What Classics Did You See Last Week (February 22–February 28)
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spiderwort — 1 month ago(March 01, 2026 04:44 PM)
First viewings:
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You / Mary Bronstein
(2025). A woman (Rose Byrne) attempts to navigate her child's illness, her absent husband, a missing person, and a hostile relationship with her therapist (Conan O’Brien). Rose Byrne gives an exceptional, Oscar nominated performance and O’Brian is very good in his interesting non-comedic role as her therapist. But the script is terrible and completely incomprehensible. It was incredibly annoying to try to make sense of it, which in the end I decided was simply to show Byrne’s own insanity, which was completely unresolved in the film. I only watched all of it because of Byrne’s Oscar nomination, otherwise I would have stopped after twenty minutes. And what on earth does the title mean? (On HBO Max)
Kes / Ken Loach
(1970). An unsentimental realistic working-class family drama about a young teenager (David Bradley) who has a tough time at school and at home. His life changes when he finds a baby kestral and lovingly teaches it to fly, in the process finding a life of meaning that was lost to him before, though there is a cost to him at the end. Beautifully made, it’s the film that put Ken Loach on the map. Highly recommended. (On several streaming services).
Safety Last / Fred Neymeyer & Sam Taylor
(1923). A small-town boy out to impress his girlfriend scales a skyscraper in the big city. I finally watched this classic Harold Lloyd film with the famous hanging from the clock scene, and I’m so glad I did. Highly recommended.
Re-watch:
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape / Lasse Hallström
(1993). A self-sacrificing grocery worker (Johnny Depp) is pushed to the breaking point by the constant demands of his dysfunctional family, which includes a young Leonardo DiCaprio as his mentally handicapped brother and Darlene Cates as his morbidly obese mother. Other cast members include Mary Steenburgen and Juliette Lewis. This is a special, very moving film, beautifully directed by Hallström, with wonderful performances by all the cast, especially by DiCaprio, who received his first Oscar nomination for his role in it. Highly recommended. (On a few streaming services.) -
Rufus-T — 1 month ago(March 01, 2026 09:01 PM)
Fargo (1996)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116282/
A car salesman who works for his rich father-in-law hire two hitmen to kidnap his wife in order to scam his father-in-law. Things however gotten out of hand. No Country For Old Men may have won the Oscar's Best Picture, I considered this as The Coen Brothers' crowning achievement. Outstanding dark script, but tragically funny. The performances by everyone knocked it out of the ball park, especially Frances McDormand playing a pregnant investigator. William H. Macy played the salesman. Steve Buscemi got to be one of the most underrated actor played one of the hitmen. Peter Stormare played the other quiet but frightening hitman. Got to give credit to Kristin Rudrüd playing the wife and Harve Presnell playing the father-in-law. This movie has one of the best car chase scene in movie, at night only at the perspective of the pursuer. The setting of snowy Minneapolis provided the chilly grim uncomfortable tone of what about to take place. So much layers to the story including the investigator's private life. I saw this many times already and doesn't get old.
The Insult (2017)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7048622/
Last week I saw a movie, Capernaum, that represented Lebanon in the Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language film. I watch another one this week. A Palestinian refugee construction foreman and a Lebanese Christian clashed. Instead of apologizing, the problem became an overblown political conflict that poked in the atrocity and ordeal that both men went through in the past. The Lebanese Christian has so much anger that blinded his reasoning. The movie mostly was a courtroom drama. Story is very relevant in today's political climate when opposite sides do not and not willing to see eye-to-eye, not just in the Middle East but also Western nation. Very good story and message, as well as a well made drama.
Hamnet (2025)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14905854
Well, well, well. After some disappointments in watching this year Oscar Best Picture nominations, the last few, Train Dreams and Marty Supreme, including this one were quite good. Based on the private life of William Shakespeare in a novel Maggie O'Farrell, she and director Chloé Zhao co-wrote this heavily emotional story of how Hamlet came about through grief. On the surface, this period piece may sound like a boring movie. I was captivated by the beautiful scenes, the brilliant performances of Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. A romance in the first half, but the second half could be a tough watch for viewers who are highly emotional sensitive. Paul Mescal, I don't know how he did not get a nomination for playing William Shakespeare. I always like Jessie Buckley in her previous films. She should win playing Shakespeare's wife Agnes who is based on Anne Hathaway. Even the Hamlet performance within the film as Agnes watching was powerful. The only criticism was that it gotten a bit overdramatic in the theater. Otherwise, strong movie. -
spiderwort — 1 month ago(March 02, 2026 01:43 PM)
So glad you finally got to see
Hamnet
, Rufus-T, and glad you enjoyed it. I think it's one of the best films of the year, so much better than many others that are getting praise and recognition that I don't understand.
And I agree with you about
Marty Supreme
and especially
Train Dreams
. That's probably my favorite film of the year.
I haven't seen
Fargo
, I don't know why, nor have I seen
The Insult
, but it sounds really interesting. I certainly have a lot of catching up to do. -
Rufus-T — 1 month ago(March 04, 2026 08:59 PM)
I consider
Fargo
is an essential of modern cinema. Try to watch it if you a chance. It is on Prime or one of the popular platform.
I am going to see
If I Had Legs I’d Kick
You soon because of Rose Byrne's nomination. I don't get a good feeling about the movie, and your review kind of confirm what I expect. I will see it anyway at least once before the Oscar. -
spiderwort — 4 weeks ago(March 06, 2026 04:05 PM)
I don't know how on earth I missed
Fargo
! Probably working very hard at the time. But I do have access to it, so I'll give it a go. Thanks for the reminder. (And I hope it's not too violent. Sometimes the Coen Brothers can go that way.) -
spiderwort — 4 weeks ago(March 08, 2026 01:27 AM)
Thanks for the heads up, Rufus. It's on my list, but I have a couple more films for the Oscars I need to watch first. I love Frances McDormand in everything. And for you to say this is her best, well that's saying a lot.
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PygmyLion — 1 month ago(March 02, 2026 12:50 AM)
Impact
1949 Brian Donlevy, Ella Raines, Charles Coburn, Helen Walker. Film Noir. Some questionable things in the story keep me from giving this 3 stars. **1/2
The Awful Truth
1946 Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Ralph Bellamy. Dir: Leo McCrary. Romantic Comedy. A married couple decide to divorce, but find they still love each other. ***1/2
Frantz
2017 Pierre Niney, Paula Beer. Dir F. Ozon. Drama **1/2
In Harm's Way
1965 - John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal, Kirk Douglas. Dir: Otto Preminger. World War 2. I like war movies, but the fictional campaign they create in the Pacific for this movie and then the fakey looking naval warfare scenes really detract from this movie. **1/2
Trivia from IMDB:
The climactic battle with the Japanese fleet was staged mostly with model ships. Kirk Douglas thought the special effects were poor and complained to director Otto Preminger and the studio about it. He offered to re-stage the scenes at his own expense, using the special effects people who worked with him on Paths of Glory (1957).- Kirk and I agree.
Tall Man Riding
1955 - Randolph Scott, Dorothy Malone, Peggy Castle. Western. **1/2
- Kirk and I agree.
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spiderwort — 1 month ago(March 02, 2026 01:48 PM)
Haven't seen
Impact
or
Tall Man Riding
, but I'm a big fan of
The Awful Truth
, another Leo McCarey delight.
And I'd probably give FRANTZ a *** rating, but I agree with all of your other ratings for those I've seen. -
star-core — 4 weeks ago(March 06, 2026 04:47 PM)
Gun the Man Down (1956)
Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956)
Hell Bound (1957)
The Trial (1962) Orson Welles UHD
The Caretakers (1963)
OTT nuthouse drama but worth it seeing.
The Endless Night (1963)
German airport set movie.
Salt and Pepper (1968)
Mars Needs Women (1968)
200 Motels (1971)
Frank Zappa experimental musical.
I Escaped from Devil's Island (1973)
Melvin Purvis G-MAN (1974)
The Bank Shot (1974) -
spiderwort — 4 weeks ago(March 08, 2026 02:04 AM)
Of your titles, I've only seen THE CARETAKERS, which I saw when it was first released, so I barely remember it, although I seem to recall some good performances in it by a very good cast.
And I also saw THE TRIAL, which I think is another Orson Welles cinematic masterwork, with an excellent performance by Anthony Perkins playing a character caught in a legal nightmare straight out of the Franz Kafka novel, which I'm certain was not an easy one to adapt. It's a film that I would like to see again. Thanks for the reminder.