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Prizzi's Honor (1985)
A delicious meal
Who would have thought that so much cynicism could be so much fun? The honor of the Prizzis (and their accomplices) consists of lies, deceit, underhanded scheming and murder. That's exactly why we as viewers stay at a distance, but watch with fascination and amusement as one villain eliminates the other. And who will survive the duel between the two killing spouses? This is decided by one of the most magnificent and vicious showdowns in film history.
Everything about this film is first class: the great actors, the exquisite photography, the bilious script, the beautiful, in the best sense of the word, old-fashioned score by Alex North and John Huston's direction, which always finds the right balance between evil humor and discomfort.
Not a single sentence that wasn't filled with poison. The mafia myth is dismantled so brilliantly that the Godfather trilogy looks a little naive next to it.
In my opinion, Anjelica Huston and Kathleen Turner can be admired in their most beautiful roles. And you can also see Jack Nicholson in one of his best performances.
Roxanne (1987)
Humour, nostalgia and atmosphere
Another one of those films that get a far too weak rating here. I love "Roxanne".
Steve Martin has one of his finest roles here. The other actors are also perfectly cast and in a great mood to play: Daryl Hannah (the charismatic beauty), Rick Rossovich (the dumb "Prince Charming" without a brain), Shelley Duvall (the best sidekick imaginable).
I love the snarky wit, but also the humanity of the humor, the witty supporting characters (the firefighters are a wonderful collection of oddballs), and the really well-done way in which Edmond Rostand's comedy "Cyrano de Bergerac" has been modernized.
But what I like best about "Roxanne" is something I can probably only convey to very few people: I think the film does a great job of capturing the atmosphere of a summer's day (and even better: a summer's evening). Basically, this makes "Roxanne" a kind of counterpart to "Groundhog Day", which does a very similar thing in terms of a winter's day.
This is certainly an achievement of the cameraman, but also of the staging of the room. I love it when the director has obviously made an effort to film on location and time it when the light is right. Add to that the scenic surroundings and the perfectly illuminated interiors: you are immersed in a place where you would most like to live - despite all the satirical criticism of small-town life. Anyone who grew up in the eighties, like me, will finally become a willing victim of this extremely charming little gem of a comedy.
All Night Long (1981)
Undeserved slating
I cannot understand why this thoroughly likeable feature film received such scathing criticism from the critics of the time. In my opinion, the bad rating here at imdb is also undeserved. It may well be that a broad audience only finds feature films good if they are entertained in the most noisy way possible. Then "All Night Long" is of course the wrong film. But if you want to see an intelligent and somewhat reserved comedy with excellent acting, you won't be disappointed.
I liked the gentle satire on the world of work. The film also gives an apt look at life. And I enjoyed seeing Gene Hackman in a completely different role.
Still of the Night (1982)
An apology
I know this movie got a lot of bad reviews and even Meryl Streep spoke disparaging about it. But I think this judgment is unfair.
Why do I like this movie so much? Certainly primarily because of its intense atmosphere. Robert Benton transports something of the melancholy of an Edward Hopper painting into many scenes of this eerily beautiful urban crime thriller. The eponymous silence actually dominates large parts of the film. Even the dialogues appear withdrawn and "quiet" in a pleasant way. The plot is gripping and all the scenes related to the psychiatric sessions and the interpretation of dreams are really captivating. Both the shock moments and the suspense scenes work perfectly.
And call me a hopeless romantic, but I also like the theme music by John Kander.
When a film has so much to offer, it just doesn't matter that much to me if it also has blemishes. Of course it's easy to make fun of the somewhat crude presentation of psychological connections. But "Still of the Night" is neither a documentary nor a scientific treatise. I think it's completely legitimate if the film simply uses the psychological theme for its exciting story.
I've seen some really bad movies over the years. It hurts me a little that "Still of the Night" is lumped in with them.
There's no shame in Benton not being Hitchcock. Very few directors reach Hitch's class.
The Current War (2017)
Too superficial
This is one of those films that you unfortunately get to see a lot these days. The cold pictures contain no atmosphere. Sterile CGI effects replace atmospheric locations or convincing sets. Camera and editing constantly emulate superficial advertising aesthetics. The result is just as shallow. The main characters remain uninteresting.
Also, you almost never have the feeling of watching people from the late 19th century. They always come across as some busybodies of our presence.
Empathizing with another period: none.
What a pity! Because the material, the biography of this extraordinary man, could certainly have provided the basis for a much more exciting film.
Days of the Bagnold Summer (2019)
Lovable Vulnerability
I liked this film very much: two very likeable main characters who are wonderfully portrayed in their lovable vulnerability. Anyone who has a lot to do with adolescents simply has to smile when they watch Daniel.
Plus, Days of the Bagnold Summer is really funny.
Such "small" films with depth and without any ideological burden have become rare.
The Tamarind Seed (1974)
Little gem
It's one of those underrated films that you watch with low expectations and then get a most pleasant surprise.
Beautifully played and photographed, the film tells a spy story that (despite the opening credits by Maurice Binder) is more reminiscent of a story by John Le Carré than James Bond. In its reserved way, I found this film quite exciting. In any case, I never got bored and enjoyed Blake Edward's elegant direction, the intelligent dialogue and the sophisticated script.
Black Narcissus (1947)
A real experience
The Powell / Pressburger duo is of course known to me and some of their most important works have fascinated me for a long time. But only now I have seen "The Black Narcissus" and this film blows my mind. Very, very rarely I have seen such visual power. A real experience.
The Pride and the Passion (1957)
Much better than its reputation!
It is sad when films are undeservedly underestimated for decades.
From my point of view, the film has one real drawback: the three leading actors are indeed wrong cast. But on the other hand, they are big stars that you always like to see and their acting qualities make up for the mistake of the wrong cast.
When I saw "The Pride and the Passion ", I didn't have high expectations because of the bad reviews. So I was pleasantly surprised. What I saw was an exciting, extremely entertaining and beautifully photographed film with a series of spectacular scenes. The mere fact that the giant cannon was not created by boring CGI effects like in our times, but was obviously moved with great effort, makes the film worth seeing.
In addition, the story of adventure hides a reflection of the need to resist an oppressive regime and the willingness to make sacrifices. Friends of the great Saul Bass will also see one of his opening credits.
Really a lot more than just a 5.7 star movie!