SMHowley Reviews

Tess (1979)

Visually Beautiful

[16 July 2002]

This movie is lovingly crafted by Polanski and near perfect in it's storytelling.

Kinski is certainly destined to be considered one of the most beautiful women that ever existed but in this movie she achieves so much more. When she stands on the staircase at the end of the film and says, "I waited for you, but still you did not come", you realize all she has gone through and that it was for nothing. Heartbreaking.

Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991)

Undiscovered Treasure

[14 June 2002]

The story is so tragic that this should be a hard-core drama, and parts of it are very poignant, but I also laughed hysterically. This is mainly due to Judy Davis' performance which is so priggish and delightful. Graves and Bonham-Carter played brother and sister in 'A Room With A View' and their chemistry carries over into this film quite well. The music is enchanting. All the way around, a great film.

Howards End (1992)

The Best Film Ever Made

[10 June 2002]

Howard's End is not an easy movie to sit through if you do not typically watch period films. The language and euphemisms are very old fashioned (1910). But if you really sit back and watch the story unfold you will become engrossed. The crafting of the story by Merchant Ivory is impeccable. They tell the story so visually that you may not notice how physically alike Margaret Schlegel is to Ruth Wilcox in carriage and deportment, but the light-bulb goes off when the housekeeper of Howard's End mistakes Margaret for Ruth. The story itself is so quiet and brilliant that you don't realize something so very profound has happened until the credits roll. Every performance is amazing, but Emma Thompson (she won the Best Actress Oscar) and Vanessa Redgrave stand out. Their scenes together are so full of nuances that it's hard to take it all in during a first viewing.

Last Summer (1969)

Amazing Performances

[10 June 2002]

I caught this film late at night and stayed up until 4am watching it. It is a beautifully crafted story and intriguing to watch Barbara Hershey, Richard Thomas, and Bruce Davidson give such strong performances at the start of their careers. Catherine Burns, however, steals the film as Rhoda. Her performance is nothing short of screen perfection and should be required viewing for every actor. She gives a monologue about her mother's death that will leave you feeling as alone as she is.

Red Dust (1932)

Excellent

[10 June 2002]

This movie is early Hollywood at its best. Harlow and Gable feed off each other's energy delivering excellent performances, especially in their squabble over which cheese is best, Roquefort or Gorgonzola. Later, there is a shot of Harlow as she watches Gable and Astor from a distance. The shot is a close-up and as Harlow watches them, her lower eyelids flicker just once, but it reveals more about her jealousy than any dialogue could. The film is horribly racist in its ignorant depiction of Asians but it's also over 70 years old so recognize that it was wrong, realize how far we've come, move past it and enjoy the rest.