Well, hello there, kind folks. If you’re visiting this blog of mine, I presume that you have a certain interest in the cinema. As for me, even since my early childhood, I have had a deep love of everything related to movies and television. As far as I can remember, I have been more at ease in front of a screen than in the yard, outside, playing. It is a great way to travel, though other people’s stories, without having to foot any kind of steep bill. Over the years, I feel that movie-watching has even fuelled my own creativity.

All that being said, I welcome you in my Cinephile’s Nest. I hope you enjoy it here, feel free to come back at any time. Here you will find reviews of current movies and older ones. TV shows also. Some classics that have remained some of my favourites, some that have disappointed me. I will use a very basic star (*) system to grade them from 1 to 5 (5 being sliced bread level). Remember, these are just my tastes. I will try to explain in each review what I liked about these particular movies, without giving spoilers.

Il y aura aussi des critiques en français pour les films francophones, car j'aime également le cinéma dans ma langue maternelle. Avant d'apprendre l'anglais, plus jeune, je louais des tonnes de films traduits en français, surtout ceux de Bud Spencer et Terrence Hill. Ma mère a eu le choc de sa vie lorsqu'un jour, dans la boîte d'un de ces films, Deep Throat avait malencontreusement inséré. Une expérience formatrice pour le jeune cinéphile que je suis.

Bienvenue à tous, amusez-vous bien.

I welcome you all here, enjoy yourself.

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)

Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
Cast: Burt Lancaster, Karl Malden, Thelma Ritter
Running Time: 143 minutes

 


This film offers a greatly fictionalized account of Robert Stroud’s life. Stroud was imprisoned for murder as a young man. In prison, he killed a guard and was sentenced to solitary confinement. While at Leavenworth Prison, for some 30 years, he raised and trained birds, becoming an ornithologist. He was then transferred to Alcatraz, where he lost access to his birds.

This film is long and is not overfilled with dialogue, but it is well worth the effort. Burt Lancaster was amazing as Robert Stroud. And the supporting cast was also good too. The filmmakers were accused of making Stroud a much more sympathetic figure than he really was. That is Hollywood for you. That being said, this is a very, very good film.

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