Style2

Gilda (1946) Directed by Charles Vidor

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 11:20 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 29 August 2009)

While the overall story for "Gilda" isn't anything too compelling, the movie is still a great one to watch, which is mostly due to it's main character Gilda, played by Rita Hayworth.

"Gilda" perhaps isn't exactly a good textbook example of a film-noir, it still has it's most classic ingredient present in it; the femme fatale. Rita Hayworth was perfect for her role and her looks and acting certainly provided the movie with a certain sexual based tension. For 1947 this movie surely features some sensual moments, making this movie also a bit controversial at its time.

While the actual plot of the movie is quite good the movie itself is still quite messy with its story, that is being told needlessly complicated at times, which takes away some of the movie its good writing. I think you can blame director Charles Vidor for this, who just didn't know how to use and handle its material to its full potential. Nevertheless the movie always remains a good one to watch, despite of it all.

The movie has a sort of "Casablanca" like style, atmosphere, story and characters and the movie got obviously inspired by the 1942 classic. Perhaps this is also why the movie doesn't work out to its full potential. It doesn't really rely enough on its own strength (its story) and more tries to imitate "Casablanca" and other similar successful genre movies, with its look and feel.

Not really the best example of an '40's-era film-noir and also not the best constructed movie you'll ever see but its story and main characters still make this a more than great one.

8/10

Watch trailer

Only Angels Have Wings (1939) Directed by Howard Hawks

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 1:39 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 11 April 2009)

During the late '30's and early '40's a lot of dramatic movies got made, by big name directors, often starring big name actors. Lots of them have grown into becoming classics but of course in a way they are also all sort of the same. "Only Angels Have Wings" is one of the more original ones though, due to its original settings and main concept.

The movie can be called an aeroplane drama, with plenty of adventurous and comedy elements involved. The entire movie is set at a small airport, with dozens of pilots, who do errants by plane for costumers and numerous other reasons. It's an unique original world that isn't handled too often in movies but it's quite intriguing really. It concept and settings provide the movie with plenty of great moments.

It's also a movie that is being made great by its characters and the actors which portray them. Great thing is that this movie has more than just a handful of great characters and big name actors portraying them. With Cary Grant it has a great leading man and with Jean Arthur and Rita Hayworth the movie also has two more than great female actresses. Richard Barthelmess was also really great in this, in one of his talking roles. He is still best known for the work he made during the silent-era, especially the classics movies he did with director D.W. Griffith.

The movie also has a good story, that looks pretty formulaic on the surface but still works out better than usual because it knows how to blend several themes and also genres. The movie is not purely just a drama and not just purely an adventure movie or romantic one. It's a rather pleasant mix of it all that works out on basically all levels. The movie is also more pleasant and perhaps also easier to watch for today's modern audience than most of its other fellow genre movies.

The movie has some great sequences with its planes in it. Especially for its time it must have really been something to watch. The movie has some good stunt flying in it and also at times uses some pretty good looking early special effects. It also received an Oscar nomination for this, as well as for its black & white cinematography by multiple Oscar nominee Joseph Walker.

It's a movie that perhaps is not as well known as Howard Hawks's most other work but it's just as great and well worth watching. Hawks was a director who could handle many different genres just as well and with this movie he proofs and shows this once more, by letting several different genres and themes blend in extremely well with each other.

9/10

Watch trailer

The Strawberry Blonde (1941) Directed by Raoul Walsh

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 11:11 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 13 December 2007)

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Who would had ever known that Raoul Walsh was also capable of making, fun, sweet, charming movies such as this one.

It's a real irresistible movie, with a solid great and also quite original love-story, supported and uplifted even more by its great cast. It's the sort of story that sort of has it all; romance, drama and comedy. What I like about the movie is that it has all of the generic required elements but yet is non-formulaic. For instance the lead doesn't get the girl he wanted most and the leading lady has her own very free mind and will, especially for those days of course. The movie has several dramatic themes in it, as well as a sort of message in the end but above all the movie is a really fun one to watch. It has some great subtle comedy and I'm sure you'll discover new little subtle comedy elements in the movie each time you'll see it.

James Cagney doesn't seem like the most likely choice for the leading role in a romantic movie. He was often type-casted as tough guys and he of course most certainly also did not had the right looks to play in a movie such as this one. But perhaps of that very same reason his character works out so well in the movie. It makes the story all the more believable and cuter, knowing that the main character isn't the prettiest or cutest boy on the block. On top of that, James Cagney was of course also a great actor, that could time well, which helps him in the more comical moments in the movie. The movie also has an impressive female cast with both Olivia de Havilland and Rita Hayworth. Two of THE leading ladies of the '40's. But also Alan Hale, Jack Carson and George Reeves where no unknowns.

By todays standards the sets and background of the movie are all cheap and of course fake looking but this always has been sort of part of the charm of '40's movies. The musical score by Heinz Roemheld was surprisingly great (also Oscar nominated). I wish it was more present in the movie.

A really recommendable movie.

8/10
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
Copyright © 2014 Boba_Fett1138's movie reviews
⬆
Top