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I’m No Angel
I am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang
I am a Sex Addict
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Hud 1962 Martin Ritt 4.0 Paul Newman as the no-good, selfish, self-indulgent, womanizing, alienated, but charismatic son of…, Melvyn Douglas as the ranch patriarch – he talks sense and morality but he is brittle and refuses to adapt to the 20th century world, Patricia Neal as the world-weary and worldly wise housekeeper who has to deal with the womanizing advances of Newman, Brandon DeWilde -- nine years after ‘Shane’ – is the moral center of the movie: 17 years old and originally attracted to Hud’s charisma, but he has too much moral sense to follow in his footsteps. Outstanding adaptation of Larry McMurtry novel. Beautiful black and white photography that captures the dust, the emptiness, the ramshackle, over-the-hill character of 20th century West Texas (more realistic, matter-of-fact and less expressionist and depressing than ‘The Last Picture Show’). All performances are excellent, particularly Newman, who really found his stride, and Neal and Douglas who won Academy Awards. Moving, realistic, credible drama with tragic overtones – not typical of Hollywood fare in this period. The march of civilization progresses, and putting your face against it (Douglas) produces suffering and tragedy; it doesn’t help when Fate (foot and mouth disease) lends its weight to the downward spiral; and the tragedy is abetted by the errors of the principal (Douglas), who foolishly brought the infected cattle up from Mexico. Hud is a real heel who is so self-centered and alienated that he doesn’t care about anything (so says his father, who it appears had mistreated him when he was a kid and must bear some of the responsibility for how he turned out); he is “lonesome” (a McMurtry adjective?) and seeks out a form of companionship in the married women he visits when their husbands are gone. He covers all this up with an easy cynicism, "Kid, there's so much crap in the world that you're going to get into it sooner or later." His womanizing takes a violent turn when he tries to rape Neal in one of his drunken stupors, but she and DeWilde manage to beat him off. In the end, the father dies – more from a broken heart and hounding from his son than from any physical ailment --, Neal packs her bag and takes a bus to an uncertain future (should we have hope for her?), and DeWilde, drawing on his inherent decency to realize the heel that Newman is, packs his small bag, abandons his part of the ranch, and walks off to do his apprenticeship elsewhere. Wonderful ending – Newman is alone, walks back into the kitchen, gets a beer out of the fridge, walks back to the screen door, looks out somewhat thoughtfully, and then with a dismissive gesture of his hand (the body language equivalent of “fuck it!”) closes the door and walks back into the house, which is empty and will probably remain that way. He has learned nothing, and probably will never change. This movie shows that post-studio Hollywood can get it right when it tries.


The Hurt Locker 2009 Kathryn Bigelow 4.0 Brian Geraghty as Specialist Owen, the rifleman who is a bundle of nerves and convinced he will be killed; Anthony Mackie as Sgt. Sanborn, a cool professional who would like to get out of Iraq alive; Jeremy Renner as Sgt. William James, a bomb specialist who takes a boyish, visceral pleasure in defusing all varieties of IEDs. Ralph Fiennes and Guy Pearce have cameo roles. Incredibly tense, action-packed, and (hyper-) realistic picture of three soldiers in an Army unit in Iraq (filmed in Jordan) whose job is to defuse bombs in the streets of Bagdad. The film takes us through a number of crisis set pieces in which the three men – primarily James – have to defuse bombs in different situations – bombs hidden under the street, bombs packed into the trunk of an abandoned car, a despairing man with bombs locked around him in a vest – he wants to get out, etc. The performances are extraordinarily good, especially Renner, who shows us his fearlessness, his coolness under pressure (the firefight in the desert), his relaxed sense of humor, his compulsive fascination with the technical niceties of the bombs (he keeps a bunch of trophies – mostly little circuits and switches – under his bed), his fatalistic conviction that he will die when his time comes (but in the meantime I am having a lot of fun!), his tenderness for Owen when he is panicked, his tender regard for the little Iraqi boy that sells CDs and who might have been carved up by the terrorists to place a bomb inside of his body (grisly scene). The film does not directly consider the moral or political aspect of the war, but it focuses exclusively on the experience of the participants, as it takes us from one exciting drama to another pitting James and his supporting team against the Iraqi insurgents who often blend into the mass of bystanders and then push an ignition button on their cell phones or slink away down dusty, trash-covered back alleys. The war is depicted as having no particular direction – the men don’t have time to think why they are there or whether they are moving toward victory – just do your job immersed in the circumstances and hope that you will emerge intact. The film editing does not try to explain clearly the progress of the action; often we don’t know much about what is happening – Was the dead kid the same as the one who sold the CDs? Was that man really the one who planted the bomb? Usually we don’t find out and move on to the next episode. James’ men live for the day they will go home, but when James returns to his wife, he is bored and removed (buying cereal at the px, cleaning out the gutters of his house, slicing carrots for his wife), and the last scene has him walking down the ramp of a transport helicopter and being welcomed by his new platoon commander – like a bee drawn back to honey. The film is action-packed, very intense in its violence and emotions, and ultimately moving. One cannot avoid a feeling of admiration for the men who do this job.


I’m No Angel 1933 Wesley Ruggles (wr. Mae West) Paramount 3.0 Mae West as Tira, Cary Grant as very rich third boyfriend who decides to marry her, Gregory Ratoff as lovable lawyer, Edward Arnold as the circus impresario. West has good bluesy voice that she uses to good avail in several songs. Mae West as sexy circus performer on the make. Her walk – strutting, sashaying, swaying and bouncing in a parody of sexiness; pudgy and not young; relishes men including by innuendo their physical charms; a gold-digger sick of her jealous, low-life boyfriend; says her life is ruled by her horoscope which she is constantly consulting; loves the high life and lots of money; mumbles a fair amount, talks out of the side of her mouth, when she delivers lines. 2) “Am I making myself clear, boys? (Suckers)” 3) Fortune teller “I see a man in your life.” “What? Only one?” “I see a change of position.” “Sitting or reclining?” 4) “Don’t let one man worry your mind. Find ‘em, fool ‘em and forget ‘em.” “Don’t worry. I only want to feel his muscles.” Been married five times; “I suppose wedding bells sound like an alarm clock.” Believe in marriage? “Only as a last resort.” 7) Arnold, “Tira, I’ve changed my mind.” “Does the new one work any better?” 9) Now performing as lion tamer (whip and revolver); puts head in lion’s mouth. “When I was born with this face, it was the same as striking oil.” 10) “We really enjoyed your performance.” “Coming from a woman, that’s a real compliment.” 11) Refer to man’s cane, “You mean you planted that stick?” Man “I’m not half bad.” “If you’re half the man I think you are, you’ll do.” She strikes it rich with Lawrence. West laughs it up with four black women. Beulah, “I don’t see how any man can help loving you.” “They don’t need any help. They can do it themselves.” “I’m getting the impression that you is a one-man woman.” “Yeah, one man at a time.” West doesn’t get along with any woman except for her maids, who are constantly giggling with her. 12) After throwing rival out of her stunning Art Deco apartment, “Beulah. Peel me a grape!” 13) Old boyfriend has sworn to stop pick pocketing, “Do you want me to swear?” “Never mind, I can do that for myself.” 14) Grant shows up. “Do you mind if I get personal?” “Go right ahead. I don’t mind if you got familiar.” Grant says goodbye: “Goodbye. You’ve been wonderful.” She holds on to his hand, “You’ve been kind of wonderful yourself.” To Grant, who is of course extremely good-looking, “You have started a new train of thought in my mind. I’ll think it over and let you know what I decide.” “You fascinate me. You better go.” 15) Grant, “You were wonderful tonight.” “I’m always wonderful at night.” “I mean you were especially wonderful.” “When I’m good, I’m very good. When I’m bad, I’m better.” Grant, “If I could only trust you.” “Oh, you can, hundreds have.” Now, Clayton and Tira plan to get married! But enemies break it up, and Mae sues Grant for breach of promise (she seems to want him back?). She interrogates own witnesses at trial; after Grant concedes, reporter’s questions, “Why did you admit to knowing so many men in your life?” “It’s not the men in your life (that count), but the life in your men.” 24) Juror #4 contacts her after her victory: She, “I want to thank you for those beautiful flowers. They were lovely. And don’t forget, why don’t you come up and see me sometime.” She tears up Grant’s check. He “I’m glad it wasn’t the money you wanted.” “There are a lot of other things it takes to make a woman happy.” As they think about their honeymoon, she pauses. He “What are you thinking about?” She “The same thing you are.” Last remark is essential to West – she openly desires sex as much as any man. Film interesting exclusively for persona of West and her infamous wisecracks.


I am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang 1932 Mervyn Leroy (Warner Brothers) 4.0 Paul Muni as very intense James Allen, Hamilton Hale as his sanctimonious preacher brother, Edward Ellis as Bomber, his prison camp buddy who dies at the end, Glenda Farrell as the floozy who forces Allen to marry her, Helen Vinson as Helen, the good woman who cannot however save him from the clutches of the law. Classic and gripping masterpiece about Allen’s experiences in the chain gang of a Southern state (quite vague, though, which one – there are a few Southern accents, but some other locals have Northern accents), and his double escape; he makes good after the first one becoming a prosperous manager engineer for a construction company, but returns to obtain pardon, before being betrayed by the prison commission. Quite eloquent in condemnation of chain gang system – prisoners are overworked and always exhausted, guards are brutal and even sadistic, prisoners must wear chains at all time and be attached during sleep and transportation, food is disgusting, etc. Debate rages between Illinois (new home state) that marvels at the possibility of returning Muni to “medieval torture,” and the prison state that insists the system inculcates character. The state authorities were particularly dishonorable in reneging on their agreement to pardon Allen after his return. Supporting cast is excellent, especially Farrell who is entirely grasping and corrupt (sex, cigarettes, alcohol, running off for long periods of time, money hungry), but also cute with her slightly gaped teeth. Scenes mostly shot on sound stages, but film has gritty, veristic look. Both escape sequences are excellent – gripping and exciting: 1) Muni escaping from bloodhounds by hiding underwater and breathing through a reed, then stealing a man’s clothes off a clothesline and melting into the city; 2) chase down a dirt road in a dump truck and Muni blowing up a bridge before the lawmen in a convertible can cross it. Film shot in fairly matter-of-fact, economical way with directorial flourishes only occasionally – especially in the prostitute scene where Muni’s desire is eloquently depicted by cutting back and forth between his facial expressions and the woman’s body; also a sudden cut from condemning gavel pounding followed by the pounding of a chain gang hammer, and a shock edit from blow to face while black man was trying to loosen Muni’s leg irons. Although no nudity, Muni’s sexual interaction with women – the prostitute and Farrell – depicted quite directly. Last scene added at insistence of Zanuck – Muni on the lam calls out to Helen from shadows, skittish and scared, he runs when he hears a noise disappearing into the shadows; when Helen asks him “How do you live?” he responds “I steal!” The movie is very hard hitting with its critique of the prison system; it represents a critical attitude toward established institutions in the depths of the Great Depression.


I am a Sex Addict 2005 Caveh Zahedi 3.0 Caveh Zahedi playing himself with a lot of unknown actors and actresses, most of whom do a great job. A relatively interesting semi-documentary on a man confessing that he is a sex addict and then telling you his life story, until he finally goes to "Sex Addicts Anonymous" and is cured in a fairly moving sequence. He is not necessarily good at diagnosing himself – he says that he is a great romantic always looking for the love of his life, but diving into sex addiction because he can't find her; every time he screws up things with one of his long-term girlfriends or wives, he blames it on his unsatisfying relationship with the girl. He becomes obsessed with having sex with prostitutes, and throughout most of the movie he runs out on his girlfriends and has pitiful oral sex in cars with prostitutes, always asking first 'How much" in several languages and then perhaps yes, perhaps not, actually having a 15 minute buildup to orgasm with the prostitute in a car and screaming in silly fashion as he has his orgasm. On the one hand Caveh is endearing with his knee-jerk honesty with his girlfriends and his frankness and sincerity when he is talking to his audience on camera. On the other hand, his sexual addiction is repetitive and boring after a while – how many times do we have to listen to him wondering why his girlfriends are upset about his visiting prostitutes (when will he ever notice how self-indulgent and narcissistic he is?), and how many times do we have to watch him having his silly, meaningless orgasms, and since he is on camera virtually the whole movie, how much longer can we stand looking at his skinny neck and bulgy eyes? His film technique is refreshing: he appears as the filmmaker looking for actresses he can afford and upset that he was not able to go to Paris to film the scenes when he first encounters the (pretty) Parisian prostitute; and he also appears as the actor playing himself, usually staying inside his role as the long-suffering sex addict trying to maintain a stable relationship with one of his girlfriends or wives, but occasionally emerging to address the camera. His stepping outside the suspension of disbelief and reminding the viewer that this is just a movie that he is making is however effective, since the movie is after all about himself, and so the reference to the movie frame sharpens the focus on himself. The ending is fairly moving: against the wall of meaninglessness and misery, he goes to Sex Addicts Anonymous, and then at the end embarks on a new marriage in a scene in the church for the ceremony. Interesting and attention-getting, although tiresome in places.


I Confess 1953 Alfred Hitchcock 3.0 Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter, Karl Malden, Brian Aherne. Very serious, rather muddled Hitchcock 50s work. The only humorous moments are when a nerdy young priest in the rectory keeps allowing his bicycle to crash to the floor. For once, Hitch decided not to play it light: brooding shots of Quebec with Chateau Frontenac looming in background and dark clouds in the sky, dark shots at night (Clift in his cassock walking fast down the streets), rather dark expressive close-ups. Hitchcock thinks movie would have been better with a little humor; when treating a serious subject, he prefers to do it with some humor. Catholic Hitchcock focuses on the secret of the confessional: Clift cannot say anything to the police to clear himself from suspicion of murder of the evil lawyer that is blackmailing him for his semi-romance with Baxter; he seems quite existential with his suffering apparent on his face (but he remains so quiet that we don’t really get to know him well). Flashback, which fills in background of Clift’s and Baxter’s relationship, begins with hyper romantic descent of staircase to the accompaniment of sappy Tiomkin music with soprano voice; Hitchcock gives only Baxter’s romantic woman’s point of view without telling us why Clift decided to enter the priesthood after his service in the war. End of film is pretty inexplicable for most people: he is found not guilty (with prejudice), but he does nothing to stop the guilty man from killing his wife (Alma), and his actions in the hotel with the trapped Otto don’t make much sense; apparently Hitchcock originally wanted to have Clift die, but it was nixed by nervous, Catholic Joseph Breen. Baxter’s actions are somewhat of a stretch: she falls in love with Fr. Logan as a young man (before he becomes a priest), is caught between her strong (although unrequited) affection for Clift and her long-suffering husband through most of the movie; and then in the middle of the hotel crisis she suddenly tells her husband “Let’s go home” – she has decided that Clift’s superior sacerdotal vocation must be respected and she can settle for loyalty over real passion. Film would probably have worked better with a less glamorous actress. Best scene is breakfast scene in the beginning when three priests are carrying on an innocuous conversation at the table, but camera focuses on telling the story of Alma’s face as she serves the meal; she is concerned about the murder (which she has found out about from her husband) – wonderful editing. Movie is generally well acted with Clift carrying it on his shoulders; Dolly Hass as the conscience-stricken Alma, wife of the murderer (and really wife of the New Yorker’s Hirschfeld) is remarkable and moving, particularly while serving dinner and in her death scene. Lacks the humor and visual and narrative pizzazz of the better Hitchcock films. Movie relies to some extent on two “hang-ups”/fears – fear of the police (GSC has almost none), and an understanding of the sacredness of the confessional secret (many audiences would have little).


I Know Where I'm Going 1945 Michael Powell (Britain) 4.0 Wendy Hiller in immortal early role as determined, stubborn young woman determined to marry a wealthy industrialist who is renting a castle on the Island of Kiloran (fictitious name for Colonsay in the Inner Hebrides); Roger Livesey as good-looking laird of Kiloran, a naval officer who falls in love with Hiller and pursues her; Pamela Brown as force-of-life woman with wolfhounds who has apparently been a former lover of Livesey. Magical, mythic film about a stubborn, materialistic young woman (Hiller is irresistible), who however is seduced away by Livesey and the culture of rural Scotland. Film seems to be telling us to eschew the fast-paced, luxurious (swimming pool), and status-seeking life of the wealthy bourgeoisie and to embrace the quiet traditionalism of the Scottish Isles. Film spends a great deal of time on the landscape (ruined castles, bleak hills and the rugged coastline set against a stormy or broken sky), the weather (constant storms, high winds, mist, etc.), the charming musical accents, the piquant characters (the Colonel who is training an eagle to hunt like a falcon; the group of charming, good-humored, and colorful Scotsmen in the bus who are out to hunt the eagle whom they think is killing their sheep, the Pamela Brown character who storms into her house for the first time with flashing eyes and her wolfhounds bounding behind her, the quizzical, studious, bespectacled aristocratic girl played by Petula Clark), the culture (the kilts, the highland dancing, the pipers, etc.); and although we are conditioned to expect a powerful chemistry between the two principals to be the main influence, it is really Scotland that seduces and transforms Hiller. She resists mightily since she has always known her mind since she was a child (i.e., she is stubborn), and she has bought into the upper class lifestyle that her new husband is to provide her (since the action of the film takes place during the war (1944), the future husband is probably a war profiteer). The most dramatic example of her resistance is hiring a local boy to take them to Kiloran when the weather is threatening; a young woman who is afraid to lose her fiancé confronts Hiller, who however forges ahead like a bull, taking three people in the boat almost to their death in the celebrated crossing sequence (filmed mostly in a tank in the London studio) where they are nearly sucked into the mythic whirlpool next to Mull. The pure and devoted love of the young Scottish couple contrasts with the materialistic motivations of Hiller and her willingness to endanger people's lives to satisfy herself. Hiller is finally turned around by the experience of the boat trip. Livesey has to work out his own issues; and he overcomes his own fears about commitment by his visit to castle at the end when he realizes that he is free to reach out to Hiller. The ending is charming: Livesey reads the "curse" on the battlements of the castle, but it turns out that the curse outcome will be that the MacLean who enters the castle will spend the rest of his life as a "slave" to a woman (i.e., married); and then from the battlement he hears the pipers' tune, and he looks down to see Hiller walking tamely behind the three pipers toward the castle; she has accepted her conversion to Scotland and her laird. The two embrace, and for the second time the sweet soprano version of the Scottish ditty "I know where I'm going/ And I know who is going with me./ You're the one I love,/ And it's you I want to marry." (The first time had been in the train on the way to Scotland, when the song had been accompanied by the rhythm of the train's wheels.) Perhaps because of its romantic landscapes, its charming characters, its cult of Scottish culture, and its atmosphere of enchantment, the film has a powerful resonance; its strongly mythic character takes the viewer back to better days, whether it be personally in the womb or childhood, or whether in the history of the human species sometime before the founding of civilization.