timcote7

I won't lie, it might be because I just recently, screened "They Lived By Night" released in 1949. It was directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Farley Granger and Kathy O'Donnell. This is the masterpiece that Joseph H. Lewis was hoping to achieve. There were several similarities in the plot. But that is where the comparison would stop. While Nicolas Reyes care of characters while Granger and O'Donnell's characters showed emotional complexity while struggling with her own moral codes, Dal's character in "Gun Crazy" seemed more fighting a conflict of ethics and not a selling of them for his femme fatale. The "FF" played by Peggy Cummins had two great moments in my opinion.

#1 The very first time you see her presented in the side show.

#2 The lays upon the bed and tells him to kiss her goodbye, because when he returns, she'll be gone.

My main dissatisfaction, besides casting is the Director. He may be a very proficient technical expert, but he knows little of anything about human nature that I can detect in this film. I feel many moments could've been added to give these characters a depth that would have led many to an empathetic connection.

There are some good things that that I read from other reviews hear that mentioned many groundbreaking achievements, ad nauseam, (sometimes I wonder if you guys plagiarize each other?) Any way whether you agree with me or not, I've stated my opinion that hadn't been brought up in the 10 or so reviews that I read. I wanted to like it all a lot more than I did.

I watched this title because it followed as a reccomnedation on a streaming site for a movie that I'd been pleasantly impressed with (Spring Forward). I have enjoyed Australian films as a linear escapade, less driven by typical Hollywood plot. This movie fit that ideal. This movie did not disappoint. There was a story, but the characters lived out the important points and purpose of the film, rather than being driven solely by events and MacGuffins. The performances were subtle and often inconvenient to fitting all plot points. There was tenderness and brutality as they really are in most male communals. The three leads played their parts well, and not stereotypically. Mr. Newton was outstanding and played the central role with charm and grace.

There are some movies that, after watching, I just want to be quiet and let the impact of what I've watched resonate in me. Stella did that for me. It wasn't a masterpiece, but it was what it was, a truthful experience.

It makes sense that real life brothers would show this exceptional chemistry, but they shared that chemistry with every well cast actor in this film.

The Wolff brothers revealed that irreverent humor and play time that many of us only reveal in the safety of our family relationships. It rang so true and Polly Draper, as usual lived up to that truth. Her performance was so good and she made me believe she could be such a pushover, and a person who could raise two good guys.

Initially, Nick Sandow's character of Ron smelled a little stereotypical, until the writer cleverly turned a realistic corner. And after all stereotypes are often based on generalizations of truth, right? By the way, Sandow is always a fine actor.

Violet was played a little thinly by the beautiful Paulina Singer. I can't honestly tell who's to blame, she did glimmer at certain moments (though her ballet moves were clearly amateur).

I love dogs, so I know that helped me to enjoy this movie. I love my family and have a similar relationship to my siblings. Maybe that's why this movie touched me deep and has left me quiet, enjoying the stirrings it evoked.