Category: Best Art/Production Design

Posted on 2022-08-28 | No Comments |

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Roger Moore’s James Bond is forced to join forces with Russian spy Barbara Bach after submarines from each of their nations disappear suddenly. For me, the plot is forgettable and I find Moore and Bach so bland together and separately that the best parts of the film have nothing to do with them. The beginning Alpine ski chase is fantastically choreographed with an epic finish. There’s nothing in the rest of the film that meets its awesomeness. Supervillain Curd Jürgens’s underwater lair is impressive in scope and distractingly large in scale. Richard Kiel’s iconic henchman Jaws is so iconic and indestructible that he amazingly gets to come back for another go.

Oscar Nominations: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Music, Original Song; Best Music, Original Score

Posted on 2022-08-16 | No Comments |

Knights of the Round Table (1953)

In this telling of the legend of King Arthur, Mel Ferrer stars as Arthur while Robert Taylor and Ava Gardner fill in the roles of Lancelot and Guinevere respectively. As mentioned when reviewing Camelot, I don’t have any affinity for Arthurian tales. This film follows essentially the same points in the story as the previous film, but there are no songs and the performances aren’t as entertaining. I’d actually watched this a month or so ago, but thought I had missed too much and should check it out again. Turns out I was wrong, I hadn’t missed much of anything. The film does at least have colorful costumes and sets which are overserved by the beauty of Cinemascope.

Oscar Nominations: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color; Best Sound, Recording

Posted on 2022-08-12 | No Comments |

Camelot (1967)

Preparing for battle with his old friend Sir Lancelot (portrayed by Franco Nero), Richard Harris’s King Arthur reflects on the circumstances that led him to the destruction of his Camelotian ideal. I generally care less about the Arthurian legend, but it’s somehow a little more palatable in musical form. The costumes and sets are gorgeously bright and creative. I particularly fell for the early winter scene where Harris first meets Vanessa Redgrave’s Guinevere. Redgrave is beautiful and strong willed, believably carrying on romances with both of the men who aren’t bad in their roles either. I love that many years after becoming romantically involved on this set, Redgrave and Nero later married, adding an extra dash of romanticism to a continued story.

Oscar Wins: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Costume Design; Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment

Oscar Nomination: Best Cinematography; Best Sound

Posted on 2022-08-12 | No Comments |

Mr. Turner (2014)

The last twenty-five years in the life of eccentric artist J.M.W. Turner is brought to life here through a dedicated performance by Timothy Spall as Turner. The film is incomprehensively gorgeous to look at with expansive landscapes that look like they are Turner’s paintings brought to life. The performances across the board are similarly engaging; I particularly enjoyed Lesley Manville’s regrettably small role as scientist Mary Somerville. Unfortunately the narrative is insanely repetitive with an extra hour of footage that could easily be edited out without sacrificing any of the details of Turner’s later life.

Oscar Nominations: Best Achievement in Cinematography; Best Achievement in Costume Design; Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score; Best Achievement in Production Design

Posted on 2022-07-29 | No Comments |

Hope and Glory (1987)

One British family’s experiences during World War II are told through the eyes of 10 year old Sebastian Rice-Edwards. I’m generally more interested in what average people experience during wartime over the actual battles and this film delivers in that regard. Though the various members encounter almost every obstacle possible, the story still maintains a natural bent as to what an ordinary family might have witnessed while under siege. With some fantastic acting and visuals, the story maintains a sense of humor and wonder at the novelty of the experiences without dismissing the dangers and terror that existed.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Director; Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen; Best Cinematography; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration

Posted on 2022-07-28 | No Comments |

Barton Fink (1991)

John Turturro is an up and coming New York playwright who accepts a contract to write scripts in Hollywood. The reality of the scriptwriting process proves to be more difficult than expected; he is assigned to write about an unfamiliar subject and regularly distracted by his insurance salesman hotel neighbor John Goodman. Difficult to interpret at many times, the film offers a dark perspective on the writing process, especially when it becomes a commercial endeavor. The performances are immensely committed, especially whenever combined with Turturro’s stand-out lead.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Costume Design

Posted on 2022-07-23 | No Comments |

Orlando (1992)

Queen Elizabeth I promises the androgynous Orlando an inheritance that will last as long as he remains youthful. Orlando manages to keep this promise through many centuries and a gender swap. It’s a sumptuous film that seamlessly weaves Orlando’s experiences through the ages. Standing out even amongst the beautiful settings and costumes, I can’t imagine anyone else than Tilda Swinton so aptly bringing the Orlando character to life, though it also works as well that Billy Zane play her love interest.

Oscar Nominations: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Costume Design

Posted on 2022-07-07 | No Comments |

Doctor Dolittle (1967)

Based on three of the Hugh Lofting books, Rex Harrison is the titular doctor whose great love for animals brought him to learn how to speak various animal languages from his parrot friend. For reasons, this leads him on an expedition to find the Great Pink Sea Snail. I do love a film that respects animals as unique individuals and personalities, even when they are as fictitious as the well-crafted Pushmi-Pullyu, and Geoffrey Holder is delightful as the leader of a village of well-read island natives, but this film is way too damn long. Cut out most of the beginning and one or two of the extraneous episodes and it wouldn’t be much of a loss. The songs are mostly unmemorable with Harrison sing songing his way through the majority, even when accompanied by the film’s delightful visuals.

Posted on 2022-07-06 | No Comments |

Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)

Scottish geology professor James Mason leads a group of explorers through an Icelandic volcano to the center of the planet. It’s a brightly colored adventure that has zero basis in reality that is drawn out past 2 hours when 90 minutes would have sufficed. Unfortunately once again, the only female on the expedition, Arlene Dahl, is told she’s too ‘weak’ for such work and relegated to an unnecessary romance in the end, but I do enjoy the peeks into artificial Icelandic culture and the creativity of the inner planetary setting.

Oscar Nominations: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color; Best Sound; Best Effects, Special Effects

Posted on 2022-07-05 | No Comments |

Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)

A teenaged Anne Boleyn catches the eye of King Henry VII and he’s willing to sacrifice almost anything for the chance to produce an heir with her. She’s willing to forego love to rise in power and esteem, but unfortunately for her what comes around goes around, especially when you’re subjected to the whims of a capricious leader. Lavish costumes and settings provide ample period style, while Geneviève Bujold’s Anne convincingly portrays a young woman caught in the crosshairs of power and rarely unable to stare it down. Richard Burton’s Henry is filled with his own self importance and lechery, overwhelming any accomplishments in other realms.

Oscar Win: Best Costume Design

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Actor in a Leading Role; Best Actress in a Leading Role; Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium; Best Cinematography; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Sound; Best Music, Original Score for a Motion Picture (not a Musical)