Felix knows how to spend the weekend!

If your weekend is half as wild as the one Felix the Cat has in "Woos Whoopee", you're doing it right. (Well, you probably want to avoid the hallucinations... but maybe not! The hallucinations are what makes this cartoon so much fun to watch!)

Felix Woos Whoopee (1928)

Starring: A voice actor who doesn't speak any actual lines

Director: Otto Messmer

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

An excellent drama with confused intertitles?

The Country Doctor (1909)
Starring: Frank Powell, Florence Lawrence, Kate Bruce, Gladys Egan, Rose King, Mary Pickford, and Adele DeGarde
Director: D.W. Griffith
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A country doctor (Powell) makes a fateful choice when his daughter (Egan) and another girl (DeGarde) are both struck with the same deadly illness at the same time.

"The Country Doctor" is another early and excellent short film from D.W. Griffith. Once again, he delivers a swiftly moving flick with not a second wasted and where we are treated to all actors giving their best performances. With many dramatic films of this vintage, the difference in film acting styles from what was common in 1909 (which were stagey and overly emotive) and the more natural-seeming approaches today can make them difficult to watch at times. Not so with films from Griffith... yes, there's big gestures and a certain degree of posing and posturing, but it doesn't seem quite as over-the-top as it does elsewhere, and it's almost always balanced with genuine-seeming facial expressions and more subtle body language. I might even go so far to say that if you're among those who avoid silent films because of the acting, you might still want to check this one out. Because it's clear from this film why Florence Lawrence, Frank Powell, and Mary Pickford were big stars in their day.

 

As is often the case, I am giving everyone the opportunity to watch the film I'm reviewing, but I'm dropping it here, in the middle of the review rather than at the end. This is because, while I liked almost everything about this film--from it's bright, airy opening scenes, to the cross-cutting between two locations as the story unfolds, to the excellent performances by the actors--the issues I do have relate to elements that can be considered spoilers.

So... please watch "The Country Doctor". Then, you can continue to read my comments below. (By the way, the version I've embedded has no soundtrack music. I found that the 2010 remaster of Mike Oldfield's "Hergest Ridge Pt. 1" works amazingly well for most of this film, except at the very end where the music becomes a little too upbeat. (Well, maybe. See below. And you can click here to open "Hergest Ridge Pt. 1" in a different window to play while watching the film.)

 

As much as I enjoyed this film, there was one thing I found it to be a head-scratcher that the film announces itself to carry a spiritual message--do the moral thing and you'll be rewarded in the afterlife--but then doesn't quite ever deliver on that promise. While the titular Country Doctor is very much self-sacrificing and obviously the sort of man who puts community above himself and even his family (given he prioritizes treating another patient over own sick daughter), there's no sense that he will be rewarded in the end. In fact, the final intertitle of the film seems to imply the opposite, both for the doctor, his family, and perhaps the entire community. (This strange disconnect between the film's opening and closing moments made a difference between me giving it a rating of Seven instead of Eight.)

With said that... what do you think? Am I putting too much weight on an element that isn't even really part of the film itself? Did I steer you wrong when I praised the pacing and acting of this great little drama? Leave a comment below!

The Mime's Big Day

Attention Plzzz (2015)
Starring: Swetha, Ashul, Maheswar, and Roshan
Director: Arunachalam

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A street-performer mime gives up in the face of competition but ends up changing the life of a homeless drug addict.

Reportedly inspired by the films of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, I think "Attention Plzzz" is far cuter than anything on the very impressive resumes of either of those two gentleman. Another very strong element of this modern silent movie is that doesn't try to replicate the style of films made a century or more ago, nor is it just a film without sound, but the use of mimes gives a perfect in-story explanation for why not a single word is spoken.

I liked everything about this film--the actors all perform well, the pacing is spot-on, and the mime duels are very funny--and I probably would have given it Eight Stars if not for a couple flaws.

First, I think this film could have benefitted from being a little more focused. It almost feel like two films combined into one, with the first one being our Hero squaring off against a competing mime, and the second one where he distracts a homeless drug addict from shooting up. If the competition with the other mime had not been included in the film, I don't think it would have been missed, and we would have gotten to the really excellent part of the film sooner. All we needed in the initial part is the disinterested/confused onlookers to establish the mime's state of mind.
 

Second, a decision was made to include sound effects in the film's best moments, and I think it was a bad decision. They feel entirely out of place and they take away more from the action and mood of the scenes than they add. 

I could also criticize the film for not using enough medium two-shots during the mime's interactions with the homeless woman, but given that it claims to be inspired by old-time silent greats, I don't know that would be a fair criticism.

But why don't you take a few minutes and give your attention to "Attention Plzzz"? I promise it will brighten your day! (And if I steer you wrong, be sure to tell me off in the Comments section.)

Wonder Woman Wednesday

 Today. we've got two-in-one portraits of everyone's favorite Amazon!

 

 
 
 

Ballerina Security Corp Expands Operations!

Last month, we announced the formation of the Ballerina Security Corporation (BS Corp). The effort has been so successful that we've expanded from site security to community safety patrols!

 

 BS Corp: We Keep Neighborhoods Safe with Poise and Grace!

It's a Mohammed Monday!

 

THIS WEEK WITH JESUS & MO

We have a Very Special Mohammed Drawing today: Visions of the Prophet gazing upon us, created while the artist was in a trance (or just really, really drunk... but we like the idea of visions coming from the Prophet Himself)!

No coffee review today...

 ... in acknowledgement of the 2,960 innocent people who would never have the option to drink coffee again after 9/11/2001... because their lives were ended by 19 psychotic scumbags who used their Muslim beliefs to justify mass-murder.

The Shadows Know...

Chasing Shadows (2012)
Starring: Jose Rosete
Director: Armin Siljkovic
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

A game of cat-and-mouse reaches its deadly conclusion in the shadow-filled back alleys of the Big City.

For a film that doesn't even run seven minutes, "Chasing Shadows" delivers a lot. Hell, it delivers more than many films that run seventy minutes!

First, if you are just looking for a taut mini-thriller where every second of run-time is put to good use, this is a film for you. Second, if you're a lover of the film noir esthetic and need a quite fix to satisfy a hunger, this is a film for you. Third, if are looking for a film that brilliantly presents all the fundamental elements of  film noir in a compact, high-quality package, then this is definitely a film for you.

Writer/director Armin Siljkovic has written that "Chasing Shadows" was made as an exercise in exploring all the elements of the film noir genre. As such, it is an unqualified success. It would have earned a Nine-star rating if not for a couple minor stumbles at the end (which, I have no doubt, were the result of both time and budgetary constraints)... and I might not even have noticed them if everything else here hadn't been so perfect.

Take some time out of your busy day to watch this excellent short film. Be sure to let me know in the comments section if you think there isn't an element of the film noir genre that isn't represented here.

It's About the Eye of the Beholder

Today's post features something which is more of a vignette rather than an actual film. I found it fascinating, but it's one those works that I feel need to be watched cold lest its impact be ruined.

With the that said, I encourage you to take 90 seconds out of your day to check out "Camera Obscura". I think you'll find it as interesting an effort as I did.

Camera Obscura (2008)
Starring: Tania Paleologou and Cristos Leriadis
Director: Eirini Steirou

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

Picture Perfect Wednesday with Nathalie

Born on March 2, 1989, Nathalie Emmanuel is an English actress best known for her roles in the "A Game of Thrones" (2015-2019) and "Die Hart" (2022) television series, as well as the most recent "Fast & Furious" movies. She can currently be seen on the Big Screen in an interesting-looking horror film (that is somewhat spoiled by its previews, unless there are other twists within it) titled "The Invitation".

And now, you can also enjoy a gallery of photos of her here at Shades of Gray.