daltonbriant894 Reviews

The Impossible (2012)

The Impossible (2012) Review

[8/10 · 3 May 2024]

Rewatched May 3, 2024

Still such a moving film. I breakdown in tears every time I watch it. To imagine to have to live through something like this is unreal. When the tsunami hits and several minutes thereafter, this is some of the best but also hardest stuff to watch on film. Everything looked so real and that the actors were actually experiencing it firsthand. The sound mixed with the cinematography gives us an amazing experience of feeling like we are apart of it. The acting specifically between Naomi Watts and Tom Holland are top level. Definitely recommend watching this one if you haven't already!

All About Eve (1950)

All About Eve (1950) Review

[10/10 · 4 August 2023]

Rewatched 08/04/23

"Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!" - Margo Channing.

And it sure was! A masterpiece of a film by the mastermind Joseph L. Mankiewicz, All About Eve tells the story of a seemingly sincere, devoted fan (the talented Anne Baxter as Eve Harrington) of a very famous theater actress (the magnificent Bette Davis as Margo Channing) and her meeting and being taken under the wing of said actress. Eve is then able to learn the ropes of show business and aspires to become an actress herself, with whatever steps or actions needing to be taken to get there. After speaking to her maid (Thelma Ritter as Birdie) about her dislike towards Eve, Margo starts to realize that Eve is up to more than she seems to be letting on. This new suspicion along with her own fear of aging causes Margo to no longer trust Eve and leads to arguments not only with Eve but also with her director lover (Gary Merrill as Bill Simpson), her frequent playwright (Hugh Marlowe as Lloyd Richards), and her best friend and Lloyd's wife (Celeste Holm as Karen Richards). Add a theater critic (George Sanders as Addison DeWitt) to the mix, witnessing some of the drama that unfolds as well as being an active participant in causing some of it, and you've got quite a treat in store for you. Also don't miss Marilyn Monroe in her short role as Miss Cassell, another aspiring actress who is accompanied by DeWitt to Margo's house and to her audition.

The direction and screenplay by Mankiewicz is some of the best ever brought to the screen. He enables his cast to give their best with some of the best dialogue ever and has the camera angled in the perfect direction to catch another character's reaction to what's going on around. This also gives way to the cinematography in gorgeous black and white photography with fine editing. The costumes were also very well done. The score fit perfectly for the film.

But the acting is the best part of the film. Each cast member put their soul into their character and so everyone was great! However, the real standouts happen to be the actors nominated for the Oscar: Celeste Holm, Thelma Ritter, George Sanders (won), Anne Baxter, and of course the MVP (probably an understatement of every film that she's in to be honest) Bette Davis. Davis gives the performance of her life, and it's no wonder that this performance is viewed so highly by so many people. This is one performance that the Academy will forever regret rewarding.

The Little Foxes (1941)

The Little Foxes (1941)

[9/10 · 26 July 2023]

Rewatched on July 26, 2023

This cast is so magnificent! Lead by my favorite actress, the queen of the screen Bette Davis, this film, with a juicy dialogue exchange between the characters written by Lillian Hellman, gives each of the main cast members several moments to shine.

The film is about a deal trying to be reached between a wealthy businessman and a group of siblings (two brothers and a sister - Charles Dingle, Carl Benton Reid, and Bette Davis) to bring a cotton mill to the plantation, with the siblings hoping to make millions by exploiting the poor laborers. However, there's a catch: the sister is needing her sickly husband (Herbert Marshall) to agree to put up their third of the money. We have Davis and Marshall's naive daughter (Teresa Wright) in love with neighbor (Richard Carlson) who encourages her to explore and think for herself, and we have Reid's sweet but fragile wife (Patricia Collinge) and their sometimes obnoxious son (Dan Duryea). We then let the drama unfold.

William Wyler was one of the best directors back in the day. This film was in excellent hands. The costume design and production design were very impressive. However, the true highlight of the film is the acting. Bette Davis, of course, is my MVP as she commands the attention of the audience. Reading up on the Broadway production before the film, I learned that the character she played was portrayed more as a fighter originally, but Davis envisioned her being this cold and calculating woman. She had her makeup done as a white out effect to help show her coldness. This just shows how much attention she paid to details. Teresa Wright and Patricia Collinge were both very impressive as well in their respective roles. Wright was able to show us the growth of her character from a naive "yes, ma'am" girl to the girl who wasn't afraid to stand up to her mother while Collinge showed us her tortured soul in thinking she was loved but was only for land. Charles Dingle and Carl Benton Reid were both very convincing in their roles showing their greed and showing that sometimes you can't rely on family after all. Herbert Marshall was excellent in his role as he fought to keep his health and to keep out of the business. Richard Carlson and Dan Duryea were like opposites of each other as Carlson was someone who treated others with kindness and respect and thought about life while Duryea rarely showed respect to others like interrupting people when talking or illegal things (won't say more to keep from spoiling film).

I highly recommend watching this film if you haven't already. The Academy gave it 9 Oscar nominations: notable for Best Picture, Best Actress for Davis, Best Supporting Actress for both Wright and Collinge, Best Director for Wyler, and Best Screenplay for Hellman.

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Sunset Blvd (1950) Review

[10/10 · 27 June 2023]

Rewatched on June 27, 2023.

"All right, Mr. DeMille. I'm ready for my close-up."

A true masterpiece from the legendary director and screenwriter Billy Wilder. His inside look into the entertainment industry is among the best ever made, filled with so many wonderful lines of dialogue exchange between his characters.

We have William Holden as Joe Gillis, a screenwriter barely getting by, and has a chance encounter at what he thought was an uninhabited mansion after his tire goes flat. Enter Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, the silent film star that used to be big - "I am big! It's the pictures that got small!" She is planning her comeback - "I hate that word. It's a return, a return to the millions of people who have never forgiven me for deserting the screen." Gillis tricks Desmond into hiring him to edit her long screenplay, one that she wrote herself so that she could star as the main character. I'm not going to go further with the plot to avoid spoilers.

Holden is great here as the leading man just trying to make a living and doesn't like that he is relying so much on Desmond. You can feel the frustration each time she pays for something for him. His guilt is also felt that night of New Year's Eve after calling the house and talking to Max, who is the butler (and has other secrets to his identity which I won't elaborate further on) played excellent by Erich von Stroheim. His feelings for Betty Schaefer, played by the fantastic Nancy Olson, are shown in his face. This is one of Holden's best performances.

However, the star of the movie is the brilliant Gloria Swanson. Swanson herself was a silent film star (as was von Stroheim as actor and director). As Desmond was wanting a "return" for her career, this return was reflected as well in reality by Swanson. Silent film stars used their faces to act - "We didn't need dialogue. We had faces!" So the over the top performance by Swanson was warranted and brilliant because of the fact that she herself was a silent film star who was used to using wide facial expressions to act and that her character was the same trying to do the new films, where facial acting wouldn't be as needed and would look strange. Further, it also added to her performance as we saw more into her psyche, especially the ending scene. Just really brilliant.

Billy Wilder had created a magnificent piece of art here with this film with the help from many people from the acting; the screenplay with Charles Brackett and D. M. Marshman Jr. (and himself); the cinematography from John F. Seitz; production design by Hans Dreier, John Meehan, Sam Comer, and Ray Moyer; music by Franz Waxman; and editing by Arthur P. Schmidt and Doane Harrison. This film was made almost 75 years ago, and it still stands as one of the best ever made to this day.

Michael Clayton (2007)

Michael Clayton (2007) Review

[10/10 · 16 June 2023]

Rewatched on June 16, 2023.

I remember the first time I watched this film that I enjoyed it but was somewhat confused by the plot. However, upon subsequent viewings the story comes together so brilliantly that you're able to pick up on things that you might have missed on a previous viewing. Tony Gilroy (brother of writer director Dan Gilroy "Nightcrawlers"), as both writer and director, has given us a film that makes you wonder how often this happens in the "real world." It's kind of like Erin Brockovich but shown through the lives of those who are taking part in the coverup, which makes it seem darker. He's given us a film that gets better with each viewing. The performances here are great with Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson being the MVPs. Swinton gives a deserving Oscar winning performance, which isn't surprising at all given how amazing and talented of an actress she is. George Clooney is also present in one of his best performances as well. Sydney Pollack was also great here in one of his last acting roles before he passed. Anyway, I really recommend watching this film!

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

Rebel Without a Cause (1955) Review

[10/10 · 14 June 2023]

Rewatched on June 14, 2023

Such an awesome film. James Dean only starred in 3 films, but boy did he leave a legacy through those films. The one film he didn't earn an Oscar nomination was for this film, and in my opinion this was his best performance. He is able to express all of the emotions that a teenager would feel. His character's feelings of honor is basically what sets the events in the film in motion. He knows that it'd be dangerous, but for the sake of his honor and to not be known as a "chicken," he has to go worth with it. Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo give great performances as well so their Oscar nominations were well deserved. A young Dennis Hopper here as well. I want to close with the ending gets me every time 😭.

Postcards from the Edge (1990)

Postcards from the Edge (1990) Review

[8/10 · 13 June 2023]

Rewatched on June 12, 2023

Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine have insane chemistry together. I need them to be in another film together please! They were the perfect choices for Carrie Fisher's semi-autobiographical screenplay/story of mother and daughter dynamics. Every time I watch this film, I can see Fisher in Streep in the way she expresses herself and uses Fisher's own words. I'm then able to see MacLaine impersonate Debbie Reynolds in her mannerisms and expressions. The two of them feed off of each other with each succeeding line. Both have awesome musical numbers with Streep ending the film on a fantastic one. Streep was rightfully nominated for an Oscar for this performance, but MacLaine should have also been in my opinion. We then have great cameo performances from the likes Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, Annette Bening, Richard Dreyfus, Rob Reiner, Mary Wickes, Simon Callow, and CCH Pounder. Then being directed by the incredible Mike Nichols. This is one film that should not be missed.

The Shining (1980)

The Shining (1980) Review

[10/10 · 9 June 2023]

Rewatched June 9, 2023

Finally gave it the 10 stars it deserved.

This film is soooo rewatchable. Even though I've seen it like 5 times now, I feel like I'm still left with so many questions that I don't know the answers to. And to perfectly honest, I don't care to have them answered. That's what makes this film so great: that it's so mysterious and that we, the audience, feel like we are going insane watching it.

This is most likely my favorite Kubrick film, and probably always has been even though I had rated some other films higher previously. However, I've seen this film the most times, and I was probably kidding myself for not rating it this before. Kubrick is such a masterful director and screenwriter. He knows how to gauge his audience and keep them engaged. I'm sure many horror filmmakers go back to this film as an influence in their own films. I also wanted to give props to the exquisite score here, perhaps my favorite one in a horror film. Going from quiet notes to sharp thrills in moments of uneasiness or horror just added more layers to the film. The cinematography from frequent collaborator John Alcott is fantastic and aids in the suspense like what's around the next corner or wow it's very dark and terrifying. Production design is also a plus, I mean giving us this large hotel and able to make it horrifying especially the magnificent maze!

Let's talk about the acting of the main three. Jack Nicholson: I've read that some people thought he was miscast in the part, as some say they weren't surprised about his character's descent into madness due to first impressions of him. My argument is actually that in fact, because if you think of it who in their right mind would really move into the hotel with their significant other and child and be secluded for almost half a year especially after finding out that there's been a case of a previous caretaker going insane and committing suicide after murdering his family (with the only explanation as being because of "cabin fever"). So yes, I think Nicholson was perfect for the part and was brilliant as Jack. You could literally see his descent as the days went by, with the occasional glimpse here and there before he completely went off the deep end. One of my favorite performances from him. Next, Shelley Duvall: Now I haven't read King's novel, but I gather that she doesn't fit the physical description of Wendy. However, from what I can tell, she was very much a mother to Danny. That loving and "do anything for you because you're my son" attitude that Wendy has was made very apparent from Duvall's performance. I thought her performance was excellent. Danny Lloyd was pretty good as Danny. It wasn't the best child performance, but it certainly wasn't the worst.

Two things I noted during this viewing. First, towards the beginning Jack had said that Wendy is into ghost stories and whatnot, but whenever horror/scary events occur she is always scared to death. She also became almost sickened by Jack talking to Danny about the Donner family and cannibalism. Could Jack have lied about it to smooth things over to his employers to where there wouldn't be any objections about them doing the job, or is it that she does like them but for the majority of people would rather not be apart of said events? Makes you wonder if Jack even told her about it. Second, we know that Wendy hits Jack with the bat, and he becomes semiconscious. When he gets out of the storage room and chases Danny in the maze at the end, we start to hear Jack start yelling very, first like he's slurring his words then very incoherently. He then stumbles even more than he was (remember injured foot in storage) and keeps stumbling around barely making it around and hollering barely making any sense before he's on the ground. The next thing we know he's covered with snow and basically frozen. I'm sure that during all the chasing and whatnot that Jack's blood pressure was elevated. So I'm a nurse, and based on what I saw and medical knowledge I know, I think that he may have had a slow brain bleed that was developing and kept filling his head and causing pressure on his brain. This could have explained his neurological symptoms at the end.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Brokeback Mountain (2005) Review

[9/10 · 6 June 2023]

Rewatched on June 2, 2023

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are just two of the best actors. And I know it's been almost twenty years since the Oscars ceremony, but this film was robbed of Best Picture!

Anyway... This is a film that shows how much outside factors (like other people's thoughts during that time, having families, living far away from each other in different states) can influence how love can be expressed between two individuals. Ledger's character (Ennis) is too afraid to fully dive into the relationship and pushes Gyllenhaal's character (Jack) away, mostly because he's afraid of people finding out. Even though by the end of the film they've had some type of relationship over 15 years, most of that time was apart due to above said reason.

This is still an important story today. No love should be taken away from anyone. We can't place our own beliefs into each person. I think we have come a long way as a society, but there are still many people being discriminated against just because of who they love and that's not right. Love is love is love.

Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

Dangerous Liaisons (1988) Review

[8/10 · 6 June 2023]

Rewatched on June 6, 2023

"When I came out into society, I was fifteen. I already knew that the role I was condemned to, namely to keep quiet and do what I was told, gave me the perfect opportunity to listen and observe. Not to what people told me, which naturally was of no interest, but to whatever it was they were trying to hide. I practiced detachment. I learned how to look cheerful while, under the table, I stuck a fork into the back of my hand. I became a virtuoso of deceit. It wasn't pleasure I was after, it was knowledge. I consulted the strictest moralists to learn how to appear, philosophers to find out what to think, and novelists to see what I could get away with. And in the end, I distilled everything to one wonderfully simple principle: win or die." - Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil

Glenn Close's best performance in my opinion. A character she really dove right into and embodied. She became the "virtuoso of deceit." John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Uma Thurman, and Mildred Natwick are also excellent in the cast. Costumes and production design is exquisite.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Review

[10/10 · 23 April 2023]

Rewatched February 27th, 2021

A favorite of mine for years and a worthy Beat Picture winner at the Oscars, Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins give the performances of their careers. Now whether or not you agree with category placement for Hopkins, which I've for years agreed as leading due to importance to plot but after this viewing I'm actually seeing it more as supporting, his along with Foster's are Oscar deserving performances. Ted Levine is also incredible as Buffalo Bill and was deserving of awards attention but sadly did not. The screenplay by Ted Tally had incredible dialogue especially between Foster and Hopkins and allowed them to showcase their talents. The film would not have been as successful without masterful direction by Jonathan Demme. As far as techs go, editing is top notch. It's no surprise to see that the costume design was completed by 12 times Oscar nominated with 4 wins Colleen Atwood, because her work combined with the production design by Kristi Zea and Karen O'Hara brings magic to the screen captured by the exquisite cinematography of Tak Fujimoto.

Secrets & Lies (1996)

Secrets & Lies (1996) Review

[10/10 · 23 April 2023]

Rewatched March 31st, 2021

Viewed on Criterion. I watched this film for the second time with this viewing. I had sent Criterion an email back in July of 2019 suggesting titles to be added to the Criterion Collection, and this title was the very first title mentioned.

Mike Leigh is a brilliant man. How he works with his actors and helps them develop their characters and backstories for months prior to filming goes to show how important it is to him for his films to be/feel realistic to his audience. Then the improvisation the actors brought during rehearsal until Leigh has all the action and dialogue within his script finalized also shows his dedication to his film and audience.

Now for the acting. Each actor within this film has a place to shine no matter how small their part is. But the main actors I want to bring attention to are Timothy Spall, Phyllis Logan, Claire Rushbrook, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and the incredible Brenda Blethyn. They all bring their all to this film, but Blethyn gives her body and soul to this role. People I know have said that they don't know how she was able to go in and out of this character because it looked as if it was indeed hurting her. This is probably one of those performances where I have a hard time believing that it wasn't real. Blethyn WAS Cynthia. I'm going to mention one scene in particular that I'm sure is frequently referenced: the café scene with Blethyn and Jean-Baptiste. This is a masterclass scene in acting. I'm not going to go into it but this scene is probably one of my favorites in a film ever.

By the end of this film, I was bawling, which is very rare for me and is a testament of the work performed in front of and behind the camera. In closing, I highly recommend viewing this film if you haven't already but be prepared to bring tissue!

Babylon (I) (2022)

Babylon (2022) Review

[9/10 · 23 April 2023]

Watched on February 24th, 2023

Wow there is so much to unpack in this film. Everyone was on their A game. I feel like I didn't watch the same film as others did based on other reviews I've read, but Margot Robbie is a beast. This was the first I've seen Diego Calva, and I'm looking forward to seeing more from him as he was excellent and awards worthy. I think this is actually one of Brad Pitt's best performances. Supporting performances from Jean Smart, Li Jun Li, and Jovan Adepo were also great, just wish there was more background into the characters. Incredible production design from Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino (can definitely see them taking the Oscar) and costume design from Mary Zophres. Justin Hurwitz's score was great and brought some familiarity from some previous scores, especially La La Land.

This was a film about the film industry. At first the glamour and exclusivity of being apart of it and then the ruthlessness of the business once it's used you up and as the film industry changes and grows. One of the scenes that I'm sure speaks to a lot of actors is the talk between Pitt and Smart's characters about how Pitt and other actors ghosts will be together again on the screen after well long gone when someone plays the film. The end of the film is also extremely satisfying watching everything come together as Calva's character wanted to leave his mark on the industry and did just that: he and the other industry leaders of the era paved the way to aspire upcoming industry leaders to make well made films highly regarded and successful today and will be in the future and to continue to evolve the filmmaking process.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) Review

[10/10 · 23 April 2023]

Rewatched March 16th, 2023

Even better this time around!!! The Daniels are geniuses. How much is going on in this film is insane. But that's kind of the point of the film: trying to get through all the chaos and noise of our lives to get to what is important, our families. And the Wangs definitely felt like a family, because not everyone gets a long all the time but in the end they do love each other and will do anything for each other. I love that the initial conflict was set with the IRS because many would related to what the characters are feeling in that time.

The acting from everyone was phenomenal. Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis all deserve their Oscar wins, and Stephanie Hsu (with a deserving Oscar nomination as well) and James Hong are excellent as well. Now I love Curtis's win (especially for her career), but after this viewing I do agree that Hsu's performance was far stronger. You can feel how passionate this film is to the Daniels so the fact that they won the Oscar's for directing and original screenplay is very deserving. The editing is out of this world so was a much deserved win at the Oscars. I remembered the costumes the first time around and was so happy that it got a nomination for it, and this viewing showed me again how amazing they were (I really would have loved to see a win here as well but I guess I can't have everything 😉). The nominations for original score and song were very inspired, and I paid attention more to them this time around: very nice indeed. Its deserving Best Picture prize at the Oscars along with its other wins broke some stats: Yeoh became first Asian to win Best Actress, first film to win 3 acting awards and Best Picture, and its 7 wins made it the most awarded Best Picture winner since Slumdog Millionaire in 2008.

At the beginning I said the Daniels are geniuses, one thing to leave you with is that they were able to get me to cry when a rock "goes after" another rock....😭

There Will Be Blood (2007)

There Will Be Blood (2007) Review

[10/10 · 23 April 2023]

Rewatched March 22, 2023

One of the best movies made in the past twenty years. I believe this to be Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece (but he has several others that could fight for the title as well).

This features my favorite performance from Daniel Day-Lewis, and I'm so glad he won the awards he did because it was well deserved. However, it is criminal how the Academy overlooked Paul Dano in this film (the Academy has done so for been for several of his exceptional performances). A trivia fact on IMDb said that on the radio program "Fresh Air with Terry Gross," he stated he was originally only supposed to play Paul Sunday and someone else playing Eli, but there was a casting change and Anderson asked Dano to play both characters making them twins and started shooting that part 4 days later. I think that is just amazing how he was able to get into character with such little time to prepare. I also really enjoyed the child performance from Dillon Freasier.

Also criminal is the fact that the music by Jonny Greenwood wasn't nominated for an Oscar; it was perfect for the film, and I can't image what the film would have been without it. Stunning cinematography by Robert Elswit. And the entire production design is remarkable and very realistic.

I'm so glad this film lived up to my last viewing of it.

Se7en (1995)

Se7en (1995) Review

[10/10 · 23 April 2023]

Rewatched April 13th, 2023

Each time I watch this, it gets better. So chilling! I need to have Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman to reunite in another film please and thank you. This film shows one of their best performances! It's a shame that neither garnered much awards attention. And even though he is trash as a being, which fits as his character (makes you wonder about a lot of his most famous roles like this), Kevin Spacey is ruthless as John Doe. The direction by David Fincher (I truly believe this to be his best), cinematography by Darius Khondji, and screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker are all amazing. The ending is by far one of the best things I've seen. Highly recommend!

Boogie Nights (1997)

Boogie Nights (1997) Review

[10/10 · 23 April 2023]

Rewatched April 18th, 2023

Up to 10 stars this viewing. It's just such an amazing film made by such an incredible filmmaker. PTA is by far one of the best working directors and screenwriters today and this film made the fifth of his to score 10 stars from me. I feel like a lot of my reviews say how criminal it is that the Academy hasn't awarded or nominated someone for an Oscar, but PTA is perhaps one of the biggest examples of how the Academy has failed to truly award him with a win. I mean 11 nominations and still no win??? Come on now! Anyway, as far as performances Julianne Moore really shines here. Mark Wahlberg is really at his best here. Burt Reynolds also gave an excellent performance, but it's hard to get the background info about him firing his agent for this film out of my mind when watching it even though he is really great. William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Heather Graham, John C. O'Reilly, Don Cheadle, Thomas Jane, and Luis Guzman in their supporting roles are all great as well, especially Macy, Hoffman, and Graham. The cinematography by Robert Elswit is also groovy (had to for the time period 😁). The soundtrack is full of excellent tracks from that time. Everything else is just top notch as well. Just amazing!

Blood Diamond (2006)

Blood Diamond (2006) Review

[6/10 · 23 April 2023]

Rewatched April 19, 2023

It's been like over ten years since seeing this film. This viewing was much different than what I remembered back then. Leo was just ok in this film. I'm sure the South African accent is a hard one to pull off (I know I for sure cannot do it), but it seemed inconsistent to me here... maybe that's just me. I feel like he should have been nominated for The Departed instead, which I feel was the better and more consistent performance. However, Djimon Hounsou is really great, so very believable as the father trying at any cost to get reunited with his family. The actor that played his son, Kagiso Kuypers, was also great in this child performance, especially in the scene where Hounsou's character is trying to deescalate his son (his emotions from feeling absolutely nothing to remembering everything and believing what is being said was portrayed pretty much perfect). The cinematography was excellent. I felt like the film ran too long, like it could have been cut down at least 20-30 minutes. Anyway, this is a short rundown on my take on this viewing.

Misery (1990)

Misery (1990) Review

[9/10 · 23 April 2023]

Rewatched April 19th, 2023

"I'm your number one fan."

This phrase will always haunt me whenever I hear it since seeing Misery for the first time. Annie Wilkes is a very complicated character, someone who has the same emotions/feelings as everyone else, but she is obviously unable to process these in a healthy way. She's a social outcast, living in her farmhouse by herself with no other contact for a great distance, and she only comes in contact with people when going into town for errands or to go to work. Not going to include any major spoilers here about what goes on in the movie, but seeing her misdeeds in the memory book show her psychotic tendencies. It makes you wonder what her life was growing up. Did she experience or witness trauma when she was a child and this caused some kind of mental break in her as she got older or was there something else (the whole nature vs nurture argument)? Whatever the case may be, Kathy Bates portrays Wilkes's wide personas with such precision that one would believe that this character had literally leapt from the page to the screen and took the form of Bates. She has never been better than this performance, and I don't believe anyone else could have done it better. This is absolutely one of my favorite performances ever put to screen.

James Caan (may you RIP) is again at the top of his game as the writer of the Misery novels. Paul Sheldon is a character that doesn't have that much complexity to his mentality as Wilkes does per say, but his complexity comes from more of a physically demanding part, having to act much more with his body due to the injuries his characters sustains throughout the film. We see him striving to look around to find a way out of his prison regardless of the pain that his body may ultimately end up having due to it. As far as his mentality goes, we see him toward the beginning of his "rescue" thankful for the woman that has saved his life, only to find out day by day who his "savior" really is and that he may never return home. In order to survive, he has to lie to Wilkes about how he truly feels or what he truly thinks about something so that he can continue to please his captor. Caan does an excellent job portraying this character. I wish that he had garnered more awards attention that year as he was deserving.

As far as the rest of the cast, the one that stands out the most is of course Richard Farnsworth as the sheriff (if you remember in the film he states he is also some other positions as well, which isn't surprising considering that this appears to be in a small town). His sleuthing adds a comedic relief to the otherwise suspenseful film, as well as his interactions with his deputy wife. It was lovely to see Lauren Bacall again, even though it's a rather small role. Rob Reiner's direction is remarkable in this. He knows exactly where to have the cameras to get the right angles and direct his actors so that we are able to be glued to the horror that is happening in front of us. A film's score can bring a lot to a film, and the music by Marc Shaiman is very complimentary to what is occurring on the screen where music sounds very suspenseful when needed. The screenplay by William Goldman is absolutely wonderful (although the ending is a tad disappointing when compared to the entire film as a whole). If the screenplay hadn't existed, Bates may have not been able to portray the character in the same way that she has, which would be a crime.

Overall, this is a film, one based off the Stephan King novel of the same name, that I have seen several times now. Each time I watch it, I am amazed at what I am witnessing again, the film as a whole, but mostly with Bates. She has given a performance that I hope will stand the test of time.

All the President's Men (1976)

All the President's Men (1976) Review

[9/10 · 23 April 2023]

Rewatched April 21, 2023

Another film that gets better with each viewing. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman play off each other so well here, two actors that are at the top of their game during this time (and continue to be so for many years to come). The supporting performances by Jason Robards, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Jane Alexander, and Hal Holbrook are all so great with of course Robards being the MVP of the supporting cast, and to be honest he could be it in general. Great direction by Alan J. Pakula, another brilliant script by William Goldman, and stunning cinematography by Gordon Willis. Also want to point out the sound as all the sounds one would hear in a newspaper office, especially one back in the 70s with typewriters, were just excellent. Overall such an excellent film.

Junebug (2005)

Junebug (2005) Review

[9/10 · 3 May 2017]

Rewatched on May 3, 2017

I watched this film for the first time a couple of years ago. I thought that it was very eccentric and artistic, but I still liked what I saw. I ended up watching it again today, and I ended up loving it even more! This film is about how an art dealer named Madeleine (portrayed by Embeth Davidtz) travels to go see a self-taught artist in North Carolina. She convinces her husband of 6-months, George (portrayed by Alessandro Nivola), to go with her to provide her the opportunity of finally meeting George's family, who live near the artist. The film picks off from there with interaction between the family, George, and Madeleine.

I loved how Angus MacLachlan, the film's screenwriter, included the scene where Johnny (George's brother, portrayed by Ben McKenzie) is receiving help from Madeleine for writing his paper on "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." She tells him that both escape and love are both major themes of the novel. This is even true regarding the film itself. George "escaped" from his family, friends, and community and moves to Chicago where he meets and marries Madeleine. He escapes from the cultures and religion he grew up with in North Carolina, which is seen throughout the film as Madeleine is surprised with various things she learns that used to be important to her husband. I think that part of the conflict between George and Johnny is that Johnny is jealous of the fact that George was able to escape while he is stuck there. Love is, like in most films, a central theme in this film. Love doesn't have to be sexual/physical/intimate with another person as what Johnny believes. He misinterprets the love Madeleine shows toward her brother-in-law as "coming on" to him. She tells him that it is bigger than that and can be with anyone or anything, including family, friends, community, culture, etc. Love, as well as hope and joy, is greatly seen through Ashley (Johnny's pregnant wife, portrayed by the amazingly talented Amy Adams). She loves her husband despite his childish behavior towards her and believes/wishes/hopes that having a baby will fix their relationship. Even though there are frustrations and conflicts that are unresolved, love is still found for each other in the film.

Although the entire cast gave excellent performances, Amy Adams gives the best performance in this film. It is the best performance of her career so far, and she was awarded by receiving her first Oscar nomination, which was for Best Supporting Actress. I could go on and on talking about this film and other themes that it contains, but I'll stop there. Overall, I really enjoyed this film. I would definitely recommend watching this independent film!