where ideas go to die
Roman Holiday –William Wyler –1953
Dalton Trumbo and John Dighton writers
*** (out of five)
Despite a peculiar start, “Holiday” is a charming and often moving picture. For the first several minutes, I felt the comic rhythm to be a little off but the story soon finds its way and the performances by Peck and Hepburn and so full of sincerity and warmth that the movie pays off beautifully.
Empire of the Sun –Steven Spielberg –1987
Tom Stoppard writer
*** (out of five)
“Empire” doesn’t quite work –the pacing feels a little off and there’s not as great a sense of urgency as one would hope. Nevertheless, much of it is quite powerful and Christian Bale’s performance is one of the finest by a juvenile I’ve ever seen.
The Bicycle Thief –Vittorio De Sica –1948
Vittorio De Sica (and five others) writers
***1/2 (out of five)
Throws the idea of High Concept out the window. This is nothing more than the story of a man’s attempts to recover his stolen bicycle; no more, no less. And it works beautifully. Elegant in its simplicity and heart-rending in its conclusion. The kind of movie that stays with you.
The Graduate –Mike Nichols –1967
Calder Willingham and Buck Henry writers
*** (out of five)
The Graduate was mostly excellent; it has a wonderfully askew sense of style and the acting is terrific. However, I thought it was a bit too indirect for its own good. There are long moments of unnecessary silence and some of the character interaction (particularly between Ben and Elaine) is not motivated strongly enough. Elaine in particular is a little too quick to forgive Ben’s affair with her mother. If we were to believe that she has fallen in love with Ben, their one date together should have been given more umph.
The Lady Eve –Preston Sturges –1941
Preston Sturges writer
***1/2 (out of five)
The very definition of Screwball Comedy. “Eve” is frothy and light but it does deliver on its promise. The actors are teriffic (with Henry Fonda showing quite a flair for physical comedy) and the direction and scripting are both solid. –It ain’t High Art but it is a lot of fun.
Stalag 17 –Billy Wilder –1953
Billy Wilder and Edwin Blum writers
*** (out of five)
Were it not for some cartoonishly broad comic interludes this would be a damn fine drama. The plotline with William Holden and the rest of the men in the barracks is taut and smartly told but it’s undermined by the digressive and silly sequences with “Shapiro” and “Animal”. Too bad too because otherwise it’s a great piece of work.
The Incredibles –Brad Bird –2004
Brad Bird writer
**** (out of five)
The Incredibles is one of the most sophisticated animated films I’ve ever seen. It has more in common with the Connery “Bond” films than it does with Toy Story. It’s yet another step forward in the remarkable evolution of Pixar. Not to beat a dead horse but DreamWorks Animation could really learn a lot by watching this picture. “Incredibles” succeeds because of its story and its characters; not because of a bunch of lame in-jokes and a loud, obnoxious soundtrack.
“Incredibles” biggest strength may also end up being a liability: it may be too adult for the younger set and boredom may set in. I have a feeling that the movie won’t end up making Shrek 2-style dollars and that’s really too bad since it’s a far, far better movie.
Equilibrium –Kurt Wimmer –2002
Kurt Wimmer writer
*** (out of five)
It’s clear they were shooting for another Matrix with this one and it’s not quite up to that level. Still, there are some clever ideas and some good performances even if the logic is a bit faulty at times. –Christian Bale is very convincing as an action star which bodes well for the forthcoming Batman Begins.
The Triplets of Belleville –Sylvain Chomet –2003
Sylvain Chomet writer
*** (out of five)
Were it not for an epilogue I didn’t quite understand and a chase scene that seemed to have been choreographed far too slow, I would have rated “Belleville” a little higher. The film is remarkably clever and very well animated indeed. A nice breath of fresh air in a world weighed-down by Shrek 2 and Shark Tale.
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