Cinema (104):
Baby, the Rain Must Fall *** (1965, Drama)
Baby, the Rain Must Fall *** (1965, Drama)
Sypnosis: Henry Thomas (Steve McQueen), a rockabilly singer on parole for stabbing another man, tries to settle down with his wife, Georgette (Lee Remick), and their daughter. But tough times and Thomas's old grudge against the woman who raised him conspire to ruin his dream of becoming a successful songwriter. Horton Foote's screenplay from his own stage play THE TRAVELING LADY graces this story of a man at odds with himself who is unable to resist destroying his family. Lee Remick glows with quiet strength as a Southern woman and wife determined to see the bright side of things and hold on to hope with all of her strength.
HD Cinema Epics (108):
To Be a Rose (1974, Drama)
To Be a Rose (1974, Drama)
Sypnosis: Following the daily procession of clients this film depicts the life and heart of a young, disillusioned prostitute. It poignantly delves into the humanity behind this dehumanizing condition from her veneer of self-protection to her genuine feelings of compassion and understanding.
Divine HD (110):
It Should Happen to You *** (1954, Comedy)
It Should Happen to You *** (1954, Comedy)
Sypnosis: All Gladys Glover wants is to make a name for herself in New York--which explains the giant billboard with her name plastered across it. Celebrity, of course, follows. It Should Happen to You proves that the concept of "being famous for being famous" did not arrive with Angelyne or Paris Hilton. This comedy was designed for the dumb-blonde talents of the expert Judy Holliday, re-uniting with Born Yesterday writer Garson Kanin and director George Cukor. She's in prime form, and some of her scenes with Jack Lemmon (his film debut) have a spritzy give-and-take. (Alas, his character, a documentary filmmaker, is a bit of a nag.) The media satire is a little dated, from a 21st-century perspective, and a subplot with soap magnate Peter Lawford doesn't wash. The pleasures are in Cukor's airy Manhattan location shots and Holliday's offbeat line readings, her lasting gift from a brief career. --Robert Horton
HD World Cinema (102):
The Last Metro **+ (1980, Mystery)
The Last Metro **+ (1980, Mystery)
Sypnosis: François Truffaut again tackles the elusive nature of creativity and the elusive creation in this thoughtful, sumptuous, 1980 film. Nominated for the Best Foreign Language film Oscar, and a winner of various Césars, The Last Metro is a tale of the theater in occupied France during World War II. Marion Steiner (Catherine Deneuve) manages the Theatre Montmarte in the stead of her Jewish husband, director Lucas Steiner (Heinz Bennent). He has purportedly fled France but is really hiding out in the basement of the theater. The one hope to save the Montmarte is a new play starring the dashing Bernard Granger (Gérard Depardieu). The attraction between Marion and Bernard is palpable, and as usual Truffaut creates tension and drama from even the most casual of occurrences. The theme of the director locked away while his lover and his creation are appropriated by others makes for interesting Truffaut study, but first and foremost this is a well-spun romance. --Keith Simanton
