Reviews
The Wonder (2022)
Cinematography and lighting superb
I won't repeat the main points made by most reviewers here - exceptional acting, unpredictable plot, remarkable music/soundscape (a bit John Cage-like) reflecting the plot tension and clash of viewpoints.
I just wanted to give a big shout out to the breathtaking photography and lighting. Most of the indoor scenes were shot with soft warm light coming from below or to the side, grazing the faces of the actors perfectly. With the framing, lighting, and soft earth tones, you could stop this film almost anywhere and be looking at a Dutch master painting. I hope the cinematographer gets the kudos they deserve.
Loving (2016)
Missing the historical part
This could have been a much more interesting film if: 1- we got more backstory on how they met and if they considered the dangers and difficulties of being an inter-racial couple 2- there were fewer long"meaningful" pauses. I started to get impatient as another five minutesof silent stares went by. 3 - the events were compressed so that muchmore time was given to both the state and federal court proceedings 4- much more of the actual Supreme Court case was shown. The Lovings didn't want to attend the court proceedings, but *I* did! I wanted to hear the arguments on both sides and comments of the judges. I wanted to get a glimpse into the thinking of the time. Surely all of this is available.
Nice scenery, good score, and for those of us who remember the '60s, lots of shirtwaist dresses and plaid shirts. The two main characters are excellent actors, especially the female lead. But overall, it's very very slow going with almost no passionate arguments about the heart of the matter: why miscegenation laws were on the books at all. Can't really recommended it whole-heartedly.
Pete's Meteor (1998)
The Worst Movie Ever Made
Too bad Mike Meyers picked this for his dramatic debut. This film looks like it was put together by a committee that couldn't decide if it was a comedy, drama, suspense, or sci-fi. It starts out sort of playful, then quickly gets darker, and then at the end, apparently shortly after one of the main characters has been killed, the whole family is standing in the backyard laughing about something. It's totally weird and impossible to string together. The acting is extremely uneven, with the older professionals engaging your attention, and then the younger and less experienced actors looking like they are in a high school play. This movie showed me that it's probably harder to make a good movie than is evident from the truly professional fare we see in the first-run and art houses. This would be a good film for a film class to analyze. Plot, character, theme, consistency - they are all either faulty or missing from this film.
April in Paris (1952)
Charm of the 50's
A late-night viewing of this period piece shows it to be a charming and amusing glimpse into an earlier time. Doris Day holds up well, brightly singing, dancing, and portraying the all-American girl with gumption. Bolger's dancing is phenomenal, but the chemistry between them is not really there; it's hard to believe they really like each other very much. The costumes are outrageous in a campy way - almost Busby Berkley level synchronized dance scenes. A fashion-show scene shows overdone eccentric outfits in various colors, with French poodles dyed to match. In the last musical scene, Doris starts out with a floor-length gold cape with mini-pleats radiating from her shoulders; and then takes it off to show a bare midriff any current teenager would be proud of. The movie opens with some vintage scenes (current to the time of the film) of Washington DC, complete with streetcars. But the most anachronistic element is the main theme of the plot, which revolves around Bolger and Day coming close to sleeping together, thinking they are legally married, when in fact (horrors!!) they're not. In summary, it's a great combination of lightweight plot, eye candy, good music and a few laugh-out-loud lines, wrapped in the relative innocence of the fifties.
The Good Girl (2002)
Moody Texas Desperation
This is a surprising film, and definitely not a comedy, despite that classification by IMDB. This has a feeling similar to American Beauty - some cynical laughs, but the overall focus is the struggle to overcome meaninglessness. Much of the movie is shot in a huge and usually empty "Retail Rodeo" mall store - what better setting for a bit of existential angst. Much fuss will be made over Jennifer Aniston doing something other than television, but this is a pretty undemanding role done in a monotone style, with very little risk-taking or stretch. It seems like a cautious step for her to begin a shift to the big screen, which is understandable, and she does a workmanlike job. Jake Gyllenhaal will be the one to walk away with a Supporting Actor award for his scene-stealing role as the appealing but unstable younger lover. While she stays in anxious melancholy, he covers extended emotional territory of joy, despair, anguish, trust, hope, anger, as his character gradually reveals himself. See it not for Jennifer but for Jake.
Anna and the King (1999)
A few other points
I agree with most reviewers here, that this movie provides a lush visual experiences and a plot that keeps one's mind engaged. I agree with the comment that the song at the end was totally inappropriate, what were they thinking? Just one other point: the PG-13 rating should probably be taken seriously - if you are thinking of taking an adolescent, just be aware that there are a few scenes of bloodshed, a beating and two offscreen but obvious beheadings. These might be upsetting to more sensitive younger viewers.
Rekopis znaleziony w Saragossie (1965)
Three hours of torture
The Saragossa Manuscript has been re-released here in Marin County and recently played at the local art house for a weekend. It was billed as "Jerry Garcia's favorite movie", which should have been warning enough. This is three hours of Polish actors playing Spanish soldiers having mysterious adventures, telling stories within stories, none of them with any particular point. I found the acting flat, the plot wandering and meaningless, and the repetition of certain elements stultifying. About 2 hours into the film, the audience began laughing at random events, as a form of self amusement; at 2 1/2 hours, there was an audible group groan as a character embedded three stories deep began yet another nested tale. The film has the production values of a 1950's Lone Ranger episode combined with some of the more bizarre silent flicks like the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Those who find this movie fascinating or mysterious are, I think, mistaking complex but ultimately empty symbolism for a buried message.