Film Review--The Spy Who Loved Me

The Spy Who Loved Me
directed by Lewis Gilbert
written by Christopher Wood, Richard Maibaum
based on the novel by Ian Fleming
starring Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curd Jurgens, Richard Kiel, Caroline Munro, Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn, Geoffrey Keen, Walter Gotell



This Bond features a surly Russian super spy, the irrepressible Jaws, and some lovely underwater photography as it languidly unfolds its story about denying a madman the opportunity to gage a full-on nuclear war.

In this one Bond is sent to determine who is stealing UK and Russian subs with the intent on using the nuclear missiles housed within to wreak absolute havoc on the world. He encounters the cold and indifferent Major Anya Amasova (Bach), the Soviet Army hottie who is his equivalent on the Russian side and it takes them a while to see eye-to-eye. Eventually they do manage to get gooey eyed and the film takes a decided down turn as it was working quite well before Amasova finally capitulates and gives in to the hungry, almost ludicrously shallow lusts of James Bond.

The man behind the prospective assault on both Moscow and New York City is named Karl Stromberg (Jurgens) and he’s created quite a thrilling set up as he makes every effort to make good on his plans. He moves rather laxly, without any sense of urgency, because he’s got the plan for forcing man underwater where he will live in his gorgeous pad fashioned specifically to survive such a catastrophe. Stromberg is a cold hearted snake of a man who dumps a lovely female assistant to the sharks below because he’s convinced she’s turned on him. His plans for world annihilation are grand and total.

There isn’t really much sex in this one as Bond and Amasova prove to not be particularly charismatically compatible. They are an exceedingly odd pair of ducks and there scenes together seem rather forced. This might have something to do with Barbara Bach’s dodgy accent which makes her sound utterly lifeless an spiritless. Indeed, she almost sounds like a machine that somebody has programmed to handle her lines and Roger Moore does not seem to know how to combat it. The result is a rather drab affair at times and the only thing keeping the whole thing afloat are the appearances of Jaws which add a slight tremor of fear. Jaws is a fantastic character and he’s played to perfection by Richard Kiel. He doesn’t speak but if he gets close enough up to you he’s going to use those metal teeth to shred your neck. That’s what I want in my henchmen: someone who can literally kill a man or a woman with his bare hands (or teeth) and look so distinguished while doing it.

Maintaining the slight balance of order throughout the world is a top priority of all the major powers in this film. Subsequently, the Russians and English come together to defeat what proves to be a bigger threat to them than they are to each other. The prospect of total world chaos trumps the very real Cold War dynamic that has stalled talks between the two nations for decades. Their uniting is a giddy thing and takes the film into a heady realm beyond the timid machinations of rudimentary politics. Bond and Amasova represent the necessary commingling of two astute enemies literally jumping into bed with one another for a larger, more pressing cause.

The threat of world destruction is a divine threat that pushes the keepers of stasis into direct action. Man has created the tools of this destruction and in this film those tools have fallen into the hands of one man who would take them to their logical conclusion. The character of Stromberg is in the guise of every petty dictator with an eye for personal glory and hubristic gain. His aim is direct and pure in its logical insistence to obliterate the planet in a most dramatic deflowering of heated contempt for the will of life. Stromberg is a death agent of the most scintillating kind. He seeks his pleasures in mayhem and murder and like Dr. No and Blofield before him he seeks power through obliteration of everything the material world holds sacred. Yet he is a student of the sea and merely wants to experience it on his terms, whenever and however he so chooses. Of course he insists on being a tyrant and so one would imagine him using his superior knowledge to dominate in any way possible.

Like “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, this film has Bond impersonate various experts in order to ingratiate himself with his grand foil. It shows more of Bond’s impressive range of knowledge which is perhaps the most salient aspect of his personality. He is a learned man who just happens to possess a force of carnal intensity that women flock to like flies on rancid meat. In this film he impresses Stromberg by recognizing a curious, rare creature floating by in a massive tank. It’s yet another example of how Bond’s seemingly infinite scope of knowledge puts the enemy at ease and helps him further his investigation. It’s ultimately his greatest weapon and far outweighs the efficacy of the gadgets which merely purchase him a bit of time.

This film lacks a sense of urgency early on but it picks it up during the final sequences. At one point the film seems to develop into something more mysterious that it maintains throughout. The closer it gets to the climax, the more dangerous it becomes and this is played up by the character of Stromberg who becomes suddenly a lethal force of potentially great and terrible schemes that can actually destroy two major cities and beyond with a couple of simple detonations. He’s a legitimate arch-fiend with a clear vision and a dynamic plan to actualize it. He’s another of the calm, cool and stylish enemies who ingeniously seek out their pleasures in the facilitation of chaos on a grand scale. They want more out of life and are willing to go to great lengths to get it which in the end is impressive in and of itself.

The performances in this film are adequate for the story. Richard Kiel plays a classic strongman in this installment of the series. Jaws is massive, relentless and in the end rather charming if only one can get past the fact that he’s basically a killing machine and he will kill you if you give him the slightest chance. Other than that, he’s lovable and infectious. As mentioned Barbara Bach seems to be speaking through a machine of some sorts that turn all her syllables into a monotone, flat version of speech that grates on the nerves after a few minutes. Roger Moore is good and tight in this one although he doesn’t do anything particularly noteworthy. He fills the shoes of the character and does what he’s supposed to do but in the end there just isn’t enough meat here. Curd Jurgens plays sinister quite effectively. He captures the ease of movement and deep calm of his character and comes off as rather creepy in the end.

Overall, this film manages to entertain for the most part but doesn’t move beyond that simple barometer. It comes off as cold and less engaging than some of the previous films in the series. Still, it has top notched villains who bring a distinct level of terror to the film which comes across well. The interaction between the two spies lacks intensity considering how they are supposed to represent two forces hypothetically at war. There truly isn’t much between them at all and it doesn’t work when they finally give in and go for a screw. Ultimately, the film plays like a Bond exercise instead of an actual film. Yet, it’s charming in its way and possesses a vital spark in places where Stromberg lays out his diabolical plans for world domination and Jaws comes around for one more shot at Bond. These are two interesting villains and are easily the most compelling aspects of the film. They give it a sense of purpose that it otherwise lacks.

Film Review--Reservoir Dogs

Reservoir Dogs
written and directed by Quentin Tarantino
starring Tim Roth, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Randy Brooks, Kirk Baltz, Edward Bunker, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Wright



Employing a deliberate pace, long shots, and unnerving violence, Quentin Tarantino has created a singular work of deeply affecting cinematic art.

The story involves a diamond heist that we never see. Things have gone horribly awry leaving several top men dead and another barely clinging to life. Much of the film takes place in a warehouse space which is supposed to be the meeting place and launching pad from which the endeavor is supposed to take off. Tarantino uses a non-linear narrative to provide background information on several of the men as well as events immediately following the heist attempt.

Mr. Orange (Roth) is seen immediately in the back seat of a car driven by Mr. White (Keitel). He is bleeding profusely from a bullet wound in the stomach and Mr. White is attempting to convince him that he’s not going to die. Mr. Orange is hysterical until he is led into the warehouse space and laid down until Mr. White can figure out what to do. Mr. Orange spends the entire film in that position. Much of the film features characters tearing into one another for various reasons including the failure of the job and the sudden appearance of a mad array of police officers at the scene.

Mr. Blonde (Madsen) is portrayed as a loose cannon who takes great pleasure in torturing people for fun. He is the extreme case of someone who does not feel anything whatsoever for his victims be they civilians or cops. He is the opposite of the spectrum from Mr. White who draws the line at killing what he perceives to be innocent victims. Mr. Blonde is frighteningly calm and his ease after killing is exceedingly alarming. He has a gentleness about him which belies his criminal intent and his penchant for getting off while administering tremendous pain and suffering on those who he proclaims deserve such treatment. He’s suave and cool until he is rattled upon which he becomes dangerous and a legitimate threat to whomever dares to get in his way. He is opportunistic and trigger happy.

The setting of the warehouse creates a tight space where the action is intensified and more systematic and brutal. It allows the viewer to become comfortable which makes the ensuing violence even more difficult to assess. One feels as if one’s home has been invaded by a number of creepy criminals with no qualms about ripping the place apart. Despite the essential static nature of these scenes there is a tremendous amount of energy that is carried through to the end of the film. The scenes in this space are vibrant, consumed with life, and intensely religious in how they are presented. It feels like a cathedral where the men have gathered to worship in their own way. They seek guidance and want desperately to make sense of the peril that has befallen them. They seem to have very few answers as to what went wrong and why some of them are dead after the whole thing collapsed at their feet.

The use of rock songs from the seventies give the film a loose, open quality that undercuts the severity of the violence which is contained and regulated. The voice of Steven Wright announcing various songs on his radio program “K-Billy’s Super Sounds of the Seventies” gives the film an anchor that grounds it in a specific place where the action can naturally occur. Tarantino only uses source music which enhances those moments when he kicks into a song that drives the film forward with great style and a genuine sense of excitement. Each song stands in for a particular moment of the film and allows the viewer to readily connect the music to the narrative. The music is buoyant and festival-like which causes the viewer to feel as if they were being taken on a journey through country roads while cranking the stereo to songs with which they have a deep, personal connection.

The sexiness of the film is pronounced. These men are all vibrant characters who are sleek, well-dressed, and arrogant to the point of hubris. They present a world of grave darkness that is nevertheless peppered with humorous asides that reflect their peculiar take on the world outside of their little clique of hombres trying to solve the big score. They zealously seek diamonds because they represent a singular truth which ends in easy cash and no time served. The sole ambition of these men is to operate as effectively as possible without being incarcerated. Death is preferred to a life behind bars and they take every precaution to avoid that sorry fate.

Much of the film’s strength comes from the authentic dialog which Tarantino has cobbled from a variety of source materials. It feels legitimate and has the whiz-bang crispness of classic film noir. There is a great love of the spoken word here and it’s on display at every turn. There isn’t much action as the characters merely spend much of the film getting into each other’s faces about various aspects of the catastrophe. They are all nervous and down-trodden despite their overarching sense of purpose and their sense that they are in the right despite the deaths of several cops and civilians. The code is kill or be killed in this brutal world where the gun speaks loudest over the shoddy din of gangsters whining and fretting about their predicament. They are hemmed in and the reality of the situation makes them nervous and chatty.

The performances in this film explode with color and intensity. Tim Roth plays the wounded man with a tenacity that is a beautiful thing indeed. He gasps and moans and hollers about his state with conviction and a sense of purpose. Steve Buscemi plays Mr. Pink with a nervous gusto that pings off the metal walls of the warehouse space. Pink is over excited and keeps the narrative flowing with his sharp, festering diatribes. Michael Madsen is simply terrifying in this role. He imbues Mr. Blonde with a deep sense of moral purpose that just happens to involve picking off innocent people because they act in a way that upsets the perfect balance with which he generally operates. Blonde has an explanation for everything he does and does not share the opinion that he is half-crazy. Harvey Keitel is solid in this film and his character seems to be the only one who understands the dire situation they have found themselves in. White is understanding and empathic to a degree as long as a person doesn’t try to do anything cute. Chris Penn possesses a goofy charm in this film as he represents the second generation of tough guys. Eddie is probably the most dangerous of the characters in this film because he seems to be the most likely to snap at any given time. Even Mr. Blonde seems capable of containing himself and not causing a riot.
Lawrence Tierney is the central figure in this drama. His character is hard, mean, and usually correct when it comes to making decisions. Tierney brings a strength and vitality to Joe that he projects at every turn.

Overall this film works on every level. It’s funny, dark, violent, and very smart. There are moments of abject horror but they are softened through humor and an overall ease of being. This is a languid film that gives the audience something firm to hold onto. It is well contained and properly ordered which allows the viewer to fully embrace the severity of the action. Basically, the warehouse setting enhances the violence which comes off as more vibrant and dangerous. There is a real and lasting threat inherent in this story and the characters all work together to create an insular world which the audience gleefully participates in. This doesn’t seem like a mere exercise in cinematic violence for its own sake. Instead we are given a film that questions the nature of bestial acts through the prism of an exceedingly dark world where honor and integrity originate from a distinct, howling perspective that is cold, decisive and mesmeric.

Film Review--Happy-Go-Lucky

Happy-Go-Lucky
written and directed by Mike Leigh
starring Sally Hawkins, Alexis Zegerman, Kate O’Flynn, Eddie Marsan, Katrina Fernandez, Samuel Roukin



The power of positive thinking. How to win friends and influence people. For the utterly infectious Poppy (Hawkins), it’s as easy as casting a smile in direction of everyone she encounters. It’s more than mere enthusiasm, it’s a startling personal code that drives her forward with seemingly effortless charm.

In this film we meet Poppy riding joyfully through the street on her bicycle. She stops at a bookstore which is tended by a standoffish man who refuses to engage her in conversation. She makes several attempts to chat him up but he remains cold to her advances. Never mind, she jauntily leaves the store bidding him to be happy. Even upon discovering that her bicycle has been stolen she simply resolves to start driving lessons. She is not enslaved by her emotions and regards every situation objectively and with a calm remove from conflict. She has a gift for putting everyone at ease and gaging every situation with a clear mind and an open heart. She’s truly a jewel and her story is intoxicating in its simplicity.

Poppy has fashioned a life for herself that is replete with activities that allow her to express herself in a variety of ways. She is fully engaged with life and finds many opportunities for fun that are a constant theme throughout the film. She simply wants nothing more than that everyone experience the joy that is within them and that they hopefully spread it around to whomever they might meet. She is an embassador for good times and lives strictly in accordance with her own rules. In this film she comes across people who do not share in her outlook and she treats them all with the same equanimity and takes nothing that they might do personally. That is the key to her happiness. She remains unaffected by how others act in her presence and takes no offense when they express feelings that might upset a less balanced person.

Poppy is the eldest of three sisters. There is Helen (Caroline Martin) who is high strung and nervous about her forthcoming baby. Helen is judgmental and chastises Polly because she has determined that Poppy couldn’t possibly be happy having not settled into a mortgage and what she deems to be a proper life. Suzy (O’Flynn) is something of an impetuous brat. She’s a bit wild and somewhat disdainful about her parents and much of what she encounters. Poppy refuses to judge her and simply allows her to live her life as she sees fit. Poppy’s best friend is Zoe (Zegerman) with whom she has lived for ten years. There is a indestructible bond between these two women and they guide each other and keep each other sane.

In the film Poppy is a primary school teacher. She is highly energetic and gives the kids an opportunity to express them selves in class projects that encourage their imaginations. She treats the children with respect and understanding and it is apparent that they respond to her in kind. She is the exact type of teacher that encourages kids to dream about becoming anything they can imagine. She faces a difficulty with one of the students and she reacts calmly again without judgment and leads the boy to explaining what is most likely the source of his anger. It is a reaction that will allow the child to fully understand the impetus of his actions and lead to a greater understanding than if Poppy had merely followed standard procedure and immediately punished the boy.

When Poppy begins driving lessons with Scott (Marsan) she is confronted with an exceedingly angry man who feels threatened at every turn. He discloses his fear of blacks and his disdain for multiculturalism. Poppy laughs these proclamations off although she is somewhat disturbed by his comments about the black guys riding by on their bicycles. Polly is a consistent source of calm whenever she is with Scott and he becomes progressively more irate until he finally loses control of the situation and breaks down entirely. Polly reacts with as much aggressiveness as she exhibits in the entire film. This proves emphatically that her outlook on life doesn’t preclude strong, controlled consternation when the situation calls for it.

There is a wonderfully impassioned scene with a Flamenco teacher (Fernandez) who is exceedingly passionate about the art form and considers Flamenco to be all about the misery and pain of the Gypsies. She is dynamic and prone to emotional outbursts and Poppy appears mostly to be amused by the teacher than anything else. Again, she simply observes the conduct of others without reacting. She remains neutral possibly because it is less taxing and far less odious to do so. It is something of a defense mechanism that protects her from sustaining psychological damage due to the misguided emotional entanglements of others. This is not to say that she doesn’t feel anything because there are many things that move her and bring her tremendous pleasure. It is because she doesn’t waste her karmic energy mucking about over trivial matters that she is able to fully embrace all the complexities of life.

As Poppy proceeds through the film one becomes aware of a hint of naivety in how she approaches other people. Perhaps she possesses an inner guard stick that allows her to judge situations and determine them safe. Regardless she has encounters that have the potential to turn ugly very quickly. She mentions that she’s taught all over Asia and it might be these experiences that have given her perspective and the ability to read people’s intentions. Still, there are moments in this film that are quite tense and it’s not clear if she is going to be able to avoid grave physical injury. Her general day-to-day outlook seems not to have been tested with threatening situations although this isn’t precisely noted in the film.

This is simply a film that celebrates life through the eyes of a woman who has extricated herself from the boring cycle of fear, shame and blame that plagues so many people’s lives. She is not trying to one-up her sisters or anyone for that matter. Her life is not determined by how others think about her and this is readily apparent very early on in the film. She dresses somewhat outrageously in bright, daring colors and possesses a fabulous pair of boots that she wears with just about everything. There is no indication in the film of her most constant passions. She does things but we don’t learn precisely what it is that truly gets her going. We merely observe her activities and we learn that she definitely can be a bit flighty. She doesn’t say anything that is particularly learned or profound. She doesn’t seem to have many opinions about the way the world works or her place in it. She simply is.

This is the story of a woman who has discovered methods of calming her mind down and not taking what the world gives her as an insult. She does occasionally come across as an air-head but that’s only because champagne bubbles are constantly popping off in her head and she can hardly contain herself. I can see how her demeanor might annoy the deeply cynical types who seem to find fault with anything that is too blatantly cheerful. There are going to be those groanies who will not embrace her because she refuses to give up her key intention to spread joy to everyone she meets. She refuses to give up on humanity and presses for its potential for creating an armistice against hate, fear, and suffering. It isn’t mentioned if she has formulated any thoughts about a Utopian society and how it might be organized yet she projects precisely the mind set that would entertain such an idea and its practicality. After spending a bit of time getting to know Poppy it would still be interesting to know what she thinks about when she’s not out being Poppy.

The performances in this film are all a delight to experience. Sally Hawkins is right up there with Audrey Hepburn, Audrey Tautou, and Mary Pickford in creating thoroughly engaging and fascinating characters who are genuinely free spirits. Polly is the rarest of gems and Hawkins makes her a beacon of light that she shines without fail upon the world as she encounters it. Polly is perfectly angelic and the we certainly need more of her type in cinema. Alexis Zegerman’s character has a bit more of a serious aspect to her personality. She provides a nice counterbalance to the almost manic energy displayed by Poppy. Zegerman works well with Hawkins in establishing just the right balance between the two characters. Eddie Marsan brings a gritty gusto to his role and definitively taps into the man’s fears and the anguish that torments his soul. His anger seeps through every frame and it’s brought home with his gestures and posture which articulate constriction and acute frustration.

Overall this is a charming film filled with believable characters who prove to be engaging from start to finish. The film isn’t particularly complicated yet there is great depth to the discovery of such a bona fide breath of fresh air. Poppy is a character that has all but disappeared from our midst. She is a throwback to a different age where woman were expected to remain cheerful no matter how many pies they had to bake. Her innocence is beguiling and a bit scary. Yet she learns something valuable over the course of the film. She comes away with an understanding that she did not possess before. We don’t learn what she thinks about the ordeal but we do get to see how it affects her mood. Ultimately this film should be seen and celebrated by as many people as possible. There needs to be more of this type of thing. There needs to be more films that present such unabashed goodness to a world choking on its own cynicism.

Film Review--High School Musical 3: Senior Year

High School Musical 3: Senior Year
written and directed by Peter Barsocchini
starring Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Bart Johnson, Alyson Reed, Olesya Rulin, Jemma McKenzie-Brown



Alright, here we go again. We’re taking the same sex-drenched ride, careening through traffic and breakneck speed unawares of the dangers we face. Then some fat little kid on a tiny scooter crosses our path and we squish the little bastard beneath our rims. Then we go into the adjacent parking lot and do some hideous dance routine to the sounds of the worst boy band anyone has ever soaked their panties over. This is HSM3 in its essential form.

Whatever story exists in this thing is lost amidst all the dancing and the singing. At least the first two even bothered to tell a compelling story but this one fails to make even that much of an effort. Still, there is a tremendous amount of energy here and moments of breathtaking athleticism that make it worth watching for much of the show. The set pieces are all pretty and worth looking at and the costumes have a certain edgy chic that always leaves me gasping. Aside from that the only reason to keep watching is to see just what dance steps and lousy songs are about to be unleashed on the unwitting.

There’s nothing worse than a musical that contains forgettable songs whose appeal remains a mystery throughout. I cannot fathom who the target audience is for these songs but it can’t be for any teenager as I remember them. I hate to sound like an angry old man (which I am incidentally) but these are not the kinds of songs kids should be listening to. I’m from the school where this music would get you kicked in the head with a razor-adorned boot if anyone caught you listening to it. Pre-teens? God, I hope they have more of a discerning ear than this. That leaves toddlers and babies and no mother in her right mind should every subject the helpless wee things to this kind of torment. It’s cruel and unfair and I believe emphatically that the music one plays for the very young affects them forever. So, no, this music serves nobody in the end. Yet there is so much of it here that it cannot be avoided.

Not that these kids cannot sing. They can all carry a tune and they know how to wiggle their bits in such a way that the audience gets some kind of a thrill out of the whole mess. But, there is only so much of this that I can take. I’d rather be popping the boils off of the fat kid’s back in a run down mental institution filled with screetching rats and horny old men with perpetual erections than listen to this.

The story as it goes involves a huge production with their last gruelling, horrific months as the central theme. There are also four kids up for Julliard scholarships with only one opening. Then they graduate and that’s it for the plot. Oh, Troy (Efron) and Gabriella (Hudgens) have special moments where they get all gooey thinking about the future that beckons them like a greasy man luring kiddies to his car with Hello Kitty cards. Troy is tormented because he is one of the ones up for the scholarship and he has promised his dad Jack (Johnson) that he will attend the University of Albuquerque. Oh yeah, Gabriella has gotten into Stanford’s early start program so she’s going to leave him all alone with his feelings. That’s about it for the plot. Well, Sharpay (Tisdale) is still a royal bitch to everyone and throws fits which is precisely how we want her to act.

These kids are all eunuchs who seem utterly devoid of hormones that ought to drive them clean out of their minds. But this is some innocuous world where such grunting shall never be heard. It’s a sterilized universe replete with healthy kids who are all acrobats and who know how to drive the beat so hard it cries and falls flat on its face into the dirt. This would have been enjoyable if the songs were more meaty or intoxicating or both.

There is one bit in a junkyard where a group of boys dance to the tune of “The Boys are Back”. I couldn’t help but think of the Village People or Frankie Goes to Hollywood only the music sucked by comparison. I also thought of Truman Capote, designer footwear, feather boas, being fabulous, man-on-man discos, and Proposition 8. Seriously.

There are some actors in this thing that I am curious about. Will they transform themselves into the kind of actors who will be able to take on challenging roles that actually demand some acting from them? Will Zac Efron morph into Johnny Depp and establish himself as something far beyond the mere pretty boy who makes tweeners gasp and cry? Lucas Grabeel is is Gus Van Zant’s “Milk” which is a fine start. Olesya Rulin made a film called “Vampire Chicks with Chainsaws” so perhaps she’s on the right track as well. But she’s also in an upcoming film starring Billy Ray Cyrus and Heather Locklear so maybe the jury is still out on that one. The point is that there is real talent here and one can only hope that it leads to roles of complexity and depth.

The film seems like a mish-mash of a bunch of different dance styles and cinematic precedents. There’s a bit of Agnes de Mille, Busby Berkley, Saturday Night Fever, waltz, and whatever the hell else those street ragamuffins are shaking their moneymakers at. These kids can hustle, there is no doubt and their moves are fairly smooth and relatively enjoyable for what they are. They aren’t exactly scintillating or seductive although Ashley Tisdale does manage to titillate a bit with her daring costumes. Regardless, it is quite thrilling to watch the kind of athleticism on display here. It’s an opening, consumed with enthusiasm and a certainty about the future that drives this film forward. There is a sense that the future is crowding in too fast for at least Gabriella’s liking. Also, there is a clinging to the idea that nobody wants to let go of the experience of being in high school and all the memories it affords them as they prepare to move beyond it’s comforting and seemingly safe walls. This film is all about a sheer optimism for the future and everything that it might bring down the road. There is no place for true despair here. There are no depressed kids listening to Fields of the Nephilim records and drawing frighteningly accurate pictures of internal organs and airline disasters. There seem to be no dorks or spazzes or anyone who doesn’t fit in here. In many ways the school life depicted is a blatant lie and there is no room for loss, regret or shame. In this codified world life has become inculcated against anything remotely smacking of reality as it is experienced by many students nationwide. Of course the film would have to abandon its primary mission which is to entertain fluffily with little pink clouds and fuzzy slippers.

The performances in this film are all adequate for the material presented to the actors. Lucas Grabeel in particular stands out as it is clear that he is supremely talented both as a performer and as an actor. He is charismatic, energetic and there is clear indication that there is something else inside him waiting for its opportunity to be unleashed upon an unwitting world. I can see him playing a series of tortured roles in serious films somewhere down the line. He possesses everything a leading man needs to be successful and he should be able to make the move up the ladder and establish himself as a bona fide contender in the business. Ashley Tisdale hits the same exact notes as she did in the first two films. She pouts, purrs, and sort of vamps it up. There is something quite appealing about how she presents her character. Sharpay is a welcome addition to the long line of catty, manipulative female characters who charm mainly because of the tenacity of their naughtiness. Vanessa Hudgens plays it cute enough but doesn’t come across as a viable personality in this film. I thought she had more to work with in the first two films but in this one she sort of floats about unconnectedly in this chapter. Olesya Rulin possesses a diabolical cuteness that tends to obscure her performance. Her character is both the most talented and strangely introverted member of the class. She is the one who seems to have experienced the most self doubt and psychological torment but it’s only a guess because she’s as perky as a sprite in this thing.

Overall, there are moments in this film where everything seems to come together and it works after a fashion. The dancing grows on you and one is able to tune out the music and imagine scenes twenty years later when all those glorious hopes have been hopelessly dashed and all that is left is drinking and acute self-loathing. Then the music stops and it’s back to inane chatter and a threadbare plot. It’s also strange why there aren’t more fat kids in this school. There is one girl whose name I cannot recall who is chubby and has become a seriously bad-ass cheer leader in this one. I wanted more of her because she’s the next Nikki Blonsky, I swear. With those moves and confidence she’s going through the roof, man. She’s really the best thing in this film. I don’t think I’ve seen that kind of enthusiasm in a film before. It’s infectious, thrilling and utterly devoid of pretense. It towers over the rest of the forced gaiety in this film. Essentially, it rocks harder than the film ever could. That’s just the way it is.

Film Review--Changeling

Changling
directed by Clint Eastwood
written by J. Michael Straczynski
starring Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan, Amy Ryan, Michael Kelly, Gattlin Griffith, Riki Lindhome, Jason Butler Harner, Eddie Alderson, Geoffrey Pierson, Devon Conti, Colm Feore.



In Los Angeles, 1928, A mother’s relentless search for her missing son leads to the uncovering of filthy institutional secrets in this dynamic, deeply affective film that ought to be considered on several levels once Acadamy Award nominations are announced in January.

Christine Collins (Jolie) works as a manager for the phone company and takes care of her only son Walter (Griffith). One morning she leaves Walter at home alone promising to return before sundown. When she arrives back home Walter is missing leaving Christine naturally heartbroken and frantic. Several months later a boy is located and amidst tremendous fanfare designed strategically to provide a positive image for the LAPD, he is brought to her. The crowd is abuzz and everyone is satisfied now that the case has for all appearances been solved. The boy gives his name as Walter Collins but Christine does not recognize him. She informs the police who have gathered for the occasion but they insist that they have reunited her with her son and that he has changed in the five minutes he has been missing. Christine capitulates and allows herself to be photographed with the boy.

The film focuses its attention on the corruption of the police force and the draconian measures acted out by mental health facilities. Because she is such a thorn in the police’s side they have her locked away in a psychiatric ward where she is faced with a great number of women whose only crime was to confront or challenge the police.

Christine is contacted by a preacher named Gustav Briegleb whose mission in life is to reveal all the secrets that the police force would rather keep to themselves. He champions Christine ’s case with great zeal and broadcasts her story during his weekly radio address. Rev. Briegleb is presented as a vital, wise and deeply caring man who refuses to accept the police’s attempts to explain the Christine Collins case away. He is an agitator who serves as a watchdog against the grave injustices inherent in the system. His work in this film is presented as tremendously significant and responsible for a number of changes being adopted by the police. He points out the existence of Gun Squad who operate above the law and shoot down anyone who might be doing something they object to. It’s an image of the law that is frightening in its wholesale disregard for the basic tenets of the judicial system and the film examines just how far these powers reach. Christine and the other inmates are put away simply because they angered certain officers who at that time had the ability to lock anyone up who challenged their authority. One such woman named Carol Dexter (Ryan) was raped by a man she didn’t know was an officer. She reported him and was duly apprehended and placed in the hospital.

Everything in this film resonates with an almost messianic purity. The filming is economical and the cinematography by Tom Stern simply renders each image with an exquisite attention to detail. The film is a total experience with every component working together to create a work of lasting beauty. Clint Eastwood’s score is sparse and deeply melancholy and it underlines the visual poetry of his film with a spiritual essence that is as rare as it is haunting.

The story conveys just how easy it was at the time to be declared insane and otherwise unfit for society. The film presents a scenario where the more one attempts to exert their autonomy, the harsher the punishments administered to them. It’s a totalitarian approach to the psyche and just about any affectation is considered suspect and worthy of punishment. One particular examining nurse (Lindhome) approaches her work with disturbingly cold precision. The film captures her expression in several instances and they chill one to the bone. They seem to represent the absolute unfeeling approach to administering punishments and the startling disconnect between the staff and those women they are ordered to contain. It also suggests the fine line between the women on each side of the divide. The slightest infraction that draws the attention of the wrong authority leads straight into an incarceration that might last for weeks, months, years, or until the end of the inmate’s life. Christine is brought before Dr. John Montgomery (John Harrington Bland) who runs the hospital and there is nothing she can say to convince him she is well. He attempts to get her to sign a paper saying that the boy returned to her is her son but she refuses. She is rewarded by being led to a bid with straps that treat the illness with electric shocks.

The film shows two sides to the police. Captain J.J. Jones (Donovan) represents the mind set that refuses to acknowledge that the police can ever make a mistake and is particularly annoyed by Christine . It is he who has her committed and as the film progresses his core attitude is a blanket denial that anything untoward has ever been perpetrated by the police. He’s the face of institutionalized tyranny as he is part of the system that deprives citizens of their basic rights merely for bringing up concerns that every police forced is required to address openly and without attempting to instill the fear of reprisals. On the other hand is Detective Lester Ybarra (Kelly) who inadvertently uncovers the site of the grisly murders through the testimony of the killer’s accomplice, a boy named Sanford Clark (Alderson). He presents the expected, hardworking, and upstanding aspect of the police and it’s telling of the intention of Eastwood that he’s the exception that makes the rule.

There exists in this film a quiet urgency that is told through the editing. Image after image is juxtaposed in such a way that the languid pace of the film nevertheless is able to express the overall tense march toward justice which is taking place. Christine is a bundle of nerves throughout the film but she never loses sight on what is most important to her and in the end continues to fight for what she knows emphatically is right. The film captures her plight by focusing its attention on her reaction to various assaults on her psyche. She does get emotional at every turn and expresses frustration, rage, anguish, and fear openly and consistently throughout the film. These qualities in the film are presented, through society’s eyes, as weak, typically feminine, and something akin to mental illness if they are left to continue on unabated. Because she is one who expresses herself on strict emotional terms, Christine is seen as unstable. To be so publically distraught surely means that she ought to be locked away and administered to until she regains her senses. It is this attitude that is challenged by this film. It makes a point of saying clearly that mental illness is arbitrary and often related directly to the doctor’s interpretation of what it is. In this film mental illness means often what the police say it means and it’s all but impossible for the victim of such a circumstance to combat what is considered to be sacrosanct.


Gordon Northcott is the type of character who comes straight out of Philip Ridley’s “The Reflecting Skin” or a Flannery O’ Connor story. He’s disjointed, queer, and not altogether present at any given time. That he proves to be a serial murderer only adds to his mystique and allure. His presence adds a creepiness that the film cannot shake off. He trails slime over everything that he touches and this effect has everything to do with just how the actor, Jason Butler Harner, chooses to carry himself in terms of posture. He’s slouched over slightly, grinning madly on occasion, and projecting all the nervous energy of a man with a terrible secret. He’s born aloft by some mysterious agony that leads him on a particularly crooked path so that he becomes a specter with an insatiable desire to realize his aims in a most decisive and irreversible manner.

This film often feels like a blizzard of decay, a substantial message of daring primacy that hooks the flesh and tears it into ribbons. It’s heavy but never in a way that is gratuitous or overbearing; it rides through the night on a coach without a driver leaving devastation in its wake. There isn’t a whole lot of sun in this film and the incessantly dark mood brings it all into crisp focus. It is relentless in its telling of both a personal tale of anguish and an investigation into unjust practices that wholly subvert the expectations of the population at the time in which it is set.

The performances in this film are all natural and dutiful to the script. John Malkovich projects an intensity beneath the garb of a minister. He conveys an upstanding, careful dignity that grounds the film and provides it with a sanctity and a purity that propels it forward. Angelina Jolie is astonishingly good at expressing the myriad emotional states of her character. She sees the film through with a legitimate sense of self that she maintains throughout the film. The fact that we don’t learn much about Christine and this works in the film’s favor because too much knowledge about her would get in the way of the narrative. Jason Butler Harner plays a certifiable lunatic with conviction that comes through in every frame. He’s commanding, terrifying, and wholly believable in this role that demands that he be engaging and a bit dangerous. Jeffrey Donovan possesses a definitive menace for the duration of the film. In his role he’s just as scary and unforgiving as Gordon Northcott which is a testament to the hardline which Capt. Jones employs to defend the image of the force. Riki Lindhome is only in a few scenes but she leaves a lasting impression with the coldness of her manner and the almost sadistic glee emanating from her eyes. She conveys a brutality and a ribald joy in carrying out her orders against the women who have been brought into the hospital for “observation.” Geoffrey Pierson has a totemic presence in this film as the lawyer who forced the issue and challenged the order of systematic torment and deprivation.

Overall, this film paints a harsh picture of the machinations of the institutionalized assault on personal liberty and protection. Through the character of Christine Collins we become privy to a disturbing world where citizens are active fodder for the cruel whims of those in charge of caring for individuals deemed a threat to the perfect order fallaciously presented to the outside world. It’s also a gripping character study replete with boldly drawn characters who all add to the terrible mystery which is at the heart of this film. There is nothing amiss here. Every element works diligently to create a film of merit that effects the soul, mind and body. It is a total experience that leaves one gasping at the end and slightly scarred. What it suggests is a world of great injustice and wanton disregard for the autonomy of those who simply dare to question the legitimacy of various methods which the police employ to go about their business. Christine Collins is presented as an unwitting rabble rouser who galvanizes a city and leaves behind a legacy that in its small way afforded actual change.

Film Review--Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Zack and Miri Make a Porno
written and directed by Kevin Smith
starring Seth Rogan, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Traci Lords, Jason Mewes, Jeff Anderson, Katie Morgan, Justin Long, Brandon Routh, Ricky Mabe


Life has turned on grade school friends Zack Brown (Rogan) and Miriam Linky (Banks). They have crummy jobs that don’t seem to pay their way, bills are piling up and they are facing the humiliation of their ten year high school reunion. As the film opens they are preparing to attend in the hopes that they might realize how much more of a loser their classmates turned out to be. After the letdown of the reunion they discover that their electricity and water have been shut off. Running out of ideas they hit on the one and only thing that makes any sense. They decide after knowing each other for twenty years that they will have sex with each other on film for money.

The film is basically a standard rate rom-com encased in a well-oiled Curved Jelly Rapture. It’s gooey, sticky sweet, and bound to leave cavities if precautions are not initiated. With all the fluids splashing about this turns out to be a heartwarming love story which should surprise nobody who has seen a single romantic comedy in the past thirty years.

The chemistry between the two leads works considerably well throughout the film. Their story is believable and their arcs are worth getting behind but not to do anything like what they promote in this film. For some reason, this type of film that employs numerous jokes about bodily secretions, is positively obsessed with all things anal. Perhaps its just to make audiences uncomfortable but the jokes do nothing to enhance the comedic value of the film. Still, they are ubiquitous and the film seems bent on exploiting them at every turn.

The sex in this film pokes fun at the robotic, unsexy sexual behavior in porn films. They manage to make sex even more ridiculous than it appears when the players are payed to lick, tease, and moan. Everything goes according to plan until Zack and Miri take their turn atop the bags of coffee beans and have a go at one another. Prior to this the sex was to be merely mechanical with no connection between genitals and emotions. Unfortunately for the kids they do feel something much beyond the thrusting and the grunting and it is this that causes great consternation. From this point the film changes from a porno spoof into something much more serious and it doesn’t always work to the film’s advantage. It ceases to be amusing and the entire focus of the film turns to making sure that birds chirp in the sky and the baby sunbeam frolics in the wheat fields with adorable puppies and lambies. In other words it goes terribly soft and all the air gets let out of the blown up condom the fat guy in the corner is about to put on his head. Then it hits you just how effective such machinations can be when you are open to them.

This film is ultimately exceedingly upbeat and delivers a positive message that should bode well for any optimist who hasn’t been encrusted with a hard cynical shell. It works this message throughout the film and despite all the goo it manages to pull off a story that proves to be a balm that heals the damage left behind by too many untoward situations both sexual and platonic. Certainly the second half of the film betrays the common sense approach of the first half but it does manage to create effective scenarios that are beyond merely gross and possess a deeper meaning that is occasionally quite profound. There remains a matter-of-fact approach to many scenes that is refreshing in their immediacy. There is also something indelibly cute about rank amateurs stripping, sucking and fornicating for the sheer joy imbued in the act of performing on camera. There is an innocence here that real pornos as a general rule do not possess. It truly feels like little kids playing dress up only it involves acts that are best suited for grownups.

Truly the best thing in this film is Traci Lords. Her character does the robot dance in her little mock C 3PO golden suit, she blows bubbles from a place that bubbles are not normally blown out of, and she just looks severe and totally hard throughout. She also mans a strap on and gives it to Barry (Ricky Mabe) which is quite an erotic thrill considering who she is and how she is thrust into a position of power, of authority. She also looks like she’s brimming with wisdom and it’s simply brilliant casting to have the world’s greatest underage porn star sit in for this particular film. One wonders if she offered any advice for the porn scenes or if she simply luxuriated in her bad-ass presence and let others take care of the grinding details. Either way, Traci Lords absolutely makes this film and it’s a pity she doesn’t have many more scenes in this.

This film celebrates the good old-fashioned entrepreneurial spirit that proves to be alive and well in America. It shows us how a great idea is actualized as well as all the hell that goes into making it work. There is a scene at the end which is slightly manipulative but ultimately endearing in what it reveals about one of the central characters. It’s a scene between men that isn’t often revealed in the popular media and it works because it is completely sincere. It’s touching without feeling cloying and it’s one of the high points in the film.

The porno itself proves to be somewhat of a release for its performers. Delaney (Robinson) in particular seems to need a distraction from his overbearing wife (Tisha Campbell-Martin) who rides him from day to night. Still, he considers looking at naked bits to be acceptable but he turns down offers to have sex because he is married. He allows himself only so much rope to hang himself and is willing to pay the cost if his wife ever finds out that he’s been purchasing camera equipment and making googly eyes at naked vixens being taking from behind. As the producer it’s his job to examine the attributes of any girl interested in baring in and joining the fray. One gets the impression that Delaney deserves this opportunity even if his wife scalds him with hot lava. He is everyman who exists in a horrific relationship that he is too scared or honorable to back out of.

The film is a bit cheeky at times, a bit randy in others. There aren’t as many gay jokes as there has traditionally been in these films unless you consider Justin Long’s strange turn as Brandon St. Randy as not exactly representative of homosexuality in general. His voice is gravelly, velvety and comes off as almost hypnotic. He’s a bit of a drama queen but not quite. He’s clearly spontaneous, charming, and boisterous when the situation calls for it. He’s from L.A. and is pitted up his boyfriend, local football hero Bobby Long (Routh) who seems to want to tone his slight flamboyancy down a notch. Bobby is less sure of himself as a gay man when he’s among others and Brandon is fully out and as the cliche goes, loving it. The dynamic between the two is riveting especially when the start to turn on each other in front of Zack who considers their spat one of the greatest things he has ever seen.

The performances in this film are all exceptionally good. Seth Rogan looks as incredulous and slightly pissed off as he does in most of his other performances. Zack has this way of appearing irritated and charmingly evasive at the same time. Elizabeth Banks projects a somewhat tattered allure as a woman who gets caught up in a peculiar mess that she didn’t necessarily ask for. Still, Banks plays Miri as a woman who knows how to take advantage of opportunity and she provides her character with a vitality that allows the film to work. Craig Robinson has an infectious aspect to his personality that comes through in every role he takes. There is something incredibly warm about him even when he’s playing a bad ass. He’s simply one of those actors who is infinitely likeable and worth watching do just about anything on screen. Traci Lords as mentioned is simply the stuff of rather twisted, terrifying yet calm dreams that haunt you well into your eighties when you slouch back in your chair and curse the sun. Jason Mewes plays it like he means it and truly gets into his performances as a porn actor. It often seems like he’s done this before and it wouldn’t surprise me if he turned up on a title or two.

Overall, there is a tremendous charm to this film and it sends a message of hope to its audience who might be expecting something else. Indeed, it is a film that deserves its ending and presents its characters in such a way that there really is no other ending that makes sense. The film logically follows an ordered plan of attack and every scene works on what comes before. It does revel in filth but its all for a good cause. There is one particular gross out scene that seems rather over-the-top yet strangely necessary in the end. Ultimately, the kids in this film all seem to be having a grand time in the school yard discovering new toys that they share at will. It’s really a delightful film that engages the audience and leaves them in a state of bliss as long as they can accept the stickiness of the situation.

Film Review--Meet the Browns

Meet the Browns
written and directed by Tyler Perry
starring Jennifer Lewis, Angela Bassett, Rick Fox, David Mann, Tamela J. Mann, Lance Gross, Sofia Vergara, Frankie Faison, Irma P. Hall, Tyler Perry, Chloe Bailey, Mariana Tolbert



A struggling mother of three receives a letter announcing the death of the father she never knew. After a period of hesitation she leaves the projects of Chicago for the plains of Georgia to attend the funeral.

This is quintessentially a Tyler Perry production. There is a man-shy woman and a stable, agreeable man who eventually sweeps her off of her feet. It’s wholly predictable as is much of this film and the end result doesn’t truly satisfy in the end. It’s clear as day that when Brenda (Bassett) first meets Harry (Fox) that sparks will fly and they will end up together. The utter lack of mystery here is almost offset by a number of find performances from a cast that draws their inspiration from Perry’s play of the same name. Still, the story seems pat and convenient without any sustainable energy propelling it along. We are left with personalities who just happen to be sharing the same living space for the duration of the funeral and the reading of the will. It’s a testament to the actors that this matters whatsoever.

Brenda is barely making ends meet. She loses her job at a factory and her lights are shut off. She has three children including a standout highschool basketball star named Michael Jr. (Gross). Michael Sr. (Philip Edward van Lear) hasn’t been around for the duration of the boy’s life and they’ve met a grand total of three times. Brenda can’t get any child support out of her ex husband and her only emotional support comes in the Hispanic stereotype Cheryl (Vergara) who is loud, obnoxious and puts on the classic spitfire act. Brenda is hurting immensely and finally decides to gather her children and take a bus to Georgia where she is immediately accosted by the loudest personalities in the clan. Prior to leaving she meets Harry who is believes that Michael has potential and could possibly play in the NBA. He also conveniently happens to live in the same neighborhood as the Brown’s and so the stage is set for the inevitable romance.

These two characters do seem to belong together and it is enjoyable to watch Brenda loosen up a bit but by the end of the film their stories don’t really add up to anything of significance. They are supposed to fall in love and so that is precisely what they do. It simply happens but there is no emotional weight behind their intimacy despite the strong performances by both actors involved. It isn’t necessarily a problem with the script either because the words and gestures are certainly in place to make it mean something but in the end it just doesn’t because the characters cease to matter by that time. The story is exceedingly predictable and the characters all turn out precisely as one expects. This is a story about a woman who has never truly allowed her self the benefit of the doubt. Naturally she realizes that she is indeed a fine person and that she deserves to experience love when it is given to her. The film leaves no questions unanswered and plays like a Hallmark movie of the week only there’s black people in it.

There are a couple of broad, comedic turns that keep the whole thing going for a while. These would be the characters of Vera (Lewis) and Leroy Brown (David Mann). Their characters both possess a vitality that stems from their larger than life personas. They both steal every scene they are in because they are designed to bring a certain sense of liberality to the proceedings and for the most part they do. Vera is a smooth, hyper-critical drama queen who is the type to feign a fainting spell if it means she can gain attention from the others present. She’s got a cruel tongue and its her lack of social graces that make her such an interesting character. She’s very well written and impeccable acted by the great Jennifer Lewis. David Mann continues his turn as Leroy Brown, a character who simply has to be seen to be believed. He’s part Amos and Andy and part Bugs Bunny and his clothes reflect what would happen if Wal-mart started a polyester Pimp line for the morbidly obese. Still, he’s got flash and tremendous energy and he brings the thing to life with every step. The man can flat out sing and dance which makes him worth seeing all by his damn self.

In this film there is little tension because one knows it’s all going to work out in the end. All that is left is a few standout performances that make the film as watchable as it is. Having said that Angela Bassett is something of a dream here. She possesses a quiet intensity that is a hallmark for female characters in Perry productions. Brenda is tough, beautiful, and deserving of whatever blessings might come her way. There are no weak women in Tyler Perry films. They all carry themselves with dignity that no man can tarnish and they all have learned how to take care of themselves. Still, there is a sense that having a man in the end is the ultimate goal and that this is perhaps the only road to their emotional salvation. Brenda is seen to be lacking something which is remedied once she allows Harry to melt her icy exterior and demonstrate his love for her.

This film is not entirely without conflict and this is actualized by the character of Michael. He is exceedingly gifted at playing basketball but he’s got another side to him that sees him selling dope for a friend. So, the stage is set for a life lesson and this comes on when Michael is shot by rival drug dealers who are defending their turf. This event is telegraphed early on because this type of behavior in the Tyler Perry universe has dire consequences. Drug dealers are presented as a scourge to society and Perry exploits the most vulnerable target to make his point. He shows in this scene how what seems like innocent, if not nefarious, fun can and does lead to an untoward outcome. Michael exemplifies someone who rises out of the projects and it’s important that he realize his aims. He is to serve as a role model who offers young men an image of someone who has succeeded despite the harshness of his surroundings.

As mentioned the performances in this film are manage to serve the script by creating believable characters who come off as natural and genuine. Angela Bassett conveys a wide range of emotions in this film as her character is thrust into a number of difficult environments that force her to react strongly. Rick Fox seems comfortable in the role as the caring man who convinces the woman of his sincerity and strength. Lance Gross carries himself with a vitality and a tremendous energy. Jennifer Lewis hams it up with style and grace. She’s a genuine force of nature in this film and every gesture is played up for maximum dramatic effect. David Mann gives everything he can to his role and the end result is a personality unencumbered by whatever obstacle might fall in his path.

Overall, this film in the end is diminished by the predictability of its story. It’s clear what is going to happen from the very beginning and its lack of mystery is a burden to its actualization. Still, there are great performances here and each actor brings something intriguing to their performance. Angela Bassett in particular is bold in laying herself open so nakedly as she does in this film. There aren’t any surprises so it’s difficult to invest in any of the central characters who seem to follow a set pattern that leads them to where they are fully expected to be. The end result is a film that does not challenge the audience and serves them up a easily digestible dose of candy-flavored placebo that tricks them into imagining they have received a tonic for their ills.

Film Review--The Man with the Golden Gun

The Man with the Golden Gun
directed by Guy Hamilton
written by Richar Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz
based on the novel by Ian Fleming
starring Roger Moore, Britt Ekland, Christopher Lee, Maud Adams, Hervé Villechaize, Clifton James, Richard Loo, Soon-Tek Oh, Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn



Bond faces a man with whom he shares many faculties in the ninth installment of the James Bond franchise. Technology and solar power play a definitive role in this story which is scattered from Beirut to Hong Kong and Bangkok.

The enemy in this story is the well-dressed, elegant expert marksman Francisco Scaramanga (Lee) who runs his operations from his own Island. He is the “Man with the Golden Gun” named for the gun he uses to dispatch of his targets for whose death he is payed one million dollars. He’s got massive plans for solar energy and none of them are particularly beneficial to the public at large. His assistant is the malevolent dwarf Nick Nack (Villechaize) who seems to be ubiquitous throughout the film. The film is a race to discover Scaramanga’s lair and all of the glorious technological wonders he has implanted there. It rivals the MI6 for its ingenuity and usefulness and Bond seems duly impressed.

The sexy Bond Girls in this film comes in the exquisite shape of Mary Goodnight (Ekland) who is sent to become Bond’s assistant and ultimately his lover and Scaramanga’s girl Andrea Anders (Adams) who also sleeps with Bond as all of them eventually do. Goodnight is supposed to be conducting official business and actually proclaims she doesn’t want to be one of his casual, throwaway flings but a few hours later she shows up in his room unable to resist his charms.

There are several sequences that seem sluggish and drag on a bit too long. There isn’t a tremendous amount of energy in this film and nothing seems particularly necessary in the rush to stop the madman Scaramanga. The locales are certainly lovely and possess their own peculiar charms but the story itself lacks tenacity or urgency which has been the hallmark of the series thus far. It looks like a pedestrian thriller without any clear definable features to set it apart from similarly themed films.

This film lacks the one on one physical confrontation between the two key players that always add a percolating thrill to Bond films. Also, once Bond actually meets Scaramanga whatever bit of magic this film possesses is sucked into the void. Still, Scaramanga ranks right up there with Goldfinger, Blofeld and No as formidable adversaries in this franchise that never seems to run out of nefarious characters to pit Bond against. Scaramanga is refined, cultured and utterly hellbent on actualizing his vision and commanding complete control of the world’s solar energy supplies. He’s a man of means who possesses a definitive genius for acquiring the technology he requires to see everything come off as it should. Of course he is not allowed to see his ideas come into fruition as Bond naturally comes to the rescue as he always does–with whatever piece of ass is left lying about and with most of his dignity intact.

Bond leads yet another group of angry young men on a long, drawn out boat chase which seems to lack the hifalutin danger quotient that has been injected into other such sequences. There is also a car chase scene which features a maneuver that is as spectacular as anything ever put on screen. It’s simply magical and awe-inspiring and most definitely worth the price of admission just on its own terms.

Despite the obvious comeliness of the two central females in this film and a rather sexy belly dancing scene there isn’t a whole lot of sex appeal outside of the charms of Mr. Lee and Mr. Moore. Bond also isn’t as playful here although he is certainly up to every challenge when it comes to leaving his mark on his women. One always is left to wonder what all the other women he has nailed in the series end up feeling about him. After all he’s nothing but a glorified cad who disposes of women like the wrapper on a Debauve & Gallais Antilles Rum. Certainly he affords all of the finer things including suits, Dom Pérignon, women, cars, and other implementations that cure the souls of the affluent and easily bored. He’s got a gift for purring in the ear of whatever kitty he wants to tantalize and he truly fills out his suits and tuxes with a heady, masculine readiness. He is a symbol for how life could be if only one could grasp elusive truths that separate those who have from those who do not. One is allowed to live through Bond and imagine one possesses all of his myriad skills for getting the most out of life while being able to kill people whenever they need to be killed.

Christopher Lee makes for a sublime criminal mind in this film. Of the early Bond arch-fiends Scaramanga possesses the most bewitchery and there is something positively lethal about the way he maneuvers about. Much of this comes with his ease of movement which translates into a grace that is second to none. Lee presents a man whose tastes rival Bond’s and it’s enjoyable to watch them attempt to outwit one another. The film has a nice symmetry to it as both the opening and penultimate sequences mirror each other in a way that gives the film a sort of uniformity which works well in the end.

The performances in this film all seem to work well within the limits of the material. Roger Moore is effective as 007 and commands the screen as one requires of his character. Christopher Lee is impressive and fully engaged in conveying a character that is mercurial and divisive. His charm expresses itself in many different ways and it is an equal match for that of Bond. Britt Ekland does what every Bond girl must do which is to look good in a bikini and swoon whenever Bond comes any where near her. She also manages to come off as tough, decisive and intelligent which is always a bonus for these characters. Hervé Villechaize plays it up as a deliriously effective thorn in James Bond’s side. His character is everywhere in this film like a gnat that just can’t be swatted and his presence adds an unsavory aspect to the film. Villechaize comes to us several years before his smashingly popular stint on TV’s “Fantasy Island”; subsequently its impossible to watch him without thinking first of his iconic character on that program.

Overall, this film doesn’t quite live up to some of the other great films that have proceeded it in the series. Still, it’s got a brilliant turn from Christopher Lee and exotic locales which are well exploited throughout. It’s all just a bit dodgy and doesn’t come together with any satisfaction by the end. The enemies don’t come off as particularly dangerous in this film and it seems too fundamentally easy to quash their plans and shatter their dreams. Still, there are moments when everything works effectively and these increase the film’s overall watchability. Bond does what he’s supposed to do but it’s just not as meaningful as it ought to be. In the end it doesn’t much matter who emerges from the inevitable fracas that engages both men to the death. Ultimately, the film lacks the pristine appreciation for style in the face of extreme danger that defines the series and the character of James Bond. No matter what terrible scratch he finds himself in he always looks like he just stepped out of a tailor on Savile Row. In this installment Bond seems a bit too haggard at times although for the most part he hits the right notes and gives his audience precisely what they are always desperate for in a hero. He’s still the man all men want to be all women want to be had by.

Film Review--Stella Maris

Stella Maris
directed by Marshall Neilan
written by Frances Marion
based on the book by William J. Locke
starring Mary Pickford, Ida Waterman, Herbert Standing, Conway Tearle, Marcia Manon, Josephine Crowell

Mary Pickford demonstrates dramatic range playing two roles in this 1918 silent romance that presents the tyranny of love and the grave sorrows afflicting the lovelorn.

Pickford plays two young women who couldn’t have had more opposite upbringings. Stella Maris, crippled from birth, has been sheltered from all the evil in the world and lives in comfort never having left the palatial home she grew up in. Unity Blake is a sorry sort who has spent most of her life in an orphanage. She’s uncouth, hunched over and walks about with a glum look upon her face. Naturally they both fall for the same guy and the film conveys their struggles to impress upon him their intentions. Unfortunately for Unity she’s merely dreaming because the man, named John Risca, wants nothing to do with her romantically. He only has eyes for Stella and this really gets Unity’s panties in a knot.

As the film opens Stella is surrounded with fluffy things, flowers, and is tended to by Lady Eleanor and Sir Oliver Blount. She lives in the welcoming lap of luxury and lacks for nothing. Meanwhile Unity is being chosen by Louis Risca, the wife of John, and taken to her home to clean and cook. One day Unity is robbed at the grocer and Louis beats her senseless gaining herself three years in the pokey. John takes Unity in as an act of kindness and Unity quickly grows attached to him. The essential note of the plotline is that John does not tell Stella that he is married. Indeed, nobody tells Stella anything about how cruel the world is and she isn’t even aware that there is a war going on. She professes not to understand the nature of war and how it leads brothers to fight against brothers. She is horrified upon reading the paper and discovering that a man has shot his brother and that a woman has drowned herself and children in the Thames. This realization creates quite a shock in the poor girl and it takes her a bit to recover.

The film includes many instances of Unity looking beaten, forlorn or just plain miserable. She is a rather pathetic girl who has suffered immensely her entire life. It’s quite amazing how different Pickford is able to make herself for each role. As Stella she is the very image of light and elegance. She radiates a positive energy that is readily captured by close ups that capture her seminal beauty. As Unity contrarily she seems wilted and harried all the time and nervously moves her hands about. She behaves as if she’s terrified of everything she encounters until she meets John and she becomes accustomed to his affection. But it doesn’t matter because she’s plain and Stella is astonishingly beautiful and poor Unity doesn’t stand a chance.

There is a very clear distinction between wealth and poverty in this film. Poverty is presented as a loathsome state that the poor truly deserve due to their profligate lifestyles or because it is God’s will. This is never explicitly stated but its easily ascertained by the ways in which the poor are excluded from the table of the wealthy. Unity is taken in by the Blounts but there is no love to be found there because she’s a sick animal and they don’t want their darling Stella to become aware of her state. It seems as if there is no place for Unity except with John who at least treats her like she’s a human being and not some ghastly anthropological experiment. Indeed, he alone treats her with respect and affords her an honor that she lacks in every other area of her life. He gives her warmth and tenderness and she succumbs to his charms and translates his kindness into an impossible love. John is merely behaving in accordance to a principle of goodness, a Christian perspective, that treats the lowest as if they were someone special. He wants nothing in return and only asks that Unity continue to thrive while under his care.

Stella is wonderfully naive about everything around her and she possesses a simple charm that is constant throughout the film. She does benefit from a surgery that allows her to walk affording her nothing more than strolls around the gardens. She still doesn’t fully grasp the pains and struggles of daily existence for a great number of impoverished people but she does attempt to help a beggar woman who stumbles onto the home’s property. She is awoken to the hell of existence and it doesn’t rightly change her or anyone for that matter. The message seems to be that life is truly hell for those who cannot make their own happiness which stems from inside.

Suffering and grief are definite themes in this film. Louise is a despairing case who drinks excessively and looks pensively into the distance with searching eyes that reflect tremendous inner torment. The great shots that introduce Louise with a bottle before her and a cigarette in hand are iconic images of a tortured person in a state of whirling confusion and abject unhappiness. John spends a great deal of the second half of the film with his head in his hands, suffering his own raging torments which he himself has created by not coming clean with Stella. His wife proves to be a real thorn in his side and continues to harass Stella long after she admits to her that she indeed is John’s wife.

The ending of this film seems tacked onto the end in order to appease the sentimental nature of many film goers at the time of its creation. The war was raging and cinema was seen as an escape from all the messiness that the war entailed. Basically, the tone for the entire picture is grim and grimmer and there is no hope that anything is ever going to improve in the lives of the central characters. But of course it does change in a major way that isn’t telegraphed so it isn’t easily read. The sunlight does come out and there is frolicking and playfulness and all the miseries of the past are magically wiped away. The burdensomeness of life as it was has been eradicated in one singular movement that has left the pathway wide open for exploration and great bounties of effervescent joy.

The performances in this film are all quite stellar in how they convey the complexities of the characters. Mary Pickford plays both characters with a distinct set of traits and quirks and her grasp of various emotional states is wonderfully conveyed. Pickford proves apt at playing a wide range of expressions within the context of the film. She is hopelessly maudlin in one instance and beaming with intoxicating light in the other. Stella Maris is simply one of the truly lovely creatures to have ever been created for the screen and this has everything to do with Pickford’s delightful performances. I can only think of Amy Adams in “Enchanted” in terms of a parallel to the exquisite comeliness of this character. Conway Tearle plays a strong, morally certain man who finds himself in a terrible fix that plagues him immensely. Tearle captures the agony of this character and there are great shots depicting the intensity of his suffering as he glances off into the distance. Marcia Manon does a fantastic job looking mad as a hatter in this film. Her eyes glaze over and her face contorts into a satanic laugh that shakes her own being. She’s creepy in her way and legitimately odd in her presentation.

Overall, this film captures an essence of what cruelty love or the lack of it can instill in a person who is not altogether schooled in its more devastating tenets. Love here is a broken thing that must be made whole for it to possess a person in its entirety. Unity only holds a fragment of love and has been unable to fashion the pieces together for her entire life. She’s an example of a character who is easily led to believe in a fantasy because the reality she is forced to face is so grim and hopeless. She’s cast aside at every turn until she meets the first person who truly enjoys her company. That she mistakes this for love is certainly not her fault but the film cannot present a scenario where she gains what she has sorely lacked for so long. Stella Maris is a singing bird who has not had to do much of anything but enjoy her surroundings for her entire life. It is not clear in the end if any of that will change although there is the hope that she might actually find a way to get out and experience some of the world.

Film Review--Sparrows

Sparrows
directed by William Beaudine
written by Winifred Dunn
adapted by C. Gardner Sullivan
starring Mary Pickford, Roy Stewart, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Charlotte Mineau, Spec O’Donnell, Lloyd Whitlock, Monty O’ Grady



A gaggle of filthy children are barely subsisting on a wretched baby farm owned by the diabolical Mr. Grimes (von Seyffertitz). They are cared for by the loving teenaged Molly (Pickford) who does what she can to keep the brood clothed and fed.

The children are all rotting without proper nourishment both intellectual and material. They are all mostly caked with dirt but they follow Molly’s lead and pray for a better life that it seems will never come. They work for Mr. Grimes tending to his scant fields and live in fear that he just might toss them into the swamp or feed them to the alligators. Grimes is a greedy bastard and he jumps at the chance to bring another tot into the fold even if it means the kid is napped in order to bring the deal into fruition. Indeed, a chubby toddler quickly finds herself sitting plumply on Grimes’s kitchen table as the nasty money fills Grimes’s pockets. Molly takes immediately to the new arrival and spends the rest of the film protecting her from the sinister machinations of the old man.

The film itself seems caked in mud as the entire lot save a few minor characters are very sorry indeed. The children seem hopeless and both the Grimes’s themselves are horrifically poor and shabbily attired. There isn’t but a modicum of joy to be found in the entire film and that naturally comes at the end when everything is solved for its own sake. Otherwise, it’s just dirty, smelly children chasing each other about and trying their best to keep out of old Grimy’s way. He doesn’t much like children and only uses them for work purposes. He doesn’t punish them directly but they must always be on their guard lest he sick his dog on them. The kids are also taunted routinely by the Grimes’s sissy pants son Ambrose (O’Donnell) who picks on the younger ones and cries to mommy and daddy when the slightest thing goes amiss.

There is quite a bit of tension during the final scenes where everything comes to a head and the children must escape with their lives through dangerous terrain that takes great focus to conquer. Grimes faces the piper as well leading up to the necessary ending when all turns happy and gay. It’s the only proper way to end such a sad state of affairs as this. One couldn’t possible leave these young ‘uns deprived of just about everything one expects children living in the Western world to enjoy as their birthright. It is never disclosed just where these brats come from but it is suggested that many of them were snatched away from warm beds and loving parents. Molly herself has a mysterious origin and it’s difficult to fathom what unlucky twist of fate brought her into her predicament.

Molly is presented as a good little mother who has been forced to care for a rather substantial group of youngsters. She seems to manage well and all the kids seem to adore her for the care she has taken to care for them as if she really were their mother. She considers the kids to be hers and will not part with them for even a second. They appear to provide her with a sense of purpose and add great meaning to her life. It’s the only thing in an otherwise dismal existence that gives her pleasure and opens her heart. Molly prays regularly for the children and they dutifully follow her lead and cast their gaze heavenward toward a place where they are not so routinely bowled under by the crushing realities of their lives. This is a film about longstanding faith and the power of prayer to change the lives of those who are steadfast and remain diligent in their supplication to God.

It’s rather strange and perhaps I wasn’t paying close enough attention but as the film opens there are at least ten kids and during their great escape there only seems to be seven and by the end there are nine. At first I imagined two of the weaker turdlings being preyed upon by the alligators but I figured this isn’t the kind of film that lets children suffer such a terrible fate. Still, it perked me up a bit until I realized that they all survived and I was left to await the necessary conclusion.

In my humble opinion there just isn’t enough Mary Pickford in this film. She shines in every scene and it’s a thrill to watch her do just about anything. When she’s not on the screen the children quickly wear thin because they remain a mass and we never get to know them as individuals. Can they do any tricks? What scares them more than anything in the world? What silly tales have they been fed that inform how they look at the world?

The music for this print does a grand job creating tension throughout. The scenes with Mr. Grimes are darkly somber pieces that truly reflect the blackness of his soul. Molly’s music is heroic and one is left with a clear impression of her integrity.

The performances here all work within the context of the film. As mentioned Mary Pickford is one of those rare creatures in cinema that it is absolutely impossible to take one’s eyes off of. She’s a ravishing gamine whose very presence makes this a watchable film. She plays the complex emotions afflicting her character with natural ease that makes one sad that she was never really able to make the transition into talkies. Roy Stewart says quite a lot with his cruel laughter in this film. He slithers about and seems to grow darker as the film progresses. His character is clearly drawn as an man of ill will and the film projects him as a bona fide creep.

Overall, this is a film that is best remembered as a Mary Pickford vehicle. The story meanders and feels too long. Ultimately the children weigh it down even though they don’t really do much of anything at all besides look wan and hungry. It does possess a certain line of terror for a while but that only works if one isn’t gearing up to watch one of the tasty morsels get eaten.

Film Review--Soul Men

Soul Men
directed by Malcolm D. Lee
written by Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone
starring Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac, Sharon Leal, Sean Hayes, Adam Herschman, Isaac Hayes, Affion Crockett, Fasto-Fasano, Jackie Long, Mike Epps, John Legend



Two billygoat scruffers who used to be the Real Deal fight and scratch their way to a big tribute concert honoring their former frontman who went on to electrify audiences long after the elastic-challenged duo hung up their polyester suits and retired into oblivion.

Louis Hinds (Jackson) and Floyd Henderson (Mac) were once on top of the world as part of a terrifically successful soul group who generated a tremendous amount of heat back in the day. Many moons later they are out of the business and shuffling through life doing just enough to get by. Louis is a mechanic and Floyd has been forced out of his lucrative car business by his nephew and now lives on a fixed income. They profess to hate each other as the film opens but are resigned to hook up because of the concert at the Apollo Theater in New York where they have been asked to perform. The rest of the film is devoted to their wacky road trip and not even the scintillating chemistry between Jackson and Mac can rescue this from being a wholly pedestrian buddy movie that seems unwilling to skirt all the cliches.

Most of the action takes place between Floyd and Louis. They fight and scratch at each other as only two men who truly love each other can. Their bitter disputes, haranguing, and low shots beneath the belt are really the only thing worth paying attention to here. The Apollo can not come quickly enough and there just isn’t enough of a plot to maintain one’s interest beyond what occurs between the two leads. Still, it’s a real joy to watch these two go at it and they clearly seem to be having a blast making the film. There is a hint of sadness here due to the untimely passings of both Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes. The jubilant, attack dog method of Mac works well as a counter to the more laid back approach of Jackson as both actors get full mileage out of the material they have been given. Unfortunately that material does not add up to a compelling film that is remotely watchable all the way through.

One of the failings of this film is in its overblown ciphers who chew up scenery but don’t add anything to the film. Affion Crockett’s character Lester is supposed to be a critique of a hood rat with the ubiquitous pretensions of making it as a rapper. Instead, he is just an ugly, ugly stereotype possessing no charm, no style, and no rapping talent whatsoever. Granted, he’s supposed to represent the bastardization of classic soul music that Louis just cannot comprehend. Their clash is perhaps one of the only real moments where the audience is allowed to feel something remotely passing as an emotion and in this case it’s disgust. One sides with Louis because he represents a lasting tradition that will continue long after all of us have passed on. He’s old school in a way that possesses legitimacy and his clash with Lester is an assault on all those who show no love or respect for their heritage and bring nothing to the table in terms of real skills that true masters of the craft possess in spades. It isn’t a critique of rappers per se only those who can no longer hear the music and let their oversized egos get in the way of getting things done. It’s apparent here that Lester has no clue how to use a sample in a way that both elevates it and brings out its mystery as well. He’s just a punk who deserves the whooping Louis puts on him over the course of the film.

The film does move alone rather briskly and there aren’t many moments where it seems to drag along but nothing truly magical or intriguing seems to be happening and the end result is a film that doesn’t seem to know where it needs to go. It’s a case where two truly interesting characters are left out to dry and nothing they do possesses any meaning whatsoever. It’s a crying shame too because these are two men who work so well together and their chemistry is apparent from the very beginning. They could have soared with a proper script but instead we are given a bumbling buddy road movie where each stop only prolongs the misery until the big day finally arrives and none too soon.

There is one bright spot along the way in the form of a girl named Cleo who secretly writes and sings songs in her bathrobe that send chills down the spine. She is the daughter of the mysterious Odetta who both Louis and Floyd have had relationships with. Indeed, she broke both of their hearts and Louis remains devoted to her in some perverse way. So, she dies and Louis and Floyd decide to pay her a visit because they are broke. Instead they meet Cleo who they convince to head out on the road with them. There’s a major secret revealed here that is only half heartedly played out but it is obviously supposed to be imbued with meaning. Regardless, they hit the road and nothing much of note happens. There are minor disturbances, grief soaked moments, confessions and such but none of it amounts to anything. Again, they simply lead up to the big show where there are naturally complications and it looks like our men will not be able to perform. Of course they do and of course it isn’t very good because neither Jackson or Mac possess that wow factor that make all seminal stage performers so breathtakingly perfect from the moment they hit the stage. Still, it’s a joy to watch them light it up and get their due which is what this film seems to be about if it is about anything at all.

Granted the funkdafied old boys groove alright with the right clothes and the hard, carnal posturing. They look like warriors in those duds, supremely gifted to charm the panties out of every little lady within spitting distance and beyond. When the film isn’t suffering the foibles of ill-begotten scene killers it has its moments of goofy fun. There is a logic here and it has everything to do with what our heroes are attempting to do to each other in order to bring the other one down. Otherwise, it’s a lost cause with too many moments that might have turned into something thrilling and divine.

The performances in this film all do a fine job with the material which unfortunately strands them far too often. Samuel L. Jackson is in his best feisty form and it’s still amazing how threatening he is despite remaining so bloody cool under the collar. He’s a legitimate force of nature who is infinitely watchable no matter the level of the script he is working with. It’s always a pleasure to watch him do almost anything on screen and he’s one of the view talents you can say that about. Bernie Mac in his final film stands up hard to Mr. Jackson and gives as good as he gets. His gift for comedy is clearly immense and he’s quite good at reacting to whatever forced mayhem is taking place around him. His death is a great loss as he is truly gifted at putting on a pretty good show. Sharon Leal nearly steals the show with that voice and sly, come-on hips. She’s high wattage all the way and it will be interesting to see what Hollywood does with her. They don’t come too often with this sort of down-home charm and obvious grace. She’s definitely one to keep the eyes glued on.

Overall, this is a film that just isn’t impressive enough to be memorable. It certainly presents two fantastic talents and lets them make their best effort to keep the crowds entertained for the duration of the picture. Unfortunately, it’s not funny enough, it bogs down at the end, and its far too formulaic for its own good. It just isn’t special in any way and the great closedown at the end doesn’t come off as the great showstopper it means to be. We know the ending and the journey getting there lacks any legitimate thrills. There’s some feeble attempts at physical comedy but they all fall flat. Ultimately, the film wastes several great talents due to a poorly conceived script that gives the actors nothing to work with.

My Best Girl

My Best Girl
directed by Sam Taylor
written by Allen McNeil, Tim Whelan
adapted for the screen by Hope Loring
story by Kathleen Norris
starring Mary Pickford, Buddy Rogers, Sunshine Hart, Lucien Littlefield, Carmelita Geraghty, Hobart Bosworth, Evelyn Hall, Avonne Taylor, John Junior



In this 1927 silent feature showcasing the comedic talents of Mary Pickford, the efficacy of family life is threatened by an uninvited guest that utterly alters the landscape leaving one member in a giddy state from which she cannot recover.

It’s boy versus girl in the world series of love. Maggie Johnson (Pickford) is a lovelorn shop girl who is utterly devoted to her quirky family in this gallant tale of the irrepressible urgency of young lust. As the film opens she is given the rare opportunity to wait on customers when the boy appears and charms the living daylights out of her. He is Joe Merrill (Rogers), the son of shop magnate Robert E. Merrill (Bosworth) and he’s masquerading as a lowly shop boy to prove to his father that he is ready to marry the lovely Millicent (Taylor). It’s readily apparent that this match is doomed because Joe clearly has eyes for Maggie and their connection is instant and irreversible.

Ma (Hart) and Pa (Littlefield) Johnson are a sorry lot. She’s obsessed with crashing funerals and he’s a weather beaten shell of a man whose prone to sneezing fits when he’s not busy keeping out of the way. Ma is a blustery gal, bloated, with a penchant for smelling salts. Her husband is an emaciated, physically depressed sort and they both move very, very slowly. Sister Liz (Geraghty) is a bit of a siren flapper who digs a small time con named Nick Powell (Junior) and seems hell bent on thrilling it up in the jazz age to the deep chagrin of her parents. Maggie is something of a house slave who cooks and cleans and seems to have given up on her own happiness until Joe breezes in and changes everything.

The scenes between Maggie and Joe are brimming with exquisite sexual tension. At work they dine in an overturned bin and fancy it a glorious café. They pull close and their lips brush slightly and it’s as charged as anything that has ever been put on the screen. Indeed, it’s more erotically stimulating than if they had fully embraced and smothered each other with heated, panting kisses. It builds up the agonizing foreplay that is heightened by the lack of direct physical intimacy. It’s enough to know that they want each other and the rest is best left to the imagination.

So, Joe is supposed to be out with his family at a surprise party and Maggie is supposed to be home tending to her family. But they dig each other too much to part and they spend a rain-soaked evening together unworried that they are resigned to other obligations. It is playful and sweet when they splash about safe in the knowledge that theirs is an intoxicating bond and they simply do not want the evening to end. Joe gets the wild idea to travel to the bossman’s house because one of the mottos of the company is that all the workers are one big family and he proclaims he insists on forcing the boss man to prove those words.

Joe and Maggie develop the idea that they are Mr. and Mrs. Merrill as they eat at Joe’s table. Naturally his family show up and Joe has to think quickly. Millicent rushes to him and kisses him chastely leaving him no alternative but to brush Maggie aside sending her tear-stained out into the street. The ubiquitous sequence in the rain is charmed by a delicate poignancy as Joe leaves to hunt Maggie down. He convinces her of his love and the pair are reconciled.

There is a haunted quality to this film as each character plays out their individual arcs against the backdrop of the tyranny of love. Maggie’s family are presented as something of a burden that has forced her into a position of quiet resignation and dire unhappiness. Still, she puts on a happy face and carries her self with dignity never allowing the demands of her family to weigh her down completely. Joe offers her a way out and she’s determined to take full advantage of the opportunity if she can only trust herself enough to do so.

Maggie is the antithesis of her free-spirited sister who feels no such ties to her family and merely wants to have as good a time as possible out on the town meeting people, dancing, drinking and otherwise experiencing all the superficial and fleeting pleasures of the high-flying jazz age. She is portrayed as a rather loose girl who gets involved with a shady character whose particular vices are not readily explained. Liz manages to get herself arrested for doing lord knows what and her pleas for help are finally answered as she harangues the judge at night court. She finally runs headlong into the immovable force of the law and perhaps her arrest signals something of a critique of the wantonness with which she insists on carrying on. Maggie is the heroic figure who always knows just how to handle her family at all times as she seems to be the only one capable of holding them up. They are all weak in their way and they rely on their energetic savior to protect them when situations get dicey.

The sexual politics on display here are a contrast between the virginal Maggie and the more worldly Millicent who most likely has spent a bit of time with her bloomers crumpled in a heap at the edge of this or that bed. It is suggested through posture and movement that there is a big, bad wicked world outside the doors of Maggie’s parents place and she is about to enter into it at last. This film challenges the clinging aspect of traditional family life and in its place promotes a life unencumbered by tradition and enhanced by opportunities such as travel. There is an openness to the scenes where Maggie and Joe are freely enjoying themselves out and about with no limitations on their time or their pleasure.

Joe is presented as a proper gentleman who has learned how to behave in polite society. He guides Maggie and it seems obvious that he will condition her once she breaks the bonds that afflict her. There is no mystery to how things turn out for this couple because the film is selling an unbridled message of true and lasting love. It’s obvious from the start as to where they will be at the end and it’s to the film’s credit that it maintains the fantasy throughout. These are characters worth believing in and their individual plights have a universal ring of truth to them. Their desires are paramount to the audience’s ability to identify with the characters and hope for the realization of all their aspirations and dreams.

The performances in this film all take full advantage of the limits inherent in the medium to create characters who are believable and necessary. Mary Pickford possesses an astonishing talent for conveying emotional truths. In her posture and gestures as well as her facial expressions she expresses a wide range of dueling emotions that give her character a complexity that belies the simplicity with which she presents herself. We learn of the tumult in Maggie’s soul by paying strict attention to how Pickford plays various scenes where she is downcast, ebullient, damaged, heartbroken, frustrated and the like. All of them comes through and they add a great depth to her performance. Buddy Rogers presents a classy, upstanding lad that is projected also through his posture and obvious charm. Joe is not a complicated boy and Rogers captures his earnestness and naivety with surety and conviction. Sunshine Hart and Lucien Littlefield are thoroughly convincing as the depressed, earth-drawn parents who seem ready to die at any moment. Both actors give nuanced performances of two characters who are utterly wound down and appear exhausted in every scene. Carmelita Geraghty is a spritely thing and it’s readily apparent by how she presents her character that this is definitely a good-time girl who is unabashedly modern in her dress and attitude.

Overall, this film presents a clear message about the jarring contrasts between small town family life and the allure of life beyond its confines. It both criticizes the excesses of the modern age while promoting it as a healthy, vibrant alternative to the drudge of being bound by tradition and never venturing further than the family homestead. This conflict provides the film with a tension that is readily played out in the relationship between two kids from the opposite side of the tracks.