allen_hahn

This is one of the most entertaining and downright funny films I have been privileged to watch in the past several years. Plot twists and turns come fast and are unexpected. Marcia Gay Harden leads an impeccable cast of interesting, quirky and all too human characters that include Aiden Quinn. The writing is simply exceptional. The dialog is as witty and hilarious as it comes, and come it does, non-stop. Joan-Carr Wiggin, who is both writer and director, smashes this one clean out of the park. I doubt you'll find yourself glancing at your iPhone or Blackberry during this film. This film is but another vehicle that demonstrates the versatility, cleverness, and command that a seasoned actor like Ms. Harden can bring to a role. Watching the interaction of the actors is much like watching the intricately choreographed dance numbers of a Twyla Tharp. Once this goes into general release, expect to see Marcia Gay Harden walk away with a Best Actress Oscar.

Saw this film when it was first released (1964) and was overwhelmed with the visual richness, and impressed with the soundtrack enough to have purchased it at that time and I believe it has at least one track that is not on the re-released soundtrack. I still have it and listen to it now and then since, in my opinion, the film's secret is in Morricone's soundtrack. Scenes and topics that were, in 1964, considered quite taboo, are tame compared to what's available in film today. It's nostalgic to see these old films and realize that that genre seems to have disappeared. Maybe the public has become so saturated with on-the-spot, round-the-clock coverages of everything in the world that films purporting to be exposes, can't find an audience any longer.

I first saw this film as a re-run in 1964--on the big screen. Much is lost, I think, when viewing it on television. Peter Ustinov's portrayal of the emperor Nero raises the bar for anyone else who is ever cast as an unbalanced and corrupt Roman emperor. Certainly, we don't see this style or quality of acting in newer films such as "Gladiator." I focus on the "Nero" character more than others because Ustinov was truly able to get inside the role, and appeared to stay very focused. Robert Taylor was fine in the movie, but his role could have been handled by nearly any leading man of the time. Ditto for Deborah Kerr. The remaining cast was very, very good. The set designs and costumes were sheer artistry and the score was effective and complimentary. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in spectacles and studying fine acting techniques (i.e., Ustinov's).