I don't consider myself a huge fan of love stories, but every now and then one comes along that really works for me, and this is one of those rare occasions. While some reviewers consider the subject matter and the prevailing culture of the film to be "dated", do movies have to mirror the 21st century in order to be important, interesting, or even entertaining? I never dismissed "Casablanca" as "dated" because it happened to take place in 1941, a time when even this old geezer didn't yet exist. Now, why would I do that?
This month's tcm star of the month being Natalie Wood, viewers were treated to a fascinating introduction by Wood's former husband, Robert Wagner, and her daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, who was raised by Wagner since infancy. I very much appreciated their special, personal rapport and their "inside knowledge" regarding the making of this film, as well as the two other films shown on the same night, "Splendor in the Grass" and "West Side Story".
The success of this movie, brilliantly directed by Robert Mulligan ("To Kill a Mockingbird"), revolved around the highly engaging interaction between the two main actors, Natalie Wood as Macy's salesperson Angie Rossini and Steve McQueen as musician Rocky Papasano, but I don't think that their performances would have been as alluring without a very intelligent and complex script, as written by Arnold Schulman. Another vital element of the film's appeal was the outstanding supporting cast, especially Tom Bosley as an awkward, love-stricken restaurateur, Hershel Bernardi as Angie's possessive, produce pushing brother, and Edie Adams as an exotic dancer who also serves as Rocky's roommate of the moment. Portraying their characters as victims of intense personal crisis, both Wood and McQueen very credibly project an entire spectrum of feelings that convey their general state of extreme confusion and frustration. I especially appreciated how McQueen developed his character from unlikable to sympathetic in the course of the film, often employing his entire body in the process, and how Wood enabled us to share the wide range of emotions that Angie endured at a time of severe inner turmoil. The scene of her initial attempt at leaving the only home that she had ever known, for better or for worse, should "hit home" with anyone who had experienced a similar situation in their lives, including myself. Bravo Natalie. Loved the clothes hanging out of the hastily packed suitcase. Nice touch.
Without fatally destroying the end of this movie for anyone who has never seen it, I was still left guessing how it would end until the very last scene. Even though the ending had its corny aspect, we need to accept the time as the dawn of the protest movement, so the final scene may have had a very different impact on an audience back in 1963 than it does in 2016. I still loved the final resolution. It actually brought tears to my hopelessly sentimental eyes. How about you?
This month's tcm star of the month being Natalie Wood, viewers were treated to a fascinating introduction by Wood's former husband, Robert Wagner, and her daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, who was raised by Wagner since infancy. I very much appreciated their special, personal rapport and their "inside knowledge" regarding the making of this film, as well as the two other films shown on the same night, "Splendor in the Grass" and "West Side Story".
The success of this movie, brilliantly directed by Robert Mulligan ("To Kill a Mockingbird"), revolved around the highly engaging interaction between the two main actors, Natalie Wood as Macy's salesperson Angie Rossini and Steve McQueen as musician Rocky Papasano, but I don't think that their performances would have been as alluring without a very intelligent and complex script, as written by Arnold Schulman. Another vital element of the film's appeal was the outstanding supporting cast, especially Tom Bosley as an awkward, love-stricken restaurateur, Hershel Bernardi as Angie's possessive, produce pushing brother, and Edie Adams as an exotic dancer who also serves as Rocky's roommate of the moment. Portraying their characters as victims of intense personal crisis, both Wood and McQueen very credibly project an entire spectrum of feelings that convey their general state of extreme confusion and frustration. I especially appreciated how McQueen developed his character from unlikable to sympathetic in the course of the film, often employing his entire body in the process, and how Wood enabled us to share the wide range of emotions that Angie endured at a time of severe inner turmoil. The scene of her initial attempt at leaving the only home that she had ever known, for better or for worse, should "hit home" with anyone who had experienced a similar situation in their lives, including myself. Bravo Natalie. Loved the clothes hanging out of the hastily packed suitcase. Nice touch.
Without fatally destroying the end of this movie for anyone who has never seen it, I was still left guessing how it would end until the very last scene. Even though the ending had its corny aspect, we need to accept the time as the dawn of the protest movement, so the final scene may have had a very different impact on an audience back in 1963 than it does in 2016. I still loved the final resolution. It actually brought tears to my hopelessly sentimental eyes. How about you?