Jewel Robbery (1932; d. William Dieterle)
This glittering pre-Code, starring William Powell as a jewel thief, and Kay Francis as a married woman in love with her jewels, is such a subversive delight. Powell is devastatingly charming and Francis is wonderful and amoral and adorable. The two fall in love at first sight, while Powell is in the process of robbing a jewelry store, and the hijinx continue from there. She’s married the whole time. In final moment of the movie, her husband tells her that she needs to go away for rest and relaxation, and she says she’d love to go to Nice (the place where William Powell, now on the lam, is headed). As the music swells, she strolls right towards the camera saying, “Nice! Nice!” and then “sh”es us to keep her secret. So naughty!
Kept Husbands (1931; d. Lloyd Bacon)
I suddenly hungered for Joel McCrea, and so went searching around for things I hadn’t seen. Kept Husbands – a racy pre-Code (is there any other kind?) is streaming on YouTube. Actually it’s not just racy. It’s a mixture of racy and judgey: this makes an uneasy combo. Like … pick a lane? Are you titillating or are you condemning? Which is it? So this young hard-working guy marries a rich silly woman who doesn’t understand he still needs to make his own money and be his own man – so she tears him away from his work, taking him on trips around the world – and he is haunted by the spectre of similar men in his position, basically beholden to their wives, useless in society except for carrying her bags around.
Despite all of this, there is some insightful stuff going on here about the stifling confines of monogamy and marriage – for men, not just for women – and how you have to let a person BE, even though you’ve nabbed them. You don’t OWN them. It may not be popular to say but I’ve seen plenty of women completely infantilize their men – and then act TOTES jealous when he has ANY interest other than HER, or totes shocked when he has an affair. Like, maybe don’t dominate him so much that you remove his spinal cord? How would YOU like to be dominated like that? You wouldn’t like it at all.
But alongside this helpful message about what makes a happy marriage – BOTH parties need to be free and happy – there’s also a moralistic “Beware the emasculating succubae!” thing going on. Lol. It’s all over the place.
This is a real quickie – barely over an hour long – and the acting is very good and naturalistic. Dorothy Mackaill plays the aforementioned breezy and silly wife who throws a shit-fit when her husband says he really enjoys having a job and making his own money. Mackaill was very very busy in the 30s- and then kind of fell away from an acting career. She doesn’t have movie-star qualities but she gives a fine performance.
McCrea is the reason to see it. He’s so natural, so laconic, he couldn’t overplay if you paid him. He never pushes. It’s not in him.
Because of that he is so relaxing to watch. You know: he’s got this.
Come and Get It (1936; d. Howard Hawks, William Wyler)
Always fun re-visiting this one, just to see Frances Farmer in action.
Foreign Correspondent (1940; d. Alfred Hitchcock)
Joel McCrea again! I do love this one. That plane crash at the end is super scary. You don’t even need to “forgive” the special effects at the time. It’s horrifying. I love the sequence where he keeps sending her love notes as she tries to make a super serious speech.
Love & Friendship (2016; d. Whit Stillman)
God, I love this movie. My Whit Stillman box set from Criterion is in storage and I have to go dig it out. I was in the mood this month to watch Metropolitan and that’s WHY I buy physical media still. I want to be in control! In lieu of Metropolitan, I settled in to watch Love & Friendship. It’s fantastic.
Parallax View (1974; d. Alan J. Pakula)
Every shot is a work of art. Thank you, Gordon Willis.
Bringing Out the Dead (1999; d. Martin Scorsese)
I just don’t understand people who dismiss this or call it “lesser” Scorsese or whatever the hell else dumb critics say. Roger Ebert’s review is fantastic. This is an amazing film, dark and deep and gritty. A great New York movie, with a rich and hallucinogenic insomniac-like mood. I love it. And that sequence on the balcony near the end … the editing, the sequence of shots, the fireworks … the sheer emotionality of that sequence, in how it was conceived and put together … well, that’s why he’s “Marty”.
Thunder Force (2021; d. Ben Falcone)
I felt pretty lukewarm about this and it makes me feel bad. I love everyone involved. I reviewed for Ebert.
State Funeral (2021; d. Sergei Loznitsa)
An extraordinary movie put together entirely of footage from Stalin’s week-long funeral ceremony across Russia and all its republics. More on this later.
Z (1969; d. Costa-Gavras)
A fave. Thank you, Todd. It’s so thrilling. Banned in Greece. Not hard to see why. Brilliant political film.
Inland Empire (2006; d. David Lynch)
I’ve seen comments like this is his most incomprehensible film, it’s annoyingly opaque, oblique, whatever. I don’t know. I think it’s pretty clear. I’m not confused by it. Of course it’s filled with mysteries and dream-like symbolism – rabbits putting on a play! – but – like Mulholland Drive, it’s about a woman’s identity dissolving, in this case an actress merging with the film role she’s playing. It’s brilliant.
J’Accuse (2021; d. Roman Polanski)
This probably will not be released, at least not here in the States. It’s the story of L’affaire Dreyfus, and it is a great film. I point you to my friend Glenn’s piece on it, when he saw it in Venice in 2019. It’s not streaming anywhere. I had to call in a favor. It was worth it. Oh, and the original title is “J’Accuse” (the famous headline from Emile Zola, in defense of Dreyfus), but was then changed to “An Officer and a Spy” – which is ALL wrong. The title, I believe, doesn’t refer to Dreyfus (who WASN’T a spy, even though he was accused of it), but to the lead character, Georges Picquart, who takes it upon himself to investigate the charges, in essence acting as a “spy” in his own department. Okay, fine. Still. “J’Accuse” is much better, since it’s such a famous moment in not only the 20th century but 20th century journalism and activism, and will forever be associated with the Dreyfus Affair. And if you didn’t know all that, then you do now!
The Souvenir (2019; d. Joanna Hogg)
I wrote the cover story for Film Comment on this gorgeous autobiographical narrative feature from Joanna Hogg. I hadn’t watched it since. It was wonderful sinking into it again. See it if you haven’t!
Jakob’s Wife (2021; d. Travis Stevens)
I really loved this. I reviewed for Ebert.
Walk Your Way Out (2017; d. Jay Karas)
I love Bill Burr but this one felt less funny to me than his others. A little thin and/or slight.
In Name Only (1939; d. John Cromwell)
The film really works hard to show that Cary Grant – a man cheating on his wife (Kay Francis) – has every reason to cheat. He’s been tricked. His wife is POISON. He is trapped. Not only is he trapped, but he sleeps in front of an open window and develops pneumonia. He lies in his death bed being tended to by the woman he loves (Carole Lombard). It’s very manipulative! It’s not exactly attractive to see Cary Grant play a man who feels sorry for himself. It’s not a good fit. What IS a good fit is allowing Cary Grant to be always in touch, somewhere, with his anger. Anger plays a part in his movie-star persona, giving it that EDGE. He’s always charming, always dazzling … but his best roles – His Girl Friday, Only Angels Have Wings, Notorious, Bringing Up Baby … all have a level of free-floating anger in them. It makes him exciting. This one, though, is a weird mix. I am on a bit of a Kay Francis kick, so it’s interesting to watch her career develop. From Jewel Robbery to this, in less than 10 years.
Stolen Moments on the 8th Flo’ (2020; d. Aisha Raison)
As part of being a juror for Indie Memphis’ Women’s Short Film Grant, I watched so many short films this month, part of the application process. Applicants would provide links to their previous work. Some of them are password-protected, and therefore can’t be shared. But I thought I’d share some of the short films I watched, the ones out there on YouTube or Vimeo or elsewhere. It was SO FUN to see people’s projects, people basically picking up a camera and making a film. Here is Aisha Raison, someone I’m rooting for. I thought her short film was romantic and whimsical, and a fun way of responding to the unprecedented event of the pandemic.
The Age of Innocence (1993; d. Martin Scorsese)
What a movie. It’s exquisite.
Variety (1983; d. Bette Gordon)
I adore this movie. I wrote a little bit about it here.
Stalag 17 (1953; d. Billy Wilder)
A brief enthusiastic conversation on Twitter about this film made me put everything down and re-watch it immediately. One of my all-time faves, and definitely my favorite William Holden performance.
Wolf Hall (2015; d. Peter Kosminsky)
HOW had I not seen this. I ask you: HOW. I LOVE those books. I think I stayed away because I loved the books too much. I wanted MY Thomas Cromwell to remain intact in my head. Oh me of little faith. Mark Rylance is now the Thomas Cromwell in my head. This is SUCH a fantastic performance – layered and controlled and intriguing. But everybody’s fantastic. Apparently they’re going to do the next two books, but the pandemic came along and so now it’s been 6 years and I have no idea where it stands now. But this was RIVETING.
Tiny Tim: King for a Day (2021; d. Johan von Sydow)
Documentary on Tiny Tim: I reviewed for Ebert.
Cockfighter (1974; d. Monte Hellman)
The picaresque adventures of a cockfighter (Warren Oates), who has decided to stop speaking until he wins the Cockfighter of the Year Award. Charles Willeford wrote the script, adapting his own book. Nobody like Warren Oates. He stands alone.
Claude Loves Jennie (2020; d. Nathan Chin and Bailey Inman)
Another of the short films I watched as a juror (Bailey Inman was the applicant. This was her previous work, which she wrote, co-directed, and stars in). I have already sent this to so many people. It’s such a funny idea, the tagline is: “Twilight but With Emotional Maturity”. It’s hilarious. I look forward to seeing more of her work.
Marked (2020; d. Courtney LeFlore)
Another short film I watched as a juror. I am very impressed with LeFlore’s work, particularly her understanding of visuals and composition, colors and light. Gorgeous film. She’s got a great eye.
Watch (2020; d. Michaela Walley)
This short film impressed us so much. All I can say is: it’s really REALLY good. I will keep my eyes peeled for Michaela Walley’s work. She’s the real deal.
WATCH – 2020 Short Film from Michaela Walley on Vimeo.
The Last Fan (2019; d. Laura Jean Hocking)
This is the previous work submitted by the winner of the grant. It was shot for under $400 in a scrap yard in Memphis. I think it’s wonderful.
THE LAST FAN from oddly buoyant productions on Vimeo.
Carbike (2018; d. Sarah Fleming)
Another film from one of the applicants. I was absolutely mesmerized by this short, where a Japanese couple, visiting Memphis, come across a “carbike” and decide to take it for a spin. It’s just lovely.
The Shooting (1966; d. Monte Hellman)
I had been meaning to write something on Monte Hellman when he just died, but I was pretty caught up with a couple of projects. He’s the kind of director where I’m actually proud of America, because whatever was going on in the 60s and 70s, allowed Hellman to “rise” – even though nobody really paid attention at the time. But there was a brief window where movies like The Shooting and Ride in the Whirlwind (filmed back to back) could be financed and released. There are multiple factors allowing a Monte Hellman to rise – mainly a figure like Roger Corman – who created an atmosphere where talented hungry actors and directors could cut their teeth, making films on the quick. The Shooting (written by a woman, by the way – Carole Eastman, who would go on to write Five Easy Pieces). Anyway, The Shooting is eerie and unnerving. I’ve written more about Hellman – it’ll come out next week.
Ride in the Whirlwind (1966; d. Monte Hellman)
The second Western Hellman made, with almost the same team as The Shooting. Jack Nicholson wrote the script and co-produced with Hellman. Millie Perkins is in both films. The sense of hopelessness here – no way to fight fate, even if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time – is intense.
Two-Lane Blacktop (1971; d. Monte Hellman)
A masterpiece. I actually wrote a long LONG piece about this maybe 10 years ago and never published it. I was tweaking it too much and finally life moved on and I never published it. It’s one of my favorite movies of the 70s, and again … with all the shit going on in Hollywood … sometimes the stars align and a movie like this can be made. It should be treasured! I treasure it, I swear!
Please do publish your piece on Two Lane Blacktop! Its a classic American road movie along with Vanishing Point. Both are from a time and place that cannot come again or even be revisited except through film.
Gina – Vanishing Point – yes!! (Charles Taylor covers both of those movies in his wonderful book Opening Wednesday at a Theatre or Drive-In Near You.)
I definitely need to revisit that Two-Lane Blacktop piece – thanks for the nudge. In it, I went on and on about silence and nothingness – and I finally was like “Okay you need to put this aside so you can get your thoughts together.”
I love that movie so much it’s hard to put it into words.
I just ordered the book. Cant wait to read the chapters about VP and TLB. Did you know that Vanishing Point had a scene with Charlotte Rampling as a hitchhiker picked up by Kowalski? Her scenes were cut from the US distribution but were included in the UK version and can be seen on YouTube.
// Did you know that Vanishing Point had a scene with Charlotte Rampling as a hitchhiker //
I did NOT know this. WOW.
Our little conversation here made me want to re-watch Vanishing Point – and so I clicked around and discovered it wasn’t streaming anywhere. This is definitely one to have on DVD because the landlords of our “media” cannot be trusted!
It’s such a good movie. Excited for you to read Charlie’s book! I interviewed him about it for Ebert – it was so much fun: https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/charles-taylor-on-his-new-book-opening-wednesday-at-a-theater-or-drive-in-near-you
Seconded, please do.
I couldn’t say anything at the time but I was in the process of writing about Hellman for Film Comment – piece’ll be up on Monday!
So happy I turned you onto Z! One of my proudest movie recs!
It’s such an important film. I always felt that, but now it feels like essential viewing for every American. Z should have Kubrick like titles as with Barry Lyndon “The ways and means by which a society implodes.” The good guys win the battle, seemingly, but lose the War. Terrifying ramifications abound.
It’s a fascinating movie from a storytelling perspective. Who is the protagonist? Yves Montand as the titular Z? Well he has few lines and spends most of the movie in a coma. His assistants played by Bernard Fresson and Charles Denner? Not really. The investigator wonderfully played by Jean-Louis Trintignant? Perhaps, but we don’t meet him until at least half way through the film. Roger Ebert discusses this with typical insight in his original 1969 review for the film.
Ebert:
“Like Gillo Pontecorvo, who directed “Battle of Algiers,” Costa-Gravas maintains a point of view above the level of the events he photographs. His protagonist changes during the film as he leads us from an initial personal involvement to the indictment of an entire political system. ”
This creates a documentary feel. Z seems to be unfolding as we’re watching it. I feel it’s one of the all-time great films, and certainly one of the more overlooked. Movies like this are simply not made today. At all. Ever. Unfortunately.
I LOVE that you can hopefully keep bringing it attention, maybe get it shown at Ebertfest. The more people that see it now the better.
// Z should have Kubrick like titles as with Barry Lyndon “The ways and means by which a society implodes.” //
I know. And those end credits – where you find out what happened – after this so-called victory (and that final great scene of all the generals being charged – and then trying to go out the wrong door) – and how it all was just shut down. It’s a tragedy. The film is so ZIPPY in energy but it’s so so ANGRY. I appreciate it so much!
His other films are great too – The Confession – another very angry film – which really shows how totalitarian systems work, PLUS how “confession” works in those systems. It’s like re-education camp stuff. The confession is almost sacred – you saw that in Soviet Russia.
and yeah … Montand? He’s more of the figurehead – the figure with the glow around him – the film really sets that up. He’s a “celebrity” – but he’s also very fragile and unprotected. He walks out into the middle of that square and you want to say “My God, man, what are you doing.”
To me, Trintignant is the heart of it. Because with him comes the hope that there is such a thing as justice, that there is such a thing as a cool outside eye – that even though he was expected to just sign off on one thing – he decided to dig deeper. A rebel. Etc. He’s the heart of it because he makes us believe things – and then – with those end credits comes that feeling of hopelessness and anger. The WRONG people are in charge. ALWAYS.
I should definitely write something about it. Or him, in general.
Also: Elvis is everywhere in Z. Posters of Elvis movies are on the walls behind multiple scenes. And he’s on all the magazine covers when the call warning about the assassination is made. I have no idea what this means but I love it!
hooray for viewing diary! Thank you for sharing those short films I am enjoying checking them out slowly.
I caught up with Love and Friendship at the start of the year! I will admit that Metropolis is one of the few films I ever turned off and didn’t turn back on — I just couldn’t click into it — but the Regency gloss and structure (and script and performances of course) made L&F a big winner for me. Even though a lot of it has already slipped out of my head haha. But that’s a good thing because it means I can be freshly charmed. I should give Metropolis another chance.
I have also partly avoided Wolf Hall for that reason, but your reaction tempts me! It would have been an incredible challenge to adapt into only six episodes.
By the way, did you hear that Charles Beeson, director of Supernatural episodes such as Playthings, Roadkill, and Changing Channels, passed away recently? A sad loss.
Jessie – it was so fun getting to see all these short films – glad at least some of them are publicly available. I just love seeing people’s creativity – especially with little to no budgets!!
and in re: Metropolitan – lol. It’s one of those movies for me where … I literally don’t relate to it at all – it’s such a niche sub-culture – and already dead by the time the movie came out – Irish people were never “welcome” in that culture so it’s not even there for me as a family memory – so none of it makes ANY sense to me OR is appealing at all – hahaha – but I just love Whit Stillman’s style, and his approach – he’s really the only person doing this sort of thing now. Last Days of Disco is a similar story – he really looks at things as they are ending – and maybe they’re silly and superficial – but there’s beauty there too. It’s sort of an Evelyn Waugh-type attitude – but without the … crankiness?
// the Regency gloss and structure (and script and performances of course) made L&F a big winner for me. //
Me too! I’m surprised it didn’t make a bigger splash overall – but I think Whit Stillman may very well be an acquired taste. He’s a social critic, a social satirist – that’s probably never going to get wide appeal.
Beckinsale is so good in this – some of her LINES … I don’t even know how you would approach saying them … the character is so duplicitous and conniving and yet her cloak of plausible deniability is airtight. Beckinsale, as far as I can tell, ONLY plays the “cloak” – she never reveals how conniving the character is – even though it would be so tempting to do so!
I went into Wolf Hall very hesitant – but it won me over – mainly because of Rylance’s characterization – which is fascinating and very much in line with the book. I still have to read the final book in the trilogy! I mean, I know how it all ends … lol … but still.
I hadn’t heard that about Beeson! That’s so sad – he directed some of my fave all-time episodes.
Just coming back here as I finally watched Wolf Hall! I found it…….I didn’t like it very much, I think. I did not like the handheld approach, which I can assume was intended to intended to match the immediacy and everydayness of Mantel’s prose; but film is different and it compounded the artificiality and distance of the period setting. It disappointed me from the start and niggled all the way through. Aside from Cromwell’s study/work room, the spaces did not feel lived-in. I suppose in the grand halls of court that is the point! These are uncomfortable spaces. But still, all I could think about was “filmed on location at Crumbledown Manor with a bunch of tapestries hung up.” I actively disliked Lewis’s performance, too, and I have no idea why as generally I enjoy him! I forgive him though, Henry is a virtually impossible role. Still I kind of wish he had done what Bernard Hill (Norfolk) did and said to himself “I am going dial myself up to 50% Brian Blessed and have a goddamn ball” because that was very fun.
Within all that Rylance was a MARVEL. What finally brought me to Wolf Hall was the mention above and then watching Trial of the Chicago 7 where Rylance’s sad, wise eyes are also featured beautifully. I cannot get ENOUGH of his eyes! I cannot get ENOUGH of watching him think! Just looking at his face even in random real-life photos actually gives me heart pangs. He is absolutely extraordinary in this. Every scene he had with the also out-of-this-world Anton Lesser (More) knocked my socks off. Nothing better than exceptional theatre actors with lots of folds on their faces thoroughly inhabit a talking scene. For that reason the final episode was my favourite and I was glad I stuck with it.
The final episode also made me cry a lot. Foy was a strangely modern presence but she did an admirable job of drawing her cruelty from a deep wellspring of structural insecurity. She was exceptional in her execution and executioner was *fantastic* and as that is the scene I remember best from Bringing Up The Bodies I was like yeah, that’s it! That’s the book! It gave a racecar series an overall arc and cemented the series as Anne’s story as much as Thomas’s. And the final shot of Thomas enveloped in Henry’s robes, only his conflicted eyes showing, was appropriately metaphorical and conclusive and packed a punch. So while I didn’t love it, clearly the ways it did and didn’t work for me interest me, and I always appreciate when that happens. So thanks for being a space where I can vomit all my thoughts, haha.
Interesting!! I had such a different response to it. The weird thing is – I loved the books so much (and just finished the trilogy!) – and like I said I resisted watching it because I didn’t want the portrayal to replace MY Thomas Cromwell. and Mark Rylance was wonderful – but he didn’t replace MY guy. (My favorite line reading: “Born tricky.”)
// “filmed on location at Crumbledown Manor with a bunch of tapestries hung up.” //
lol Yes, his home was indistinct – it was hard to tell what exactly it was. Like … where the hell is it? It’s weird – in the book at first I got the impression that it was IN London – like, part of the bustle of the city – but clearly I do not know the geography. As the books went on, it was as though the property got bigger and bigger and bigger – suddenly there are orchards, for God’s sake – and I was like … WHERE is this?
In the series – the home seemed rather humble at first, the scenes with the wife and kids – quite a prosaic space IIRC – and then suddenly it becomes a Caravaggio painting – particularly his “office”. That does reflect the impression the book gives, a little bit – but a series (or a movie) is different from a book – and location is key!!
// drawing her cruelty from a deep wellspring of structural insecurity //
Yes, I thought she was terrific – particularly in the later episodes – I REALLY loved the actress who played her sister Mary. I would love to see them continue on with the series – so we could get to know Jane Seymour.
// Trial of the Chicago 7 // He was so wonderful in that. Very weird to have mostly British actors play all of these famous Americans but never mind, I’m being provincial. lol
I also loved him in Dunkirk.
My friend Dan saw him play Richard III (I think it was) at BAM here in New York and said that he was scene-chewing to beat the band, not to mention stealing scenes from everyone – he said it was a shameless performance and actually a little gross. So … I didn’t see it so I can’t say for sure but Dan is pretty insightful about these things!
Sheila, did you ever see Safe in Hell (pre-Code, stars Dorothy Mackaill). Watched it the other day–it knocked me out. Strikes me that one thing about pre-Code movies is that they’re not predictable. Or maybe they are, if you watch enough of them… Anyway, if you ever can find time to watch it, I’d be interested in your take on it.
No! I will totally watch it!
thesse films really are wild – and it’s amazing the social/political commentary going on. no euphemism.
Great! Mackaill, of whom I had never heard, is terrific, as are the low-life characters on the island. I had no idea where it was going (which doesn’t happen often). Hope you enjoy it.