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I am a film critic and historian preserving a love of good movies. Check out my blog, 4 Star Films, and follow me on Twitter @FourStarFilmFan or Letterboxd. Thank you for reading!

Ronald Reagan

Posted on July 24, 2012 by 4 Star Films

Following a visit to the Reagan Library yesterday in Thousand Oaks California, I thought I would make a post in honor of “The Great Communicator” who was a president, governor, and of course an actor.

Ronald Reagan started out in radio but in the late 30s he transitioned into acting. During his time as an actor he was in some memorable films including Dark Victory, Knute Rockne All American, and The King’s Row. However, he was also a part of the political side of Hollywood being a president of the Screen Actors Guild and supporting anti-Communist activities. His first wife was actress Jane Wyman (The Lost Weekend, Johnny Belinda). A lesser known actress, Nancy Davis was Reagan’s second wife who became most famous as First Lady during his presidency.

I would certainly recommend the library because it is informative, located in a nice area, and enjoyable overall.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Posted on July 23, 2012 by 4 Star Films

In the classic starring Tom Hanks as the slow-witted but kindhearted Forrest, we see him as he takes part in history. From the day we see him teach Elvis how to dance, up to the point he runs across country, he is constantly part of or making history. However despite everything he has accomplished whether it be in Vietnam, playing ping-pong, or in the shrimping business, Forrest still is humble and seemingly oblivious to it all. His innocence is heartwarming amidst all the turmoil around him in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Hanks is supported wonderfully by Robin Wright, Mykelti Williamson, Gary Sinise, and Sally Fields. This film is funny as well as touching, making it wonderful to watch. The soundtrack also helps to transport you back to the different eras.

4.5/5 Stars

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Posted on July 22, 2012 by 4 Star Films

With an interesting conflict between two policemen, one white and one black, In the Heat of the Night is a thrilling crime film. Rod Steiger delivers a wonderful performance as the common place and prejudiced officer who heads a southern police force. Things do no start off well when a policeman from Philadelphia, Mr. Tibbs (Poitier) is accused of murder simply because of his race. Only afterwards do they learn he is a highly respected detective. Because they need help, they reluctantly ask for his assistance. Tibbs must learn how to deal with the prejudice while Gillespie (Steiger) must curb his own racism. Over the course of the film, the two men face opposition but they stick with it to see the case through. When the crime is finally solved, Tibbs is about to leave and Gillespie with a new-found respect tells him to come back sometime. In an age where racism was still a tremendous problem, this film combated the issue and created something very special in the process.

5/5 Stars

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Posted on July 21, 2012 by 4 Star Films

With the great combo of Paul Newman and Robert Redford as the legendary outlaws, this movie is great fun. The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang became infamous for their exploits with Butch (Newman) being the brains and Sundance (Redford) the fastest gun around. Together these two robbed banks, held up trains, and all the while had a good time. At one point or another the law was after them so they fled to South America with one of Butch’s nefarious schemes in mind. However, it was not what they expected and they had to face their biggest challenge ever. With the odds against them, they went out fighting and the legend of Butch Cassidy and Sundance was forever solidified. This film is as much a lighthearted comedy as it is a western. Newman and Redford have hilarious dialogue that brings the film alive and you end up rooting for these two anti-heroes. Although it is a seemingly random addition the song “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” is an added bonus.

5/5 Stars

Butch: “Ah, you’re wasting your time. They can’t track us over rocks.”
Sundance: “Tell them that.”
Butch: “They’re beginning to get on my nerves. Who are those guys?”

The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Posted on July 16, 2012 by 4 Star Films

The first installment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, based on Tolkien’s novels, this film introduces the story. Bilbo Baggins is having his birthday and hands over his fabled ring to his young relative Frodo. Now the fate of Middle Earth is in the hands of the little Hobbit as he makes the long journey to Mount Doom in Mordor. Traveling with Frodo is the wizard Gandalf, his three hobbit friends, an elf, a dwarf, a man, and of course Aragorn. Together they make up the Fellowship bent on protecting Frodo and delivering him safely. Peter Jackson’s film is a very good adaption of Tolkien’s world. However, it is important to realize this is only the beginning. The story is completed in The Two Towers and The Return of the King.

4.5/5 Stars

Casablanca (1942)

Posted on July 14, 2012 by 4 Star Films

Considered one of the greatest films of all-time, this well-loved classic deserves to be here. It is the hallmark of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman’s careers. It has one of the greatest scripts of all time, and it has achieved legendary status over the years. Many consider it purely the best film ever made and in all honesty, I would never try to refute that.

The film opens quickly, and we are immersed in a world that is at the height of the Nazi terror, and many people are fleeing Europe by way of Casablanca. It is a treacherous place full of pickpockets, corrupt authorities, refugees, and some tourists as well. Two German couriers have been murdered, and some invaluable letters of transit have been stolen. That’s when we are first introduced to Rick’s Café Americain along with its cynical proprietor Rick Blaine (Bogart). A shady fellow named Ugarte (Peter Lorre) comes to him with the letters and asks Blaine to keep them for him. However, later that night Ugarte is taken into custody and things get even more complicated.

Wanted resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) is now in Casablanca, however, a Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt) has arrived from Germany to take him in. To top it off Laszlo’s wife Ilsa (Bergman) was Blaine’s old flame in Paris and it didn’t end well. Laszlo desperately needs the letters of transit to escape and he inquires about them. Soon he is led to Blaine but as he often admits Rick sticks his neck out for nobody. Laszlo shows his defiance against his enemies by leading the people in a round of “La Marseillaise” and as a result, Rick’s is shut down.

All the memories of Paris begin flooding back, and then Ilsa confronts Rick in order to get the letters. This is possibly the most critical point in the film because the tense altercation ultimately renews the relationship between Rick and Ilsa. Rick asks her to trust him and he begins to take things into his own hands. The results of his actions created one of the great romantic and cinematic moments in the history of film. The whole film leading up to this point hints at it, but Rick truly is a sentimentalist at heart. He can live with the notion that they will always have Paris and that leads him to commit a selfless act of love.

This film holds such a tremendous presence in movie history it is quite extraordinary. Upon seeing the movie it made complete sense what all the hype was about. What more could you want than Bogey, Bergman, Casablanca, and some of the greatest quotes ever said? Do not forget the French Captain Louis played by Claude Rains or the immortal tune of As Time Goes By sung by Dooley Wilson. However, you also gain an appreciation for the other interesting characters of Casablanca, some comical, some sympathetic, and others mysterious. We have a rogue gallery of everybody under the sun from Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet, German soldiers, various guests, and all the staff at Rick’s place.

This movie has conflict and the uncertainty of war practically in every scene because at the time World War II was in full force. There are a broken romance and a forlorn hero who shows his courage in the end. As an audience, we realize the transformation of Rick into a truly great man. Ilsa, on her part, has the most radiant face I have ever seen! If you take into consideration when this movie was made, it truly is wonderful to watch. You do not need explosions and violence, only great characters and a story with both drama and humor. Up until the final moments of the movie you are captivated the entire time. Then, fittingly you are left with the two men walking off into the night with the words, “Louis I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

In fact, with this film, my thoughts always go back to the script. Lines like “Here’s looking at you kid,” “We’ll always have Paris,” and “Round up the usual suspects” are so rampant that you cannot possibly remember them all, and I doubt there will ever be another film that is so entrenched in American culture. Many of my favorite lines in the film are those that get overshadowed by the more famous ones. That is the sign of an amazing film that never grows old. Even those who have not seen this classic film like to think they have because the influence of Casablanca reaches everywhere.

5/5 Stars

The Dark Knight (2008)

Posted on July 13, 2012 by 4 Star Films

In honor of the release of The Dark Knight Rises next week, the last installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, I would like to review The Dark Knight.

Starring a great cast of characters including Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, this is a great incarnation of Batman. In this film Bruce Wayne, alias Batman (Bale), faces his biggest challenge to protect Gotham City yet in the form of the villainous Joker (Ledger) With the help of Commissioner Gordon, Harvey Dent, Lucius Fox, and of course Alfred, he works to bring peace. However, the Joker is not your everyday criminal. This psychotic villain’s only goal is to create utter chaos and he forces the Batman into difficult choice after difficult choice. By the end, the lines are so blurred it is hard to tell who actually won. Ledger’s performance alone makes this movie a good one. His unpredictable and chilling portrayal has the audience constantly intrigued. Thus your everyday action packed, superhero film becomes an unconventional showdown between good and evil.
5/5 Stars

We will have to wait and see what the third installment starring Bale, Tom Hardy, and Anne Hathaway, has in store for us.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Posted on July 12, 2012 by 4 Star Films

Directed by Steven Speilberg, E .T. follows the life of a young boy, Elliot, who befriends a timid alien who is lost on earth. Eventually this little alien becomes a foster member of their family, drinking soda, watching television, and taking part in trick-or-treating during Halloween. However the secret gets out and the government takes E.T. away. Elliot feels helpless as he slowly sees E.T. begin to die. However, miraculously he is revived again and Elliot with his brother and friends make a break with E.T. When it looks as if they will be caught their bikes take off allowing the peaceful extraterrestrial to escape and head home. This is one of Speilberg’s classics and it is a good historical image of life back in the 1980s aside from the alien.

4.5/5 Stars

Audrey Hepburn (Part 2)

Posted on July 10, 2012 by 4 Star Films

Charade (1963)

Starring the romantic pair of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, with Walter Matthau, James Coburn, and George Kennedy, this film is considered the best “Hitchcock film” which the director did not make. While on vacation, Grant and Hepburn first meet briefly and then she returns to her home Paris. Hepburn goes there only to find out her husband, who she wanted to divorce, has been murdered. When meeting with a CIA man (Matthau), she learns that her husband and three buddies stole some money during a war but the three chums never got their shares. Upon meeting Grant again, he agrees to help Regina (Hepburn) and also says he is looking for the money. Through a series of events the three other men are all killed and everything seems to point to Grant. Hepburn runs for her life with Grant close behind and winds up meeting the CIA man. However everything is not as it seems and after a shoot out Hepburn finally realizes the truth. Along with the thrills this movie has a nice score and a touch of comedy (including Grant’s many aliases).

8/10 rating

My Fair Lady (1964)
Adapted from the book and play Pygmalion, originally written by George Bernard Shaw, My Fair Lady stars Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. It follows a speech therapist (Harrison) as he tries to win a bet that he can pass off a poor flower girl as a duchess. He takes Eliza Doolittle (Hepburn) and begins to train her, not as a person but as an experiment. Eliza eventually gets fed up with this treatment but at the same time also wants to become sophisticated. With Harrison’s help she does become that person and is no longer a subject to be experimented with. Putting together a good cast, plot, and songs, this film is quite good.

8/10 rating

Other Audrey Hepburn films I may watch in the future include: Funny Face (1957), Love in the Afternoon (1957), The Nun’s Story (1959), Two for the Road (1967), and Wait Until Dark (1967).

Audrey Hepburn can also be seen extremely briefly in the classic comedy-heist film The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)

Audrey Hepburn (Part 1)

Posted on July 9, 2012 by 4 Star Films

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Audrey Hepburn began as a timid yet graceful young woman who captivated audiences. Over time she kept many of those qualities but also evolved into a tremendous actress and chic fashion icon. She was versatile acting in both romantic comedies and dramas. After her triumphal success in Roman Holiday she became beloved by many over the years.

Roman Holiday (1953)
Starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn with direction by William Wyler, this movie has one of the greatest romances ever depicted on screen. Hepburn is a young princess named Ann on a trip to a foreign country. However, she is constantly bored from the rigidness of her life. On a whim she escapes in the night and finds herself sleepily wandering the streets of Rome. An American journalist (Peck) happens upon the disorientated princess and eventually decides to take her in since she seems lost. Soon enough he figures out just who she is and decides to take her through Rome with a friend (Eddie Albert) so they can get a scoop. Together they take her through the city to explore and secretly take candid photos. However, Peck soon finds himself falling in love and he cannot bring himself to submit the article. With the thanks of the princess, they are left with the simple satisfaction that they were able to spend the day together. Peck and Hepburn are both wonderful in this one and the story is heartwarming and funny.

9/10 rating

Sabrina (1954)
Starring Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and William Holden, with director Billy Wilder, the film begins with Sabrina (Hepburn) as a young girl. She lives with her father who is a chauffeur for a rich family. Sabrina loves the younger playboy son (Holden) however he gives her no serious attention. Depressed, Sabrina wants to kill herself and her father decides to send her off to culinary school in France. Some time passes and the grown up Sabrina is a perfect lady. Soon she catches the eye of Holden back home and all her dreams come true when they spend time together at a party. However, his older practical brother (Bogart) does not like it one bit since Holden has a fiancee. Wanting to get Sabrina away from his brother, Linus wines and dines her so the strategic wedding will stay on schedule. He then gives her a one way ticket and sends her off. Only afterward does he realize his own feelings for Sabrina and thus he decides to follow her. This film overall is a charming romance that is worth seeing.

8/10 rating

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard, the movie follows the lavish lifestyle of the ditsy Holly Golightly. Moving into her apartment building, the down-on-his-luck writer Paul immediately grows fond of Holly’s quirky personality. Considering each other simply friends, Paul comes to one of Holly’s wild parties and they journey through New York together. However, although Paul is falling for Holly, his circumstances seem to prevent it and besides she is oblivious to his affection. Slowly they fall farther apart with Holly’s upcoming marriage to a wealthy man. In the end they do reconcile, embracing in the rain (of course). Holly has finally found a man who truly loves her and does not use her. The love story is an interesting one and Hepburn gives a lively performance. Henry Mancini’s “Moon River” is a wonderful addition to this film. I would say however that this is not my favorite film with Hepburn because it is certainly hard to top Roman Holiday.

8/10 rating