Reviews

My Man Godfrey is a 1936 romantic comedy directed by Gregory La Cava. The film stars William Powell and Carole Lombard playing the parts of Godfrey "the forgotten man" and the socialite who hires Godfrey to be a butler for her family. The dialog is very good and I particularly like the sets and costume design. The lighting and cinematography was classy, and there were some interesting camera work. For example, in one scene the camera track a person as the walk through the house but as the move between rooms a staircase puts the person out of view and the camera continues to move and then picks the person back up in the shot through another doorway. These are the types of filmmaking nuance that have to be seen to be appreciated.

Casablanca is a 1942 romantic drama directed by Michael Curtiz, but the strength of the film is that classification does not entirely do it justice. The story could also be called a war movie, even though there isn't any traditional war action and has a film noir feel at times.

The film stars Humphrey Bogart as Rick and Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa. There is some terrific dialog and many famous lines, such as when Rick toasts Ilsa saying "Here's looking at you, kid". Delivered perfectly of course.

The cinematography is excellent, and I thought the filming of the scenes inside the bar were very impressive. The lighting was very interesting, with some film noir style lighting at times. Bergman was often filmed with a very gauzy look, but it was subtle, in fact it was beautiful, but it didn't distract from the film. The music is perfection, and is the acting.

I need to see this again as I am sure I missed a lot as the story is a little complex and there is a lot going on on screen.

Nothing Sacred is a 1937 screwball romantic comedy filmed in Technicolor and directed by William A. Wellman. Carole Lombard and Fredric March star in this somewhat unrealistic, over the top story, but the acting is solid, entertaining, and there is a strong supporting cast as well. The cynical nature of the press is portrayed in an entertaining manner and the scenes in the newspaper offices are well done, with excellent cinematography, lighting and snappy dialog. The snappy dialog accompanies a snappy pace that starts at the beginning with character caricatures and whimsical upbeat music and then a transition to city scenery and narration. The "Hello Hazel" skywriting is pretty cool.

Don't watch Young Mr. Lincoln for history, it is fictionalized. However, the film is well crafted, and while it starts off slow, it picks up pace, particularly with the courtroom scenes. Directed by John ford, the cinematography, scenery, sets, and dialog all have a realistic feel. The use of scenery early in the film that was filmed on location set the mood of Lincoln as a rational, thinking man.There are many intermediate to fairly long takes, and that serves the film well as it deliberately picks up the pace. The courtroom scenes play out well, the sounds from the crowd are well done, the dialog is effective and the story is realistic,even though fictionalized.

Stagecoach is an entertaining, fast paced 1939 western film directed by John Ford. It stars John Wayne in a role that put him on the map after years of relative obscurity toiling in Poverty Row movies before Ford insisted on having him play the role of Ringo Kid. Shots filmed in Monument Valley and other location are very impressive. The stunt effects of one scene in particular later in the movie are amazing and must have been terribly risky.

While the primary plot is a little thin, it holds its own but thankfully is buttressed by interesting and entertaining secondary characters and sub-plots. The camera work, lighting, and costumes, sets etc. all provide a very realistic impression.

White Zombie is a 1932 independent pre-Code horror film directed by brothers Victor Halperin and Edward Halperin. Bad, uninspiring, unbelievable acting, combined with a ridiculous story, poor continuity and flow resulted in my really not enjoying this film. As I watched this as part of class I did not turn it off, but instead tried to focus on identifying some good aspects of the film. High points were the lighting, and a lot of the sets and scenery were impressively shown through the design and cinematography. That said, I was a zombie by the end of the film and was happy to be put out of my misery as the film was done in a merciful length of just sixty-seven minutes.

Hell's House, directed by Howard Higgin, is an engaging film and has a similar message as I am a Fugitive from a Chair Gang and other films from the pre-code early 1930's that dealt with the injustices of the criminal justice system. In this film the unfairness and brutality of the juvenile justice and detention system is the primary story line. The adult actors were all excellent and convincing, but the younger actors dialog and skills weren't as effective. Regardless, the story is solid, and the visuals, lighting and sound are all solid. There are a variety of scenes and locations, and the pace moved along briskly, which is good because the story was not particularly complex, but the message is still important.

The classic Frankenstein is a horror film directed by James Whale in 1931. This genre of film is not my favorite, but I found this film to be interesting and somewhat entertaining. The special effects are really quite impressive given the time period the film was made, especially the electrical current effects during the scene where the monster comes to life. Even more impressive is the that the monster created by Dr. Frankenstein is not cheesy like many supposedly more modern horror films. The lighting, set design and cinematography are all very impressive, and even more so given the technological limitations at that time.

I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is a 1932 film that has many powerful elements in the story. There is the injustice of the criminal justice system, from policing to the court system to jail, to redemption after a fall from grace and honor. Based on Robert Elliot Burns' real life story, the cinematography, lighting, sets and scenery are all very realistic. The editing is also very compelling, and I found the use of various modes of transportation to show the passage of time to be quite effective. This technique also served to enhance the mise-en-scene of the film as it progressed to different points in the character life, both in his experiences but also the movement around the country over the course of the film.

My second silent film for the class that I viewed for my class was just as entertaining as the first, which was Charlie Chaplin's The Circus. Buster Keaton playing the role of the movie projectionist Sherlock Jr. was very entertaining. The story is simple, yet interesting and fun, and the movie comes in at much less than one hour, 44 minutes to be exact. While there are a few points in the movie that are disjointed and not as fun, overall you can stay engrossed enough until you get to some really cool and innovative special effects, which given the technological limitations when this was filmed in the 1920's are simply amazing.

While I'm historically not a fan of silent movies, yet again as a result of the class where I watched The Circus I need to revisit these types of films, and Charlie Chaplin in particular. The Circus is a masterpiece of movie making. Clocking in at just over an hour, 71 minutes to be exact, the story, acting, and the cinematography reels you into the Chaplin's The Tramp world and keeps you entertained throughout. The chase scenes and circus action must of been unbelievably complex to film given the technology of that time period. The editing is tight and the pace brisk a fun. Sit back, enjoy the ride and The Circus!

Mildred Pierce is a classic film noir, and I like the fact that the main character was a female, as were some of the more compelling characters. The acting of Joan Crawford playing the role of Mildred was top notch and Eve Arden almost steals the show for me with her portrayal of Mildred's sassy friend and employee Ida. Ann Blyth playing the role of the bratty, manipulative, unappreciative daughter of Mildred is an awesome performance, diminished only by my not finding the character believable given the ethic and values of her mother Mildred. The use of the flashback and narration to tell the story keeps things moving along briskly and you never know how it is going to end until the end.

I'm not much of a fan of musicals, but I'm a fan of Singin' in the Rain! Most musicals I find either boring, forced, or both. Either the music and dancing is forced into the story or the story is forced into the music and dancing. Not with this film. It all flows together and packs quite a punch. The music and choreography are excellent and then when you add in the story, dialog and comedic elements you get a truly wonderful experience. The acting and comedic elements are intertwined with two story lines, the transition from silent films to talkies, but also evolving relationship between Don Lockwood and Kethy Selden. This a must see film!

I have seen Night of the Hunter some years before seeing it again in class. Robert Mitchum plays the preacher who is really a killer and thief, and his performance is spooky and excellent. The scenery and cinematography are all portrayed in manner that sets the grim, disturbing, scary overall feel, but not in an over the top manner. The impact of the sound of the preacher singing the same song throughout was very effective, as was the visual of him slowly riding the horse as he continued to try to locate the children. I didn't get the fairy tale references and the creepy looking animals, so maybe I need to see this yet again.

All About Eve is a realistic portrayal of backstage Broadway theater, with a classic story structure centering on the aspiring, conniving young actress developing a relationship and using her wiles to attempt to replace the aging diva. The movie is set behind the scenes of the theater, and the story revolves around deception and ego.

The cinematography, lighting and set design, are all designed in a realistic manner, without any over the top elements. Costumes and makeup for each film are similarly very realistic.

Bette Davis is superb in her performance as the aging diva Margo Channing. The dialog and acting performances are spectacular.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner deals with affluent, socially liberal parents struggling with the news that their young daughter wants to marry a successful black man. The wardrobes, scenery and sets are elegant and beautiful making the movie very easy to watch. The realistic portrayal of the parents struggle with whether or not to give their consent and approval, with the story being told over the course of one day, is compelling. We all struggle with developing our personal value system, and this movie exhibits how it can be difficult when life puts you to the test. This film was not only entertaining, but it makes you think about the content and the message well afterwards.

Maybe Midnight Cowboy is not a movie I should have paired up for viewing with another somewhat depressing, gritty film based in NYC. Regardless, the story about friendship and what a person will do to survive and do for another person is compelling. I usually enjoy movies that utilize flashbacks but in this case I struggled to stay interested enough to really enjoy it.

I really enjoyed the soundtrack.

The performances of Hoffman and Voight are really spectacular. I have seen both actors in so many more recent movies prior to seeing this film and it is amazing to see where they started there careers. You can can definitely see why they have had such longevity and success.