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Reviews
Baby, Take a Bow (1934)
Shirley helps ex-con Dad get a break
Shirley Temple is wonderful. Beyond that, this is a movie that works on many levels for me. Claire Trevor brings an added dimension to the loyal wife and mother, and the ever-hard-luck-bitten James Dunn (A Tree Grows In Brooklyn) is perfect as the ex-con father trying desperately to put his past behind him. Alan Dinehart's slick and sycophantic private detective -- an embittered and opportunistic ex-cop -- does his best to pray on people's fears and keep Dunn with no recourse from the gutter. James Flavin, who later made a career playing Irish cops in the city, plays one here, albeit generally higher in rank and nobility than most of his later characters. Shirley only has two songs and one nice dance number with Dunn, but does more acting than musical work here, and is quite good at both. This is fine family entertainment amidst a backdrop of struggling to survive while the malicious and hypocritical try to keep others down. Certainly, although the movie was made in 1934, its themes are as resonant as ever.
Love in the Time of Money (2002)
A quintessentially representative independent film of its era
Love In The Time Of Money is very representative of its era of independent films. First, it is an ensemble piece, including frequent "Indy" stars Steve Buscemi and Rosario Dawson. Second, it has an interesting artistic mechanism to advance the plot: daisy-chaining from one character to the next. Third, it's a lot of slice-of-life moments with similar themes but no particular overriding plot. Fourth, there is a lot of intense inner-city camera work, and diverse camera angles to juxtapose, art, scenery, and faces. Five, the performances of the members of the ensemble run the gamut of tired (Malcolm Gets) to sublime (Carol Kane) and mostly solid with an emphasis on quirkiness in between.
So, with all the other bases covered, I read other IMDb reviews to make sure that it has the most important characteristic to be representative of today's independent films. Its supporters wax enthusiastically about how different its perspectives are from "your typical Hollywood films." At the end of the day, the film is blessedly short by such standards (87 minutes), and certainly watchable, so if you are looking to pass time, you could do worse -- but you could do better. For me, this defines mediocre. One notable exception: if you love Carol Kane who appears in the second half of the film with characters Nick and Will, take the time to see her magnificent performance -- easily the best in the film.
The Boatniks (1970)
Breezy Fun at San Diego Harbor in the early 70's
This is a combination boating comedy and caper yarn and works breezily on both levels. It is a truly funny time capsule that features Wally Cox as the Boatyard's playboy constantly surrounded by gorgeous and nubile young women in bikinis. The combination of weekend boating dilettantes that monopolize the Coast Guard's time and efforts is depicted quite well, and in humorous fashion. One of the early boats in need of a rescue is "The Dramamine Dragon." Gil Lamb is wonderful as a sailor committed to taking a three-year trip around the world. Joe E. Ross, Al Lewis, Bob Hastings, Joey Forman, and other sitcom stars are also on hand for lots of fun. And all of the above along with wonderful 1970-style clothes and music (think Love American Style) are just the backdrop for two stories which get intertwined.
The main character, awkwardly naive Ensign Garland (Morse), is a typically Disney-style heroic blunderer who starts off over his head but comes out on top in his new Coast Guard assignment for harbor taskmaster Don Ameche. He gets to romance bright and ornery Stephanie Powers at the top of her sexual appeal and comic timing. Complicating matters are jewel thieves Phil Silvers, Mickey Shaughnessey, and drop-dead-deadpan Norman Fell. When they learn of the highway and airport dragnet set up to capture them, they seek an escape to Mexico via water. They rent a boat from Stephanie Powers who subsequently picks up on some unusual behaviors to become suspicious.
None of it is terribly original, but this movie for family entertainment and some nice scenery (especially for male adults). It accomplishes these aspirations with many titters, giggles, and guffaws.
Valley of Hunted Men (1942)
Top Post-Duke 3M Entry
In 1942, many series set in other places and times were infused with relevance to the Nazi crisis at hand. The Three Mesquiteros "modern"-day Westerners in mining country is best remember as the series where John Wayne earned his oats. But other veteran cowpokes were regulars in other periods, and this one stars Bob Steele and Tom Tyler. Normally, they were fast-paced oaters, long on action, short on character development. This one actually allows us inside some of the characters as an undercover Nazi throws unfair suspicion on a scientist of German ancestry working on the 3M ranch on a wartime project for the Allies. Still no shortage of action, gunplay, and horseplay, but more welcome introspection than usual cements this classic entry as two cuts above the norm.
Private Benjamin (1980)
Too many films in one ** Warning Spoilers **
Judy Banjamin (Hawn) is a spoiled Jewish-American Princess whose honeymoon and life-plans-for-happily-ever-after are spoiled when her husband dies on her wedding night. You see, she never had an identity of her own -- nor had she ever had to understand what it means to work hard to make yourself a better person. The next 75 minutes has Eileen Brennan playing Segreant Carter to Benjamin's Gomer Pyle, but with Corporal Hal Williams along to add perspective, Hawn eventually earns some respect from outside and inside after giving us a few memorable zany gags and two or three pratfalls in the process. So far, so good. But somehow, some decision-makers in this film thought it was necessary for Judy to learn separately and show us separately that as a self-respecting woman, she now has what it takes to walk away from a demeaning and suffocating man, flatly and unconvincingly played by Armand Assante. That subplot makes the movie 20 minutes longer than it needs to be, and shifts the emphasis away from the film's best characters. Still OK, but half as good as it could have been.