Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Released: 1974
Country: United States
Genre: Thriller, Adventure
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
''Jaws'' is a genuinely terrifying film. Like, really. It is so very suspenseful, tense and thrilling.
When a woman dies when swimming in the ocean on Amity Island, it is immediately assumed that the death was caused by a shark attack. While police chief Martin Brody (played by Roy Scheider) wants to close the beaches, the authorities of the island are reluctant: it is the tourism season and tourism has a great impact in the economy of the island. The shark is lurking in the ocean and a few more devastating attacks follow. Wanting to rid the island of this vicious predator, Brody, oceanographer Matt Hooper (played by Richard Dreyfuss) and seafarer Quint (played by Robert Shaw) decide to catch the deadly shark, embarking on a dangerous and unpredictable mission.
''Jaws'' really scared me. From the very first scenes. The presence of the shark casts a sinister atmosphere throughout the film: it is so very suspenseful when we are fearing that the shark might appear anytime and that suspense is intense. Whenever the shark appears (and whenever we see its fin) it is terrifying, extremely terrifying. I found myself whispering 'get to the shore' over and over again to the vacationers when the shark was about to attack them.
''Jaws'' is suspenseful and intense, excellently-directed and acted. If you want a good scare then ''Jaws'' is definitely one of the films I would recommend the most!
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Released: 1974
Country: United States
Genre: Psychological thriller, Mystery, Drama
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
Francis Ford Coppola's ''The Conversation'' deals with surveillance. The protagonist is Harry Caul, played by Gene Hackman. He is an introverted surveillance expert. He is highly successful, well known and has his own surveillance company. When he gets the job of recording and comprehending the conversation of a man and a woman, he gets slightly startled. The two of them are apparently having an affair, and Harry is able to detect the exact words that they say. However, after he is done with the task, he is hesitant to hand the record in, as, based on his past experiences, he thinks that record might be used against the two people, that the record can become the basis of a serious crime. However, when he gets to the bottom of things, the truth he discovers is much murkier than he expected it to be.
For the first fifty minutes or so I kept wondering where the film was heading to. It seemed way too quiet, very little seemed to be happening, except showing us glimpses into Harry's life and showing us how Harry tries to figure out what the man and the woman are saying, what is actually means. The first fifty minutes or so were quiet and subtle, and although engrossing, not exactly suspenseful. However. When the film takes a turn- a very twisted turn indeed- it seems as if the entire tone of the film changes. The last part of the film is not just shocking but scary- and I mean it, it is extremely suspenseful and scary. I wouldn't be exaggerating when I say that it is Hitchcockian. Yes, indeed, the last part of the film, through its suspenseful and scary atmosphere, reminded me of Hitchcock's films. That is when I realized why it was so very important to keep the first half of the film as quiet as it is: to build up an atmosphere slowly, so that when the shock actually comes, the atmosphere is already developed- though I must repeat again that the atmosphere took an entirely different turn after the shock. The pace remains the same even after the shock: it is the atmosphere that takes a terrifying turn.
At the same time, besides the intention of building up the atmosphere, the quietness of the first half was also important to develop the character of Harry Caul, so that we can understand the reasons for his paranoia that we eventually get to experience near the end of the film. Really, his is a very well-developed character, and Gene Hackman does an excellent job.
I wouldn't be exaggerating when I say that the film shocked me to the core. The twist and the shock that come near the end- along with the way it is presented in (I must mention the excellent sound effects here)- make this film an unforgettable psychological thriller.
Directed by: Hal Ashby
Released: 1971
Country: United States
Genres: Romantic comedy, Dark comedy, Drama
Cast: Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, Vivian Pickles, Charles Tyner
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review
''Harold and Maude'', directed by Hal Ashby, has it all: feel-good romantic comedy elements, extremely dark humor, hilarity, as well as emotional depth. It is a hilarious, witty, darkly humorous, romantic, (sometimes) mischievous and sweet film.
Harold Chasen (Bud Cort), in his early 20s, is obsessed with deaths and funerals. One of his favorite hobbies is to fake his own suicide. He has done it so many times that it does not scare his mother (played by Vivian Pickles) anymore. During his visits to funerals, he often notices an elderly lady (Ruth Gordon), and one day, the woman approaches him. She introduces herself as Maude. She is 79. Maude is happy-go-lucky, and lives life to the fullest. Mischiveous, extremely lively, and defying her age, she often gets into cars that don't belong to her and drive off. Her actions, undoubtedly, surprise Harold. With the passage of time, Harold and Maude become really close. When it comes to characteristics and lifestyle, Harold and Maude are exactly opposite: while Harold finds life hopeless and not worth living, the 79-year-old Maude loves her life, lives life to the fullest. Gradually, Maude teaches Harold that life is worth living, that life has to be enjoyed. Harold finds himself falling in love with Maude- and it is genuine, pure love.
''Harold and Maude'' is sometimes extremely funny, extremely hilarious, yet sometimes really touching, really very sweet. Both Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon give perfectly amazing performances. Ruth Gordon is so cute, so sweet! She is perfect in her role as the happy-go-lucky and mischievous Maude. Similarly, Bud Cort also gives an excellent performance. Vivian Pickles, as Harold's mother, is really good as well. I should also mention Ellen Geer, who plays Sunshine. Harold's mother arranges dates between Harold and three different woman, as she wants Harold to get married and settle down. One of these three women is Sunshine, an actress. Harold tries to scare her off, like he had scared the two previous women, but Sunshine, a talented actress, remains unmoved by Harold's trick, and instead peforms such a trick that manages to shock- if not scare- Harold. Ellen Geer's role is short, but really very amusing.
While there are sweet moments of romance, there are darkly witty moments as well. The very first scene of the film comes as a surprise. We see Harold hanging himself. His mother enters the room, and we naturally expect her to scream. But instead, she doesn't even react. We look at her, surprised. Only then do we realize that she is used to seeing this: Harold often fakes suicides, and his mother has seen him faking suicides so many times that she is now quite used to it. The thing he did at the very beginning of the film is such an example of his fake suicides.
To sum it up, ''Harold and Maude'' has humor, romance, and emotional depth. There were scenes that made me laugh and laugh and laugh, and still make me laugh when I think of them, and there are scenes that are really touching. It is a wonderful little film.
4.5 out of 5
Directed by: Woody Allen
Released: 1979
Country: United States
Genres: Romantic comedy, Drama
Cast: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Michael Murphy, Mariel Hemingway, Meryl Streep, Anne Byrne
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review
''Manhattan'' tells the story of Isaac Davis (Woody Allen), a man in his early 40s. He is divorced, and is having an affair with Tracy (Mariel Hemingway), who is only 17. The other people present in the story are Isaac's friend Yale Pollack (Michael Murphy) and his wife Emily (Anne Byrne). Yale is secretly having an affair with Mary (Diane Keaton), and soon informs Isaac about this. Isaac finds this hard to believe, as he always thought Yale and Emily to be a perfect couple.
While Isaac wants Tracy not to take their affair seriously because of their huge age difference, Tracy sincerely loves Isaac. She wants to be important in Isaac's life. On the other hand, Yale cannot possibly spare enough time for Mary, as he is already married and has other responsibilities. After he breaks up with Mary, she (Mary) becomes very close to Isaac and that leads to a relationship. Things get difficult: Tracy loves Isaac. She is heartbroken to know that Isaac has fallen for someone else. Yale is struggling with a marriage he is not happy with. Where will these lead to?
There is another interesting woman in this film, and she is played by none other than the magnificent Meryl Streep. She plays Jill, Isaac's ex-wife, who turned out to be a lesbian, divorced Isaac, and moved in with her girlfriend, and is currently writing a book where she will discuss those days when she was married to Isaac, a project Isaac is not quite happy with.
Now ''Manhattan'' was indeed something wonderful! It was really very witty, really very funny. The circumstances and the story were not funny at all, of course. But the dialogues. The script. The entire film was presented in such a humorous, light way. The light and witty atmosphere kept me smiling and it often made me laugh! In addition, the characters are so interesting. Sure, they act immaturely throughout the film. That is, Isaac, Mary and Yale. They cannot decide whom they actually love. They cannot sort out their priorities. I would say Tracy was way better than these three 40-year old-characters. Sure, Tracy's decisions and emotions for Isaac were rather immature, they were sure to hurt herself. But. She loved Isaac truly. She loved him and wanted to be important in his life. She did not suffer from dilemma like the older, ''matured'' people do. She was too dedicated to Isaac. That was rather a negative aspect. But she loved him truly. Throughout the film she remained loyal to Isaac. That is actually the thing that matters. But in spite of the dilemmas and ever-changing decisions of the three older characters, they were funny, they were interesting, they were likeable and cute (especially Isaac and Mary). Isaac and Mary looked quite sweet together as well.
Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Michael Murphy- they were excellent. And Mariel Hemingway- playing the young Tracy- was unforgettable. And Meryl Streep, who remains memorable though playing a small role.
Filmed in brilliant black-and-white, the film looks really good! Several scenes were really memorable as they were really good looking! There were some really beautiful scenes with Isaac and Mary.
''Manhattan'' is really an excellent film, it indeed is. Personally, I thought it was the best Woody Allen film I have watched till now. But that being said, I have watched seven or eight Woody Allen films (I know I need to watch more). Overall, it was an excellently-directed, excellently-written, excellently-acted film that was funny and witty and had a good mixture of funny and romantic elements along with occasional emotional moments.
4.5 out of 5
Directed by: Randal Kleiser
Released: 1978
Country: United States
Genres: Musical, Romantic drama
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Review
Grease stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the lead roles. Danny (Travolta) and Sandra (Newton-John) meet when they are both spending their summer in a beach. They fall in love, and when summer ends, Sandra has to go back to Australia, but they promise to remain friends.
This is followed by the credits, which are shown with an animated background, which is quite well-made. After the credits, the story shifts to the Rydall High School. Danny is a student there, quite the ''popular guy''. We come to guess from the conversations between Danny and his friends that he has had several girls in his life before, but we also come to know that Danny had sincerely fallen in love with Sandra, and wishes to meet her someday again.
On the other hand, Sandra has also started school at Rydall High. She becomes friends with the girls belonging to the popular ''Pink Ladies'' group. Sandra tells her new friends how she fell in love with a wonderful boy at the beach. When the girls ask her the name of the boy and she replies, the girls are amused. They know about Danny, as he is very popular in their school, and they seem to think that he can never be serious about a relationship. However, they don't tell her that Danny is a student of that very school.
That evening, the girls take Sandra to Danny. Both are extremely surprised and delighted to see each other, but when Danny starts expressing his pleasure to see Sandra, he notices his friends standing behind him, and thinks that his image might be affected if he shows before everybody that he really loves Sandra. He thinks that this will make him look ''uncool''. Danny behaves very rudely with Sandra, leading her to think that Danny is ''fake and phony'', and she angrily leaves.
Over the next few days, Danny tries to reconcile with Sandra, apologizing for his behavior, and Sandra forgives her, and they try to rekindle their relationship, but have to face a few obstacles...
The film also focuses on several supporting characters, and it has several subplots, and two major subplots are about two girls of the Pink Ladies, ''Frenchie'' and Rizzo. Frenchie dreams to be a beautician, and drops out of high school to get into a beauty school, which turns out to be a complete disaster, and she falls into a dilemma about what to do with her life. Rizzo, on the other hand, becomes the subject of whispers and criticism when a rumor spreads that she is pregnant.
I agree that the film was really very entertaining. It really was. And I felt that it was really engrossing and wonderfully presented, a lot of fun. Some of the songs were really wonderful. But the main thing that prevented me from absolutely loving this film was that it drifted away too much from the two central characters. Sure, the main focus is always on the two main characters, but, however, the depth that should have been present in their relationship doesn't seem to be present. Sure, when they are shown together, it looks really sweet, and there is some depth, indeed, and some of the songs are really deep and emotional, but however, I thought that the two lead characters should have spent more screen time together. But, however, it does portray the romance really well, and though it is not that deep, it's really sweet.
John Travolta and Olivia Newton John's performances were really memorable. Especially, Olivia Newton John is so sweet! Travolta is also excellent in his role. There are a lot of important supporting characters. Especially Stockard Channing (as Rizzo), Jeff Conaway (as Kenickie) and Didi Conn (as Frenchie) were really very memorable.
The film had a lot of funny and hilarious moments, several really sweet moments between the protagonists, and several subplots, and it was filled with really wonderful performances. Some of the songs were really memorable (for example, ''Summer Nights'', ''Hopelessly Devoted to You'' and the concluding reconciliation song), but overall I think that the film should have given more depth to the two protagonists, they should have shared more screen time together, but nevertheless, this isn't a film that one can forget in a short time, because it's really entertaining, sweet, and with a lot of wonderful performances, several wonderful songs, and quite a good screenplay. It's definitely not one of the best musical films I have seen, but it's really good and recommended!
3.5 out of 5
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Released: 1971
Country: United States, United Kingdom
Genres: Crime, Drama, Sci-Fi
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
The very thing that we see in ''A Clockwork Orange'' is the face of the protagonist, Alex, staring in a creepy way. As the camera zooms out, we see that Alex, along with his friends, is sitting amidst unique statues, and we come to know from Alex's narration that he and his friends spend their evenings involving themselves in ''ultra-violence''. What is ultra-violence? We come to know that very soon.
From the actions of Alex and his friends, we can instantly understand that they are complete sociopaths. They mercilessly beat a drunk old man, and break into the house of a writer, brutally beating him and raping his wife. These first few scenes are so graphic, so disturbing that it instantly makes us hate Alex.
Stanley Kubrick presents ''A Clockwork Orange'' in a wonderful way. Amazing set decorations, scores, disturbing, sometimes terrifying, and with an extremely powerful performance from Malcolm McDowell, this is certainly an unforgettable film.
Alex and his friends spend all their evenings doing such horrible, horrible, horrible things. His parents have absolutely no idea that their son is such a horrible person. Alex has apparently told them that he spends his evenings doing odd jobs, and his parents trust him. He skips school saying that he has pain in the ''gulliver'' (meaning ''head'', it's one of the several slangs used by Alex throughout the film). Alex acts like a boss to his friends, mercilessly beating them if they don't act according to his orders, which makes his friends secretly detest him.
Alex's life changes when he breaks into the health farm, owned by a middle-aged woman, an tries to rape the woman. When the woman tries to defend herself, he kills her, and when trying to escape, his friends attack him with a bottle of milk, and then run away. Alex is arrested, and is sentenced to 14-year imprisonment. Alex tries to impress prison officers, and has a desire to get out of the prison. He has recently heard of a new method of treatment, the ''Ludovico'' treatment, that apparently destroys the criminal impulses of the criminal, and makes sure that he never has to return to prison again. Eventually, Alex manages to impress the Minister of the Interior, who selects Alex to be the subject to the Ludovico treatment. Alex is delighted, thinking that he will never have to go back to prison. However, once the treatment starts, it turns out to be extremely painful and torturous: he is shown films with intense torture scenes, and it is arranged that he can not close his eyelids.
The view of this treatment? The criminal will become so sickened after viewing these footage that whenever he has any criminal impulses, he will feel sick, and thus he cannot involve in anything criminal. That is, his criminal impulses have not been destroyed; only, he will involuntarily feel sick whenever he wants to do something bad; he has not really turned a ''decent'' person, and nor has his criminal impulses been brought under control; it has only been made sure that he is not able to do any criminal activities
After the end of the cruel treatment, Alex returns to his house, only to discover that his room is now occupied by a lodger who is now like a son to his parents. His parents are not very happy about his return, and ultimately, Alex is compelled to leave the house. And then, all those people whom Alex had once tortured: the old beggar, his friends, and the writer- come back to his life once again, ready to take revenge and Alex has to pay for his past actions...
Here arises a complicated question. Are the audience supposed to feel pity for Alex? The Ludovico treatment was an extremely cruel procedure. It did something quite different from what it promised to do. Sure, the criminal who went through this treatment won't be able to commit any crime again, but his criminal impulse hasn't been destroyed; instead, through a very cruel procedure, it is arranged that the criminal's body will react tremendously, that is, a sickening feeling will grasp him, whenever he has the urge to do anything criminal. But that doesn't destroy the criminal impulse. Does the protagonist, Alex, actually feel any remorse for his deeds? Just after going through such a cruel and painful treatment, he is shunned by the society. The way it is presented, it does arise pity. But then. If we remember all those horrible things Alex did in the past, if we think of the people whose lives he had destroyed, we obviously feel that extreme hatred again. He got what he deserved. Through his actions, his family suffered a lot, and that's the reason his family cannot accept him. The other people, the old man and the writer, had been severely tortured by Alex.
The treatment certainly destroys Alex's life, but does he actually feel any remorse for his past deeds? Apparently, he starts feeling sorry for himself, but isn't this what he deserved? He had tortured so many people, he had destroyed the lives of so many people. By the end of the film, I guess most of the audience will be left with an intense hatred for Alex. Sure, we feel pity a few times for him, but overall, the hatred for him is so strong that the pity will perhaps have no effect.
Malcolm McDowell's performance as Alex is excellent. The screenplay is excellent, and the overall film is really disturbing at times. This is my third Stanley Kubrick film (the two other Kubrick films that I have watched are ''Paths of Glory'' and ''The Shining'') and I guess that he will become one of my favorite directors. ''A Clockwork Orange'' is such a brilliant, engrossing, yet disturbing, an extremely unforgettable film.
5 out of 5
Directed by: Sidney Lumet
Released: 1974
Country: United Kingdom
Cast: Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Sean Connery, Ingrid Bergman, Michael York, Vanessa Redgrave, Jacqueline Bisset, Anthony Perkins, Martin Balsam, Wendy Hiller, Jean-Pierre Cassel
Genre: Mystery, Crime, Thriller
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review
''Murder on the Orient Express'' is a locked room mystery film that has a great cast, excellent screenplay, extremely engrossing story and presentation. It's definitely a great film.
Based on Agatha Christie's classic novel, the film starts informing the audience about a recent kidnap case. 5-year-old Daisy Armstrong had been kidnapped, and when her parents gave ransom to the kidnappers, the girl was found slain...
The film then shifts to the famous detective Hercule Poirot. He is on a train journey. One day, Mr Ratchett, one of the passengers of the train, tells Poirot that he has been recently receiving threatening letters, and asks Poirot to give him some protection. However, Poirot denies.
The next morning, Mr Ratchett is found dead. All the passengers are shocked. Poirot's friend Bianci (Martin Balsam) persuades Poirot to look into the case. Bianci is confident that before the journey ends, they will have found the criminal, and after that, they would tell the police about the crime and hand the criminal to the police.
Poirot interrogates the passengers, and does thorough investigation. The case seems extremely difficult, and it is discovered that this crime is somehow connected with the Armstrong case.
Albert Finney makes an excellent Poirot! He portrays Poirot in a lively, energetic, way! It was great to watch Poirot on screen. (I am a fan of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot novels).
We see so many great actors in this film. There are Albert Finney, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Martin Balsam, Jacqueline Bisset... so many great actors.
The story is very engrossing and the very shocking solution to the mystery was presented in such a wonderfully atmospheric way. The climax was really shocking and unpredictable. And the ending was also wonderful.
Excellent performances, excellent story, great screenplay, an unpredictable ending- ''Murder on the Orient Express'' is indeed a great film.
4.5 out of 5
Suspiria (1977 movie)
Directed by: Dario Argento
Released: 1977
Country: Italy
Genres: Horror, Mystery
Rating: 4 out of 5
Short review
Suspiria is about a famous dance academy. Our protagonist, Suzy Bannion, enrolls in the academy, and after her arrival there, she starts noticing that strange, mysterious, scary things have been happening in the academy. She soon comes across dark secrets, hidden mysteries about the academy...
''Suspiria'' was a wonderful film, indeed! It was very suspenseful and kept me really engrossed! The most memorable thing about this film is probably the use of color. It's a beautifully colorful film. The use of red, blue, and green are commonly seen, and the red light in the corridor makes the whole atmosphere more scary, lonely, suspenseful. This use of colors is the most memorable aspect of the film. The score is also very good, and the performances are really good. Suspenseful, scary, and engrossing throughout, this is a really colorful film I would really recommend!
Mrs Miniver (1942 film)
Directed by: William Wyler
Released: 1942
Country: United Kingdom
Genres: War drama
Rating: 4 out of 5
Short review
''Mrs Miniver'' tells an emotionally intense and painful story about how normal people's life can be affected because of wars. The story starts in the summer of 1939, with a happy middle class family, the sweet and wonderful Minivers: architect Clem Miniver (Walter Pidgeon), his wife, Kay Miniver (Greer Garson), and their children: Vin (Richard Ney), T
oby (Christopher Severn), and Judy (Clare Sanders). The early parts of the film shows the carefree, happy life of the Minivers before the World War II. Vin falls in love with Carol (Teresa Wright), the sweet granddaughter of the aristocratic Lady Beldon (Dame May Whitty), who is excessively arrogant about her social position.
But, life changes as the war begins. To escape from the bombs and air raids, the people often have to take shelter in their cellars. Vin enlists in the air force. There are constant worries and fears about what may happen. The film follows the story of Mrs Miniver's experiences during the war, the losses and tragedies that she and her family come across.
''Mrs Miniver'' was an extremely touching film. Greer Garson is amazing. Teresa Wright is also very memorable; her sweet performance and beautiful smile are quite unforgettable. A sad film that portrays how a cheerful and happy family is greatly affected because of war.
4 out of 5
Iris (2001 film)
Directed by: Richard Eyre
Released: 2001
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Biographical drama, Romance
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Short review
Iris is basically the story of the relationship between novelist Iris Murdoch (played by Judi Dench and Kate Winslet) and her husband, John Bailey (played by Jim Broadbent and Hugh Bonneville). The film shifts between two time settings: showing the young Iris and John Bailey and their developing relation on one hand, and on the other hand, an elderly Iris suffering from Alzheimer's disease, unable to write, unable to speak and express herself, losing the words that she once used to love so much, while John loves her extremely and cares for her.
''Iris'' was a moving film, a very sweet, touching, and beautiful story. Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent are great! Kate Winslet and Hugh Bonneville are good too. But what remains memorable is John Bailey's deep love for Iris. It was really emotional. For him, it's extremely painful that Iris can no longer write, use the words that she once loved, and he does his best to take care of Iris, to support her.
While I won't exactly say that the film is great enough to be unforgettable, it is certainly an emotional little journey, a sweet, moving, lovely film.
3.5 out of 5
