Title: To Catch a Thief

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Released: August 5, 1955

Runtime: 1 hour 46 minutes

Available to stream on: Prime Video, Paramount+, and MGM+

IMDb synopsis: A retired jewel thief sets out to prove his innocence after being suspected of returning to his former occupation.

John Robie aka “The Cat” (Cary Grant) was once a prolific cat burglar. While yes, he was caught, he was later granted parole so that he could fight the Germans in World War II. Robie has left that life behind him, he now enjoys his days in the French Riviera where he grows grapes and flowers.

Sounds like a pretty decent way to ride out your years, yeah? Well, not when there is a jewel thief on the loose who is copying the pattern of your past crimes. Because of his checkered past, Robie is the number one suspect in the eyes of the authorities.

Being that this isn’t Robie’s first time having the authorities on his tail, he’s no stranger to giving them the slip. The difference this time is that John Robie is not the burglar. He just has to prove who is in order to prove his innocence.

To do this, Robie enlists the help of insurance man H.H. Hughson (John Williams). The plan? To catch the copycat in the act. But how? Compiling a list of the most valuable jewelry on the Riviera along with their owners. First up, Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis) and her daughter Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly).Robie turns on the charm and it works on both Jessie and Frances to varying degrees. So much so that when John Robie and Frances Stevens begin watching a firework display in Frances’ room, the night ends with a firework show of their own.

As Robie’s luck would have it, Jessie’s jewels went missing the same night of he and Frances’ fireworks. While Jessie is more forgiving of Robie, Frances is convinced he used her to get to her mother’s jewels. So much so, that she informs Robie that she’s already called the police and they’re on their way. She answers the door to let the police in but by the time she returns to her mother’s room, Robie has vanished.

Yet again, John Robie finds himself on the run. This time, who is left to believe him? Will he be able to prove that he has not fallen back into his old ways? Is there anyone left who is willing to help John Robie?

I was excited going into To Catch a Thief (1955) as I’ll never turn down the opportunity to correct a Hitchcock blind spot. What was surprising to me though, is that this is anything but a typical Hitchcock movie.

Yes, there is still the element of suspense. But thanks to the wonders of VistaVision, the element of suspense isn’t what stands out. The bright and vibrant colors steal the show. Whether it’s on the terrace, in a hotel room, or driving through the countryside, the colors pop on screen and demand your attention.

I was unaware of this when I chose the film, but Arthur Krams was actually nominated for an Oscar for Art Direction – Color (which combined Art Decoration and Set Decoration) for To Catch a Thief (1955). While he lost out to Picnic, it was still a good year for Arthur Krams as he won the Oscar that very same year for Art Direction – Black & White for his work on The Rose Tattoo.

While the cinematography (which Robert Burks won the Oscar for) and the set decoration (Arthur doesn’t get all of the credit, he splits it with Sam Comer) are what draws you in and makes the setting feel authentic, it’s the work of Grant and Kelly that steal the show. Cary Grant and Grace Kelly are phenomenal on-screen together and each scene they share feels so effortless. I could watch them watch paint dry.

No, this isn’t your typical Hitchcock. So don’t go in with those expectations.

It’s bright, it’s vivid, it’s flashy, there’s beautiful people in elegant costumes speaking suggestively to each other. And you know what? It works.

Well, those are my thoughts. But what are yours? What did you think of To Catch a Thief (1955)? Leave a comment below or let me know on social media!

Next up is the letter “B”. Do you know of a crew member whose name starts with “B” that worked on a movie you love? Get your suggestions in by Wednesday morning. Wednesday evening I’ll reveal on Instagram and Twitter (for now anyways) who the crew member is and what film we’ll be covering.

The post To Catch a Thief (1955) appeared first on I've Scene That!.

Title: Witness

Director: Peter Weir

Released: February 8, 1985

Runtime: 1 hour 52 minutes

Available to stream on: Showtime

IMDb synopsis: When a young Amish boy is sole witness to a murder while visiting Philadelphia with his mother, police detective John Book tries to protect the boy until an attempt on Book’s life forces him into hiding in Amish country.

Young Samuel (Lukas Haas) is ready to embark on a trip. He and his mother, Rachel (Kelly McGillis), are leaving their Amish community and traveling by train to visit Rachel’s sister. Their connecting train in Philadelphia is delayed, so they now find themselves biding their time while they wait.

While passing the time, nature calls and Samuel has to go to the bathroom. Rachel tells him to go ahead and go since the men’s room is within eyesight of where she is sitting. As he’s in the stall, Samuel hears a commotion and as he peeks through the abnormally large (yet somehow standard sized) gap in the stall door, witnesses two people murder a man at the bathroom sink.

The detective assigned to the case is the gruff city detective, John Book (Harrison Ford). When John has Samuel at the police station looking through lineup photos, John takes a call and Samuel wanders off. He stops in front of a trophy case and becomes fixated on a newspaper clipping. Right there in the article is the face of the man he saw in the bathroom, McFee (Danny Glover). Once John realizes that the murderer is a fellow officer, he realizes that he has to be careful how he goes about things.

John does some digging into McFee and wouldn’t you know it, McFee is involved in the disappearance of chemicals used to create drugs. McFee is no fool, he quickly catches wind of someone looking into him. Ultimately, this leads to a showdown in a parking garage where McFee shoots John. At this point, John realizes that Rachel and Samuel aren’t safe. He drives them back to their Amish community and as he is driving away, due to blood loss from his gunshot wound, John passes out and crashes into the community’s birdhouse. Despite being wary of outsiders, the Amish agree to take John in while his wounds heal.

Based off of that synopsis, you’re probably thinking, “Huh, sounds like a fun thriller.”, and while you’re not wrong, you’re also not entirely correct. Once John Book is healed, he decides that hiding out in the Amish community probably isn’t the worst idea. But if he’s going to hide out there, he’s going to be put to work. From here we see John learning to adapt to the Amish lifestyle and earning the respect of the members in the community.

What I didn’t expect was the love story we got. Well, I at least didn’t expect to forget I was watching a thriller because the romance took center stage. Normally that would be something that would turn me off from a movie. You teased me with a thriller and now that’s all forgotten so we can have a romance?

If your writers are William Kelley, Pamela Wallace, and Earl W. Wallace and you have Peter Weir directing, you can get away with doing that. They somehow managed to blend a thriller and a romance together into one without it impacting the quality of the movie. You aren’t sitting there just waiting for everyone to remember there’s a killer cop looking for them. Instead, you’re all-in on seeing how John becomes a member of the Amish community and what will happen with the spark between him and Rachel.

Although, none of the story is half as convincing as it is if not for the performance turned in by Harrison Ford. I tend to like most roles that I see Harrison Ford in, but him as John Book might be the overall best and well-rounded performance that I’ve seen from him. Yes, we still get the gruff side that has become synonymous with Harrison Ford. But while living amongst the Amish community we also are treated to a vulnerable dramatic performance. Again, I’ve just seen McFee put a bullet in John Book. Why do I care about the relationship John builds with Samuel? Or why should I care if he winds up forming a deep connection with Rachel? I’ll tell you why. Because Harrison Ford took the incredibly well-written role of John Book and had a feast with it.

I highly recommend at least one viewing of Witness (1985). Who knows, you just might find your next favorite movie.

Well, those are my thoughts. But what are yours? Tell me what you thought of Witness (1985) in the comments below or by engaging with me on social media!

Next up is slim pickings with the letter “X”. I’m going to try and do my best when it comes to sticking to a movie that I haven’t seen and is currently available to stream.

If you’ve got any suggestions, hit me with them! You’ve got until Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday evening the movie will be revealed on Twitter and Instagram.

The post Witness (1985) appeared first on I've Scene That!.

Title: The Out of Towners

Director: Arthur Hiller

Released: May 28, 1970

Runtime: 1 hour 41 minutes

Available to stream on: Paramount+

IMDb synopsis: An Ohio sales executive accepts a higher position within the company and travels to New York City with his wife for his job interview but things go wrong from the start.

George Kellerman (Jack Lemmon) and his wife Gwen (Sandy Dennis) live in small town Twin Oaks, Ohio. They are set to embark on an all-expenses paid trip to New York City so that George can have an interview with the top brass at his company. If all goes well, George will get a substantial raise and his family will relocate to the Big Apple with his new title of Vice-President of Sales.

George has gone to extreme lengths to carefully plan this trip and has a tight itinerary all laid out. The flight is set to land at 8pm which gives them plenty of time to get to their dinner reservation at The Four Seasons. From there they will enjoy a night of luxury at the Waldorf-Astoria before his big interview. They board their flight to New York City, the flight is running on schedule, everything seems to be going as planned.

However, as they approach JFK airport they’re informed that due to dense fog and heavy air traffic they will need to circle for a little bit. Well, the little bit turns into hours and hours turn into being eventually rerouted to Boston. No big deal, right? Maybe for some people, but not the Kellermans. A young Billy Dee Williams, working lost and found at Logan airport, informs the George and Gwen that their luggage was left behind. What’s worse is that George’s ulcer medication is in the lost luggage.

After catching a train and waiting for two hours in the dining car for a meal, they are told there’s no more chicken. The only options are peanut butter on white bread, both of which George can’t have, or crackers and olives. And the options for drinks are tonic water or clam juice, both of which “ain’t cold”.

Finally, arriving in New York City and finding their way to the hotel, in the pouring rain, they’re greeted and told they don’t have a room. Their room was only held until 10pm and then given away since there wasn’t a request made to extend the hold. Better yet, thanks to a transit strike, there are no rooms available here or anywhere else in the city for that matter. At this point, it’s 3am and George’s big interview is a mere six hours away.

From this point on, the comedy of errors continues to snowball no matter what George tries to do. He and Gwen are robbed, mugged, kidnapped, and even find themselves involved with a Cuban diplomat. George makes a list of everyone involved with each misstep and threatens to sue them all. But first, he needs to find a way to get some sleep, shower, and change all in the next six hours. If he doesn’t, the promotion may fall through and with it the possibility of relocating from Ohio to New York.

I am usually a big fan of anything Jack Lemmon is in, so I was excited to watch The Out of Towners (1970). Well, as the saying goes, they can’t all be winners. And unfortunately, it starts with Jack Lemmon as George Kellerman. He plays a great neurotic character and that fits the character of George perfectly. The problem is that it grows to be exhausting. The breakneck pacing isn’t something I’d usually have issue with, but when it’s paired with the anxiety and anger of George, it wears thin really quick. By the end of the movie, I found myself almost rooting against him.

The first half hour, or so, is what I found to be the most enjoyable. Every single one of us can relate to travel chaos. Whether it’s delayed flights, lost luggage, hotel reservation issues, we’ve all been there. Yes, it helps that we can relate with those issues. But they are also all scenarios that, on a bad day, you could experience all three. I’d even say the robbery and/or mugging could be a fourth you could experience on a truly awful day. It’s when the scenarios go off the deep end that the comedy starts to wear on you. The scenarios begin to feel like they were written in an improv class, everyone trying to get more over the top with each “yes and”.

Now that’s not to say that there wasn’t anything to enjoy here. Sandy Dennis is great, it was fun to see a young Billy Dee Williams, and before the story becomes more and more unbelievable the comedy really works. I’m not sure if I went into this with higher expectations because it starred Jack Lemmon. But I do know that I walked away from it a bit disappointed. After seeing this, there is no burning desire to seek out the 1999 remake anytime soon.

If you can catch it for free, you could do worse. If you have to pay for it, save the money.

Well, what say you? Have you seen The Out of Towners (1970)? Let me hear your thoughts on it in the comments below or by interacting with me on social media!

If you enjoy following me on this challenge and reading my thoughts, show your support!

So, next week will bring us the letter “P”. Do you have any suggestions for what it should be? You have until Wednesday morning to get those suggestions in!

The post The Out of Towners (1970) appeared first on I've Scene That!.

Title: Beverly Hills Cop II

Director: Tony Scott

Released: May 20, 1987

Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes

Watched via: Streaming on Paramount+

IMDb synopsis: Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills to help Taggart and Rosewood investigate Chief Bogomil’s near-fatal shooting and the series of “alphabet crimes” associated with it.

One of the “rules” of this scavenger hunt is that all selections be first time watches unless otherwise noted. As my luck would have it, I hadn’t seen any of the Beverly Hills Cop movies. I was able to get the first one in under entry #245 “A film featuring a current or former SNL member” and figured why not continue on since the sequel also fits into the scavenger hunt.

I found the original to be a perfect mix of action and comedy, really shining when allowing Eddie Murphy to “be” Eddie Murphy. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the sequel.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s still action. In fact, there’s enough action and explosions to pique Michael Bay’s interest. The issue is that more often than not the action here is used to fill time more so than advance the incredibly lean plot.

And it’s not that there isn’t any humor here either, there is. Except here Murphy over does the loud, fast-talking, wisecracking schtick that worked so well in the original. The humor also seems not only forced at times but mean spirited as well.

That’s not to say I didn’t have fun with Beverly Hills Cop II, because I did. Despite its flaws, you can’t deny the chemistry that Eddie Murphy (Foley), Judge Reinhold (Rosewood), and John Ashton (Taggart) have together. While not on the same level as its predecessor, this still works as a perfectly serviceable buddy cop weekend watch. Throw it on, turn off your brain, and just try to have fun for an hour and forty minutes.

What are your thoughts on Beverly Hills Cop II? How does it stack up against the original for you? Let me know in the comments below or by reaching out on social media!

• Instagram
• Twitter

Speaking of social media, as we get closer to the holidays, I will be taking a break. Next week’s post will be a trailer reaction and then I will be taking 2 weeks off. If you’re curious what I am watching in the meantime, you can stay up to date with everything that I am watching as I will still post those to social media.

Since New Year’s falls on a Sunday, I say we kick off 2023 by getting back into the Margot Robbie filmography watch through. Just a reminder that we won’t be going chronologically anymore. Instead, we’ll go by what’s available to stream. If you aren’t up to date on the watch through, you can start from the most recent installment or start from the beginning.

The post Quick Thoughts: Beverly Hills Cop II appeared first on I've Scene That!.

Title: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Director: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

Runtime: 1 hour 52 minutes

Watched via: VOD rental

IMDb synopsis: A journalist recounts her wartime coverage in Afghanistan.

Kim Baker (Tina Fey) decides she is tired of the same old job, the same old boyfriend, and the same old life. She is ready to find a new direction in life. While Liz Gilbert might go to Italy, India, and Indonesia to find a new direction, Kim Baker goes to Afghanistan.

Leaving behind her entire life, Kim decides to take a three-month assignment in Afghanistan as a reporter. After arriving, she feels immediately out of place and unprepared. When trying to find where the shower is, she stumbles into a room where fellow female reporter Tanya Vanderpoel (Margot Robbie) is beyond thrilled to have another woman amongst the sea of male reporters, cameramen, and security guards. She takes Kim under her wing, so to speak, giving her the lowdown on who to avoid. One such person happens to be fellow reporter, Iian MacKelpie (Martin Freeman).

With Tanya and Iian helping her navigate the reporter pool and her guide, Fahim Ahmadzai (Christopher Abbott), helping her navigate the Afghan social circles and treacherous roads, Kim feels there is nothing that can stop her from getting the next big story. But what will she give up and sacrifice in order to break that next big story?

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016) is a very confusing movie. On the one hand, with the likes of Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman, Christopher Abbott, Billy Bob Thornton, and Alfred Molina we get a pretty decent “reporter behind enemy lines” drama with just the right amount of comedy sprinkled in. Then at some point we just decided to abandon all of that and focus on being a romantic drama. When we hit about the halfway point of the movie, from then on it becomes trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. It just does not work as a romantic drama. Nothing against Tina but her performance in the second half felt forced and unnatural. Billy Bob, Margot, and Alfred Molina all turn in great performances in their respective limited roles. Martin can flip the switch between comedic and serious almost seamlessly and he does so again here.

Overall this really is a story of two halves. Unfortunately, the worse half is what we end on. Since this is not currently streaming anywhere for free, I would say save your money and wait until it is.

But, what did you think of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016)? If you have seen it, tell me what your thoughts in the comments below or by reaching out on social media.

• Twitter
• Instagram

So, what is up next in our Margot Robbie filmography watch through? We will be staying in 2016 with The Legend of Tarzan. This will be a first time watch for me. Currently it is not streaming anywhere for free. However, it is available to rent across all major platforms for $3.99.

The post Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016) appeared first on I've Scene That!.

Title: The Big Short

Director: Adam McKay

Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes

Watched via: Blu-ray (currently unavailable to stream but is available for rent for $3.99 (HD) on Amazon and Apple.)

IMDb synopsis: In 2006-2007 a group of investors bet against the US mortgage market. In their research, they discover how flawed and corrupt the market is.

Hedge fund manager Michael Burry (Christian Bale), through his own research, believes that the housing market in the United States is propped up with popsicle sticks and crazy glue and is a bubble just waiting to burst. He believes that if he were to short (bet against) the housing market that he would profit quite handsomely. However, the big banks think Burry is a nut job and gladly accept his money. Why wouldn’t they want to take a bet against something that has never happened in American history?

But wait, what makes up the popsicle sticks and crazy glue holding the market together? Subprime loans. Well, what is a subprime loan? Enter the woman of the hour, Margot Robbie, to explain.

As far as Margot Robbie goes, that is it. She shows up on-screen at 13:50 and at 14:54 we see the last of her in this film. But, she does leave us with a memorable quote. “So, whenever you hear ‘subprime’, think ‘shit’.”

You might be thinking, “Hold on, was that Ryan Gosling narrating?”, and you would be correct. Gosling serves as our narrator but also plays the role of Jared Vennett, a trader for Deutsche Bank. Vennett hears about what Burry is doing and believes he too can cash-in by shorting the housing market. In his own attempt to find a bank willing to take the bet, Vennett accidentally dials FrontPoint Partners.

FrontPoint is run by Mark Baum (Steve Carell) who, self-admittedly, will call out an injustice when he sees it despite the surroundings or situation. On his team, Baum has Danny Moses (Rafe Spall), Porter Collins (Hamish Linklater), and Vinny Daniel (Jeremy Strong). While skeptical, Baum and his team agree to hear out Vennett and invite him to hear his pitch. In his pitch about a credit default swap, Vennett explains how bad bonds are then packaged together as CDOs, or Collateral Debt Obligations. Don’t worry though, we have Anthony Bourdain to help us understand what exactly a CDO is.

After listening to Vennett’s pitch, Baum and his team are still a little skeptical but start to believe that Vennett actually might be right on this one. In fact, they not only believe that Burry’s information checks out but that the bond agencies are grossly overrating these “bad” bonds.

This brings us to the last bit of introductions to our key players. Enter garage-based hedge fund Brownfield, made up of Charlie Geller (John Magaro) and Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock). They both just want a seat at the table with the big dogs. Unfortunately, they lack the experience and clout for a seat at the table. We, the audience, see this first hand as Charlie and Jamie are all but laughed at during a lobby meeting with JP Morgan Chase. However, as they are standing there after the meeting, they find Vennett’s prospectus and want in. But, in order to be taken seriously, Charlie and Jamie know they need help. So they decide to call a former trader who was also a neighbor, Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt). Despite being retired and out of the game, Rickert agrees to help Charlie and Jamie after looking through the data.

From that point on, we are off to the races. If you did not live through it, or have not seen The Big Short (2015) before, please go watch the film. Yes, a quick Google search will tell you whether or not Burry was right and how everything played out. But, the way the story is told here deserves to be experienced at least once.

When this scenario was actually playing out, I was old enough to have a slight grasp as to what was happening but young enough to be in a position where it had no major impact on me at the time. It wasn’t until The Big Short (2015) first landed on streaming that I saw it for the first time. That was the one and only viewing for me prior to revisiting it for this post. I remember liking it initially, but after a long overdue rewatch, I absolutely love it.

Yes, the story is fascinating. And yes, the music from Nicholas Britell works wonderfully in leaning into the swirl of emotions you feel as the story plays out. But, the performances we get are what make The Big Short (2015) so special to me.

Full disclosure, I forgot that Ryan Gosling was even in this, let alone that he was the narrator. Whenever anyone mentions The Big Short (2015), my mind instantly goes to Bale and Carell. That isn’t to take anything away from Gosling though, he is great as Jared Vennett. He and Steve Carell have a special kind of connection. We were able to see it in on full display in 2011’s Crazy, Stupid, Love and they pick up right where they left off here. An absolute joy to see those two trade jabs and work together on-screen. For Carell, he was fresh off of 2014’s Foxcatcher and delivers another powerhouse performance as Mark Baum. While he never disappoints in comedic roles, I hope it is a very long time before we see the end of Steve Carell in more serious and dramatic roles.

All of that being said, the two performances that I arguably enjoyed the most were turned in by Christian Bale and Brad Pitt. Bale has this ability to immerse himself into a role to such an extent that you forget you are even watching a performance, and he does it again here. No stone goes unturned with him. He wants to know and master every little minute intricacy of his character. As Michael Burry, that included learning to play drums and wearing a prosthetic eye to match the glass eye of the real Michael Burry.

As for Brad Pitt, it might seem an odd choice that his portrayal of Ben Rickert is one of my favorites of the film. Much like with Bale, you almost forget that you are watching Brad Pitt act. In Pitt’s case, it helps that his makeup and costume make him almost unrecognizable. But that isn’t the only thing. I think it is the humaneness of his character that appeals to me. Ben Rickert knows that the system is crooked and he also understands that for every winner there are just as many, if not more, that come out as losers. We are able to see this on full display as he, Charlie, and Jamie are all leaving Las Vegas.

Knowing they pulled of deals that will make them filthy rich, Charlie and Jamie can’t help but celebrate as they walk through the casino on their way out. But it is Ben who points out that millions of people are going to suffer as a result of them being right. He tells them that it is ok to be happy but just don’t dance around about it.

Granted, she was only on the screen for just over a minute, but of all the Margot Robbie films we have watched, this is by far my favorite…so far. It also is very easily my favorite Adam McKay movie that he has directed.

So, what are your thoughts on The Big Short (2015)? Tell me all about it in the comments below or by reaching out on social media!

• Twitter
• Instagram

Well, what is coming up next? Next up in our Margot Robbie filmography watch through we will be visiting 2016’s Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Unfortunately, this one also is not currently available to stream. However, it is available to rent in HD for $3.99 on all major platforms.

The post The Big Short (2015) appeared first on I've Scene That!.