Reviews
Marriage on the Rocks (1965)
I DIG SINATRA, BUT THIS FILM'S A DUD
I'VE SEEN MOST OF THE FILMS STARRING OR CO-STARRING FRANK SINATRA - SOME OF THEM ARE TOTAL FILM CLASSICS, MANY ARE GREAT, MOST ARE ENTERTAINING, BUT THIS ONE IS A DUD. FRANK AND PAL, DEAN MARTIN, SEEM TO HAVE BEEN MORE INTERESTED IN BOOZING THAN ACTING, BECAUSE THEY SEEM BARELY AWAKE. NANCY SINATRA DOES A GOOD JOB, BUT EVERYONE ELSE IS A DRAG. THIS IS A SHAME, BECAUSE THE CAST IS MADE UP OF SUPER-TALENTED PEOPLE WHO EITHER OVER-ACT, OR ARE IN A DAZE (SINATRA & DEAN). EVEN THE RAT-PACK FILMS ARE MORE ENTERTAINING THAN THIS ONE.
Mary Poppins (1964)
THIS MOVIE WAS MY CHILDHOOD
I WAS BORN IN '62; THIS FILM CAME OUT IN '64. I SAW IT MANY TIMES AS A CHILD, AND I STILL HAVE MY ORIGINAL COPY OF THE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM - IT IS HELD TOGETHER BY TAPE, AND THE VINYL LOOKS LIKE A NAIL WAS USED INSTEAD OF A NEEDLE! THIS IS SIMPLY BECAUSE I LISTENED TO THE SOUNDTRACK PROBABLY EVERY DAY, FROM MY FIRST MEMORIES, 'TIL ABOUT 2ND GRADE. THIS MOVIE CAPTURED MY IMAGINATION LIKE NO OTHER AS A CHILD. WHEN I SAW IT AS AN ADULT, I SAW IT IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT, BUT EQUALLY DELIGHTFUL, WAY. I SAW THE CONSIDERABLE WIT AND IRONY, AND CAME TO FULLY APPRECIATE THE BRILLIANCE OF THE MUSIC. I AM BIASED, BUT I THINK THIS IS THE GREATEST CHILDREN'S FILM EVER, THE BEST DISNEY FILM, ONE OF THE BEST MUSICALS, AND IT CAN EVEN BE VIEWED AS A SURREAL, TRIPPY FILM. THIS DEFINITELY SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE AFI TOP 100. A MASTERPIECE, AND A GATEWAY TO IMAGINATION, LIKE NO OTHER FILM. I REALLY FEEL SORRY FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE GROWN UP WITHOUT EXPERIENCING THIS FILM - IT IS SAD THAT THERE ARE NO LONGER ANY CHILDREN'S FILMS BEING MADE THAT ARE REMOTELY THIS MAGICAL. IF YOU HAVE A YOUNG CHILD WHO IS NOT TOTALLY CYNICAL YET, DO THEM A GREAT FAVOR AND SHOW THEM THIS FILM! WHEN I LOOK BACK AT MY YOUNGEST YEARS, "MARY POPPINS" IS THE VERY FIRST THING THAT ALWAYS COMES TO MIND - ONE OF WALT DISNEY'S FINEST GIFTS TO CHILDREN (AND ADULTS). ALSO, THE ENTIRE CAST, ESPECIALLY THE INCREDIBLY TALENTED JULIE ANDREWS, ARE SUPERB. IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO "THANK" A FILM, I'D THANK THIS FILM FOR MAKING MY YOUNGEST YEARS VERY HAPPY.
High Society (1956)
SOPHISTICATED MUSICAL WITH GREAT SCORE AND CAST
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST MUSICALS I HAVE SEEN. IT HAS A SENSE OF IRONY ABOUT ITSELF (THE "MUSICAL" FILM FORM). THE COLE PORTER SCORE IS GREAT, WITH MANY CLASSIC MOMENTS, INCLUDING THE GREATEST "CROSBY & SINATRA MOMENT" EVER ("WELL, DID YOU EVAH?"), GREAT SENSUAL CHEMISTRY BETWEEN GRACE KELLY & SINATRA ("MIND IF I MAKE LOVE TO YOU?"), LOTS OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG, ALL IN GLORIOUS COLOR, A SCRIPT WITH A VERY LIBERAL AND CASUAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS SEX (FOR 1956!), AND LOTS AND LOTS (AND LOTS!) OF BOOZE FLOWING. THIS IS A MOVIE THAT IS AS PLEASURABLE AND CLASSY AS A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE. I FIRST SAW IT ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO, BEFORE I EVEN KNEW OR CARED ABOUT THE STARS OR THE MUSIC, AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT THEN. NOW, I LOVE COLE PORTER'S MUSIC AND SINATRA, AND STILL FIND IT ONE OF THE HIGH POINTS FOR BOTH OF THOSE ARTISTS, ON FILM.
Quadrophenia (1979)
The Greatest British Rock/Youth Film Ever
I'VE SEEN THIS FILM PROBABLY CLOSE TO 40 TIMES. I HAVE NEVER GROWN TIRED OF IT. TO APPRECIATE IT, ONE MIGHT HAVE TO UNDERSTAND BRITISH YOUTH SUBCULTURES, THE 1960'S, ROCK'N'ROLL, AND/OR THE PAIN OF ADOLESCENT ALIENATION AND THE EUPHORIA OF BEING YOUNG AND OBSESSED WITH MUSIC AND 48 HR NON-STOP WEEKENDS...IT'S JUST THE GREATEST ROCK'N'ROLL/POP MUSIC-RELATED DRAMA EVER MADE. ONE OF THE GREATEST BRITISH FILMS EVER. IT IS BRILLIANT AND A JOY TO WATCH. IF YOU HATE ROCK'N'ROLL OR DO NOT KNOW WHAT A "MOD" IS...WELL, YOU'D HATE IT, PROBABLY. BUT IF YOU "UNDERSTAND", Y'KNOW? OR AT LEAST LIKE GRITTY BRITISH WORKING CLASS FILMS, IT'S THE HOLY GRAIL.
Lady in Cement (1968)
SINATRA GETS GROOVY, MAAAN
THIS FILM, AND ITS PREQUEL, "TONY ROME", ARE A BIT LIKE THE T.V. SERIES "THE ROCKFORD FILES". IN FACT, I THINK THESE TWO FILMS WERE A BIG INFLUENCE ON THE PREMISE OF THAT SHOW - TIRED, BROKE, BUT HONORABLE AND STREETWISE DETECTIVE LIVES FREE-STYLE LIFE IN BOAT (INSTEAD OF TRAILER, IN "ROCKFORD"), HAS CONNECTIONS WITH THE COPS, BUT A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, BUCKS THE SYSTEM, ETC. BOTH, "LADY IN CEMENT" AND "TONY ROME" ARE A BIT SHALLOW, BUT ENGAGING, AND DEFINITELY SWINGIN' SIXTIES FLICKS. SOME GOOD SUSPSENSE AND COMEDY, BUT, MOSTLY JUST...SWINGIN'! AND SEEING THE 51 YEAR OLD SINATRA SWINGIN' AND HAVING FUN WITH RAQUEL WELCH ADDS UP TO A FUN TWO HOURS...AND THE MUSIC IS REALLY CHEESEY, WHICH JUST MAKES IT EVEN MORE...UH...SWINGIN'. SINATRA HAS A GOOD TIME MAKING THE FLICK, AND AS ALWAYS, IS VERY VERY COOL. HOW COULD A CHARACTER NAMED "TONY ROME" NOT BE VERY VERY COOL???
Tony Rome (1967)
AN EMBRYO, MORE SWINGIN', "ROCKFORD FILES"
"TONY ROME". THE 1960'S. PRETTY CHICKS. FRANK SINATRA. IT AIN'T DEEP, BUT THAT ADDS UP TO 2 HOURS OF FUN IN THE SUN, WITH FRANK BEING EVEN COOLER THAN HIMSELF (IF THAT'S POSSIBLE). HE'S A DETECTIVE. HE'S ALWAYS BROKE. HE KNOWS SOME HEAVYWEIGHTS AT THE MIAMI POLICE DEPT., BUT FOLLOWS HIS OWN RULES. LIVES IN A BOAT. "ROCKFORD FILES" T.V. SERIES TYPE OF FREE-SPIRIT DETECTIVE WITH WITTY BANTER, HIS OWN LOW-KEY STYLE, SOME SUSPENSE. WOMEN THROW THEMSELVES AT "TONY ROME", BUT HE SEEMS TO HAVE SOME KIND OF HANG UP ABOUT HAVING FUN BECAUSE HE'S SEEN TOO MUCH OF THE SEEDY SIDE OF LIFE. NOW, OFF THE CAMERA, I'M SURE FRANK DIDN'T SUFFER TOO MUCH EXISTENTIAL DESPAIR TO ENJOY THE PLEASURES OF BIKINI-CLAD MIAMI BEACH... THE SEQUEL, "LADY IN CEMENT" IS IN THE SAME VEIN, MAYBE WITH A BIT MORE SEXUAL DOUBLE-ENTENDRE. BOTH FILMS ARE FUN AND FRANK IS HIS USUAL ULTRA-COOL SELF AND THE SWINGIN' NAME, "TONY ROME", SUITS HIM NICELY. VERY "DIG"-ABLE IF YOU DIG SINATRA AND THE MID-SWINGIN'-1960'S (AN ODD COMBINATION 'COS HE HATED ROCK N ROLL, BUT THOUGH FRANK DIDN'T REALIZE IT, HE WAS MORE COOL THAN ANY ROCKER, BABY, ESPECIALLY WHEN HE WAS "TONY ROME".)
The Naked Runner (1967)
Plot a bit too thick, but good Directing, & Sinatra is Excellent
This is definitely a typical B-type 1960's European spy thriller, but certainly not bad. Convoluted plot, but the use of extreme close-ups, tasteful melancholy score, and an excellent performance by Sinatra make it worthwhile viewing for fans of Sinatra dramas. His performance is very intense and believable. While the plot is needlessly tangled and premise is farfetched, the film is not at all corny - its presentation is perhaps more difnified than the plot and payoff deserve. Sinatra's performance is the best thing about it. A lengthier, better plot and bigger payoff would have lifted the film up into something near "The Iprcess File" league. The other good aspects of that film are in place here, but this remains a B-level spy thriller despite an obvious attempt to make an A-level thriller. Still, a must-see for Sinatra fans - but perhaps on cable or rental.
Pal Joey (1957)
EXCELLENT VERY SEXY MUSICAL!!!
SINATRA IS SUPERB - PERHAPS BECAUSE HE IS PLAYING A FULL-TIME FLIRT, WOMANIZER (NOT A STRETCH FOR HIM!) HE IS COMPLETELY CHARMING AND PERFECT FOR THE FILM. THE SONGS ARE ALL BY RODGERS-HART, AND ARE WONDERFUL. IT'S FILMED ON LOCATION IN BEAUTIFUL MID-1950'S SAN FRANCISCO. WHAT MAKES THIS MUSICAL DIFFERENT FROM MOST IN THE GENRE IS ITS USE OF MUSIC IS REALISTIC AND NOT OVERBLOWN. RITA HAYWORTH AND KIM NOVAK ARE ALSO EXCELLENT. AGAIN, THE SONGS, AND SINATRA, ARE WONDERFUL.