Synopsis:
Alice's husband dies and she finds herself a single mother without an income. Having given up a singing career when she got married she hopes to return to that, but to do so she has to travel back to the city she last worked in. Along the way she takes a number of jobs and soon finds that sometimes when you go after your dreams you realize that your happy where you are.
Review:
I really liked this movie...until the end. Basically it's a "day-in-the-life-of" movie. Normally I don't care for those sort of movies, but I liked this one. I was a bit disappointed with the ending because it just sort of ends and leaves you with questions, but I guess that's where the series "Alice" picks up at. I don't know if the series was known about when this was made (I highly doubt it), but I remember watching the series. I may have even seen every episode, but I don't remember because it was a long time ago. Although the series was more of a sit-com and this was more of a drama with comedy thrown in there, it doesn't surprise me that I liked it.
Ellen Burstyn plays Alice in this. The only other thing I know her in is The Exorcist (my favorite movie). I think the job she did in this was great. The way she and Alfred Lutter III, who plays her son, play off of each other is really great. They have a great chemistry together. And Diane Ladd as the tough talking, sometimes vulgar Flo is awsome. Oh yeah, and Kris Kristofferson and Harvey Keitel were in this also.
All in all it was a well written, well directed (Martin Scorsese) well funded, well acted movie.
Kid safe: Hmm...there is some colorful language and some scenes where people are fighting and throwing things in anger, but no nudity or gore. I wouldn't let my 12 year old watch it, but she could still probably talk me into it if she really wanted to see it.
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071115/
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Knights of the Round Table
Synopsis:
It's King Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot. Y'all!
Review:
Ok, so I'm probably biased on this one. As a matter of fact, I know I am, so bare with me while I rip this apart.
Let me start by saying that this movie as a whole wasn't that bad. It's worth a view if you like old fantasy films. The acting was well done. I can't dispute that. Robert Taylor as Lancelot and Ava Gardner as Guinevere are great in their respective roles. And for their time, the sets, costumes and musical score are well done also.
However...
I am a bit of an Avalon buff. While there are a number of different takes as far as the folklore is concerned, there are certain consistencies in every version that were not followed here. Arthur Pendragon was never depicted as a blond. That was Guinevere. Morgan Le Fey was his sister (half-sister) not a member of the court, but you always knew there was a biological connection because of the black hair. A trait that was passed on to his illegitimate son, Modred, who is not his son in this movie. Which is a shame because in all accounts that is a big part of the death of Arthur because it is his own son who betrays and murders him. Modred still murders him in this, but not as his son. On top of it there are like 30 Knights of the Round Table instead of the 12 there are supposed to be.
There were more inconsistencies and I could go on, but it would just bother me more than it already does. Needless to say, if you are a fan of the folklore and fictions about Arthur and the Knights, this is very distracting and makes you want to throw things at the screen because there is an inconsistency about every 10 minuets. But for those points that seem to change depending on who is telling the story, they did a good job making them their own. I'm talking about things like Lancelot's marriage to the Lady Elaine, the sword in the stone or Merlin's role in all of this.
Over all, as I said, it's not a badly done movie.. They just needed to hire writers who did better research. I would suggest watching this, but only once. And only to enjoy the costumes and acting.
Kid safe: Yes.
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045966/
It's King Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot. Y'all!
Review:
Ok, so I'm probably biased on this one. As a matter of fact, I know I am, so bare with me while I rip this apart.
Let me start by saying that this movie as a whole wasn't that bad. It's worth a view if you like old fantasy films. The acting was well done. I can't dispute that. Robert Taylor as Lancelot and Ava Gardner as Guinevere are great in their respective roles. And for their time, the sets, costumes and musical score are well done also.
However...
I am a bit of an Avalon buff. While there are a number of different takes as far as the folklore is concerned, there are certain consistencies in every version that were not followed here. Arthur Pendragon was never depicted as a blond. That was Guinevere. Morgan Le Fey was his sister (half-sister) not a member of the court, but you always knew there was a biological connection because of the black hair. A trait that was passed on to his illegitimate son, Modred, who is not his son in this movie. Which is a shame because in all accounts that is a big part of the death of Arthur because it is his own son who betrays and murders him. Modred still murders him in this, but not as his son. On top of it there are like 30 Knights of the Round Table instead of the 12 there are supposed to be.
There were more inconsistencies and I could go on, but it would just bother me more than it already does. Needless to say, if you are a fan of the folklore and fictions about Arthur and the Knights, this is very distracting and makes you want to throw things at the screen because there is an inconsistency about every 10 minuets. But for those points that seem to change depending on who is telling the story, they did a good job making them their own. I'm talking about things like Lancelot's marriage to the Lady Elaine, the sword in the stone or Merlin's role in all of this.
Over all, as I said, it's not a badly done movie.. They just needed to hire writers who did better research. I would suggest watching this, but only once. And only to enjoy the costumes and acting.
Kid safe: Yes.
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045966/
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