John-Wood Movie Reviews

Would someone puh-lease get the studio that released this film originally to re-release it ?! This is a well-written, superbly acted romantic comedy but not in the traditional sense of that phrase. The "romance" here is the love of a single father for his two sons, a love so deep that he attempts to improve their lot in life by concocting an outrageous scheme to pass his young sons off as refugees from Cuba who flee in a rubber dinghy that is found offshore near Miami. What follows is both a beautiful parody of what happens when the media make heroes of people and a poignant tale of family ties that cannot be broken after all is said and done. This is vintage Alan Arkin and one of the most neglected, underrated films ever released. For the sake of everyone who appreciates films like this, perhaps we should put the studio execs afloat in a rubber dinghy off Miami after coaching them about how to come across as lovable refugees who deserve only the best . . . .

This great classic film from the 1960s stars Alan Arkin as Abraham, a Puerto Rican widower living in Spanish Harlem with 2 sons. Directed by Arthur Hiller and Written by Lester and Tina Pine the film depicts life in a New York slum as unbearable enough for Abraham to come up with a scheme that is funny, moving, and takes a great satirical swipe at anti-Communism. Though his sons like where they live, and Lupe (Rita Moreno) wants to marry Abraham, he has a better idea: cast his sons out to sea in Miami and have them pretend to be Cuban refugees.

This is excellent satire, as the "whole free world" comes to the aid of the sons....as long as they're Cubans and not Puerto Ricans (US citizens), not to mention Haitians.

Dominic Frontiere provides the catchy film score, and I doubt he had any say in the absolutely terrible lyrics (at the film's end).

Arkin's performance is great and emotional, and there is a realism to the film in spite of the satire (then again the whole Elian Gonzalez thing actually happened, didn't it). My advice for all who love top quality acting and filmmaking is see this one.

I LOVED THIS MOVIE IN MY YOUTH IN THE 70'S AND HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR IT FOR MANY YEARS. I WAS SO GLAD TO FIND IT HERE !
I LIKE THE NOSTOLGIC 1960'S NEW YORK CITY FEEL TO THIS MOVIE.
THIS MOVIE HAS A HAPPY ENDING TO ME, BECUASE THE TWO BOYS HAVE THEIR SAY IN WHAT THEY WANT AND NEED OUT OF THERE LIVES. THEY ARE ABLE TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES AND ARE ON THEIR WAY TO COMMING OF AGE NICELY, . ITS A FEEL GOOD FILM ABOUT LOVE, REALLY.

Robert Montgomery made an effective transition from debonair 30's leading man to 40's tough guy, but it took me a little while to get used to and I laughed a little at first at what sounded like an East Side Kids bronx honk imitation! Great plot and acting in a story about likable and feisty prizefighter Joe Pendelton, who is destined to die in fifty years, but is accidentally "snatched up" by an inexperienced and tart-tongued angel, played by Edward Everett Horton, with the always wonderful Claude Rains as Mr. Jordan, head honcho of the otherworld. Unfortunately Joe's body has been cremated by the time they locate it to put his spirit back in, and the three look long and hard to find a new body that will satisfy Joe's picky requirements. He reluctantly agrees to be temporarily placed in the body of just-departed Bruce Farnsworth, a wealthy and ruthless playboy recently killed by his wife and her lover, to help Bette Logan (played by a luminous Evelyn Keyes) get her unjustly jailed father out of prison, a man Farnsworth used as a fall guy. But Joe falls deeply in love with the grateful Bette, a problem since the dastardly duo who offed Farnsworth the first time are still around and plotting again to kill the man they naturally believe is still him. There is a tender poignancy in Joe's making the most of the time left in his temporary body before the inevitable happens, by attempting to prepare an understandably confused and concerned Bette about his impending death and "return" as somebody else. He tells her this in vague "supposing if" terms and not the truth because she naturally wouldn't believe it--who could? Well, his inevitable demise does come at the hands of the terrible two and he is transferred to the body of a principled prizefighter named Ralph Murdoch, just-killed in the ring during a crooked match and a would-be opponent if Joe hadn't "died." Mr. Jordan, knowing Joe has found his rightful "place", erases all Joe's knowledge of who he once was so he can be his own person without any of the confusion, memory and baggage of his past life. In a stunningly touching ending, by chance (or is it really?) Joe/Ralph encounters Bette and there is an instant mystical recognition and chemistry which they both experience--then Bette recalls what she thought was Farnsworth's bewildering ramblings at the time, and realizes he has "returned" to her. An excellent movie with just about everything in it to please anyone--humor, the supernatural, romance, poignancy, murder, boxing, and fascinating and compelling matters of predestination and fate, "reincarnation," our spirits/souls transcending physical cloakings, and how love never truly dies.

Stories which carry an audience to other worlds or realms of experience are enthusiastically received regardless of trends, fads, or the prevailing national mood. HERE COMES MR. JORDAN is a variation of the usual simple motif of a benevolent angel being sent on a mission to earth. The film begins its rather complicated and enjoyable tale by turning the tables and having a human being journey to heaven to rectify an angelic error. This delightful 1941 film is delightfully refreshing, but its real strength lies in the performance of Robert Montgomery. His sustaining sense of awe concerning all that is happening never falters nor becomes overdone, and he never allows the audience to entertain the idea that the film is a fantasy. Claude Rains performance as Mr. Jordan is immaculate, and Edward Everett Horton makes one hope that none of his descendents are still in the heavenly messenger business! Strangely enough, as clever and quick as the male actors' dialogue is, the dialogue is proportiately bland and unimaginitive for the women. James Gleason as feisty Max Corkle comes close to scene stealing, and all the male characters have solid well-written roles.

It is a shame that this delightful comedy isn't better known today. Part of the reason might lie in the fact that the film's star Robert Montgomery (father of Elizabeth Montgomery of BEWITCHED), after a stint in the military in WW II, did very little acting following the war. Therefore, he doesn't have many later films to draw attention to his career as a whole. Also, after the war he because deeply involved in political matters, and was one of Hollywood's more avid Communist hunters. For whatever reason, the film does not today have the reputation it deserves.

There have been two remakes of this film, so some explanation is in order. HERE COMES MR. JORDAN was a film version of a play by Harry Segal titled HEAVEN CAN WAIT. There was a 1944 film by Ernst Lubitsch called HEAVEN CAN WAIT starring Don Ameche, but that movie had nothing in common with HERE COMES MR. JORDAN (apart from being an equally superb comedy). In 1978, Warren Beatty wanted to remake HERE COMES MR. JORDAN using the original play's title with Muhammad Ali in the lead role, but Ali's schedule made this impossible, so he cast himself in the lead and transformed the central character into a football quarterback. Not as good as the original film, this actually wasn't a bad movie at all. In 2001, the film was remade again as DOWN TO EARTH, starring Chris Rock. I often love Chris Rock, but this film is not merely one of the low points of his career: it is a miserable film on every level, with the dreadful decision to make our hero a comic rather than an athlete.

Because of the remakes, the plot is familiar: Joe Pendleton, a boxer with a penchant for playing the saxophone and a shot at the title, is accidentally taken to heaven fifty years too early by an overzealous angel who wrongly assumes that he is about to die. The angel, Messenger 7013 (played marvelously by the inimitable Edward Everett Horton), brings Joe to his supervisor, Mr. Jordan (played magnificently by the ultra-suave and civilized Claude Rains). It is decided to provide Joe with a new body, where upon he tries in his new millionaire's body to get back into shape ("in the pink") in order to get a new shot at the championship. The only trouble is that the millionaire's wife and lover want to kill him so they can get his money and each other. Rounding out a great cast is Evelyn Keyes as the girlfriend of Joe (and the love interest of his subsequent incarnations) and James Gleason, Joe's trainer, who nearly steals ever scene he is in. The scene where Joe, in his new body, hires Gleason and then tries to convince him of his real identity, is just hysterical.

More people need to see this film. It remains one of the finer comedies made immediately before the onset of WW II, and is vastly better than the two films based upon it. It deserves far more attention than it has, in recent years, received.

For Wood/Redford fans, this is it. Hot and steamy in more ways than one. Sad, touching; I felt like I was eavesdropping through the whole thing. I kept craving something to quench my thirst. Natalie Wood gives one of her finest performances in this. When she had to get "tight" for the scene, she drank real wine to loosen up, and her tipsy acting is truly authentic. She slurrs her words, because she IS drunk and it's a great scene. If you're not into that crawly feeling, when it comes to poor morals and sleazy thinking, you won't like this; there are poor, needy, perverts living in denial the entire movie. (I watch it from the "I can't believe this stuff goes on" standpoint) Robert Redford can generally do little wrong when it comes to his performances; he's an egnima in this movie; this film is an enigma to me. I can really understand how someone can't like it, not just DON'T, but can't, but to portray all this sadness and bring the audience into it.....excellent. Now, "Mama" is nothing but an icky 43 year old sleazy, slutpuppy who happens to also be a narcissistic pimp, sad; (She's the reason for all the grief in Alva's life) I wished she'd died and I wanted to smack her sometimes! Williams dark writing, heavy. Maybe too heavy for most. ACTING, that's what it's all about! Acting, GREAT. Yes. Critics are only persons with opinions, not necessarily yours or mine. Make up your own mind. It's not for viewers expecting a happy movie, certainly for people appreciating great writing and excellent acting. PS. Mary Badham fans (To Kill a Mockingbird) this is a must. She didn't make more than a few films; as far as I know. It's not her "Mockingbird" performance but nothing compares to that movie. She does her job as Willie, storyteller. She trapeses around in her sister's old red dress, sad. Jon Provost is her "instantly discovered friend"; not a big part but the vehicle through whom we hear tell of the beautiful, fanciful Alva. Great acting. I know the ending. I stop it now, after they meet in the city to live happily ever after. It works for me since the ending makes me too morose. I gave it four stars only because of the rotten ending, though it couldn't be any other way....could it?

This largely misunderstood film, based on the Tennessee Williams play and co-screen written by Francis Ford Coppola, paints the stark portrait of a dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship that is doomed to end in tragedy. Natalie Wood (Alva) continues to demonstrate her unusual knack for deep psychological roles. To this she adds her own blossoming to full womanhood with a beauty that is at once mezmarizing and perfectly wedded to her seductively meschievous character. Kate Reid excels as the "toxic parent" whose ruthless possessiveness and manipulation form a trap from which Alva only escapes through fantasy. Robert Redford (railroad exec Own Legate) delivers as her unlikely would be savior, while at the same time sounding the death knell for the small Depression Era railroad town that sustains her. And Carles Bronson adds a surprisingly fit performance as the roughneck who courts the mother only to get close to the daughter, but instead unwittingly plays a role in her destruction.

Critics panned this film that clearly goes against the grain of what was considered tasteful for the times, but that deftly describes the destructive patterns of co-dependency and toxic parenting before they were understood in those terms. Indeed, this movie offers much to the discerning viewer who can crack its promiscuous surface.

I agree with one of the other viewers. Did Mr. Maltin see the same movie that I saw? This Property is Condemned? I thought that it was one of the best love stories I've ever seen. I saw it also as a teen, and have since seen it several times as an adult. Natalie Wood, the beauty that she was, makes even railroad trash appealing. And the flirtation between her and Robert Redford! What fine jobs acting! It makes you want to believe that there was an actual real-life romance between them. My favorite scene is the one where Wood tries to impress Redford with her knowledge of big city hotels, and is truly embarrassed with her lack thereof. Charles Bronson is his usual, no-nonsense, hard edged self - but this time he ends up with the short end of the stick. You have to see this flick! It's full of romance and will keep you glued to the screen.

I find with each viewing of the classic "Tomorrow Is Forever" I find I like the production more and more. It is such a totally rich film in so many ways, whether it be the sterling central performance from Claudette Colbert in what I'm convinced is one of her finest performances, Orson Welles's charmed under playing of a role that could have been simply sentimental, or the haunting anti-war message it puts forward in its telling of life through two world wars.

"Tomorrow Is Forever" has so much to offer to the viewer in so many different ways. Claudette Colbert always a favourite actress of mine proves once and for all what a superb dramatic actress she can be. Long regarded as one of the premier comedy actresses of the 1930's and 40's here she excels in the role of a young bride who believes she has lost her husband in WW1 action only to find that years later after she has re married that a stranger who comes into her families life gives her a eerie sense that that might not be the case. In this film she is at times touchingly lovely, stubborn, full of anger and full of hope, in short she has a wonderful well rounded character to work with and she makes the most of it.

Claudette is blessed with two excellent leading men in this production in Orson Welles and George Brent. Welles, so often prone to bellicose overplaying of roles that require a bit of restraint, here delivers a beautiful modulated performance as Claudette's first husband who seemingly has come back from the grave. His scenes after he has returned to Colbert's home are wonderful and full of tension as to whether he will reveal his real identity. The conclusion of the film is a tour de force for Welles as he decides to sacrifice his own potential happiness and to remain a mystery to the family and tells Colbert that "Tomorrow is forever and not to look back to a romantised past". George Brent, so often stiff on screen here delivers one of his best performances as the man who has loved Claudette through two world wars and provides her with the home and family she craves so much. He is entirely believable and warm in his playing and he and Colbert reveal a wonderful chemistry in their playing together. Natalie Wood also makes a rare childhood appearance in this film as an Austrian orphan, the daughter of the doctor who saved Welles's life but was killed by the Nazi's, who Welles adapts and brings to America. She is a delight in her scenes and you can see the tremendous acting talent that she possessed even at this early age. Richard Long playes Welles's and Colbert's son who doesn't know the identity of his real father and brings great depth to his playing of the treasured son who comes into conflict with Colbert over his decision to join the fighting early in WW2 thus causing history to repeat itself.

"Tomorrow Is Forever" can be regarded as a real tear drenced drama for the matinee crowd however its worth goes way beyond that. It covers many issues just as relevant today such as those about the human cost of war, the issue of whether we should involve ourselves in others problems and whether we should allow our past experiences to rule how we behave. It is a beautifully put together drama full of rich performances that really stay in your mind. I'm quite surprised that this wonderful film is not better remembered today. I sense that it has been forgotten because of the more famous roles that all the main performers have undertaken. Claudette Colbert in particular is totally awe inspiring in her dramatic delivery of the tortured young bride who has been robbed of her life and spends a lifetime trying to recapture it. She will have you alternately crying, laughing and saying "bravo" up to the wonderous finale.

I cannot recommend "Tomorrow Is Forever" highly enough. For all those who enjoy well acted dramas with fine writing, a non preaching message and performers delivering often unexpectedly restrained acting work, none come finer than the anti-war "Tomorrow Is Forever".

Irving Pichel was a genious in casting and directing this film.Fresh from his "Citizen Kane" and "The Magnificent Ambersons"film masterpieces,Orson Welles takes on the role of the ultimate anti-war hero who sacrifices his adult life and any shreds of happiness for the wife he will always love but surrenders to a far better and less painful world ,the son who is never told who is true father is,and a child war refugee ,played by Natalie Wood.,whom he rescues from war-ravaged Europe. If possible,see this film alone without any distractions. The script,film score,acting/body language are sublime and as the story unfolds before you,not one nerve ending in your entire body will be left untouched.This film is more than the traditional 40's tearjerker;it is ,I feel, a parable on the power of the human heart and spirit to give complete,unconditional love .It will,I guarantee you,reaffirm your faith in humankind.Go ahead and have a good cry and enjoy.Films like this are "Gone Forever".

This movie is both a heart wrenching story about 2 people in love who are torn apart by war and a story about several kinds of love. A man who so loves his wife that he can not bring her any pain; a woman who deeply loves a man she thought was lost in the war and who also loves the kind man to whom she is now married; a mother's love for her son; a little orphan's love for the kind man who took her from war-torn Europe. I defy anyone who sees this movie to not be moved to tears (or at least secret tears for the "macho" men). Brilliant performaces by Claudette Colbert and Orson Welles. I loved little Natalie Wood in this early film. I have watched it many times and it remains my all time favorite movie. They just DO NOT make them like this any more.

Miracle on 34th Street is not only a classical Christmas movie, but simply a hollywood classic that can never be forgotten.

With an all-star cast of Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, and Natalie Wood, this movie shows what good acting and plot are all about. Oh sure, there's been a remake of this classic like many others, which I haven't seen, but I hear it's not even worth watching because the story is so convoluted.

For starters, the acting is great and each actor/actress portrays his/her character extremely well. The writing is great also in that the lines are never corny and every situation in the movie is meaningful. But what makes this movie a classic is its acting. All of the actors/actresses got along very well while filming this movie and it is evident in their performance. The chemistry between the characters is genuine and really makes the movie come to life.

I truly pitty all those who dare say that the remake of this film is just as good or better than the original. NO REMAKE ever beats classic movies. I still scratch my head in confusion when directors try to do so.

If you're contemplating whether you should buy this movie, don't. BUY it as soon as you can. It's a classic and you can preserve it in DVD format.

I will not bore you with a recap of the whole movie or state which is obvious to all that this 1947 black and white movie is one of the major Christmas Classics.
Kris Kringle (Edmond Gwenn) is appalled to find a Santa preparing to be in the Thanks Giving Day parade is intoxicated. Kris is hired to play the part of him self. He befriends a child Susan (Natalie Wood) who does not believe in Santa or the tooth fairy or giants. His employer Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara) is dubious of her decision to hire him after learning that he believes he is Santa. In the spirit of Christmas he brings two rival stores together and is in the process of bringing the girl around to believing. Naturally I left out many other controversial questions and fun scenes. Among them is one where a Dutch girl recognizes him as Santa and he speaks Dutch to her.
Through a few misunderstandings he is put on trial and must prove he is Santa. Can his friend, who happens to be a lawyer, prove this? If not what will happen to him? What effect will this have on Susan? Or you?

Absolutely LOVED and identified with this movie!

I was "there" -- on many a Thanksgiving Day, on 6th Avenue watching the Macy*s parade, just a few years after this eternally delightful movie was filmed. And when I was little, everything, especially Santa, was breathtakingly real. No matter that I froze my little tail off standing on 34th Street and 6th Avenue for hours (starting at 7 am, so we could get a good view of the parade!) -- on each and every Thanksgiving Day, my heart was warmed by the floats, the merriment, and....especially, Santa.

So naturally, while watching this movie, I almost felt like I could look into the crowd and see....me!!! I can really relate to this movie!!

The casting was perfection! From the unbelieving shop owner and his reindeer props, to the innocent little boy on the witness stand, from the bustling crowds in the street, to the interior of the typical (for that era) NY apartment building, the cast of characters and the sets were totally realistic.

And I loved the little girl played by cute little Natalie Wood -- hey back then, when I was 5 years old, I even WORE outfits just like hers!!!

What's NOT to love in this movie!!???

Although I never chanced on this movie until the 1970's (which left me and my "little" sister awestruck), I have watched it faithfully every year since then. Each time I see it, I feel like I'm watching it for the first time over and over again -- this movie still speaks volumes to me.

The funniest part of the movie (to me and Sis, anyway!) is when the Macy*s executive's wife (who is totally snockered) answers the (old, heavy, cast iron, just like my grandma's) phone.

And the most breathtaking part of the movie-- well...is that really Kris Kringle's cane there, over in the corner?

This movie should be "required viewing" in every grade school.

Miracle on 34th Street is not only a classical Christmas movie, but simply a hollywood classic that can never be forgotten.

With an all-star cast of Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, and Natalie Wood, this movie shows what good acting and plot are all about. Oh sure, there's been a remake of this classic like many others, which I haven't seen, but I hear it's not even worth watching because the story is so convoluted.

For starters, the acting is great and each actor/actress portrays his/her character extremely well. The writing is great also in that the lines are never corny and every situation in the movie is meaningful. But what makes this movie a classic is its acting. All of the actors/actresses got along very well while filming this movie and it is evident in their performance. The chemistry between the characters is genuine and really makes the movie come to life.

I truly pitty all those who dare say that the remake of this film is just as good or better than the original. NO REMAKE ever beats classic movies. I still scratch my head in confusion when directors try to do so.

If you're contemplating whether you should buy this movie, don't. BUY it as soon as you can. It's a classic and you can preserve it in DVD format.

I will not bore you with a recap of the whole movie or state which is obvious to all that this 1947 black and white movie is one of the major Christmas Classics.
Kris Kringle (Edmond Gwenn) is appalled to find a Santa preparing to be in the Thanks Giving Day parade is intoxicated. Kris is hired to play the part of him self. He befriends a child Susan (Natalie Wood) who does not believe in Santa or the tooth fairy or giants. His employer Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara) is dubious of her decision to hire him after learning that he believes he is Santa. In the spirit of Christmas he brings two rival stores together and is in the process of bringing the girl around to believing. Naturally I left out many other controversial questions and fun scenes. Among them is one where a Dutch girl recognizes him as Santa and he speaks Dutch to her.
Through a few misunderstandings he is put on trial and must prove he is Santa. Can his friend, who happens to be a lawyer, prove this? If not what will happen to him? What effect will this have on Susan? Or you?

Absolutely LOVED and identified with this movie!

I was "there" -- on many a Thanksgiving Day, on 6th Avenue watching the Macy*s parade, just a few years after this eternally delightful movie was filmed. And when I was little, everything, especially Santa, was breathtakingly real. No matter that I froze my little tail off standing on 34th Street and 6th Avenue for hours (starting at 7 am, so we could get a good view of the parade!) -- on each and every Thanksgiving Day, my heart was warmed by the floats, the merriment, and....especially, Santa.

So naturally, while watching this movie, I almost felt like I could look into the crowd and see....me!!! I can really relate to this movie!!

The casting was perfection! From the unbelieving shop owner and his reindeer props, to the innocent little boy on the witness stand, from the bustling crowds in the street, to the interior of the typical (for that era) NY apartment building, the cast of characters and the sets were totally realistic.

And I loved the little girl played by cute little Natalie Wood -- hey back then, when I was 5 years old, I even WORE outfits just like hers!!!

What's NOT to love in this movie!!???

Although I never chanced on this movie until the 1970's (which left me and my "little" sister awestruck), I have watched it faithfully every year since then. Each time I see it, I feel like I'm watching it for the first time over and over again -- this movie still speaks volumes to me.

The funniest part of the movie (to me and Sis, anyway!) is when the Macy*s executive's wife (who is totally snockered) answers the (old, heavy, cast iron, just like my grandma's) phone.

And the most breathtaking part of the movie-- well...is that really Kris Kringle's cane there, over in the corner?

This movie should be "required viewing" in every grade school.

There are no words to describe Alan Rickman in this movie. He is so magical and passionate and moving and seductive. I cannot even think of another film where an actor gives a performance like this, even the rhythm of his speech was magical.

The rest of the cast is great as well, Ian Mckellen and the woman who played the Tsarina, she was very beautiful and touching, right down to James Frain whom I never grow tired of seeing pop up in historical films. I confess I'm not an expert on that time in Russian history, but as far as I know the events in the movie are pretty much accurate. I liked how the film showed his appetite for sex and alcohol but reserved judgement, as I don't believe a person is sinister or evil simply because they're a bit lusty... I like how the film doesn't make him out to be some villain wanting control of the Court, but reminds us that it was the nobles who came to *him* and brought him into political affairs instead of just leaving him to heal the boy. In the end, he was a martyr, and the movie has no overbearing message to leave you, just to show you an episode in history and enlist Alan Rickman to demonstrate, in all his mystical glory, why this man might have created the stir that he did.

Alan Rickman stars as Gregory Efimovich Rasputin, a self-styled monk who rose from obscurity to social prominence in Russia at the turn of the century. This movie follows pretty closely what history records of Rasputin's life and his dealings with the House of Romanov. Alan Rickman puts in the performance of a lifetime as Rasputin and it is easy to understand why he won the awards he did for this movie ... Greta Scacchi and Ian McKellen also star in this video and both turn in stellar performances.

Whether you're a history buff or Alan Rickman fan (or both), this is a must see! However, it is not for anyone under 18 because of the strong sexual content.

The story of the last Romanovs starts from Siberia 1991: their bones are found and the boy, Alexei, introduces: "This is my mother, this is my family..." Then a leap back to 1880's and to a boy, who seems to read minds. 20 years later he - Rasputin - is doing hard labour in Siberia, until Virgin Mary appears to him. Very swiftly the plot takes us to St. Petersburg, where Rasputin convinces others of his mission. The boy, Alexei, narrates, how he came to heal him and was their only friend, no matter what people said about him later. The monk, who looks like a madman, knows about Alexei's illness, although it has been a state secret, and by speaking about sailing he takes the pain away, into himself, as it seems. A hypnotist, a fraud, a madman, a magical healer?

Rasputin convinces the Tzarina and later the Tzar of his abilities, so he has a place in court, although he is a very embarrassing man, uneducated, unpredictable and too fond of wine and gypsy prostitutes. Behind the scenes Russian people suffer, the First world war (predicted by Rasputin) is started and the last minutes of the Romanov family are at hand. Everything is told very economically, nothing too much and yet everything you need to know, with authentic film material cut into the story.
The film is a feast for the eyes and mind, even though some historical facts aren't exact. Anyway, this isn't a documentary. As a story it works like a dream, the actors are unbelievably good - so it really feels unfair to start talking about Rickman and not others. So I'm just saying: they are all wonderful. But the movie is called "Rasputin".

I've recently looked up films of Alan Rickman, partly because some of them are hard to find, but mostly because his way of acting is simply addictive. I think I finally know, why. It's a kind of pornography - of human soul. (Which is an embarrassing discovery, porn really isn't my cup of tea...) His Rasputin isn't just a calculating monk, who sees an opportunity to get a comfortable life, wine and women and power over people, but a man, who lives from moment to moment, uneducated, without manners, sensual, in some ways stupid and in some ways clever. At times you see a strong, manipulative, hypnotic monk who makes you believe in God and Virgin Mary and seems to be able to look into your soul, at times there is child-like sincerity and vulnerability. He believes he has a mission, but it also gives him pain, he sees things but doesn't see, how his conduct affects the falling empire. "I didn't choose to be holy!" he says like a weak human being, who has been trusted with a burden, that is much too heavy. Strong, vulnerable, wise, fallable, loving, selfish... Is this the real Rasputin? Very possibly. Human beings are just as mixed and as capable of being both angelic and devilish as Rickman shows - in this and other movies.

Oh yes, I felt great pity for Rasputin, though I wouldn't want him living in my house. And I'm glad I don't know Rickman in person, he seems to know too well, what we people are like. Who wants her mind to be x-rayed? Even by Rickman (who is, I admit, in his own way, enchanting)?

Watch this movie, if you want to understand history, people or acting. Look at these actors and actresses, they don't act, they are the characters. Rickman is just the best example of how to become someone else than one really is, whether it is Rasputin, Mesmer or other things he's done. Watch this!

There are no words to describe Alan Rickman in this movie. He is so magical and passionate and moving and seductive. I cannot even think of another film where an actor gives a performance like this, even the rhythm of his speech was magical.

The rest of the cast is great as well, Ian Mckellen and the woman who played the Tsarina, she was very beautiful and touching, right down to James Frain whom I never grow tired of seeing pop up in historical films. I confess I'm not an expert on that time in Russian history, but as far as I know the events in the movie are pretty much accurate. I liked how the film showed his appetite for sex and alcohol but reserved judgement, as I don't believe a person is sinister or evil simply because they're a bit lusty... I like how the film doesn't make him out to be some villain wanting control of the Court, but reminds us that it was the nobles who came to *him* and brought him into political affairs instead of just leaving him to heal the boy. In the end, he was a martyr, and the movie has no overbearing message to leave you, just to show you an episode in history and enlist Alan Rickman to demonstrate, in all his mystical glory, why this man might have created the stir that he did.

Alan Rickman stars as Gregory Efimovich Rasputin, a self-styled monk who rose from obscurity to social prominence in Russia at the turn of the century. This movie follows pretty closely what history records of Rasputin's life and his dealings with the House of Romanov. Alan Rickman puts in the performance of a lifetime as Rasputin and it is easy to understand why he won the awards he did for this movie ... Greta Scacchi and Ian McKellen also star in this video and both turn in stellar performances.

Whether you're a history buff or Alan Rickman fan (or both), this is a must see! However, it is not for anyone under 18 because of the strong sexual content.

The story of the last Romanovs starts from Siberia 1991: their bones are found and the boy, Alexei, introduces: "This is my mother, this is my family..." Then a leap back to 1880's and to a boy, who seems to read minds. 20 years later he - Rasputin - is doing hard labour in Siberia, until Virgin Mary appears to him. Very swiftly the plot takes us to St. Petersburg, where Rasputin convinces others of his mission. The boy, Alexei, narrates, how he came to heal him and was their only friend, no matter what people said about him later. The monk, who looks like a madman, knows about Alexei's illness, although it has been a state secret, and by speaking about sailing he takes the pain away, into himself, as it seems. A hypnotist, a fraud, a madman, a magical healer?

Rasputin convinces the Tzarina and later the Tzar of his abilities, so he has a place in court, although he is a very embarrassing man, uneducated, unpredictable and too fond of wine and gypsy prostitutes. Behind the scenes Russian people suffer, the First world war (predicted by Rasputin) is started and the last minutes of the Romanov family are at hand. Everything is told very economically, nothing too much and yet everything you need to know, with authentic film material cut into the story.
The film is a feast for the eyes and mind, even though some historical facts aren't exact. Anyway, this isn't a documentary. As a story it works like a dream, the actors are unbelievably good - so it really feels unfair to start talking about Rickman and not others. So I'm just saying: they are all wonderful. But the movie is called "Rasputin".

I've recently looked up films of Alan Rickman, partly because some of them are hard to find, but mostly because his way of acting is simply addictive. I think I finally know, why. It's a kind of pornography - of human soul. (Which is an embarrassing discovery, porn really isn't my cup of tea...) His Rasputin isn't just a calculating monk, who sees an opportunity to get a comfortable life, wine and women and power over people, but a man, who lives from moment to moment, uneducated, without manners, sensual, in some ways stupid and in some ways clever. At times you see a strong, manipulative, hypnotic monk who makes you believe in God and Virgin Mary and seems to be able to look into your soul, at times there is child-like sincerity and vulnerability. He believes he has a mission, but it also gives him pain, he sees things but doesn't see, how his conduct affects the falling empire. "I didn't choose to be holy!" he says like a weak human being, who has been trusted with a burden, that is much too heavy. Strong, vulnerable, wise, fallable, loving, selfish... Is this the real Rasputin? Very possibly. Human beings are just as mixed and as capable of being both angelic and devilish as Rickman shows - in this and other movies.

Oh yes, I felt great pity for Rasputin, though I wouldn't want him living in my house. And I'm glad I don't know Rickman in person, he seems to know too well, what we people are like. Who wants her mind to be x-rayed? Even by Rickman (who is, I admit, in his own way, enchanting)?

Watch this movie, if you want to understand history, people or acting. Look at these actors and actresses, they don't act, they are the characters. Rickman is just the best example of how to become someone else than one really is, whether it is Rasputin, Mesmer or other things he's done. Watch this!

I'm a big Jeff DeMunn fan, so where he goes so go I.

Accordingly as HBO began to tease their upcoming made-for movie, Citizen X, I know nothing of a Russian serial killer, Andre Chikatilo (brilliantly played by DeMunn) nor filmmaker Chris Gerolmo who adapted and directed this tale under the made-for-HBO banner. I only know that if Jeff DeMunn is in it, it will be worth the watch.

And it was...even more so.

The story is true, of a dangerous Russian serial killer and molester of children, who's apprehension is delayed by a defensive Russian government. A government afraid to admit to themselves and to their people that such an animal can exist in Soviet Russia.(Chikatilo murdered 52 people)

A brilliant cast: DeMunn, Stephen Rea, Donald Sutherland, and Max Von Sydow are supported by stark and stunning Eastern European landscapes, and a nail-biter of a story that will not turn you loose.

Get out the popcorn and the pickles.

This is the best film never released to the general public. Produced for HBO, this movie tracks the true story of the hunt for the most prolific serial killer in Soviet/Russian history.

The story focuses on the "detective", Burakov, (played by Stephen Rea) who dedicates himself to finding the killer that is stalking young children in the Soviet Union. Rea does an excellent job of bringing to life the character, who faces road blocks everywhere he turns from the Soviet government who refuse to admit they have a serial killer in their nation. Donald Sutherland plays the sympathetic superior to Rea's detective. As Rea fights an uphill battle to cut through bueracratic red-tape, Sutherland queitly works behind the scenes to smooth the waters for his less polically astute subordinate. Toghether, the two make headway in their increasingly tense search for the killer. The true depth of the friendship and respect they have developed is revealed late in the film, in a scene immediately after the Soviet government is replaced and Sutherland reveals the new resources available to them. One of the most poignant scenes in recent films, this moment defines the toll that this type of investigation takes on the investigator who undertakes to seek justice against all odds. Without saying a word, Rea manages to convey the deep emotions his character is feeling as his superior finally reveals the true admiration he has for the work his subordinate has done. Rea and Sutherland play their roles masterfully throughout this drama.

The supporting cast is also excellent. Jeffrey DeMunn, Max Von Sydow, Mike Navrides and John Wood lead a group of actors who most will know by face but not by name and who provide excellent support throughout. DeMunn in particular is impressive as Chikatilo.

It is a shame this film is seen in some circles as a "made for t.v. movie". If this movie had been released in the theaters, it would have earned similar praise to such thrillers as Silence of the Lambs or Seven. The story is first rate and keeps the viewer enthralled until the very end.

Well acted, written and directed, Citizen X is a first rate thriller. If you missed it on HBO, don't miss it now.

I have always loved both Donald Sutherland and Stephen Rea so it was a dream come true to see them together in such a great film.

The movie is about how the ex U.S.S.R.'s soviet government couldn't admit that the perfect russian society they had created could produce such a thing as a serial killer and therefore was quite unable to catch him - how can you find a solution when you are not allowed to ackowledge that a problem exists?

It's about how a relatively unimportant man, through mind bogling perseverence and patience never gives up on catching the murderer.

Superbly done.

This 1965 Cannes Film Festival Palm D'Or winner still looks innovative nearly 40 years after it was made. The John Barry soundtrack used throughout the movie is outstanding. This film is not to be missed by those who love the 1960s and the films made during that decade.

The story started out as a play by Ann Jellicoe. The film shifts between broad slapstick and avant-garde as it tells the story of an unlucky in love schoolteacher, his womanizing housemate, the artist who moves in with them, and a naive girl who has just arrived in London.

Director Richard Lester uses all kinds of editing shots that still look fresh and there's something about this film being in black and white that somehow makes it more "1960s" than if it had been shot in color.

MGM released this in widescreen with the theatrical trailer but it really could use some extras where the making of the film is discussed. (Check out the liner notes on the CD soundtrack for some behind the scenes information.) Audio commentary from Richard Lester and any of the actors would have also been much appreciated.

...So Tom tells us about half way through "The Knack...and how to get it". Whether he speaks for the other characters or for humanity as a whole the viewers have to decide for themselves but it is just the sort of thing that keeps you guessing in this amazing film.

When someone askes me to name my favourite film I usually say "The Knack...and how to get it" which is almost always met with a puzzled look in responce; so few people have seen this movie, even though it won the main prize at Cannes the year it was made and was a popular and commercial success across the world, that you might be forgiven for thinking that perhaps it had been surpressed or maybe overtaken by fashion that lumped all the "Swinging London" films together and forgot them. Either way I think it is a neglected clasic that deserves wider recognision.

Taken from a not very successful play by Ann Jellicoe, that ran at the Royal Court experimental theatre for six weeks about a year before it was filmed, Charles Wood's screenplay expanded the action away from the run-down house, which is at the centre of the play, to use London as the backdrop for the film; not tourist London but the back streets and slightly run down areas of Shepherd's Bush. The true masterstoke was to give the running commentary by the old people on what the four main (young) characters are up to. This babble is so typical of the British attitude to sex sensorious, but at the same time obsessed and slightly regretting that they haven't done it themselves that it is hillarious. This aspect of the film is clearly influenced by Dylan Thomas' "Under Milk Wood" but used here it takes on it's own identity. Charles Wood also has a small part in the film himself; he is one of the Guardsmen that Nancy encounters in their "Bear Skins" (pun fully intended) while trying to find the YWCA.

The performances by the main actors are all superb. Michael Crawford as the accident prone, sex starved Colin, living in his run down Victorian house, who careers from one disaster to another is clearly the reletive of Frank Spencer the character Crawford played to such great effect in the 1970's "Some Mother's Do 'ave 'em" before he went on to even greater success in West End and Broadway musical theatre.

Ray Brooks delivers a totally beliveable Tolan, the superior, promiscous man living on the top floor of Colin's house who's self confidence eventually leads to his own downfall. A year after making this Brooks was the male lead in "Cathy Come Home", one of the most famous British television plays of all time, which shocked a nation by graphically showing the full reality of the homeless in the UK. It is difficult to imagine two more contrasting rolls.

Donal Donelly as Tom the manic painter and decorator who acts as the catalyst bringing the other elements of the film together. He was in some other 1960 movies including "Waterloo" but I haven't seen him in anything for a very long time now.

Rita Tushingham always has a vulnerability about her and never more so than in this film as Nancy. She arrives in London and wanders haplesly around costantly being mis directed to the YWCA until she comes across Colin and Tom in a junk yard. As she comes to know the other characters she comes under Tolan's spell until she suddenly finds she is in love with Colin. Tushingham handles her part well as she develops from the innocent new girl in town to the more confident woman at the end of the picture via a sort of breakdown after which she accuses all and sundry of "rape". It is this aspect of the film which has drawn most criticim bringing with it accusations of misogyny. I don't think that it is justified after all nobody gets raped they just shout it a lot!

John Barry's score brings the whole film together; He uses a choir of womens voices and the jazz organist Alan Haven, who had previously enlivened the opening titles of "From Russia With Love", to a variety of moods with one basic theme in 3/4 time. It is one of the most creative uses of music I can think of.

Richard Lester directed this gem of a film on location at break neck speed just as he had some months earlier with "A Hard Day's Night". His surreal imagination, sense of humour and love of scilent movies all combine to make one of the most original films ever made. Using black and white stock allowed him greater freedom to film in awkward locations as well as to experiment with over exposure so what started out as a budget restriction became a creative tool. There are some wonderful individual shots; at one point, for instance, Colin, Tom and Nancy are seen throwing stones in the river and there is a shot of their reflection it is only there for a few seconds but it is the composition of the film for me. It is rare to find a film which has good dialoge and creative cinamatography.

On DVD the film looks great even with so few extra features. I was pleased that there were suptitles as some of the lines of dialoge are a bit indisdinct and even as a native English speaker I've often wondered what they were.

One final thing. Whenever I'm feeling a bit depressed I often look at this film and it never fails to make me feel better you never know perhaps it will do the same for you.

Since everybody and his brother is out reviewing the recent re-release of Hard Day's Night (including people who cannot tell John from Paul!) I thought I'd review Richard Lester's other great film instead.

Richard Lester obviously learned to tell a joke at the knee of Spike Milligan. It's a shame that the television shows he directed for Milligan (and Peter Sellers) in the 1950s haven't survived the BBC's notorious indifference to posterity. This makes it even more important that MGM has again made available this film that is now so politically incorrect I long ago concluded it was being surpressed.

This film won the Palm d'Or (best picture) at Cannes in 1965. It has more brilliant silent sight gags than most any three Buster Keaton pictures combined yet has so much verbal wit that you'll likely be back to watch the film at least three times, just to make sure you really got it all, which I'm not certain is really possible. The running commentary on youth by the older generation is one of the most hilarious things I've ever heard (and I am amazed I've never seen anyone steal the idea for a lesser picture.) Listen carefully to the broken dialog in the teacher's lounge where a spinsterish teacher worries no one wants to rape her and a boorish old male teacher reminisces over once hitting an unruly student right up the nose with a piece of chalk. The sight gags are more obvious, usually broad though occasionally subtle, with large parts of the film having no dialog at all, such as the sequence pushing the old bed frame across London, the sequence with which the film is most frequently identified (note that the bed turns white when they get pulled through a car wash).

The film is politically incorrect from the first shots of all the identically dressed girls queued up the stairs waiting for their turn in Tolin's (Ray Brooks) room. (Tolin has guestbook in his room and asks women to keep their comments to a single word). School teacher Colin (Michael Crawford) is obsessed that he will end up one of the dirty old men who hang around the school yard to watch the little girls play sports. Tolin offers to let frustrated Colin share his girls if Colin, who owns the house, will rent the empty room downstairs to Tolin's ladykiller friend, Rory, with everyone sharing in all the girls (we never do see Rory in the film but his presence keeps popping up in important ways). Before Tolin can move in his friend, however, a stranger, Tom (Donal Donnelly), a painter who paints white everything he sees, moves into the room on his own initiative. Releaved at not being drawn into the sex deal, but still wanting the knack of getting girls, Colin decides that his real problem is the size of his bed. Meanwhile, in the other story line, innocent Nancy (Rita Tushingham) has just arrived in London, where, in one of the film's best sight gags, she soon gets an educating eyeful from a prostitute working the photography booth trade. Nancy has further adventures trying to find the YWCA, including a very funny sequence in a dress shop where a salesman gives the same seductive spiel to each customer, various silent gags involving getting around the streets, and a very strange encounter in a phone booth with a man taking a call about Rory. Finally, she encounters Colin and Tom out acquiring a large old bed, that Colin likes because of the noise it makes. The three roll the bed back to the house across London. But back at the house Tolin quickly puts the moves on Nancy just to show Colin how its done. And then it all gets even more politically incorrect in a hurry so I'll leave the rest for those who watch the film. Let's just say it has a nicely moral ending even if the commentary from the older generation disagrees (there are things on their clothes line you wouldn't expect from three young lads).

Another review on Amazon describes the film as anarchic but I think that misses it. The jokes do come very fast and there are some decidely surreal sequences, some very stylish editing, and the occasional interupting fantasy. Yet somehow nothing ever seems so silly or outrageous that you completely lose some sense of reality. In this sense it is more Hard Day's Night than Holy Grail.

The picture and sound quality of the DVD are very good despite the picture's age. There is obviously a small amount of cropping of the original picture taking place though the aspect ratio is said to be the original 1.66:1. The DVD provides no extras beyond it's very entertaining trailer. Since the idiots at Mirimax didn't include Lester's Running, Jumping, Standing Still film on the new Hard Day's Night double DVD set, when it was on the earlier cheapo DVD release, it would have been awfully nice for MGM to include it here.