25: Chaplin (Robert Downey Jr., who does great work here, especially when he's dressed up as The Tramp and the scenes at the piano when he works himself too hard) asks Hetty Kelly to marry him. She declines. The actress Moira Kelly did an extraordinary job in this movie. She played two characters and I didn't realize it until a few moments ago. She also plays Oona O'Neill Chaplin, a character we see later in the film. Chaplin tells Hetty he's going to America. We learn that Chaplin loved her though he'd never even kissed her. George (Anthony Hopkins) tells Chaplin that he should let the readers share his emotions and feelings. Chaplin tells Hetty he'll wait for her and wants to know if she will. She thinks he's wonderful. He gives her a flower when she says he never mentioned love. The birth of something new.
45: Chaplin is in California and reads Hetty's letter; he becomes aware that she's married and he's hurt. He's got fame and money and soon leaves Mack Sennett to control his own movies. Now that I'm aware.
60: Chaplin acts in a war movie, he talks with Fairbanks (Kevin Kline) and they play tennis as they talk about his fiance who Chaplin will marry because he believes she's with child. He later learns she wasn't with child. There's no going back now.
-45: Chaplin walks on the beach with his future wife, Paulette, this is their first meeting. Discovery.
-25: Chaplin has tea with his future wife, Oona, this is their first meeting. He tells Oona he wants to stay with her and they laugh watching a boxing scene from one of his movies. Eventually they leave the country and remain happily married until the end. The final turning point.
Grapes of Wrath
Directed by John Ford, a must see for movie lovers who want to see all the classics.
25: Tommy arrives home from prison, his mom asks, "Did they hurt you and make you mean mad?" "No." "They hurt you until you get meaner and meaner." Tommy tells his mom not to worry about it. His family and friends welcome him back, yet several believe he escaped rather than paroled. The banker arrives to warn them they can't be there after tomorrow. They have to leave their land. The birth of something new.
45: Tommy listens to a man talk about children starving to death and a doctor who won't report the truth. Tommy wonders if he and his family will experience the same truth and denial. Their truck arrives in New Mexico. Grandfather asks for bread and candy and seeing how poor and kind they are the cook and waitress help them. Now that I'm aware.
60: They push the truck up a road and notice a green, fertile California valley. Tommy asks about his grandmother and his mom tells him she died. She didn't mention it before because she was afraid they wouldn't be able to "get across...she'll get buried where it's nice and green...she'll get to lay her head in California after all." There's no going back now.
-45: Tommy's family settle into a work camp where the situation is grim. Tommy leaves the camp to get more info about what is going on. He learns from KC a group of workers are striking over wages and conditions. KC is later killed. Discovery.
-25: Tommy's family reach another friendlier work camp that seems fine; the kids enjoy the bathroom where they see a toilet for the first time. Later, Tommy is warned there's going to be an arranged fight to give police an excuse to shut down the camp. Eventually, Tommy has to leave his mom and the dialogue during this scene when Ma talks about "...living in the houses they build..." is heartbreaking because much of the story is about them trying to find a home. The final turning point.
25: Tommy arrives home from prison, his mom asks, "Did they hurt you and make you mean mad?" "No." "They hurt you until you get meaner and meaner." Tommy tells his mom not to worry about it. His family and friends welcome him back, yet several believe he escaped rather than paroled. The banker arrives to warn them they can't be there after tomorrow. They have to leave their land. The birth of something new.
45: Tommy listens to a man talk about children starving to death and a doctor who won't report the truth. Tommy wonders if he and his family will experience the same truth and denial. Their truck arrives in New Mexico. Grandfather asks for bread and candy and seeing how poor and kind they are the cook and waitress help them. Now that I'm aware.
60: They push the truck up a road and notice a green, fertile California valley. Tommy asks about his grandmother and his mom tells him she died. She didn't mention it before because she was afraid they wouldn't be able to "get across...she'll get buried where it's nice and green...she'll get to lay her head in California after all." There's no going back now.
-45: Tommy's family settle into a work camp where the situation is grim. Tommy leaves the camp to get more info about what is going on. He learns from KC a group of workers are striking over wages and conditions. KC is later killed. Discovery.
-25: Tommy's family reach another friendlier work camp that seems fine; the kids enjoy the bathroom where they see a toilet for the first time. Later, Tommy is warned there's going to be an arranged fight to give police an excuse to shut down the camp. Eventually, Tommy has to leave his mom and the dialogue during this scene when Ma talks about "...living in the houses they build..." is heartbreaking because much of the story is about them trying to find a home. The final turning point.
Army of Shadows
25: Inside the Majestic hotel, Philippe and another prisoner wait for their chance to escape. Philippe stands, walks up to a guard and asks for a cigarette. He then grabs the guard's knife and sticks the knife in the guard's throat. They both run and Philippe escapes. He runs several blocks in the snow and hides inside a barber shop. The owner asks him what he wants and Philippe says he wants a shave. He gets a shave. The birth of something new.
45: Philippe meets with a colleague in the French Underground at a talent agency. They need to get allied soldiers and the big chief out of the country. They need someone to assist and we follow this assistant as he exits a train and manages to get a radio past the Nazis. Now that I'm aware.
60: The big chief gets in a rowboat and the assistant rows him toward a waiting submarine. The big chief is his brother who he met earlier. There's no going back now.
-45: Philippe observes a baron's horses walking to a barn. In VO, we learn that the baron and his men were shot without trial. Three members of the French Underground try and fail to rescue two of their colleagues who have been tortured - one is about to die from torture. Discovery.
-25: Philippe lines up with other prisoners and told to run toward a wall. Nazi machine gunners fire at the runners. A smoke bomb hides Philippe's whereabouts and a rope is thrown his way. He escapes over a wall. Eventually, we learn that all of these heroes are to be killed in one way or another. An uncompromising vision from a director who was part of the French Underground. The final turning point.
45: Philippe meets with a colleague in the French Underground at a talent agency. They need to get allied soldiers and the big chief out of the country. They need someone to assist and we follow this assistant as he exits a train and manages to get a radio past the Nazis. Now that I'm aware.
60: The big chief gets in a rowboat and the assistant rows him toward a waiting submarine. The big chief is his brother who he met earlier. There's no going back now.
-45: Philippe observes a baron's horses walking to a barn. In VO, we learn that the baron and his men were shot without trial. Three members of the French Underground try and fail to rescue two of their colleagues who have been tortured - one is about to die from torture. Discovery.
-25: Philippe lines up with other prisoners and told to run toward a wall. Nazi machine gunners fire at the runners. A smoke bomb hides Philippe's whereabouts and a rope is thrown his way. He escapes over a wall. Eventually, we learn that all of these heroes are to be killed in one way or another. An uncompromising vision from a director who was part of the French Underground. The final turning point.
Heaven Can Wait
This is a remake of Here Comes Mr. Jordan. HCW is my favorite romantic comedy, I really like the montage with no dialogue, just music, at the party in the garden. If you haven't seen HCW you're in for a treat, it's one of the most thoughtful and romantic movies ever made.
25: Joe becomes another man to help a beautiful woman he just met named Betty Logan. Joe patiently listens to Betty as Mr. Jordan observes. Joe tries to tell Betty the truth but she thinks he's toying with her. Mrs. Farnsworth sees that her husband isn't dead and screams. Tony says she saw a mouse. Funny stuff. The birth of something new.
45: Sisk enters the closet and says that Betty Logan is downstairs and wants to talk to him. Joe leaves the two angels, telling them to do the best they can (Joe wants a new body so he can win the Super Bowl as a quarterback). Joe asks Betty out on a date and in the limo he tells her he can't stop staring at her. She feels the same way. Now they're both aware of how they feel about each other. Now that I'm aware.
-45: Max arrives and Joe eventually convinces him (the neck twist and not being able to play music) that outwardly he's got Farnsworth's body but inside he's still Joe Pendleton. Max agrees to help Joe train and improve so he can be the quarterback he once was and win the Super Bowl. So Max discovers that Joe really isn't dead. Discovery.
60: Joe trains with his old pal Max and they throw passes. Tony and Mrs. Farnsworth observe. Max isn't convinced as the training continues in a series of shots. Joe reads the playbook, jogs, as we hear music. Joe tells Max he made the ultimate commitment to winning: he bought the Los Angeles Rams. The Coach of the Rams informs the team, and they aren't happy. There's no going back now.
-25: Joe asks Betty to marry him. Joe sees The Escort angel and tells him he doesn't want to change bodies, but The Escort informs him it's too late. Intense turbulence as Joe goes back to Betty worried that he's going to forget her and she may not recognize him if he lives inside another body. He tells her that he's memorizing her face and asks her if she'll forget him. She says no. He tells her she may meet a quarterback and asks that she give him a chance. He whispers to her "It's alright, there's nothing to be afraid of." Eventually, at the end of the movie, Joe steps into another man's body and forgets he ever loved Betty. We think all is lost between them but when the lights go out he whispers "It's alright, there's nothing to be afraid of." She realizes that he's the quarterback and they walk together off the field. The final turning point.
25: Joe becomes another man to help a beautiful woman he just met named Betty Logan. Joe patiently listens to Betty as Mr. Jordan observes. Joe tries to tell Betty the truth but she thinks he's toying with her. Mrs. Farnsworth sees that her husband isn't dead and screams. Tony says she saw a mouse. Funny stuff. The birth of something new.
45: Sisk enters the closet and says that Betty Logan is downstairs and wants to talk to him. Joe leaves the two angels, telling them to do the best they can (Joe wants a new body so he can win the Super Bowl as a quarterback). Joe asks Betty out on a date and in the limo he tells her he can't stop staring at her. She feels the same way. Now they're both aware of how they feel about each other. Now that I'm aware.
-45: Max arrives and Joe eventually convinces him (the neck twist and not being able to play music) that outwardly he's got Farnsworth's body but inside he's still Joe Pendleton. Max agrees to help Joe train and improve so he can be the quarterback he once was and win the Super Bowl. So Max discovers that Joe really isn't dead. Discovery.
60: Joe trains with his old pal Max and they throw passes. Tony and Mrs. Farnsworth observe. Max isn't convinced as the training continues in a series of shots. Joe reads the playbook, jogs, as we hear music. Joe tells Max he made the ultimate commitment to winning: he bought the Los Angeles Rams. The Coach of the Rams informs the team, and they aren't happy. There's no going back now.
-25: Joe asks Betty to marry him. Joe sees The Escort angel and tells him he doesn't want to change bodies, but The Escort informs him it's too late. Intense turbulence as Joe goes back to Betty worried that he's going to forget her and she may not recognize him if he lives inside another body. He tells her that he's memorizing her face and asks her if she'll forget him. She says no. He tells her she may meet a quarterback and asks that she give him a chance. He whispers to her "It's alright, there's nothing to be afraid of." Eventually, at the end of the movie, Joe steps into another man's body and forgets he ever loved Betty. We think all is lost between them but when the lights go out he whispers "It's alright, there's nothing to be afraid of." She realizes that he's the quarterback and they walk together off the field. The final turning point.
Spellbound
Directed by Hitchcock and a fine example of him extending the boundary of images used to tell a story. I admired Salvador Dali's exhibit at the MoMA, which included the dream sequence in Spellbound.
25: Doors open as John and Constance kiss. The lines on her robe unnerve him. During surgery he pulls off his mask and collapses after talking gibberish. The birth of something new.
45: Constance questions John about his childhood. He has amnesia. She discovers he's a doctor. He reasons that he must have been a patient of a man he's accused of killing. He thinks he must know how he died because he came back with the dead man's identity. Now that I'm aware.
60: Dr. Brulov answers the policemen's questions as Constance and John observe. The police exit and Constance lies to her former colleague and tells him she married John. They ask to spend the night. There's no going back now.
-45: The lines on the bed frighten John. Same music indicates his trauma. Constance yells at John to discovery why the lines matter to him and to remember what happened. John tries but he collapses. Discovery.
-25: Salvador Dali's dream sequence just ended; John sees the snow tracks outside the window and he goes into a daze. Constance tells Dr. Brulov the importance of the lines and then Constance realizes the ski tracks in the snow caused John to go into a state of intense turbulence. Eventually, John is able to talk about what happened in his past and he recovers. Constance later discovers the identity of the real killer. The final turning point.
25: Doors open as John and Constance kiss. The lines on her robe unnerve him. During surgery he pulls off his mask and collapses after talking gibberish. The birth of something new.
45: Constance questions John about his childhood. He has amnesia. She discovers he's a doctor. He reasons that he must have been a patient of a man he's accused of killing. He thinks he must know how he died because he came back with the dead man's identity. Now that I'm aware.
60: Dr. Brulov answers the policemen's questions as Constance and John observe. The police exit and Constance lies to her former colleague and tells him she married John. They ask to spend the night. There's no going back now.
-45: The lines on the bed frighten John. Same music indicates his trauma. Constance yells at John to discovery why the lines matter to him and to remember what happened. John tries but he collapses. Discovery.
-25: Salvador Dali's dream sequence just ended; John sees the snow tracks outside the window and he goes into a daze. Constance tells Dr. Brulov the importance of the lines and then Constance realizes the ski tracks in the snow caused John to go into a state of intense turbulence. Eventually, John is able to talk about what happened in his past and he recovers. Constance later discovers the identity of the real killer. The final turning point.
Advise and Consent
25: At a party, Fred tells Bob that he wants to chair the committee and when he learns he probably won't chair it he tells Bob he'll campaign for Leffingwell. Fred is intense, he says the nomination is the difference between peace and war and he'll fight to get what he wants. Bob walks off and talks to the vice president and they talk about the President's health; it's not good. This is important info bkz at the end of the movie the President dies and the VP takes over. The birth of something new.
45: At the nomination hearing, Gelman (superbly played by Burgess Meredith) testifies against Leffingwell, calling him a communist during his time in college. We know that Leffingwell will not become Secretary of State unless he can counter the charge. Now that I'm aware.
60: Leffingwell (Henry Fonda) tells the President he wants to withdraw his nomination; he admits he lied at the hearing. He says he was a party member and dropped out. He gave Gelman a job to keep him quiet. But the President won't give up on Leffingwell and the fight goes on, led by Charles Laughton who plays the Senator from South Carolina. There's no going back now.
-45: Brigg, the chair of the nomination committee, pressures Leffingwell to withdraw his nomination but Leffingwell tells him it's up to the President. Intense turbulence bkz we know Brigg is being blackmailed. Brigg leaves Leffingwell's house and Leffingwell discovers that his son overheard. Given later revelations the conversation takes on new meaning: Father to son: "I don't know how to explain it to you. I could tell you the truth." At Brigg's home, his wife tells him she got another call from the blackmailer. She wants to know the truth and her husband isn't talking. She mentions that the caller said they had bought Ray. Brigg looks trapped. Discovery.
-25: Brigg's wife reads the damaging letter and looks at the photo of her husband with another man years ago. She realizes her husband had a relationship with him. The next scene her husband is found dead, a suicide. Later, at the end of the movie, the President dies and Leffingwell isn't nominated. The VP wants to choose his own man. The final turning point.
-25:
45: At the nomination hearing, Gelman (superbly played by Burgess Meredith) testifies against Leffingwell, calling him a communist during his time in college. We know that Leffingwell will not become Secretary of State unless he can counter the charge. Now that I'm aware.
60: Leffingwell (Henry Fonda) tells the President he wants to withdraw his nomination; he admits he lied at the hearing. He says he was a party member and dropped out. He gave Gelman a job to keep him quiet. But the President won't give up on Leffingwell and the fight goes on, led by Charles Laughton who plays the Senator from South Carolina. There's no going back now.
-45: Brigg, the chair of the nomination committee, pressures Leffingwell to withdraw his nomination but Leffingwell tells him it's up to the President. Intense turbulence bkz we know Brigg is being blackmailed. Brigg leaves Leffingwell's house and Leffingwell discovers that his son overheard. Given later revelations the conversation takes on new meaning: Father to son: "I don't know how to explain it to you. I could tell you the truth." At Brigg's home, his wife tells him she got another call from the blackmailer. She wants to know the truth and her husband isn't talking. She mentions that the caller said they had bought Ray. Brigg looks trapped. Discovery.
-25: Brigg's wife reads the damaging letter and looks at the photo of her husband with another man years ago. She realizes her husband had a relationship with him. The next scene her husband is found dead, a suicide. Later, at the end of the movie, the President dies and Leffingwell isn't nominated. The VP wants to choose his own man. The final turning point.
-25:
Felon
This movie doesn't follow a beaten trail, there's originality here. Good movie for realistic portrayals and situations.
25: Wade enters the Shoe, a small cell. He enters the Shoe yard where he'll fight in do or die situations. The birth of something new.
45: He fights in the Shoe yard. A prisoner runs at him and starts to hit him and Wade has to fight back. Now that I'm aware.
-45 (139 - 45 = 54): We think Wade is going to be attacked by Samson but instead tells Snowman he saw him pass the shank off to Wade on the bus. Snowman is brutally scarred for life. Discovery.
60: Wade tells John (Val Kilmer) he can't get the burglar's face out of his mind. John tells him to "protect your family, it's the only thing that matters." Wade asks John why he killed the other guys. John talks about how your life changes when your life is defined by a single action. John talks about the feeling of seeing his wife and kid and we see them in a flashback on a swing and John describes how they were brutally killed. There's no going back now.
-25: John talks with Gordon (Sam Shepard) over the phone. Gordon worries about his friend. John wants Gordon to "Enjoy life, stop wasting it here." Lt. Jackson discovers that his son was severely injured in a DUI car accident. Lt. Jackson tells the DUI driver that his life will be a living hell when he goes to prison. Eventually, John will be killed after killing Lt. Jackson to protect Wade. The truth about Wade is discovered and he's set free. The final turning point.
25: Wade enters the Shoe, a small cell. He enters the Shoe yard where he'll fight in do or die situations. The birth of something new.
45: He fights in the Shoe yard. A prisoner runs at him and starts to hit him and Wade has to fight back. Now that I'm aware.
-45 (139 - 45 = 54): We think Wade is going to be attacked by Samson but instead tells Snowman he saw him pass the shank off to Wade on the bus. Snowman is brutally scarred for life. Discovery.
60: Wade tells John (Val Kilmer) he can't get the burglar's face out of his mind. John tells him to "protect your family, it's the only thing that matters." Wade asks John why he killed the other guys. John talks about how your life changes when your life is defined by a single action. John talks about the feeling of seeing his wife and kid and we see them in a flashback on a swing and John describes how they were brutally killed. There's no going back now.
-25: John talks with Gordon (Sam Shepard) over the phone. Gordon worries about his friend. John wants Gordon to "Enjoy life, stop wasting it here." Lt. Jackson discovers that his son was severely injured in a DUI car accident. Lt. Jackson tells the DUI driver that his life will be a living hell when he goes to prison. Eventually, John will be killed after killing Lt. Jackson to protect Wade. The truth about Wade is discovered and he's set free. The final turning point.
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