Sophie's Choice (1982)

#91, added in 2007 replacing My Fair Lady

I think I missed something. Like, the point of this movie, for example. It's one of the most-hyped movies I've ever heard of (note: it's possible I've heard so much about it because I grew up Jewish studying and commemorating the Holocaust). Of course it's the first Oscar Meryl Streep won, based on a novel, Kevin Kline's first film, etc. There are many great things about the movie, don't get me wrong. But overall, I didn't like it at all.

The entirety of Kevin Kline's role is extraneous. I'd almost say the same for Peter MacNichol's character. Stingo (worst name of all time, made me cringe every time they said it) narrates the whole movie, Kevin Kline acts crazy the whole time (albeit a major plot point) and Sophie barely says anything until the last half hour. It's like someone forgot that the title is "Sophie's Choice". I didn't know much about the movie before watching it but the soundbyte description was "a mother has to choose which of her children is killed in Auschwitz." After the first hour of character development, story lines, backstories, montages, etc. I began to wonder when the main concept would factor in. In case you watch it and spend the whole movie wondering the same thing, I'll save you the trouble: not till the last 15 minutes. HELLO?? Literally the first hour and a half is the three of them falling in love, becoming best friends, running around Coney Island, fighting, making up, having picnics.... It's like two completely separate films were spliced together. At some point Sophie opens up to Stingo and tells him about her experiences in the war. We see this in a flashback and Meryl Streep has never been better. I wanted more of that and less of them flouncing around Brooklyn. Peter MacNichol does an awful Southern accent which made me want to turn off the movie altogether. He's actually pretty good in this other than his accent but that's hard to get past which makes him annoying. He's never been one of my favorites (funny on Ally McBeal but annoying as well, interestingly evil on 24 but annoying as well; see the pattern?) and my opinion of him hasn't changed much after this.

The exception is Meryl Streep. It's like she stepped out of the most incredible movie ever made and landed in this. It is truly one of the most incredible performances of all time. Her accent is spot on the entire time and, having spent a lot of time with Russian families growing up, I can attest that her mannerisms are impeccable. It's more than the actual accent; the way she crafts her phrases is perfect. If you didn't know who Meryl Streep was you'd swear she was Polish. Also mind-blowing is her acting in other languages. Yes, accents are difficult. More difficult, in my opinion, is making another language you don't actually speak come off with true emotion. I've had some practice with French, German, Hebrew, Spanish... it's incredibly difficult to focus on getting the words out and have them mean something. I really could go on all day about how inspiring she is. If it weren't for her performance I'd wonder why the movie made the AFI list at all. It carries the movie to that extent.

I'm having a hard time making a final decision about the film and whether or not I'd recommend it. It really is worth it to sit through it just for Meryl Streep but it's not an easy process. Overall I say any actor needs to watch her work in this one but make sure you're well-rested, hydrated and stretched out first. It's a tough one to get through.

The Godfather Part II (1974)

unchanged #32

I have a confession to make: I didn't like this one nearly as much as the first. I actually finished this a few days ago but I haven't gotten around to writing about it yet. The past few days have also given me some time to collect my thoughts. There's no question that it's an achievement. It's a big, big film and it's very impressive in a lot of ways. Coppola is a master and everyone in the film is excellent. The non-linear storytelling and parallel time periods is fascinating and I love films that use those techniques well. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot to love.

However. It feels much more spread out than the first and I liked that Part I told a very neat story with a beginning middle and end. That's sort of ironic considering Part II takes place before and after Part I but it still has a complete arc. Part II covers A LOT of ground and it felt very thin at parts. There was a lot going on and many, many different characters that I couldn't keep straight (who was in the first movie, who reappears both before and after the first movie, who's doing business with whom, who's stabbing who in the back, etc. [not to mention all the Italian names I can't remember]). Plus, love him though I do, there's only so much time I can watch Pacino silently debate with himself. Seriously, half this movie is him thinking pensively, staring into space just off camera. I wanted a little more story development and fewer plot twists, some more solid action and some better dialogue. It's interesting that it won Best Screenplay and Best Picture and the first didn't because Part I had this beat easy.

ON THE OTHER HAND: De Niro. Period. Unbelievable. He barely said one word in English and I bought it. The transition from poor, hard-working immigrant to vengeful killer made perfect sense. And most incredible of all, I think, is how closely he plays it to Brando's characterization. They're the only two actors to ever both win awards for playing the same character in different movies.

Diane Keaton is also great. I'm not a big fan of hers but that's because I've only ever seen her post-Woody Allen where everything she plays is EXACTLY. THE. SAME. Funny sometimes, but always the same. She was really good in both movies, I think.

And I gotta give some love to Pacino. He really is amazing and he was great in this movie just as he was in the last one. It's just different and I think he had much more to work with in the first film with his transition into the family business.

Bottom line: worth seeing, not as good as the first, didn't make me want to keep watching for Part III (which will take some time anyway because it's not on the list). Good work, FFCopp!

The Godfather (1972)

original #3

This is one I've been meaning to get to for a very long time. I knew nothing at all about the story going in and I was surprised by half the cast. IMDb has a lot to say about the film, its impact on society and the turmoil it stirred up. Of course it's one of the most-known films of all time and I knew many of the more famous lines and plot points without realizing where they were from.

All hype aside, this is a great movie! Francis Ford Coppola really knows what he's doing! Who knew! Marlon Brando is a legend and he's excellent. I grew up with Al Pacino, of course, but considering he was still relatively unknown before this he's unbelievable. Pacino has always been one of my favorites and it's really nice to see some of his earlier work. James Caan is truly remarkable. And Diane Keaton is so... NOT Diane Keaton! (Which, in my book, is a-ok.) I was blown away by some of the camera-work, which is really amazing considering the time period. But what I loved most of all was the use (and often lack) of music. Sometimes movies feel crowded by the soundtrack and the need for constant background noise. It can be so much more effective/heart-breaking/terrifying/meaningful/funny/etc. when it's completely silent. Coppola is masterful at manipulating the audience into feeling exactly the right emotion at exactly the right moment.

I'm currently in the middle of Part II (also on the list) and I'm definitely hooked. My vote: see it if you haven't!

Citizen Kane (1941)

#1, undisputed

Can't sleep again. I just finished Kane and I'm speechless. I would agree that it's the greatest film ever made. In terms of technique it's unparalleled. Welles accomplished some feats which can't be outdone even by CGI. It really is an epic masterpiece. Welles himself, by the way, gives an unbelievable performance. It wasn't until I read about the film after that I realized he played the character at every age. I'm not feeling up to writing much more at the moment, maybe I'll come back to this another time. Kudos to AFI for leaving it at the top where it belongs.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

#72, replaced Ben-Hur

I finally saw this one! Another that I've been meaning to get to for a long time. And it was just as good as I was hoping. I knew nothing about the plot or cast going in and as I got closer to watching it I decided to keep it that way. And, man, was I shocked. The story is incredible, the film-making is amazing, the acting is off the charts. I really was captivated the entire way through. I'm not going to say much about it in case anyone hasn't seen it, except to say that it's a story about friendship and beating the odds (in many different ways) and I loved every minute of it. Morgan Freeman is unbelievable. He inspires me as an actor more than most people. Tim Robbins is under-appreciated, I think and he was excellent in this as in most everything I've seen of his (if you haven't seen Arlington Road you need to). Plus the supporting cast goes on forever. I could keep raving about the movie but the 11 Oscar nominations and consideration as one of the best films maybe ever should speak for themselves. Rent this one immediately.

The Graduate (1967)

original #7

I'd never seen this one before and I've been meaning to for a very long time. Needless to say, it's amazing. Definitely a classic. First of all, Mike Nichols is the Man. I pretty much love everything he's ever directed. Secondly, Anne Bancroft is sexy. Third, Dustin Hoffman is awesome. And young. And funny. And awesome.

The movie reminds me of Harold and Maude, not in terms of plot (though similar, I guess) but more in terms of style of storytelling and film-making. It got me thinking about the plots of most contemporary movies and how there has to be something big happening at all times. Every scene needs to have a big plot point, constant action, twists and turns... Movies in the 60s were just about a person's life or a situation or figuring out how to grow up. The Graduate is mostly beautiful in its simplicity. The montages of Benjamin lying in the pool or in his room or staring out the window say so much about him. Yes there's the big love triangle which is the central focus of the movie but I enjoyed watching him figure out how to deal with maturity. That feeling of being thrown out of college and expected to know what you're doing with your life is universal. Everyone experiences that for a year or a month or even just an hour and it's terrifying. That's what I took away from the film more than anything else; that it's okay to not know how to be an adult or how to act in a certain situation. Sometimes it's painfully funny, sometimes its unbearably terrifying, but it's normal.

Also that Anne Bancroft is HOT. She's been one of my favorites for a long time. If you haven't seen Mel Brooks's To Be or Not To Be go rent it immediately. And you should remember her from Keeping The Faith too ("Shabbat Shalom everyone!" "SHABBAT SHALOM!" "Thanks, mom."). The best part about this is that I know her as a brilliant comedic actress and this part was slightly funny but mostly devastatingly serious and almost dangerous. And did I mention she's gorgeous?

Cabaret (1972)

#63, added in 2007 replacing Stagecoach

My insomnia is in full swing so I thought I'd take a break from staring at my ceiling and kick this off! I just finished watching Cabaret (again), thanks to "Watch Instantly" from Netflix (I promise they're not sponsoring this blog, but it's seriously the best deal on movie rentals). I've seen Cabaret several times before and it's one of my favorites. It's one of the last good movie-musicals in my opinion. For a while after, it seems, there weren't many "legit" musicals being made. There were several pop/rock musicals (Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair) and lots of indie/shticky/animated musicals (Rocky Horror, The Muppet Movie, several Disney movies, etc.) Grease was in '78 and Victor/Victoria in '82 and, of course, all the 80s musicals (Footloose, Flashdance, Xanadu, even Labrynth). I'm clearly oversimplifying, but I'd say Cabaret was one of the last of "that era". I'd say the reason more recent musicals have failed is because the music is so awkward cutting into "realistic" dramatic scenes (Rent, The Producers, Across the Universe,). Classic musicals (The Wizard of Oz, Guys and Dolls, all of the Rodgers and Hammersteins) never had that problem. The songs somehow worked perfectly in context so neither the music nor the dialogue felt out of place. Cabaret is the same.

Most remarkable to me, is the juxtaposition of the chaotic, boisterous life inside the cabaret and the impending war in the country. This is obviously the point of the movie but the skill with which the stage performances and outside violence are cut together is truly masterful (this is most clear during the mud fight on stage and the first Nazi beating on the steps outside). I also particularly liked the faith the film has in its audience. No one likes watching a movie where every minute detail is spelled out. It's much more effective when we can put some pieces together ourselves and figure out that every number we see in the cabaret is a commentary on the state of Germany at the time.

Lastly, I have to mention that Joel Grey is unbelievable in the role. It's no wonder he won both an Oscar and Tony for the part because he literally becomes someone else. I've seen the show on stage a couple times and every production seems to feel the need to have the Emcee drop the comic act at some point to really force the impact of the statements he's making. Joel Grey keeps it light and ironic the whole time which is so much more devastating ("if you could see her through my eyes, she wouldn't look Jewish at all.") Liza Minelli is great too (I realized I've only ever seen her in this movie and Arrested Development and I know next-to-nothing about her as a person or performer) but it seems very similar to what's always portrayed as her own personality and therefore slightly less impressive. The choreography is incredible and I don't think I ever realized that Bob Fosse directed (hence the brilliant choreography).

Overall, I saw A+ to Cabaret which is powerful and moving three decades later.


Props to Wikipedia for "musical film" listings by year.