Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 271st Edition

Welcome to the 271st Edition of my long running series. I have hated the weather over the week but one day it will be warm again. This week I pay tribute to the late director Peter Yates who recently left us. At this point in football I don't really have a favorite but would like to see one of the two games go into overtime. I don't really have much to say so let's get to this week's 10 recommendations.

G.I. Jane (1997): I know this one will get some mixed reactions and most know this one as the one where Demi Moore shaved her head. Ridley Scott directed this film which stars Demi Moore as the title character named Jordan O'Neill who is with the Navy but decides she wants to train with the Navy Seals and is chosen. She must then make it through training in an absolute man's world. Viggo Mortensen plays the very difficult drill instructor and looks a lot different than usual with his shorter hair and mustache. Anne Bancroft plays the senator who is able to get her chosen but also has her own agenda. I felt that Demi Moore has one of her better roles here. It gives a pretty good look at training for the Navy Seals and how not everyone in the Navy can be in it. It may be considered a feminist film but still a good story line.

Strange Days (1995): This is the 11th link on the chain and this link goes to Ralph Fiennes who stars in this futuristic film. Kathryn Bigelow directs this film which stars Fiennes as former cop turned street hustler Lenny Nero. He specializes in data-disks that generates memories for people which is on the black market. He then receives a disk of a prostitute who has been murdered which he begins to investigate but he gets deeper into a world of murder. Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, and Glenn Plummer all co-star in this bleak futuristic film that takes place in 1999 right before the millennium. James Cameron, who was Bigelow's husband at the time co-wrote the screenplay. Years later Bigelow's THE HURT LOCKER would beat Cameron's AVATAR for best picture at the Academy Awards.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): David Fincher directs this adaptation of a short story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Brad Pitt stars as the title character who is born an old man and ages backwards. Cate Blanchett plays Daisy, his love interest who drift apart but end up together again throughout the film. However, a relationship is very complicated when he is getting younger and they have a child. Brad Pitt was great in his many different ways ages he had to act. This is a project that many people have considered but never got off the ground until now and this is the right time and the right version. Julia Ormand also co-stars as Daisy's grown up daughter who reads her dying mother her journal entries from Benjamin. This is available on Instant Netflix.

8 Ball Bunny (1950): This is my animation short of the week which is from the DVD of last week's feature THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE and even this short makes references to the film with a Bogart character. Bugs Bunny stars in this one where Bugs finds a penguin and looks to help the penguin get to his home with much trouble. This is one of the better Looney Tunes shorts and the second and last to feature the character of Playboy Penguin.

John and Mary (1969): This is my tribute to the late Peter Yates who directed this film. This is an early film with Dustin Hoffman where he stars as the title character John and Mia Farrow plays Mary. These two characters meet at a singles bar and end up sleeping together and then spending the day trying to get to know each other while flashbacks are used on their previous relationships. This appears to be a movie where people who lived in this era would appreciate the most. With that being said, Hoffman and Farrow work very well together as Hoffman is fresh off his success from THE GRADUATE and Farrow was fresh off her success in ROSEMARY'S BABY. Quincy Jones writes a good music score as well as an original song called MAYBE TOMORROW. Listen closely for an uncredited song called LOST IN SPACE by Jeff Bridges. This is one where you must become emotionally invested in the characters. This is available on Instant Netflix.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920): This is another one of the dvds my dad got me this year for Christmas so I bring you another silent film and this one is from Germany. Werner Krauss plays the title character who exhibits a somnambulist named Cesare who can apparently predict the future. He soon predicts the death of another man which becomes true making him the main suspect. This is a pretty good, early horror film with a great ending but probably only appreciated if you can watch silent films.

Despicable Me (2010): I came across this film by chance. I was at the Muncie Public Library and I learned they were showing it for free so I decided to go on in there. This is an animated film through Illumination Entertainment. Steve Carell stars as criminal mastermind Dr. Gru who, along with his cool minions which may be his answer to Oompa-Loompas, is planning his biggest heist of all time which is stealing the moon. He then encounters three orphaned girls and realizes that he can use them in his scheme. However, he slowly begins to really like the girls. There are also some very amusing flashbacks where Gru recalls having a hard time impressing his mother. In Gru's scheming and his new kids, he must also contend against another younger criminal who is trying to steal Gru's thunder named Vector. It was unfortunate that in this decent comedy, it had to go head to head against TOY STORY 3. This one is a little less dark than the Pixar hit but both are still quite good and this one should not go overlooked. Other voices include Julie Andrews, Russell Brand, Jason Segal, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, and many others.

I Want to Live (1958): This one is based on a true story of Barbara Graham. Susan Hayward plays this person who is a pretty wild woman who gets arrested a lot. However, she is then accused of murder which she says she never committed. Graham is then convicted and sentenced to death and fights to prove her innocence. Hayward was great as Barbara Graham. This film is based on articles written by investigative journalist Ed Montgomery. This is a very compelling film and I'm not going to let know of what happened even if it is a true story so either check it out or research Barbara Graham.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963): I guess this could be considered a comedy epic which was directed by Stanley Kramer. This movie contains just about every comedic actor from this era and some that would have been considered legends even then. In the start of the film where a dying thief who just got out of jail claims to have a hidden 350,000 dollars. Many are around him and everyone sets out on a road race to get the money where they try to have an agreement on splitting it but usually greed gets the best of them. Spencer Tracy stars as Captain Culpepper who is investigating all the road crimes that are being investigated but seems to be a bit interested himself. Mickey Rooney, Milton Berle, Ethel Merman, Buddy Hackett, Sid Caesar, Terry-Thomas, among many others are involved in this hilarious chase for the money. Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Jerry Lewis, Buster Keaton and even the Three Stooges have cameos. I would have liked to see more done with the stooges as they were firemen but really just appeared in front of the camera. Jonathan Winters makes his film debut here. When getting word of Kramer's project, many comedians called volunteering to make appearances or just asking why they were not contacted. Many comedians declined to make appearances. This movie had some very funny moments but not the greatest comedy of all time in my opinion. The climax was rather violent and even somewhat depressing. This is probably only going to be appreciated if knowing of the actors in the film but worth a look if you do know most people in the movie.

The Child (2005): This is my foreign language film for the week which takes place in France. This was directed by the Dardenne brothers and stars Jeremie Renier as Bruno who is a petty thief. Deborah Francois plays Sonia who is Bruno's girlfriend. They are a very immature couple but have a child. Bruno has a lot of debts so to get money he sells their baby which causes him to rethink his decision due to Sonia's reactions. He then sets out to find his baby hoping to redeem himself for Sonia. The title could be a reference to Bruno who just lacks responsibility in every way but he brings you in rooting for him when he realizes his wrongdoing. This is rather bleak but well-shot and good for anyone who likes foreign films.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and what you dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Willem Dafoe, Claudette Colbert, Tom Hanks, Albert Finney, Paul Muni, and many others.