When I read the paltry sum of money this film made. I was disgusted. What a shame! This is one of the best western movies I've ever seen. The action, intrigue, and suspense filled the screen from beginning to the end. Old Henry (Blake) was superb. In fact, all of the acting was stellar.
Reviews
15 Reviews
Cry Macho
(2021)
Time to Get Behind the Camera
7 February 2022
Those of us who have aged along with Clint Eastwood fully understand the ravages of aging, and he is not exempt. He has tremendous moviemaking skill and knowledge and now is the time to retreat to behind the camera. If he had wanted to be accepted as a young 90-year-old, makeup could have improved the believablility of the film. He is old to begin with and presenting himself as even older on the screen is a huge mistake. There was even a flirtatious theme in the film with a woman who appeared to be 30 years his junior. I'm not as old as Mr. Eastwood, but apparently, I'm wiser. Time to put the ole ego in check. The story is too simplistic and predictable. I'm sorry that he has, apparently, finished his career in front of the camera, at least I hope so.
The Shadow Riders
(1982 TV Movie)
Another Louis La'mour Classic Tale
16 January 2020
The acting by true professionals in this film is worth every minute. Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, Kathrine Ross (Sam's real life wife), and Ben Johnson are a delight to watch in addition to several other highly skilled actors. The way Civil War brothers, who fought on opposite sides, came together was well portrayed. This really did happen during the Civil War. The interweaving of crime in the U.S. with Mexico is intriguing. A great story with superb acting by popular actors was icing on the cake.
The Founder
(2016)
Ray Kroc a True Visionary!
4 December 2019
Michael Keaton was superb in this movie. As Ray Kroc, he had vision where the McDonald brothers were essentially pleased with the status quo. The film explores the early years in which Kroc was somewhat successful at selling, but he wanted to achieve much more in business. To this day, there is still controversy about the evolution of a small hamburger business that grew into a bohemoth. Yet, it was Kroc who was willing to experiment with the creation of new products for what eventually would become McDonalds. He and the McDonald brothers had different methods and ideas about growing the business. There are some ethical issues which arise in the movie in which Kroc and the McDonald brothers had some mutual responsibility, but all in all, this was a true story about the growth and prosperity of a small busiiness that became a giant in the fast-food world. I highly recommend this film.
The Sisters Brothers
(2018)
An Unorthodox Western
21 November 2019
When I watched this movie, I had no idea about it. I didn't even realize that John Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jake Gyllenhall were in it. In fact, I did not recognize Jake until the last few minutes of the film. To me, the movie was a bit overbaked. Their pistols looked more like Roman candles when fired at night--with long flames and sparks spewing from the barrels. It took me a few minutes to appreciate what was happening. I really like Reilly. He's a very fine actor and one of the many, many producers of this movie. Candidly, they all shined as actors. The storyline and plot were clothed in violence. Many of the scenes were raw and brutal. The more I watched of the film, the more I was eager to see what was coming next. My greatest criticism of the film is the unrealistic verbiage used by the characters of the west in the 1850s. The use of multisyllabic words of the time by the characters did not comport with the language of the day, that is, the level of sophistication of the English language far surpassed western reality. Afterwards, I did learn that the movie earnings were far short of the budget and that is really too bad because it is a film worth viewing. Very fine acting.
The Mule
(2018)
In Front of and/or behind the Camera Clint is Great!
30 December 2018
Intitially, when I first heard about The Mule the drug topic sort of turned me off, but then, because of Clint Eastwood, we went to the movie theater anyway when it debuted, and the film really changed my mind. This film is far more than drug cartels eluding the police and cops chasing them. Yes, it has criminals galor and lots of police, but interpersonal relationships give this movie a deeper and more meaningful association with reality than I imagined. Of course, Mr. Eastwood excelled in front of and behind the camera. As the director, he got the best out the supporting cast, and they were great. As an aside, the trailer of this film does not do it justice. As usual, I must highly recommend another Clint Eastwood movie. He did it again!
Rami Malek the Best Freddie Mercury
12 November 2018
I have always enjoyed the music of Queen, and Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury is a defining role for a great actor. Rami Malek, hands down, should receive an Oscar for this incredible performance and work of art. Malek became Mercury in this film. In fact, the entire supporting cast excelled. If it were up to me, Bohemian Rhapsody would receive an Oscar for best picture of the year. This is an epic film beautifully written, directed, and produced. All I have to say at this point is wow!
The Ballad of Lefty Brown
(2017)
Power Performance!
29 April 2018
This movie would have been just another ho-hum violent western, but Bill Pullman's performance was outstanding. He encapsulated the grit and guts of many in the old west. Supposedly, this story was based on an actual account of Lefty Brown, and as such, it captured the ruggedness, toughness, and tenacity of the western pioneer in a powerful way. If anyone likes westerns as I, this is one movie you will remember for many years to come. This was best performance of Bill Pullman to date. I highly recommend it.
In a Valley of Violence
(2016)
An Okay Western
30 August 2017
This was a veiled attempt to recreate a Clint Eastwood character of the spaghetti westerns for which Mr. Eastwood realized great fame and success in the 1960's. Simply put, Ethan Hawke isn't Clint Eastwood. My greatest criticism of the movie is inappropriate dialogue for the time depicted in the film. I have several examples of verbiage not suited for the time period, but I will leave that to be experienced by the viewer. Some of the violence seemed to be a little overcooked. Though Hawke did a credible job as the lead character, his performance did not rise to the level of Travolta. Dog Abbie probably gave the best performance in the movie; however, all of the supporting actors did well in their respective roles.
American Romance
(2016)
An Unpredictable Thriller
24 July 2017
American Romance, though a violent rendition of love experiences, is without question a fresh cinematic depiction of the complicated subject of love with great depth. The raw sexual scenes were necessary to underscore the carnal level, while the dialogue buoyed the more cerebral forms of love relationships. I only recognized one actor in the movie--John Savage--who is an awesome actor, but all of the other actors carried their parts with great professionalism. Each really excelled in their roles. There were a number of unexpected twists and turns in the film. It was a serious and complicated thriller which is not for the faint of heart. I highly recommend it.
Happy, Texas
(1999)
A light comedy which is memorable
1 September 2013
Once again, William Macy proved that he has incredible talent, and that does not include the wonderful performances of the other actors. The writing was outstanding. This was a fresh and creative plot. This is the type of movie I thoroughly enjoy. The children in the film also did a fine job. It has a lot of twists and turns which add greatly to the movie. Happy, Texas is a rather fast-paced comedy which holds your attention. Even though as film-making goes, this was a low-budget production, that did not in any way detract from the professionalism and filming. All of the actors truly excelled. I highly recommend this film.
The Sundowners
(1960)
The life and times of a nomadic family in the 1920s Australia
8 July 2012
I first saw this movie about 40 years ago, and was taken aback by a different Robert Mitchum than I had come to admire over the years. Though it may be trivial, I thought Robert Mitchum should have had top billing, not Deborah Kerr, but from what little I know about Mitchum, he didn't care in the least. I have admired and respected Deborah Kerr over the years, but Robert Mitchum was very overpowering as Paddy. This story about an Australian son, friend (Peter Ustinov), and the Carmody couple, Ide and Paddy, in a nomadic setting is very powerful. The director and producer of this film did a fine job of getting some of the wildlife on film indigenous to Australia. Though it was not a violent movie so often associated with Robert Mitchums' characters, it did contain a lot of action and ups and downs of life in the real world, which is experienced by most of us. Though a rather lengthy film, it was one in which I wanted to see more about the Carmody family of the 1920s. Great film, great acting, and wonderful filming.
Big City
(1937)
A cabby turf warfare in New York City which had an exciting ending
24 June 2012
After watching Big City a, TCM, television version of the movie, I felt cheated that I had not seen Luise Rainer before. She was magnificent, sweet, and believable. Because of my research on this 1930s two-time, back-to-back Oscar winner, I can't wait to see the other seven films in which she acted. She won an Academy Award in 1937 & 1938. She left acting at the peak of her career, and that is very sad. This woman had something "different" about her. Though she is now 102 years old and lives in England, she has a new American fan. Spencer Tracy was the male lead, and he was his usual incredible self, but Luise Rainer, in my opinion, upstaged the great Tracy!
Where Love Has Gone
(1964)
Somewhat melodramatic, but effective
25 January 2011
Since this is 2011, one can tell the quality of the film has deteriorated significantly; however, the terrific cast made it worth watching. After writing, starring, directing, and producing a low budget movie (Grazia) myself, I have a true appreciation of the challenge. One can easily see why this is an American movie classic, because Susan Hayward, Bette Davis, Mike Connors, and even Joey Heatherton made the movie an unforgettable work of art. For me, Susan Hayward has always been one of my favorite actresses. Mike Connors, later to be Mannix on TV, is a fine actor in his own right. The fact that the film was based on actual incidents lends credibility.
Secondhand Lions
(2003)
A refreshing, wholesome movie!
22 September 2003
My wife and I thought this was a wonderful movie. The casting was superb and the story line was nostalgic. With the exception of Secondhand Lions, it's too bad that the movie business has forgotten how to make quality movies. This is the kind of movie grownups can truly enjoy; however, the movie moguls have sought, for the most part, to attract mindless children and childish adults. But, Secondhand Lions provides a moving, emotional experience seldom seen on the big screen anymore. Robert Duvall is clearly one of the finest actors to ever appear in film--he was delightful, and Michael Caine excelled. The return of Halley Joel Osment to the big screen is welcomed. After watching his performance in this film, one can easily conclude that he's not a child actor who won't make the transition to acting as an adult. He's going to be around for a very long time. My personal test of a movie is the answer to the following question. Would I go see it a second time? The answer is a resounding YES!
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