A strictly personal viewpoint -- and a work in progress!
Cary Grant (one of my favorite actors)
Shall We Dance (1995)
(Japan) The 1995 Japanese version of the film later remade by Richard
Gere, Susan Sarandon and Jennifer Lopez is far superior. Basic story
-- a manager of "salarymen" in the accounting department finds life
boring now that he has all he wished for, wife, child and house (with
a huge mortgage). One night while riding the train home he looks up and
sees a beautiful woman standing at the window looking out seeming
equally unhappy. He decides he wants to meet her. But, ballroom dance
is, as we're told in the prolog, looked down on by Japanese society.
So, he's committing two taboos by enrolling in dance classes where
she teaches. His wife becomes worried when he comes home late
happy and decides to hire a detective to learn the reason. The
ending is wonderful. This film owes a lot to Strictly
Ballroom.
Strictly Ballroom (1992)
(Australia) Basic story -- a young man loves to do ballroom dance,
but refuses to follow the "rules" laid down by the "authorities" --
who are making money selling video tapes about the right way to
dance. So, he's banned from ballroom dance competition. But, thru
love and some devilment of his family, he wins thru in the end. I
never expected to enjoy a film about ballroom dance, but this film
and Shall We Dance proved that any topic can be interesting if
presented by good storytelling.
Amelie (2001)
(French) My favorite film from 2001! Impish waitress Amélie
lives alone and works in a café. When she finds a trove of
toys hidden for 40 years behind a baseboard in her apartment, she's
inspired to find the owner and return the items. She enjoys the
result so much that she decides to do more good deeds! Not suitable
for children.
Happy, Texas (1999)
One of my favorite silly comedies. Jeremy Northam and Steve Zahn
break out of jail and hide out in Happy, Texas by masquerading as
coaches for a beauty pageant for pre-teen girls. William H. Macy is
wonderful.
Blow Dry (2001)
(England) It's been described as "The Full Monty with hair curlers!"
A once-great hairstylist is reduced to running a barbershop in a
small English town. Then the annual national hairdressing
championships come to town and he decides to give the big time
another shot. This is a wacky film!
Cold Comfort Farm (1995)
(England) A description of the plot (follows) will not convince you
why you should want to watch this film -- but the characters are
wonderful! Reviewers have described it as "Dickens meets the Beverly
Hillbillies" and "Thomas Hardy rewritten by P.G. Wodehouse" -- both
are apt descriptions. I recommend this offbeat comedy. Plot: A young
society woman in 1930s London becomes suddenly orphaned and
penniless. So, she writes letters to all her rich relatives asking
them to take her in -- to no avail. Then she receives a note saying
that she's welcome to move to the country and stay with some distant
relatives. When she arrives she discovers a very odd collection of
relatives living in squalor.She rolls up her sleeves and takes charge
-- over the objection of the family matriarch who somehow manages to
rule the roost by telling the story about seeing "something nasty in
the woodshed".
My Blue Heaven (1990)
Another film where Steve Martin proves that he's a much better actor
than he's given credit. A romantic comedy.
The Dinner Game (1998)
(France) Wild comedy about some very unkind people who get their
comeupance from the people they look down on! I laughed so hard I
nearly hyperventilated! Subtitles.
Blazing Saddles (1974)
What can I say about this classic -- except that most women find it
stupid, and most men love it!
East Is East (1999)
(England) Quirky comedy about a Pakastani-British family with seven
children whose lifestyles clash with their Pakistani father's plans
for them. Caught between disco nights and arranged marriages, the
children just want to be "normal."
Cookie's Fortune (1999)
A wonderful Robert Altman film set in small town Mississippi. "Cookie" (Patricia Neal) dies and her two greedy nieces (Glenn Close and Julianne Moore) think they'll inherit the estate. But, there's a touch of scandal linked to Cookie's death and to cover up they invent a murder. Of course it goes wrong! Part of my family lives in a similar small town and this film got the feeling right!
My Wife is an Actress (2002)
(French) A sportswriter who's married to a famous and beautiful film
actress starts to wonder if he should be jealous of all the men she
kisses for work. And, then she goes to work on a film in London
without him! A mature film, minor nudity.
Greenfingers (2000)
(England) Criminals sent to minimum security prison where they are
treated as human beings. One convict discovers gardening and soon the
entire prison population is pitching in to help compete in the
Chelsea Flower show. Based on a true story! Predictable, but worth
watching.
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
This is a wonderfully wacky, dark film with Paul Newman and Tim
Robbins. It didn't do well at the box office but I liked it. Not for
children.
The Castle (1999)
(Australia) Offbeat comedy about what happens when a man's home and
castle is threatened by an airport expansion. In the same tradition
as The Full Monty and Waking Ned Devine.
Blast from the Past (1999)
I've always liked Christopher Walken's sly wit. Here he plays a wacky
inventor in the early 1960s who builds an amazing underground bomb
shelter. Believing the bomb has been dropped, he locks himself and
his wife (Sissy Spacek) in to wait it out. After 35 years their son
(Brendan Fraser), finally ventures into the daylight of L.A. Very
funny!
Blithe Spirit (1945)
Noel Coward comedy with Rex Harrison as a novelist who is newly
married, but haunted by his dead first wife. Margaret Rutherford is
wonderful as a medium hired to exorcise the first wife.
Roman Holiday (1953)
I love this film for it's "need to get away from it all" attitude.
Princess Anne (Audrey Hepburn) is on a goodwill tour of European
cities to promote trade finds her life stultifying. She just wants to
be a normal young woman wandering around Rome as a tourist, but
that's not permitted. When she slips her lead and runs into newspaper
man (Gregory Peck) and his photographer (Eddie Albert) they all
discover they have to return to their responsibilities -- after
having a bit of a break. Beautiful scenery filmed entirely on
location (very rare in 1953).
Kissing Jessica Stein (2002)
Jessica is a single, straight New York journalist who who has dated a
lot of weird men. Then her friend reads her an intriguing personal ad
that turns out to be Women-Seeking-Women. Out of curiosity Jessica
decides to meet Helen for a drink, but as she says "Whenever I've
thought of lesbianism I've always thought 'yeach, can't go there!'"
-- but there's something about Helen. Great performances by all the
actors in this independent film written and co-produced by the two
leading actresses. The alternate track where the writers talk about
getting their film made is wonderful.
Saving Face(2005)
Wi is a New York doctor, who at 28 is considered a bit of an old maid in her Chinese family.
Her mother plays matchmaker, dragging her daughter to these big Chinese community dances in Flushing. Suddenly the mother is thrown out of her mother and father's house (where she's been living since her husband's death) and moves in with her daughter the doctor. Then things become complicated! And, funny. Reminds me of Kissing Jessica Stein and The Wedding Banquet.
84 Charing Cross Road (1986)
Anne Bancroft plays a feisty New York writer who craves English
classics she can't find in post-WWII New York City. So, she mails a
letter to a small London bookshop requesting their assistance and
winds up exchanging letters with Anthony Hopkins over 20 year period.
Very warm film based on true story.
Barefoot in the Park(1967)
(USA)Newly wed husband Robert Redfort doesn't have enough energy to keep up with wife Jane Fonda, his new job, and climb 10 flights of stairs to their new apartment! This is a very sweet film. Story by Neil Simon.
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal as a couple who meet several time over the
years and (1) first don't like each other, (2) don't remember each
other, (3) like, and then don't like, and finally love each other.
There are many warm and funny bits in this film. Well worth watching.
Merry War (1999)
(England) A wonderful film about how men and women want different
things. The directors commentary was almost as good as the film!
The Apartment (1960)
Jack Lemmon sucks up to his boss by loaning his apartment for
extra-marital liasons. Then he discovers he's in love with the boss's
current flame (Shirley MacLaine). Fred MacMurray is surprisingly good
as an unfeeling boss. Feels a bit dated, but worth watching to see
some great performances and direction by Billy Wilder.
Mrs. Brown (1997)
Judi Dench as Queen Victoria learning that there is life after the
death of Prince Albert. She deserved to win the Oscar for best
actress, but didn't.
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
This is a great love story -- and the director's commentary on the
DVD is almost as good as the film! Story of a man who's recently
widowed in Chicago, moves to Seattle with his son to start over. His
son see how much his father is hurting so he calls "Dr. Marsha," a
radio shrink, to get advice. Lots of women, including Meg Ryan's
character, decide that this father sounds like such a nice guy
(compared to the losers they've been dating!) and ask him out. Rosie
O'Donnell is great as Meg's best friend -- they watch "An Affair to
Remember" endlessly together, and think life should have a happy
ending like a movie. (Of course THIS IS A MOVIE!)
Kate & Leopold (2001)
Meg Ryan flick that wasn't quite as good as Sleepless in Seattle, but
still worth watching.
Irma La Douce (1963)
Set in Paris Red Light district, a rookie policeman (Jack Lemmon)
plots to keep a beautiful prostitute (Shirley MacLaine) all to
himself in this comedy from director Billy Wilder. Not for children,
and dated, but amusing.
The Last of the Blonde Bombshells (2000)
(England) Judi Dench, Olympia Dukakis, Ian Holm, Leslie Caron and
others decide to reform the All-Girl Band they were in during WWII.
Touching comedy. We should all age so well!
Return to Me (2000)
Wealthy contractor donates his wife's heart after she's tragically
killed in an automobile accident. The lucky recipient is a waitress
(Minnie Driver), who's led a sheltered life because of her life-long
heart condition. Carrol O'Connor (in his last role) plays her father.
Predictable, but still enjoyable.
Malèna (2000)
(Italy) A coming-of-age story set in Sicily during World War II, when
a 12 year old boy exposes the effect gossip can have on the life of a
beautiful young wife who's husband is off at war.
Mirror Has Two Faces (1996)
Barbara Streisland in a romantic comedy about a mature woman.
The Way We Were (1973)
Barbara Streisland and Robert Redford -- what can I say?
Six Days, Seven Nights (1998)
Fluff, but fun. Harrison Ford in a romantic comedy.
Knotting Hill
(England) Another Julia Roberts romantic comedy. This time with Hugh
Grant.
Il Postino (1995)
(Italy) The mailman on an Italian island pines from afar for a
beautiful waitress. When an exiled Chilean poet comes to live on the
island, the mailman delivers his mail and picks up lessons on love,
life and poetry. Romantic comedy.
The Wood (1999)
Growing up in suburban Inglewood (next door to Watts), the three
friends pass from sweaty-palmed first dates to the nerve-wracking
hours before Roland's wedding. Nice coming of age film.
A New Kind of Love (1963)
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward in a film about the war between the
sexes. Not unlike the Doris Day / Rock Hudson comedies of the period,
perhaps the best word is "frothy." Thelma Ritter is very good in a
supporting role.
Since I like food and cooking, you shouldn't surprised to find films on the subject on my list.
Mostly Martha (2002)
(German) The tale of an uptight professional chef who finds her world
turned upside down when she takes in her newly orphaned niece.
Martha's obsession with cooking extends to discussing recipes with
her bewildered therapist and verbally attacking anyone at the
restaurant who attempts to send her food back to the kitchen because
it isn't perfect. Beautiful scenes of food being prepared!
Tampopo (1986)
(Japan) A celebration of the role of food in Japanese culture. A
delightful parody of American Westerns and Japanese samurai films.
Tampopo follows a young widow who runs a small noodle restaurant in
Tokyo and Goro, a cowboy hat-wearing truck driver, as they attempt to
concoct the perfect bowl of soup. It's very watchable! Subtitles.
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)
Taiwan's most famous chef (and widower) struggles with accepting his
three daughters' newfound appetite for boys, an interest that begins
to break the family apart with hilarious and often touching results.
Tortilla Soup (2001)
Remake of Eat, Drink, Man, Woman set in Los Angeles. Widower Martin
Naranjo is a Los Angeles restaurateur with a booming business and
three headstrong daughters all on the verge of leaving the house to
pursue their individual destinies. He knows he must let go, but
things get even more complicated when brassy neighbor (Raquel Welch)
sets her sights on him. Not quite as good as the original, but worth
watching.
Of course there will be some of these in my favorits list!
Sullivan's Travels (1942)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
A film set in Mississippi, with references to Sullivan's Travels
(above) and The Illiad! A very literate film, but also very funny!
Shadow Magic (2001)
(China) The (mostly true) story of an Englishman who's the first to
bring motion pictures to China. His hand-cranked projector casts
images that are a marvel to his mixed audience of peasants and
royalty. Well worth watching. Subtitles.
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
A look at the real Hollywood -- power struggles between directors,
producers and studios. Kirk Douglas is wonderful. This is a classic
film, yet I didn't like the people. So, I'm torn about whether to
recommend it.
L. A. Confidential (1997)
Not strictly about films, but more about some sleazy characters on
the edge of Hollywood. A crime story, with Danny Devito in a
surprizing role. Violent.
This might sound corney, but I like films about "nice" people.
Strange Relations (2002)
A successful New York psychiatrist who is diagnosed with leukemia.
When he tells his mother (Olympia Dukakis), she reveals that he was
adopted from a young Catholic girl called Sheila in Liverpool,
England. Jerry's desperation for a bone-marrow transplant leads him
to that working-class town to track down his mother and find out
whether he has any siblings who could donate the life-saving marrow.
But, he finds he can't ask people he's just met to go through a very
painful process to try and save his life. So he decides he must get
to know his family, and they him, in the hope that it will all work
out before his end comes. Since this is a Hollywool film it will come
as no surprise that it does work out, and that there are interesting
plot twists, but it is still a wonderful story. Julie Walters as
Sheila is wonderful.
The King of Masks (1996)
An elderly street performer wants to pass on his knowledge and skill,
but has no son or grandson. And, custom prescribes him from passing
it on to the one person who wants to learn it -- a 8 year old girl
purchased on the black market under false pretenses that she is a
boy. Based on that description you probably don't want to see this
film, but trust me on this one, it is worth your time.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
A lawyer (Gregory Peck) is asked to defend a black man (very young
Brock Peters) against a charge of raping a white woman in a small
southern town. The trail scenes are very dramatic, and frequently
excerpted when discussing this film. However, this is only a small
part of the story of a widowed man of two small children growing up
and learning about the world around them. Recently AFI named Gregory
Peck's character as the most important "hero" in films -- I agree
with their assessment. Black and White.
The Winslow Boy (1999)
(England) One of my favorite films. Directed by David Mamet and
starring Nigel Hawthorne, Jeremy Northam, Glemma Jones. Story of a
father's trust in his son and his determination to see a false charge
of theft refuted. Amazing acting!
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
(Italy) One of my favorite films about growing up! Subtitles.
Marty (1955)
A middle-aged neighborhood butcher who is facing a lonely future
ruled by his mother. But then he meets a lonely schoolteacher,
suddenly everything is possible. Ernest Borgnine deserved the Oscar
-- and amazed me, because I only thought of him as a B-movie (e.g.
Poseidon Adventure) or TV (e.g. McHale's Navy) actor.
Last Orders (2002)
(England) Michael Caine, Tom Courtenay, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren
star as a group of old friends who get together following the death
of a friend and go on a road trip to deliver his ashes to the sea. As
they make their trip, the men take a journey down the long and
winding road of their lives, reliving memories of the times they
spent together. Great acting as you might expect, and wonderful
cinematography.
Life Is Beautiful (1997)
A loving Jewish family is sent a WWII death camp. A wonderful film,
but not for young children.
Central Station (1998)
also known as Central do Brasil.
(Brazil) Dora who writes letters for illiterate people at Rio de
Janeiro's central railroad station, feels compelled to help a 9-year
old boy locate his estranged father after the child's mother dies in
a auto accident just after paying Dora to write a letter. But, first
she sells the boy to some nasty people! As they travel together they
grow closer and the cynical Dora becomes more human.
Lilies of the Field (1963)
Sidney Poitier as an itinerant construction worker on his way to
California in this character-driven film. When Poitier's car
overheats in the desert, he crosses paths with some German nuns, who
tell him that God has sent him to build them a church. This
cross-cultural comedy reaches its zenith when Poitier teaches the
sisters English -- with a Southern twist. Dated, but interesting.
Black and White.
The Family Man (2000)
Nicolas Cage plays an invesement banker who loves the finer things in
life, but not people. Then one night he goes to sleep in his bed and
wakes up transported into the life he might have had if he'd wed his
college sweetheart. Instead of a fast car, he's driving a minivan
with two screaming kids. Similiar in feel to "It's A Wonderful Life"
Our Town (1940)
Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning play about the lives of two
families in a small New Hampshire village from the year 1900 through
1913. William Holden and Martha Scott play teenagers who fall in
love, marry and bear a child. Aaron Copland soundtrack. The DVD
transfer isn't very good, but still worth watching.
L.A. Story (1991)
Steve Martin wrote and stars in this wonderful, slyly comedic look at
life in Los Angeles. Some of the jokes may be stale now (freeway
shootings) or become so common-place (ordering half-decafe mocha with
extra ...). But, when the film came out it was wondful -- full of
in-jokes that someone who had lived in Los Angeles (me) could enjoy.
I suspect it's still worth watching!
The Snapper (1993)
(Ireland) When a young woman living with her parents and many
brothers and sisters gets herself pregnant and refuses to name the
father, she becomes the talk of the town. Colm Meaney as the father.
Finding Forrester (2000)
An unusual film starring Sean Connery as an award-winning novelist
turned recluse living in the Bronx. He decides to mentor a youngster
from the nearby projects. A feel good film, but predictable.
The Straight Story (1999)
It's not a good title, but the film is worth watching. When a elderly
farmer's estranged brother falls ill, the farmer pledges to go to his
brother's side despite being unable to drive and unwilling to accept
help. With a tent to sleep under, a riding lawnmower for
transportation and unshakable determination the farmer sets out to
cover the 300 miles to his brother's house. Based on a true story.
To Dance With the White Dog (1993)
My Dad recommended this Hallmark Hall of Fame production. An elderly
Hume Cronyn copes with the death of his wife (Jessica Tandy, seen
mostly in flashbacks) and his own increasing infirmities. He gets a
new insight on life when he forms a tight, almost mystical bond with
a devoted dog.
My Life as a Dog (1985)
A film about the often-confusing nature of childhood. Shipped off to
live with his uncle for the summer, a 12-year-old boy finds
unexpected adventures with the help of the town's warmhearted
eccentrics. These experiences give him the strength to accept his
life and eventually enjoy childhood.
High and Low (1963)
(aka Heaven and Hell)
(Japan) A wealthy businessman is blackmailed by kidnappers who claim
to have his son and discovers they've kidnapped his chauffer's son by
mistake. He has to choose between financial ruin or the life of an
innocent young boy. It was very interesting to see the pressures he
was under, and the expectations by the Japanese police about how he
should behave.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
This is an amazing film. Angela Lansbury plays someone you've met --
nice to your face, and stab you in the back when you're not looking.
It's an amazingly evil character -- and only a secondary character.
The major character is her son -- he came back from the Korean War
damaged, and his buddy Frank Sinatra is trying to figure out what's
wrong with him. The backdrop is Communist witchhunts, assasination
plots, and brainwashed killers. That sounds so stereotypical of the
era that you may be tempted to give this one a pass, but it's very
well done. (Not to say this isn't a bit dated, but it has survived
better than many from that era.)
Cast Away (2000)
I think this is Tom Hank's finest film. He plays a systems engineer
for FedEx. On route to another problem, the FedEx plane he's riding
in crashes -- he's alone on a desert island. However, don't expect
this to be a Gilligan's Island, or any other stereotype. This is
drama as it should be. I list it as a thriller only because it had me
on the edge of my seat several times.
Seven Samurai (1954)
(Japan) Director: Akira Kurosawa. A group of masterless samurai agree
to defend a peasant village in 16th century Japan, with a few meals
of rice as pay. Considered by many to be one of the best of classic
films! Inspired the Magnificent Seven, a great Western.
Yojimbo (1961)
(Japan) Director: Akira Kurosawa. The main character is a samurai
drifter who stumbles upon a town with an assorted cast of characters,
with a split between two gangs. One of the gangsters is the only one
in town; it seems, with a gun. At first the samurai plays each side
off each other, but when he gets beaten roughly by whom he was
"protecting", he realizes the fun's over, and it's time to fight back
-- in the process liberating the town from the two gangs. The sequel,
Sanjuro, is wonderful.
Sanjuro (1962)
(Japan) Director: Akira Kurosawa. The main character, a samurai
drifter, describes himself as "Age 30 (going on 40)" . He just wants
a bottle of good sake, a good meal an some sleep. Instead he winds up
helping a group of idealistic young men who want to fight corruption
in their local government. His reason -- "They're too stupid to pull
it off on their own." Boy is he right! They are fools who rush in
where a wiser man knows better -- but the old samurai saves them time
and again, but at a terrible cost. This film, like Yojimbo,
has a couple of fight scenes that are really well done.
Like the great Westerns by John Ford and others in Hollywood, this
film has a couple of great fight scenes. Unlike modern day films
which often feature near constant killings, these films show conflict
between good and evil -- and the toll of the battle on both sides.
There's also a lot of humor to lighten the tension.
Hidden Fortress (1958)
(Japan) Director: Akira Kurosawa. The main characters are: a princess
(last survivor of a ruling family in Japan), a crafty general (played
by the same actor as the samurai in Yojimbo and
Sanjuro) and two stupid, greedy peasants who are just
interested in the princess' gold. The general is trying to smuggle
the princess and her family fortune out of the hidden fortress, thru
enemy territory to another lord's area so she can begin to rebuild
the family army. George Lucas tells (in a short interview on the DVD)
how he loved the technique of telling the story from the standpoint
of the two minor characters (the greedy peasants) and used the same
idea in Star Wars with R2D2 and C3PO. There are other minor
similarities between Hidden Fortress and Star Wars, but they are also
dramatically different.
Elmer Gantry (1960)
Burt Lancaster does a WONDERFUL job in this film about corruption and
deception by a religious leader! If you've ever thought some of those
"television evangelists" were just in it for the money and power,
you'll love this film!
Lone Star (1996),
A sheriff's star and a skull are discovered buried in a shallow grave
outside a small south Texas town. The current sheriff is worried that
his father, a former sheriff, may have killed his boss -- who was
then the sheriff. Lots of twists, and fine acting. Kris Kristofferson
does a great job as the S.O.B. sheriff who may be the corpse.
Fargo (1996)
Coen Brothers film about kidnapping, car theft, and Minnesota
winters! Very dark humor. Frances McDormand won an Oscar as pregnant
Sheriff Marge Gunderson, who's sharper than her Northern Minnesota
accent suggests. William H. Macy as a car dealer who conspires with
hotheaded kidnappers to cover his embezzelment. Shockingly violent
and bloody. But, great acting!
Third Man (1949)
Orson Wells and Joseph Cotton in post WWII Europe. Joseph Cotton
arrives to discover his friend has died in a traffic accident, but
there's something not quite right. It has some very nice twists and
great acting.
Twilight (1998)
A burned-out private eye - Paul Newman - offers to help an old friend
with a blackmail scheme. As the truth slowly comes to light Newman
finds himself uncovering the details of a long, unsolved case. Gene
Hackman, Paul Newma, Reese Witherspoon, Susan Sarandon and James
Garner are all wonderful.
M (1931)
(Germany, Silent) That's right, the title is one letter. Peter Lore
plays a very twisted child murderer. The police are searching for
him, and so is the German underworld -- he's giving them a bad name!
Not for children, but great thriller.
Forbidden Planet (1956)
Classic science fiction with Robbie The Robot, amazingly powerful
aliens who vanish one night thousands of years ago, and a flying
saucer from Earch to investigate. Received Oscar for Special Effects.
Sanjuro (1962)
A jaded samurai "Age 30 (going on 40)". All he wants is a bottle of
good sake', a square meal, and some sleep. Instead, he ends up
helping a group of idealistic young samurai fight corruption in their
local government because, as he puts it, "They're too stupid to pull
it off on their own". Along the way he defeats numerous enemies in a
ballet of sword blades and a barrage of quick wits.
The French Connection (1971)
Gene Hackman plays a foul-mouthed, violent narcotics detective,
pursuing a suave French drug dealer through New York City. Based on a
true story, it is famous for its car-vs.-elevated-train chase. I
resisted seeing this for years because when it came out it had a
reputation for extreme violence -- but I finally watched it recently
and realized how good it is (and how violent today's films have
become).
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
James Stewart as defense attorney for man accused of murder. Intense!
Blood Simple (1984)
The Coen Brother's (Fargo) first film is very violent, but really
very good.
Michael Collins (1996)
(Ireland) Story of the fight for Irish independence from Britain.
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
The 1968 version is a classic, but I like the remake better!
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Tom Hanks in war film that shows that war isn't glorious, but the
people in it can be heroic.
On the Beach (1959)
After nuclear war ravages Earth, Australia remains the only continent
untouched, but a deadly cloud of fallout draws closer every day. U.S.
submarine commander Gregory Peck is torn between his duty to search
for signs of life and his desire to spend his last days with an
Australian woman he's fallen in love with.
East/West (2000)
East/West follows the plight of a young couple and their child as
they choose to go back to the Soviet Union in 1946 --- only to
discover they've made a horrible mistake and try to get back out! Not
a thriller in the usual sense, but it kept me on the edge of my seat.
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
I'm sure everyone knows the basic story here so I won't anything
about it. I do wonder if George Bush has seen this film.
Spanish Prisoner (1997)
David Mamet wrote and directed this twisty mystery with Steve Martin
in very uncharacteristic role. If you like films with twists, this
one is for you!
The Sting (1973)
Paul Newman and Robert Redford as con men -- out to cheat a lot of
money out of a mob boss who had one of their friends killed. A bit
dated, but lots of twists.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Paul Newman and Robert Redford as famous outlaws. Their "Hole in the
Wall Gang" is too successful robbing the railroad so the railroad
sends a special posse to track them down. They decide that perhaps
moving to South America would be far enough away to shake the posse
and they'd find some fresh banks to rob. I'm torn about whether to
list this as a comedy or drama -- but the chemistry between the two
leading actors is worth watching. Bit dated now. I think I'd rate
their later film, The Sting as better.
Grand Illusion (1938)
Very powerful anti-war film set in WWI. I strongly recommend this
one!
Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
also known as " Ballada o soldate" (USSR) Story of a 19 year old
Soviet soldier who becomes a hero because of the situation. As reward
he's offered a medal, but he asks instead for a couple of days to go
home and fix his mother's leaky roof. The general finally agrees, but
gives him 6 days -- the transit system is all messed up. Along the
way he meets and helps a number of people less fortunate than
himself, each time eating up precious time he wanted to spend at
home. I think it's as good as Grand Illusion.
Stalag 17 (1953)
If you ever watched Hogan's Heros (television) you may have thought
you have also seen this film. Wrong! This is a serious film about
what men will do to survive in a prisoner of war camp -- with a touch
of black comedy. Hogan's Heros twisted everything about this film
into a parody -- a few bits of which were funny. William Holden won
an Oscar for his work in this film. Billy Wilder deserved one for his
direction.
Henry V (1989)
Kenneth Branagh leads an all star cast in this wonderful version of
Shakespeare's epic story of a young English king who leads his
outnumbered forces into one of history's most extraordinary battles.
Wonderful acting, cinematography and music.
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Wonderful film about a misfit (Paul Newman) stuck in a southern
prison -- chain gangs, sweatboxes, etc. George Kennedy as side-kick,
and Strother Martin as prison warden. He utters the now famous
sentence "What we have here is a failure to communicate." --
referring to Paul Newman's character that's prone to breaking the
rules.
Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
Gregory Peck as a World War II commander given the difficult task of
turning a disheartened group of American bomber pilots into heroes.
Unlike other war films, you see the effect this effort has on him.
Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957)
Directed by John Huston, staring Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum --
must be good, right? Yes, it is. This is the unusual story of a
Marine who is shipwrecked on an island now deserted except for a nun
who stayed behind to nurse a dying priest. This film is a bit
predictable (he falls for her, but she remains true to her vows), but
with enough excitement (hiding from Japanese army occupying island)
and twists, to make this well worth watching.
Cary Grant is one of my favorite actors. Here's a list of my favorites.
North By Northeast
Surely you've seen this masterpiece by Alfred Hitchcock!
His Girl Friday (1940)
Cary Grant as a fast-talking newspaper publisher determined to win
back his ex-wife (and ace reporter) Rosalind Russell before she
marries boring Ralph Bellamy. Famous for its use of overlapping
dialog. Remade years later as The Front Page with Walter Matheau and
Jack Lemmon -- skip the remake!
The Bishop's Wife (1947)
It's hokey, but very warm hearted and a great comedy. Dudley the
angel (Cary Grant) is sent to help a bishop (David Niven) and his
wife (Loretta Young) survive their attempt to finance a new cathedral
and the strain it's putting on their marriage. The problem is, Dudley
starts to fall for the wife!
Father Goose (1964)
Cary Grant stars in one of his funniest roles as a boozy beach-comber
sitting out WWII in peace - until the Allies recruit him to be a
lookout on the South Pacific isle. And then his island is over run by
school teacher (Leslie Caron) and a handfull of pre-teen girls! Very
funny.
An Affair to Remember (1957)
A "chick flick", but I like it too! Predictable, but worth watching.
Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr meet on an ocean liner and fall deeply in
love. Though each is engaged to someone else, they agree to meet six
months later at the Empire State Building if they still feel the same
way about each other. Inspired another of my favorites, Sleepless in
Seattle.
Charade (1963)
Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in a caper film set in Paris. The
May-December romance angle is a bit far fetched, but the rest of the
film is great. Good acting by the villans -- Walter Matthau, James
Coburn, George Kennedy
There were a lot of musicals, but only a few make my list.
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
(France) A very interesting musical -- every word of the French
dialogue is sung! Sounds weird, but it works very well. Very romantic
--- boy meets girl, boy woos girl, boy looses girl, ... At one time
this film was considered lost, but recently it was able to be
restored! Young Catherine Deneuve is beautiful!
Into the Woods (1990)
Wonderful Stephen Sondheim musical mixing up Jack and the Bean Stalk,
Red Ridding Hood, and a half dozen other fairy tales.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)
Zero Mostel as a Roman slave trying to scheme his way to freedom. A
lot of innuendo in this musical!
Yellow Submarine (1968)
What can I say -- it's the Beatles! (Well not really, it's a cartoon
and John, Paul, George and Ringo didn't do the voices, but it's still
well worth watching!)
The King and I (1956)
Amazing Technicolor images. Very stagey, but worth watching. The true
story of an Englishwoman, Anna Leonowens (Deborah Kerr), who comes to
Siam as a schoolteacher to the royal court in the 1860s and finds
herself at odds with the stubborn monarch (Yul Brynner).
West Side Story (1961)
OK, Natalie Wood isn't Puerto Rican, and the story is very stylized
(that is unbelievable), but it has great songs and dancing and that's
what a musical is all about! The song America! is one of my
favorites!
Guys and Dolls (1955)
Frank Sinatra as a wise-cracking arranger of illegal crap games;
Marlon Brando as someone who will bet on anything; and Jean Simmons
and a Salvation Army goody-two-shoes! Great dialog -- not natural,
but very stylized. Great songs! (Even Brando and Simmons sing and
sound believable.)
Fiddler on the Roof(1971)
This was good enough to make my list, but just barely.
Sally of the Sawdust (1925)
An amazingly good silent film! I highly recommend this one.
Sparrows (1926)
(Silent) Mary Pickford as oldest orphan in a "baby farm" where
unwanted or "lost" children are cruelly worked and underfed. Mollie
(Pickford) leads them through a harrowing escape thru the swamps.
Amazing stunts.
The Cameraman's Revenge & Other Fantastic Tales
(1958)
(Russia) Several amazing stop action animation shorts. The first two
or three are wonderful, but then it gets a bit old -- fast forward
thru the final one.
Indian Tomb (1921)
A silent film with the most amazing special effects -- better than
anything before Computer Generated Images! But, the story is a bit
lame.
Alexander Nevsky (1938)
(Soviet) Film by great Soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein who
also directed Battleship Potemkin. Really only interesting if you're
a real film buff.
-- More to come