays Vorobyaninov, a Russian nobleman brought low by the Soviet Revolution. Frank Langella plays Ostap Bender, a persuasive swindler who persuades Vorobyaninov to cut him in. Bender provides the direction for the story, as Vorobyaninov lacks the cunning or level-headedness to track down the chairs on his own. Their sometime antagonist is Fyodor (Dom DeLuise), a greedy priest who heard about the jewels and wants them for himself.

Watch The Twelve Chairs if you are in the mood for a dour tale offset with wry humor and a steady stream of small jokes. The comedy takes enough of the edge off the drama to make The Twelve Chairs a decent watch but not enough to make it a light one. Skip it if you are looking for something unequivocally light, or if you are a fan of Mel Brooks’ more raucous comedies.

6.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a decent story with an odd hybrid tone.

“Mongo only pawn in game of life.” —Mongo

Today’s quick review: Blazing Saddles. Bart (Cleavon Little), a clever railroad worker, is appointed sheriff of the town of Rock Ridge as part of a scheme by Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman). The country’s first black sheriff, Bart is expected to flop, throwing the town into chaos and paving the way for the railroad to be run through Rock Ridge at minimal cost. But Bart has other plans, and with the help of Jim (Gene Wilder), a retired gunslinger, he sets out to win the respect of the townsfolk and bring order to Rock Ridge.

Blazing Saddles is a Western comedy by Mel Brooks. Featuring a talented cast, a continuous stream of humor, and a pleasant story, Blazing Saddles is one of Mel Brooks’ better films. Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder are a great comedic duo, with Cleavon Little as the crafty, easygoing Bart and Gene Wilder as his newfound friend. The two characters are immensely likable and give the movie a solid core to build off of.

The supporting cast provides a comical backdrop for the adventures of Bart and Jim. Harvey Korman serves as the story’s main antagonist, Hedley Lamarr, a corrupt and pathetic local bigwig. Slim Pickens plays Taggart, the overseer of the construction of the railroad and Hedley’s bungling right-hand man. Mel Brooks himself makes several appearances, first as the region’s carefree governor and later as a German-spouting Indian chief.

The humor in Blazing Saddles is, naturally, its main appeal. Not every joke is a side-splitter, but the quality is consistently high, the jokes are plentiful, and most viewers will have a few hearty laughs along the way. Mel Brooks’ sense of humor pervades the movie, from the film’s jabs at the Western genre to Bart’s outrageous ploys. Blazing Saddles grounds its silly comedy with a personable lead duo and a fairly coherent plot, ensuring that the film’s humor does not hurt its enjoyability as a story.

Watch Blazing Saddles if you are looking for a light comedy that spoofs the Western genre. Blazing Saddles balances silly humor with just enough of a story to make the film feel coherent. Skip it if you are looking for a subtler comedy or you dislike Mel Brooks’ sense of humor.

7.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for satisfying comedy, two strong leads, and a pleasant plot.