Change Your Image
tjw-8
Reviews
X-Men (2000)
Better than Batman or Superman
I took my nine-year old to see X-Men and he loved it, which was to be expected I guess. But I enjoyed it too. I found the Batman series to be pretty tedious - too dark and brooding for a comic book-inspired movie. Superman, on the other hand, was too light - it left no impression that lasted beyond exiting the theatre.
The X-Men movie on the other hand, though not perfect, at least has an interesting cast that doesn't get completely overshadowed by the special effects, which are very good. Hugh Jackman gives a convincing performance as the angst-ridden Wolverine and Anna Paquin is a very believable Rogue, with considerable depth to her performance. Patrick Stewart is perfect for the role of Professor X, and the rest of the cast is adequate.
True, the introduction of the characters takes up quite a bit of time. But that is a lot more engrossing than the formulaic whiz-bang James Bond kind of intro., that moves from one special effect to the next with tedious predictability. The action, when it came, was good and sharply directed. The big finale was a bit diffuse though. I kept wondering if it was going to be just the precursor to an even bigger showdown with Magneto and crew, and I don't think I would have been thinking that if it had had a bit more oomph to it.
But that is a small quibble. I liked it. I think it is going to be a big hit.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
The one Kubrick will be remembered for
The great thing about Dr. Strangelove is that whatever your political affiliation you can't help appreciating the humour and manic energy of this film. It has been called an anti-war film, which of course it is, but it doesn't bore you to death with the obviousness of its message.
In the hands of a lesser director this material would have quickly degenerated into a polemic, but Kubrick's brilliant idea of filming the story as a black comedy lifts it to higher level of sophistication. His mastery of the substance of the issue adds to the viewer's appreciation. For example, the Herman Kahn-like reasoning of Dr. Strangelove as he explains the theory of the doomsday device shows that Kubrick has studied the subject thoroughly. As a result the intellectual force of the film's argument is enhanced.
It doesn't hurt either to have the brilliant performances of George C. Scott and Sterling Hayden. Scott shows himself to be a masterful comedian while Sterling Hayden plays the role of Jack D. Ripper totally straight. Both performances work and the surprising mixture of gritty realism with lunatic farce blends seemlessly.
The final monologue of Peter Sellers as Dr. Strangelove, with the famous "arm with a mind of its own" scene is one of those exceedingly rare moments in film when the creative energy of the performance becomes palpable. When I first saw this scene I found it so totally electrifying that I actually felt a tingling sensation. This energy contrasts sharply with the sound of Vera Lynn singing "We'll Meet Again" over the mushroom cloud images of the closing titles making the latter even more poignant and memorable.
A truly great movie.
The Family Way (1966)
John Mills' finest performance
This is not so much a movie as a filmed play. The acting is paramount in The Family Way, and I personally have never seen a more moving performance than the one John Mills gives here as Ezra Fitton, father of Arthur Fitton, Hywel Bennett's character who is newly wed to Jenny Piper, played by Hayley Mills. Marjorie Rhodes gives a superb performance as Arthur's mother. The emotion comes from the interplay of the characters, particularly the relationship between the two parents and between the father and his son.
The plot involves the travails of the young couple trying to get to know each other while still being forced, through economic necessity, to live with the parents. Arthur is a hyper-sensitive lad, out of place in the solidly working-class Fitton household. The father plainly doesn't know what to make of him and the two of them are verbally sparring throughout much of the picture.
Against this backdrop, the main storyline concerns the failure of the new marriage to "gel" in the words of Jenny's father as he tries unsuccessfully to explain the problem to Ezra. There is much social comedy along the way, but finally, the underlying story that explains the whole situation comes into focus, and the relationship between the father and son is suddenly illuminated.
The moment is incredibly moving and unforgettable and captures the essence of the father/son relationship in a way that I have never seen more eloquently expressed.
The World of Henry Orient (1964)
A magical film
I first saw this movie when it came out in 1964. I must have been about 8 years old. I loved it then, and have watched it many times since. It is one of those rare, quiet films that not only succeeds as a comedy, amusing to both children and adults, but also as a touching drama, with many poignant moments.
The cast is uniformly excellent, with Peter Sellers and Paula Prentiss providing most of the comedy, as they try to have an illicit romance while being pursued all over New York by the love-struck teenagers, played with charming veracity by Merrie Spaeth and Tippy Walker.
I was particularly impressed by the way George Roy Hill was able to convey the thoughts and emotions of the two girls with such nuance and understatement. For example, when the clock strikes 6:00pm and the girls glance at each other we immediately know what they are both thinking. I sorely miss this kind of film-making.
I enjoyed George Roy Hill's later films such as Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid and The Sting, but for my money, this is his masterpiece.