My Fair Lady (1964)
To test his theory that speech patterns are one of the primary drivers of success, phonetics professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) trains flower seller Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn).
His experiment is ultimately successful: Eliza passes as a genuine member of upper crust society. However, her new position leads to unhappiness and frustration. Meanwhile, Henry develops feelings for the unpredictable Eliza.
There’s a hilarious subplot involving Eliza’s unscrupulous father, Alfred, who’s taught morals and regrets the responsibility it instills in him.
Based on Pygmalion, the 1913 play by George Bernard Shaw, the film endorses antiquated viewpoints of gender roles, but the music is fun, energetic, and hummable and the central idea of control over one’s fate is powerful. Combined this with the luminescent presence of Hepburn, the caddish charm of Harrison, and the physical hilarity of Holloway and it more than covers any flaws.
The original 1956 Broadway production featured Harrison and then unknown Julie Andrews in the title role. Harrison was asked to revise his role, while Andrews was passed over for a more reliable box office draw. She would, however, be vindicated: winning the Best Actress Oscar for her work in Mary Poppins.
From the scene at Ascot Racecourse, to the tutoring sessions, to Alfred’s inspired rendition of “Get Me to the Church on Time,” to the irresistible joy of “I Could Have Danced All Night,” fifty years later, this film still stands as one of “best and most unlikely of musicals.”
The Machinist (2004)
Machinist Trevor Reznick (Christian Bale) suffers from insomnia, which causes him to question his sanity.
The story is not as well-developed as it could have been, but Bale’s performance is astounding. He proved his commitment to his craft, drastically losing weight to simulate the look of an emaciated, tortured man. Occasionally, his intense preparation leads to trouble, but anyone who doubts his commitment should watch this movie.
Bale’s willingness to punish himself for his art is commendable, but it’s not enough to save this film from obscurity.
Sunshine (2007)
It’s 2057 and several scientists are sent to launch a nuclear bomb into the dying sun as a sort of cosmic jumpstart.
When the crew of Icarus II finds their ill-fated predecessor, the captain sneaks on board to sabotage their mission. In the history of movies, has a rescue mission to an unexpected spaceship ever gone well?
The beginning was fascinating and asked a lot of provocative questions about who would willingly sign up for such a dangerous mission, but once Captain Pinkbacker (Mark Strong) boards, the movie devolves into a clichéd action film and only tangentially broaches important questions like what happens to the chain of command when you’re millions of miles from earth?
Cillian Murphy rose to prominence with 28 Days Later (2002), which helped launch the Zombie Renaissance and was excellent as The Scarecrow in Batman Begins (2005), helping lay the groundwork for Christopher Nolan’s successful adaptation. He’s great at playing people with questionable ethics in science fiction / comic book adaptations, but this film was the wrong vehicle for him. His Robert Capa is too much outcast, not enough hero.
Fortunately, Chris Evans has shown a desire to be more than just a superhero. His work in Scott Pilgirm vs. the World (2010) and Snowpiercer (2013) is excellent, but his work as ship engineer Mace is only mildly interesting.
Troy Garity, son of Jane Fonda, was excellent as an idealistic political journalist in Boss, but doesn’t make a large impression in this film as Harvey, the second-in-command of Icarus II.
Mark Strong oozes so much evil, even if his character wasn’t the main bad guy, you’d instinctively believe he was.
Danny Boyle is a talented director, but this was a missed opportunity. The film didn’t trust itself and relied on genre clichés to limp toward its inevitable conclusion.
Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
Twenty years ago, Max bet heavily on a supposed fixed race, but the horse died before reaching the finish line. As a warning to others, Max and his family were executed by two mobsters: The Boss (Morgan Freeman) and The Rabbi (Ben Kinglsey).
Mr. Goodkat is typical Bruce Willis: agonizingly slow and way too self-aware. He got his break as a comedic performer on Moonlighting but after Die Hard (1989), he realized he could make considerable money turning out similar action films with minimal effort. Pulp Fiction (1994), 12 Monkeys (1995), and The Sixth Sense (1999), prove he’s capable of more, but this is not a career highlight.
When I think of Lucy Liu, I think of action movies with a martial arts flavor, but she’s a credible love interest in this movie, showing me something I hadn’t seen from her before.
Freeman’s late career is full of bad guy roles trading off his popular image like Wanted (2009) and Now You See Me (2013), but he’s not menacing enough for my taste.
However, for a guy who rose to fame playing Gandhi and Itzhak Stern, it’s surprising how effective Kingsley is as a ruthless SOB.
I’ve loved Stanley Tucci since his work as Richard Cross and he’s competent as Detective Brikowski, but the role isn’t particularly flashy.
Josh Hartnett does what he can as Slevin Kelevra, but the script lets him down; screenwriter Jason Smilovic gives away too much in the opening sequence in a misguided attempt to plant clues to support his twist morphing it into an inevitable conclusion.