Short Review: Spellbound (1945)

Jan. 14, 2011

14. Spellbound (1945)

Starring Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov, Leo G. Carroll, Rhonda Fleming, John Emery

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Produced by David O. Selznick
Screenplay by Ben Hecht
Suggested by Francis Beeding’s novel “The House of Dr. Edwardes”

Plot: “A female psychiatrist protects the identity of an amnesia patient accused of murder while attempting to recover his memory.” (from IMDb. I’m going to use the plot summaries from there from now on because I’m not very good at writing them!)

This movie was okay. Not my favorite Hitchcock. I am interested in psychology, but the simplification of the psychiatric angle of the plot makes this a little dated. I also thought that Peck was thoroughly unlikeable in this role. I don’t know why but I just couldn’t understand what Ingrid Bergman’s intelligent doctor character saw in him. I know many people will disagree with me on this, though! I did like him better in Designing Woman. I was impressed with how Hitchcock manipulated some of the visual elements in this film (I can’t really say what they were without giving the plot away). But I guess that’s one of the reasons that he’s regarded as a great director! Despite these techniques, I thought the film dragged and the ending seemed a little sloppy. Over all, this movie just did not work for me. The extras on the DVD I watched were very good, however, and it got me interested in PTSD.

Kings Row (1942)

Jan. 13, 2011

13. Kings Row(1942)

Starring Ann Sheridan, Robert Cummings, Ronald Reagan, Betty Field, Charles Coburn, Claude Rains, Judith Anderson, Nancy Coleman, Kaaren Verne, Maria Ouspenskaya, Harry Davenport

Directed by Sam Wood
Based on the novel by Henry Bellamann

Plot: The story of a small turn-of-the-century town and its hidden secrets. [again, bad synopsis]

I was afraid this would be an endlessly depressing two hours, but found it surprisingly good. The film does take tragic turns, but the drama is well balanced and the over all effect is very satisfying. It is sad to see some of the ‘secrets’ that lie hidden in this town and the awful things some people do, though (I will never look at Charles Coburn the same again). I also felt like some aspects of the story were not sufficiently fleshed out. I don't want to give anything away, but I wasn't really satisfied with how the situation with the Cassandra and her father was resolved. I do really like some of the changes that Hollywood made to the film, though, as I think it makes a better movie. (Having not read the book I guess I can't really say for sure, though.)

I thought Ronald Reagan (he has a very likeable screen presence) and Ann Sheridan (she was a better actress than many people gave her credit for, in my opinion) did a great job. I’m not sure what to think of Robert Cummings. I usually like him as a performer but here something seemed flat. I can’t decide whether this was the actor’s fault or if that’s just the way the character was supposed to be.

One of the greatest parts of this film is the cinematography* and set design**. The mood of the town is perfectly recreated. Also notable is the famous Korngold score. It is really beautiful and greatly adds to the film.

* The director of photography was none other than legendary Hollywood cinematographer James Wong Howe. He has a fascinating story in his own right and is definitely worth looking up.

**Production design was by William Cameron Menzies, two time Oscar winner who is notable for doing the set design for Gone With the Wind (1939).

**Art direction was by Carl Jules Weyl, another Oscar winner, whose work includes Casablanca (1942), The Big Sleep (1946), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), and Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942).

Kings Row was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Cinematography (black and white), Best Director, and Best Picture.

If you haven’t seen this, I think it’s definitely worth checking out. Let me know what you think.

Short Review: The Three Faces of Eve (1957)

Jan. 12, 2011

12. The Three Faces of Eve (1957)

Starring Joanne Woodward, David Wayne, Lee J. Cobb

Produced & Directed by Nunnally Johnson
Screenplay by Nunnally Johnson
From the book by Corbett H. Thigpen, M.D. and Hervey M. Cleckley, M.D.

Plot: An ordinary housewife seeks psychiatric help in dealing with the three different personalities that have emerged due to a multiple personality disorder.

With the introduction and reoccurring narration, at times this feels almost documentary-like. Yet I think it is safe to say that although this may have been based on an actual psychiatric case, Hollywood did take some liberties with it. Considering the fact that so little was know about this disorder then, some of the details of the illness and the way it is dealt with do not seem entirely convincing. Some aspects—especially the conclusion—just seemed far too oversimplified. As for performances: Joanne Woodward won an Oscar for her role and did a good job managing the different ‘persons’ her character had to play. As the puzzled doctor, Lee J. Cobb is very different here than in the roles that I had previously seen him in, where he usually played mean, loud, angry characters. The production quality of this film was nothing special, but despite [what seemed to me to be] some choppy editing, it was sufficient. As a product of its time, this is an unique film addressing mental illness and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic.

Bonus fact: Joanne Woodward made her own dress for the Academy Awards that year, as she didn’t think she would win. (I think it’s a nice dress, though, so apparently she was a talented seamstress as well as an accomplished actress.)

Short Review: The Night of the Iguana (1964)

Jan. 12, 2011

11. The Night of the Iguana (1964)

Starring Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr, Sue Lyon

Directed by John Huston
Based on the play by Tennessee Williams

Plot: After scandal rocks his life, a suffering Episcopal clergyman becomes a tour guide for a group of Baptist women traveling Mexico. When his past failings begin to catch up with him, he detours the group to a resort run by a friend of his. [seriously, I am so bad at writing plot summaries!]

I can’t really decide what I think of this film. I both love it and hate it. It’s not the type of film that I would usually watch, but I saw a clip of it on Tumblr and decided to give it a chance. Despite several elements that I wasn’t quite comfortable with, it provides a lot of food for thought and a really interesting story (the plot is certainly original!). However, I don’t think that I really agree with all its messages. Some of them I found to be quite muddled. Richard Burton (he has a gorgeous voice, by the way) and Ava Gardner breathe life into their respective characters in two very fine performances. Deborah Kerr is okay, even if her role comes across as a little preachy. Sue Lyon, on the other hand, was almost insufferably annoying. Needless to say, there were some really great moments in the script, as well as some stunning visual scenes. Though this is an intriguing and riveting piece of cinema, I can’t say that it is without its flaws. Still, it’s one of those movies that I can’t stop thinking about after watching.

Short Review: Designing Woman (1957)

Jan. 11, 2011

10. Designing Woman (1957)

Starring Gregory Peck, Lauren Bacall, Dolores Gray, Sam Levene

Directed by Vincente Minnelli

Plot: After only knowing each other a short time, a sportswriter marries and a successful fashion designer marry. Now they must deal with their conflicting lifestyles.

This is a fun, light ’50s comedy. The clothes designed by Helen Rose are shown off to their full advantage by the stylish and sultry Lauren Bacall. Oh, and Gregory Peck is pretty easy on the eyes as well. It’s fun to see both of them in a comedy. Despite the fact that this won an Oscar for best screenplay, I thought the story was kind of lacking. I guess that just shows what I know. :P It seemed like it relied a little too much on the old ‘couples misunderstanding’ shtick. But all things considered, this is a really fun movie with a great cast.

Short Review: Sense & Sensibility (2008)

Jan. 10, 2011

9. Sense & Sensibility (2008)
TV mini-series

Starring Hattie Morahan, Charity Wakefield, David Morrissey, Janet McTeer, Dan Stevens, Dominic Cooper, Lucy Boynton

Directed by John Alexander
Screenplay by Andrew Davies
Based on the novel by Jane Austen

Plot: This is an Austen movie, so I feel like spelling out the plot is kind of beside the point. Those familiar with the genre know the blend of relationships, misconceptions, personal revelations and humor that her work usually includes.

Sidenote:This obviously isn’t an old movie, but I am going to try and review all of the movies I see—not just the oldies.

This isn’t my favorite Austen, but I liked it a little better than the 1995 adaption. It is a mini-series and I admit to finding the pace a bit languorous at times. (But maybe that’s just because I don’t have the best attention span.) I liked the character of Elinor, and Hattie Morahan who played her, but I wasn’t very invested in any of the male characters. As someone who has not read the book, I was also confused by some of the plot points and I didn’t always like how the story was presented on screen. Perhaps if I knew the novel I could fill in the cracks more. All in all, this isn’t a movie that I really loved. It wasn’t awful. Just kind of ‘blah’. It has fairly high IMDb ratings, though, so apparently lots of other people really liked it.

Short Review: The Man With the Golden Arm (1955)

Jan. 9, 2011

8. The Man With the Golden Arm (1955)

Starring Frank Sinatra, Eleanor Parker, Kim Novak, Arnold Stang, Darrin McGavin, Robert Strauss

Produced & Directed by Otto Preminger
Loosely based on the novel by Nelson Algren

Plot: After coming home from rehab, a heroin addict seeks to stay clean and deal with the things in his life that are holding him back.

I was hesitant to watch this movie in the first place, because the topic kind of scared me. Addiction IS scary and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to watch a film about it. Watching it pretty much just reaffirmed those feelings. Sinatra does give a good performance and Kim Novak was also excellent. I never really thought much of her as an actress, but she did really well in this role. Curiously enough, I found her character of Molly to be the most interesting one in the film. She has the perfect combination of mystery, beauty, brassy independence, and strength. Eleanor Parker was over-the-top and annoying—like she was supposed to be. Some of the secondary characters felt a bit cartoonish, though. The atmosphere was gritty and realistic and pretty depressing. But precisely the reasons why I find this film so repugnant is probably credit to Preminger—for creating a piece that expresses the devastation and hellishness of addiction. It is not a film that I ever wish to see again.