pluce17 Reviews

Below (2002)

Ghost story on a sub

[8/10 · 25 January 2007]

I'm starting to really become a fan of David Twohy's work (with the exception of Chronicles of Riddick which I'll blame on having too BIG a budget). Twohy really seems to be at his best when limited budgets force him to be creative. BELOW is no exception.

Below marries too of my favorite genres - Submarine flicks and ghost stories. And just like Pitch Black and The Arrival, the cast is essentially trapped in a situation and they've got to stick together if they're going to make it out alive.

The movie's strength really lies in the situation and many of the creepy moments or 'trailer shots' that Twohy can seemingly pull out of his sleeve.

Basically, if you've seen Pitch Black and The Arrival (or even something like Guillermo Del Toro's The Devil's Backbone) you'll enjoy Below.

The Beachcomber (1938)

Good Comedy

[8/10 · 25 January 2007]

This is a pretty broad comedy with some fun performances by Laughton, Lanchester and Newton. The plot's rather thin and really relies on the great character work by all involved.

Even though the characters seem to transform far too quickly for my tastes, you almost don't even care because it's so enjoyable to see.

Frankly, I'd almost recommend this film just to see Charles Laughton's classic facial expressions alone.

Obviously The African Queen owes much to The Beachcomber and while the former is the superior film, I'd recommend this to any fan of Laughton, Lanchester and 1930's romantic comedies.

Death Takes a Holiday (1934)

Can't believe it but I actually prefer the Brad Pitt version.

[5/10 · 23 January 2007]

I remember seeing the Hopkins-Pitt version after it got ripped by the critics and was surprised that I actually thought it was pretty decent. Not great but an interesting movie with something to say and some good performances. I knew it was a remake of Death Takes A Holiday which was well regarded so I always looked forward to seeing the original. Well now I have and I can't believe I actually prefer the remake.

Death Takes A Holiday: first of all, a terrible title for a movie with such a serious philosophical tone. It sounds like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or Mr. Hobbs takes a Vacation. Meet Joe Black made the same mistake - people think they're getting a comedy not a discourse on the nature of life and death.

Secondly, the acting is dreadful. That includes Frederic March, one of my all-time faves. Why he chooses to play death like Count Dracula I don't get. Everyone else is either terribly wooden or miscast.

The tone of the film feels like a horror movie which is all wrong. Many of the characters blend into each other and I forget who is who or why they're even there. What else? Oh dialog and scenes go on forever and add little.

What I liked was that they were willing to tackle such a weighty subject. Also the final scene was surprising and made me glad I stuck through it to the end.

Call Northside 777 (1948)

Good watch for fans of Stewart & Hathaway

[8/10 · 23 January 2007]

Another involving film from the always dependable Henry Hathaway. Jimmy Stewart is great as always of course. Hathaway's style can be kind of dry so having Stewart as your star really helps keep the audience watching. And there's a lot of really nice supporting work here by such stalwarts as Lee J. Cobb and E.G. Marshall too.

You can really see elements of future great films such as In Cold Blood, 12 Angry Men, and All The President's Men here. I thought Hathaway's docudrama-noir mishmash style really works here. It's not the most interesting plot but the Dragnet-style investigation progresses naturally if a bit slowly. And even though the lie detector test really drags on for sure (primarily cause we've seen it used so often in TV and movies made since then), I appreciate that Hathaway took his time to explain how it works.

All in all, a worthwhile watch for all fans of Jimmy Stewart and Henry Hathaway.

The Chiefs (2004)

will appeal to hockey fans

[6/10 · 6 October 2006]

The film-making is a bit dull at times but will generally appeal to hockey fans interested in seeing the less glamorous side of the game. Set in a semi-pro league in Quebec, the players featured here are literally fighting to keep playing the game they love. At times there doesn't seem to be enough meat to the subject though. It feels like we watch the same talking heads in the same scene over and over again. I get that the director's trying to show that the biggest goon on the ice can be the sweetest guy off it but I've seen that chiché a million times before. I would like to have seen a better context of how these goons fit in with the rest of their team, their families and the community(i.e. other than the rabid Laval fan, how does the rest of the community + skilled teammates feel about being associated with a goon squad?)