Vincent Cassel is outstanding in this engaging French crime saga. The direction is okay except for the clunky action scenes. Cassel is mesmerizing!  And it looks cool too 'cause it's French, and set in the 1950s through 1979. Gangster film lovers: you will enjoy this one.
See MESRINE: PART ONE: KILLER INSTINCT first.

Netflix:http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Mesrine-Part-2-Public-Enemy-1/70117925?trkid=1660#height1881
Official site: http://www.mesrinemovie.com/

the queue

3/30/2011

 
Tonight the taxes will have to wait because MESRINE: PART 2: PUBLIC ENEMY #1 just arrived, and after that FAIR GAME! 
 
Haven't read the book by James M. Cain, but love the original film starring Joan Crawford. Looks authentic to the era, but lacks the hardboiled treatment. Will wait for the conclusion to pass judgement!

Official site: http://www.hbo.com/mildred-pierce/index.html
 
The hard drive on my laptop went kaput, and I'm trying to recover from a trip to Disneyland CA Adventure. My favorite TV show right now is JUSTIFIED, on the FX Network. The 2nd season started rough, but director Jon Avnet has brought some major talent to this engaging police drama written & exec. produced by novelist and screenwriter Elmore Leonard. Timothy Olyphant plays one of the sweetest Bad Ass Mofo's EVER. Yes, he's a mumbler, but I still enjoy watching him.  Key to any good conflict is the quality of the "Bad Guy." This show has one of the best in Walton Goggins, and he was good in THE SHIELD too...
http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/justified/crew.php

 
Another "character study" of a man born into privilege and talent who's adrift. Written by a woman, Carole Eastman (as Adrien Joyce) and director Bob Rafelson.  Probably felt liberating in 1970. Worth viewing thanks to the performance of Karen Black. Plus, it's Jack Nicholson before he got huge. Famous Chicken Salad scene (yes, that's Toni Basil at the table.)  Very Dark and sad, sometimes funny. Beautifully shot. Classical and country music: no rock n' roll.

Netflix: http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Five_Easy_Pieces/507725?trkid=496624#height2315

THE WINDMILL MOVIE

3/24/2011

 
Pretty cool film shot by, and about experimental / documentary filmmaker Richard P. Rogers. Included are two of his short films. An intimate look at a wealthy but lost filmmaker.

Netflix: http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_Windmill_Movie/70120153?trkid=496624#height1277
Official Site: http://www.windmillmovie.com/#/trailer
 
Robert Montgomery, Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders star in this grim early film noir on Turner Classic Movies and not DVD. A wealthy industrialist with acute paranoia torments his wife and best friend and foments labor unrest. Thank you TCM for bringing this one out of the vault!

TCM: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/386/Rage-in-Heaven/

THE FIGHTER

3/21/2011

 
More of a Bromance than a Boxing Film. There's only one brief fight in the first hour! Yes, the boxing is HBO quality, and the performances are great, but not enough boxing!

Netflix: http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_Fighter/70113534?trkid=496624#height1938
Official site: http://www.thefightermovie.com/
 
A charming musical CinemaScopic remake featuring a dynamic dance scene with Bob Fosse and Tommy Rall. It's cute, but the music is not great: put the original version in your queue!

Netflix: http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/My_Sister_Eileen/70021268?trkid=496624#height2288

WASTE LAND

3/16/2011

 
Social Documentary with lovely music by Moby. A testament to the transformative nature of art.

Netflix link: http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Waste_Land/70129386?trkid=496624#height1572
Official Site: http://www.wastelandmovie.com/