Film – Page 8 – The Frame

Challenge Week 40: Crime Wave

On November 7, 2016

In 2016 Movie Challenge

I’m pretty much always going to like film noir, so my fellow film blogger Kristina was wise in choosing a couple of lesser-known noirs for me to watch. Crime Wave is a fairly straight-forward crime drama, with a gang of crooks holding up a gas station – when one of them is wounded, he makes his way to a former associate of theirs, Steve (Gene Nelson), who’s trying to go straight. Before long, Steve’s pulled back in (totally against his will), and becomes something of a battleground between his parole officer, who believes in him, and the detective in charge of the case (Sterling Hayden), who doesn’t.

Challenge Week 39: The Docks of New York

By Jandy

On October 21, 2016

In 2016 Movie Challenge

I’ve actually had this on my media server for quite a while unwatched, so I was really glad that Jeremy gave me the boost to go ahead and watch it. Unfortunately, I’ve had it for long enough that I have no idea if it had the score he recommended (Gaylord Carter) or not, but I didn’t mind whatever music was with it, so I guess it was all right.

Josef von Sternberg is kind of hit or miss with me – I’ve mostly seen his films with Marlene Dietrich, and I loved Shanghai Express, but am only fair to middling on the other two or three I’ve seen. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this, but it’s a fairly simply story of a boilerman (George Bancroft) on leave from his boat saving a girl (Betty Compson) from committing suicide by the docks and then falling for her.

Challenge Week 39: Little Man, What Now?

By Jandy

On October 21, 2016

In 2016 Movie Challenge

I love that people have dug deep in this challenge and brought me some classic-era films that I not only hadn’t seen, but hadn’t even heard of! I’ve see a few Frank Borzage films but never really gotten the hype, so I was glad to get another chance to check him out – and spoilers, I got another one the following week, heh. Based on the strength of the two films, I need to reevaluate all the others I’d seen and dismissed, because I loved them both.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, Little Man, What Now?. The two main characters are poor folks in Weimar-era Germany, and we first meet them at a gynecologist’s office. The doctor confirms Lammchen’s pregnancy, then takes just about all of Hans’ paltry salary in payment. The unmarried couple (the only real reason it deserves a Pre-Code tag) gets married secretly, because his boss is set on getting him to marry his daughter – without stringing her along, Hans is in danger of losing his position.

Challenge Week 38: Fanny and Alexander

By Jandy

On October 18, 2016

In 2016 Movie Challenge

This is one of my least favorite kinds of posts to write, because it’s so hard to write about beloved films from master filmmakers that I liked but didn’t strongly connect to. It’s one thing if I DISLIKE a film like this, because at least that’s something to hang a reaction on. I will say that I watched the theatrical cut because while 3 hours is doable, 5 1/2 wasn’t really, but I would like to return and watch the television cut later on.

The first half of Fanny and Alexander places the titular siblings in a large, warm, and loving theatrical family. It’s difficult at first to tell exactly how everyone’s related to each other, but it doesn’t matter too much, because everyone loves and cares for each other – even when the children’s father has a fling with the maid, it doesn’t seem too troublesome or out of the ordinary. This half is not dissimilar to Bergman’s Smiles of a Summer Night, though the addition of color and kids makes it even more light and whimsical.

Challenge Week 38: I’ve Loved You So Long

By Jandy

On October 17, 2016

In 2016 Movie Challenge

This is in a way a mystery, but a very quiet and unassuming one. Juliette (Kristin Scott Thomas) goes to live with her estranged sister Lea and her family, but there’s obviously a lot of baggage that we can’t figure out immediately. Over the course of the film it’s revealed that Juliette has just gotten out of prison after a 15-year sentence, and for what – I don’t want to spoil it because each deeper revelation really is wonderfully paced and acted by Thomas.

It’s hard to write much about the film, though, without spoiling it. I’ll just say that even though some of the subject matter is pretty devastating, I really felt at home in this movie, somehow. It’s to the great credit of the actors and director that even though the characters are often aloof and frustrated with each other, finding it difficult to connect after such a long time apart (and for such a reason), that I felt great empathy for all of them and wanted (in some cinematic way) to be with their dysfunctional family, and to understand them.

Category: Film Page 8 of 101

Challenge Week 40: Crime Wave

Challenge Week 39: The Docks of New York

Challenge Week 39: Little Man, What Now?

Challenge Week 38: Fanny and Alexander

Challenge Week 38: I’ve Loved You So Long