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John Gregory Dunne turned the true story of Los Angeles's Black Dahlia murder case into a compelling novel and then adapted the novel (with wife Joan Didion) for this meaty movie mystery directed by Ulu Grosbard. A study of the ways power corrupts, and the way corruption consumes the soul, the film stars Robert Duvall and Robert De Niro as a pair of brothers (a cynical police detective and a rapidly rising monsignor, respectively) who come into conflict over the case of a murdered woman in 1940s Hollywood. De Niro gives a beautifully shaded performance, while Duvall, who never gives a bad one, gets the slightly flashier role. Yet there's nothing showy about Duvall, who gets under the skin of this cop and who knows better than to get personally involved in a case but ultimately can't help it. A fine supporting cast includes Kenneth McMillan, Charles Durning, and Burgess Meredith. Maybe too studied for some, but worth watching if only for the two leads. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A story of brotherly love and sibling rivalry
It is hard to believe that a film with outstanding performances from both Robert Duvall and Robert DeNiro could slip through the cracks of the movie going consciousness. True Confessions perfectly captures, in an effortless manner, the feel of post-war California, we don't see men in costumes or old cars, we're put right in the time and place through artful direction. Two brothers, one a pious priest with a head for high finance, the other a hard bitten detective, now clean after an earlier career stint as a bagman, must handle the problems of their separate worlds. A brutal crime - the murder and dismemberment of a young woman - is about to bring their two worlds crashing together. The up and comers of the building in boom in California, who the Church is using to advance their goals of schools and hospitals, may not be the pillars of the community that wish to appear to be. A well balanced mystery of money, power, politics and principles. Don't miss the scene in which Charles Durning dances an Irish jig at a wedding.

Dissapointing...
I was pretty disappointed in this film. I'm a fan of Duvall and DeNiro (who isn't?) and they do great work here, but I couldn't shake the feeling that their roles should have been reversed -- DeNiro should have been the edgy detective and Duvall the Priest. But the biggest disappointment is the causal use of the ''Black Dahlia'' murder; here disguised as ''The Virgin Tramp'' murder. This was a heinous, brutal crime that's used here only as an excuse to buck up a thin plot. (I'm getting pretty tired of scenes in which hard-boiled detectives stand over a nude dead woman and make cracks about her body.) I feel sorry for the dead women who populate this movie for no other reason then to provide titillation between the endlessly dull scenes of patriarchal posturing and male bonding. Skip it.

Unrecognized classic
I am in complete agreement with 'A viewer from Summit N.J.', unable to understand why this thoughtful, moving film failed to achieve the recognition is so clearly deserves. De Niro and Duvall are both at their distinguished best, their interaction as brothers one of the most persuasive and compelling I have ever seen on the screen. The evocation of the period - including the Catholic Church of the day - seems flawless, and the slowly unfolding drama of personal redemption gives the movie very unusual dramatic weight. An excellent film in every way.

IRISH AMERICAN CATHOLICS IN THE FIFTIES,PLUS COPS&HOOKERS
I CAN WATCH THIS MOVIE OVER AND OVER. I GUESS BECAUSE IT IS A GOOD STOREY AND A WELL MADE MOVIE. I ENJOYED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TO IRISH, AMERICAN, CATHOLIC, BROTHERS (AS IN SIBLINGS) IN THE FIFTIES. YOU GUESSED IT. I AM ALL OF THE ABOVE. MY WIFE LIKED IT AND SHE IS NONE OF THE ABOVE.

critics are sometimes wrong
Simply stated, this is a great watch. The critics did not care for this effort. Some say it is too complex, too much thinking required to follow the plot. Not at all. It is a perfect blend of hero, anti-hero, humanity's darkside and finally, a redeeming closure. DeNiro and Duvall "made" this movie! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Outstanding Movie And Excellent Book
For starters this movie depicts everything that is detailed/explained in the original title "Native Son". I do not know precisely which movie one of the previous reviewers from Decatur, Georgia was watching, but I can most definitely assure that it was not Native Son.

The cast performed almost as good as the cast members in the original story. I think the book and the video are an excellent combinational method for those reading the novel and attempting to visual what the entire concept of this novel is all about. In short I think the video is well deserving of a 4 star rating.

NATIVE FLOP
The cinematic presentation of Richard Wright's classic is once again another flop. Although it is far better than the original adaptation of the book into a movie (filmed in 1949), it fails to capture the essence of Bigger Thomas. How can such a film with a star studded cast fail so miserably? After all, now you have actors who can really act!

Native Son lacks passion.Bigger comes across as poor Black boy gone wrong with his cowardly behavior. His white liberal benefactors personalities are benign. Jan (Matt Dillon) just doesn't impress me as an ardent communist. Mary Dalton ( Elizabeth McGovern) comes across as a bubble head. Even Oprah Winfrey's begging plea to let her son live, is a sham. Where is the political and heated fervor of the era? John Karlen's role as Max, the lawyer for Bigger, was a waste of time. He wasn't convincing as a passionate lawyer out to save this oppressed black boy.

Most film adaptations of books fall short in staying true to the author's story. This second adaptation falls through period. I found it a great disappointment in the acting as well as the script. Someday, somehow, some one will do this great novel justice and present us with a blockbuster film filled with not only passion but with a sense of what formed this Native Son. I recommend this movie to put in your video archive along with its original version.

Big Letdown From the Book
After reading the book, the movie leaves a lot to be desired. There were just way too many things left out of the movie.

The film did have an exceptional cast, and the acting was terrific. I was somewhat suprised at how well Matt Dillon play Jan Erlone. The setting was pretty good too. The scenery was put together nicely, as it did look like the 1940's.

Unfortunately, the editing from the novel made the film seem quite choppy. Having read the book, you got into the minds of the characters, especially that of Bigger's. The movie skipped over too many things, not allowing you to do this, which was a fairly big letdown.

Not reading the book might leave you with a different impression of the film, because, once again, the acting is wonderful. But, having read the book, I couldn't enjoy the movie. Way too many important scenes were taken out of it. It is really not a good adaptation.

Book better than movie
Well, after reading Native Son, I thought it would be a good idea to rent the movie to get visual of what happened in the book. Well, that was all I got out of this movie...

There wasn't anything wrong with the acting or set, it was the script. They simply cut way too much out of the book. Here are some examples:

-After Bigger killed Mary and they found the bones in the furnace, Bigger ran from the house (as he did in the book), and then all of a sudden he's on roof tops getting chased and then caught. In the book he was on the run with Bessie for a few days and then he killed her. -In the book, they had two inquests and in the movie they only had one...no mention of Bigger fainting in the first inquest. -They completely cut out the trial in the movie, only playing soundbytes. They only showed the sentencing. In the book, Bigger's lawyer gave a 16 page statement on Biggers behalf. -Bigger's mother (Oprah Winfrey) assumed the role of both his mother and the priest in the movie.

Well, those are a few examples. If I hadn't read the book I wouldn't have known what was going on in Bigger's head, which was what made the book so good. I don't think Richard Wright would be too impressed with this movie. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Good movie, but might want to wait for the DVD?
A movie in two-parts, really, and Welles' entrance marks an end to the first and begins the second. I found the first half (surprisingly brutal for the 50's) better than the second. The names are changed but this is clearly Leopold and Loeb with Clarence Darrow (Welles) on defense.

One thing that annoyed me... the end when Welles invokes the name of God... Darrow would never speak those words!

My copy of this isn't the best quality. Tops of heads sometimes disappear off the top of the screen. They needed to do this letterbox. Surprising this isn't available on DVD. You can get Ernest Goes to Camp on DVD but you can't get Compulsion? What the hell is wrong with this world?

Falls apart at the end, but still pretty compelling
Dean Stockwell stars in this icky thriller, based on the infamous Leopold-Loeb murder case which shook Chicago in the 1920s. Most of the film features Stockwell and cohort Bradford Dillman, as two wealthy, sadistic criminal dilletantes bound together in a twisted dominant-submissive homoerotic pact, which leads them to kidnap and murder a young boy in their neighborhood -- all just for kicks. Dillman is compellingly grotesque as the ringleader who pushes Stockwell in violence and psychosis, and then delights in taunting the police behind their backs. This prelude is tense and gut-gripping, horrifying, in fact, but the film loses impact after they are caught and brought to trial. Orson Wells does a fine turn as the liberal lawyer who is brought in to defend them, and delivers a dazzling anti-death penalty speech, but the emotional drama of the ending is strangely muffled... Somehow, Wells's character is brought in a little too late, and there's no real interaction between him and his loathesome clients. The relevant points are made, but they don't resonate as effectively as the nauseating buildup -- Stockwell and Dillman remain unlikeable, yet their sickness and its philospohical rationalizations aren't dug into as deeply as they could have been. The confrontation of the character's gayness (and their need to disguise it before the jurors) is fascinating, though -- even though the movie was made thirty-five years after the killing took place, the filmmakers make no judgement about the homophobia involved. Anyway, as psychological thrillers go, this one's a doozy.

BOYS WIL[d] BE BOYS ..........
Based on the sensational Leopold & Loeb case, this very sinister version of the twisted tale is fortunately not graphic and leaves 'those things' to the imagination ....... Oh, the doings of those rich, spoiled kids!

The Cast? Who can possibly fault Orson Wells [in the Clarence Darrow role] with Bradford Dillman and Dean Stockwell as the 'spoiled charges' and the rare DIANE VARSI ["Peyton Place"] as the misplaced 'love interest'? [This was Mr. Stockwell's youthful 'glory period' - followed with "Sons and Lovers", "Rapture", etc. Utter joy to see how this artist is still providing stellar [and sometimes very underrated] performances.]

Killing just for the 'thrill of it'? Who knows, there are numerous theories about this 'liason'. Interesting though to theorize if the boys were 'working-class' instead of 'wealth'.

1991's "Swoon" is another look at this crime [little more graphic and frank about the relationship between the two] - an interesting counterpoint. AND another jagged view? Hitchcock's "Rope" [a fitting twist on this tale].

{NOW, there's also the 'mother's point of view' - "What's the Matter with Helen?" the campy litle gem with Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters .....}

BLUEPRINT
A well done film about the true crime that shocked the US at the time it was committed, the murder committed by Leopold and Loeb. Two brilliant young men thought they were invincible and could get away with murder, but despite their brilliance, they became arrogant and careless. They declared their atheism and this was a factor in the film. Although they hired the famous Clarence Darrow in their defence, even he could not convince a jury to find reasonable doubt. Dean Stockwell is excellent in this early role, and SO young. And Orson Welles stars as the attorney who tries to defend the boys. The film tells the story of the crime and of the societal place of Leopold and Loeb and their families and does not really explore the nature of the relationship between Leopold and Loeb, which in more recent films (indie film Swoon) was explored in depth. The film is semi-fictionalised with different character's names, but the story of Leopold and Loeb is the blueprint.

Somewhat dated; some of the best acting in movie history
The defense attorney Clarence Darrow (played with astonishing skill by the brilliant Orson Welles, who is today considered one of this country's finest actors ever) delivers in the last half of this movie one of the finest soliloquies Hollywood has ever offered us, equal to and probably surpassing England's Laurence Olivier in his critically praised "Hamlet" interpretation. The soliloquy by Welles is in itself worth the price of this video.

The hapless prosecuting attorney is played by E.G. Marshall, who recently died but who left us with a legacy of excellence in every picture in which he appeared (especially perhaps in "Twelve Angry Men"). A wonderfully underplayed but very sensitive performance by a master of his craft in films, stage, and television.

Brad Dillman and Dean Stockwell are right on in their portrayals of the villains who are apparently responsible for the compulsive and senseless murder of a young man. The entire cast creates some of the most realistic portrayals of good and evil that Hollywood has ever given us. Everyone in the cast seems to give it their all.

The movie is clearly, however, a product of the neo-Victorian times in which it was produced, sparing the audience the grim realism movies are currently permitted to film today. It could be more powerful if it were re-filmed today, perhaps, but could the cast of a re-make come close to matching the performances in this film?

It is worth owning this movie for its cast and direction and overall excellence...and it could be argued that the lack of the extreme violence which actually characterized the murder doesn't need to be as graphic on-screen as it probably would be if re-made today. By and large we are intelligent people and can jolly well fill in the details for ourselves.

A real treat! ... Read more

Description

When a teacher and her class are kidnapped by gunmen in the Australian outback, they soon realize that the only way they will ever escape alive is if they save themselves. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

A fantastic old favorite
It seems like most people who have reviewed this film, I saw it on cable, HBO - in the early 80's when I was only 7 or 8. Someone in my family taped it. I stumbled upon it again about 8 years ago when I was watching the movie that was before Fortress on the tape. Anyhow - since then I have been searching for more info on this film - it's wonderful. Today I was watching a movie on Lifetime TV and it suddenly dawned on me that the star of the movie was none other than the teacher from Fortress - Rachel Ward. So I went to IMDB.com to find out more.

Long story short - this is one of those unsung heroes of rare films. I do hope it is rereleased and maybe even on DVD. Watch this movie if you haven't!

I remember this movie when I was 8 or 9 year old.
This movie popped into my head stronger then ever last night before I went to sleep. I almost past out trying to think of the movies name. The only thing I could remember from the movie was the name of one of the villains, Father Christmas. Before last night from time to time this movie pops in my head. I remember watching it on UPN or FOX. Funny how each time I caught it, it happened to be around noon time and I wasn't at school, must have been summer time. Enough of my life story, this movie scared the crap out of me. It was really the masked villains that scared me when I was a kid. There was I think 4 different masked villains one wore a mouse mask, the other wore a cat mask, another wore a Santa clause mask, and I forgot what the other dude wore. I remember always thinking twice before watching it because the movie just gave me the chills. I just ordered it today here at amazon.com; I can't believe its still in print. I'm sure the movie won't be as good as I remembered it because when I seen it I was 9 and now I'm 21. I bought it for the memories more then anything else.

Not Bad
This is not one of those movies where you should bust the door down to get it, yet it is a pretty good "crime/drama". I honestly don't see where people get that this is a "thriller". It's about a teacher (played by Rachel Ward) who teaches in a very very small country school in Australia. It begins with what she thinks is going to be a normal day, but she, and her students, quickly have their day turned upside down when they are kidnapped by a group of ruthless cutthroats sporting masks and guns. One is wearing a Santa Claus like mask, while the others have on animal masks. They take the teacher and her students at gun point, and lead them to an awaiting van. Then they are driven to an undisclosed location and ordered to jump down into a cave. But what the kidnappers don't realize is there is a way for them to escape, which they do, only to have bad luck and run into the hoodlums again. Pooh!!! Will things ever work out for them? Now, if you know my reviews, you know I'm not going to tell you, but what I will say about this movie is that it has a good plot, suspense, drama, gore, and well timed action. There is also a bit of nudity (topless). I would not recommend it for those under 14 for the simple reason of the gore. If you have not seen this movie and would like to see a pretty good story, it would be worth the time to view.

freakin scared the crap out of me when i was little
isn't it strange how we all remember seeing this movie when we were kids? it totally scared the snot out of me when i was a kid. the masks... *shudder* and the ending! wow. it's been probably 15 years or more, but i still remember it from time to time.

Needs a DVD release
This film is so incredible and exciting! Rachel Ward turns in a top performance as Miss Sally Jones, school teacher in the Australian Outback. She also lives with two of her students, Sid and (the troublemaking) Tommy O'Brien. Norelle is a fellow classmate who gets the "curse" and Derrick is a chubs who likes to pick on "the little ones." All is well til they are kidnapped by 4 masked men. Father Christmas is the head villian and is assisted by Dabby Duck, Pussycat and Mack the Mouse! Fabulous things happen as the children are buried in an underground cave, swim underneath rocks, and learn Survival 101! We are also treated to an awesome soundtrack including "Piggy on a Railway." And remember if you children behave, Miss Jones shall shout you all a hamburger at Poobarrows. Even a cup of capricious! Please HBO put this out on DVD now! ... Read more

Description

Secret warehouses, basement bomb factories, fake passports. . . It took a lot of work to plan the bombing of the World Trade Center. But under the noses of the FBI and the NYPD, a plan has been devised that will stun the nation, and take the extremist murderers on the PATH TO PARADISE. Based on the shocking true story. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Parallels with Attack on September 11, 2001
This engrossing movie examines the circumstances leading up to and the aftermath of the badly botched 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. By focusing more on the characters, both good and bad, than on the explosion itself, the film is able to avoid becoming another disaster movie.

It has strong parallels with the tragic events of September 11, 2001 and I found it moving. I cried several times while watching it. Highly recommended.

A Great Movie that Eerily Foreshadows the events of 9/11/01
A couple of weeks ago I was at my local video store and saw this movie on the shelf and decided to rent it. This is a very good movie told in very good detail! I learned a lot about the first attack that I never knew and was very shocked at the ending when Ramsi Yusef told the FBI agent escorting him back to NYC for his trial that this basically was not over yet. That really shook me up!... My bottom line is that this a true story movie told in very true to life detail. If you are curious about the first bombing and the events leading up to it, I highly recommend this movie!

Indeed a wakeup call unheeded
An HBO production, amazing actors, superb dialog. A bomb-making
expert from Iraq attempts entry to the U.S. without a visa. He states he's leaving Iraq for political asylum in the U.S. The INS agent questions him a bit, looks over his fishy looking passport. She approaches her superior with the asylum application
and urges that "he should be detained". "Jails are full. You want to take him home?" her boss retorts. The film shows just how these terrorists jumped through about any and every loophole in the system under the guise of religious freedom. Bomb-making right in the apartment. Operating right under the nose of the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. Anti-American propaganda tapes found in an apartment which, truth be told, is not against the law. And of course there was the chilling prophetic line at the end: "Next time we'll bring them both down." Absolutely worth watching again and again.

Must see 1997 movie re: 1993 WTC Bombing with re: 9-11-01 ??
This movie blew me away!!!!! All Americans for AMERICA MUST SEE THIS at least once! It does show how vulnerable we are even as a superpower! Don't wanna give the movie away BUT the last statement muttered from the terrorist "Next time we'll bring both towers down!" gave us some eerie chills!! Nuff said.

Unbelievable
I had seen this movie before and specially bought it for the last scene. It's very ironic and somewhat scary to know that a movie dialoque can actually turn into a Catastrophe.

I have put up the ending clip which is very astonishing on Kazaa, search for "shockingly rare", (without the quotes) and you will see what I mean ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Another incredible Richard Widmark performance
I am SUCH a big fan of Richard Widmark, he's my favorite actor, and SO underappreciated (Well,at least in my opinion)I'm thrilled this has finally been released on video because it's not only a landmark film - it's a great one. Also of course we have the chance to see the brilliant debut of Sidney Poitier and he is very powerful. But Richard is just mesmerising playing a character so convincingly different from the way he really was. The storyline has already been recapped by others, suffice to say, this is a slice of history that pulls no punches in tone and language of the racial tensions of 1950s America. I am sure as with the film Pinky, the studio took a risk with this release. Even if you are not a rabid fan of Richard (or Sidney!)this film holds up over repeat viewings, and so is worth having in your collection.

HONEST FILM FACES RACISM IN CHICAGO U.S.A.
In this Film Noir the first young black doctor in Chicago's city hospital, Dr. Luther Brooks (a difficult and historic screen debut exceptionally well played by Sidney Poitier) is assigned to the prison ward. Brooks must treat two white trash brothers, brought there after being shot during their failed holdup. One brother dies suddenly but not from his gunshot wound. The rabidly racist, surviving brother Ray Biddle (brilliantly played by Richard Widmark) accuses Brooks of murdering his brother motivated by race hatred. To a large extent, the film is class biased. For example, the "good" (i.e., race tolerant) whites are from the upper classes such as Dr. Dan Wharton (played a bit flatly by Stephen McNally), Brooks' supervisor. The working stiff cops are uniformly portrayed as race neutral ... "just doin' my job."

Both Brooks and Biddle are from the same wrong side of town which sets up the core racial tensions. The long struggling, doctor's wife Cora Brooks (played believably by Mildred Joanne Smith) stands by her man in the worst of times. As the movie progresses the whole society is put on trial. Biddle schemes to start a race war from his prison hospital bed, by using his deaf mute brother George and former sister-in-law and paramour Edie Johnson (convincingly portrayed by Linda Darnell) to carry it out.

The movie is still good today because its underlying honesty, highly competent cast and writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz crafted an excellent artwork. It was a brave film because to examine these difficult issues in 1950 with a racially mixed cast in which blacks had major acting roles was in itself a pioneering effort. For all of these reason, the film earned my highest rating!

Ahead of it's time
No Way out is a good movie about a black doctor who treats two white brothers.When one brother dies,the other accuses the doctor of murder,because the doctor is black.This movie is well directed,has great black and white photography.LINDA DARNELL,RICHARD WIDMARK and SIDNEY POITIER in his film debut are all good. ... Read more

Reviews (115)

Not bad if you're an Angelina Jolie fan
Originally, this wasn't a movie I was very interested in watching until I realized Angelina Jolie was the co-star. Okay, so I admit-I'm an Angelina Jolie junkie. But that's beside the point.

The plot of "Original Sin" isn't too original. Wealthy Cuban landowner Antonio Banderas buys a mail-order bride (Jolie) and gets a little more than he bargained for. Not only is his soon-to-be bride more beautiful than the photo she sent, she is quite the hellcat in bed. Not exactly the demur Virginia schoolteacher she professed to be.

Following the typical Hollywood "stupid male" syndrome, Banderas signs over his fortune to his new bride, only to find she has absconded with his money. Not only does Banderas go off half-cocked in search of Jolie, but when he finds her, he only wishes to bed her, not concerned his fortune is gone. A bit too unrealistic here, considering Banderas was homicidal and violent only minutes earlier. Of course, Jolie is also following the Hollywood stereotype of female characters that fall in love with men who wish to kill them.

Thomas Jane adds an exciting dimension to the movie as the psychotic sidekick of Jolie, although their relationship isn't quite defined, nor explained. The "spit in the mouth" routine was a bit much for me and could have been left out with no detrimental affects to the movie.

In all, if you wish to see a lot of Angelina Jolie naked, this is the movie for you, although the flapping breast image was a bit much. Myself, personally, I could have went without seeing the naked butt of Antonio Bandera repeatedly, but to each their own. "Original Sin" is a skin flick of mild entertainment value.

-...

I Like them both...
I haven't seen it(yet) but I like them both, but I heard that Antonio has a few"eye popping moments" How much does he show exactly? Like everything? Or what? Just so I am not surprised when I do see it.. How much?

Mildly entertaining chick flick
WARNING: SOME VERY MILD SPOILERS*****

The first time I saw this, I was prepared to laugh at a sleazy, direct-to-video Harlequin novel-on-celluloid. What is it about Antonio Banderas? He's very handsome and not a bad actor, but he seems to choose a lot of really cheesy projects, "Femme Fatale" being a particularly awful one I recall watching.

But I thought this was a decently entertaining, if not brilliantly deep film. I was unaware at that time of it's provenance -- it's based on an excellent novel by Cornell Woolrich called "Waltz into Darkness". The book is well worth reading if you like this film. It was also made into a film in the mid-sixties by Francois Truffaut called (inexplicably ) "Mississippi Mermaid". Strange title, because the original novel is set in 1870s New Orleans and Julia travels to meet Louis on a steamer down the Mississipp BUT in the Truffaut film he reset the story in the 60s and the action of the film in colonial Africa and the French Riviera!

"Original Sin" is, interesting, vastly closer to the novel than the Truffaut version. The setting is changed to Cuba, presumably to accodomodate Bandera's accent, but the period is correct and the story doesn't work well in modern times, so overall, I find "Original Sin" to be the better of the two movies -- and that's saying a lot, as Truffaut is revered as a brilliant director. ("Mississippi Mermaid" is NOT by any means one of his better efforts, however.)

An early cautionary tale of "personals ads" and blind dating, the story seems even more relevant today than when it was written. Luis (Banderas) writes to a mail order bride, who is supposed to be plain, shy and religious. He is surprised when stunningly beautiful and sexy Julia (Angelina Jolie, of the collagen injected lips) shows up. Even though she betrays him and cheats on him and steals all his money...he still loves her. Both film versions clean up the ending -- I won't give the film ending away -- but in the book, Julia/Bonny actually kills Louis/Luis. A very bleak ending. Don't worry, the movie is a lot more fun.

The kind of film that falls under the heading of "guilty pleasure", "Original Sin" has lots of great costumes and sets and Banderas and Jolie are two of the sexiest people imaginable and we get to watch them getting hot and heavy. (BTW: the "unrated version" isn't really all that dirty...I don't get the rating thing. The sex isn't graphic or bizarre in any way -- it's two people who are MARRIED and making love. In the age of "Sex in the City", what the heck is the big deal?)

Anyways, call over your best girlfriends, microwave some popcorn and have a good time....

Some Memorable Lines From An Otherwise Forgettable Movie
Overall, I would rate this film a passable 3-plus stars, just above ok, but I just had to add the comment for anyone thinking of buying (or renting) this movie that I thought it had some unexpectedly apt and quoteable dialogue and astute observations on the nature of love. It has interested me in seeking out the book on which this film is based.

Being Sinful Can Be Good
Antonio Banderas plays a wealthy Cuban who is to be married to an American woman he doesn't know. He marries an actress, played by Angelina Jolie. But she isn't the woman he thinks she is. This movie had twists and turns wondering where it would lead the viewer. It was a seductive and captivating movie. Angelina Jolie plays the role of a seductress very well. Antonio Banderas is gorgeous as a dashing, yet naive man. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The postwar vogue for documentary-style realism, prompted by The March of Time and the critical success of Roberto Rossellini's Open City, cross bred with film noir to create a compelling strain of crime films; this is one of the most low-key and credible, based on the true story of a Chicago reporter (James Stewart) who became convinced of the innocence of a death-row inmate (Richard Conte). Director Henry Hathaway (whose Kiss of Death started the trend) stages the action on the actual Chicago locations, providing a fascinating documentary record of an underfilmed metropolis (the convict's mother is a washerwoman at the Wrigley Building), and leads his cast to appropriately restrained, naturalistic performances. Stewart is just beginning to explore his newfound, postwar maturity here, and there's an undercurrent of obsessiveness in his performance that anticipates the haunted figures he would soon be playing for Anthony Mann and Alfred Hitchcock. --Dave Kehr ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Henry Hathaway Special!
A Classic of sorts in that Henry Hathaway was making films like these( Kiss of Death) , that were shot on location.

This time its in the Chicago area and very ethnic story telling this film really is. Richard Conte plays one of the "two" convicted of murder. His mother slaves away at mopping floors to come up with money to pay an attorney to help her son ( Conte)

Another peerless performance by Stewart probably the most versatile actor ever( Probably? ) Here he plays the newpaper reporter drawn in to the drama in trying to exonerate ( Conte) Frank Weicek.

Dark alleys, old houses , trash cans cant stop Stewart. Betty Garde plays ( Wanda Skutnik) , the supposed eye witness who Stewart feels is lying.

Filmed in pure documentary style, It would be interesting to observe the events on screen if this was during the Mayor Daly period in Chicago Fine acting by all.

A Search For Truth...and Justice
Jimmy Stewart is a Chicago newspaper reporter who does a small human interest story about a woman who runs a newspaper ad offering reward money to anyone who will help clear her son of a murder charge. Stewart's editor thinks there is more to the story and Stewart begrudgingly starts prying it open. Through much of the film Stewart has to struggle with himself wondering if he is righting a wrong or helping to free a cop killer. In the second half of the film, now convinced of the man's innocence Stewart turns from reporter to crusader. We go along for the ride as Stewart meets dead ends, cautious politicians, and cynical prosecutors. There are good scenes between Stewart and Helen Walker as his spouse as well as with Kasia Orzazewski playing the mother of the convicted man. The real strength of the film however is its knowledge of Chicago, especially the Polish immigrant experience. Based on a true story, written with genuine feeling and suspense. Excellent viewing for an entire family.

Stop the Presses
For my money this is the best film ever made about American journalism. James Stewart is a staff writer made cycnical over the years by the grubby sensationalism and shallow hackwork that fills most American newspapers. When he actually latches onto a case of genuine injustice it's an episode that transforms his life almost as much as that of the convict he's trying to free. This is certainly director Henry Hathaway's masterpiece and he has never been given sufficient credit for it. The straight-on realism he achieved filming on location in Chicago has rarely if ever been equalled in the American movies in my view, and no effort was made to clean up the untidy skeins of the story either as Hollywood was wont to do. For instance, nothing was done to free the man unjustly convicted along with Richard Conte's character, around whom the story revolves. If you were to make a list of Stewart's 4 or 5 greatest performances this would have to be on it. He uses methods both praiseworthy and ugly to get what he's after and no American movie actor ever brought home that kind of mixed morality better.

ignore John Grave`s review
This is a good film for any jimmy stewart fan.His acting is top-notch as usual.

No passion, no surprises
Realistic, documentary-style recreations are one thing, but call Northside 777 falls off the mantle.

Sorry, guys, I give thumbs down on this one. This film is directorially unimaginative, the dialogue is lousy and lacks spontaneity, and a stone cold soundtrack almost totally devoid of music make Call Northside 777 a film I would rather have missed.

I am a serious fan of Lee J. Cobb and James Stewart, so I really can't fault the casting at all. The actors are appropriately cast in their roles; they make a great pair. But the director kind of plods along, the first half of the film so cumbersome, so utterly predictable. The emotional impact "hits" seem especially ill timed.

Henry Hathaway fails to plant any questions in the audience. In short, Call Northside is not a "whodunit", but rather a "Who- didn't-dunit"

Maybe the film editor blew it. But more than anything else, it's the lack of a score, a lack of passion, a lack of flow; cold, analytical, sluggish. Maybe this film could have been great if Alfred Newman had been cut loose to do something creative. But this time out, the composer seems to be in a straightjacket, and I doubt it was his choice. Someone taped up Newman, I swear it.

What this film needs more than anything else is a score. A score to richly stir the emotions: paranoia, loathing, suspicion, determination, insinuation. Instead, we have only the persistent crackling of the optical sound.

The best thing about this motion picture may be the locations, especially the rounded penitentiary location, which is stunning.

-John ... Read more

Reviews (7)

It's No Mystery That This Is a Great Movie!
Charlie Chan in Rio is one of the best films I have ever seen. The plot is surprislingly strong and keeps you guesssing all through the film. The way Chan solves the mysteries is mesmorising. This was my first Charlie Chan film, so it naturally holds a special place in my heart. However, this is clearly one of the best. This film is brilliant.

One of the best Charlie Chan films
These old Charlie Chan mysteries are light and fun in tone, but not to the point of being campy. This one was always a favorite of mine because of the strong story, interesting setting (I always wanted to go to Rio), and because of the Asian detective's especially clever methods of cathing the villian this time around. I also enjoyed the song the woman sings on stage, which is saying a lot because I usually can't stand those kind of scenes in old movies. Along with the one in the wax museum and the one in Paris, I'd say this is the best Charlie Chan film I've seen. "Charlie Chan in Rio" is clever and engrossing for what it is.

Brazilian Atmosphere and Cabaret Scenes
CHARLIE CHAN IN RIO is one of two Chan films turned out by 20th Century-Fox in 1941. Sidney Toler plays Charlie who is chasing a killer in Rio. Sen Yung is again cast in the role of Jimmy Chan and Victor Jury also appears in the movie. I liked it - particularly the Brazilian atmosphere and the cabaret scenes.

Mild Installment In The Charlie Chan Series
Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) and son Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) travel to Rio to arrest a woman accused of a murder in Hawaii--but before the killer is taken into custody she becomes the victim of foul play herself. Chan films frequently ask the viewer to suspend disbelief re various plot devices, but this particular episode requires one to accept a particularly unrealistic plot device and as such seems more than a little silly; fans will find it mildly enjoyable, but RIO is not the film I would use to introduce a newcomer to the series.

Although the Charlie Chan films are sometimes accused of perpetuating racial stereotypes, they were in fact no more stereotypical than other serial-style films (Blondie and Dr. Kildare come to mind) of the era--and as the series progressed the patronization found in the earliest films was rapidly discarded. Regretfully, many of the best Chan films are not available on video, much less DVD, and fans of the series who want to see such classics as CHARLIE CHAN AT TREASURE ISLAND or CHARLIE CHAN AT RENO(my own favorites) must hope for a showing on television.

Worse than expected
This dreadful film--amateurish to the point of laughter--is an example of the inferiority of Twentieth Century Fox Chan films. For real style and laughs, watch the cheapie Monogram Chan movies with Mantan Moorland and Willie Best. The fact that these films are politically incorrect, adds to their appeal. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

It just gets better and better.
Some David Mamet films have incredible notoriety amongst the literate set (Glengarry Glen Ross, Oleanna, House of Games). His 2 Oscar noms (Wag the Dog, The Verdict) as well as his non-nominated script for The Untouchables have him firmly established with Hollywood's power base as well.

For my money, the oft-overlooked Homicide is a true Mamet gem--startling in its genius.

Put simply, Homicide is a revealing look at a man's journey into himself. Many will be distracted by the subject matter and tune out, but try to hang on.

Joe Mantegna's Bobby Gold is a tough cop who denies his Jewish lineage, until a low priority murder investigation into an aged Holocast survivor forces him to re-evaluate his entire existence. The resulting destruction of the man is cruel and never-ending,...and brilliant.

William H. Macy, an until-now bit player, gets a well-deserved promotion to #2 man among the strong supporting cast as Gold's partner and sounding board.

The intricacies of the plot, the subtleties of the subtext, as well as the perfunctory Mamet attention to detail may mean a second, or third look is necessary for the viewer to get straight with what's going on------- but take the time, if you can, it just keeps getting better and better.

It just gets better and better.
Some David Mamet films have incredible notoriety amongst the literate set (Glengarry Glen Ross, Oleanna, House of Games). His 2 Oscar noms (Wag the Dog, The Verdict) as well as his non-nominated script for The Untouchables have him firmly established with Hollywood's power base as well.

For my money, the oft-overlooked Homicide is a true Mamet gem--startling in its genius.

Put simply, Homicide is a revealing look at a man's journey into himself. Many will be distracted by the subject matter and tune out, but try to hang on.

Joe Mantegna's Bobby Gold is a tough cop who denies his Jewish lineage, until a low priority murder investigation into an aged Holocast survivor forces him to re-evaluate his entire existence. The resulting destruction of the man is cruel and never-ending,...and brilliant.

William H. Macy, an until-now bit player, gets a well-deserved promotion to #2 man among the strong supporting cast as Gold's partner and sounding board.

The intricacies of the plot, the subtleties of the subtext, as well as the perfunctory Mamet attention to detail may mean a second, or third look is necessary for the viewer to get straight with what's going on------- but take the time, if you can, it just keeps getting better and better.

Where's the DVD!?!?
This is a great film, and one of the few in the ever-shrinking list of films I want on DVD but are not released. I'm so tired of watching this on a crappy VHS, especially because the photography by Juan Ruiz-Anchia (also of glengarry glen ross)is so beautiful. Attention whomever owns the rights to this! Lets have a DVD!!
-note to amazon.com; it would be nice if there were a link as you have on many other titles to submit my email to be notified when this is available on DVD!

Mind Games
Anyone familiar with David Mamet and his use of the English language will understand his dialogue is poetry and not meant to reflect conversation. This is not a murder mystery, it's not about cops and bad guys. Homicide is about events in our lives that appear to be coincidence but set us in motion to discover ourselves, the meaning of our existence and our purpose.

Not well told
Basically the director couldnt tell the story well enough and had to read the other critic explainations to get somewhat a understanding of the film plot. The movie had two plots going on at once and both are unrelated to the other case. The lead role was played by Joe Mantegna. The movie dialogue was oddly done and looked almost fake. The dialogue was so plain everyone had the same emotion. The movie tries to make a change in Joe's character but does a terrible transformation of his character. His change in character was not realistic at all. I will not make this a spoiler as the other reviews do a good job of explaining the film. Really the director did a poor job of making me excited enough about the racist overtones in the movie and I think the directors whole point was to make you excited about the racism of Jews versus anti-Jews.

In my opinion this film was really dumb and the ending was anti-climatic. I do not recommend people to view this film because it is not worth their time. ... Read more

Reviews (199)

The Best Historical Film of the Year (2001)
THIRTEEN DAYS is simply outstanding! One of the best historical films I have ever seen! It is even more "History" then "Hollywood".

I think the Cuban Missile Crisis is one of the most important events in American History. However, many younger Americans know so very little about the very important events depicted in this carefully planned and conscientiously researched film.

Steven Culp's portrayal of Robert F. Kennedy was simply uncanny. It has got to be difficult to act as a person so many people know so well. I thought his performance was fabulous. Kevin Costner played the role of presidential aide Kenneth O'Donnell. His performance was very good however; his Boston accent was terrible and really does get on your nerves, especially in the beginning of the film. Bruce Greenwood plays John F. Kennedy and does this great president justice.

I highly recommend the infini film DVD version of this movie. The Beyond the Movie features are wonderful. The Historical Figures Commentary features archival audio of John F. Kennedy, Robery McNamara, P. O'Donnell, Pierre Salinger, Sergie Khrushchev, and many others. There is a 48 minute documentary entitled "Roots of the Cuban Missile Crisis" which features film footage from the era along with modern interviews covering post World War II United States and Soviet relations. There are also historical biographies of all the major figures in the movie too.

If you enjoy historical movies this one is a must see!

On The Brink
In October 1962, the world came closer to nuclear extinction than it ever had before or would again. When a U-2 spy plane photographed the installation of Soviet ballistic missiles on the island of Cuba, the United States and its president John F. Kennedy were faced with a monumental dilemma: how to force the Soviets to withdraw the missiles without touching off World War III. That is the story ingeniously told in the terribly underrated political drama THIRTEEN DAYS, one of the best films of that type since ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN.

Seen through the eyes of JFK presidential adviser Kenneth O'Donnell (Kevin Costner), THIRTEEN DAYS is a fascinating look at the machinations that went on in the highest circles of power in Washington during that traumatic time known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Bruce Greenwood, known prior to this for playing bad guys (DOUBLE JEOPARDY; RULES OF ENGAGEMENT), gives an extremely credible portrayal of John Kennedy, who finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place. On one side are the Joint Chiefs of Staff, led by staunch Cold Warriors General Max Taylor and Dean Acheson, pushing for an invasion and surgical strike against the missiles. On the other is the president's own conscience, for he knows that anything as rash as what the Joint Chiefs are leaning hard on could mean the end of life on Earth.

Alongside Greenwood's sterling performance, Steven Culp portrays his brother Bobby Kennedy with the right tact and straight-forward believability. Costner's heavy Boston accent is not always credible, but this is only a minor flaw in his performance as Ken O'Donnell, which is otherwise quite good. A true standout performance is Michael Fairman's portrayal of UN ambassador Adlai Stevenson, a former presidential candidate and an old "political cat" who denounces the Soviet Union's stonewalling at the United Nations in front of the world--"Yes or No?! Don't bother to wait for the translation"; "I'm prepared to stay here until Hell freezes over, if that's what it takes!"

David Self's screenplay is very cagily based on White House tapes, documents, and memos from that two-week edge-of-the-seat rollercoaster ride the human race had to endure. It all comes together under the crisp, taut direction of Roger Donaldson, who directed Costner in 1987's NO WAY OUT. Even though it is a rather long film at 146 minutes, it plays like Great American theatre, the kind that Hollywood has somehow left behind in its rush for big bucks.

Like any film drama based on real events, besides the slight fictionalizations, a person's knowledge of these events might make THIRTEEN DAYS predictable. But the reason these kinds of films work is not so much the end result as to finding out how the end result was achieved. That is the real triumph of this movie, and why it ranks very close to ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, in my book.

Boring
I saw this film in a history class I was taking and it definitely was not viewed for the sake of accuracy, more as a comparative piece to an actual historical documentary and I must say I found the documentary of still pictures & voice overs more entertaining. I struggled to stay awake during this drag of a movie.

Spell binding from beginning to end
I had seen this movie only in bits before on TV but had never seen the whole thing. I recently purchased it and within the last week have literally watched it again and again. I can only vaguely remember hearing the words "Cuban Missile Crisis" when I was 8 years old and had no idea just how close we came to WWIII. This is an excellent, attention holding film. I loved Kevin Costner in this and also "JFK - a must see also". Both Greenwood and Culp did a wonderful job of portraying the Kennedy brothers. I would highly recommend this movie. Use both this and JFK to educate your children, if you can get past the foul language somehow.

COMPARE THE CUBAN CRISIS WITH IRAN-CONTRA
"Thirteen Days" re-created the Cuban Missile Crisis, elevating the Kennedys to virtual sainthood while painting Curt LeMay as an advocate for nuclear holocaust. It was a fantastic picture, like many of them, but in it is an interesting scene in which Kenny O'Donnell, played by Kevin Costner, tells a Navy plot to lie to LeMay about being shot at, because LeMay would supposedly have ordered a strike if he had been. The film paints this lie as the right thing to do because it advocates the Kennedy's position, which was to maintain level heads and a calm demeanor. However, in 1987 Ollie North was excoriated by the Left for lying about the funding of anti-Communist guerrillas, which was Reagan's position. Funny about that.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Flawed, but Great
This film is very unusual and interesting because we are never sure what's happening. Eric Portman plays an old scoundrel
with the cool intelligence of an outstanding actor. The supporting cast is good. The flaw? Edith Evans. She goes
from being ridiculous to tedious to foolishly sad. Her character
is overdone and impossible to feel sorry for. Otherwise a great
movie.

Brit flick contemplating old age and insanity
An old lady deals with loneliness in a world that is quite quickly passing her by. Beauty and health have passed with death the only thing to look forward to. Finding comfort in companionship no longer works, and the voices provide some sort of outlet. As she travels through her now mundane life, she explores her life, past and present, and the voices help provide an option previously unknown. Explore old age and insanity, and the comforts of life (material vs. immaterial), with an old lady and The Whisperers.

FILM 4 ALL THE TIME .
SOME TIME WE LIE COZ WE HAVE 2 , THE OLD WOMEN DID , IN THIS FILM NOTHING IS BLACK OR WHITE , EVRY THING IS GRAY , LIKE US , WE R NOT GOOD WE R NOT BAD , WE R THE BOTHE IN THE SAME TIME . ... Read more

Amazon.com

This film, about a downsized engineer (Michael Douglas) who goes ballistic, triggered a media avalanche of stories about middle-class white rage when it was released in 1993. In fact, it's nothing more than a manipulative, violent melodrama about one geek's meltdown. Douglas, complete with pocket protector, nerd glasses, crewcut, and short-sleeved white shirt, gets stuck in traffic one day near downtown L.A. and proceeds to just walk away from his car--and then lose it emotionally. Everyone he encounters rubs him the wrong way--and a fine lot of stereotypes they are, from threatening ghetto punks to rude convenience store owners to a creepy white supremacist--and he reacts violently in every case. As he walks across L.A. (now there's a concept), cutting a bloody swath, he's being tracked by a cop on the verge of retirement (Robert Duvall). He also spends time on the phone with his frightened ex-wife (Barbara Hershey). Though Douglas and Duvall give stellar performances, they can't disguise the fact that, as usual, this is another film from director Joel Schumacher that is about surface and sensation, rather than actual substance. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (133)

The movie's pretty DARN GOOD, if you ask me.
If you're a fan of the Charles Bronson stuff, this one's for you. Micheal Douglas (deeper into the movie, you'll forget it's even him) gets to act out all the heroic violence the average citizen have fantasized about doing. The actors portray lives that the ordinary citizen can related to. The acting in the movie is top-notched, although stereotypical, very real, made even more real with well-placed profainity like, "give us your f----- briefcase!" and at the end, "F--- you very much, f--- you very much." All this, the whole movie, takes place within one whole day of a familiar society. The music really helps to bring out the urban wilderness, not to mention the piece at the end. Oh, what a cooling conclusion to a long heated day! I especially enjoyed the scene on the golfcourse. Douglas fires a rifle shot after the greedy old grump clubs a golf ball at him, giving him a heart attack. Then the memoriable line from Douglas, "Good! How does it feel? Now you're gonna die wearing that stupid little hat of yours! How does it feel?" I laughed and sadistically enjoyed every second.

RIGHT IDEA, WRONG EXECUTION
As we journey with Michael Douglas in this excellent film, cant' we all identify with his frustration and anger? 85 cents for a can of soda? A store that won't give you change unless you buy something? Panhandlers looking for food, money and making you feel you owe it to them? People who think gays, blacks and other minorities are worthless? A fast food place that won't serve you breakfast even when they have tons of left overs they'll have to throw out? Wealthy old farts who think they own the golf course they pay membership in?
Yes, indeed, one can see why Douglas is so mad...it's just that his way of dealing with it is not one that we all should take.
Joel Schumacher's direction is right on, I think; people tend to like to pan Schumacher, when he has actually given us some vastly entertaining films. He knows what the audience wants and he knows that in FALLING DOWN, there can be no happy endings, so let's just enjoy Douglas getting revenge on people we'll never get a chance to!
Douglas is superb in the role, one of his best performances. Robert Duvall is very good in his role of the almost retired cop; Tuesday Weld is dazzling in her brief role as Duvall's wife; Rachel Ticotin does well in her role as Duvall's partner; John Diehl is very effective in his very brief role as the guy at the pool who offers to go with Douglas in order to protect his wife and child; and Barbara Hershey does wonders as Douglas' ex-wife.
Manipulative thought it may be, FALLING DOWN makes a statement, and makes one wonder what we would do if we snapped like Douglas!!!

Not Bad.
'Falling Down' is movie about a man who finally snaps because he feels his society, family, and friends have cheated him. He goes on a rampage across Los Angeles only to find that it doesn't solve anything. A fascinating idea, but it wasn't executed that well. Might be worth watching though.

Entertaining but Flawed by a Substandard Director
Joel Schumacher, the director best known for putting nipples on the Batsuit, and thus ruining a perfectly good franchise, is an expert at taking something good and turning it into trash. He is, in fact, the prime example of a moviemaker who could've been, but isn't ... in all aspects of the phrase.

"Falling Down" could've been an gripping drama with tons of social commentary tossed in. And for more than half of the film, Schumacher, with the help of an incredible performance by Michael Douglas, achieves this. Douglas's comments on the price of a can of soda reflect the frustration of the poor in rising inflation. His attack on the golf course, again, is a fist in the air for the needy in the United States. Not until Schumacher has Douglas shoot apart a telephone booth for the sake of shooting something to shreds does he lose the integrity of a good film. He is now out for bang and bucks, and from there, the whole movie goes somewhat downhill.

Yet not entirely. Michael Douglas still keeps this film afloat. His performance, as mentioned before, is one of the actor's greatest, and will be remembered alongside his reptilian turn in "Wall Street." Robert Duvall is great as the cop on the brink of retirement - a film cliche, but workable here - and when the pair finally meet, the sparks fly.

Yet in the meantime, Douglas's "comments" on society become more vague, or else they strike the viewer on the head with their obviousness. To mention the golf course scene again - Schumacher could've executed the comment beautifully without having Douglas burst into preachy prose. Subtlety is a skill Hollywood hasn't possessed since the birth of special effects. Everything is a hammer over the head. Moviemakers have no faith in their audience. They think we're stupid.

While "Falling Down" is a vastly entertaining film that has a great re-watch value, it still leaves you feeling dissatisfied in the end. You want something more. And that something is exactly what Schumacher, as long as he keeps making films, cannot give you.

The ugly reality of L.A.
Here's the story of a simple man (played very well by Michael Douglas) who's life is crumbling around him. He's been layed-off for months now from the Defense Industry, a job he loved so much that he had his license plate personalized with the letters "D FENS". His marraige is over. He's been reduced to living with his mother, and is too ashamed to tell anyone that he's unemployed. He's been looking for work elsewhere but is "no longer economically viable", as you'll find out.

He snaps and leaves his car sitting in a traffic jam on one of L.A.'s freeways. In the next 8hrs he goes from being a transparent man to a heavily-armed, camoflage-wearing vigilante who deals a heavy hand to anyone who gets in his way. And in the streets of L.A., it's not hard to find someone who wants to get in your way.

Robert Duvall plays an L.A. Robbery Detective who just happens to be working his last day before retirement. He's chastised for having taken a desk job after a shooting incident, at the insistence of his wife (the only character in this movie I couldn't stand). And he realizes most of his fellow cops won't miss him for long when he retires. But, he's the only cop who links several violent crimes on that day to the vigilante defense worker. He further redeems himself by tracking down and stopping the vigilante. At the same time, he rescues his boys from his wife's purse and takes a stand for once in his life.

You'll find yourself cheering for the vigilante as he leaves death and destruction in his wake. And at the same time, you can't help but feel sorry for him because his life is falling apart, hence the film's appropriately-named title, "Falling Down". I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. 4+ stars.

If you liked this Joel Schumacher movie, I recommend one of his newest films, "Phone Booth". ... Read more

Amazon.com

Based on an obscure crime novel titled Tucker's People, Abraham Polonsky's Force of Evil has attained classic status since its release in 1948, when film noir was thriving on the fringes of the Hollywood studio system, where the shadowy attributes of noir were allowed their fullest expression. Which is to say, this gritty drama is drenched in greed, cynicism, and corruption of the soul, as embodied by John Garfield in one of his most memorable roles. He's perfectly cast as Joe Morse, a lawyer whose connection to a ruthless racketeer has nearly destroyed his sense of morality. His participation in a rigged numbers racket could prove disastrous for his high-strung older brother (superbly played by Thomas Gomez), whose small-time policy bank stands to go broke when the rigged numbers pay off--a financial windfall for Joe's powerful boss at everyone else's expense.

Joe's corruption is tempered only by remnants of guilt and his redeeming attraction to Edna (Marie Windsor), his brother's secretary, whose common decency gnaws at Joe's rotten conscience. But before Joe can rise from his self-made hell, Force of Evil takes him to the darkest pit of tragic humanity--a downward spiral perfectly expressed through George Barnes's exquisitely stark cinematography. In style and substance, this is quintessential noir, its plot unfolding with uncompromising toughness and intelligence. More's the pity, then, that director Polonsky was later victimized by the Hollywood blacklist, curtailing a promising career for two decades until Polonsky directed Robert Redford in 1969's Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here. It seems only fitting, then, that Polonsky's remarkable debut is now recognized as one of the finest dramas of its kind. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (10)

An Inside Look At Big City Corruption
Abraham Polonsky's 1948 film Force Of Evil is drenched with cynicism, corruption, greed, and love. Capturing the lure of noir, Force of Evil is a violent ballet which depicts the struggle of two brothers vieing for a rung on the urban ladder of existence. Joe Morse ( John Garfield) is a Wall Street lawyer with connections to an underworld kingpin. Morse is not content with being a straitlaced lawyer. Longing for a big score he becomes embroiled in a plan to drive the neighborhood number rackets out of business. Morse's greed is compromised by his protective instincts for his older brother Leo ( Thomas Gomez)who happens to operate one of the small policy games. Morse's morals and emotions are further stirred by Doris ( Beatrice Pearson), Leo's secretary who innocently is scarred by the veil of crime. A dichotomy emerges as each brother's values about life come to the surface. Gomez is outstanding and upstages Garfield in a memorable performance. Although Leo runs a small numbers operation, he is a proud and honest man that remains loyal to his workers. He has provided poor neighborhood people with extra income and justifies the numbers racket as a simple five and dime game that might bring a windfall to a blue collar laborer. Conversely, Joe has it all- Wall Street law office, secretaries, and expensive suits. Yet Joe's success is partly due to his representation of his most influential client, mob boss Frank Tucker ( Beau Bridges). Joe cannot break his ties with the mob and instead becomes more involved with them. Polonsky's location shooting in Manhattan adds the concrete texture and intimidation that shadows the film. In one scene, John Garfield's lone figure walking along desolate Wall Street, with Trinity Church looming in the background creates a sense of urban alienation. Polonsky's camera work when Mr. Bower is shot is riveting. No film up to that time had captured the brutality and urgency of mob gunmen at a hit scene as did Polonsky. That scene alone bridges some of the influences that Martin Scorsese speaks about in the film's prelude. Characters, scenes, and emotions from Mean Streets, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas are distinctly culled from Force of Evil. Also Jeff Shannon's review incorrectly states that Leo Morse's secretary is played by Marie Windsor. The beautiful, buxom fixture of many noir films, Windsor played the role of Edna Tucker, the mob boss's wife. Upon release, Force of Evil was relegated to B status, but recently and rightfully so, it has been reevaluated as one of the most influential crime noirs in American cinema.

A Look At Big City Corruption
Abrabham Polonsky's 1948 film Force of Evil is drenched with cynicism, corruption, greed, and love. Capturing the lure of noir, Force of Evil is a violent ballet which depicts the struggle of two brothers vieing for a rung on the urban ladder of existence. Joe Morse ( John Garfield) is a Wall Street lawyer with connections to an underworld kingpin. Morse is not content with being a straitlaced lawyer. Longing for a big score he becomes embroiled in a plan to drive the neighborhood number rackets out of business. Morse's greed is compromised by his protective instincts for his older brother Leo ( Thomas Gomez) who happens to operate one of the small policy games. Morse's morals and emotions are further stirred by Doris ( Beatrice Pearson) , Leo's secretary who innocently is scarred by the veil of crime. A dichotomy emerges as each brother's values about life come to the surface. Gomez is outstanding and upstages Garfield in a memorable performance. Although Leo runs a small numbers operation, he is a proud and honest man that remains loyal to his workers. He has provided poor neighborhood people with jobs and extra income and justifies the numbers racket as a simple five and dime game that might bring a windfall to a blue collar laborer. Conversely, Joe has it all- Wall Street law office, secretaries, and expensive suits. Yet Joe's success is partly due to his representation of his most influential client-mob boss Frank Tucker (Beau Bridges). Joe cannot break his ties with the mob and instead becomes more involved with them. Polonsky's location shooting in Manhattan adds the concrete testure and intimidation that shadows the film. In one scene, John Garfield's lone figure walking along a desolate Wall Street, with Trinity Church looming in the background creates a sense of urban alienation. Polonsky's camera work when Mr. Bower is shot is riveting. No film up to that time captured the brutality and urgency of mob gunmen at a hit scene as did Polonsky. That scene alone bridges some of the influences that Martin Scorsese speaks about in the film's prelude. Characters, scenes, and emotions from Mean Streets, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas are evident in Force Of Evil. Also Jeff Shannon's review incorrectly states that Leo Morse's secretary is played by Marie Windsor. The beautiful, buxom fixture of many noir films, Windsor played the role of Edna Tucker,the mob boss's wife. Upon release, Force of Evil was deemed a B crime flick. Recently, and rightfully so, Force of Evil has been re-evaluated as one of the most influential crime noirs in Amercian cinema.

One of Garfield's best films is thankfully on dvd!
This was one of John Garfield's final films before he was wrongfully "blacklisted" & it's easy to see why it was a "major influence" on director Martin Scorsese's crime dramas. Garfield plays a wise young Wall Street lawyer who works for a mob boss in order to make money "the easy way". However, when Garfield forces his older (& weaker) brother to join the crooked organization, problems quickly arise, & there's plenty of backstabbing & double-crossing involved! I'll admit the movie starts off a little slow, but Garfield's incredible acting had me hooked in no time. The photography in this gripping film noir is simply amazing, & although Garfield's the only "big star" the cast is very good. Unfortunately, the dvd has absolutely no special features, not even a trailer or cast bios. Oh well, this classic is so awesome that I'm satisfied with the dvd release. Maybe someday a special edition will be released. If you're a John Garfield or film noir fan than this is a definite must!

Classic Garfield Noir
Force of Evil is a fine example of 1940s film noir. Polonsky's direction is crisp and the pacing perfect throughout. John Garfield turns in an above average performance as Joe Morse, a lawyer turned enabler for mob boss Ben Tucker, who is played by a not entirely convincing Roy Roberts.

Force's plot turns around the effort of Tucker and Joe Morse to monopolize "policy" (i.e., the numbers racket) in New York, and Morse's effort to keep his brother, who runs a small-time numbers bank, from being crushed in the process. It is the brother-to-brother aspect of the plot that provides the real juice for this noir, with Thomas Gomez turning in a riveting performance as Joe's brother, Leo Morse. The female lead, Doris Lowry, is played well by Beatrice Pearson, but, in the end, the character stands to serve only as a sounding board for Joe as he struggles with what he has done to himself, and to his brother.

Technically, it looks as though Artisan, a perennial purveyor of poor quality dvds, has finally gotten a release right. The transfer here is crisp with solid blacks and a serviceable grayscale. The only obvious flaw on the disc can be found in the chapter selections, where the stills for the last two scenes are reversed. The audio is quite acceptable, and the score for this work is incrementally more memorable than most. As for features on this dvd, there are none -- it's the film, and just the film. However, because Artisan must learn to walk before it runs, the absence of special features is forgivable in light of the effort Artisan has finally put into getting the film right.

All things considered, I recommend this dvd to those wondering what film noir is all about, and strongly recommend it to confirmed fans of the genre. If you know what noir is about, and are not a fan, this dvd is decidedly not for you.

fine noirish effort
Not quite on a par with the best film noirs such as Touch of Evil, Double Indemnity, and Sunset Blvd., FORCE OF EVIL is still a fine film starring John Garfield. Garfield is an attorney, caught up in a drama with an older brother, the numbers racket, and a life spiraling out of control. Excellently made, it only lacks in topnotch performances.

Truly this is not a film noir, because our protagonist is corrupt from the beginning. Still, it often gets classified as a noir; it has much in common with the famous film noirs, and I would recommend it to any fan of the noir genre, as well as fans of 1940s cinema.

I loved it. 90 minutes well spent, and I'm recommending it to all my friends.

five stars ... Read more

Amazon.com

Straight Time is notable for one of Dustin Hoffman's best--and least-seen--performances, as a lifelong criminal who, as a parolee, struggles to go straight. But it's a losing battle right from the jump. In less than a week, he's had a scuffle with his parole officer (M. Emmet Walsh) and is on the dodge, looking for a score. But you know that this guy has only two directions he can go in life--and that's either back to prison or into an early grave. A startling depiction of a surprisingly likable sociopath, this Ulu Grosbard film is a dark meditation on one man's firm--if skewed--values and features Hoffman in a relentless, wiry portrayal. The rest of the cast is equally strong, including thealways-reliable Harry Dean Stanton, then-newcomer Gary Busey, and an unknown Kathy Bates. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (11)

perhaps dustin hoffman's finest performance
I last saw Straight Time several years ago, on television (with commercials and overdubbed swearing, of course). Yet this film has lingered in my memory - every time I think of Hoffman, I think of this film. Others here have reprised the general storyline. I've seen most of Hoffman's films, the great to not so great (thankfully I've never been subjected to 'Hook'). Most films with DH in them are indeed "Dustin Hoffman" films. In Straight Time however, he dissolves into the character of Max Dembo. You forget that it's Dustin Hoffman - you see a pathetic little guy, locked in his pathologies, with just the faintest glimmer of self-recognition, enough to despair for knowing that he'll always follow these lost paths. It is indeed one of the best films - and best performances - you've likely never seen. Beware - this ain't no 'Tootsie'. This is gritty and dark in tone, and will not leave you feeling uplifted. Then again, the same can be said for "Midnight Cowboy", and that doesn't make it any less worth the time viewing it. See it.

Fan of the actors
A great film, what attracted me to it was the supporting cast. M. Emmet Walsh, Harry Dean Stanton, and Gary Busey give truly mesmerizing performances that make this film special. Dustin Hoffman is very good in the lead though I think he makes the character a little too sympathetic. The screenplay is good and it demands the supporting cast to be realistic and multifaceted. Another great M. Emmet Walsh performance is in the Coen brothers film Blood Simple, another great Harry Dean Stanton performance is in Rancho Deluxe (another film with great cast and script), and another great Gary Busey performance is in The Buddy Holly Story.

Great Movie, Un-salvagable Character
Dustin Hoffman did a fine job portraying a low-life career thief who deserved nothing more than to be locked safely away in prison for 100 years. Goodness knows we don't need this type of criminal running free in society, stealing from honest people.

Brains and Balls
Welcome my friends to Bunker's universe. EUNUCS NOT ALLOWED. Great story, superb acting, a real crime-human drama. Existential, uplifting, and above all, life-right-in-your-face.

'70s seediness at its best
A grim, rigidly understated, crime flick, featuring Dustin Hoffman as a tight-lipped, ill-fated career criminal. His onscreen transition from a docile but dignified parolee to a cold, calculating man of action is surprising and effective; the second half of the film is a dry-mouthed slow-drip of adrenaline and dread. Plenty of gritty '70s ambiance, and strong performances by Harry Dean Stanton, Gary Busey and a young Kathy Bates. Theresa Russell is absorbing as the good girl gone wrong who has a puzzling attraction to a very dangerous man. Worth checking out. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

fantastic drama, a tour-de-force by Hayward
I WANT TO LIVE is a stunning film starring the amazing Susan Hayward in her Oscar-winning triumph. Director Robert Wise (THE SOUND OF MUSIC, THE SAND PEBBLES, STAR!) gives us an unforgettable film noir classic.

The film tells the true story of convicted murderess Barbara Graham (Susan Hayward - TAP ROOTS, VALLEY OF THE DOLLS) who was sentenced to the gas chamber for her part in the robbery and murder of an elderly lady. Professing her innocence right up to the end, Barbara is a sly, sardonic but always-likable woman who wins the heart of the audience. Hayward's tour-de-force performance as Graham is vastly rewarding. Her multi-faceted portrayal of Graham is truly amazing.

Highly recommended.

The DVD includes the trailer.

Excellent fare written to showcase the lovely Miss Hayward
Susan Hayward was one of the best actresses ever. I just love to watch her. The only real talent to come after her was Faye Dunaway. Anyway, "I Want to Live!" was Hollywood's scathing indictment of the death penalty and is the film for which Susan Hayward is best remembered. It is her Oscar-winning performance. Frankly, I liked her a lot better in "I'll Cry Tomorrow" "Smash Up: The Story of a Woman" and "With a Song in My Heart." I thought she was much better in those, but the Oscar had eluded her, so they wrote this screenplay full of plenty of dramatic scenes to get her the Oscar she rightfully deserved. It worked.

The dialog and plot are excellent and her scenes as the condemned woman hours from execution are still extremely powerful today. In some ways, Susan Hayward was at her very best, and with the perfect script, a rare combination. You still sit there rooting for her to get that stay of execution in the movie, the movie grabs you that much. I've watched this film about 10 times, she never gets the stay, but the situations are so real, you root for one every time.

The only thing that to me does not make this Miss Hayward's best role (apart from maybe a handful of scenes) is that Barbara Graham, the real-life death-row inmate portrayed here, was a low-budget, crude, herion addict who got along by using men, doing petty thefts and sometimes being a prostitute, and I don't mean the $100 an hour ones that come to your hotel room. We're talking low-class street woman. Miss Hayward is nothing of the kind, she doesn't have that look or manner. Though the prison and death penalty scenes and themes are excellently and realistically portrayed here, you feel like you're watching a wrongfully-convicted society woman, nun, or school teacher getting the gas chamber, not a two-bit street prostitute/heroine junkie/thief. I don't think this necessarily takes away from the movie much or how it grips you, but for this reason, I'm not sure I would rate this the best of Susan Hayward. The Oscar was righting previous wrongs, in my opinion.

I highly recommend this film, and if you like it, try some of Susan Hayward's other films. She was really outstanding!

The film that changed my attitude!
I feel that many cold-blooded criminals that're in jail probably deserve the death penalty, but when we can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they actually did the crime, then it's time to admit a mistake & let the falsely accused go free! This is a prime example of criminal justice gone wrong. The heartbreaking true story of Barbara Graham, who was wrongfully executed for a grisly murder she didn't commit. I knew the story before watching this, yet up to the very end I kept on hoping that Barbara, brilliantly played by Susan Hayward, would be granted another trial to prove her innocence. The tension is almost as unbearable for the viewer as it is for poor Barbara as she counts the hours & finally minutes before her execution. I'll admit, early in the movie it's difficult to sympathize with someone so amoral, but by the time she's pleading for her life we all feel terrible about her situation. I haven't seen many of Susan Hayward's movies, but her performance in this (which won her an oscar) is equal to anything Bette Davis or Joan Crawford ever did (& that's saying a lot!). If you're looking for a great Susan Hayward film, you've found it! This powerful film convinced me that the death penalty is not the best way to deal out justice. Consider Charles Manson: Now of course he deserves to die, but don't you also think he deserves to rot in jail the rest of his life? Whatever your current opinion about the death penalty, I gurantee this movie will make you think twice!

Hayward Masterpiece!
Maybe I'm a bit partial, being an avid Susan Hayward fan, but "I Want to Live!" must rank as the perfect example of how to meld great story and super talent. Susan rightfully deserved her Oscar for her portrayal of Barbara Graham, a woman convicted and executed for a murder she denied to the end. All the key element of sophisticated film making come together to make this a treasure. They don't make them like this any more.

I WANT AN OSCAR!...
A memorable film from the 50's based allegedly on the true story of a woman named Barbara Graham who went to the gas chamber for a murder she swore she didn't commit. As played by Susan Hayward (who won an Oscar), Graham is a party girl and sometime thief/prostitute involved with some very shady small time crooks. An old woman is robbed and killed in the process and the crooks let Graham take the rap. Graham is also the mother of a small child---an angle played up in the press as she waves her son's toy tiger at the cameras. What sticks in your mind, though, are the scenes where she's back and forth from her death row cell to the gas chamber as she waits anxiously for a stay from the governor. These scenes are nerve-racking and make me cry when I watch this movie. Hayward is vivid and believable in these scenes as she is throughout the movie. I recommend this film for people who like watching stellar performances in off-beat films. A fine b&w case study of crime, psychodrama and powerful acting. Don't pass this one up. ... Read more

Description

The widow of a murdered bank president and a maverick financier must prevent a crisis when Arab nations threaten to pull their funds from U.S. banks, thereby causing a worldwide financial collapse. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Worth a look
Much like the film Kristofferson made previously, "Heaven's Gate", this film is not as bad as it's reputation makes it out to be. I will not try to summarize the plot; that has already been done. What I do want to point out is that this movie is filled with solid performances from Kris Kristofferson (as usual) and Jane Fonda. Also appearing is a fine set of supporting players, from Josef Sommer to Hume Cronyn. The technology is dated, but the idea is somewhat timely. What if the Arabs decided to pull their money out of circulation and put it "under the mattress"? There are some tense moments and some 70's era paranoia. (Much like "All the President's Men" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", mistrust of the government is a common thread) This is a movie with flaws, but if you are a Kristofferson fan, you will enjoy yet another intriguing performance. If you are tired of the teen movies that plague the multiplexes weekly, try this out and enjoy an adult drama.

very strange
This is a very odd movie, which Leonard Maltin amusingly calls financial science fiction. Director Alan J Pakula is in one of his paranoid conspiracy theory moods a la Parallax View and All the Presidents Men, and as Jane Fonda's IPC company produced it, she thinks she's doing The China Syndrome. Apparently international currency is dependent on the Saudi Arabians whose ownership of oil makes them the richest people in the world. When they contemplate investing in gold rather than lending their wealth to support the banks, wall street fears a new world depression. This all sounds very scary until one wonders if the Arabs bankrupt everyone, what good will the gold be? One also wonders how seriously we are to take this when Pakula casts Kris Krisofferson, sans beard, as a banking troubleshooter! Casting Fonda as a former movie star who gave up her career to marry money is kind of prophetic consider her future marriage to Ted Turner. We aren't given a clue as to what kind of actress her character was, but the way Fonda is styled and lit suggests Joan Crawford, so then we can free associate Crawford with Pepsi and Al Steele. Whatever suspense Pakula is trying for is ruined by an awful music score by Michael Small, and the romance between Kristofferson and Fonda doesn't work either. Kristofferson is laughable as a he-man, and there is something icky in the idea that this is the kind of behaviour that Fonda responds to. There is also the unfortunate coincidence of their matching hairstyles - it recalls Lily Tomlin and John Travolta in Moment by Moment. One curiosity is the kind of computer software used at the time. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

We invite you to Le Cafe Singe Bleu
It's interesting how people can see the same movie and come away with different impressions of it. A reviewer below wrote: >>Unfortunately, CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is among them, with an early scene allowing one character to address Chan in pidgin English--and then requiring Chan to play into the joke. Modern viewers will likely find the scene distasteful; this aside, however, CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is a reasonably entertaining entry in the series<<< and I frankly find this a surprise. Chan makes a fool of Max Corday (the man who spoke to him in Pidgin English) by speaking in pidgin first, and then perfect English. Corday is embarrassed and humbled, as Chan intended. All officials in the French police force treat Chan with respect. Making the point that 'the educated masses' are not racist, only ignorant people are.

Having said that, Charlie Chan in Paris is one of my favorite Chans, not the least because it introduces Keye Luke and has one of my favorite actors, Erik Rhodes...

One of the Better Chan Films
CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is one of the better entries in the Chan series. It is the tenth Charlie Chan film and the seventh in which Warner Oland plays the role of the venerable detective. It marks the first appearance of Keye Luke as Lee Chan, Charlie's number one son.

Philip MacDonald wrote the screenplay. Earl Derr Biggers, the author of the six Charlie Chan books, had died in 1933.

Enjoyable but Slightly Patronizing
Although Charlie Chan films were no more nor less stereotypical in their presentation of the Inscrutable Chinese Detective than such series as Blondie were of the Crazy Blonde Housewife, some early Chan films did engage in a certain amount of regrettable patronization. Unfortunately, CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is among them, with an early scene allowing one character to address Chan in pidgin English--and then requiring Chan to play into the joke. Modern viewers will likely find the scene distasteful; this aside, however, CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is a reasonably entertaining entry in the series, starring the always welcome Warner Oland (the original Chan) and Keye Luke (the most enjoyable of Chan's tag-along sons) in a story concerning bond fraud in the city of light.

As the series evolved, writers became increasingly astute in their presentation of Chan, and while some characters might mock Chan, he inevitably shows them up by using their false impression of his intelligence to his own advantage. By the time Sidney Toler replaced Warner Oland (who died unexpectedly), moments of bad taste such as found in this particular film were exceedingly rare. While several of the best Chan films--such as AT THE OPERA, AT THE WAX MUSEUM, and CASTLE IN THE DESERT--are available on video, it is extremely regrettable that the vast majority of Chan films have never been released to the home audience; fans of the series should look for such films as AT TREASURE ISLAND and IN PANAMA on occasional cable television Chan film festivals.

the series hits it stride..a must
the movie seems to be the unoffical start of the series as we love it...number one son debut helps ..it has sex//comedy// a good ending//a must see ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

For a full dose of pure, unfiltered Joan Crawford, look no further than this slab of scorching film noir. Crawford is in her element as the heroine of James M. Cain's pulp-fiction classic, a ditched wife and mother who is forced to become a waitress. On the strength of Crawford's steely willpower (and maybe those intimidating wide-wing shoulder pads), she constructs an empire of eateries, only to be disappointed by her rotten daughter (Ann Blyth) and a ferret-faced new husband (Zachary Scott). Director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) whips up a storm of atmosphere, and the script is a series of tartly written exchanges. The best lines go to perennial wisecracker Eve Arden, as Crawford's acid-tongued pal--she earned her only Oscar nomination for the role. Commenting on the ungrateful daughter, Arden says, "Alligators have the right idea. They eat their young." Crawford herself took home the best actress Oscar, and the film was a triumphant personal comeback: her longtime studio MGM had released her from her contract before Mildred Pierce came along. Is this great acting? (Pauline Kael called it "heavy breathing.") Whatever Joan Crawford is doing in this movie, it's movie presence at its most formidable. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (64)

Mean, moody, magnificent!
MILDRED PIERCE (1945): A downtrodden housewife (Joan Crawford) works hard to become a successful restaurateur in order to accommodate her spoiled daughter (Ann Blyth), leading to betrayal and murder...

The movie which netted Joan Crawford her first and only Oscar and revitalized her flagging career is a top-class melodrama, beautifully constructed by screenwriter Ranald MacDougall (from a novel by James M. Cain) and photographed in moody black and white by ace cameraman Ernest Haller (HUMORESQUE, REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE). Aimed at the market for so-called 'women's pictures' which had emerged during the Second World War, the movie contains all the ingredients of a modern day soap opera, piling the agony on Crawford's tragic character until she's redeemed by a moment of happiness at the very end of the picture. Crawford is a tower of strength in the leading role, and she's given strong support by an exceptional cast, including Blyth (KISMET, THE HELEN MORGAN STORY) as her vicious, mean-spirited offspring, character actor Jack Carson as a wily businessman who pursues Crawford romantically and loses out to a succession of unsuitable paramours (including a deceptively suave Zachary Scott in one of his first screen appearances), and Eve Arden in a hilarious turn as Crawford's friend and business colleague who doles out the wisecracks like candy (after being leered over by Carson, she retorts: "Leave SOMETHING on me, I might catch cold!"). Attentive viewers will be amused by some eyebrow-raising dialogue which hints at a lesbian subtext in Arden's character, having somehow managed to elude conservative-minded censors in 1945! By this stage in his long career, director Michael Curtiz was an old hand at this sort of thing (ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES, CASABLANCA, etc.), and he orchestrates the dramatic highlights with visual aplomb - the confrontations between Crawford and Blyth are particularly strong, though Crawford's stubborn devotion to such an ungrateful daughter seems faintly ridiculous at times - and the sumptuous production values represent Hollywood craftsmanship at its finest. Beautiful, doom-laden score by Max Steiner, incorporating a number of cues heard earlier in NOW, VOYAGER (1942), and vivid, expressionist set designs by Hollywood veteran Anton Grot. Butterfly McQueen (immortalized forever in GONE WITH THE WIND) appears uncredited as Crawford's maid.

Warner's region 1 DVD - which runs 110m 40s - reproduces the 1.37:1 frame in full-frame format, and picture quality on this fully restored print is absolutely stunning, with barely a mark on the entire negative. The 1.0 mono soundtrack is clean and forceful, and English captions and subtitles are included. For some reason, Warner has opted for a two-sided presentation rather than dual-layer, which means you have to turn the disc over to access a series of trailers from Crawford's heyday at Warner Bros. (including one for MILDRED PIERCE itself) and a fascinating documentary on Crawford's life and career (86m 58s), produced for the Turner Classic Movies channel in 2002. Contributions from co-stars, family and technical personnel provide a rounded picture of Crawford from her beginnings as a wild party girl to a respected actress whose career hit rock bottom toward the end of the 1960's. The documentary doesn't shy away from allegations of abusive behavior made by her adopted daughter Christina (the basis for MOMMIE DEAREST, book and film), but it also reminds us of her enduring legacy as one of the shining lights of Hollywood's golden age.

Joan's Oscar!
Bette Davis turned down this tawdry tale of a housewife who becomes a tycoon from baking pies and starting a restaurant chain called (surprise) Mildred Pierce. Joan's fantastic as the betroubled mother of two daughters, Kay and Veda. But this brings up the weakest element of this classic film. Veda is such a creamy, hard-boiled monster that you can't believe her (played in an unreal, strange way by Ann Blyth). Nor is it possible to believe Mildred would keep forgiving her for all the horrible things she does. Bizarre as it sounds, I wish Bette Davis could have played the Veda role and oh, boy, would things have exploded. Blyth is much too cool and marbelized while Joan keeps forgiving, forgiving. Still, the movie is wonderfully produced with great sets, photography, and yet another memorable film score by genius Max Steiner.Eve Arden brilliantly portrays Ida, everybody's chum, who says at one point to Mildred: "Alligators have the right idea. They eat their young." After sitting through this, you may also wonder how this movie would have turned out if Bette had taken the role of Mildred--or in our fantasies, the role of Veda. Anyhoo, bravo to Joan who really deserved the Oscar she won.

A classic!
A fantastic movie! Beautifully directed, wonderfully acted, and a great story!

If you enjoyed the movie, read the original by James Cain. There are a few things about Mildred that the movie didn't tell - it may surprise you!

Ultimate Crawford
Here is the story of your average post-World War II housewife who believes that nothing is too good--or too much--for her two precious daughters. By the time this great soap opera is over, she has buried one child, experienced the murder of a cheating, mooching sleazeball of a husband, sent the other daughter off to prison, and gone into bankruptcy. But at least Eve Arden's character is good for a few laughs. At the end, though, she seems to reconcile with her first husband, whom she kicked out of the house in the first reel for losing his job. It's nice to know one can sometimes start out all over again.

Essential for Old-Movie Fans
Everyone who has a weakness for old movies should have this one in his/her collection.
Steely Joan Crawford evokes sympathy as an abandoned, financially-strapped wife and mother, though you know all along that Mildred will make it somehow.
Make it she does, stumbling into the restaurant business and making a success of it in spite of the fact that men find her so darned irresistible that she has to stop and peel one off every few steps.
Adding to Mildred's troubles is the fact that oldest daughter Vida(played by dewy-eyed young beauty Ann Blyth) has become an insufferable snob somewhere along the line, in spite of her middle-class upbringing. Mildred worships Vida, in spie of the fact that Vida is moody, verbally abusive, and impossible to please.Vida wants to be "rich", but when Mildred makes lots of money, it still doesn't suit Vida because her mother worked (ew, yuck) for it. You wish that Mildred would shake her, or at least ground her.
Eve Arden, one of my all-time favorites, is her usual wonderful self as Mildred's shrewd secretary and loyal friend.
Butterfly McQueen gets wasted once again in the role of the family's maid.
Even if you're not a Joan Crawford fan, buy this one; it makes terrific rainy-night viewing. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Near classic
Vincent Price did not always do horror movies, but he was always a good actor and this film proves it. Price actually does not play the heavy in this film, that role falls to George Sanders who excels in a role where he deals out treachery. Price, Sanders and Margeret Lindsay all give outstanding performances. This may not be Vincent Price's best film, but it certainly ranks up there as one of his best performances. This is not a horror film, but it is a dark film that shows the impact greed can cause. The ending seems a little rushed, but it is still effective. There are no special effects and just simple sets, but the story and fantastic acting make this a great film for a wide range of viewers. ... Read more