Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 232nd Edition

Welcome to the 232nd Edition of my long running series. This week I pay tribute to the late Corin Redgrave. Yesterday I went to Shelbyville with my mom to try out for WHEEL OF FORTUNE. The way their process works is that you fill out a form to put in a drawing. They then draw five names at a time so they can tell a little bit about themselves and they do a brief puzzle. In that only so many names get drawn so my name was not drawn nor was my mom's name. I had no idea it is easier to get on AMERICA'S GOT TALENT than it is some game show. Now let's get on to my selections for the week.

Doubt (2008): This is apossibly part one of a five part Meryl Streep series but this is very subject to change for right now. Philip Seymour Hoffman stars as the charismatic Father Flynn who is not favorable to the strict customs of the catholic school. Meryl Streep stars as the very strict principal Sister Aloysius Beauvier who becomes very suspicious of Flynn's interest in a young, black child making her believe that there is more to Flynn just wanting him to feel accepted. She does everything she can to uncover proof of her suspicions. Amy Adams co-stars as Sister James who kind of gets this guilt started. Streep and Adams would go on to star in JULIE AND JULIA together. I really liked Meryl Streep's performance in this movie and if I did not know that she was in this movie, I may not have recognized her. This is a very interesting look at scandal in a catholic school and the price of suspicion without proof.

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982): I suppose you could say this is a movie about learning to grow up. Richard Gere stars as Zack Mayo who is a rebellious loner and decides to join the Navy after tiring of his life leading to nowhere and his distant father who did not teach him much. When getting to boot camp, he sees it will not be easy under his instructor Sergeant Foley, played very well by Louis Gossett Jr. in possibly his best performance in his career. Debra Winger co-stars as Paula who attends a lot of Navy functions hoping to meet a guy and meets Zack. Foley teaches Zack about discipline becoming kind of a father he never had type person but it was not easy. This movie is a love story but it is far more than that in my opinion with a good performance from Richard Gere. This is one of many films that John Travolta turned down and Richard Gere obtained which does not sound like a big deal but Travolta would usually go on to be in something far worse.

Lost Boys of Sudan (2003): This is my documentary for the week which I know my dad likes me to have in this blog. I got this from Netflix and it focuses on a couple of refugees named Peter and Santino from Sudan who are brought to live in America. They were orphaned as children in a civil war in Africa and chose along with many others to come to America. Then, they must learn to adapt to the difficult life in American society. This is from the film company Docu-Rama which puts out some pretty good things and I hope to get this documentary more exposure. This is a real-life story on the American dream becoming far more difficult that it was cracked up to be.

A Man For All Seasons (1966): This is my tribute to the late Corin Redgrave who plays Roper in this movie. This is also part two of likely two of a Leo McKern series whose movie A FOREIGN FIELD was featured last week and he plays Cromwell in this one. This is possibly part one of a two-part Vanessa Redgrave series who makes a cameo here as Anne Boleyn. I guess this is my second film of the week centered a lot around Catholicism. Paul Scofield stars as Sir Thomas More, a counselor to Henry the 8th, played by Robert Shaw. Henry is determined to divorce his wife so that he can wed again to his mistress Anne Boleyn. The only problem is that Thomas More refuses to sign a treaty due to his beliefs. This is a great portrait on Thomas More who always stood up for his beliefs. Orson Welles, Wendy Hiller, Susanna York, John Hurt, and many others co-star.

Black Hawk Down (2001): This is part two of possibly three for an Orlando Bloom series whose movie LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING was featured last week and has a pretty small role in this one as Blackburn. This is my war movie for the week directed by Ridley Scott which details a an American mission in Somalia in hopes to capture two top lieutenants of a Somali warlord. They then find themselves in some brutal gunfire between the gunmen and Somalis. This was a very good portrayal of a real life disaster and has quite the all-star cast with Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Sam Sheperd, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, and many others. This is a favorite of our former president George W. Bush. There is some very realistic action scenes and good performances in what went down as one of the great war movies of the era.

Death of a Cyclist (1955): This is my foreign language film for the week that I found on TCM. Juan Antonio Bardem directed and co-wrote the screenplay. This movie shows a couple who is having a secret affair and end up striking a biker. Both people here have a lot to lose and do not want to be exposed therefore they leave the cyclist to die. This shows both people dealing with what they did and what they must do to avoid being exposed. I thought this movie moved along pretty well and shows that actions have consequences.

Love (1919): This is my silent short for the week which stars comedy legend Fatty Arbuckle. He plays a poor but hard-working farmer who is in love with his neighbor Winnie. Her family is arranging for her to marry a rich man named Al, played by Fatty's comedy co-star Al St. John, making Fatty go to hilarious lengths to win over Winnie. This was a pretty funny 23 minutes of a forgotten comedy legend.

Sleeper (1973): This is a futuristic comedy from Woody Allen. He plays Miles, a clarinet player who owns a healthfood store but then becomes frozen. 200 years later he becomes unfrozen by anti-government radicals hoping he will help overthrow an oppressed government. Diane Keaton plays his love interest who forms a very uneasy relationship with Miles. There are a lot of really good comedy bits like with a big banana and his posing of a robot. Woody also wrote the jazzy music score. This is probably my favorite from Woody Allen along with TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN.

Hell Town (1937): With the lack of time I had in the show I am in, I had to resort to the boxed set of much older films from John Wayne. John plays Dare, a gambling cowboy who takes a liking to his cousin's girlfriend but must still deal with cattle rustlers and crooked cardsharps. I will be the first to say, I am not as big of a fan of the Duke as a lot of people and I am glad this was only 59 minutes but it is always interesting to see how Wayne started and has pretty good presence here.

White Fang (1991): This is my live-action Disney movie for the week which they have been showing a lot on WGN lately and I needed a movie from the 90s so I settled upon this one. This is based on the novel by Jack London. This movie takes place during the Yukon gold rush where Ethan Hawke stars as Jack Conroy, a young person in search of gold who forms a relationship with a wolf-dog of the title name. Klaus Maria Brandauer plays his very respectful partner. Much of this is based on the events the wolf must go through. White Fang is captured and put in an illegal dog fighting competition where Jack years later saves White Fang but must work very hard to form the bond they once had due to many years of fighting and people being cruel to him. There is an immediate disclaimer in the beginning of the film which assures that no animals were harmed in this production. I always sympathize with an animal going through hardship so I really liked this movie. It probably is not for younger children though, maybe late elementary age. The dog in the movie is named Jed and has been in other movies like John Carpenter's THE THING.

Well, that is it for this week. Let me know what you like and what you hate. Stay tuned for next week which so far includes the late John Forsyth, Anthony Quinn, Frances McDormand, Akira Kurasowa, LOST alum Terry O'Quinn and many others.