WWI as melodrama, with remnants of silent-movie-era film style.... The spectacular, breathtaking dogfights in this movie had me on the edge of my seat, as did the in-the-cockpit sequences of the German aces as they are shot down. In fact, overall the "enemy" is portrayed in a human, personal way. The performances aren't too over the top for the 21st-century viewer -- in fact, they're charming (and unfettered by censors); they could be called hoary only because, well, anything is hoary seventy years on. Remember the age of this movie and go along with it and you'll bawl and be uplifted at all the right moments. Yes, you can see the strings when some of the models blow up and fly through the air, but they do blow up with a mighty flourish. Highly recommended.
Reviews
4 Reviews
An Awfully Big Adventure
(1995)
Brilliant but disturbing
18 July 1999
A coming-of-age story -- for once, about a girl rather than the usual run of little men. Stella is just turned sixteen and has joined the backstage crew of a small theatre company in post-war Liverpool. Her sadness and loneliness lead her to imaginary phone calls with the mother she's lost, a longing for the father she doesn't know, and longing for love. She's flawed, spirited, growing and changing. She goes through all the difficulties of a teenage girl encountering teenage boys, falling into infatuations, and looking for some adult to pattern her life on or the guidance to make her own way....
It's a wonderful film until it takes a peculiar turn and becomes more the story of Alan Rickman's character, the talented but unbalanced character actor brought in to take on the role of Captain Hook in "Peter Pan." The first two thirds of the film are highly recommended; the ending simply leaves me disturbed -- but whenever I have a chance to see the movie again, it's hard to resist. Georgina Cates does a fine job, Alan Rickman is in good form; Hugh Grant is fine in his role, but his role was less significant than I expected -- his character is mainly important in how Stella sees him and in how it affects her passage into emotional adulthood. Stella's passage into sexual adulthood is the most distressing turn of all, and leaves me wondering whether I can like a film that makes this choice (and shifts its focus from the young woman who was at its center to the adult man who doesn't appear until midway through).
It's a wonderful film until it takes a peculiar turn and becomes more the story of Alan Rickman's character, the talented but unbalanced character actor brought in to take on the role of Captain Hook in "Peter Pan." The first two thirds of the film are highly recommended; the ending simply leaves me disturbed -- but whenever I have a chance to see the movie again, it's hard to resist. Georgina Cates does a fine job, Alan Rickman is in good form; Hugh Grant is fine in his role, but his role was less significant than I expected -- his character is mainly important in how Stella sees him and in how it affects her passage into emotional adulthood. Stella's passage into sexual adulthood is the most distressing turn of all, and leaves me wondering whether I can like a film that makes this choice (and shifts its focus from the young woman who was at its center to the adult man who doesn't appear until midway through).
The Broadway Melody
(1929)
Didn't I see you Singing in the Rain?
16 May 1999
Anyone who's interested in early talkies will be fascinated by this film. It has all the goofiness you'd expect and a whole lot of charm -- not to mention all the musical numbers brilliantly remade a few decades later in "Singing in the Rain," which presumably takes place in the same studio at the same time. In fact, if you love "Singing in the Rain" and understand the spirit of that film, you'll love this film. This film was made to be a lighthearted extravaganza, and as other commentators have noted, it probably won Best Picture by wowing everyone with its astonishing special effect (they sing! they dance! they speak!). Reminds one of other films that have done the same (the whole boat sinks!). The interplay between the two sisters at the beginning is a little, shall we say, peculiar -- also fascinating. Not for film snobs, but a fun look at the past.
When Were You Born?
(1938)
Plot may strain credibility, but nice work from Anna May Wong
28 January 1999
I agree with the first reviewer that it's a bit much to believe the astrologer can be so accurate with every utterance, but the movie is light fun, and Anna May Wong gets a lot of good screen time. She doesn't just recite star charts; she also helps the police ferret out legitimate clues and solve puzzle or two. Don't take it too seriously.
Tell Your Friends