Tcm mark 2

[Johann]

TOM JONES (1963)



This was a revelation, however if I had never seen BARRY LYNDON I'm not sure I would like it as much as I did. This was nominated for ten Oscars and won four, including best director and best picture.
Handsome Albert Finney plays Tom, a bastard child who has many adventures.
This movie is a rollicking, rowdy ride that employs cool camera techniques, such as the rotating and locking of the camera on actors' faces, as seen in FULL METAL JACKET.
Stanley Kubrick clearly drew inspiration from Tom Jones for his 1700's film Barry Lyndon.
The costumes! The hairstyles and headwear! Even card games, a duel and cleavage- all stolen. lol
Reccomended, but it may be an acquired taste- the humour flew over my head a lot of the time.

[Chris Knipp]

I saw it when I was a graduate student of 18th-c English lit. It was wonderful. And then Tony Richardson went on to make THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER. That was a great time for English film.

[Johann]

The editing should be singled out- rapid and always presenting a new perspective.
Fun movie.
I recognized a Kubrick alum too- the Soviet Ambassador from Dr. Strangelove, Peter Bull.

[Johann]

CASABLANCA (1942)


This month is all about the Oscars at TCM, and Casablanca won best picture and best director.
This is one of the most famous films of all-time and was selected for preservation.
It's the story of Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund during WW2.
Rick ends up with valuable "letters of transit", and must decide between helping a woman he loves or her husband. It all builds up to one of the greatest endings in movie history.
If you haven't seen Casablanca then it's a crime.
Beautiful performances from Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains.

[Johann]

THE DIVORCEE (1930)


Directed by Robert Z. Leonard, this was an interesting look at relationships in the early 30's.
It was under scrutiny due to the subject matter: marriage in those days was sacred. Divorce was seriously frowned upon.
Starring Irving Thalberg's wife Norma Shearer (who won the best actress Oscar for this film), this was an exercise in infidelity and it's consequences.
Jerry (Shearer) married Ted and she catches him in a compromising spot with another woman.
Ted tells her it was nothing, but she ain't buying it. She cheats on him with another dude to even things out. Ted hypocritically loses it, and they seperate, getting a divorce.
Jerry is courted by another man, and marries him.
Long story short, Ted and Jerry miss each other and reconcile by film's end.
Charming and fairly short movie.

[Chris Knipp]

So, a feel-good divorce movie.

[Johann]

haha. yep.
The moral was: divorce ain't a thang.

[Johann]

JEWEL ROBBERY (1932)



The star of the month for May at TCM is William Powell.
This heist/romance by William Dieterle shows us Powell's charm as a leading man.
He robs a jewelry store in Vienna and a bunch of screwball antics play out, including scenes of smoking marijuana.
This film is rather blah, but thankfully short at 70 minutes. Hopelessly dated.