Patton: Worrisome Warrior
George C. Scott. Photo: 20th Century Fox When I mentioned on Facebook the other day that I had been watching Patton, a friend of mine at work said that he…
A Christmas Tale: Grievances Roasting on an Open Fire
Mathieu Amalric and Catherine Deneuve. Photo: IFC Films Ingmar Bergman may have died in 2007, but his spirit lives on and that is particularly true in this sprawling saga that…
I, Claudius: Fool, Biographer, Emperor
Derek Jacobi. Photo: BBC One thing is certain. The years may fly by in this adaptation of Robert Graves's books on the first four Julio-Claudian emperors, but when 77 years…
John Adams: The Reluctant VP
Laura Linney and Paul Giamatti. Photo: HBO Sometimes there are discrepancies between filmmakers and the people hired to market their work. The tagline of this ambitious HBO miniseries has nothing…
Belle de Jour: Nasty Girl
Catherine Deneuve. Photo: Valoria Films Luis Buñuel scholar Julie Jones once claimed that the famous director told her that he doesn't know what the end of this film really means.…
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They: Dance Till You Drop
Jane Fonda. Photo: ABC Pictures Director Sydney Pollack died a while ago, mourned by anyone who had ever seen Tootsie (1982), or Husbands and Wives (1992) where he put his…
Chariots of Fire: For God and Honor
Photo: Allied Stars I have taken up running recently and discovered that it is easy to get hooked. It’s tough in the beginning but some days it is as if…
Gentleman’s Agreement: Walk in My Shoes
Dorothy McGuire, Gregory Peck and John Garfield. Photo: 20th Century Fox This film caused quite a stir on its arrival, but ended up winning an Oscar for Best Picture. Still,…
Rome: Rise and Fall of a Dictator Perpetuus
Photo: HBO It is obvious where Rome got its primary inspiration. In 1976, I, Claudius was quite the phenomenon, a well-written British drama series that chronicled key events in Rome…
Brief Encounter: Politely Passionate
Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard. Photo: Eagle-Lion The legendary film critic Pauline Kael didn’t seem to care much for this film. Acknowledging it as a “celebrated tearjerker”, she also called…