Tag Archives: Romance

#190: Hello, Dolly (1969)

03 Thursday Jul 2014

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Back in 1890 Yonkers,
Dolly Levi always conquers
Any obstacle she sees.
Love and money have compelled her
To seek Horace Vandergelder,
Who’ll be hers, she guarantees.
 
Though he is a cross curmudgeon,
He just needs a little nudge on
Choosing her above the rest.
As a mover and a shaker
And New York’s most loved matchmaker,
She’s not easily suppressed.
 
After Horace tears to pieces
A beloved of his niece’s,
He intends to look for joy.
With the cash at his disposal,
He is planning a proposal
To New York’s Irene Malloy.
 
Since his feed store must stay open,
He puts his reluctant hope in
His two unfulfilled young clerks.
Once he’s gone, Cornelius Hackl
And pal Barnaby then tackle
Life at large and all its perks.
 
Dolly tells the two assistants
Of the heaven-sent existence
Of two women meant for them.
So they journey with elation
To Irene Malloy’s location,
Thinking they’ll each find a gem.
 
While Irene and gal pal Minnie
Like the pair, naïve and skinny,
Both employees quickly hide
When their boss arrives to proffer
Miss Malloy a marriage offer,
Till he learns of men inside.
 
Dolly then begins preparing
For a date night they’ll be sharing,
Though the poor clerks are afraid.
She ties off her latest scheming
As the city streets are teeming
For the 14th Street Parade.
 
By the time that night is falling,
All the characters are calling
On the restaurant that she chose.
Both the clerks cannot afford to
Spend a lot, though they’re implored to,
And their bluffing frankly shows.
 
Dolly’s welcomed with much fanfare;
Horace is her chosen man there,
Though she causes him much stress.
Dolly has arranged a chance for
His niece and her beau to dance for
Contest money to impress.
 
Mr. Hackl starts confessing
With Irene and Minnie’s blessing,
For they knew it all along.
They then try to be the winner
Of the dance to pay for dinner,
But then everything goes wrong.
 
Horace sees his niece cavorting
With the man he’d banned from courting,
And he quickly goes berserk.
What a messy picture this is!
Both his workers he dismisses
When he sees they’re not at work.
 
During this confused occasion,
There’s some stealthy pay evasion,
As two couples sneak away.
Hackl and Irene now know that
They’re in love, and both then show that
In a song to end the day.
 
Dolly then leaves Vandergelder,
Who regrets he ever smelled her,
But that changes very soon.
Back in Yonkers, he’s unmarried,
With no workers to be harried,
Just a lonely rich tycoon.
 
Dolly and the rest come calling,
And he sees no point in stalling,
So he asks her in his life.
She suggests that he be smarter
And take Hackl as a partner,
And she’s glad to be his wife.
_________________
 

Coming just a year after her rise to stardom in 1968’s Funny Girl, Hello, Dolly gave Barbra Streisand yet another enduring musical role that seems perfect for her. Many criticized the fact that she was only 27 years old at the time, perhaps too young for the role of a pushy widow seeking a husband. Yet she makes the role her own and fills it with such fast-talking chutzpah that I can’t see anyone else playing Dolly Levi. Carol Channing may have been the immortal Dolly on Broadway, but in my opinion (and my VC’s) Streisand blows her away, in both the strength and the mellifluence of her voice.

Walter Matthau sings for the first and only time in his career (that I’m aware of) as the bossy and crotchety storeowner Horace Vandergelder. Michael Crawford also does a fine job as Cornelius Hackl and is so lovably nerdy that it’s hard to believe he’s the original Tony-winning Phantom of the Opera. All the other roles are filled ideally, and Louis Armstrong’s cameo during the title song is classic as all get-out.

The music itself is wonderful stuff. From Mr. Vandergelder’s humorously selfish “It Takes a Woman” to the charming, street-walking “Elegance,” the songs clearly have just the right balance of humor, clever lyrics, and hummable tunes. “Hello, Dolly” is another great number, and the entire part in the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant is filled with energetic physical comedy and Michael Kidd’s impressive choreography. And of course, there are the two songs made even more timeless by their inclusion in the Pixar film WALL-E, those being “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” and “It Only Takes a Moment.” A few of the unnecessary songs like “Love Is Only Love” slow the film down a bit, but showstoppers like “Before the Parade Passes By” truly make the film (Streisand’s long end note is awe-inspiring). My personal favorite, though, is the opening song “Just Leave Everything to Me,” which was written specifically for the film and Barbra Streisand.

Hello, Dolly isn’t my favorite musical, even though I love most of the songs. Perhaps I don’t care for Dolly’s overly pushy manner. I mean, Mr. Vandergelder was an overbearing, self-centered boor, but by the end, I almost sympathized with his exasperation. His turnaround and marriage proposal are rather sudden, yet it shows Dolly knew just the right buttons to push to get the desired outcome. Despite Dolly’s busybody personality, Streisand sells it for the most part, and she and Crawford are perfectly cast. My VC loves the film even more than I, and though other musicals and Barbra Streisand films are higher on my list, this one stands out as a Broadway-style gem.

Best line: (Vandergelder, to his niece’s beloved Ambrose) “You are a seven-foot-tall nincompoop!”   (Ambrose) “That’s an insult!”   (Vandergelder) “All the facts about you are insults!”

VC’s best line: (Vandergelder, while being shaved) “Eighty percent of the people in the world are fools, and the rest of us are in danger of contamination.”

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

Next: #189 – Rocky III

© 2014 S. G. Liput

146 Followers and Counting

 

Doc Hollywood (1991)

25 Wednesday Jun 2014

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A cool young surgeon named Ben Stone
Is headed for L.A.,
But lands in Grady, little-known,
Where he is forced to stay.
 
He trashed a fence, which trashed his ride,
And must do doctor duty.
The townsfolk welcome him with pride,
Except one country beauty.
 
Because Vialula/Lou’s been burned
By city boys before,
She leaves the flirting doctor spurned,
Though he tries even more.
 
The townspeople are full of quirks,
Like squash fan Mayor Nick,
And Melvin the mechanic works
On Ben’s car, none too quick.
 
There’s also Hank, who can foresee
Insurance aspirations,
And mayor’s daughter Nancy Lee,
Who dreams of long vacations.
 
As Ben cares for the populace,
In simple, closer ways,
He starts to feel that he will miss
This town, despite the raise,
 
Especially when Lou soon starts
To soften up to Ben.
Yet he can’t bear to break their hearts,
Since he’ll soon leave again.
 
When Ben rescues the stodgy doc
Named Hogue, who thinks him rude.,
The judge allows Ben Stone to walk;
Ben feels oddly subdued.
 
He tries to sneak away at night,
But moms he can’t ignore.
While he assists one pregnant plight,
His car is wrecked once more.
 
The town gives him a one-way flight
To L.A., and he goes,
But as he lives his dream all right,
He rues the path he chose.
 
When Hank and Nancy Lee appear,
Ben craves more than success.
He chooses Lou above career
And finds his happiness.
_________________
 

Doc Hollywood is one of Michael J. Fox’s most entertaining movies, presenting a kooky but affectionate glimpse of cinematic small town life. It doesn’t present them as backwards or stupid but rather eccentric and focused more on life’s simple pleasures: squash festivals, nice-looking pigs, and fishing—with dynamite. It’s impressive how many memorable characters they pulled off, from David Ogden Stiers as Mayor Nicholson; Bridget Fonda as his eager-to-leave daughter Nancy Lee; Woody Harrelson as Haymitch—I mean Hank Gordon; Barnard Hughes as the crotchety country doctor Aurelius Hogue; Frances Sternhagen as the deadpan diner waitress Miss Lillian, who can only make Hungry Man dinners; and the lovely Julie Warner as love interest Vialula; not to mention the two quirky mechanics, the stern Nurse Packer, and the family who come to the doctor’s office just to have their mail read. By the time Ben leaves and has to say goodbye to all these faces, the audience bears the same feeling of loss, of leaving “Shangri La” as the mayor calls Grady, South Carolina.

Sadly, the film is not completely wholesome, featuring some language and a scene with Lou completely nude that could easily have been cut since it adds nothing to the picture. Plus, a scene involving urination was rather uncomfortable and weird and again unnecessary.

Aside from this, the wistfully scored film is a hilarious romantic comedy that surprisingly bucks Hollywood convention by not having the two leads sleep together, though they’re tempted. It’s one of the few such scenes I’ve ever viewed that laudably eschews the “romance” of a one-night stand. Overall, Doc Hollywood could be a family movie with the appropriate cuts and one that my family watches whenever it’s on (such is my definition for a Watchability of 10).

Best line: (a woman in the background, as her grill is clearly on fire) “Mayor Nicholson, can you help check these ribs and tell me if they’re done?”

VC’s best line: (Nancy Lee, in L.A.) “Is that a star?” (Hank, played by Woody of Cheers fame) “No, that’s Ted Danson.”

Other best line: (Melvin the mechanic, looking at Ben’s totaled car) “I think I can fix that.”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 10
Visual Effects: N/A (except for two brief car crashes)
Originality: 8
Watchability: 10
Other (nudity, language): -2
 
TOTAL: 42 out of 60
 

Next: #197 – The Great Escape

© 2014 S. G. Liput

140 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

 

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

 

Forget Paris (1995)

28 Wednesday May 2014

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 When Andy and Liz are about to be married,
They talk over dinner while waiting for friends.
When Andy refers to one story quite varied,
Liz bids him continue to see how it ends.
 
He talks about Mickey, a loathed referee,
Who buried his unloving father in France.
The airline misplaced him for days (though for free),
But Mickey met Ellen and sparked a romance.
 
They spent time in Paris, their love growing strong,
And Mickey was heartbroken having to leave.
He later found out she was wed all along,
But was separated with no cause to grieve.
 
She got a divorce and left Paris for Mickey.
Their traveling honeymoon was truly great,
But settling down proved a little more tricky;
The schedules of each made the other one wait.
 
Whenever one half of the pair was contented,
The other was miserable, mad, and depressed.
They tried very hard, but the more they lamented
The more each of them felt entrapped and oppressed.
 
They tried having children but could not conceive,
And with Mickey’s travels, they drifted apart.
At last Paris beckons and Ellen must leave,
And both of them feel like they have half a heart.
 
By this time, poor Liz is heartsick and in tears,
From this tale that’s been told by the friends who arrive.
For Mickey they wait, but a guy overhears
And tells them the news from a game he saw live.
 
While Mickey was doing his referee role,
A woman approached, and the couple embraced.
Indeed, it was Ellen, to make their hearts whole,
And not let their marriage and love go to waste.
 
She said “Forget Paris,” for they have moved on,
And though it be tough, they will try it once more.
Then Mickey and Ellen show up close to dawn,
And all give a toast with the ones they adore.
___________________
 

Forget Paris is a romantic comedy in the same vein as Nora Ephron’s films, but it was actually Billy Crystal, one of the stars of Ephron’s When Harry Met Sally…, who directed, produced, co-wrote, and acted in this charming depiction of the highs and lows of married life. It is replete with comic situations and hilarious lines, such as a snarky waiter who keeps comparing himself to different wines, and much of Crystal’s dialogue sounds like clips from his stand-up performances. Some may think it strange to see him romantically involved with anyone other than Meg Ryan, but Debra Winger has good chemistry with Crystal and can usually match his wit and comic timing pretty well. Though she normally takes dramatic roles, that scene with the pigeon proves how great a comedic actress she can be. This is also the film that marked the start of her six-year hiatus from movies.

The film has a laudable lesson of sacrifice for the sake of sticking with a difficult marriage, though it’s unfortunate that the main characters are miserable most of the time. It’s ultimately a film that lets the audience laugh at a situation that would normally make them cry if it were actually happening to them. No one would want to spend time with a kooky father-in-law who repeats the same thing over and over; no one wants to be left alone by a spouse who travels for months at a time; and certainly no one wants to have a pigeon glued to their head. Yet seeing other people deal with such issues makes the film extremely entertaining. On the other hand, it takes itself seriously enough to deal with the very real problems that marriages face, and Mickey and Ellen’s bickering certainly sounds like an authentic married debate.

Lest Forget Paris devolve into an overly sentimental chick flick, such as those mocked in Sleepless in Seattle (and to some extent in this film too), Crystal threw in a welcome element for the guys in the audience. As a referee, Mickey gets to interact with a number of famous basketball players and mouth off to them however he likes. The way he snaps over too many complaints is hilarious, and I’m sure Crystal had a lot of fun doing those scenes.

There are some problems with the film, such as the mandatory premarital-sex-to-show-how-in-love-they-are cliché. Foul language is present, though minimal, and there is a rather uncomfortable sequence involving a sperm donation. Despite these, Forget Paris has a unique framing structure; a number of talented stars, including Julie Kavner, Richard Masur, and Joe Montegna; and a heartwarming ending (similar to that of When Harry Met Sally…) that indicates there’s hope for every marriage so long as the couple don’t give up on love.

Best line: (Mickey) “Never say ‘famous last words’ because they could be.”  (Ellen) “You’re a disturbed person, aren’t you?”   (Mickey, apparently mimicking Jeremy Irons from Reversal of Fortune) “You have no idea.”

VC’s best line: (Ellen, about her first husband) “No, he makes me miserable.”   (Mickey) “Well, I could do that! Come on, give me a chance.”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 8
Watchability: 9
Other (language, sexual dialogue): -3
 
TOTAL: 39 out of 60
 

Next: #225 – Scrooged

© 2014 S. G. Liput

115 Followers and Counting

 

Rocky II (1979)

26 Monday May 2014

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Against Apollo, Rocky fought;
Did he win? He did not.
Apollo wants another shot
Since Rocky did so well.
 
But Adrian wants Rocky just
To take it easy, as discussed.
He promised, so he feels he must
Quit boxing for a spell.
 
Proposing to his wife-to-be,
He spends his money zealously.
A brand new house that’s far from free
And much more Rocky buys.
 
Commercials aren’t his cup of tea,
And work grows scarce unluckily.
He’s soon reduced to poverty
And heeds Apollo’s cries.
 
His trainer Mickey warns the fight
Could make Rock lose his own eyesight
But trains him once again, despite
Rock’s wife’s ignored objections.
 
When Adrian gives birth unplanned,
She falls into a coma, and
Her husband stays there close at hand,
Affirming his affections.
 
When she awakes, they see their son;
Although Rock’s training had begun,
He lacked the drive to get it done,
Till she tells him to win.
 
He trains with Philly’s full support
With workout styles of every sort.
He soon is ready for his sport,
For his match to begin.
 
He trades blows with Apollo Creed,
Employing his new strength and speed,
Refusing ever to concede,
Though Creed may still prevail.
 
Yet by the end, their power drains,
And both collapse from all their pains,
But Rocky rises and remains,
The newest champ to hail.
__________________
 

Coming three years after the original hit Rocky, Sylvester Stallone returned to his Oscar-nominated role in this sequel, which was even more of a success. The original Rocky is widely considered one of the greatest sports films ever, but as inspiring as it was, Rocky himself was denied the victory. He deserved another chance, and this film gave it to him in outstanding style.

Stallone himself directed this one, as well as Rocky III and IV, and he had the formula down from the start. We all know the basics: Rocky Balboa must fight his way up to a climactic fight to take down an intimidating foe. Yet the magic of Stallone’s performance is in the details, such as Rocky’s clumsy but endearing manner of speaking and proposing marriage, his desire to provide for his family, his faithful vigil at his sick wife’s bedside, and his request for a pre-fight blessing from his parish priest. Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed remains a formidable foe for Rocky, and his motivations for a rematch are sympathetic, even as he goads and insults Rocky into fighting again. Burgess Meredith and Talia Shire also excel as Mickey and Adrian, though I wish the latter looked a little less awkward and uncomfortable in her interactions with Rocky.

The training sequence, again set to the iconic Rocky theme, is as utterly entertaining as all of them, and its final scene, with Rocky climbing the art museum’s steps along with half of Philadelphia, is probably the best of them all. Rocky II is as predictable as all the Rocky films, but it continues the story of its immortal characters with just the right amount of drama, without resorting to killing off characters like the next two sequels did. It’s a crowd-pleasing knockout of a film sure to leave every viewer smiling by the end.

Best line: (a reporter, after the initial fight) “Rocky, do you think you have brain damage?” (Rocky) “I don’t see any.”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 6
Watchability: 8
 
TOTAL: 39 out of 60
 

Next: #227 – The Legend of Zorro

© 2014 S. G. Liput

115 Followers and Counting

 

The Artist (2011)

20 Tuesday May 2014

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When George Valentin is on top of his game,
The top 1920s good-looker and star,
He meets a sweet girl, Peppy Miller by name,
Who dreams of her own shot at fortune and fame,
And, all thanks to George, she is lucky so far.
 
When George is confronted by movies with sound,
He writes them off quickly as some passing fad.
As Peppy gets noticed, her new roles abound,
While George’s career runs right into the ground.
His own wife is equally gloomy and sad.
 
He tries to create his own film on the clock,
But Peppy’s new talkie outshines it in spades.
His wife makes him leave (not that much of a shock),
And he loses his fame, still refusing to talk,
And can’t afford chauffeurs or butlers or maids.
 
He burns his old films when he reaches a low,
But George’s dog saves him from death in cute style.
When Peppy hears of this, she’s eager to show
Her love and affection for George in his woe
And lets him recover at her house a while.
 
But George soon discovers she bought his effects
At auction and runs off, rejecting her pity.
He goes to his old house and, greatly perplexed,
Decides it would be best to shoot himself next,
While Peppy is searching for him through the city.
 
She gets there in time to stop George from the deed,
And urges the star to accept her kind aid.
She then has a plan that is sure to succeed
To give George a comeback with dance, guaranteed.
They both do a number with sound, unafraid.
___________________
 

The first clean, almost kid-friendly film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture since Driving Miss Daisy in 1989, The Artist is a skillful homage to the silent films of the 1920s. Jean Dujardin has an Oscar-winning star turn as George Valentin, and my VC mentioned that he reminded her of Gene Kelly. Strengthening that comparison are a number of similar themes to Singin’ in the Rain, such as the advent of talking motion pictures, an unknown starlet rising to fame, and of course the final dance number. It doesn’t have the same humor or catchy tunes as Kelly’s classic, but it compensates with its astounding artistry.

Choosing to make their homage a black-and-white silent picture itself, the filmmakers managed to tell their story with a minimum of title cards and a maximum of acting. Much of the dialogue is never made explicit; you see characters’ mouths move, but, unless it’s relevant to the plot or emotions, it is meant to be inferred from other characters’ responses. This could be both a boon and a hindrance to the stars. Being used to speaking and utilizing their voices as part of their acting, they are not able to rely on such things; instead facial expressions take precedence, and Jean Dujardin shines, as do Berenice Bejo as Peppy Miller, John Goodman as the studio head, and James Cromwell as the faithful chauffeur Clifton.

The written dialogue itself is clever enough though nothing to write home about, and the story is rather depressing until the end. Yet there are so many little ingenious touches: Valentin’s conversation with his shadow, the metaphor of him sinking in quicksand, and that brilliant dream sequence that expertly merges silence and sound. Yet, as serious as it gets in the climax, there is also a good bit of levity, from both Dujardin’s charm and that adorable Jack Russell Terrier named Uggie, the first dog to have his paw prints on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Artist certainly deserved all its accolades, including its five Oscar wins. Still, based on that dream sequence, I can’t help but wonder what the film would have been like if various characters had started speaking as they embraced the “talkies” while Valentin stayed silent until the end. It would have been very tricky to pull off, but it could have been interesting to be sure.

Best line: (George Valentin, speaking) “With pleasure.”

 
Artistry: 10
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 6
Visual Effects: N/A (yes, there were some good effects but they were more for the artistry than for eye candy)
Originality: 7
Watchability: 5
 
TOTAL: 38 out of 60
 

Next: #233 – Shenandoah

© 2014 S. G. Liput

111 Followers and Counting

 

Wuthering Heights (1970)

18 Sunday May 2014

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To Wuthering Heights on the wide English moor,
An old Mr. Earnshaw brings home a boy poor.
This Heathcliff grows up with young Catherine Earnshaw,
But her brother Hindley is deemed immature
And sent off to college to join the bourgeois.
 
Once Mr. Earnshaw is resigned to the ground,
Proud Hindley (now married) then comes back around.
Though Heathcliff and Cathy have grown very close,
Her brother makes Heathcliff do labor unbound,
But Heathcliff works hard, both intense and morose.
 
When Cathy spends time with the Lintons nearby,
She calls Heathcliff “dirty” and holds her nose high.
He thus feels betrayed, though he loves Cathy still,
And runs off in shame, causing Cathy to cry.
Her guilt and lovesickness then makes her fall ill.
 
She’s nursed back to health and decides that she’ll wed
The rich Edgar Linton, since Heathcliff has fled,
But three short years later, her sweetheart returns,
Having bettered himself after what Cathy said.
Yet deep in his heart, a dark vengeance now burns.
 
Poor Hindley, a widower drunken with debt,
Plays cards with sly Heathcliff, who wins every bet.
Soon Heathcliff controls his estate by all rights
And keeps making Cathy and Edgar upset,
As he plans his vengeance from Wuthering Heights.
 
Isabella Linton, Edgar’s sister, is wooed
By Heathcliff to make Cathy suffer subdued,
But, when Cathy’s ill with a child inside,
It’s Heathcliff that holds her to settle their feud,
But it is too late, and soon Cathy has died.
 
While Heathcliff is tortured by love unfulfilled,
He’s haunted by Cathy, and hope is instilled.
Yet Hindley, so bitter, then settles the score,
And, following Cathy’s ghost, Heathcliff is killed
And seen running off with his love through the moor.
____________________
 

Wuthering Heights is a powerful story of love and hate that still remains popular 167 years after Emily Bronte first published it. While it has spawned countless retellings in film and television, I chose this 1970 version starring Timothy Dalton and Anna Calder-Marshall because of its significance to my mom. She saw it at a young age, and it remains one of the surest ways to make her burst into tears. The haunting Golden Globe-nominated score by Michel Legrand is alone enough to affect her, and she can only see it once a year at most.

There are three kinds of guys when it comes to tearjerker chick flicks: those who refuse to see them at all, those who sit through them grudgingly and remain stoic while the girl drains most of her ocular fluids, and those who may not be hit the same but comfort and understand their friend’s emotional anguish. Every guy should try to be the last type, even when the film doesn’t capture his attention like a good action film. I say this from personal experience, having had to console my mother over the gloriously sad and bittersweet ending of Wuthering Heights.

Even if it’s not particularly exciting, the film certainly deserves a watch, from the excellent period sets and costumes to the sweeping views of the misty countryside. The acting is first-rate and vastly superior to the 1939 version. I did like Laurence Olivier’s smoldering performance in that classic, which stands in contrast to Dalton’s more impetuous, almost animalistic depiction of Heathcliff, but Anna Calder-Marshall as Cathy is extraordinarily better than Merle Oberon’s almost laughable acting. Judy Cornwell as Nelly and Julian Glover as Hindley also give noteworthy performances. Overall, the film feels like a hybrid between Masterpiece Theatre, the old classics of Hollywood’s golden era, and some more recent Gothic romances.

It may have made multiple changes to the book (Hindley doesn’t kill Heathcliff, and the whole second half is left out of the film), but the 1970 Wuthering Heights remains the best version I’ve seen. Yes, it’s an unrepentant tearjerker in which pretty much everyone acts foolishly, but it is also an admirable adaptation with deep and troubled relationships and an ending at once crushing and heartening.

Best line: (Heathcliff, after being told that vengeance is for God) “Why should God have all the satisfaction?”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 6
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 8
Watchability: 4
Other (crying effect): +4
 
TOTAL: 38 out of 60
 

Next: #235 – The River Wild

© 2014 S. G. Liput

108 Followers and Counting