"Tom Jones" was awarded the "Best Picture" statuette at the 1964 Academy Awards. I guess the film hasn't aged well, because I just watched it in the year 2010 and thought it was rubbish. There are a few chuckles here and there, but nothing especially winning or praiseworthy. I am of the opinion that a "great" film should continue to be great 10, 20, 50 years after its release. Unfortunately, I didn't see the merit of "Tom Jones". The cast was annoying and it mostly felt like a waste of time.
It's always fascinating to witness a box office powerhouse like Ben Stiller stepping away from the glare of big-budget Hollywood productions to play more understated, quirky characters. Stiller portrays the title character in "Greenberg" with awkward grace. What this film delivers: realistic characters in situations that feel true and a fascinating meditation on the process of aging. "Greenberg" left its mark on me; I found myself harkening back to snatches of the film's dialogue long after my viewing. It's not a film for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The first 45 minutes or so are a lot of fun, but then "Date Night" sags disappointingly. One would think that talents like Carell and Fey could salvage any material via their winning chemistry, but even they can't work miracles here. Disappointing really, because the premise of the film is very promising. But proceedings "jump the shark" definitively when we viewers are subjected to a bizarre car chase scene that severely strains believability. "Date Night" turns out be mindless fluff and unfortunately does not deliver on its early promise.
In the second episode of Highbrow! Lowbrow, we continue our journey of reviewing the Academy Award Best Picture Winner and the top box earner of the same year. This time around we're hitting up the films from 1963 as we look at "Tom Jones" (Academy Award Best Picture Winner) and "Cleopatra" (top box office).
Tom Jones, directed by Tony Richardson and based on the novel by Henry Fielding, tells the story of buffoon and womanizer Tom Jones as he stumbles through the English class system for his lady love Sophie. With Albert Finney playing the titular role and also starring Susannah York and Hugh Griffith, this movie is a frantic, distinctly British film that features several innovations for its time. While there were occasional chuckles throughout the film, it was difficult to relate to the bawdy Tom Jones in his struggles against a stiff upper-crust society.
Cleopatra, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, is the epic 4 hour story of Cleopatra of Egypt's triumphs and tragedies. Starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison and Richard Burton, this film is known for being both the top box office earner and a bomb at the same time due to its tremendous cost. Even though we appreciate the gargantuan effort, time and money given to execute this film, it culminated in an ultimately overblown extravaganza.
Comparing these two films, which one maintained our interest more? The epic grandeur of Cleopatra or the zany madness of Tom Jones? Tune in to the latest episode of Highbrow! Lowbrow? to find out.
It can verge on overly melodramatic at times, but the outstanding acting performances in Ordinary People elevate the film. Each member of the cast is outstanding, particularly Timothy Hutton, playing a depressive, anxiety-shredded teenager. Also, this is Robert Redford's directorial debut, for which he won the Best Picture and Best Director Academy Awards. An outstanding piece of cinema.
Internet fan boy prayers are answered! Here is the best approximation possible - 30 years later - of the way ousted "Superman II" director Richard Donner would have cut the film. Other than a disorienting and rough initial 10 minutes, the work hangs together very well indeed. The "Superman" movie series originated Hollywood's current obsession with comic book characters. Its influence is obvious. There are so many great scenes and also Christopher Reeve is at his chiseled best. Awesome!
Our first official episode of Highbrow! Lowbrow? where Jesse and Sean review the Academy Award Best Picture Winner and the top box office earner of the same year. For Episode 1 we travel back to the year 1980 with the films "Ordinary People" (Academy Award Best Picture winner) and "The Empire Strikes Back" (top box office).
Ordinary People, directed by Robert Redford and based on a novel by Judith Guest, is a story about a seemingly ordinary family that is slowly crumbling apart after the death of an older son. Starring Timothy Hutton, Mary Tyler Moore, Donald Sutherland and a little help from Judd Hirsch, this movie examines the themes of depression, family relationships and guilt. Despite going into watching this with some trepidation, we were pleasantly surprised by how much the film drew us in.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, directed by Irvin Kershner and story by George Lucas, is the famous story of Luke Skywalker and his rebel friends evading the grasp of evil Darth Vader's relentless pursuit. Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fischer, Billy Dee Williams and the voice of James Earl Jones, Star Wars Episode V takes the characters into darker places than any other installment of the series. With fond nostalgia, we thought watching this would be our treat, but after repeated viewings, even this classic can get a little tired.
So, what movie did we end up siding with? The drama that we both wrote off or the classic we once loved? Tune in to find out.
In this episode, we do a test run of our podcast where we discuss film. Juxtaposing 2 films each episode, we plan to compare the academy award winner with the biggest box office film of the same year. For this trial run, we went in a little bit of a different direction reviewing an American film against a foreign film.
Mother, directed by Bong Joon Ho and starring Hye-ja Kim and Yoon Do-Joon, is about a mother searching for the killer who framed her son and the lengths she'll go to, to protect him. We both enjoyed this film and found the various plot twists really explored what these characters meant to each other.
The Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, directed by Michel Gondry and starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, explores Joel Barrish's mind as he tries to erase heartbreak and love from his memory. This movie is beloved by both of us, using a tapestry of special effects and an honest portrayal of romance to examine the depths of a relationship.
So what film won over our hearts more? The edgy foreign crime thriller or the artistic honest love story. . Tune in and listen to find out. Or don't, cause this was just a test.
