What I’ve Caught Up With, August 2026
Film: To Die For (1995)
Based loosely on a real-world case, To Die For tells the story of Suzanne Stone (Nicole Kidman), a woman desperate to be on television and willing to do anything to get there, who conspired to have her husband (Matt Dillon) murdered. This is a dark comedy, the sort that isn’t laugh-out-loud funny, but definitely feels like it could easily be turned into a Coen Brothers movie. It’s a good cast all around; early roles for Casey Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix as Suzanne’s high school-aged lover and contracted killer, plus Wayne Knight, Kurtwood Smith, Dan Hedaya, and others. Honestly, if I had known that Illeana Douglas was in this (as the murder victim’s sister), I would have watched it years ago. She’s one of those people I’ll watch in just about anything.
Film: Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
It’s hard to remember a time when Star Trek wasn’t the franchise powerhouse it is, but Star Trek: The Motion Picture was somehow shocking when it showed up. It was filled with nostalgia for people who were fans of the show and people were excited to see these beloved characters and character actors on a big screen. We wouldn’t have all of the Star Trek shows and media without this movie. And so it’s easy to forget just how dull this movie really is. It’s well over two hours long and it could have been a B-story in a standard-length episode. It’s about re-establishing the Trek universe, so plenty of glamor shots of the Enterprise and making sure all of the characters get their screen time. Still, knowing what came from this makes it important and worth seeing. Just make sure you’re fully caffeinated.
Film: Happy Accidents (2000)
Vincent D’Onofrio is an underrated actor who makes everything better. He’s still one of the best casting decisions in the MCU, and he plays weirdos like Edgar in Men in Black or the savant-like Goren from Law & Order: Criminal Intent perfectly. But can he work in a rom-com? Then answer is yes, provided it’s a weird one like Happy Accidents. Sam Deed (D’Onofrio) has a meet-cute with Ruby Weaver (Marisa Tomei), but when his quirks and weirdness finally cause a confrontation between the two of them, he reveals that he is from more than 400 years in the future. This is a hard movie to dislike. Tomei is always better than people want to admit, and D’Onofrio is earnest in only the way that he can be. Oh, and if you’re politically left, look for the appearance of Sam Seder as one of Ruby’s failed boyfriends.
Film: Black Girl (1966)
Barely an hour long, this film from Senegalese director Ousmane Sembène tells the story of Diouana (Mbissine Thérèse Diop), hired to be a nanny to the young children of a French family. Eventually, the family asks her to come with them to France, and Diouana believes she will have an idyllic life looking after the kids and exploring Paris. Instead, she is turned into a cook and maid and essentially no longer allowed to leave the family apartment. Slavery may no longer be legal in its old forms, but that doesn’t mean that those with power haven’t found a way to perpetuate it in the modern world. This is dark and depressing, but important, and is one of the first films from sub-Saharan Africa to really be taken seriously in the cinematic world.
Film: Whirlpool (1950)
A classic, if underknown film noir, Ann Sutton (Gene Tierney) is the wife of a prominent psychoanalyst, and is hiding the fact that she is a kleptomaniac. Rather than go to her husband for help, she is rescued after being caught shoplifting by David Korvo (José Ferrer), who is a hypnotist and something of a quack. Korvo, now with information that can embarrass her, hypnotizes her to help her sleep. Then a few days later, Ann finds herself in the house of another woman next to that woman’s body and with no memory of how she got there. This is a fine example of the style, but it’s very much a film that is more about the story placed in front of us that it is about the characters or the performances. This is story first, everything else second, but Gene Tierney is always worth a view, and Ferrer is exactly the right sort of upsetting.
Film: Nine to Five (1980)
Newly divorced Judy (Jane Fonda), long-time divorcee career woman Violet (Lily Tomlin), and married secretary Doralee (Dolly Parton) all have gripes against their terrible boss, Franklin M. Hart (Dabney Coleman). Judy is angry because he fired a woman who talked about her salary; Violet because he gave her promotion to the man she trained; and Doralee for telling the office they were having an affair. Through a series of problems, the three end up kidnapping their boss and discovering that he has been stealing from the company. Nine to Five is over the top by design, and that’s fine. As the audience, we’re willing to root for our three heroines. It’s worth noting that Peggy Pope as the office alcoholic steals ever scene she’s in. Dolly Parton was the best of us, and it seemed right to honor her by watching one of her best performances.
Black Girl is a masterpiece. I need to upgrade my DVD copy to Blu-Ray as I really love what I have seem from Ousmane Sembene so far. He is the father of African cinema. To Die For is a masterpiece as this is Gus Van Sant's most accessible film and it is so much fun with Nicole Kidman giving a performance for the ages and goddamn.... she was FINE in that film. The first Star Trek film is OK though overlong in some of the scenes as Robert Wise was the wrong director for that film. Thank god for The Wrath of Khan.
ReplyDeleteHow can anyone not love Nine to Five? It would be a sin to dislike that film. It is a masterpiece and I will not allow any slander on that film or on St. Dolly Parton. I love the fantasy sequences as Lily Tomlin's fantasy is FUCKED UP for all of the right reasons. I loved it as a kid and I still love it. I will not also allow any slander on that song. That is country music done right.
Sembene should have made more films. Think of what we could have had! I've seen three of his films (along with Black Girl I've seen Moolaade and Ceddo) and that's fully 25% of his output.
DeleteI liked To Die For. The cast is great top to bottom, and as I said above, I will watch Illeana Douglas in anything.
I don't know that Star Trek: The Motion Picture was dull by design, but they did need to re-establish the cast and the roles, and for that it worked pretty well. It's probably the best of the odd-numbered Treks.
You're not wrong about Nine to Five. All of the female leads are pitch perfect, and Dabney Coleman is the perfect foil for them.
“Whirlpool” has additional layers thanks to having Gene Tierney in the lead. Though the film was made and came out while she was still in relatively good shape psychologically, behind the scenes she had already started to suffer from the bipolar condition that would eventually lead to years of crippling psychiatric problems. Having read Gene’s autobiography “Self-Portrait” she did mention that she found the subject matter, even if it is treated in somewhat of a surface way, unsettling. It was a decent watch but not one of the essentials of any of its players’ filmographies.
ReplyDeleteI adore “Nine to Five”!!! The first half is an observant look at the oppressiveness of the workplace in the late 70’s/early 80’s for many woman with some of the best character work Lily Tomlin has done. Then it takes an absurd, but delightful, turn into wish fulfillment territory and remains just as enjoyable just in another way. All three lead actresses do wonderfully subtle work in rendering the changes in their characters. Sometimes so much so we don’t even realize how much they are changing until their big moment comes along, Jane telling off her jackass ex-husband for instance (her telling him she can do M&M’s!! if she wants to never fails to crack me up). Dolly may never have been anyone but Dolly (a fact she freely admitted) but that is more than good enough, and she just radiates star quality and a gentle spirit. A real loss, she will be and already is sorely missed.
Atta Girl! Peggy Pope!
I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only person who found “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” ponderous! I’m not a Trekkie, though I enjoyed the original show, but I remember going to see this upon its initial release and fidgeting in my seat as it drug on and on and on! If it hadn’t been for the highly entertaining, follow up “The Wrath of Khan” I doubt I would have continued to check out the movies.
I wish I could recall more of “Happy Accidents” than I do. I know I watched it years ago and didn’t hate it, but I’d really have to give it another view to honestly critique it. I’m a fan of his but Vincent D’Onofrio is a unique individualistic performer who is usually memorable however certainly not an everyman type of personality. Love Marisa Tomei too!
“Black Girl” is an intriguing watch but disturbing and dark. I was glad to see it, but I don’t see myself returning to give it another look.
I waited a long time to watch “To Die For” because of my indifference to Kidman but ended up liking it more than I expected even though I wish it had a different leading lady. I’m with you on Illeana Douglas, always an interesting performer though too quirky for long lasting top line stardom. Hopefully she will have an enduring career as a character actress like her grandfather Melvyn did after his leading man period.