How about letting us know if you have any comments about any of these films and about what you have been watching at home or in the theater?
Take My Eyes - 2003. This Spanish film is the best movie I have ever seen about the dynamics of spouse abuse. Significantly, actual violence is only briefly shown, but we are given an intelligently written and sensitively acted story of how a couple in love tries to work to bring about the change in their relationship that will end the violence and fear. The wife is not a submissive coward and the husband is not a menacing bully, yet they each have internal conflicts that carry aspects of those stereotypes. The supporting roles, including that of the very appealing young son, are appropriately helpful without taking attention away from the principals. The scenic Toledo setting and involvement with the art museum fit perfectly into the script. This 3.8 film rings totally true, tugs at your heart for the wife, husband and son, invites self-examination and affirms the need and value of personal counseling.
War Letters - 2002. This PBS American Experience show, based on a New York Times best seller, featured readings from letters to and from members of the American armed services in wars from the Revolution to the Gulf War, read by actors and supplemented with archival and personal footage. The presentation was effective, but it was the content of the letters themselves that earned this a 3.2.
With All Deliberate Speed - 2004. This documentary, released on the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation ruling by the Supreme Court, told the story of some of the local students and ministers involved in starting the litigation in Virginia and South Carolina, two of the five States whose cases were consolidated into the Brown case, using archival footage and current interviews of living participants and children of the deceased. These were some of the many unsung heroes of the civil rights movement and classroom discussion with high school students 50 years later showed most students are not aware of what times were like back then and some just take it all for granted. And are not that interested in hearing about it. I give it 3.2.
Small Wonders - 1995. This fairly low budget documentary showed a woman who quite successfully teaches violin to young children in some inner city charter schools in New York City. It inspired the 1999 film Music of the Heart, which we watched before the documentary, and which probably helped us understand the 3.1 documentary better. I would like to have seen more of the kids and their families at home, which could have added a worthwhile dimension.
Music of the Heart - 1999. Meryl Streep got an undeserved Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of the violin teacher in this dramatization of the documentary subject of Small Wonders. The drama, directed by Wes Craven as a new genre for him, showed a little more of the kids and their home life, which was good, but also included a throwaway subplot about the romance life of the teacher, netting my rating of 3.
Anna Christie - 1930. This classic film, Garbo's first talkie, adapted from a Eugene O'Neill play and atmospherically directed by Clarence Brown, confirms that Garbo definitely had screen charisma, coming across as both experienced and fragile. Also charismatic, without the fragility, is crusty Marie Dressler. As soon as filming was done, the sets were used again with a different director and cast, except for Garbo, to film the movie in German. The DVD I watched includes both films. The American version was better than I expected for such an old film from a stage play, at 3. The supporting characters were more subtle in the German version and Garbo was darker haired and more conservatively dressed. Garbo liked the German version better, but I did not rate it since I fast forwarded through portions.
Marius and Jeannette - 1997. The French director of this movie made this, his seventh film, with the same cast and crew he had used on his previous movies, and even set this one in the exact locale of one of his earlier films, the poor section of Marseilles. I love the Mediterranean approach in general, how people are both passionate and mellow, happy and sad and always in touch with their environment. With the French, you can often expect a downer ending, but the small ensemble in this film seem to have already had some down times, so maybe are due for something better. This is a good 3 rated film to get to know some likeable enough people and see what happens to them.
Katyn - 2007. I was never quite able to get into this 2.8 Polish movie. The story seemed to jump all over the place in time and between characters, trying to follow too many people first under the Nazi occupation and then under the Soviet domination, with propagandists for each regime blaming the other for the Massacre of Polish officers and intellectuals. I was never able to get to know any character well enough to sympathize beyond the stanrd empathy for victims and survivors.
The Odd Couple - 1968. Lemon and Matthau bounce off each other in the film version of the Neil Simon stage play. Most of its humor holds up but the stage scripted feel remains and the point of the piece is not particularly rewarding. More fun for them than us, means a 2.8.
The Talk of the Town - 1942. A situation comedy with serious overtones, this movie has its humorous moments, but otherwise offers nothing special, except Jean Arthur, who I really like. The sermon about law is inconsistent with the plot, but apparently appealed in WWII 1942, as the film received 7 Academy Awards nominations including best picture, but I only give it 2.8.
A Matter of Principle - 1983. Alan Arkin and his then wife Barbara Dana starred in this 2.7 story of an obstinate male chauvinist who ran his large West Virginia family like a tyrant. The settings and acting in this PBS American Playhouse piece were OK, but the one hour of running time was applied mostly to showing the tyranny, leaving very little time for the relatively unconvincing conversion. Regurgitated again in 2007 as Raising Flagg.
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