Smashbomb

"The easiest choice. The greatest of movies. Never has a film been so formally rich and so teeming with life. Jean Renoir’s romantic roundelay is as fluid and multifaceted as the characters he depicts with equal doses of compassion and bemusement, and this depiction of the mercurial nature of human behavior, of the beauty and absurdity of civilization, has never been equaled. The Dance of Death is the greatest sequence, but it’s also a dance of life. For many years, the film was literally unavailable in an acceptable print or video version in this country. For a showing several years ago (before the recent Janus Films rerelease), the Museum of the Moving Image had to import a 35 mm print from England. And as though it isn’t enough to be able to own a masterfully restored copy, the Criterion DVD has a great documentary about Renoir by Jacques Rivette!"

Source

Kudos

Alec Baldwin recommended Oliver Twist (1948) in Movies (curated)

Oliver Twist (1948)

1948 |

(0 Ratings)

Movie Favorite

"It’s quite hard to consider Lean’s filmography and put forth any favorites. Lean is certainly one of the greatest film directors of all time. The scope and richness of his work, from Great Expectations to The Bridge on the River Kwai, from Lawrence of Arabia to A Passage to India, mark the career of a filmmaker who was bold and determined like no other. However, a fondness for Dickens (and for Lean’s fondness for Dickens), and for the remarkable reality and suffering of the working class of England in the early nineteenth century that is brought to life here, always brings me back. To Guy Green’s photography, to the film’s exquisite art direction, and to the acting. The cast is flawless. Guinness, a young Anthony Newley, Kay Walsh, and the emotional sledgehammer of Robert Newton’s performance. Ronald Neame produced this and other great British films."

Source

Kudos

Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Stardust in Books

Feb 15, 2021 (Updated Feb 15, 2021)

Stardust

Neil Gaiman | 2005 | Fiction & Poetry

8.4

(35 Ratings)

Book Rating

25 of 250
Book
Stardust
By Neil Gaiman

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

Life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall - named after the imposing stone barrier which separates the town from a grassy meadow. Here, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the beautiful Victoria Forester and for the coveted prize of her hand, Tristran vows to retrieve a fallen star and deliver it to his beloved. It is an oath that sends him over the ancient wall and into a world that is dangerous and strange beyond imagining . . .

This was such a cute little fairy tale! It was a little odd and quirky I loved it. Neil Gaiman is brilliant and his writing is brilliant! It was genuinely a sweet fairy tale written in Victorian England/ fairie land.

Kudos

Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Blithe Spirit (2020) in Movies

Jan 23, 2021

Blithe Spirit (2020)

2020 | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

7.4

(7 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Blithe Spirit is gentle British romantic comedy that is based off a play by Noel Coward. Gentle is the key word here, Blithe Spirit is a slow tale that tries to focus on the relationships of the three main characters. Even the humour is quite mild.
There are a few familiar faces in the film but that's no surprise, as the saying goes 'Welcome to England, we have 20 actors, 4 sets and 14 Doctors'.
There was something a bit 'Cheep', I can't quite place my finger on it but there are a few times that the sets look a bit to like sets.
Even from this version you can see how the original is an inspiration for later films such as Ghost.
I you want a slow paced film with an entertaining story and light laughs and totally inoffensive then Blithe Sprit is worth a look.