Mayesgwtw39 Reviews

Oklahoma! (1999 TV Movie)

Not as good as the TODD-AO version, but great heart

[6/10 · 2 April 2023]

Many people don't know that the 1955 film of Oklahoma! Was made twice. It was shot once for the cinemascope screen and once for the beautiful Todd AO. Format. The latter format has only come to light in the last 30 years or so , but it is the definitive version of Oklahoma!, so treat yourself to that version, if you can find it.

This version has much to recommend it, but suffers from further stereotypes by foreigners of what the region it depicts was like. Some of the accents are atrocious ( born Oklahoman here.) The region portrayed is in fact lush and not barren. There's a limit to how much belief we can suspend when we're already asked to buy in to an orchestra and people breaking into song. I'm not literal-minded, but wish some of the casting were better (...if Will Parker says "bean" for "been" again...)

R&H were never in Oklahoma, but Lynn Riggs was and the humor is very much in keeping with the spirit of the people. This gets a lot right (Gloria Grahame, Gene Nelson and, especially, Charlotte Greenwood, your line-readings are missed!), but there seems to be the most recompensatory joy in the enthusiasm with which this cast delivers.

Jackman is so very good, over-done accent and all, that he nearly eclipses the ease of McRae, but not quite. I'm not sure what sort of misogyny informs the comments I have seen posted here in relief of Laurey not wearing a dress and rather being "tom-boy." I suppose such scorn may be why people become increasingly uncomfortable in being gender identified. Nevertheless, Josefina Gabrielle does a beautiful job...that also doesn't erase Shirley Jones' perfect performance and pitch.

Schuler Hensley doesn't have the layers of the great Rod Steiger as Jud, but Steiger is an Actor's Studio powerhouse.

Lovely production that gets a lot wrong, but makes up for it with joy and talent.

Eternals (2021)

So much money, so little entertainment

[8/10 · 27 February 2022]

A long and dull, heavy-handed cartoon. Ridiclously poor special effects. The actors were good, with some exceptions--but this was scarcely coherent. At least they have characters explain in two sentences whatever went on for ten minutes in the scene before. That's so if you wake up, you don't miss anything. But the best way to kiss nothing is to skip this preponderance of trash.

West Side Story (2021)

No Real Heat

[6/10 · 8 February 2022]

Dancing: Looked like synchronized swimming. Precision and hard work showed. That's not good.

Music: Empty orchestrations.

Cinematography: Flashy and impressive, color timed like "Aliens" mostly, afraid of repeating in-your- face hot pallete of '61 version.

Writing: Trite. Attempt at back stories shows lack of trust for interactive audience imagination and wasted time.

Direction: Skillful, but sexless. No bursting hot pipe hormones. Spielberg doesn' t do sex. Workman-like, but impressive. But NO heat. Ending rushed. Tedious timing in the last hour.

Acting: Rachel Zegler--acted Maria like a Lunchbox Princess. No innate wisdom as accentuated by Wood that was so effective for the character.

Ariana Debose--should have looked at the "Don't you TOUCH me" scene by Moreno more. The filmmakers seemed afraid of and rushed that scene into incoherency.

Ansel Elgort-- thankless role played thanklessly.

Michael Faist-- the best reason to see this version. Edgy and layered.

David Alvarez-- oh yeah, that's right he's in this... Jets-- ridiculously unexamined, played adequately for a reheat.

Sharks-- these portrayals are supposed to be less stereotypical? "America" sounded like any negligible Disney animated musical number of the last 30 plus years.

Bottom line: The message has been conveyed beautifully once. And now again prettily.

We got it the first time.

Hollywood (2020)

Gleeful DeMille-like Disregard

[2/10 · 2 May 2020]

The new Ryan Murphy series about Hollywood is a lascivious mess with some dreadful imitations of actual Hollywood stars. It's a waste of beautiful designs of set and costumes for a wish-fulfillment script that asks for acceptance from an old construct it despises anyway.I Patti Lupone, Holland Taylor, Jim Parsons are always great, but their talents are superior to the material.

My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Disappointed

[5/10 · 24 November 2011]

I had really looked forward to seeing this and was prepared to be knocked out by Michelle Williams.

She remains a terrific favorite of mine as modern actresses go, but there were some essential things that either she or the director got wrong.

Mainly she misses the bigger-than-life aura that movie stars have to have. Her gritty indie acting is terrific and she works hard to get the emotions and make a real character. She goes for all of that in this role, but the script is so expository and contrived (with bits and pieces from other sources that are thrown in to make sure we get it).

Her radiance seems so dim in comparison to what Monroe could truly turn on. The stark contrast between the giggles and the tears was never convincing via Williams. The wallowing, self-pitying Marilyn with a streak of manipulation comes off just okay, but becomes tedious with the repetitive and slow script. In the scenes where she is being lionized by fans, her consumption of the adulation is a poor shadow show.

Branagh is terrific. Dench dynamite as Dame Sybil. But the pace and heaviness of the direction diminish their efforts. And why would Olivier be mouthing dialogue from "The Entertainer" during the making of "Prince and the Showgirl" (The "dead behind these eyes" bit)? The filmmakers really underestimate the audience. The actors playing Milton Greene and Arthur Miller make such wretched attempts at American accents, that I won't even call them out by name.

Now to Julia Ormond. Phoned in. She's not central to the story and makes rare appearances, but again, lacks the movie star command that Vivien Leigh knew precisely. When she walks in for a visit on the set, she doesn't bring the inner radiance that makes everyone treat her like royalty--a hallmark trait of Vivien Leigh. Additionally, her final confrontation with Olivier lacked the meanness and anger and resentment that Leigh had become used to verbally stabbing poor Larry with.

It is to appreciate that someone takes these acting icons and tries to show us real people--but to not direct them to give us the spark that makes these stars interesting even still, is inexcusable and, ultimately, dull filmmaking.

In the end, what could have been a delicious look into the paper persons of icons, becomes a meandering and shallow exercise in pointlessness.

Capriccio (1938)

Brilliant Fun

[8/10 · 9 February 2007]

This film is a lost musical parody treasure that could bear to be rediscovered. Operetta meets swing, and the conventions of cross-dressing and sexual gender confusion gets the Comedia della arte treatment.

Lilian Harvey plays a young heiress in long-ago France (the costumes are Empire and Regency)named Madelon whose grandfather brings her up as one would a young man, so that she can make it alone and rebuff all who would chase her for fortune.

Upon the grandfather's death, she is fooled by her guardian into a betrothal with a fat prefect when she is deceptively shown a picture of his young and good-looking rogue cousin. Before the wedding can take place, Madelon discovers the ruse and escapes in the disguise of a page boy.

On the road, she coincidentally meets the attractive young cousin and his best friend, who have just left the wedding celebration. The three become comrades after a scuffle with some ruffians and then set off on many adventures, including a visit to a brothel, during all of which the two men are under the impression that Madelon is a young man. After some problem with the law, they are all brought into court where all must be resolved.

This film is as light and fun as a soufflé--a terrific riff on operettas and the gender-switching gimmick. Lilian Harvey is in top form-and the film is whimsical, beautifully decorated and somewhat weird-at one point Harvey sings an entire song about her love affairs with women, dressed in male drag to a group of enrapt ladies of the night in a salon.

The musical numbers are both wonderful and weird--There's a very strange number in which a mother sings a song about the supposed rape of her daughter in order to compromise Harvey's character (whom she thinks is a young duke) into marriage. She sings the song pleasantly and jauntily trills the word "vergewaltigt" over and over.

The pacing is great and Viktor Staal is the perfect rogue leading man for Harvey. It's a pity they were not paired again. The film was hated by Hitler and Goebbels, but the director was powerful and it was released to glowing reviews and an enthusiastic public. After a very short time in theatres, it was pulled out of circulation.

Anna Christie (II) (1930)

Whiskey...aber nicht zu knapp!

[12 September 2005]

I have seen this film a few times on TCM, but it is now part of the Garbo signature DVD collection and is double-billed with the English version and it's an interesting option to view them back to back.

The biggest advantage that the English language version has, is the wonderful Marie Dressler as Martha. Salka Viertel just doesn't have the warmth that makes the characterization so effective. Martha has more poignancy in English because of Dressler. The rest of the German actors seems actually better cast than the other film. Theo Shall makes a much better romantic choice for Garbo than Charles Bickford.

Surprisingly-considering her coterie of German friends in Hollywood-Garbo herself is also verbally more expressive in the English version than in German. Her emphasis on German syllables is off, but she is perfectly understandable nonetheless. This euro-audience oriented film also makes an odd choice in over-stating her first costume and telegraphing the character's problem far less subtly than the American version.

In general, it may not be the superior version, after all. But it is a really good one.

Murder for Sale (1930)

Stagey fun

[2 November 2004]

This is another stage-bound sort of effort from UFA starring Lilian Harvey and Willi Fritsch--with a dash of Heinz Ruehmann thrown in. The end result is actually enjoyable, even if the plot is hackneyed and predictable.

The story concerns a young woman who regrets being married to a much older man who makes toys. The toymaker suffers his wife's more suitable suitors, but it looks like the most ardent one of these might actually be a thief looking to rob both the toymaker and his young wife of their valuables.

The farce is played well and the chemistry between Fritsch and Harvey is, as usual, great. Lilian Harvey looks particularly good in this film in very chic deco-esque costumes. From the historical viewpoint, it's fun to see Harvey driving on the Champs Elysee in Paris in some location shots. Additionally, she and Fritsch are given some good pop songs like "Let Me Be Your Carmen", "I'll Go Fiji" and " An Affair On the Side Isn't For You". The end takes place in a wild sort of hedonistic nightclub that adds to the curio aspects of this film.

Ruehmann is funny as one of Harvey's hopeful admirers--and the ill-fated Kurt Gerron has a small role as a policeman.

Pride and Prejudice (1940)

A delight as its own entity

[6 October 2004]

I've read the book, it's so good. I've seen the Ehle/Firth version, it's so dreary. And that even if it accords the book every comma and paragraph. This film from 1940 contains a lively wit, charm and spirit.

The comic performances by all the character actors-Boland, Oliver,Gwenn--but especially the more unsung Inescort and Cooper are buoyant and clever. Theatrical, but real as if the characters were enjoying or reveling in their own ideas of theatricality and society manners.

Olivier is capable of showing disdain with the flicker of Mr. Darcy's eyelash and yet reveals his vulnerability with a dignity that makes this performance live.

But best of all is Greer Garson as Elizabeth. Her grace of face and language are of the highest level committed to film. The way she turns aside the shame of leaving the village and says,lightly, "Besides what does it matter where we go-as long as we go together?" or wistfully about Mr. Darcy, "That chapter is definitely closed.." With a light touch, she makes Lizzie witty, clever, stubborn and full of life.

This is the fun version without any of the loss of feeling and empathy one should have for Austen's characters. No, the time setting and telescoping of events are different. But for a cinematic version that captures the smart observations of the story in the most entertaining way, this has to be the one.

Sissi (1955)

Charm all around

[8/10 · 18 July 2004]

I know these films are considered by some purported high-brows to be of low popular-art form and saccharine emotions. They have historical inaccuracies and pander to the idea of what should-have-been, rather than perhaps quite what was. But-man oh man-they are extremely well-made and extremely enjoyable. There is nothing wrong with these films on a visceral or visual level.

The production values in the sets and costumes and the magnificent outdoor locales makes these films really spectacular. But the very rich and cohesive performances by the cast are what keep these films alive. Above all Romy Schneider and Vilma Degischer as Sissi and Sofia playing the tension between the young empress and her formidable mother-in-law, are great to watch. Each has their own humanity and, actually, rich human qualities shine through in all of the other characters quite beautifully.

Karl-Heinz Boehm is excellent as the young emperor torn between his love for the fresh and lively Sissi and duty to his by-the-book mother. And Magda Schneider and Gustav Knuth are warm and sympathetic as Sissi's parents.

The restoration, recently performed on these films, has left them looking incredibly beautiful (on par with "Gone With the Wind"). And people are now able to enjoy these films in the U.S., as they have recently been sub-titled in English and given deluxe DVD transfers with bonus features. Apparently there was an assembled version made of all 3 films and dubbed-horribly-into English included in the set. But above all it is great to see them released here with a good translation and anexcellent DVD presentation.

Ich und die Kaiserin (1933)

Me and the Empress

[8 April 2004]

A dashing marquis bends from his horse when he discovers a lost garter in the woods and falls. During his delirium he is serenaded by a little hairdresser. She is the person who lost the garter to begin with and has only come to get it back having borrowed it from her employer--the empress of France. The marquis mistakenly thinks he was nursed by the empress, herself, and decides to woo her.

This was Lilian Harvey's last UFA film before she left for the Hollywood. It has a weird charm, opulent sets and a great cast, but somehow never quite comes together. There isn't much chemistry between Harvey and Conrad Veidt or her second lead Heinz Ruehmann. This may have something to do with the melancholy of it's being pretty near the end of the Weimar film era and the heydey of Harvey's career. Many of the most key people at UFA had already begun to emigrate and be forced out of the business.

The tunes are good and the little subplot with Offenbach gives the film a chance to use some bits of operetta to comic advantage. Somehow, however, the film probably wasn't the best send-off for UFA's biggest star.

The Road to Paradise (1930)

French version of "Die Drei von der Tankstelle"

[8/10 · 11 February 2004]

Three impoverished young men open a filling station and fall in love with the same lady customer. After she alienates all three from each other and herself, she must devise a way to reunite the three friends and win back the one of them whose love means the most to her.

This is the french version of "Three from the Filling Station" that was made simultaneously with the german version also starring Lilian Harvey. It was Harvey's first french-language film and she recalled being unsure of her "school" french. She does just fine and the character is referred to as having been raised in America to explain her slight accent.

The film isn't quite as charming without Willy Fritsch, Oskar Karlweis and Heinz Ruehmann, but is served nicely by Henri Garat doing Fritsch's duty for France. The Karlweis/Harvey song has been transposed to her first meeting with Garat and it actually may be an improvement for it to be done as an introduction between the two leading roles.

Olga Tschechowa retains her role from the german version and manages to seem as self-posessed and lovely as before. It is interesting to watch her and Harvey reenact the story using the same sets and songs but with a different feel and spirit. Some of the bit players from the german version can be seen as prominent extras here.

Quick (I) (1932)

Good farce

[19 November 2003]

This teaming of Lilian Harvey and Hans Albers was without the sensational chemistry UFA was used to in the Harvey/Fritsch films. There were supposedly competitive issues that put Harvey on her guard and challenged Albers' ego. Still, the tension between the two works to the advantage of this stage farce filled with mistaken identities and lover's quarrels.

Lilian plays Eva, a young girl taking some time in a health spa and spending her evenings in the town's vaudeville theatre enamoured by a heavily made-up clown called Quick. Quick takes a shine to her and tries to woo her without make-up and masquerading as the theatre's manager. Unable to resolve her feelings for Quick and the theatre manager, Eva is angered when she finally learns that they are one and the same. But not for long, of course...

Although this film is stage-bound and not a particularly good showcase for any of the main talents except Hans Albers, the mistaken identity and following runaround aren't as tiresome as in some films of that genre. There is some witty dialogue, but the stars are relying mostly on their screen personas to supply the charm. They do so quite effectively from the leads to the supporting cast. The whole thing makes for a lively and somewhat stylish farce.

A Blonde Dream (1932)

More UFA innovation

[15 November 2003]

While the politics of this movie certainly reflect the time, the script by Reisch and Wilder has a lot in it that goes beyond the usual Weimar/National Socialist transition films.

Forst is great as a self-involved cad who competes with his best friend Fritsch for the affection of Harvey's Jou-Jou (a showbiz wannabe whose last dime has been conned from her by a smooth-talker claiming to be a Hollywood big shot) The clever double entendre that one expects from Wilder is in the script as are some terrifically shot musical numbers.

One of the most innovative is a dream sequence that follows a train out of the city of Berlin under the Atlantic Ocean to NYC and across to Hollywood. The simplicity of a makeshift home in a boxcar is lampooned by a catchy number called "We Don't Pay Rent Anymore", and resonates for the Depression era. Then there is a wistful Lilian Harvey standard called "Somewhere on Earth" that also reflects the yearning for security and happiness that were prevalent during that globally unstable time.

All in all, this is a witty and enjoyable ribbing of hard times, big aspirations and love. The cast plays it to the hilt with remarkable chemistry from Forst, Fritsch and Hoerbiger. And, as she mostly always was, Lilian Harvey proves herself charming, lovely and one of the most compelling of the 30's film stars.

Gone with the Wind (1939)

For Better or Worse: GWTW Remains Critic-proof For All Time

[10/10 · 22 May 2003]

It is useless to try to sum up or understand the phenomenon that is "Gone With the Wind". The film will stand as the greatest most visceral film in the collective heart for all time. It has more real humanity-with all the foibles and charms-than any other motion picture ever made. If there is a single person out there who doesn't understand Scarlett's wanting something so much and never getting it, but letting her life's fortunes be guided by her own ill-conceived hopes, I want to congratulate you on having a dream life. The chemistry of these actors and the truth in their performances is the key to getting us into this world not too far from our own: where the wrong precepts are being taken into battle and the arrogance of war and false ideals is put beyond the value of human life. One may not like all the characters, or even may feel that the actors are more stereotyped and drawn bigger than the low-key performances that are supposed to be more "real" seen on the screen today(which are usually just underexpressed and not like real life and its melodramatics at all). In that case, please think back to a time where communication between real people was par for the course and one's sense of drama could be expressed in dialogue in real life... Certainly no one handles this better than the great Vivien Leigh. Her Scarlett is true and perfect at every turn. She is the life force of the film: maddening and monstrous, but desperately yearning and, so, understandable. Gable's performance shows subtlety and timeless vulnerability that make this performance seem more accomplished with each year. DeHavilland places Stanislavsky-like center of energy in her heart like a current-day Method actress. And Leslie Howard agonizingly reaches the tortured soul of someone who is physically attracted to a woman with whom he knows he could never make a relationship work. Beyond that the force of humor and pathos that Hattie McDaniel displays are true and beautiful in their execution. Butterfly McQueen slyly adds gestures and dimensions that may not be as visible until one concentrates on her performance. People have tried to understand or attack the magnetism of this film since its release to no avail. As long as human nature wants what it doesn't have or mourns what it feels it has lost, "Gone With the Wind" will be the film that resonates with the disillusionment and hope that we all share and which moves us forward.

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Vivien Leigh Gives One of Cinema's Greatest Performances

[10/10 · 21 May 2003]

Tennessee Williams himself wrote of Vivien Leigh"s performance in "Streetcar Named Desire": "She brought everything I intended to the role and even much more than I had dared dream of".

Brando is wonderful as Stanley Kowalski, but the new viewers to the film seem to come away with the haunting greatness of Vivien Leigh in what is one of the most harrowing and shattering pieces of acting ever committed to film.

Although some have expressed regret that Jessica Tandy did not repeat her stage performance, it is probably good to note that her husband Hume Cronyn and Elia Kazan (the director of the film and play) both never felt that Tandy quite got the character right. If you listen to the radio performance of extracted scenes that Tandy gave on the occasion of the Pulitzer Prize award, it will reenforce the perfection of Leigh's inflections and innate understanding of the role. This inner and complete understanding is what Brando praises Leigh for in his autobiography. He agrees that she plays this Hamlet of female roles better than anyone because he felt she was quite like the character...sadly.

If anyone is interested in great acting check out "Streetcar" for Vivien Leigh's Academy Award winning performance. The supporting cast is outstanding from Kim Hunter and Karl Malden (both Oscar winners for the film)to, of course, the iconographic T-shirt-torn Brando.