Maltese Falcon

It's kind of cool..  the Cineplex chain of movie theaters for the next year is hosting a program called the "Classic Film Series" where once a month they show classic movies from film history.  Yesterday they screened "The Maltese Falcon", which, believe it or not, I hadn't seen yet.    Yeah I know.. hard to believe.  Going in, I KNEW it was going to be an excellent movie.  I mean, for a movie to be around as long as it's been, it HAS to be great.  I wasn't dissapointed that is for sure.   Bogart is such a classy act.   He plays Sam Spade to a T.  The film-noir atmosphere is perfect for this type of movie.   The dark shadows and rich blacks make for a gritty and intense scene.  A EXCELLENT movie, worthy of the term classic.  (6.0/6.0)

T.F.S. Edge Of The City

The Toronto Film Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and enjoyment of film and movies.

In 'Edge Of The City' we are introduced to Axle, a guy seemingly at the end of his rope.  He can't go home and is in trouble enough that he needs to stay out of the public radar.  Taking a job at the docks as a stevedore he only wants to be left alone.  His life changes though when he meets and is befriended by Tommy Tyler a gregarious and fun loving black man, who sees the good in Axle.   Through 'T' Axle learns to live and love again...   but how long can it last before Axle's past catches up with him and what will he do when it does.   

This movie had a good story line and I enjoyed the interaction between Axle and Tommy...  I am not sure about the ending though.  Not saying it was bad.. .but I found it a bit abrupt.   Everything was resolved but I felt that more could have been said.   I REALLY liked Sydney Poitier in this film.  Man he was young.  I didn't realize though how old Poitier is currently.  He doesn't look as old as he really is... which is a compliment I assure you.  He's aged very well.   (3.5/6.0)

T.F.S. Thieves' Highway

The Toronto Film Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and enjoyment of film and movies.

Thieves' Highway tells the story of a veteran returning from war only to find that his father has been injured and has lost his legs to an unscrupulous produce marketer.   Seeking revenge, the son travels to San Francisco, looking for the man and to extract payment for what was done to his father.   During his journey, he learns that friendship and loyalty are more valuable than money and that money does strange things to people.  

I liked this movie, in spite of its edginess.   It's dark atmosphere did not subtract from it's feel good ending, which   I appreciated.   It's alway nice to see a movie where justice prevails and the good guy wins.  (4.0/6.0)

Megamind

Okay for a year of plenty of FANTASTIC animated movies; "How To Train Your Dragon", "Despicable Me", etc... "Megamind" lands somewhere in the middle of the pack.  The animation was decent and the story line was entertaining.   I would say the best part of the movie was the voice work by Will Ferrell and Tina Fey.   Although it was fun to watch I think this one could wait for DVD.  (3.5/6.0)