Two Line Reviews - #379

Movie: The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Plot: A woman with a heart of stone is about to get into her second marriage. Her first husband breaks the wedding along with two disguised news magazine reporters who are under cover to record the event for their magazine. A cocktail party, fatherly wisdom and a friendly babble make the woman realise her faults and help her make the right move!

What Works?

• The casting is absolutely perfect - There is visible magic on screen with the way the characters move on and off it!
• A fast-paced screenplay filled with humorous and engaging entanglements supplement the viewing pleasure.
• Cary Grant's elegant show and the solid show of the other supporting cast get overshadowed by the brilliance of Katahrine Hepburn and the wizardly James Stewart! The duo is unstoppable!

Rich & Hilarious! An awesome classic!

Two Line Reviews - #295

Movie: Harvey (1950)

Plot: A soft natured man gets pooked and sees and befriends a six-foot rabbit. Trouble is the invisibility of the rabbit to others' eyes. This creates a comedy of errors in an asylum leading to confusions and engagements. When attempts are finally made to get rid of the rabbit hallucination off him, his sister realises the worth of such an imagination in letting her brother stay adorably good natured and stops the treatment.


Highlights:

• This film, adopted from a successful play, is as pleasant and clean as the morning breeze; Leaves one's heart heavy after the watch. Kudos to the makers for dishing this out.
• James Stewart deserves all the respect. This film is another example to his natural talent in action. Especially, in a scene behind the bar where he explains his beloved Harvey to the doctor, he is impeccable!
• Sister, the doctor-nurse duo, the assistant, head doctor, gatekeeper, last but never the least - The invisible Harvey are some lovable characterisations.

Invisible yes, but Harvey touches the viewer!

Two Line Reviews - #161

Movie: Mr.Smith goes to Washington (1939)

Plot: A honest and innocent man who values the liberty earned by former great politicians of the USA is elected to the US Senate and he finds that it is corrupt and directed by powers that be. When he is tailored and projected as a corrupt, he fails to back out and plunges into an act of filiburst to get things corrected.

Highlights:

• James Stewart as the senator Jefferson Smith who fights for his lost cause is at his usual best. Watching more and more of him makes me feel he is a definite contender for the 'Best actor of all times' tag.
• The role of Jean Arthur who plays his ally Saunders is sweet and enjoyable.
• The dialogs and the powerful senate scenes are outstanding,credits to Frank Capra.

Verdict: Riveting Political drama, A 'must-watch' classic

Two Line Reviews - #149

Movie: Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Plot: A person proved to have murdered a barman who had raped his wife is defended by a lawyer who vies to prove it was on irresistible impulse that he did the killing. Pitted against the lawyer is a famous city attorney and they play their games of convincing the jury on the convict being guilty/not guilty in an absorbing court-room setup.

Highlights:

• 'James Stewart' is the name. It is one of the best solo performances I've seen in a film. He stands out as the smart and brilliant lawyer. This one is better than his Rope & It's a Wonderful life acts.
• The characters of the convict,his wife, the associate of stewart & his assistant,the judge & the public attorneys - They all perform very well thanks to perfectly etched out characterisations.
• True to its name, this film's screenplay is a perfect 'anatomy' of a murder case bringing in all points necessary.

My Rating: 9.6/10