Some Like It Hot

Some Like It Hot is a film about two musicians who witness a mob hit, and have to diguise themselves as women to escape from the gangsters. This of course causes numerous problems. When one of the men falls in love with another member of the all-women band(Marilyn Monroe), he has to don another disguise as a man to spend romantic time with her. As expected, the men have to flee the mob after they find them again. This film has some great comedic moments, especially the final lin of the movie. I won't give it away, but believe me, the last scene is worth watching the whole movie for. This was the first Marilyn Monroe movie is have seen, and I got what I expected. She was beautiful, yet ditzy at the same time, something I kind of expected to see. Her performance wasn't anything stunning, but was still well worth watching.

Bicycle Thieves

Bicycle Thieves is an Italian film set shortly after World War 2. It involves an father who desperately needs a job to provide for his family, and is given a job that requires him to use a bike to get around. The problem of the story, as the title implies, is tha the bike is stolen. The man roams around town trying to find it, seemingly stirring up trouble wherever he goes. The movie flows beautifully and the viewer is drawn to the plight of the man and his son. I was stunned to learn that this film did not use any professional actors. The performance of the father is comparable, if not better, than many of the star actors of today. I also found the acting of the man's young son to be impressive as well. His performance also helped drive the movie, making me sympathize even more with the characters. At first, I was skeptical of whether I would like this movie or not, but after seeing it, I truly enjoyed it. I highly recommend it to any avid film-goer or just anyone who wants to see a great film that is not very well known.

The Penalty

The Penalty. Where do I start with his one? Starring Lon Chaney as a legless crime boss in San Francisco, this film at first appears to be one of Chaney's typical grotesque but lovable characters. But what I got instead was a grotesque film. It's story is better suited for a cartoon show (seriously he committed numerous crimes because of a bump to the head?) The music from this film was terrible and did not fit the movie at all. At first, I was interested in seeing a film starring the legendary Lon Chaney, but I was disappointed with his performance,relying only on a few scowls and his physical disfigurement to drive his character. The only penalty involved with this movie is actually watching it.

East of Eden

East of Eden is a 1955 drama based on John Steinbeck' bestselling novel. In my opinion, this is one of the rare cases where a classic book is followed by a great movie. Much of this is due to the spectacular performance of James Dean in his first starring role. More so than any actor I can recall, Dean is what his job is called, an actor. Watching this film, I did not feel as if I was watching the legendary James Dean portray Cal Trask. I felt as if I was viewing Cal Trask during the events that transpire during the movie. Don't get me wrong East of Eden has a well thought out plot and is well filmed. But I think of this movie as a simple story and setting, with James Dean using his creativity and improvisation to bring it to life.

Twentieth Century

Twentieth Century is a film that we viewed due to its use of acting. John Barrymore used very overly dramatic acting techniques and gestures. This style is reminiscent of stage acting, as Barrymore's character is the producer of Broadway shows. It features a goofy comedy style, with many of the jokes relying on the vibrant acting of John Barrymore. I found the film to be a bit much too handle, as the acting seemed too dramatic to be real. I found it difficult to really enjoy any of the characters, since they each seemed to get on my nerves about halfway throught the film. To a teenager like myself who relies more on action and big punchlines to enjoy a film, it left much to be desired. However, I did find it good to watch a screen icon such as Barrymore in a role that played to his style.