Apparently I’m in Silent Movie Mode. This one came out within two months of The General, but it feels much more dated (well, except for The General’s heavily implied pro-racism stance). The story is whisper-thin. It’s a movie where people meet one day, and by the end of the next day they’re engaged. The main reason it still holds up at all is Clara Bow; she makes even the most nonsensical plot point watchable.
I did not expect to hear Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” in a movie about a lonely gay man in post World War II Mexico, but that’s actually pretty tame for a Luca Guadagnino movie based on a William S. Burroughs novel. There’s a little too little story to sustain a movie this long, and the tonal shift in the third act is jarring, but it mostly works.
Also features significant discussion of telepathy.
This movie is nearly a century old, and it’s still engaging. It’s full of incredible stunts that would never be attempted today. Keaton’s expressions tell more than most actors can do with words. A great film… except for the whole “hooray for the Confederacy” thing. If you can manage to turn off the part of your brain that knows he’s fighting in favor of slavery, it’s a great ride.
As for the unclear date: most places say it was released in December of 1926, but a lot (including Amazon, where I watched it) say 1927. Release dates weren’t as locked in then, so that’s not surprising.
“Lighthearted fun” sounds dismissive, but making lighthearted fun that’s actually lighthearted and fun is an impressive skill. This is the best movie about Japanese schoolgirls (and a boy) accidentally causing food poisoning and then being forced to join a jazz band I’ve ever seen.
Well worth the subtitles.
Richard Lester sure has a distinct style. Big chunks of this could be seamlessly dropped into A Hard Day’s Night. And like A Hard Day’s Night, there isn’t much story here. One guy wants to learn how to get girls from his roommate. Another guy who wants to paint everything white moves himself in. A woman moves to London with nothing and is looking for the YWCA.
And then the hi-jinks happen.
It’s… fine. Lester’s trying to be avant-garde/artistic; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more if I watched it in a London movie theater six decades ago, but I foolishly wasn’t born yet.
I decided I needed something light and pleasant to clear Gladiator II out of my brain, so I do a quick search through the classic movies I’d never seen and landed on a movie about Nazis invading Poland. Fun! What a wild mix of screwball comedy and WWII spy adventure.
I only knew Jack Benny from bits on television, where he usually overplayed his cheapskate shtick and shamelessly mugged at the camera, so it was a bit of a shock to see him actually acting, and being good at it . Lots of comedy, but lots of serious bits as well.
Also: is it too late to have a little crush on Carole Lombard? Asking for a friend.
Why is this movie so long?
How does a movie this long feel so empty?
The biggest mistake this movie makes is including footage from the original Gladiator. Every time it happened I thought “wow, look how much better that movie looks.” This one is a giant wash of dull colors and obvious CGI.
It’s a good cast that is trying to make the movie work; Denzel Washington in particular is having a lot of fun. I just wish they were all in a better film.
I was in my mid-thirties when this movie came out, when I thought I was too old to go to a Disney cartoon. That’s a shame, because this doesn’t feel like a Disney movie; it feels like Warner Brothers infiltrated the Magic Kingdom and made a Looney Tunes movie. Lots of quick gags, characters who are aware they’re in a movie (but only when it serves the story), sneaky adult jokes… a very different feel from a typical Disney film. Funny stuff.
I know Greta Gerwig directed Barbie, and that was huge- but how is she not a massive force as a performer? She’s a skilled and magnetic actor, and she’s what scientists have been known to call “good lookin’.” My best guess is that she was choosy about her roles, and would rather be in smaller productions with strong characters than in big budget movies as Generic Leading Lady. Either that or Hollywood is dumb.
Holy crap, Allee Willis did everything! If you don’t know who she is- I sure didn’t- this whole documentary is full of “wait- she also did THAT?” moments. You’ve heard the pop music she wrote (starting with Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September”). You’ve seen the art she created. You know the musical she did the music for. She was an early champion of Internet art and digital creativity for all. I can’t even estimate how much of the pop culture of my childhood originated in her brain.
This documentary also has a huge advantage: Willis constantly documented what she was doing. Photos, audio, video, extensive notes; if there was a way to keep a record, she did it. It’s an unabashed celebration of her bonkers life, and it’s crazy fun.