Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Movies Watched in February 2014 Part I

When Cindy’s on tour, I tend to watch a lot of movies and this year was no exception. I watched 18 movies and a 13-episode TV series in February, so I have a lot to report. I’ll tackle half of what I watched this time, the other half next time. 


Sleuth (1972) Joseph L. Mankiewicz (3x) 

If you’ve never experienced Sleuth (1972, not the 2007 version), you owe it to yourself to watch two actors, Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine, in top form. This one never fails to please. I just wish we had a Blu-ray edition of this fine film...

5/5


21 Up (NF 1977)
28 Up (NF 1984)
35 Up (NF 1991) 
42 Up (NF 1998)
49 Up (NF 2005) 
56 Up (NF 2012)

As I mentioned last month, I plan to devote a separate post to this amazing collection of documentary films in the near future. They are all directed by Michael Apted, who has directed a wide variety of films including Coal Miner’s Daughter, The World is Not Enough and Amazing Grace. The Up series follows a group of British children as they move through their lives, with Apted filming them every seven years. Although some individual films are better than others, the series is nothing short of a masterwork. Again, look for more in a future post. 

4.5/5


The Asphalt Jungle (1950) John Huston (2x)

We screened this film at the library last month as part of our Hardboiled: Film Noir Theatre series (which continues on March 15 at 2:00 PM, so stop on by!). Although the biggest name by far in this film is Marilyn Monroe (in only her fourth credited role), she doesn’t really get that much screen time. The next best known actor in the film is James Whitmore (standing in the photo), followed by Sam Jaffe (far left), who is outstanding as the mastermind of a jewelry heist. The rest of the cast is largely B-movie actors, but their performances far exceed those in a typical B-movie. Director John Huston delivers nothing short of a noir masterpiece, one that should get far more attention than it does.  

5/5


The Tunnel (2011) Carlo Ledesma

Australia is really putting out some great horror films these days, especially of the “mockumentary” variety, in which The Tunnel firmly belongs. The film, of course, owes a lot to The Blair Witch Project, and like that film, takes its time getting things going. Once weird things start happening (or maybe even before), you’ll be hooked.  

4/5


This is Martin Bonner (2013) Chad Hartigan 

This is Martin Bonner is a strange little film made for an estimated $42,000 which is nothing until you realize that it didn’t even gross half that amount in U.S. theaters. Hopefully it’s finding an audience on Netflix streaming; it certainly deserves one. 

Martin has moved from the East Coast to Nevada to start a new life with a tough job: helping ex-cons make the transition to ordinary lives with reputable jobs. There’s much more to it, of course, but I won’t tell you anymore about the plot. Although the movie has several humorous moments, it’s not a comedy. Neither is it a typical “feel good” movie with easy answers and pat solutions, but it’s definitely worth your time. 

4/5


Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) Steven Spielberg (5x?)

My favorite Indiana Jones film. I’m sure I’ve seen it more than five times, but five will do for now. (I should’ve written it down so I wouldn’t have to remember!)

5/5


Compliance (2012) Craig Zobel NO STARS

Almost a month later, I’m still not sure how I feel about Compliance. Do not take the NO STARS designation to mean that the film has no redeeming value; on the contrary, it’s well-executed in many ways, yet manipulative in others. The subject matter is simply so disturbing that I honestly can’t recommend it, yet I want people to be aware of the problem it addresses. You can read more here


Next time I’ll finish up what I watched in February. 

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