ngs712 Reviews

The Trouble with Harry (1955)

What Is The Trouble? 'Possible' Spoilers

[8/10 · 12 November 2008]

This movie is in my top five favorite Hitchcock films. Maybe I committed 'blasphemy' for putting it ahead of films like North by Northwest, Shadow of a Doubt, and Notorious, but I think it was worth it. Sadly, this is a film that's overlooked when you think of his other films, like the ones I mentioned above. For fans of the film, we can only wonder why it's swept under the rug. Sure it's no 'Vertigo', but the thing is it's not meant to be.

The Trouble with Harry has the unique distinction of being only one of two comedies that Hitch made, in the U.S. anyway. The other being Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Of course Hitch is famous for little touches of black humor, but on this film he went all out. A plain, simple, black comedy that probably ends up flying under the radar of people used to watching Marx Bros. films, who I also like.

While not exactly, laugh-out-loud comedy I enjoy watching it. I think it's a relaxing film, especially when you see the great photography that captures the beauty of autumn in New England. Then again, I don't think you can ever get a bad shot of that. It's an amusing tale with good acting from John Forsythe, Shirley MacLaine, Edmund Gwenn, and Mildred Natwick occupying the main and almost only roles in the film. It also marks the first collaboration between Hitchcock and Herrmann who brings a light, airy, and playful score that helps make the concern of the story less of 'how' Harry died, but what exactly to do with him.

Basically, if you like Hitchcock, black comedy and don't mind an uncomplicated story, then I highly recommend it.

Casino (1995)

An Underrated Classic

[9/10 · 12 November 2008]

I haven't seen too many Scorsese films. I've seen The Departed, The Aviator, and 'most' of GoodFellas. I just watched Casino last night and I think I can say it is one of the best, most involving and well-directed films I've ever seen and I've seen a lot of movies. The acting is great, De Niro and Pesci giving wonderful performances of 'Ace' and Nicky, respectively. I haven't seen Sharon Stone in any film before, but she also gave a great performance as Ace's wife Ginger.

In a way, Casino is a companion piece to GoodFellas. However, it needs to be judged as a film in it's own right. GoodFellas is a great movie, one that almost anyone can enjoy. But Casino, to me, is more in depth and gives a much more detailed look into the 'big' mobs, the ones that ran Vegas.

The photography is great, especially the camera movement. The voice-over narration may be more than you heard in GoodFellas, but in a way it's necessary to get into the minds of Nicky and Ace. It's like a documentary and these guys are just giving us the facts. Not using a traditional film score also helps to make it feel more 'natural', the pop music selected to give exactly the right mood to its respective seen. Particularly the 'House of the Rising Sun' played towards the end over a sort of 'epilogue'. It not only fit's the scene, but the film as a whole.

I think it's hard to actually say or write what this film is about, like any great film. All you can do is watch it and find out for yourself.