Last Movie You Watched

[ritter]

I didn't know this bit about the Casarès/Bresson relationship. She is indeed fabulous, as she would be later on in Les Enfants du paradis. A spaniard, she made her career in France mostly as a stage actress. The love of her life (they never married) was Albert Camus. Her family's history is worthy of a film plot.

Indeed, Casarès's family history is fascinating. Her father Santiago Casares Quiroga was Prime Minister of the Spanish Republic when Franco's coup happened in 1936 (and his weak handling of the situation in the period leading up to the coup is blamed by many for that watershed event). He resigned immediately after, and he and his family emigrated to France at the end of the civil war in 1939; by the end of WW2, young Maria had managed to suppress her strong Spanish accent when speaking a French, to become a leading tragédienne.

The Camus - Casarès correspondence was published by Gallimard a couple of years ago (1300 pages!):

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It was highly acclaimed, and considered much more than just an exchange of letters between lovers (well, these weren't just any lovers, of course). In a TV interview I wathched some months ago, Camus's daughter Catherine spoke very highly of her father's mistress.

[André]

More interesting facts, thank you !

I wonder if her father was related to the violinist Manuel Quiroga. They both hailed from the same province.

[SonicMan46]

Last night, I was in the mood for some 'courtroom drama' and of the many that I own, watched the two below:

A Few Good Men (1992) w/ Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore et al - the AFI defines 'courtroom drama' as below and the link lists 50 films alphabetically in this category - their TOP 10 are also listed, of which I own 8 - now there are a couple of my favorites on their list not in the top tier, e.g. The Young Philadelphians (1959), also w/ a younger Newman, Paths of Glory (1957) w/ Kirk Douglas, and Inherit the Wind (1960).

The Verdict (1982) w/ Paul Newman and others - 5 Oscar nominations, including 'Best Actor' but no wins.  Dave

   

[ritter]

More interesting facts, thank you!

I wonder if her father was related to the violinist Manuel Quiroga. They both hailed from the same province.

You're welcome, André. 

No idea whether both Messrs. Quiroga were related. One hailed from Pontevedra, the other from La Coruña, two different Galician provinces. Quiroga is a town in Lugo (yet another one of the four provinces of Galicia); I presume the surname (which is relatively common in Spain and America) is derived from the place.

[André]

Thanks for the precision, Rafael !

I had to google Galicia to find out it's not a province, but an « autonomous community » made up of four provinces. That means a province is a subdivision, then? In Canada it's the other way around. The province is the larger geographical/political entity with its own parliament and government. There are 88 administrative subdivisions in my province, overseeing strictly local affairs. Other provinces have different arrangements.

[aligreto]

Last Holiday





A woman who is diagnosed with a terminal illness decides to live out her remaining time by realising her dream trip. Entertaining and amusing; it is worth a watch.

[SonicMan46]

Last three nights or so, watched Fly Away Home & Gaslight w/ Susan; the others myself:

A Soldier's Story (1984) w/ Howard E. Rollins, Jr. (who died tragically young from AIDS lymphoma), Adolph Caesar, Denzel Washington, et al - a continuation of my 'lawyer movie' watching - short synopsis below - recommended.

Fly Away Home (1996) w/ Jeff Daniels, Anna Paquin, et al - based on a true story about a 13-year-old girl and her estranged father who learn what family is all about when they adopt an orphaned flock of geese and teach them to fly! Heart warming and cute - watch w/ family, especially kids - highly recommended for the latter reasons!

Gaslight (1944) w/ Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, & Joseph Cotton - second synopsis below - a new BD acquisition for me, and beautifully restored ("Sourced from Warner Archive Collection's recent 4K scan of a second-generation safety fine-grain master positive, Gaslight looks uniformly stunning on this new Blu-ray edition.") - thriller which earned Bergman her first Oscar at the 1945 Academy Awards.

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982) w/ Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, and Ian McKellen - third synopsis below for those who do not know the story; a well made TV movie that I watch about once a year and prefer over the 1934 film w/ Leslie Howard & Merle Oberon (although I also watch that one and enjoy!) - recommended if the synopsis is of interest.  Dave (hmmm - quite an eclectic mixture!)

A black Army investigator (Howard E. Rollins Jr.) travels to a remote military base in the heart of the Louisiana backwoods to look into the mysterious murder of a black sergeant toward the tail end of World War II. Once he arrives, the investigator discovers an Army regiment and an entire community that, despite the beginnings of integration, is still torn apart by race and segregation. He soon learns that on this base, trust is sparse and secrets are a currency all their own.

After the death of her famous opera-singing aunt, Paula (Ingrid Bergman) is sent to study in Italy to become a great opera singer as well. While there, she falls in love with the charming Gregory Anton (Charles Boyer). The two return to London, and Paula begins to notice strange goings-on: missing pictures, strange footsteps in the night and gaslights that dim without being touched. As she fights to retain her sanity, her new husband's intentions come into question.

British aristocrat Sir Percy Blakeney (Anthony Andrews) appears to be a vain and shallow man, but, in the guise of his alter ego, the Scarlet Pimpernel, he is a courageous swordsman. As the Pimpernel, Blakeney works to free Gallic nobility from death during the fervor of the French Revolution. However, Blakeney's life of luxury with his beautiful bride, Marguerite (Jane Seymour), is threatened when the French send sinister operative Chauvelin (Ian McKellen) to stop the Pimpernel at any cost.

     

[Karl Henning]

Stardust Memories

[aligreto]

Turner and Hooch





This one is worth watching for the dog alone who is the star of the show by a long way.

[aligreto]

I seem to remember Anthony Andrews giving a fine performance in that one.

[drogulus]

Last Holiday





A woman who is diagnosed with a terminal illness decides to live out her remaining time by realising her dream trip. Entertaining and amusing; it is worth a watch.

     I remember the original version with Alec Guinness.

     

     

[aligreto]

     I remember the original version with Alec Guinness.

     

   

Cheers for that. In my ignorance I did not know that there was an original version.

[SonicMan46]

I seem to remember Anthony Andrews giving a fine performance in that one.

Agree! And, Andrews' and McKellen's interactions are special - now not to downplay the 1934 film, Leslie Howard & Raymond Massey in the same roles are quite excellent - both films recommended - have the '34 movie on DVD-R (from the TCM channel) and can stream for free on Amazon Prime.  Dave

[aligreto]

Kieslowski: Dekalog, Part 6





This is the story of a young man's infatuation with an older woman and the consequences which arise as a result of that relationship. The story is very tenderly portrayed.

[drogulus]

     Godzilla, King Of The Monsters

     There are lots of really good actors playing cardboard characters, stereotypical dumb humans. Also, I don't understand the garish blue tint to so many of the scenes. It really looks bad.

     The monsters are pretty good, though, especially the universally loved Mothra.

     

[André]

     Godzilla, King Of The Monsters

     There are lots of really good actors playing cardboard characters, stereotypical dumb humans. Also, I don't understand the garish blue tint to so many of the scenes. It really looks bad.

     The monsters are pretty good, though, especially the universally loved Mothra.

   

Dinosaurs and monsters are timid creatures. They always appear at night, in a dark cave or under pouring rain. I makes things a lot easier for the special effects crew.  .

[aligreto]

Secret Obsession





An interesting story about a [not quite] mistaken identity.

[Karl Henning]

Minority Report So, maybe it is one of Jn Williams's better scores, but so far, the stars of the soundtrack are Schubert, Tchaikovsky & J.S. Bach ....

[aligreto]

Kieslowski: Dekalog, Part 7





This is the story of a young woman and her tragic relationship with both her mother and her child.

[ritter]

My traversal of French classics continues:


Jean Vigo's L'Atalante is a wonderfully poetic film, with some stunning images (e.g. Dita Parlo as Juliette tentatively walking in her wedding gown towards the stern of the advancing barge), and it combines the "look" of a silent film with that of a talkie quite beautifully. A pleasure to watch, a classic that IMHO fully deserves its huge reputation.