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Reviews
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
A different change of pace........
By the end of "You Only Live Twice" in 1967, Sean Connery announced his departure from the biggest movie franchise at that time. After five films, the actor had grown tired of playing the suave and deadly secret agent and wanted to move onto other projects. Not surprisingly this left the Bond producers wondering who they were going to get to replace one of the popular male movie stars of the time.
The answer came from an unexpected source. 29 year old Australian born male model George Lazenby snared the part. With no acting experience behind him (save for a few television commercials), Lazenby was a truly unknown quantity. It's been argued by many that his performance in this film wasn't up to par and granted next to Connery, Lazenby does come of as an amateur. That being said, it's not as bad as some have made it out to be over the years. He does come off as stiff in some places but again for a guy who wasn't a trained actor and with no experience behind him, it's more than a passable performance.
To offset the leading man's lack of acting experience, the producers decided to cast an experienced actress and actor in the roles of the leading lady and villain. Enter Diana Rigg (fresh off her three year stint as the crime fighting karate kicking Emma Peel in "The Avengers) and Telly Salavas (taking over from Donald Pleasance) in the role of Blofeld.
Their casting proved ideal. Rigg was a trained stage actress and provided both depth and substance to the character of Tracy. Intelligent, charming and beautiful, she was also impulsive, reckless and brave. In other words, a perfect match for our hero. During the course of the film, you as a viewer buy into their passionate romance and can genuinely believe that Bond has fallen for this adventurous woman.
Whether it's driving a powerful sports cougar during a high speed car chase, skiing through the Swiss Alps to evade the bad guys, quoting poetry to the main villain to distract his attention or engaging in armed combat with some henchmen, Tracy is a fully fledged character and not just eye candy with a double entendre name who is just there for Bond to woo, bed and rescue. Rigg is the film's heart and soul and turns in the best performance in the movie.
Salavas provides a cool and calculating take as Blofeld. Ruthless and highly efficient, he has both the means and the skills to carry out his deadly threat. You never get the impression he's a push over and proves a deadly match for 007. Veteran European actors Ilse Steppart (who died just after the completion of this film and before it's theatrical release) and Gabriele Ferzetti also turn in fine supporting performances as Irma Bunt (Blofeld's nasty right hand woman) and Marc Ange Draco, Tracy's charismatic and charming crime lord father.
The film makes great use of it's location filming. Fantastic ski chases and the fight scenes themselves are quite impressive. Lazenby lends a great physical edge to the character and quite literally throws himself into these sequence very well adding a lot of credibility. The theme song "We Have All The Time In The World" sung by Jazz legend Louie Armstrong is moving and used to wonderful effect during a montage of Bond and Tracy embarking on their romance. Given the movie's personal tone, it's romantic side is touching leading up to the tragic conclusion at the end of the film where Lazenby nails the last scene with effectiveness.
In the hands of first time director Peter R Hunt, "OHMSS" is a solid and impressive debut. Quite often thought of a the black sheep in the series, this film has many fine moments and strips back many of the excessive elements that had clogged up the series. It also provided the character of Bond with a much needed human touch which was a nice change of pace. Well worth checking out for those who want a Bond film with the action and suspense but heart as well......
Ratatouille (2007)
A feast for the eyes & mind......
Brad Bird proves with the charming effort, that he is one of the best directors currently working in the field of animation and Pixar once again shows why they are the "leaders of the pack".....
"Ratatouille" tells the tale of a young rat named Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt) who longs to be more than what he is. Inspired by the great chef August Gusteau (Brad Garrett), Remy discovers his passion for food and cooking. In quick succession a series of events sees him separated from his family and all alone in the great city of Paris.
Remy finds himself drawn to the restaurant of his idol Gusteau who has since passed away (in fact Gusteau stays on in the film as a "spirital guide" for Remy). In the process, another tale begins to emerge as a young man called Linguini (Lou Romano) also finds himself at Gusteau's seeking a job and in turn, the two end up being tied to each other's fates.
This movie successfully infuses a delightful blend of physical comedy and savvy wit humour. Combined with great animation, a lovely score from Michael Giacchino and great voice over work from Janeane Garofalo as the feisty young female chef Colette, Ian Holm as the devilish villain of the piece, Chef Skinner and Peter O'Toole (who was a master stroke of casting!) as the king of all critics Anton Ego.
Brad Bird is able to provide this animated feature with a level of depth and intelligence which adult audiences can appreciate and enjoy. "Ratatouille" proves that animated films can move beyond the cute and cuddly realm for which many find themselves stuck in. Granted, children can enjoy this movie and this is certainly plenty of moments for them to soak up, but what impressed me most about this film was the fact that it had layers of thought behind it which appealed to my sensibility.
Highly recommended..... :)
Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)
A Long Overdue Tribute To The Masters Of Soul......
"Standing In The Shadows Of Motown" is a wonderful insight into the sessions musicians who played on practically every track that Motown Records produced between 1959-1972. Known as "The Funk Brothers", these talented men helped craft a sound that became distinctive around the world. They were, the musical backbone of the legendary record label.
Directed by Paul Justman, this documentary highlights the trials and tribulations of "The Funk Brothers". With interviews from the surviving members, and concert footage of classic songs from many of today's artists such as Joan Osbourne, Ben Harper, Me'Shell Ndegeocello and several others, this is an entertaining and thoughtful look at the accomplishments these men have made to contemporary American music and the imprint they have left behind.
Fascinating, touching, amusing and at times tragic, this documentary is well worth checking out. For lovers of music and for those who enjoyed a good solid documentary, "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown" delivers the goods on both counts. See how things were done - Old school style.....