smprescott-1 Reviews

Hotel du Nord (1938)

And allegory woven into a mystery

[10/10 · 23 October 2022]

Amen to all the praise which has been given to this wonderful movie. Yes, it is full of a rare and beautiful atmosphere.

There were, however, a few strange events which the movie leaves for the viewer to figure out. To wit: 1.) Why did the girl die and then come back to life. Her lover shot her through the chest and the police pronounced her dead. But then, she comes back to life. Why? 2.) Why did Robert, when he came upon the murder scene, inexplicably tell the killer to leave before the police arrived? 3.) Why did Robert thank the girl for 'allowing me to give myself to you'? 4.) Why did Robert, when he entered his room, deliberately give his enemy his gun so that he could kill him? After Robert dies, the girl and her estranged lover inexplicably rediscover each other and return to a state of mutual devotion unaffected by the previous curse which had driven them to suicide. All of these questions can be answered if the movie contains a Christ allegory where Robert represents Christ.

Sergeant Rutledge (1960)

A Strange Ford Movie

[3/10 · 13 June 2021]

Overall, the film is substandard for a Ford movie. In addition to the flat acting there are two items in particular that I found strange: 1.) Why did the Hunter character (a first lieutenant) treat this superior officer (a captain) like his valet and why did the captain lap it up as he did? 2.) Why wasn't the ultimate courtroom resolution developed at all; why did it pop up all of a sudden out of nowhere?

It is impossible to believe that Ford overlooked these two glaring problems (especially the first one since he himself was a naval officer and a devoted chronicler of military lore) and I have to believe that they were planted intentionally but why?

Bell Book and Candle (1958)

Vertigo storyline with a happy ending

[8/10 · 13 December 2020]

Both Vertigo and Bell Book and Candle were released in 1958 and starred James Stewart and Kim Novak as a romantic couple.

The storylines:

Vertigo: Stewart has a nice girlfriend who paints for a hobby and whom he rather cruelly leaves when he falls in love with Novak who has a secret which would ruin things. Eventually, however, Stewart finds out, gets angry, takes her to the bell tower of an old California mission where Novak accidentally falls to her death.

Bell Book and Candle: Same as above except for the ending in which Stewart skips the bell tower and forgives Novak's deceit. I'd be tempted to suggest a connection between the cat's bell and the bell tower but that would be stretching things.

Chocolat (2000)

Glossy trash

[1/10 · 12 April 2020]

I must admit that I'm slow on the uptake having seen this movie several years ago and sort of liking it. Saw it again last night. I've seen stupid movies and I've seen offensive movies but this one takes the prize for being both. Offensive: blatant anti-religious bigotry; stupid: the 'pleasure as virtue' premise. The only 'villain' in the movie, the mayor, was also the only good person; everyone else was either bad to begin with or gave in by the end.

Wit (2001 TV Movie)

A Meditation on Donne's 'Death Be Not Proud' for a Godless Age

[7/10 · 25 September 2015]

Take, as a metaphor for reality, a ten-story building in which there are no stairways or elevators. You are born, live out your life and die on the first floor. You are told that there are more things 'up there' but you choose to ignore that, to restrict your universe of inquiry to only that which is visible. Of course, there is much on the first floor to understand much of which can be quite wondrous and the strength of the film lies in the fact that it takes that arbitrary exclusion of the upper floors -- imposed as it is by the spirit of the age, the materialist spirit -- and carries its inquiry into death as far as it can go. But are there any upper floors? Does reality extend beyond that which can be sensed? And does Vivian Bearing ('bearer of life') live on after death only in an artsy, mystical sense or is there more to it than that? The film leaves those questions unanswered. Indeed, it does not ask them.

I found the film's treatment of the hospital staff quite unfair. I have gone through 7 rounds of chemo myself and never encountered the kind of apathy, rudeness and icy reserve that the film depicts. It seems to me that the story might not have worked without these cartoonish foils but it grates on me nonetheless. Reality is the opposite.

A virtuoso performance by Thompson. If your are drawn to her acting, you must also see 'Fortunes of War'.

Partir (I) (2009)

Doesn't a girl deserve a little fun in life?

[8/10 · 16 January 2014]

Yes, the acting was superb especially from Thomas who seems to be in every other movie these days. How does she do it?

The movie could have failed badly had it turned the focus directly onto the psychological aspects of adultery such as guilt. Instead, it chose indirection by describing everything in terms of money with all the shame and panic and humiliation that comes from the lack of it. The shame of having to peddle your watch to strangers in order to get enough to fill up the car stands in for the shame of having abandoned your family for the sake of wild sex.

Half-way through, my wife said that, were it not for the sex scenes, it would be a good flick to show to adolescents as a warning as to what can happen when you abandon your responsibilities and the film ended well in this respect with the sound of police sirens.

Now to the really sad part, the reviews most of which shrunk from any kind of moral judgment. What were the Thomas character transgressions? Adultery, theft and murder. And her husband's faults? He was boring. None of the dozen or so reviews I have read were capable of saying that this movie is about a bad woman. So, if your husband is boring, you shoot him in his sleep with a deer rifle and you're a conflicted, complicated, lonely housewife. She was bored. Who could blame her?

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

I didn't like it

[3/10 · 20 December 2013]

I thought that having the Vicky character adopt the kind of dialog and mannerisms of the character Allen himself usually takes -- sort of using her character as an Allen stand-in -- had potential. Much more broadly presented, it could have given everyone a few laughs and believe me when I say that we needed a few. Instead, the Vicky/Allen character just gradually falls into line with the rest of this dull movie -- her first allenisms were the best and her last the worst. Except for the Cruz parts, everything is gradual in this film. It just didn't work. Throw it onto the 'Didn't Work' pile and go on to the next project.

The Fairy (2011)

Happiness

[10/10 · 10 May 2013]

So God created a fairy but before the fairy has much of a chance to learn the ropes, the world locks her up in an asylum. But the fairy escapes and comes to the gentle, lonely hotel night clerk. She grants him wishes, she saves him from choking on his midnight snack, she brings a giving, almost motherly kind of love into his life. That's the bones of this beautiful love story and if you like love stories, please see it. As to the details, there are many laughs. I'm a big Tati fan and his influence is all over this film. But the sight gags as well the the movement in general are much more pronounced than what you find in 'Mr. Hulot's Holiday' or 'Mon Oncle'. Where Tati is for smiles, 'The Fairy' is for laughs. Fiona Gordon, who plays the fairy (she also co-wrote and co-directed the movie with her husband, Dom Abel) is all over the place with her gangley arms and legs. Sometimes she looks like a gooney bird trying to take flight. And she has the kind of homely face that translates to transcendent beauty. The dance numbers are wonderful. This is modern dance without that deadening seriousness about itself that you see too much of on public TV. Some reviewers have stated that some of the gags fall flat. That might happen if you don't let Fiona and Dom borrow your heart. Lend them your heart and the obvious intent of this wonderful film -- to make you happy -- will be fulfilled.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

A Few Random Observations

[10/10 · 24 April 2011]

On watchability: I have a tendency, aided and abetted by Netflix, to find a really great movie and then watch it over and over. Before 'The Big Labowski', it was 'Mr. Hulot's Holiday' and before that 'The Seven Samurai'. In this regard, TBL holds a special place since it seems to be made especially for this kind of movie watching. It has a consistent a texture that feels soothing. The comfortable chair and TBL have a way of merging.

On Walt: All of the Dude's problems are caused by his buddy Walt. Walt was the one who put the burr under his saddle about the rug. Without Walt, the rug incident would have been quickly lost in the haze that is the Dude's life. At every turn, it is Walt who drags the reluctant Dude further into the mess. My son summed up the Dude perfectly when he said that all he wanted throughout the film was to be left alone. But Walt is motivated and he won't leave the Dude alone. Walt's constant prodding is the McGuffin of TBL.

Yes, Walt is a jinx but a lovable jinx. In fact, I would argue that John Goodman comes close to stealing the movie from Jeff Bridges. Someone has remarked that Goodman's genius comes from the fact that his personality is so much smaller than his enormous body -- he dominates the screen with his body but comes across as a cute puppy dog.

On Style: Like other Coen Brothers movies and like so many British comedies from the golden era of the '50s and '60's, TBL cleverly hides many of its funny parts for us to discover. For example: Why does the Dude run instead of walk back to his home after buying the half-and-half? Answer: To connect with the white Russian as soon as possible.

On Society: Now, a challenging question. Before a certain point in time somewhere in the '60s or '70s, TBL would never have seen the light of day because of its use of bad language (it repeats 'the anglo saxon word' 281 times). And without the bad language TBL would not be TBL. The question is this: Were we better off in the days of movie censorship and Humphrey Bogart or is the degradation of our language and every-day life adequately compensated by movie gems like this one? To put it another way, has being entertained become our reason for being?

Le Plaisir (1952)

A Hidden Jewel

[10/10 · 5 September 2010]

There is a certain mood that I am subject to which can be satisfied only by a sunny, quiet, late Sunday afternoon on the couch with Maupassant. (I suspect that Proust would do even better but I lack the stamina.) My wife and I discovered Ophuls by watching The Earings of Madame de... on instant Netflix. When I saw that Le plaisir was Maupassant my heart leaped and, after viewing it, I can now report that the film is as exquisite as the stories themselves (minus the soft Sunday afternoons, of course).

The film contains three stories each of which depict an aspect of pleasure: the pleasure of youth, the pleasure of innocence and the pleasure of fate.

The second tale, La maison Tellier ('Madame Tellier's Establishment' in my translated collection of Maupassant stories) is the centerpiece of the film. It describes a trip to a small country village by a madame and her platoon of lovable ladies in order to attend the first communion of her nephew where pleasure meets innocence. The scene in the church where Rosa, overcome with memories of her lost innocence, starts to weep and then everyone in the church is soon weeping, is one of the most poignant I have ever seen on film. It is a depiction not only of the seriousness of lost innocence but it's universality as well and serves to show Rosa's sins, on display for all to see, joined in one spontaneous flood of remorse and gratitude by the hidden sins of all the respectable village folk. See if you don't fall into tears as well.

If you have not read Maupassant, doing so before viewing the film will heighten your enjoyment. For those who have decided to view the four major Ophuls films, I offer the opinion that this is the best of them and would be a good place to start.

Social Commentary: Never having visited France, I cannot say whether the charming French idea of innocent naughtiness has given that country a better life. But if the concept of 'a little sin is the spice of life' adds something to the life of the well off (and I doubt it), it certainly does not work for the poor. Drive through any blighted urban neighborhood for the proof. So-called rigid bourgeois values may not make for good stories or movies but they are essential for those who have it in mind that their children do well in school and go on to live decent lives. Enjoy these stories and, yes, acknowledge the hypocrisy of middle class morality, but do not transplant la belle vie into your own family or you will live to regret it.

A Serious Man (2009)

A Good Man

[10/10 · 14 August 2010]

A good man cannot be harmed . . . -Socrates

But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. -Jesus Christ

---------- ---------- --------- ---------- ---------- ----------

There are two ways to be a serious man in the manner in which the term is understood in this movie. One way is to be a powerful man, a man to be taken seriously. The other way is to be in full possession of your soul. The hero of this movie, Larry Gopnik, is of the second type. To the eyes of the world, he is a man of little consequence but God, who sees all things, knows otherwise and sends him trials so that his soul might bear fruit.

His wife leaves him for another man who, while pretending to be his friend, is secretly conspiring to get Larry denied tenure at his college. One of his students tries to bribe him into giving him a passing grade and when Larry refuses, threatens a lawsuit. His troglodyte neighbor bullies him. His teenage children, being teenage children, can see his predicament and yet are too wrapped up in their own petty concerns to give him the affection and companionship he needs. In desperation, Larry seeks out, in succession, the advise of three Rabbais who, like the friends of Job in the Bible, offer nothing. (Although I suspect that the old Rabbi, Marshak, refuses to see Larry not because he is too busy 'thinking' but because he perceives the state of Larry's soul and understands that aloneness is necessary to his ultimate triumph. Viewed this way, his refusal is a gesture of respect.)

Instead of retaliating, Larry simply absorbs the insults and cruelty. When his wife and her lover suggest he move out of his own house to a seedy motel, he quietly complies. He carries on with each situation by ascertaining the most civil, the most considerate response until, at the end of the film, things turn around and each burden resolves to a tolerably good conclusion (the most satisfying of which is the sudden death of his wife's lover), seemingly by itself. Mysteriously, God laid these burdens on Larry and, just as mysteriously, He lifted them. It was all for a purpose. The burdens could have been born with such grace only by a serious man. The trial is over.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

Fancied Up TV Thriller Fodder

[1/10 · 7 August 2010]

What the creators of this film have done is to take the Gruesome TV Thriller genre and give it the appearance of an art film by providing a more intricate plot, a sense of immediacy and far better production values. If you like CSI Miami, you'll absolutely love The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

That's the entertainment value. What is the value of this film as a component of popular culture? Back in the late 40s, proponents of film censorship defended it by arguing that without it, movies would eventually succumb to the law of gravity and become a force for cultural degradation. Cultural liberals have used this argument as a laugh line ever since. Watch this movie (or any of the others like it) and if you can then roll your eyes over the cultural degradation argument, you are a confirmed member of the dreaded liberal cultural elite. For the rest of us however, it should be obvious by now that the dire prediction has come to pass. The question as to how society digs its way out of the moral cesspool is 'beyond the scope of this review' but I pose it for your consideration.

What is the political value of this film? Quite high actually if you are a radical feminist. I have not watched it a second time in order to precisely document my remarks but I do believe that roughly half of the male characters in it spend a great deal of their leisure hours torturing, raping and killing women using Bible passages as a guide. Except for science fiction and horror films there is a general understanding that movie scripts should be reasonably believable. Can anyone seriously believe that four out of a total of seven or eight male characters in any given setting are sexual psychopaths? This is the worst kind of stereotyping and it is shameful.

Take a reliable TV formula, add three or four tablespoons of sex and violence, a dash of feminist anger as a substitute for ideas and a sprinkling of cinematic platitudes. Bake until half-done and you get The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. If you can watch it for free, its tolerable adult escapism but nothing more.

The Mummy's Ghost (1944)

Don't Let the Children See this Movie

[9/10 · 3 March 2010]

This movie will scare the pants off of children. I grew up in the 50's. Our house was on a semi-rural road overshadowed on one side by a thick forest. At the foot of the tall hill upon which stood our house there was a swamp. The nearest neighbor was a quarter mile away. To an adult eye, the evening view on a moonlit night was, I am sure, romantic. To a child, however, the scene was an empty vessel ready to be filled with imaginary images of fearsome things.

One weekend night, my parents left me in charge of my two younger brothers. I put them to bed and sat down to see what could possibly be on TV. An hour or so later, I lay in bed, in the moonlight, in a pool of sweat, thinking about tana leaves and the possibility, however remote, that a pot of them might have been mistakenly left simmering on the stove. In my imagination, I knew he was out there coming for me. It didn't matter if he was miles away or just down the road. He knew who I was; he had taken a special interest in me. Up the moonlit road, step by step, limping along, relentless, unstoppable. Somehow I made it through the night but that mummy stayed with me for years and inspired many a nightmare.

My point here is that horror films are designed to scare you. We pay money to get scared. This one will do the trick if you're 10 years old and you're all alone (or almost alone -- when you're surrounded by mummies, you really do need an adult). Nine stars.

The Last Waltz (1978)

Good Rock

[10/10 · 30 March 2007]

Of opera, a friend of mine once said: 'If you see La Boheme and don't like it then you can know with absolute certainty that you will not like any opera'. The same can be said of 'The Last Waltz' and the music of The Band in general. If you don't like The Band, forget all the rest because, compared to The Band, the rest is, to varying degrees, a step down.

All the good stuff has been said more eloquently than I could so I will just make a couple of comments. In the movie, Robertson pretty much laid it on the line as to why he was breaking The Band up: he couldn't take life on the road anymore. Yes, I am sure he has an ego and who doesn't? But who can fault a man for wanting a normal life? And then there is Rick Danko. Has there ever been a more endearing performer in the history of rock 'n roll? And yet, he was addicted to drugs and died before his time. Think of the emotional energy that they were required to put out for every gig and then think of 100 or so gigs per year for 16 years. Is it any wonder that they needed to wind down afterward? It was and is an inevitable component of this type of music and a pretty good base from which to argue that, for all of its beauty, it probably would have been better had rock 'n roll never happened. All the art in the world is not worth one human life.

Ashenden (1991)

A Work of Art

[10/10 · 1 February 2007]

Fortunately, I taped these shows when they aired 15 years ago. Having let them gather dust all these years, I am now viewing them again while in the process of archiving them (such as they are -- pretty fuzzy after 15 years) to digital media. Each of these 4 hour-long episodes is a dramatic jewel and I am giving a ten-star rating with absolutely no hesitation.

Production: These episodes were produced in repertory theater style so that an actor with a supporting role in one episode might appear in a subsequent episode in a different role. I spotted three actors with major supporting roles appear in other episodes in non-speaking roles. For example, the Mexican assassin for whom episode 4 was named appeared in a different episode as a mere face in the crowd. I cannot think of any other TV production that has used the cast this way.

Acting: Among the familiar names, Ian Bannen and Joss Ackland play Ashenden's spy masters. From among those not so well known (Harriet Walter, Alan Bennet, Ana Carteret, Christopher Baines and Alex Jennings as Ashenden) you see riveting performances and I have to single out Harriet Walter for particular praise. These people are each one of them not only talented but truly gifted. Bringing them all together in one series was a work of casting genius.

Ashenden is a work of art. Whoever has the rights to this should do two things in this order: 1) Talk to PBS. Get this thing shown on Masterpiece Theatre or do a special. This series needs to be seen on TV again and given the recognition that it deserves. 2) Publish it on DVD.

Fail Safe (1964)

Best in Class

[10/10 · 18 August 2006]

I saw this movie when it was released and read the book. Grabbed it recently off of TCM and watched it again. More than any other film of its kind (Dr. Strangelove, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Seven Days in May come to mind) Fail Safe depicts the true nature of the 40-year Mexican stand-off that was the Cold War: the constant state of maximum alert, the incredible discipline of the military command structure. If you did not live through that era, this film will definitely help you understand what this country (the U.S.) went through. I won't comment on the quality of directing, writing, acting, etc., but I would like to make one observation: the premise that destroying N.Y. would forestall a full nuclear exchange is highly questionable. With Moscow gone and, with it, the top-level of their decision-making apparatus, who would have been left on their side to keep the Soviet end of the bargain? In a real situation, the Soviets, in chaos, would most likely have responded with a counterstrike and we would now all be living in caves. This is the argument that the Walter Mathau character should have brought up but could not because it would have created an anti-climax in the movie: spare N.Y. from U.S. bombs knowing that the chances of it being spared from Soviet bombs were small but possible -- and 'possibilities' are what this film is all about.

On Dangerous Ground (1951)

Hitchcock Inspiration

[27 March 2004]

This movie contains scenes which stuck in my mind as a very small child: scenes of a blind woman living alone in a cottage out in the New England countryside confronting two strangers. Just as the Ryan character was about to enter the cottage for the first time, I made the connection and the rest of the movie was confirmation. 53 years between viewings, once as a 4-year old and now. Thank you Turner Classic Movies.

Others have commented on the Bernard Hermann score and Hitchcock's masterpiece: North By Northwest. I want to expand a little on that conneciton. First of all, the overall quality of this film. On Dangerous Ground is not your average film noir movie. It has wonderful composition. The symmetry between Ryan's life as a cynical New York cop and his journey through pity to love in the idylic farmland of upstate New York is indeed worthy of Hitchcock himself -- the master of composition. The director boldly underscores this transition with a car crash and this memorable line from Mary, the blind girl, to Ryan: 'You can trust no one, I must trust everyone'.

Now compare the plot elements of On Dangerous Ground with North By Northwest: both tell the story of a man who makes a trip from the city to the countryside, meets and falls in love with a woman who has a love relationship with his enemy and then defeats his enemy by tossing him off a cliff. In the case of North By Northwest, it is not the main enemy who falls to his death but the cliff scenes in both films are remarkably similar right down to showing the fingers gripping the rock ledge.

Whether or not On Dangerous Ground was the inspiration for North By Northwest nobody can tell. But it is a worthy source of inspiration and a wonderful movie.

The Duchess of Duke Street (1976–1977)

Better Than Upstairs Downstairs

[3 August 2003]

To a veteran Masterpiece Theatre viewer the caption borders on heresy but I'm afraid its true. I really can't improve on the comments the other reviewers have offered. If you have seen Upstairs Downstairs and liked it, then you owe it to yourself to see this series.

I taped my copy ten years ago from Bravo's 'BBC Showcase'. It is formatted as a series of distinct one-hour episodes as opposed to 'blending' three episodes into one. Without having seen the 'blended' versions, I would think that having the episodes presented seperately is better if for no other reason than that is the way we all saw them originally back in the old days. Let's face it, nostalgia has a part to play in all of this. While I am on the subject of nostalgia, when those who have the rights to this series get around to producing a DVD, it would be good if they could find a way to include Alistair Cooke's appearances as well.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979)

Uniquely superb

[10/10 · 31 December 2002]

I wish that the producers could have dealt with the issue of Smiley's marriage in a more satisfactory way. This is the only criticism that I can think of: that Guiness had to put on the same face about a dozen times whenever Ann's name was mentioned.

That said, I believe this is the best television that I have ever seen. There is a pervasive feeling of solemnity throughout, reinforced by the several tragic characters, the invisible backdrop of the cold war and the ineffably beautiful and solemn signature theme. This is a story about spies. It is also a story about humanity.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOLLOW. As to the acting, note the masterful way that Guiness uses his spectacles throughout the series. Note Michael Aldridge's (Alleline) timing between Ian Richardson's tea and biscuit fiddling and calling the meeting to order in Episode Three. Just the right touch. In a really good movie you get those serendipidous unforgetable moments. Here there is no serendipidy. It is all just brilliant and inspired acting. Note Richardson's simultaneous laughing and crying.

I have read all of LeCarre's spy novels through 'The Honourable Schoolboy' and have read Tinker Tailor several times. This series is not just true to the novel, it is also 'of the LeCarre spirit'. You get the feeling that the man who told you the story is now revealing the characters to you visually. Read the book and then see this series and you will see what I mean.

I first saw Tinker Tailor twenty years ago. When I found out that it is available on DVD, I used all of my powers of persuation to convince my wife to make this my Christmas present. We have sat through it twice since then and after I blast this review off into the ether, I am going downstairs for another go at it. It is a jewel.