Romance Archives - Page 2 of 8

Somewhere in the Middle (2015)

This film is streaming now on Netflix. Why do lovers do what they do? What if you knew what happened ten minutes before a breakup, what would you do differently? The viewer gets that opportunity in several situations in this film and that makes it a compelling, alluring comedy, romance, drama. By splicing in what happened before and a little after scenes, we see the situations twice and we have more insight into the relationships on-screen.

Somewhere in the Middle

“Four lovers find themselves caught in a tangle of intersecting relationships in this engaging, New York-set…” -IMDB

Cast

David Craig Diaz Worker #1
Johanna Finn Worker #2
Cassandra Freeman Billie
Dennis Rubin Green Nelson

Directed by

Lanre Olabisi

Written by

Lanre Olabisi

Other Info

Comedy, Drama, Romance

2015
90min
IMDB Rating: 8.4

The director, Lanre Olabisi, is not clearly known by name but he does a great job in this independent drama. It’s a delight to find relationship films that really work like this that are in the independent realm. I hope to see more from him.
Charles Miller is the strongest actor in the film. There are also some honorable mentions in the talents of Cassandra Freeman and Marisol Miranda.
In the story, Sofia is a relationship addict and is seeing a therapist in his home office. On her first visit she meets someone in the home who she is not clear the identity of. The brother of the therapist is having troubles with his marriage and appears to be the stalker sort. As more is revealed, initial scenes reveal a truth “somewhere in the middle” about these characters. It’s true to life because sometimes when we know more of the whole story, we realize first impressions are not always the truth.

I liked the characters and the story was well written. Some of the sex scenes are a little brazen and therefore unbelievable but for the most parts, I felt the characters could be real people. I identified with some of the significant parts because they were true to life.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This film is streaming now on Netflix. It’s a gem in the romantic drama genre. If you’re looking for a film to talk about with your wife/husband/spouse, this is a good one for that. It is an independent small budget film with no movie stars but the performances are solid along with the writing (also written by the director). For fans of the genre(s), though there isn’t much comedy here, I recommend this film.

7/10

Sleepwalk With Me

This started out a pretty great movie. It’s as if they lost steam in the writing and acting 3/4 of the way through. Still, it stands up as a decent drama/romance flick. The comedy is sorely lacking. I really felt for the main character’s girlfriend. I was shocked she stayed with him for 8 years in the story.

Title: Sleepwalk With Me
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Bio
MPAA Rating: R
Year: 2012
Director: Oren Moverman. Known for The Messenger (2009), I’m Not There. (2007) and Love & Mercy (2014).
Top Billed Cast: Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose
Brief Synopsis: A wannabe stand up comic has to decide if he’s going to marry his girlfriend of 8 years. A running theme throughout is Mike’s sleepwalking diagnosis.
My Word to the Wise: This started out a pretty great movie. It’s as if they lost steam in the writing and acting 3/4 of the way through. Still, it stands up as a decent drama/romance flick. The comedy is sorely lacking. I really felt for the main character’s girlfriend. I was shocked she stayed with him for 8 years in the story.

He’s a deadbeat, marginally funny, stand up comedian. I don’t think any woman would wait that long to be married. I won’t offer any spoilers. It holds your attention and raises questions about relationships. Sleepwalking, I’m afraid, is just not all that interesting. The over reliance on that as a theme made it lose a star. Other than that, the jokes weren’t very funny so that subtracted another. It’s decent though, worth watching. Not a must see though.

Between Us (2016)

Streaming now on Netflix! This is an independent film that tries to show the reality of fights in a couple that probably shouldn’t be together but stay that way out of comfort. It shows we can get comfortable in familiar torture.

Between Us

“Thirlby and Feldman play a couple confronted by the fear that settling down and getting married means…” -IMDB

Cast

Alison Sudol Nadia
Analeigh Tipton Veronica
Olivia Thirlby Dianne
Lesley Ann Warren Elsa

Directed by

Rafael Palacio Illingworth

Written by

Rafael Palacio Illingworth

Other Info

Comedy, Drama, Romance

2016
100min
IMDB Rating: 5.6

Director, Rafael Palacio Illingworth, has directed 3 films as near as I can tell. Another film of his, “Macho,” is described as having a lot of sex scenes in between titles. He seems comfortable shooting sex scenes, there are many in this film as well. Mayeb it was just me but it seems these were forced and served to show how the lovers were incompatible.

The actors include Alison Sudol, Analeigh Tipton, Olivia Thirlby They all do a pretty good job but in my opinion the script isn’t realistic and that takes away from their impact.

A man and a woman feel pressured to get married so they begin to question why they are together.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This film is not very well made. Still, it does fit into the “chick flick” category. There is a coupe and they fight, a lot. They explore things and it’s a great film to discuss at Starbucks later. Expect little and be impressed as well as entertained. Please leave me a comment! This title is streaming now on Netflix!

8/10

‘The Planet of the Apes’ (1968)

‘The Planet of the Apes’ (1968)

Cast

Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter

Directed by

Franklin J. Schaffner

Written by

Michael Wilson (screenplay), Rod Serling (screenplay)

Other Info

Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi
Rated G
1h 52min

Writing this review now in 2016, I was shocked to find this film had a G rating. As a kid growing up 0-10 in the 70’s, I remember certain images from this film that used to creep me out. Plus, it’s so rare that you find a G rated sci fi nowadays. I didn’t understand it in those years but when I hit my twenties, this was one of those films my scooter buddies and I would rent along with other classics like The Godfather and Blade Runner to just trip out on and talk about. It’s of course a timeless classic now and there has been a resurgence of the franchise with a whole new set of CGI movies that are surprisingly good in a different way.

The concept of the franchise is pretty simple: Apes have evolved above man and use him as their slave. In the 60’s the evolution arguments were rampant of church and university grounds so this fit right in with that. Actually seeing these apes likely had a polarizing impact on the religious folk who saw man as greater tha ape. At the same time, I think it infused strength to the argument that man was just another animal and we shouldn’t rule over animals in the sometimes harmful ways that we do. BUt that is just the “ape level.” There is much here about science and faith. In the original film, there is talk of “scrolls” and “heresy” by the humans and apes who help them. f you know Christian subculture or have observed it, these references are accurate and quite funny.

I love the prosthetic masks in the movie. They look camp at first but you really get used to them after a while because the costumes and backgrounds are so masterfully crafted. It reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode for good reason: Rod Serling, creator of the Twilight Zone, co-wrote the screenplay. This movie is something to look at. Most the outdoor footage was filmed at Lake Powell. It resembles Mars or some other uninhabited planet. In this film, a crew was sent into the future but something went wrong. As a result, they have to try to survive and escape from a civilization of apes that speak and are much like intelligent humans.

While there among the apes, they see the effects of man’s greed and imperfections. The apes have an opportunity to see themselves as well but they are not as interested. There is a bit of a “not-friendly” history in the scrolls and therefore humans are not to be listened to.

Charlton Heston plays the lead human, George Taylor, and he is so much fun to watch. He has interaction with a slave who cannot speak and there is some chemistry there but hardly enough to call the story a romance, as IMDB does. Roddy McDowell plays Cornelius, the scientist ape that buys in to the intelligence of humans. His partner Zira, played by Kim Hunter, is devoted to humans as much as she can be in her society. It was sort of like a Jane Goodall and the chimps kind of thing. At the end Taylor asks her for a kiss and she says shyly, “But you’re so ugly.” That is a fun scene because it’s an opposite scene. If you recall the Twilight Zone episode when the woman is in face bandages the whole episode and at the end you find out they are trying to make her ugly, she is actually beautiful. It is in the eye of the beholder. Serling loves taking structures apart and letting the audience put them back together, or not. Planet of the apes is one of the most classic examples of his style in doing that. We may not question our own systems but if we see an ape and an actor talking, maybe we cab deconstruct theirs and return smarter, changed for the better. Most of all, this movie is for the open-minded or those who are open to becoming more open-minded. *raises hand*

Speaking of being open-minded, the stunts in this film are about as real as an outdoor rodeo during the clown show. When Taylor gets sprayed with a firehose, you see every sinew in his neck flexed. I love his over acting. The movie is meant to be serious sci-fi but watching some of these stunts makes you think of the comedy of later decades like Airplane or Scary Movie. Other props and effect in the film are almost comical in their representation of seriousness. There is a cadaver in the space pod that looks just like Norman Bates’ dear fake looking mummified mother in Psycho. My point is not to jeer or belittle these poor effects but rather to praise a film that evokes such a powerful response from so many people worldwide in spite of these simple stunts and props. Once again it is proof that directors don’t need a palette of CGI to make a film popular with audiences. This film evokes a response and takes itself seriously. If you have a good story, this film proves that is just about all you need to make a hit.

In conclusion, I had a lot of fun going to see this film recently in the theaters through Fathom events’ TCM series. I was just as entertained as I have been with any recent films I really liked. I know almost every director out there has seen this film but I hope they can start to follow its movie making wisdom more closely. We need less CGI (done badly, I don’t mind it when it’s done well) and more good story surrounded by people with passion and the desire to evoke an audience response.

Marjorie Prime

Is what you see what you get? Marjorie is in dementia stages of her life and her family allows her a robotic hologram in the shape of her deceased husband, in his younger years. Is this good therapy or just a good babysitter? Moreover, will it bring her the comfort they want it to?

Marjorie Prime (2017)
1h 39min | Drama, Mystery, Romance | 19 October 2017 (South Korea)

A service that provides holographic recreations of deceased loved ones allows a woman to come face-to-face with the younger version of her late husband.
Director: Michael Almereyda
Writers: Michael Almereyda (written for the screen by), Jordan Harrison (based on the play by)
Stars: Stephanie Andujar, Hana Colley, Geena Davis

The director, Michael Almereyda, went to Harvard. Besides that, he made a film adaptation of Hamlet (2000). It was shot on Super 16mm and featured Ethan Hawke, Bill Murray, Kyle MacLachlan, Julia Stiles, Liev Schreiber and Sam Shepard. The adaptation layered a contemporary New York setting on Shakespeare’s text. Almereyda has won several persitigious awards: Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US & Canada, National Society of Film Critics Special Citation. Though most his films haven’t been popular hits, he has a respectable knowledge of his craft.

Geena Davis and Jon Hamm give standout performances. We learn things are one way at the beginning, and believe it and then as the film develops, new realities surface. There are statements here about dementia and memory. Furthermore, there is some about suicide. It’s an excellent film for thinking about these things. Definitely a sci-fi film more than a drama. To understand the message, it helps to see the sci-fi side of it. It’s a slow burn and that may turn off some viewers. I give it a 6/10.

Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001) – When enemies find sex appeal through hypnotism it’s quite funny

Woody Allen writes his scripts on an old fashioned typewriter. He thinks in analog patterns in linear ways we don’t choose to use these days. Maybe that’s why this film is so effectively funny to me, it’s a change of pace that works. His romantic tension with Helen Hunt is highly enjoyable and the plot he has written for this film keeps you guessing like the best Columbo mysteries.
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion

“An insurance investigator and an efficency expert who hate each other are both hypnotized by a crooked hypnotist with a jade scorpion into stealing jewels.” -IMDB

Cast

Greg Stebner Cop (uncredited)
Woody Allen CW Briggs
John Tormey Sam
John Schuck Mize

Directed by

Woody Allen

Written by

Woody Allen

Other Info

Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Romance
PG-13
Fri 24 Aug 2001 UTC
103min
IMDB Rating: 6.8

In this film, a gumshoe insurance inspector gets into a match of wits with femal who’s been hired to “clean things up.” The idea is that she wants Woody’s character out. Helen Hunt plays this role deftly and the only way it can work with their age difference is through hypnotism. No, I’m not exaggerating, this film has a crux of hypnotism that keeps the plot flowing.

A hypnotist convinces these arch enemies they love each other and it makes for some really great romantic comedy. Even if you don’t like Woody Allen, you’ll be busting up laughing at these hypnotized lovers. The gags in this film are very well executed.

FINAL THOUGHTS
I’ve seen this period movie probably 10 times. It has the appeal of a noir detective movie but maintains that subdued humor of the director. For fans of Woody Allen as well as goofy, quirky romantic comedies, I highly recommend it.

Phantom Thread

The presenting room is full of women in white nurse-like dresses holding pins and needles with measuring tape. Like in a hospital they are waiting fearfully for the designer to enter the room. That designer is Reynolds Woodcock, the year is 1950 in London. He is the surgeon, they only wait on him to perform their secondary duties. Though he is renowned, perhaps Mr. Woodcock is a bit too fastidious for this earth, for his own sanity.

Phantom Thread (2017)
R | 2h 10min | Drama, Romance | 19 January 2018 (USA)

Set in 1950’s London, Reynolds Woodcock is a renowned dressmaker whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson
Stars: Vicky Krieps, Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville

Paul Thomas Anderson showed us with “The Master” and “Inherent Vice” that he was a strident, intense filmmaker who has a vision for the story. “Phantom Thread” keeps with that showing us the mind of a celebrated dressmaker is is probably mildly mentally ill. We are shown right away he is not a sprightly aged man. We are shown soon after he must have thigs his way. One example is how he only likes asparagus prepared with oil, not butter.

The film is lovely yet dismal throughout, like a sweet and sour sucker. To be married to him you must be at his whim and understand his moods. It hardly seems worth it and yet his child-bride played by Vicky Krieps but she accepts the calling. The two have romantic and tense fighting times, sometimes with words, others in silence. Incidentally these times are the best for learning out who this couple is as individuals.

Ultimately, the music and gifted performances in this film are why it has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. It’s not a hip or “chic” topic and I feel many people will be turned off by the slow cadence of it all. It’s a film that draws you in though, gives you an experience and then lets you draw your own conclusions. It is elegant but some may find it doesn’t have enough of a point (no pun intended). I give this film an 8/10.

Days of Heaven (1978)

Your eyes… Your ears… Your senses… will be overwhelmed. In 1910, a Chicago steel worker accidentally kills his supervisor and flees to the Texas panhandle with his girlfriend and little sister to work harvesting wheat in the fields of a stoic farmer. Listen to me act out my review below 🙂 OR just continue reading below that.

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A love triangle, a swarm of locusts, a hellish fire—Malick captures it all with dreamlike authenticity, creating at once a timeless American idyll and a gritty evocation of turn-of-the-century labor.

Days of Heaven (1978)
PG | 1h 34min | Drama, Romance | 6 October 1978 (USA)

A hot-tempered farm laborer convinces the woman he loves to marry their rich but dying boss so that they can have a claim to his fortune.
Director: Terrence Malick
Writer: Terrence Malick
Stars: Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard

This is a nice little story with spectacular cinematography. It’s a piece of American art in cinema that stays with you after the closing credits have run. There is a little here about a lot of things: liberty, justice, wealth, poverty, and the American way to happiness. This has been called the best reviewed film in history. Will I be in that camp? Wait and see. Let me tell you a bit about this director: Terrence Malick. This director is one of the most interesting ones I’ve yet to learn about. He found his way after 18 by attending Harvard. That’s not your average college folks. To get his undergrad degree he must have shown discipline and fortitude. After that as time neared the 1970’s he decided to make short films and eventually graduated from a film school. Now, Harvard and film school don’r automatically make a great director but in this case, they did. He directed “Badlands” with Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek. Like “Days of Heaven” this film deals with the gatekeepers that prevent certain people from achieving the American Dream. It also deals with infatuation, evil, drive, manipulation, and murder. But we’ll save “Badlands” for another day.

Now, let’s take a look at a few of the actors and the characters they play. Richard Gere plays Bill. He’s the one you have to hake up your mind whether he’s a criminal, evil, or just a desperate man trying to survive. Shoveling coal, he gets in an argument with his boss and accidentally kills him. After that he takes his girlfriend and girlfriend’s sister on the run for he knows he will be executed if caught.

In the new town, we see more of Abby, played by Brooke Adams. Incidentally, it was really educational for me as a reviewer to see her in this film. I knew her face so well from many films but did not realize just HOW many. The long list includes Monk (tv), Man on Fire, and may more. She does a great job with a complex character. She has to fake love a landowner she knows is dying in order to get inheritance for her boyfriend (Gere), and sister. It’s a mess and it only gets worse. Still, it raises so many questions about what is fair when people are so low they can never be rich.

Sam Shepard, may his poetic soul RIP, plays the landowner. I think you will agree that just these three actors with a good story and amazing cinematography will be worth the watching. It is. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and recommend it to you with a 9/10 score.

Spellbound

Simple, intentional images and unraveling mysteries make Hitchcock unique. This 1945 thriller is replete with examples.

Spellbound

“A psychiatrist protects the identity of an amnesia patient accused of murder while attempting to recover his memory.” -IMDB

Cast

[imdb:cast] or Ingrid Bergman Dr. Constance Petersen
Gregory Peck John Ballantyne
Michael Chekhov Dr. Alexander Brulov
Leo G. Carroll Dr. Murchison

Directed by

Alfred Hitchcock

Written by

Ben Hecht, Frances Beeding

Other Info

Film-Noir, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Unrated
Fri 28 Dec 1945 UTC
111min
IMDB Rating: 7.6

John Ballantyne (Gregory Peck) is a renowned psychiatrist with a bestselling book under his belt. When he comes to a ward to work with patients, fellow psychiatrist Dr. Constance Petersen is smitten immediately. She is the school marm type but when John enters the ward, she starts to seek a relationship with him. There is a long set of situations and clues that takes place in this long 2 hour film. It’s nearly impossible to see the forest for the trees but no more difficult than any other mystery motion picture.

As it turns out, there is a murder and a lot of unanswered questions. Is it the new doctor or the old? Dr. Peterson risks a lot to attempt to assist John. It is a room full of mirrors and we are certainly led to many cliffs, hanging by a thread. The end is indeed well-played and fans of mysteries will certainly enjoy it. I would caution the viewer however that it is a 1945 production and I think audiences had far more patience than they do now … it drags a bit here and there. Having said that, it’s directed by Hitchcock, the creator of Psycho and in similar ways worth seeing.

Scoll down for the original trailer.

The Shape of Water

I had a hard time buying the romance between Sally Hawkins’ character and the water creature. After a while, though, I was surprised when it sunk in. Although it’s odd, the romance stuff does work.

The Shape of Water (2017)
R | 2h 3min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy | 22 December 2017 (USA)

At a top secret research facility in the 1950s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writers: Guillermo del Toro (screenplay by), Vanessa Taylor (screenplay by) | 1 more credit »
Stars: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon

The creative sets are deftly made. I was not disappointed with the world put together by Guillermo del Toro. “Pan’s Labyrinth” was where I first saw into his creative genius. In writing, producing, and directing this, he has treated the audience to another world. In a sense he is saying: “I’ve had time to think of this, come on in!”

The creature is great. His gills slowly fan out like the infamous “Creature from the Black Lagoon.” His eyes look very animal like in a natural sense. I like Michael Shannon’s character for his scariness. You know from the get go he is not there to respect the creature, it seems he wants to destroy it. This is especially evident when the creature bites 2 fingers off. This is one to see in a relaxed frame of mind, expecting little other than fantasic movie art. Is that enough? Maybe not for me really. Still, it’s something worth seeing. Make up your own mind. 6.5/10