Movie Review #9: Singin' in the Rain, 1952
I love movies about the movies! In this story, we get singing and dancing and also an inside look at the making of the movies, albeit exaggerated I'm sure. the story takes us back to the time of silent films, exploring the transition into talking films.
The story remains light and fun with it's song and dance numbers. Gene Kelly's fancy footwork left us wondering how many hours of practice a day must he and the others endured. The story attempts to look at the more serious side by suggesting that silent screen actors are merely shadows of their stage acting counterparts, but this too is rather light and easily lost once the singing and dancing begin.
It's so very interesting to see the movies from the inside out...publicity, stardom, fame, talent and the facade are all areas that this film about films looks into. This movie gives an insider's view of a superficial world in which outward appearances mean more than true talent.
After having just enjoyed the movie Hugo in the theaters, I was particularly attune to movies about movies, and had really not thought too much about the subject. Perhaps it was seeing the two movies in the same day that heightened my awareness. As it is story that interests me most, I'm intrigued by the number of movie makers that like to incorporate aspects of their own business into their work.
This movie ranks #10 on the AFI 100 movies list, and it will likely remain a classic for all time!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
"Northwest" Headed In Right Direction
Movie Review #8: North By Northwest, 1959
I always say that I'm directionally dyslexic when it comes to reading maps, street signs or following verbal directions. In this movie, Cary Grant, who lands in the middle a spy story, finds himself headed in the wrong direction for nearly the entire movie. Although I'm sure that Cary would have relished the idea of GPS or a Garmin...one that showed the way out of trouble...every turn he made got him deeper into the world of espionage and secret agents.
Playing the role of the unsuspecting bystander well, Cary's performance is strong, and matched well by his co-star Eva Marie Saint. Together, they make for an engaging performance, with wit and sarcasm woven in among the more serious dialog and storyline. Bad guy James Mason's performance is very convincing as well.
It is interesting to see how Alfred Hitchcock carries his theme of directions throughout the movie. He has the characters travel from New York to Chicago and South Dakota. He even places Cary at a crossroads (which is a significant turning point in his main character's understanding in the story) in Indiana for the famous plane scene. We looked it up to see if it was really filmed in Indiana on Route 41, but no, it was actually in California! After visiting Mt. Rushmore last year with my daughter, I was particularly interested in the scenes filmed around the famous monument. I'm not sure that I believe that the storyline is plausible, but I sure sat on the edge of my seat when they were climbing all over the presidents' heads! Like directions, I do not do heights well.
On the AFI 100 Years' list, this movie ranks 40th. As I'm a fan of many Hitchcock films, this is one of my personal favorites. I recommend it, if only to take in the scenery!
I always say that I'm directionally dyslexic when it comes to reading maps, street signs or following verbal directions. In this movie, Cary Grant, who lands in the middle a spy story, finds himself headed in the wrong direction for nearly the entire movie. Although I'm sure that Cary would have relished the idea of GPS or a Garmin...one that showed the way out of trouble...every turn he made got him deeper into the world of espionage and secret agents.
Playing the role of the unsuspecting bystander well, Cary's performance is strong, and matched well by his co-star Eva Marie Saint. Together, they make for an engaging performance, with wit and sarcasm woven in among the more serious dialog and storyline. Bad guy James Mason's performance is very convincing as well.
It is interesting to see how Alfred Hitchcock carries his theme of directions throughout the movie. He has the characters travel from New York to Chicago and South Dakota. He even places Cary at a crossroads (which is a significant turning point in his main character's understanding in the story) in Indiana for the famous plane scene. We looked it up to see if it was really filmed in Indiana on Route 41, but no, it was actually in California! After visiting Mt. Rushmore last year with my daughter, I was particularly interested in the scenes filmed around the famous monument. I'm not sure that I believe that the storyline is plausible, but I sure sat on the edge of my seat when they were climbing all over the presidents' heads! Like directions, I do not do heights well.
On the AFI 100 Years' list, this movie ranks 40th. As I'm a fan of many Hitchcock films, this is one of my personal favorites. I recommend it, if only to take in the scenery!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
A "Window" Into The Soul
Movie Review #7: Rear Window, 1954
This movie, like many of Hitchcock's films, is one of my favorites. I always think that the title should be "Rear View Window," for some reason. As I think about it, it may be that I'm focusing on the view....that from the lead character's window and camera. Jimmy Stuart as the lead, trapped in his wheel chair with a broken leg, sits in front of his window day and night. Used to tracking down wildlife and other hard-to-capture subjects for his shots, he's confined to his apartment complex, where every window, including his own, is a lens. And, what life he finds living in his own backyard! It's a if he can see see into the souls of those through his lens.
Oscar Wilde once said famously, "Life imitates art, more than art imitates life." I think this phrase is very fitting, as what had once been the subject for art, now is a living, breathing art in the making....stories come to life, seen through the lens of Jimmy's camera. How surprised he must have been to be almost murder by one of his subjects!
I recommend this movie...if for nothing more than to see a good film, and enjoy a well dressed future Princess Grace Kelly at the height of her career.
This movie, like many of Hitchcock's films, is one of my favorites. I always think that the title should be "Rear View Window," for some reason. As I think about it, it may be that I'm focusing on the view....that from the lead character's window and camera. Jimmy Stuart as the lead, trapped in his wheel chair with a broken leg, sits in front of his window day and night. Used to tracking down wildlife and other hard-to-capture subjects for his shots, he's confined to his apartment complex, where every window, including his own, is a lens. And, what life he finds living in his own backyard! It's a if he can see see into the souls of those through his lens.
Oscar Wilde once said famously, "Life imitates art, more than art imitates life." I think this phrase is very fitting, as what had once been the subject for art, now is a living, breathing art in the making....stories come to life, seen through the lens of Jimmy's camera. How surprised he must have been to be almost murder by one of his subjects!
I recommend this movie...if for nothing more than to see a good film, and enjoy a well dressed future Princess Grace Kelly at the height of her career.
Rebel's Cause Is Poetic
Movie Review #6: Rebel Without A Cause, 1955
Misunderstood. Unchecked emotion. Revolutionary.
Recently, I attended Indiana university's production of the opera La Boheme. Its story of the poet, a Bohemian...a gypsy artist acting against conventional norms, reminded me of this movie. In a sense, James Dean as the lead portrays the wild, rebellious teenager trying to make his way, creating his own world, while trying to escape the constraints of the world of his parents.
The poetry is in the emotions that the entire cast of characters act out...everything from anger, rage, despair, longing and melancholy to passion, happiness and excitement, and then finally remorse and grief at the death of two characters. The movie is physical and raw, and you can feel something stir inside you...a remembrance of a time, a familiarity, a connection. This is what a good poem does to me.
Misunderstood. Unchecked emotion. Revolutionary.
Recently, I attended Indiana university's production of the opera La Boheme. Its story of the poet, a Bohemian...a gypsy artist acting against conventional norms, reminded me of this movie. In a sense, James Dean as the lead portrays the wild, rebellious teenager trying to make his way, creating his own world, while trying to escape the constraints of the world of his parents.
The poetry is in the emotions that the entire cast of characters act out...everything from anger, rage, despair, longing and melancholy to passion, happiness and excitement, and then finally remorse and grief at the death of two characters. The movie is physical and raw, and you can feel something stir inside you...a remembrance of a time, a familiarity, a connection. This is what a good poem does to me.
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