ahicks-2 Reviews

Sorcerer (1977)

William Friedman's best (sorry, "French Connection" and "Exorcist")

[9/10 · 20 February 2024]

In this neo-noir transnational epic, four First World criminals seek - from Boston, Oarus, etc ) refuge from law enforcement in Latin America (mostly remote Venezuela., where they are reduced to a taking a bottom-of-the-ladder, life-is-cheap job delivering high explosives over treacherous mountain and jungle roads. The atmosphere is mesmerizing, the tension nerve racking, Friedkin considered it his finest film, and was personally devastated by its financial and critical failure (as stated by Friedkin himself in the 1999 documentary series The Directors). As adrenalin thriller, "Sorcerer" may not be quite the "Jaws" level kick that "The French Connection" is, but it's a richer, more variously and original exciting -- and more meaningful -- film.

The Last Thing He Wanted (2020)

The Best Art Film Thriller since Antonioni's "The Passenger "

[8/10 · 14 December 2023]

A superb adaptation of Joan Didion's anti- novel "The Last Thing I Wanted, " Brilliantly cast, performed, and scripted and directed. The cast is crowned by Ann Hathaway's gripping enactment of protagonist Elena McMahon, a woman precariously ever her head. The script improves on the novel as a narrative by providing it with McMahon as a point of view with whom we can identify; but it does leaves the viewer potentially disoriented by assuming viewer wanky knowledge of the film's context-- Reagan's early 1980s Central American policy -- and its elliptical art film style. (It's the "L'Avventura" of spy films.)

Were it not so certain to be substantively and stylistically elusive to most, I'd have given it 9 stars instead of 8.

Viewers interested in the film's political context but perplexed by "Last Thing" ''s elusive use of it might like look at the less esoteric s 1983 "El Salvador,' 1986 " Under Fire" and 2017 "American Made."

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

A Great Biopic and Essay Film About the Contradiction of a Man Torn by Nuclear Dillemmas

[10/10 · 30 July 2023]

"Oppenheimer" is a smarter, more skilled and more serious film than any previous film by the talented Nolan could have led us to expect. It is at once an almost unrivaled biopic, a revealing historical document and a wake up call of gravest importance. As biopic it evokes the vividness of scene and ambiguity of protagonist portrait of the ultimately fictional "Citizen Kane," and even some of that film's wit. As historical document it has the factual specificity of "All the President's Men." As historical document it packs the essay-like messaging and dramatic tension of "Hiroshima Mon Amour" with comparable virtuosity and stronger final emotional and intellectual impacts.

Babylon (I) (2022)

Half Great Historical Spectacle about 1928-1932 Hollywood, Half Obnoxious Grossout

[5/10 · 28 February 2023]

Despite great production values, strong performances. Some moving scenes, this film founders on several sciences if almost unequalled grossness in the long history of film.

During the next five minutes an elephant dumps on a man's head and a obese charicature receives a golden shower; and the next 20-minute party with its glimpses of org hectic sex might have been inspired by the 1979 "Caligula," will offer little relief for whatever viewers are still around after the opening. After that the film almost kicks gear, only to be twice derailed, once by an extended lens time vomiting scene and again by the spectacle of a rat-eating man.

With the gross out scenes cut down to mere intimations of what the present cut dwells upon, the film might be transformed to something not entirely unworthy of the creator "Whiplash" and "La La Land."

Amsterdam (2022)

The Mist Politically Revealing (and Best Ill-reviewed)Movie since "Motherless Brooklyn

[9/10 · 9 October 2022]

Writers-Director David O. Russell orchestrates a brilliant ensemble of oddball, mugging eccentrics through an ostensible political farce about 1930s fascistic anti-New Deal politics. The farcical mugging and high jinks lighten the dramatization of one phase of far Right anti democratic conspiracy with ominous resonance for our times. A wonderfully rich experience once one adjusts to the unusual style of cartoonist faces, unorthodox characters and ithernivelties the way movie viewes were briefly accustomed to doing during the innovative years of, New Wave, Cine! A Novo and New American cinema. Reminiscent of like a variant of "The Great McGinty" as visually idiosyncratic as prime Fellini and a as as ultimately seriousas A Costa-Gravas. The mist politically revealing US film since Edward Norton's similarly under appreciated "Motherless Brooklyn."

Some Came Running (1958)

A Powerful Dramatization of

[9/10 · 27 August 2022]

Minnelli's 1958 "Some Came Running" is a memorable view of small town narrow mindedness and hypocrisy, Midwestern style circa 1950. It also is an imcomparable dramatization of post-WWii veteran alienation. The film is enriched by the great performances by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Shirley MacLaine, Arthur Kennedy and Martha Hyer, most especially Dean Martin if the dated macho charm of his "Bama" can be tolerated) and by the splendid camera work. However, it is diminished by an overly melodramatic wrapup.

A fine complement to Fred Zinnemann's more celebrated 1953 adaptation of James Jones' "From Here to Eternity."

BrainDead (2016)

The Best Political Satire for Viewing Since DR STRANGELOVE and BEING THERE

[10/10 · 24 August 2022]

If you liked Don Siegel or Phillip Kaufmann's "Invasion of the Body Snatcher" film, like political satire, are annoyed by woke extremism and are horrified by the trend of GOP politics, this could be you favorite TV series of all time, So hilarious, gripping and prescient that your disappointment of the confinement of the series to a single season will not so much deflate your appreciation as anger you at CBS and the mass audience for being brain dead enough to cancel such a work of genius.

From Michelle and Robert King, creators of the excellent "THE GOOD WIFE, THE GOOD FIGHT and EVIL.

Last Tango in Paris (1972)

One of the Greats Films of Personal Dissolution

[10/10 · 31 July 2022]

Last Tango in Paris ranks with Godard's Pierrot Le Fou, Malle's The Fire Within, Dassin's Night and the City, and Huston's Under the Volcano as one of the great films of personal disintegration, despite a strenuous struggle for redemption. In this case the struggle is via sexual excess and domination, which has lead some commentators (e.g., Norman Mailer) to regard the film as a failed attempt at a drama of sexual renewal -- especially as the film was a pioneering work in the emotionally intense treatment of unruly sexuality. However, director Bertolucci did not inadvertently create a saga of a man on the way down despite effort to shag his way out of his fall. A comparable iaccomplishment to the literary efforts of Roth with Sabbath's Theater and Lowry with is novel Under the Volcano. Empowered by one of Marlon Brando's greatest performances and magnificent camera work by Vittorio Storaro.

Nope (2022)

An Unintelligible Western with UFO Badguy.

[5/10 · 30 July 2022]

The director of the great anti-racism GET OUT, who fell pretty far into ultra-wokeness with US, in which insensitive middle-class African Americans are haunted by underclass doubles, here goes of the deep end with a mash-up of Western and UFO Sci-fi. That's "deep" as in strenuously profound: it seems it's misguided --exploitative of aliens perhaps--to try to definitively document the existence of UFOs through filming. Still, the novelty of the film's actions-horror sequences may please some Sci-fi buffs; the acting of Kaluuya is impressive; and fans of director Peele may be pleased to see him learning to shoot spectacke in the great outdoors.

Match Point (2005)

Allen's Hitchcockian Masterpiece

[9/10 · 7 July 2022]

An inventive variation on Theodore Dreiser's classic 1925 "An American Tragedy" as terse and dramatic thriller set in millennial London. Allen's best non-comedic film. Far from a cinematic evocation of Dreiser's tragic saga of Gilded Age class tensions and social mobility conflict, but a highly effective social resonant thriller. In some wats more fully accomplished than George Steven's "A Place in the Sun."

Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962)

Our Greatest Tragic Drama as a Great Film

[9/10 · 30 May 2022]

Pauline Kael sums it up well with the following words from in her capsule review for 5001 Nights at the Movies. "... if you respond at all, you may go all the way to exaltation. Perhaps just because of its naked familiarity, its grinding, ludicrous wrestling with expressiveness, Journey is, at last, an American family classic; the usual embarrassments are transcended, and the family theme is raised to mythic heights."

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

Not as Good as Its Reputation

[6/10 · 30 May 2022]

The nearly kitchen-sink realism of Mike Nichol's approach obscures the beauty and irony of Albee's language, as, to an extent, does the celebrity distraction of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton engaged in quarrels worthy of an National Inquirer like expose. Worse, BALANCE the basic concept of the play is undercut by the hyper realistic direction. For a worthy adaptation of prime Albee see the 1973 film of A DELICATE.

Deep Water (I) (2022)

Finally, a Psychological Thriller Comparable to (lesser) Hitchcocks & the Best Ripley Films.

[8/10 · 24 March 2022]

An excellent psychological thriller in the tradition of classic Hitchcock films and the classic adaptations of Partricia Highsmith's Ripley novels by ReneClement and zanthiny Minghella. Any open thread of emotional tension from opening to conclusion center on perhaps Affleck's best performance. Not, however, for the crowd that thinks good thrillers require explosions and incredible gun fights and car chases.

The Lady of Monza (1969)

A Crummy Movie but the Basis for a Great Trailer

[6/10 · 7 February 2022]

Despite lush production values, a fine cast a great musical score by Ennio Morricone, a strong cast and narrative roots in one of the greatest of all Italian novels, this film never rises above the level of well staged, nun-exploitation trash. HOWEVER, the same resources assembled together by some strong editing led to a set if great traikers. The trailer for the films Spanish Language distribution, which I saw in Venezuela in 1970, was the most enthralling trailer I had ever seen, or possibly ever would see, a stirring little opera of lurid romanticism. (Find yourself a trailer for this film!) Perhaps, film fans and scholars should turn their attention to the identification and showing of the great trailers!

The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)

A Flat, Wildly Over Praised Attempt to Bring Macbeth to the Screen.

[4/10 · 3 February 2022]

Joel Corn, writing and directing here without his brother Ethan, mis-casts, mis-designs , mis-shoots and misdirected one of Shakespeare's leanest, most filmable narratives. The roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth at the film's core are performed more as if for a reading than for a drama of unrestrained anger, dismay and, intermittently savage action. Washington in particular does not appear as character actually speaking from the heart, as opposed to reporting lines; McDormand doesn't do much better. The psychological thinness and dramatic flatness of the principals is one occasionally offset by vivid secondary performances and the starkly simplistic grayish churarascuro visuals, though original and consistent throughout the film, only underline the films flatness. Orson Welles's MACBETH, although flawed by some overly long (insufficiently edited, hard to follow) soliloquys, can serve as an example of a Macbeth filmed with energetic, complex figures at its core acting out a an intendky dramatuc take within a richly visualized world.

Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977)

A great Cold War thriller

[8/10 · 30 January 2022]

One of the great Cold War and nuclear tension thriller, one of the great Vietnam war exposes, and graced by one of the most powerful performances of Burt Lancaster. Couples nicely with director Aldrich's other excellent expression of nuclear-war anxieties, KISS ME DEADLY.

Hamlet (1996)

An 18 Million Dollar Coles Notes for Hamlet Students

[3/10 · 2 January 2022]

A fine cast of players read their lines well on impressively costly sets . Alas, these sets lack the expressive focus a strong film needs, the actors interact without the dramatic tension and thematic vision a talented film director would provide them, indeed move around the hollow center of Branagh's overly extroverted and emotionally robust Prince of Denmark. Invaluable for movie-loving "Hamlet" students assigned the whole play.

Betrayed (1988)

One if the best US political movies

[8/10 · 12 December 2021]

Thus powerful, prescient film of White power consciousness and violence was broadly dismissed as overwrought know when released in 1988, seven years before the Oklahoma City bombing. Pretty u federated after 06/01/2021.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

Best Movie Americana since "I, Tonya"

[8/10 · 9 December 2021]

Great performances by all, mostly especially by Jessica Chastain as Tammy Baker, Andrew Garfield as Jim Baker and Vincent D.'Onofrio as Jerry Farwell - the Chastain and D'Onofrio ones Oscar worthy. More than empathetic enough for intense dramatic involvement and pathos, though perhaps a tad too ironic for some Tammy fans and faithful.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

With NORTH BY NORTHWEST the most sheerly entertaining of Hitchcock's films.

[9/10 · 3 December 2021]

A superb dramatization of early Cold War cultural tensions. An innocent middle class American family -- Dr. James Stewart, Singer/Housewife Doris Day and son Joey-- are caught up in a Communist plot. All three rise to the occasion to save Joey and advance World Peace via heroic maneuvers through a set of multiple plot twists, climaxes and heroics to rival those of the other supreme Hitchcock entertainment, NORTH BY NORTHWEST. (The scene at Albert Hall us as excuting snd iriginsl a set piece as the Cirnfield areal attack in NxNW.). Historically resonant and wittiy as well as elaborately thrillng.

Spencer (2021)

A gorgeous tone poem about Princess Diana's alienation

[9/10 · 3 December 2021]

Lorraine and a magnificent Kristen Stewart have created a beautifully moving tone poem about alienation around the iconic Princess Diana, imprisoned in the Royal wax museum. The most inventive cinematic expression of alienation since Antonioni's films with Monica Viti. Often stark and surreal, but lightened by warm connections between Diana, some staff and her two son, plus an unexpectedly joyous final scene. Beautifully shot, edited and scored. The great Pablo Larraine's best.

Duplicity (2009)

A Terrific follow-up to the Great Michael Clayton

[8/10 · 28 November 2021]

This is perhaps the ultimate 'spy vs spy" (vs. Spy!) film, it's superb plot enlivened by the luminous presences of .Clive Owen and Julia Roberts a and a full repertory of sharp .performances. Ignore the many negative reviews unless you can't bare at thriller without explosions and Gonzo car chases and gun fights.

Mr. Corman (2021)

A TV analogue to J.D. Salinger

[10/10 · 23 October 2021]

This series is the closest I've seen to dramatic comedy with that rare combination of social dramatic realism, inventiveness, humor and personal specificity found in best stories and (Catcher in the Rye) episodes of J. D. Salinger.

Remember My Name (1978)

A Subtle Noir Parody

[8/10 · 9 September 2021]

Remember My Name is one of the most original of all noirs. Comments on the film's protagonust, memorably played by Geraldine Chaplin, as insufficiently threatening miss the film's essence as comic parody. This contrasts the conventional wisdom that anxious angry men kill with its appreciation that anxious angry women hurt your feelings. This the Chaplin character does very effectively by aggressively shopping away his bank balance.

Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)

A Flat Love Story Enlivened by Gorgeous Cinematography If Seen in a Good Print

[5/10 · 9 September 2021]

The version I saw on TV was too bleached to retain the visual charm needed to help the pretty sad score bring life into the flat, clunky script and dull fema!e leads.