mnfried Reviews

Dirty Pretty Things (2002)

The film is about illegal aliens in London.

[9/10 · 28 July 2005]

The story line is gripping. The film grabbed me by the throat and never let go until the credits rolled. The characters are well rounded and multi-dimensional. They come from different continents and speak with unusual accents. They relay to the viewer with great subtlety and without excessive dialog everything they experience and feel. The entire cast performed well, especially the two leads whose performances are sensitive and expressive. What is great about this film is that none of the actors have bankable names. This is definitely NOT mass market entertainment. The film respects the audience and assumes the people who will watch it are just as intelligent as those who wrote it, performed in it and directed it. Frears' direction is flawless. He shows us all the seedy details of the multicultural city London has become. I highly recommend this film.

Night Falls on Manhattan (1996)

Sydney Lumet looks into honesty and corruption again.

[8/10 · 14 May 2005]

The theme of corruption is examined in almost every Sydney Lumet film. He is fascinated by power and the use and misuse of it. The cast of this character-driven film is played to perfection by Andy Garcia, James Gandolfini, Lena Olin, Shiek Mahmud-Bey, Ian Holm, Ron Leibman, Richard Dreyfuss, Sam Vigoda and Paul Guilfoyle. They are all in the same gut-wrenching movie about the prosecutors who do not operate in a black-and-white world, rather in one of shades of gray. There are two especially touching relationships. One is between a father and son, the other is the love story between Andy Garcia and Lena Olin that survives this very tense and complex situation in a film about an important subject. I recommend it.

A Delicate Balance (1973)

Upper class WASPS trading sharp remarks

[6/10 · 28 April 2005]

The scene is an upper class house in Connecticut. The residents are an old married couple who've had a mostly sexless marriage, an alcoholic sister, a much married daughter and a pair of irksome neighbors who've had a major anxiety attack and move in with their friends. The text is very witty and insightful, but it does not contain a single original idea. It was not original when first presented, but had I seen it in 1973 I would have given it a kinder review. We get wiser and more honest as we get older. The cast is excellent, save for Katharine Hepburn, who can only play herself. I have seen every film she ever made and have come to the conclusion that the secret of her success lay in always having been cast as a character whose personality was very close to hers. Paul Scofield, Joseph Cotten, Kate Reid, Betsy Blair and Lee Remick were true to the spirit of the text and executed their roles very well. Edward Albee's interview is an important part of the DVD. I very much enjoyed his penetrating comments about casting and the choice of Mike Nichols as director.

Burning Secret (1988)

The story of a boy's sudden growth into manhood and an irresponsible womanizer.

[9/10 · 24 December 2001]

I read this story in the original in 1939 when I was an adolescent. I understood it only from the boy's point of view. It was a wonderful experience to see it at a time when my son was a grown man and I could understand the film from each individual's point of view. The makers of this film are to be congratulated for their sensitivity, and their tremendous skill for presenting this story written in a different social and historical context from their own. The acting of the entire cast was subtle and powerful. The mother's relationship with her son is beautifully realized. All in all, I highly recommend this film. I plan to buy it for my own collection.

Six Feet Under (2001–2005)

Highly amusing series about a family in grief and recovery.

[9 July 2001]

I have enjoyed this series from the very first episode. Allan Ball's writing is excellent, the casting is first rate.

Each actor gives a finely nuanced performance in this ensemble piece about grief written with dark humor. Although we do not always agree, all the adults in my family enjoy this off-center series, which makes viewing more pleasurable.

The Browning Version (1951)

Drama in academia

[8/10 · 17 May 2000]

I have seen this film with three different actors over the years. Michael Redgrave's version was the most sensitive portrayal of the misunderstood and cuckolded schoolmaster. The film itself is deeply moving and brings tears to my eyes, even by a version of the least able director and performers. I believe this is due to the fact that each version tried to stay close to the original

AFI Life Achievement Award: AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Dustin Hoffman (1999) Season 1, Episode 27

An award for one of the greatest actors.

[3 July 1999]

I have seen almost every one of Dustin Hoffman's movies. I am stunned by his meticulous preparation for each role. I am equally awed by the range of his talent. Only in grand opera does one find this kind of range. His daring, at a time when it meant taking great chances, has opened the way and broken ground for serious young actors. He keeps refining his craft, so that each new performance is pure pleasure to watch. I thank him for entertaining me royally for thirty years.

Falling in Love (1984)

Lovers who seem to be star crossed but end up happy together.

[8/10 · 1 July 1999]

This was a remake of an old Noel Coward movie "Brief Encounter." I enjoyed watching it, but it didn't work for most people because Meryl Streep was too beautiful and Robert DeNiro too attractive. In the original, the characters were very plain people. For this reason, the movie seemed real, something that could happen to ordinary people

Henry V (1944)

Historical epic of young English king who waged war against the French

[21 April 1999]

Olivier was asked by his government to make this film during the second world war to raise the morale of civilians and troops alike. He abstained from showing excessive blood and gore, used the language of Shakespeare brilliantly and achieved his mission. I have seen this film many times and it never fails to thrill me. The story line is commonly known, we know how happily it came out in the end. It was the first Shakespearian play made on film in color and enthralled all who saw it.

King Lear (1983 TV Movie)

Shakespeare's most mature tragedy. Olivier was brilliant.

[17 April 1999]

I had seen King Lear on the stage with Louis Calhern when I was too young to fully appreciate it. The Olivier version was deeper with fine nuances in his performance evidencing his full insight of the meaning of this tragedy. A must for every parent. It teaches one more than all the popular books on parenting.