207. The African Queen

The African Queen (1951)

Director: John Huston

Starring: Humphrey Bogart

Katharine Hepburn

IMDb Rating: 8

My Rating: 9

"Dear... what's your first name? ... Charlie! That's a nice name, Charlie."

Rosa Sayer (Katharine Hepburn) and her brother Samuel Sayer (Robert Morley) are missionaries in a village in German Eastern Africa during World War I. The importer of their supplies and mail is Canadian born boat Captain Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart). He warns the Sayer's that the German's and Britain's are at war. It isn't too long until their village is burned to the ground, including the Sayer's missionary. Samuel rebels against the German's and is beaten, which results in a fatal fever. Charlie returns to the village to find it and Rosa in ruins. He offers to help her bury her brother and escape from the village on his boat "The African Queen." Rosa agrees, and they soon start to go down river and leave her home for the last ten years behind.

Once on the boat, Charlie and Rosa start discussing what they are going to do. Charlie happens to mention that a German gunboat is on patrol in a lake far up river. Rosa tries persuading Charlie to sink the German vessel with a make-shift a torpedo. Charlie agrees to the plan, but believes that she will abandon her idea when she sees the rough obstacles that are ahead. Although, his plan seems to backfire as she finds the adrenaline rush of rapids and waterfalls to be exhilarating. The two at first bicker and fight, but soon a romance starts to bloom. As soon as the prospect of love is present, Charlie fully agrees to the plot to sink the gun ship. The adventure ahead of them may be rough, but the two are determined to seek vengeance for a fallen brother and a country that they both desperately love.

Much like the previous film on the 250, The African Queen works mainly with only two actors, Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. Of course, with two actors of their caliber, you don't need much else. Hepburn gives one of her most light-hearted and lovable performances. Don't get me wrong, Hepburn is rarely anything but outstanding, but most of her roles show her to be rather shrew. In this film, she actually brings forth a character that you can care about. Bogart is also excellent in his Academy Award winning performance. Here he drops some of his edge, in what I find to be one of his softer roles. You don't see as much vulnerability, like in his famous late night binge drink in Casablanca. It's honestly more of a caring and understanding approach than I am used to with him, but it works wonderfully. Separately Bogart and Hepburn always deliver, but their combined performances here is one of the finest parings in film history.

I was also glad to see that the continent that shares the film title was not forgotten. Much of the film features the beautiful scenery and wildlife of Africa. The waterfalls and rapids that come in the film are equally beautiful and thrilling. Each time The African Queen comes upon one of the obstacles, your heart races just as much as it marvels. Even though some of the shots are shot against a blue screen, it still somehow maintains it's realism. The animals are also a fun addition, with the appearance of hippos, crocodiles, and blood sucking leeches. Director John Huston's additional focus on Africa's rich natural beauties shows that he realizes there is more to be seen on camera than his actors.

This film couldn't come on the list at a better time. The African Queen makes it's United States debut on DVD and Blu-ray disc this Tuesday. Before Tuesday, you would have had to wait for a viewing on Turner Classic Movies (like I did), or pay a costly import fee. The African Queen is by far one of the most entertaining films on the list thus far. Bogart and Hepburn have rarely been better. It would be hard for anyone not to like this film, as there is truly something for everyone. So come this Tuesday, do yourself a favor and spend an evening with this fantastic film.

208. Sleuth

Sleuth (1972)

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Starring: Laurence Olivier

Michael Caine

IMDb Rating: 8

My Rating: 7.5

"Remember, be sure to tell them, it was only a bloody game."

Andrew Wyke (Laurence Olivier) is a rich author of mystery novels and great lover of games. His entire house is filled with darts, billiards tables, and other rare and unusual activities. Although, his playful personality extends past the traditional family game nights. When salon owner Milo Tindle (Michael Caine) approaches Andrew about marrying his current wife Marguerite, Andrew puts into place a deceptive game of cat and mouse that appears to have fatal consequences. A few days after Milo and Andrew's encounter, a strange detective shows up at Andrew's door inquiring about a disturbance. Slowly a new game begins, although this time Andrew is the pawn.

Sleuth is one of those films that is almost completely driven by it's script. With only one set and two actors, the dialogue had little room for error. Luckily the script is written brilliantly and is in the very capable hands of Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. It's rare to see a film made with just two actors and no additional cast members. The two give the screenplay life with equally fantastic performances. Their banter fluctuates from hilarious to terrifying with barely any transition. This makes the film all that more fun, and unpredictable. Olivier and Caine's perfect delivery of the script is definitely where this film shines brightest.

In the case of this film, the set does much of the characterizing and storytelling. The film keeps one singular location intact, only expanding to create an upstairs area with rooms. The statues located around the house, eventually play out to be almost like supporting characters in the film. Such as Olivier's constant use of a cued laughing sea captain to establish his aura madness. I cannot recall a film in which it's set and pieces told just as much of a story than the characters themselves. Even though the way the arrangement of the set seemed like it would be distracting, it eventually proved to be essential to setting up the characters and their unique personalities.

Sleuth proves that solid films can be made with the use of single locations, small casts, and superbly written dialogue. Although, when a film relies on so much dialogue, some viewers might bore easily. I do not, but I could see where some people could. I had seen the remake starring Jude Law and Michael Caine (Caine plays the opposite role than he did in the original) prior to this viewing, and it is nowhere near the caliber of this film. Sadly, Sleuth is out of print on DVD, and as a result has become forgotten. If the opportunity ever arises, I strongly encourage you to see this truly unique and entertaining film.

209. Magnolia

Magnolia (1999)

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring: Julianne Moore

William H. Macy

Tom Cruise

Philip Seymour Hoffman

John C. Reilly

Philip Baker Hall

IMDb Rating: 8

My Rating: 9

"and it's not going to stop / 'til you wise up"

Magnolia is a twenty-four hour journey into the lives of two separate groups of people. Earl Partridge (Jason Robards) has cancer, and is very close to dying. He tells his nurse Phil Parma (Philip Seymour Hoffman) that he wants him to find his estranged son, who turns out to be men's self help author Frank T.J. Mackey (Tom Cruise). Earl's much younger wife Linda (Julianne Moore) is out getting the prescription drugs to help ease his pain. She stops by the lawyer in charge of Earl's will to explain that she did not love him at the time of their marriage, and wants to be taken out of the will. The lawyer informs her that since she is listed as sole beneficiary, the money would then go to Frank. This sends her into a fit of rage, increasing even more when she returns home to find that Phil has been instructed to get in contact with Frank.

Meanwhile, television quiz show host Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall), has been informed that he too is going to die. Jimmy goes to visit his cocaine addicted daughter Claudia (Melora Walters) to tell her the news. She is angered at the site of him, and causes a scene as she tells him to leave. The noise from the dispute alerts neighbors and they call the incident in. Police Officer Jim Kurring (John C. Reilly) is alerted to the call, and interviews Claudia in her apartment. After having a cup of coffee, Jim asks Claudia out on a date for that same evening. Claudia accepts the invitation, but it seems only to get Jim out of her apartment.

After leaving his daughter's apartment, Jimmy Gator heads to the studio to host his show, "What Do Kids Know." Here we meet young whiz kid Stanley (Jeremy Blackman) who's verbally abusive father has almost guided his success. Stanley is also two days away from setting the record for continuous days on the show, set by former contestant Donnie Smith (William H. Macy). Donnie's life since the show has been filled with misfortune not limited to having all his prize money stolen by his parents, getting struck by lightning, and most recently getting fired from his job. As each person continues on through the day, their two groups eventually intertwine to become one, all sharing the pain of life and opportunity lost.

As you can see from the description above, there is a lot going on in this film. The script, written by director Paul Thomas Anderson, is amazingly written and is a true look into the struggling human spirit. Where other films details and subplots might become scrambled, Magnolia never once falters. Not once do the stories become confusing or uninteresting. With the multiple stories involving two seperate groups, the three hour run time does go by pretty fast. Although, each story is given equal time to develop and mature, and the film leaves no loose ends to tie up. Given the complexity of Magnolia, I would venture to call it one of the best structured scripts of the last twenty years.

There are so many great performances in this film, but it's actually not difficult for me to single one of them out. Tom Cruise gives the finest performance of his career as Frank T.J. Mackey. When we first meet Frank, he seems to be nothing more than an egocentric alpha-male type. Cruise plays these scenes with incredible amounts of confidence and humor. It isn't until Frank is being interviewed for a television show that the truth behind his life comes out. Cruise's performance quickly goes from comedic, to vulnerable and disturbing. This first transition is excellent, but pales in comparison to when Cruise falls deeper into despair, as he angrily grieves for his father's apparent death. I think film lover's all have that one performance where they feel someone got robbed of an Oscar, Tom Cruise in Magnolia will always be mine.

Even though Magnolia is on this list, I still feel like it is never given the proper amount of respect. It's very rare that an ensemble of actors as talented as this, is paired with such an incredible script. Paul Thomas Anderson has a gift with these large ensemble films, and it has never come across better than it did here. His films have become smaller in scale with his two most recent efforts, and I hope that he eventually goes back to this style of film making. Overall, I encourage you all to watch this film. Every time I go back to it, I find another reason to love it. And if none of what I've said has convinced you to see the film, it eventually rains frogs. That's right frogs.

*Fun Trivia : Can anyone name the two other films where Tom Cruise sings in a car?

not-250: BNinside Article

This article was featured on my company's in-house website called 'bninside'. Since it is in-house, there is no way of forwarding you to the actual article. So I thought I would post it here instead.

Music/DVD Manager Turns Film Critic

by: Kimberly Miu

In a quest to view and review IMDB’s Top 250 films by the end of the year, Music/DVD Manager Joey Wright is expanding his film knowledge and sales at Store 2188

On his days off, Music/DVD Manager Joey Wright can usually be found parked on his couch in front of the television watching a movie. As a film fanatic, this has become Joey’s side project – he is determined to watch IMDB’s Top 250 films (approximately 500 hours) by the end of the year.

“I’ve scheduled myself to watch five movies a week. On my days off, I’ll try to watch two a day so I can get ahead of myself,” says Joey. After each movie, he posts his review on his blog, http://the-250.blogspot.com/. He believes that this project will help him find new favorite films and a reason to re-watch some of the classics.

The rewards of watching the Top 250 will also be reaped by Joey’s customers at Store 2188 in Altamonte Springs, FL, who rely on him for his opinion about movies and music. “Expanding my personal knowledge about movies will help me hand-sell,” says Joey. “Knowing similar titles and artists to what customers enjoy is the best way to make a sale. When I recommend music titles, I always use the RedDot system, which makes add-on sales a breeze.”

Since joining Barnes & Noble in December 2006, Joey has found the most satisfying part of being a bookseller is building relationships with customers. He has many regulars that always stop by to chat, ask for recommendations and pick up new titles. In one instance, a newly-engaged couple who were regulars in the store (where they also met) asked Joey to pick the music for their wedding. Joey says, “I was honored… I hand-picked several classical wedding CDs for them, which they were very pleased with. They even invited me to their wedding!”

Beyond his regular customers, Joey tries to get to know each customer that enters the Music/DVD Department. He immediately welcomes them with a smile and greeting and uses name recognition whenever possible. His friendly demeanor makes it easy for him to share his growing knowledge of film and music, ultimately leading to sales.

While Joey’s go-to hand-sells are artist Tristan Prettyman (“she’s the female Jack Johnson”) and the movie Casablanca (“it’s still the best movie – funny and romantic!”), he soon plans to create a promotional display for some of the titles in the Top 250 that he wants to share with customers.

210. Stalag 17

Stalag 17 (1953)

Director: Billy Wilder

Starring: William Holden

Otto Preminger

Don Taylor

Robert Strauss

Harvey Lembeck

IMDb Rating: 8

My Rating: 7.5

"There are two guys in this barracks that know I didn't do it. Me and the guy that did do it."

Stalag 17 is the name of a German P.O.W. camp for American airmen during World War II. Even though the men are prisoners of war, they attempt to keep their own spirits high with things such as volleyball games and gambling on mouse races. One evening two men from Barracks Four attempt to escape, but are killed as soon as they cross under the final barbed wire fence via an underground tunnel. This instance, and many others, start to raise suspicions through out Barracks Four. All the men agree that there must be a spy in their midst giving information to the German officers. They immediately accuse Sergeant J.J. Sefton (William Holden) of being the spy and beat him in his bunk. Sefton knows that he is innocent and begins to unravel the mystery of who the spy could actually be.

Stalag 17 is definitely the most light-hearted movie about war that I have seen. There are just as many comedic elements in this film, as dramatic ones. Much of the humor comes from the performances of Robert Strauss and Harvey Lembeck. They get into all sorts of funny predicaments, like painting a white stripe down the middle of the road so that they can get into the women's P.O.W. camp that is next door. At first all the humor threw me off, but eventually I found that it definitely does belong. Stalag 17 really shows that there can be bright moments even in the darkest situations.

Something that really grabbed my attention was the mental state of the prisoners and the way that their barracks treated them. As some characters slowly being to crack, you saw a genuine concern and comradery much like a family. This wasn't something that built over time either. From the very beginning, you are made aware that these men are a team, and rarely seen as individuals. This element is important because it does establish the story of how it's Sergeant Sefton versus everyone else. As a group the barrack decides to turn their back on him, so he must prove his innocence to the group, rather than just a single individual. This makes his struggle even more rewarding, when his innocence is finally proven.

If you are a fan of director Billy Wilder, this film is sure to find your favor. It contains the classic humorous Wilder appeal, while never compromising it's credibility as a great film. I thought this film was very good, and will probably see it again after finding out the identity of the spy. Overall, this movie is really about the friends you make and the true meaning of family. We eventually all get stuck at some point in life. It's the people you surround yourself with that will help you maintain your sanity, and sometimes they'll even help you to explore your insanity.

not 250 - My Oscar Predictions

I thought I would post my Oscar predictions for tonight. These are not necessarily the people I want to win, but who I think will win. If I had it my way, Quentin Tarantino would have the night of his life tonight, but I sadly don't see that happening. Here are my predictions for tonight's awards....

BEST PICTURE

The Hurt Locker

BEST DIRECTOR

Kathryn Bigelow

BEST ACTOR

The Dude (Jeff Bridges)

BEST ACTRESS

Gabourey Sidibe

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Christoph Waltz (my favorite performance of the year!!!)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Monique

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Inglourious Basterds

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Up In the Air

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Avatar

(I had trouble deciding on which picture to use, there were like 9 other movies to choose from.)

BEST FOREIGN FILM

A Prophet

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Fantastic Mr. Fox (upset alert!)

*to my loyal followers (heh), I have been stacking some reviews up so that when I go on my cruise later this week, you have lots to read. enjoy!

211. Rocky

Rocky (1976)

Director: John G. Avildsen

Starring: Sylvester Stallone

Talia Shire

Carl Weathers

IMDb Rating: 8

My Rating: 8.5

"Nobody's ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I'm standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood."

Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is a local boxer fighting out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who makes ends meet by collecting debts for a middle of the line loan shark. Rocky is well liked and respected through out his community. Every morning Rocky stops by his local pet store to visit the very shy Adrian Pennino (Talia Shire). He has had his eye on her for quite sometime, though she is quite oblivious to this. Through the help of her brother Paulie (Burt Young), Rocky finally secures a date with her. The two go ice skating, and as the evening progresses, Adrian finally starts to come out of her shell. It isn't long after this night, that her and Rocky become a couple.

While Rocky is courting Adrian, he gets an offer to fight the heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Rocky begins his training without any management or professional help. He feels like if he reached this fight alone, he should fight the fight alone. Although, following a late night visit from local boxing trainer Mickey Goodmill (Burgess Meredith), Rocky finally agrees to let someone help train him. With Mickey's help, Rocky gets in top physical condition to face Apollo. The night before the fight, Rocky tells Adrian that he has never felt like he was anything. He knows that if he can last a full fifteen rounds with Apollo, he will finally get the recognition he has been searching for. With the love of Adrian and his never-say-die attitude, Rocky faces Apollo in what turns out to be the fight of both their lives.

Rocky is often viewed as the quintessential underdog sports film, but it's not only about sports. It's also stands up as a timeless love story. Rocky pursues Adrian just as much, if not more, as his dream of being an established fighter. His final fight with Apollo is very reminiscent of his entire relationship with Adrian. In the build up, he couldn't get so much as a word in with either. Apollo talked too much, and Adrian gave absolutely no feedback. Both leaving Rocky short of what he wanted to say. Although once a chance is given, he comes out swinging. With Apollo, Rocky sends him to the falling to the canvas in the first round. Adrian instantly starts falling for Rocky as soon as she sees how caring and attentive he can be. In the end, all that mattered to Rocky was the journey. Whether it was win, lose, or draw he just wanted to prove that he could do it.

Rocky will forever be one of the most inspirational films of all time. It is one of those movies where you cannot help, but root for the guy. In all fairness, Apollo isn't that terrible of a guy. He is generous enough to give Rocky the opportunity many would kill for, yet you still want to see him get clobbered. Also, Adrian and Rocky come together in one of the cinema's most unlikely and classic romances. I found that to be the strongest and most appealing part of the film. Although, someone else could just as easily find the boxing angle to be the best part. That is what has made Rocky so universally appealing over the last thirty years. Each person that sees the film really can take something different from it. It is far from one dimensional. If you have not seen this film, you definitely owe it to yourself to see one of cinema's iconic treats.