jmholmes-73727 Reviews

The Holdovers (2023)

Perfect Entertainment - Giamatti Shines

[10/10 · 19 December 2023]

A private all-boys high school in Massachusetts is the setting. One teacher is asked to stay in the dormitory with the handful of students who, for whatever reasons, can't go home for the Christmas vacation. How this grumpy Classics teacher struggles through his duties toward a surprising personal fulfillment is the subject of this delightful, at times poignant American film. It takes place in the 1970's, and the movie itself feels like it could easily have been filmed then. In addition to Paul Giamatti's performance, his best since his TV work in the John Adams series years ago, there is a fresh, distinctive performance by Dominic Sessa - as the student going through a difficult ordeal involving his parents. It's one of the few excellent films about school-related subjects - Goidbye, Mr. Chips, To Sir With Love and Hoosiers come to mind. If you enjoy well-written, traditional movie making with sharply observed characters and plenty of heart, track this one down in theaters before it gets buried in streaming.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Close To Scorsese's Best - Flaws Hardly Matter

[9/10 · 23 October 2023]

The vast number of murders of Native Americans in David Grann's book surely presented a problem for transferring this first "FBI" case to the screen. Scorsese and his co-screenwriter come close to solving the complexity issue by focusing almost entirely on the DeNiro character's treachery in drawing his nephew (DiCaprio) into marrying an Osage woman, with the long range plot to acquire her family's huge oil rights fortune. The reality, which is only suggested and referred to here and there, is that many other men besides this sheriff (!!) and his possibly somewhat duped nephew, were also killing off their own spouses and relatives to acquire similar fortunes.

For over two hours this movie is riveting, and we know we're in the hands of a master. The three leads give their careers a huge upward leap. DeNiro and DiCaprio have seen heights like this many times before, but Lily Gladstone charts very new territory in presenting a clever, witty and heroic portrayal of an Osage woman on the screen.

But the abrupt shift of the tone, in which the courtroom and jail scenes are staged near the end, makes it seem (to me) as if we've entered a different movie. Despite the bluster of John Lithgow and Brendan Fraser, the trial scenes seem perhaps to have been rushed or weakly developed. But the bulk of the material before these scenes is so well done and involving that a lapse like this can easily be ignored.

Scorsese brings the movie to a close with a couple of brave choices: a scene of a radio studio broadcast, and a final overhead shot of a tribal ritual dance that is stunning to see. Most excellent movie.

Four Friends (1981)

As Over-the-Top As the 1960's

[9/10 · 12 October 2023]

Arthur Penn's film of Steve Tesich's somewhat autobiographical screenplay is an exciting, sentimental, violent work - occasionally as excessive as the era it depicts - which is mostly the closing years of the Sixties.

Four high school friends share a peculiar bond - the 3 young men bewitched, as it were, by the same young woman. The bond they share with her is seen against the backdrop of the national upheaval that is popping up all around them: civil rights, the hippie culture, VietNam, the JFK assassination and the landing on the moon. The skill with which Penn and Tesich briefly insert glimpses of these events, while mostly focusing on the hero's family issues and life, enriches the movie throughout. The personal violence that shatters young Danilo's life is one of the most explosive shocks in any movie of its time. Anyone who lived through those years might find this nearly great film very rewarding.

Uncut Gems (2019)

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS MOVIE? ONE THING -

[9/10 · 4 January 2020]

The script needs periodic narration from perhaps a sympathetic friend or family member, a voice that could clarify the situations and, more importantly, give us a break from Sandler's draining energy and madness. For an audience not well versed in the subject of sports betting and the financial tricks being played, the relentless pace, while exciting, is also frequently annoying. Still, his domestic life, does contain issues that allow us to understand exactly what he is destroying in order to feed his greed and enormous ego: his family. I don't believe there's ever been anything quite like Adam Sandler's deep dive into self-destructive neurosis ever before in a movie. Perhaps the movie can best be seen as a case study of mental illness that can have no happy outcome. UNCUT GEMS comes so close to being a great movie that you wish the screenplay had trusted their audience a bit to not lose interest if occasionally things slowed down for some unseen narrator to comment on this sad little man's life and troubles. This is a movie that gives us a window into a class of people you're thankful you hardly ever see. Robin Williams could have played Sandler's role, but I can't think of anyone else who could have equaled his artistry.

Camelot (1967)

FIRST HALF IS PERFECTION

[9/10 · 29 December 2019]

-- so the best way to enjoy this is NOT to watch the second half. Turn it off at the intermission and you will not have to struggle through the plodding plot developments to come in the next hour regarding the David Hemings character which must have also plagued the Broadway production.Though it does spring back and recover somewhat in the final five minutes, so it's easy enough to do a "scene selection" and edit the boring business entirely. Follow these instructions, and you will absolutely end up in movie musical heaven. This is, generally, a treat for the eyes and ears and thanks to the performances of the three leads well worth seeing.

The Irishman (2019)

HITS US WHERE WE LIVE - THE EVIL NEXT DOOR

[10/10 · 30 November 2019]

No one is likely to say this gangster movie romanticizes their way of life, or that it is filmed with operatic intensity; or that it has sequences that are thrilling, with violence staged in creative ways that make them almost fun to watch. Scorsese here is not only refusing to imitate other directors' works (Coppola, DePalma, Penn) - he's not even imitating himself. If it weren't for the cast, it would be hard to even peg this as a Scorsese movie. The ordinary, almost casual tone gradually becomes chilling as we sense we are watching people very much like ourselves - and they are monsters. They drive our trucks, run our factories, live just down the street, and maybe even end up in our nursing homes. Their evil has tentacles that reach as far as the top levels of our government. THE IRISHMAN is a truly great American movie, masterfully directed from a rich screenplay by Steven Zaillian, with DeNiro, Pacino and Pesci perfectly in tune with the project. The year's best? - Certainly.

Gandhi (1982)

NOBLE SUBJECT, LIFELESS FILM-MAKING

[7/10 · 25 November 2019]

It' Director, Richard Attenborough, would go on to ruin two other major screen projects: CHAPLIN and the eagerly anticipated film of A CHORUS LINE. This is indeed a fine actor who never should have made the journey behind the camera. This movie was certainly over praised because of the heroism and goodness of the great Gandhi himself, and it did make a star out of Ben Kingsley, so there's that. But if you're expecting any wit or movie magic, look elsewhere. It has the look of a very expensive made-for-TV movie from that same era.

Pain and Glory (2019)

NOTHING PAINFUL HERE - PURE MOVIE PLEASURE

[10/10 · 22 November 2019]

The single best element here is the masterful performance of Antonio Banderas, playing, I suppose, a version of the movie's director. Movie seems designed to appeal to an audience of film and theatre fans as it examines a famous director's movements toward a comeback, while at the same time resorting to using drugs to help him with back pain. We witness his memories of his childhood and his dealings with friends who are sympathetic and try to help him along. His childhood realization of his homosexuality is sharply conveyed, and we sense how it made him the artist he is today. The impact of the film is in a much lower key than anything Almodovar has done in the past, and viewers should be aware of this - there is a delicacy here that is beautifully conveyed, due largely to the sensitivity and warmth of Banderas, which perfectly match the director's.

Parasite (2019)

FUNNY, TURNS SUDDENLY TWISTED, THEN SAD

[10/10 · 4 November 2019]

This movie is so masterfully written and presented with a large cast that older audiences will realize how rare movies like this have become. Its enjoyment comes from getting to know the members of two extremely different families, one very poor, the other very rich. How their lives come together is the wickedly enjoyable first half; then, in the second half the house of cards begins to shake and finally collapse with a fury we both dread - and perhaps even enjoy. Though our enjoyment probably has as much to do with the movie-making skills than with the nasty turn of events in the violent final scenes. If you see only one foreign language film this year, this should be it. Exciting and provocative throughout, it is wonderfully acted and packed with significance for all who live in a polarized society where so many live in luxury, while others live in comparative squalor just a few blocks away. Deserves all the accolades it has already - and surely will continue - to receive.

The Lighthouse (I) (2019)

NIGHTMARISHLY INTENSE, FILM ART IN HIGH GEAR

[10/10 · 26 October 2019]

Somewhere off America's east coast, two guys prepare to live a secluded life for a couple of months as lighthouse keepers on a barren outcropping of rock. This is the set-up for Mr. Eggers' newest movie, already famous for being made in black&white and using a squarish screen similar to the earliest screen frames in cinema; and also for being essentially a two character movie. Strike one, strike two, strike three - sounds like a recipe for disaster, on the surface. And, despite the many glowing reviews, it will never, of course, be really popular. But until recent times, a movie was considered a hit if it made just a little bit of money beyond its production costs. By those once normal standards, The Lighthouse should be a hit. Kubrick explored similar thematic material in THE SHINING, but in that movie, Jack Torrance had victims (his wife and son) which were targets of his madness. These lighthouse keepers have no one but each other on which to unleash their growing rages. No plot summary can ever get at the energy, creepiness and intensity that permeates this masterpiece. Finally the movie becomes a shocking vision of the human condition: humanity on the edge, self-destructive and filled with rage - horror, indeed.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

ONE OF THE 60's TEN BEST-BUT NOT FOR EVERYONE

[10/10 · 13 October 2019]

Edward Albee's notorious play asks the audience to believe that a married couple might keep their life bearable by sustaining a fantasy that they have raised a son over the years; and have agreed never to talk about him to anyone else. Until this one night when Martha mentions their boy to a younger couple . . . Albee counts on the fact that the audience will be so involved with the wit and energy of his dialog and the alcohol-fueled insults and savage humor that they won't have the time to stop and think too much about the peculiarity of George and Martha's shared neurosis. The movie audience, too, is asked to relate to the gradual realization of the two guests as to the older couple's delusion. This movie, a faithful adaptation of the shocking play, is an equally demanding film ; as such, it can only be appreciated by viewers willing to (god forbid) have an open mind and think a bit. This, along with the films of "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Long Day's Journey Into Night," are the three best screen adaptations of our best American plays. It should be seen by anyone "into" the current theatre scene.

Giant (1956)

FEMINISM BEFORE FEMINISM

[9/10 · 12 October 2019]

What might happen if an independent, free-thinking woman were to marry a strong, tough Texan rancher and move with him to raise a family in the lone star state? That's the basic question in George Stevens' nearly great American movie. It continually raises issues that, ten years after it was made, would have been described as "women's lib" issues; and a few decades after that, "feminist." Today we see the story as illustrating elements in the "me too" dialog - AND, believe it or not, the racial issue concerning marriage between white Texans and people of Mexican heritage. Most movies made over 50 years ago date badly, but not this one. Its only flaw is that nearly 3 and a half hours is perhaps a bit too much of a good thing, but, then again, this is Texas we're talking about. Stevens got an Oscar for directing his three young stars through their carefully modulated performances - and. Taylor's is particularly noteworthy. Nothing in her quiet strength here suggests the harsh aggressive mannerisms she would bring to her Martha just 10 years later in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Dimitri Tiomkins majestic score is another highlight. The novel on which it is based is by Edna Ferber, who also wrote Show Boat, So Big and Cimarron.

Judy (II) (2019)

Wham! out Of the Park&over the Rainbow

[10/10 · 9 October 2019]

Renee Zellwigger's nuanced, intense performance is so startling that it takes nearly 20 minutes to see beyond the somewhat aging face, wig , make-up and fidgety gestures to the woman we remember from Chicago and the Bridget Jones movies. It may not technically qualify as a comeback, but it certainly feels like one. And, apparently, she can sing, too - at least well enough to imitate Judy in her final, very troubled months. Audiences old enough to recall Judy's last talk show interviews and the publicity around her final performances will see how accurately the actress and costume designer capture her look and physical gestures on stage. My only complaint is that no film clips of the real Judy were inserted to remind us (at least younger audiences) of the many movies and television appearances - her own weekly series in the 1960's - in which she starred. Ms. Zellwigger's blazing performance would not have been diminished if this had been done.

Joker (I) (2019)

MOVIE MASTERPIECE, PHOENIX RISING

[10/10 · 5 October 2019]

This should do for prequels what GODFATHER 2 did for sequels, and it needs to be said that the movie itself is just as fine as its celebrated star's performance. Though it surely will not make the kind of money Marvel kiddie-crap usually strives for, this violent journey into the dark side of mental illness seems geared toward satisfying more adventurous audiences. So leave the kids and impressionable teens at home, and take a walk on the wild side with Mr. Phoenix through these very dark, very mean streets of Gotham.

Official Secrets (2019)

SEE THIS BEFORE IT DISAPPEARS - HURRY!

[10/10 · 24 September 2019]

It belongs in the same category as SPOTLIGHT and ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN - a remarkable true story of how a British government employee risked everything to reveal classified information that exposed Tony Blair's collusion with President Bush to go to war against Iraq without any evidence to back up their claim that S. Hussein had those weapons of mass destruction. A great deal of good writing, acting and directorial skills have turned this "Sixty Minutes" sort of material into a very compelling and exciting thriller. It resonates with so much that is going on at this very minute in current U.S.A. crisis that every politically concerned movie-goer should track this down ASAP. A wonderful movie, one of the three best of this year so far.

Intolerance (1916)

MOST ADVENTUROUS MOVIE EVER MADE

[10/10 · 10 September 2019]

Only CITIZEN KANE and 2001:A SPACE ODYSSEY come close to the kind of originality in Griffith's silent masterpiece. All three were financial failures, unpopular when first released - even though they've acquired legendary status as the decades passed. They are the cinematic equivalents of novels like ULYSSES and MOBY-DICK, whose complexity and strangeness make them almost unreachable to the average reader. This is what happens when artists break into uncharted territory: they risk everything with such achievements - even their reputations. So, what we have here is a movie that for about 2 and a half hours juggles 4 different story lines that illustrate intolerance throughout history: religious warfare in Ancient Babylon; the story of Jesus from scripture; the persecution of the French Huguenots; and injustice in Twentieth Century America. Throughout this wild ride of a movie we sense we are in the hands of a brilliant film-maker using every bit of his resources to entertain and enthrall us. It is too, probably, simply showing off. There will always be those who cannot tolerate the shock of experiencing something new - poor things. One hundred years later Intolerance is as unique and new as it was the day it was made.

It Chapter Two (2019)

IT - STINKS - HERE'S WHY:

[4/10 · 10 September 2019]

Because 90% of the violence that occurs turns out not to be actually happening but is instead occurring in the minds of the characters, who are all in similar states of mental anxiety. For an audience looking for reality-based murders where there are real consequences for real dark deeds that are actually happening, well, they had better look elsewhere. Such scripts amount to fraud of a very high order - although I am speaking only of the movie's first 2 hours and 20 minutes - at which point this viewer actually did really get up and really leave the theater.

Them That Follow (2019)

POORLY WRITTEN FIRST HALF BUT WORTH A LOOK

[8/10 · 28 August 2019]

No need for a story line that turns out to be so simple to be so confusingly presented in the first half. Aren't writers taught how to convey relationships in the form of dialog to help the audience follow the action any more? This problem almost sinks the movie, until after a while when it does become coherent. Last half hour or so is quite terrifying as you realize the extent of the family's commitment to their insane (there is no other word) religious beliefs. The performances, especially by Olivia Coleman and the actor who plays the preacher, are first rate. A low budget version of the similar idea in the recent MIDSOMMAR, though not nearly as effective.

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

EVIL HIDES IN "OUR TOWN"

[10/10 · 23 August 2019]

Hitchcock gives a distinctive screen credit to famous playwright Thornton Wilder, who wrote the screenplay for the director's first truly great American movie. Shadow of a Doubt mixes evil into the stew of small-town Americana so comfortably that we fail to completely realize how threatening a presence it is until it is almost too late. Was Hitchcock just what Wilder's sentimental heart needed to make this project click; or was Wilder just who Hitchcock needed to cloak his menace with wholesomeness? In some crazy way this combination of great artists produced a classic thriller. No other Hitchcock film depicts ,so effortlessly, family relationships as part of a community. Joseph Cotten's evil heart seems right at home in this idyllic little town, which eagerly embraces him after he arrives. Only when he reveals something of his dark nature to his smart niece does she begin to realize the danger he poses to her family and her way of life. The brilliant writing and performances on display add up to a chilling entertainment and hint at the even greater movies to come years later in Hitchcock's remarkable career.

Blinded by the Light (2019)

Racial Issues+Family Drama+Young Poet= Good Movie

[9/10 · 21 August 2019]

Though I generally try to avoid uplifting, sentimental movies, this one is so skillfully done that it's hard not to be swept along by the slick script and well acted performances. One very smart decision the director , or someone, made was to use subtitles for the lyrics in a few of Springsteen's songs. Never cared much for his music because of his refusal to enunciate much of his lyrics. Here we at least get to SEE what his message is and how it resonates with the boy's personal life. Again, it helps to know this is generally a "true story" and to see family photos at the very end. Predictable and formulaic as this movie is, it overcomes these issues due chiefly to the emotional and heartfelt dedication of all involved. A really good family movie that nearly everyone should enjoy.

The Tingler (1959)

TRULY GREAT CRAZY MOVIE, PRICE IS VERY RIGHT!

[9/10 · 3 August 2019]

Sit back with popcorn and a big glass of scotch and enjoy this deep dive into delightful absurdity. There are at least 3 standout scenes: Price's over-the-moon facial grimaces during his reaction to LSD; the tingler's slow crawl up Price's body to use its claws on his neck; and the scene when it makes its way into the movie theater to terrorize the patrons - the sequence during which(in selected theaters) seats were actually wired with buzzers to "tingle" you while you were watching it. And then there's the scene where the mute woman, actress Judith Evelyn, who had supporting roles a few years earlier in Giant and Rear Window, sees technicolor blood in this otherwise b&w movie and gets a chance to do some overacting of her own. If you know anyone who was or is a bio major or happens to be a doctor or surgeon, you must get him or her a dvd of this incredible treat, because the theory behind Dr. Vincent's discovery could only have been dreamt up by a writer on a very bad -or good - trip.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

DIRECTOR AND STARS SCALE NEW HEIGHTS

[10/10 · 31 July 2019]

A few years back, Tarantino had a clever idea in the form of a "what if?" question: What if there had been a ruthlessly aggressive bunch of Jewish soldiers who had successfully combatted the evil Nazis in Europe during WW2? Somehow, I felt the whole thing was crude and insensitive in a way. But here we have this clever idea (what if the evil hippies who murdered the guests at Polanski's house in 1969 had wandered into a different house and instead met a grisly fate of their own?) used much more successfully. Why? Because the preceding 2 hours locates us in Hollywood, where the streets are paved with fantasies. Though this vastly entertaining movie is masterfully done, and the stars show us why they deserve to be just that, this movie most likely will disappoint those who are not too familiar with the awful events we seem sure are going to be depicted at the end. The final 20 minutes give us a very unexpected bloodbath, with the bonus of an equally unexpected happy ending. Neat trick, and it could only happen at the movies. Can anything top this for the year's best movie? Not bloody likely, I'd say.

Annabelle Comes Home (2019)

ZERO BODY COUNT WEAKENS ITS IMPACT

[7/10 · 21 July 2019]

Though its pacing is fine and it's sort of well acted, the producers no doubt feel some sense of responsibility to the Warrens and opted not to trash their memory by having murders or dismemberment depicted in it. Good taste and reverence, while fine in real life, are not exactly what we're looking for in a horror movie however. Admittedly, there are some scares and a lot of mileage is produced from shadows and things going bump in the night - still, this fails to deliver anything really upsetting. A good horror movie for kids, perhaps - kids who are timid and easily shocked. Do they make them like that these days?

The Ten Commandments (1956)

RulesTo Live By:

[10/10 · 20 July 2019]

1. Thou Shalt Create a magnificent symphonic score. 2. Thou shalt assemble beautiful looking stars in the leading roles. 3. Thou shalt have some religious feeling, but not too much. 4. Thou shalt not bore the audience. 5, Thou shalt use technicolor. 6. Thou shalt spend a fortune in order to make an even bigge one. 7. Thou shalt not be subtle. 8. Thou shalt limit the use of dancing women. 9. Thou shalt have the courage to have an intermission. 10.Thou shalt use special effects that will knock socks off.

Apocalypse Now (1979)

WHOLE NEW WAY TO VIEW THIS STUNNING MASTERPIECE

[10/10 · 11 July 2019]

When this movie was released in 1979, the term "post traumatic stress disorder" was rarely used, certainly not nearly as often as it is today, to describe the emotional anxieties endured by battle-weary soldiers who had returned from the jungles of Vietnam. It seems today that APOCALYPSE,NOW!, large chunks of it anyway, illustrate the effects of this disorder on the characters,situations and most especially the atmosphere and tone of the work. Perhaps this is the reason it resonated so strongly with some viewers at the time, despite its unsatisfying concluding moments that failed to deliver the big action moment many hoped would end the film. Instead, Coppola leaves us in a heart of darkness, stuck as it were, in a state of mind from which escape seems impossible. Not only does the movie not give us an exhilarating battle scene to match the helicopter attack seen earlier, it doesn't even give its characters a rescue or deliverance, and certainly not a homecoming. Where another fil-maker might have inserted a psychologist to comment on the awful anxieties the men might be going through, Coppola shows in nearly every scene the insanity of their surroundings and the twisted world of war in which they live. He succeeds in using his film to immerse the audience as much as possible in the hell this war created in the minds of the veterans forced to endure it. There have been four great films about that war: The Deer Hunter, Platoon, Coming Home, and this one - but it is this one, Coppola's, that seems most personal.