What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Zombie_61]

Oh, she was a stinker in Thor. So lacking in chemistry that they had to big up a romantic subplot with Kat Denning and another character in the second one... Notably, the Third Thor picture ups its game remarkably, part of which is the lack of the Portman character. Alas, I hear she's been recast as the lead in a new Thor where the character she played before becomes a female version of Thor. Surely too good an idea to waste on such a performer, given it pushes such boundaries (for the mainstream, anyhow). I'd hate to see such good source material ruined by a bad casting. but hey, maybe she'll surprise us all... I just fear it could all go a bit Catwoman.

The first Thor movie (and the character's appearances in the various Avengers movies) was more than enough Thor for me, so I haven't seen any of the sequels. I couldn't believe how little chemistry Miss Portman had with any of her co-stars, and as a result was genuinely surprised they cast her in the "female lead" role. Not many people knew who Kat Denning was when the movie was released, or she would have been a far better choice.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Oh, good, I'm not the only one. Ms. Portman's performances in Léon: The Professional and Heat are worthy of a far more experienced actor; surprising considering her age. And yet, only a few years later her performance in The Phantom Menace (and everything that followed) is unexpectedly forced and unnatural. I haven't seen anything to confirm this, but I think somewhere along the way someone suggested she attend some acting classes and that contaminated (i.e., ruined) her natural acting abilities.

I've never seen Portman in a proper movie to be honest so I can't rate her as an actor.

 

[Edward]

The first Thor movie (and the character's appearances in the various Avengers movies) was more than enough Thor for me, so I haven't seen any of the sequels. I couldn't believe how little chemistry Miss Portman had with any of her co-stars, and as a result was genuinely surprised they cast her in the "female lead" role. Not many people knew who Kat Denning was when the movie was released, or she would have been a far better choice.

I'll be interested to see what Denning does next, as it were. She did a lot with what might otherwise have been a very flat, unsympathetic role in Two Broke Girls, though it would be nice to hope she'll get a chance to play something other than "the sassy, sexy friend" at some point. I could see her being wonderful in a lot of noir and neo-noir roles without necessarily playing to the 'femme fatale' archetype.

 

[Fading Fast]

Death of a Scoundrel from 1956 with George Sanders, Yvonne De Carlo, John Hoyt and Zsa Zsa Gabor (that last name, usually, being a reason not to see the movie)

• Literature → Drama → Melodrama → Soap Opera → Death of a Scoundrel

• As an admitted, if not proud, fan of 1950s melodrama /soap opera movies (and books), Death of a Scoundrel proves that too much of a good thing can turn bad

• Just after WWII, a released Czechoslovakia political prisoner reports his brother to the police for having stolen from him and receives an under-the-table reward that provides the funds to immigrate to the US

• Once in NYC, he pyramids one financial / Wall Street scheme on top of another, while bedding wealthy women (married or not) as a source of funds for his schemes or just amusement

• Along the way, he corrupts or tries to corrupt brokers, secretaries, business owners, a theater producer, wannabe actresses and a few others I've probably forgotten

• And, of course, he buys big houses, penthouse apartments, fancy cars and jewelry for his many women while staying in luxury hotels and dining at top restaurants

• And when it all starts to come crashing down, he ups his deviousness even trying to soil his mother's name to save his skin

• It has its moments of tawdry enjoyment - and Sanders is such a pro that he give gravitas to a popinjay character - but it's simply too much, too silly and too unbelievable to really work

• At least I learned that even my weakness for 1950's melodrama has its limits

 

[Fading Fast]

Penthouse from 1933 with Warren Baxter, Myrna Loy, Charles Butterworth and Nat Pendleton

This pre-code-on-steroids story is a bit sloppy and obvious in its plotting, but makes up for it in its aggressive reveal of the grey areas of life that, in only a year, with the coming enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code, would be mostly hidden from view in movies for several decades.

But before that window closed, in Penthouse, Warren Baxter played a white-shoe lawyer who gets a mob boss, Pendleton, off on a murder rap, but is then dropped by both his law firm and society fiance who disapproved of Baxter's "association" with criminals. Baxter, bored with writing wills for wealthy old ladies, continues in his new career path, even socializing with Pendleton.

When he tells Pendleton of his romantic travails, Pendleton offers him one of the young women, in this case, Myrna Loy, who are, effectively, kept mistresses of the racketeers or other wealthy men. Loy, clearly loving the role of a wanton woman, is more than happy to "entertain" Baxter and is shocked when, after a late evening that winds up at his penthouse, he lets her sleep over without making any advances - advances that she encouraged (you got to love the pre-codes).

Heck, taking it a step further, we see that Loy's pride is hurt by his behavior, as, the next morning, when he tells her she's alluring, she responds, "Alluring? I doubted it last night as I didn't exactly have to fight for my honor. A few more weeks of this and I'll be out a position." I guess you have to respect that she takes pride in her work. Kidding aside, it is a stark reveal of a woman who understands her role and what is expected of her. It's a shame that, in only a year, we'd no longer meet women like her in movies for several decades.

But with that set up, the movie ramps up all the tension and conflict when a young society man is charged with murdering his mistress. He was trying to break up with her - get ready for it - to marry the society woman who broke off her engagement with Baxter when he became a lawyer for the mob. So now, Baxter's ex-fiance comes to Baxter asking him to defend her new fiance. Are there no other good lawyers in Manhattan?

Thrown into this mix are rival gangs, one of which is using the society boy as a fall guy for, what was, a mob hit on his former mistress. From here, the rest of this short, fast movie is watching Baxter reveal the frame-up of the society boy while avoiding being killed by one of the gangs. Along the way, both his former society girlfriend and Loy try to help him, which shows that Loy is the one of the two women with character, grit and loyalty despite being, as she describes herself, not someone you can take into proper society.

The wrap up is fast and clean (spoiler alerts) as the society boy is proven innocent by Baxter, Baxter's mob-boss friend is killed (in a surprisingly bloody way - blood also being something that will disappear from the screen in only a year) and Baxter refuses Loy's offer to be his mistress, instead, asking her to be his wife. The message here is a good one that denounces "society's" hypocrisy and the underworld's crime and violence, while advocating for each individual - like former society lawyer Baxter and high-price call-girl Loy - to be judged on their character, not on their "social standing."


N.B. Look for Charles Butterworth in the role of Baxter's butler. While we cringe a bit today at the thought of a butler, it was honest employment that, as shown here, could oftentimes evolve into a friendship based on respect and affection. In Penthouse, Butterworth delivers a wonderfully understated performance as the guy on the sideline who sees all the nonsense while firing off the occasional subtle putdown, but he will also defend the good guys - Baxter and Loy - when necessary.

 

[Harp]

^^^
First thing I learned in law school was to know the facts of the case; applicable law; predicate motive.
Also, most important: do not ask any witness questions you do not already know the answer to.
Gotta see this flick.

 

[belfastboy]

My wife and I watched 'Hillbilly Elegy' last night. Totally prepared to dislike it based on the reviews that have uniformly trashed it.....on all fronts, politically, ideologically, and artistically. We thought, "what the hell" lets watch it and have fun trashing it. But you know at the end, my wife and I looked at each other and said...that wasn't such a bad movie! Not a great movie, a typical mainstream Hollywood Opie offering. Although I couldn't shake the thought that instead of Glenn Close I was watching Robin Williams in a weird remake of Mrs Doubtfire. Close looked so much like an older Williams in drag.....a bit weird and disconcerting. A 6 out of 10 ...maybe a 7 if being generous.

 

[belfastboy]

Watched "Chicago 7" the other night. Again not a bad movie. In my recollection it was fairly true to the facts. Mark Rylance's hair was too pat as Kunstler's hair in real life was much more Einsteinian in look. The one aspect I took issue with (and I understand the artistic reasons for leaving it out) was the omission of the role of the Weathermen. The Weathermen went to Chicago with the express purpose of confronting and provoking the police....to which they exceeded greatly given their relatively small numbers. The other issue is the portrayal of Jerry Rubin. In the movie he was shown to be somnambulant and somewhat dull/stupid. A refuge from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. My experience of him, having heard him speak a few times and sat in on meetings with him, he was charismatic, a dynamic speaker and very adept at moving a crowd to action. He didn't give off 'stoner' vibes at all. Again not a bad movie from an entertainment viewpoint which I try very hard to view from that perspective realizing the folly of looking to Hollywood for truth in the movie making. It is entertainment after all.

 

[MisterCairo]

Emma, the 90s Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam version. A fun diversion with some great cameos, my favourite probably Phyllida Law as Mrs. Bates. She does not utter a word..

 

[MisterCairo]

Cold Comfort Farm, 1996, with Kate Beckinsale. My third favourite film I first saw while completing my law articles in Ottawa in 1997 at an international film club series.

I have also read the Stella Gibbons book. A made for British TV film by John Schlessinger, it was so popular it had theatrical runs on both sides of the Atlantic.

"You know what it is like when you burn your hand. Taking a cake out of the oven, or lighting one of them godless cigarettes. Aye, it burns mightily, and ye run to clap a bit of butter on it to make the pain go away. Well I'll tell you something: THERE'LL BE NO BUTTER IN HELL!!!"

 

[Edward]

On Friday night we watched Jojo Rabbit. An absolute triumph, in my opinion. A wonderful, kid's eye view of the last days of Nazi Germany with a whimsy that never cloys. It could have gone much darker than it did, but the losses on which it does play (the shoes! Not being able to tie the shoes!) are enough without going further. There's not a bad turn in it; Rebel Wilson is particularly good at satirising the type of adult prepared to believe absolute madness via having been indoctrinated into unbending dogma. One of my favourites is the Wehrmacht officer, no longer allowed to serve at the front owing to having lost an eye, and how subtly they allow the layers of his character to be revealed, showing there's a lot more there - if you look for it / spot it - than just cynical embitterment. The opening scene really sets the tone for how clever this little picture is, combining the Fuhrer's popularity with Beatlemania. Says more in its ninety or so minutes, more effectively, about human nature, good and evil than almost any other film set in this period of which I can think.

 

[Fading Fast]

Finger of Guilt from 1956 with Richard Basehart, Mary Murphy, Roger Livesey and Faith Brook

This modest-budget UK production feels more like a long-play The Twilight Zone TV episode than a major studio release. That's both a good and not-so-good thing as, at times, it feels more intimate and real, while, at other times, the low budget shows.

As the story opens, we see a hard-charging American, Basehart, running a thriving British movie studio, but he's knocked back on his heels when he receives a vaguely worded letter from a woman, Mary Murphy, he claims not to know implying she wants to resume the affair they'd been having.

We then learn that he's received several of these letters and has even shown them to the chairman of the studio, his mentor and father-in-law, Livesey - yes Basehart married the boss' daughter. We also learned that Basehart had to leave America under a cloud of suspicion that "another woman" led to his divorce and dismissal from a Hollywood studio.

While all that looks bad for Basehart, that he shares the letters with Livesey and vociferously denies any knowledge of this woman, leaves us unsure of his guilt. He also, on the advice of Livesey, tells his wife all about these letters. If Basehart is guilty, he's playing an aggressive bluffing game, which has the viewer leaning to believing him.

At this point, the movie is in full-on The Twilight Zone mode as Basehart begins to question his own mental sanity as the letters keep coming and he sees his entire world - a good marriage and job - at risk. In an effort to get to the bottom of the letters and clear his name, he and his wife (yup, he's either innocent or still bluffing hard) take a trip, based on the letters' return address, to confront the woman.

Things get even more The Twilight Zone like as the woman has some physical evidence that seems to show that she knows Basehart. Further supporting her claims, her diary lists days and times of their meeting that coincide with periods when he was traveling on business. However, even confronted with all this, Basehart continues to profess his innocence in a kind of believable way.

After that confrontation, his life spirals out of control as his wife leaves him and the studio suspends him. With all these bad things happening, he shifts into full "am I nuts" mode, even seeking psychiatric help. From here, it's quickly onto the conclusion, which we'll leave unstated, but climaxes with a violent confrontation involving all the key parties.

It's a good story for a TV episode, but a little thin for a full-length movie. And as with those old The Twilight Zone shows, because of its small budget, most scenes lack the necessary extras to give them verisimilitude. In a way, that works to emphasize the otherworldliness of these types of stories, but at times, they just look like cheap and shabby productions. Yet overall, it's got enough good to make it worth the effort, especially if you like The Twilight Zone type stories.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Bogie and A. Hepburn in Sabrina (1954), right now.

 

[Julian Shellhammer]

To kick off the official Christmas movie season, we watched Elf with the kids and grandkids. The youngsters laughed at the slapstick parts, and were horrified at the demolition of the decorations provided by Buddy.
Then, another evening, the Missus and I enjoyed It's a Wonderful Life. She was surprised to hear that the Bedford Falls town was a set built for the movie.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Cold Comfort Farm, 1996, with Kate Beckinsale. My third favourite film I first saw while completing my law articles in Ottawa in 1997 at an international film club series.

I have also read the Stella Gibbons book. A made for British TV film by John Schlessinger, it was so popular it had theatrical runs on both sides of the Atlantic.

"You know what it is like when you burn your hand. Taking a cake out of the oven, or lighting one of them godless cigarettes. Aye, it burns mightily, and ye run to clap a bit of butter on it to make the pain go away. Well I'll tell you something: THERE'LL BE NO BUTTER IN HELL!!!"

To this day I call rain "nature's fecund blessing."

 

[MisterCairo]

To this day I call rain "nature's fecund blessing."

Living on my wife's family farm, I get strange looks when I say I have to get to scranletting down at Ticklepenny Corner...

 

[Bushman]

Starting my Christmas line up for the year...

The other night I caught a couple classic shorts: Jimmy Durante's narrated "Frosty the Snowman" and the Boris Karloff rendition of Dr. Seuss's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

Then last night I watched Disney's "A Christmas Carol" starring Jim Carrey. This is not everybody's favorite retelling of the classic Dickens tale, but I think it may be mine. Great vocal performances from Carrey, Gary Oldman, and Colin Firth, and an absolutely beautiful soundtrack from Alan Silvestri. The animation is incredibly detailed, which I understand is one of the biggest critiques about the movie. I also think that the movie does a great job at the portrayal of Victorian Era London, and the huge disparity between the lives of the rich and the poor therein. I remember skipping it in theaters because nobody wanted to see it with me, but after catching it on cable one Christmas season a few years ago, it's been added to my annual watch list.

Now I'm watching "The Santa Clause" starring Tim Allen. I think what's great about this one is that in the face of insurmountable logic that Santa couldn't possibly exist, it is through the eyes of Scott Calvin's (Tim Allen) son Charlie that the audience is able to believe in the possibility of Santa Claus, even if it is through blind faith. In the words of little Charlie, "Have YOU ever seen a million dollars? Just because you can't see something, doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

 

[Harp]

^^^Alastair Sim and George C Scott are my favorite Ebenezer Scrooge cast.

 

[Edward]

^^^Alastair Sim and George C Scott are my favorite Ebenezer Scrooge cast.

I'm actually quite partial to the Patrick Stewart version for a 'straight' run at it. The musical Scrooge is always fun, and the Muppet version is surprisingly ~(largely) faithful to the original.

 

[Harp]

^^^I was unaware of Stewart's portrayal. Mr Magoo as Scrooge earns honorable mention; here
a childhood cartoon introduces great literature and meaning.