There were a couple pleasant surprises in this batch, movies that Netflix predicted marginal for me, but which I liked almost a half star better. I have stopped getting movies from the library for a while, to free up some time, and am not sure when I will resume. But today we were in the mood to watch a movie and the only one I had on hand, from Netflix, turned out to be defective.
How about letting us know if you have any comments regarding any of these films and about what you have been watching at home or in the theater?
Lies Boys Tell - 1994. The Netflix title for this made for TV movie sounds like an after school special for teenagers, but it is actually a multi-generational 3.5 road film, along the lines of Little Miss Sunshine. The IMDB lists it under the more accurately descriptive Take Me Home Again. I found it by checking out the filmography of the actress who played the Mom in My So-Called Life, and who does well with her supporting role here. Elderly Kirk Douglas (always underrated, in my opinion, and two years before his stroke in real life) is dying and calls his estranged son (perfectly played by Craig T. Nelson) to take him on his farewell tour. Nelson is giving some very witty lines that had me laughing and crying at the same time. Netflix was about a half star low on its prediction for me on this one. The surly handyman role is played by the writer of this fine script.
Whole Wide World - 1996. This true story was an early Renee Zellweger role and showed her talent for being tough and vulnerable simultaneously. Vincent D'Onofrio was also appealing in this 3.2 drama about a difficult romance in Texas during the Depression, between a successful pulp fiction writer and a school teacher who also had literary ambitions. Holds your interest throughout and then grabs you at the end.
Next Stop, Greenwich Village - 1976. Written and directed by Paul Mazursky, this movie about a Jewish kid in 1953 who moves from his Brooklyn parental home to his first place of his own in the Village, holds its age well, had lots of hoots and some drama. The young people who handg out together are sometimes not sure whether they are talented or just pretentious. Shelley Winters was a particular kick as his Mom, and the Brubeck, Parker and Desmond Jazz, as well as some snatches of opera and swing, all sound great. Better than I expected at 3.2. The male lead, Lenny Baker, died of cancer at age 27.
The Sensei - 2008. [Disclosure notice - my Godson, Bryan Frank, has a supporting role in this movie and does a good job. He also did the story boards and aret work]. This film, written, directed and co-starring Diana Lee Inosanto, tells the story of a gay high school boy in Colorado in the early 1980's who, after a beating by homophobes, receives martial arts training from the Diana character. This 3.1 movie has much less actual fighting stunts than I expected, and the martial arts action is presented in a realistic manner, rather than with slow motion and other stylistic treatments. The strength of the film is in the depiction of the struggle of gays, and also of non-gays who contract HIV-AIDS, to confront prejudice in these early days of awareness of the disease. Watch the brief documentary about the making of the movie before seeing the film itself to help in understanding the genesis of the plot.
Love & Basketball - 2000. I chose this movie because Gina Prince-Blythewood wrote and directed it [Netflix credits her Gina Prince] and I liked her direction on The Secret Life of Bees. This earlier film showed she had talent, balancing sport and romance, somewhat like Bend It Like Beckham, which came two years later. This 3.1 story was divided into four quarters, 11 year olds, high school, college and careers and followed the very appealing leads, Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps, and their challenging romance, without much involvement of supporting actors, except for some early parental involvement, which seemed to disappear but then came back. Nicely done.
My Voyage to Italy - 1999. Martin Scorcese made this extensive documentary about growing up watchiing Italian movies and how they affected his own movie making. In this 3.1 film, Scorcese covers the films of Rosellini, DeSica, Visconti, Antonioni and Fellini., by discussing them at length with very extensive clips. He covers the techniques used and also covers the story lines fully, which some would call "plot spoilers". I have seen about half of the films he cites, so will probably be doing such catching up on these classics.
Ruffian - 2007. This ESPN movie about the undefeated three year old filly who participated in the last match race in America in 1975 was well made and told the story of this marvelous horse in a straightforward way, with apt criticism of the business side of horse racing, producing tears of sadness and a solid 3 rating.
Ossessione - 1943. This movie was arguably the first Italian neo-realist film. Visconti directed it during the War and the fascist government banned it after initial release because the adaption of The Postman Always Rings Twice was too scandalous. It holds its age quite well and all the scenes of real people on the streets and in the countryside are like a travelogue. Low key lighting and other realistic techniques were a counter to Hollywood. My 3 rating is well deserved.
Ruby Bridges - 1998. This Disney TV movie told the story of the six year old girl who was the first African American to attend a previously all-white school in New Orleans. The film was intended to educate audiences, including children, about that time of Federally mandated end to school desegregation and how such a young child played such a significant role, and the impact it had on her family. Because the target audience included youngsters, the treatment was somewhat simplistic. But there was enough meaningful content and the child actress was quite appealing, so even though the film at times looked like a moving version of the iconic Norman Rockwell painting it inspired, I give it my 2.9, but recommend it higher for young audiences learning about the subject.
La Pu.. & La Ballena [The Whore and the Whale]- 2004. This Spanish film had some intersting cinematography and lots of female full frontal nudity (while the copulating males usually kept most all of theit clothes on). The old ploy of trying to find the story behind some old love letters found by accident is what made me gice this a try, but it has usually been better done than in this marginal 2.7 movie. The subtitles flash so fast I had to replay many of them to understand the dialogue, and I never did feel like I got the whole story. But I don't think I missed anything particularly worthwhile, as none of the characters had much appeal, including the leading lady fighting breast cancer.
