“Forgotten Hollywood”- 21st Century 50 Fav Films (#20, #19)…
Manny P. here…
“`For several months, Forgotten Hollywood has delivered my fifty comfort films of the century. I finally arrived at the Top 20. The previous thirty selections have been thought-provoking and complex examples of what I like to watch during my private time. Here is a recap:
#50 Gosford Park – #49 The Reader – #48 I Tonya – #47 Molly’s Game – #46 The Post
#45 Woman In Gold – #44 Midnight In Paris – #43 The Grand Budapest Hotel
#42 Jojo Rabbit – #41 The Green Book – #40 Hidden Figures – #39 Truth
#38 Dark Water – #37 Chicago – #36 Darkest Hour – #35 Cold War
#34 The Producers – #33 Brooklyn – #32 The King’s Speech – #31 Nightcrawler
#30 Motherless Brooklyn – #29 Charlie Wilson’s War – #28 Richard Jewell
#27 The Ides of March – #26 Argo – #25 Thirteen Days – #24 An Education
#23 The Queen – #22 Hell or High Water – #21 The Ladykillers
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~ #20 – FROST / NIXON (2008)
“`Based on the 2006 play of the same name by Peter Morgan, the story unfolds behind the Frost / Nixon interviews of 1977. The film was directed by Ron Howard. The screen version reunites its original two stars from the West End and Broadway productions: Michael Sheen portraying the frothy British television personality David Frost and Frank Langella as former President Richard Nixon.
“`Co-starring in this slick effort: Kevin Bacon, Rebecca Hall, Oliver Platt, and Sam Rockwell (his third of four appearances on my list). As with all of his productions, Ron casted his kid brother, Clint Howard. It earned five Oscar nominations (none for Clint): Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, and a Best Actor nod for Langella.
“`To prepare for his performance as the former chief executive, Langella visited the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, and interviewed people who had known the former president. On set, the cast and crew addressed Langella as Mr. President.
“`By most accounts, Frost / Nixon does an excellent job of dramatizing the negotiations and preparation that led up to the interviews. It does take dramatic license, especially with the on-air and behind-the-scene details of the Nixon interviews. The film implies that Nixon and Frost were meeting for the first time in 1977, but in fact, Frost interviewed Nixon in 1968 as part of a series on leading candidates in the Presidential election of that year.
“`On a personal note, I saw the play with Sheen and Langella in their familiar roles during a Southern California run. It was a great evening of riveting dialogue and offered me a chance to re-visit my young-adult years as a political science major at UCLA. The subsequent movie did not disappoint either.
~ #19 – AMERICAN HUSTLE (2013)
“`Often after viewing a flick, I say meh. Every once in a while, I re-visit the film and I change my mind. In the rare case of American Hustle, I did a total one-eighty degree turnaround. It does not hurt that I am a huge Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Christian Bale fan. A reliable cameo by Robert De Niro and I was sold.
“`A highly fictionalized account of the Abscam scandal of the late 1970s and early 1980s, the movie is a celebrated trilogy by director David O. Russell (Silver Lining Playbook and Joy). American Hustle also makes fun of the Disco Era, with catchy music, period clothing styles, and really funky hair-do’s. It garnered ten Oscar nominations (winning ZERO): Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Production Design, and acting nods for Adams, Bale, Jennifer Lawrence, and Bradley Cooper.
“`Abscam was an FBI sting in the late 1970s and early 1980s that led to convictions of seven members of congress. The two-year investigation evolved into a public corruption probe. The FBI was aided by the Justice Department and a convicted con-man in videotaping politicians accepting bribes from a fictitious Arabian company in return for various political favors.
“`Russell clearly draws influence from the filmmaking of Martin Scorsese. Nothing like a light-hearted look at a criminal sting of corruption in the body politic to brighten your day!
Until next time> “never forget”
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