All About Eve (1950)

Posted on July 30, 2012 by 4 Star Films

Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) is a seemingly modest and conscientious girl who gets the chance of a lifetime. She is able to meet a great Broadway star (Bette Davis) as well as her close circle of friends. Soon she is helping this Margot Channing by taking care of errands and odd jobs. This ambitious girl finally convinces one of Margot’s friends Karen (Celeste Holm), to let her be an understudy. And so when Margot is detained the night of a show, Eve gets her chance at the big time. However, Eve soon shows a different side of herself; one of back-stabbing and blackmail. Through her manipulation, she meets a famous critic (George Sanders) and wins an award. However, he has her pegged and the truth becomes evident. By the end of the film, Eve seems to have fallen for the same trap that Margot had. This film was pretty good and featured a good cast including Thelma Ritter and a young Marilyn Monroe. As Davis exclaims, “fasten your seat belts!”

4.5/5 Stars

Sullivan’s Travels (1941)

Posted on July 29, 2012 by 4 Star Films

Starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake, with director Preston Sturges, Sullivan’s Travels is about a highly successful film director (McCrea) who wants to make a movie about the common man and suffering. However, he usually writes comedies and so he decides to go on the road as a hobo to try and understand the lifestyle. During his adventures he meets a young failed actress (Lake) who is about to leave Hollywood. Wanting to help her, Sully tells the girl what he is doing and they go off together masquerading as tramps. After taking a short respite, he goes on the road again, this time alone. Through a series of events he finds himself in a chain gang while his friends assume he is dead. Eventually he is freed but not before learning a valuable lesson. If he wants to relate with the poor he should give them laughter instead of hardship. I found this movie to be an enjoyable light comedy (even though I had never heard of it beforehand).

5/5 Stars

MASH (1970)

Posted on July 28, 2012 by 4 Star Films

The inspiration for the award-winning TV series, MASH follows the quips and antics of two doctors as they are stationed in Korea. Starring Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould, Tom Skerritt, Sally Kellerman, with director Robert Altman, it brims with sexual banter, bloody bodies, and comedic moments. MASH effectively is a commentary against war and is seemingly as somber as it is funny. However, up to the end you are left with a smile on your face. The climatic moments during the football game will have all riled up and fittingly we see Captain Pierce (Sutherland) ride away in the same stolen jeep he had when arriving. The iconic theme “Suicide is Painless” adds to the composition. Overall it is a good film much different then the MASH we got to know on television.

4/5 Stars

12 Angry Men (1957)

Posted on July 25, 2012 by 4 Star Films

12 Angry Men is a very intriguing film, that begins with a jury that is 11 to 1 in favor of giving the death penalty to a young boy. In this ensemble cast headed by Henry Fonda (the one unsure man), tempers flare as the heat rises. By the end this lone juror finally wins over the opinions of the others through discussion. The cast is a wonderful mixture of veteran and young actors, with everything in between. The cast includes Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley, Martin Balsam, Jack Warden, John Fiedler, and Jack Klugman. However there are no women or black jurors because this film was made back in 1957. Aside from that, it has a great story which takes place almost entirely in one room. In this way it is much like another classic and favorite of mine, Rear Window. Get ready to fight it out with every word and piece of evidence in 12 Angry Men.

5/5 Stars

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

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.