Thursday, October 13, 2022
The Dark Knight - WB 20 Film Collection Thrillers
- Commentary: I am still trying to get through this one. I've started it several times and within a half hour I stop it and go on to something else. I'm not sure why, but I remember telling one of my sisters the first time I tried to watch it, primarily because, at the time, it was one of her son's favorite movies and I like to keep up with my nieces and nephews like that, that "Dark" was certainly an appropriate word for the movie and I hoped to get through it. It's weird, too, because I like dark stuff, bloody stuff, violent stuff, and I love a lot of Christopher Nolan's work. And yet ... maybe I'll try again tonight.
Update 1/17/2021: I now have two copies of this movie, the second of which came in The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Update 6/1/2022: After having spent some time watching The Dark Knight Trilogy twice, I have changed my opinion of not only this movie but the entire trilogy and, I think, this particular movie rivals the first, Batman Begins, as my favorite of the trilogy. I don't know how I could not have been smitten, during my first attempted viewing, with Heath Ledger's portrayal of Joker. Perhaps it was the lack of a back story that caused a lag in my appreciation.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Christian Bale Bruce Wayne/Batman Michael Caine Alfred Pennyworth Heath Ledger Joker Morgan Freeman Lucius Fox Gary Oldman James Gordon Aaron Eckhart Harvey Dent/Two-Face Maggie Gyllenhaal Rachel Dawes Richie Coster Chechen
Originally published in this journal on 081416.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2008
Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Labels: christian-bale, christopher-nolan, heath-ledger, maggie-gyllenhaal, michael-caine, morgan-freeman, neo-noirB, super-hero2
Se7en - WB 20 Film Collection Thrillers
- Commentary: Love it, love it, love it. I'm glad I own a copy. I was thrilled when I noticed that this movie was in the collection. It's one of the reasons I bought the collection. When I watch it I even remember my reactions when I first saw it in the theater.
Although I was my mother's companion by that time, I did not take her to see it with me. I asked her, but she refused, and I wasn't surprised. She never appreciated crime drama of any kind, let alone grisly crime drama. That's just who she was.
Roger Ebert also christened this movie as one of his Great Movies.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Brad Pitt Det. David Mills Morgan Freeman Det. Lt. William Somerset Gwyneth Paltrow Tracy Mills Kevin Spacey John Doe R. Lee Ermey Police Captain Richard Roundtree D. A. Martin Talbot Richard Schiff Mark Swarr Mark Boone Junior Greasy FBI Man
Originally published in this journal on 081416.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1995
Directed by David Fincher.
Labels: morgan-freeman, neo-noirB
Friday, July 15, 2022
Unforgiven
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: My mother used to be a Clint Eastwood fan with her sister, once they began living close to each other in their latter years. They saw all of Eastwood's stuff, the old and the new. I never figured out if my mother was truly an Eastwood fan or her sister's fan and thus willing to do anything that would bring them closer.
At any rate, although I've seen very few Eastwood movies, I saw this one, I can't remember where or why, when it first came out, and was surprisingly impressed. So, when, one evening, some years ago, my mother suggested that we "rent a Clint Eastwood movie", this is the one I picked. Good choice. Along with Morgan Freeman being in it, she loved the idea that a gunslinger could get old and have trouble reestablishing his former skills in a stab at morality. Since I bought the movie about a year ago, we've seen it a couple of times. Every time she sees it, she either says, "Your Dad would have liked this," or, "You know, I'll bet Jean would like this one, we should have her over sometime to see it. Wouldn't that be fun!"
Once again, I got lucky and found a screenplay online for this movie.
Gerardo Vallero, a site companion critic, also weighs in on this movie, putting it in a modified historical context of Eastwood's work.
Last but not least, an online journalist, a woman named Pam who only reviews westerns, has written a review of this movie that will make you smile and, if you've shied away from this movie, will make you want to see it. See it!
Update 7/15/2022: This post was originally published on November 11, 2006, but but wouldn't pull as a "clint-eastwood" movie. By changing the publishing date, I hope to have fixed the problem.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Clint Eastwood William Munny Gene Hackman Sheriff Bill Daggett Morgan Freeman Ned Logan Richard Harris English Bob Jaimz Woolvett The Schofield Kid Saul Rubinek W. W. Beauchamp Frances Fisher Strawberry Alice Anna Thomson Delilah Fitzgerald
One of Roger Ebert's Great Movies.
If you want to read the Wikipedia info about this movie, though, here is the link.
Release Date: 1992
Directed by Clint Eastwood.
Labels: action3, adventure3, clint-eastwood, drama8, morgan-freeman, popcorn-and-soda3, revenge1, revisionist-western, richard-harris, violence3
Sunday, January 17, 2021
The Dark Knight Trilogy: The Dark Knight Rises
- Commentary: This is my favorite Christopher Nolan Batman movie. The internal battle that subsumes itself into a battle with the evil elements of society in Batman Begins finally has to be faced by Bruce Wayne in this third installment of The Dark Knight Trilogy. He has lost the love of his life and was forced to kill one of his foremost supporters in city government. He has convinced his other government supporter to blame himself for the killings of the other government supporter. Even technical whiz bosom buddy collaborator, Lucius Fox, has become disenchanted with Wayne. Alfred Pennyworth is still loyal but sorely disappointed. Catwoman figures heavily in the movie and it's impossible to tell, throughout most of it, if she is friend or foe.
The movie is filled with a confusion of events, one being Batman's imprisonment, another being Batman's presumed death from his final act to save Gotham from a nuclear bomb and the final being Batman's funeral. Despite all this confusion, the movie has a highly gratifying conclusion, in which Robin figures prominently. It leaves you wondering if Bruce will ever again take on the role of Batman, but it is a satisfying curiosity. Certainly, I doubt that Nolan will extend Batman's story, but, who knows what others will do.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Christian Bale Bruce Wayne/Batman Michael Caine Alfred Pennyworth Gary Oldman James Gordon Anne Hathaway Selina Kyle/Catwoman Tom Hardy Bane Marion Cotillard Miranda Tate/Talia al Ghul Joseph Gordon-Levitt John Blake Morgan Freeman Lucius Fox Liam Neeson Ra's Al Ghul Matthew Modine Foley Ben Mendelsohn Daggett William Devane President
Here's the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
Release Date: 2012
Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Labels: action2, adventure2, ben-mendelsohn, christian-bale, christopher-nolan, drama1, michael-caine, morgan-freeman, neo-noirC, political1, super-hero1, thriller1, violence1, william-devane
The Dark Knight Trilogy: Batman Begins
- Commentary: This is an endlessly interesting origin story for Batman. All the major characters that people Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy are introduced, including Batman as a boy and how, exactly, the death of his parents leads him to become Batman. No need to say anymore, except, I'm a fan of the entire trilogy.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Christian Bale Bruce Wayne/Batman Linus Roache Thomas Wayne Sara Stewart Martha Wayne Morgan Freeman Lucius Fox Michael Caine Alfred Pennyworth Liam Neeson Henri Ducard/Ra's al Ghul Katie Holmes Rachel Dawes Gary Oldman James Gordon Cillian Murphy Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow Tom Wilkinson Carmine Falcone Rutger Hauer William Earle Ken Watanabe decoy Ra's al Ghul
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
Release Date: 2005
Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Labels: action2, adventure2, christian-bale, christopher-nolan, coming-of-age1, drama1, michael-caine, morgan-freeman, neo-noirB, psychological1, super-hero1, suspense1, tom-wilkinson, violence1
Saturday, March 10, 2007
An Unfinished Life
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: This movie surprised us both. I rented it on the strength of Lasse Hallström's, Morgan Freeman's and Robert Redford's participation, even though it's gotten little favorable press. While it's true that it's an example of Hallström's uneveness as a director, it's also true that it's a solid story solidly presented with so few stilted scenes that these are easily ignored. Mom refers to this movie as "the bear movie" and we've watched it several times. It's not hard for me to watch repeatedly, either. It has more than a few interesting, subtle moments that catch one's eye: the smile on Griff's face when she's driving the truck; Jean's handling of a couple of assholes in the restaurant in which she's waitressing; several of the scenes between Griff, Einar and Mitch. The bear, as well, is commanding. There is a priceless scene in which the bear is roaming a neighborhood and during one section of the scene a woman exits, sees the bear, and quickly reenters her home. It's a short, sweet, telling little scene of what it's like to live in bear territory.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Robert Redford Einar Gilkyson Jennifer Lopez Jean Gilkyson Morgan Freeman Mitch Bradley Josh Lucas Sheriff Crane Curtis Lynda Boyd Kitty Damian Lewis Gary Winston Camryn Manheim Nina Becca Gardner Griff Gilkyson
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2005
Directed by Lasse Hallström.
Labels: animal, drama7, jennifer-lopez, mom-favorite1, morgan-freeman, popcorn-and-soda3, robert-redford
Saturday, November 11, 2006
The Shawshank Redemption
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: Although I don't normally 'force' my mother to watch movies I know she'll find unpleasant, even though most of this movie takes place in a prison and doesn't spare the detail, I 'forced' her to watch this movie, even the very difficult scenes. I told her, before I sat her down to watch it, that the movie was one of the most uplifting movies she is likely to watch, but in order to reap the full benefit, she must watch the entire movie, even the parts that are hard to watch.
My insistence was worth it. The movie has become one of my mother's favorites, and she delights, now, every time she hears Morgan Freeman's voice, even in another movie, because she associates it with the surprises and pleasures of this movie.
Roger Ebert reviewed this movie twice. His initial review is linked to the title in this post in which the movie garnered three-and-a-half stars. Five years later it became one of his Great Movies and was racheted up to four stars. In his "Great Movie" review Ebert explains the disparity: that, in fact, he reacted much like the public did to this movie: finding the word "redemption" in the title off-putting from the point of view of theater watching, but, later, made the movie a phenomenon in the home video market. Read the article. It's interesting how he comes to this conclusion.
I, frankly, don't remember whether I first saw it in the theater or on home video. The dating of this post tells me that I acquired it sometime in 2006. I may have seen it before that, or maybe not. All I remember, now, is that I have loved this movie ever since I first saw it, whenever that was. It is juicy with, well, forgive me, Roger, redemption, not something that one finds very often, in life or in the movies.
Turns out, I own two copies of this movie, this stand-alone and another copy in the "Warner Brothers 20 Film Collection Thrillers". Which is good. I can either give one of the copies away or consider that I have a back-up if one of my copies decides to misbehave.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Tim Robbins Andy Dufresne Morgan Freeman Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding Bob Gunton Samuel Norton William Sadler Heywood Clancy Brown Byron Hadley Gil Bellows Tommy Williams James Whitmore Brooks Hatlen Mark Rolston Bogs Diamond
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1994
Directed by Frank Darabont.
Labels: bob-gunton, clancy-brown, drama8, morgan-freeman, revenge1, shared-favorite, tim-robbins
Friday, February 10, 2006
March of the Penguins
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: I think I covered everything in the "mention" above. Despite this, I've kept it. Although we haven't seen it again, I'll bet, one of these days when Animal Planet, Discovery and National Geographic all have shit on them and Mom's not interested in anything but animal stuff, it'll come in handy. I think it's the only animal special we have on DVD. Well, besides The Planet of the Apes movies, which I'm sure Mom considers the best of animal specials.
Update: 7/31/21: Well, dear reader, this one went in the library bin. I don't remember when, but it was probably during the first library dump after Mom died.
Narrated by Morgan Freeman.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2005
Directed by Luc Jacquet.
Labels: animal, documentary1, mom-favorite2, morgan-freeman, science
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Driving Miss Daisy
- Who's watched: M & G, both more than many times
- Mentions: *1* *2* *3* *4* *5* *6*
- Commentary: That's right, we've finally got it, watched it the same day I purchased it for us, and enjoyed it, once again, as though we only vaguely remembered it.
Update 5/2/2022: It's hard for me, nowadays, to say enough about this movie. The portrayal of older people, "Ancient Ones", as I call them, is quite on point, as individuals and as members of a group. The astonishment of the children at the desires, whims and behaviors of their parents and older people, in general, well, I became so familiar with this when members of my family visited my mother and I (rarely, I might add). It was hard, sometimes impossible, for them to think of us and treat us as other than "old relative" and "caregiver"; as, companions, for instance, or people who simply enjoyed each other's company and had a good time doing it. This movie, in very subtle ways, addresses these concerns. It doesn't display ingenious solutions, it just illustrates and leaves it be.
The background music for the film sometimes gets to me. It apes my relatives' attitudes, more than the experiences of Hoke and Miss Daisy.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Morgan Freeman Hoke Colburn Jessica Tandy Daisy Werthan Dan Ackroyd Boolie Werthan Patti LuPone Florine Werthan Esther Rolle Idella Joann Havrilla Miss McClatchey William Hall Jr. Oscar Crystal R. Fox Katey Bell
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1989
Directed by Bruce Beresford.
Labels: caregiver, dramaB, morgan-freeman, period5, popcorn-and-soda5, shared-favorite, teaching
