That Hamilton Woman

What is it about the 19th century and illicit affairs? They seem to be the main focus in films and novels.

An example of this is That Hamilton Woman, which stars then-newlyweds Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. Both actors I'm fairly familiar with, and both give good performances as lovers Admiral Horatio Nelson and Emma Hamilton, who eventually became pariahs among English society.

Leigh I was familiar with from A Streetcar Named Desire and Gone with the Wind, the two films that earned her Oscars. As Emma, her personality lies somewhere between Blanche's and Scarlett's. She's a very independent woman yet she feels lost without Horatio by her side.

I was more familiar with Olivier from a later career film (Spartacus), his Oscar-winning film (Hamlet), and two films that got him nominated (Marathon Man, Wuthering Heights). As Horatio, he possesses the same traits that make Hamlet and Heathcliff who they are: tortured and doomed.

That Hamilton Woman is a gorgeously shot film, but the story leaves a lot to be desired. Not exactly Gone with the Wind or Wuthering Heights, but it's close enough to satisfy someone who loves a good romance.

My Rating: ****1/2

Niagara

There's just something about Marilyn Monroe that's absolutely mystifying, but what is it exactly? Is it the screen persona that views her as glamorous, even though she was the opposite in real life? Or was it when she was on screen, she became the prime focus? Either way, she has captivated audiences for decades.

Ever since I saw her in Some Like It Hot, I became curious as to what else she had to offer. Four more movies later, I saw her in Niagara. This was different from the other movies I saw her in. Rather than being a dumb blonde, her Rose Loomis is a calculating dame.

Rose is plotting to kill her husband George (Joseph Cotten) at, ironically, the honeymoon capital of the world. It's an airtight scheme and mistakes are rare. But it's once the crime is committed that the scheme falls apart at the seams.

What Monroe offers here is a new meaning on the saying "looks can be deceiving". She wears a welcoming smile and is very sociable, but don't let that fool you. Underneath the smile is a mind that's dark.

Niagara in itself is a good movie but as with the case of other Monroe movies, it lacks something when she's not on screen. There's also a good performance out of Cotten. It's a good story too, but I felt there should have been more.

My Rating: ****

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

With the release of Tomas Alfredson's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, we are given a glimpse into the world of espionage. Don't expect James Bond; this is the real deal.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is based on John le Carre's famed novel. Having never read it, I was curious to see what it was about. At the same time however, I was reluctant since the last two le Carre adaptations I saw (The Constant Gardener and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold) weren't as impressive as I thought they would be. I had almost the same problem with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but just barely.

Alfredson's previous film was the excellent Let the Right One In and like that film, he captures the many curiosities and uncertainties of the many characters. With the introductions of new information in almost every scene, the curiosities and uncertainties of the characters (and the audience) grows.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy boasts an impressive (and mostly British) cast. The stars range from experienced (Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, John Hurt) to rising (Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy). All of the actors play their parts extremely well, especially Oldman. I won't generally say he deserves an obscenely overdue Oscar nomination, but it would be nice.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a damn good film, but I was left wanting more out of it. I also felt that the ending was trying to quickly tie up all of the loose ends. Still, a good story and fine acting makes up for the slow spots.

My Rating: ****1/2

The Fortune Cookie

For over two years now, I have been an unapologetic admirer of Billy Wilder. How could you not like him? The man had enough humor and wit to shame anyone who dared to upstage him.

His 1966 film The Fortune Cookie stars regular/favorite actor Jack Lemmon as a TV cameraman injured from filming a football game. Like many of his other roles, you support him because of the many hardships he endures. Besides, who doesn't like Jack?

The Fortune Cookie is notable for being the first of many movies between Lemmon and Walter Matthau, and for good reason too. Their scenes together are just some of the best comedy captured on film. And Matthau is particularly a scene stealer as Lemmon's brother-in-law/lawyer. No surprise on how he got the Oscar.

This was Wilder's last big success (though not his last movie), but you can still tell that he had that stamina within him. This was also made when the Production Code was on its last legs, and there are the expected sly jokes (and then some). All in all, this has Billy Wilder written all over it.

The Fortune Cookie is undoubtedly one of Wilder's best. More than once I caught myself laughing out loud. It definitely gets up there among the ranks of Some Like It Hot and The Apartment.

My Rating: *****

Dangerous Liaisons

Whoever said the late 1700's were a time of civility clearly never saw Stephen Frears' adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons. Trust me, civility is the last thing on the characters' minds.

Glenn Close has always been a great actress. (And yet no Oscar to prove it!) This and Fatal Attraction show how heartless her roles can be. She's as cold as a block of ice, and she's damn effective. The last few scenes of her show the extent of her being.

John Malkovich, like Close, knows what he's doing here. He too is cold, but not as cold as Close. It's a hell of a performance from him, perhaps the best of his career.

Michelle Pfeiffer is different from Close and Malkovich. Unlike their very present frigidness, she provides the only warmth in the whole film. She isn't false in any of her emotions like Malkovich clearly is. Another great performance out of Dangerous Liaisons.

Dangerous Liaisons is a great film, but I found the storyline a tad disjointed. Along with Close, Malkovich and Pfeiffer, there's also some great work from a young Uma Thurman. (Also, what the hell is Keanu Reeves doing in this?) This is for those craving a darker view on the 1700's.

My Rating: ****1/2

The Lusty Men

With Nicholas Ray, his films are usually thinly veiled character studies. His 1952 film The Lusty Men provides such an example. The three major roles showcase the effects of the dangerous sport that is rodeo.

Jeff McCloud (Robert Mitchum) is an ex-rodeo rider who becomes a mentor to Wes Merritt (Arthur Kennedy). Early on, it's clear that Wes has potential, much to the dismay of Wes' wife Louise (Susan Hayward).

By the time Wes makes it big, his personality takes a change for the worse. All that matters to him is making more money off rodeos and keeping it all to himself, a far cry from the original plan between him and Louise. Wes' transformation mirrors that of Midge Kelly from Champion (which also co-starred Kennedy).

Wes' behavior change shocks Louise, but it barely fazes Jeff. He has probably seen it happen before. Maybe such a thing has happened to Jeff himself. Who knows? The script doesn't specify much on Jeff's past, leaving us to wonder...

The Lusty Men is one of those films you can tell was made by a certain director. I don't view that as a bad thing, mind you. Many themes of Ray are easily detectable. Mitchum, Kennedy and Hayward are at the height of their careers in this underseen Nicholas Ray gem.

My Rating: *****

The Magnificent Seven

The funny thing with Akira Kurosawa was that sooner or later, his work was going to get remade just in a matter of years. I mean, just look: Sergio Leone gave Yojimbo a Western twist and called it A Fistful of  Dollars, and George Lucas set The Hidden Fortress in space and named it Star Wars.

And John Sturges turned Kurosawa's magnum opus Seven Samurai into The Magnificent Seven. What? A samurai epic made into a Western? Sounds ridiculous, but it works.

In anyone else's hands, this would've failed spectacularly. But Sturges made sure that the masses (and Kurosawa) were appeased. They were. (Kurosawa reportedly rewarded Sturges with a samurai sword.)

Sure, there are a few differences between Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven, but it doesn't matter much. All that matters is that Sturges gets the viewer's attention and keeps a hold on it until the very end.

Saying The Magnificent Seven is one of the best Westerns out there is barely scratching the surface. There are just so many aspects about it that make it work. My personal favorites are the ensemble cast and Elmer Bernstein's score. Who doesn't like either one of the two, or even the movie for that matter?

My Rating: *****

Talk to Her

What is it about foreign films that has them capturing emotions and feelings better than American films? It's something that makes them stand out.

I was familiar with Pedro Almodovar's work, but hadn't seen any of it. At least until the mesmerizing Talk to Her entered my life. I really had no idea what I was in for.

What I got was a very hypnotic tale of love and obsession. Not many films can cover topics like that with ease. The only two I know of are Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo and Johnathan Glazer's Birth.

Like Hitchcock before him (and Glazer later on), Almodovar shows how love and obsession actually go hand in hand. One doesn't just fall in love; there are many different aspects to being in love. It isn't just the heart involved but also the mind.

Talk to Her is one of the best foreign films ever made. It's as spellbinding as it is heartbreaking. It never lands on a false note at any point. As of now, I have a preconceived notion that seeking Almodovar is in my future.

My Rating: *****

Include Me Out

When most memoirs are published, they're usually those written by some of the biggest and/or more recognizable names in the business. Of course, the lesser known (but equally talented) names get published too.

One such name is Farley Granger. He is best known for the two movies he did with Alfred Hitchcock, Strangers on a Train and Rope. Granger isn't as known by many today because his true calling was on the stage rather than the screen, silver or small. He passed away last year but like his career, it got overlooked by many. (He died just days after Elizabeth Taylor.)

Granger wasn't particularly fond of the spotlight when he was still in Hollywood, but that didn't stop him from writing Include Me Out, his 2007 memoir. Not much was known about his personal life prior to the publication.

Like many actors of the time, Granger speaks of his discontent of Samuel Goldwyn's treatment of him. (However, Granger isn't too bitter; the title is one of Goldwyn's sayings.) He also speaks of his many productions, both screen and stage, and his meetings of some of entertainment's most talented names. (He also recollects the highly tumultuous friendship he had with Shelley Winters.)

Include Me Out contains some of the best descriptions I've read. Granger speaks of his ability to remember all of his lines if not the whole script. The same ability was used when he speaks of his experience making Senso (which, in my opinion, contains his best work as an actor). He repeats sometimes in his writing, though Granger shows that he had one hell of a life.

My Rating: ****1/2

BOOK VS MOVIE: To Kill a Mockingbird

With the releases of Harper Lee's sole novel To Kill a Mockingbird and Robert Mulligan's film, they raised questions about one's beliefs towards race. Also bear in mind both were released at the beginning of the civil rights movement.

The fact that it's told from a child's point of view gives the audience a sense of naivete. Scout, the narrator, is as unclear of the many events in Maycomb as much as the audience. Apart from the folklore surrounding him, no one knows much about Boo Radley. Scout, as well as us, barely knows of the case her father Atticus is defending in until the actual trial.

That's what makes Lee's writing so effective. We learn of major points in the story when Scout learns of them. And if you're wondering about the significance of the title, Atticus mentions that "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." (Mockingbirds are mentioned as symbolism for innocence.)

Mulligan's film is just as great as Lee's novel. There are only a few minor changes, but Horton Foote's script stays true to what Lee originally wrote. You just can't imagine anyone else but Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. Seriously, you just can't.

Now comes the challenge of choosing which is better. It's really hard to say, even with a metaphorical gun to my head. In all honesty, I just can't. Both the novel and the film have their own certain qualities, hence the challenge.

What's worth checking out?: I'd go with both.