Month: January 2020

Today’s quick review: A Night at the Opera. To help her break into high society, Otis B. Driftwood (Groucho Marx) has Mrs. Claypool (Margaret Dumont), a wealthy widow, make a sizable donation to the opera. Herman Gottlieb (Sig Ruman), the imperious opera director, uses the money to bring over an egotistical tenor (Walter King) from Italy but gets more than he bargained for when Fiorello (Chico Marx) and Tomasso (Harpo Marx) stow away on the boat.

A Night at the Opera is a classic comedy from the Marx Brothers. The movie shows off the Brothers at their finest, plying their signature blend of slapstick, patter, and musicality to produce a polished, well-balanced comedy that offers a little bit of everything. The movie flits effortlessly between plot, romance, and a wide variety of comedy routines. Even more remarkably, very few of the jokes miss their mark.

One of the features that distinguishes A Night at the Opera is the attention it gives to its story. The story is simple enough: an opera director hires Lassparri (Walter King), a distinguished Italian star, to come sing in New York. The move splits up a pair of lovers, Rosa (Kitty Carlisle), chosen to sing with Lassparri in New York, and Riccardo (Allan Jones), a tenor still waiting for his big break, and it’s up to the Marx Brothers to set things right.

Though the story might be simple, it serves an important purpose in tying the movie together. Rosa and Riccardo’s romance is never the main focus for very long, but it gives A Night at the Opera something concrete to come back to between quips, songs, and other comedic interludes. That, in turn, gives the comedy a much-needed sense of focus. The routines are among the Marx Brothers’ best material and are made better by the story scaffolding around them.

A Night at the Opera is a must-see for fans of the Marx Brothers or sharp, whimsical comedy in general. The movie delivers plenty of laughs without sacrificing heart or story, and the end result is a light, delightful watch that will appeal to a broad range of viewers. For another Marx Brothers classic, check out Animal Crackers, Horse Feathers, or Duck Soup. For a classic comedy romance with great dialogue, try The Philadelphia Story.

8.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for top-notch comedy and a great sense of proportion.

Today’s quick review: Prodigy. As a favor to his old friend Agent Olivia Price (Jolene Andersen), psychologist James Fonda (Richard Neil) agrees to help the government with a difficult patient: Ellie (Savannah Liles), a precocious girl with a sociopathic personality and telekinetic powers. With Colonel Birch (Emilio Palame) anxious to execute Ellie because of the danger she presents, Dr. Fonda has only a brief amount of time to get the child to open up.

Prodigy is a minimalistic drama with science fiction elements. The movie follows a persistent psychologist in his attempts to break through to a brilliant but disturbed child. Prodigy’s story revolves around a simple question: Is Ellie the monster she appears to be? The film backs this question with thoughtful writing, steady plot progression, and just enough nuance to be interesting, but it lacks the skill to be a truly moving watch.

For all its intellectual aspirations, Prodigy is a straightforward watch. The only plot thread of note is Fonda’s running interview with Ellie and the mental chess game it entails. Fonda attempts to crack through Ellie’s facade to uncover who she truly is underneath, while Ellie maintains the cold, haughty disdain of a brilliant sociopath. The film does a good job of setting up and executing on a few key shifts in their relationship.

But Prodigy doesn’t go much further than that. The film is short and to the point, with no subplots of note and no extraneous elements. This is a mixed blessing: it lets Prodigy focus on its story without distractions, but it also robs the movie of the complexity that could have led to deeper characters or greater tension. Similarly, the film’s writing and acting are workmanlike, enough to sell the events of the story but a few steps short of brilliant.

Give Prodigy a shot when you’re in the mood for a quick, moody drama with an intersting premise. Prodigy doesn’t have quite enough substance to make the most of its premise, but it does well with the tools at its disposal. Skip it if you’re looking for action, horror, or real suspense. For another psychological drama with sci-fi elements, check out K-PAX. For a more upbeat drama about a troubled genius, check out Good Will Hunting.

6.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for decent acting and writing.

Today’s quick review: Bangkok Dangerous. Joe (Nicolas Cage), an international assassin, has decided that his next job, a series of four hits in Bangkok, will be his last. As the job progresses, Joe starts breaking his own rules. He becomes a mentor to Kong (Shahkrit Yamnarm), the street hustler he hired to run his errands, and strikes up a relationship with Fon (Charlie Young), a deaf pharmacist. But with the end drawing near, his choices may cost him.

Bangkok Dangerous is an action movie about a discipliend hitman’s last job. Set in Thailand, Bangkok Dangerous is a remake fo the Thai film of the same name, also directed by the Pang Brothers. The movie focuses on its story as much as its action, putting Joe at the center of a moral dilemma over his profession. The dramatic side of the story is backed by a steady drip of action, a satisfying but not overly flashy mix of assassinations and gunfights.

Bangkok Dangerous’s chief trouble is that the story never achieves the pathos it aims for. The issue centers on Joe himself. He is an anomaly in a crime movie: a credible, well-developed character who’s neither charismatic nor sympathetic. He is a cold, methodical man who has the tactics of his profession down to a science, but his bout of conscience and believably awkward romance with Fon are not enough to endear him to the viewer.

The end result is a crime movie that seems to aim for the wrong target. Bangkok Dangerous has enough in the way of basic craftsmanship to make for a viable watch, but its downbeat tone and stony protagonist compromise its entertainment value. Fans of Nicolas Cage and the action or crime genres may want to give it a shot, but most viewers will have better luck looking elsewhere.

For a more surreal Nicolas Cage crime movie, check out Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans or Dog Eat Dog. For a better action movie about an assassin and his apprentice, check out The Mechanic. For an action thriller with more punch, try Taken. For an action movie about a penitent hitman with better choreography and more style, check out John Wick.

5.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for competent storytelling and action, held back by a downbeat tone and misguided sense of pathos.