Drama > 1957 Drama

Remember the Affair

Advantages: Great performance from Grant, first half of the film is entertaining....
Disadvantages: ... Second half is a bit of a yawn at times

Ah, get the hankies at the ready for another good old fashioned weepy. I love these kinds of films, which I suppose is regarded as unusual by some given my gender. Perhaps I should be reviewing Die Hard or some other stereotypical masculine movie, and perhaps I will, but for now, I'll settle for the good ol' romance. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr star as the love struck pair aboard a ocean cruiser heading back to USA to meet their respective fiancés. ...
...renowned playboy and she is wary of his approaches but cannot resist his charms despite the fact that she herself is engaged to be married. They decide that they will leave their respective partners and meet in 6 months at the top of the Empire State Building if their love is still in tact. Do they meet? Does everything go to plan? See the film and find out (if you don't already know from the numerous references made in other movies such as Sleepless ...

Nixu1980 11.11.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of An Affair To Remember (DVD)

Twelve Angry men- A classic

Advantages: excellent acting, script, a classic
Disadvantages: none

This classic 1957 film starring Henry Fonda, has to be one of my favourite films, and one that I respect very highly for several reasons. Firstly it is a sign of masterful film making and directing by Sidney Lumet that such an engrossing, suspenseful and excellent film can be produced when, with a couple of exceptions, every scene is filmed in one single room. The plot in itself is highly simple, not complex or difficult to follow. The film revolves ...
...and the story focuses on a jury deciding on the boy's fate. At the outset the jury seem pretty decided on a guilty verdict, all except for one man (played by Henry Fonda) who votes not guilty. Throughout the film he slowly shows the holes in the prosecutions arguments, and highlights the prejudices and preconceptions of the jury men. Slowly and brilliantly others begin to change their minds also. It sounds rather dull when explained in this fashion, ...

adamp123 28.10.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Twelve Angry Men (DVD)

"Hello there, soldier. Ready to kill more Germans?"

Advantages: Expertly directed, shot, acted, written and edited. A vital, scathing message
Disadvantages: Frequently overlooked by modern audiences

With a film career spanning nearly fifty years, director Stanley Kubrick is often considered one of the great figures of modern cinema. He is also the perhaps the most consistent; his lean catalogue of thirteen features (his first, 'Fear and Desire' was near enough wiped off the face of the planet at the director's request) is choc-a-block with classics from the dystopian 'A Clockwork Orange' to the cerebral '2001: A Space Odyssey' to the ultra black ...
...mention, each one unique and brilliant in its own right. Even films that tore the critics like his final work 'Eyes Wide Shut' bode the same flair and overarching themes that make it quintessential Kubrick. 'Paths of Glory' from 1957, although not lesser known per se (on the contrary it is a film that is greatly admired), is definitely one of his more overlooked works, much like his other films of that early period in his career. A shame really as ...

Markula 23.03.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Paths Of Glory (DVD)

"Nothing escapes me. No one escapes me"

Advantages: Iconic and engaging. Breathtaking performances and direction.
Disadvantages: Its pessimism may leave some bored.

...will surely be familiar with the iconic image of a knight playing chess with the grim reaper with a Swedish beach serving as the backdrop. It's been parodied, referenced and homaged to the point where you'd not be mistaken to think that you've seen the whole film. A notable cinematic salute that springs to mind is that of 'Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey' where the duo have to play off against death with a series of board games; Twister, Battleships ...
...the more impressive considering that it's a fifty plus year old foreign film. Set during the time of the Black Plague (circa 14th century), the narrative focuses on one man: Antonius Block (Max von Sydow). A knight during the crusades, Block and his squire Jöns (Gunnar Björnstrand) return to Sweden to see a land ravaged by death and decay. Block wakes up on a beach disillusioned about the existence of god where he meets death himself (Bengt Ekerot) ...

Markula 24.02.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Seventh Seal (DVD)

A True Biblical Classic

Advantages: One of the best loved classics
Disadvantages: none

...Biblical tale was directed by the legendary silent film director Cecil .B . Demille .Cecil who was 75 years old when he made this film apparently ,suffered a heart attack during the making of the film, and there was fear of the film being shelved. But a determined Cecil got back within a month to resume the shooting and complete it as per schedule. There have been many criticisms against the film and his direction, with critics calling his style ...
...several still-impressive effects such as the parting of the Red Sea. It is a movie that abounds in spectacle and remains one of my most favorite films ever. The Story It is a rather well known story. It is the story of Moses, an Egyptian prince leading his true people, the Hebrews, into freedom from four centuries of slavery and bondage. He is brought up by the Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah. He is brought up in the court of her brother, Pharaoh ...

kiran8 14.07.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Ten Commandments (DVD)