The Movie Journal

  Peaky Blinders: Season 1, Episode 4 September 30, 2014 Inspector Chester Campbell is back with a vengeance. The last episode or two, Sam Neill’s detective was being manipulated by the Shelby’s. Now, it is all about regaining that power. His lines he delivered, his best lines since the opening episode’s speech, is terrifying to think about. He goes into detail to what will happen to Tommy and his family if he does not give up the location of the guns. Very chilling stuff. This episode proves this remain a tense, well-written, and well-acted gangster series. I love watching the mounting adversaries the Shelby’s face with the gypsy family (the Lee’s), Freddie Thorne and his communist ideals, and Inspector Campbell among them. The ending was a little predictable but important to how these characters will evolve in the coming episodes. Is it me, or will there be fraction within the Shelby family? It seems like Aunt Polly is having a difficult time agreeing to anything Tommy says or do...

  Peaky Blinders: Season 1, Episode 3 September 30, 2014 The third episode of Peaky Blinders is nothing short of fantastic. It easily combines the frenetic action of the first episode and the introspective, more character-oriented drama of the second film. The result is a wild ride that leaves you longing for me. Give credit to Steven Knight for his exemplary writing and Otto Bathurst for his cinematic directing skills. This series has been all about the well-written, fleshed out characters…and that includes the strong female characters. If you look at Aunt Polly or Grace, they are no damsels in distress or half-hearted romantic interests. We seen the kind of woman Polly is, but Grace takes center stage as she proves her worth against an IRA agent and creates a sophisticated relationship with Tommy. The relationship between the two is complicated and is further complicated when Billy Kimber takes an eye for Grace. Luckily, Tommy has “a girl with the clap” on his mind. Annabelle Wal...

  All About Eve (1950) Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s All About Eve is about as good as a film you can get. Even though the film is more than seventy years old, it remains as timely as ever as it tackle important themes such as aging in Hollywood. Fiction becomes fact as the great, vivacious Bette Davis stars as one of the main leads. This film is an autobiography of hers as much as it is a work of fiction. This is also an actor’s film. This remains one of the best acted films I have seen to this day. Perhaps that is what happens when you give these legendary actors such juicy material to work with. Mankiewicz created a film that is bold, timely, realistic, and most importantly entertaining. In my own humble opinion, it is one of the best films that the Golden Age of Hollywood has produced. People often compare this film to a similar film, Sunrise Boulevard (which I still have yet to see but I soon will, I promise). Both films tackle what it is like to age in Hollywood, and both have rec...

  The Milagro Beanfield War (1988) It took me some time to gather thoughts about Robert Redford’s The Milagro Beanfield War . On one hand, it is clear that Redford put plenty of thought into this inspirational fable and clearly has a love for the Indian-Mexican-Spanish culture of the Southwest. He even tried to film at the Plaza del Cerro, which is believed to be the last fortified Spanish plaza in North America. However, locals resisted Redford’s idea to film there. It shows through his investment of rather colorful characters. On the other hand, the story gets a bit muddled at times. Redford presents two sides of a story, but has a difficult time picking a side. As a result, there are moments where the story is bogged down into different realities. You will know what I mean when you see the film. Regardless, even if some sections were not as strong, I was fascinated throughout. This is certainly an ambitious achievement for the new director. I always like when a director chases a...

  Hairspray (1988) I knew that in the 2000’s, Hairspray was a major musical phenomenon. I knew it was a major Broadway hit and the 2007 film adaptation was a very popular John Travolta film. Despite my love for movies, I did not know that they were adaptations of an original 1988 John Waters film. I have not seen the play or remake, so it did not matter much to me. Just a piece of trivia! I was not sure what to expect when watching the movie, but I was pleasantly surprised. It is a musical with excellent songs from the 50’s and 60’s. The dance moves are authentic and pleasing to the eyes. I got a similar feeling watching this movie as I did when I watched George Lucas’s American Graffiti , the desire to grow up during this time and let the music sway me. On the surface, the film tackles teenage crisises such as weight and popularity, but there are some important, underlying messages about race and segregation, which of course was a major issue during this film’s setting. This fil...

  Peaky Blinders: Season 1, Episode 2 September 30, 2014 Peaky Blinder’s second episode is a vast reminder of this show’s distinctive style. I loved the visual flair that director Otto Bathurst and cinematographer George Steele bring to the table. This episode is a strong episode that continues to fleshen out the characters and their relationships with one another. The fighting sequences are intense and visceral. Shelby and his gang start the episode fighting their gypsy neighbors and they don’t hold back with their imagery. The performances continue to be very strong particularly Cillian Murphy and Sam Neill. Their one-on-one meeting to discuss the missing guns truly electrified me. Sam Neill is a legend, and he captivates me in every scene he is in. In this episode (these episodes are unnamed), Thomas continues to keep his eye on Grace unaware that Campbell put her there to spy on the gang. Shelby fights the Lees, a gypsy gang, who later sends him a bullet with his name on it. ...

  Peaky Blinders: Season 1, Episode 1 September 30, 2014 Right away, I knew Peaky Blinders would be something special. It is a British gangster show that takes ideas from American westerns and gangster films (I see shades of The Godfather and that horse scene with Cillian Murphy), but the show quickly establishes its own identity with its unique visual style and soundtrack choices. You would think for a show set right after The Great War ended, that songs from bands like The White Stripes would not be prevalent here. But I digress. The show gets the costumes and the haircuts right. Those are some ugly haircuts but were the style of the time. The gang also wear razor blades in their hats as part of their outfits. Certainly helps instill fear in everyone! Otto Bathhurst did a solid job directing the pilot. He gave this episode cinematic scope, but also an intimate and personal feeling. This show was created and written by Steven Knight. This first episode could have been confusing ...

  Ikiru (1956) Akira Kurosawa’s Ikiru is an emotional, moving portrait of what it is like to live life. This film really makes you ponder about your life. It asks simple, but important questions such, “What are you doing with your life?” Honestly, this film made me contemplate my own life and made some important changes. You only live once, so let’s live the best life you can. Based on reviews I have seen from all different ages, this film truly resonated with everyone. Even though Kurosawa constantly mentions death or cancer, this movie never truly felt depressing. I felt happy for the main character because he was finding the will to live despite the diagnosis of terminal cancer. The film is a robust two-and-a-half hours, but you never feel the time passing by thanks to Kurosawa’s steady direction, strong visuals and camerawork, and a humane story that invests your mind. Also, Takashi Shimura’s performance spoke to me on many levels. Believe it or not, this is the first time I ...