ALL I WATCHED IN 2023 (with reviews)
I make these lists as personal reminders of movies that I've watched throughout the year, with short reviews to capture details that are otherwise easily forgotten.
I make them public in case they somehow benefit any other of you fellow movie-lovers out there..x
I make them public in case they somehow benefit any other of you fellow movie-lovers out there..x
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- CreatorWilliam Moulton MarstonStanley Ralph RossStarsLynda CarterLyle WaggonerTom KratochvilThe adventures of the greatest of the female superheroes.The original pilot episode. One of the most exciting TV intros of all time: the theme tune, the colours and all. Like a firework of nostalgia and energy. But then it was half an hour before Wonder Woman even showed up. You could almost feel eager TV audiences back in 1975 beginning to twitch in bored anticipation, especially with it being set in the 1940s with lots of scenes of Generals talking in offices. Thank heavens for comic relief from Kenneth Mars (Mel Brooks comic-Nazi stalwart). Otherwise it's amateur-dramatics level of acting. There's a silly Olympics on Paradise Island (wonder woman runs as no.33), then it's up and away on the invisible plane (hooray) and soon the adventure begins, the spectacles go on. Say, don't that new secretary lady look kinda familiar?..
- DirectorJohn G. BlystoneStarsStan LaurelOliver HardyPatricia EllisStan, who has remained faithfully at his World War I post for twenty years, finally comes home where his best friend, Ollie, takes him in, thus allowing him to discover the many conveniences of the modern world.War-hero Stan and his legs is surely one of the all-time funniest moments of L+H, if not of movie comedy in general. Lots of running up and down stairs, kitchen explosions etc. It's patchy, but when it's good it's laugh out loud.
- DirectorHiroyuki MoritaStarsChizuru IkewakiYoshihiko HakamadaAki MaedaAfter helping a cat, a seventeen-year-old girl finds herself involuntarily engaged to a cat Prince in a magical world where her only hope of freedom lies with a dapper cat statuette come to life.Glad i went into this not really knowing what would happen, as it was a pleasing surprise seeing it unfold. Kinda went exactly where i'd hoped it would go. Alice in wonderland, Wizard Of Oz influenced. Nice to see Ghibli relax and have fun pursuing ideas like this. This and Aristocats are about the most 'cat' movies ever. Having absorbed myself in all that cat/human communication, directly after watching it, I then went outdoors to put the bins out and there was a random cat resting on the shelf of our porch. We had a nice stroke together. Never seen him before then or since. But I know this movie had a part in his being there, somehow.
- DirectorRob MarshallStarsEmily BluntLin-Manuel MirandaBen WhishawA few decades after her original visit, Mary Poppins, the magical nanny, returns to help the Banks siblings and Michael's children through a difficult time in their lives.Impossible to match (let alone surpass) the original movie. So what are the options for a sequel? It plumps for the 'greatest hits' approach: doing all the things we loved from the 1964 classic. This means dancing chimney-sweeps (now lamplighters), admiral's cannon booming, ceiling-based Uncle Albert is now Meryl Streep (misses the mark), kids cause bank mayhem, tongue-twisting songs, chalk paintings are now painted bowls, kites are now balloons. Even the penguins are back. Trouble is, all this leaves little room to be its own movie outside of nostalgia meets modern FX. A treat though to have Dick Van Dyke, also Angela Lansbury, David Warner, and Julie Walters as the aged Ellen. Blunt however is a strange Poppins - plummy school-ma'am meets high-class dominatrix? Her smoky, dreamy eyes are not the clean, present pearls of Julie Andrews. She gives her all but somehow lacks a personal touch. Perhaps it was the script, perhaps she didn't love the role quite as Andrews did. And like the movie says: you have to believe in the magic for it to work, right?
- DirectorVáclav VorlícekStarsLibuse SafránkováPavel TrávnícekCarola BraunbockLife changes dramatically for a Czech housemaid when the family coachman gives her three magical hazelnuts.Pleasing variation on the Cinderella story for many reasons: the folksy, snowy medieval setting (filmed in Norway?), the unabashed 70s-ness (heartfelt Czech pop-ballads to horse rides at dusk), for the wry humour and mostly for the lead Libuse Safránková. Her Cinderella is feisty yet sweet, relatable yet regal. She plays servant, huntsman and princess with equal spirit and ease. It's all happy (of course) and a perfect film for 12th night, we took the decorations down straight afterwards, quite content.
- DirectorRoy Ward BakerStarsHardy KrügerColin GordonMichael GoodliffeA cocky German fighter pilot is shot down over England in 1940 and makes numerous attempts to escape to fight again.True story of the only German POW to escape the Brits and return home. Such is the relaxed confidence of post-victory Britain to make a picture depicting the heroics of such a man (it would never be made during the war when propaganda and morale were key). Kruger also out-shines the cast in terms of looks and presence: was that national sense of superiority, so vital for the war, slipping by 1957? The whole film is played pretty straight, time and space are given to build tension (are we to 'root' for the 'hero'?) which also allows for photographic pleasures of the misty, lake district and snowy Canada. Ending drags on a bit but it's engaging overall.
- DirectorNorman JewisonStarsDenzel WashingtonVicellous ShannonDeborah Kara UngerThe story of Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.True story with fictional embellishments. 1st half tells Hurricane's story, jumping between different chapters of his life: 1940s, 1960s and the present. This all works really well. It's engrossing enough, then there's extra depth from Denzil Washington who brings quality, heft and dignity to the part. 2nd half, all these strands weave together and the film becomes linear in it's narrative (no more time jumping) and focuses entirely on resolving the situation. This half is not as good, it's less epic to watch but the truth of the whole affair is epic enough. 1st half 8, 2nd 7.
- DirectorSacha GervasiStarsAnthony HopkinsHelen MirrenScarlett JohanssonThe relationship between Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reville during the filming of Psycho (1960) in 1959 is explored.10mins in and it already drags. Hopkins plods about, so does the film. Hitch and Alma are 1D cliche: him 'stubborn and creepy', her 'the brains of it all', it's not doing him or his legend any favours. Exaggeration, fictional embellishments and what we do know of Hitch is presented in a cheesy unimaginative way. The dream/Ed Gein sequences don't work, the film indulges glibly in their gruesome detail which is uncomfortably at odds with the general pedestrian tone. Only scene with any real spark is his direction of Psycho, Janet Leigh driving. Who is this movie for? Hitch fans will object to his negative portrayal and overall lack of depth. Non-fans of his won't care. One to forget.
- DirectorDavid GreenStarsPhil CollinsJulie WaltersLarry LambBased on the story of Ronald Christopher "Buster" Edwards (Phil Collins), one of the thieves involved in "The Great Train Robbery" of 1963.Played light but there's genuine feeling. Strong cast, Phil Collins works well in this role, as does he and Julie Walters as the hub of the movie: honest with the right touch of romance. She is great in this, as she usually is. There's naturalistic period detail: ketchup, grubby kitchens etc. First half is well-paced with real tension to the train robbery, much like a western but with just the right touch of London humour. Second half lags a little with some silly moments (drunken antics) but it's all the so-called dream heading for the inevitable reality check. Surprised it took this long for me to see it but being 13 when it came out it wasn't cool back then especially with it's music being so overplayed. Seeing it now in 2023 it feels familiar yet innocent and stronger as a UK crime movie than I'd expected. Even the music has become pleasing in a nostalgic way, 'Two Hearts' gave me goosebumps (that key change!).
- DirectorRobert HamerStarsAlec GuinnessBette DavisNicole MaureyAn English schoolteacher meets his lookalike, a French count; and unwillingly swaps identities with him.Noir-ish fantasy oddity. Alec Guinness and his dream-like, faraway gaze suit this part and the mystery of the film. Life swap scenario echoes the prince and pauper but it's even less realistic that this entire family and associates would all be fooled by a lookalike. But I don't mind suspending belief like that. Overall it feels a bit like a stage play and not particularly exciting, but intriguing nonetheless. Enjoyable watching Alec Guinness play two different men in conversation.
- DirectorRené ClairStarsDick PowellLinda DarnellJack OakieA young turn-of-the-century newspaper man finds he can get hold of the next day's paper. This brings more problems than fortune, especially as his new girlfriend is part of a phony clairvoyant act.Rom-com wrapped in fantasy/time-travel. Dick Powell and Linda Darnell are both solid leads, always watchable, fun but never OTT. The whole thing moves well, smooth and lightly sparkling under Rene Clair's quality direction. His 'I married a witch' was a direct influence on the 'Bewitched' TV series, and here again the influence is felt: one episode featured a newspaper that predicted the future, plus the main character here is called Larry Stevens (Darrin and Sam's surname in Bewitched, plus Darrin's boss is Larry).
- DirectorSegundo de ChomónIn a medieval palace, an astronomer with a telescope shows the king.Segundo De Chomon does Georges Melies, all magic, stars and planets. Full of life and still looking great some 100+ years on.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsJehanne d'AlcyGeorges MélièsAn astronomer falls asleep and has a strange dream involving a fairy queen and the Moon.Georges Méliès astro-wizard fantasy, the moon eats the telescope etc: is it a comment on full-moon madness (luna-cy)?
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsMlle. BodsonManuelGeorges MélièsAs the clock strikes twelve, a weary astronomer attempts to answer the impertinent enquiries of his young students by scrutinising an impending lunar eclipse, as an effeminate and delicate moon caresses the mighty sun's hungry cosmic rays.Georges Méliès sky fantasy, the stars, planets etc transcend the absurd into something almost balletic.
- DirectorGordon Parks Jr.StarsMax JulienVonetta McGeeGeorge MurdockThe exploits of 1910s bounty hunter Thomasine and bandit Bushrod who, after rekindling their old romance, take to robbing banks to survive, stealing from rich whites and sharing their loot with the poor on the harsh frontier.Bonnie and Clyde out west, outlaws under a shadow of doom. Gets called a Blaxploitation movie and while it does have themes, characters, attitudes and a style of acting that are all typical of that genre, there is also a dimension of depth here. Mainly due to the relationship between the two leads. They were lovers in real life at the time that this picture was made and it shows. They bring a quiet humanity and personal feeling between them which elevates the movie as a whole. I'd like to watch more of them as a duo, surviving and living out west without the obligation to descend into violence. Vonetta McGee has great presence and plays surely one of the most memorable female lead roles in any Western ever. Overall - a cool, rare '70s western featuring some great early cars as well as stylish clothes and enjoyable music. It's a 6 movie but I give it 7 for it's extra levels of enjoyment.
- DirectorPaul SchneiderStarsKirk CameronChelsea NobleJohn de LancieMan leaves his fortune to his dog and its psychiatrist.A Disney TV movie about a boy who communicates with dogs is never going to be palme d'or material, but jeez this doesn't even make the Santa Paws grade of guilty pleasure. It could have done were it not so self-indulgently over-goofy. Whenever the dog gets excited - the lead man acts like a dog himself. This happens a lot. It's cringe acting and is always accompanied by the same 'oompah-oompah' music. I like bad dog films but, man...
- DirectorMichael GordonStarsDoris DayJames GarnerPolly BergenAfter being lost at sea for several years, a missing wife thought long dead returns just after her husband has remarried.Nigh on identical remake of 'My Favorite Wife', which was never a movie I particularly loved. Here, Cary Grant is now James Garner (dry). Irene Dunne now Doris Day (not her best). This version is overall flatter and much glossier than the first (like some celebrity magazine), it ups the wacky moments (the swedish massage and the car wash are just too OTT). The only thing it improves on is the end scene where (*spoiler alert*) they ditched that darned silly santa claus joke and everyone jumps in the pool instead. Meh.
- DirectorMohsen MakhmalbafStarsShaghayeh DjodatHossein MoharamiRogheih MoharamiWhen an old couple washes their gabbeh - a type of Persian rug - a young woman magically appears and tells them her life story.I'm glad i'm still discovering gems like this. Rewarding on so many levels. Dreamy and poetic yet earthy and natural. Time, art, life, stories - all interwoven (pun intended) to create this beautiful tapestry of a movie. Deliberately ambiguous, it can be read in many ways but has a spacious and wonderous charm so that even a child could grasp it's true spirit. A celebration of life, tradition, love and indeed of colour itself. Made even more poignant and important by the subtle allusions to the political/religious/social oppression occurring in the background. Sublime moments of editing, music and photography. Probably make 10 on next viewing. See it with commentary if you can to broaden appreciation. Watched it twice in a row and could gladly watch again soon.
- DirectorRowland V. LeeStarsLoretta YoungGene RaymondO.P. HeggieAn orphan girl escapes her caregivers to be with a young man raised at the zoo whose only previous friends are the animals.Unique little world. The naivete of the early talkies with a strange magic. Physically and figuratively the zoo represents both a place of captivity and the wilderness. After hours it become some kind of strange Eden, a fairy tale of romance and danger. Effective how, throughout the movie, human activity is interlaced with animal shots; you can feel the drums beating for some kind of primal energy outburst. This happens in an unexpected way. 'King Kong' and 'Most Dangerous Game' have a similar theme, all films of that same time. It's atmospheric and well-photographed. Curious piece and a definite re-watch.
- DirectorMalcolm LeighStarsJoanna LumleyRichard WattisPenny BrahmsIn the 1920s, two rival brothel madames have a bet on who has the sexiest girls.aka 'Games That Lovers Play'. Two brothel madams wager: who has the sexiest girl? It's a naughty comedy, though not in a 'Carry On' film way (no innuendos or slapstick), more like 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' meets soft-core porn, set in early 1970's Greater London. It doesn't take itself seriously (thankfully), the 1920's jazz score keeps it light. Some pleasing costumes, locations and interiors (the brothel's mirrored corridor is an interesting space). Generally engaging, though the drag queen scenes are just that - a drag. If you decide to watch it then know in advance that it is essentially cr4p and then the only way is up.
4/5 film, but given 6 for it's midnite-movie trash- pleasure elements, like some UK-home-counties John Waters type thing. - DirectorAnthony AsquithStarsBrian AherneElissa LandiCyril McLaglenA working-class love story set in and around the London Underground of the 1920s. Two men, gentle Bill and brash Bert, meet and are attracted to the same woman on the same day at the same Underground station. But the lady chooses Bill, and Bert isn't the type to take rejection lightly.Excellent BFI restoration. The new soundtrack by Neil Brand works perfectly, very much in tune with the visual flow and manages well that ever-fluid balance between romance and danger (you can hear his love of Bernard Herrmann.) I was enjoying this well enough as a time capsule of pre-war London; the thriller action movie that unfolded was a surprise, easily rivalling (perhaps even better than) the work that Hitchcock was making at that time. Bit of a UK classic really, deserving of better recognition.
- DirectorRoger MichellStarsJim BroadbentHeather CraneyStephen RashbrookIn 1961, Kempton Bunton, a 60 year old taxi driver, steals Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London.A true story, well-handled with the right touch of humour and personal drama. No one could have played this as well as Jim Broadbent. I thought at first the focus on the other family members was just filler, but it all tied up nicely at the end. Charming and earthy, Broadbent's court appearance scene is perhaps one of the best of his whole career. I didn't know the full story of this actual crime so the ending was unexpected and quite touching. Authentic period detail and feel.
- DirectorJoyce ChopraStarsTreat WilliamsLaura DernMary Kay PlaceA free-spirited 15-year-old girl flirts with a dangerous stranger in the Northern California suburbs and must prepare herself for the frightening and traumatic consequences.1985 was a classic year for teen movies and this is probably the most accurate and relatable. A natural depiction of the threshold between innocence and adult awakening, how family and friends are affected by such changes. Laura Dern is perfect for the role, switching easily between vulnerability and feminine charm. A red riding hood situation, curious about the dark wood. She finally meets her wolf, named (ahem) A. Friend. He's strange and menacing, knows too much, talks of the dead in a present tense, announces the 'secret code' painted on his car (33 again). His appearance at the end of the movie is a whole new weird tone, like a David Lynch character dropped suddenly into her otherwise familiar world. She would of course pursue this dark suburban theme in Lynch's Blue Velvet the following year.
- DirectorWalter FordeStarsGordon HarkerElizabeth AllanMervyn JohnsAgainst a background of Christmas and the pending arrival of another baby for the landlord, a group of pub locals lead by bookie Joe Harris set out to prove that former customer Eddie Graves is not guilty of the murder for which he is due to be hanged in the morning.Staff and regulars gather one rainy night approaching Christmas, talking of the imminent hanging of a friend and determined to prove his innocence. Full of characters and good banter (more natural than the usual theatrical acting), enjoyable off-beat moments such as the three men comparing their legs at the bar. Gordon Harker turns detective, there's atmosphere and a good feel for the time it was made.
- DirectorGeorge Roy HillStarsPeter SellersTippy WalkerMerrie SpaethA mischievous, adventuresome fourteen-year-old girl and her best friend begin following an eccentric concert pianist around New York City after she develops a crush on him.As if my previous two viewings converged: two teenage girls' foray into adulthood with christmas in the background (!).. Flights of imagination lead the girls to innocent obsession over pianist Henry Orient (Sellers), but he's a man with secrets. Thus, there's scope for high farce but it never takes that route, it's not so much funny as a charming, sweet depiction of childhood escapades which gradually lead to drama at the finish. A feelgood film, the girls at the centre carry it well. Visually pleasing, the colours and the autumn/winter setting of NY central park etc all in Cinemascope. Lansbury is good and unusually takes a meaner role. Sellers accent is unusually undefined: NY? French? Italian? .. 6/7.