Martin Chuzzlewit
1994
Pedr James (director), David Lodge (screenplay), Charles Dickens (story)
Starring Paul Scofield, Pauline Turner, Philip Franks
Masterpiece Theater TV mini-series dramatization of the
Charles Dickens story. I didn't expect to like it - I don't generally
enjoy Dickens. But I did, I really did. The villains were marvelously
foul and despicable, and the heroes were noble and good (except for a few
who were rather awful to begin with but got themselves sorted out
eventually). It was fun!
I actually got caught up in the story and the characters, and found that its grittiness felt sharp rather than preachy. The acting was terrific, and Paul Scofield is a stunningly good-looking old man. Much fun.
IMDB: Martin Chuzzlewit
Showing posts with label historical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label historical. Show all posts
Friday, May 23, 2014
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Very Brief Film Reviews: Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Pan's Labyrinth / El Laberinto del Fauno (The Labyrinth of the Faun)
2006
Guillermo del Toro (director, writer)
Starring Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi Lopez
This film deserves every glory it won: it is beautiful, it is wildly imaginative, it is captivating, and it is ruthlessly painful.
It is physically brutal, set during the Spanish Civil War, and emotionally brutal; it is frightening in many different ways, but it gives as much as it takes, and it is unrelentingly brilliant. It has a vocabulary, visual and thematic, that encompasses nearly every major work of children's fantasy of the last century, and not just books: Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Narnia, the Labyrinth (of course), the Neverending Story, a dozen others. The cinematography and special effects are hauntingly beautiful and well-woven.
But this is not a children's movie. This is a dark and powerful film, and you should absolutely see it but know that it is not a pretty story.
In Spanish with subtitles. Rated R with good reason.
IMDB Link: Pan's Labyrinth
2006
Guillermo del Toro (director, writer)
Starring Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi Lopez
This film deserves every glory it won: it is beautiful, it is wildly imaginative, it is captivating, and it is ruthlessly painful.
It is physically brutal, set during the Spanish Civil War, and emotionally brutal; it is frightening in many different ways, but it gives as much as it takes, and it is unrelentingly brilliant. It has a vocabulary, visual and thematic, that encompasses nearly every major work of children's fantasy of the last century, and not just books: Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Narnia, the Labyrinth (of course), the Neverending Story, a dozen others. The cinematography and special effects are hauntingly beautiful and well-woven.
But this is not a children's movie. This is a dark and powerful film, and you should absolutely see it but know that it is not a pretty story.
In Spanish with subtitles. Rated R with good reason.
IMDB Link: Pan's Labyrinth
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Very Brief Film Reviews: Catherine the Great (2005)
Catherine the Great
2005
Paul Burgess (director, writer), John-Paul Davidson (director, writer)
Starring Emily Bruni, Diana Dumbrava, Dan Chiriac
A dramatically reenacted documentary of the life and reign of Catherine the Great of Russia. Gorgeous costuming, and the woman who plays Catherine, Emily Bruni, is remarkable (and also gorgeous, in a very unusual way). I don't know too much about Catherine herself but this seemed fairly even-handed and thorough for one of these historical documentaries.
The scholars who give their opinions on various aspects of her life are often amusing -- there's one who is totally in love with her, you just know that he secretly writes Catherine/Potemkin fanfic. I am not kidding.
Really enjoyed this.
IMDB: Catherine the Great
2005
Paul Burgess (director, writer), John-Paul Davidson (director, writer)
Starring Emily Bruni, Diana Dumbrava, Dan Chiriac
A dramatically reenacted documentary of the life and reign of Catherine the Great of Russia. Gorgeous costuming, and the woman who plays Catherine, Emily Bruni, is remarkable (and also gorgeous, in a very unusual way). I don't know too much about Catherine herself but this seemed fairly even-handed and thorough for one of these historical documentaries.
The scholars who give their opinions on various aspects of her life are often amusing -- there's one who is totally in love with her, you just know that he secretly writes Catherine/Potemkin fanfic. I am not kidding.
Really enjoyed this.
IMDB: Catherine the Great
Monday, May 12, 2014
Very Brief Film Reviews: Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Moulin Rouge!
2001
Baz Luhrmann (director, writer), Craig Pearce (writer)
Starring Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo
It took me years to see this after it first came out, but when I did, I liked it, I really did. Occasionally I wanted to smack people, but I liked it, and the more times I've seen it since, the more I've fallen in love with it.
A young man goes to Paris at the turn of the 20th century to Be Part Of Art and falls madly in love with a dancer/prostitute who aspires to be a serious actress. Together they try to defy the odds and, in true bohemian fashion, have both Love and Art.
This is melodrama at its finest, and musicals at their finest, using well-known modern songs in new contexts. And it really is fun. Starring an anexoric Nicole Kidman and doe-eyed Ewan McGregor, both of whom are truly terrific singers and actors.
Definitely recommended.
IMDB Link: Moulin Rouge!
2001
Baz Luhrmann (director, writer), Craig Pearce (writer)
Starring Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo
It took me years to see this after it first came out, but when I did, I liked it, I really did. Occasionally I wanted to smack people, but I liked it, and the more times I've seen it since, the more I've fallen in love with it.
A young man goes to Paris at the turn of the 20th century to Be Part Of Art and falls madly in love with a dancer/prostitute who aspires to be a serious actress. Together they try to defy the odds and, in true bohemian fashion, have both Love and Art.
This is melodrama at its finest, and musicals at their finest, using well-known modern songs in new contexts. And it really is fun. Starring an anexoric Nicole Kidman and doe-eyed Ewan McGregor, both of whom are truly terrific singers and actors.
Definitely recommended.
IMDB Link: Moulin Rouge!
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Very Brief Film Reviews: House of Flying Daggers (2004)
House of Flying Daggers
2004
Zhang Yimou (director, writer), Feng Li, Wang Bin, Zhang Yimou (writers)
Starring Takeshi Kineshiro, Andy Lau, Zhang Ziyi, Dandan Song
During the Tang dynasty, a rebel group arises against the government. The police engage in subterfuge in an attempt to find and take down the leaders, including a beautiful blind woman they believe to be an assassin, but their plots are complicated further by continual layers of betrayal, secret loyalty, and secrets.
Frankly, I didn't like House of Flying Daggers nearly as much as Hero - the story was less skillful and a little too complicated, the fighting was less interesting and varied, and the cinematography was less stunning. That said, all those things were still deeply enjoyable, it was still lovely and interesting and fun, and - as typical of Zhang's movies - things are never as simple as they purport to be. Basically, I enjoyed watching it once very much, but haven't bothered to rewatch it since. In Chinese with subtitles.
IMDB Link: House of Flying Daggers
2004
Zhang Yimou (director, writer), Feng Li, Wang Bin, Zhang Yimou (writers)
Starring Takeshi Kineshiro, Andy Lau, Zhang Ziyi, Dandan Song
During the Tang dynasty, a rebel group arises against the government. The police engage in subterfuge in an attempt to find and take down the leaders, including a beautiful blind woman they believe to be an assassin, but their plots are complicated further by continual layers of betrayal, secret loyalty, and secrets.
Frankly, I didn't like House of Flying Daggers nearly as much as Hero - the story was less skillful and a little too complicated, the fighting was less interesting and varied, and the cinematography was less stunning. That said, all those things were still deeply enjoyable, it was still lovely and interesting and fun, and - as typical of Zhang's movies - things are never as simple as they purport to be. Basically, I enjoyed watching it once very much, but haven't bothered to rewatch it since. In Chinese with subtitles.
IMDB Link: House of Flying Daggers
Very Brief Film Reviews: Hero (2002)
Hero
2002
Zhang Yimou (director, writer), Feng Li, Wang Bin (writers)
Starring Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi
An ostensibly simple story of how a simple man defeats three would-be assassins of the first Emperor of China, which unfolds slowly and gracefully as the newly celebrated hero tells his story to the Emperor himself.
The extended combat scenes use the surreal fighting style with lots of wire-work first popularized in the West with Hidden Tiger, Crouching Dragon: very balletic, not terribly reliant on physics. The pace is slow - too slow for some - but I feel that as long as you let yourself be absorbed into it, it serves to draw you in, with long lingering strokes that draw out the tension, the secrets, the questions. Visually, the movie is breathtakingly beautiful. One of Zhang Yimou's greatest strengths as a cinematographer is his use of color and textures, in my opinion, and it is nowhere shown off as strongly as in this film.
Do be warned that if you cry easily at movies, bring a tissue. Or a box. In Chinese with subtitles.
Highly recommended.
IMDB Link: Hero
2002
Zhang Yimou (director, writer), Feng Li, Wang Bin (writers)
Starring Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi
An ostensibly simple story of how a simple man defeats three would-be assassins of the first Emperor of China, which unfolds slowly and gracefully as the newly celebrated hero tells his story to the Emperor himself.
The extended combat scenes use the surreal fighting style with lots of wire-work first popularized in the West with Hidden Tiger, Crouching Dragon: very balletic, not terribly reliant on physics. The pace is slow - too slow for some - but I feel that as long as you let yourself be absorbed into it, it serves to draw you in, with long lingering strokes that draw out the tension, the secrets, the questions. Visually, the movie is breathtakingly beautiful. One of Zhang Yimou's greatest strengths as a cinematographer is his use of color and textures, in my opinion, and it is nowhere shown off as strongly as in this film.
Do be warned that if you cry easily at movies, bring a tissue. Or a box. In Chinese with subtitles.
IMDB Link: Hero
Monday, May 5, 2014
Very Brief Film Reviews: Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha
Directed by Rob Marshall
Beautiful. This is an instance where I have to say I really enjoyed the movie more than the book. The book, I was not so impressed with; the movie, I really liked. Visually stunning; the atmosphere is deeply evocative of pre-war Japan; the characters are true and very well acted. Saiyuri was actually much more believable in the movie than in the book, and the almost fairy tale-like story flows more smoothly and feels more natural. The soundtrack is also excellent.
Starring Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, and Michelle Yeoh, all of whom were bloody fantastic. In English.
Directed by Rob Marshall
Screenplay by Robin Swicord, based on the book by Arthur Golden
2005
Beautiful. This is an instance where I have to say I really enjoyed the movie more than the book. The book, I was not so impressed with; the movie, I really liked. Visually stunning; the atmosphere is deeply evocative of pre-war Japan; the characters are true and very well acted. Saiyuri was actually much more believable in the movie than in the book, and the almost fairy tale-like story flows more smoothly and feels more natural. The soundtrack is also excellent.
Starring Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, and Michelle Yeoh, all of whom were bloody fantastic. In English.
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