LONGFORD

6/10/2013

 
Writer Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon,) and director Tom Hooper (The King's Speech,) assemble a stellar cast for this made for TV Movie about the Moors Murderers, and the Lord (Longford) who sought the redemption of one of them: Myra Hindley. It's so good: yes!

DJANGO UNCHAINED

4/17/2013

 
Christoph Waltz has replaced Uma Thurman as Quintin Tararntino's muse. Violent revenge romancer that's too long, but Jamie Fox is completely bad ass, and it's so campy and over the top I forgive Harvey & company. Nobody can borrow from old films like Tarantino.

ARGO

1/4/2013

 
Ben Affleck was in danger of being eclipsed by cohort Matt Damon, but Argo helps even out their career trajectories. Mr. Affleck has taken a page out of Robert Mitchem's book and does very little acting, and it really works for him! Love the suspense; the era was beautifully reproduced, my favorite film of 2012, so far...

HYDE PARK ON HUDSON

12/29/2012

 
If you'd told me, years ago, that Bill Murray would one day portray F.D.R. I'd have hit you with my Dr. Scholls sandal, and yes, he's awesome! Laura Linney is so watchable, you're gonna love it.
http://focusfeatures.com/hyde_park_on_hudson
 
Tahar Rahim portrays a fictitious Algerian black marketeer turned resistance fighter in Nazi occupied Paris. Loosely based on the life of Paris Mosque rector Si Kaddour Benghabrit (Michael Lonas,) and Algerian/Moroccan/Jewish singer Salim Halali. Yes.

 
My life mission of viewing all of Michael Fassbender's films has lead me to this 2008 British TV mini-series. Flawed, yet captivating period-piece set during the English Civil War (1643-1660.) Yes!
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-devils-whore
 
Next destination on our time warp European Vacation are the gorgeous locations of this taut police procedural assassination thriller. Director Fred Zinnenmann adapts Frederick Forsyth's novel. It's so cool: loved it. 
 
Skip Prometheus and watch this one instead; low-budget first feature by Ridley Scott, shot by Frank Tidy, based on a short story by Joseph Conrad. Lush, beautiful, amazing costumes and locations. If you didn't love grads, you will be the end of this film! Love love love it.