Piltdown_Man

Dark Victory (1939)

A stunning lesson in acting...

Bette Davis is in nearly every scene and she is nearly perfect in every frame of this film. Her joie de vie (despite her "prognosis negative") is unbelievable. She is alternately cute and sweet and bitchy and scared and loving and....well, you name it!

Goulding does an amazing job. He tells the story and never gets in the way, in the way that only classic studio directors seemed to know how to do...

Other than the absolute miscasting of Bogart (and it really doesn't hurt the film, ultimately..) this is a beautiful film...

Pilt

The Hard Way (1943)

Carson and Lupino shine amid the grit

Jack Carson can appear to chew the scenery a bit when viewed through the prism we hold in 2007, but this is really a wonderful performance by him. In some ways, he almost steals the show.

But Lupino, who I always love, again brings her energy and her great wide-eyed sadness to bear in a way that overwhelms everything. She was always a force to be reckoned with!

The stock footage which places us in or around Pittsburgh has a shot of 5 smokestacks which I swear still exist today...as part of a Pittsburgh area mall/development which kept them as a talisman to the age of steel...though I could be wrong. I do know this, however, they definitely weren't shot on the back lot in Culver City!

Pilt

Dodsworth (1936)

One of the great ones...

This is truly a remarkable movie.

It is staged beautifully. Acted superbly. And the directing, shooting and cutting is nearly flawless.

Certain scenes stay with me most vividly...

• Mary Astor warning Ruth Chatterton off of Paul Lucas with nothing more than a brief line and a quick look.

• Huston and Chatterton undressing while their marriage starts to crumble.

• Huston getting the wire from Europe, just after being so much of a blowhard with his family.

• Walter Huston connecting with Mary Astor in Italy.

It is a movie that could not, would not be made today. There is no violence, no overt sex. It is, as other posters have noted, an adult movie, made for the sensibilities of adults.

And Mary Astor is just radiant and beautiful throughout...

MMG

Mr. Lucky (1943)

Loraine Day at her most stunning..oh, and Cary, too!

This is really a wonderful and somewhat surprising film. Grant plays against type, at least if you think his type is the suave, urbane lover boy who has never taken a false step...

The real surprise for me, though, is how strong Day is in this film. She is photographed beautifully; the cinematographer made sure she had a strong eye light in nearly every scene and she looks stunning. But more than that, she just seems totally on her game and involved. Perhaps some of that credits goes to Grant, who seems to be having fun with the whole thing.

Ron

Calling Bulldog Drummond (1951)

Not really part of the series, but excellent nonetheless...

A very well-plotted and well-written entry, though, as noted before, it doesn't have the usual cast of characters we know and love. No E. E. Clive. No Heather Angel. BUT, it is a really well shot and directed movie. It moves along briskly. No wasted scenes or moments.

The big treat for me is the performance of Leighton. She doesn't just hold her own alongside Pigeon, I think she outshines him. She has a subtle touch and has no problem shifting from tart to Scotland Yard operative within the same scene. Her classic training on the English stage shows...in all the right ways.

MrMovieGuy.com

High Sierra (1940)

Lupino and Bogart classics...

This is a wonderfully "taut" film. It contains one scene which I thing is nearly perfect.

As Bogart and Lupiono are leaving for "the job," Pard, the scraggly little dog chases their car. Bogart stops and lets the dog in, then notes how nuts he is about leaving with a woman and a dog. Lupino calls him on it, saying something like, "You're not so tough!" In a moment, Bogart's tough guy exterior fades; he smiles broadly, pats the dog's head and they drive on. It is a wonderful bit of film-making...and acting by both leads.

Ron

Beyond the Rocks (1922)

The soundtrack makes it new...

Despite an earlier poster's view that the soundtrack was at times "too contemporary sounding," I would argue that the track brings this film up-to-date, without sacrificing its initial intent.

The more modern track (and I'm a traditionalist in all things...) pulled me in and made me watch this film with new eyes. The "original" music used on many silents is clearly one of the things which immediately dates them and makes them seem old and, to some people, silly.

With fresher music, it is easier to watch the performances and not get caught up in the sound, which obviously predominates in silents...

Ron

Now, Voyager (1942)

A love story for the ages...

I think the "ugly duckling" storyline is so powerful because most of us have lived through it in one way or another; a first dance, a first kiss, a stumbling call on the phone. For most it happens in our teens; for Charlotte is just happened a little later. But because we have lived it, we can easily connect with what she is feeling...

The early scenes of Davis and Henreid together on the ship, as she takes her first tentative steps toward womanhood are remarkable and lovely and touching -- all without being smarmy or overly sentimental. That's a nice trick, and the Director pulled it off beautifully. As did the writers, who managed to keep things moving and keep a sense of humor throughout the dialog.

And while the cigarette shot is famous, I'll vote for the "transformation" shot of Bette when we see her for the first time aboard ship; that fluid tilt up from toe to top, with her "picture hat" tipped down over one eye.

Ron

Living in Oblivion (1995)

So real it's unreal...

I can't believe I missed this film for so many years! It wasn't until a fellow production guy mentioned it do me, then pushed the DVD on me, that I finally saw it. Funny, but the pretentious title is probably what kept me away...even though it's part of the joke! For those of us who have worked on movies or commercials, there is just so much truth here. The "where do we park the camera truck" had me hooked from the start! God bless my fellow production pals, but that is just wonderful; despite the most detailed call sheets and schedules, no one ever seems to know where to park!

The dream sequences are actually like the nightmares I've too often had...on the night before a shoot! There's a hare in the gate! A giant freakin' hare!

I don't have much more to add to what's been said, other than a tip of the Mole-Richardson- Arri-Camera-Mart-Panavision baseball cap to the director! Bravo...and cut!

Three Days of the Condor (1975)

But will they print it? Freeze....

I loved this movie when I saw it in the theater and all these years later, I still do. It stands the test of time, though my wife insists that the "you take pictures of trees with no leaves" line is just a bit over the top. Maybe so, but I'll take the rest of it. The pacing of this film is intense, but, unlike so many films, where quick edits are done "just because we can," the snappy cutting of Condor works to its advantage.

Redford is spot on, too. His combination of intelligence and MacGyver-smarts works beautifully and he never misses a beat. I think it may be his best, most nuanced performance, aside from Sundance, though I think this film demands more of him.

And what can I say? Faye Dunaway had not yet reached the point where she looked (and acted) like a caricature of herself. Her snippy vulnerability is delightful, as is her faith in Condor when she decides to join the fun.

What Condor does best is balance a complex spy plot with a Hitchkokian "wrong man" concept and it never stops moving from the first scene. This is one of those films I'd bring with me to an island...

What Price Hollywood? (1932)

Stunning Bennett and solid Lowell Sherman

While this is Bennett's film, and she shimmers in her pre-code couture, Lowell Sherman puts in an equally excellent performance. He plays the role of the alcoholic director with such grace that is almost makes me cry.

This is by far the best version of this story. Instead of being juiced up with a lot of overdone sequences, it is real and solid and, ultimately really painful and human.

Cukor, who I believe may be the best director of all time, keeps his touch light, as always.

Ron

Possessed (1931)

Crawford and Gable Doing What They Do Best...

This is a very solid bit of movie-making. Well directed and edited. Little fluff. A script that is generally crisp and moves the plot forward.

Crawford is strong and likable as she moves from factory girl to "kept woman," apparently without missing a beat.

It's in these early Crawford films that you really see what the shouting was all about. She is beautiful, vulnerable, strong, sweet and, most importantly, a powerful screen presence. And she can show you all those sides of herself in the same scene.

Gable too, while playing a somewhat subservient role, gets to strut his stuff. He is at once, a "man's man" and "ladies man." Neat trick. Try it sometime.

One aspect of this film that you'll appreciate is its lack of moralizing. The story is out there for all to see, but we don't get it rubbed in our faces. Also, along the lines of Philip Barry ("The Philadelphia Story") we are allowed to see that money and power does not necessarily make a man bad, while struggle and poverty doesn't make him good, either.

As with all movies of this era, you have to allow for the changing morals and attitudes that have interceded in the following 70 years, but it's a testament to the writer and director that this still holds up.

The Constant Gardener (2005)

Stunning....

This is a rare gem in today's gravel pit of features. Rachel Weisz is truly transcendent. She is just so immensely real and powerful and alive! Fienne's role as that of a somewhat distant man is the perfect complement to this.

Visually, this is one of the finest films I've seen in years; the editing is brilliant and the cinematography is beautiful; the DP gives us subtle stylistic cues and approaches which highlight the many different worlds we encounter, from the abject poverty of Africa to the interior of a private London club.

See this film...and see what a movie can really be.

A Notorious Affair (1930)

Great writing....surprisingly modern.

I found this movie remarkably modern, even given it's early filming. Kay is quite the vamp, yet gives a nuanced performance. Billy Dove is gorgeous and, is it just me, or does she have the biggest eyes ever? Rathbone shows substantial range. Usually cast as a "strong" character with no flaws, he is clearly able to show a weaker side of himself.

I loved some of the direction in this film. Great scenes, such as one where Billy returns home early from the theater. Her walk toward camera is perfect, as is the score that accompanies it. Throughout the film, the score is strong, yet understated...a rare occurrence on many early films, where sound was OVERUSED just to prove it was there!

Bottom line, this is an excellent film.