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What Are You Watching? Not Wolverine, I hope
My tribute to Patrick Swayze pushed my DVD post back by a day, but really, we aren’t missing that much.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine: Actually, my headline is a little mean. The movie isn’t that bad, but it isn’t that good, either. Hugh Jackman remains as watchable as ever, and that carries the movie a long way, but this pallid entry is a far cry from any of the other X-Men movies - yes, even the third one. Full review. GRADE: C+
Easy Virtue: This adaptation of the Noel Coward play didn’t attract great attention in the theaters, bit I’m curious because of the cast, which includes Colin Firth, Kristin Scott-Thomas and Jessica Biel.
Next Day Air: If one were to gauge my interest in this movie by mail order titles, I would call this one Return to Sender.
What Are You Watching?
I’ve hit quite a strong streak lately in movies I’ve seen on the small screen.
Becket: An absolute acting powerhouse, thanks to sterling performances by Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton. I liked this even better than the similarly themed A Man for All Seasons. GRADE: A
Bubble: This is one of Steven Soderbergh’s better experimental movies. It’s a fascinating and surprising look at the dark side of small town life, made with non-professional actors. It’s a bit self-conscious, as these movies tend to be, but gripping nonetheless. GRADE: B+
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir: Having rewatched the immortal All About Eve recently, I decided to check out this movie also directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. It’s a very charming romance, with fine performances from Gene Tierney, Rex Harrison and Addison DeWitt himself, AKA George Sanders. Also features a fine score by Bernard Herrmann. GRADE: A-
Great Expectations: Hands down, this 1947 movie by David Lean is the best Charles Dickens film adaptation I have ever seen, outside of the Alistair Sim version of A Christmas Carol. This deservedly one an Oscar for its striking black and white photography. GRADE: A+
Topaz: Until last weekend, this is one of the few late-period Hitchcock movies I hadn’t seen. I can see why it underwhelmed people in 1969; it’s not so much a Hitchcock thriller as an James Bond-ian espionage story with distinct Hitchcock touches. Still, as critic Leonard Maltin accurately states on the DVD, even second-tier Hitchcock is still better than first-tier most anyone else. GRADE: B
Two Lovers: It’s too bad Joaquin Phoenix antics got more attention than his actual performance in this underseen and underrated film. He gives a very fine performance as a disturbed man caught between two women: the steady loyal Vinessa Shaw and the unsteady, irresistible Gwyneth Paltrow. GRADE: A-
Young Mr. Lincoln: This John Ford film isn’t always mentioned among the great films of 1939, but it ought to be. Henry Fonda was quite simply the man. So, for that matter, was Abe Lincoln. GRADE: A
What have you seen lately, on any size of screen?
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