Tuesday, October 25, 2022
The Ages of Man
- Commentary: Under construction.
One actor spoken word recitation of Shakespeare quotations.
Actor: Sir John Gielgud.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1966
Directed by Paul Bogart.
Labels: §6, goflexA, john-gielgud, shakespeare
Friday, March 09, 2007
Elizabeth
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: Yes, that's right, yet another "Elizabeth" movie, just as good and just as involving as the others. I almost feel as though I should have a category label of "elizabeth movies" or, perhaps, "english royals movies", as A Man for All Seasons definitely qualifies for the same category. Mom has already mentioned that she wants to see the movie The Queen, as well, and I suspect we will end up owning it. So far, the only English Royals movie she's seen and in which she lost interest halfway through was Mrs. Brown, which I immensely enjoyed. She was so distracted through it, though, that I haven't yet considered purchasing it; although it has occurred to me to rent it again, run it by her once more and see how she likes it. Could be that this one is not "period" enough for Mom. Could also be that the movie about Elizabeth II will be the same kind of experience for her. We'll see.
Update 2/7/18 & 8/2/21: We did, indeed, purchase The Queen, to which I've linked my write-up. We also purchased Mrs. Brown, to which I've also linked my write-up. I've left the first link to this movie, above, as it is, though, since it links to a mini-review of the movie. You'll notice, I haven't purchased the sequel, released 9 years later, Elizabeth: The Golden Age. I have no quibbles with this movie, its successor, but, by the time the dvd came out, I was pretty much Elizabethed out and Mom was dead. Don't get me wrong. I continue to watch the Elizabeth movies I have. I just don't want anymore. At least not now.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Cate Blanchett Elizabeth I Geoffrey Rush Francis Walsingham Joseph Fiennes Robert Dudley Richard Attenborough William Cecil Christopher Eccleston Thomas Howard Kathy Burke Queen Mary I Fanny Ardant Mary of Guise Vincent Cassel Francis, Duke of Anjou Emily Mortimer Kat Ashley Kelly Macdonald Isabel Knollys John Gielgud Pope Pius V Daniel Craig John Ballard
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1998
Directed by Shekhar Kapur.
Labels: biography1, cate-blanchett, drama7, elizabeth-I, emily-mortimer, historical3, john-gielgud, mom-favorite1, period3, royals
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
The Elephant Man
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: This is one of those movies that has a hypnotic effect on both of us; both the way it's filmed and the story. Every time we watch it we're galvanized into a discussion of the extraordinary possibilities inherent in the desire to survive, regardless of the difficulty.
One odd note: This movie was filmed in Black & White. Every time we watch this movie, the B&W filming tricks my mother into thinking one of two things, sometimes both on the same night: 1) that the film is a very old movie made when she was much younger than she is now, and 2) that the film is actually a newsreel captured early in the 20th century. Funny, the tricks the history of film can play on someone who's been alive through much of that history!
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Anthony Hopkins Frederick Treves John Hurt John Merrick Hannah Gordon Ann Treves Anne Bancroft Madge Kendal John Gielgud Francis Carr Gomm Wendy Hiller Mrs Mothershead Freddie Jones Mr Bytes Michael Elphick Jim the Night Porter
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1980
Directed by David Lynch.
Labels: anthony-hopkins, biography2, drama9, historical3, john-gielgud, john-hurt, period4, wendy-hiller
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Gandhi
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: I'll bet we've seen this movie, on cable, at least four times. When we notice it, anywhere, commercials or not, we watch it. We forget it between being serendipitiously reminded. It is a movie that fascinates us at several levels, though.
One of my problems with this movie, for me, is the astonishing number of "name" British, Indian and American actors managed to wrangle parts in this movie, and I do mean "wrangle". The first time I saw it, it occurred to me that this must have been the "go to" movie of the late 70's through early 80's for actors. Since the script required what would normally be thousands of extras, Richard Attenborough, as both producer and director, probably took advantage of the interest to cheaply (my guess, only) and luxuriously staff his picture. Just take a look at the three-tiered Actor/Role chart, below. And believe me, I think it encompasses only half of the actor-participants listed in the Wikipedia roster, which you can access below, as usual.
Update 2/7/18: Knowing what I know, now, about the movie and the man, I'm somewhat uncomfortable about this movie, but I am reluctant to let it go. I recently watched it again and, damn, Ben Kingsley, what can I say? Extraordinary actor. It would be worth it to keep this in my collection just based on his acting in this movie. Yes, I own other movies in which he's acted, most notably, off the top of my head, Sexy Beast. There are others I'd like to own. House of Sand of Fog, for instance. So, I'll keep this one. For the collection.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Ben Kingsley Mahatma Gandhi Rohini Hattangadi Kasturba Gandhi Roshan Seth Jawaharlal Nehru Pradeep Kumar V. K. Krishna Menon Candice Bergen Margaret Bourke-White Edward Fox Reginald Dyer John Gielgud Viceroy Lord Irwin John Mills Lord Chelmsford Martin Sheen Vince Walker Daniel Day-Lewis Colin John Ratzenberger American driver Saeed Jaffrey Vallabhbhai Patel
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1982
Directed by Richard Attenborough.
Labels: ben-kingsley, biography2, candice-bergen, historical3, john-gielgud, political4, spectacle2, spiritual1
