Visions of Light

Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography (1993); documentary. Cinematographers discuss the art of shooting film for motion pictures, and many films are sampled to show examples of different kinds of cinematography. This is a tantalizing movie, because it shows so many brief clips from so many great films, and I wanted to see all the films discussed. Visions of Light got me all jazzed again about motion pictures, and I found it tremendously stimulating. On the other hand, it's a bare-bones production, with no Extras, and no subtitles or closed captions. I'd like to see a movie like this done really well, with more and longer clips from even more great films. Grade: B+     

Vincent & Theo

Vincent & Theo (1990) starring Tim Roth, Paul Rhys. Directed by Robert Altman. The relationship between painter Vincent van Gogh (Roth) and his brother Theo (Rhys) is at the center of this biopic. Vincent can't sell any of his paintings (he only sold one during his lifetime), and Theo (who works in an art gallery) can't sell any of Vincent's paintings either. The two brothers both have problems in their relationships with women, and neither is prosperous (Vincent depends on an allowance from Theo for his living). The movie tries to breath life into their relationship, but never quite achieves its aim. They have a symbiotic relationship, that much is clear. But why do they care so much about one another? The film never really shows us what they like about each other, besides the fact that they are brothers. Still, Vincent's art, the greatness we know will be his after his death, makes the movie inherently interesting. (Subtitles for hearing-impaired are available, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B

Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh (1988); documentary. I found this documentary of Van Gogh's life rather disappointing. The filmmakers used images of nature, and pictures of Van Gogh's works, as illustration, and over these images the actor John Hurt read some  of Vincent's letters to his brother Theo. If you don't already know Van Gogh's life story, it may prove difficult to get anything out of the movie. Even Vincent's suicide is illustrated with footage of a country lane, and no explanatory text. Plus, the DVD lacks any sort of subtitles for the hearing-impaired. Although in this case Hurt's reading of the letters was clear and understandable, there might be some viewers who would profit from subtitles or closed captions. The sole redeeming feature of this film for me were the shots of Van Gogh's artistic works, some of which are just astonishing. Grade: B

Ruby Sparks

Ruby Sparks (2012) starring Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Chris Messina, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Steve Coogan, Elliot Gould. A novelist named Calvin (Dano), starved for inspiration, starts writing about his dream girl, Ruby Sparks (Kazan). When she shows up in his apartment, he freaks out. He soon realizes, however, that she is real. She is his perfect mate -- until she starts pulling away from him. Then he can't resist the urge to rewrite her so she'll stay with him. And then things get really weird. This movie is a tour de force for Kazan, who wrote the script, produced, and stars. Although the film has its dark moments, it has a satisfying ending, and the more I think about it, the more I like it. The one "flaw" in the script that I noticed was that Calvin never took Ruby to meet his psychiatrist (Gould). I think that would have offered exquisite opportunities for plot development. (The disc offers subtitles for the hearing-impaired, as well as closed captions.) Grade: A-

Shane

Shane (1953) starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Jack Palance. A mysterious stranger named Shane (Ladd) rides into a valley in Wyoming and gets mixed up in the battle between ranchers and homesteaders. The ranchers are the bad guys, and they're trying to drive the farmers out. They even go so far as to hire a gunslinger (Palance) to come in and scare them off. But they don't count on Shane, who is a retired gunman himself. This movie is one of the great Westerns, with all the necessary elements in place. It's good vs. evil, plain and simple, and good wins out, with a little help from a six-gun. Great soundtrack, too. (Subtitles for the hearing-impaired and closed captions are both included on the DVD.)  Grade: A

The Bridges at Toko-Ri

The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954) starring William Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredric March, Mickey Rooney. Naval officer Harry Brubaker (Holden) is called back to duty aboard an aircraft carrier during the Korean War. His assignment: To take out five strategically crucial bridges located at Toko-Ri. Surprisingly, the movie is free of false patriotism and makes it clear that it doesn't approve of the war. I can't really say how realistic it is, but it had the right feel for a war film, and a convincingly downbeat ending. (Both subtitles on the disc and closed captions are available for the hearing-impaired.) Grade: B+

Nobody Else But You

Nobody Else But You (2011) starring Jean-Paul Rouve, Sophie Quinton. A local beauty's death is ruled suicide, but detective writer Rousseau (Rouve) suspects a possible homicide. When he starts investigating, he finds his own life in danger. My biggest problem with this movie is that it is in French, and the subtitles are at times impossible to read because they are white against a white background. At any rate, I was not able to become immersed in this film, and my enjoyment of it was vastly reduced. (In French, with English subtitles.) Grade: C

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) starring Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Connie Britton, Adam Brody. An asteroid is hurtling toward Earth, with three weeks to go before Armageddon. Dodge (Carell) and Penny (Knightley), newly thrown together by circumstances, go on a road trip to try to find lost loves and say goodbye to family. Along the way (of course) they fall in love with each other. This movie has some pretty funny bits having to do with impending doom, and also some pretty alarming bits. Ultimately, though, I found the ending to be a little downbeat. It's not a feel-good film. It sends mixed messages, which may explain why it did rather poorly at the box office. (The subtitles are good, but closed captions aren't offered as an option.) Grade: B-

Victor/Victoria

Victor/Victoria (1982) starring Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston. Directed by Blake Edwards. In 1934 Paris, a starving singer named Victoria Grant (Andrews) decides to try playing a transvestite performer named Victor. In other words, she's a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman. But not fooled is King Marchan (Garner), an American visiting Paris who believes that "Victor" is really a woman. Problem is, Victoria Grant is a huge success (the "toast of Paris") as a female impersonator, and she doesn't want to give it up. The movie deals amusingly with gay themes, but I didn't buy Andrews' portrayal of a "man." She wouldn't have fooled me, and I don't think she would have fooled all of Paris. The musical numbers, although they won an Oscar, don't strike me as top-notch, nor particularly memorable. Andrews and Garner are charming in the lead roles, and the movie is entertaining, but it's just not first rate. Andrews was married to director Edwards. (Subtitles are available, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B

Moonrise Kingdom

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) starring Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand. Directed by Wes Anderson. A young boy and girl (Gilman, Hayward) "fall in love" and run away together in 1965 in New England. They are pursued by their families, the authorities and the Khaki Scouts, but they do succeed in spending one night together, camped in a remote cove. This movie has all the quirkiness one would expect from a Wes Anderson movie, and it has a sweet ending. It's quite a likable film. (English subtitles are included, but not closed captions.) Grade: B+

The Blob

The Blob (1958) starring "Steven" McQueen. A meteorite crashes to Earth and inside the hollow rock is a gelatinous substance that turns out to be carnivorous. It looks like a big blob of cherry Jell-o, which may not be far from the truth. Only a group of teenagers, led by young Steve (McQueen), suspect the danger their town is in. They can't get the authorities to believe them, so they have to contain the monster by themselves. Unintentionally campy movie is quite a hoot, with McQueen giving a laughable performance in his first leading role. When I was a kid, in 1958, this film gave me nightmares. This time around, even though it is not a great movie, I thoroughly enjoyed it. (Subtitles in English are available, but not closed captions.) Grade: B 

Freaky Friday

Freaky Friday (1977) starring Barbara Harris, Jodie Foster. A mother (Harris) and daughter (Foster) wish simultaneously on Friday the 13th that they could trade places, and like magic, they do. Naturally, when they're both experiencing the other's life, everything goes wrong. This is basically a movie for young girls, who can enjoy the fantasy of switching places with their mothers without being put off by the many loose ends and lack of believability of the script. For adults, it's just plain silly. There are numerous instances of, "That would never happen in real life." The film lacks verisimilitude. It really didn't work for me. (The DVD includes legible subtitles, and closed captions, which are preferable.) Grade: C+

The Amazing Spider-Man

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) starring Andrew Garfield, Rhys Ifans, Emma Stone, Denis Leary, Sally Field, Martin Sheen. Bitten by a genetically modified spider, Peter Parker (Garfield) suddenly finds that he has amazing strength and the ability to climb things. He starts by battling petty crime, but soon finds himself clashing with the archvillain The Lizard (Ifans). Meanwhile, he falls in love with a girl from school (Stone) and reveals to her that he is Spider-Man. As superhero movies go, this one is not bad. Many elements are familiar from earlier Spider-Man films, but it brings enough fresh ideas to the mix to make it work. It will help if you like this type of movie. (The furnished subtitles are very good, although closed captions are not offered.) Grade: B+ 

Vice Versa

Vice Versa (1988) starring Judge Reinhold, Fred Savage. A father (Reinhold) and son (Savage) accidentally switch bodies (by wishing on a magical artifact), and each gets to find out what it's like living in the other's world. Similar movies like Freaky Friday and Big have treated the same theme, and done it a little better, but this one is not bad. There's a silly subplot about a couple of crooks who want to steal the magic artifact, but of course it all works out in the end. (English subtitles are available, and not bad. Closed captions are also offered.) Grade: B- 

The Blob

The Blob (1988) starring Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith. High school kids battle a gelatinous mass from outer space; the blob feeds on flesh, and it grows rapidly as it finds victims. Then government agents show up and (spoiler alert!) it turns out that the blob is in reality a biological weapon. The big disappointment in this movie, aside from the script, is the special effects. The blob is not well rendered, and it does not move in a convincing way. This is a truly awful film, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. (To its credit, the DVD has subtitles in several languages, including English. It also has closed captions, which are my first choice.) Grade: D 

Your Sister's Sister

Your Sister's Sister (2011) starring Emily Blunt, Mark Duplass, Rosemarie DeWitt. Jack (Duplass), who is mourning his brother, goes to an island for some alone time. The cabin on the island belongs to Iris (Blunt) and Hannah (DeWitt), who are sisters. Jack and Iris are best friends. When Jack gets there, Hannah is there alone. The next morning, Iris arrives unexpectedly. These three people, who care about one another, get tangled up in each other's lives in ways that come as quite a total surprise to the viewer. It makes for an interesting little indie experience that you won't soon forget. (The DVD features subtitles for the hearing-impaired. Closed captions are not offered.) Grade: B+

Vertigo

Vertigo (1958) starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Stewart stars as a retired San Francisco police detective who suffers from a severe fear of heights. He is hired by an old friend to spy on the friend's wife, and of course ends up falling in love with her -- and she with him. This is one of Hitchcock's most twisty-turny thriller-mysteries, and has been beautifully restored. I won't give away any more of the  plot, but I definitely recommend this film. (Subtitles for the hearing-impaired are provided, but not closed captions.) Grade: A-

The Verdict

The Verdict (1982) starring Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, James Mason. Directed by Sidney Lumet.  "Ambulance chaser" attorney Frank Galvin (Newman) gets a chance at redemption when his friend (Warden) scares up a case for him that should be an easy win. But Galvin passes up a chance to settle out of court in favor of trying the case, and the opposing lawyer (Mason) is "the Devil incarnate." Rampling plays Galvin's love interest, but also turns out to be playing a double role. The movie has complexities which surpass the simple courtroom drama it might have been. (The DVD includes English subtitles, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B+

Safety Not Guaranteed

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) starring Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake M. Johnson, Karan Soni. Safety Not Guaranteed is a flawed but very entertaining romantic comedy about an intern at a magazine (Plaza) who, as part of an assignment, meets and gets involved with a guy (Duplass) who claims to be able to time-travel. For the viewer, it as a puzzle -- is this guy crazy or is he a true visionary? The director provides the answer at the end of the movie, and it wasn't quite what I expected -- but it was very satisfying. The film is filled with problems, both small and large, which detract from its overall impact, but in the end it delivers. (English subtitles for the hearing impaired are provided, and are very good; closed captions are not offered.) Grade: B