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War & Peace (2016)
Masterfully created
Believe it or not, this 2016 version of War and Peace is the third one I've watched. Although a classic story, it's not one audiences typically want to watch over and over again - which begs the question, why are there so many remakes? In any case, yours truly is one audience member that watches it over and over again. This six-hour miniseries has the draw of name recognition, which one of the Russian versions I saw did not. Paul Dano stars as Pierre, James Norton as Andrei, and Lily James as Natasha. Amongst the grown-ups (sorry kids, I should call them the 'older generation') you'll see Greta Scacchi, Jim Broadbent, Stephen Rea, and Adrian Edmondson.
There's really nothing bad to say about this adaptation. Tons of work went into it, from slogging through the teleplay, costumes, war battles, and of course, acting. The several coinciding plot points were made extremely clear, so if you don't know the story at all, you won't be confused. The pace is excellent, keeping audiences interested, paying attention, and cutting to the different characters and story arcs at precisely the right time. Nothing dragged and nothing was rushed. Writer Andrew Davies has my ultimate respect. It's difficult to get immersed in Tolstoy but keep a perspective as to the audience's attention span and interest.
Director Tom Harper also had his hands full, not only juggling intimate family dynamics with epic war scenes, but with a whole cast of actors who undoubtedly believed each were the true stars of the story. In a huge, dramatic story with everyone getting their "big moment", it's a fine line to walk between overacting and underacting. Everyone in War & Peace is allowed to shine, and the ebbs and flows feel completely natural. This is a true ensemble piece that was masterfully created. If you like the story, or if you're looking to delve into it, you'll really appreciate this miniseries.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, during the end of Episode 5, there is graphic war violence, and I wouldn't let my kids watch it.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. In Episode 5, when Paul Dano gets thrown by the explosion, the camera turns upside down with him as he flies through the air, and later when he wakes up in his recovery bed, the camera does a 180-degree rotating closeup on his face; it might make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
Promise Her Anything (1966)
Silly 60s comedy
As you might guess, Promise Her Anything condones lying to women in order to get them into bed. It's not my favorite film, and I would imagine the only women who would like it are those who are completely in love with Warren Beatty. He's very handsome, but I'd rather sit through Splendor in the Grass instead, where he does some acting and doesn't have quite such a despicable character. But if you like to see off-screen couples fall in love on screen, you can rent it.
Leslie Caron is a young and beautiful widow with a little boy. She lives in the building with Warren (her boyfriend in real life at the time), but since she knows he's a playboy and a director of adult movies, she doesn't consider his dating material. Good job, Leslie! She's anxious to hook her boss, Bob Cummings, into being her next husband, since he wrote a best-selling child-rearing book. But the twist is it's all a façade: he hates children. So, who is really the bad influence?
You can correctly assume how I feel about this movie. It would be nice if there were a third option for Leslie: an actually good influence. If her choices are really a pornographic director or a man who hates kids, shouldn't she just stay a single mother?
Murder on the Orient Express (2001)
The modern twist is a bit odd
You'd think, since David Suchet embodied Hercule Poirot so brilliantly in all the episodes and tv movies of thirteen seasons, his would be my favorite version of Murder on the Orient Express. Unfortunately, either the writers or his interpretation of Poirot decided to make him quite grumpy and with a quick temper. He nearly bit everyone's head off! So, if you're looking for a good version, you can check out another tv adaptation, starring Alfred Molina. (The best, of course, is the 1974 original with Albert Finney.)
As usual, a huge supporting cast flocked to be a part of Agatha Christie's classic murder mystery. In this one, you'll see Leslie Caron, Meredith Baxter, David Hunt, Fritz Wepper, Dylan Smith, Natasha Wightman, Amira Casar, Tasha de Vasconcelos, Adam James, Kai Wiesinger, and Peter Strauss as Ratchett. Not every character makes it to the screen, perhaps to make things less complicated for television audiences, but the basic story is the same. Except, here's the strange thing: it's not a period piece! It takes place in the modern era, with cell phones and the internet! Some people will like this change, thinking it brings a timeless story into today's world. Others will not, maintaining that there's no reason to change Miss Christie's original setting.
The Glass Slipper (1955)
Cute "ballet" version
In this unique version of Cinderella, audiences are treated to a few beautiful ballet sequences by French ballerina Leslie Caron. I'm sure the great dancer would have wanted to star in the full-length ballet, but Hollywood probably wouldn't have financed it. There is dialogue in this film, but when Cinderella goes to the ball, the mouths close and the legs do the talking.
Leslie is beautiful, charming, and innocent, but her pixie cut feels a bit out of place in such a famous period piece. However, if you're able to overlook it, you can concentrate on her great dancing talent. In the supporting cast, you'll see Keenan Wynn, Estelle Winwood, Michael Wilding as Prince Charming, and Elsa Lanchester as the stepmother. In a cute twist, Leslie and Michael meet before the ball. He pretends to be poor, so when they fall in love, she doesn't know he's the prince. He invites her to the ball, so they're both in for a surprise!
The Doctor's Dilemma (1958)
Should have been James Mason
If you want to dislike Dirk Bogarde, watch The Doctor's Dilemma. You could also watch any number of his movies, but perhaps this is the one that started it all. He plays his character so despicably - and while arguable, that was the point of the story, had the role been acted by James Mason, you would have both hated and liked him. The doctor and the audience would have had a dilemma!
In the story, Michael Gwynn is a celebrated doctor who has the resources to cure a certain number of men from tuberculosis (this is a period piece, despite Leslie Caron's strange hairdo). When a beautiful, pleading woman (Leslie) comes to him and begs him to save her husband's life (Dirk), he tells her he doesn't have enough room in his treatment program. How can he, in good conscience, kill one of the men already signed up just to save Dirk's life? Is he really more worthy of living than any of the others? She argues that because he is a talented artist, he is more worthy. When Michael and his associates, Alistair Sim and Robert Morley, spend some time with Dirk to get to know him, there are lots of unpleasant discoveries...
I didn't really enjoy this movie. I couldn't stand Dirk, and George Bernard Shaw's script could have used a good edit while translating it from stage to screen. One fun thing, though: if you're wondering why Leslie was always wearing blousy dresses, it's because she was extremely pregnant during filming! In the final few scenes, even her loosest dress and coat couldn't hide her baby bump.
Pam & Tommy (2022)
At the heart of the story is incredible heart
Based on the trailer, publicity photos, and general subject of the miniseries, I organized a girls' night to watch all eight episodes of Pam & Tommy. We poured our cocktails, popped our corn, and settled in to watch the beautiful Lily James portray the equally beautiful (but incredibly different looking) Pamela Anderson. We hadn't heard of Sebastian Stan, playing Tommy Lee, but afterwards, we looked up interview footage of both the actors and their real-life counterparts to see how incredibly each had perfected their mannerisms, movements, speech, and auras. It goes without saying that the makeup and hair departments were incredible, and I'm very happy for all involved that they were awarded both the Technical Emmy and Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild awards. Both Lily and Sebastian were nominated for the Emmy and Golden Globe awards; it's inconceivable that they didn't take home any statuettes. With incredible attention to detail, their flawless acting made the audience believe they were actually seeing both the public and private faces of these iconic stars. There wasn't a single moment when my viewing group (with one film critic amongst the bunch) even remembered we were watching actors. We were watching Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee.
The eight episodes focus specifically on the time between the title characters' meeting and the birth of their first son. There are a few flashbacks, but it's a pretty linear story; and, because of its' specificity, we are asked to set aside everything we know (or think we know) about their past and future. The writing and direction take a definite stance, and it is so effectively executed, even the most skeptical of my group was reduced to tears. She had previously thought what millions of others thought: "Oh yeah, that ridiculous couple with all that stupid drama." Pam & Tommy makes the argument that they are the absolute opposite. They are deeply, deeply in love, and when a terrible crime is committed against them, their private moments are turned into a national joke and exposed to the world. Although both had previously displayed their bodies to the public, the issue of consent is at the forefront. The stolen footage is shown without their consent, and the trauma it inflicts on their careers, marriage, and Pamela in particular, is tragic. This is the case the miniseries makes, and if you don't believe it can be won, then watch it for yourself.
I'm not surprised, merely disgusted, that nothing has changed since 1996. The country went crazy watching, making fun of, and gossiping about the sex tape when it was released (rather than focus on how horrible it was that a private birthday vacation with newlyweds was stolen and exploited). Now, in 2022, all anyone talks about in regards to Pam & Tommy are Lily's chest-plate and Sebastian's animatronic genitalia. Why does every interviewer ask them about their prosthetics and ignore their deep, emotional acting? I wish the miniseries had cut out the graphic sexual content and let the characters shine, but since "sex sells" continues to be the motto of Hollywood, Hulu probably wouldn't have received funding if the script was clean. And while much of the plot involves the pornography industry, I maintain that the teleplay could have been altered without removing any important story element.
After the first episode, one of the girls in our group walked out. "I was just here to see the pretty lady," she sulked. I didn't blame her. None of the girls in our group were drinking cocktails and eating popcorn hoping to watch talking genitals, Seth Rogen's solo sessions, and pornography studio sets. We were pretty much in it for the pretty lady. The first two episodes were riddled with sex and nudity, hoping to lure in viewers. The remaining six episodes showed the inner lives of the two title characters, how deeply and sweetly they loved each other, and how despicable Seth Rogen's character was to cause the entire situation. (We ended up coaxing the girl who left to return to our watch party so she could appreciate the acting.)
There's another argument the miniseries effectively makes: the male and female perspective about this debacle are very different. While Seth's character thinks he'll be able to get revenge on Tommy by leaking the tape, he doesn't think about the consequences it will have on Pamela. "People are gonna think you're cool for this. They'll be high-fiving you in the street. Me, I'm gonna get looked at like a sl** by the whole world," she says to her husband. It's absolutely true. It doesn't matter that she was with her husband. Her private bedroom activities while trying to conceive a child with a man with whom she took holy vows were turned into a national joke and looked at as "free porn". It's extremely sad, and during the scene in the miniseries when Pamela is being questioned on camera by a sneaky lawyer (the questions are so insulting she has to leave the room and vomit), he suggests she leaked the tape on purpose for publicity and financial gain. He says he can't think of any other reason why she would create such a tape in the first place - and the flashback she remembers of Tommy explaining the reason is quite touching. In fact, it brought tears to three of the girls in our watch party.
How will men react to this miniseries? I can only imagine they'll lust after Lily James, think the pornographic plot points should have been expanded, and start talking to their own "best friends" as well. How will women respond? I'll tell you about each of us girls in our party: The skeptic was moved to tears. The romantic refused to believe that Lily James and Sebastian Stan weren't madly in love in real life, even after she watched joint interviews where their body language seemed to portray exactly the opposite. The young one (who'd never heard of Tommy Lee and only remembered Pamela being married to Kid Rock) formed a new disrespect for the Internet. The feminist loved the series' perspective, and she also wanted to string Seth Rogen up by his non-verbal privates. As for the film critic: you've just read her recommendation.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There is an active camera that follows the actors around during Episode 1, and when in nightclubs in Episode 2, there are spins and flashing lights. It might make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to graphic nudity and sex scenes, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.
Madron (1970)
Cutesy role for Richard Boone
If you liked Two Mules for Sister Sara, check out Madron. Unfortunately for Richard Boone and Leslie Caron, their version of "the cowboy and the nun" was also released in 1970 - and no one remembers it. The main difference between the two is that Madron is a drama. Perhaps audiences in 1970 only wanted a cutesy story.
I'm sure Richard loved making this movie. He always had to play villains, but in this one, not only did he get to play the lead, he was also the title character! It's practically a two-person story, and even though he's less admirable than his costar, he's hardly a bad guy. Leslie just plays a nun, so anyone's going to look immoral compared to her. He's a tough gunslinger who comes across the remains of a wagon train after an Indian attack. Leslie is the sole survivor, and she tags along with him for safety. They hate each other at first, since they both represent the opposite of what each admires - but as the story progresses, they learn to like each other. I'd definitely recommend this one if you want to see the softer side of Richard. Next up, check out his turn playing a psychiatrist in Lizzie!
The L-Shaped Room (1962)
An interesting screenplay
The L-Shaped Room has such an interesting screenplay, full of memorable characters and realistic dialogue. Leslie Caron rents a room from Avis Bunnage, and while she pretends to be a sweet and generous landlady, when Leslie complains about bugs in her room, she completely flips the switch. She's nasty, insulting, and says, "I never did like you Frenchies anyway," before slamming the door in her face. There's also Cicely Courtneidge, a quiet and compassionate middle-aged woman with secrets. Brock Peters is a bongo-playing wild child, and Patricia Phoenix is a prostitute. Leslie, with secrets and shame of her own to cover, feels she will fit right in with the eclectic bunch.
She refuses his advances at first, but after a while, Anthony Booth wins her over and starts the complicated dance of courtship. There's a very large elephant in the room that they both try to ignore. Love has enough ups and downs on its own, doesn't it? But their particular obstacle has a clock attached to it; there's only a few more months they can pretend it doesn't exist. You see, Leslie is pregnant.
It has a funky title, but this is definitely a drama. Leslie gives a wonderfully rich performance, and you feel like you're really a fly on the wall (no pun intended) in the apartment building, watching how everyone's lives play out. I'd recommend this one if you want to see a serious movie from the 1960s that isn't a musical or a zany comedy.
Lili (1953)
I must have missed something
I must have missed the point of Lili because I barely made it all the way through with my eyes open, and everyone else looked at it as an adorable, endearing romp. It's impossible for Leslie Caron not to be adorable and endearing, but there are so many other movies I prefer her in. In this one, she plays a dim-witted innocent young girl who wanders into a carnival. She's originally looking for her father, but she gets taken advantage of by a smooth talker, Jean-Pierre Aumont. He's a magician, and at first, she's entranced by him; the story turns into a love triangle when puppeteer Mel Ferrer enters the picture. Both men want Leslie for their own (despite her very unattractive haircut and her near-mental deficiency). Who will she choose?
It's a very simple story with a very clear path Leslie should take - so why is the audience invested? Jean-Pierre is clearly insincere, and Mel is shy because he's embarrassed about his limp. There's no suspense. Leslie's character is so backwards, it feels like pedophilia that grown men want to seduce her. I'm her biggest fan in Gigi, but not in this movie.
Gigi (1958)
The best fictional couple ever
Hands down, Gigi is one of the most delightful movies ever made. It is singlehandedly responsible for my love of old movies - but perhaps I should really give credit to my mom, since she showed me Gigi in the first place.
Cecil Beaton's costumes are breathtaking in every scene. With exception to Audrey Hepburn's "off to the races" dress in My Fair Lady, the most beautiful gown I've seen on the big screen is Leslie Caron's feathered number in Gigi. Every single outfit she wears in the film is lovely, from her plaid school uniform to her high-collared white dress, to her lavender finale. But keep your eyes open and scan the costumes of every woman in the background, too. They all wear such beautiful gowns! Isabel Jean's wardrobe is exquisite, and Louis Jordan is also always dressed impeccably.
It's safe to say I've seen all the musicals made into films, and Gigi is exceptional in its romantic subject matter. I like to imagine how the couple will get along after the end credits roll, and there are very few (musical or non) who I believe will have a happy relationship or marriage. Gigi and Gaston have such a wonderful rapport, and they know each other so well, I hold complete confidence that they'll continue to get along through the decades. More than any other fictional couple, Gigi and Gaston truly love and appreciate each other.
I've seen the original French non-musical film, and the story isn't very endearing. Gigi calls Gaston "Uncle", which is quite creepy when he decides to make her his mistress. This delightful, charming, and hilarious screenplay is a wonderful adaptation. Gaston is a friend of the family, but there's always a flirtatious edge to their interactions; "Uncle" would be a completely inappropriate nickname. Gigi's character is beautifully written with a mixture of girlish silliness and surprising maturity. Audrey Hepburn played the part in the Broadway stage play, and I'm very glad she turned down the film adaptation in favor of dancing with Fred Astaire in Funny Face. Despite her Oscar-winning performance in Roman Holiday, I've never thought Audrey could come across as innocent. She seemed bored and sad, like she's done everything already and found none of it very exciting. Gigi has to be innocent, and she can never appear bored. She looks through life with fresh eyes, which is the basis of her appeal to Gaston (who sings an entire song about his own boredom). Leslie Caron is delightful, and as fresh as can be. It feels like she's saying every line for the first time and coming up with it on the spot without the aid of a screenplay. Her expressions are surprising, her mannerisms impulsive, and it's a privilege to watch her grow up throughout the two hours.
There is literally no flaw in Gigi. Lerner and Loewe's original songs are sweet and funny, and they sound like they were written at the turn of the century, rather than in 1958. Vincent Minnelli's direction has an abundance of color and vivid imagery, showing off Paris, Trouville, and Maxim's, as well as the actors. Maurice Chevalier is charming as he talks to the camera, reminding audiences of his tongue-in-cheek performances from the early 1930s. Louis Jordan is handsome and privileged, and he makes it easy to understand how he enjoys visiting his poorer friends, since people in his own class are so shallow and predictable. Even Hermione Gingold puts extra feeling into her character. If she complains about the price of meat at the market and Gaston sends her prime cuts in the morning, is there any harm in it? If she believes turning Gigi into a courtesan would do more harm than good, she'll stand up for her. She truly cares for Gaston, but she cares for her granddaughter more.
Although I believe Gigi is one of the best movies ever made, I'm not so biased that I claim everyone will agree with me. It's not a very manly movie. It's fluffy and full of songs. But if you're a girl and you like beautiful visuals, you'll probably love it. There's no reason not to. And no matter how many times you watch it over how many years or decades, it's impossible to tire of it.
Gaby (1956)
Remake of "Waterloo Bridge"
The story of Waterloo Bridge is boring, melodramatic, and not worth remaking. Yet, in 1956, Hollywood produced a remake starring Leslie Caron and John Kerr. She looked incredibly beautiful, and her innocence was radiating. Kerr seemed to be nearly the same as he was in Tea and Sympathy, but since they were the same year, perhaps he just got his characters confused. If she weren't so pretty, I probably wouldn't have stuck through the movie.
If you don't know the story, it features a soldier on a brief leave who falls for a chorus girl in London. They have a whirlwind courtship, and when he's sent back to the front, she worries terribly. She makes a terrible decision, which makes no sense, given her character, and ruins her life. Since the remake starred Leslie Caron, the English chorus girl was changed to a French ballet dancer. Neither one was really given a reason to fall in love so quickly, hence the melodrama of the story. And although this version was watered down quite a bit to appeal to the censorship board, I still don't think her choice makes sense. If you love Leslie like I do, just stick with Gigi.
Father Goose (1964)
Unbelievably hilarious
I'm not even a Cary Grant fan, but I loved him in Father Goose. He's totally different than his usual debonaire image, instead playing a scruffy, drunken bum. His idea of helping the war effort is to sit it out and hide away, drunk, in his little boat. Trevor Howard, who knows his best, feels it's a shame for an able-bodied seaman to loaf around during wartime (this movie takes place in the 1940s, despite Leslie Caron's hairstyle), so he tricks Cary into a rescue mission with bribes of whiskey bottles hidden all over the island. When Cary shows up, instead of the soldier needing rescue, it's a French governess with seven little girls in tow! Cary's angry and resentful, but Trevor tells him their resources are focused elsewhere and they'll have to make due living on the island together.
Father Goose is hilarious, and unlike countless other comedies made during the 1960s, it actually stands the test of time. The style of humor really hasn't changed that much, and it could easily be remade with George Clooney and Marion Cotillard. I've probably seen this movie twenty times, and it never gets less funny. It's endlessly quotable ("All of them, Frank." "My coconut is empty..." "It looked like a snake!") and Leslie's and Cary differences make them excellent sparring partners. She's prim, he's sloppy; she tries to maneuver, he cuts to the chase; she's responsible; he's lazy. As the film states, it's a battle between Goody-two-shoes and the filthy beast. If you've never seen Father Goose (or even heard of it), rent it. You won't believe how funny it is.
Fanny (1961)
Classic French melodrama
Leslie Caron has such a beautiful, innocent-looking face. She's always able to insert freshness into her roles, which is why she got typecast as those types of characters - but there are worse traps to fall into, right? An American in Paris, The Man with a Cloak, Lili, Daddy Long Legs, Gaby, Gigi, and Fanny all endeared the audience to her innocence. On paper, some of these characters could have come across as stupid or frustrated the viewers by her lack of good judgment. But Leslie was always likable. She may trust the wrong man, but we want the best for her in the end.
In Fanny, only Leslie could make her likable. She's a young girl with a crush on Horst Buchholz (This was the first movie I saw him in, so I always refer to him as "Fanny's boyfriend"). She lives in a very small French fishing village and sells fish with her mother. Horst works in a tavern run by his father, and he has always dreamed of sailing around the world. Leslie sees nothing wrong with settling down in their small town, raising babies, and never branching out. Does she really love him, or is he merely the only young man she's ever met? Okay, it doesn't hurt that he's cute. But they really don't share common views or goals. When, in a moment of weakness, Leslie and Horst spend the night together, he feels obligated to stay and marry her. She doesn't want that kind of love, so she tells him to pursue his dream and leave on the next boat.
This is a classic French story, so you can expect some melodramatic elements to it. What's going to happen in a couple of months when Leslie regrets her refusal to marry him? She does live in a small town where gossip thrives on bad reputations. . . In the supporting cast are veteran French actors Charles Boyer and Maurice Chevalier. Charles, for some unknown reason, was nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars, even though he's the third male lead. Horst is, obviously, the lead, followed by Maurice, who has some meaty scenes. Charles had nothing to do. Horst's angst is wonderfully expressed, and even though he does wrong by Leslie, you understand why he feels the way he does. Maurice has some tearjerker scenes that make you feel sorry that he puts his heart above his head too many times. But Charles doesn't do anything.
There have been lots of film adaptations of Fanny, and even a stage musical, so you have quite a few to choose from if you like the story. I've seen a few versions, and my favorite is this English-language film. The cast is extremely compelling. With Horst as the cute bad boy and Leslie as the innocent girl next door, you'll need to keep watching, even if you don't like the way the story's heading.
La diagonale du fou (1984)
Boring and hard to follow
Usually, movies that win the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar are weird and upsetting. There are a couple of exceptions, notably Babette's Feast, and Dangerous Moves. The latter is a fictionalized account of a chess match between two world leaders. Chess lovers, beware: the bulk of the movie focuses on their personal lives, not strategy on the board.
Michel Piccoli and Alexandre Arbatt are from the Soviet Union and Hungary, respectively, and they meet on neutral territory in Switzerland. Their female companions are Liv Ullman and Leslie Caron, as an attempt to get the audience to pay attention. It didn't work for me, since I still found the movie boring and hard to follow. Michel and Alexandre have internal struggles, flashbacks, and political conflicts. This isn't really a symbolic representation of the Cold War; both men feel pressure to make their countries proud while wondering if they will still have patriotic support if they lose. If you'd like to see a highly dramatic, foreign movie with great acting and chess as a minor plot point, check out Brainwashed. This one just isn't very interesting.
Damage (1992)
A very heavy story
This very, very nasty movie shows the damage one woman can inflict upon one family. I rented it in college for movie night because I thought it was going to be steamy. My roommate and I loved to laugh at those kinds of movies; we howled our way through 9 ½ Weeks. But the plot of Damage was so upsetting, we were stone-faced the entire time. Sure, there are a couple of hilarious scenes (and by that, of course, I mean extremely graphic sex scenes), but given the context, it's not really appropriate to describe them as "steamy". Just as I wouldn't recommend In the Bedroom to parents, I really wouldn't recommend this one either.
Juliette Binoche plays the young woman who is so irresistibly sexy, Jeremy Irons can't keep his pants zipped. He really should, since she's the girlfriend of his son, Rupert Graves. She's not a great choice for anyone in the family, as matriarch Miranda Richardson senses right away. But Jeremy shows he's a despicable person by pursuing a side relationship with Juliette - she's pretty lousy, too, but his behavior is absolutely ridiculous.
Again, this is a very heavy movie. If you do watch it, you'll understand why Miranda thought she had the Supporting Actress Oscar in the bag. The Academy must have thought the movie was too upsetting to honor, so they voted in favor of the light-hearted and completely adorable Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny. Personally, I would have put Marisa in the category she belonged (Actress in a Leading Role) and voted for Miranda in Supporting.
Diddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to graphic sex scenes, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.
An American in Paris (1951)
Famous but a little tedious
Leslie Caron was given the best entrance ever in An American in Paris. She was dancing in a French ballet when Gene Kelly discovered her and decided to give her a Hollywood career. Since no one in the audience knew who she was, her opening scene was that much more charming: Her boyfriend, Georges Guétary, is describing how wonderful she is to a very receptive Oscar Levant. Whenever Georges lists one of her attributes, the film cuts to Leslie in a new outfit and environment. She's graceful in formalwear, seductive in her boudoir, carefully tiptoeing around, wild as a flapper girl, studiously reading, and twirling with pep in a tutu. In all five vignettes, she's showing her ballet skills and smiling at the camera. She completely endears herself to the audience without even saying a word.
The rest of the movie, though famous, is a little long. If you're not a die-hard musical fan, you don't stand a chance. I love the genre, and I still don't like it that much. I don't usually find the starving artist trope easy to root for, and Gene plays the titular character who can't sell his paintings. Leslie is very sweet, and they both are terrific dancers, but the numbers go on and on and on - there's a famous seventeen-minute ballet at the end of the film. Professional dancers love the risk Hollywood took filming almost twenty minutes without dialogue or singing, but the rest of us probably spend more time searching for those last unpopped kernels at the bottom of the bucket than looking at the screen. Yes, there are a host of Gershwin classics you'll get to listen to, like "I've Got Rhythm" and "Our Love Is Here to Stay", but it's a very long movie that only dancers can really appreciate.
Yesterday (2019)
What a lovely and touching surprise
Yesterday might have the worst created trailer I've ever seen. I remember going to watch Rocketman in the theaters and seeing Yesterday in the "coming attractions". Coming on the heels of both Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody, it seemed like a gigantic copy, trying to capitalize on the popularity of filling a movie with a bunch of songs from one artist. It looked both bizarre and boring, without humor or deeper meaning. To quote my grandfather, "I wouldn't walk across the street to see it."
I was wrong on all accounts. Yesterday is not a copy of either film. It's not boring, it's hilarious, and it has great meaning. Yes, it is a bit bizarre, but that's the premise of the story. Himesh Patel (in his theatrical debut) stars as an unsuccessful folk singer who performs in coffee shops when his devoted friend and manager, Lily James, can get him a gig. One night, while bicycling home, there's a global blackout and he gets hit by a bus. When he recovers, he's shocked to learn that neither his friends, the rest of the world, nor even the Internet, know who the Beatles are. Either he's living in a dream, he's escaped to a parallel universe, or the blackout caused massive changes, but the Beatles never existed. So, since no one has heard their songs before, if he can remember the music and lyrics accurately, he can pretend he wrote them. But is it the magic of the Beatles themselves that made the songs popular? Were the 1960s the one and only time the songs would make such a splash? Or are they timeless songs that everyone will fall in love with, regardless of the era and performer? (Rather than four-part harmony and a full band, Himesh performs solo with his guitar.)
I only reluctantly rented this movie to honor the beautiful Lily James as Star of the Week on Hot Toasty Rag, but I ended up loving it. I loved the little tributes to the Beatles that I only learned later through reading online trivia. I loved the humor, the excellent comic timing of the cast, and the realism mixed in with fantasy. I loved the extremely touching message. The only fly in the ointment was Kate McKinnon, who was supposed to play a money-grubbing, heartless manager from LA, but really only came across as someone so full of hatred, she could barely function, let alone recite her lines. Thankfully, she didn't have too much screen time. The rest of the movie was lovely. I only wish the trailer had been better made so I could have seen the film in the theaters. I'm already looking forward to watching it again.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There are some random canted angles throughout the movie, and although it might make you sick, it's not that bad. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
Burnt (2015)
Fun twists to the plot
In a typecast role, Bradley Cooper stars in Burnt as a very egotistical man who isn't kind. It's unfortunate that he's been typecast that way (although it's understandable, since he plays that role well) because in movies where he isn't (The Words, American Sniper), he's equally as convincing. In any case, in Burnt, he's so consumed by his own talent, he doesn't care about hurting people's feelings, overstepping boundaries, and being downright cruel. He has two Michelin stars to his name and wants the challenge of earning a third; but since he's "burned" too many bridges, no one wants to work with him.
Eventually, he recruits the best of the best to join him in his kitchen, but the environment he provides them with is intolerable. He throws plates, screams, criticizes, and one evening actually informs his staff that he's going to give refunds to all the customers and write them letters of apology because of their work. Personally, I don't like glorifying behavior like that (such as in Whiplash), but there are two directions this movie can take: either Bradley remains a jerk and ends up alone and despised, or he learns his lesson and becomes kind and appreciative. You won't get any spoilers from me, but if you want to take a 50-50 chance on the second ending, there's a 50-50 chance you'll be happy.
Somehow, this movie drew a huge cast. Either everyone wanted to work with Bradley Cooper, director John Wells, or just wanted a free trip to England. But while watching Burnt, you'll see countless gourmet meals being prepared, and also Sienna Miller, Emma Thompson, Daniel Bruhl, Omar Sy, Matthew Rhys, Riccardo Scamarcio, Alicia Vikander, Lily James, and Uma Thurman. Food lovers will love watching the gourmet meals prepared in this movie, as well as indie fans who like a glimpse into a niche world.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There is an active camera throughout this movie, following the actors with motion, and using quick cuts with unusual angles, and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
Branagh Theatre Live: Romeo and Juliet (2016)
I stuck with it for Lovely Lily
Let me preface my review for the 2016 live production of Romeo and Juliet by declaring that I am absolutely not the target audience for it. I did everything I could to get out of studying Shakespeare in school (both in English and drama classes), and I've never since learned to appreciate it. Among his works, Romeo and Juliet might be my worst. I'm very sorry, but I hate it. Why would I sit through three hours of a live, very stylized production of it? For love of Lily James. She won me (and everyone else) over during Downton Abbey in 2012, and in the following decade, she proved that leaving the franchise was the not the breaking of her - but the making of her! Before reaching the tender age of thirty-five, she's tackled Jane Austen, Daphne du Maurier, Shakespeare, and Tolstoy. She's mimicked the mannerisms of Meryl Streep, Joan Fontaine, Anne Baxter, and Pamela Anderson. She's been directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh twice (once would be honor enough), and in comedies, dramas, period pieces, and musicals, acted alongside A-tier actors: Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Jim Broadbent, Pierce Brosnan, Bradley Cooper, Tom Courtenay, Ralph Fiennes, Colin Firth, Carey Mulligan, Gary Oldman, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Sarsgaard, Maggie Smith, Meryl Streep, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Emma Thompson. I'm so proud of her versatility, and beyond happy for her success.
Alright, I'm done with my fan letter. Now you know why I sat through Shakespeare to see her play the beautiful, ill-fated (and in my opinion, stupid) Juliet. I was very pleased with her performance, and hopefully her director was, too. If you've read my reviews, you know that I've frequently called Shakespearean a foreign language, one which I can't often decipher. When lovely Lily opened her mouth, I was able to understand about eighty percent of what she said - high praise! She had vivacious energy, irresistible innocence, and incredible passion.
As for the production, you should know what you're getting into. Although filmed live, it's in black-and-white, which is a bit odd, since you're constantly aware that the audience is able to watch the actors in living color. It's a modernized setting, with suits, skinny ties, and knee-length dresses. Between scene changes, jazz music plays and the actors frolic about. Randomly, people will ad-lib Italian (not interfering with the written dialogue) to remind you that it takes place in Verona. If you can get past all that, you can watch Richard Madden as a handsome and sweet Romeo, Derek Jacobi as a devoted Mercutio (a cute casting choice, since, if you really think about it, he could be an older friend of the family rather than a contemporary), and a cast who obviously loves Shakespeare far more than I do.
The Dig (2021)
Moving story
I've never been much of a Carey Mulligan fan, but either she took acting lessons, she started picking her movies better, or (God forbid! - just kidding) I've changed my mind. She couldn't have been better in Maestro, giving as much of a "What does it take to win an Oscar?" performance as Bradley Cooper, and in 2021's The Dig, she gave her audition for it. If it weren't for the irregular and distracting camerawork, I would have thought I were watching a documentary. Both she and her costar Ralph Fiennes were extremely convincing in their characters, shedding any semblance of being movie stars.
The subject of archaeology is rare in films, and perhaps it took a true story to get funding for a movie with A-tier actors. Carey hires Ralph to conduct a massive dig in the hills of her land, convinced there are artifacts to be found. It's fascinating to watch him work, and her young son starts idolizing him. When Carey's health takes a turn for the worse, there's a double meaning in her quest: she fears she can no longer explore the future and must only revisit the past, and if artifacts are found on her property, she'll have a legacy.
This WWII-set story is quite moving, but my one criticism is Simon Stone's directing. His endless use of handheld camera aside (which constantly took me out of the story), he also frequently employed pseudo flash-forwards. He would cut the current scene off visually, letting the dialogue continue to loop over the following scene. I understand he was making a point in one's current decisions impacting one's future, but it made me constantly aware I was watching a movie - once again, taking me out of the story. I do recognize his intentional style, though, and if you don't think you'll mind, you can check out The Dig.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie will not be your friend. In nearly every scene, the camera acts as though its operator is shifting his weight from foot to foot in anticipation of a restroom break, and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
What's Love Got to Do with It? (2022)
I fundamentally disagree with the message
Shazad Latif and Lily James have grown up friends, living next door since they were young. Now, in their thirties, they're single and established in their careers: he's an oncologist and she's a film documentarian. Shazad, very close to his British-Pakistan roots, decides to get an "assisted marriage", enlisting the help of a marriage broker and his parents to find him a stable, family-oriented bride. Lily is shocked and tries to understand his decision and the process (steeped in thousands of years of tradition) by filming it as her next project. While Lily believes passion and love are crucial in matchmaking, Shazad and his family (as well as other couples Lily interviews à la When Harry Met Sally) maintain that internal compatibility and like-minded values are much more important. They use a beautiful phrase: "It's better to fall in like, and walk into love."
Silly me, I thought that was going to be the point of the story. I thought Lily, whose character was unsteady and floundering (she lives on a houseboat, has a temperamental vocation, gets drunk at nightclubs and has one-night stands, and has a quick-trigger insecurity button), would learn from her dear friend's example. Shazad gets engaged to a woman he's never met in person, trusting his parents that she'll be a good match. She has the same faith, background, future goals, and is pursuing higher education. Lily's mother, Emma Thompson, sets her up with a very good man, but because Lily feels no immediate chemistry, she maintains that Shazad and his family have the entirely wrong idea about matchmaking.
Now, I'll tell you what I really think. I felt sorry for Emma Thompson, relegated to the "kooky old lady" role who gets laughed at by doing what we all should actually be striving to do: enjoying her life. She lets loose dancing at a wedding regardless of the cultural differences, she loves her dog, she finds a kind, generous, educated, and available man to set up with her daughter, and she supports her friends and even correctly learns part of their language. What is laughable about that?
What's laughable is the mere presence of a parent. The message of this movie is, unfortunately, that parents are wrong about everything. They are out-of-touch, judgmental, embarrassing, unsupportive, rigid, don't understand modern technology or humor, and should never, ever make a suggestion about their child's life. If they do, that automatically means the child isn't good enough the way they are; the suggestion is always a terrible idea because, don't forget, the parent doesn't understand anything about their child or the way the world works. Lily accuses Emma of only valuing her as half a person without a man in her life, but I wish women with similar incorrect beliefs would understand why their mothers want them to "settle down" so badly: Mothers see how unhappy and emotionally stunted their daughters are, and they fear a life "alone" without anyone to take care of them. Since mothers don't live forever, they want to know kind, responsible, mature sons-in-law will be there taking care of their babies after they've gone. It has nothing to do with seeing their daughters as "losers" or "incomplete" without a man.
I fundamentally disagree with the message of this film. And, for the record, I'm the target audience for this movie: a single woman in her early thirties who's dated a string of losers. The message could have been a beautiful one, showing two couples who don't find love at first sight but instead get to know each other and walk into love. Lily could have matured and gotten her act together. Throughout the movie, she babysits a friend's daughters and tells them "fractured fairy tales" about Snow White, Cinderella (funnily enough, since she played Cinderella in 2015), and Red Riding Hood, where the girls realize that men aren't the answer and they instead live happily ever after by themselves with wisdom and independence. It turns out, she's only telling these stories to make herself feel better about being single - which she desperately doesn't want to be. She doesn't believe a word of these stories. More than anything, she wants a Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet with overwhelming love and romance. As Shazad says at the start of the movie, passion doesn't last. The greatest show of maturity is to think past the present moment, and that includes "falling in love".
The ending of this movie is appalling. It's unrealistic and will please no one except very young, immature audiences who don't understand the importance of culture, tradition, family, and future planning. With the exception of films with excessive violence, crime, and gratuitous sex, this is one of the most unsettling movies I've seen in a long time. Had Shazad been forced into an arranged marriage, my feelings would have been different. Had he been in love with Lily all his life, but to please his family, decided to set aside his deep feelings and marry someone within his faith, my criticisms probably wouldn't have existed.
To my fellow target audience members: please try to fall in like with someone and walk into love. Please think about the future. Please try to grow up.
The Pursuit of Love (2021)
Started off cute, got frustrating
I loved the beginning of The Pursuit of Love, a three-part miniseries starring Lily James and Emily Beecham. They start as seventeen-year-old cousins and best friends and end up fifteen years later, pregnant and dodging bombs in WWII (no spoilers; that's the first minute of screen time). As youths, they're anxious to explore the world and fall in love. Emily has been formally educated; Lily has not. There's an arguable point to the series that their educations are responsible for their fundamentally different life paths, but there are other contributing factors as well. Lily's father, Dominic West (in a hilariously over-the-top character I would love to learn more about), is overbearing and refuses to let his children leave the nest and branch out. Lily wants to do everything she's told not to, and she ends up lying to sneak out of the house and go to a co-ed party at Oxford with a boy she fancies.
Lily volleys between extreme emotions and believes the only purpose in the world is to have passionate love affairs - regardless of whom she hurts along the way. She doesn't care about infidelity, divorce, scandal, personal safety, or abandonment. As much as we hope she will, she never matures or thinks of anyone but herself.
And, as much as we hope she won't, Emily always forgives her cousin, welcomes her home with open arms, and cleans up her mess. These girls have a very close friendship, and as the series plays out, we understand why. Emily's mother is a boozy, old flirt who abandoned her as a child and flitted from one love affair to another. Lily turns out exactly like her, and because of the similarities, Emily finds it impossible to cut her out of her life. She can't get her mother to love her, but if she gets Lily to love her, perhaps it will heal that terrible wound.
Although parts were entertaining and downright delightful, Lily's character devolved into someone so despicable, I didn't enjoy the rest of the miniseries. I liked all the scenes involving Emily and her husband, Shazad Latif (who would play opposite Lily in the following year's What's Love Got to Do with It?). They were both steady characters with maturity and common life views. But Lily's character was so unlikable - no, hate-able - that I longed for her to get some sort of comeuppance. Since I normally like Lily James as an actress, she must be quite talented to be so convincingly awful. Oh, one more interesting tidbit: Emily Mortimer (who plays Emily's mom) is the writer and director of the series!
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)
Feel-good story - what a relief!
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: what a nice movie. Parts are predictable, parts are a little too sweet for real life, but does that matter? In a time when movies rely on seriously upsetting subject matter, excessive sex, and gore to get attention, I am more than happy to watch one where I can see the happy end on the horizon. Full of a charming supporting cast, Tom Courtenay, Penelope Wilton, Michiel Huisman, Katherine Parkinson, and Jessica Brown Findlay start the titular book club during WWII as a way to maintain their friendship and keep up morale. With the war over, a successful English authoress, Lily James, and her publisher, Matthew Goode, get wind of the club and think it would be a great subject for her next novel. Off she goes to the countryside to meet the members, interview them, and write their story.
Only, not everyone welcomes the potential publicity with open arms. It certainly helps that Lily is pretty and has a lovely, vivacious personality, but the fact remains that there are some secrets they'd rather keep to themselves. As Lily digs deeper into whatever mystery they're hiding, she gets to know each of them better and learns valuable lessons along the way.
Don't get me wrong: this isn't going to give you a cavity. Parts of the story are very dramatic and won't make you feel good. But on the whole, it will. It'll also give you a little chuckle to see four Downton Abbey cast members in one film. I was very happy to see Tom Courtenay still bustling about, even though I hadn't seen him in a while and was surprised by his white hair. And, I'm very tempted to read the original novel!
Without spoiling anything, there's a great line of dialogue in a breakup scene that you don't usually see in movies. "You deserve better. And you'll get it," the dumper says. "I'm sure I will," the dumpee replies, "but not at this table. Goodbye." Isn't that perfect? If you like WWII movies without the war violence, or if you like quirky book clubs, check out this well made film.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. The first ten minutes features some handheld camera activity, and it will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
Gone (2012)
Simple story, pretty harmless
If you're looking for a pretty harmless teen thriller, and you like Amanda Seyfried, you can check out Gone. I'm a lightweight with horror movies, and it's not my idea of a good time to watch a serial killer or a kidnap victim fighting for her life. However, I was able to sit through this one without even hiding behind my pillow. I didn't expect much from it, so I wasn't disappointed. See what you think:
It's a simple story, one that has filled hundreds of paperback novels: Amanda was kidnapped, kept in a hole in the middle of the woods, and when she escaped, the police never caught the culprit. One night, her sister disappears, and Amanda is convinced she's been taken by the same man from before - only the police don't believe her. Full of fear, rage, and nothing left to lose, she tries to find the kidnapper herself. But with detectives Daniel Sunjata, Kate Moennig, and Wes Bentley on the case, who will find out the truth first?
Rebecca (2020)
Much better than the original
This 2020 adaptation of Daphne de Maurier's classic is the third Rebecca I've seen, and it's by far my favorite. I'm quick to judge a Netflix movie as being too full of sex, violence, and weak dialogue, but this was an excellent film in all respects. Every scene immersed me in the 1930s, from the material of the costumes to the production design to the cars (oh, the cars!). There weren't any sex scenes, and there was nothing violent or grotesque. Thank you, Netflix!
Instead, what we're left with is a high quality drama starring Lily James, Armie Hammer, and Kristin Scott Thomas. Lily starts the movie as a lowly ladies' companion on vacation in Europe. She meets Armie at a hotel, and after a few days of exciting excursions, her employer decides to cut her trip short and return to New York. Rather than be parted from his new amour, Armie proposes marriage! But the spontaneous, thrilling partner she thinks she found completely changes once they return from their honeymoon and settle down in his estate, Manderley. He's moody, closed off, and cold. Lily is overwhelmed at being the lady of such a great house, having to order servants and plan menus. Kristin was devoted to her former mistress, and it doesn't take Lily long to develop a serious insecurity that she can never live up to Armie's first wife.
Obviously, if you've seen the 1940 original, you don't need a plot synopsis. But there are a lot of people who haven't, especially in the Netflix crowd. This story is tense and keeps you engrossed, even though it's a period piece without any sex thrown in for modern audiences. Lily is a very compelling heroine, and while she completely makes her character her own, she also channels her great respect for Joan Fontaine her predecessor from eighty years ago. The hunch of her shoulders and some of her meek and frightened facial expressions are no accident; Miss James is an excellent mimic. She's a very versatile actress whom I'm happy to see has risen to the ranks of A-tier. I'm looking forward to seeing more of her work in the future!