Sabrina

Some actors are actors, and others are movie stars. This movie features lead actors who were most emphatically movie stars. Longtime favorite Humphrey Bogart and more recent obsession Audrey Hepburn bring their legendary, luminous presences to this delightful story, which features a ton of charm and wit and just the right amount of romantic sentiment. William Holden—no slouch himself in the movie star department —provides terrific support here, while Billy Wilder brings his usual expertise to both the script and the director’s chair. Mostly though, this story shines because the two leads just bring something extra special to their roles. It’s the kind of thing that Hollywood used to deliver routinely—indeed that it was built upon—and it is ever so refreshing to turn back the clock and experience it once more. A movie that everyone can fall in love with—whether you live in the big house or over the garage. 

Casablanca

A re-viewing review of the greatest movie ever made. Why does this film deserve such lofty acclaim? How can it not? Look at the cast. Humphrey Bogart at his greatest--a definitive role that solidified his place among the silver screen's most powerful immortals. Ingrid Bergman, absolutely luminous as the quintessential love interest. Paul Henreid is asked to act next to Bogart, and pulls off the miracle of holding his own. Support comes from major stars like Claude Rains--who steals scene after scene--and Peter Lorre in a brief but legendary performance. And that doesn’t even count all the brilliant supporting character actors who fill out every scene. Not enough for you yet? Look then at the set design: gorgeous in every detail, particularly the interiors of Rick’s. The costume design? Even a slob like me can see the clothing is first rate; everyone looks like a million bucks. On top of all that, add in a story that, on the personal level of the characters, is compelling in its own right...even if you don’t recognize that the tale itself is a genius metaphor for the contemporary geopolitical situation. Added together, it all merges to make the best movie ever, the essential Best of All classic and No 1 on the Top 10 list. Here’s looking at this one, again and again and again, as long as movies are a part of our culture.

To Have and Have Not

Casablanca lite. It's hard not to make the comparison, given that this flick is nearly identical in plot to the ultimate classic, except for its Caribbean setting and the substitution of Lauren Bacall for Ingrid Bergman (a downgrade in my estimation). The side players aren't nearly as memorable here, nor does there seem to be quite as much on the line with this plot. Even Bogart, the ultimate reliable actor, seems a bit flat in his role. There is enough of interest in this outing to make the sum reasonably entertaining; it's just not the rarefied air that other similar films--not just Casablanca but Key Largo as well--were able to achieve.

All Through the Night (1942)

This piece starts out like a standard-issue crime drama, like one of the hundreds churned out on a regular basis by the studios back in the day. A gambler get set up for a murder, has to prove his innocence (at least on that crime), there's a bunch of noirish goings-on...but wait! Actually, there's something else going on--the year of release is a big hint--and the proceedings turn out to be fairly entertaining, with a hefty amount of nostalgic appeal. The bad guys turn out to be even worse than run-of-the-mill crooks, the hoods (including a couple of later very famous faces, Phil Silvers and Jackie Gleason, no less) turn into heroes, and a simpler, black-and-white world (in a number of senses) lives again, for at least the running time. It's also worth noting that you get to watch two hours of Humphrey Bogart doing his thing, in his inimitable way, and that elevates the proceedings as well. In fact, in certain ways, this movie is almost a prequel to Casablanca. It's not that good, of course, but it's not bad, and--with the exception of some clumsy comic relief--most of this film works very well. You can do a lot worse than this trip down memory lane.

The African Queen

This is one of those movies you hear about a lot, even before you ever see it. What they never tell you is, it's kind of boring. This may have to do more with my own perspective, which has decidedly less interest in how two people feel about each other, and more about what people do. There's not a lot of doing in stretches of this film, though in the end the film makes up for some of those deficiencies with a clever and satisfying resolution. Part of the problem throughout probably comes from the lack of conflict between the protagonists; Hepburn and Bogart, in their characters at least, seem quite mismatched from the start. And then they get a little too into each other too quickly. A little more conflict a little deeper into the proceedings probably would have been more entertaining. (If this film were made today, the leads certainly would hate each other until at least two-thirds of the way through; what that may say about the difference between today and the 1950s is a topic for open discussion, to be sure.) It's also notable that, given the lack of clash with the two characters who share almost all of the running time by themselves, the movie frequently resorts to using the African setting (and its cohort of animals and natural perils) as a substitute for plot and interpersonal drama. That may have impressed audiences back in the day, but it's old hat now. Everyone else can be satisfied with this one as a classic, but I insist upon more than this.

The Petrified Forest

Interesting. Another movie with a lot on its mind, more so than you'd expect from the basic premise (lost people intersect with gangsters in an isolated cafe). This flick gives you healthy doses of thoughtfulness to go along with your serving of violence. And it says something that Leslie Howard makes at least as much of an impression as Humphrey Bogart. All in all, this film is entertaining and effecting in its crisp, hour and a half running time. I think it earns its classic cred. Give it a look.

The Caine Mutiny

When it sticks to its core story--a clash between captain and crew, with subsequent court-martial, during WWII--this is a very good film. When it fools around with a dull and dreary romantic subplot, it really drags. Fortunately, the ship-bound stuff dominates, and that makes it worth a look, along with a cast stacked with heavy-duty actors giving professional performances. Enjoy.

To Have and Have Not

I didn't really find myself getting sucked in by this one when I watched it. The story, some humbug about WWII intrigue in the Caribbean, did little to hold my interest. And you know how I feel about Faulkner (one of the screenwriters). So why the positive recommendation? Because you just can't go wrong watching Bogart do his insolent, tough guy shtick. That's always worth a look.

High Sierra

The movie that made Bogart Bogart. He's good, the same commanding presence on the screen we always think of. But a lot of the rest of this film doesn't play so well. The supporting cast is weak, and the story takes too long to make its point. As a movie milestone, it's good to watch, but if you're just looking for a good film, I'm not so sure.

The Big Sleep

This movie is muddled and confusing. And the on screen sparks between Bogart and Bacall? I didn't believe a moment of it (ironic, since they were hot for each other off screen). So why do I recommend this movie? It's all on Bogart. No one could deliver a line like Bogart. The pleasure of watching him work wins out over everything else.