paul-685-664575 Reviews

Times Gone By (1952)

First review but I hope not the last one.

[8/10 · 23 August 2023]

I am puzzled that this movie does not have a single review either by professional critics or humble viewers such as I am.

Among others, in the last segment titled "The Trial of Phryne", Vittorio De Sica uses Gina Lollobrigida's "maggiorata fisica" (referring to her busts) in a stellar performance to save her from spending the rest of her life in prison. A performance as good if not better than anything Charlie Chaplin or Woody Allen ever produced.

The pieces in this anthology film are between the IMDB 6 and 10 range so I gave it the average of 8.

I tremendously enjoyed most of them. Very funny, excellent performance, and great music. Plus Aldo Fabrizi!

I hope Criterion will look at the movies of Alessandro Blasetti and release them on DVD, perhaps in the cheaper to produce Eclipse series.

Fury (1936)

A masterpiece that turns into a soap opera

[7/10 · 18 October 2022]

It is a masterpiece movie until the last ten minutes when Katherine follows the brothers to their house and when it turns into a ridiculous soap opera. Just proves that the American audiences and Hollywood we know today aren't very much different from those in 1936.

I am not sure if the movie can be characterized as a film-noir but the camera work certainly was such. Well done. I just wish there were no Hollywood ending. No wonder that Woody Allen made a movie with exactly that title.

I am pretty sure that Fritz Lang shares my opinion.

One interesting note: during the movie I observed several times that Spencer Tracy and Jean Gabin are interchangeable. I wonder if this was pointed out before me already.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Rumble on the Wonder Wheel (2022) Season 4, Episode 1

Could my favorite TV show running out of steam?

[6/10 · 18 February 2022]

I sincerely hope that the answer to my question in the title will be a resounding "no/neyn/n'et" but EP01S04 was a disappointment. Too much screaming, too much swearing, too shallow humor, and too many recycled punchlines. For instance, it was obvious from the beginning that the Chinese muscle guy will speak English (with an American accent).

Other fantastic TV shows such as All in the Family or Maude, etc., proved that eventually they couldn't keep up the quality, so probably this is a natural process.

Still, Mrs. Maisel is fun to watch and is highly recommended.

Joy House (1964)

Deja vue all over again...

[8/10 · 22 July 2021]

I can't say much about this movie because it would spoil the fun (and suspense). Let me just point out one fact that seems to have been missed by all viewers and critics of the 2019 Parasite (Gisaengchung). Namely, Joy House is the precursor of Parasite.

It is a pleasure to see Jane Fonda and Alain Delon together. Lola Albright was excellent too.

Too bad that Jane Fonda was dubbed. I love her voice. The script could have been modified in such a way that Fonda speaking with an accent would have been normal. As a matter of fact, weren't both Barbara Hill and Melinda the niece American anyway? I couldn't figure that out.

Highly recommended.

A Rainy Day in New York (2019)

I can't help, I like Woody Allen's movies

[7/10 · 6 January 2021]

Let me put it this way: you will like this movie if and only if you like Woody Allen movies in general. I happen to be in the latter category. However, everyone must agree that the movie is not boring and is quite entertaining. It was a well spent 92 minutes and 51 seconds. I recommend that every viewer also read the article about the movie in Wikipedia.

I want to point out one interesting fact. Quite a few of Woody Allen's movies, especially the ones made in this century, are about the one percenters. I can't figure it out if he wants the rest of us to envy them or else to despise them. Based one the residences of the people in this movie, they are probably one tenth percenters.

Greta (2018)

Watchable

[7/10 · 18 December 2020]

Let me start out that the other reviewers who harshly criticized various aspects of Greta were absolutely right. Still, I award 7 stars because the movie is watchable and even enjoyable to some extent.

Isabelle Huppert is one of my favorite actresses of all time and have seen 9 movies in the recent past by her. By far my favorite is "8 women" with a stellar cast.

I was born in Budapest and even now, after over 40 years in the US, the first thing peeople ask from me when I open my mouth is "where are you from". So you can imagine how much fun I had listening to a French woman trying to utter a few Hungarian words. I could barely understand what she said. As a matter of fact, I only understood 2 words. "Kisujj" (pinky finger), and "mézeskalács" (gingerbread). It was hilarious that Ms. Huppert was trying to teach the girl how to pronounce "mézeskalács" when her own was atrocious. Why didn't they dub her words with a native speaker?

In summary, the movie is a good way to spend time while awaiting for one's turn for a couple of Covid-19 vaccinations as long as one suspends belief and doesn't care for logic.

I keep loving Ms. Huppert.

Boeing, Boeing (1965)

A must see...again and again and again

[10/10 · 4 October 2020]

I discovered the movie about 10 years ago after I saw the play. I saw it 5 times since then. One of my all time favorites. I read in Wikipedia that Jerry Lewis turned down Jerry's role in "Some Like It Hot". Can you imagine Tony Curtis and Jerry Lewis in the best comedy of all time? Well, they were finally paired up in this one. And then there is Thelma Ritter. A triple treat. Also, finally an American movie where the French and the German and even the British women are played by real life French, German, and British correspondingly.

I never saw any of the silly comedies by Jerry Lewis but I loved "King of the Comedy" where again he proves that he is a great actor.

In summary, the movie is perfect until they end up in the restaurant. After that not so much. Nevertheless, I give 10 stars and plan to see it again and again every couple of years or so.

Note that there is another movie that I saw 5 times: Pas sur la bouche. Highly recommended despite the similarly low score on IMDB.

Aya (I) (2012)

A reasonable way to spend 40 minutes

[7/10 · 10 June 2020]

I saw this on Kanopy. It's short and entertaining.

Much of it takes place inside a moving car driven by an Israeli woman and next to him a Danish guy. Both are well educated and intelligent. It constantly bothered the heck out of me that neither of them wearing a seat belt. Now I've been to Israel many times and I know how they drive there, so I could digest that the driver had no seat belt but, for G.d's sake, a Danish music researcher without a seat belt? No way! I just don't get it.

Apart from this, I didn't regret spending more than half an hour watching what the outcome will be and I wasn't disappointed.

P.S. The film reminded me of the joke that all drivers in Israel are excellent (because the bad ones are all dead).

Lolita (1962)

Lolita1962 leaves Lolita1997 in the dust

[8/10 · 6 January 2020]

Having read about the death of Sue Lyon, I decided to watch (again) both Lolitas (1962 and 1997) on consecutive nights. My verdict is that Lolita1962 is way superior to Lolita1997. As a matter of fact, many aspects of Lolita1997 would have escaped me had I not seen Lolita1962 the night before.

All four primary characters of Lolita1962 were superb actors performing flawlessly. Lolita1997? Almost the opposite is true. I don't want to hurt the feelings of the actors so I won't name 3 of the 4 who were mediocre.

My recommendation is to watch both so that the viewer would appreciate even more the Kubrickian version (made with the assistance of Nabokov).

Marnie (1964)

If the viewers judge it to be a 7-star movie then who am I to disgree...

[7/10 · 9 December 2019]

I just saw it the second time (December 9, 2019). I really would like to write review but I don't know what to say. You see, in 2019 the entire plot looks ridiculous but it may have been OK in 1964. The performances of the three main characters (the thief, her momma, and the rich guy) were not exactly superb (it is probably not their fault) but I liked the salior (Bruce Dern) and the sis-in-law (Diane Baker).

Some of the horse riding scenes were so fake! And the rape scene? I didn't even realize it was a rape until I read about in Wikipedia.

Well, at least now I know how the rich'n'famous lived in 1964, at least how it was portrayed by Hitchcock.

Anyway, my current mission is to re-watch all those Hitchcock movies that are available in blue-ray or other type of high definitions. So far I am mostly quite satisfied.

Summer Hours (2008)

Art is beautiful

[8/10 · 4 October 2019]

I love beautiful art. I even love controversial art such as the Pompidou Center. Plus I am definitely in love with Juliette Binoche and the Orsay Museum. So could I not love this movie? I do, I do, I do.

Here is my summary. The French constantly smoke and drink plus they never exercise and still they live longer than we, Americans. Did I mention that they smoke a lot? Another interesting observation is that even the rich'n'famous in France do not enjoy the conveniences that we, Americans, take for granted (nice kitchens, appliances, etc.).

Vive la France!

Dial M for Murder (1954)

There are holes in the keys

[10/10 · 18 May 2019]

There are 315 reviews in IMDB today (May 18, 2019) so I don't think #316 is absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, let me add a few key points (pun intended).

First, I decided to give ten stars because this really is a very entertaining flick. Is it a crime or thriller movie? Not really unless the viewer came directly from Mars/Venus.

Second, a rich socialite lives in a tiny one-bedroom apartment? Yeah, right.

Third, what kind of people don't have spare keys (aka latchkeys)? It appears that no one in England has any.

Fourth, and most significantly, it looks like that in England every man keeps his bare keys in his (one and only) coat pocket. No keychain, no keyring, no nothin'. Gimme a break.

Anyway, I had fun watching it yesterday in 2D. I saw it some years ago in 3D as well, but that was a torturous experience (because 3D is weird).

In summary, I highly recommend "Dial M for Murder" to anyone who wants fun but if you want a genuine hair-raising experience then pick another Hitchcock movie.

Sincerely, PaulN (the proud owner of roughly speaking a dozen spare keys to his house even if he is not a rich socialite or the husband thereof)

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

Great movie but had some flaws.

[8/10 · 14 April 2019]

As of today, there are 197 user reviews here in IMDB so mankind is not in an urgent need to get another one. Instead of a review, let me add a few random thoughts.

First and foremost, as opposed to some other reviewers, I liked Meryl Streep's performance. Hers was s small role and the role itself was not perfectly written but, as far as I can judge, she did the best she could.

On the other hand, at least in the beginning of the movie, not only that Dustin Hoffman's character was deeply flawed but he himself overplayed it. In particular, the first breakfast scene was ridiculous. I would certainly never hire a person as sloppy, as disorganized, and as incompetent as his character was. Luckily both Mr. Hoffman and his character improved as the movie went on.

Here is a question to the readers who lived on Manhattan in the late 1970s. Was it then possible to rent an apartment with at least 2 bedrooms with a 30K income? This is what both parents did.

Was I the only one who was annoyed by the constant product placements in the movie? I don't recall seeing any other movie with such a product placement galore.

Also, why was everyone constantly drinking some booze?

Jane Alexander was great!

The ending was, well, it was a typical Hollywood ending. I read in Wikipedia that there were plans to invite François Truffaut to direct the movie. It would be interesting to speculate if he would have agreed to such a compromise.

The bottom line is that it's worth seeing the movie. I did at least 3 times. First in 1979 and now, 40 years later, I did it again.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Simone (2018) Season 2, Episode 1

The simultaneous translation scene is hilarious...

[10/10 · 3 March 2019]

I just wanted to point out one aspect: the simultaneous English to French translation scene is hilarious. I wish I knew who played the role of the interpreter. Were they inspired by Godard's "Le Mépris"? OK, I add one more: Marin Hinkle was great. Does she really speak French? Does she have an accent when speaking French? I'd love to know these.

Regarding the visa problem mentioned in the "Goofs" section, I visited Paris as a US citizen in the 1980s (before 1989) 3 times and there was no need for a visa at all.

The Bank Dick (1940)

Wanted to see a W.C. Fields movie. Check.

[7/10 · 20 January 2019]

I always planned to see at least one W.C. Fields movie before I die and now I have accomplished this goal. Check. Well, I expected a silly movie and what I got was a silly movie. Thus, I shouldn't complain. On the bright side, it is full of funny moments, gags, and such, e.g., W.C. Fields misplacing his hat or kicking that piece of paper (several times). The car chase at the end was hilarious.

I decided to give 7 stars because it is watchable and is better than the average silly movie.

OK, I also admit that if this movie is worth 7 stars then some of the best silly movies (Chaplin, Keaton, etc.) should get a gazillion stars.

In summary, W.C. Fields, you're no Charlie Chaplin (paraphrasing Lloyd Bentsen).

Contempt (1963)

Original, très originaux, nicht schlecht.

[8/10 · 14 January 2019]

Well, I attempted to see about half a dozen films by Godard. Some I liked but I hated at least one (Week-end) and I couldn't even finish one (Pierrot le Fou). So I knew what to anticipate even before I started Contempt. I ended up watching it in 3 appr. 35 minute installments. Here is my summary. First, Bardot has a fabulous butt. Second, she has a fabulous butt. Third, the butt again. Then, she actually looks fantastic when not blond (in the black wig). Then, she is a superb actress. I also, enjoyed the idea of having Fritz Lang in the plot (I haven't seen a Lang movie that I didn't like). The best part of the movie was, besides Bardot's butt, that they all spoke their own languages (Lang speaks many languages). I happened to understand all so it was fun. The instantaneous translation by the interpreter was quite original. Another thing I loved was the way the credits were handled. I just saw an Orson Welles movie with a similar move (The Magnificent Ambersons, highly recommended). Finally, here is a mystery: why were Bardot's feet almost always dirty, literally black? A second mystery: why the hat (Piccoli)? There must have been an explanation but I missed it. Oh yes, I forgot to analyze the plot and the character development. Well, I see that the other reviewers took care of that. So sit back and enjoy (or should I say "suffer"?).

The 'Burbs (1989)

Silly but watchable.

[6/10 · 8 November 2018]

This is an extraordinarily silly movie albeit watchable. In the same league as The Money Pit. Bruce Dern is fun though.

Consenting Adults (1992)

Entertaining and not boring...

[7/10 · 26 January 2018]

I certainly agree with all the critical reviews. Nevertheless, I rated the movie much higher than the average for two simple but essential reasons: it was quite entertaining and definitely not boring.

I never liked Kevin Spacey and he did his best to justify my attitude toward him. On the other hand, Kevin Kline is one of my all time favorite actors despite his mediocre performance here.

P.S. I saw the movie when it first came out but I remembered only one single scene from it when I watched it the second time on 01/25/2018.

La fille de Monaco (2008)

It's not boring...

[7/10 · 10 January 2018]

I read the reviews on iIMDb before watching the movie so that I knew what to expect, and, thus, I was not disappointed. One very positive thing about it is that it was not boring. In addition, thanks to my local public library, I saw the movie for free (unless I count the thousands of dollars I pay each year in property taxes that go to my local school and library system).Therefore, I gave the movie 7 out of 10 points.

Brute Force (1947)

even in 2017 still excellent

[10/10 · 5 November 2017]

I decided to watch as many Dassin movies as possible. This was #2 on my list.

I am not sure why this is classified as a film-noir but certainly it used a similar style of cinematography.

As most other reviewers wrote, it is excellent, exciting, and entertaining.

One small quibble that bugged me a lot: the two Italians spoke (perfect) English. Gimme a break.

The movie? Highly recommended. The director? Ditto.

The Master (2012)

great movie...if the experts say so

[5/10 · 27 August 2017]

I am sure that the experts are right and this is one of the best movies ever. I am also sure that it is my own fault that I found this movie one of the most boring ones of the 21st century.

Great actors and great performances but boring.

N.B. I saw the movie both at the theater after its release and on DVD in 2017.

SUMMARY. Boring.

EXPLANATION. (10* + 0*)/2 = 5*

Tell No One (2006)

Complicated but much better than equivalent Hollywood movies

[8/10 · 26 June 2017]

It took me 2 viewings plus careful reading about the movie in Wikipedia until I fully understood the story but in the end it was well worth my time. Not the best ever crime movie but it is a solid one. The plot is tight albeit highly unlikely and kinda artificial.

I didn't realize it was a French movie until I saw the chain-smoking pediatrician. Just kiddin'.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

The good, the bad, and the ugly

[5/10 · 1 June 2017]

THE GOOD. Excellent acting; the Budapest scenes were authentic and realistic incl. the beautiful galleria (called "Párisi udvar") where the guy is shot in the beginning of the movie.

THE BAD. What the heck was going on?

The only reason that I know what the movie was all about was that I read the synopsis on Wikipedia several times (some of it while watching the movie). The story was confusing and overly complicated.

THE UGLY. Well, there wasn't really anything ugly but I couldn't resists the headline.

For me the best about the movie was that after extensive reading about it on Wikipedia, I decided to rewatch "True Romance" and "Léon: The Professional " again.

The Bride Wore Black (1968)

Enjoyable but not a crime movie

[7/10 · 31 May 2017]

IMDb classifies this as "Crime, Drama, Mystery". If one insists to call this a crime movie, then I would have to say that it is extraordinarily naive and unrealistic; the plot is essentially juvenile. Compare it to, say, Munich, that is also a "methodological revenge movie". In the latter, every step is realistically planned whereas in this movie every action in childish . The guy and the scarf? The poison through the cork? The duct tape? The arrow? The knife? Gimme a break.

However, let's take out the "crime" characterization, and replace it by "melodrama". Then we get an entertaining movie with great performance by Jeanne Moreau.

So, calling this a mystery-melodrama, we can sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

P.S. In every movie. especially in French ones, every killer easily gets hold of a poison whose couple of drops are fatal. The only poison I can get is a dosage of large fries at a local fast food restaurant.

Nothing Ever Happens (1933)

fun fun fun...

[10/10 · 11 April 2017]

This was 18 minutes and 14 seconds of pure fun, especially the dancers.

NOTE. I haven't seen the 1932 "Grand Hotel" yet; that's my next plan.

NOTE. I tried to find this on youtube.com but with no avail.

NOTE. This is an extra on the "Grand Hotel" DVD.

NOTE. It would have deserved to have CC or subtitles added.