February TNT: In Review

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: This movie was insanity captured on film. It was so intense, from start to finish, that I found myself wishing for a few down moments so I could absorb and understand exactly what was going on. At the end of the movie, I had to go read the Wikipedia on the film synopsis so I could piece certain parts together and figure out their significance. Yes, I'm slow sometimes. Let me start by saying that these actors knocked their roles out of the park, out of the parking lot, out of the zip code the park was located in. lol The tension crackled whenever Taylor and Burton were in a scene together, and it was like with a snap of a finger that energy could change immediately. They could go from mercilessly mocking each other to ganging up on one of their guests, and right back to slandering each other within the time span of a minute. To be able to have that sense of timing with the other person, to match each other's energy immediately and play off of that with every calculated expression, word, or movement is amazing. I can see now why people said Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were magic on-screen. They really were. And their guests were just as formidable in their roles, pawns for the vile and malicious scene-stealing George and Martha. George had this way of looking into someone and identifying their flaws, their mistakes, their misgivings, and did so quite flawlessly with Nick, wringing the truth out of him and his character in no time. Martha, as evil as she was, seemed to appear as a sort of victim by the end of the movie, albeit a willing victim. You would think one pulls the strings, until the other one says something and the entire body language, tone and expression changes immediately, and you question who really is in charge between the two of them. I can't say it was a power struggle exactly, but at the same time you did have to wonder who really wore the pants. I wasn't sure at any given moment whether or not I hated George and Martha, whether or not I felt sorry for them individually or together, or if I was too confused to feel one way or the other. Other than deciding that they were both without consideration and probably beyond redemption, I still can't say I feel one way or the other about them. I saw the makings of a future George and Martha in Nick and Honey, and I think George did too. At least that's the feeling I got from some of George's interactions with Nick. You have to be lacking in something internally when you bring two innocents into a "game" that ends up potentially decimating their marriage, their confidence, and their ideas about ever going to someone's house for drinks again. LOL There was this simultaneous intensity yet ultimate disregard from George and Martha where Nick and Honey were concerned. At the end of it all, the four of them made a quite loveless room. It's amazing what faults in self will be exposed when the faults of others are on constant and clear display. For a second, you think it's about their faults as people, their problems as individuals. But then, without any warning or provocation, all of a sudden you're drawn into this web of theirs as a pawn, a vehicle for one of them to use against the other, then you find yourself in the hot seat. The whole movie was a mind-fuck for me and I would probably watch this again. The script was awesome and fitting for the characters, but you have to pay close attention to everything or in one of those moments where you think nothing of importance is being said, you realize something vital has just been admitted and you didn't catch it. It's one of those movies. I think if this had been done with other actors, I would have hated it. But the four they chose were perfect. 
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Victor/Victoria: I really cannot say enough good things about this movie. Julie Andrews was wonderful as both Victor and Victoria, and despite the fact that the movie was funny as hell, a lot of realistic points were explored in the movie, such as the importance of public perception. I like that the movie was able to explore that, especially as it relates to the LGBT community, and manage to do so without killing the light tone of the movie. One thing I will admit that I don't like is that in the end, Victoria gives up her career for love. That's just the fem-lite in me, and I hate that women in movies, books and on shows are usually expected to end up in this predicament, because for whatever reason, some feel that it is impossible for a woman to do both. Sure, I think it's a great way to show a man you love him, but what happens after he realizes you love him? You go home and make cookies? Meh. Miss me with all that. Now I love cookies, and I'll definitely make them for my man. But can't I make them after I get off work? Hell, can't I handle it like a boss and make them before work? I'm sliding into a tangent here. Back to the movie, this movie boasts a really awesome ensemble cast. James Garner's deadpan delivery of lines makes him a great King Marchand, Lesley Ann Warren steals every scene she's part of as his ditzy booty call Norma, and Alex Karras was a big teddy bear of a bodyguard who clearly respected the hell out of his boss. There didn't seem to be a fight for who would be the star of this movie; everyone stayed within the parameters of their character and I enjoyed that. The comedic situations were a riot and the first time I watched this movie, I was in tears before the first hour was up. I've been recommending this movie to my family for years now. Victor/Victoria was the first film I'd seen for many of the actors, and I haven't been able to enjoy other works of theirs quite as much as I did in this film, although for Bob Preston, Julie Andrews and James Garner I'm at the point where I'll pretty much watch anything they're in. Except Sound of Music. I won't watch that. Speaking of them though, I thought the pairing of Bob Preston's Toddy with Victoria was genius. They played off of each other and complimented the other beautifully.
Rating:

Perhaps I'm biased here. Oh well. 









My Sister Eileen: I mentioned in the preview for this TNT that I was excited to see Rosalind Russell in movies apart from The Women, and I wasn't disappointed with this flick. She had such a strong presence and didn't play weak-willed or simple-minded women, which I enjoyed. This character was so different from Sylvia Fowler in The Women but still just as quick with a fiery response. I believe this character was just as fiesty as Sylvia but without all the pomp and circumstance. As for the actual character of Eileen, however, I could have done without. She was too whiny, too naive, too flowery for me. I think the actress played the part very well, but honestly I only watched this movie for Rosalind Russell. I barely remember any scene that she was not part of. However, one thing I can say apart from Russell's performance was that I loved the eccentric characters that helped round out the cast of this movie. The money-hungry manager was one of my favorites. I think they brought some spice to what could have otherwise been a slightly boring movie. While I enjoyed watching Russell, I also enjoyed watching the scenes at that shantytown of an apartment building. I liked hearing what ridiculous thing the manager was going to say, or what that flunkie who lived with his wife a floor above the girls was going to do next. It was a cute movie, although I can't say I'd watch it again. 
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Splendor in the Grass: (I didn't watch most of Of Human Bondage) I didn't watch this movie the entire way through because I was busy that night, but I watched enough to learn that I only half paid attention the first time. I think I was so instantly enamored by Warren Beatty that I didn't pay as much attention to the movie as I should have. LOL Don't judge me. Anyway, I still enjoyed this movie despite the cloud of sadness lingering overhead for much of it. It did make me realize just how much the opinions and judgment of family play a part in people's lives. Ginny's life was partially ruined by the stifling and fakery she had to endure by the family, Bud was stifled with all of the overwhelming pressure that was turned on him as a result of Ginny's failures, and Deanie was simply naive. Sexual repression can be manifested in so many ways, but when it's used differently in two people with two different backgrounds, its easy to put the pieces together as to how the wheels were set in motion for the demise of the young relationship. To have to see how the stock market crash completely decimated Bud's family was really devastating, because it made me wonder just how many other families it had happened to for real. At the end of the movie when Deanie and Bud meet again after Joanie is released from the sanitarium, it's not happiness in either of their eyes that you see. It's resignation. It's not exactly peace, because neither of them asked for the conclusions to life that they eventually got, but it's not exactly longing either because both of them had to grow up due to said conclusions to life that they got. They both knew there was no going back and that the sun had set for them. It was a painful look into what can happen with your first love. Thankfully it's not always quite that dramatic for everyone, but I know from experience that for some, it is. It has all the power to be overwhelming, traumatic, and as dramatic as depicted in this movie. On a random note, I didn't know Sandy Dennis was in this movie; I didn't know who she was the first time I watched so I didn't pay her any mind, but when I watched it again I noticed her immediately thanks to Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Both of these stars were well-chosen for this movie; the somber tone of the movie allowed a debuting Warren Beatty to show his talent from the gate, and Natalie Wood had an amazing ability to play a wistful, delicate heroine and that's sort of what Deanie was. I probably would not have listened to my mom as easily LOL, but then again I wasn't growing up in the early '20s, either. I have to be in the mood to watch this movie because it's a little heavy for my taste, but I'm so glad I watched it at all. 
Rating:

The Sin of Madelon Claudet: As risque as the plot for this movie sounds, it was much more tame than I thought it'd be. I suppose by '30s standards, however, just the notion of a woman being a prostitute was risque, so I digress. Anyway, I thought this film was so moving. I was sad for Madelon, first because she had such stars in her eyes for Larry that she left her family without so much as a 'goodbye,' then because she seemed to know, despite Larry's denials, that he wouldn't be back for her. Unfortunately, she was right, but not because Larry didn't want to be with her. She never learned why he didn't come back, she just knew he didn't. My sadness went away for awhile when I saw that she was so desolate that she didn't even want to look at the baby, because it wasn't the baby's fault he was born. I saw so much that Madelon ended up a victim of her own circumstances and didn't even realize it, but instead of behaving like a victim, she did the ultimate in mothering and gave up her entire life for the sake of her son. It was almost heartbreaking watching her beauty fade, as she cared less and less about anything except doing what she needed to do in order to get Lawrence through medical school. At the end, it was both a testament to Madelon's resilience, dedication and love for her son as well as a reminder of all she gave up to see Lawrence's home and practice. He was living what could be considered a life of wealth and/or opulence, while she was getting ready to turn herself over to the authorities in a public assistance home. She did everything she needed to do without complaining, without asking why this was her lot in life, without giving any thought to herself because her son was her entire reason for existing.  She didn't do any of it for recognition, praise or even a thank-you. It must have been awful to have to make the decision to cut yourself off from your son entirely because you knew he'd make it in the world much better without your past crime hanging over his head. I didn't realize that it could have been that hard for the child of a felon to make it in the world; today it's mainly the felons themselves who have to bear those burdens, the family gets stuck with the emotional/mental damage. I'm not a mother, but I would make the same decision for my kid in a second if I knew it would give them a better life. I wouldn't want them to have to bear the pain of thinking that I'm dead their entire lives, but if I knew that my past would only hang over their head like a curse through absolutely no fault of their own, I'd take my leave and give my child the life they deserve to have. I can definitely understand why Helen Hayes won the Oscar for this movie. She deserved it. It was a wonderful movie and it made me sad so I don't know if I'd watch it again, but that'd be the only reason why I wouldn't. It was a great movie otherwise.  Rating: