Night and the City (1950)

This is really great noir.  Richard Widmark plays a small-time con man, Harry Fabian, who makes his living primarily by finding marks and getting them into the Silver Fox nightclub.  His long-suffering girlfriend, played by Gene Tierney, works there as a singer.  She would like him to get a regular job so they can get married. 

But Fabian is sure his big score is around the corner.  He is constantly in trouble, constantly needing money, constantly running.  And then he meets Gregorious, a famous old Greco Roman wrestler whose son Kristo "runs" wrestling in London.  With Gregorious in his corner, Fabian takes on Kristo.  How do you think that turns out? 

The fight scene between Gregorious and the Strangler is incredible - one of the coolest things I've seen in noir.  And watch Richard Widmark shake off his fear and pretend to be a construction foreman for a wandering cop - this guy is awesome in this role.  Pick this one up!

Talk of Angels (1998)

Whoa - this is a super romantic movie.  It is all cotton candy and not much substance, despite that fact that it takes place in Franco's Spain.  It is beautifully shot, with beautiful people, beautiful clothes and scenery and a magically secluded house.  There is a married man, a governess, and political unrest.  If that appeals pick it up.  The only other reason to watch would be a young Penelope Cruz in a peripheral role. 

I would pass and rent Jane Eyre again.

The Dark Night RIses (2012)

This is really solid for an action film.  Nolan does a fantastic job with his cast - he uses everyone very, very well.  I particularly liked Joseph Gordon-Leavitt.  The story line is complicated in a good way, and it's fun. 

But it clocks in at almost three hours.  I saw this at IMAX (not worth the money) and the seats were hell.  I was miserable.  Watch at a theater with good seats. 

Magic Mike (2012)

Saw it a second time - loved it even more. 

Savages (2012)

I thought I would give an Oliver Stone movie a chance - it's been a while.  I regret it.  I really disliked Savages.  Oliver Stone is fond of sensory overload in a film.  He uses many film bells and whistles:  slo-mo; changing to black and white to color to sepia; shooting stars and electronic zingers flying across the screen, funky camera angles, and too many plot lines.  No editing.  Inconsistent movie tone (Is it a comedy?  A sex romp?  A drug film?  Social commentary?).  Three different endings!  Three - in this movie - I counted!  Any one of them would have worked (the weakest was the actual ending, but there you go).  And a narrator - this movie had a narrator, which it didn't need.  The narrator gave us great lines such as:

 - I had orgasms.  Chon had wargasms.
 - Ben was a Buddhist.  Chon was a baddist. 

Just shoot me now. 

This is a drug film.  There is violence, rape, torture, betrayals.  There are great performances by Salma Hayek and John Travolta.  Benicio Del Toro was not at his best.  Even though I love Salma Hayek, I would not watch this movie again.  I wish I had never seen it at all. 

Bernie (2012)

I expected to like this movie a lot more than I did.  Jack Black was the best part of the movie, which is shocking to me.  He was NOT particularly Jack Black-y, which was cool. 

This is based on a true story about Bernie, an assistant funeral director (played by Jack Black) in Carthage, Texas, who took up with the meanest old lady in town (played by Shirley MacLaine).  And he kills her.  He's now serving 50 years, but that doesn't mean he's a bad guy!  Bernie was arguably the most popular guy in Carthage, and the woman he killed was perhaps the meanest.  To say that the townspeople were in Bernie's corner is a massive understatement.  They thought he should do NO jail time. 

The movie is interesting and at times very funny.  However, the pacing sucks.  Lately I've had friends ask me about pacing; how it affects a movie, what to look for, etc.  Watch this one.  Notice that some details were stressed for ten minutes when in fact the point was made in thirty seconds.  The movie clocks in under 2 hours, but I felt like I was in the theater for 3 at least.  That's a pacing problem.  It needed about twenty minutes cut.  Wait for video for this one.

Lone Star State of Mind (2002)

This movie is a joke.  If you want to watch a movie about red-necks shooting each other and arguing over drugs and having sex, this is for you.  Furthermore, if you want to believe that people can get shot multiple times without getting seriously hurt, or run over by a car and not be seriously hurt, or beat up by drug dealers and still be fine, this is the movie for you.  If you believe Texans (after they've been shot) take a luxurious soak in a claw foot tub with their cowboy hats on, then have sex in the tub, this is the movie for you. 

If, however, you need a realistic plot, realistic characters, and some measure of believability, pass on this one. 

Italian for Beginners (2000)

This is a Dogma film from Denmark, so it's handheld camera work, limited editing, natural acting, everyday sets.  And it's a lot of fun.

The movie starts with three deaths, but it's a romance.  These deaths set people free, and this group of young adults gets shaken up and rattled around.  It's fun.  It does not have a neat or tidy ending, which I always appreciate.  I recommend this.

A Touch of Class (1973)

This movie has great dialog, some pretty locations, and two likeable leads:  George Segal and Glenda Jackson.  However, it's an affair movie, which is a tough sell.  As likeable as you make the characters, they're still cheating and hurting people.  If you make them sympathetic, you have limited choices for resolution.  For example, the writer can make the spouse non-sympathetic - a tricky movie.  Or the writer can end the affair. 

This movie falls victim to all these problems, and in addition it loses its way about an hour in.  The momentum is gone and it flails about.  Charming stars cannot fix this problem.  I recommend skipping this one. 

Magic Mike (2012)

This is a great movie - I have been thinking about it for days.  I will buy it, because it is so well done!  Remember that this is a Steven Soderbergh film. Soderbergh brought us Erin Brokovich, Out of Sight, Traffic and the Ocean's 11 series.  He can make Oscar caliber films, and he can direct money-makers.  And this is key:  his money-makers rock.  They are films with great dialog and great actors that highlight the craft of film-making. 

This is ostensibly about male strippers, but it is really about self-respect and capitalism (in my mind).  It is filmed in brown and yellow, so it feels appropriately gritty.  It is raunchy and filthy at times, which is perfect for the lifestyles portrayed.  Channing Tatum can really dance.  Matthew M is wicked good.  But Soderbergh is better.  When the shit hits the fan in the movie, he never forgets his pacing and what the audience wants to see - naked men.  It's great.

Educating Rita (1983)

This is a good movie - not great - but extremely fun and watchable.  Probably more fun and watchable that many great movies.  Julie Walters (you know her as Molly Weasley) plays Rita, a 26 year-old hairdresser and wife who wants an education.  Her husband wants her to go to the pub with him and have a baby.  Not at the same time.  Conflict!

She meets Frank at university, as he is her tutor / professor.  She is a working class gal and sticks out at school.  She is insecure, and he is an alcoholic in a crappy relationship.   They become friends, and both change quite a bit, but not how you expect.  I would watch this again. 

The Killers (1964)

This is the remake with Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson and RONALD REAGAN!  No joke.  And it is terrible.  Quite unwatchable. 

The scriptwriter or director made changes that do not work (a hit man with a curiosity is now investigating the death rather than an insurance investigator).  The casting is really abysmal.  Ronald Reagan is not remotely believable as a tough gang leader.  Angie D does not have Ava's snake-like quality - note even a tiny bit.  And Burt Lancaster was great and believable as the boxer who lost his way over a girl.  John Cassavetes does not have the imposing nature or the acting chops to carry the film. 

They were interesting to watch back-to-back.  It's a tutorial about how to screw up a movie.  This would be the PHD course on that topic. 

The Killers (1946)

I have heard about this movie for so long, and for some reason I thought I would find it over-hyped.  Perhaps because Hemingway wrote the story?  I really love being wrong sometimes.  This is noir at its best!

Burt Lancaster is the fighter who falls for the wrong gal and ends up with the wrong crowd.  Ava Gardner is the wrong gal - and other than Barbara Stanwyck - Ava may be the best worst girlfriend of all time!  You will love to hate her.  And you will wonder how Burt Lancaster (as the Swede) could possibly be so stupid!

The supporting cast is fantastic.  The pacing is perfect!  I watched it twice.  Bet you will too.