A slow, dry comedy in the vein of Hal Ashby or some early Woody Allen. Matthau's delivery is impeccable, the supporting cast is strong, and Elaine May serves competently as writer, director, and co-star.
As xwisex noted, has a lot in common with Do the Right Thing, but has its own unique style, as well as some ambitious (if showy) camera work. A worthwhile watch, and a view into a part of Paris rarely seen in most French films that attain international acclaim.
Constance Towers is incredible in this movie, which is hard to categorize. It feels like the intersection of exploitation cinema with the small-town morality stories of Frank Capra. It's got some sexual politics and agendas that seem a little dated and can come off heavy handed in establishing its concepts of innocence and the contrasts between the "two worlds" it presents, but is ultimately an interesting and worthwhile viewing.
mathiasa: Hitchcock directed films from 1922-1972. A film from 1940 is relatively early in his career. And most notably, is an early film of his Hollywood period.
Having watched Jules Dassin's 1964 film Topkapi, one notices several similarities. Still, both films have their charms, mostly due to their charismatic casting.
Momoa does well in the scenes he's in, and there's enough interesting ideas bouncing around director Walter Hill's (The Warriors, The Driver) head to keep this from being a complete drag. Reportedly he and Sly Stallone did significant rewrites from the original adaptation. However, the movie waters down Hill's noticeable style (70s-era female nudity, bold violence, anti-heroes) with the blandest elements of modern action movies (helicopter shots panning over the city at the start, hard-to-follow shaky cam during some fights).
One of the major antagonists in the film is an obese electricity-wielding opera singer who is dressed like a Lite Brite. Also at one point Jesse Ventura is dressed just like Ron Burgundy (was that the inspiration for Anchorman's costumer, I wonder?)
This movie was better than I thought it was going to be. The plot is predictable, laughable, and shoehorned, but there's a lot of interesting comedy and subversion going on past that, and some solid comedy performances from the leads and supporting cast (Nick Offerman is a pleasure as usual, as are Tom Lennon and Kathryn Hahn). Not great, but a cut above the movies it superficially resembles.
Imagine if you took a little bit of Hitchcock, a little bit of 70s exploitation film, and a little bit of new-wave era gritty noir and you get this little movie. Gene Hackman, Lee Marvin, and Sissy Spacek star in this little fun movie that's nasty in all the ways the above genres do so well. A hidden gem I'd highly recommend for those that enjoy these actors or genres.
A little mawkish but merits goodwill because of its earnestness and nostalgic whimsy. In a way a lot like a big-city German version of small-town British Isles movies like Ken Loach's, Bill Forsyth's, or other films like Waking Ned Devine, etc.
Captures the spirit of a time and place and takes you there with a sense of wonder.
A few amusing and ingenious action sequences populate this otherwise confusingly-plotted and corny action flick. If you're looking for a witty action thriller, look elsewhere, but if you're looking for something that feels like a blend of 70s Bond film, Indiana Jones, and cheesy Hong Kong action comedy, you won't be disappointed.
Notable is that Jackie Chan received his worst injury to date (and at this point, probably his worst ever) on this film after leaping to a branch which broke, causing his head to hit a rock. Filming had to be halted while he recovered. Supposedly he still has a hole in his skull and poor hearing in one ear due to this injury
I think we can all agree it's impossible for someone watching this film to be in the same boat as audiences in 1935. While the humor was revolutionary for its time, we have viewed the great-grandchildren of these jokes and it's no longer fresh to our eyes. We cannot grasp the full effect of the bawdy puns since they are (mostly) quite tame by modern standards. The context just isn't there, but the Marx Brothers manage to transcend time through their intelligence and talent. Even if it's not to your taste, it's a valuable work to know.
I believe this might be the victim of troll reviews, giving high points to a terrible movie. It's the director's only IMDb credit, and the most prominent credit for many of the actors. This (combined with the comments about the movie being odd) points to a scenario that does not follow the adage "know the rules, so you can break them effectively".
Whether it's so bad it's good is probably up to the viewer, but when the lead actor's brother is one of the 10-or-so IMDb reviews, not a good sign.
An interesting response from a female writing/directing team to the Danny Boyle-style Scottish book adaptations. Good music, good cinematography, good performances combine to create a brooding experience, although the movie does meander and is not as visceral as the aforementioned Boyle efforts.
It's definitely uneven and even mawkish at times, but the smart dialogue from Shane Black and cast carry it. Whatever failures the movie has, it seems self-aware of them.
Comments 101 - 125 of 134
Movie comment on Blue Ruin
senorroboto
A unique, visually stunning tale.Movie comment on About Time
senorroboto
A moving rom-dramedy with some ignorable faults.Movie comment on Murder, My Sweet
senorroboto
A snarky Philip Marlowe tale that is both humorous and dark, a little darker than I expected given that it was made under the Hays code.Movie comment on Charley Varrick
senorroboto
I liked the nods to North by Northwest.Movie comment on A New Leaf
senorroboto
A slow, dry comedy in the vein of Hal Ashby or some early Woody Allen. Matthau's delivery is impeccable, the supporting cast is strong, and Elaine May serves competently as writer, director, and co-star.Movie comment on Foxy Brown
senorroboto
She's a whole lotta woman.Movie comment on La haine
senorroboto
As xwisex noted, has a lot in common with Do the Right Thing, but has its own unique style, as well as some ambitious (if showy) camera work. A worthwhile watch, and a view into a part of Paris rarely seen in most French films that attain international acclaim.Movie comment on The Naked Kiss
senorroboto
Constance Towers is incredible in this movie, which is hard to categorize. It feels like the intersection of exploitation cinema with the small-town morality stories of Frank Capra. It's got some sexual politics and agendas that seem a little dated and can come off heavy handed in establishing its concepts of innocence and the contrasts between the "two worlds" it presents, but is ultimately an interesting and worthwhile viewing.Movie comment on Foreign Correspondent
senorroboto
mathiasa: Hitchcock directed films from 1922-1972. A film from 1940 is relatively early in his career. And most notably, is an early film of his Hollywood period.Movie comment on Gambit
senorroboto
Having watched Jules Dassin's 1964 film Topkapi, one notices several similarities. Still, both films have their charms, mostly due to their charismatic casting.Movie comment on Topkapi
senorroboto
neocowboy: Wouldn't be surprised if this film had an influence on the first Mission: Impossible film.The creator of the Mission Impossible original TV series has cited this film as an inspiration.
Movie comment on Bullet to the Head
senorroboto
Momoa does well in the scenes he's in, and there's enough interesting ideas bouncing around director Walter Hill's (The Warriors, The Driver) head to keep this from being a complete drag. Reportedly he and Sly Stallone did significant rewrites from the original adaptation. However, the movie waters down Hill's noticeable style (70s-era female nudity, bold violence, anti-heroes) with the blandest elements of modern action movies (helicopter shots panning over the city at the start, hard-to-follow shaky cam during some fights).Not good, but you could do worse.
Movie comment on The Running Man
senorroboto
One of the major antagonists in the film is an obese electricity-wielding opera singer who is dressed like a Lite Brite. Also at one point Jesse Ventura is dressed just like Ron Burgundy (was that the inspiration for Anchorman's costumer, I wonder?)Movie comment on We're the Millers
senorroboto
This movie was better than I thought it was going to be. The plot is predictable, laughable, and shoehorned, but there's a lot of interesting comedy and subversion going on past that, and some solid comedy performances from the leads and supporting cast (Nick Offerman is a pleasure as usual, as are Tom Lennon and Kathryn Hahn). Not great, but a cut above the movies it superficially resembles.Movie comment on Prime Cut
senorroboto
Imagine if you took a little bit of Hitchcock, a little bit of 70s exploitation film, and a little bit of new-wave era gritty noir and you get this little movie. Gene Hackman, Lee Marvin, and Sissy Spacek star in this little fun movie that's nasty in all the ways the above genres do so well. A hidden gem I'd highly recommend for those that enjoy these actors or genres.Movie comment on Polissons et galipettes
senorroboto
Enlightening, lusty, frequently hilarious.Movie comment on Cyber Seduction: His Secret Life
senorroboto
Comically good-bad. A sort of Reefer Madness for the digital age.Movie comment on Kung Fu Panda
senorroboto
@katebeck WTFMovie comment on Good Bye Lenin!
senorroboto
A little mawkish but merits goodwill because of its earnestness and nostalgic whimsy. In a way a lot like a big-city German version of small-town British Isles movies like Ken Loach's, Bill Forsyth's, or other films like Waking Ned Devine, etc.Captures the spirit of a time and place and takes you there with a sense of wonder.
Movie comment on Lung hing foo dai
senorroboto
A few amusing and ingenious action sequences populate this otherwise confusingly-plotted and corny action flick. If you're looking for a witty action thriller, look elsewhere, but if you're looking for something that feels like a blend of 70s Bond film, Indiana Jones, and cheesy Hong Kong action comedy, you won't be disappointed.Notable is that Jackie Chan received his worst injury to date (and at this point, probably his worst ever) on this film after leaping to a branch which broke, causing his head to hit a rock. Filming had to be halted while he recovered. Supposedly he still has a hole in his skull and poor hearing in one ear due to this injury
Movie comment on The Lego Movie
senorroboto
On par with Pixar's offerings.Movie comment on A Night at the Opera
senorroboto
I think we can all agree it's impossible for someone watching this film to be in the same boat as audiences in 1935. While the humor was revolutionary for its time, we have viewed the great-grandchildren of these jokes and it's no longer fresh to our eyes. We cannot grasp the full effect of the bawdy puns since they are (mostly) quite tame by modern standards. The context just isn't there, but the Marx Brothers manage to transcend time through their intelligence and talent. Even if it's not to your taste, it's a valuable work to know.Movie comment on After Last Season
senorroboto
I believe this might be the victim of troll reviews, giving high points to a terrible movie. It's the director's only IMDb credit, and the most prominent credit for many of the actors. This (combined with the comments about the movie being odd) points to a scenario that does not follow the adage "know the rules, so you can break them effectively".Whether it's so bad it's good is probably up to the viewer, but when the lead actor's brother is one of the 10-or-so IMDb reviews, not a good sign.
Movie comment on Morvern Callar
senorroboto
An interesting response from a female writing/directing team to the Danny Boyle-style Scottish book adaptations. Good music, good cinematography, good performances combine to create a brooding experience, although the movie does meander and is not as visceral as the aforementioned Boyle efforts.Movie comment on The Long Kiss Goodnight
senorroboto
It's definitely uneven and even mawkish at times, but the smart dialogue from Shane Black and cast carry it. Whatever failures the movie has, it seems self-aware of them.Showing items 101 – 125 of 134