Movie #180: The African Queen

Movie #: 180
Movie Title: The African Queen
Year Released: 1951

Director: John Huston
Notable Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Morley

Short Description: In Africa during WWI, a gin-swilling riverboat captain is persuaded by a strait-laced missionary to use his boat to attack an enemy warship. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #65
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 1/21/2016

Grade: 1.5 out of 5 (Marginal)

Rationale: I found The African Queen to be utterly obnoxious and slightly pretentious at times. Based on the IMDB description you’d think this might be good. Sadly, all of the good points are wasted by terrible dialog that doesn’t stand up against the test of time or misleading characterizations. Calling’s Humphrey Bogart character a “gin-swilling riverboat captain” may be accurate, but that only comes into play in a mildly negative way a whopping one time until Katharine Hepburn’s character dumps all the gin into the river. He wasn’t so much “persuaded” into using his boat as a bomb as he was badgered, belittled, and blackmailed after he saves her, out of the goodness of his own heart, from being stranded all alone in the African jungle. That he calls her “old girl” in an affectionate way on numerous occasions is baffling because, at least to me and in this day and age, I wouldn’t assume that’s a compliment. And seriously, her character just stopped hating him what seems like five minutes before they’re talking about having grandkids. That made no sense. Not everything was bad, particularly when they were trying to pull the boat though the marshy area of the river, but plenty of things made this hard to like.

Movie #181: The Intouchables

Movie #: 181
Movie Title: The Intouchables
Year Released: 2011

Director: Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano
Notable Cast: François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot

Short Description: After he becomes a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident, an aristocrat hires a young man from the projects to be his caregiver. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #65
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Note: I’m removing “What I Liked” and “What I Disliked” as I believe I can better express those feelings in a longer, more coherent “Rationale“ than in short bullet points. I’ll still try to touch on those subjects if they apply.



Date Watched: 1/20/2016

Grade: 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding)

Rationale: Beautiful. That one word sums it all up. From the opening scene with a late night police chase though Paris to the final scene in a restaurant off the ocean, The Intouchables was captivating. Omar Sy displayed endless humor and personality and the chemistry between he and François Cluzet was noticeable. I felt the movie contained strong, moving messages of not being afraid to take a chance and finding greater worth in a person beyond a first glance. Absolutely a movie I'd watch again and I'm not the only one who agrees with its greatness as the movie is currently ranked #38 overall on IMDB's Top Rated Movies list, up 27 spots since I compiled my list three years ago.

Movie #182: Strangers on a Train

Movie #: 182
Movie Title: Strangers on a Train
Year Released: 1951

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Notable Cast: Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker

Short Description: A psychotic socialite confronts a pro tennis star with a theory on how two complete strangers can get away with murder - a theory that he plans to implement. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: #66



Date Watched: 1/18/2015

What I Liked: N/A

What I Disliked: N/A

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory)
Rationale: It's been just over a year since I've seen this movie. My grade was how I felt at the time of seeing it, which was just ok. Other posts I've recently written about movies I've seen over a year ago usually have a preface that I don't want to struggle to remember what I liked or disliked. In this case I can't think of anything that sticks out in my mind either good or bad and to me that accentuates it only being ok.

Movie #185: Once Upon a Time in America

Movie #: 185
Movie Title: Once Upon a Time in America
Year Released: 1984

Director: Sergio Leone
Notable Cast: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Joe Pesci, Burt Young, Tuesday Weld, Treat Williams

Short Description: A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan over thirty years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #78
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: #92
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 11/9/2013

What I Liked: N/A

What I Disliked: N/A

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Rationale: It’s been over two years since I’ve seen this movie so I don’t feel like it’s fair to try and remember exactly what I liked or disliked. My grade was how I felt at the time of seeing it and I do recall thinking it was a solid choice for any top movie list, especially of the gangster/crime genre. Definitely one I’d watch again and I’d be particularly interested in seeing the longer cut of the movie that was released in Europe.

Movie #184: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Movie #: 184
Movie Title: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Year Released: 1966

Director: Mike Nichols
Notable Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, Sandy Dennis

Short Description: A bitter aging couple, with the help of alcohol, uses a young couple to fuel anguish and emotional pain towards each other. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)

AFI.com: #67
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 7/6/2014

What I Liked: N/A

What I Disliked: N/A

Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)
Rationale: It’s been over a year and a half since I’ve seen this movie so I don’t feel like it’s fair to try and remember exactly what I liked or disliked. My grade was how I felt at the time of seeing it and I do recall thinking the best scenes were when both couples were in the same room and the older couple was trading shocking insults back and forth with each other.