Marathi Movie Reviews

Mercedes Reuhel as an eccentric auntie and Irene Worth as miserable granny steal the show from nominal star Richard Dreyfuss. There's nothing wrong with Dreyfuss's performance, in fact he's very funny as a George Raft style gangster reined in by the domestic prison of his family. It's just that the aforementioned ladies are SO good that you are constantly watching them to see what they will do next.

This wartime story centres round two boys whose father sends them to live with their grandmother so he can repay a debt. There's an air of tragedy throughout this comic film. The debt is the hospital expenses of the boys' dead mother, and much of the film is spent dwelling on this and other deaths in the family. But Neil Simon does it so well, and the comedic moments do not in any way lessen the impact of the more melancholy scenes. The screenplay was adapted by Simon from his own play and it shows, with almost all scenes set in Grandma's house. But this does not detract from what is a very well made, enjoyable movie.

This briliant adaptation of the Neil Simon play was filmed on the very street where I live. Mercedes Rheul and Richard Dreyfuss are stunning in their roles as are 'grandma' and the boy. For me, the warm feelings are enhanced seeing familiar sites, but what stands out most of all is the characters and their touching humanity. The DVD version is a must see bringing more scope to what was already a wonderful film.

This movie was a wonderful movie version of Neil Simons play of the same name. Mercedes Reuhl as sweet if not simple Bella was stunning. Richard Dreyfuss played a classic fast-talking ganster. Jay and Arty were portrayed perfectly, while I was even afraid of the grandmother. The chillingly sad atmosphere of the play is brightened by Bella's never ending kindness and Arty's wonderful one liners.

Though not as true to the play as it could have been, for a movie adaption, it was very well done.

So many silent movies are disappointments to me, but not this one. It is simply so much better than the average silent, with great story, wonderful special effects, and most of all the acting of John Barrymore. In this movie he truly shows why he was the best and remains the best.

With the exception of two earlier films, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1920) and The Sea Beast (1926), THE BELOVED ROGUE is more a personal statement by its star, John Barrymore, than any film he ever made. Designed as a romp through 15th century Paris (in a snowstorm, no less), ROGUE is both inventive and bizarre as Barrymore's Gothic tastes were given free rein by United Artists.
The actor specifically wanted to avoid the "Hollywood" type of situations where the hero rescues the heroine and both live happily ever after. Despite the film's inventiveness, the plot eventually works itself out along the more traditional lines that Barrymore wanted to avoid like the plague. It was said that he was unhappy with the finished product but many years after his death, when ROGUE was considered a lost film, a subsequent owner of Barrymore's house found a mint 35mm print of this film stored away in the basement. Perhaps that print is the one used for this dvd, courtesy of Mr. Barrymore himself.

Since the film seeks a de-glamourized view of the Middle Ages, fans of Hollywood swashbuckers made during the 1930s and 40s will probably be surprised - dismayed may be a better word - at the dingy surroundings and deformed characters present in many scenes. Barrymore revelled in this type of setting and perhaps felt justified that he could never have played such parts had he remained on the stage. As it turned out, the film rights to the hit stage play, "If I Were King," were not available so Barrymore and company had to cobble a story together based on public domain information on Francois Villon, steering clear from any story elements original to the play.

THE BELOVED ROGUE on the whole is an enjoyable if somewhat creepy swashbuckler of a type never really duplicated during the sound era. Now if they only added some bonus material like Barrymore's 1926 home movie, Vagabonding on the Pacific, we'd really shout for joy!

Though swashbuckling is typically associated with the movies of the 30s and 40s, it was actually invented in the 10s and 20s and pioneered by the incomparable Douglas Fairbanks. By the time this movie was made, in 1926, swashbuckling was a giant moneymaker for the film industry. This time was the last hurrah for silent cinema, talkies would totally take over within a few years. Yet, in these last few years of the artform, some of the best examples of silent cinema were filmed.

John Barrymore plays Francois Villon, introduced as a poet, pickpocket and patriot. Though his works are widely read, writing does not pay the bills so Villon makes his living outside the law. On All Fools Day, he runs afoul of King Louis XI (Conrad Veidt) and is banished from Paris. The city is his life so to be forced to leave it is worse than death. Of course, you can't keep a hero as zany as Villon down and he ends up back in the city, falls for the pretty but bland Charlotte who is a huge fan of his poetry. Charlotte is about to be married off in a master plan by the Duke of Burgundy to take Paris. The King is too fettered by superstition to act. You guessed it, it's up to Villon to save the day.

The acting is all appropriately over the top, as is right in a silent melodrama. The sets and costumes look good. John Barrymore easily dominates the viewers attention. Conrad Veidt is also very enjoyable, the supremely weird Louis must have been a fun character to play.

My only real complaint about the movie is that the climax is played with a totally straight face, I felt that a sillier climax would have been more in keeping with the overall spirit of the film. However, silly climaxes are hard to do without being just plain dumb so I suppose I understand why the film makers decided to be serious.

The print quality is good, about the usual number of flaws expected in a silent film but always viewable. The score is piano and is appropriate (I find organ scores a bit overbearing but some fans can't do without them, it's all about personal taste) The DVD does not offer any extras except chapter selection.

This is a great investment for a silent movie or a swashbuckler fan. Overall, a very enjoyable film that is finally available on DVD.

I really think this video is invaluable because it contains the 30-minute video A DANCER'S WORLD. This video starts out with Martha in the dressing room talking about dance as a profession, and then it switches scenes to show her dancers from the late 1950s performing some of her classic "floor work" as well as bits of choreography from Martha's works, such as, I believe, Diversion of Angels.

More than anything, what makes this video valuable in my eyes is that we get to see Martha talk about what she loves: dance. She really was an incredible woman (as if me saying it makes it so - who hasn't said that about Martha?), and I hope her legacy will be preserved. Videos like this will aid in such preservation.

This videotape is a tribute to one of the greatest dancers and choreographers of the 20th century. It is done in black and white and actually, this makes it even better, for it serves to concentrate attention on the dance forms and the many abstractions that so characterize the Graham technique. There are three parts of the tape: 1. "A Dancer's World", which is 30-minutes long and shows Graham and her company demonstrating dance expression and techniques. Viewers can see Graham in the dressing room, in the studio, and dancing herself. 2. "Night Journey", which is my all time favorite piece by Graham. Graham dances the part of Jocasta, Paul Taylor as Tiresais, and Bertram Ross as Oedipus. 3. "Appalachian Spring", which is the most popular of Graham's works, is accompanied by the music of Aaron Copland.

All of the parts exemplify the mystery and majesty of this pioneer of modern dance. Graham is unrelenting in her expression, things are never subtle in her dances, and she always (delightfully) comes across with an overabundance of passion. Given the length of time she actually performend on stage, one can only feel a deep sense of respect and awe at this incredible woman.

The two dances and one personal account of a dancer's world included in this hour and a half long vido were amazing. Anyone who has heard of Martha Graham's revolutionary dancing but has never seen any of her work should see this- it is truly spectacular.

I think this is the best cause you get both movies together

The Goonies to me is an adventure that pulls you in as you watch it. The movie is based upon a group of rag-tag, friends that live in the goondocks. The dilema of the story is that all will lose their homes unless certain payment is made. The adventure starts when Mikey (Sean Astin) finds a treasure map. The story unravels with twists and turns...both good and bad. From booby traps, escaped convicts, pirate ships, to treasure. Beautiful acting, special effects, and plot. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who ever wanted to be an adventure seeker.

Tamerlano is Handel's most dramatically convincing and musically appealing opera, in my opinion. It is a shame it is not as well known as some of his other works. This DVD is a well filmed and documented performance from the 2001 Handel Festival in Halle. The singing is for the most part excellent and the acting is appropriate to the subject, the music, and the visual concept. The costumes, borrowed from a spectacular Glimmerglass Opera production, add much visual interest (important since the stage setting is oddly sparce). One might quibble with some of the static nature of the staging (difficult to avoid in Baroque opera), and with the somewhat unmasculine singing and acting of Monica Bacelli in the role of the warrier Tamerlane, but overall this is a very satisfying performance. Thomas Randle gives a vocally and dramatically intense reading of the crucial role of Bajazet, and Elisabeth Norberg-Schulz and Anna Bonitatibus are tremendous. The "Score Plus" feature is nice, but it does NOT actually appear as a "subtitle" - it is superimposed over the screen. Useful if you want to watch portions of the score, but otherwise distracting. I highly recommend this DVD.

The thing about this adaptation of Li'l Abner is that it manages to capture the light-hearted feel of the strip at the time. Unencumbered by any political or social leanings (in either direction) it gives a sense of Al Capp at his finest. When Li'l Abner and the citizens of Dogpatch were celebrated heroes of America.

The cast is mostly unknown. But they bring a sense of excitement to their roles that more than makes up for their lack of experience. That's not to say this is a flawless film. It's cheaply produced and it was sad to see film great Buster Keaton in such a small role. But it is funny (despite Maltin's opinion) and well worth the price.

Rebecca DeMornay plays a beautiful but serious(note the reading glasses) psychologist who has a mysterious background concerning the loss of her mother as a small child. Dennis Miller is the suspicious ex-boyfriend and neighbor. Antonio Banderas is the sexy guy she runs into while shopping and begins dating. Lots of disturbing things begin to happen to her and she suspscts someone is going to try to kill her. The ending was a surprise twist to me. There are some steamy scenes between her and Antonio which are worth the purchase of the DVD in my opinion. You can watch it in English, Spanish or Portuguese and it also has subtitles in Chinese, Korean and Thai. The DVD features full or widescreen format, trailers and chapter selection.

I was channel surfing a few nights ago, and the reason that I stopped on this movie was because I recognized the Carousel Center Mall in Syracuse. At first I couldn't believe anybody would ever do a movie in Syracuse, so I continued watching it. After a few minutes, however, I began to like the movie because of the plot. It's a good comedy, and yet has a good story line.

This is a movie I can watch over & over without ever getting bored. At first, I when I watched it, I found it enjoyable in something of a Mallrats sort of way, mainly because Steve Zahn just blows you away with his humor & stories.

But it is greater than that. The depression that Josh Hamilton is going through is very strong & very real. He is apathetic about most everything, and floats around with his post relationship depression, but does care strongly for his friends Nicole & Freak.

This movie is hypnotic. You find yourself thinking about it long after having seen it. The humor is amazing & it is brilliantly human.

This film is a great little discovery. It mixes humor, alienation, drugs, introspection, love, pain, sex, and the meaning of life in a way that'll keep you talking with your friends for days afterwards. It's rare to find a movie that brings together light-heartedness and profundity with such seamlessnes, especially in a first-time director. Paul Todisco takes us inside the world of David Keenan, through his exploits, his failures and his joys...and by the time he's done, were better people because of it. A truly classic depiction of growing up in modern America, Blowin' Smoke (aka Freak Talks About Sex) excels at touching upon what's real in each of us. I'd recommend it to anyone.