Strangers on a Train (1951)

It begins with the shriek of a train and ends with shrieking excitement!


Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Written by: Patricia Highsmith (novel), Whitfield Cook (adaptation), Czenzi Ormonde, Raymond Chandler (screenplay)
Starring: Robert Walker as Bruno Anthony, Farley Granger as Guy Haines, Ruth Roman as Anne Morton, Patricia Hitchcock as Barbara Morton, Kasey Rogers as Miriam Haines, Robert Gist as Hennessey, and Leo G. Carroll as Senator Morton

I've heard many things about this film - that it was a hack, that it was Hitchcock's best film, that it was/wasn't worth my time. But I figure anything Hitchcock did is worth two hours at least if I'm going to watch a film.

Right off the get go, I was impressed with the cinematography...as usual. Hitchcock always does a great job using shots of seemingly innocuous things to add depth to both his characters and his storyline. You see that really, Guy and Bruno are similar - although one is a psychopath. Bruno initially appears to be just a bit annoying, eccentric or an odd fan. It isn't until we see him home with his family that realize there's more than just the usual wrong with the man.

The one thing I particularly enjoyed about this film is the way Hitchcock doesn't allow Miriam to be as much as a victim as many other movies do. She is disgusting in nearly every way - an unfaithful wife, a blackmailer, a vicious woman - and I don't claim this merits being killed but it makes it a bit easier when she dies. Barbara ends up playing the victim half of Miriam's character, another part of Hitchcock's genius. Every character has their perfect little niche in the story, even if they aren't involved in blackmail or murder.

I cannot praise enough the slow build of suspense that flows in this movie. There are several minor climaxes up until the end of the movie which explodes. Bruno is exceptionally creepy and Guy is wonderfully paranoid - with Barbara and Anne flitting around on the sidelines adding a sense of urgency to the story. They're in danger, therefore must be protected. Hitchcock uses music and silence, light and dark, spectacular shots with the camera, and strange plot twists to run this movie exactly as a train. It starts out shudderingly, novel, and full of promises. It speeds up until it reaches its destination, where it (unlike a train, hopefully) ends with a cataclysmic showdown between good and evil. How about five pairs of glasses out of five (5/5)?

The Pajama Game (1957)

Based on the hit Broadway musical, featuring the choreography of Bob Fosse.

Directed by: George Abbot, Stanley Donen
Written by: George Abbot, Richard Bissell
Starring: Doris Day as Babe Williams, John Raitt as Sid Sorokin, Carol Haney as Gladys Hotchkiss, Eddie Foy Jr. as Hinesie, and Reta Shaw as Mabel

I stuck this film on my Netflix list because it was performed by my high school during my senior year. That year I had done full time Running Start (college courses for both high school and college credit) and many of my friends were cast in the play but I had no time to go and see it. My mother did, however, and said she was disgusted with the entire thing.

I wasn't too worried, considering the film starred Doris Day - whom I love as an actress and singer. When I read the premise of the plot on the Netflix envelope, I got a little apprehensive, and by the time the first few songs had played through, I was disgusted as well. I never thought I'd ever see Doris Day singing and wish she would just be quiet. Seriously. Not that she wasn't talented enough for the role, but the entire plot was so patched together I wasn't exactly sure what was the point of the movie until it congealed into something slightly recognizable as linear halfway through the movie.

The songs were a little odd in movie format, I definitely recognized them as being originally intended for the stage. And while Ms. Day is certainly talented, her voice lacked the shine it usually takes on - she seemed nearly to be forcing the music out. The man who played opposite her was wooden on the screen and when showing emotion, came across as either the complete tough guy or the moonswooning teen.

The one brilliant spot in this film was the character of Gladys. She was the center of the comedy, her songs were the high point and she should have gotten billed as the top actress instead of Doris Day since she kept the movie from being a complete humiliation of what I'm assuming was a great play. I'll give it two pairs of pajamas out of a possible five (2/5).

Speed Racer (2008)

“Go Speed go!”


Directed by: Andy and Larry Wachowski
Written by: Andy and Larry Wachowski
Produced by: Joel Silver, Grant Hill, Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
Cinematography by: David Tattersall
Starring: Emile Hirsch, John Goodman, Christina Ricci, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox
Music by: Michael Giacchino



So. Speed Racer. Hated by critics, dismissed at the box office. It's easy to understand why - this is a film that's like nothing that's ever come before it. It's a family film, a ground breaking special effects extravaganza, and a treatise on self purpose, strength of character, the value of family, and the importance of doing what you're "meant" to do.

If it sounds confusing, you're not far off - but I have a theory about this, and the theory is this: this, my friends, is the next wave of film. Look at all other forms of art - they have different periods, different styles throughout the years. Different techniques are adapted, new styles used to bring about new messages and ideas, and bold new changes that tell you this is new. This is different. And, interestingly enough, the first thing that often welcomes a brand new style is dismissal and outright disgust from the critics.

Speed Racer plays with color, sounds, movement, philosophy, and story structure in such unheard of ways that it's entirely too easy to dismiss it - this is a far cry from the intricately structured and subtext laden Matrix trilogy. In fact, here the Wachowski brothers have gone the exact opposite route - instead of wanting you to examine every last minutia of the film, they want you to accept everything at surface value. By cutting across time lines and tying together thematically - and tonally - disparate storylines they're able to create moods and ideas that startingly come to life when you're not even looking for them. Confused?

Think of the paint on (or in) a house - one color brings about it's own feelings and moods. Pair it with another color - which also has it's own feeling and mood - and the two create an entirely new experience.

This is what the Wachowskis are doing with Speed Racer. They're taking radically different elements and blending them together for an altogether new experience. It's visually, aurally, and intellectually stimulating - and awesome. This isn't the first film to do this - The Fountain did it (marvelously) a year and a half ago , and it, too, was dismissed by many. And, like The Fountain, Speed Racer's ending involves an impressive crescendo that draws upon every moment in the film up till then, and culminates in a moment where the film very nearly transcends the medium. I kid you not.

Of course, Speed Racer is also just a fun family movie. As technically impressive and emotionally uplifting it is, it won't change your life. And yes, I could be full of crap - after all, I'm no "true" critic, I'm just a guy that writes stuff.

But I'm convinced that I'm right. This truly is the next "wave" of film, and it's absolutely thrilling to be able to see it happen.

And yes, Speed Racer isn't prefect. It has it's faults. (It's a bit too long, for one thing.) But it's oh-so worth it. It takes a while to get used to it, but when you do, prepare yourself - Speed Racer is an utter and complete blast.

"Go Speed go!" indeed.

The Fountain (2006)

“What if you could live forever?”

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Written by: Darren Aronofsky
Produced by: Arnon Milchan, Iain Smith, Eric Watson, and Nick Wechsler
Cinematography by: Matthew Libatique
Starring: Hugh Jackman as Tomas / Tommy / Dr. Tom Creo, Rachel Weisz as Queen Isabel / Izzi Creo, and Ellen Burstyn as Dr. Lillian Guzetti
Music by: Clint Mansell

“All right, I trust you. Take me. Show me.“

Both beloved and reviled by critics, “The Fountain” was on my “must see” list of films for 2006. It was in-and-out of theaters so quickly, I had to wait for DVD. A few weeks ago, I was able to watch it. And then I waited, just to be sure I could say what needed to be said about it without being utterly overwhelmed by what I had just seen.

It’s a few weeks later, now, and I can say this with full confidence – “The Fountain” is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. That sounds like I’m reaching for a compliment, here, but I truly mean it – the film is visually, thematically, and artistically gorgeous. Darren Aranofsky, Rachel Weisz, and Hugh Jackman should all be commended, along with the cinematographer and art designers.

The plot, as it were, is rather difficult to explain, but I’ll give it a shot. In the year 2005, Dr Tom Creo is working frantically to find a way to save his wife, who’s dying of brain cancer. There’s a promising new sample, taken from a mysterious tree in South America that just might be the answer that he needs. (It is, but not in the way he expects.)

His wife is finishing a novel that she’s been working on for quite some time. She has one chapter left. It’s about a conquistador that is sent by the Queen of Spain to find the tree of life – which is, incidentally, the second story. The third story is most likely the story of Tom in the far future, traveling with the afore-mentioned tree in a biosphere heading towards a mysterious constellation.

Three stories – the text (the historical Spain story), the literal (the 2005 story), and the symbolic. Past, present, and future. Birth, life, death.

The promotional tagline for this film was “What if you could live forever?”, which you would think would be a good thing. Living forever, that is. However, that tagline is nothing more than a misdirect of astonishing proportions, because this film? Is all about death. Running from it, fighting it, accepting it, and …loving it? In fact, the best description of this film that I’ve heard is that it’s a “love letter to death.” And it’s true. Thematically, it’s not all that far away from one of my *other* favorite films from 2006, “A Prairie Home Companion,” and while both come to a similar conclusion (namely, that death really isn’t all that bad – it’s both beautiful and necessary), “The Fountain” approaches it with imagery, symbolism, and thematic synergy firmly in hand, while “A Prairie Home Companion” relies almost solely on lyricism. This is, of course, a result of each film’s respective creative team – of course Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream) is going to utilize an astonishingly beautiful palate of visuals, performance, and score – that’s one of his calling cards that establish him as one of the finest directors in the US.

The film has been criticized for its lack of “answers” – it never exactly or literally ties the three storylines together, but that doesn’t really matter. Each story is the exact same story, told in a slightly different way. Symbolism – in the text (dialogue), in the visuals, and in the art design (look for the shape themes sprinkled throughout the film – triangles for the Spain storyline, rectangles for the current day storyline, and spheres and circles for the “future” storyline). By doing this, by telling the same story in three different periods (and in three different ways) Aronofsky is saying, “Look – this isn’t just something I believe, it’s something I discovered, and now I’m showing you, too.” Death has been the same for thousands of years, and it isn’t going to change. By seeking to live forever, we’re simply prolonging the inevitable – we are going to die. And that’s a beautiful thing, especially for those that are Christians.

Oh yeah. The spiritual side of this thing. “The Fountain” is packed to the brim with religious imagery, beliefs, and symbolism. Aronofsky draws mainly from three – Mayan beliefs, Buddhism, and Christianity – but he never makes a single one “the point” of his film. Rather, he draws common truths from all of them. This isn’t as bad as it sounds – after all, much of Proverbs was taken from ancient Egyptian writings and other ancient mysticisms. And the idea of death as a final gateway that is to be approached with joy is certainly an idea that Christians should be familiar with. (How many times does Paul exhort Christian’s to “run the race with endurance?” And how does a runner approach the finish line? With an all-out sprint.)

I’m digging way too deep for a simple review. I’ll wrap it up. Kudos have to be given to Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz – Hugh Jackman shows a range that you’d never expect from him, and Weisz is the foundation that this film rests on. (Also – Aronofsky is a brave man, casting his then-pregnant fiancee as a dying cancer patient in a film about the beauty of death.)

Yeah, I’m gushing. I loved this film, and the only reason I’m not deconstructing each little piece of it for you here is that I don’t want to risk taking away any of the beauty of the film for those that have yet to see it.

“Death is the road to awe” indeed. Five Trees of Life out of five. (5/5)

The Ladykillers (1955)

Meet the "Unholy Five"...The Most Befuddled Set of Assorted Thugs That Ever Fouled Up a Million Dollar Bank Robbery!

Directed by: Alexander MacKendrick
Written by: William Rose
Produced by: Seth Holt, Michael Balcon
Starring: Alec Guinness as Professor Marcus, Katie Johnson as Mrs. Wilberforce/Lopside, Cecil Parker as Major Courtney/Claude, Herbert Lom as Mr. Harvey/Louis, Peter Sellers as Mr. Robinson/Harry, and Danny Green as Mr. Lawson/One-Round
Music by: Tristram Cary

This is another Guinness film which fits in the realm of "darkly comedic and slightly disturbing." Guinness once again plays a criminal, however this time a bit more psychotic than in "Lavender Hill." Professor Marcus is a startlingly odd looking man who has a knack for well-planned robberies. This one requires him to lodge with an old, rather befuddled, woman named Mrs. Wilberforce. When his cronies show up, they tell Mrs. Wilberforce (whom they call Lopside behind her back) they are musicians who need somewhere quiet to practice. Everything goes along smoothly until old Lopside figures out what the men are really up to and threatens to go to the police. The men scramble to find one of them willing to kill her and dispose of the body in the convenient cargo trains that pass behind her house every few minutes. With Lopside having no idea what's going on, but struggling with her own fears of being considered a criminal and her attempts to guard the stolen "jolly."

This movie will have you laughing and silently wondering if you SHOULD be laughing. There is a lot of violence done in a humorous manner, although true to Brit form, none of the deaths occur onscreen. Professor Marcus' minions got the most laughs out of me with their distinct methods of screwing things up in one way or another. I appreciate that the film makers let us see the entirety of the Professor's plan before they were snagged by Lopside and things began to go awry. There wasn't just one type of comedy - there were puns, physical comedy, sound effects added to bring laughs, one-liners, you name it.

The two characters I did not like were Professor Marcus and Mrs. Wilberforce - which was kind of frustrating considering they were the two main characters. Mrs. Wilberforce was frustratingly stereotypical but not because she wasn't creatively written. Instead, her character swung back and forth between the easily cowed and confused elderly woman and the brusque no-nonsense old biddy. And usually there was no distinction as to what made her act the way she did. And Guinness as Marcus just creeped me the heck out. No more no less. Creepy man.

I enjoyed some of the other dark comedies in this series much more, especially considering the twist at the end of this one (all the ones in this series have a twist) was enormously frustrating. This original version of the Ladykillers gets three passing coal trains out of a possible five (3/5).