Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen, 2011)

16Oct11

Owen Wilson (Gil), Rachel McAdams (Inez), Michael Seen (Paul), Carla Bruni (Guide), Kathy Bates (Gertrude Stein), Marion Cotillard (Adriana), Adrien Brody (Salvador Dali). Screenplay by Woody Allen. Directed by Woody Allen. Rating: 12. Running time: 94 minutes. Ever noticed how since Manhattan, Woody Allen seems to feel obliged to begin his films with dull scene […]

Filed under: comedy, fantasy, romance   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: adrien brody, annie hall, bergman, ernest hemingway, existentialism, gertrude stein, groucho marx, hannah and her sisters, intellectualism, jean paul satre, josh brolin, luis bunuel, marion cotillard, midnight in paris, naomi watts, owen wilson, paris, picasso, salvador dali, scott fitzgerald, sleeper, stoicism, surrealism, vicky cristina barcelona, woody allen, you will meet a tall dark stranger, zelda fitzgerald, zelig

To Catch A Thief (Alfred Hitchcock, 1955)

15Aug11

Cary Grant (John Robie), Grace Kelly (Frances Stevens). Screenplay by John Michael Hayes. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Rating: PG. Running time: 106 minutes. Oh Hitch, you old genius. Every time I think I’ve devoured your filmography and haven’t missed a trick on your IMDb page, another springs out of the history box and shouts ‘watch […]

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Tags: 007, alfred hitchcock, cannes, cary grant, french riviera, grace kelly, groucho marx, james bond, to catch a thief

Duck Soup (Leo McCarey, 1933)

09Jan11

Groucho Marx (Rufus T. Firefly), Harpo Marx (Pinky), Chico Marx (Chicolini). Screenplay by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. Directed by Leo McCarey. Rating: U. Running time: 68 minutes. Proclaimed as the ultimate Marx brothers film and for good reason, Duck Soup is a ferocious 60 minutes of non-stop gags of the visual and audible variety. […]

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Tags: charlie chaplin, city lights, duck soup, groucho marx, hannah and her sisters, marx brothers, sgt pepper, the beatles, woody allen

Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977)

13Apr10

Shelley Duvall (Pam), Christopher Walken (Duane Hall), Carol Kane (Allison), Diane Keaton (Annie Hall), Woody Allen (Alvy Singer). Directed by Woody Allen. Screenplay by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman. Rating: 15. Running time: 93 minutes. Why do Woody Allen characters always feel like they are not characters at all, but only alter-egos of the man […]

Filed under: america, comedy, romance   |  1 Comment
Tags: anna karina, annie hall, bergman, brooklyn, diane keaton, fellini, godard, groucho marx, jackson pollock, jean-luc godard, jewish, judaism, manhattan, marshall brickman, marshall mcluhan, pauline kael, play it again sam, pollock, psychoanalysis, TIME, time magazine, vicky cristina barcelona, vivre sa vie, woody allen

Horse Feathers (The Marx Brothers, 1932)

11Mar10

It is a strange thing to try and review a Marx film on its own. I could comment with ease on their efforts holistically: time after time they produced stupidly funny films packed with one-line wit, visual gags and humorous sing-a-longs. They are always, quite simply, a joy to watch; a chance to escape from […]

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Tags: duck soup, groucho marx, harpo, horse feathers