GRAND ILLUSION

GRAND ILLUSION - 1938

RATED - NR but probably PG for mild language.

RATINGS - 57 Amazon (4.5/5), 61,879 Netflix (4.0/5), 9,268 IMDB (8.1/10).

STARRING - Jean Renoir, Director. Considered to be one of top five directors of all time.

AWARDS - 1939 Academy Award nominee for BEST PICTURE.

THEMES - Class struggle, war, relationships, sacrifice.

STORY - The film itself is an amazing story but also the story of how the current print came to be. The Nazis stole the original print from the French as one of their first priorities at the beginning of WWII. It was considered 'Cinematographic Enemy Number One'. All showings later were from copies and pieced together with not so great quality. Decades later the original was found and is now the print used by Criterion, an almost perfect version with sharpness and clarity as if made yesterday. This is the prototype prison escape movie copied by many later. Not only a thrilling escape story but also the story of the end of the elite class in Europe. WWI was considered by many to be a 'gentleman's war' where honor and valor were still important and respected in your enemy. Remember the movie 'Silent Night' where they stopped the war on Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Jesus together and resumed the war the following day. This is about a prison camp conducted by the Germans where it was assumed the French would not try to escape because they had given their word. It is certainly a different kind of war and a different kind of war story. I won't reveal the story but to say that this is a great film on several different levels and although it is B&W with subtitles it is worth watching. If you want more about the actual story, Roger Ebert's review gives a good summary. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 07/26/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, ROGER EBERT

WILMA

WILMA - 1977

RATED - PG-13 (I would have given it a G rating)

RATINGS - 3 Amazon (4.5/5), 2,209 Netflix (3.5/5), 56 IMDB (5.4/10).

STARRING - Shirley Jo Finney, Cicely Tyson, Joe Seneca, Denzel Washington (screen debut).

THEMES - Perseverance, love, family, relationships.

STORY - This made for TV docudrama is the true story of Wilma Rudolph, one of America's greatest Olympic athletes. Wilma was born into a poor (by our standards), black family in Tennessee and rose to become the crowd favorite at the 1960 Olympics in Rome where she became the fastest woman in the world and the first American woman to win three gold medals in the same competition. Her journey included overcoming a debilitating case of polio at a young age which forced her to wear a brace and heavy shoes for several years and receive daily therapy. She also lived and competed in a world where being black in the deep South meant being segregated and second class. She also had to overcome an unwanted pregnancy which threatened to end her career early. It is an amazing story of perseverance and the love of a family and the support of her coach and community. As with Jesse Owens ahead of her and so many athletes, there is a coach behind her success, Ed Temple, the track coach at Tennessee State who saw in Wilma the raw potential of a great athlete. The movie builds to a climax with the Rome Olympics and shows all three of the actual events in which she won the gold medals. She also went on to become a role model for young women and the first real superstar female athlete and also an ambassador for amateur athletics. Enjoy the story of this amazing woman and athlete. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 07/22/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, ROME 1960

HIROSHIMA

HIROSHIMA - 2005

RATED - NR

RATINGS - 10 Amazon (5/5), 2,447 Netflix (3.7/5), 179 IMDB (8.6/10)

THEMES - ATOMIC WAR

AWARDS - International Emmy Award for BEST DOCUMENTARY UK.

STORY - This BBC docudrama uses a combination of archival footage, recreation of scenes, eyewitness testimony and state of the art visuals to replay the three weeks leading up to the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima. It adds greatly to the feel and understanding of the emotions in play as you hear testimonies from the crew of the Enola Gay as well as survivors of the blast interspersed with the actual films and created visuals. The BBC has a history of great documentaries and this is no exception. Probably the defining moment of the 20th century, the world has not been the same since the creation of atomic and nuclear weapons. This unique retelling of that story reminds us of the grave consequences of a nuclear attack, a memory we should always keep in the forefront of our country's foreign policy and international relations. While the merits of the decision to drop the bomb will likely be debated forever, this excellent documentary provides the context, politically, militarily and morally to add to an intelligent discussion. Whether this is your first film about Hiroshima or your 10th, I think you will be glad you took the time to watch. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 7/19/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, NETFLIX

JOHN ADAMS

JOHN ADAMS - 2008

RATED - TV-14. There is a scene of a naked man getting tarred and feathered (full frontal nudity) and a scene of John Adams' daughter being prepared for surgery with one breast fully exposed on the operating table. Both scenes are relatively brief.

RATINGS - 213 Amazon (4.5/5), 56,175 Netflix (4.4/5), 3.432 IMDB (9.1/10).

STARRING - Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney.

AWARDS - Best Actor Award (Giamatti) at Monte-Carlo TV Festival & 3 nominations.

STORY - This made for TV HBO mini-series is outstanding. Based on the book of the same title by David McCullough (watch the extra interviewing him), it is excellent history as well as character study. If Adams was the somewhat cranky but brilliant statesman he is said to be, Paul Giamatti plays it to perfection. Laura Linney is also brilliant as Abigail Adams, every bit the intellectual and emotional equal of John (the film does a great job of showing the important role she played). The more we see of the real history of our founding and its architects, the more amazing the story becomes. These were not perfect men or saints as sometimes is portrayed but flawed human beings with great ideas and the will to persevere and sacrifice personal interests in implementing them. There also was not the harmony and unity that is often implied. Our country was put together in the crucible of debate and compromise and hammering out some very different viewpoints as to what the country should look like. Adams and Jefferson (also portrayed very well by Stephen Dillane) were two opposites in philosophy and personality but who were able to work together (most of the time) for the good of the country (a novel idea for today's politicians). A great story about the founding of America. By the way, did you know BOTH Jefferson & Adams died on July 4, 2026, exactly 50 years after the Declaration of Independence. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 07/19/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, TRAILER, THE BOOK

THE REICH UNDERGROUND

THE REICH UNDERGROUND - 2004

RATED - NR - Two scenes of animals being gassed in a test lab.

RATINGS - 2 Amazon (4.5/5), 1,022 Netflix (2.8/5)

STORY - This is a documentary about Germany's attempt to place many of their weapons manufacturing plants underground later in the war as the Allies relentlessly bombed their cities and armament operations. It was a last ditch attempt to pull out victory from what was becoming certain defeat. It is also the story of the degree which Hitler would go to grasp for victory. Humans were nothing more than disposable tools (like worn out saw blades or broken down vehicles) in the building of these amazing underground facilities. Thousands of lives (many of them were POW's) were lost in this effort. After being closed to the public for many decades, they have been reopened to show the world. There always is the question of 'what if' they had succeeded in building plants that were safe from the Allies' bombs. We will never know. A more pertinent question today might be 'where' could this be going on in the world with rogue nations building secret weapons or other potentially lethal or illegal operations. Even our country has deep underground facilities connected with the military and critical defense operations. A fascinating world to think about and explore. This film is a beginning and very interesting although it could have been pared down to a shorter version (the main reason for the lower ratings on Netflix I believe) but nevertheless a worthwhile venture. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 07/19/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON

THE JESSE OWENS STORY

THE JESSE OWENS STORY - 1984

RATED - G (Very family friendly)

RATINGS - 3 Amazon (4.5/5), 592 Netflix (3.0/5), 78 IMDB (6.5/10).

AWARDS - One Emmy & two nominations.

THEMES - Justice, relationships.

STARRING - Dorian Harewood, George Kennedy, Deborah Morgan, Tom Bosley, Levar Burton.

STORY - The film begins in a federal courtroom later in Jesse's life. He pleads 'no contest' to not filing income taxes for four years. As part of the normal sentencing process (up to four years in prison and $40,000 in fines), the judge assigns a probation officer to meet with Jesse and put together a history of his life and accomplishments. This begins the life story of perhaps the greatest modern day Olympic athlete told through a series of flashbacks and interviews with people who knew him well. It has the feel of a docudrama at times. It's a fascinating story and like so many, there is a person who played a key role at a critical time in his life. In this case, it was a Jr. High coach who saw the potential and persuaded Jesse to come out for the team. He had practice alone for Jesse before school because Jesse had to work every day after school to help support his family of nine brothers and sisters and a father who could not find work. It's an incredible life and one in which there was much struggle despite the amazing talent he had for running. Being poor and black in the U.S. in the 1920's and 30's is not the recipe for success. For all his success he remained humble throughout his life and had a difficult time saying no to any individual or organization that needed his help. The film dispels several myths that developed about the 1936 Olympics and Owens and Hitler. While the film is on the long side (174 minutes) and a little grainy in places I never was bored. One of the great sports stories of the 20th century with lots of great clips of Jesse competing, you will want to see the end to learn why Jesse avoided taxes for those four years. You may even shed a tear or two at the end. By the way, the silver medalist in the 100 meter dash was Mac Robinson whose brother Jackie became the first black Major League Baseball player 11 years later. Whenever Jesse encountered someone who didn't agree with him or was being resistant, he would say, "Let's take a walk. If we walk long enough and talk long enough, we might begin to understand each other." I know some politicians who need to hear those words. Come to think of it, not bad advice for all of us. Enjoy the film and the upcoming Olympics!! Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 07/17/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB

MORITURI

MORITURI - 1965

RATED - NR but probably PG for some violence, minor language.

RATINGS - 21 Amazon (4/5), 4,017 Netflix (3.2/5), 599 IMDB (6.9/10).

STARRING - Marlon Brando, Yul Brynner.

AWARDS - Two 1966 Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography Black & White and Best Costume Design Black & White.

STORY - It's 1942 in Japan and Captain Mueller (Brynner) has been assigned to take a German freighter loaded with rubber to France which will keep the German war machine going for at least another 3 months. A rag tag crew has been assigned to sail with him. The ship is a blockade runner meaning that they will try to make it through any enemy defenses and if it looks it will not make it, the Captain is required to blow up the ship. In India, a German citizen (Brando) who escaped Germany when the war began is being blackmailed by Allied forces to pose as a German SS officer assigned to duty on that ship. His mission is to defuse all the bombs set to destroy the ship so that when the Americans capture the ship, it will not blow up the precious cargo. Brynner smells a rat and keeps a short leash on Brando and a tense game of cat and mouse develops as Brando tries to find and defuse all 12 bombs. The mission becomes more complicated when a German Admiral brings a group of American prisoners on board who have been captured by a sub in the area. The Admiral wonders why a SS officer is aboard a cargo ship and decides to investigate. A lesser known film of both Brando and Brynner but a good WWII film. Not an action film but a battle of wits between two megastars. The black & white picture is what gives it an extra measure of mystery and intrigue and adds rather than detracts from the film Enjoy. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 07/12/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB

PLANET EARTH

PLANET EARTH - 2007

RATED - NR. Very family friendly. Occasional animals attacking each other.

RATINGS - 403 Amazon (4.5/5), 235,168 Netflix (4.6/5), 6,787 IMDB (9.8/10)

STARRING - David Attenborough narrating, an incredible film crew and our planet earth.

STORY - This is the BBC series consisting of five discs that had a budget of $25 million, was five years in the making using 40 cameramen spending over 2000 days in the field. There is absolutely nothing else like this. It is some of the most amazing film you will ever watch. I don't think there is any way to overstate the magnificence of this production. A lot of the areas covered have never been filmed before or certainly not in the way filmed in this series. One of the best parts is the filmed diary at the end of each segment that shows the behind the scenes work that went into filming that particular show. Watching the incredible episodes along with the outstanding music score, you don't think about what it took to get that footage. Seeing them getting their camera gear into the deepest caves on earth, sitting in a claustrophobic shelter for weeks to get a few minutes footage of the snow leopard or loading up two months supplies of food, water, gas and supplies to film camels in the Gobi Desert make you appreciate the unbelievable effort that went into producing this series. You will not be disappointed. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 07/11/2008.

PERSONAL - Watching this amazing film of our planet brings up a couple fundamental questions. How did this incredible planet and the diversity of life all come about? Seeing how everything is so interdependent and complex and with so little room for error in keeping it all going, is it possible that this is all a matter of chance and came from nothing or is there a master creator behind this planet called Earth and all the living things that inhabit it? While there is no absolute proof for either position, I believe I would have to put my belief in a creator. And if there is a creator who has created the phenomenal variety of life I would like to know and understand this creator because we live on a planet that is beyond description. The second question is what is our responsibility as humans for the stewardship of our planet. If all this is chance, then we are only the result of random selection and, stewardship, while certainly good, doesn't seem to have much purpose in a random world. If, however, we are part of a master plan of creation with a beginning and a future ending, then the stewardship of this planet takes on added meaning and responsibility for each of us. Something to think about.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, TRAILER