Month: July 2020

Non c’è due senza quattro [Double Trouble] (1984)

Non c’è due senza quattro [Double Trouble] (1984)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(In French, On Cable TV, July 2020) By 1984, the long on-screen partnership between Bud Spencer and Terence Hill was almost over, but both of them were comfortable enough in their on-screen personas that their movies became little more than excuses for comic set-pieces. In Double Trouble’s case, the narrative goes back to the favourite comic trope of doubles—Spencer/Hill playing both rich wimpy characters, and rough-and-tumble doubles hired as decoys due to assassination attempts. It all takes place in Rio de Janeiro for international flavour. The excuse for a plot is enough for the string of gags—both actors are clearly having fun with the highfalutin dialogue and demeanour of the rich guys they’re supposed to replace, and a lot of the film’s comedy has to do with class differences. It’s certainly nothing sophisticated, but the brawls are fun, and fans of the duo get exactly what they’re expecting. While Double Trouble is not their best (although, really, what is their best?), it’s amusing enough to be worth their names on the marquee.

Django (1966)

Django (1966)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(Tubitv Streaming, July 2020) What’s in the coffin? What’s in the coffin??? From its first few moments, as a lone traveller carries a heavy coffin wherever he goes, Django strikes interest. A Spaghetti western written and directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Franco Nero, this is a film more concerned about artifice than substance. The story itself (inspired by Yojimbo) is nothing special—a stranger comes to town and dispatches the bad guys—but it’s in the details that the film does better: the hero’s weapon of choice is what’s in the coffin—a machine gun! The bad dubbing does add a bit of charm to the proceedings. Alas, the film is unusually violent for the time, to the point where it’s not as much fun to watch. Still, if you’ve seen and like Leone’s westerns, this is very much in the same vein. Many enthusiasts will tell you that Django is one of the better spaghetti westerns and the good directing, steady rhythm, entertaining gimmicks, likable protagonist and rather happy ending all confirm this.

The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)

The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, July 2020) Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are reunited for the tenth and final time in The Barkleys of Broadway, playing a married Broadway couple whose bickering gets out of hand, leading to strife and separation. The film’s production history tells us that Judy Garland was first slated to play the female lead but had to bow out and was replaced by Rogers, thus providing an interesting ten-year-later epilogue to the Astaire/Rogers professional duo. In most ways, it’s a classic MGM Freed production from the good years of the unit—where the focus on Broadway presenters means that there are plenty of diegetic occasions to present song and dance numbers. We shouldn’t underestimate the fun of seeing Oscar Levant in a role tailored to fit both his musical talents (as he plays a Tarkovsky piano concerto on-screen, hands flying on the keys) and his comic persona with a penchant for acerbic bon mots. Special effects make the “Shows with Wings on” sequence worth a look, as one of Astaire’s later-career solo numbers with a gimmick. Fittingly enough for an Astaire/Rogers finale, there is some great duet dancing here. Alas, as with many musicals, the balance of comedy to drama is not ideal in the third act—it’s not as if the resolution is in doubt. Even as a rather average Astaire/Rogers film, The Barkleys of Broadway is a lot of fun to watch for musical comedy fans. It also heralds, in its own way, a few spectacular years for MGM musical comedies.

Ivanovo detstvo [Ivan’s Childhood aka My Name is Ivan] (1962)

Ivanovo detstvo [Ivan’s Childhood aka My Name is Ivan] (1962)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(Criterion Streaming, July 2020) Let’s describe Ivan’s Childhood for you: It’s director Andrei Tarkovsky’s debut feature, in black-and-white, in Russian, about a child during wartime but intercut with bucolic recollections of an idyllic rural pre-war upbringing. This combination of elements is almost custom designed to get me to tap out of a film, and the result does not disappoint: it’s intensely dull in addition to the excruciating subject matter, and it does nothing to change my opinion of Tarkovsky—in fact, Ivan’s Childhood is one of his dullest films that I can recall, and that’s already saying something.

Rookie of the Year (1993)

Rookie of the Year (1993)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On TV, July 2020) Wish fulfillment runs rampant in baseball fantasy Rookie of the Year, in which a twelve-year-old with a fantastic medical condition giving him an exceptional throwing speed is called to pitch for a professional sports team. It’s obviously a comedy for kids and it makes no effort to present something palatable for adults—it’s all clichés and dumb gags and formula plotting and so on. Daniel Stern directs about as broadly as he plays a comic relief role. Rookie of the Year is passably entertaining, but not by much—I suppose that it’s somewhat better if you’re a baseball-loving tweener.

Three Little Words (1950)

Three Little Words (1950)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, July 2020) The mini wave of composer biopics meets Fred Astaire in Three Little Words, which goes back to the Tinpan Alley era to present a biography of songwriting team Kalmar and Ruby. Astaire (as Kalmar) stars with Red Skelton (as Ruby) and the always-beautiful Vera-Ellen as Kalmar’s wife in what’s probably one of the healthiest on-screen romantic relationships in Astaire’s filmography. (There’s no creeping insistence in this specific romance, although the 22-year age gap remains significant.) Also notable is that Astaire does a lot more singing than dancing here—this is a biopic that’s not quite built to accommodate his usual dance performances. There’s some built-in drama (which wasn’t always the case in other composer biographies), as the two partners argue. While Three Little Words is adapted from real historical figures (ones that Astaire even knew personally), it’s difficult to see anyone but Astaire and Skelton rather than their characters. But that’s fine—both actors have a much better chemistry than you could expect from their specific comic styles, and it helps that Skelton keeps his wilder comic instincts under control here. As composer biopics go, historians tell us that Three Little Words is considered one of the most accurate depictions of their subject—although with plenty of Hollywood enhancements. But while not a bad jukebox musical in itself, it’s a bit of a disappointing entry in the Astaire filmography: it’s an early example of him trying to stretch beyond his dancing abilities (something that would become more frequent as he aged) and there’s nothing wrong with that, but it means that Three Little Words should be assessed more along the lines of a composer biopic (where it is, in fact, funnier and more charming than most) than an Astair musical (which it is not).

Batman: The Movie (1966)

Batman: The Movie (1966)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(Second Viewing, July 2020) I recall seeing both Batman: The Movie and the TV series as a kid, and while I haven’t seen the TV series since roughly that time, it’s easy to go right back in the consciously campy tone of the film. The film’s bigger budget, compared to the TV series, means a few expansive exterior shots and slightly better production values. But the core remains the silliness—it’s ridiculous, intentionally ridiculous, consciously ridiculous and everyone is out to make it as ridiculous as possible. The plot is clearly not supposed to make sense: Highlights include the shark and the bomb, of course, which I remembered from decades ago. But what I did not remember were the dehydration or the heavy water or the deadpan delivery of inane dialogue that made it all better. The film also features a good opportunity to see some of the classic villains (Cesar Romeo’s Joker, notably—too bad it’s not the Eartha Kitt Catwoman) in high-definition widescreen alongside Adam West and Burt Ward. All in all, Batman: The Movie is an exemplary camp classic: inane in all the right ways.

Dead End (1937)

Dead End (1937)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, July 2020) As much as I’d like to be more positive about Dead End, it just ends up being a fairly dull New York crime drama. It does star an ascendant Humphrey Bogart in one of the 1930s roles most suited to his later persona (albeit as a villain), plus a leading role for Joel McCrae. The plot is perhaps a bit more sedate than you could expect: it’s based on a theatrical play, spends a lot of time on social issues class commentary on gentrification and doesn’t quite capitalize on its assets—or maybe just isn’t interested in telling anything but a drama opposing high class characters and low street urchins. Director William Wyler does have a few impressive camera moves, especially in the film’s opening moments. Alas, that’s not enough to make Dead End any more distinctive—the plot is uninvolving, and even Bogart’s supporting turn can’t save it completely.

Paris When It Sizzles (1964)

Paris When It Sizzles (1964)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, July 2020) It would have been enough to put together a romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn and William Holden, set in Paris, and have him play a burnt-out writer on a deadline being helped by a winsome assistant. It’s not an original premise, yet it’s more than enough to be fun. But Paris When It Sizzles goes quite a bit further into charming ridiculousness, by presenting the result of their collaboration (a thriller called The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower) on-screen with them playing the main characters, and throwing in not just plenty of Hollywood in-jokes, but cameos from notables such as Tony Curtis, Mel Ferrer, Marlene Dietrich and Frank Sinatra. The romantic narrative is predictable (would you believe the writer falls in love with his assistant?) but it’s the very funny metafictional game that holds audience interest as the reality of Paris When It Sizzles keeps going back and forth between the writers’ struggles and the imagined movie. Hepburn is in her element in a romantic comedy—and once again back in Paris. Fans will note one scene in which she has her long hair down—wow. Meanwhile, Holden is quite good as well—he looks like Tom Hanks at times, and like an authentic action hero at others. While many of the references can only be appreciated by Classic Hollywood fans, Paris When it Sizzles has aged well with its metafictional conceit and main stars. It’s a lot of fun even if the ending doesn’t provide complete closure. (Am I the only one who likes it when protagonists meet their deadlines?) But then again, that may be the point—the film is intent on making audiences happy even when it doesn’t make sense. As a romantic comedy set in Paris, how could it be otherwise?

Kurenai no buta [Porco Rosso aka The Crimson Pig] (1992)

Kurenai no buta [Porco Rosso aka The Crimson Pig] (1992)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(Netflix Streaming, July 2020) Only writer-director Hayao Miyazaki could get away with the strange blend of elements to be found in Porco Rosso. After all, you wouldn’t necessarily expect animation to take on mid-1920s Italy as a setting, nor to complicate things even further by featuring seaplanes, air pirates, the lingering weight of war a few years after an armistice, a character aspiring to Hollywood stardom, a rich heiress, and a hero magically transformed from pilot to anthropomorphic pig. It’s a lot to take in, but much of the first half of the film is delightful considering how it just keeps throwing elements of its bizarre imagined universe at the viewer. There’s a lot of romance here for early aviation, an affection for its Italian characters, twisted loyalties (as the protagonist is pursued both by pirates and the US government), a loyal female sidekick and a host of other characters. It’s difficult to describe and it sounds utterly ridiculous on paper, but it works well once the film gets going. It all comes down to an aerial race, and then a bloody fist-fight in thigh-deep water. There is considerable and unlikely charm to Porco Rosso, far more so than the sum of its components. But that’s part of the Miyazaki magic, creating entirely fresh universes at each film in order to tell us a story that escapes neat patterns and genre distinctions. Liking it takes a backseat to being very impressed by it.

Le cercle rouge [The Red Circle] (1970)

Le cercle rouge [The Red Circle] (1970)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(YouTube Streaming, July 2020) Oops. Oh, I can recognize that Le Cercle Rouge is a good movie. Directed with clinical precision by Jean-Pierre Melville, it’s about a robbery put together by a group of men, one of them played with typical cool by Alain Delon. It’s about a criminal on the run, pursued by a dogged police officer. It’s about the mixture of existential musings and criminal genre plotting so typical of Melville. It’s about 1970 Paris, all leading to a very long robbery sequence executed without dialogue or music. The ending is suitably punishing for the criminals. But here’s the unfortunate thing: I have been seeing a lot of black-and-white heist movies lately, many of them with groups of criminals coming together for an extended robbery sequence shot without music or dialogue, and not only are they blurring together, they’re making it harder to keep my interest while watching Le cercle rouge. Haven’t I seen this before? Don’t I have a really good idea of what’s going to happen? Unfortunate, but perhaps inevitable given that other of those other films was the very similar Rififi, which obviously influenced this one. I’ll give Le cercle rouge a cautious recommendation (albeit tempered by my impatience with Melville’s usual languid pacing and existential excesses), and give it a while before I try watching it again.

The River Wild (1994)

The River Wild (1994)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On TV, July 2020) As much as I’m as surprised as anyone else to see the Grande Dame of drama movies Meryl Streep have a go at an action movie in The River Wild, I can’t help but imagine her sneaking into her home theatre late at night and spinning this one. “Look at those toned shoulders,” she must be thinking, “Look at that fierce expression, that scowl, those squinting eyes. That’s right—I can kick ass as well as any other actress.” And then she puts it away, satisfied that she managed one action movie at her physical prime, just to show everyone else that she could. The River Wild is not that good a movie—it’s equally predictable and far-fetched, concerned as it is with a family being pursued down a fast-running river by a pair of robbers eager to escape justice and leave no witnesses behind them. Streep plays the mama bear of the family, experienced in white-water rafting and ready to lead the way during their family vacation. There’s some perfunctory business about her husband (David Strathairn, similarly managing a transition from a refined screen persona to an action hero) being distant and her initially flirting with the escape criminals. It does help that those criminals are played with prime-era Kevin Bacon and an early role for John C. Reilly as a none-too-bright sidekick. Still, much of The River Wild’s impact comes from the terrific white-water rafting sequences, still impressive twenty-five years later due to in-your-face camera shots and tight editing thanks to then-ascendant director Curtis Hanson. There are a few white-knuckle thrills along the way, and a gripping back-and-forth between family and criminals. It’s a decent-enough thriller, made all the more remarkable through some clever casting.

Xi you ji zhi nü er guo [The Monkey King 3] (2018)

Xi you ji zhi nü er guo [The Monkey King 3] (2018)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On TV, July 2020) Considering that I’m coming to The Monkey King 3 without having seen the first two films, take this review with a grain of salt—or at least filter it through my overlapping ignorance of the series, the Journey to the West mythology on which it’s based, and the inevitable cultural specifics of a Chinese film. There are a few good things here—as a high-fantasy adventure set in mythological times, it’s executed with a heavy emphasis on CGI. Visually, at least, there are a few things to see—even if the character design (carried over from previous films, I’m guessing) may strike many as grotesque. But the film as a whole has some serious tonal problems, with a comic first section that turns far more uncomfortable midway through as a character decides to abort other characters’ sudden pregnancies (it’s all unplanned magical stuff, but still: yikes!) After that, the film gets weirder, slower, far less lighthearted and never quite recovers the pacing of its first half. I haven’t even mentioned the incongruous musical moment. Maybe The Money King 3 will make more sense if I ever see the first two; maybe another look will smooth out some of those atonal incongruities, or maybe I will not revisit the series at all.

Barbary Coast (1935)

Barbary Coast (1935)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, July 2020) It feels weird to talk about Barbary Coast as a western, considering that it takes place in the largely urban setting of 1850s San Francisco. But it does feature many elements of the western thanks to the gold rush that serves as its backdrop. There’s an air of a wild frontier to it all, as much of the action initially takes place in a saloon of sorts, then runs out for life away from the city in a gold mining camp. So, let’s call this an “urban western” and try not to think too much about the contradiction. As such, it’s not bad: this two-fisted thriller shows life in San Francisco during the gold rush, with a wealthy villain (Edward G. Robinson) running the town while everyone else cowers. Director Howard Hawks brings his characteristic touch to the result (not as refined as his later films, but still effective) and the whole thing is rather fun to watch even as it deals in clichés and rough plotting. While technically of the Production Code era, the script still has enough echoes of innuendos to stay interesting. Even if some of the characters can be cartoonish, Barbary Coast is still a convincing trip to a specific time and place. Watch it as a double feature with 1936’s San Francisco disaster film for a wild Hollywood dive into the city’s history.

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)

ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

(On Cable TV, July 2020) It’s amusing to see how Jack Black has carved himself a niche in children’s fantasy film over the past few years, and he’s back as no less than R. L. Stine in Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween. It’s a small, late role for him but it does highlight the self-referential nature of this horror-lite film for young kids. Here, a Goosebump book is opened and brings to life all of the monsters of the franchise in a small town on Halloween night. This is not something made to be scary—it’s content simply remixing Halloween icons for a short 90-minute spooky time. The inclusion of Nikola Tesla is amusing, much of the film taking place at the Wardenclyffe Tower he designed and built. Also worth a mention is a bit of fun on how fiction can turn to real life and vice versa. Despite this, Haunted Halloween is not bad but not good either: it’s just inert, and the kind of stuff the kids can watch for thrills, while the adults keep their own harder horror films for themselves.