Director: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Georges Guetary, Nina Foch
Narrowly avoided missing this gem by waking up fifteen minutes before it started. -.-
THE PLOT: Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) is an ex-GI who has traveled to Paris to study and paint. His best friend (who isn't really a best friend because he only appears in about five scenes), Adam Cook (Oscar Levant), is a lonely concert pianist. Jerry falls for Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron), who is getting married to Jerry and Adam's mutual friend Henri (Georges Guetary).
In the beginning, Jerry starts to date Milo Roberts (Nina Foch). When Milo and Jerry go out one night, Jerry falls head over heels in love with Lise. They begin to date until one night, Lise tells Jerry that she's getting married. Jerry then pulls a Gene Kelly (WOW!) and runs into the arms of Milo. They go to a costume party and Jerry sees Lise with Henri. After a beautiful and visually stunning dream sequence, the two are reunited and the movie ends.
THE REVIEW: That dream sequence...WOW! Very beautiful. And the masculinity of Gene's dancing...*swoon*
I do have one question for you, though: do you think Oscar Levant's role should have been bigger? I do, with all my heart.
All in all, a great film, but not as wonderfully entertaining as SITR. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Directors: Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen
Cast: Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Ann Miller, Betty Garrett
Had a fun (early) morning watching Gene Kelly movies! Also, I will be writing my own plots from now on, because yes, I have noticed, Wikipedia's plots are showing up white on my screen. -.-
THE PLOT: Mind-bendingly typical sailors Gabey (Gene Kelly), Chip (Frank Sinatra) and Ozzie (Jules Munshin [to be honest, I thought that was Stanley Donen]) are on a 24-hour leave in New York City. They attempt to find fun and romance before heading back out to sea.
Gabey falls in love of the picture he sees of Miss Turnstiles, Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen) on the subway, and the boys dash around New York trying to find her. In the meantime, Chip meets Hildy (Betty Garrett) and Ozzie meets Claire (Ann Miller). Gabey finally finds Ivy and everyone goes out on a date.
They hit the clubs and when 11:30 rolls around, Ivy has to leave to Coney Island for her job as a burlesque dancer. Gabey drinks and Hildy pairs him up with her friend and roommate Lucy Schmeeler (Alice Pearce), whom he eventually warms up to. At the end of the film, the boys reunite with the girls and leave as the next batch of sailors arrives on-shore for their leave.
THE REVIEW: From the opening number, "New York, New York," this film is great. It's sexy, fun and a laugh riot. The car chase was a nice addition to a musical. 5 out of 5 stars.
Director: Sydney Pollack
Cast: Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, Max von Sydow
Tonight I gave up Murnau's Sunrise to get this film out of the way for TFM 110. I know, I know...I'm such a GREAT film student...
THE PLOT (from Wikipedia): Joe Turner (Robert Redford) is aCIAemployee (Condor is his code name) who works in a clandestine office in New York City. He reads books, newspapers, and magazines from around the world, looking for hidden meanings and new ideas. As part of his duties, Turner files a report to CIA headquarters on a low-quality thriller novel his office has been reading, pointing out strange plot elements therein, and the unusual assortment of languages into which the book has been translated.
On the day in which Turner expects a response to his report, a group of armed men, led by an Alsatian assassin later identified as Joubert (Max von Sydow), executes the six people in the office. Turner escapes death because at the moment of the incursion, he was out of the office getting lunch. Realizing he is in danger, Turner calls the CIA New York headquarters, and is given instructions to meet some agents who will take care of him. The meeting, however, is a trap, and Turner escapes an attempt to kill him.
Needing a place to hide, Turner forces a woman he sees randomly in a ski shop, Kathy Hale (Faye Dunaway), to take him to her apartment in Brooklyn Heights. He holds her prisoner while he attempts to figure out what's going on. However, his hiding place is discovered. A man, disguised as a postman, shows up at the apartment. Turner opens the door and a fight ensues. Turner kills the man.
Realizing that he cannot trust anyone within the CIA, Turner begins to play a cat-and-mouse game with Higgins (Cliff Robertson), the CIA deputy director of the New York division. With the help of Hale, Turner abducts Higgins, who reveals through questioning that the killer was a Frenchman named Joubert.
Higgins discovers that the postman who attacked Turner in Hale's apartment was a former US Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant and CIA operative who collaborated with Joubert on a previous operation. The mastermind of the operation, however, is discovered as Atwood (Addison Powell), Higgins' superior.
Informed by Higgins, Turner tracks down the renegade CIA director to his home and questions him. Turner learns that the Condor's report had uncovered a secret plan to take over middle east oilfields, and a plan was devised to kill all the members in Turner's section.
Joubert surprises them and unexpectedly kills Atwood. The contract has now changed; even though Atwood had hired Joubert to terminate Turner before, Atwood's superiors hired Joubert to now terminate Atwood. Turner is dumbfounded, realizing that Joubert and he are on the same side, working once again for the CIA. Joubert is disarmingly courteous, suggesting Turner leave the country, even become an assassin himself. Turner rejects the suggestions.
Turner goes back to New York and meets Higgins on a busy street. Higgins defends the oil-fields plan, claiming that there will be a day in which oil shortages will cause a major economic crisis for the country. And when that day comes, Americans will want the government to use any means necessary to obtain the oil. Turner says he has told the press "a story" (they are standing outside The New York Times office), but Higgins questions Turner's assurances that the story will be printed. After a brief dialogue, an anxious Turner glances at Higgins and the New York Times office, then hastily walks away. The final shot is a freeze frame of Turner passing behind a Salvation Army band singing Christmas carols while looking over his shoulder back at Higgins.
THE REVIEW: All right, let's get one thing out of the way: Robert Redford--bless his heart, I love him so-- CANNOT fight.
All in all, I thought this film was a great spy film. However, I thought the opening credit music was a bit too cheerful for a spy film, so that has to dock it a bit. 4 out of 5 stars.
Director: Vincente Minnelli Cast: Gene Kelly, Van Johnson, Cyd Charisse
Figured I would watch a Gene Kelly film to get over the atrocity that was Super Bowl Sunday...
THE PLOT (from Wikipedia): Americans Tommy Albright (Gene Kelly) and Jeff Douglas (Van Johnson) are on a hunting trip in Scotland and become lost in the woodlands. They happen upon Brigadoon, a miraculously blessed village that rises out of the mists every hundred years for only a day. (This was done so that the village would never be changed or destroyed by the outside world.) Tommy falls in love with village lass Fiona Campbell (Cyd Charisse). When he learns his love for Fiona will make it possible for him to remain in Brigadoon forever, he initially is willing to commit himself but backs down as the day ends and Brigadoon disappears. Back in New York City, he can think only of Fiona. He returns to Scotland. There, his great love causes Brigadoon to materialize before its appointed time. He crosses the bridge to the village and is united with Fiona forever.
THE REVIEW: D'aww...Gene's muscles deceive us yet again as the he-man is once again cast as a hopeless romantic...
Have to admit, the name is kinda cheesy, but it goes with the story. I loved the musical numbers, and even though everyone was dressed...well...less than elegant, the movie was visually beautiful. But I have to say: Tommy, you are a fuckin' moron, man. Why'd you even go back to New York in the first place? Seriously, I felt like I was watching the Patriots lose the Super Bowl all over again. This film gets 5 out of 5 stars. I loved the story and everything was beautiful, especially my Gene. <3
Director: Charles Crichton
Cast: Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway
Just a quick little review before I watch my Patriots destroy the Giants...
THE PLOT (from Wikipedia): Henry Holland (Alec Guinness) is a timid London bank clerk who has been in charge of gold bullion deliveries for over 20 years. He has a reputation for fussing over details and panicking about suspect cars following the bullion van, and appears to be a man dedicated to his job and the gold's security. But, in fact, he has hatched the "perfect" plot to steal a load of bullion and retire. The one thing that has prevented this plan from being put into operation is that selling the gold on theblack marketin Britain would be too risky, and Holland is at a loss as to how to smuggle it abroad.
One evening a new lodger — artist Alfred Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway) — arrives at the boarding house where Holland lives in Lavender Hill. Pendlebury owns a foundry that makes presents and souvenirs that are sold in many resorts, including foreign ones. Noticing how similar the foundry is to the place where the gold is made into ingots, Holland decides that the ideal way of smuggling the gold out of the country would be as Eiffel Tower paperweights sold in Paris, and puts this hypothetically to his new friend: "By Jove, Holland, it's a good job we're both honest men." "It is indeed, Pendlebury."
When Holland suddenly finds that he is about to be transferred to another department at the bank, he and Pendlebury quickly move into action. They recruit two petty crooks, Lackery Wood (Sidney James) and Shorty Fisher (Alfie Bass), to help them carry out the robbery. The plan is simple but clever, and it succeeds: Wood and Fisher carry out the hijack of the bullion van and switch the gold to Pendlebury's works van. Holland, who is supposedly assaulted and almost drowned in the robbery, becomes the hero of the hour. The police find themselves running around in circles, unable to track down the "master criminal" who is in fact right under their noses giving them false statements and misleading clues. Meanwhile, Holland and his associates melt the gold in Pendlebury's foundry and export it to France disguised as miniature Eiffel Towers.
The plan goes wrong when the woman who runs the Eiffel Tower souvenir kiosk misunderstands what she is supposed to do, and instead of holding back the specially-marked box of Eiffel Towers, opens it and puts the souvenirs out for sale. Pendlebury and Holland, who have adopted the names of "Al" and "Dutch", arrive to retrieve their disguised bullion only to find that six of the towers have been sold to a party of British schoolgirls. A wild chase back to the Channel ferry follows but all sorts of hold-ups, including problems with the customs men, prevent them from getting to the ship and the girls in time.
If just one of those towers is found to be gold then the game is up. Pendlebury and Holland therefore track down the schoolgirls and, in exchange for a similar tower and ten shillings, recover most of the loot. One girl however refuses to return hers since she intends to give it to a friend who is a policeman. The girl delivers the souvenir to the officer, who is at an exhibition of police history and methods at Hendon Police College. Also attending is a police inspector who is investigating the robbery. As part of the case he checked up on Pendlebury's foundry and was told that many souvenirs bought in foreign places are actually made in England. A sudden thought occurs to him and he orders the souvenir to be tested. At that moment Pendlebury snatches it and he and Holland make their escape in a police car.
A confused pursuit then takes place through London, with Holland using the radio in the police car to give false descriptions of the vehicle in which the crooks are riding. Eventually, though, an officer succeeds in getting into their car and arresting Pendlebury. Holland escapes to Rio de Janeiro with the six gold towers, worth "twenty-five thousand pounds, enough to keep me for one year in the style to which I was, ah, unaccustomed." After the money is mostly gone, he is telling his story to a British visitor before they both leave the restaurant, handcuffed to one another; Holland has been found and arrested and is due for extradition back to the UK.
THE REVIEW: Ealing Studios and Alec Guinness have always been known for terrifically funny comedies, and this is no exception. The chase scenes were terrific as well. 4 out of 5 stars.
.jpg/220px-Brigadoon_(french_poster).jpg)
