churei

This MGM 'super-spectacle' is a cinemaattic pile of dung. The Italian-made sword-and-sandals 'epics' with Steve Reeves et al are superior in every way to this mawkish, teribly acted and directed, overlong slice of religiosity as only Louis B. Mayer could imagine (even as he was being removed from his MGM leadership). The three stars are only for the use of Technicolor, and, perhaps, for the dopy joy of Peter Ustrinov's performance as Nero, which 'almost' saves this nonsense from the trash dump completely. Robert Taylor could never act, and his attempts here are among his most embarrassing. Even the Rosza score is heavy-handed. LeRoy's direction is stilted. The script tries to allow for the religious goal but strike out with incredibly dialogue and illogical plot maneuvers (where does one get a million spectators in an arena after the whole city is destroyed?) Poor Deborah Kerr, Leo Genn,etc. Nothing they can do but, probably, hope that the long shoot would end in time for thiem to get better roles. A truly awful and hardly spectacular film.... Watch the chariot chases as among the many dreadful scenes.

Michelle Yeoh is a spectacular actress as seen in this film, knowing that nothing was done in one take, and her myriad of expressions and countless character shifts are truly unique. But this crazed film defies easy analysis. For a fantasy time-warp / character-switch-around, adventure-swirl, this one defies clarification. A 'fantasy', if this is one, must have a kernel of truth from which it moves, even 'Godzilla' or 'Back to the Future' or 'SpiderMan-No Way Home'...or...you-name-it. This one starts with taxes and failing business with a subplot idea of the daughter's live life. It ends with the daughter again...creating the question 'Why did we go through all of this in the first place?' Editing is mammoth with even rocks cascading down on the audience. It runs about eight (??) hours or seems to be even more!! You can try to play the game of 'What's it all about Alfie?' but I am one who just doesn't care. Just save Ms. Yeoh!

'Solace' crawls along with very little suspense, due to a dreamlike performance by Anthony Hopkins and a meandering plot. BUT....when Colin Farrell finally enters the plot. Late in the running time, the film takes on some vitality. Farrell's work is one of his strongest...and one that shows deep acting gifts...running an amazing gamut in its short span of time. He is worth seeing. The film, though, about how clairvoyance solves murders, should have been far more intriguing than it turns out to be. We are told, from the onset, that Hopkins character is greatly depressed and solitary. The reasons are shown, via a host of visual blips on the screen, but Hopkins never shows us how this changes took place...and how he reached his point of no return. The other cast members play one-dimensional characters as well as possible.