safado Reviews

Porgy and Bess (1959)

A lost treasure

[10/10 · 15 May 2005]

I have always been a fan of this largely unseen filming of the Gershwin opera, since I last saw it in 1959. As many of you know, it has been unavailable on video or DVD; in fact, the Gershwin family sought to destroy all existing prints.

Yet, for some reason--hopefully signaling an end to its opposition, the Gershwin family recently approved the showing of a collector's print at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. .

Well, the wide-screen, Technicolor print was excellent! (Not perfect, but excellent.) The sound was outstanding, in road-show quality stereo. The folks who saw this in its original release wouldn't have seen a much better copy. (The program notes include the original Variety review, which cautions that people might balk at the steep limited-release ticket price of $3.50!)

And, as much as I loved it originally, PORGY AND BESS was better than I remembered it. It's just wonderful. Sidney Poitier as Porgy was at the point where his career was just beginning to catch fire, and his charisma shines through. Dorothy Dandridge as Bess is spectacularly beautiful. Brock Peters as Crown is aggressively masculine. Pearl Bailey as Maria provides a few comic moments, although her role is small. And Sammy Davis, Jr., as Sporting Life, steals every scene he's in; he's especially riveting in his two big numbers: "It Ain't Necessarily So" and "There's a Boat that's Leavin' Soon for New York." (That last one won applause in the screening I saw.)

PORGY AND BESS is set-bound, but it really doesn't matter when the set is as gorgeous as this one. The costumes are also outstanding.

Sidney and Dorothy's singing voices are dubbed in, but they are dubbed in extremely well. The exquisite "Summertime" is sung by Clara, played by a young Diahann Carroll; her singing also is dubbed. (Actually, only Pearl and Sammy do their own vocalizing.)

The music is sublime, of course, but what really struck me this time was how much emotion Preminger got out of the story. People were actually sniffling in the audience a number of times--once when Bess sings that beautiful "I Loves You Porgy." And I got a kick out of the audience actually laughing out loud at the lines in "It Ain't Necessarily So." Could it be they had never heard this song before-- or never really listened to it? I believe that much of the emotional impact of this film is due to Poiter and Dandridge's performances--you root for their love to win out.

A minor quibble with the 136 minute running time--one or two slow spot, and a stereotypical, Amos-n-Andy kind of scene about Bess seeing a shyster lawyer to get a divorce from Crown, even though she's not even married to him. (I would have cut that.) And the beginning is a little confusing--both title characters are introduced awkwardly--they're part of the movie before you realize who they are.

And I don't think Preminger used a single close-up in the entire movie. It all seems to be shot in 3/4, which I'm guessing was his way of working with the wide screen.

PORGY AND BESS has always been a cult film for those of us who saw it, for those of us who loved the soundtrack, and for some of us who have only heard about it. Let's hope they find a way to re-release this, and put it out on DVD. It deserves the widest audience possible.

Bus 174 (2002)

Outstanding

[10/10 · 30 March 2003]

This documentary is one that will haunt you.

It is absorbing and moving. The story of a bungled robbery attempt that turns into a bus hijacking, it becomes a broader, chilling examination of Brazil today. A dual tragedy lies at the heart of the story--that of the victims and the perpetrator--and the director shows us both.

The earliest review here provides an excellent outline of the documentary and the circumstances surrounding it. Be sure to read that.

One additional fact: the breathtaking opening scene, shot from a helicopter, follows the actual route of the bus from the slums of Rio to the wealthy suburbs around the Jardim Botanico.

If you appreciate documentaries, don't miss Bus 174!

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

Far from Ford--very disappointing

[3/10 · 17 December 2002]

I am a huge fan of John Ford, but somehow I had missed this one.

I was extremely disappointed. If I hadn't known that Ford had directed it, I never would have guessed it. Extremely set-bound, VALENCE has little of the sense of the Western outdoors that mark films like THE SEARCHERS, SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON and FORT APACHE. It's overlong. It's poorly cast, with both John Wayne and James Stewart--both in their 50s at the time--too old for their roles. (Stewart is particularly off-putting in this film, fitted with an obvious toupee and most of the time mired in a righteous indignation. He virtually quivers every time he speaks.) The female lead is that perpetual cipher, Vera Miles. (I've seen her in a number of films and still don't understand why she was so often cast in major productions.) John Wayne attacks his role with his usual zeal, but he's flabby and 55--too old to be convincing as Vera Miles' suitor. (This is the film in which he calls Stewart "Pilgrim".) Lee Marvin is the villainous title character and he's the most effective member of the cast. Strother Martin plays his chortling side-kick, who gets vicarious thrills out of Marvin's sadistic beating of townfolk. Edmund O'Brien chews the scenery with impossible speeches about freedom of the press. He is, in a word, ridiculous. Lee Van Cleef doesn't have one line of dialogue. Andy Devine is Andy Devine. VALENCE seems to be very low-budget. It reminded me in a large way of the Westerns that were so popular on television at the time--this could have been another episode of Wagon Train. Again, one of the major problems is the over-the-hill casting. I kept thinking how different the film would have been had it been cast with younger stars.

The "surprise" twist ending is unconvincing and doesn't really add anything. I know many people love this film. I'm at a loss.

Rock Star (2001)

Better than it has a right to be

[6/10 · 31 January 2002]

See this one for Mark Wahlberg's performance.

He's initially appealing reprising the "lamb in a den of wolves" role that made him a movie star in "Boogie Nights."

But he's very impressive in his rock performance. He handles metal music with ease.

The story is cliched, as many others here have noted.

Its humor gives "Rock Star" a bit of a split personality. This is no "Spinal Tap," but several spots are similar in tone and content.

Both Wahlberg and Anniston are too old for their roles, but that won't bother you too much.

And Jennifer Anniston's performance reminded me way too often of Barbra Streisand in her early movies--everything from her hair to her nails to her delivery of wisecracks. Watch the scene with her and the rock stars' wives and think of the young Babs.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Ridiculously Overrated

[4/10 · 20 January 2002]

Why are some people raving over this movie?

The framing (book covers, captions) is original and refreshing. The physical look of the production can't be faulted. The performances are almost uniformly good. (Ben Stiller is not my favorite actor, and he doesn't rise to new heights here.)

But the story??

This is a movie about an eccentric family. You'll get that in the first 5 minutes. I doubt that you'll identify with any of them.

After that--there isn't much more.

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

Better with every viewing

[9/10 · 6 August 2001]

This is a captivating fantasy, with one of the best performances of the 80's: Kathleen Turner is a delight.

Who wouldn't want to go back to his teenage years armed with knowledge of the future? Now Peggy Sue is able to recognize the turning points in her life and, this time, she has the opportunity to make different choices.

The film's one minus is Nicolas Cage's overacting. But to his credit, there's something about his moony, goofy mugging in the "Do-Wop" section that sum up the era's Fabian-Avalon notion of a teen idol. And the script is excellent at revealing the self-absorption of someone his age and sex. He never understands Peggy Sue's point of view.

Production values are outstanding, with a real feeling for the period.

I'll watch "Peggy Sue" again just to hear: "Dad?? You bought an Edsel??!!"

Lovers: A True Story (1991)

Beautiful film

[9/10 · 22 June 2001]

"Amantes" is a beautifully shot film with 3 gorgeous stars in the lead roles.

The central triangle is reminiscent of another fine film, 1951's "A Place in the Sun," which was also based on a true story.

The final scene, with Paco searching for Louisa at the train station, is particuarly striking. It will stick in my memory for a long time.

West Side Story (1961)

Badly dated

[5/10 · 19 March 2001]

"West Side Story" was always overrated.

If you disagree, try to imagine how much better it would be if it were filmed today. You can guarantee that the Jets wouldn't be played by these refugees from cheerleader school, and the Sharks would actually be Puerto Rican.

The music and the opening scene were what captured audiences in the 60s.

Everything else is impossibly stagey--particularly the sight of these peroxided "hoodlums" dancing through the streets of NYC.