Films Worth Viewing Year 3

[zymurg]

Lemony Snicket's A Serie of Unfortunate Events"-Brad Siberling-2004

This film covers the first three books in a well known series. Snicket is the pen name for David Handler, his day job is a drummer in a rock band. The rights to the books were purchased in 2000. There was some question about who would direct; Tim Burton was the first name mentioned, and it was rumored to be a musical. Then Barry Sonnenfeld was attached in earnest; Handler was brought on to write the script. Then Nicklelodian brought in Dreamworks for additional funding. That meant another director, Siberling, and a new principal cast. Industrial Light and Magic was confirmed as the effects shop. Most importantly Jim Carey was confirmed as the lead, the evil Count Olaf. I find his performance amazing in a very positive way. The film won its only Oscar for his make-up.

The film focuses on the three Beaudelaire children; they lose their parents in a terrible fire. Violet (Emily Browning) at 14 is one of the pre-eminent young inventors in the world. Klaus (Liam Aiken) at 13 has read more books than most scholars have in a lifetime. Sunny (Karla and Shelly Hoffman) is four, but she appears to be less than two. Her most important attribute is her enormously powerful bite. Mr. Poe (Timothy Spall) is a representative from the bank charged with finding from among the Beaudelaire relatives a suitable guardian. There seems to be no careful vetting of candidates as the first choice is Count Olaf, a failed actor with an enormous ego and very questionable morals.

The film opens with Lemony Snicket reading and writing about the plight of the Beaudelaire children and warning the readers that this story/ is not a happily after one, bad things continually happen. We never see Snicket's (Jude Law) face. Count Olaf is accepting of his duties because of the very large estate the children possess. Of course he plans to shorten his guardianship with drastic action. In the meantime the children become servants trying to make Olaf's crumbling mansion habitable. They are given a list of chores which include construction. While they are engaged with making the dwelling habitable. Olaf meets with his troupe working on a new play. He mentions late that the children are expected to make dinner. Of course there is virtually nothing available in the way of foodstuffs or pots and pans. According to Olaf, dinner should have been Roast Beef rather than Pasta Puttanesca. He has a solid way to end their lives in an apparently accidental manner. He will leave the car on the railroad tracks with the children locked inside. The rushing train will destroy the car and his occupants, and Olaf will be heir to the fortune.

Of course Olaf fails as the children team up to make a clever escape plan. Poe rescinds the guardianship, not because Olaf had attempted murder, but because the children were allowed to operate the car. The children are not believed when they assert that Olaf is out to kill them.

The cinematographer is Emanuel Lubitzki; he developed each new set and the color patterns. The film is set in a timeframe which is somewhat contemporary, but timeless. Cars are obscure models which are not recognizable to the viewers. Most of the film was shot at a Paramount back lot. It began shooting in November 2003 and lasted to May of 2004. Liam Aiken grew four inches during the shoot. Despite some critical disdain and a mediocre performance at the box office; there was talk of a sequel. The children grew up and still no sequel, but there was a 3 season shot at Netflix.

This is probably not for everyone's taste. I liked this quite a bit. The wider cast was excellent and included Billy Connolly, Meryl Streep, Cedric the Entertainer, a super major star in an uncredited bit. I found the children more than up to the task, but essentially you either like Jim Carey in his various roles or you don't.
Carey is one of those film personages who elicit strong reactions. I found Count Olaf highly entertaining. his alter egos less so, but I still was amused and captivated. I understand why many have problems with the film'
you have to willing accept the story. If you stand back with the disdain of the highbrow critic; you are sure to find fault; embrace the the sly tomfoolery and you will be better able to enjoy this film.

Highly recommended.

 

[zymurg]

I should have mentioned the very strong anti war message. The end of the film has some famous scenes where
prison walls fall and fields of flowers emerge. Politically, Griffith was close to Woodrow Wilson.

YouTube has a solid version with music. That's a good choice.

 

[zymurg]

I've continued to watch the Griffith films. It took me most of an evening to get through "Intolerance." It's over 3 hours long but took me closer to six hours to watch. It's obvious that this is a landmark in movie making. The scale of the film is enormous. The Babylon set is unlike any predecessor.

But it's kind of a mosh. The four separate stories don't really hang together. The rocking cradle that is used as a bridge doesn't really work. It just stops the story changes from being so jarring. Just as you start to care about a character, he or she disappear.

The scenes and costuming are great as are the scenes with hundreds of extras. The morality is heavy handed but that is the nature if early films. Interesting, historic, but it became more of an academic exercise for me rather than any fun.

Hopefully my comments provided some additional information and context. One of the problems we face when we watch silent films is that they are almost a different language. I find that a musical score is a necessity for me. I haven't solved Griffith. I find that he often doesn't move me emotionally. Yet, there are some times as the scene of two little girls playing together at the very end of "Intolerance" that I find very expressive. I first saw "Intolerance" at Yale when I was a grad student. I have watched it few times since; the fact that I keep returning probably says as much about me as it does about the film. Remember the X-Files: "I want to believe." Sometimes, I believe in Griffith, and I want to believe.

 

[Palatine]

I more than remember the X-Files. I have the "I WANT TO BELIEVE" poster on the wall next to my computer. "Intolerance" was a chore for me to get through. "Birth of a Nation" was a much better picture. With all the necessary repudiation to its content, the narrative is so much cleaner, the characters are easy to identify with, they have more depth, and the cinematography is better. I even thought the BOAN Civil War battle scene was better staged while conveying scale but not overusing it. It must have terrified audiences in 1915. James Mangold said that nobody cares how big and beautiful your set is... does it advance to the story or idea of the scene? Did Griffith really need 50 people in the room for the French Story? Anyways. I alway appreciate your reviews. Thanks.

 

[zymurg]

"Robocop"-Paul Verhoeven-1987

This is one of those offbeat movies that has left a lasting impression. I believe the director is largely responsible for that. This isn't the only time where Verhoeven masterminded a movie which others attempted to copy unsuccessfully. Think of "Total Recall", "Basic Instinct", and "Starship Troopers." In each case sequels were at best pale reflections of the originals. In all of these cases he was enabled by good scripts and plots based on interesting ideas; However, he knew how to choose good material and to make it come alive on the screen. The "Robocop" script bounced around Hollywood for more than 5 years. As these things go in such cases; the original names attached to a project fall by the wayside. Verhoeven was an unlikely choice; this was his first Hollywood film. He was known primarily for his Dutch film "Soldier of Orange." You probably know more about Dutch cinema than I do; you could hardly know less. It turned out that Verhoeven was a son of a bitch with a very short temper. He spent most of the filming fighting with and yelling at Rob Bottin the inventor of the robocop costume. Verhoeven didn't like the script ,his wife read the whole thing and convinced him to re-read the script which he later admitted had never finished. Verhoeven admits that he was kind of a jerk, but he knew enough to change his behavior. He hired Bottin for his next film.

I assume that most of you have seen the original; I was lead to watch "Robocop 2" and "Robocop 2014" ; there somewhat better than terrible reputations. The original is really a film worth viewing. It is filled with the little details that you find fascinating; for instance Robocop's 3 directives: "1. Serve the Public Trust; 2. Protect the Innocent, and 3. Uphold the Law." The script winks very broadly at Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, but if you are going to borrow; borrow from the best. Of course we find out that there was an unknown 4th directive.

Detroit is undergoing a huge financial crisis; they contracted with Omni Consumer Products to run their police department. Omni has a vision of using robots as police and building a new city on the wreckage of old Detroit. The first generation of robots the ED series are designed for combat; think drones. They have many defects, but a second option is potentially available. That is an android; in this case the first prototype takes the brain of a cop and gives him an armored suit. The cop, Murphy (Peter Weller) loses a lot of himself when he emerges as Robocop. His human partner Lewis (Nancy Allen) helps him to find himself.

Neither Weller nor Allen had major movie careers, but the film boasts a distinguished group of supporting actors: Dan O'Herilhy, Ronnie Cox, Miguel Ferrar, Ray Wise, and Kirkwood Smith. In some ways the suit is the star. It cost between $500,000 and $1 million, and it was a beast to wear. Weller was losing 3 pounds a day during shooting; they finally airconditioned the suit. Special effects were tough, and Weller particularly suffered through a rigorous schedule. This is before CGI really was a thing.

There some memorable bits of dialogue, and a running joke about a terrible comedy show "I'd buy that for a dollar." There are also newsclips popping up at frequent intervals. They function well in creating an atmosphere, a reality, in which the story takes place, Still this is the story of Robocop, can he make inroads in crime, and provide a basis for a safe Detroit in the future? "Dead or Alive; you're coming with me" is only used twice in the movie, but it is memorable. It makes the point that Robocop is no nonsense law enforcement. He seems to lack emotion, humanity. The final lines in the film provide another viewpoint.
Omni Chairman: "Nice shooting son. What's your name?
Robocop: "Murphy." He has regained his consciousness of who he was and who he is.

Very Highly recommended. Available on Prime.

 

[zymurg]

"The Usual Suspects"-Bryan Singer-1995

The title is drawn from Captain Renault's line in "Casablanca." This is one of the top rated films on IMDb, and it has a very negative review by Roger Ebert. The cast is stellar, and the script is a solo effort by Cristopher Mc Querrie. McQuerrie is associated with Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible series and Jack Reacher. Singer is associated with the X men series and some other films most recently "Bohemian Rhapsody." He has worked in TV most notably on "House."

The film was made cheaply ( 6 million) and quickly (35 days). I am going to hazard an opinion that Keyser Soze is an aspiring McGuffin. He is identified as a Turkish criminal mastermind with no scruples; he murders his own family. He is always off stage; the criminals who work for him don't even know they are working for him. He operates through middlemen. He is more than half legend.

The film opens with a confusing scene where Soze is murdering Keaton (Gabriel Byrne) aboard a burning ship in San Pedro Harbor. We quickly shift to an investigation of a hijacking of gun parts in NYC. Five criminals are assembled for a line-up. They are McManus (Stephen Baldwin), Fenster (Benacio Del Toro), Hockney (Kevin Pollock), Keaton, and Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey). There is no evidence, and they are released. During the time they were together, a crime is planned. This crime is successful, but the emeralds need to be fenced n Los Angeles.

McManus and Fenster are partners; they are violent robbers. Hockney is an explosives expert. Keaton is a former NYC cop who was both corrupt and violent, but he is attempting to go straight. Verbal is a con man who has cerebral palsy. The scene shifts to the West Coast where Verbal has gotten a plea agreement which gives him immunity in a blood bath at the San Pedro pier where 27 people died. Verbal is subjected to another interview by Customs agent Dave Kujan (Chaz Plamentari) in the office of Jeff Ruhin (Dan Hedaya).
Kujan has been pursuing Keaton for years. Verbal tells him the story behind the debacle at the port. At the port, the FBI in the person of agent Jack Baer (Giancarlo Esposito) is investigating.

The acting is very good ;the situations are interesting even though the lot is convoluted. You need to watch this film several times to decide whether this is cinematic slight of hand or something more satisfying. Frankly, I'm still undecided. Highly recommended, available on Prime.

 

[zymurg]

"Endgame"-Peter Travis-2009

This is IMO an excellent film about a very interesting subject. It is available on Prime. It is based on a book and a true story about the effort by Consolidating Mining in the person of Michael Young to find a way out of a potential civil war between the African National Congress and the Boer dominated government of the Republic of South Africa. World opinion had become increasingly condemnatory to apartheid policies, and the previously non-violent ANC had turned to an armed struggle. Most of us are at least familiar with Nelson Mandella, but this film focuses on meetings between white South Africans and representatives of the ANC in England under the auspices of a goldmining company.

There are 3 central characters: Michael Young (Jonny Lee Miller), Mbeki (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and Willie Esterhuyse (William Hurt). There was some criticism that this was too long and slow moving. I found it suspenseful and moving. In addition to the three primary characters; this film benefits from the performances of Mark Strong, Clark Peters, Derek Jacobi, and Matthew Marsh. This was made for UK TV. It had a very limited theatrical release in the US,but it was later shown on PBS.

It was filmed in South Africa and the UK. It doesn't look like a TV movie.. Perhaps it is just my perspective or personal baggage, but I think this is excellent. I found the story compelling, the background fascinating, and I liked both the complexity, and he film's willingness to provide context. This is one of my favorite hidden gems.

 

[Palatine]

Dr. No. 1962.

This is the film that spawned a million sequels. It set off the secret agent film (and TV) craze in the 60s, and, of course, it created the Bond phenomenon and all the subsequent Bond spoofs and knockoffs. It has to be considered one of the most important films in the history of cinema for the billions of dollars of production that it unleashed.

Dr. No also made a star of a relatively unknown Scottish actor named Sean Connery. Connery's recent death prompted me to re-watch this movie. His legendary career probably doesn't happen without this film. His performance as the British super secret agent with a gleam in his eye is pitch perfect. The blend of macho, charm and humor are still irresistible to audiences 60 years later.

You probably know the formula created in Dr. No (with a few teaks and additions). Bond goes to a exotic local filled with danger around every corner. Meets a beautiful woman. Infiltrates the lair of a brilliant yet insane villain. Gets caught. Escapes. Foils the villain's plan with everything in sight getting blown to smithereens.

In my recent viewing, I was very impressed with the cinematography of Dr. No. It is very simple and clean. Framed beautiful. The fast paced cutting of the action sequences works really well. It does not look or feel like an old movie. Worth noting, the 26-year old Ursula Andress still produces the desired effect.

The plot is that the evil Dr. No, in the employ of the Chinese, is using radio waves, from a hidden location in Jamaican, to sabotage rockets launched from Cape Canaveral. It's a fun ride. It's also a peek at the great grandfather of many of the movies you have watched in your life.

 

[zymurg]

"Men of Honor"-George Tillman Jr.-2000

Tillman is a solid director: "The Hate You Give," "The Longest Ride", "Notorious", and "Soul Food." This film was a moderate success, 32 million budget and 82.3 million WWG. We have to remember that entertainment is a business, and I'm wondering if the movie business will survive Covid in anything like its current form. Still this is a forgotten film. There are two eye-catching performances Cuba Gooding as Carl Brashear and Robert De Niro as Master Chief Billy Sunday. Brashear becomes the first Afro American Navy diver. While finding a lost atomic bomb and having his team salvage it; he is involved in a deck accident. One leg is so severely damaged that it appears as if he will never dive again.

Of course the backstory of how he came to that point is crucial. He is the child of sharecroppers, but he has always had a dream of enlisting in the Navy and becoming a diver. He finally makes it to Navy Diving School, and he comes to know his nemesis, Master Chief Sunday. Sunday is an out and out racist who does his best to force Brashear out. The character is a composite of two separate individuals. Sunday resurfaces after Brashear"s injuries. Brashear has his leg amputated after reading an article about how pilots returned to full service after an amputation.

The DVD has a short feature where we get to meet the historical Carl Brashear. I'm a sucker for triumph over adversity stories. This is one of the best. His wife asked him: "Why do you want this so bad?" He replied: "Because they said I couldn't have it." This is "Hidden Figures" before its time.

Highly recommended.

 

[zymurg]

"A Day at the Races"-Sam Wood-1937

This film is often called the last good or great Marx Brother's film. If you accept that, the major reason for this is the death of Irving Thalberg. He brought them to MGM, and he devised a format where the Marx Brothers could thrive in the studio system MGM model. This meant a subsidiary plot line with young lovers and musical numbers. Thalberg encouraged the brothers to try out their comedy sketches in the road before live audiences.
The Marx Brothers thrived under this system. Thalberg, always in fragile health, caught a cold and died of pneumonia well before the film was finished. Groucho often said he lost his taste for making movies after Thalberg's death. He was in his thirties. Future Marx Brothers' films were made very cheaply.

That left the brothers under the direction of Sam Wood. He often shot a dozen or more re-takes of the simplest scenes. He really disliked Graucho who constantly needled him. There was a famous exchange, at least in story,
where Wood said: "You Can't make an actor out of clay." Groucho countered :"You can't make a director out of wood."

There are several classic sketches: the Toositee Fruity ice cream cart, Chico and Harpo both play piano, but Harpo destroys the piano to create a harp, and a weird medical examination of Margaret Dumont. There are also some classic lines" "If I held you any closer' I'll be in back of you;" "It's the same old story, boy meets girl,Romeo and Juliet, Minneapolis and St. Paul", and "Don'tdrink that poison; it's$4 an ounce."

Alan Hale appears as the boyfriend of Maureen O'Sullivan who owns a failing sanitarium which employs Chico. Hale owns a race horse with Harpo as the jockey. A horse doctor, Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush (Groucho)
comes from Florida at the urging of Margaret Dumont to head the sanitarium's staff.

The length and quality of the musical interludes is an obstacle for some critics. There is even a blackface number, but that song "All God's Children Got Rhythm" is excellent. Marx Brother's fans are prone to mourn the demise of Thalberg. Still there is enough quality here to make this well worth viewing. The DVD has very solid extras. This has several free streaming options available. Highly recommended.

 

[Palatine]

I love the Marx Brothers, have since before high school. For me the "Love Happy" is the only really bad film. As for the musical numbers, I'm ambivalent. As Groucho said in Monkey Business, "I've got to stay here.... but there's no reason why you folks shouldn't go out into the lobby until this thing blows over."

 

[dbmill]

[

"A Day at the Races"-Sam Wood-1937

This film is often called the last good or great Marx Brother's film. If you accept that, the major reason for this is the death of Irving Thalberg. He brought them to MGM, and he devised a format where the Marx Brothers could thrive in the studio system MGM model. This meant a subsidiary plot line with young lovers and musical numbers. Thalberg encouraged the brothers to try out their comedy sketches in the road before live audiences.
The Marx Brothers thrived under this system. Thalberg, always in fragile health, caught a cold and died of pneumonia well before the film was finished. Groucho often said he lost his taste for making movies after Thalberg's death. He was in his thirties. Future Marx Brothers' films were made very cheaply.

That left the brothers under the direction of Sam Wood. He often shot a dozen or more re-takes of the simplest scenes. He really disliked Graucho who constantly needled him. There was a famous exchange, at least in story,
where Wood said: "You Can't make an actor out of clay." Groucho countered :"You can't make a director out of wood."

There are several classic sketches: the Toositee Fruity ice cream cart, Chico and Harpo both play piano, but Harpo destroys the piano to create a harp, and a weird medical examination of Margaret Dumont. There are also some classic lines" "If I held you any closer' I'll be in back of you;" "It's the same old story, boy meets girl,Romeo and Juliet, Minneapolis and St. Paul", and "Don'tdrink that poison; it's$4 an ounce."

Alan Hale appears as the boyfriend of Maureen O'Sullivan who owns a failing sanitarium which employs Chico. Hale owns a race horse with Harpo as the jockey. A horse doctor, Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush (Groucho)
comes from Florida at the urging of Margaret Dumont to head the sanitarium's staff.

The length and quality of the musical interludes is an obstacle for some critics. There is even a blackface number, but that song "All God's Children Got Rhythm" is excellent. Marx Brother's fans are prone to mourn the demise of Thalberg. Still there is enough quality here to make this well worth viewing. The DVD has very solid extras. This has several free streaming options available. Highly recommended.

I love the Marx Brothers, have since before high school. For me the "Love Happy" is the only really bad film. As for the musical numbers, I'm ambivalent. As Groucho said in Monkey Business, "I've got to stay here.... but there's no reason why you folks shouldn't go out into the lobby until this thing blows over."

I've been watching Marx Brothers films since my childhood as well. In my mind you can't go wrong with their five early Paramount films or their first two with MGM. After that it can get a bit dicey, but I have to admit I haven't seen anything other than their first seven films in a long time, so at some point I should go back to those others just to see if I feel the same way.

As for the songs in Marx Brothers films they can certainly be hit or miss in terms of interrupting the comic insanity of what is going on. The big exception is my favorite Marx Brother film "Duck Soup", where the songs fit in perfectly with the proceedings.

 

[Palatine]

As for the songs in Marx Brothers films they can certainly be hit or miss in terms of interrupting the comic insanity of what is going on. The big exception is my favorite Marx Brother film "Duck Soup", where the songs fit in perfectly with the proceedings.

The "To War" song in Duck Soup is a masterpiece. It should be mandatory viewing in high schools. It explains more about human nature than any sociological class ever will.

 

[zymurg]

"Rushmore"-Wes Anderson-1999

Anderson wrote the script with long time friend Owen Wilson. It was filmed in Houston on the campus of the prep school Anderson attended. Students at the school were used as extras. The use of music to compliment the story is excellent. Originally Anderson wanted to use only Kinks' songs in the score, but he used songs by other artists as well. Most people seem to have strong opinions about Anderson's films; hate or love. I find myself in the minority, not for the first time. His movies rarely if ever have a linear plot. Things happen and the characters react. The characters are generally well defined.

Max Fisher (Jason Schwartxman) is a 15 year old scholarship student at the exclusive Rushmore School. Despite his obvious intelligence, he wrote a play based onthe Watergate scandal when he was in second grade, he is one of the worst students in the school. One reason for this is that he leads a number of student activities from beekeeping to fencing. His mother died of cancer when he was seven; he lives with his father Bert (Seymour Cassel) who is a barber . Max tends to fantasize about success (he dreams that he solves the most difficult geometry problem in the world). He also exaggerates things in his life; he tells people his father is a neurosurgeon. His only real student friend is Dirk Calloway ( Mason Gamble) who is quite a bit younger and serves as his aide de camp.

Max is put on academic probation by the concerned by at his wits end Headmaster Dr. Nelson Guggenheim (Brian Cox). If he fails one more course; then he will be expelled. Meanwhile Max befriends millionaire benefactor, Herman Blume (Bill Murray). This is one of Murray's best performances; he is actually understated. Blume has an unfaithful wife and two bozo sons. He is so lonely that he sits by the pool far away from everyone else throwing golf balls into the pool. He does a cannonball off the diving board and rests a while on the bottom. Unnoticed by almost everyone. He comes alive only at his business.

The two friends come into conflict over the attentions of a new faculty member at Rushmore. Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams) teaches first grade despite having written a thesis on Latin American economics. Rushmore was her late husband's school. Her room is filled with memorabilia celebrating her husband's life.
She becomes the object of both Max's and Herman's affection. A war ensues.

The humor in the film comes from the characters. There are numerous examples. Max is motivated to save Latin at Rushmore by Miss Cross. One line in his ongoing battle with Herman is ""I saved Latin. What did you ever do?" At a party after one of Max's plays his father is asked: "I understand you are a neurosurgeon." His father replies: "No. I'm a barber but a lot of people make that mistake."

This is available on Prime. I enjoyed viewing it again, you might too.

 

[dbmill]

"Rushmore"-Wes Anderson-1999

Anderson wrote the script with long time friend Owen Wilson. It was filmed in Houston on the campus of the prep school Anderson attended. Students at the school were used as extras. The use of music to compliment the story is excellent. Originally Anderson wanted to use only Kinks' songs in the score, but he used songs by other artists as well. Most people seem to have strong opinions about Anderson's films; hate or love. I find myself in the minority, not for the first time. His movies rarely if ever have a linear plot. Things happen and the characters react. The characters are generally well defined.

Max Fisher (Jason Schwartxman) is a 15 year old scholarship student at the exclusive Rushmore School. Despite his obvious intelligence, he wrote a play based onthe Watergate scandal when he was in second grade, he is one of the worst students in the school. One reason for this is that he leads a number of student activities from beekeeping to fencing. His mother died of cancer when he was seven; he lives with his father Bert (Seymour Cassel) who is a barber . Max tends to fantasize about success (he dreams that he solves the most difficult geometry problem in the world). He also exaggerates things in his life; he tells people his father is a neurosurgeon. His only real student friend is Dirk Calloway ( Mason Gamble) who is quite a bit younger and serves as his aide de camp.

Max is put on academic probation by the concerned by at his wits end Headmaster Dr. Nelson Guggenheim (Brian Cox). If he fails one more course; then he will be expelled. Meanwhile Max befriends millionaire benefactor, Herman Blume (Bill Murray). This is one of Murray's best performances; he is actually understated. Blume has an unfaithful wife and two bozo sons. He is so lonely that he sits by the pool far away from everyone else throwing golf balls into the pool. He does a cannonball off the diving board and rests a while on the bottom. Unnoticed by almost everyone. He comes alive only at his business.

The two friends come into conflict over the attentions of a new faculty member at Rushmore. Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams) teaches first grade despite having written a thesis on Latin American economics. Rushmore was her late husband's school. Her room is filled with memorabilia celebrating her husband's life.
She becomes the object of both Max's and Herman's affection. A war ensues.

The humor in the film comes from the characters. There are numerous examples. Max is motivated to save Latin at Rushmore by Miss Cross. One line in his ongoing battle with Herman is ""I saved Latin. What did you ever do?" At a party after one of Max's plays his father is asked: "I understand you are a neurosurgeon." His father replies: "No. I'm a barber but a lot of people make that mistake."

This is available on Prime. I enjoyed viewing it again, you might too.

Over the last several years I've become a big Wes Anderson fan. These days, Anderson is probably my favorite director that is currently making movies. My least favorite Anderson films (Bottle Rocket, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and Rushmore) are all from early in his career. Just goes to show how much he has grown on me since those days, the rest of his stuff I really like. I should probably give The Life Aquatic..., and Rushmore another viewing, as both were my early introductions to Anderson, watched before I became addicted to his movies. As for my favorite Anderson film, that clearly would be Moonrise Kingdom (one of my favorite films from the last decade, and the movie that really turned me on to Anderson), followed by Isle of Dogs.

 

[zymurg]

"The Big Lebowski"-Coen Brothers-1998

I have an untested theory about this film which has the longest list of goofs I've ever seen on IDMb. Many of the goofs are supposed to be errors in time. One for instance is Jesus (John Tuturo) going around to neighbors
telling them he is a pedophile, that California law was passed in 1996. The film is supposed to be set in 90-91.
All of those errors go away if you realize that this film is from another earth in the multiverse. This makes a lot more sense than having a cult about the Dude. Of course in the multiverse you have an Earth where the Gospel of the Dude is not only a best seller, but the foundation for a major religion.

Roger Ebert includes this film in his "Great Movies" series; he only gave it 3*** in 1998. The only other change of this importance is with "Godfather II." What about the blue Volkswagen? Surely the search for a missing Gunderson deserves more screentime. The Coens acknowledge their debts to Raymond Chandler and Busby Berkeley. That is an almost mystic convergence of cultural and cinematic icons. Who knew that peeing on a rug could have such dramatic consequences? And where can I see the paintings of Maude Lebowski? Painting hanging above the canvas in a harness out Pollocks Jason Pollock. The Coens' allege that Chandler's method of focusing on seemingly un-related occurrences to tell a story is their model. Hah! Show me where Chandler has dream sequences where the protagonist is a bowling ball? Even applying the tenets of Sanskrit drama, avoiding the synoptic and focusing on the flavor of the moment, doesn't provide perfect clarity.

Where does a Stranger appear in a bowling alley in search of a quality sasparilla? Why not a ginger beer? I have plenty to say on the subject of ginger beer including a monumental question; why does my grocery store no longer stock Gosling in cans? What about the most famous quote: "The Dude abides?" People were disappointed when Jeff Bridges didn't begin his Oscar speech for another film with this bon mot. "I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that. It's good knowing he is out there. The Dude taking it easy for all us sinners." Is this anyway to end a film? Where is the sequel?

Cudos to Carter Burwell for the music and Roger Deakins for the cinematography. Why don't the Coens admit that they are Roderick Jaynes the editor? John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Sam Eliot contribute to the wonderous confusion. They even find time for a touching funeral.

Comedy is hard; that is the opinion of Mel Brooks. Lasting comedy is even harder. This one of those rare films which found and kept a devoted audience.

 

[Palatine]

"The Big Lebowski"-Coen Brothers-1998

I have an untested theory about this film which has the longest list of goofs I've ever seen on IDMb. Many of the goofs are supposed to be errors in time. One for instance is Jesus (John Tuturo) going around to neighbors
telling them he is a pedophile, that California law was passed in 1996. The film is supposed to be set in 90-91.
All of those errors go away if you realize that this film is from another earth in the multiverse. This makes a lot more sense than having a cult about the Dude. Of course in the multiverse you have an Earth where the Gospel of the Dude is not only a best seller, but the foundation for a major religion.

Roger Ebert includes this film in his "Great Movies" series; he only gave it 3*** in 1998. The only other change of this importance is with "Godfather II." What about the blue Volkswagen? Surely the search for a missing Gunderson deserves more screentime. The Coens acknowledge their debts to Raymond Chandler and Busby Berkeley. That is an almost mystic convergence of cultural and cinematic icons. Who knew that peeing on a rug could have such dramatic consequences? And where can I see the paintings of Maude Lebowski? Painting hanging above the canvas in a harness out Pollocks Jason Pollock. The Coens' allege that Chandler's method of focusing on seemingly un-related occurrences to tell a story is their model. Hah! Show me where Chandler has dream sequences where the protagonist is a bowling ball? Even applying the tenets of Sanskrit drama, avoiding the synoptic and focusing on the flavor of the moment, doesn't provide perfect clarity.

Where does a Stranger appear in a bowling alley in search of a quality sasparilla? Why not a ginger beer? I have plenty to say on the subject of ginger beer including a monumental question; why does my grocery store no longer stock Gosling in cans? What about the most famous quote: "The Dude abides?" People were disappointed when Jeff Bridges didn't begin his Oscar speech for another film with this bon mot. "I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that. It's good knowing he is out there. The Dude taking it easy for all us sinners." Is this anyway to end a film? Where is the sequel?

Cudos to Carter Burwell for the music and Roger Deakins for the cinematography. Why don't the Coens admit that they are Roderick Jaynes the editor? John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Sam Eliot contribute to the wonderous confusion. They even find time for a touching funeral.

Comedy is hard; that is the opinion of Mel Brooks. Lasting comedy is even harder. This one of those rare films which found and kept a devoted audience.

People will be watching this film for a long, long time. It's construction is brilliant. As the Dude says, it's a very complicated case, lots of ins, lots of outs, lot of what have yous."

Take the scene where Dude is being followed by the blue VW. He notices it out the back window to the tune "Lookin' Out My Back Door." Dude, who is smoking a joint starts to panic. He starts to throws the joint out the window but the window is up. It bounces back into his crotch. He can't find it. He is holding an open beer, which of course, he was drinking while smoking the joint, and pours it on his crotch to put out the joint. He crashes into a dumpster. As he moves around,he notices a piece of paper stuffed into the seat. He pulls out the piece of paper which is a high school essay that has been graded "D." The camera cuts around the paper perfectly to the soundtrack making it obvious that whoever wrote the paper is an idiot. The name on the paper is Larry Sellers. Who will soon become the next twist in plot development. And the VW is nowhere to be found.

And there you have it. One thing constantly leading to another while giving us beautiful (if bizarre) character development. The entire movie is driven by the quest to replace a rug that was peed upon by some confused goons. As Dude said, the rug tied to the room together. It also ties the movie together.

It's hard to pick a best Cohen Bros movie. I constantly flip around between Fargo, Miller's Crossing and Big Lebowski. But I must admit. I watch the Dude the most.

 

[dbmill]

People will be watching this film for a long, long time. It's construction is brilliant. As the Dude says, it's a very complicated case, lots of ins, lots of outs, lot of what have yous."

Take the scene where Dude is being followed by the blue VW. He notices it out the back window to the tune "Lookin' Out My Back Door." Dude, who is smoking a joint starts to panic. He starts to throws the joint out the window but the window is up. It bounces back into his crotch. He can't find it. He is holding an open beer, which of course, he was drinking while smoking the joint, and pours it on his crotch to put out the joint. He crashes into a dumpster. As he moves around,he notices a piece of paper stuffed into the seat. He pulls out the piece of paper which is a high school essay that has been graded "D." The camera cuts around the paper perfectly to the soundtrack making it obvious that whoever wrote the paper is an idiot. The name on the paper is Larry Sellers. Who will soon become the next twist in plot development. And the VW is nowhere to be found.

And there you have it. One thing constantly leading to another while giving us beautiful (if bizarre) character development. The entire movie is driven by the quest to replace a rug that was peed upon by some confused goons. As Dude said, the rug tied to the room together. It also ties the movie together.

It's hard to pick a best Cohen Bros movie. I constantly flip around between Fargo, Miller's Crossing and Big Lebowski. But I must admit. I watch the Dude the most.

Their are certainly a bunch of Coen Brothers films that are worth watching again and again. As for my wife and I, our favorite Coen Brothers movie is clearly "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou". Not only a wonderful film, but it really hits the spot musically for us as well.

 

[zymurg]

"Pollock"-Ed Harris-2000

This film covers most of the adult life of Jackson Pollock probably the most famous American abstract expressionist painter. I have to admit that my knowledge of art is superficial, and my knowledge of abstract expressionism is less than superficial. This film is a strange "Vanity" project; that is perhaps unfair to Harris. He started thinking about this project in 1986 when his father sent him a book about Pollock. Harris looked somewhat like Pollock. His father sent him another book the next Christmas. It took Pollock a decade to translate his interest in Pollock to a completed film. He not only had to get inside Jackson Pollock, who was a manic depressive and also an alcoholic, but he had to do everything else to get the project made.

I am familiar with several other vanity projects: Kevin Spacey's life of Bobby Darin, "Beyond the Sea," and Robert Duval's "The Apostle." Spacey did al his own singing in the film; he looked like Darin. Duvall threw himself into a fictional character. He wrote the script, directed, and used his own money. "The Apostle" is a personal favorite, and I believe an excellent film. In my view, "Beyond the Sea" isn't bad.

I found that the film gave me an idea of how Pollock worked. Harris actually uses his techniques in the film. The finished pictures are copies by first rate contemporary artists. I found Pollock's character difficult. His problems destroyed his life. His wife, Lee Krasner (Marcia Gay Harden) tried to keep him stable and working. Ultimately, she fails when he drinks again and takes up with other women. He kills himself in a drunk driving accident. Go to Ebert.com and read the review before you watch. This was my first viewing. My personal demons affect my attitude to this film. It is well directed and acted particularly by Harris, Harden, Jeffrey Tambour as an art critic, and Amy Madigan as Peggy Gugenheim his artistic sponsor.

Very watchable personal caveats aside,

 

[zymurg]

"Lucy"-Luc Besson-2014

I like Besson more than most film geeks, so here we go again. This idea rattled around in his brain for 10 years until he completed the film. The film is based upon the question: What would happen if man were able to access a greater percentage of the brain cells. I'm not a master of the human brain's abilities, but even I with a little study was able to discover that this based on questionable assumptions or outre theories. The skeleton of the first proto-human is 3.2 million years old and was named Lucy. So the first human is Lucy and the first human to open and expand her brain is Lucy (Scarlet Johansson).

This film made more money abroad than any French film ever. The WBO was over $454 million. A sequel was rumored immediately, but it never got out of the gate. Luc Besson knows how to make action films. What made this film so interesting to the public is the combination of well shot action scenes against the unusual but compelling question of what happens when Lucy is able to access more of her brain.

As the film opens Lucy is a graduate student in Taiwan. She has fallen in with a disreputable criminal type. He has to deliver a metal briefcase to master Korean criminal, Mr. Yang (Chu-Min Sik) at a hotel. He wants Lucy to
make the delivery. When she refuses, he handcuffs her to the briefcase. The briefcase is full of a new drug which affects human consciousness. Lucy becomes one of four drug mules carrying the drug to major European cities. While Lucy is being held prior to her departure, she is attacked and the bag is broken. The drug begins to enter her system. The drug activates more brain cells.

Lucy becomes aware that she needs more of the drug to continue to function and that she hasn't long to live.
She contacts Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman) and tells him that she is coming to Paris to meet with him.
Initially Norman wants to see what Lucy has to offer. He assembles a team of scientists to examine her. When they meet he is astounded; he worries that humans are not ready for her knowledge. Lucy tells him: "Ignorance brings chaos not knowledge>:

In the other major part of the plot; Lucy also calls Captain Primo Del Rio in Paris to alert him to the 3 other drug mules. Lucy had paid the drug kingpin a visit in Taiwan, so he alerts his agents in the European capitols.
The Police pick up all the carriers, but the many henchmen follow them to a Paris hospital where the drugs will be removed from the mules' stomachs. This sets up a confrontation between the police and the drug gang. Not to worry Lucy's new powers give the police the edge.

Enough plot details, what happens as Lucy's mind changes makes the movie really interesting and entertaining for me. There are several scenes with Lucy 1, and one scene where they interact. The developing Lucy travels the world. Her physical presence vanishes, but she states :"I am everywhere."

I looked for free streaming options ;the only ones I found weren't in English. It is available to rent for $3.99from a number of services. If you want a DVD, try the Universal 10 film SCI-FI collection. This has "Serenity," "12 Monkeys," "Hell Boy II," and several other decent films. This is a very enjoyable 90 minutes.

 

[Palatine]

"Lucy"-Luc Besson-2014

I like Besson more than most film geeks, so here we go again. This idea rattled around in his brain for 10 years until he completed the film. The film is based upon the question: What would happen if man were able to access a greater percentage of the brain cells. I'm not a master of the human brain's abilities, but even I with a little study was able to discover that this based on questionable assumptions or outre theories. The skeleton of the first proto-human is 3.2 million years old and was named Lucy. So the first human is Lucy and the first human to open and expand her brain is Lucy (Scarlet Johansson).

This film made more money abroad than any French film ever. The WBO was over $454 million. A sequel was rumored immediately, but it never got out of the gate. Luc Besson knows how to make action films. What made this film so interesting to the public is the combination of well shot action scenes against the unusual but compelling question of what happens when Lucy is able to access more of her brain.

As the film opens Lucy is a graduate student in Taiwan. She has fallen in with a disreputable criminal type. He has to deliver a metal briefcase to master Korean criminal, Mr. Yang (Chu-Min Sik) at a hotel. He wants Lucy to
make the delivery. When she refuses, he handcuffs her to the briefcase. The briefcase is full of a new drug which affects human consciousness. Lucy becomes one of four drug mules carrying the drug to major European cities. While Lucy is being held prior to her departure, she is attacked and the bag is broken. The drug begins to enter her system. The drug activates more brain cells.

Lucy becomes aware that she needs more of the drug to continue to function and that she hasn't long to live.
She contacts Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman) and tells him that she is coming to Paris to meet with him.
Initially Norman wants to see what Lucy has to offer. He assembles a team of scientists to examine her. When they meet he is astounded; he worries that humans are not ready for her knowledge. Lucy tells him: "Ignorance brings chaos not knowledge>:

In the other major part of the plot; Lucy also calls Captain Primo Del Rio in Paris to alert him to the 3 other drug mules. Lucy had paid the drug kingpin a visit in Taiwan, so he alerts his agents in the European capitols.
The Police pick up all the carriers, but the many henchmen follow them to a Paris hospital where the drugs will be removed from the mules' stomachs. This sets up a confrontation between the police and the drug gang. Not to worry Lucy's new powers give the police the edge.

Enough plot details, what happens as Lucy's mind changes makes the movie really interesting and entertaining for me. There are several scenes with Lucy 1, and one scene where they interact. The developing Lucy travels the world. Her physical presence vanishes, but she states :"I am everywhere."

I looked for free streaming options ;the only ones I found weren't in English. It is available to rent for $3.99from a number of services. If you want a DVD, try the Universal 10 film SCI-FI collection. This has "Serenity," "12 Monkeys," "Hell Boy II," and several other decent films. This is a very enjoyable 90 minutes.

Zy, what do you think of Luc Besson? He is, perhaps, the most visually experimental major film maker working today. Even his bad films are worth watching just for the visuals. He writes much of his work as well as directs. He is a feast for the eyes. His parents were scuba instructors and he spent much of his early life scuba diving. You can see it in his films. The oceans are filled with life operating in three dimensions rather than the mostly flat world we spend our time in. In the sea there is constant action above, below, and on all sides. If you think of the city in "The Fifth Element" it's more like a reef than Paris or New York.

I know this is a departure from you usual way of reviewing films. But I would beinterested in you opinion of Besson and his catalogue from a wider perspective.

 

[zymurg]

Zy, what do you think of Luc Besson? He is, perhaps, the most visually experimental major film maker working today. Even his bad films are worth watching just for the visuals. He writes much of his work as well as directs. He is a feast for the eyes. His parents were scuba instructors and he spent much of his early life scuba diving. You can see it in his films. The oceans are filled with life operating in three dimensions rather than the mostly flat world we spend our time in. In the sea there is constant action above, below, and on all sides. If you think of the city in "The Fifth Element" it's more like a reef than Paris or New York.

I know this is a departure from you usual way of reviewing films. But I would beinterested in you opinion of Besson and his catalogue from a wider perspective.

I try to get to this within a week. I'm running behind now.

 

[zymurg]

"The Emigrants" and "The New Land"- Jan Troell- 1971 1972

When these films were released almost 50 years ago, they were widely celebrated. Today they have almost vanished from the collective consciousness of film geeks. I often suggest you visit Ebert.com, even Roger only reviewed the first of these two films (4 ****). Naturally, they aren't available to stream for free, and I don't suggest you pay to stream them because they are cut badly, and there are no special features. My suggestion is that you opt to spend $20 on the Criterion Collection from Amazon. This includes a 3rd disc with over 2 hours of features. The two films, best thought of as one long film, run 6 and 1/2 hours. I have probably turned off all of you. However, I consider this to be must viewing. No other films to my knowledge deal so profoundly with any American immigrants. So what, you may ask, you are unreasonably interested in the American Immigrant stories. These pictures are meticulously filmed, but with great beauty. Two of the greatest actors in the history of cinema, Liv Uhlmann and Max von Sydow star with unbelievable performances. Liv Uhlmann considers this film the highpoint of her career. I sense that I am failing to connect with the readers.

These films are based on a four novel set by Villham Moberg which are considered Swedish classics. Troell and his producer, Bengst Forsland, wrote the screen play, Troell directed, was the main camera operator, and he edited the film. In the mid 19th century conditions in Western Europe were very difficult for peasant farmers. In Ireland this is the time of the Great Potato Famine. In Sweden bad weather, repressive religious and social moraes, and poor farming land, helped to fuel a mass emigration to America. These emigrants believed that they could find freedom in the United States. The Irish emigrants spoke English, but they were Roman Catholic.
The swedes spoke no English, but they were Protestant.

Karl Oskar (von Sydow) takes over his father's farm after his father cripples himself moving rocks. He tells Karl Oscar that he needs a woman. That woman is Kristin (Uhlmann); we first see her swinging; she is full of joy. She ends her life years later in America. She dies from the effects of a miscarriage; Karl Oskar is at the bedside. He offers her the first apple from the tree she planted. They are best friends. Troell majestically weaves the story of these two ordinary, but extraordinary people into the warp of history.

Troell doesn't pretty up their lives. Six years of painful struggle to farm a pile of rocks with the last two made even more difficult by the weather makes the emigration to America a necessity in the mind of Karl Oscar. Kristin is less willing to leave her home and family. They join a relative who is leading an illegal congregation
on a voyage to the United States. Their knowledge about the States is limited and often overly rose colored.
The voyage is truly horrendous. This is the only section of the film which is shot on a stage set. The quarters are more than close, food and water are at a premium. There are lice and people die during the passage. Their journey doesn't end with their arrival in New York; they have more than a thousand miles to travel to Minnesota Territory. The first film ends with Karl Oskar finding the best farm land in the United States.

Karl Oskar has a younger brother, Robert (Eddie Axberg) who had left the family farm to work as a laborer for a cruel master. Their contracts were for a year and enforceable by law. His master beats him regularly, and one blow to the head leaves him with a ringing ear. Robert doesn't want to be a farmer in Minnesota; he wants to join the California gold rush with his slightly slow friend. They met as laborers on the farm. In telling this story of the journey to the gold fields Troell uses no dialogue. What everyone who has seen this film remembers is the surrealistic journey in the desert. This effect was achieved by by hand cutting and and splicing two series of shots a frame at a time. Robert's friend dies, and he is tricked out of his gold and given counterfeit greenbacks in exchange. Robert gives this money to Karl Oskar and Kristin; when Karl Oskar finds out that it is counterfeit; he smacks Robert in his bad ear.

In Minnesota Karl Oscar has become a U.S. citizen. When the Civil War breaks out, he tries to enlist. He is rejected because of a bad foot. Kristin is pleased. Throughout their time in their new home; they are visited by the Sioux. The film does deal with how the Sioux were cheated by the US government, but it is from the viewpoint of the immigrant Swedish community. The Sioux revolt of 1862 is important to the immigrants. Most flee to their church, and the children are sent away. Karl Oscar remains to care for Kristin. She dies from the effects of her miscarriage. Karl Oskar lives on until 1890. None of his children, nor their descendants car write Swedish, so a final letter to his sister in Sweden is written by a friend. There is nothing of consequence for Karl Oskar after the death of his wife and best friend Kristin.

I want to mention two types of shots. Troell is fascinated by animals, particularly birds in their natural settings.
The flights of geese often serve as bridges in the narrative. There is one memorable scene where a mother is preparing a goose for cooking. This includes gutting the bird and removing the inards. This precedes the scenes where the Sioux in revolt kill the entire family, including gutting a pregnant woman. The other type of shots focus on hands doing tasks. We see the kneading of flour for bread, the making of coffins, and the carving of a baptismal bowl, among many many other tasks.

I wasn't really sure about writing this comment, but I decided that this film is important enough to merit a detailed comment. I think this two film set is groundbreaking. Again this is a must see.

 

[zymurg]

"Serenity"-Joss Whedon-2005

I just re-watched this film; I was surprised how enjoyable it was. I knew the basic plot, but I still became involved with the characters. We won't see a sequel. Whedon started out writing for TY; "Rosanne" was one of his early jobs. The movie "Buffy" was his best known early film effort, but he was involved with "Toy Story" as a writer.
He was able to find "Buffy" a spot as a TV series. That led to a successful spinoff, "Angel." For a moment in time, he was involved with 3 series at the same time. "Firefly" lasted only one shortened season. Whedon was able to have Universal greenlight a movie sequel. The film didn't do as well as expected at the box office. DVD sales were huge, so the legend remained intact. The series and film were career makers for Nathan Fillon ("Castle' and now "The Rookie"), Gia Torres ("Suits"), and Adam Baldwin ("Chuck").

Whedon went on to massive success with the Avengers movie series. I believe in his best writing, Joss Whedon is the champion of the underdog. Even in "Toy Story" Buzz Lightyear upsets the universe, not to mention that children grow up and toys are left behind. Slayers had been dying for centuries before Buffy came along. The "Angel" series ends with the gang facing a massive fight they cannot win.

The crew of Serenity are survivors from the war against the Alliance. The Alliance fears human nature; they want to change it. Somehow this single Firefly ship has survived. The crew led by Captain Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillon) has survived by becoming criminals. They pick up a strange girl, River Tam (Summer Glau), her brother rescued her from a special Alliance program which trained agents. She has special powers which enable her to read minds and sense danger. Special programming has made her unstable. However, Mal wants her to help the crews' latest venture, robbing a large payroll. Things go well in the beginning, but River senses a Reaver raid on the planet. The Reavers are humans who have become total predators, seeking out and killing normal humans and eating them. The crew narrowly escapes capture by the Reavers.

The ship comes to a meet with he brothers who gave Serenity the bank heist job. Negotiations are going badly in the bar. River is off to a side when her special programming is activated by the code word Miranda, she is suddenly in full assassin mode. Total destruction is avoided when her brother, Simon, puts her asleep with another code word. River is valuable Alliance property; she has been tracked by the Operative (Chwetel Ejifor). He knows he is a remorseless killer, but he believes that his service to the Alliance is for the greater good of humankind.

With a relatively limited budget and no real directing experience, Weedon crafted a good looking film with real heart. We root for the Browncoats. The crew is a family; it has its problems, but they work together to achieve an operational success time after time. We suspect that one day that this Lost Cause will be truly lost, but we are happy to be along for the ride. Serenity is free on Peacock. Highly recommended; this is a fun ride.

 

[zymurg]

"La Femme Nikita"-Luc Besson-1990

This was Besson's first big film. It has one of the best openings I've ever seen in an action film. A group of drug addicts try to rob a pharmacy. One of the gang is the son of the pharmacy owner. When his father appears with a shotgun; things fall apart. One of the addicts is a teenage girl. She calls herself Nikita; she is in desperate need of a fix. Anne Parillaud gives a gripping portrayal.She hides on the floor when the police come. She is the only gang member who isn't killed. She picks up a gun off the floor; she kills the cop who gets close to her. Her reactions are uncontrolled. Besson took 100 takes of her opening scene; he used the second.

She is tried and convicted of murder and sentenced to 30 years. After the trial she is taken to a basement medical room. She thinks she is going to be killed by injection; she struggles in vain. When she wakes up she is in a bare room in a special training school. The government wants her to be an agent capable of using violence.
The alternative is to actually fill her false grave.

Her principal trainer is Bob (Tcheky Karya). They don't have a smooth start. Nikita tries to escape using Bob as a shield. When that fails, Bob shoots her in the leg. She remains pretty out of control. One of the best bits during her training is her first time on the gun range. She ignores her instructor; picks up a gun and fires 5 shots into the target. The instructor asks: "Have you ever shot a gun before?" She replies: "Never at paper."
Bob believes she has promise, but the director gives Bob only two weeks to get her act together.

Armande (Jean Moreau) teaches her how to be an attractive woman. "There are only two things which are infinite, femininity and the means to take advantage of it>" Nikita makes it through training. The film jumps ahead 3 years; Nikita is ready to graduate and leave the agency training center. Bob takes her out for dinner, Nikita doesn't realize it but the dinner date is also her final examination before becoming an agent.

Up to the time she leaves the training center; I can find no fault with the story, performances, or visuals. The second part crams too much story into too little time. Nikita now Marie to her lover who she meets the first time she goes food shopping has a fake job as a nurse. She never even goes to the hospital. After only two jobs she is given a major assignment. She has to liberate information about the buyers of secret information from the Russian (?) ambassador. She runs her own team. She has six months to do the job, quietly with no messy violence.

This film was re-made as "Point of No Return" with Bridget Fonda, not badly, but far short of the original in style, content, and acting. Two television series came out based of the film. The first "La Femme Nikita" came out in the '90's. The second "Nikita" began in 2010 and ran for I believe 5 seasons. Besson has the ability to craft action films with an emotional human core. In this case we see a drug addict teen, totally out of control, and violent mature. She becomes a surprisingly empathetic young woman. We have grown to care about her. Government sanctioned violence is still violence. This template has been used by others; Jason Bourne is perhaps the best of those portrayals. Ebert felt that "Nikita" was a rif on "Pygmalion." Unlike Pygmalion or Cinderella, there is no happily ever after. For fans Jan Reno appears as Victor a cleaner; this led to his being cast as Leon.

My highest recommendation. I've seen this film more than a half dozen times. It never gets old. I liked both TV shows and "Point of No Return." I've seen a few Parillaud films, but only "Innocent Blood" shows her acting chops. Still, it doesn't reach the level of "Nikita." She has an expressive face, and her ability to change moods in a flash is wonderful. Unfortunately, no free streaming options are actually available. Still, this is a highpoint of the genre.