magdillane Reviews

Phoenix (II) (2014)

Too soon, too soon

[7/10 · 30 November 2016]

From the opening soundtrack on a blank screen, bass and piano, It was just a couple of chords, and I was hooked! The music of Kurt Weill's standard, Speak Low, is threaded throughout the movie. (Words by Ogden Nash). I was so taken by the song that I must have listened to A dozen or so versions, from Billie Holliday to Kiri Te Kanawa. And I kept coming back to Nina Hoss' version and Weill's version. I go on about this tune because it encapsulates so brilliantly all the melancholy of Phoenix. Post WW2 Berlin, a shell of itself, Holocaust survivors looking to repair their broken spirits, Berliners struggling to eke out a living, all played out against a woman searching for her past, for her lost husband. Phoenix, a Berlin nightclub, Phoenix rising from the ashes. It's all there. Thank you Petzold.

Barbara (I) (2012)

My kind of film

[9/10 · 30 November 2016]

Doctor Barbara is sent to the backwaters of East Germany after having practiced medicine at a prestigious hospital in East Berlin. A form of punishment for having applied for a permit to leave the country. A serious, rather cold character except around her patients at the provincial hospital. Her superior is intrigued by her and her soulful beauty. A serious, thoughtful drama of life before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Well crafted film thanks to Petzold. Fine acting not only from the lead actors . An honest portrayal from the young troubled teenager who brings out the non-judgmental, compassionate side of Barbara. A fine film. Highly recommend.

Love Actually (2003)

Empty, Male Fantasies

[3/10 · 20 December 2013]

I've watched this film several times, and each time I seem to like it less....On first watch, I would have given it an 8, but now, it gets a lowly 3....A man's film on how to fall instantly in love by ogling a maid, how to fall in instantly in love with no communication, how to fall in love at first glance with one of your staff who is overweight, "plumpy" as her father calls her...All in all a pretty silly film with no depth of character, hodgepodge of male fantasies.....Pretty vacuous film....Liam Neeson does a decent job....I ended up feeling sorry for these talented actors who probably earned a nice pay check....I mean, Laura Linney, poor girl....All in all I really related to the character who had the one word line "Enough"....All those gifted actors wasted on trick, empty stories....

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Confusion reigns

[7/10 · 10 May 2013]

I was so looking forward to seeing the film when it first came out....I must say as I was walking out of the theater I felt confused and wondered if I was getting too old to appreciate contemporary cinema...Recently I returned to the Smiley trilogy, book form, and decided to give Tinker, Tailor-movie form-another go...

Well, it was a bit much....Really, Smiley swimming? Prideaux in a shopping mall? What happened to Guillam? Way too many liberties taken with the script, then the smoke, although I did enjoy Oldman as Smiley...Thought Firth was miscast or I suspect it was very poor character development...Another thing, the actors, apart from Oldman, didn't seem to be enjoying themselves....Well, what a shame with a script adding chaos to a perfectly good story which has enough of chaos to begin with....

Very Disappointing....

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979)

Pure Enjoyment

[9/10 · 10 May 2013]

I revisit John Le Carre's books every few years, and just finished the Smiley trilogy...Had seen the movie version of Tinker, Tailer when it came out, and I must say, it left me very confused....Hungary, Smiley swimming, Prideaux in a shopping mall, and on and on....

Hadn't seen the TV series version in quite some time, so I decided to watch it again....It felt like returning to the heart of a great spy story....Brilliant.... Of all the fine acting performances I greatly appreciated Joss Ackland in a cameo role as Westerby and Anthony Bate as Lacon....But what makes this version work is the honesty of the script, the fine directorial balancing...Well done...

Epitafios (2004–2009)

Weak opening leaves me disappointed

[2/10 · 25 November 2012]

Had read somewhere that this HBO production was engrossing, a good detective story...HBO has such a good reputation when it comes to drama, that I thought this was a good one to watch... First episode: It really bugged me that the two detectives investigating the address of the mysterious caller don't call for backup...Then, in a flashback, the shrink convinces the young student, who is shaking in his boots,to return with her to talk to the killer...I couldn't continue with the story after that...How stupid is this shrink? That unbelievable action turned me off completely...And I had read such good things about this series...Maybe I didn't give the film a chance having watched so little of it...But after reading and watching so many mysteries of this genre, I can spot a lemon...The script is weak, the acting average...

A Single Man (2009)

Not in my top ten

[5/10 · 21 January 2012]

Possible spoiler. A grieving man, college professor, homosexual, has lost his long time lover/partner. His every day life since that fateful event is colored gray. Difficult film to critique...All in all, an uneven first(?)time direction by Tom Ford. My first thought was to fast forward, finally I just turned it off and waited until the next day to watch the last 45 minutes. My scoring is probably generous. I keep having to remind myself that this was the 60's era, long before the the gay revolution. I never understood the young student character, but the Spaniard character was a great cameo role. Hated, absolutely hated the ending... Why not cut while George is sitting on the edge of the bed with the George talking over the shot, brilliant. Enjoyed Firth in the classroom expounding about fear. I appreciate Firth as an actor more and more. He alone carries this poignant and flawed film from beginning to end.

The Good Shepherd (2006)

No Heros Here

[6/10 · 28 May 2007]

The word that comes to mind to describe this film is "melancholy". This realistic and thoughtful portrayal of the CIA from birth to the mid sixties is bathed in melancholy. The sets, costumes, backgrounds, music are all shadows and fog. The acting - across the board - is excellent. The De Niro character (based on Donovan, creator of the OSS, precursor to the CIA) is the only one who doesn't fit into the white, Yale, upper class world of the CIA in its infancy. Be prepared for a world of deceit and treachery. The ending doesn't pull any punches, and does De Niro proud. No Hollywood ending here. This is the brutal, ugly world of espionage. The film could have stood some editing, for sure. And the out of chronological order of the film, especially the sixties was a tad confusing.

Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act (2006)

Dick and Jane, oh I mean, Bill and Jane say Farewell

[8/10 · 18 May 2007]

It was a decent conclusion to years of great TV drama...But I expected better based on what I saw in the last episode....It did stay the course in that it was hard hitting, tough, real, the hallmarks of the series...

Tom Bell as Bill Otley was the connection from Episode 1 to the present....He was simply brilliant....The script, although very good, introduced elements which were new to Jane's story....That really through me off....The sister and niece....They never were significant characters in any of the other episodes, unlike Bill Otley and Jane's father....So be it....All in all, I hate to see this series end....I'll probably start watching them again next year, beginning with the first episode....One a year...It will be like revisiting a dear, dear old friend.....well, friend, I don't know about calling Jane a friend......a dear, favorite book....that's more like it....In my dreams, she retires to the isle of Majorca (not Florida, please), and relaxes, unwinds, is friendly, until she sets up a small private eye agency....Don't I wish......

Prime Suspect: The Last Witness (2003)

The absolute, unequivocal best Jane Tennyson

[10/10 · 18 May 2007]

I've watched (and was hooked) the entire series from Day 1...I only wish there were 10 more episodes to look forward to....This series, and this particular episode, set the standard for all TV detective series....I don't like to go into the story line for a couple of reasons...One is to let a new viewer have the full experience without prejudice (I envy you), and two, by not revealing the smallest detail, I add my tiny part of suspense and drama to the work....so no details here....Jane Tennyson and company are superb actors...My coda........Here is quality, intense television melodrama at its best....

Dreamgirls (2006)

Motown in Glossy Color

[5/10 · 18 May 2007]

I recently saw this musical for the very first time on DVD and had no other versions to compare it to which was okay....

This film was a mild disappointment...mainly the music....It is lightweight compared to the true Motown sound of that era... which is definitely heavyweight........not enough bass and too high pitched....Having said that, a couple of the songs were equal to the task, the underrated "I Miss You Old Friend"....and "I Am Changing".....The acting, costuming, storytelling, etc. are strong, and Jennifer Hudson and Eddy Murphy deserve the accolades they have received...Jamie Foxx seems uncomfortable in Jimmy Early(Barry Gordy) role....The screenplay is not fully developed either, i.e., Jimmy's rise to the top ....Fairly entertaining, all in all.

The Winslow Boy (1999)

The Winslow Boy or was it really The Winslow Woman

[9/10 · 15 March 2006]

Based on a true story, Terence Ratigan's play is about an elderly father's defense of his teenager son who has been accused of theft at the Royal Naval Academy. In David Mamet's subversive hands, the story is subtly transformed into a battle of the sexes and sexual attraction. It's absolutely delicious.

This is 1910 England, involving a retired banker, the Royal Naval Academy, a suffragette daughter with a couple of suitors, and a famous barrister hired to defend the son.

While watching the DVD, I think I replayed the last two minutes of the film a half dozen times. Now there was some chemistry happening between Jeremy Northam and Rebecca Pigeon along with great dialogue. That scene alone is worth the price of admission.

Everyone turns in first rate performances, Mamet slyly puts his stamp on this gem of a film. Loved, loved, loved it.

The Best of Youth (2003)

Doesn't get much better than this

[10/10 · 15 March 2006]

Thanks to A. O. Scott of the New York Times who called it his #1 film of the year on the Charlie Rose show, I finally found this film on Netflix.

After watching 6 plus hours of "The Best of Youth", I didn't want it to end. What a truly wonderful panorama of characters and history all against multiple backgrounds which don't intrude on the story. Sicily, Stromboli, Turino, Roma, Firenze, etc., are all there adding light strokes of color.

It was such a powerful cinematic experience for me that I prefer not to talk about the story line, characters, or details. Let those who have not seen it, experience it in all of its splendor. What I will say is that I bought the DVD (which I rarely do)and donated it to my local library.

An absolute must see.

Story of Women (1988)

A Sad Affair

[7/10 · 14 March 2006]

With cool detachment and a subtle touch of horror, Claude Chabrol dissects the story of a woman who was guillotined during the Nazi occupation of France. One of his strengths as a director is that he allows the movie goer to form his/her own thoughts and opinions about the issues at hand. He is not a proselytizer.

The film covers a lot of ground: illegal abortion, collaborating with the enemy, parenting, marital communication, greed and a slew of other human weaknesses. All of this against the backdrop of an occupied France, a country who witnessed the horrors of WWI and never fully recovered, and whose WWII soul (what is left of it) has been torn apart.

Isabelle Huppert does a fine job interpreting Marie LaTour, the woman in question. Marie is not the most sympathetic of characters. In fact, most of the major characters are not "sympathique".(My favorite character is the prostitute Lulu, acted by Marie Trintignant.)

All in all a well directed, well structured film about a tragic period in the lives of the French people. But you be the judge.

Trivia: "Vera Drake" and "L'Affaire de Femmes" both begin in apartments which have the the same god awful green walls.

Syriana (2005)

Go See It

[8/10 · 17 December 2005]

Initially I wanted to compare it with Traffic, same style and interwoven story lines, but the film itself stopped me from doing so. Thank you. Comparing films can so difficult, you know, the old apples v. oranges thing. This film stands on its own without the comparison or the similarities to Traffic.

Just before I went to the movie theatre, I saw an interview with Steve Gaghan the director on the Charlie Rose Show, and probably this helped me to fit most of the pieces together. The scene where Bob (Clooney) is taken to visit Hezbollah leaders, is based on the exact experience the director had when researching the story. He said that most of the film was based on his or Bob's actual experiences.

So what do we have....Oil, big oil, oil executives, oil analysts, oil geography, oil politics, big time oil power brokers, CIA, Islamic terrorists, Middle East culture....It's all there. And Steve Gaghan does a very good job in bringing it all together. His directorial debut. Very good acting all round, maybe the oldest boy and his mother Amanda Peet stand out.

I walked out of the theatre in an emotional daze, if that's possible. I will see this film again.

My coda.... What a rotten, ugly barrel of oil.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Isn't It Romantic? Better than Comfort Food

[7/10 · 13 December 2005]

Saw it twice. The first time I went I realized that I had started an internal dialog comparing it to the 1995 5 hour plus mini-series, and this comparison continued throughout the entire picture. So I went a second time, put Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle out of my mind, and sat back and thoroughly enjoyed it. Just over two hours, the film is fun with all the comedy, silliness, and ups and downs of the Bennett family.

It's a great romp through Jane Austen's England, and I was surprised to read that this was the directorial debut of Joe Wright. Everyone sparkled in the film, although Mr. Collins seemed a step behind. Keira talks too fast or is it that she cuts off her words in certain scenes, and the background music sometimes overwhelms the spoken lines of the actors. Hats off to the new Darcy. He was excellent, seductive voice and looks better and better as the camera closes in on him. The chemistry was palpable. The cinematography and locations were very, very good. All in all, this film will satisfy those of us who are incurably romantic. I have a feeling that Jane Austen would have had a few chuckles watching her masterpiece come to life.

Midsomer Murders (1997– )

Another take on the series

[30 November 2005]

At about the third episode, I realized that at least three murders had to be committed before Barnaby and Troy got the killer. The more I watched, it seemed that the entire series is really a subtle spoof of the English detective mystery genre, that is Country English. The series captures the beautiful countryside, these lovely villages, the wellington boots, the country architecture and interior decor, all to perfection. And underneath it all seethes the violence, greed, sexual anomalies and jealousy of a country village. Reality in rural England has got to be much different, I hope. The murder rate is astronomical in this Midsomer part of England! And poor Barnaby and Troy. They plod along until the killer just about leaps into their hands. I thoroughly enjoy it all and have my chuckles throughout the episode. The local library recently purchased 10 episodes. I still have one to watch.

Margaret, an avowed Anglophile

Crash (I) (2004)

Overrated

[7/10 · 1 June 2005]

OK film, but much too short to fully develop the characters and the complexities of how their lives crisscross. The locksmith character stands out as a whole person, not the two dimensional, cardboard characters that you find with the rest of the cast. All of these stories are much too complicated to be told in under two hours. It's almost like this is the outline to a film. You would think that great actors, powerful themes and an enthusiastic director would make for a fine film. But it misses the mark in spite of the fine acting. The breath is literally squeezed out of most of the stories - not enough time to tell them. And with the clock ticking, Haggis resorts to gimmicks. Michael Pena and Dashon Howard stand out in this very fine cast. Paul Haggis has the makings of a storyteller, but... I had a hard time believing that all that individual unhappiness in LA expresses itself in racism and bigotry. But then again, I don't live in LA.

De-Lovely (2004)

Music saves it...

[5/10 · 18 August 2004]

A few of us lingered in the theatre as the last credits rolled, and then I wanted to rush out and buy a Cole Porter Song Book! The story avoids his real life predilection for rough sex when he and Monte would go out on the town for a "f.....ing" night. Although I found the actors believable, especially Ashley Judd, something is missing. I wonder what another director would have done with this story. The jumping back and forth between old Cole and the making of the musical didn't work for me. And too much editing. But those songs are worth the price of admission. I enjoyed Morrissette, and the scene between Porter and the actor who didn't want to sing "Night and Day" was especially powerful.

Monster's Ball (2001)

A monster of a film

[8/10 · 26 October 2002]

What impressed me the most about Monster's Ball was the very,very high quality of intimate scenes between the two leads....The actors created an environment of authenticity....it seemed like no acting, it was so natural. They did themselves proud...

I felt that the way Halle was dressed seemed too LA for Mississippi...Although her wardrobe was out of syn, Miss Berry gave the performance of her life. She was great...actually the entire cast was great...Peter Boyle and Heath Ledger deserve mentioning...so much conveyed with so few words.

This was not an easy film to watch, but it was well worth the ride.