Le Samouraï ** 1/2

Hitman Jeff Costello is a perfectionist who always carefully plans his murders and who never gets caught. One night however, after killing a night-club owner, he's seen by witnesses. His efforts to provide himself with an alibi fail and more and more he gets driven into a corner.

What I liked most about this movie was the fact that the main character Jef didn't speak a lot and that his presence on screen was as great as it was. The ending had a nice little surprise to it too. I watched this with a friend and he fell asleep during it but I did enjoy it somewhat.

Irish, did you change your grading scale? Because it seems you give everything **1/2.

No I didn't change it but I have noticed a lot of ** 1/2 star movies myself. As of late I've felt that these movies I've watched have been better than ** but not as good as *** so I've just been giving them the ** 1/2

Le Samourai, best hitman film ever.

The Terminal - (Steven Spielberg;2004;USA) -
A man comes to JFK airport while a revolution erupts in his county making him a citizen of nowhere, forcing him to stay inside the airport.
Spielberg unfortunately can't end a film anymore, although he still proves to tell a charming story anyway. The whole film is nothing above simple quality, but it's nice to watch and proves to hold likable characters, even if the final moments taint the film's tone.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico - (Robert Rodriguez;2003;Mexico/USA)
El Mariachi is called upon an CIA agent to join in a conspiracy plot.
Rodriguez tries to go all out technically but fails in the film itself. The plot is poor, the outcome is even worse, and the cast is all that keeps it watchable. The film overall is too ridiculous to take seriously, especially the spontaneous appearance of guns in some scenes. Depp was probably the best thing in this.

No stars for Once Upon A Time In Mexico? I agree, that movie was HORRIBLE

Yeah, hardly anything good about it.

DV, have you ever seen Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds? If so, how does it compare with Psycho?

From memory I'd rate it three stars. The special effects and editing for the time was excellent, but Hitchcock has done better with Vertigo and Rear Window when it comes to Psycho. The Birds would be much better if Hitchcock was able to do the original ending he wanted but budget or technology prevented it. Psycho I rate four stars.

The British cut of Strangers on a Train comes close to being superior.

OT Vercetti, but what was Hitchcock's original ending for THE BIRDS? I actually never heard about it.

SPOILER
They drive back to San Fran to find that the Golden Gate bridge is covered in birds or something to that effect.
SPOILER END

The Bridge on the River Kwai #13 on the AFI Top 100 List *** 1/2

British WW2 prisoners of war are given the task, by their Japanese captors, of building a railway bridge in a harsh Asian jungle. Led by Col Nicholson, a stereotypical British officer, the prisoners score a moral victory over the Japanese by not only building the bridge, but running the whole show. Unknown to Nicholson, an allied demolition team are planning a spectacular opening for the bridge.

A very interesting story with great performances by Alec Guinness and Sessue Hayakawa. I didn't know what to expect going into this movie but I was very pleased with it and would definitely watch it again. In sum a "good show and jolly good fun!"

They drive back to San Fran....... [/b][/quote]I didn't know he had a different ending but if I'm not mistaken "The Birds" is his only film that ends without "The End" being presented on screen. Hitchcock wanted to suggest an ongoing terror (i.e. it hadn't ended) with the birds.

This guy was a f*ckin' genius way ahead of his time. I don't know if they show any of his weekly tv shows on the tube anymore but if you get a chance to see any of them you'll appreciate his sense of (macabre) humor. He's one filmmaker I would have definitely liked to have met (and talked to) in person.

The Birds **

Spoilt socialite and notorious practical joker Melanie Daniels is shopping in a San Francisco pet store when she meets Mitch Brenner. Mitch is looking to buy a pair of love birds for his young sister's birthday; he recognises Melanie but pretends to mistake her for an assistant. She decides to get her own back by buying the birds and driving up to the quiet coastal town of Bodega Bay, where Mitch spends his weekends with his sister and mother. Shortly after she arrives, Melanie is attacked by a gull, but this is just the start of a series of attacks by an increasing number of birds.

I was disappointed with this film. After watching Psycho recently I was hoping for another great Hitchcock film, but failed to get it. The effects weren't the problem as I looked past them but it was just the story in general. I felt it sounded interesting moreso than it was and it seemed to move a little slower too while something like Psycho kept you on the edge of your seat throughout the picture. On a side not, very good performances by both Tippi Hedren & Rod Taylor

Into the Blue
2005, Stockwell, US 1st time; big screen
Four diving friends run into trouble when they find a drugs smuggler's lost stash on the seabed.
A silly excuse for the camera to relish Jessica Alba's body in front of it; it never rises above mediocrity.


Zatôichi
2003, Kitano, Jap 2nd time
A blind masseur wanders into a village with revenge on his mind.
A stunning, sort of Jarmuschian take of an ancient folklore legend. Kitano sheds his guns for swords, but has kept his wry sense of humour.

Mick

Sunset Boulevard #12 on the AFI Top 100 List *** 1/2

Joe Gillis, an unsuccessful screenplay writer, escapes the finance men who are trying to reclaim his car by driving into the garage of an old mansion on Sunset Boulevard. Assumed to be someone else, he is led by Max the butler to the mansion's owner, silent film star Norma Desmond. Wishing to make a comeback, she hires him to rewrite her "Salome" script, then falls in love with him. Joe moves into the mansion as a kept man. Secretly, Joe is collaborating with a pretty young screenplay editor, Betty Schaefer, on another idea. Though she is engaged to his best friend, Artie Green, an assistant director, Betty falls in love with Joe. When Betty finds out about Norma, she asks him to leave Norma for her, but Joe can't unsettle her life, too. He decides, instead, to leave Hollywood. As he is leaving, a crazed Norma tries to stop him.

Another movie that I had not heard of prior to viewing this list but again I've very pleased I watched it. A very interesting story with enjoyable performances from William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich Von Strokeim, and Nancy Olson. SPOILERS I didn't know this movie spawned the phrase, "I'm ready for my closeup Mr. DeMille" END OF SPOILERS

C'mon, Irish! Only *** 1/2 for this absolute masterpiece????

Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The
2004, Anderson, US 1st time; big screen
After his best friend is killed by a Jaguar Shark, a filmmaker takes his crew on a mission to hunt it down and exact revenge.
A highly original, inventive and witty comedy of a man in mid-life crisis mode, coming to terms with and having to accept that he isn't who he thought he was. The humour is of an eccentric kind, but it gradually sucks you into its own little world, and builds momentum as it goes.

Brother
2000, Kitano, US/GB/Jap 1st time
A vicious Yakuza gangster arrives in America to live with his younger brother, and causes chaos.
Kitano brings his deadpan action and dry humour to America and takes on the theatrics of Hollywood; an interesting, violent fantasy of his own persona.

Mick

C'mon, Irish! Only *** 1/2 for this absolute masterpiece???? [/b][/quote]Only *** 1/2? I think that's a pretty darn good score

it is good, but not the best. So it's not enough, IMO!!! :p

Le cercle rouge (The Red Circle)
1970, Melville, Fr/It 1st time; big screen
A parolee meets by coincidence an escapee, and they join forces with an alcoholic ex-cop to do a jewel heist.
A phenomenal piece of excellence; mood, tempo and meticulous attention paid to presentation are all controlled with great care by the director, whose exploration of loyalty, fate and inevitable doom is as engaging and tense as ever.

Masterpiece; just as good as Le Samouraï.

Mick

Taxi Driver (1st time)
First thing that comes to mind when viewing this film is the dedication to quality that was present in the films of that time. And listening to the 'making of the movie' documentary reinforces this impression. Excellent technique, thourough character study and credibility are the strength of this movie. It failed to make a personal impact as Scorsese+Deniro's other movie Raging Bull. Still a great move and quite an unexpected ending.

SPOILER ALERT
The security agent at the senator's rally recognize Travis, especially with the conspicous mohawk. Why did he not get caught when his name appeared in the newspapers prominently?

svsg, unless I'm mistaken, Travis gave a bogus ID name to the Agent, so if he read the papers...he wouldn't recognize the dude's "name" given to him.

Henry Kriegal
Hopper Lane

THE INTERPRETER - **1/2 out of 5

Average thriller motion picture that delivered veteran journeyman director/actor Sydney Pollack a box-office hit. No where the quality or respect of his THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR from a long long time ago, but I've seen much worse...like STEALTH.

This Is Spinal Tap - (Rob Reiner;1984;USA) -
Rob Reiner as "Marti DeBergi" films a documentary on the fictional English band Spinal Tap on their USA tour for their album 'Smell the Glove.'
For those who are huge fans of bands like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, or even rock in general, this is a hilarious film. This film is full of memorable moments is is one of the best documentaries ever, even if it's really a mockumentary. One of the 80's best films.
In top 100

"....These go to eleven"

Last Days - (Gus Van Sant;2005;USA) -
The last days of a burnt-out, evasive rock musician fresh out of rehab.
The best of 2005 so far, and one of the best films I have seen in years. I still need to see Gerry but this excels above Elephant. The character development is very subtle, and easy to miss. Van Sant gives a wonderful direction through his use of everything, especially music. Much was improvised, in a good way as if Van Sant was painting the whole film. A fascinating character study. I'm also glad that this wasn't an attempt to whore Cobain's fame for money, despite what others say.
In top 100

Henry Krinkle. Kay Are Aye Enn Kay Ell Eee.

Well, last month I was lucky enough to see 4 movies! 1 per week, which is really great considering the month before I only found time for 1 movie, so I'm really happy about it

Anyway, 1 was a mediocre time-waster, 1 was good, and 2 were masterpieces.

Lets start with the bad one....

The Recruit (2003)

This is probably the greatest forum out there for Pacino fans, so I'll skip the plot summary you all know and get down to business:

I plead guilty. Pacino made me watch this film. I had others waiting in line, but I said what the hell, lets see what Pacino has to show us with this one, and it turned out to be nothing special at all. Been there, done that, just another time waster if you got nothing to do. The enitre movie is mediocre and Pacino dosent help much. Could easily been Donald Sutherland, Gene Hackman, or Ben Kingsley instead of Pacino. He just had the right character outline, nothing deep really.
And Colin Farrell, who the hell is that kid?
To sum things up, Pacino went "Neo-De-Niro" with this role, which means making mediocre mainstream movies.
This movie is what RRA would call BOMB


Now lets go on to the good movie...


True Confessions (1981/MGM)

De Niro and Duvall. 2 brothers. Priest and detective.
The background plot is somewhat based on the Black Dahlia case (murder victim Elizabeth Short from 1947).
De Niro and Duvall deliver great performances, theres no question about it, and alone that could make a masterpiece. On the other hand, the plot is really overshadowed by the brothers' performances. but then I cant really expect to learn much from an unsolved murder like the Black Dahlia...so I cant complain.
I also felt a bit of Godfather style in this movie. Maybe becasue one of the first scenes is a big party that introduces the characters, in the same way all 3 godfather movies do...maybe becasue De Niro resembles Michael in GF2 with his cold thoughtful stare, maybe becasue Duvall was misquoting a GF line as a joke, I think it was something like "May all your sons be...", and maybe becasue Duvall is Tom once again...I dunno, its really nothing, just that I kept thinking of the Godfather while watching this movie.

Anyway, a good movie, not an outstanding plot but with great performances, so check it if u can.
And if you want, read the book this movie is based upon : "True Confessions" by John Gregory Dunne(1977)

Time to move on to....masterpieces :

The Miracle Worker (1962/MGM)

This is the 5th time I watched this film, and I really dont know where to start....let me start by saying this movie is one of my top 10 movies of ALL TIME.
This is the story of Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan. How it all started. If you want to know what makes this movie so great, then let me tell you : Ann Bancroft, Ann Bancroft, Ann Bancroft! (RIP)
This is what Capo would call a "tour de force"
Her performance is way above anything you might expect, I just couldnt wait to see this movie again. Stunning. Simply stunning. And people remember Ann Bancroft for her Mrs. Robinson role in The Graduate ??? thats sad! She sould be remembered for this role, 1000 times better than The Graduate!

Is this the greatest Helen Keller film? - sure thing.
Is it the greatest female performance (Bancroft) of all time? - Yes,yes,Yes! See it for yourself, if you dont believe me.
The Miracle Worker not in the AFI list? - Blasphemy!
Not on IMDB list? - well, I stopped checking this one long time ago when Spider-Man 2 got in the top 250 list...how lame is that?
Patty Duke is also amazing in the role of Helen. I cant wait to see the 1979 film where shes playing Annie instead.

Was anyone here (TIS/SC/Turnbull etc) lucky enough to see the Broadway play (1959-1961) which was later made into the 1962 film ?

And to another masterpiece....

Wit (2001/HBO Films)

Damn!! I have so much to say about this precious little gem with the GREAT Emma Thompson, but I gotta go now. So it'll have to wait.

Have u seen the original movie with Glenn Ford (1956) ?

Four films in a month, eh? I've watched almost twenty in a week.

Mick

I recently saw "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" and "The Weather Man."

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, from the director of the Lethal Weapon series, was a fast paced, moderately funny, somewhat strange attempt at a sort of modern day action movie. A little bit more vulgar, a bit more graphic maybe. Robert Downey Jr was average, Val Kilmer was good as a gay detective.

This movie was strange in the fact that it took me a half an hour to figure out exactly what type of movie it was going to be, if you know what Im saying. Overall, kind of average, and it was bothersome that there didnt seem to be a single shot that held for more then 5 seconds.

The Weather Man, on the other hand, I thought was fantastic. Again, I went in not really knowing what type of movie to expect, but I was happily surprised once I figured out it was going to be as deep as it was. I guess I could compare this to American Beauty, although it doesnt quite get as far as that film did.

Another good Nicholas Cage performance. Ive been doing a lot of Cage movies lately; Bringing Out the Dead, Lord of War, this, etc. Im eager to see Leaving Las Vegas, which seems to be considered his best.

Good performances by all the supporting cast as well, Michael Caine, Hope Davis, and I was happy to see Michael "Jackie Aprile" Rispoli here, sans his Jersey accent. Im thinking Ill like this more and more with each rewatch, so Im looking forward to its DVD release.

Kind of surprised this didnt get more press upon its release, or maybe I just missed it. Anyway, go see it.

Have u seen the original movie with Glenn Ford (1956) ? [/QB][/quote]No fame. Is that good? Somehow I have begun to hate Mel Gibson. It slowly began with "what women want", became worse with "Brave Heart" (A totally over-rated and average movie :p ) and the final straw to break the proverbial camel's back was this "Ransom". His over-acting can get very annoying. His only movie that I like is "Man without a face".