Dirt-poor George Eastman (Montgomery Clift) lands himself a factory job thanks to a well-to-do uncle's largesse and has a tryst with co-worker Alice (Shelley Winters) to combat his loneliness. But he forgets the uncultured Alice when he becomes smitten with a stunning socialite (Elizabeth Taylor). Alice can't forget George, however, because she's expecting his baby. Their dilemma sets off a course of events that can only end in tragedy.
Seriously, am I just a total prude? This movie has a lot of scandal in it, not the least of which is *SPOILER ALERT* the murder of a pregnant woman by the father of her baby. Really? This movie was appropriate in 1951? I thought I was so progressive and had seen and done my fair share of scandalous stuff but apparently, I'm a choir girl.
I've never seen Montgomery Clift in any movie, nor had I seen Elizabeth Taylor in anything. The only thing I've seen Shelley Winters in was episodes of "Roseanne", but she was pretty good in those, to be honest. I, of course, have heard Elizabeth Taylor's life story which include A LOT of drama in the romance department. I was excited to see how good she was or if her reputation was more about her private life and not her acting ability. After watching the movie, I was surprised by all three lead actors.
Shelley Winters was strong in her role, but mostly that she conveyed weakness so well. She gets jilted by Montgomery Clift's character, and gets the grapes to demand that he marry her. That leads him to plot her death, as he really wants to be with Elizabeth Taylor's character (for that, I can't blame him... she is smoking hot in this movie, and I'm a heterosexual woman). So he makes some decisions that in the end, cost him everything.
The courtroom scenes are a bit hammy for me... I should have asked for a side of mashed potatoes. But all in all, it was a good movie. This was Elizabeth Taylor's first adult role and she was amazing. Montgomery Clift was pretty dreamy, but he was a bit of an under-actor in this film. I'm not sure if he was always like that or if this director preferred him that way... but it seemed to work for this movie.
Four out of five bowls of popcorn... but I can't watch it again. He came so close to happiness and then pissed it all away. A shame, even 60 years later.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
#93 - The Apartment
C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) has his future mapped out -- all he needs to do is cozy up to the top feeders in the corporate food chain. But his fast track to the executive suite gets short-circuited when he falls for one of the bosses' girlfriends. The Apartment features top-notch performances from Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning five, including Best Picture.
I think I've been mistaken about movies and life in general in the 1950s and 60s. I assumed that the American populous was more provincial, and that certain topics were taboo. I am beginning to learn that I'm just a naive, but still gorgeous *cough*, woman.
In this movie, Jack Lemmon lends out his apartment to married men who want to carry on affairs. Several men, in fact. This movie is pretty misogynistic, if you want to get down to brass tacks. These men are indeed married, and couldn't care less. And I think the women they are having affairs with are aware of it... or maybe they weren't, who the hell knows? But Shirley MacLaine, who was AMAZING in this film, knew that her boyfriend was married... her boyfriend being Jack Lemmon's boss, which of course leads them all to the apartment. Good gravy... I didn't believe that adultery existed before Bill Clinton, let alone that there were films all about it. Jeepers, am I out of touch.
At any rate, the movie was pretty good. The dialogue was terrific, and Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are superb, really and truly. I'm no prude, promise, but the affairs being carried on in this apartment made me want to disinfect my sheets. Did Jack Lemmon's character REALLY not care that his apartment would have lit up like the 4th of July under fluorescent lighting? God forbid the CSI get ahold of him, he'd have some explaining to do.
At any rate, it's a good movie with a few good laughs. I'd give it 3 out of 5 bowls of popcorn and they're perfectly salted but with a touch too much butter. Whatever that means. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to sanitize my linens.
I think I've been mistaken about movies and life in general in the 1950s and 60s. I assumed that the American populous was more provincial, and that certain topics were taboo. I am beginning to learn that I'm just a naive, but still gorgeous *cough*, woman.
In this movie, Jack Lemmon lends out his apartment to married men who want to carry on affairs. Several men, in fact. This movie is pretty misogynistic, if you want to get down to brass tacks. These men are indeed married, and couldn't care less. And I think the women they are having affairs with are aware of it... or maybe they weren't, who the hell knows? But Shirley MacLaine, who was AMAZING in this film, knew that her boyfriend was married... her boyfriend being Jack Lemmon's boss, which of course leads them all to the apartment. Good gravy... I didn't believe that adultery existed before Bill Clinton, let alone that there were films all about it. Jeepers, am I out of touch.
At any rate, the movie was pretty good. The dialogue was terrific, and Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are superb, really and truly. I'm no prude, promise, but the affairs being carried on in this apartment made me want to disinfect my sheets. Did Jack Lemmon's character REALLY not care that his apartment would have lit up like the 4th of July under fluorescent lighting? God forbid the CSI get ahold of him, he'd have some explaining to do.
At any rate, it's a good movie with a few good laughs. I'd give it 3 out of 5 bowls of popcorn and they're perfectly salted but with a touch too much butter. Whatever that means. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to sanitize my linens.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
#94 - Goodfellas
Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro chew plenty of scenery, but the focus of this gripping Martin Scorsese opus is real-world mobster Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), a gangster who dreamed of making it big but landed in the Witness Protection Program instead. Nominated for six Oscars (including Best Picture), the film's only win was Pesci's Best Supporting Actor statue for his scene-stealing portrayal of ticking time bomb Tommy DeVito.
I've seen this movie no less than 100 times. My husband is of Italian heritage, complete with a last name that ends in a vowel, so he considers these types of films home movies. (Although my husband could not even be considered a gangster, he's ticklish. Once they find that out, you get whacked.) This opinion will be one of the easiest I'll have to write:
This movie is awesome; that's all there is to it. From the beginning to the end, it is amazing. Henry Hill is the textbook example of having it all and pissing it all away. He was exposed to gangsters at an early age and became enmeshed in the life, not only as a career, but as a reason for getting up in the morning. He loved the life, the money, the crime, the women, the respect, eventually the drugs, and then it took a turn for the worse. Poor Henry Hill... I would feel worse for him, except he kind of deserved what he got in the end... which wasn't death, interestingly enough. Not that they weren't going to whack him... he was totally on the hit list. He just did what he had to do to survive... and he became a schnook like everyone else.
Joe Pesci and Robert DeNiro are so good in this movie... they should be provided as examples of how to act like a gangster. From what I hear, DeNiro is not easy to work with on-set, but man does it pay off.
Five out of five popcorn bowls, perfectly salted and buttered. If you haven't seen this one, rent it... no, BUY it immediately.
I've seen this movie no less than 100 times. My husband is of Italian heritage, complete with a last name that ends in a vowel, so he considers these types of films home movies. (Although my husband could not even be considered a gangster, he's ticklish. Once they find that out, you get whacked.) This opinion will be one of the easiest I'll have to write:
This movie is awesome; that's all there is to it. From the beginning to the end, it is amazing. Henry Hill is the textbook example of having it all and pissing it all away. He was exposed to gangsters at an early age and became enmeshed in the life, not only as a career, but as a reason for getting up in the morning. He loved the life, the money, the crime, the women, the respect, eventually the drugs, and then it took a turn for the worse. Poor Henry Hill... I would feel worse for him, except he kind of deserved what he got in the end... which wasn't death, interestingly enough. Not that they weren't going to whack him... he was totally on the hit list. He just did what he had to do to survive... and he became a schnook like everyone else.
Joe Pesci and Robert DeNiro are so good in this movie... they should be provided as examples of how to act like a gangster. From what I hear, DeNiro is not easy to work with on-set, but man does it pay off.
Five out of five popcorn bowls, perfectly salted and buttered. If you haven't seen this one, rent it... no, BUY it immediately.
#95 - Pulp Fiction
A burger-loving hit man (John Travolta), his philosophical partner (Samuel L. Jackson), a drug-addled gangster's moll (Uma Thurman) and a washed-up boxer (Bruce Willis) converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper fueled by director and co-writer Quentin Tarantino's whip-smart dialogue. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time, resulting in one of the most audacious and imitated films of the 1990s.
I'm starting to question the methods AFI used when determining which movies to include in this list.
I did not like this movie. I'm not a Quentin Tarantino fan really, but I did enjoy "Reservoir Dogs" and both "Kill Bill" movies. It's pretty much Quentin Tarantino himself that I don't like... I think he may need ritalin. If not ritalin, then he needs to switch to decaf, to be sure.
I don't enjoy gratuitous violence and swearing. Now, I'm no prude... I've been known to release a litany of curse words that would make most people blush... but these characters seemed to swear just for swearing's sake. That's just wrong. I say if you accidentally smash your thumb with a hammer or need to show dominance to your husband, let the expletives fly. Other than that, there just doesn't seem to be any need. And the violence in the movie was well-placed, for the most part... but the scene where *SPOILER ALERT* Marcellus gets raped could have been changed to something a bit less graphic. And by the way, when Butch escapes and goes upstairs, gets the sword, and heads back down to help Marcellus, why was he walking so slow? Good gravy, some guy is getting completely violated down there, maybe time might be a factor. I'm just saying.
I'm not saying the movie was horrible. I thought John Travolta was great, as well as Samuel L. Jackson... that man is a genius. But although the movie had several points where I didn't fear for my own safety, it just wasn't my kind of movie. And it wouldn't have cracked my top 100 movies.
So, if you like violence, swearing, and Quentin Tarantino, rent this movie. As for me and my house, we will stick Jim Carrey movies. Yup. I'd give this one a two out of five bowls of popcorn... and I added too much salt and not enough butter to those bowls. Enjoy.
I'm starting to question the methods AFI used when determining which movies to include in this list.
I did not like this movie. I'm not a Quentin Tarantino fan really, but I did enjoy "Reservoir Dogs" and both "Kill Bill" movies. It's pretty much Quentin Tarantino himself that I don't like... I think he may need ritalin. If not ritalin, then he needs to switch to decaf, to be sure.
I don't enjoy gratuitous violence and swearing. Now, I'm no prude... I've been known to release a litany of curse words that would make most people blush... but these characters seemed to swear just for swearing's sake. That's just wrong. I say if you accidentally smash your thumb with a hammer or need to show dominance to your husband, let the expletives fly. Other than that, there just doesn't seem to be any need. And the violence in the movie was well-placed, for the most part... but the scene where *SPOILER ALERT* Marcellus gets raped could have been changed to something a bit less graphic. And by the way, when Butch escapes and goes upstairs, gets the sword, and heads back down to help Marcellus, why was he walking so slow? Good gravy, some guy is getting completely violated down there, maybe time might be a factor. I'm just saying.
I'm not saying the movie was horrible. I thought John Travolta was great, as well as Samuel L. Jackson... that man is a genius. But although the movie had several points where I didn't fear for my own safety, it just wasn't my kind of movie. And it wouldn't have cracked my top 100 movies.
So, if you like violence, swearing, and Quentin Tarantino, rent this movie. As for me and my house, we will stick Jim Carrey movies. Yup. I'd give this one a two out of five bowls of popcorn... and I added too much salt and not enough butter to those bowls. Enjoy.
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