The Spy Who Came in from the Cold Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Martin Ritt’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold captures the essence of its source material almost eerily well. Adapted from what’s arguably John le Carre’s best and most well-known novel, the film and its lead character are portraits of Cold War malaise. Though it came out in 1965, during the […]
Who’s That Knocking at My Door Review
RATING: (2 STARS) Martin Scorsese’s directorial career kicked off with 1967’s Who’s That Knocking at My Door, a stylistically ambitious but dramatically flat slice of New York Italian realism. Show this movie to someone unfamiliar with the director’s masterpieces, and he or she would likely point out the tremendous potential that drips from almost every […]
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Comedy doesn’t get much darker than Dr. Strangelove, which is Stanley Kubrick‘s grand “F— you” to the chaos that was the Cold War arms race. Loaded with timeless characters, jokes, and images, the film is equal parts hilarious and frightening. Classic performances abound, the film is perhaps best remembered for Peter Sellers‘ […]
Lolita Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Lolita is a weird movie, even for Stanley Kubrick. The poster for it brilliantly reads “How did they ever make a movie out of Lolita?” It’s a fair question. One can’t help but think it would take a miracle to turn Vladimir Nabokov‘s blistering novel into a movie today—nevermind 1962. But if […]
Spartacus Review
RATING: (3 STARS) It’s been written by many that Spartacus was more the baby of Kirk Douglas than Stanley Kubrick, and whether that’s true or not, it’s easy to see why such an opinion still persists decades later. Despite featuring many touches that can only be described as Kubrickian, the film is formulaic to a […]
West Side Story Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) I’m not afraid to admit that I’m a sucker for musicals. The silly songs and choreography—on top of typically outstanding technical—generally sweep me up despite the inherent cheesiness of these affairs. Actually, the cheesier the better. I guess that’s why I enjoyed West Side Story so much. It’s beyond cheesy, but the […]
Once Upon a Time in the West Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Once Upon a Time in the West is like the ultimate adult fairy tale. It takes place long ago in a land far away (if not in distance, than in memory). It features clearly defined protagonists and antagonists, and in the end, just about everything is as it should be. But it’s […]
My Fair Lady Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Movie musicals are a tricky thing to nail because while music is a nice easy way to inject some energy or emotion into a film, too often the music is injected unnaturally. This can cause characters to act ridiculously, and it usually begs the question, “How do all these people know the […]
From Russia with Love Review
RATING: (4 STARS) I grew up watching James Bond and separating the quality of the films from the nostalgia I feel watching them is somewhat difficult. Even the worst films in the series hold a special place in my heart, while the best films in the series have some very visible flaws. Still, some entries […]
The Apartment Review
RATING: (4 STARS) “The Apartment†is the kind of film that reminds me why I love movies. Even when the quality of new films reaches an all-time low, I’m not discouraged. I know there are plenty of brilliant pieces of cinema like this Billy Wilder classic to bring me out of the movie doldrums and […]
The Graduate Review
RATING: (4 STARS) The reason realism is such a sought after trait in movies is because having realistic characters and realistic scenarios is the key to bringing the audience in and allowing them to relate to what’s on screen. Being able to relate heightens one’s emotional and intellectual connection to a film. Mike Nichols’ classic […]
2001: A Space Odyssey Review
RATING: (4 STARS) “2001: A Space Odyssey†is a transcendent experience. Calling it a film is an injustice, for it is so much more than that. It is a thought-provoking piece of art. No film has stuck with me the way this one did the first time I saw it. It’s hypnotic in a way. […]
Psycho Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Alfred Hitchcock is usually regarded as one of film’s most talented directors. With a resume as strong as his, it’s hard to argue. “Vertigo,” “Rear Window,” “North by Northwest,” “Rebecca,” “Strangers on a Train,” “The Birds.” The list goes on and on. I haven’t seen all of Sir Alfred’s films (I haven’t […]
Midnight Cowboy Review
RATING: (3 STARS) The first X-rated film to ever win Best Picture, Midnight Cowboy, is unique and shocking. It features great acting and is exceptionally directed. It’s possibly the definitive fish-out-of-water film, as well as one of the most quintessentially “sixties” movies ever. But it’s a hard movie to love. It does a lot of […]
8½ Review
RATING: (3 STARS) “In my picture, everything happens. I’m putting everything in.” This line from Federico Fellini’s “8 1/2” perfectly sums up the movie. Fellini throws everything about Guido Anselmi’s life on screen: his career, his busy love life, his past, and his dreams. For a film that’s light on plot, there really is a […]
Marnie Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) I’m not familiar enough with Hitchcock’s entire body of work to say where “Marnie†would rank, but I have to imagine it would be near the bottom. This is half a good movie, but the deeper we get into the past of the title character, the less successful it is. Of course, […]
