Movie journal 2009

After a roaring second day of the 39th Yahtzee Cup, it’s time for some more movies from the list.

Starting 2009’s crop here:

Wild Bill (1995) – Walter Hill’s strangely laconic take on the legend is not quite a precursor to his Deadwood work, but it’s enjoyable enough. Jeff Bridges stars, solid as always, with Ellen Barkin a surprisingly effective Calamity Jane. Grade: C+

Valkyrie (2008) – A History Channel TV-special (“The Germans Who Tried to Kill Hitler But Didn’t”) dressed up in faded Hollywood A-list colors. Tom Cruise, grimly determined (isn’t he always?), leads the ragtag group of Nazis, with sterling British support from Tom Wilkinson and Ken Branagh (they do make the best Germans). Director Bryan Singer and writer Chris McQuarrie can’t generate much suspense, though they try. Grade: C-

Mirrors (2008) – Funny funny stuff, with Kiefer Sutherland as an ex-cop turned department store security guard who battles his own…reflection? Muddled horror is stylish as hell, courtesy director Alexandre Aja, but silly and unconvincing, with Kiefer turning in a Shatner-esque performance of incredible awfulness. You will not believe this is Donald Sutherland’s kid, he’s that bad here. Grade: D

The Chairman (1969) – Gregory Peck sleepwalks his way through this tired spy thriller without many thrills. Red China is the place and Greg’s got the secrets in his head, but there’s not much to recommend except some interesting for the time location filming. This is no Torn Curtain and that’s not saying much. Grade: C

The Prisoner of Zenda (1952) – I dunno, but something about that Technicolor dandy Stewart Granger always worked for me. Maybe it was Dad making a joke about him goosing Deborah Kerr in the remake of King Solomon’s Mines, but this and his other early 50s swashbucklers hold up really well. Grade: A

Max Payne (2008) – Awful video-game adaptation casts Marky Mark Wahlberg as a detective who broods and mumbles around this Sin City wannabe. I know the game Max kicks ass, but this is a piece of shit unaided by Marky’s negative charisma. Grade: WFT?

The Train (1965) – Didn’t really love this one until the second time around, but man, it certainly strengthens the case for Burt Lancaster as one of cinema’s greatest action heroes. In fact, I think this showing was me screening it for T and she agreed on its goodness. A good decade past his swashbuckling days, Burt’s still got the moves, trying to outwit nasty Nazi Paul Scofield and save a trainload of art treasures. John Frankenheimer directs and what a job he does. Maybe, as Seitz argues, the first modern action movie. Grade: A

The Girl Most Likely To… (1973) – Lacerating TV-movie from the poison pen of Joan Rivers, aided by an outstanding starring performance from Stockard Channing. Black comedy that has the strength of its convictions, even the final coda works. Ed Asner, Jim Backus and Fred Grandy co-star. Grade: A

Taken (2009) – Our first flick of 2009 was solid action goodness, although some of the advertised tough stuff was apparently left on the cutting room floor (or for the “Unrated DVD versions I mean). The set-up is simple and effective: professional badass Liam Neeson’s daughter goes missing overseas. He does everything he can to find and save her. Awesome trailer for this, and the movie keeps the pace up. Neeson’s solid, with crisp action from Luc Besson (who co-wrote and produced) and director Pierre Morel. Grade: A-


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