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Furcht (1917)
Where's the Connie?
I have no doubt that Conrad Veidt would have been phenomenal in this movie...had he actually had a substantial role in it. Granted, the version I viewed had been edited down to 60 minutes from the original 72 (and some of Connie's scenes may have been edited out). But out of the 60 min. I saw, barely over 2 minutes are devoted to Conrad's character. Needless to say, fans of Conrad Veidt will find this film a bit of a disappointment.
Fans of overwrought melodrama, however, can hardly find a better example than Bruno DeCarli's chest-clutching, flopping about the room in a paranoiac spasm, back-of-the-hand-to-the-forehead seizures...a perfect example of criticisms often aimed at silent film "overacting." This is not an unentertaining film, but it has more of a novelty value than an artistic one.
Since I collect Conrad Veidt films, I can honestly say that there are many more fine examples of his acting finesse than this one, including most of his talkies. In fact, a large part of what makes his films so compelling is his rich and expressive voice. He had few equals in his ability to convey a natural elegance and maturity in his roles.
In seeking to experience the full gamut of Connie's ability,"Furcht" has little to offer. Better examples of his talent and versatility may be found in "Jew Suss", "The Passing of the Third Floor Back", "The Spy In Black", and "The Last Performance", among others.
Mister Peepers (1952)
First 26 episodes available on DVD
I've just finished viewing the 1st disc in a 4-disc (26 episodes) collection created in conjunction with the UCLA Film & Television Archive (S'More Entertainment, Inc.). So far (aside from the 1st episode), the image quality is quite good. The DVD box is shown on the title page here on IMDb.
"Mr. Peepers" is just as charming as when I first saw it (5-years old at the time) and Wally Cox is truly endearing in this role. If you're in the mood for quiet comedy that sneaks up on you, as opposed to hitting you over the head, you'll treasure this chance to experience all the wonderful characters you might remember from your childhood. Although some of the gags are a bit corny, most are ingenious and well-executed...and even the corny ones are fun. This is one TV series that lives up to my early childhood memories of it.
Playtime (1967)
A Cautionary Tale About this Movie
I love Mon Oncle and Mr. Hulot's Holiday. Thus, after weeks of searching for my very own copy of Playtime, I was finally settled in front of my TV, remote in hand, ready to enjoy what seemed to be universally reviewed as Tati's great masterwork. What then transpired can only be described as excruciating disappointment. Watching this "film" was very akin to witnessing the insides of a clock running amok. It was jaw-dropping, unfunny chaos, resembling the emperor's new clothes marching all by themselves down main street.
I felt embarrassment for all those folks who feel they must agree that this movie is anything more than a pretentious train wreck or be branded forever as uneducated, undiscerning rubes.
I forced myself to continue watching until the end, just in case there might be something miraculous that might explain all the glowing reviews...but there wasn't. In fact, for the entire last 1/2 hour, I was sitting there with the remote control poised to stop the damn thing as soon as I felt I had safely given it a fair chance to live up to its reputation.
Bottom line: A pretentious mess for pretentious people who are trying to seem unpretentious and, in the process, merely seeming more pretentious than ever.
Although I greatly admire Tati and his other films are among my favorites, I regret spending my time and money on this particular disaster.
Under Capricorn (1949)
Watch it and try not to compare...
If your approach to reviewing this movie is to compare it with Hitchcock's usual style, Under Capricorn will surely not compare. If, however, you can suspend your expectations and view it with an open eye and mind, you might see that, in its own right, it is an excellent film of the type I refer to as the "Victorian soap opera." Being an aficionado of this "genre", perhaps I'm biased; but I enjoyed immensely the leisurely pace, extended dialog (which unlike other reviewers, I found to be intelligent, graceful, and poetic). I found it to be gently suspenseful, never really being sure who would get the girl in the end, or even who might survive to the end.
Joseph Cotton was appealing, even though his character throughout much of the movie seemed to be villainous, and his reasons for being that way were quite apparent by the end of the film. My suspension of disbelief centered around Bergman's casting as an Irish aristocrat: once in awhile she managed to say a word that had an Irish flavor, but mostly she just sounded Swedish. However, that did not detract at all from her usual thoughtful performance. Michael Wilding irritated me a little with his foppish ways, yet even he managed to come off as a human being with faults and virtues...just like the rest of us. Leighton was superb and she, like Cotton, seemed to be a treacherous yet sympathetic character. I think it was the portrayals of complicated people with no one being painted as totally good or bad, the nuanced characterizations that I found so artistic yet real.
If you approach this movie without preconceptions, you might be drawn into it and appreciate Hitchcock's genius in an entirely different way.
Le fils (2002)
Shoulder-Cam Nausea
CAUTION: If you easily become carsick or seasick, avoid this movie. Other reviewers have mentioned the fact that on the big screen, the shoulder-cam work can induce nausea in the viewer. Well, sorry to say, it has the same effect when viewed on a small TV screen.
Whoever came up with the shoulder-cam "technique" should be forcibly tied to the highest mast on the tallest ship and forced to sail around the world that way. I don't get it. Is it supposed to make the movie more realistic...as if you are right there in the room with the action? If so, the real world I inhabit does not lurch so precipitously unless I've had a few too many drinks. Furthermore, what are the benefits of being able to count the hairs in someone's nostrils? The slow pace of the film mentioned by other viewers would not have bothered me at all; but the camera work was a complete turnoff and I could not even finish watching this movie. Too bad...the storyline seemed quite promising.
Tmavomodrý svet (2001)
Gently Moving, Yet Exciting
This is the movie that finally pushed me over the line into registering with IMDb so that I could vote for (and comment on) it. I've only recently come to appreciate well-produced "war" movies, and this is one of the most thoughtful I've seen.
"Stunning" is the word that comes to mind when I think of this viewing experience. My husband and I watched this film last night for the first time. It is gently moving, yet exciting at the same time (not a contradiction). This story in the hands of Hollywood could have become just another smarmy, action-packed, Top Gun time-waster.
The two lead actors playing Frantisek and Karel played off of each other marvelously well; and Krystof Hadek is a very "pretty" boy without seeming to exaggerate or exploit that fact. In terms of Hadek's acting ability and appearance, my husband said (tongue-in-cheek), "Well, he's no Tom Cruise." I replied, "Thank God!" If you appreciate beautiful and understated acting, see this one.