Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

[Reza]

The Salzburg Connection (Lee H. Katzin, 1972) 3/10

Deathly dull spy flick based on the Helen MacInnes novel. An American lawyer (Barry Newman) on vacation in Salzburg is suspected of being a spy by various people who in turn are after an iron chest discovered at the bottom of a lake and containing a list of Nazi collaborators from WWII. Between assorted murders he falls in love with the wife (Anna Karina) of the man who found the chest which is later hidden by her brother (Klaus Maria Brandeur in his film debut). Sloppy direction (freezeframes, slow motion shots), a dull car chase, badly photographed locations and a cast that seemed just as bored going through the motions as I was watching them. Skip this one.

[Reza]

Lion (Garth Davis, 2016) 8/10

The film's most fascinating, surreal and eerie scene is set in the middle of the night with a child standing in the reflecting light in the middle of the deserted Howrah Bridge in Calcutta. The producers of the film got permission to block traffic to film the scene - the first time ever that the historic bridge had seen no vehicles since it's construction in 1943. Saroo (Sunny Pawar) the 5 year old child, son of a poor single mother who picks rocks for a living, gets separated from his brother in a train station in a small village in Northern India, falls asleep in an empty train which takes him a 1,000 km across India to Calcutta. Lost and disoriented the child survives assorted Dickensian travails - hunger, thirst, kidnappers and a child molester (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) when he is finally put into an orphanage from where a Tasmanian couple (David Wenham & Nicole Kidman) adopt him. He quickly adjusts in his new surroundings. 25 years later Saroo (Dev Patel) troubled by his past decides to find his roots by using Google Earth. Rousing and emotional true story has a first half that resembles countless similarly plotted Bollywood films with heavy doses of "Slumdog Millionaire". The director's constant use of overhead shots, which mimic google earth, capture the vast, barren landscapes of India which dwarf the small child who is in constant peril. The same camera effect in the later scenes set in Tasmania have a similar effect not only showing the spectacular scenic beauty of the country but emphasises the young adult's inner conflict which begins to suffocate him despite the happy life he has with loving parents and a sympathetic girlfriend (Rooney Mara). The film's use of sound, cinematography, production design and score all work seamlessly to create an extremely moving film. Both actors playing Saroo - the gifted child actor who barely talks through the first half but effortlessly carries the film on his fragile shoulders and Dev Patel as the adult whose memory gets triggered by the sight and smell of a jalebi is equally superb. The film's extremely moving ending is surpassed by actual images of the real characters during an epilogue which also discloses the surprise in the meaning of the film's title.

[Reza]

Loving (Jeff Nichols, 2016) 7/10

Dramatically flat but interesting story from the historical perspective about the landmark civil rights decision of the United States Supreme Court (Loving v Virginia) which invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriages. The case involved a white man Richard Loving (Joel Edgerton) married to Mildred Jeter (Ruth Negga) who was coloured. The Loving's marriage violated the state of Virginia's anti-miscegenation law. Sentenced to a year in prison they were forced to move outside their home state. Later returning incognito the couple continue to be harrassed by racist cops and neighbors. After a couple of white lawyers come to their defence the case eventually goes upto the Supreme court and moves not only in their favour - it took ten years - but forever changed the laws allowing interracial marriages to take place without fear. Also helping their cause is a photo spread in Life magazine when a photographer (Michael Shannon) takes and publishes casually intimate portraits of the couple at their home. Edgerton is stolid and clamped up - he has a showy breakdown at one point though - while Negga (of Irish and Ethiopian descent), as his optimistic wife, plays the role with grace and dignity and recieved an Oscar nomination for her performance.

[Reza]

Breakfast at Tiffany's (Blake Edwards, 1961) 8/10

Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn), a sophisticated New York socialite (and call girl), befriends the new tenant (George Peppard) in her apartment building who in turn is being kept by an older woman (Patricia Neal). Charming Audrey in that black Givenchy dress and hat, the opening breakfast scene at Tiffany's, a classic Henry Mancini score, "Moon River", the New York locations, "Cat", a hilariously daffy (and dated) party in a cramped apartment and the famous denouement in the rain are some of the highlights in this classic film from the 1960s. Of course there is also Mickey Rooney as Mr Yunioshi.....but we shall ignore that he exists. Funny, sad and whitewashed adaptation of Truman Capote's novel has a miscast Audrey Hepburn - Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the part - but who still manages to make it one of her iconic roles.

[Greg]

Nashville - Robert Altman - 1975

TCM's "31 Days Of Oscar" usually gives me an opportunity to catch up on noteworthy films that I have somehow missed. Last Saturday night it was Nashville.

What I find interesting is that the few small dings I would give to this still-great film are things that would make it next-to-impossible to be made today. I think it could have adhered a little more closely to a traditional three-act structure by starting off a little more quickly, for example, by speeding up Barbara Jean's entrance to the airport. I found that the many instances of characters talking over each often added a lot to the humor, but, sometimes it did delve a little into incoherence. Even though there was no need to physically reveal him, I think the story would have benefited from some elucidation as to who Hal Philip Walker was by the end.

That said, the plot was extraordinary in how it juggled a full stable of characters and revealed surprising connections between them time after time. I kept saying to myself things like, "Oh, those two are married to each other!" Joan Tewkesbury was robbed of an Original Screenplay nomination.

Not at all a fan of country music, I actually like most of the songs, even when done mostly for comedic effect. My favorite is the Oscar-winning-though-not-really-country "I'm Easy."

One thing which surprised me is the extent to which I was impressed by the production design. I was amazed by such images as row upon row of trash heaps and row upon row of schools buses. I asked myself if they went through all the trouble and expense to procure real junk and buses, or, if they used miniature models of junk, buses, and people for long-distance shots and expertly cut to the actors for close shots. How this lost an Art Direction nomination to The Sunshine Boys completely baffles me.

9/10

[Precious Doll]

Moonlight (2016) Barry Jenkins 6/10

So what did you think of Moonlight?

Pretty much like you. It was good, strikingly directed but I left the cinema not quiet understanding what all the fuss is about.

[Reza]

Jackie (Pablo Larraín, 2016) 9/10

A film not only about the First Lady but also about the aftermath immediately following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy which is a tale of emotional survival. Chilean director Pablo Larraín uses an expressionistic style to present the events in a disjointed manner with a grief stricken Jacqueline Kennedy (Natalie Portman) trying to collect herself, face up to the horror, console her children, regain her faith, be a sounding board for an angry Robert Kennedy (Peter Sarsgaard) and tries to define her husband's historic legacy. The brilliant screenplay presents the events haphazardly with the director zoning in on sharp closeups of Jackie which gives the film an emotional power putting the audience right in with the character emphasizing the giddy trauma a human goes through while coming out of a life changing event. The film is bookended via a jounalist (Billy Crudup) interviewing the feisty First Lady as flashbacks reveal the events that have taken place before (dancing with the President during the inauguration), during (the horrific shooting with the camera placed right on top of the two actors with the President getting hit and lying in his wife's lap with his skull cracked open) and after the assassination - flying on Air Force One, her face and clothes covered with the President's brains and blood, while Johnson is sworn in as the new President, attending the state funeral, talking to her priest (John Hurt) and just trying to get her life back. Portman is on screen throughout and uses her expressive face and breathy vocal inflections to create a true flesh and blood character. The outstanding production and costume design recreate an era all too familiar to all of us who have followed the events through the media. The shrieking music by Mica Levi recalls Bernard Herrmann's chilling score from "Psycho" and plays a great part in creating the unsettling mood of the film and of it's devestated characters. A must-see.

[Reza]

Manchester By the Sea (Kenneth Lonergan, 2016) 9/10

Picture postcard views of a small New England seaside town hide a devastating tale of trauma buried deep within the soul of a young man (Casey Affleck) who works as a janitor and handyman. Something in his past scarred him and his life now is a series of fistfights and solitary existence. When his older brother (Kyle Chandler) dies unexpectedly he discovers he has been made legal guardian to his son (Lucas Hedges). The film is a series of vignettes between the traumatised man and his friends and family with scenes alternating between the present - making arrangements for the funeral, sparring with the rebelious teenager, getting drunk at bars and beating up on strangers - and flashbacks to the past with his brother and former wife (Michelle Williams) and newborn baby. The film's most devastating scene, which forms the core of the man's despair, is hauntingly shot with Tomaso Albinoni’s mournful and soaring Adagio in G Minor playing. It is at once both beautiful and harrowing. This sequence defines the man's present existence. The film has the same tone as Robert Redford's "Ordinary People" - a film also about guilt and loss. Lonergen's superb screenplay captures life with all it's uncompromising complexities and hits home the fact that for some life carries on with the anguish and pain still buried deep within. There is simply no closure and nor will there be any. This is one of the year's best films with Affleck magnificent in the lead. A must-see.

[Reza]

Woman of Straw (Basil Dearden, 1964) 7/10

Connery on a sabbatical after his first two Bond outings goes for a change of pace playing a cad in this colorful and old fashioned melodrama. An ailing, wheel chair bound tycoon (Sir Ralph Richardson) falls for his voluptuous nurse (Gina Lollobrigida) who in turn falls prey to the devious plans of his nephew (Sean Connery) who has eyes on his uncle's vast fortune. Smartly played by the three leads with debonair Connery, Lollobrigida perfect eye candy in her tight Dior outfits and Richardson walking away with the film playing one of the most despicable characters portrayed on screen - he is hysterically funny throwing nasty hissy fits, abusing his black servant (a dignified Johnny Sekka), oogling Lolobrigida and just plain making a nuisance of himself. The lovely Mallorca locations are an added plus.

[Reza]

Hidden Figures (Theodore Melfi, 2016) 6/10

This is like "Rocky" - the feel good film of the year with the underdog(s) coming out on top during a rousing finalé. The underdogs in this fascinating true story are three sassy, smart African-American (read "black") women who overcame racism in white America during the early 1960s and proved their mettle in an unusual location - at NASA. One of numerous movies during the year that set out to prove the slogan "#oscarssowhite" wrong and actually managed not only to be a hit at the boxoffice but also managed to snag a best picture nod at the Oscars. The three women - "hidden figures" of American history - are smart, ambitious, skilled in aerodynamics and engineering yet can't get ahead at work (Octavia Spencer - nominated for an Oscar), get into grad school (Janelle Monáe) or get taken seriously (Taraji P. Henson, a quietly simmering standout). It's because they are black, they are women and it's 1961 - in the South. The story revolves around how they overcame bigotry and sexism to play important roles during the first flight that sent John Glen up into space. It's all very rousing but the screenplay plays out in a predictable and calculated way. Extremely well acted by the trio of actresses with smaller but effective roles played by Kevin Costner as the head honcho at NASA and Kirsten Dunst as a senior co-worker. Despite its small pleasures the film lacks sting. It's just too predictable and clean cut.

[Reza]

Moonlight (Barry Jenkins, 2016) 7/10

A young black man comes of age dealing with his sexuality while growing up in Miami with his mother (Naomie Harris), who is a crack addict, and a sympatheic drug dealer (Mahershala Ali) who shelters and mentors him. The story of Chiron is told in three chapters: the uncertain boy, the vulnerable teenager and the remote young man. Acclaimed film which sympathetically deals with not only the "black experience" but also shows what it means to be black and gay with all it's lonely heartbreak and brutal repercussions. Jenkins' use of classical music (Mozart) along with Motown songs is an inspired choice as it automatically differentiates this film from many films that have dealt with the "black experience" and which use harsh rap music on the soundtrack. The lyrical music along with the stunning bright cinematography signal hope despite the harsh life the young man goes through. Well acted film has important things to say but it is by no means the masterpiece it has been declared to be.

[Reza]

Quantico - Season 1 (2015-2016) 8/10

I'm amazed a Hollywood studio would actually take a chance with having a Bollywood female actor play the lead in a tv series. This has the feel of "24" without being set during the course of one day. An FBI agent (Priyanka Chopra) is captured and held responsible for a terrorist attack in New York City. The story moves constantly between two time periods - nine months before as the FBI agent goes through her training period along with other recruits and the present as she goes on the run trying to prove her innocence. The plot concentrates on 10 recruits who become close friends and with the suspicion falling on one of them. Fast moving thriller is a fascinating insight into the methods of how the agents are trained along with an underlying message about the way the United States has driven terrorists to act the way they have. The young supporting cast works well with the star who is astonishingly comfortable playing in this Hollywood production.

[Reza]

Séance on a Wet Afternoon (Bryan Forbes, 1964) 8/10

Creepy and mannered psychological thriller. A mentally disturbed fake medium (Kim Stanley in an Oscar nominated performance) persuades her weak and downtrodden husband (Richard Attenborough who won a Bafta award) to kidnap a young girl, ask for ransom and then try and convince the child's distraught mother (Nanette Newman) that she has found the wherabouts of the child through a séance. Things don't go according to plan. Superbly acted melodrama helped in great part by moody and bleak cinematography gives this edgy story a touch of Hitchcock.

[Reza]

xXx: Return of Xander Cage (D. J. Caruso, 2017) 4/10

Xander Cage (Vin Diesel), believed to be dead, secretly returns (in this reboot) to a tough new assignment at the behest of his handler (Samuel L. Jackson) and a macho CIA operative (Toni Colette). The nonsensical plot has some rogue element swipe a "pandora's box" whereby he has total control of all the satellites up in space which one by one he threatens to drop on major cities. Two gangs - one led by Xander and his cronies and the other led by Xiang (Hong Kong martial arts star Donnie Yen) & Serena (Bollywood star Depika Padukone) - join hands to try and get the box to avert major disaster. This film is one long series of action stunts on land, sea and air. Every stunt has been copied from far better movies and the outrageous action set pieces veer into cartoon territory. Diesel, with a smirk and a quip, has great star presence and the assorted international actors in support go through the motions and are obviously part of this film for it to make money at the boxoffice in the Asian markets. Deepika Padukone, such a vibrant presence in Bollywood films, here is undone by an underwritten part and inexplicably speaks english with a South Indian accent making her character into a caricature. If Vin Diesel hopes to make this into a franchise then he will have to ensure better scipts otherwise it's pointless sitting through a loud film strung together via absurd action sequences. Watch this if you enjoy stunts and CGI effects. If you are looking for a meaningful story then avoid this messy film.

[Reza]

The Masque of the Red Death (Roger Corman, 1964) 6/10

Rather overpraised chiller is silliness personified although it's the best of a bunch of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations that Corman directed with star Vincent Price in tow. The actor brings to it his special touch of artificiality in a deliciously camp performance as the maniacal Prince Prospero, servant of Satan, ruthlessly ruling over the peasants on his land. Holding forth over a session of masked role playing games with his courtiers he drools wickedly over farcical methods of killing and maiming humans for sport. The film has a lot of atmosphere, shot on left over sets from "Becket", elaborately costumed and superbly photographed in colour by Nicolas Roeg. Notwithstanding a couple of great set pieces - buxom Hazel Court drinking blood and writhing orgasmically at Satan's altar while weird men brandish daggers at her and later her trance-like walk through different coloured rooms - this is really pure nonsense. A Carnaby streetish Jane Asher, as the damsel in distress, is too contemporary - her hairstyles are strictly 1960s. Patrick Magee is good as the cynical sidekick. A fun film but hardly the classic some are claiming it to be.