Four Weddings & A Funeral (1994)

This film starring Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell was quite a popular hit when released in theatres and was nominated for Oscars. The characters are well developed and the supporting cast is terrific. There are many great one-liners and the accompanying music is enjoyable. I consider this movie one of the best romantic comedies of the 90s. However, MGM has only occassionally produced outstanding DVDs. Unfortunately, this DVD has some artifacts, pixelation, and bare bones content. I was disappointed in the visual and sound quality for a film made so recently (within the last ten years). I would recommend this DVD only if you are a big fan of this film or don't demand quality and rich content in your DVDs.

"Four Weddings and a Funeral" may not be the greatest movie in the history, but it surely is the best modern romantic comedy I ever saw. The only film that can possibly surpass this delightful one is, perhaps, "When Harry Met Sally ..." Maybe tied.

Hugh Grant has starred in many films since then, but his best role is still Charles of this film, who unwittingly finds his love in Carrie, an open-hearted American played by beautiful Andie MacDowell at his friend's wedding. One miatake is, he foolishly couldn't realize it before he let her go after one-night stand. But as the number of ceremony goes up (including one funeral), he gradually comes to notice that he threw away the best thing in his life. And while he is wondering what to do, friends around him start to search for their real love, including his own brother David, his timid friend Tom, Tom's sister Fiona, and Charles's eccentric roommate Scarlet. But where should Charles go? Going back to his countless ex-girlfriends? Or, Carrie? But she got already married.

To be honest, a little abrupt ending of the film damages an entire movie's strength a bit, but all comedies have to pay the price to end the show within an appointed hour. What is incredibly splendid about "Four Weddings" is that the characters are all so lively and sparkling with witty dialogue that you think they are not acting at all. Actually, on top of Hugh Grant, many actors are still associated with the roles in this film even if they got more populality after this film; Kristin Scott Thomas is later to be nominated Oscar for her turn in "English Patient," but she will be remembered as deliciously aristocratic Fiona. John Hannah made his name popular through the Hollywood blockbuster series of "Mummy," but still he is kind-hearted Matthew to those who have seen him recite W H Auden (most touching moment) in "Four Weddings." This is that kind of film that changes the cast's life. It happens once in your lifetime.

With this great ensemble cast, we have fantastic script by Richard Curtis, filled with funny lines uttered by completely believable characters. He does not fail to take great care of minor characters, and give them equally good moments. Look how Serena, in love with handsome David who is hearing impaired, learns sign. Trying to impress him, she mixes up "nice" with "mice," but, you know, when boys and girls are in love. nothing can stop them from understanding each other. Cute.

Brilliantly written, "Four Weddings" is a superb model of romantic comedy. If you like this type of movie, you surely will fall in love with it; and if you're not, your mind will be changed just like mine (I didn't expected much from it, so I didn't go to theater until the last day). And the film never forgets the sad side of life as the title implies. Sad thing is one of the cast Charlotte Coleman, who played most unconventional bridesmaid Scarlett, has passed away recently. She is terrific.

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This was a very good movie. Hugh Grant is charming and funny in a clumsy way. Andie MacDowell is cute and charming as well. The cast as a whole is terrific. I recommend this movie to all. The DVD on the other hand, was very poor. I have watched a lot of DVDs in the past year and this was one of the worst. I felt like I was watching a VHS tape. The picture was very bland and the colors were muted. I know the English are pale, but this DVD transfer did not do them any justice. On top of the poor video quality, the sound was just as awful. The volume was very low, and jumpy at times. The dialog at times didn't come through clearly and there was no use of the surround channels. This movie could use a thorough update to the entire pakage. A new video transfer, a new audio 5.1 channel mix and some extras would have made this a top DVD. Instead MGM decided to skip all the goodies technology has to offer to keep the price of this DVD down. Too Bad, Its a Great Movie.

Read Best Reviews of Four Weddings & A Funeral (1994) Here

As a movie I will rate it 4 stars, but the video quality is very bad, lot of artifacts, blury images, MGM transfer is really a big disappointment.

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The 1994 movie, "Four Weddings and a Funeral", was an international box office hit and the pioneer in the film genre known as the 'Romantic Brit-Com'. This is a genre of usually small budget, comedic films, that are about the romantic lives of good looking, young Brits (usually with a close group of witty, quirky, supportive friends), who must overcome self-doubt and bad timing to make true love happen. A good number of these films star British actor, Hugh Grant and have been written (and sometimes directed) by Richard Curtis ("Notting Hill" "Love Actually," "Bridget Jones"). Curtis has been so involved in this genre, that he's basically been annoited "King of the Romantic Brit-Coms". "Four Weddings" was pretty much the first of these films. This movie mostly takes place at public events, which are of course the "Four Weddings and a Funeral" in the title. In the film we meet Charles (Hugh Grant) and his close knit group of quirky, witty, supportive friends. We never find out what they do for a living, what their backgrounds are and only get hints of how they know each other. It's as though we are guests at a wedding meeting these people for the first time. What we do find out is that Charles seems to be a perennial wedding guest/Best-Man. He has great doubts about his troubled romantic life and wonders if he is ever destined to meet, that one special person, who he might actually marry. He also always seems to be putting his foot in his mouth and getting into embarassing comic situations (I love the scene, where he gets stuck at a table filled with all his ex-girlfriends!) At the first wedding he meets a glamorous American named, Carrie (played by a luminous, Andie MacDowell). They meet, flirt, even wind up in bed with each other over the course of the different public occasions. But of course because of self-doubt and bad timing, these characters can never really seem to get it together and declare their true love for each other. It's not hard to figure out how this all ends, but the long and winding road over the course of the four weddings and a funeral are quite funny, sad and interesting for all. This is due to the very funny and poignant script from Richard Curtis and sure direction from Mike Newell. The cast is top notch. Hugh Grant has a star making performance in the lead role. Other standout performances include actors Simon Callow as the gregarious, full of life, Gareth and John Hannah as Matthew, who just stops the film with an emotion filled eulogy. Kristin Scott Thomas is also very good as Charles' friend Fiona, who secretly pines for him. Finally, mention should be of British Comedian, Rowan Atkinson's short, but drop dead hilarious turn, as a very nervous, new Vicar, who can't seem to get the wedding vows right! ("Do you take Lydia Jane Hibbert to be your Awful wedded wife!") Originally, this film was released in a pretty primitive bare bones release. It has now been released in a newly minted, 'Deluxe Edition'. The picture is cleaned up and presented in widescreen. I thought the sound in this edition left a lot to be desired. The extras are wonderful. They include a full length commentary track from the filmmakers and a number of short documentaries and featurettes on the making of the film, that prove to be very interesting. But best of all are the deleted scenes (with commentaries), that flesh out the backgrounds of the characters a little more. This film is a wonderful romantic comedy, that leaves you wanting more. Great film! Highly recommended!

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The Beaver (2011)

Although I've never been a fan of Mel Gibson as an actor, producer, or person, I was drawn to see "The Beaver" by watching the fascinating movie trailer clips of Gibson playing a seriously depressed middle-aged man, as well as the associated media interviews given by Jodie Foster explaining what she was trying to achieve as director. Wow! First of all, this film is far more entertaining than the subject matter (debilitating depression) or the reviews would suggest. Even Foster who directed the film calls it "quirky" and "not a comedy". No, it's not a comedy, but there are a number of scenes in this film that made me chuckle. My favorite is a profile shot of Gibson and the Beaver puppet resting in bed after making love with Foster. A very cool and humorous shot... So you will be entertained if you are open to just following the movie as it unfolds. This is not a boring movie.

Overall, I really enjoyed almost everything about "The Beaver". It's well-written and directed, the quality of the filming is good, and I became emotionally engrossed in the main characters even though the plot is uneven in certain spots. To my surprise, I didn't even think about Mel Gibson being a troubled celebrity during the movie. As Walter the primary character, he was so convincing physically and his performance was so believable that I followed Walter's progress through the story without seeing him as Mel Gibson the person. Jodie Foster says she chose Gibson because he was perfect for the role, and she is correct. I can't think of anyone else who could pull off such a memorable performance acting mostly with a hand puppet. So my first Oscar nomination goes to Mel Gibson for playing Walter.

My second Oscar nomination goes to Jodie Foster for directing a multifaceted and creative movie that connects with the audience and entertains on many levels. And she does that smoothly while dealing with a serious subject without being preachy or making the audience feel down. I was able to watch Walter's saga of depression without getting depressed myself. Instead, I was intrigued by the characters and how they interacted. Jodie Foster certainly deserves an Academy Award for her directing skills in "The Beaver".

My remaining "half Oscar" goes to Jodie Foster and Anton Yelchin (playing the wife and angry son respectively) for their excellent supporting performances. Both of them are believable in their roles as confused and angry family members. They kept me interested in their reactions the whole movie as I watched the plot develop.

"The Beaver" is really two stories combined in one movie. The first story is about Walter's depression as the father, and the second story is about his son's personal growth as a teenager. They are both done well, although I agree with some reviewers who say the son's story intrudes too much on the primary plot of Walter's dealing with depression by using a puppet as his alter ego. A little less teenage drama would have been good, but it didn't really detract from my enjoying the movie overall.

I highly recommend "The Beaver" as a top quality film that is both thought-provoking and entertaining. When I left the theater, I knew that I had just watched a really good movie that was worth my time and money. That's a very nice feeling, and unfortunately all too rare these days...

i had been waiting to see this film for months and when it was finally released it wasn't released in my city. i traveled over an hour to see this film and was definitely not let down. both gibson and foster give outstanding performances in this dark comedy/drama. jodie foster is my favorite actress and this is the first film she has directed in 15 years. it was totally worth the time, money, and drive to see this film. will definitely be purchasing when it is released onto dvd. go see it!

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This is a film about a man whose marriage is collapsing and his family business is failing. He is about to commit suicide when a beaver puppet on his arm talks him out of it. This becomes his primary form of communication with all those around him. I found The Beaver to be quite enthralling with the effect the puppet had on his familial and business relationships remarkable and the performance of Mel Gibson to be outstanding. I just really liked the puppet character, the accent that was voiced for him by Gibson. The drama endured by his oldest son, with whom the relationship is strained, I felt was quite interesting. His tale doesn't distract from the Beaver storyline, but adds to it. The film is a fascinating look at how mental illness can damage a man's life and affect those around him.

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A depressed CEO of a toy company accidentally finds a way to communicate with others through a hand puppet he found in a dumpster. While his younger son and estranged wife, as well as his company's employees, welcome his change, his older son, afraid of becoming like his father, just doesn't like it.

Mel Gibson plays the depressed CEO Walter Black. Jodie Foster is his alienated wife Meredith. Anton Yelchin is Walter's elder son Porter, who writes term papers for other students for money; Jennifer Lawrence is Norah, the valedictorian who asks Porter to write a speech for her. Their budding romance is just a subplot, but seems more believable than the main story.

The film's premise about the troubled man with a hand puppet is already something hardly credible, especially when Mel Gibson's character goes through the change so quickly. When the beaver hand puppet started 'speaking' in a Cockney accent, I stopped caring. Is it an allegory or something? Is there any subtexts underlying the apparently incredible storyline? I know the hand puppet idea does not have to be psychologically valid. In "The Beaver" it serves as a plot device a device of which potential is never explored.

"The Beaver" is a drama, not a comedy. If it is a comedy, it is a dark one. We know Jodie Foster (who also directs) is not known for comedic roles. But as a drama, like in her works as director ("Little Man Tate" and "Home for the Holidays"), something is not quite right with the film, of which characters (including the "Beaver"), well-acted as they are, feel very distant. Despite the drastic thing that happens in the latter half of the story, we feels emotionally detached. Is that really necessary?

The film's uneven script does not allow us to get to know the characters. We see Mel Gibson turning in compelling performances, but we do not meet the person Walter Black. We are fascinated by his acting, not by the character's spiritual journey. The film is sincere and intelligent, and has a unique concept, but that alone is not enough to draw us into the story it tells.

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"I'm The Beaver, and I'm here to save your damn life." Walter (Gibson) is in a very, very deep depression. A failed suicide attempt leads him to his last chance at recovery, a puppet called The Beaver. Disclamier #1 I will do my best to keep this review short enough to take up the whole page here. Since the 1st of the year I have reviewed over 200 movies. This is one of, if not the best movie of the year. Disclaimer #2...the extent of my personal knowledge of the real actors are what I read and I do not know them personally. Every interview I see when actors talk about the characters they play they are always in the 3rd person, trying to distance themselves as not to bring thier personal lives in to the part. This is the extremely rare movie that the baggage an actor brings with him actually helps the movie. The first line on the back of the case says "Walter, once a successful and happy family man, has hit rock bottom." You could insert the name Mel and it would make even more sense. The first movie he has made since his "Meltdown" and there is no better way to return then this one. This is the greatest job of casting in a movie since Samuel L. Jackson played "Shaft". For those that love Gibson, you will absolutly love this movie. For those that don't, I would still ask you to give this a chance. Going in knowing what he as done recently only helps give the character the dimension that it needs. His acting in this is far and away the best of his career and possibly of the year. The big problem is that because of what he has done recently this movie as a stigma put on it so don't expect any award show wins. The irony is that it is because of who he is that makes the movie great. Overall, an absolute must see. Mel Gibson is amazing in this movie, and it may make you think different of him. I easily give it an A+ (higher if I could)...A++..there!

Would I watch again? I will buy this and show it to as many people as I can.

*Also try Barney's Version & A Beautiful Mind

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Another Gay Movie & Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone (2005)

The first movie I watched when I was in high school and had to go to the art house theater out here. I loved it so much I went many more times and took friends. The movie is so campy but it does it well. The second one is even more campy but loses some of the charm the first had.

The blu ray does come with the special features that was on the DVD and with a pretty good transfer, but nothing to ride home about. It is nice to be able to get both in one collection and save rather than buy both for more.

The fact it's on one disc is not my favorite thing cause it feels like I didn't get much, but they save money on distribution and makes this as cheap as it could.

Overall good buy if you don't own them, or if you just want to include it with your blu rays

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Meeting Spencer (2011)

smart, intelligent little piece with award winning actors. Won best actress at the Milan film festival, and best supporting actor.

Jeffrey Tabor and Melinda McGraw are naturals

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General Education (2012)

The movie was okay and had some funny scenes, but at best, it was just okay. I should have waited until it came on public TV.

Hollywood likes to openly proclaim that it embraces American values, but, if GENERAL EDUCATION is any indication, I'm not entirely certain Tinseltown even recognizes what sentiments average Americans embrace any longer. Granted, children are always going to have some `secrets' they hold out on their parents, but why glamorize it? Also, parents are always going to want something better for their children, but do they seriously force them to pursue dreams that'll more likely drive their kids into bankruptcy instead of having a life of personal fulfillment? I could go on, but methinks I don't want to spoil too much of this political claptrap in the first paragraph!

(Note: the following review will contain minor spoilers necessary for the discussion of characters and plot. If you're the kind of reader who prefers a review spoiler-free, then skip down to the last two paragraphs for my final words. However, if you're entirely accepting of some hints at things to come, then read on.)

Levi Collins (played by Chris Sheffield) appears to have a bright future. He's just "won" an athletic scholarship for tennis that should give him the `full ride' for tuition, but, as luck would have it, he has one problem: he hasn't yet successfully graduated from high school!

And therein lies the central problem of GENERAL EDUCATION: very little of what we're shown makes any sense. Only a few minutes after being granted a full scholarship by a sexually suggestive college recruiter (???), we're told Levi has to "compete" in a tournament and "win" in order to obtain it. Despite the fact that the script assures us that Levi is a tennis pro even descended from other tennis pros in his family history we're never shown him playing AT THE LEVEL of a tennis pro. In fact, we're only shown him repeatedly losing.

As the film unfolds, we learn that this is what accounts for "plot development" because Levi's father (and town mayor), Rich Collins (comedy veteran Larry Miller), is the only one who's pushing for his son to become a tennis star. Levi has no interest in it which is good since he can't play it or, rather, plays fairly poorly nor does he have any aspirations for college except for the fact that he knows he wants to attend Arizona State University, a choice apparently not to his father's liking.

Somehow, the audience is supposed to find all of this "funny."

To further complicate his family life, mom Gale (woefully miscast Janeane Garofalo) is taken to speaking in slight sarcasm while repeated swilling glasses of wine. At one point, Levi along with his older brother and younger sister find Mommie Dearest modestly incapacitated (think `drunk') while fully clothed in the bathtub late in the day after a grueling evening of drinking. Weakly, she waxes on about the troubles of raising children who will all grow up and leave home someday like she's the only parent who ever suffered from such a revelation.

And again, somehow, the audience is supposed to find all of this "funny."

However, back to Levi's antics. See, he's forced to lie to his parents about graduating from high school for which he's wistfully forgiven because it's all their fault, after all. In order to get his diploma, he'll suffer through a ten-day summer school program in Earth Sciences. Eighty percent of his grade for the class is the presentation of a class project, and, on a whim, Levi decides to convert his new car into `hybrid' that'll run on vegetable oil. The main problem with this `project' is that he never does any of the work! His brother also a failed tennis pro is suddenly revealed to have world class automotive skills and installs the already invented filter into the engine and ... voila! Passing grade! Plus, a happy ending!

And still, miraculously, writer/director Tom Morris expects audiences to find all this scathingly "funny."

There's so much wrong in the presentation of GENERAL EDUCATION that I won't trouble readers with the lion's share. What I truly found relevant was the fact that this appears to largely have been an independent production outside the standard Hollywood studio system but, under Morris's direction, it all kinda/sorta stinks like a failed Disney Channel Saturday Night Movie. None of the right sentiments are baked into the cake indeed, many of the jokes come off as half-cocked puns that even Disney stars quite possibly wouldn't be caught dead performing and, instead, we're treated up to the slightly veiled "it takes a village to get a kid to pass high school" formula. Before all is said and done, Dad's at fault, Mom's at fault, the school's at fault, the law's at fault, society's at fault, but rest assured the kids are alright.

Poorly conceived and woodenly acted, EDUCATION has a few moments of mirth that play out honestly. I can't help thinking that those were the accidents here and not what Morris and his cast and crew intended.

GENERAL EDUCATION is produced by Pelican House Productions. DVD distribution is being handled through Well Go USA Entertainment. As for the technical aspects, the sights and sounds are acceptable though nothing grand the sound mix was a bit off (I had to crank up the center speaker volume in order to hear the actors' dialogue) in the opening sequences, but it seemed to even out about twenty minutes in. The disc comes with a respectable assortment of bonus features an audio commentary, outtakes, making-of short, and the original theatrical trailer but I didn't invest any time with them as the overly maudlin quality of the picture turned me a bit sour in the conclusion.

SLIGHTLY RECOMMENDED but with some strong reservations. There's part of me that wants to recommend GENERAL EDUCATION to families because, in many respects, it's clearly intentioned as a light-hearted romp about a boy, his family, and his misadventures. Still, there's another part of me that sees the film for what it is: a slightly veiled attempt to discredit traditional American family values and supplant them with some Liberal / Progressive hogwash hoping no one will notice. As it is, there are far too many weird secondary subplots (many of which come get introduced and then brushed away from some genuinely bad comic writing) that spoil whatever good intentions the filmmakers may've been able to muster.

In the interests of fairness, I'm pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Well Go USA Entertainment provided me with a DVD screener of GENERAL EDUCATION for the expressed purposes of completing this review.

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Tom Morris has worked on quite a few films as a camera operator and has even written and directed several short films. But this time Morris joins writers Elliot Feld and Jaz Kalkat as co-writer and director of the coming-of-age comedy "General Education".

The film would star veterans Larry Miller ("Pretty Woman", "10 Things I Hate About You", "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"), Janeane Garofalo ("24″, "Mystery Men", "Ratatouille") and feature Chris Sheffield ("Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon", "The Rookie"), Maiara Walsh ("Switched at Birth", "Cory in the House", "Desperate Housewives", "Mean Girls 2″), Skylan Brooks ("Seven Pounds", "Our Family Wedding") and Elaine Hendrix ("The Parent Trap", "90210″, "Superstar").

VIDEO:

"General Education" is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:34:1). Outdoor scenes are quite vibrant showcasing wonderful contrast while indoor scenes were good. For the most part, "General Education" does look very good on Blu-ray!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"General Education" is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD MA. The soundtrack is primarily dialogue and music driven. But there is probably a few scenes where the surround channels and LFE are used (scenes with fireworks). But for the most part, dialogue and music are crystal clear and primarily front and center channel driven.

SPECIAL FEATURES

"General Education" comes with the following special features:

Audio Commentary Featuring audio commentary by Tom Morris and the co-writers and producers of the film: Jaz Kalkat, Kevin Liang, Elliot Feld and sound editor Tim Hoogenakker.

Outtakes (5:39) Outtakes from "General Education".

Making Of Featuring interviews with the cast about their characters and the crew about the making of "General Education".

Trailer (1:44) The theatrical trailer for "General Education".

JUDGMENT CALL:

"High Hopes" is a coming-of-age film that doesn't really break any new ground. There were a few times in which I thought the film would go one way or try to be clever with its storyline but instead, the film turned out to be quite banal and average.

It's a standard story about a guy who wants to graduate but his parents are pushing him to be something that he doesn't want to be.

Part of the problem of the film is that the writers play things too safe. How is Levi really being affected? I suppose the film could have been dark and had him becoming a drug addict, alcoholic or something terrible but I suppose that we have seen those type of films before.

But there are a few things that left me scratching my head of "why?". Why do some of the characters look like they came from a bad '80s film? Why is a 13-year-old Charles (portrayed by Skylan Brooks) walking around with no shoes on? Yes, he outgrew them but what is up having a young Black male in a film and his family can't purchase him shoes? Why have him shoeless to begin with? It makes no sense. You find out that Brian Collins has quit his professional tennis career because he finds out that his girlfriend is dating a big Black man. And why did the man have to hit Brian with a baseball bat? Makes no sense!

The nervous breakdown suffered by Gale Collins (by Janeane Garofalo), didn't seem natural. She's a mother who cares for her children, who are growing older and avoiding her. But not once do we see her going off about how she feels. She's just found laying in the bathtub. There was no build-up for that moment. Which would have been quite fascinating as it was probably the most reserved performance by Garofalo since her appearance on "24″.

You bring in Levi's friends which could have been fascinating in a "Superbad" kind of way as Levi's friend including Andy (portrayed by Harvey Guillen) was funny. But the film steers clear of them and focuses on Levi's relationship with the girl he likes and learning about how his brother wants to choose his own destiny. But you have Levi hanging out with Shady Nick (portrayed by Seth Cassell) who seems like a jock of the '80s and is a 20-year-old in high school. Once again, it doesn't make any sense and it would have been better suited to play the strengths of the comedic sides of Andy who was much more fascinating and funny that the character of Shady Nick.

But as much as I question the film for its use of characters and overall storyline, for what it is, you get a safe coming-of-age film. I just wish that the writers took a bit more risk because the storyline for "General Education" could have been a bit more serious or even darker. And even if it was too be all about the comedy, the film could have utilized characters much better.

But with that being said, for filmmaker and writer Tom Morris, a jack-of-all trades when it comes to his involvement with films and co-writers Elliot Feld and Jaz Kalkat, this is a good start and definitely a film that these guys received great experience and I'm sure we'll see something much better from them next time because of this film.

Overall, "General Education" is a teen comedy/coming-of-age film that plays it a bit too safe with its characters and its overall plot. It's an average film, not terrible, nor great but you can't help but feel that it could have been much better

Read Best Reviews of General Education (2012) Here

I don't laugh out loud much at films, but this one had me busting up in a couple of places. Good clean fun with just a bit of edge, If you like coming of age movies, this is a win!

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GREAT MOVIE! A great coming of age/family story with lots of quircky comedy! The cast and crew did a great job putting this together!

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Father Goose (1964)

If you liked the original The Odd Couple slob and compulsive neatnik thrown together in the same apartment or Heaven Knows Mr. Allison tough guy WWII Marine marooned on an enemy-held South Pacific island with a pretty nun, then you should enjoy FATHER GOOSE starring Cary Grant, Leslie Caron and Trevor Howard. I saw it once again on the telly this past weekend while doing the ironing, and I'm fortunate to be old enough to have an appreciation of all three films.

Grant is Walter Eckland, an antisocial, unkempt escapee from "civilization" that spends his time bumming around the South Seas on an old yacht. At the start of WWII, he's coerced into service as a "coast watcher", an observer stationed on a remote island as a lookout for Japanese planes or ships, by the wily and dry-witted local Royal Australian Navy authority figure, Comdr. Houghton (Howard). Eckland is bribed with booze to perform in His Majesty's service. One of his first assignments is to boat over to another island and rescue a fellow coast watcher. But, on arriving, he finds only his colleague's grave and the Caron character, Catherine Freneau, the daughter of a French government official, who's been stranded with a bevy of underage schoolgirls of which she has charge. Walter naturally takes them back to his island and his hovel, where the differences between the two adults soon surface. To Eckland, Freneau becomes "Goody Two Shoes", while, to the latter, her knight in stained armor becomes the "Filthy Beast".

While admittedly silly entertainment, FATHER GOOSE is a delightful romantic comedy that doesn't, like some of the current Tinseltown offerings, rely for laughs on sensitive body parts being caught in zippers, bodily fluids masquerading as hair gel, or carnal knowledge of apple pies. This film has Class, chiefly due to the presence of Grant, who character demonstrates more suavity unshaven and without socks than any one of today's crop of male actors dressed up in a tux. (Perhaps only Sean Connery, Robert Redford and Paul Newman are close to being in the same league.) Caron's strong-willed and very feminine Freneau is more than a match for Eckland's obstinately boorish masculinity a pairing made in heaven, or at least Hollywood.

Perhaps my high esteem for this film is more a function of nostalgia. But there're a lot of other films from that same period of my youth that are eminently forgettable, so I have to think that FATHER GOOSE is a cut above.

Cary Grant is cast as Walter Eckland in this very funny classic comedy. His normal sexy leading man characteristics are downplayed to let his comedic genius shine through. He stars opposite Leslie Caron cast as Catherine Freneau. They are an accident waiting for a place to happen at their first meeting, and it just gets worse from there. Walter is bribed and threatened into service as a watcher in WWII. Catherine is a diplomat's daughter given the responsibility of escorting several school children into a safer area. When they are all stranded together, the hilarity, and battle of the sexes begins.

This is one of my favorite comedies, and one of Cary Grant's last movies. No one does it like he does. A great film that the entire family can enjoy together.

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One of the immortal Cary Grant's last films, this particular one is a romantic, witty little gem. Well-scripted, well-acted, and full of really weird humor, this is one to treasure.

Walter Eckland has no intention of getting himself involved in World War II -no intention, that is, until he is "drafted" into service to the Allies. Basically he needs to keep an eye open for the Japanese. He reluctantly obeys, but his mission suddenly takes a weird turn when he rescues a slew of civilians: the prim, devious schoolteacher Miss Freneau, and her seven little girl charges. Before Eckland knows what's happening, they've taken over his little house, his clothes, his food -and his whisky. (It's the last one that really makes him nuts) To his horror, they won't be picked up for at least three weeks.

An extended, very witty battle of the sexes takes place, as Miss Freneau dodges and weaves around Eckland, and Eckland tries to retain some mastery over his domain. But a series of crises (comical and serious) force Eckland and Freneau not only to deal with the Japanese, but also with each other.

Cary Grant shows more of his versatility in this film, since his comical talents are usually passed by in favor of his rugged sexiness. That sexiness is buried in this one, under the scraggliness of a beachcomber who is rebelling against the world with alcohol. Revelations about his past are somehow quite appropriate; as a character in another of Grant's movies said, "you have unexpected depth."

Leslie Caron, whom I had previously seen only in "Gigi," is also in rare form here. She makes Miss Freneau both sympathetic and mildly repressed, with a dry wit and a very devious mind. She also manages one of the funniest scenes I have ever seen in a movie, where Miss Freneau gets drunk after being bitten by a snake. Her acrobatics ("Ooooooh, is it getting hot in here?"), weird confessions ("I'm a picture straightener!") and the occasional lapse into insanity ("Tell me, I want to know, what did my blood taste like?") are too funny for words.

Other highlights include the chaplain and the accordian player, and the delightfully deadpan Trevor Howard as a Navy commander who's not afraid to play dirty. The writing is excellent; the mutual realizations by Freneau and Eckland may seem a little hasty and contrived, but that can be easily passed by.

This is fine to watch with the kiddies -there is virtually no profanity, no smut, a little non-bloody violence, and children will probably enjoy the antics of the seven little girls (such as the of-repeated whine "I wanna go home!"). There is one scene of drunkenness, however, and we are treated to sly indicators of more mature material ("he... he made a GESTURE, sir!" "Oooh, he called the captain a dirty name"). The little girls themselves are remarkably well-acted by believable child actors, except for the oldest one. One particular highlight is the little girl who keeps biting Eckland's hand.

Recommended especially for romantic comedy fans, and for fans of Caron and Grant. Or simply watch if you're in the mood for fun.

Read Best Reviews of Father Goose (1964) Here

"Father Goose" is one of my all-time favorite movies. Made in 1964, it's a warm, slightly off-beat romantic comedy, starring Cary Grant and Leslie Caron.

Walter Eckland (Grant) is an irascible, middle-aged, slightly besotted curmudgeon sailing the South Pacific during World War II in search of...well, something...anything! After getting caught "borrowing" some gasoline from the British Navy for his boat, he's blackmailed into serving as a plane spotter. Resentful after being stranded on a tiny island, he misses his liquid companionship, which the Navy has taken from him and hidden. So, Walter vows not to lift a finger to help the Navy. He relents, though, (after being promised some liquid refreshment) and motors on over to a neighboring island to rescue a fellow plane spotter in danger of capture by the Japanese.

Alas, the fellow plane spotter is dead. Walter instead finds Catherine Freneau, a very proper, teetotaling, but attractive French schoolteacher with seven young girls in her care. Stranded on the neighboring island, she asks Walter for help. He reluctantly agrees, and they all return to Walter's home base. And then...

Well, I won't give the story away. Needless to say, fireworks erupt between Catherine and Walter, and the classic battle of the sexes is on!

This is a very funny movie, although it's probably better for the guffaw and the bellylaugh, rather than the outright howl of laughter. Grant is superb in his role as the gruff but kind-hearted Walter (a refreshing departure from his usual role as a romantic "smoothie"), and Caron nearly steals the show with her comic portrayal of the equally warm-hearted schoolma'arm hiding behind a facade of old-fashioned primness.

If you like a good old-fashioned romantic comedy with great action, a superb plot, sparkling screenplay, lots of laughs, AND featuring your favorite stars...you'll love Father Goose!

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"Father Goose" is a lot of fun and is arguably Cary Grant's funniest and finest film. Yes, he was great in "Charade", "North by Northwest", "Notorious", etc -but here his honed skills and comedic timing pay off in this very funny film and makes it well worth seeing. You don't have to be a Cary Grant fan to enjoy this film -but after seeing it, you will be.

"Father Goose" was nominated for Best Picture (Musical/Comedy) by the Golden Globe and won an Oscars for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen in 1965. The cast, production, direction, photography, story -all are top notch.

The film looks terrific on DVD with an aspect ratio of 1.85. The South Pacific cinematography adds greatly to the visual impact of this film. There are brief bios and filmographies of the priniciples. That's all. No further extras. This film is 16x9 enhanced.

Highly recommended!

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Au Pair Girls (1972)

The Au Pair Girls is somewhat dated but the dialogue is so bad it is entertaining. The girls show off their bodies throughout the film in the most contrived and "innocent ways". One of the Star Au Pair Girls was played by Actress Gabrielle Drake. She played a staring role in the Gerry Anderson TV series UFO as Lt Gay Ellis. Gabrielle Drake bares all in the Au Pair Girls. It is worth a look.

This film falls into the category of a victimless 'guilty pleasure'. Sort of like sneaking in a chocolate bar while you're on a diet. The Au Pair Girls is British exploitation, plain and simple, with a nifty 70's twist. It was a hoot just to see the various fashions and hairstyles that were popular at the time. And a bit of a surprise to see full frontal nudity, considering the year it was released (1972). There's not much of a plot, it basically covers 24 hours in the lives of 4 young women who arrive in England to start their new lives as au pairs.

Your first tip-off that this film isn't exactly a top shelf production happens about 6 minutes into the movie. As the au pair girls are arriving at the agency, a man directs them to an elevator. To the right, a flight of stairs. As German lovely Christa (Nancie Wait) arrives, you can actually see the shadow of a boom microphone on the wall at the top of the stairs. This gaff is made all the more humorous by the fact that only music is heard at this scene, no dialogue.

I got the film basically for one reason: Gabrielle Drake. I had a terrible crush on her as a kid, watching her in the role of Lt. Ellis, one of the purple-haired dolls on the moonbase in the short-lived sci-fi series 'UFO'. She didn't disappoint here, leaving precious little to the imagination. Le Le May, also known as Nan Lee, Le Le Mai and half a dozen other names, is also an eyeful. The Burma-born beauty had the least 'skin time' of the four, but she had more prominent roles in the cheesy Italian schlock films like 'Man From Deep River', and 'Jungle Holocaust'. Nancie Wait looks nice as the German virgin, Christa. The daughter of the couple who she's staying with, Carole, decides to give her a night she'll never forget by introducing the innocent au pair to rock singer Ricky Strange, an obvious, but laughable imitation of Jim Morrison. In the film's only truly emotional and touching scene, after a passionate fling with Ricky, Christa then sees him fall into the arms of his open-minded girlfriend, the aforementioned Carole, for more lovemaking. Christa collapses in tears, realizing that she has just been used and what was supposed to be a 'special night', has been robbed from her forever. The final au pair, played by Astrid Frank, to me, was the least attractive, as a woman and a character in the movie. After watching her, I have a good idea how all the 'dumb blonde' jokes got started. She was just too stupid to be likeable.

All in all, if you like nostalgic 'naughty' films from the silly 70's, this one should fit the bill nicely. Mostly an excuse for a T&A show, but an enjoyable one.

Buy Au Pair Girls (1972) Now

I remember seeing this at the pictures (having bunked in, because I was too young).

I thought it was very funny at the time and that Gabrielle Drake was stunning.

Well, that sort of 'Mind Your Language' come 'Adventures of ...' humour has dated beyond recollection of anything amusing.

But it was well worth the dosh just to see Gabrielle Drake in all her glory again.

Read Best Reviews of Au Pair Girls (1972) Here

Silly stuff in the vein of the Carry On series of extended comedy sketches turned into sometimes laborious movies.

And as such, expect stereotypical characters reciting predictable lines in tried, tested and silly situations.

What makes it intriguing is that the film does not shy away from showing flesh atypically, when a 'risqué' situation arises, instead of alluding to the exposed breast, bottom or pussy, it is just shown, sometimes longer than needed. I imagine for it's era, that was unusual.

And also stereotypically, only the girls are treated in that fashion. I don't recall any male nudity.

Why did I watch it? I think our society's hang-ups around sex and nakedness are problematic, and movies that manifest differently are intriguing.

Is this a movie that alters the conversation in this realm? Only in that by not shying away from showing what is taboo and treating it as normal, albeit with dysfunctional on-screen reactions to those situations.

Bottom line: it's silly and naked girls are shown in silly situations, never explicitly.

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Felt like I was back in the 50's watching "Father Knows Best," or "Leave it to Beaver." If you like nostalgia, this movie's for you.

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