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Some
films have a special power to lift us out of the mundane cares
and anxieties of our everyday lives. They can make sense of a painful
experience, shed light on a difficult situation, or touch a place
in
our hearts that needs to be reached.
The following cinematic releases will provide you with insights about
those
exceptional films that can illuminate our lives.
More than a synopsis of the story, these reviews will reveal the unique
visions and revelations that these great works of art can offer us.
Cinematic Link Mate: Interested in finding out what movies
were "raspberries" visit http://www.razzies.com/asp/directory/XcDirectory.asp
the home of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation.
ROMANCE
"Laura"
Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews
"Anne of the Thousand
Days"
"Gone
with the Wind" Vivien
Leigh
"Dr. Zhivago" Omar Sharif
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LAURA
(1944)
Director: Otto Preminger
Starring: Gene Tierney
Dana Andrews
Clifton
Webb |
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| Who
can forget the haunting musical score by composer David Raskin.
Gradually, the normally steely New York detective Mark McPherson
(Dana Andrews) becomes obsessed by the radiant portrait of the
enigmatic beauty"Laura" (Gene Tierney). At the film's
outset it is revealed that the title character has been brutally
murdered. We first meet McPherson as he deftly interrogates
the prime suspects: arrogant, bitchy critic Waldo Lydecker (Clifton
Webb), smooth as Southern Comfort socialite Shelby Carpenter
(Vincent Price)-and, of course, we encounter the classic Laura
posthumously. With the meticulous directorial hand of Otto Preminger
and the smokily lit, film noir camerawork by Joseph LaShelle,
we soon become immersed in the glamorous, high powered world
of Laura Hunt. |
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ANNE
OF THE THOUSAND DAYS (1969)
Director:
Charles Jarrott
Starring: Richard Burton as Henry VIII
Genevieve
Bujold as Anne Boleyn
Irene
Papas as Catherine of Aragon
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| Director
Charles Jarrott weaves a haunting tapestry of life at the court
of Henry VIII in 16th century England. Richard Burton's commanding
performance as Henry vividly brings to life the lust, ego and
indominatable will of the infamous monarch. Genevieve Bujold
gives a moving portrayal of Anne Boleyn, bright, headstrong,
yet the tragic target of Henry's insatiable lust, who in the
end gives birth to the future Queen Elizabeth, rather than the
son Henry so desired. The lavish period musical score by French
composer Georges DeLeRue faithfully recreates the lilting nuances
of the Renaissance, and the authentic settings of castles and
palaces recreate the rich ambience of Tudor England.
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GONE
WITH THE WIND (1939)
Director:
Victor Fleming
Starring: Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara
Clark Gable as Rhett Butler
Olivia
De Havilland as Melanie Hamilton
Lesley
Howard as Ashley Wilkes |
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No
American film has captured the passion and romance of America's
greatest conflict the way this classic does. The Civil War
is the setting for this spectacular story, faithfully transcribed
to the screen from the blockbuster novel by Margaret Mitchell.
In Scarlett O'Hara, magnificently portrayed by Vivien Leigh,
Mitchell created an archetype of a proud, vain, yet touchingly
vulnerable young woman. With Rhett Butler, brilliantly acted
by Clark Gable, Mitchell gave us the ultimate image of a strong,
witty, independent man who becomes obsessed with a beautiful
woman. No two cinematic characters have portrayed star-crossed
lovers more powerfully and shown the tragic effect they had
on each other's lives.
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DR
ZHIVAGO based on the Nobel Prize winning novel by Boris
Pasternak
Director:
David Lean
Starring: Omar Sharif as Dr. Yuri Zhivago
Julie Christie as Lara
Rod
Steiger as Victor Komarovsky
Geraldine
Chaplin as Tonya
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| From
the bittersweet strains of the hauntingly beautiful theme song
to the immortal last line by Alec Guinness "Ah,then its
a gift!", this is one of those rare films that engages
viewers' hearts and minds from start to finish. The romantic
world of the Russian Revolution is brilliantly recreated by
director David Lean, whose faithful adaptation of Boris Pasternak's
Nobel Prize-winning novel captures the poetry and pathos of
this timeless love story. A stellar cast brings to life all
of the immortal characters from the novel. Omar Sharif plays
the charismatic Dr. Zhivago, the luminous Julie Christie plays
his lover Lara, ingénue Geraldine Chaplin plays Zhivago's
faithful yet hapless wife,Tonya. Rod Steiger portrays the venal
and ubiquitous Victor Komarovsky, and Tom Courtenay plays the
dangerously zealous Strelnikov. By the end of this magnificent
masterpiece you will understand exactly how it feels to sacrifice
everything for the love of an exceptional woman. |
CLASSICS
"A Place in the Sun" Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift
"Vertigo" James Stewart, Kim Novak
"Sunset Boulevard" Gloria Swanson, William Holden
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A
PLACE IN THE SUN (1951)
Director:
George Stevens
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor
Montgomery
Clift & Shelley Winters |
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| This
stark, vibrantly touching film classic directed by George Stevens
in 1951 was adapted from the brilliant Theodore Dreiser novel
appropriately entitled "An American Tragedy". Here
Stevens cast two of the most attractive and passionate actors
of their generation to play the leads. As George Eastman, Montgomery
Clift gives one of his most tortured and edgy performances.
As the ravishing socialite Angela Vickers, Elizabeth Taylor
mesmerizes with her now famous close-up with Clift while she
purrs "Tell Mama, Tell Mama all". The striking cinematography
vividly portrays the glaring contrasts between the alternate
worlds of working class Alice Tripp (Shelley Winters) who falls
hard for Eastman and the elegance and glamour of Angela's world.
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VERTIGO
(1958)
Director:
Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: James Stewart as John (Scotty) Ferguson
Kim
Novak as Madeleine Elster & Judy Barton
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Vertigo,
a panic reaction to a fear of heights, nearly kills homicide
detective
John "Scotty" Ferguson (Jimmy Stewart) as he chases
a killer across the rooftops of San Francisco in the opening
scene. By the tragic closing sequence of this archetypal suspense
film, we experience the ecstasy and pain Scotty endures as he
pursues his obsession with the mysterious and ephemeral beauty,
Carlotta Valdez and her physical twin Judy (both played by Kim
Novak). The surreal, Daliesque special effects of the opening
credits, the gripping musical score by Hitchcock's veteran composer,
Bernard Herrmann, as well as the intensely affecting, moody
direction by Alfred Hitchcock combine to make this a classic
film you will want to watch over and over again. |
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SUNSET
BOULEVARD (1950)
Director:
Billy Wilder
Starring: Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond
William Holden as Joe Gillis
Eric
von Stroheim as "Max"
Cecil
B. DeMille as himself
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| The
film opens with a shot from below of a handsome young man face
down in the pool of a Hollywood mansion. Who he is and how he
got there is a story that grips the viewer from the first moment
to the last incredible scene. The era of the founding movie
moguls, the screen diva and the elegant excesses of the lifestyles
of Hollywood's silent film stars are all portrayed in rich detail,
contrasted with the hard edged film noir milieu of the 1950s.
This tragic tale of a silent screen legend whom time has passed
by, and who cannot let go of her former glory is told with achingly
beautiful pathos. |
HISTORY EPICS
"Lawrence of Arabia" David Lean directs, Peter O'Toole,
Alec Guinness
"The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" Humphrey Bogart, Walter
Huston, Tim Holt
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LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
Director:
David
Lean
Starring: Peter O'Toole
Alec
Guinness
Omar
Sharif
Anthony
Quinn
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| This
is the first American film that truly captures the sweeping
grandeur and overwhelming isolation of the Arabian Dessert.
The colorful, charismatic character of Lawrence of Arabia, a
British WWI officer with a passion for Arabic culture, is brilliantly
portrayed by veteran screen actor Peter O'Toole. Omar Sharif,
the first Arab actor in a major role, plays Sherif Ali Ben,
and Alec Guinness portrays the enigmatic Prince Feisal, and
who can forget Anthony Quinn in the role of the Arab sheik Auda
Abu Tayi who utters the immortal line " I am a river to
my people!" The spectacular natural scenery, intense heat
and sandstorms of the desert, and the paradox of Arab armies
clashing with the 20th century Turkish military technology bring
an epic era to life. This film vividly depicts how one man's
fervent belief in a cause can literally move whole armies and
entire nations. |
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The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Director:
John
Huston in 1948
Starring: Humphrey Bogart as Fred C. Dobbs
Walter
Huston as Howard
Tim
Holt as Bob Curtin
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| Two
of the most colorful and memorable characters in the history
of the cinema make this film a true treasure. Fred C. Dobbs,
a greed-crazed and treacherous loser, is played to perfidious
perfection by Humphrey Bogart. Howard, a wizened yet wise old
prospector who is tougher than his two younger partners, is
portrayed with gusto and humor by Walter Huston, the director's
father. Set in the dangerously remote and rugged mountains of
central Mexico, infested by Gila monsters and murderous banditos,
this riveting classic portrays the destructive effect of gold
on three American prospectors. The spare, starkly lit black
and white cinematography by Ted McCord reflects the contrasts
of good and evil within the souls of the three main characters. |
CONTEMPORARY/INDEPENDENTS
"Road to Perdition" Tom Hanks Paul Newman, Sam Mendes
directs
"The
Talented Mr. Ripley" Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow,
Philip Seymour Hoffman, James Rebhorn
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since The Godfather saga has there been a crime drama so well
crafted and exquisitely photographed. Based on the highly acclaimed
novel from Max Allan Collins, director Sam Mendes brings us
this palpably tragic story of a Depression-era hit man, John
Sullivan, portrayed by Tom Hanks in an achingly tormented yet
understated performance. The murky, darkly attractive world
of 1930s Chicago, with its speakeasies, throbbing jazz music,
bootleg booze and tattered whores is brought to life so vividly
that you can smell the cigars and cheap perfume. The tale of
John Sullivan's flight and ensuing travels with his young son
across the Midwest while he's on the lam from Capone's mob is
poignantly told.The Academy Award for Best Cinematography was
posthumously given to Conrad Hall for his magnificent work. |
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THE
TALENTED MR. RIPLEY
Director:
Anthony Minghella
Starring: Matt Damon
Jude
Law
Gwyneth
Paltrow
Philip
Seymour Hoffman
James Rebhorn
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| If
you're in the mood to have a brief escape from your contemporary
state of mind into the haute couture world of the 1950s Italian
Riviera, with its steamy jazz clubs and afternoon lounges on
turquoise-soaked beaches, then this film will transport you.
This tour-de-force about evil masked by a facade of boyish charm
creates a Hitchcock-like undercurrent of mystery and menace.
A convoluted web of intrigue and betrayal is set against the
beautiful background of the Italian landscape. Tom Ripley is
played to nuanced perfection by Matt Damon, and Jude Law portrays
Dickie Greenleaf, a wealthy man's son whom Ripley is hired to
bring back to America. Gywneth Paltrow plays Greenleaf's vulnerable
girl friend Marge. All of the main characters have serious flaws,
with perhaps the exception of the trusting Marge, which leads
them to grief in the mode of an ancient Greek tragedy. |
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