Movie News

It is impossible for me to watch excellent movies and remain silent. I must review, even briefly! I must!

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
(Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher) 1975: 85%

Convict R.P. McMurphy (Nicholson) has gone from one prison to the next for years because he is "difficult." Finally, he ends up in a state mental hospital. It is clear from the beginning that R.P. is not as ill as the other patients (if he is even ill at all), and he becomes a leader/savior for the others. It’s a drama, but it has numerous sequences that are absolutely hilarious. For example, R.P. commandeers a bus and takes all of the patients on an impromptu fishing trip. When asked by the dockmaster who he and all of his friends are, R.P. replies that they are doctors from a mental hospital, and he proceeds to introduce all of the patients as "Dr.--." Quite funny. The acting is superb, but the cinematography seemed a little poor. Overall, a great movie with a wonderfully disturbing ending.

Gentleman's Agreement
(Gregory Peck, John Garfield, Dorothy McGuire) 1947: 84%

Philip Schuyler Green (Peck) is a famous writer who moves to New York with his mother and son to work for a magazine. His first assignment is particularly challenging and socially volatile: he has to write an in-depth article on anti-Semitism. The trick is that his boss wants a "new angle," something that has never been done before. Philip soon has the idea to pose as a Jew to experience anti-Semitism first-hand. Since he's new in town, he lets everyone he meets know that he's Jewish. I'm surprised that this movie was even made to begin with; anti-Semitism is such a controversial topic (especially so soon after World War II). But perhaps that's exactly why it was made. The film did not attempt to downplay it or make it seem less of a problem than it is. It pointed out that the main reason that anti-Semitism is so prevalent is because the "good" people have learned to tolerate its existence and not fight it. This film reminds me of the book Black Like Me in many ways (although I enjoyed this much more). Gregory Peck is my hero.

Key Largo
(Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall) 1948: 90%

War veteran Frank McCloud stops by a hotel in Key Largo, Florida to visit the widow and father of a soldier who died under his command in World War II. A hurricane hits the Keys, and everyone is stuck at the hotel for the night. Unfortunately, Johnny Rocco (Robinson) and a bunch of his thugs are guests. Rocco is infuriated because he was supposed to catch a boat for Cuba, and he takes everyone in the hotel hostage until the storm ends. Bogart & Robinson (two of my favorite actors of all time) are entertaining in this film. I loved the dialogue: It's fascinating to see what happens when characters who are complete opposites are forced to sit around together for hours under the stress of a natural disaster. This would make an awesome play (and perhaps it was one originally). It perfectly adheres to Aristotle's Unities . . .