Austin360 blogs > Austin Movie Blog > Archives > 2009 > August > 11 > Entry
What I’m watching
Wherein our movie critic periodically shares what DVDs he’s been viewing in his spare time …
- “Trouble in Paradise” (1932; Ernst Lubitsch): The Lubitsch touch, those glimmering fingerprints, are all over this velvet comedy (put out by the Criterion Collection). Silky-suave Herbert Marshall and kewpie-doll-cute Miriam Hopkins are lovers and thieves who connive to rob a rich madame (Kay Francis). Marshall gets a job as the madame’s personal secretary in order to get close to her cash, but he also gets close to her heart, to Hopkins’ dismay. Comic confusion ensues. Not my favorite Lubitsch (that goes to 1940’s “The Shop Around the Corner”), but fine froth.
- “Take Out” (2004; Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou): A marvel of social realism in the vein of Ramin Bahrani’s neo-neo-realism films (“Chop Shop”). A Chinese immigrant working for a grubby take-out joint has one day to pay off a crushing debt. Raw, with striking verite textures and excellent acting by a cast of newcomers. A pearl in the indie new wave.
- “A Raisin in the Sun” (1961; Daniel Petrie): Can’t believe it took me so long to finally see this majestic theatrical melodrama, but it was worth the wait. Sidney Poitier scintillates as the luckless head of a poor, struggling household in Chicago, and he’s backed by an impeccable cast, including Claudia McNeil, who will tear your heart out.
- “Late August, Early December” (1998; Olivier Assayas): The genre-hopping Assayas, one of world cinema’s most interesting auteurs, creates a completely engaging human drama about a group of friends facing the death of one of theirs. Subtle, funny, moving and elegant.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: DVDs
Comments
Click here to report comment abuse.