tksaysso Reviews

The Fugitive: Stranger in the Mirror (1965) Season 3, Episode 12

Contrast of Acting Styles: Janssen versus Shatner

[7/10 · 28 November 2013]

This episode is fascinating to me for one reason and one reason only: Watching the contrasting acting styles of David Janssen up against the "style" of William Shatner.

Dr. Kimble arrives at a small boy's club run by William Shatner's character and Shatner's wife. Shatner is a former policeman. Unfortunately when Kimble arrives to start his job as a custodian for the boy's club the town is in the middle of a series of unsolved murders of local policemen.

Like most Fugitive episodes Dr. Kimble's real identity is eventually discovered and he must find a way to get away. As usual Janssen superbly plays Dr. Kimble as a pained, reserved, suspicious and even slightly paranoid character with reserve and dignity.

Not so much Shatner though. He is so hammy in this role he should be spiral-sliced. Near the end of the episode I swear I can detect a look on Janssen's face that says "I can't believe this guy calls himself an actor."

Again, an episode worth watching just to see the contrast in styles.

Been Rich All My Life (2006)

Get this film...A Celebration of Life....

[10/10 · 17 April 2007]

I saw Been Rich All My Life a few days ago. It is a wonderful documentary. Basically it is the story of several amazing African-American women who were dancers in Harlem in the 1930's and 40's. It highlights the women's careers as younger women and catches up with them as they reunite and dance together again as elderly entertainers.

If you are lucky enough to get this film, watch the women's eyes as they speak. There is a shine and collective gleam that sparkles when they recount their adventures as dancers during the golden age of Harlem.

Amazing women, amazing film.

The Great Sinner (1949)

Barely okay

[3/10 · 6 April 2007]

There is little to no reasoning in this movie. We are supposed to believe that Gregory Peck's character, supposedly an intelligent writer, would throw away his entire life and future based on his compulsion to gamble after his initial exposure to gambling. Would you risk possibly losing the beautiful Ava Gardner to a spin of the roulette wheel or the turn of a card? Uhmmm...not this cowboy.

Too many great actors in this film for it to be so average.......Ethel Barrymore, Melvyn Douglas, Frank Morgan...When I think of the movie that could have been made with this cast I feel cheated by this movie. This is one of the few times I believe that Gregory Peck should have turned the script down. Like most Hollywood productions of the 1940's the sets and costumes are lush and believable. It's too bad that the plot didn't follow suit.

Reign Over Me (2007)

Really Good Sandler and Cheadle Performances

[8/10 · 25 March 2007]

I won't waste everyone's time rehashing what the basic plot of this film is. If you're reading this you probably already know...

I'm struggling to understand some of the negative reviews of this film or of Sandler's performance in it.I don't know what those people were looking for. I'm not a big Sandler fan so I didn't have any preconceived notions about him or his acting ability before I went to see this movie.

Sandler's performance as a reclusive paranoid man living with unimaginable grief is nothing short of revelatory. It's hard to believe that this is the same guy who played "Opera-Man" on Saturday Night Live. Sandler has some real acting chops and gets to display them in this movie. He definitely deserves consideration for an Oscar nomination.

Is it a great film? Probably not, but it's really good and oddly ends up being hopeful and life affirming when the final credits roll.

Rocky Balboa (2006)

A Fitting End To a Great Series

[9/10 · 22 December 2006]

Like many people I cringed when I heard the news that Sly Stallone was going to revive the Rocky series one more time. How in the world is he going to do this without embarrassing himself?

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this movie and by Stallone's performance. Rather than gloss over or ignore the obvious problem of Rocky's advancing years Stallone wisely pretty much wrapped the whole movie around that reality. Much like the original this film is more of a character study than a boxing or action film.

Now a widower and being somewhat estranged from his son Rocky now spends most of his time running his small Italian restaurant named after his beloved Adrian. When a simulated computer match between the current heavyweight champ and Rocky ends with Rocky winning the stage is set for an actual match between the champ Mason "The Line" Dixon and the beloved Philadelphia underdog. The subsequent match is at the same time riveting and believable.

I actually had tears in my eyes and a huge lump in my throat at the end of this movie. I think I was most sad that I was bidding farewell to a movie character who had carved a small place in my heart and mind over the years.

Good for you Sly. You ended it beautifully and on your own terms. Thank you for the gift of Rocky.

Car 54, Where Are You? (1961–1963)

Often Ignored Classic...

[30 July 2005]

Car 54 Where are You? is one of the funniest TV series to ever appear on television. The chemistry between the dim-witted but affable Gunther Toody (played by Borscht-belt stand-up comic Joe E. Ross ) and his cultured but painfully shy bachelor partner Francis Muldoon ( played by the pre-Munsters Fred Gwynne ) rings true in every episode. You definitely get the feeling watching this comedy that these two cops are closer than brothers. What really makes this series outstanding though is the superior writing and the supporting actors. Wally Cox, Nipsey Russell, Godfrey Cambridge, Charlotte Rae, Ossie Davis, Jake LaMotta ( the subject of Scorcese's 'Raging Bull' ), Rocky Graziano, Sugar Ray Robinson, Jack Gilford..these are just a handful of some of the well-known actors and personalities you'll see when watching this series.

I recently found the entire series for sale on the internet and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

"Oooo.....Oooo!!"

My Man and I (1952)

Interesting but degrading to Hispanics....

[5/10 · 24 June 2005]

I just finished watching this movie. Ricardo Montalban stars as a dreamy-eyed Mexican immigrant farmhand who falls in love with downtrodden alcoholic loner Shelly Winters. A subplot has bad guy farmer Wendell Corey and his bitter wife Claire Trevor hiring and then stiffing Montalban's character for the work he did on their farm.

It was difficult for me to get past the embarrassingly sad broken English dialog the writers put in Montalban and his Hispanic friends' mouths. You get the impression that these particular writers must have penned all of the lines for Jay Silverheels as Tonto.

If you can get past the dialog and the sheer amazement that someone would cast the late great bug-eyed character actor Jack Elam as a Mexican then the story and plot are pretty good. There are worse ways to spend nearly 2 hours.

Hostage (2005)

Just Okay...no Die Hard..

[6/10 · 13 March 2005]

Bruce Willis seems to be returning to the genre that he thrives in, the action thriller. In Hostage, Willis plays Jeff Talley, a veteran police officer who has left the super-charged atmosphere of big city (LA) law enforcement to become the chief of police in a smaller, seemingly quiet California town. Of course that tranquility doesn't last long.

A series of events start to unfold which put Talley right back in the middle of an extremely tense and trying hostage situation. Willis is certainly good enough in this role but I found many of the other characters to be somewhat stereotypical. You've seen these types in just about any other standard action thriller.

I wanted to see more of the wisecracking Willis character, but Hostage really couldn't do that. The subject matter and tone of this film is way too dark to realistically include any humor.

Lots and lots of profanity and the violence is pretty jarring. I only put this in the review if any of you parents are thinking of letting smaller children go see this movie with you.

Just okay in my opinion...Falls way short of Die Hard.

One interesting note about this movie. The young actress who plays Willis' daughter in the film is in fact his real daughter Rumer Willis. She does an admirable job in her few scenes.

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Very Odd But Compelling Masterpiece...

[9/10 · 4 February 2005]

I finally saw Sunset Boulevard on DVD this week. I had never seen this classic film before. Gloria Swanson made the most of this comeback role by delivering a great performance as silent film legend Norma Desmond. Creepy and self-delusional, Norma has basically imprisoned herself and her manservant Max in a run-down Hollywood mansion. Life at the mansion is disturbed when young script writer Joe Gillis (played by the always excellent William Holden) uses the garage as a hideout running away from his car's repo men.

Events begin to unfold which leave Joe questioning his own morality and standards. I won't get any further into the plot details just in case there are any other people out there like myself who haven't seen this film.

A few interesting details I have learned about this movie which might interest some folks out there. Both Mae West and Mary Pickford were offered the Norma Desmond role before Gloria Swanson. Mae West didn't get it because she wanted to rewrite much of Norma's dialog. That was not acceptable to director Billy Wilder, who didn't allow any deviation from the script. Mary Pickford always retained ownership rights to her silent films. That wasn't going to happen with Sunset Boulevard so Pickford was out. Montgomery Clift was first offered the pivotal role of writer Joe Gillis and actually accepted the part. Thinking about the role while on vacation in Europe Clift came to the conclusion that the "kept man " aspect of Joe Gillis' relationship with Norma Desmond too closely mirrored his real life relationship with a wealthy New York socialite. Clift turned the role down upon his return to America.

Hollywood had very mixed reactions to this film. Famous MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer stormed out after an early screening of Sunset Boulevard and engaged Billy Wilder in a very profane tirade accusing Wilder of stabbing the film industry in the back. Wilder gave as good as he got to the red-faced Mayer.

If you haven't seen Sunset Boulevard do yourself a favor and check out this classic. It will stick with you for a while.

The Human Stain (2003)

One mess of a movie...

[2/10 · 2 February 2005]

I rented this DVD based on the strength of the cast. You figure with Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Gary Sinise and Ed Harris you can't go wrong. Right? Wrong!!

This movie is an absolute mess. Anthony Hopkins is a well-vested Ivy League professor with a huge life-long secret. Despite being supposedly Jewish-American, Hopkins' Welsh accent never goes away. Hopkins does the best he can with a rather implausible plot twist, but he is horribly miscast in this leading role.

Nicole Kidman is the low class cleaning woman with whom Hopkins' character has an affair. Another case of miscasting here. Kidman was never quite believable to me as this character.

Gary Sinise is a reclusive author and becomes Hopkins' best friend. Sinise does the best job with the material he is given.

Ed Harris plays Kidman's ex-husband and is the stereotypical crazed Vietnam vet. Nothing new here folks.

My main complaint about this film was that I wasted two hours of my life that I will never get back.

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Possibly Clint's Best....

[30 January 2005]

I went in to the theater today to see Million Dollar Baby with high expectations. After all the reviews have been great and the awards are starting to rack up for both the actors and the other people involved with this movie.

I was not disappointed. This is a great film, possibly Clint Eastwood's best work as an actor and director. Clint plays grizzled fight trainer Frankie Dunn, a ham and eggs kind of guy with a very gruff exterior. When we first meet Frankie he is carefully managing the career of a rising star boxer from the trainer's hardscrabble gym. Frankie seems to be bringing this fighter along too carefully, as there is a championship bout awaiting. Later in the film we learn the reasons Frankie is careful with his boxers.

Right at the beginning of the film we meet Maggie Fitzgerald, played brilliantly by Hilary Swank. Maggie is a very tough young woman in her early 30's. Some people might call her character "white trash" and they wouldn't be too far off of the mark. But that would only describe the superficial aspects of Maggie's character. You quickly come to appreciate Maggie's determination and grit as she hounds Frankie Dunn daily with the request to train and manage her. Frankie wants nothing to do with her initially but slowly is won over by Maggie's personality.

As all of this is going on we meet "Scrap-Iron" Dupris, a washed up old boxer and possibly Frankie's only friend. Scrap-Iron helps Frankie run his gym and is won over by Maggie a lot quicker than Frankie is. Scrap-Iron is played by the always great Morgan Freeman. Freeman deserved his Best Supporting Actor award.

Frankie agrees to train and manage Maggie and this is when the film really takes off. Frankie is, for reasons never really explained in the movie, estranged from his own daughter. Maggie becomes Frank's surrogate daughter.

Maggie starts to rise in the ranks as a boxer. It turns out that she's exceptionally gifted as a boxer. Her relationship with Frankie grows with each fight. There are virtually father and daughter and are fulfilling that emotional role for each other.

The movie takes a dramatic turn which I won't reveal in this review. The events only deepen your appreciation for the emotional integrity of all of the main characters.

What can I say about the 3 main actors in this film that hasn't already been said? Being a huge Clint Eastwood fan I am immensely satisfied to see him finally getting the respect for both his acting and directing skills from his peers, the critics and the general public. I hope that Clint continues to make films. It's great to go to a movie that is about something, has characters you care about and a real story. Hilary Swank is Maggie Fitzgerald. You never even get the impression that this great actress is acting. She was the Best Actress last year and also deserved her Oscar. I've already made my comments about Morgan Freeman.

Hey, everyone in Hollywood...You want to know how to make a great film? Put your mocha lattes down and get a primer lesson on film-making. Go see Million Dollar Baby.

The Pawnbroker (1964)

Disturbing but a great Steiger performance...

[10 October 2004]

The Pawnbroker is a very disturbing film. The title character, Sol Nazerman,

played by Rod Steiger, is an aging Holocaust concentration camp survivor

running a pawnshop in New York. A young hispanic man who works in the

pawnshop looks up to Steiger's character, hoping to learn from the older man's years of experience and expertise in both financial and other business matters.

Steiger's character is emotionally closed throughout the entire length of the film. Jarrring flashbacks to the time when Nazerman was happy with his wife and two small children become increasingly menacing and tragic as the Nazi

domination and cruelty become more dominant. Steiger's character survives his family. The guilt attached to that survival haunts Nazerman as he numbly

proceeds throughout the present-day portions of the film.

This movie takes a huge risk even in it's premise because the title character is never really likable. You certainly have empathy for what Nazerman has

experienced in his life, but the harsh and dismissive way in which he treats both people close to him and the tragic figures who frequent his pawnshop leave you little choice but to have mixed feelings about this man.

Rod Steiger is excellent. It's incredible to think that less than three years later after playing this character, an elderly Jewish concentration camp survivor,

Steiger won an Oscar for his portraying southern bigoted police chief Bill

Gillespie in Norman Jewison's In the Heat of the Night.

Sidney Lumet's direction is excellent. The photography is a starkly shot black and white with a grainy almost documentary-type feel to it. The score by Quincy Jones is somewhat uneven, with inappropriate upbeat instrumentation intruding in to somber scenes.

All in all, a very good film, but definitely excruciatingly somber in tone.

Key Largo (1948)

One of Bogie's best, but it's Edward G.'s movie....

[10 October 2004]

Key Largo would be the perfect film for someone who had never seen or heard

of either Humphrey Bogart or Edward G. Robinson to get a primer lesson on the charisma and screen presence of both of these great screen legends.

The premise of the film is as follows: Bogart's character, Frank McCloud, is an ex-GI returning from World War II . McCloud is anxious to meet the wife and

father of his fallen soldier friend. This leads McCloud to a hotel in the Florida Keys run by the widow, Nora Temple (Lauren Bacall) and her father-in-law

James Temple (the always excellent Lionel Barrymore, perhaps most familiar to moviegoers as the evil Mr. Potter in Frank Capra's 'It's A Wonderful Life').

Things seem slightly off-kilter from the moment McCloud (Bogie) walks into the hotel. An alcoholic woman, loud and obnoxious, crowds the hotel bar and is

handled roughly by a couple of strange men who apparently are guests at the

same hotel. McCloud takes this all in but remains distant from all of these

characters. McCloud meets the invalid owner Mr. Temple (Barrymore) and his

daughter-in-law Nora Temple (Bacall). There is some immediate chemistry

between McCloud and the widow Temple.

Unbeknowst to both the Temples and McCloud two huge problems are looming

in their immediate futures shortly after their initial meeting. First, a hurricane of tremendous force is poised to strike the Keys and their hotel in a matter of hours. Secondly, and what drives the plot of this film, a supposedly deported big-time gangster, Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson) is the guest who makes his

identity and motives known shortly before the hurricane arrives.

The previously mentioned alcoholic woman at the bar is Gaye Dawn (Claire

Trevor), Rocco's girlfriend. An ex-nightclub singer whom time has not been kind to, Miss Dawn sacrifices her dignity at even the slightest opportunity to get a drink.

The strange men at the bar turn out to be Rocco's henchmen.

McCloud (Bogart) knows who Rocco (Robinson) is, and while he won't directly

challenge the gangster, McCloud takes no small delight in playing mind games

on Rocco.

The scenes in the hotel between all of these diverse characters really are the highlight of this film. Even though Rocco and his gang are holding McCloud and the Temples hostage you get the definite impression that McCloud has the

upper hand psychologically and that things will eventually go bad for Rocco.

Bogart is fantastic. His nuanced portrayal of a basically decent non-committal drifter fits hand in glove with Bogart's reluctant hero screen persona. This is Edward G. Robinson's movie though. His performance as ruthless but paranoid

mobster Johnny Rocco is one of, if not his very best screen role. Claire Trevor is great as tragic moll Gaye Dawn. Trevor won an Oscar for Best Supporting

Actress for her acting in this film. Lauren Bacall is good but really doesn't have to do much heavy lifting, acting wise in this film. Lionel Barrymore is great, a crusty old curmudgeon with a huge heart for those he cares for.

This is a great movie and a wonderful opportunity to see some screen legends

at the top of their respective games.