Movie Night: The Pursuit of Happyness.

Review #696: The Pursuit of Happyness.

Cast
Will Smith (Chris Gardner), Jaden Smith (Christopher Gardner Jr), Thandie Newton (Linda Gardner), Brian Howe (Jay Twistle), Dan Castellaneta (Alan Frakesh), James Karen (Martin Frohm), and Kurt Fuller (Walter Ribbon) Directed by Gabriele Muccino.

Review
This is a movie that while not perfect, manages to hit the mark and at least be entertaining while having a little edge to it. Smith and Smith (yes I know) work really well together in their pairing because any scene they share together raises the interest level along with being enjoyable. The movie around it is fine, it has its moments of brilliance, with regards to the scenes that show the desperation of Gardner. The movie handles its subject well enough that you basically forget about any sort of inaccuracies and just let the movie roll through. It's a movie that manages to make you want to keep watching to the end. The supporting cast is fine, though I admit that it's more interesting to see the Gardners instead. It takes a little while to get itself rolling, but when it rises to the occasion, it does so at a brisk pace and it manages to be a fine film.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Broken Blossoms.

Review #695: Broken Blossoms.

Cast
Lillian Gish (Lucy Burrows), Richard Barthelmess (Cheng Huan), Donald Crisp (Battling Burrows), Arthur Howard (Burrows' Manager), and Edward Peil Sr. (Evil Eye) Directed by D. W. Griffith (#415 - America)

Review
I admit to not having covered the 1910's much on this show, as this is only the 4th film from that decade (the others being Mickey, Back to God's Country, and The Poor Little Rich Girl) featured on this show, let us just push that fact aside for now for a movie unlike the other films. This is a movie that manages to evoke sadness over the small rays of hope while never betraying its purpose of tragedy. Gish is instantly likable for the audience, from the sad expressions in her eyes to her forcing a small smile, she makes the movie have an unsettling mood. Barthelmess and Gish are wonderful in the scenes they share with each other. Maybe it's the way they look at each other, or how innocent it all seems, which is a blessing by contrast to the rest of the film's tone. Speaking of that, Crisp is brutally effective at making the movie nearly uncomfortable to watch, with his expressions of anger, which all boils down to the surface with the closet scene near the end. Gish's fearful expressions and Crisp's anger combined with filming in a small set make for a climax that delivers. Yes, it's a sad movie. But this a sad movie that manages to be well made along with having some really effective acting. Because after all, if we just watch happy movies all our lives, we'll never know what to do when we encounter a sad moment in our lives.

Overall, I give it 10 out 10 stars.