Judy (2019) and Factory Girl (2004)

I'm not sure how I feel about the movie "Judy". I read somewhere that Judy's family did not approve/endorse the film, and that Liza Minnelli never met Renee Zellweger and never gave her approval on the project.

Something about that seems unsettling to me...here we have the filmmakers devoting time and effort on a biographical film about a much-beloved celebrity, yet not even getting the approval of the family? Is it a movie critical of Judy -- or is it a celebration her life? What is the director aiming to do?

For example, the new movie "It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" - which features the character of Mr. Rogers - did get the approval of Rogers's family, and the director was upfront by aiming to make this a celebration of Rogers.

But with Judy, I wasn't sure what to expect. There are some darker moments depicted in the film - such as her dependency on drugs and personal difficulties with people - but I don't think the movie introduces anything new that hasn't been written about before.

Having seen the film, I see it as a celebration of her life, and a tribute to Judy, even though it only focuses on the last year of her life. A few flashbacks go back to the late 1930s when she was filming Wizard of Oz and some other MGM films, and the beginnings of her drug addiction.

But it's not really an all-encompassing life story. It would be interesting to see more of 1940s Judy during the MGM years, or 1950s Judy. Bobby Rivers recently wrote on his blog that the 2001 TV biopic was far superior, and was endorsed by the family.

Renee has been getting rave reviews for her performance  in "Judy"; her acting is good but it is obvious to me that she is doing an impression of the Judy from interviews she gave on tv in the 1960s. Renee gives the character grandiosity, no question about that; I did get a sense that she was the most popular person in the world, and also got the sense that she was a very troubled person, insecure. But overall it is a rather average film. I think it should have been called "Judy in London", because the entire film is set there during Judy's tour during 1968 and 69, and also focuses on her relationship with her third husband Mickey Deans.

The best parts of the movie in my opinion are these scenes with Mickey and the scenes where she befriends a gay couple and spends time with them in their home. It's interesting to watch because you never expect a mega-superstar to mingle with fans like that.

There's one scene where Judy visits her twenty-something daughter Liza at a party; it's interesting but totally unnecessary. There's really no need for it because we never see Liza again in the film and it feels thrown in there. There is a character who is an assistant to Judy in London (played by Jessie Buckley), and I wish her character was explored a bit more.  There are several scenes of singing and they are ok but I wish the film were a bit more compelling.

A much better film in my opinion is Factory Girl, which came out in 2006 but I only recently saw. Sienna Miller plays the artist Edie Sedwick who becomes famous simply by being associated with Andy Warhol in the 1960s. It's an great movie because both characters are explored while the focus remains on Edie's character. Like Judy Garland, Edie was troubled and addicted, but her fame was a different kind of fame, and the movie explores that. Afterwards, I wanted to find out more about the director and writer; the writer doesn't have too many other credits but the director was co-director on the Hearts of Darkness/Coppola documentary from 1991, which is really impressive. I read somewhere that he initially set out to do a Edie/Andy documentary but ended up doing a feature instead. Interestingly, in the end credits (and in the DVD's Special Features) are clips of interviews from people who knew Andy and Edie so this really give the movie an extra punch.

Bob Dylan is depicted as a character that is obviously based on him - but only the name is changed. (I read he was not a fan of this depiction).

Some of these personal details are dark and seemingly trashy or sleazy, however they are real-life details about celebrities that we can relate to and try to understand.  The director does an amazing job of recreating Andy's art studio in New York. The costumes, makeup, and camera work / cinematography are really good; each shot looks really well-positioned and carefully crafted.

The movie only focuses on Edie's years in New York, and not her last years when she was institutionalized, although that might make for an interesting film or story as well, because she eventually marries someone she meets there (per the epilogue).

I suppose perhaps that Edie's last year was not unlike Judy's in some ways.

Additional articles:

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/12/andy-warhol-and-edie-sedgwick-a-brief-white-hot-and-totally-doomed-romance

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/edie-sedgwick-the-life-and-death-of-the-sixties-star-431412.html

https://www.npr.org/2014/02/02/251651304/a-suburban-teen-saw-the-sparkle-of-edie-but-not-the-pain

Cats (2019) and Scrooge (1970)

This past holiday season I watched two musicals set in London.

Scrooge was good; I had never seen this version in its fullness. My favorite part was when Scrooge dies and goes to the underworld and sees Marley again and the devil's slaves bring him his chains. I don't think that is depicted in another other version. I really like the songs including Thank you very Much and December the 25th. Albert Finney was really good and miserly, and I was impressed with the dialogue written by Leslie Bricusse; some expressions I had never heard of such as "prevaricating fraud" and Scrooge is described as "parsimonious" (obnoxious). I liked Alec Guiness as Marley and it occurred to me that he played a spirit ghost long before he did in Return of the Jedi as Obi Wan Kenobi.

It was only made as recently as 1970, but something about it feels so old-fashioned. Maybe that's a good thing, since it's set in the 19th Century anyhow. But everything from the expressions used to the costumes to the toys in the store (below) - everything feels so old-fashioned.

I liked Cats but didn't love it; it probably won't become a favorite of mine. It has a "modern" feel even though it could just as easily have taken place 100 years ago.

I never saw the original show so I don't know what changed. Almost every cat gets their own song and has their own personality, and I liked that; I liked Jennifer Hudson singing "Memory" . There are some dumb jokes, like when Rebel Wilson's cat says to the cockroach, "don't get cocky!' and in another scene says "watch out for the crazy cat lady". She and James Cordin seem to ad-lib some stuff and that's okay but felt the movie could have had more punch to it, and the cats seem to keep changing size; at first they seem like the size of real cats but then they seem to shrink down at times. Also I didn't like the garbage and cockroach scenes. I saw this in one of those "dine-in" theaters and you don't want to see that while eating.

I'd like to see a "making of" documentary about this movie and see how they added in the special effects; every tail and ear moves and wiggles and it's pretty cool. All the actors could have just worn suits and masks.

A Damsel in Distress (1937)

This is a really fun musical comedy, featuring some wonderful songs by George Gershwin, and an Oscar-winning dance number, back when they gave Oscars for Best Dance Direction.

Fred Astaire plays an American entertainer visiting London. At one point, a crowd of people recognizes Fred and they get him to dance on the spot. It's a fun dance scene on a city street.

Joan Fontaine, proving she can handle the lead in a romantic comedy, is the titular damsel, who lives in a mansion with her father (Montagu Love) and numerous servants. Joan's "distress" is that she's forbidden to leave the mansion after she attempts a runaway to find a lover.

One of the young teenage servants named Albert (Harry Watson of The Watson Family) plays matchmaker and attempts to get Fred to fall in love with Joan and vice versa. Albert is really funny in this movie. Plenty of mistaken identity hilarity ensues.

George Burns and Gracie Allen play Astaire's sidekick assistants. They're not essential to the plot but provide plenty of comedic relief with zany one liners and retorts. In one scene, George and Gracie tour the mansion; a sign inside reads "Do Not Finger Art Objects" and Gracie giggles thinking "Art Objects" is a man's name.

I imagined Ginger Rogers - Fred's usual co-star - playing the lead insted of Joan, but Joan really won me over; she has good chemistry with Fred.  Joan's part doesn't require any dancing, except for one scene where she and Fred frolic on the castle grounds.

A high point in the film is the carnival sequence featuring the Oscar winning dance number in a fun house. Gracie really impressed me with her singing and dancing chops!

Highly Recommended. Directed by George Stevens.  Written by P. G. Wodehouse.

London 1961: from my mother's travel journal

In the summer of 1961, my mom (22 at the time) went on a trip to Europe.The first stop was southern Poland - she went with her father for a two-week trip to visit/meet relatives (on various farms!).

Then in July she traveled on her own from Warsaw to London to join up with a sightseeing tour.

My mom kept a travel journal, and this weekend I was inspired to read through it again after watching the Olympics' Opening Ceremonies from London.

Here's a sample of some of what she saw in London. Interesting that she got to see a few shows, including Van Johnson in "The Music Man"!! (note: the photos below are ones I found online)

---

Tuesday July 4, 1961
Started our tour of London. 9:30 AM. Saw Westmintster Abbey. Saw changing of the Guard. St. Paul's Cathedral. Big Ben. At 8:30 PM we went to the Palladium Theater and saw a wonderful musical: "Let Yourself Go". Very wonderful and pretty. Met new tour members from all over the States - fascinating people who have travelled the world....Doing pretty good with English currency. People are wonderfully helpful and enjoy explaining it to you!

Wednesday July 5, 1961
Got up at 1:00 PM! Went to eat and then out to see "Music Man" with Van Johnson. 

---

The tour also included Rome, Venice, Belgium, Paris, and Monte Carlo and some other cities. Let me know if you would like to see any of these pics / journal entries of my mom's trip from 1961, and I'll post some.

Another Year (2010)

I saw this movie the other night. It's great. About a London couple (Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen) and the various characters in their life.  Tom (Broadbent) is a geologist who has a few more years before retirement. He enjoys golfing with his friends and gardening with his wife (Sheen) in a communal garden (they are always bringing home vegetables) Both love to cook, so there are a number of scenes where they are cooking for friends and family. In fact, the movie is split into 4 acts divided by the seasons.  There's always a lunch or dinner scene in each act. It's pretty cool.

Ruth Sheen and Jim Broadbent are a
loving and devoted couple who make time for
family and friends

The couple have a 30-year old son. People are asking whether or not he has a girlfriend. Does he have a secret? Gerry (Sheen), a psychologist, has a co-worker (Leslie Manville) who doesn't have many friends or family, so she's always dropping by their house. She's single, lonely, and enjoys a few drinks. But does he have more serious problems? Director Mike Leigh doesn't let us know the full stories of these characters right away. We must watch the entire film. It's captivating. The characters in this movie are so real; they reminded me of my own family. And the acting seems so natural, even improvised, which is what I love about his movies Secrets and Lies, Vera Drake, and Happy Go Lucky.  Leslie Manville is just incredible in this; she won several awards for her amazing performance, including a BAFTA nomination.

Another Year is a quiet, serious adult drama, delightful and fun at times, and even heartbreaking at times.  I highly recommend it.

I saw this Monday night at the Tivoli Theater, an old-fashioned downtown movie house in Downer's Grove, IL

If you saw the movie Happy Go Lucky, do you remember the flamenco instructor?

Well the actress who plays her has a small role Another Year 

Here is a funny scene from Happy Go Lucky featuring the dance instructor.




Read another review from Mike's Movie Projector

Another blog post by Cliched Monologues

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

I recently enjoyed watching this film again the other day. It's considered a modern day screwball comedy, though it's over 20 years old now. I remember seeing it when it first came out but I didn't understand all the jokes and didn't quite get what was supposed to be so funny about it. Watching it again was a fun experience; it felt like I was watching a brand new film. The getaway scene after the heist is classic, and Ken's attempts to kill off the witness is simply hilarious, although some have found this film to be offensive. Starring John Cleese (who co-wrote), Jaime Lee Curtis, Michael Palin as Ken, and Kevin Kline as the jealous Otto.

Directed by Charles Crichton (The Lavender Hill Mob)

Pandora's Box (1928)

"Those who have seen her can never forget her. She is the modern actress par excellence....As soon as she takes the screen, fiction disappears along with art, and one has the impression of being present at a documentary. The camera seems to have caught her by surprise, without her knowledge." -- Henri Langlois, (French pioneer of the film archive movement)

A few days ago the Louise Brooks Society's blog posted an article on the actress by Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune, who wrote: "She compares to no one, really. She is her own island of allure". The article was an anticipation of a local screening of "Pandora's Box" featuring live organ accompaniment, which I went to check out the other day.

It's a classic film of the German Expressionist era, filled with symbolism and unforgettable images. It really impressed me. American actress Louise Brooks stars as Lulu, a young dancer and showgirl in Berlin who - as we learn - has had many lovers but eventually settles down in marriage with a millionaire newspaperman. Other characters include the newspaperman's son, as well as Jack the Ripper, who makes an appearance. A murder trial causes Lulu and her friends to flee the country, which leads to a thrilling conclusion in London around Christmastime. The supporting characters are worthy of each of their own posts and discussions.

Behind the Scenes: The temperamental actress made several films (many of them now lost) in the US before fleeing to Europe after a studio dispute. German director G. W. Pabst, who liked Brooks in Howard Hawks' A Girl in Every Port, wanted her to play the lead in "Pandora's Box", also known as simply "Lulu".

Upon release in Europe, the film was not a big hit, perhaps due to some controversy in Pabst's decision to cast American Louise Brooks as the character of "Lulu", which was well known in Europe from earlier stage and film productions. According to Brooks herself (in the 1984 documentary "Lulu in Berlin" where she sits down to speak with interviewer Richard Leacock) Marlene Dietrich, who played the role of Lulu on the stage, was among the German actresses rumored to play lead in the film. This may have upset some die-hards.

According to some reports, Hitler was not a fan of this film. Could the casting of Brooks or the menorah in Lulu's apartment have something to do with it, perhaps? And I could be wrong, but I don't think the film even showed in the United States until the 1950s, when it experienced a resurgence of popularity.

For a longer review of this film, I recommend The Mythical Monkey's review on his blog.

Read a review from Moon in the Gutter.

Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983) and A Christmas Carol (2009) with Jim Carrey

Mickey's Christmas Carol is a 24-minute animated short, that was first released in U.S. theaters in December 1983 (it opened in the UK two months earlier). It was accompanied by the re-release of 1977's great adventure classic "The Rescuers". I didn't see it in theaters at the time, but did watch it on TV when it was televised for the first time in the mid 80s. My cousins recorded it on their new VCR and let me borrow the tape. Needless to say, I have fond memories of watching this over and over. Nowadays I cannot watch any version of this classic tale without thinking of Scrooge McDuck (voiced by Alan Young). Scrooge McDuck was a minor comic book character in Disney comics since the post-war years of the 1940s, and this was his biggest hit - the perfect role for him. This was also the very first theatrical cartoon featuring Mickey Mouse in 30 years, since 1953's The Simple Things (watch The Simple Things now on You Tube). Mickey plays Bob Cratchit, and Donald Duck plays Fred. Characters from classic Disney animated shorts and features have supporting roles, including Jiminy Cricket as the ghost of Christmas past, and Mr. Toad as Fezziwig.

"Mickey's Christmas Carol" was nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Short in 1983, but lost to the 3-1/2 minute claymation "Sundae in New York" - featuring an Ed Koch caricature singing the old Sinatra tune while prancing around the city - arguably one of the great injustices in the history of the Oscars! (Watch Sundae in New York now on You Tube --- you decide which film should have won!) Oh well, let me get off my soapbox now, and present "Mickey's Christmas Carol". Enjoy!

Watch Part 1:



Watch Part 2:



Watch Part 3:

---

Postscript:

On Thanksgiving night last Thursday, I went to see Robert Zemekis' new version of "A Christmas Carol" in 3-D, from Walt Disney Pictures. Overall I was impressed, enjoyed the aerial and street shots of London. Jim Carrey's Scrooge was entertaining, but seeing him as all 3 ghosts of Christmas past got a bit tiresome after awhile.

A scaled-down Scrooge the size of a rat (in one sequence) was an interesting element. And I must say, I'm happy to see 3-D making a comeback. Trailers before the movie included no fewer than 4 movies to be released in 3-D next year.

Throughout the film, though, I could not help but be reminded of my favorite all time version of Dickens' classic --- "Mickey's Christmas Carol".

Filming Ivanhoe, November 1951

The setting: London, late November, 1951. Joan Fontaine and the rest of the Ivanhoe cast and crew were almost finished with filming in London's MGM studio. It had been a 5-month long shoot. Joan couldn't make it back to the United States for Thanksgiving, so she celebrated in London, and invited some friends over, including actress Mary Martin who was appearing onstage in "South Pacific". Martin, 4 years older than Joan, seemed to dominate the evening.

Here's how it went, in Ms Fontaine's own words. (Excerpt from her 1978 autobiography, "No Bed of Roses")

As we were shooting Ivanhoe in late November, I could not get home for Thanksgiving with the children. Therefore I arranged with the service kitchen at Grosvenor Square to prepare a real American Thanksgiving for a few of my friends. Mary Martin and her husband, Dick Halliday, were staying at the Savoy Hotel during her highly successful run of "South Pacific", so I invited them, as well as the cast of Ivanhoe.

Although I had stressed that the gathering was to be very informal, and I was in slacks, Mary Martin arrived in a black-cut velvet Mainbocher. Mary took over. Standing in what is called in the theatre "fireplace center," she directed us all, the conversation, even tow here we should sit at table. As the Hallidays left that evening, Dick said his thanks with "We had a nice time. Not very nice, but nice."

--From the book "No Bed of Roses" (1978)