Friday, April 19, 2024
A Soldier's Story
- Commentary: Under construction.
This movie has held a fascination for me since it came out and I saw it when I was living in Sacramento. I saw it with my group of primarily Asian friends who took me along with them to see primarily Asian movies. I never really wondered why this movie was on their playlist, but I related to it because the situation it covers was familiar to me from my extensive life on Guam, which included (although we were not a military family, there) almost constant mixing with members of the military and being exposed to their scuttlebutt. Somehow, though, through the years, this movie had slipped through the cracks of my movie-loving mind until I was reminded of it this evening on a program I was watching about 1985 Oscar nominees. The commentator mentioned that he had a hard time finding a copy to view and I thought, "Really?!? I wonder why." Well, I don't know, because I found it for sale easily and cheaply and decided, time to add it to my collection.
By the way, I'm not sure where Roger Ebert was coming from with his lackadaisical review of this movie. The only thing I can think is that he had very little experience around military politics. I went ahead and attached to his review in the title to this post above, though, because it was so stunningly off the mark. In contrast, IMdb User Reviews are almost universally high. I guess you had to be there. Or something.
As usual, more later, when I receive it and rewatch it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Howard E. Rollins Jr. Cpt. Richard Davenport Adolph Caesar Msg. Vernon Waters Art Evans Pvt. James Wilkie David Alan Grier Cpl. Bernard Cobb David Harris Pvt. Tony Smalls Denzel Washington Pfc. Melvin Peterson Dennis Lipscomb Cpt. Charles Taylor Larry Riley Pvt. C.J. Memphis Robert Townsend Cpl. Ellis William Allen Young Pvt. Henson John Hancock Sgt. Washington Patti LaBelle Big Mary Trey Wilson Col. Nivens Wings Hauser Lt. Byrd Scott Paulin Cpt. Wilcox Mike Williams Pfc. Oscar
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1984
Directed by Norman Jewison.
Labels: military
Thursday, June 09, 2022
A Few Good Men
- Commentary: I ended up with this movie as part of a package deal, although I can't remember which movie came with it. I like it, and have watched it more than once. If I hadn't gotten it as an add on, I wouldn't own it, but I don't think I'll be sending this one off to the library. It's a great I-want-to-watch-something-but-I-don't-know-what movie.
The famous Nicholson-in-the-courtroom scene is one of my all time favorites.
Update 6/9/2022: This post was originally published on 8/14/16 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Tom Cruise Lt. J.G. Daniel Kaffee Jack Nicholson Col. Nathan R. Jessup Demi Moore Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway Kevin Bacon Cpt. Jack Ross Kiefer Sutherland 1st Lt. Jonathan James Kendrick Kevin Pollak Lt. J.G. Sam Weinberg Wolfgang Bodison Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson James Marshall Pvt. 1st Class Louden Downey J. T. Walsh Lt. Cnl. Matthew Andrew Markinson J. A. Preston Judge (Cnl.) Julius Alexander Randolph Michael DeLorenzo Pvt. 1st Class William Santiago Geoffrey Nauffts Lt. Sherby Noah Wyle Cpl. Jeffrey Owen Barnes Cuba Gooding Jr. Cpl. Carl Edward Hammaker Xander Berkeley Cpt. Whitaker Matt Craven Lt. Dave Spradling John M. Jackson Cpt. West Christopher Guest Cmdr. (Dr.) Stone Joshua Malina Tom Aaron Sorkin Bragging Lawyer
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1992
Directed by Rob Reiner.
Labels: aaron-sorkin, drama5, jack-nicholson, legal, military, suspense1, tom-cruise
China Beach Complete Series
- Commentary: I worried, when I first bought this series (for, I must say, much, much, much less than it retails for now) that my memory of it might be disappointed. Didn't happen. It's my kind of war video, more character driven than action driven, surprising, moody, realistic (for the most part; sometimes, especially in the first season, it panders a little too much to the audience). I'm not at all sorry it's now a part of my permanent collection of video material. I read, somewhere, a long time ago, that it was the first war series/movie that was done from the women's point of view. Maybe that's why I like it, but I don't think of it that way.
My copy of this series is not the boxed set spoken of in the link connected to the title. When I bought the series, the seasons were still being distributed as separate entities. Thus, my "set" includes only 18 of the 21 discs this review touts. It includes all the series episodes, just not quite as much special feature material, which is fine with me. When my mother was alive, it was a bit irksome that there were no subtitles. However, I have no problem with that. Perhaps I will when I get older??? Perhaps, as well, I will want to replace my discs with the set. We'll see.
Update 6/2/2022: This post was originally published on 8/14/16 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Dana Delany 1st Lt./Cpt. Colleen McMurphy Nan Woods Cherry White Michael Boatman SP4 Samuel Beckett Marg Helgenberger Karen Charlene "K.C." Koloski Robert Picardo Cpt. Dick Richard Tim Ryan Cpt. Bartholomew Austen Concetta Tomei Mjr. Lila Garreau Brian Wimmer Cpl. Boonwell Lanier Jeff Kober Stf. Sgt. Evan Winslow Chloe Webb Laurette Barber Megan Gallagher Airman Wayloo Marie Holmes Troy Evans Mst. Sgt. Bob Pepper
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the series.
Release Date: 1988-1991
Directed by several people, a few more women than usual, and some women who were regulars.
Labels: drama5, female-director1, historical2, jesse-borrego, military, period2, political2, TV1, violence2, war1
War for the Planet of the Apes
- Commentary: This final Planet of the Apes reboot is probably the hardest to follow. Apes and humans have engaged in an all out war. The war, itself, is blamed, simultaneously, on bad human actors, bad ape actors and, well, inevitability, which is what mars the events portrayed in the film. About half the war is between two arms of the military against one another, one of which is holding the apes captive. It is hard to determine, frankly, if the second branch of the military is ape friendly or if that even matters.
At any rate, Caesar's dies at the end of this movie, thus bringing his biography to an end, as well. The apes as a group, however, survive and look forward to continued existence.
There has been talk about a fourth Planet of the Apes Reboot film. I'm not sure this is necessary, or even desirable. It will have to be a damned good one, taking a completely different trajectory, thus requiring some super thoughtful creativity. If you've watched the initial Planet of the Apes Sextilogy, you'll know that the movies declined in quality and thoughtfulness as the stories continued. I hope that isn't the fate of this Planet of the Apes Reboot.
Finally, once again, here are the results of my search crawl on RogerEbert.com for, simply, "Planet of the Apes movies". It pulled a lot of material, continuing on to a second page. Go ahead. Click and try it yourself. I'll bet there are even more articles on these movies than there were on 8/7/21, when I performed my crawl. These movies, the old ones, the middle one by Tim Burton, the "new" ones seem to be endlessly fascinating to our species, even as we are creating them, ourselves. Ver-r-r-r-(roll that "r")y Inter-r-restingk!
Update 6/9/2022: This post was originally published on 1/16/2021 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Andy Serkis Caesar Woody Harrelson The Colonel Steve Zahn Bad Ape Toby Kebbell Kobo Gabriel Chavarria Preacher Judy Greer Cornelia Karin Konoval Maurice Terry Notary Rocket Michael Adamthwaite Luca Ty Olsson Red Devyn Dalton Cornelius Sara Canning Lake Aleks Paunovic Winter Amiah Miller Nova Max Lloyd-Jones Blue Eyes Roger Cross Rod Wilson
Here's the Wikipedia write-up on this movie.
Release Date: 2017
Directed by Matt Reeves.
Labels: action2, adventure2, andy-serkis, animal, biography1, cgi-animation, drama2, military, popcorn-and-soda1, science-fiction1, super-hero1, tragedy1, violence1, war1, woody-harrelson
Sunday, January 17, 2021
Good Morning Vietnam
- Commentary: It's true. This movie is peculiar in the way it serves up the Vietnam war. Some critics found it offensive, in the light of the "serious" Vietnam war movies such as Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, Jacob's Ladder [yes, Virginia, it's a Vietnam war movie] and Apocalypse Now (which I do not own; I intend to own it but so many versions have proliferated I simply haven't settled on which package of versions to purchase.).
What attracts me to this movie is its approach to the war not from the perspective of daily fighting but from the perspective of daily living in a war zone. In a way, I appreciate that it confuses the Vietnam War issue more than any other movie, because it's clear, to me, through this movie, that, no matter what the characters are doing because of the existence of war, they are, bottom line, people, trying to negotiate every day existence in the middle of an unwanted, unasked for emergency.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Robin Williams Adrian Cronauer Forest Whitaker Pvt. Edward Garlick Tung Thanh Tran Phan Duc To/Tuan Chintara Sukapatana Trinh Bruno Kirby Lt. Steven Hauk Robert Wuhl Marty Lee Dreiwitz J. T. Walsh Sgt. Mjr. Phillip Dickerson Noble Willingham General Taylor Richard Edson Pvt. Abersold Richard Portnow Dan Levitan Floyd Vivino Eddie Kirk Củ Bà Nguyễn Jimmy Wah
Here's the Wikipedia link for the write-up of this movie.
Release Date: 1987
Directed by Barry Levinson.
Labels: dramedy1, forest-whitaker, historical1, military, political1, popcorn-and-soda1, robin-williams, war1
Saturday, January 16, 2021
Wonder Woman
- Commentary: I really enjoy the part of this movie which focuses on Diana's Amazonian life. The rest of it, once she leaves Themyscira, eh. My reaction to the story of how Diana becomes embroiled in World War I and, as the blurbs say, discovers her true destiny, left me flat. Yes, the underplot of Diana actually battling Ares as she becomes involved in WWI is interesting, but frankly, anti-climactic. I'm not sure why. You'd think this mission would be exciting. That's certainly the secondary reason why I purchased the movie. The primary reason was because I collect certain super-hero movies and I wanted this particular origin story in my catalog. Will I watch it again? Probably. As I do, though, I'll always wish ...
Update 8/7/2021: I haven't decided whether I want to obtain Wonder Woman: 1984. I've read synopses (some detailed) of the movie, so I know the story, but, of course, that's not important, since, if I like a movie, I'll watch it multiple times, with the story already firmly in mind for all but one of those watches. And, as well, I don't particularly care about the conflicted reviews, like the one immediately above in this paragraph. Thing is, I've watched the original only once and, despite my adoration for the character as played by Gal Gadot, I may never watch this movie, again. My copy won't end up at my local library, since I consider it a must-keep in my super-hero caches (both caches linked, by the way; one to "super-hero" and one to "caches"). But, unlike Iron Man, for instance, I'm not drawn back to yet another watching. Then, again, this movie features Kristin Wiig as a villian, and that sounds like fun. Perhaps I'll check it out of my local library and see how I like it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Gal Gadot Diana/Wonder Woman Chris Pine Steve Trevor Robin Wright Antiope Danny Huston Erich Ludendorff David Thewlis Sir Patrick Connie Nielsen Hippolyta Elena Anaya Dr. Isabel Maru Lucy Davis Etta Candy Saïd Taghmaoui Sameer Ewen Bremner Charlie Eugene Brave Rock Chief Lisa Loven Kongsli Menalippe
The Wikipedia article on this movie is here.
Release Date: 2017
Directed by Patty Jenkins, as is the second film in this series.
Labels: action2, adventure2, don't-ask-me-why, drama1, fantasy1, female-director3, military, period1, political1, popcorn-and-soda1, pseudo-cgi-animation, super-hero1, suspense1, thriller1, violence1, war1
Exodus: Gods and Kings
- Commentary: I own this movie because I have a particular fascination for the Moses part of the origin story of the Jewish people and their attempts to, and successes at, forming a nation. This is my fourth version of the Moses story, the others being: The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston as Moses, Moses with Ben Kingsley playing Moses, superbly, I think, and Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments, DeMille's first, silent production of the Moses story, which combines the story with a modern day film meditation of the application of the ten commandments in what was, at that time, modern life.
This movie, staring Christian Bale as Moses, is certainly entertaining. I go on "Moses" binges during which I watch all of my Moses movies back-to-back. This version is as involving and entertaining as all the others. Joel Edgerton is particularly fun as Pharaoh Ramses. John Turturro strikes an appropriately wise and world-weary Seti. Much to my delight, Ben Kingsley also appears in this movie as a major/minor figure, Nun. There are so many recognizable stars playing bit parts in this movie that it makes you wonder ...
Truth is, even though I consider it a delightful addition to my Moses archive, it's easy to wonder, as I watch it, why this Moses story was even produced and why all these major stars (including those in minor parts) assented to participate. Mind you, I have no quarrel with versions and versions of the Moses story. I find them endlessly fun and fascinating. Of all the versions I own, though, this is the only one that appears to be an obvious Ridley Scott money grab, and, frankly, only a money grab. We know how spectacular Scott can be producing an epic. You only need to point to Gladiator. In that movie, it's obvious that Ridley Scott, the director for that movie, too, was not only thinking about content, he thought assiduously and well about it. Not so with this production. There are some roles that featured large in my other Exodus epics that were merely spit upon in passing in this movie: Dathan, for instance, and Jethro. There are others that featured large in this movie that were, again, spit upon in passing or altogether ignored in my other Exodus epics: Miriam, for instance, and Viceroy Hegep.
Still, it's fun to watch, in the context of my other Moses movies. I'll not be passing it on to someone else.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Christian Bale Moses Joel Edgerton Rameses II John Turturro Seti I Aaron Paul Joshua Ben Mendelsohn Viceroy Hegep María Valverde Zipporah Sigourney Weaver Tuya Ben Kingsley Nun Isaac Andrews Malak Hiam Abbass Bithiah Indira Varma High Priestess Ewen Bremner Strategy Expert Golshifteh Farahani Nefertari Ghassan Massoud Grand Vizier Paser Tara Fitzgerald Miriam Dar Salim Cmdr. Khyan Andrew Tarbet Aaron Ken Bones Court Scribe Anton Alexander Dathan Kevork Malikyan Jethro
You'll notice, above, that the name "Malak" is hyperlinked to an article that well discusses the use of this word/name biblically. I became very curious about this word/name because of the character who sports it in this movie. Interesting read, no matter how you feel about the movie. Although many people, including some prominent reviewers, have identified this character as the Abrahamic God, the definition to which I've linked clearly undermines this interpretation by identifying this word as meaning a "messenger" and an "angel".
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2014
Directed by Ridley Scott.
Labels: ben-kingsley, ben-mendelsohn, bible-movies1, christian-bale, drama2, historical1, indira-varma, john-turturro, military, moses, popcorn-and-soda1, religion1, ridley-scott, sigourney-weaver, spectacle1, violence1
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Mulan: Rise of a Warrior
- Commentary: I didn't know this movie existed until recently. Yes, I enjoy the Disney cartoon version of Mulan, I have it in my collection. When I discovered that this live action version existed, though, I immediately checked it out of our library system and watched it. Although it dramatizes many of the same themes, including romance, although a thwarted one, it is a much more serious take on the legend, especially since any comic elements this one contains (and, there are a few soft moments that could be considered comic) do not have anything to do with Eddie Murphy or a dragon and a chicken. However, there is a striking parallel between the portrayal of the Mulans.
Much to my surprise, I'm not sure which version I prefer. Immediately after I watched this version (when I initially checked in out of the library), I found myself hankering to watch Disney's version ... and I did. Both movies have such a high degree of respect for the heroine that I find them both satisfying, and mutually complementary. Which is why I now own a copy.
You'll notice the number of tags I have attached to this movie; and the fact that the same number is not attached to the Disney version of Mulan. I think all the tags I've attached to this version could apply to the Disney version, but I think this movie had more of an impact on me than the Disney version. Truth is, I'm curious about the 2020 live action Mulan put out by Disney. At some point I'll check it out of the library and watch it, but I'm not sure I'll purchase it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Zhao Wei Hua Mulan Chen Kun Wentai Hu Jun Mendu Jaycee Chan Fei Xiaohu Nicky Lee Hu Kui Liu Yuxin Rouran Princess Yu Rongguang Hua Hu Vitas Guide
If you feel the need, here's the sparse write-up on this film at Wikipedia.
Release Date: 2009
Directed by Jingle Ma.
Labels: §2, action2, adventure2, cgi-animation, coming-of-age1, drama2, fantasy1, father-daughter-dynamics, gender-bender, historical1, military, period1, political1, romance1, spectacle1, tragedy1, war1
Monday, January 28, 2019
Full Metal Jacket
- Commentary: As I mention in my write-up for Platoon, this movie, here, is my favorite Vietnam movie. I finally purchased it a while ago. I've watched it a few times since. It is always a thrill. I am ever aware that the movie was, in its time, still is, in fact, controversial. It is not an actor's movie, that is true. Neither was the Vietnam War an actor's war (in the sense that, for instance, WWII became an actor's war). It was a brutal, bloody mess of a capitalist imperial "adventure". It deserved to be lost, as did all the connected wars in Southeast Asia that the U.S. perpetuated. This movie makes that fact abundantly clear.
Although the war, itself, was carnage on a grand scale, the movie is not. As a director's movie, it is a prime example of the interpreting art of film directing. As such, it gets the misdirection/misadventure of the actual war and the global (let alone U.S.) reaction to it right. I will never tire of wanting to watch this movie. It's probably a generational thing. So be it.
Update 9/29/19: I've added this film to a category that I feel I need to defend: the "gang-movie" category. Although the group of men portrayed in this movie are a military unit, they are, clearly, also a gang, as well as part of a larger gang, the overwhelming military gang of professional warriors. It's impossible for me to consider them different than a street gang. Watch the movie. You'll see what I mean.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Matthew Modine Pvt./Sgt. J. T. Davis Vincent D'Onofrio Pvt. Leonard/Gomer Pyle Lee Ermey Gunnery Sgt. Hartman Adam Baldwin Animal Mother Arliss Howard Pvt./Sgt. Evans Kevyn Major Howard Rafterman Dorian Harewood Eightball Tim Colceri Doorgunner Ngoc Le VC Sniper Ed O'Ross Lt. Walter J. Schinoski John Terry Lt. Lockhart Bruce Boa POG Colonel
Just in case, here's the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
Release Date: 1987
Directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Labels: action1, coming-of-age1, gang-movie, haunting1, historical2, horror1, matthew-modine, military, period2, spectacle1, stanley-kubrick, vincent-d'onofrio, violence2, war1
