John-Sayles Movie Reviews

John Sayles, who wrote, directed, and edited Sunshine State, is one of the finest directors working today. He is able to take seemingly unrelated stories and create a wonderful film. His work, including Limbo, Eight Men Out, Lone Star, and Matewan are all movies that make you think. I would have liked more extras on this DVD, but Sayles commentary is interesting and does provide some insight into the movie making process. The movie, about developers moving into a little town in Florida and the effect on the town, looks at class and race differences and provides a different look at Florida, much like Limbo did for Alaska. The cast is really good, led by Edie Falco, who provides a Oscar worthy performance as a "motelier" who wants more out of life but doesn't seem to want it enough to leave, and by Angela Bassett, who did leave and maybe is wondering what she got of life by leaving. Bill Cobbs and TYimothy Hutton also provide solid performances in this movie. As I indictaed, the lack of extras is disappointing, but the movie itself is a gem. John Sayles, whose body of work stands with any director working today, has produced another film that will leave you thinking about it long after you view it.

Land developers preying on naive and worldly-wise landowners in Florida isn't the most original idea, indeed it sounds dated, but this ensemble comedy-drama from Writer-Director John Sayles is as engaging as a warm ocean breeze on your favorite Floridian beach. All the interlocking stories of the potentially wealthy residents are entertaining and amusing but the film really belongs to Angela Bassett and James McDaniel as a woman returning to her home town with her husband, half-heartedly willing to confront unresolved family affairs and relationships. They provide a strong backbone to this gentle and funny film.

Author/screenwriter/director/editor--John Sayles is unique in the film industry. After a slew of odd jobs, he became a novelist, then a screenwriter and, ultimately, the winner of a MacArthur "genius" grant to finance his own films. His Return of the Secaucus Seven was the beginning of a series of highly individual films that include Brother From Another Planet, the wonderful Eight Men Out, Lone Star and now this bittersweet film about Florida. The cast--particularly Edie Falco and Angela Bassett, who both give shining performances--is wonderful, with a winning turn by Ralph Waite (remember The Waltons?) as Falco's blind father.

This is a film about history, about pride, about mother-daughter turmoil, about land development (and greedy, conniving developers) about the human condition. It is funny and touching, irreverent and fundamentally true; it is also well-conceived and sometimes hilarious. Mary Steenburgen (with one of those amazing facelifts that leaves her expressionless) nevertheless is great as what amounts to a middle-aged cheerleader, trying to pump civic pride into a place that has precious little of it. There are a number of small, golden moments: a scene between Waite and young Alex Lewis as Terrell is understated and lovely.

A fine, fine film with a splendid cast, and some messages that are delivered without a single heavy-handed moment.

Don't miss this one!

John Sayles, who wrote, directed, and edited Sunshine State, is one of the finest directors working today. He is able to take seemingly unrelated stories and create a wonderful film. His work, including Limbo, Eight Men Out, Lone Star, and Matewan are all movies that make you think. I would have liked more extras on this DVD, but Sayles commentary is interesting and does provide some insight into the movie making process. The movie, about developers moving into a little town in Florida and the effect on the town, looks at class and race differences and provides a different look at Florida, much like Limbo did for Alaska. The cast is really good, led by Edie Falco, who provides a Oscar worthy performance as a "motelier" who wants more out of life but doesn't seem to want it enough to leave, and by Angela Bassett, who did leave and maybe is wondering what she got of life by leaving. Bill Cobbs and TYimothy Hutton also provide solid performances in this movie. As I indictaed, the lack of extras is disappointing, but the movie itself is a gem. John Sayles, whose body of work stands with any director working today, has produced another film that will leave you thinking about it long after you view it.

Land developers preying on naive and worldly-wise landowners in Florida isn't the most original idea, indeed it sounds dated, but this ensemble comedy-drama from Writer-Director John Sayles is as engaging as a warm ocean breeze on your favorite Floridian beach. All the interlocking stories of the potentially wealthy residents are entertaining and amusing but the film really belongs to Angela Bassett and James McDaniel as a woman returning to her home town with her husband, half-heartedly willing to confront unresolved family affairs and relationships. They provide a strong backbone to this gentle and funny film.

Author/screenwriter/director/editor--John Sayles is unique in the film industry. After a slew of odd jobs, he became a novelist, then a screenwriter and, ultimately, the winner of a MacArthur "genius" grant to finance his own films. His Return of the Secaucus Seven was the beginning of a series of highly individual films that include Brother From Another Planet, the wonderful Eight Men Out, Lone Star and now this bittersweet film about Florida. The cast--particularly Edie Falco and Angela Bassett, who both give shining performances--is wonderful, with a winning turn by Ralph Waite (remember The Waltons?) as Falco's blind father.

This is a film about history, about pride, about mother-daughter turmoil, about land development (and greedy, conniving developers) about the human condition. It is funny and touching, irreverent and fundamentally true; it is also well-conceived and sometimes hilarious. Mary Steenburgen (with one of those amazing facelifts that leaves her expressionless) nevertheless is great as what amounts to a middle-aged cheerleader, trying to pump civic pride into a place that has precious little of it. There are a number of small, golden moments: a scene between Waite and young Alex Lewis as Terrell is understated and lovely.

A fine, fine film with a splendid cast, and some messages that are delivered without a single heavy-handed moment.

Don't miss this one!

I found this movie to be very touching and real. It isn't John Sayles best movie, but we've come to expect something totally stunning from him every time. It is however very much worth seeing. It gives a very gritty feeling of being in Mexico waiting to adopt a baby. The women who play the main characters do great acting. They play a cross section of very genuine personality types. No plot, just the drama of daily life in an emotionally volatile situation. Brings up all sides of the issue of adopting babies in foreign countries, including a very moving portrayal of the life of homeless street children.

This very small, low-budget crime drama, made on a shoestring in 1984 and (barely) released two years later, came out before the upsurge of independent cinema in the U.S. It's far from perfect: the low budget shows in some of the roughness in the editing and photography; the plot tends to meander, particularly in the middle section; some of the events and dialogue have a slight nonsequitur quality; the subsequent career of the director, Rick King, has been undistinguished. Yet the cumulative power of "Hard Choices" is impressive, largely because it is superbly acted down to the smallest bit part. Some of the supporting actors in this film--John Sayles, Spalding Gray, Martin Donovan, the late J.T. Walsh--went on to bigger and better things, deservedly so. It is a disappointment bordering on tragedy, however, that the leads in this film vanished into obscurity--doe-eyed Margaret Klenck, an offbeat and sexy actress more European than American in style, and rawboned, likable Gary McCleery, who splits the difference between Matthew Broderick and Richard Thomas. Had this movie been made today, in the heyday of indie films, these two would have become household names on the basis of their performances here.

Humphrey Bogart owns this movie about a Ku-Klux-Klan-like organization that takes it upon itself to inhibit "foreigners" from competing with the local "American" work force. How many actors in the '30s could (or would) be willing to portray the craven Taylor, a machinist jealous of the new foreman whose job he intended to have, and who eventually joins the ranks of the Black Legion for the thrill of exacting vengeance on Eastern Europeans, Irish, or anyone perceived as an outsider threatening American jobs? Bogart is pathetic, harrowing, poignant, and acts with such depth of feeling that he emerges from the screen like a relief carving. It anticipates his role as Fred Dobbs in Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Already he's one of a kind, even in this early social drama that Archie Mayo and Warner Brothers were so good at executing in the '30s. I could look at the glistening machine shop all day and the eerie Black Legion gowns are a true menace in this richly photographed black and white movie. Hard to believe and incredibly sad that such an absurd and tragic theme as crusading masked bigotry remains pertinent to this day.

"Black Legion" is a startlingly relevant and compelling drama about a factory worker (played by Humphrey Bogart) who is pursuaded into joining a bigoted, violent secret society when he loses a job promotion to an immigrant's son.

This secret society is called the Black Legion. They operate much like the Ku Klux Klan did in the 1930's. The Black Legion members wear hooded costumes (similar to the KKK's). Its members also claim to be "patriots" who want to rid America of "foreigners" who are successful in their community and who they perceive as a threat to their livelihood. (Again similar to the KKK.)

"Black Legion" unflinchingly examines the brutality, ignorance, and prejudice of these self-appointed "patriots" who use hardworking immigrants as scapegoats for their own lack of ambition and success.

This movie also exposes the greed which was a motivating factor in recruiting new members into the Black Legion. With more members, the Black Legion could prosper financially since all who joined were required to pay dues and to provide other services for this violent group.

It is truly disturbing that the same kind of hatred which infected groups such as the Black Legion still exists today in the form of a revived Ku Klux Klan and the emergence of various white supremacist groups. Although such fringe elements are small in number, their message of hate and intolerance can still hurt people.

The "Black Legion", made in 1937, is a brave movie which pre-dates the civil rights movement. It vividly illustrates the cowardice and hypocrisy which drives groups such as the Black Legion. And its story gives us hope that hatred and violence can be conquered when decent people summon the courage to confront and punish evil-doers.

Humphrey Bogart stars as Frank Taylor, a factory worker who wants to be the next foreman. When he is passed over for the promotion he was counting on by a young, eager Polish American, his frustration and anger leads him to join the Black Legion, a group of racists out to punish anyone who isn't "100% American". He keeps this activity a secret from his wife Erin O'Brien Moore and his best friend Dick Foran. But before long, his life starts to unravel because of his association with this group, leading to a lot of tragedy, death, and heartache. I was impressed to see that a major studio like Warner Brothers took such a direct look at a hate group in 1930's Hollywood. The scene where Bogart takes the group's pledge particularly surprised me with its subtle brutality. Bogart is very good in this film, one of the few actors of his time that could have made this character seem believable. The supporting cast, which also includes a young Ann Sheridan as Foran's fiancee, all give good performances as well. The film is tough, presents a hate group as frankly as a 1930's film could, and although a little preachy at the end, delivers its message well.

I watched this movie on DVD earlier today, and I have five words of caution to anyone who found themselves as drawn to this film as I was: "view at your own risk." Obviously by my five-star rating I found this to be an excellent film. But if you think that this is a standard thriller with standard characters, dialogue, and *ENDING* (I cannot emphasize enough how unexpected and downright daring the ending to this movie is), then you may want to shy away from "Limbo." The characters in this movie are richly and realistically developed, and the focus is on them rather than on the plot twists and jump scenes that this film could have easily employed. Of course, doing that would have reduced this to being an average suspense film, and I really would not even use those words to describe this picture. I have read reviews posted by earlier viewers that have lamented over the film's massively unexpected and slightly annoying finale. After listening to Sayles' commentary track, the ending makes more sense than either of the other, more predictable options. It's an ending that is completely consistent with the theme, tone, and focus of the film, and to have closed "Limbo" with anything else would take away from that. It's the way the movie should end. It's not what you expect, but isn't it time that Hollywood stop giving us the endings that we expect to happen and instead give us some real stories?

This a pretty incredible film, so take my advice and don't let anyone else spoil its surprises if you haven't seen it. It's a quiet and strange film filled nevertheless with a lot of complexity, chills and heart. But part of its magic does lie in the suspense of simply wondering what will happen next, so keep yourself in the dark if you can before viewing.

That said, this is vintage John Sayles that at the same time explores new territory. Like most of his films, it seems at first to be more about character than plot -- but the plot rears its head, and as with "Lone Star," the story is unexpected and flawless. "Limbo" offers wonderful performances (especially those of the three leads), but it also boasts a knockout soundtrack (who knew Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio could sing?) and moments of quiet and eerie poignance. The ending will leave you thinking (and talking) for some time to come.

This DVD is one of the good ones, by the way -- no paltry "extras" of just a trailer or "more movies to buy!" And what a treat to actually get a chance to listen to Sayles on the commentary track -- unlike many commentaries, this one adds layers instead of stripping them. It's a hard film to forget.

It's a small film, but delightful and mercifully without characters yammering socio-political history back and forth at each other, it's a welcome departure for sayles. As much as i liked 'Lone Star and 'Men with Guns' i return to this one more often as the characters are more important than the discussion of issues in previous outings, and i dare say better dramatised.

As for the ending, i can't accept that it is 'cheesey' or a 'cop out', to me the inference is the 3 central characters are about to be butchered, i for one wouldn't like to see that or the appearance of the 'paul schrader convention' that it all ends in gun play with straitharn turning superman. And if they are rescued, well surely that is the most predictable and dishonest conclusion, what is resolved? the teenage girl is in dire straights and the drug dealers will surely settle their hash at some point afterwards? Besides, i'm sure many would think such a happy ending would be cheesey and a cop out and cetainly not justified, like a tv movie or studio ending to a fritz lang film. Hey we could have mary elizabeth hugging david, her smiling face raised above his head, freeze and slowly fade out. Like the poster says, Limbo, a state of unknowable outcome. I guess it is an ending that reads us rather than the other way round and i certainly prefer it to the utterly depressing and trite end to 'City of Hope' by the same director.

Man Made Monster is an excellent example of Universal Studios' work during the 1940s. This neat little B picture has great mood and art design, some good special effects, and excellent performances by Lon Chaney Jr. in another of his sympathetic parts, and Lionel Atwill playing another of his (almost) over-the-top mad doctor roles. Highly recommended.

Lon Chaney, Jr's role will evoke sympathy. Some light hearted moments as well. Though not as campy as "Indestructable Man" (another Chaney film from the same era)to this viewer this film has the same "feel" to it. The ending is awesome.

Chaney plays a man who is immune to electricity. He is turned into a monster by a mad doctor and goes on a rampage escaping from prison and killing the Doctor and the prison wardon. A great movie for halloween