The Tender Trap

A Movie Review by Magdalen Aithne Arkwright

Can a man be a louse without knowing it?

Charlie is a bachelor living in the city.  Joe is a married man taking a vacation from his marriage and visiting his old friend Charlie.  Joe is immediately fascinated by Charlie's many-girl life.  Girl after girl keeps coming into Charlie's apartment, but Charlie says classical violinist Sylvia is his number one girl.

Suddenly, Charlie finds young and budding actress Julie Gillis under his wing.  Julie Gillis is a woman with a dream of marriage and family, and she wants it in a certain way.  Despite her first rebuffs of Charlie's attentions - because it's "not part of my plan" - she suddenly seems to feel a chemistry.  Dinner and dates follow, and Julie Gillis' ideas of the perfect man begin to slip, until she discovers the truth about the other women in Charlie's life.  She gives Charlie an ultimatum: "You want me to marry you.  But first you want me to reform."  In indignation, Charlie brushes her off and storms out.

Joe, filling in for Charlie, has been taking out Sylvia.  Now he's convinced he's in love with her, and he is just about ready to leave his wife and three kids for her when Charlie storms in, all in a tither over Julie.  So Joe stuns Charlie with a revelation: Charlie's a louse.

Enter Sylvia.  Charlie, after his rude awakening, realizes his great treasure in Sylvia and, falteringly, asks her to marry him.  Sylvia accepts, and the three of them, in shock, proceed to plan an engagement party.  Charlie runs out to get more drinks and, before he gets back, is engaged to Julie.  What is he going to do about his two engagements?  And what is Julie going to do if she finds out?  Will Joe get the girl?

This movie is for an older crowd but is enjoyable.  Frank Sinatra plays a wonderful Charlie "in an off-beat, beat-up sort of way", and Debbie Reynolds plays Julie Gillis.  Their co-stars are David Wayne, Celeste Holm, and include Lola Albright.

Rating: T

Points: 10

~Meggy

*Available through Netflix*

Vertigo

A Movie Review by Magdalen Aithne Arkwright

A movie that creates incredulous excitement, Vertigo deserves mentioning.  Another Hitchcock triumph, stranger than any I've yet seen.

It does not take long for a cautious and particular viewer to fall out of love for these characters - one is a killer, one is an accessory to murder, one is adulterous.  James Stewart does not fail to impress, even if he does play one of these characters.  (As a side note, Midge disappears from the picture quite quickly.  It's interesting to note that she is given such a prominent roll to start.)

Hitchcock goes above and beyond the call of creepy with this film.  Three deaths, two dead bodies, and one girl from Kansas.  One detective, retired on account of his vertigo - detective turned lover.  James Stewart becomes a passionate psychopath.  And don't let old friends fool you.

This movie is hard to rate.  It is crazy.  It seems to end without an ending.  It is passionately insane.  The characters have no soul, living only on their instincts and adrenaline.  It psychedelic.  Vertigo is the kind of movie that I would have doubted under this description.  Maybe I ought to have.  So long as it is taken in its due season and not interpreted as theology, this is a great piece of film.

This movie has been rated, officially, as PG-13.  I agree.  While there is no rough languages, James Stewart involves himself in messing with a married woman, pitching people off of high places, and, off the scenes, undressing an unconscious woman.  The movie starts with Stewart's character's vertigo being the cause of a policeman's death.  He then falls in love with a woman, a woman whose husband was his friend in college.  He unwittingly plays his part in a murder.  He then goes crazy himself, driving himself insane with guilt and confusion, all spiraling at the high speed of passionate love.  When he gets out of the hospital, he sees her everywhere, even in a young woman from Kansas, whom he drags up the tower of the church....

It is said that this is the most infamous out of Hitchcock's films, but I believe that to be primarily for its raciness, if I may say so.  Midge appears to be either an underwear designer or just an artist for underwear.  A woman is, off the scenes, undressed by a man; passions are excited, forbidden love is entered into, and lovers drive themselves crazy for each other.

Rating: T
Points: 8
Satisfaction: 100%

~Meggy

Eragon

A Movie Review by Magdalen Aithne Arkwright

This movie was a huge flop.  It came out in 2008 and did not do the book credit.  Whether you are a fan of the book or not, you have to admit it let down the great, big, blue tome.  The acting is often poor, the dramatic scenes are inadequate, and the music lacking.

Eragon the movie is about a farmer boy who loses all his nearest and dearest because of the cruelty of the king: his brother leaves home to find his life so he won't be forced into the king's army; his uncle is killed by the king's minion's minions; then his mentor is killed by the king's minion (because of Eragon's own stupidity).

The movie itself is acceptable if you ignore the fact that the staff and cast were evidently incompetent, inexperienced, or both.  While lacking in comparison to 'The Lord of the Rings', or even 'Star Wars', the movie is an epic drama.  Unfortunately, the quality of the the drama does not match the intense theme.  Furthermore, whenever the camera focuses on Ed Speleers, it's hard to imagine him as a rebellious, foolish, and downright immature seventeen-year-old.  The casting for Sapphira, Rachel Weisz, was also poor, not that there's anything wrong with Weisz herself, but the voice seemed too sharp and clear to be the thought-voice of a dragon.  Sienna Guillory fit Arya well and Jeremy Irons was usually good at delivering his lines as Brom.  (Don't you think it funny that Eragon's brother looks nothing like him but his cousin is nearly identical?)

I give it three points out of ten, not very complimentary sadly.  I also rate it teen since it is violent, dark, and gross at instances.

~Meggy

Note: according to IMDb, there are well over fifty differences between the book and the movie, and many visual inconsistencies.

Murder by Death

A Movie Review by Magdalen Aithne Arkwright

So... Murder by Death.  Briefly, it's a bizarre comedy.  As are many comedies, there is some touchy content.  However, the content is not actually presented for laughter, but only to add more confusion.

The basic point of the movie, as I can see it, is to make fun of mystery stories, and it does this so very well.  The viewer walks away not sure of what's really the truth and what's really just show.  Who is the real mastermind behind this murder?  And who was really murdered?  And who did the actual killing?  Are there any answers in this movie?

Sir Alec Guinness and Peter Faulk grace the screen in this one, in a twisting plot that draws an endless circle in your mind.  Bizarre.  Hysterical!  Confusing and, almost, endearing.  And what female wouldn't have an amusing attraction to Diamond?

Unlike many of the time, I do not credit Neil Simon with great writing skills.  He is witty, but this literature scholar is not highly impressed.  However, excluding preteens and all younger, this could be an amusing watch.  There are some swears - one against Our Lord.  There is also reference to a sleazy joint (and homosexuality).

This film none-the-less receives 7/10.  This is definitely T rated (see sidebars).

~Meggy

Rebecca

A Movie Review by Magdalen Aithne Arkwright

Rebecca, Hitchcock's first American film, is incredible.  I loved it.  There is a slight difference between the book and the movie, but I think I prefer the way the movie portrayed it.  (Note: don't watch the special features; it gives an unnecessary, twisted view of the movie and the original author)

Rebecca is about a young woman, who remains unnamed, who marries a social elite: "I've a very impressive array of first names, George Fortescu Maximilian."  As the second Mrs. de Winter, the narrator finds herself constantly under the standard set by the first Mrs. de Winter, a.k.a Rebecca.  Simply everyone pities Maxim - as those close to Mr. de Winter call him - for he seems much disturbed over his former wife's drowning.  But was the marriage really as happy as it is portrayed?  Ah, and Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper, was so very attached to Rebecca and resents our protagonist.  But, finally, the mysterious presence of Rebecca, haunting the earth through those she left behind, is explained and conquered.

The narrator's simplicity and honesty, and her devoted love for her husband, make the movie wholeheartedly thrilling.

Rating: T
Points: 9
Satisfation: 10

[Note: after reading the book, I am very impressed with the faithful portrayal - almost to the letter with the exception of perhaps two major details]

~Meggy