_**Similar to “A River Runs through It” but more heroic and melodramatic**_ Near the close of the 19th Century, a disillusioned Army Colonel (Anthony Hopkins) sets up a ranch in remote western Montana with his Cree friend, One Stab (Gordon Tootoosis). He nurtures a family of a wife & three boys, plus his loyal personnel. One son is sensible and “follows the rules (Aidan Quinn) while another is wild and well-versed in Cree traditions (Brad Pitt). After a harrowing involvement in WW1, the two brothers go separate ways during the Prohibition Era of the 20s and early 30s. Julia Ormond and Karina Lombard are on hand in the feminine department. "Legends of the Fall" (1994) is similar to “A River Runs through It” from two years prior. Pitt basically plays the same character, just exaggerated here. Where these movies differ is the earlier one was based on Norman Maclean’s memoir and is therefore thoroughly realistic whereas “Legends” was based on James Harrison’s book and has a larger-than-life vibe. Like that earlier film, “Legends” effectively brings to life the era with its Model T's and bootlegging of alcoholic beverages. While I give the edge to “A River Runs through It,” this one ain’t no slouch. It begins mundane and tedious with AmerIndian mumbo jumbo (I’m talking about the eye-rolling spiritual gobbledygook, e.g. the “wild spirit of the bear”), but picks up when the boys go to Europe to fight. Like “A River Runs through It,” this is a character study of two contrasting souls, both generally likable and noble, but one functions successfully within the box of society whereas the other cannot be contained in this box. Although neither trips my trigger much, Ormond is very attractive and Lombard is stunning. At the end of the day, “Legends” is a well-done artistic Western that takes place in the early 20th Century with commentary on the masculine nature, duty, bravery, death, love, rivalry, commitment or lack of commitment, searching for meaning, familial altercations, following the rules, living “free,” tragedy, acceptance, forgiveness and honor. It’s simply about life and every family will be able to relate, one way or another. The film runs 2 hours, 13 minutes, and was shot in Alberta, Canada (Ghost River, Morley & Calgary), and Vancouver, British Columbia (the Helena scenes), as well as Ocho Rios, St. Ann, Jamaica (the exotic scenes). GRADE: B+
A domineering,reclusive, and ostentatiously pious widow in a small Spanish town keeps such close watch on her daughters that they are unable to have normal social lives. However, the eldest is allowed to become engaged to an unprincipled young man, primarily for the financial advantages it will bring the mother, Bernarda. Jealousy and envy ensues among the other daughters.
After an accident, acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by a nurse who claims to be his biggest fan. Her obsession takes a dark turn when she holds him captive in her remote Colorado home and forces him to write back to life the popular literary character he killed off.
Wealthy rancher Bick Benedict and dirt-poor cowboy Jett Rink both woo Leslie Lynnton, a beautiful young woman from Maryland who is new to Texas. She marries Benedict, but she is shocked by the racial bigotry of the White Texans against the local people of Mexican descent. Rink discovers oil on a small plot of land, and while he uses his vast, new wealth to buy all the land surrounding the Benedict ranch, the Benedict's disagreement over prejudice fuels conflict that runs across generations.
In the future, the government maintains control of public opinion by outlawing literature and maintaining a group of enforcers, known as “firemen,” to perform the necessary book burnings. Fireman Montag begins to question the morality of his vocation…
The story of an idealist's rise to power in the world of Louisiana politics and the corruption that leads to his ultimate downfall. Based on the 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel written by Robert Penn Warren, loosely based on the story of real-life politician Huey Long.
A failed engineering student in the late 1940s gets the unexpected education of a lifetime by working for four years in a rainforest tin mine.
An American teenager who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kung-fu classics makes an extraordinary discovery in a Chinatown pawnshop: the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King. With the lost relic in hand, the teenager unexpectedly finds himself travelling back to ancient China to join a crew of warriors from martial arts lore on a dangerous quest to free the imprisoned Monkey King.
A nature-hating aesthete, Jean des Esseintes attempts to furnish and decorate a country home where he will be able to live without ever again having to deal with the outside world.
After a student's scholarship falls through, her academic dreams lie in a life-changing offer: marry into a family in exchange for tuition.
Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo drive a red convertible across the Mojave desert to Las Vegas with a suitcase full of drugs to cover a motorcycle race. As their consumption of drugs increases at an alarming rate, the stoned duo trash their hotel room and fear legal repercussions. Duke begins to drive back to L.A., but after an odd run-in with a cop, he returns to Sin City and continues his wild drug binge.
Ken, a WWII GI, returns home after he's paralyzed in battle. Residing in the paraplegic ward of a veteran's hospital and embittered by his condition, he refuses to see his fiancée and sinks into a solitary world of hatred and hostility. Head physician, Dr. Brock cajoles the withdrawn Ken into the life of the ward, where fellow patients Norm, Leo and Angel begin to pull him out of his spiritual dilemma.