Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Roman Polanski

Starring: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon

Running time: 136 minutes

Rosemary Woodward and her husband Guy, an aspiring actor, move into a new apartment in this older building in New York City, hoping to start a family. The couple is quickly befriended by two older neighbors, the Castavets, who will quickly take an ever-growing place in their daily life. When Rosemary becomes pregnant, after a very unclear conception that happened during a night when she was passed out, her paranoia increases as she starts suspecting their older friends of being Satanists trying to take control over her and baby.

This 1968 film, adapted from Ira Levin’s bestselling novel of the same name, has become a true classic of the psychological horror genre. Polanski wrote the screenplay and directed the movie, and he did commendable work of it. As they say about Polanski in some circles: Good movie director, bad date. In Rosemary’s Baby, Polanski weaves a tale where the mood is set and then the action takes us slowly and surely to a strong climax.

Mia Farrow offers a solid performance as Rosemary, a young naïve wife whose paranoia increases slowly, and with good reason. Some would even say she should have caught on quicker, but, movies being what they are, good things take time to develop. Ruth Gordon is also very good as Minnie Castavets, an overbearing old lady who hides such darkness under these layers of niceness.

If you have yet to see Rosemary’s Baby and you like a good horror film, give it a chance; it is a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I must admit I cringed a bit at the end, with the cliché of the Asian guy in a group of Satanists taking pictures, but it was an acceptable thing to convey back in the 60’s I guess. Beyond that, this Polanski classic still deserves to hold a very respectable rank on any cinephile’s list of best movies.

Rating: «««««

The Exorcist (1973)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: William Friedkin

Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max Von Sydow

Running time: 122 minutes

Adapted from William Peter Blatty’s novel of the same name, published in 1971, The Exorcist tells the story of Chris MacNeil, an actress living on location with her pre-teen daughter Regan. When the young girl starts exhibiting strange behavior, her mother brings her to a doctor, but no clear diagnosis can be made about what is ailing Regan. After a while, fearing that her daughter might be possessed by some evil spirits, Chris will consult a young priest/psychiatrist, who will seek approval from his superiors to conduct an exorcism on the girl.

Considered by many to be the scariest movie of all-time, this horror classic is really effective at setting a tone. At first, all seems fine in the MacNeil household, with lots of mother-daughter love to go around. But, we know something is looming, just around the corner. When young Regan starts showing signs of something being terribly wrong with her, it starts slow and builds to a crescendo where all hell breaks loose.

Visually-speaking, The Exorcist was really innovative for the genre in the 1970’s. The special effects were amazing, and that is somewhat surprising, considering the era in which the movie was made. The acting was also good.

Personally, I would not go as far as saying that this is the scariest film of all-time, but that is just me. I think that this hesitation on my part to give it that particular title is because I don’t believe in evil possessions and exorcisms. Movies that scare me have to be based on what I consider to be a little more realistic than supernatural.

That being said, The Exorcist is a really effective film that has become an ageless classic. All elements contribute to making this movie very entertaining. Whether it scares you profoundly or not, it will keep you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what happens next. Most people have seen it already, but it endures the test of time and deserves multiple viewings through the years, if you like the genre.

Rating: «««««

On The Waterfront (1954)

Genre: Drama / Author’s Favorites

Directed by: Elia Kazan

Starring: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Eva Marie Saint

Running time: 108 minutes

Terry Malloy is a former boxer who had lots of potential, but he took a dive against an opponent he could have beaten after mob-connected union boss Johnny Friendly asked him to do so, so he could bet against him and cash in. Years later, Terry works on the dock and does various jobs for Friendly, who has Malloy’s brother Charley for right-hand man. When one of those jobs gets a man killed, Malloy starts to have doubts that will amplify greatly once he falls for the victim’s sister.  

Marlon Brando was in top form here. Young, thin, good-looking and motivated, the man bursts out of the screen as Terry Malloy. His character’s “I could have been a contender” speech directed at brother Charley is among the best set of lines in cinema history. Such intensity and believability; it is a great thing to witness.

Eva Marie Saint, who made her big screen debut in On The Waterfront, is very good as Edie, a young woman determined to find out what happened to her brother. The rest of the cast members, from top to bottom, held their own also; not a bad note acting-wise.

This 1954 black-and-white drama has been deemed culturally, historically or aesthetically significant by the Library of Congress, and deservedly so. This needs to be seen, more than once even. I highly recommend it.

Rating: «««««

Carrie (2013)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Kimberly Peirce

Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Judy Greer

Running time: 99 minutes

This film is a remake of the 1976 original, still based on the Stephen King book of the same name. It is still the story of Carrie, a 17-year old girl with telekinetic powers who has to contend with an abusive overly religious mom at home and other kids who bully her at school. Feeling bad for Carrie, another girl asks her boyfriend to take the lonely girl to the senior prom instead of her. He does so, but some other students are waiting to sabotage what could have been such a beautiful moment for Carrie.

Coming in, I was expecting to be disappointed by this remake of Carrie. The original, while not perfect by any means, has this special aura about it. The compelling story and the great acting have made it a classic. Well, I was pleasantly surprised by the 2013 version.

Chloë Grace Moretz really shines as Carrie. The girl most known for her badass role in the Kick-Ass franchise shows some great vulnerability here as the main character. I would say kudos also to Julianne Moore, who did some great work taking over the role originally played by Piper Laurie.

As for the movie itself, some things needed to be changed. The main character was actually played by a teenager this time, so the exploitation aspect of the locker room scene at the beginning of the movie is no more. The filmmakers also did some solid work bringing this material up to this era. The use of Smart Phones and the Internet in bullying is a plague of these times and it was well used here.

While I expected this to be a pale copy, I found the remake of Carrie to be a very effective retelling. Some details were fleshed out a bit, and it made the whole thing so enjoyable to me as a cinephile. The acting was great, the special effects were improved and the original story was fine tuned. Overall, there is nothing to complain about on my part.

Rating: «««««

Carrie (1976)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Brian De Palma

Starring: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Nancy Allen

Running time: 98 minutes

This film adaptation of the Stephen King book of the same name tells the story of Carrie, a 17-year old girl with telekinetic powers who has to contend with an abusive overly religious mom at home and other kids who bully her at school. Feeling bad for Carrie, another girl asks her boyfriend to take the lonely girl to the senior prom instead of her. He does so, but some other students are waiting to sabotage what could have been such a beautiful moment for Carrie.

Both Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie were recognized for their roles in this movie and deservedly so. Both are absolutely brilliant as Carrie and Margaret White (daughter-mother). For Laurie, it was a return to the big screen after a long absence, and she sure did embrace the role. As for Spacek, she was in her mid to late twenties when this movie was made, but she truly looked like a teenage girl. Considering the locker room scene in the opening had so much nudity, it was a good thing it was really adults playing teenage girls. It was the 70’s, so it felt like American politics in the last few decades: Lots of Bush!

The movie itself feels a bit dated when you look at it with the eyes of today. Nonetheless, with a slow build and some solid acting, it creates some great tension and ends on a strong note. This film is truly a classic of the genre and it should be seen at least once in a lifetime.

Rating: ««««

Prison Break (2005-2017)

Genre: TV / Drama

Starring: Dominic Purcell, Wentworth Miller, Sarah Wayne Callies

Number of seasons: 5

Lincoln Burrows is sent to prison and sentenced to death for the killing of the brother of the Vice-President of the United States; a crime he never committed. His brother, Michael Scofield, a brilliant structural engineer, gets himself thrown into the same prison, the Fox River State Penitentiary, with the purpose of breaking him out of there before he gets executed. Whether it is inside the prison or outside of its walls, a major fight for freedom and truth is going on. Loyalties are being tested constantly.

The two main actors, Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell, have such great on-screen chemistry as brothers who have only had each other to depend on since childhood. Now, they will have each other’s back at all costs. Both brothers are polar opposites, but you can easily feel, through the acting and the storytelling, that link that will forever unite them. I particularly dug the Scofield character, a man who does not have the brawns so he uses his brains. He is always multiple moves ahead in his head, which makes him a threat to many people.

The supporting cast is also very solid. There are too many actors and actresses to name them all, but there are so many good performances here. Character development is a very important aspect in Prison Break; so many layers, with people switching sides in the war depending on their stake in the matter. In some cases, we go from hate to love and back and forth in regards to characters, but, come what may, we always care what happens to these fictional people.

As good as the character development is in Prison Break, some plot twists left me scratching my head a little bit. The story took a few turns for the weird, especially in the last season. But, by the end of it all, it was brought to a good conclusion, filled with emotion and intensity. 

 Rating: ««««

Spectre (2015)

Genre: Action

Directed by: Sam Mendes

Starring: Daniel Craig, Christopher Waltz, Léa Seydoux

Running time: 148 minutes

In this new installment of the James Bond franchise, Agent 007 goes on an unofficial mission requested by his former boss, the now deceased M. What starts out as the killing of one man becomes an encounter with a massive criminal organization called Spectre. This new adventure will once again take the infamous spy all around the globe.

From the start of his involvement in the series, I have never been a big supporter of Craig as Bond. I have always found him to be too dry, especially in comparison to Roger Moore and Sean Connery, the measuring sticks in my book when it comes to Bond. I will give credit where it is due, the English blond actor has gotten more comfortable in the role and he gives us his best performance to date as 007. While it is not as good as the best of the best were, he showed more passion and humor this time around, and it was greatly appreciated.

Spectre remains a James Bond film; the wheel does not get reinvented here. I never expected that anyways. Explosions, car chases, fights and the likes; all the same ingredients mixed up in the cinematic bowl. The result may not be totally fresh, but it was entertaining.

Christopher Waltz, that many of us discovered thanks to his work with Tarantino, is really good here. I would even dare to say that we see too little of him. He has that face and that voice that really makes you passionately hate a character. But, as far as underutilized actors, the worst crime of Spectre is the use of the beautiful Monica Bellucci. We only get to see her for less than 5 minutes. She barely has time to talk and have a sexual encounter with the hero before disappearing. I must admit though that French actress Léa Seydoux does a really good job as Dr. Madeleine Swann.

Former pro wrestler Dave Bautista was a great choice as the silent muscle of the criminal organization. He looked like a legitimate threat, though it is clear that the hero will always prevail in the end.

Overall, Spectre offers good entertainment. Fast-paced action and some good acting work for this particular genre.

Rating: «««

The Interview (2014)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Lizzy Caplan

Running time: 112 minutes

The host and the producer of Skylark Tonight, a talk show mostly known for discussing personal matters in celebrities’ lives and gossip, score a major coup when they manage to book an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, after finding out that he is a fan of their show. The next day, a CIA agent recruits the two men to assassinate the dictator during their trip overseas.

This political satire caused uproar because of its subject matter and the portrayal of Kim Jong-un. The announcement of its release was met with threats of terrorist attacks, which lead Sony to concentrate mostly on online release for rental or purchase. A limited release in select cinemas followed.

The controversy surrounding this movie created a huge buzz that overshadowed anything it could have delivered. In the end, the film offers an interesting look at the media and at Kim Jong-un. The Interview is done in great part to get laughs, and it does a very uneven job of it, at least for me. Franco and Rogen were good, and so was the supporting cast, but many jokes fell kind of flat. Maybe I was expecting too much, but I was hoping for something funnier. That being said, this movie had its moments and it deserves a passing grade in my book.

Rating: «««

The Proposal (2009)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Directed by: Anne Fletcher

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Betty White, Mary Steenburgen

Running time: 108 minutes

An overbearing and mean executive editor in chief in a book publishing company finds out that she is about to be deported back to Canada because of a work visa problem. Not wanting to go back to her home country and end up unemployed, she convinces her assistant, who is afraid to lose his job too if she leaves, to marry her in a scam to avoid deportation. To sell this subterfuge, they will have to travel together to Alaska, for the groom-to-be’s family reunion.

This is your typical film where two people who cannot stand each other at first are forced to coexist. Inevitably, mutual feelings ensue and complications arise.

In spite of the run-of-the-mill storyline, this is a charming little romantic comedy, mostly thanks to the chemistry between Reynolds and Bullock and to the presence of Betty White and Mary Steenburgen. These last two experienced actresses bring a good dose of comedy as the grandma and mother of Ryan Reynolds’ character. Bullock is also very convincing as an uptight and domineering bitchy boss who needs to let go of the reigns a bit. The aspect of the father-son relationship between the characters of Ryan Reynolds and Craig T. Nelson was also compelling.

Overall, The Proposal proposes a very predictable flick, with very little in terms of surprises. That being said, the performance of the cast saves it from being forgettable and actually delivers a very charming piece of cinematic entertainment. Not extraordinary, but not bad either.

Rating: «««

Bridge of Spies (2015)

Genre: Historical / Drama

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan

Running time: 141 minutes

This film is based on the 1960 U-2 incident. In the midst of the Cold War, lawyer James B. Donovan (Hanks) is asked to handle the defense of Rudolph Abel, a suspected Russian spy arrested in the US. The authorities want to give the impression that the accused is going to get a fair trial in the States, but they are clearly intent on railroading him. Despite the pressures and hatred he gets in his home country for doing it, Donovan takes his job seriously and manages to at the very least save Abel from the death penalty. When Francis Gary Powers, an American pilot on a spying mission, gets shot down and arrested in the Soviet Union, the American lawyer is then sent to negotiate his release in exchange for the imprisoned Russian spy.

What could have been a very dark and dry movie was made so much more pleasant by the use of small doses of humor throughout the film. The dialogue was full of those little humorous moments that would make you smile and laugh. Rudolph Abel countering the questions of why he’s not more nervous in light of the charges against him with the words “Would it help?” made me chuckle each time.

Tom Hanks’ dedication to movie roles needs to be commended. Once again, in Bridge of Spies, he delves right into his character and makes you care for that man who will do his job to the best of his ability no matter the pressures around him. All the other actors and actresses also carry their respective roles with great talent. No false note here.

Bridge of Spies gets a little sentimental towards the end. Once the music starts in that final scene, you can clearly envision a piano filled with heartstrings, in a ploy to make you cry. Nonetheless, this is a solid film about a major part of history that has not been overexploited in cinema. The story is compelling and told in a very efficient manner, keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats and leaving them satisfied in the end.

Rating: ««««