gloryoaks Reviews

The Forgotten (2004)

Mother Love Conquers All--Or Does it?

[5/10 · 19 February 2005]

I watched this disappointing movie at home without reading a review in advance. Several things about it were puzzling. First, the murky plot; second, the murky lighting (much of it seems to be filmed in darkness so that the viewer has to guess at what is happening); and third, the unsatisfying ending which answered nothing and insulted my intelligence. Granted, there's an alternate ending which I haven't watched yet. It may (?) be an improvement. Almost anything would be. It was a remarkably unpleasant movie, and one of the worst aspects was the settings. Even homes and apartments that should have been attractive weren't. No locale was visually pleasing, thus the whole movie had a bad dream quality about it. What can I praise? I liked the little boy's charisma, and the little girl had a lovely smile. I found the mystery man's appearance interesting, just because he looked so bland and benign. I did actually jump at one point when something totally surprised me. I suppose I could put that unexpected moment in the plus column. Although I respected the Mom's persistence,I didn't much care about her or Ash or the psychiatrist. The lady cop did give the movie a few nice moments.

If I had known what the film was really about, I wouldn't have chosen it. I give it a 5 out of 10 because of its bad writing, disagreeable sets, the on screen darkness, and poor direction.

The White Cliffs of Dover (1944)

Romance in Great Britain with a Message

[5/10 · 9 February 2005]

I have a dissenting voice about White Cliffs of Dover. Most reviewers seem to love it. I thought the movie began well, but descended into sappiness before it (mercifully) ended. When did it lose its way? Probably around the 2/3 mark. The plot line of a high-spirited Yankee being swept off her feet by a member of the "landed gentry" caught my interest. One knew from the date of their meeting that WWI was looming over their romance. And knowing that the movie was produced during WWII, I could almost write the rest of the plot. The problem with the film, for me, was in the execution. The last third of it became self-consciously sentimental and dreary, the weepiness intermingled with the over-the-top attempt to stir the fires of patriotism in viewers. The sounds of a military band and the sight of our soldiers marching on a heroic mission always thrill me, personally. My son is in the military. And WWII is the epitome of heroic times. But I did not appreciate the way the movie clumsily tried to manipulate my thoughts and feelings. What I did love about the film were the superb character actors--Frank Morgan at his best, Dame May Witty, Gladys Cooper, C. Aubrey Smith, and the young Roddy McDowall. It was fun seeing other familiar faces--Van Johnson, Elizabeth Taylor, Tom Drake. Again, I have to differ with viewers who loved Irene Dunne in this part. Her portrayal just didn't work for me. I could see Greer Garson as better suited for the role. I felt the others--Morgan, Smith, Witty, Alan Marshal who played her husband, and even McDowall--carried Dunne along and gave her believability. Two aspects of the movie I especially applaud. First, the significance of Dieppe in the lives of the main characters brought an emotional weight and synchronicity to the film that has stayed with me. And Nanny's final scene helped me to understand the whole situation through her sad, old eyes. I will remember that touching moment when all the marching bands have passed.

Green Dolphin Street (1947)

Is There Really a Plan at Work in our Lives?

[8/10 · 28 January 2005]

Is there really a Plan at work in the strange twists and turns of our lives? Green Dolphin Street makes the case that there is--that things happen for good reasons, which can't be understood during the heartbreak of the moment. We see a meaningful design woven in the lives of three people as the movie reaches its strongly crafted and truly moving conclusion. This is a story with a long-range view, taking us through the intertwined lives of two sisters and the man they love. It even reaches back to reveal secrets from the past, from their parents. And it moves forward with exciting scenes of the dangers of pioneer life in New Zealand in contrast to the peaceful world of the Chanel Islands where it all begins.

Intriguingly, another man, a fugitive from British justice, plays a key role in ensuring the happiness and safety of one sister, Marianne. In this role, Van Heflin has one of the best parts of his career and makes the most of it. Even here, the theme of a Plan at work is expressed when he suggests to her that they must be old souls who have known one another a very long time. For me, he greatly overshadowed her husband--in fact, would have made a much more suitable husband for her--and perhaps that was intended as another example of the ironies of life.

The role of Marianne, played by Lana Turner, is pivotal to the story. While she gives this part her very best, another actress with a stronger face and more range could have done better. Somehow, Lana still looked and sounded like a Hollywood glamour girl. Yet, at times, I was moved to tears during her scenes. Donna Reed in the role of her sister Marguerite seemed more comfortable with her assignment and developed a strength and radiant beauty in the course of the film. No one who has seen this movie could forget her scene as she climbs the cliff. Other memorable moments take place in New Zealand with the earthquake and tidal wave or the attack of the Maoris. But the best is saved for the last. The ending of Green Dolphin Street conveys a transcendence that lifts it far above the ordinary Hollywood costume period movie.

Frontier Gal (1945)

Not Your Usual Western

[6/10 · 9 January 2005]

I saw and forgot about countless western movies in my early years, but this is one western I recall vividly. (I picture it in Technicolor.) First, I remember fiery Yvonne De Carlo and cowboy Rod Cameron who came riding up to the establishment she owned. It was like the irresistible object encountering the immovable force. Their love-hate romance was unusual for any era, and would be almost unthinkable in today's films, but it worked for this out-of-the-mainstream movie. I've forgotten some of the details, but what impressed me most was their little girl and how she brought about the exciting conclusion of the movie and a strangely satisfying resolution to their love affair. This is one I'd like to see again, but it never turned up on TV and seems to have faded into oblivion. A pity. It was fun.

The Boy from Stalingrad (1943)

It's Hard to Forget This Movie

[7/10 · 30 December 2004]

Of all the WWII movies I watched as a child, this one made the deepest impression. In fact, I suffered through bad dreams afterward, but I'm not sorry I saw it. Since I haven't had the opportunity to view it as an adult, this is not so much a review as a testimonial to the power of the film. The message that stayed with me: Children can be heroes too. Fighting for one's country may cost your life, but it's worth it. I remember the film as shot in grainy black and white, almost like a newsreel. It felt real because we knew what actually had happened in Stalingrad, as the Russians, defending their city, fought the invaders house to house. Some scenes were shockingly brutal--Nazis shooting a child in the stomach comes to mind. But it was a story about courage that I will never forget.

When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)

The thing I hate about this movie is the script.

[4/10 · 29 March 2004]

A husband steadfastly loves his self-centered and obnoxious wife and suffers for it. That's what I saw played out in this movie in excruciating detail. What the scriptwriters wanted us to see was a heroic woman who singlehandedly conquers her problems while putting Mr. Nice Guy Husband in his proper place (kicked out of the house, separated from his children, and generally punished for "not listening deeply" enough).

The thing I hate about this movie is the script and the skewed philosophy behind it. A faithful husband does the best he can to care for an abusive, alcoholic wife, love her, and hold his family together. He doesn't need a psychiatrist for the imagined sin of "co-dependency." He needs respect for taking responsibility for his family. That's the "for better or worse" part of marriage and the role of a parent. The wife who is so immersed in her own feelings that she is willing to let her daughters suffer the loss of their Daddy just to try to make herself feel better--that woman doesn't need understanding. She needs to get a handle on reality and see how many lives she is damaging.

This was not about the husband loving his wife too much. It was about the wife loving her husband and children too little. While we generally look at the world in shades of grey, I find it impossible to see the scriptwriters' version of marriage in anything but black and white clarity. Even the contrived ending was less than believable, and not in the least satisfying.

Andy Garcia and the older daughter gave beautiful performances. In fact, they were the reason I stayed with the movie to the end. Meg Ryan's cute persona did not work well here, but the smallness and pettishness of the wife came across. Meg was sufficiently mean to her children and coldly cruel to her husband to evoke distaste in the viewer.

I am amazed that Meg Ryan is still so proud of this movie.

The Missing (I) (2003)

Misery in New Mexico

[2/10 · 19 March 2004]

With Ron Howard, a good cast, and western scenery, not to mention the intriguing title, I expected a good movie. I have never been more disappointed. What I got was an interminable saga of misery, sadism, and familial bitterness, with no redeeming feature. One has to blame the script, to begin with. How unrelentingly dreary, unsatisfying, and distasteful can a script be? But surely Ron Howard understands the need for some sort of a break in the ugliness. There was none. The little girl was the single humanizing factor, and it was too much for her to carry alone. Tommy Lee and Cate, for all their acting skills, failed to evoke any kind of warm, sympathetic response in me. I kept comparing this movie with "The Outlaw Josey Wales" since both were replete with Comancheros, captives, and killings. Yet "Josey Wales" had rich moments of humor and warmth; so much so that I enjoy watching it every few years. I would not watch this movie again under any circumstances. Worst of all, "The Missing" missed any sort of overarching vision that would have given it coherence and meaning.

The Torch (1950)

A ridiculous movie

[1/10 · 5 March 2004]

I saw The Torch when it came out in 1950. It was Thanksgiving weekend at Missouri U. in Columbia, and almost all the students were gone. Perhaps that's why this film was ever so briefly scheduled at the local theater. My friend (who later became my husband) and I were amazed that a movie this bad could be distributed and shown in the USA. Also, we were surprised that a movie star like Paulette Goddard would appear in such a film. It was so terrible that we have not forgotten it in 54 years and still laugh about it. I can still hear Paulette Goddard screeching. I can still see Armendariz swaggering in his huge sombrero. I remember acting so broad that even a teenager couldn't stand it. A "dark comedy/drama" indeed. What a ridiculous movie.

I Capture the Castle (2003)

A Charming Film But . . .

[7/10 · 21 February 2004]

This was a charming film, but for those who love the book, it had some major disappointments, especially in the script and in the portrayal of Topaz. She was a marvelous, lovable, nutty character in the book, an original! Neither script nor actress even began to capture the real Topaz. I found Tara Fitzgerald actually annoying in the part. The book is not only intriguing and romantic,but deliciously funny, as told in Cassandra's journal. The writer and director didn't even try on that score--which gave the film a heavier, melodramatic quality. Rose and Neil were shortchanged at the end. Rose has a wonderful speech in the book which gives her reasons for her actions in movingly persuasive terms. That was left out of the movie. And, as another reviewer has pointed out, the scriptwriter did change the ending of the movie, and not for the better. The book's ending in Cassandra's journal was more authentic and true to the 18 year old character.

White Palace (1990)

Engrossing but less than believable

[7/10 · 21 February 2004]

I had no trouble believing the May/October romance. It was Sarandon's rude, crude, arrogant, and tacky behavior at the Thanksgiving dinner that made me wonder how the hero could stand her. (Sarandon so often seems to play that kind of a self-righteous character.) Spader was compelling in this film--at least until the last ridiculous scene. That was too much, and killed the glow of the ending for me. Still...an engrossing movie.

Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)

It could be subtitled "Fantasy Island."

[6/10 · 4 February 2004]

There's much about this film to enjoy--the scenery, Diane Lane, and her heedless adventures. It's fun to watch a character with a heart of gold live her life in a totally mindless way and not only survive, but get rewarded for it in the end. That's the feel-good message of the movie. "Take a chance. Act on a bad idea (several of them) and see how well your life turns out." That's Hollywood, that's "Fantasy Island." It's not a theme that works for me. Even romantic comedies need to keep one foot in reality to be satisfying. Because of its fantasy, the script was oddly predictable. I do give the scriptwriter credit--she was not always coherent, but somehow managed to connect all the disparate elements and achieve unity at the end of the movie.

I wish we could have had more of the villa--what an intriguing place--and less of the ridiculous blonde in the fountain and what she represented.

The Barefoot Contessa (1954)

This film seemed to be populated by one-dimensional characters.

[3/10 · 31 January 2004]

I expected much more out of the writer of this film. Was he not the creator of "All About Eve"? That was a wonderful satirical work with interesting, believable characters. This movie seemed to be ponderously written with a series of one-dimensional characters, most of them cliches. Humphrey Bogart did his best, but Ava Gardner was unsatisfying, though beautiful to look at--a paper doll. Edmond O'Brien played his shallow part well, but I was amazed to learn that he took the Oscar from Steiger, Cobb, and Malden in their great turns in "On the Waterfront." I hold Joseph Mankiewicz responsible. If this movie had been well-written, it could have been truly intriguing.