Moonage Daydream-2022
'Time may change me...but I can't trace time'
Would say it's excellent viewing for any Bowie fan. It's like a visual autobiography with David expressing his thoughts on many subjects. He came across as a self motivating, articulate and brilliant artist, someone often seeking new challenges. Footage of a lot of his songs that I didn't know as well as some of the classics. Believe I need to watch this several times to fully appreciate. Well done.
The Quiet American-2003
A rarity for me, finding a remake that far exceeds the original. Set in Saigon 1952, a British journalist, Fowler (Michael Caine) is covering the shifting winds for control of the country which seeks independance from France. He lives with a beautiful young Vietnamese girl, Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen). Pyle (Brendan Fraser) is an American whose reason for being in the country is revealed later on. He becomes friends with Fowler and is smitten when he meets Phuong. The film is based on Graham Greene's best selling book which I read is somewhat autobiographical. Some fine location cinematography. Very good film, I learned some Vietnamese history in the process.
I had seen the 1958 film of the same name with Audie Murphy, which I did rewatch. It strays far from Graham Greene's book, has an Italian girl playing the Vietnamese female lead and I found the film too long. There was some location shooting and I was engaged earlier on in the story, but I had completely forgotten that I had seen it only a few years ago.
Bunny Lake is Missing-1965
A parent's nightmare, a child goes missing. The mother (Carol Lynley) has taken her four-year old daughter Bunny to her first day at school and left her in the well named First Day room. She has just moved in London with Steven (Keir Dullea) and has to meet the movers. When she returns later to pick her up, Bunny is nowhere to be found. This is a much more complex story then a missing child and stretches credibility. Otto Preminger spent several years with some of the best screenwriters before he read one draft that he would make into this film. It's beautifully photographed in black and white, which was probably by choice since Otto had made several colour films prior. Strong supporting cast of eccentric characters including Noel Coward, Martita Hunt, Finlay Currie (Great Expectations) and Laurence Olivier as the detective. The last few scenes are told much through facial expressions. It's a mystery thriller that kept my interest, well-acted for the most part, the believability of the revelation though takes some of the shine off the film.
Simple Men-1992
Two very different brothers, Bill (Robert John Burke) who is on the run from the law and Dennis (Bill Sage) a college student, want to find their father who is still wanted himself for a 1960's protest bombing. Bill joins Dennis on the road to try to find dear old Dad. It's a serious story line, yet there is comedy throughout. There is a bizarre dance scene mixed in which has little do with the plot but it is fun. Hal Hartley has made some of my favorite original, out of the box films (i.e.
Trust and
The Unbelievable Truth). This is another film which is similar in style in dialogue and dueling delivery to his prior films. An out of the ordinary tale.
The Straight Story-1999
73-year-old Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) learns that his brother has had a stroke. The two brothers have been estranged for several years but Alvin wants to visit him. It's around 200 miles away and Alvin can't drive a car anymore, he is determined though to find a way. I enjoy road trip films; the camera tells a lot of the story. Richard Farnsworth is great, always find him to be such a likable dude. A different film for David Lynch, based on a true story, a scenic old favorite,
