cineaste1939 Reviews

Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)

Misclassification

[9/10 · 24 February 2008]

What Low Man and others who have made similar comments fail to account for is that 7/8 of the movie-going public don't know a fugue from a fermata.Most of them like one or more of the musical genres, but probably can't say why, in musical terms.

In any case, the movie isn't about the rarified and arcane nuances of music as an art. Its creators didn't aspire to see it cited in Grove's or a top musical journal. The film could have easily been about dramatics, fine art or any of the three r's disciplines. Each evokes passionate interest from students and claims some wannabee top performers in those fields as teachers, sooner or later. The film is about how one can release one's tight grip on self-aggrandizing dreams and find a gloriously satisfying life in service to others. This message it transmits superlatively.

Pride and Prejudice (1940)

Remember the temper of the times

[9/10 · 19 January 2008]

Many here have commented derisively upon Mrs. Bennet's overweaning ambitions and exploits in the interest of seeing her daughters wed. It's important to remember that in the 19th century, marriage was the vocation of all but a very few young women. College was almost singularly the preserve of young men, as were the professions and the trades. The modern office had not yet been established, and when it was toward the end of the century, men were routinely hired as secretaries and clerks. Especially with an estate entailed to a male relative, the only way Mrs. Bennet could rest assured that her five daughters would enjoy the benefits of a roof and regular food was to see them married.

The Preacher's Wife (1996)

Redeems the form of the sequel

[10/10 · 2 June 2007]

Nothing here for Conan the Barbarian or Texas Chainsaw Massacres fans, but plenty of moving, comforting, bolstering spirit for those who understand that the "big bang" wasn't a self-causing event. The stately Bishop's Wife is a fine and worthy film, but in The Preacher's Wife we not only give the lie to the notion that all sequels are inferior grade "let's cash in on the cachet of the original" vehicles. All the principal players are incandescent, bringing questions of faith, hope, love and charity into affecting relief. (If we have the capacity to care) We are, in this film drawn into the lives and concerns of its major characters. Some of these are: the struggle of a pastor of a financially troubled church to hang on to his mission, his integrity and the love of his life, his wife's worries about the life and health of their marriage, the fate of an orphan bosom friend of the pastor's son, and the struggle of a homesick (for earth) angel to stick to his assignment and forego extraneous corporeal and earth-bound pleasures. If you have a heart and soul you can't but be grateful for this film treasure.

To Sir, with Love (1967)

Charisma on Parade

[9/10 · 22 April 2007]

To Sir with Love should forever be on a list of the top one or two hundred films. My comment, however is related to the subject of the film rather than its quality Emerging from, and being much affected by a serious study of educational and other inequities, I determined to spend part of my early career teaching disadvantaged inner-city youth. In the classroom, I found that even at the elementary school level there were many children radically disaffected from the project of education, and indeed from any prosocial endeavor. Try as I might to present my pedagogical skills in an interesting way and to express my very genuine compassion I was in large measure a failure-at least compared with the superlative effects of a teacher like Mr. Thackeray. There are a few blessed people who possess the rare gift of being able to find the key to communicating with students popularly considered incorrigible. These rare souls are invaluable, and once found, should be treated with the respect and awe accorded to rare emeralds.

My Bodyguard (1980)

True to adolescent life with a tour de force performance by Baldwin

[1 August 2005]

Anyone who has ever been subjected to the ethos of "might makes right" will appreciate the raw truth of this film. The opportunity to trump the bullies with their own "high card" is one that uncounted thousands of decent, peaceable kids fantasize about. The amazing and regrettable thing is that this breathtaking debut performance by Adam Baldwin was not capitalized on by producers or directors. Instead Baldwin was relegated to roles like the sadistic British officer in "The Patriot" which takes advantage of his imposing physical presence but gives him no opportunity to display his unexpected, attractive and profound humanity. Perhaps someday a wise filmmaker will recognize Baldwin's potential and make the most of his abilities.

Back to the Future (1985)

Science fiction with a psychological slant

[9/10 · 29 July 2005]

The creative and entertaining science fiction content in this film certainly is a draw. Aside from that, this film satisfies an urge most of us have to know and experience what our parents were like when they were young and falling in love, and to understand what it was life to live in those times. The film's depiction of the contrasts between the world of the 1950s and the 1980s gives viewers food for thought about how our culture evolved, and what we've gained and lost in the process. Performances are universally credible, sometimes brilliant, and advance the plot nicely. Another point in this film's favor is amid all the attractive technoflash, the director wasn't afraid to limn characters who have real feelings.

His Kind of Woman (1951)

Vincent Price's performance is a welcome surprise

[9/10 · 21 June 2005]

Given the high quality of Vincent Price's performance in this film, it's obvious that his talents weren't fully employed. I'm not sure if his confinement in horror films was his inclination or the studio's impression of where he fit best. His performance in His Kind of Woman reveals that he could have portrayed sympathetic characters to good effect. Moreover, this film shows he had a flair for comedy. Until I first saw this film I thought Price was a ghoulish sort who reveled in the opportunity to wallow in the macabre and scare the pants off audiences. I am pleased to learn, courtesy of IMDb, that he was a cultured man, a writer and a gourmet. Unfortunately, his usual screen persona belies these qualities. At least in His Kind of Woman we get to enjoy facets of his talent that are more in line with them.