Movie Review: Mr.Smith Goes to Washington[1939]

Brief Review:

Ok, one more of Frank Capra’s movies. And yet another Black & White movie. Yes, I am obsessed. I somehow like old movies. They always seem to have some value or ideals in them rather than just action and hot actors. While I am not against action and hot actors, Black and White movies come as a welcome change when you watch too many of these new movies.

This movie stars James Stewart and Jane Arthur who are by now for me, regulars in Capra movies. Equally regular are Edward Arnold and Beulah Bondi. James Stewart does an impressive job and is every bit good as he is in later Hitchcock movies.

The movie portrays how Senators or politicians in general are involved in some way or another (even if not sinister) with Businessmen and work things out to their profit. Corruption at its fore. This movie is highly relevant in modern times and especially so in developing countries like India where such things have become so commonplace that we have come to accept it as NORMAL. How very sad ?

It has a very clear message. Let youth run politics and run it without corruption. Something we should all learn from.

A more detailed review will follow later.
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Movie Review: You Can’t Take It With You[1938]

Brief Review:

Another Capra movie. The list seems to go on and on. Yet another Black & White movie. This movie was beautiful and I totally loved it. The concept the movie tries to portray comes once again as wonderful. Full marks to Capra for that.

The movie stars the by now regulars in Capra movies - Jean Arthur, James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore (Drew Barrymore’s grandfather), Edward Arnold and others. There is actually a reason to this and I shall be covering that in a post later on.

The best thing about the movie and all Capra movies in general is that they all portray things that make sense. Things we should not be dismissing a silly and taking more seriously. Instead we seem to think such things exist only in movies. How wondrful it would be if we could all pursue our passions without actually having to worry about the money we make or starvation. How wonderful it would be to pursue your interests instead of working for someone and working at something you are not interested in. These are the questions the movie begs the viewers to ask themselves.

Also equally importantly portrayed is the need to love your neighbours and be nice to them. While this may seem cliched by now, it actually is not. It is still the one fundamental thing that would make our lives more pleasurable. Something we think once again exists only in fairy tales and Capra movies. Believe me, you and I can do it too and we should.
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Movie Review: The Third Man[1949]

Brief Review:

Another Black and White marvel. Popularly known as an Orson Welles movie but not directed by him. He plays the lead however. Carol Reed directs the movie and does a good job at it. I am not a big fan of Orson Welles. I can’t say I have seen too many of his movies, but in spite of the acclaim that Citizen Kane received, continues to receive, I did not like the movie all that much.

Things I loved about The Third Man:

• Alida Valli as Anna Schmidt. Absolutely gorgeous looking. Wonderful acting too. It isn’t overdone and comes across as very natural. Yet you can see the pain in her eyes.
• The opening Zither Music. Absolutely captivating. As an Indian who has listened to many a stringed instruments like Veena, Sitar and Violin. (I also listen to guitar by some rock bands), the Zither music comes across as unique and splendid. If anyone has this music and don’t mind sharing it, I’d like to have it. (Maybe I’ll buy it when I get some money.)
• Joseph Cotten’s acting as Holly Martins. Orson Welles is also good as Harry Lime.

However, I did not like the ending all that much. I am not saying it as bad. Just that I didn’t like it.

The best thing about the movie is the fact that it portrays a normal man trying againt all odds to find out the truth. It’s not one of those secret service agent fights the villains stories. It’s above that. Catch the movie. I am sure you will atleast like it in parts. (A welcome relief from Capra’s movies. )

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Movie Review: American History X[1998]

Brief Review:

Splendid movie this. For everyone who wants to be educated about racism and racial discrimination and our prejudices when it comes to that, this movie is a must watch. A few of my friends were discussing discrimination in India the other day. Their bone of contention was how North Indians were being called outsiders by Raj Thackeray and how there seems to be water problems between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka regarding the Hogenakkal issue.

Most of their opinions were limited and I felt sad that they had not gotten an opportunity to watch a movie like this which opens your mind and makes you see beyind the petite things in life. The movie was enlightening.

Edward Norton’s acting makes you feel like you are a part of the movie for every second of the movie. Edward Furlong does an equally good job of playing his younger brother who is influenced by his actions. Elliot Gould plays a Jew who is also a teacher of both brothers.

The movie is very strong and moves you. You feel very very sad towards the end when the younger brother dies and the elder brother is helpless. You got the feeling that something had to give towards the end. Totally awesome movie and worth a watch.

Movie Review:Arsenic and Old Lace[1944]

My Rating: (3.0/5)

Another of Frank Capra’s movies. You will have to excuse me, but I am on a Capra movie watching spree. This is just the second of some 7 movies. This movie was released before It’s a Wonderful Life. After having watched It’s a Wonderful life, this movie didn’t come across as a master piece. It’s a good movie, mind you. Just not in the same league as IAWL.

IMDB Rating:
IMDB rates the movie 8.0/10. The movie however does not find a place in the top 250 best movies ever list. Clearly not as good as some of the other Capra movies.

Cast:
Cary Grant (Mortimer Brewster) and Priscilla Lane (Elaine Harper) play the leads. Other cast members include Josephine Hull and Jean Adair as the two aunts, Raymond Massey as Jonathan Brewster, Mortimer’s brother, Peter Lone as Dr. Herman Einstein and John Alexander as Theodore Brewster.

I have earlier seen Cart Grant (Archibald Alec Leach) in the movie North By Northwest. (The irony is North by Northwest was shot much later compared to Arsenic and Old Lace.) However, I was not aware of this fact till I saw the list of movies in which Grant had acted. Like James Stewart in his older movies, Cary Grant also looks almost completely different. Grant did get an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1970.

Priscilla lane looked wonderful in the movie. (Even if her on screen appearance is only for a short while.) She is one of the four Lane sisters and the youngest.

The Movie:

The movie is based on a play by the same name by Joseph Kesselring. There was also a play which ran in Broadway. Because of this, the movie was released only in 1944 even if it was completed in 1941. Even Ronald Reagan was approached to play the lead role.

The movie was interesting and the story was definitely not run of the mill. However, Grant’s acting though good comes across as a little unnatural. But I imagine that can be said about all actors from the black and white age. Subtle acting was simply not an option I guess. You had to look and sound animated.

Capra does well as director. The movie kept me engaged almost till the very end. Somewhere towards the end, things did become a little predictable.

You can read the entire plot and more here.

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Movie Review:It's a Wonderful Life[1946]

My Rating:(4.75/5)

I happened to know about this movie as it is in the IMDB top 250 movies of all time. Otherwise, chances are I would never have heard about this movie. Man, am I glad that there’s this site called IMDB where users/readers/members watch movies and comment on it and rate it.

IMDB rating:
IMDB rates the movie 8.6/10 and the movie is 31st on the best 250 movies ever. (As on date at-least)

Cast:

James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore are prominent figures in the star cast. I know James Stewart from a couple of Hitchcock movies I had watched earlier. (Funny isn’t it ? He looked much older in those movies of course and his acting seemed a little mellowed. His voice however remains almost the same.) As for Donna Reed, I am in love with this woman. Or at-least with the character portrayed by her in the movie. (Well, it’s easy to sit here and say almost 60 years later that such things don’t happen in real life. Maybe these things were that way 60 years back.)

The Movie:

Directed by Frank Capra, this is probably Capra’s best movie. It had the working title “The Greatest Gift”. The movie is in Black and White. It’s based on a short story by Philip Van Doren Stern.

I consider the movie one of the best movie I have ever seen. I just loved it. It probably trumps every other movie I have seen till date with the possible exception of Schindler’s List. What’s funny is, I have seen all the other 30 movies in the IMDB top 250. (This movie is 31st)

James Stewart as George Bailey is excellent. The character is amazing and very well portrayed. Donna Reed as Mary Hatch is absolutely lovely. Lionel Barrymore portrays his role with ease and it comes across as intended.

More than anything, this movie touched me in a way few other movies have. It had it’s share of faults, no doubt. For instance, James Stewart’s style of acting may be considered these days as overdoing it, some instances in the movie being predictable and a girl as pretty as Mary getting married to George.

It’s a must watch movie for people of all ages.

You can read the entire plot and more here (Wikipedia)

Notable Things about the movie:

(source: IMDB)

• In 2004 the BBC TV listings magazine “Radio Times” conducted a poll into the Best Film Never to Have Won an Oscar. “It’s a Wonderful Life” came second (The Shawshank Redemption (1994) was first).
• In 1947, an FBI analyst submitted, without comment, an addition to a running memo on “Communist infiltration of the motion picture industry,” recording the opinion of an industry source who said that the film’s “obvious” attempt to discredit bankers “is a common trick used by Communists.”

Soundtrack:

I loved the song Buffalo Gals(Won’t You Come Out Tonight) in the movie. I Love You Truly was also pretty good. I remember Auld Lang Syne from Sainik School days. We sang it for our seniors’ farewell as a part of the band/music club.

P.S: If someone can find the song “Buffalo Gal (Won’t You Come Out Tonight)” on-line or you own it, then I may want a copy of the song. Kindly lend me the link or the file itself. Many Thanks.
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Pre Phillmy

Before starting this blog, I used to write reviews of movies on my other blog. First I thought I ‘d copy all those reviews here once more. But then, why duplicate data on the internet ? So I’ll just link you to some of the other reviews I have written on my other blog.

Movie Review - The Good German[2006]

Movie Review - Transformers[2007]

Movie Review - Swordfish[2001]

Movie Review-The Host[2006]/Gwoemul

Happy reading.
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Frank Capra Movies

After watching ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ by Frank Capra, I promised myself that I will dig for more movies by this director and watch them. If they were all going to be anything like ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, it would definitely be worth the watch. So I set out to see if I could find the movies online. To my dismay I could not find any of the movies which he had directed after IaWL. I also found out that some of the movies he had directed were war time propaganda. So I shall be staying clear of those movies regardless of how good or bad they maybe. Read the IMDB article linked below to know more about Capra’s movies:

List of Frank Capra Movies

There are some 9 movies he has made after IaWL and most of the movies are highly rated as well. It’s a pity then that I could not find them online. Having said that, I did not search thoroughly. I did get a few of his movies like Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) , It Happened One Night (1934), Mr.Deeds Goes to Town (1936), Horizons (1937),Meet John Doe (1941),Mr.Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and You Can’t Take It With You (1938).

Of the above mentioned Movies, It Happened One Night (1934) is on # 138 on the top 250 movies ever and Mr.Smith Goes to Washington is on # 103. IaWL is rates higher ofcourse and understandably so.

Some of the movie titles were such that the search results yielded porn movies. Now how sad is that ? Thankfully either prefixes or suffixes to the movie name or in other cases the file size told the story immediately. Thank God I didn’t have to find out after watching them. If any of you could find other movies, you can post the links in the comments section. I thank you in advance.

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More Movie Watching, Less Time to Write

In the time since I created this blog, I have watched quite a few movies. However I have not been able to find time to write about them. This can be attributed to the fact that I am doing a lot of other things in life. So this post is more of a reminder to myself that I have to write reviews of the following movies:

• The Simpsons Movie [2007]
• TMNT [2007]
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [1990]
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - The Secret of the Ooze [1991]
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III [1993]
• Antz [1998]
• A Bug’s Life [1998]
• Madagascar [2005]
• Cars [2006]
• Animatrix [2003]

• As Good as It Gets [1997]
• 2001: A Space Odyssey [1968]
• Taxi Driver [1976]
• Vertigo [1958]
• It’s a Wonderful Life [1946]

Almost all of the above movies were good. But Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life holds a special place in my heart. It truly stirred my emotions. And as one of my friend’s put it, ‘ if it made a stone weep, must be good’. Donna Reed as ‘Mary’ looked like an angel in the movie. How I wish I had a loving, caring absolutely gorgeous girlfriend like that.

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