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Reviews
American Masters: LennoNYC (2010)
Disappointingly Rote
When I first saw the title "LennoNYC," I thought, "Cool! An in-depth look at Lennon's years in New York, his involvement in the art scene and all that. That's new." But while the film makes an initial stab in that direction, by the half-hour point it's fully in the mode of "Standard Lennon Biography, Years 1971-80." No mention at all, for instance, of John and Yoko's film work with Adolfas Mekas (who only appears for a few seconds of interview footage). But the film does follow Lennon through his "Lost Weekend" in Los Angeles - about as far from the promise of "LennoNYC" as it could get. It's a solid production, and the recording session outtakes are fun to hear, but there's very little here that's news to all but the most casual Lennon fan. It's easy to imagine the filmmakers having made a much more original and insightful film with the same material.
An Unseen Enemy (1912)
Lillian and Dorothy Ace Their Biograph Entrance Exam
If this wasn't a deliberate test by D.W. Griffith of his new actresses, it should have been. Griffith calls upon Lillian and Dorothy Gish to act in more or less of a vacuum, against a pistol stuck through a hole in the wall. And they pass with flying colors, hitting just the right note of terror, and demonstrating (especially Lillian) a captivating screen presence.
Meanwhile, Griffith passes his own test, elevating a fairly ludicrous premise to become, by turns, funny, tense, and (in one of his trademark races to the rescue) suspenseful and exciting. All in all, a taut and thoroughly fun example of the state of the art of American filmmaking in 1912.
The Last Mile (1932)
Hang In There for the Good Stuff
The first half of the film is slow, talky, and one-act-play-ish. The only good part-- and pretty much the film's only real attempt to build character --is Daniel L. Haynes' fine performance as Number Two. He also has the best line, where with a smiling but sardonic edge, he doubts he'll meet his death-house fellows on the other side, because white people probably won't let a black man share Hell with them.
The movie finally picks up at the midpoint as it suddenly becomes more of a thriller, and the tension ratchets up and up for the remainder of the film's brief runtime. So don't let the Generic Serious Depression-Era Play feel of the first half put you off, because it transforms into a much more rewarding experience.
Golf (1922)
Unfocused Comedy with Some Points of Interest
The film is very scattershot, barely developing one comic situation before moving on to another, and another. As a result, it seems much longer than it is. It has one laugh-out-loud gag, despite its racist premise: a black man attempts escape from what he thinks is a ghost. The actor does a magnificent job of looking like he's trying to run away while terror leaves his feet stubbornly rooted to the ground. For Laurel and Hardy fans, it's interesting to see Oliver Hardy before he'd developed his meticulous, slow-burning character.
The Real Glory (1939)
Generic Film in Unique Setting
The film comes to life in some brief flashes of proto-Indiana Jones action. Otherwise, it's a standard melodrama of an occupying fort holding on in hostile country. The unusual setting in the Philippines circa 1910 is under-utilized. For all the difference it makes, the film could easily have been set in the British Raj- or, with only a little rewriting, in a post-Civil War U.S. frontier fort.
Hell's Angels (1930)
Soars and Sags
The film's highlight is its still-thrilling aerial action, particularly a sequence pitting British fighters against a German Zeppelin. Unfortunately, the bulk of the film is stiff and irrelevant earthbound melodrama. Worse yet are a few scenes that were originally shot silent, then retrofitted with (unsurprisingly) pointless and banal dialogue. You will really miss nothing by fast-forwarding to the action.