The Resident (2011)

Seeking a divorce from her philandering husband Lee Pace, doctor Hilary Swank struggles to find a new place until she falls upon the perfect apartment. At least it was the perfect apartment until she discovers her find was orchestrated by creepy stalker Jeffrey Dean Morgan. I assume this is supposed to be a scary premise, but it doesn’t deliver in any regard. It does offer plenty of disturbing actions committed by Morgan which he carries off with aplomb. I sincerely hope that Swank’s character is more competent toward her patients, because every action she makes on screen is one of stupidity and listlessness. Pace is criminally underused as is Christopher Lee in what is sadly his last performance for a role that existed for no reason apparent to the plot.  Thriller

Wind River (2017)

Inexperienced FBI agent Elizabeth Olsen is called in to investigate the death of a Native American woman on Wyoming’s Wind River Reservation. When the cause of death is not ruled a homicide, she entreaties local Fish and Wildlife Agent Jeremy Renner to help with the investigation. I don’t know how many people are still unaware of the endemic violence surrounding Native women both in North America, but it’s remains a crisis that is still underexplored. This movie at least gives voice to that plight even if that voice is shrouded in the experiences of white outsiders. I enjoy all I’ve seen from Olsen and her performance works as an out of her depths experience, but it bewilders me that her partner in the endeavor is another white person who is on the margins of the community. It unfortunately dilutes some of the message an otherwise impressive film has to offer.  Crime  Mystery

Let It Be (1970)

It is not surprising that after watching Get Back I finally get around to watching this concert film which was the original result from all that footage. A commercial release of this unfortunately hasn’t existed since the 1980s so it’s unfair to compare the two on technical merits as the copy I was able to procure was so much darker and less clear than the recent miniseries. Regardless, it’s sad to think that for the longest time with all that footage available all that was available to the public was this hour and a half shoddily edited movie. There is little context given to anything that comes before the concert on the roof. The concert on the roof is the strongest piece of this film, but I’m still not sure which of the two renditions I prefer. This is more focused on showing the performance while the miniseries again gives context with the setup, more views and reactions of the audience, and even more footage of the police action. Regardless, they both end on such a melancholic note to know that’s more or less the end.   Music

Oscar Win: Best Music, Original Song Score

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

The Perils of Pauline (1914)

After watching the biographical film about Pearl White, I was curious in exploring the series that made her famous. What I managed to find was an hour long film combining the first chapter in the series where Pauline first embarks on her adventurous lifestyle with boyfriend and nefarious guardian in tow and the last where Pauline is rescued by her brave puppy and decides to finally settle down. While I can see how they certainly offered an exciting series for early movie viewers to get behind, the parts I saw unfortunately did not have nearly enough examples of Pauline showing off her spunky spirit and Pearl’s impressive stunt work. Included on the DVD was a short called Katchem Kate about a young woman who decides to become a detective. Kate, like Pauline, is a plucky heroine which makes me wonder if roles for women might have been better in very early films compared to many of the decades that followed.  Action  Adventure

La Belle Noiseuse (1991)

Upon meeting painter David Bursztein and his girlfriend Emmanuelle Béart, blocked fellow artist Michel Piccoli finds his creative spark renewed with a desire to use Béart as the model for a painting he was unable to finish long ago. A thorough reflection on the artistic process, it is four hours long and tedious. Full minutes go by where the only sound that is heard are scratches made on a sketch pad. In the end both the artist and his subject are broken and reborn in ways, but every grueling moment of that is felt by the viewer.

Swing High (1932)/ Sacheen: Breaking the Silence (2019)

One of the many short films narrated by Pete Smith, Swing High features stunts performed by a family of trapeze artists, The Flying Codonas. Many of the acrobatics are shot either from above or in slow motion which gives a close view to the action and maneuvers that the troupe goes through. The result is a lot more thrilling than the typical short I’ve seen from this era.

At the 1973 Oscars, which were being aired while the Wounded Knee Occupation was occurring, Marlon Brando appointed Native American actress Sacheen Littlefeather to decline his Best Actor award in protest of Native American portrayal in films and treatment throughout the country. I had only been vaguely aware of the event before, but this documentary offers Sacheen a chance to give her take on the experience in her own words. It’s particularly interesting that not long after I watched the film, it became public that the Academy had issued an apology to Sacheen for what she endured because of her speech.

Oscar Nomination: Best Short Subject, Novelty (Swing High)

The Bad Guys (2022)

The Bad Guys, a gang of animals that historically have had bad reputations, is finally captured while trying to pull off one of their infamous heists, but crew leader Mr. Wolf convinces Governor Foxington that they deserve a chance to try to reform instead of being sent to prison. Set in a confusing world where humans and anthropomorphic animals live alongside animals that don’t talk or act like people, the animation is a softer, muted form of the typical computer animation put out by all the studios. The film could almost seamlessly blend with Zootopia. I enjoy a good heist film and this one delivers in that regard while adding cute animals to the mix. Watching the film and its accompanying short, Maraschino Ruby, really made me crave push ups.   Crime

Running from Crazy (2013)

Mariel Hemingway examines her family’s mental health history, which includes substance abuse, mental illness, and multiple suicides. While an honest and somewhat engaging look at illness as it is passed through generations, the film is mostly about the Hemingway family of which I have less than a passing interest. The parts that attracted most of my attention were the footage shot by Mariel’s older sister Margaux, a victim of suicide at the age of 42, who was also exploring their family’s history but with closer, more intimate access to the subjects being talked about.

The Horse’s Mouth (1958)

Recently released from jail, curmudgeonly painter Alec Guinness searches for financing and a location for his next work of art. With a voice that sounds like he’s been eating pinecones for dinner, Guinness perfectly encapsulates the eccentric artist who is driven to create and cares not for anyone who gets in his way, certainly not the rich patrons who might be willing to pay for such work. A really amusing performance, Guinness carries the film, which he also wrote, and everyone else just needs to stand out of his way.  Comedy

Oscar Nomination: Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium

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