Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

Rules, I watched Hidden Figures last night based on your recommendation.
Good flick!

Oh cool, glad you like it. A lot of people didn't like it, but I thought it told a stranger than fiction, but true story of human computers used at NASA and of segregation that occurred there. And it ends on a more positive outlook. I could watch it again.

Yep. It was an uplifting watch (no pun intended).

I like movies about spaceflight, history and civil rights - so this had several areas of interest for me. I was totally unaware of these women's contributions before this movie!

The three lead ladies were great, and I liked the portrayal of John Glenn as an all-around good guy.

I was surprised to see a few "stars" show up:

• Kevin Costner was fine as the leader who refuses to let segregation or sexism stand in the way of business or progress.
• A different sort of role for Kirsten Dunst as a slightly racist biotch.
• Fun to see Jim Parsons show up, basically playing his alter-ego, genius-geek Sheldon (from The Big Bang). I kind of like the fact that there was never a breakthrough moment where he overcomes his racial & gender biases to fully embrace Katherine (although I was expecting it.) The closest he comes is accepting her co-authored report without complaint at the end. Little touches like NOT having that predictable, formulaic fluff helps add realism.

Me too. I like all movies about history, but history from the 1950s 1960s is especially interesting as to me it wasn't that long ago.

You might have noticed I've been watching 1950s films about Strategic Air Command. Last night I watched an awesome film, The Bridges of Toko-Ri....did you ever see that?

I don't think I've ever seen Toko-Ri, Rules. But I think it's one of the movies I get mixed up with others...
I know I've mentioned it before, but I always think there's a movie about an American man involved with a Japanese woman which I think takes place during WWII... and for some reason I always think William Holden was in it. I think one time we got to the bottom of my confusion, but now I don't remember what the answer was.

P.S. I had relatives (all passed on now) who said my family, paternal side, was somehow related to William Holden (but I don't know how).

The Bridges at Toko-Ri does have an American Navy sailors involved with Japanese women and William Holden is in it.

A scene from it:



Related to William Holden He's a good actor, I like him in about everything I've seen.

Another good one is 1957's Sayonara with Marlon Brando and Miiko Taka, along with the incomparable Miyoshi Umeki. One of the era's great films.

~Doc

Thanks! I hadn't heard of that one before. I just looked it up on IMDB and it sounds just like what I'm looking for. I will try and find it and review too.

You'll like it, CR. Brando was very good. Red Buttons and Myoshi Umeki both won Oscars for best supporting roles in the film. Umeki became the instant darling of America. You'll see why...

~Doc

I've got a copy now, and should be watching it in a few says. Last night I watched a similar film The Hunters (1958) and The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954) I really enjoyed that one.

Director: Mark Robson
Writers: Valentine Davies (screenplay), James A. Michener (novel)
Cast: William Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredric March, Mickey Rooney
Genre: Drama, War

Set during the Korean War, William Holden is a U.S. Navy fighter pilot based on an aircraft carrier. He's unsure about the worthiness of the Korean War or why he's even there, but he keeps flying missions anyway, as it's his job.

His assignment is to bomb the enemy bridges in a narrow, heavily defended pass at Toko-Ri. His wife (Grace Kelly) is staying in Tokyo and during a visit there he tells her of his fear of the upcoming bombing mission, a mission he might not survive.



The Bridges At Toko-Ri is the best of the Korean War fighter pilot movies. And they made a lot of them during the 1950s. What makes this film so amazing is the actually scenes filmed on board the U.S. Naval aircraft carrier USS Oriskany. So much of the footage is real! I had to stop the DVD just to remind myself I was seeing real Naval ships, real F9F Panther jets, rescue missions in a real rescue helicopter, all done out at sea, not on a set. It's mind blowing that a huge amount of this movie is real, no CG here!

If that wasn't enough the on location filming in Tokyo and other parts of Japan is alone worth watching the film for.

But wait there's more....How about a very compelling and moving story about a man who's unsure about the necessity of the Korean War and fears being killed in combat. I was very surprised that the film took such a dim view of the Korean war and it was made right after that war.


William Holden is excellent here. He packs believably and a sense forlorn hopelessness about his role and why he's even in Korea fighting.

Fredrick March is the commander of the aircraft carrier and he too is excellent as he seemed more human than any other CO I've seen in war movies. Grace Kelly has a smaller role but is right at home among the other actors. All and all this wide screen Cinemascope movie based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by James Michener, is worth watching.

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Night Moves (2013)

Director: Kelly Reichardt
Writers: Jonathan Raymond, Kelly Reichardt
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning, Peter Sarsgaard
Genre: Drama, Psychological Thriller

Slow burn, deeply reflective study of three environmental activist who decide to blow up a damn on an Oregon river, and end up making the mistake of their lives.

Damn! this was powerful and done in a realistic and quiet way, that made the emotional dilemma all the more powerful. This is from a woman director Kelly Reichardt who also did Meek's Cutoff & Wendy and Lucy.


Filmed in the back country of Oregon, the outdoor location becomes a character in the film as the remoteness of the region effects the way the locals interact and shapes the way they feel about nature.

This film does not endorse radical environmental actions, nor is it a action-thriller, though it is best described as a Psychological Thriller. The film points out the folly of their plan, as after the fact we hear that there are still 10 more damns on the river. It's not about the action but the consequences of what they do.

This is a special film.

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Director: Michael Almereyda
Writers: Michael Almereyda, Jordan Harrison (stage play)
Cast: Jon Hamm, Hannah Gross, Geena Davis, Tim Robbins
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci Fi

A very different type of sci-fi movie that's based on, believe it or not, a stage play. This is not an in your face, fast edit, CG high energy flick. It's been called 'soulfully contemplative'. That photo gives you a good idea of what the film is like.

I did find the first half of the film to be contemplative about the nature of fading memories. The feeling of the movie is melancholy as we see an elderly woman who's suffering from memory loss, interact with a prime, an advance hologram of her deceased husband.

Don't expect any sci fi tech or explanation, in fact just forget this is sci fi at all. It's more of a small indie film that's shot literally on one location only, which is a very impressive looking house. I suppose you could say the decor was minimalist naturalistic.


Lois Smith is Marjorie who one played Jack Nicholson's sister in Five Easy Pieces. I liked her, she's quite natural. I really liked too Geena Davis being paired with Tim Robbins, it was like watching a real married couple. Nothing over the top, there acting very understated. Jon Hamm who plays the hologram husband, made me believe he was a hologram.

This is a very different type of movie, maybe the ending wasn't as strong as I would have liked...but still worth the time if you like slower thought provoking movies.

Director: Dick Powell
Writers: Wendell Mayes (screenplay), James Salter (novel)
Cast: Robert Mitchum, Robert Wagner, Richard Egan, May Britt
Genre: Korean War, Drama, Romance

Premise: During the height of the Korean War conflict, 1952...two jet fighter pilots come into conflict when Major Saville (Robert Mitchum) takes a fancy to Lieuntent Abott's (Lee Philips) wife Kris (May Britt). Ironically it's up to the Major to look after the demoralized Lt Abbott who's self loathing is driving his wife into the arms of the Major.

Review: Sound like a soap opera? hey it's the late 50s and melodramas were all the rage. This one is set during the Korean war and features lots of footage of F86 Sabrejets in action. But the real action is between swaggering Robert Mitchum and May Britt.


Truth be told the melodrama personal stories don't work well here. I like Mitchum but his character has little charisma with May Britt, come to think of it May Britt doesn't have much charisma either...and either does the actor who plays her lack luster husband. The other actor who shines, and he's kind of wacky is Robert Wagner. I got a kick out of young Wagner's hip beatnik talk, and how it confused older Robert Mitchum to no end.

The Hunters is a splashy war picture with on location footage in Japan. Not the best of the sub-genre but still worth a watch.

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Night Moves sounds interesting. I just watched a movie with Fanning; American Pastoral with Ewan McGregor and Jennifer Connelly. Don't think I actually posted anything about this movie that went dark in a way I did not see coming.

I seen that one, did you like it? I was kind of split on it myself. I thought the subject matter was VERY interesting, but it lost me in the last part of the film. Still an interesting film that deals with a subject I knew little about.

I think you would like Night Moves. I know Camo really likes it.

I was a little on the fence as well. I think mostly the direction just really caught me off guard. I knew things were gonna go south, but that whole thing with Merry (Dakota Fanning), was NOT expecting that at all.
I was really happy to see Connelly but I wish there was more going on with her character. She seemed dead inside. I wondered if McGregor directed her that way or if Connelly just wasn't into the character.

The only thing that makes me hesitant for Night Moves is Eisenberg. I've been iffy on that guy for some time now. Don't know why, but I seem to come away with ehhh far too often with him. Though Saarsgard may make up for it. He's pretty amazing. Saw him recently in a TV series called The Killing. Was VERY Impressed by him in that.

Yup, American Pastoral got to be pretty wacky towards the end of the film with what happened to Dakota Fanning. About Jennifer Garner, my guess is she was directed to be a ex beauty queen who felt dead inside. At least it seemed to fit the story, but yeah I know what you mean.

The only thing that makes me hesitant for Night Moves is Eisenberg. I've been iffy on that guy for some time now. Don't know why, but I seem to come away with ehhh far too often with him. Though Saarsgard may make up for it. He's pretty amazing. Saw him recently in a TV series called The Killing. Was VERY Impressed by him in that.[/quote]I'm with you one on Eisenberg, last time I seen him in Café Society I didn't like him at all. But he was suited to this film, and he has very little lines. That's the think with most of Kelly Reichardt movies, there's little dialogue.

only a few lines, eh? Hmm, I may have to go looking for it then

Night Moves added to queue!