Tina's October 2013 Movies

Even though October had 31 days, I managed to find time for only 9 movies.  Two of them were about astronauts, several were classics and one was epically bad.  Movies not seen previously are indicated with an * and numbering picks up from the previous month.  Movies are rated on a scale of 0-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 being the top accolade.
116.  The Bicycle Thief* (1948) – This classic from Italian director Vittorio DeSica is a depiction of societal poverty in Italy following World War II.  The story focuses on Antonio, a husband and father desperately seeking work to support his family.  He and his wife pawn their bedsheets to retrieve the bicycle he needs to deliver and display movie posters, a job for which he is extremely grateful.  He is devastated when, on his first day, while mounting a poster, he sees a thief come along and grab his bicycle and pedal away.  Determined to find the thief and get it back, he and his young son Bruno traverse the impoverished streets of Rome looking for the bike and the thief.  This drama is unrelentingly morose, showing everyone afflicted with the same issues as poor Antonio.  I won’t spoil the plot or tell you that this is an enjoyable way to spend an hour and a half, but the story is conveyed with realism and emotion.  Though I am not a fan of subtitles and haven’t heard this much Italian spoken on screen since Lucy stomped those grapes, I got more understanding out of the faces of the people on the screen than I did from the dialog.  Brutal (not in a violent way) but beautiful.  4 cans.
117.  Captain Phillips* (2013) – Stay away from Tom Hanks – far away.  He’s either on a doomed spaceship (“Apollo 13”), stuck on a remote Pacific Island talking to a volleyball (“Castaway”), trapped in an airport terminal where no one speaks his language (“Terminal”), or he is searching all over Europe for a soldier (“Saving Private Ryan”).  Here he is the title character, the captain of a merchant vessel that is invaded by Somalian pirates.  Approaching the ship in not much more than a rowboat with an engine and a long ladder, the small but determined Somalians are there to take over the ship, and they have automatic weapons and nothing to lose.  Phillips and his crew can combat them only with hoses.  Since this story is based on a real incident, you may remember the outcome, but that makes the story no less gripping, as the pirates become more desperate and Phillips does what he has to do to protect his crew.  This is not a relaxing day at the movies.  It is intense and the invaders are fierce, but, as we know, Tom Hanks – terrific as usual – always makes it home.  4 cans.
118.  The Parent Trap (1961) – Way back before digital technology created whole worlds that don’t exist, Hayley Mills managed to be on the screen as two identical characters at once.  She is Sharon and Susie, twins separated by their divorced parents.  They meet at summer camp and realize that they are sisters, and the plot to change places begins.  Brian Keith is the father, about ready to wed a golddigger, and the stunning Maureen O’Hara is the mother.  Why these people separated their children and never told them about each other is the real mystery here, since you can see the happy ending coming from miles away. Still, if you watched this movie as a child, it probably conjures up pleasant memories.  3 cans.
119.  The African Queen (1951) – Bogart.  Hepburn.  A dilapidated boat on a river in Africa and German u-boats on the way.  Fighting the elements and each other, they are two people from different worlds.  You want to see acting?  Watch his iconic gem from John Huston.  And try not to perspire in all that heat.  Corny (now) but classic.  4½ cans.
120.  Pushing Tin* (1999) – First, I thought I recorded the Richard Dreyfuss movie about aluminum siding salesmen.  Turns out, this one is a John Cusak movie about air traffic controllers.  Then, the TV write-up says it is a comedy.  I didn’t find much funny about a bunch of ego-driven guys responsible for safely landing planes.  Cusack is Nick Falzone, the alpha male until enigmatic Russell Bell arrives (Billy Bob Thornton, one of my least favorite actors) with his young wife (a very young brunette named Angela Jolie).  Nick and Ray immediately start vying to be top dog, though their styles couldn’t be more different.  Then Nick steps over – way over – the line, and his act affects his life and his marriage to Connie (Cate Blanchett, far from the English actress we know and love).  There is a lot of unbelievable stuff that goes on, including Nick’s wild behavior on a flight of his own for which he isn’t arrested as he would be today.  I happen to love Cusack, but this movie I could have done without.  2½ cans.
121.  Showgirls* (1995) – The saying goes, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”  If only that were true, this abominable movie would not have been foisted on the movie-going public.  I will admit that I fell asleep, but the movie was so long that when I woke up, it was still going – and going nowhere.  Elizabeth Berkley plays a would-be dancer who starts with nothing and ends up pretty much the same way after a brief run as the “It girl” of a musical/nude dancing review.  I’ve been to Vegas once this movie affirmed my distaste for the town as well as exceeding my expectations of a bad movie.  I will admit to laughing out loud when I first saw Berkley’s character dance on screen.  She was at a club, not on stage, but the flailing of her arms reminded me of Elaine Benes (see Jerry Seinfeld for that reference).  Now Berkley is competing on “Dancing With the Stars” and even in the skimpiest outfits she is way more clothed than she is in this movie.  This movie is everything the critics said it was: BAD. 0 cans.
122.  The Right Stuff ( 1983) – Tom Wolfe’s book is translated to the screen in this story of the men who became America’s first astronauts and heroes.  All of them were pilots and were chosen for their expertise and All-American heroism.  They and their families were both lauded and exploited by NASA.  The terrific cast – Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Sam Shepard, among others – and the compelling history of the race to space make this movie one I catch frequently.  4 cans.
123.  Vera Drake (2004) – British actress Imelda Staunton was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of the title character.  A working class woman who takes care of people, she bustles around her house, tends to her husband and grown children as well as her elderly mother and cleans the homes of wealthy women.  She’s the kind of woman who just wants to help others – not in a preachy, but in a practical way.  When young women find themselves in “the family way” – as an unmarried pregnant woman in 1950 England would be described – she is available to “help” them by performing illegal abortions.  She goes about her chores modestly and lovingly, until one young woman suffers an infection after the procedure and almost dies.  The rest of the movie follows Vera as the police question her.  Staunton virtually shrinks into the character.  She is almost silent except to admit her guilt.  She performed these acts not for money, but simply because she was trying to help, and she told no one, until forced to admit her guilt and live with the shame.  A poignant drama with a perfect performance.  4 cans.
124.  Gravity* (2013) – One of the things I got out of this contemporary space saga of astronauts in trouble is the feeling that we probably took for granted the courage displayed by astronauts in past space programs.  The technical advances made since John Glenn orbited the earth in 1963 are significant, which makes the potential for danger the first astronauts faced that much more terrifying.  Sandra Bullock is Ryan, a doctor and mission specialist flying with veteran Matt (George Clooney) when a shower of debris destroys their spacecraft and threatens their ability to return to earth.  Soon Ryan is forced to rely on her modest training and ingenuity to survive.  The story seems replete with implausibilities, but the visual sensation is stunning – especially if you see it in 3D, which I did (my first 3D experience since looking at “Sleeping Beauty” on my Viewmaster as a child).  I’d be more interested in the story of how this movie was made than on the actual story itself.  But points must be awarded for imagination and creativity and the depiction of floating in space.  If I were Bullock, I’d hook up with Tom Hanks, who manages to get home safely in everything.  3½ cans.