Category Archives: Writing

Philadelphia (1993)

24 Tuesday Jun 2014

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(Best sung to Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia”)
 
Lawyer Andrew Beckett is on top of his game
And earns from his law firm great acclaim.
But when he gets AIDS, he starts wasting away,
And is fired because he’s gay
On the streets of Philadelphia.
 
He seeks representation from a Joe Miller, who
Isn’t pleased with Andy’s plan to sue
His former bosses for the unfair break,
Which they claimed was for a lone mistake
They feigned in Philadelphia.
 
Joe takes a while to decide to assist,
Even though he wanted to resist.
He is scared of AIDS and has clear disdain,
But he opts to act the more humane
To this man of Philadelphia.
 
In the courtroom, Andy and his former firm
Make their cases, causing all to squirm.
Andy’s partner, family, and folks with signs
Give their full support, as he declines
In full view of Philadelphia.
 
Andy then collapses as the jury hears
All the witnesses with talk and tears.
Though he wins the battle against bigotry,
He still passes on, no more to see
The streets of Philadelphia.
________________
 

While TV shows like St. Elsewhere had highlighted homosexuality and AIDS in certain episodes, Philadelphia was one of the first films to bring it to the forefront with masterful actors and expert direction. Tom Hanks gives an astounding, Oscar-winning performance; the scene in which he comes outside after being declined help from Joe Miller is particularly affecting, since it epitomizes what Thoreau called “quiet desperation,” something I’ve felt myself. Denzel Washington is equally superb as Andy’s lawyer Joe Miller. It also features Antonio Banderas in one of his first English roles to garner wide recognition.

It’s a fantastic courtroom drama and a truly powerful film that isn’t just about gay people and discrimination but about treating everyone with humanity and respect, regardless of their race, gender, etc. One may not agree with Andrew Beckett’s lifestyle, but the film focuses on him as a person, his professionalism and skill as a lawyer, his love of opera, and his affectionate family. Miller himself is wary of Beckett at first, and there’s little indication that his gut feelings toward homosexuals have changed by the end, but he sees Andy as not just “a gay” but as a human being and cares enough to straighten Andy’s oxygen mask, despite his initial fear of AIDS.

As with his prior hit The Silence of the Lambs,director Jonathan Demme heightens the drama by utilizing his proven tactic of having the actors look straight into the camera for many scenes. (It’s so effective that I wonder why the same technique was criticized in the recent version of Les Miserables.)

The film starts and ends very strongly. First, Bruce Springsteen’s Oscar-winning song “Streets of Philadelphia” sets the somber mood for the whole film, and at the end is an incredibly melancholy scene in which Andy’s friends and family gather to mourn his death and watch old family movies of him as a child. It’s an utterly poignant final scene, demonstrating how the world and life’s choices can turn an innocent little boy into a gaunt man on his deathbed a scene earlier. Though it has the requisite profanity and crude dialogue, Philadelphia is a sad but influential film that opened up many conversations upon its release and one that continues to be timely to this day.

Best line: (the Judge) “In this courtroom, Mr. Miller, justice is blind to matters of race, creed, color, religion, and sexual orientation.” (Joe) “With all due respect, Your Honor, we don’t live in this courtroom, do we?”

VC’s best line: (Joe Miller, repeated several times) “Explain this to me like I’m a six-year-old.”

 
Artistry: 10
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 10
Watchability: 6
Other (language and some subject matter): -2
 
TOTAL: 42 out of 60
 

Next: #198 – Doc Hollywood

© 2014 S. G. Liput

139 Followers and Counting

 

#200: My Girl (1991)

23 Monday Jun 2014

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Vada Sultenfuss resides
In a funeral home; besides,
She’s just eleven, but her knack
Is being a hypochondriac.
Her one real friend is Thomas J.,
Who is allergic, by the way.
On her teacher, she has a crush,
Which she hides, despite a blush.
Although it’s summer, Vada speeds
To a class that Mr. Bixler leads,
A writing class for poetry,
Which she composes childishly.
 
Her undertaker dad did list
His need for a cosmetologist.
One Shelley answers, though misled,
And needs the job, despite the dead.
She’s worried for young Vada, who’s
Obsessed with death and morbid views.
Though Vada likes her, she grows mean
When Shelley and her dad are seen
Beginning a relationship,
Which Vada would much rather skip.
Yet Shelley’s kind and helps her through,
When fears of growing up debut.
 
Once Vada shares a kiss, her first,
With Thomas J., then comes the worst.
He goes to seek her lost mood ring,
But hornets swarm him as they sting.
Poor Vada’s shocked to learn he’s dead,
And at his funeral tears are shed.
She’s further stunned when it is said
That Mr. Bixler will soon wed.
She runs off, but when she returns,
Her father calms her deep concerns,
And life goes on with newer friends
And less distress for how life ends.
__________________
 

My Girl is one of those classic coming-of-age tales that also has an unexpected tearjerker ending. Though it lacks the obvious voiceover of Stand by Me, the whole film feels like a childhood flashback etched on someone’s memory. Anna Chlumsky is perfectly cast as young Vada Sultenfuss and does so well that it’s a shame she hasn’t done much else, though she’s had a recent comeback on shows like HBO’s Veep. Coming a year after Home Alone made him a star, the film also reminds us of how cute Macaulay Culkin was back in the day as the ever-allergic friend Thomas J. Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis are also spot-on in very different roles from when they starred together in Trading Places eight years earlier.

As with Murphy’s Romance, much of the film’s charm lies in its small moments: Vada’s first kiss with Thomas J., her incessant visits to the doctor to confirm that she’s dying (or not), Harry and Shelley’s bingo night (hmm, that is like Murphy’s Romance). There are also some hilarious scenes that exemplify the word dysfunctional. Picture this: Vada’s father carries on a conversation at the dinner table while her grandmother starts singing a Gershwin song while Vada is on the floor, pretending that her prostate is killing her. I can’t help but laugh.

With its innocent portrayal of childhood in 1972, My Girl is mostly clean as well (aside from some sexual dialogue during the poetry class), unlike other foul-mouthed coming-of-age stories like American Graffiti and Stand by Me. It’s a charming film that is sad, sweet, and funny all at once, with a ‘70s soundtrack and a touching poem at the end. What’s not to like?

Best line: (Vada) “Why do you think people want to get married?” (Thomas J.) “When you get old, you just have to.”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 8
Watchability: 9
 
TOTAL: 42 out of 60
 

Next: #199 – Philadelphia

© 2014 S. G. Liput

136 Followers and Counting

 

Murphy’s Romance (1985)

22 Sunday Jun 2014

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Emma Moriarty,
Who is hard-working and hearty,
Moves with son to Arizona,
With no money but a plan.
Having had it with divorces,
She will board and train some horses.
Soon she meets a town persona
Who is one heck of a man.
 
In the drugstore that he owns
Works the trusty Murphy Jones,
Who is so opinionated
That he’d rather pay in cash
Parking tickets he’s accepted
Just so his old car’s protected
So it won’t be desecrated
By a hoodlum acting rash.
 
Though he doesn’t help at first,
He proves kind when not coerced,
Helps her business getting started,
And makes visits frequently.
Emma’s ex soon rears his head,
In need of money and a bed
And acts as if they’d never parted,
Which she swallows grudgingly.
 
Bobby Jack is charismatic
But a loser problematic.
Though he claims that he has changed,
He is still a selfish jerk.
Murphy isn’t getting thinner
As he always stays for dinner.
Jealous glances are exchanged,
But Murphy doesn’t shirk.
 
After all four bond a while,
Emma won’t stand Bobby’s guile,
But before she sends him packing,
His twin babies find the place.
He stands up (perhaps) to duty,
Leaving with his latest beauty,
While poor Emma finds what’s lacking
In old Murphy’s warm embrace.
_________________
 

The year after she won the Best Actress Oscar for Places in the Heart, Sally Field filled a role both different and similar in Murphy’s Romance. Still a strong single mother forced to work for a living, she is more independent and self-reliant here while also depending on help from Murphy. Oscar nominee James Garner turns in his finest performance as the titular Murphy, who has just the right amount of folksy charm and tough, down-to-earth wisdom to make up for the fact he’s nearly twice Emma’s age. Brian Kerwin is appropriately unlikable as the loser ex-husband Bobby Jack (he utters the film’s lone F-word), while retaining some evidence of why Emma first found him appealing.

Since the plot is pretty simple and uneventful, the film thrives on its dialogue, and it’s one of the most underrated quotable movies out there. Murphy and Emma trade sharp wit throughout the film, and little lines here and there have found their way into my own family’s conversations. I love the affectionately realistic mother-son relationship between Emma and Jake, as well as the fond depiction of small-town life, preferring country dances and innocent bingo halls to slasher films and such. My VC also likes the score by Carole King (who had a cameo), featuring David Sanborn on sax.

Nevertheless, it deserves its PG-13 rating, with several profanities and some brief scenes of nudity and violence thrown in to appease the studio. The final scene indicating Emma and Murphy will spend the night together may be romantic, but it seems to ignore the fact that Emma’s son Jake is right there in the house. Aside from that, their clever exchanges are the highlights of the film and make it a near-perfect romance.

Best line: (Emma, questioning the number of candles on Murphy’s birthday cake) “Okay, what is it? How old are you, Murphy?”   (Murphy) “Just set the damn thing on fire.”

VC’s best line: (Murphy, at his birthday party) “My friends have overlooked my shortcomings, seen me through some dark days, and brightened up the rest of them. I’m glad to have them; I’m honored to have them; I’m lucky to have them.”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 9
Watchability: 10
Other (language, brief violence): -3
 
TOTAL: 42 out of 60
 

Next: #200 – My Girl

© 2014 S. G. Liput

136 Followers and Counting

 

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

21 Saturday Jun 2014

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Nausicaä, the princess of the Valley of the Wind,
Explores the toxic jungle that is spreading o’er the earth.
The girl admires Ohmu, colossal insects, armor-skinned,
Who can be quite aggressive but do have a hidden worth.
 
She saves her friend Lord Yupa from an anger-blinded Ohmu,
And flies upon her glider to announce his soon return.
In their protected valley, her small people built a home,
Content to let fierce kingdoms fight; it’s none of their concern.
 
But soon a crippled airship from Tolmekia appears
And crashes in the valley, killing everyone on board.
The threat of jungle infestation sparks the people’s fears,
And plus, the living cargo is too dire to be ignored.
 
Kushana of Tolmekia soon comes to claim their prize,
A deadly giant warrior, which bathed the earth in flame.
They kill the valley’s king but still they claim to be good guys,
For burning down the forest is their ill-considered aim.
 
The warrior’s developing as Nausicaä is bound
With others by Kushana on a journey through the air.
Their airships are shot down by one small plane that’s also downed.
The princess and Kushana land within a jungle snare.
 
Escaping from an Ohmu nest thanks to Nausicaä’s calm action,
Kushana and the other fly while Nausicaä must stand
To save the shooter pilot who is from another faction
Called Pejite, but the two of them are captured by quicksand.
 
They find themselves below the jungle, where the air is clean,
And realize that the jungle plants absorb the earth’s pollution.
Mankind corrupted all the earth, and now most people mean
To burn the jungle, ruining the planet’s last solution.
 
They fly their way to Pejite, which is ravaged by insects.
Survivors plan to lure the Ohmu to Nausicaä’s homeland
To take out the Tolmekians and all of their subjects
And catch the giant warrior to have at their command.
 
Their ship is ambushed yet again, which lets the princess flee.
She goes ahead to see the Ohmu stampeding toward the valley.
The Pejites have an injured baby o’er an acid sea,
And she succeeds in freeing it before the big finale.
 
Kushana wakes the giant which annihilates some Ohmu,
Before it melts away, too undeveloped to survive.
The baby Ohmu and Nausicaä then stand before her home
In front of the invading insects, rushing to arrive.
 
They run her over but then stop to see this brave young lass;
They heal her wounds and so fulfill an ancient prophecy.
Kushana and her men return back home at this impasse,
And now the earth and all mankind may live in harmony.
______________________
 

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was Hayao Miyazaki’s breakout film as a director. It’s an environmentally heavy sci-fi action film that highlights Miyazaki’s pacifist ideology and his wildly imaginative storytelling. While Disney was working on the likes of The Black Cauldron, Japan was producing animated gems like this.

Technically made before the start of his Studio Ghibli, Nausicaä was a tale that didn’t have much support at first because most anime depends on pre-existing properties in the world of manga (Japanese comic books). Since he couldn’t get funding without an already popular manga, he made one and published Nausicaä in serial form from 1982 to 1994. This earned him the necessary backing, but since only 16 chapters (out of 59) had been completed by the time of the film, the plot encompasses only the part that he had finished. While it was a huge blockbuster upon its release because of the manga, the movie ends a bit abruptly, and it feels like there is more of the story to tell, even though the film is ambitious enough as it is.

The hand-drawn animation is detailed and impressive throughout the two-hour film, especially in the climax, and it has that Miyazaki touch that raises it above most other anime. The voice acting in Disney’s English dub is uniformly good, featuring Alison Lohman, Shia LaBeouf, Uma Thurman, Chris Sarandon, Edward James Olmos, Mark Hamill, and the inimitable Patrick Stewart as Lord Yupa. Joe Hisaishi’s outstanding score also grabbed my attention when I first saw it and, not counting the synthesizer segments, is one of my favorite film scores. As for the plot, it’s incredibly detailed, and my above poem only scratched the surface of the layered events, characters, and motivations. With its complex mythology, messianic prophecy, and giant misunderstood insectoid creatures, the closest thing I could compare it to is Frank Herbert’s Dune series.

The environmentalist theme is rather clunky, blaming mankind for polluting the earth’s topsoil and water and building the giant warriors to destroy everything while providing no details about the circumstances. Thankfully, though, the film doesn’t browbeat humanity too much, and when the focus is on the science fiction and the characters, it’s some of Miyazaki’s best work. My VC, who doesn’t care for anime, at least saw and appreciated it for what it was, but, for me, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind remains an influential sci-fi classic.

Best line: (Asbel, after eating some “healthy” nuts) “Why does everything that’s good for you have to taste so bad?”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 9
Watchability: 7
Other (heavy environmentalism): -3
 
TOTAL: 42 out of 60
 

Next: #201 – Murphy’s Romance

© 2014 S. G. Liput

135 Followers and Counting

 

The Iron Lady (2011)

20 Friday Jun 2014

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Margaret Thatcher, once so proud,
Voicing her opinions loud,
Now can’t be seen in a crowd.
 
Her caretakers fear and dread
That she’s not right in the head,
Talking to her spouse, long dead.
 
She recalls how she began,
A grocer’s daughter with a plan,
Less respected than a man.
 
Denis helps her reminisce:
How they met and their first kiss,
His support and wedded bliss.
 
In ’59, she won a seat
And earned support, as well as heat,
For her refusal to retreat.
 
Two decades, she tried to stir
Conservatives, who heeded her
Till she ran for Prime Minister.
 
With some changes, Margaret Thatcher
Rose in her appeal and stature.
No competitors could catch her.
 
Her government did hit some ruts
And protests for her spending cuts,
Yet she would stand no ifs or buts.
 
When the Falklands were invaded,
She made choices many hated,
But she held her own, as stated.
 
Although she won and all seemed fine,
She railed at those who lacked her spine,
And her MPs made her resign.
 
Now she’s old, without a throne.
Denis died; this she has known.
She sends him off and is alone.
 
Though her laws were met with strife,
She improved things with her life,
As a leader, mother, wife.
___________________
 

The Iron Lady, a biopic about conservative British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, boasts one of Meryl Streep’s greatest performances. She wholly immerses herself in the role such that I see and hear Thatcher even while I know it’s Streep.

Beyond the actress alone, though, the film is almost two stories in one, the obvious one featuring Thatcher’s life story and a much more intimate one involving the elderly Margaret and her dementia-conjured husband Denis (played endearingly by Jim Broadbent). While the first shines a spotlight on the impact she had on history, I prefer the second, which is more emotional and bittersweet. When she sits contentedly talking to an empty chair about the price of milk or turns on all the kitchen appliances to drown out her delusions, I can’t help but think that this plotline could easily have made an excellent film with no connection to Thatcher at all. The scene with Denis’s departure is particularly touching.

As for the historical side, I commend the filmmakers for not only keeping the film clean (aside from a brief shot of nudity) but also staying surprisingly neutral in their portrayal of Thatcher. It does seem as if they focus too much on the negative effects of her policies (violent protests, IRA bombings), but at least her conservative ideology is allowed its say as well. Though there’s an uncomfortable scene of her acting unusually harsh, presumably from stress, the film focuses for the most part on her accomplishments, her empowering of women, her victory with the Falklands War, her concern for the mothers of fallen soldiers, and her sincere desire to help the British nation (whether people agreed with her methods or not).

While I don’t know how accurate the depiction of her later years is, the final scene bears a quiet and meaningful message of the inevitability of old age and things we never would have considered doing in youth, a theme that transcends an ordinary biopic. Streep certainly deserved her Best Actress Oscar, and whether or not one likes or agrees with Thatcher, it’s a powerful film that’s well worth watching.

Best line: (Denis, as Margaret is viewing old family movies of her children) “You can rewind it, but you can’t change it.”

VC’s best line: (Margaret Thatcher) “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. And watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. What we think, we become. My father always said that.”

 
Artistry: 10
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 6
Visual Effects: N/A (except for one explosion)
Originality: 9
Watchability: 6
 
TOTAL: 41 out of 60
 

Next: #202 – Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

© 2014 S. G. Liput

135 Followers and Counting

 

Peter Pan (1953)

19 Thursday Jun 2014

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(This one is best sung to the tune of “You Can Fly”)
 
Wendy and Michael and John
Like to listen, play, and fawn
Over tales of Peter Pan,
Who won’t grow into a man
But always stay a boy
With his youth as the source of his joy.
 
Their father can’t stand the thought
Of these silly games they’ve got.
Since she is no more a pup,
He insists his girl grow up.
But when parents go out,
Peter and Tinker Bell sneak about.
 
Once Peter’s shadow is caught,
Wendy starts to talk a lot.
When she mentions loving mothers,
Pan wants her for him and others
Back in Neverland
And she won’t have to grow up, as planned.
 
Tinker Bell’s envy is plain,
But her protests are in vain.
With some faith, and trust as well,
And some dust from Tinker Bell,
The kids are soaring high.
They can fly! They can fly! They can fly!
 
Soon they arrive there and—Look!
It’s the pirate Captain Hook,
Who feared throughout the isle,
But he fears a crocodile.
Hook despises Pan,
For the lad once cut off Hook’s left hand.
 
After a couple close calls
From falls and Hook’s cannonballs,
Wendy goes to see mermaids;
John and Michael lead parades,
But soon the boys are caught
By the Indians; happy they’re not.
 
Wendy and Peter behold
Hook’s next evil plan unfold:
He has nabbed the chief’s own daughter,
Placing her in rising water,
But Pan does outsmart
Hook and Smee, and the croc plays its part.
 
After the Lost Boys and Pan
Revel with the Indian clan,
Wendy quickly feels ignored,
But her value is restored
When she decides to sing
Of the joys that a mother can bring.
 
Hook uses Tinker Bell’s spite
Against Wendy to, one night,
Learn of Peter’s whereabouts
And to kidnap all his scouts,
While leaving a surprise
To ensure that his enemy dies.
 
Tinker Bell saves Peter Pan,
Who flies off to stop Hook’s plan.
First, he frees his captured friends,
And the company defends
Against the pirate crew;
Pan and Hook have a duel overdue.
 
Once Pan has bested the crook
And replaced ol’ Captain Hook,
Back to London they’ve a trip
On a flying pirate ship,
And Wendy’s parents see
Being young’s not a bad thing to be.
________________
 

Walt Disney had hoped Peter Pan would be his second animated film after Snow White, but, though he had to wait about fifteen years due to legal issues and World War II, his animation and storytelling had merely improved over that time to make Peter Pan yet another children’s classic (and incidentally Michael Jackson’s favorite film). There are plenty of small details that make it timeless, from Hans Conreid’s distinctive voice as both Hook and Mr. Darling to memorable scenes like the children landing on the face of Big Ben.

Like Pinocchio, I don’t always think of Peter Pan as a musical, but its melodies are certainly distinctive. While “The Second Star to the Right” and “You Can Fly” are the most memorable, little elements of the score are instantly recognizable, including the crocodile’s tick-tocking theme to the low tune heard when the Indians are introduced. It’s true that the portrayal of the Indians in the film is outdated, stereotypical, and potentially offensive, but, for good or bad, the deep-voiced “How!” remains an enduring line from the film.

There are a number of changes from J. M. Barrie’s original stage play, such as deleting the clap-if-you-believe-in-fairies audience participation in favor of a bomb left by Hook and foiled by Tinker Bell. Still, it’s one of the best of Disney’s original lineup. Peter Pan is a nostalgic visit to Neverland that never gets old.

Best line: (Peter Pan; classic as they come) “Second star to the right and straight on till morning.”

 
Artistry: 5
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 6
Watchability: 6
 
TOTAL: 41 out of 60
 

Next: #203 – The Iron Lady

© 2014 S. G. Liput

135 Followers and Counting

 

Superman (1978)

18 Wednesday Jun 2014

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The distant planet Krypton, after stopping an attack
By Ursa, Non, and Zod, confines all three (but they’ll be back).
But scientist Jor-El still feels that Krypton’s on the brink
Of imminent destruction, which nobody else will think.
 
As Krypton starts to crumble, he sends out his infant son,
And once the world explodes, the young Kal-El’s the only one.
He flies throughout the stars before crash landing on our sphere
And is adopted by the Kents, who know he’s not from here.
 
“Clark” grows and calls the earth his home, the Kents his mom and dad,
But tries to hide the speed and strength that he has always had.
When Jonathan, his wise old father, passes from this earth,
Clark finds the hidden secret of his otherworldly birth.
 
He leaves with one green crystal for the Arctic, strangely led,
And throws it to create a giant fortress there instead.
Recordings of Jor-El reveal the secrets he will master,
The reason for his powers which he’ll use to stop disaster.
 
Years later, at the Daily Planet Clark Kent is employed,
Now acting timid; any danger he’s quick to avoid.
Though he’s a hero, strong reporter Lois Lane can’t tell
And thinks him geeky when he faints and says the old word “swell.”
 
A helicopter accident puts Lois Lane in danger
Until she then is rescued by a blue-and-red-clad stranger.
He flies around Metropolis, performing decent deeds,
Preventing crimes and helping citizens with all their needs.
 
Intent on learning more of him, Lane gets an interview
With enigmatic Superman, and one free night flight too.
Her articles and news reports attract the veiled attention
Of evil mastermind Lex Luthor, who drips condescension.
 
He formulates a wicked scheme to redirect two bombs
And sink the California coast without the slightest qualms.
He steals a foreign meteor that glows with greenish light,
Attracting Superman to cripple him with Kryptonite.
 
Though Superman is rescued and stops one bomb, he’s too late;
The other causes earthquakes, sealing California’s fate.
Our hero still saves buses, towns, and fault lines too, although
He cannot save poor Lois Lane from landslides even so.
 
Heartsick with grief, he breaks a rule, reversing our Earth’s time,
To bring back Lois and prevent the worst of Luthor’s crime.
He drops off Luthor at a jail, and flies ‘twixt Earth and space,
The ever-faithful guardian of all the human race.
_____________________
 

The first modern superhero movie, Superman was a really big deal when it was released in 1978, pulling out big name stars like Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman and charging big bucks for product placement. (I hope it was worth it, Cheerios.) Watching it thirty-six years later, the special effects are still effective, quite deserving of the Special Achievement Award they received, and John Williams’ magnificent score remains as iconic as it was then. Anyone who can compose for Jane Eyre and Superman and make them both synonymous with the film is a master composer.

As I said in my Superman II post, Christopher Reeve is Superman, and I have yet to see anyone who can wear the red cape as well as he could. Gene Hackman introduces Lex Luthor with the perfect blend of villainy and charisma. (Villains are always more menacing when you see their hands first, right?) Margot Kidder also does well as Lois Lane, and I like the little quirks the filmmakers added to her character, like her constantly misspelling of words. Embracing the role of Daily Planet chief Perry White, Jackie Cooper acts as an entertaining forerunner to J. Jonah Jameson of the Spider-Man films.

The film does have some faults other than the San Andreas one. Some scenes go on much too long, such as the rather boring opening credits, the construction of his Fortress of Solitude, and his flight with Lois Lane. Since they still had Williams’ memorable score, it’s not as bad as Star Trek: The Motion Picture in that regard, but these scenes make the film longer than it needed to be. Also, Lex Luthor makes some astounding leaps of reasoning to deduce that a particular meteorite in Africa came from Superman’s home planet, and “it stands to reason” that it must be deadly for the man of steel. It’s a good hypothesis, but there’s nothing to back it up. Likewise, the final scene where Superman reverses Earth’s rotation to reverse time is perhaps the least scientific portrayal of time travel ever put on film. Again, I don’t see how he knew his actions would have the desired effect when they could just as easily have caused more earthquakes or something worse.

It’s not a perfect superhero film, but as one of the first comic book blockbusters, it’s an incredibly influential one for the genre, aiming for gravitas while also retaining some campy charm. The recent Man of Steel had plenty of the gravitas and much more eye-popping effects, but it lacked the charm. Superman Returns was unsuccessful at both for me.Though Marvel has taken over superhero films for the most part, DC had a strong start with Superman, and it still makes audiences “believe a man can fly.”

Best line: (Superman, during his interview with Lois) “I’m here to fight for truth, and justice, and the American way.” [I didn’t like how Superman Returns ruined that line.]   (Lois) “You’re gonna end up fighting every elected official in this country!”

 
Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 5
Originality: 9
Watchability: 7
 
TOTAL: 41 out of 60
 

Next: #204 – Peter Pan (to complete my trilogy of films with people flying around)

© 2014 S. G. Liput

133 Followers and Counting

 

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

17 Tuesday Jun 2014

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Wudan swordsman Li Mu Bai
Meditates but goes too high.
He resolves to now retire
But must still avenge his sire,
For his master was brought low
By the Jade Fox long ago.
Mu Bai has a deep connection
With Shu Lien but curbs affection.
 
When Shu Lien goes to Beijing
With Li’s sword for safekeeping,
She meets young patrician Jen,
Who befriends the strong Shu Lien.
Mu Bai’s sword Green Destiny
Soon is stolen suddenly
By a figure in the night,
Matching Shu Lien in a fight.
 
Shu Lien knows that it is Jen,
Who is stronger than most men.
One policeman wants things solved,
For the Jade Fox is involved.
In a courtyard fight, Jen shocks
Her own teacher, the Jade Fox,
As Jen proves how sharp and skilled
She can be, and so strong-willed.
 
Ere Jen’s marriage brings her woe,
She is visited by Lo,
Desert bandit and her swain,
Who insists she not remain.
Mu Bai sends him safe away,
Jen then flees and goes astray.
With the great Green Destiny,
She flaunts her ability,
Beating fighters left and right
With no end or goal in sight.
 
When she goes to see Shu Lien,
This wise woman angers Jen.
Though Jen barely wins their duel,
Li Mu Bai is much too cool.
He just wants to teach the lass,
But it seems she’d rather pass.
Jade Fox comes to “save” her pupil
But has neither love nor scruple.
 
Jen is drugged and meant to die
But rescued by Li Mu Bai.
Jade Fox dies but her foul art
Strikes him with a poison dart.
Passing while he loves Shu Lien,
Mu Bai can’t be saved by Jen.
Wishing all but love denied,
Jen leaps off the mountainside.
_______________
 

There is not an abundance of foreign-language films on my list, nor of martial arts movies, but Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is something unique. There are some moments that seem pulled from a comic book, like when Li Mu Bai says something like “We meet again, my old foe,” and there are other scenes of sheer beauty. The Oscar-winning cinematography is outstanding, showcasing the Chinese landscape from deserts to bamboo forests to towering misty mountains.

The other big draw is the bravura fight scenes, choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping of The Matrix fame. It’s staggering to imagine how much work went into staging the long, exciting martial arts duels, which are spaced periodically throughout the film. The actors leap and kick and defy gravity like Jedi knights, and, though some scenes of them running through the air look rather unrealistic, the wire work is seamless and extraordinary. The exchange with Li Mu Bai and Jen in the treetops and Jen’s awesome smackdown in a crowded restaurant are highlights of the whole genre, and the actors did most of their own stunts.

For all its visual splendor, I do wish the characters themselves were a bit more developed. Li Mu Bai, Shu Lien, and Jen are well-drawn, but most of the secondary characters aren’t given enough to do to distinguish one from another. While Ang Lee’s direction is excellent for the most part, the way he starts the film without much prologue or explanation doesn’t help the fact that I, as an American, don’t understand all of the Chinese culture he presents. As for the ending, it’s beautiful and mysterious, but it does leave the viewer scratching his head.

While most of the fighting is bloodless, there is at least one violent death, as well as a brief but steamy love scene. Despite this, the film is mostly clean and successfully portrays two distinct romances, the more mature, restrained love of Mu Bai and Shu Lien and the younger passionate love of Jen and Lo. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon merges transcendent conversations, epic action, exotic locales, vengeful villainy, and forbidden passion into an entertaining film worthy of both Oscars and awe.

Best line: (Sir Te to Shu Lien, speaking of Li Mu Bai) “When it comes to emotions, even great heroes can be idiots.”

 
Artistry: 10
Characters/Actors: 6
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 9
Originality: 6
Watchability: 7
Other (brief violence/sex and weak secondary characters): -4
 
TOTAL: 41 out of 60
 

Next: #205 – Superman

© 2014 S. G. Liput

132 Followers and Counting

 

Jane Eyre (1970)

16 Monday Jun 2014

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Into Lowood Institution
Comes Jane Eyre, and persecution
Plagues her and her resolution,
Helped by Helen, her one friend.
Helen dies from dereliction;
After years of cruel affliction,
Jane leaves Lowood with conviction,
Glad to flee it in the end.
 
Jane’s job ad meets with success:
She becomes with eagerness
Thornfield Hall’s new governess
To teach the young Adele.
Midway through her first semester,
She runs into one Rochester,
Who is quick to try and test her,
Since Thornfield’s his as well.
 
Strange events begin occurring,
Manic laughing, nightly stirring,
Things Rochester is preferring
To not publish or relate.
As she proves she’s sly and witty,
If not the most fair or pretty,
Jane earns sympathy and pity
When Rochester’s on a date.
 
But, upon a conversation,
Jane can’t hide infatuation,
So Rochester gives salvation,
Offering to share his life.
Just before their matrimony,
One man halts the ceremony
To contribute testimony
That Rochester has a wife.
 
She went mad and is restricted.
Though Jane’s saddened and conflicted,
She leaves Rochester afflicted
With no lover to refresh.
On the moors, enduring shivers,
Jane is saved by St. John Rivers,
A firm cleric who delivers
Sermons that condemn the flesh.
 
Sure to be a missionary,
He proposes that they marry,
But Jane can’t help but feel wary,
Since true love they do not share.
She seeks Thornfield Hall instead,
And learns Rochester’s wife is dead.
Though he’s blind, she comes to wed
He who loves the plain Jane Eyre.
_______________
 

While Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights started off with fairly happy childhoods that went horribly awry, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre begins with pure misery and progresses to a satisfying conclusion. Thus, since I prefer happy endings, it is higher on my list. Also, whereas Wuthering Heights held heartbreaking romance alone, Jane Eyre manages the same while including some Gothic mystery as well.

Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel has seen plenty of film adaptations, but my preferred version is the 1970 television film with George C. Scott as Mr. Rochester and Susannah York as the titular heroine. Having just won an Oscar for his star turn in Patton, Scott creates the most compelling depiction of Rochester, and his hooked nose, jutting chin, and familiar gruff manner help him fit the role like a glove. Orson Welles and Michael Fassbender did all right, but Scott’s is the best Rochester performance I’ve seen. Likewise, Susannah York has the right balance of plainness and subtle beauty for the role of Jane, and her acting better evokes her internal emotions than that of Joan Fontaine or Mia Wasikowska.

Though the opening scenes at Lowood are hard to watch for their harsh cruelty to young girls, I appreciate that the film left out the part involving Jane’s equally cruel aunt so as not to extend the heartlessness. On the other hand, the section featuring St. John Rivers is actually closer to the novel than most other versions, though I personally consider that whole part as filler to give Jane something to do until Rochester’s crazy wife dies.

The end may not be quite as happy as in the book, but it has a bittersweet satisfaction that usually makes my VC start tearing up. This particular version may look dated with its Masterpiece Theatre style, but the fine acting and John Williams’ wistful Emmy-winning score makes it the quintessential Jane Eyre for me. (Interesting Wikipedia note: Apparently, it’s also the most popular version in China, having been translated into Mandarin back in the 1980s.)

Best line: (Jane, as she thinks Rochester is talking about marrying a rich lady) “Why do you confide in me like this? What are you and she to me? Do you think that because I am poor and plain, I have no feelings? I promise you, if God had gifted me with wealth and beauty, I should make it as hard for you to leave me now as it is for me to leave you. But He did not. Yet, my spirit can address yours as if both had passed through the grave and stood before Him equal.”

 
Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 8
Watchability: 7
 
TOTAL: 41 out of 60
 

Next: #206 – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

© 2014 S. G. Liput

131 Followers and Counting

 

Casablanca (1942)

15 Sunday Jun 2014

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As the war is raging still,
Casablanca has its fill
Of refugees who fit the bill
Of somebody who’d want to kill
Two German couriers and steal
Some travel papers and conceal
Their one-way ticket out until
The government, a Nazi shill,
Rounds up suspects against their will.
 
The gin-joint owner Richard Blaine
Is cynical and makes it plain
He cares for naught but his own gain
And treats the world with cool disdain.
One night, he’s given at his party
Documents by one Ugarte.
Soon, Renault, the city’s main
Police chief, sees Ugarte slain
By Major Strasser, who’s a pain.
 
Strasser wants those papers quick
Lest Victor Laszlo take his pick,
But Victor has a cause to stick:
His young wife Ilsa, who knows Rick.
Though Laszlo’s part of the resistance,
Rick refuses him assistance.
Ilsa’s presence makes him sick,
For they were lovers until Rick
Was dumped and felt she’d played a trick.
 
As Laszlo makes his presence known
And shows Strasser he’s not alone,
Rick’s bar is closed because, it’s shown,
The fear of uprising has grown.
Rick’s mad, but gives Ilsa the chance
To say why she left him in France.
She thought Laszlo was dead as stone;
She loved Rick but she soon had flown
When Victor’s whereabouts were known.
 
Though Rick is sore from that affair,
He aids them and can’t help but care.
He holds Renault at gunpoint there
And of his fate is well aware.
Rick sees beloved Ilsa strain
And leave him on the Lisbon plane.
When Strasser comes to cause a scare,
Rick shoots him to protect the pair
But gets off free; Renault and he
Have more adventures yet to share.
_________________
 

Here is yet another critically lauded cinematic masterpiece that doesn’t even reach my top 200. Let me be clear: Casablanca is a classic of classics, with likable characters, witty dialogue, and a host of iconic scenes and lines. Who hasn’t heard immortal utterances like “Here’s looking at you, kid,” “We’ll always have Paris,” “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine,” and “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” said as only Humphrey Bogart can? The gorgeous Ingrid Bergman positively glows as Ilsa, and Claude Rains gives one of his best and funniest performances as the mercurial French Captain Renault.

For all its timeless appeal, I didn’t like it the first time I saw it. Granted, I was much younger, and since most of the film relies on its dialogue to propel the plot, much of it went over my head. Having seen it several times since, my esteem for it has grown, but I suppose it’s just not my kind of classic. I’m all for romance and a dose of melodrama, but Casablanca is the kind of film I have to be in the right mood to see. While Rick and Ilsa are well-written human characters, Paul Henreid is dull in comparison as Ilsa’s husband Victor Laszlo, and I can’t help but wonder why he didn’t travel under a pseudonym considering he was being hunted by the Nazis. It might have helped him get an exit visa more easily. The initially fast-moving plot also slows down a bit too much in the middle when Ilsa and Rick are discussing their relationship at night.

This and Laszlo’s weak character are the best reasons I can come up with to explain why it’s so low on my list. These are most likely grievances that very few possess so it’s probably just me. Still, I admire Casablanca for its enduring story of love and colorful script and characters, and it certainly deserved its three Oscar wins, including Best Picture. It may not always be my cup of tea, but it’s a film that still inspires countless viewers to say “Play it again, Sam.” (And yes, I know that’s not the exact line.)

Best line (avoiding the obvious): (Rick, as Renault is being forced to close the bar) “How can you close me up? On what grounds?”
(Renault) “I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!”
(an employee, handing Renault some cash) “Your winnings, sir.”
(Renault) “Oh, thank you very much…. Everybody out at once!”
 
VC’s best line: (Ilsa to Rick) “I love you so much, and I hate this war so much. Oh, it’s a crazy world; anything can happen. If you shouldn’t get away, I mean, if…if something should keep us apart…. Wherever they put you and wherever I’ll be, I want you to know…. [they kiss] Kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time.”

 

Artistry: 10
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 9
Watchability: 5
 
TOTAL: 41 out of 60
 

Next: #207 – Jane Eyre (1971)

© 2014 S. G. Liput

130 Followers and Counting