5 Mini Reviews including 'My Reputation' & 'This above all'

Hi guys, here are my brief commentaries of the movies I've seen lately but haven't reviewed:

1. The three lives of Thomasina (1964; Don Chaffey)
I really liked this Disney movie. It's about a widower (a vet) his daughter, and her cat, Thomasina living in a small village. After his wife died, the vet became kind of detached: if an animal is dying, he doesn't care about the feelings of the owner. When Thomasina, the cat, is seriously injured, he doesn't try to help her and is let to die.

The daughter doesn't forgive her dad for this; everyone believe the cat died. Only she didn't and a nice "witch" is taking care of her. It was fun, kept you intrigued and the kids from Mary Poppins (Karen Dotrice & Mathew Garber) play the main characters here too.

2. I wake up screaming (1941; H. Bruce Humberstone)

DorianTb recommended me this movie and I loved it! Told in flashbacks from different points of views, the movie tells the story of a woman (Carole Landis) that was murdered. The police is trying to find the killer and her manager (Victor Mature) is the main suspect. The victim's sister (Betty Grable) doesn't agree. Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, the film makes you wonder, makes you change your opinion with every flashback and then root for the innocents. It was great to see Laird Cregar, the Devil from Heaven can wait (review), playing a mysterious Police Inspector.

3. My reputation (1946; Curtis Bernhardt)

Loved this "drama", although I didn't like the ending very much. Basically, a widow (Barbara Stanwyck) is condemned by the society and her family because she's in love with George Brent and they hang out WITHOUT BEING MARRIED. Obviously, you have to see this movie in perspective to get the drama in that. My favorite things from this movie are Eve Arden's awesomely well delivered jokes (made me want to watch more from her movies as you'll see in the next post of mini reviews) and Barbara Stanwyck's usual terrific acting skills. Please, check this scene:

Why I didn't like the ending? Because they decided to end everything according to the social rules (and the Hays Code I guess). I enjoyed watching it anyway.

4. The wedding night (1935; King Vidor)

I actually re-watched this film. Gary Cooper is a writer (inspired in Francis Scott Fitzgerald) that likes to drink and party with his wife. At some point he decides to start writing a new book in the country, alone. There he meets a Pole family of farmers with strict rules and falls in love with the simplicity and sweetness of the daughter, Anna Sten (although in real life the actors hated each other and he called her Anna "Stench").

I love this movie (even when it seems that the portrayal of the Poles was far too barbaric) and it always makes me cry. Anna has to marry a primitive-looking Ralph Bellamy (he does a great job, makes you forget his elegant roles) because her dad needs lands or money or whatever.

There are some scenes beautifully played, that makes you really empathize with the characters. The protagonists need each other and you can see they would be happy together and help each other...but, well, see the movie to check what happens. I like how they developed the ending.

5. This above all (1942; Anatole Litvak)

This is a movie that was made to give strengths to the people during World War II. You know them: they always end with a speech delivered by someone looking to the horizon. But I enjoyed the ride: Tyrone Power and Joan Fontaine are great together.
Set in England, their chracters have different social backgrounds: he comes from the working class while her family is rich and powerful. She decided to become a volunteer and while she is on that, she meets Ty, a guy that has issues with having to defend his country. I liked it because they enjoy their love and give a leap of faith, facing social prejudice (like taking ONE room at a hotel for a weekend) and their own fears.

Well, that's all for now, folks! I wrote 5 mini-reviews more, I'll publish them in a few days (so don't believe is the same post).


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Movies seen in 2011 so far: The good, the bad and the so-so

There are a lot of movies I've seen this year but I haven't reviewed. Here's a brief commentary for some of them:

The good:

Well, thanks to ClassicBecky and Lola, I watched White Heat (1949; Raoul Walsh). And girls, you were right, this is simply a terrific movie. James Cagney is memorable as Cody Jarrett, a violent criminal who loves his mommy. The film keeps you intrigued, especially because there's an undercover agent that has to get close to Cody and you really fear of what might happen to him. But you also feel some kind of sympathy for the poor man who suffers of severe headaches. A very well told story, with a great ending.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947; Norman S. McLeod) was the first film from Virginia Mayo and Danny Kaye I ever saw. It was a surprise, a really fun comedy. Danny is a low profile comic artist that can't help daydreaming and seeing himself as a cool guy in different entertaining scenes. Everyone makes fun of him, even his dull fiancée until he becomes involved in very strange and dangerous situation that includes a sophisticated blonde, a bad guy and an unexpected super bad guy. Fun. Oh, Ben Stiller is going to ruin it with a remake.

Ivy (1947; Sam Wood) Great, great movie. The Siren praised it so I had to watch it. It was a super engaging...I don't know, drama? thriller? about a crazy Joan Fontaine that has a husband, a poor lover AND a rich lover. This Joan Fontaine doesn't love her husband; loves the poor lover but loves the rich lover's money even more. That complex. And then she decides a) to kill the husband b) not help the poor lover when he's accused of murder c) wait for the rich lover. But her plans don't go very well because this Joan Fontaine doesn't know how to use an elevator. Great film.

The so-so

Sleep my love (Douglas Sirk; 1948) is like Gaslight but starring Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche AS THE BAD GUY and Robert Cummings. That means that this is about a husband that wants to kill his wife by trying to convince her that she's seeing people that is not really there, going to places she didn't want to go and trying to jump from balconies. Why it isn't good? Well because I expected more from this film and it was a bit messy. Like Claudette meets Robert and like in twenty minutes are BFF and go out together.And because Don exaggerated a bit his performance, it wasn't very subtly like Charles Boyer's. But, it was entertaining anyway.

The golden arrow (1936; Alfred Green) Bette Davis is a rich girl and George Brent is a poor reporter. Bette convinces him to marry her, because she doesn't stand guys around her just because of her fortune (this plan didn't convince me very much). Before they were married they liked each other, then they marry and soon they start fighting because Bette needs to create public controversy, so the name of her company appears in the media. I don't know, some parts seemed too forced to serve the script. Why it isn't bad? Because Bette and George had great chemistry...at the beginning at least.

Doctor in the House (1954; Ralph Thomas) I watched this movie because I wanted to see something from Dick Borgade. It's about medical students and all the shananigans that going to university to become a doctor means. Like buying medical skulls, practicing the recently learned theories on girls, etc. Oh, and what being a doctor really means, etc. I don't know, it was too bland, too circumstantial and not very surprising. Not bad because it has some funny scenes.

The bad

The princess and the pirate (1944; Davis Butler) I have to say that I can understand people that like this kind of movies. I mean, Bob Hope, one liners, crazy scenes, laughing at the movie conventions, etc. I like some parody movies, I discuss the subject a month ago, but I guess this one is more for the boys. Here the female character is just an accessory, IMO. A coward pirate rescues a princess and has to face a furious captain. Stuff the plot with lots of pirates jokes, Virginia Mayo singing, some unconnected scenes, a very stupid ending and you have something to sell. Not my cup of tea.

So, uhm...yes... that's all folks!

Old movies vs. Remakes: The Painted Veil

Greta Garbo & Herbert Marshall | Naomi Watts & Edward Norton

The Painted Veil (1934) vs. The Painted Veil (2006)

Basic Story: A couple marries, but she’s not in love and deceives her husband. He’s a bacteriologist so they travel to China to help to fight an epidemic. There, they will have to face the serious problems in their relationship. Based on a novel by  W. Somerset Maugham. There's another version starring Eleanor Parker that I haven't seen. 

Face to face:

Development of the story: The new version is way better in this aspect. It’s longer, but never boring. This allows it to show gradually the many stages in the relationship of the couple; something that in my opinion the older version doesn't achieve. The older version makes the love triangle something primordial; while the second only shows it as a reflection of the state of the relationship and the cause of the couple’s departure to a more dangerous town. Plus, there are more thrilling scenes in the new movie and you really get the idea of the horrible epidemic the doctor is facing.

Performances: Both films have fine actors, the new version has Edward Norton and Naomi Watts; Greta Garbo and Herbert Marshall (and George Brent) play the leads in the older version. The story required the actors to be distant at the beginning and then, after facing difficulties together and start to admire the strengths of the other, finally show their warmth and open up.
Edward and Naomi had a better developed (and uncensored) script, so they could achieve a more emotional performance. Herbert seemed to be distant (and boring) the whole movie and overall he and Garbo didn't show the great disconnection the couple has at the beginning.
On an aside note, it’s interesting to notice that the actor chosen for the role of the coward lover in the last movie, Liev Schreiber, looks very much like George Brent.

Other aspects: The new version has a simply marvelous score by Alexandre Desplat (the main theme has stuck in my head for years), plus gorgeous locations.

And the winner is... The new version, although I wouldn’t give the older one such low ratings as Imdb’s users.

 Click to watch the winner film in Youtube.

Classic Hollywod Guide to how to react when you screw up a scene

Don't you love bloopers and outtakes?

I included in this video Bogie, Bette Davis, Carole Lombard, Claudette Colbert, Errol Flynn, Claude Rains, Kay Francis, Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, George Brent, Merle Oberon, Patricia Neal, Mickey Rooney and more. Enjoy!