Paths of Glory (1957 movie)
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Released: 1957
Country: United States
Genres: War drama
Main cast: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris, Joe Turkel
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Short review: Paths of Glory takes place during the World War I. General Mireau takes the responsibility of taking the Anthill, a strong German position. Mireau gives the responsibility of the task to Colonel Dax's (the great Kirk Douglas) regiment. The attack, however, becomes unsuccessful. Mireau is furious, and decides to court martial 3 soldiers from each company. However, Colonel Dax tries to protest, saying that the soldiers must have had their reasons for not advancing towards the Anthill. Mireau doesn't pay attention. Despite Dax's attempts to protect them, the three soldiers are sentenced to death. Awaiting their death, the three soldiers lament that they had their reasons, the attack was unsuccessful because of the facts that so many soldiers were dying, there was gunfire and violence all around... So why have they been so unfairly sentenced to death?
I loved this film. It was sentimental and sad. The subject matter was very emotional. Surely, one of Kubrick's best films.
4.5 out of 5
The Children's Hour (1961 movie)
Directed by: William Wyler
Released: 1961
Country: United States
Genres:Drama
Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Audrey Hepburn, James Garner, Miriam Hopkins, Fay Bainter, Karen Balkin, Veronica Cartwright
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Short review: The Children's Hour is nothing short of a masterpiece. It's a very emotionally intense, sad and touching film. The plot centers around two young women who run a girls' school, Karen Wright (Audrey Hepburn) and Martha Dobey (Shirley
MacLaine). Among their students is Mary (Karen Balkin), whose misbehavior often causes the two teachers to punish her. Mary wants to get rid of this school. She thinks that the teachers hate her. Eventually, Mary runs away to her grandmother one day, and tells her that Miss Wright and Miss Dobey are lesbians, and describes to her such things which make her grandmother believe the lie. Mary's grandmother, Mrs Tilford (Fay Bainter) spreads the lie, causing the parents to take away their children from the school. The lives of Miss Wright and Miss Dobey turn upside down. This lie destroys their life. People point at them and laugh. They become miserable. Karen's fiance is forced leave her...
This is a very sad and touching movie. How a lie can change people's lives, is clearly portrayed in this film. The screenplay and dialogues are brilliant. I won't comment on the acting of MacLaine, Hepburn and Garner, because perfection can easily be expected from great stars like them; it is the acting of the two child actors, Karen Balkin and Veronica Cartwright, that impresses me. Balkin, as the little antagonist Mary, gives a splendid performance. Cartwright, who had played a supporting role in Hitchcock's ''The Birds'' and whose sister, Angela, starred in ''The Sound of Music'', gives a terrific performance as Rosalie. Mary strengthens the lie by blackmailing Rosalie. Rosalie had stolen a bracelet from one of their classmates, and Mary blackmails that if Rosalie won't support her in her lie, she (Mary) will reveal what Rosalie has done.
This is a great film, with a great subject matter and great direction from William Wyler, and great performances from both the lead and supporting cast.
4.5 out of 5
50/50 (2011 movie)
Directed by: Jonathan Levine
Released: 2011
Country: United States
Main cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anna Kendrick, Seth Rogen, Bryce Dallas Howard, Angelica Huston
Genres: Comedy-drama
Rating: 4 out of 5
Short review: Here's a lovely, bittersweet comedy-drama. It's about Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a 27-year-old man, who discovers that he has a rare cancer, and that he has only 50/50 chance of survival. And there is a mother who worries too much, a father with Alzheimer's disease, a best friend whose behavior is not quite pleasant, a girlfriend who is cheating on him, and a very caring young therapist. The film lightheartedly explores the difficulties, thoughts, tensions, and fears that a cancer patient has to go through. Though dealing with a very realistic topic, the film presents it in a light manner. The film gives us a portrait of what cancer patients go through, their tensions, fears, longing; the tensions and fears that are always present, the fears about whether they are going to survive or not.
The acting is top-notch. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as Adam, is excellent. Anna Kendrick, whom you may know from the Twilight saga, is excellent as the therapist. The beautiful Bryce Dallas Howard is excellent as always (she plays the role of Rachel, the girlfriend who is cheating on Adam). Rachel, a young painter, after knowing that her boyfriend has cancer, does all she can. She doesn't leave him, rather takes care of him. But later when Adam comes to know that she is cheating on him, he breaks up and burns the painting that she made for him. It's sort of shocking, because though Rachel was cheating on him, she indeed cared for him, and though it's natural that Adam was furious, his response also wasn't totally fair, because, despite what she did, Rachel had tried her best to take care of Adam.
The film not only gives us laughs, but also smiles, tears, and tensions. The film talks about a very grim subject matter mostly lightheartedly and humorously, and presents to us a very realistic topic that rarely becomes disturbing; the film helps us to look in depth of the suffering of cancer patients, and along with it's light manner, the film also has an inner depth that is grim and thought-provoking.
4 out of 5
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Released: 1957
Country: United States
Genres: War drama
Main cast: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris, Joe Turkel Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Short review: Paths of Glory takes place during the World War I. General Mireau takes the responsibility of taking the Anthill, a strong German position. Mireau gives the responsibility of the task to Colonel Dax's (the great Kirk Douglas) regiment. The attack, however, becomes unsuccessful. Mireau is furious, and decides to court martial 3 soldiers from each company. However, Colonel Dax tries to protest, saying that the soldiers must have had their reasons for not advancing towards the Anthill. Mireau doesn't pay attention. Despite Dax's attempts to protect them, the three soldiers are sentenced to death. Awaiting their death, the three soldiers lament that they had their reasons, the attack was unsuccessful because of the facts that so many soldiers were dying, there was gunfire and violence all around... So why have they been so unfairly sentenced to death?
I loved this film. It was sentimental and sad. The subject matter was very emotional. Surely, one of Kubrick's best films.
4.5 out of 5
The Children's Hour (1961 movie)
Directed by: William Wyler
Released: 1961
Country: United States
Genres:Drama
Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Audrey Hepburn, James Garner, Miriam Hopkins, Fay Bainter, Karen Balkin, Veronica Cartwright
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Short review: The Children's Hour is nothing short of a masterpiece. It's a very emotionally intense, sad and touching film. The plot centers around two young women who run a girls' school, Karen Wright (Audrey Hepburn) and Martha Dobey (Shirley
This is a very sad and touching movie. How a lie can change people's lives, is clearly portrayed in this film. The screenplay and dialogues are brilliant. I won't comment on the acting of MacLaine, Hepburn and Garner, because perfection can easily be expected from great stars like them; it is the acting of the two child actors, Karen Balkin and Veronica Cartwright, that impresses me. Balkin, as the little antagonist Mary, gives a splendid performance. Cartwright, who had played a supporting role in Hitchcock's ''The Birds'' and whose sister, Angela, starred in ''The Sound of Music'', gives a terrific performance as Rosalie. Mary strengthens the lie by blackmailing Rosalie. Rosalie had stolen a bracelet from one of their classmates, and Mary blackmails that if Rosalie won't support her in her lie, she (Mary) will reveal what Rosalie has done.
This is a great film, with a great subject matter and great direction from William Wyler, and great performances from both the lead and supporting cast.
4.5 out of 5
50/50 (2011 movie)
Directed by: Jonathan Levine
Released: 2011
Country: United States
Main cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anna Kendrick, Seth Rogen, Bryce Dallas Howard, Angelica Huston
Genres: Comedy-drama
Rating: 4 out of 5
Short review: Here's a lovely, bittersweet comedy-drama. It's about Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a 27-year-old man, who discovers that he has a rare cancer, and that he has only 50/50 chance of survival. And there is a mother who worries too much, a father with Alzheimer's disease, a best friend whose behavior is not quite pleasant, a girlfriend who is cheating on him, and a very caring young therapist. The film lightheartedly explores the difficulties, thoughts, tensions, and fears that a cancer patient has to go through. Though dealing with a very realistic topic, the film presents it in a light manner. The film gives us a portrait of what cancer patients go through, their tensions, fears, longing; the tensions and fears that are always present, the fears about whether they are going to survive or not. The acting is top-notch. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as Adam, is excellent. Anna Kendrick, whom you may know from the Twilight saga, is excellent as the therapist. The beautiful Bryce Dallas Howard is excellent as always (she plays the role of Rachel, the girlfriend who is cheating on Adam). Rachel, a young painter, after knowing that her boyfriend has cancer, does all she can. She doesn't leave him, rather takes care of him. But later when Adam comes to know that she is cheating on him, he breaks up and burns the painting that she made for him. It's sort of shocking, because though Rachel was cheating on him, she indeed cared for him, and though it's natural that Adam was furious, his response also wasn't totally fair, because, despite what she did, Rachel had tried her best to take care of Adam.
The film not only gives us laughs, but also smiles, tears, and tensions. The film talks about a very grim subject matter mostly lightheartedly and humorously, and presents to us a very realistic topic that rarely becomes disturbing; the film helps us to look in depth of the suffering of cancer patients, and along with it's light manner, the film also has an inner depth that is grim and thought-provoking.
4 out of 5
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