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donwilhelm
Reviews
The Gatekeeper (2002)
Good film
I've just come from seeing "The Gatekeeper" and liked it. It's fairly (although not absolutely) obvious that it's low budget. Casting is good, direction seemed good. .
The issue of illegal immigrants is one I'm very interested in. I live in southern California, a transplant from the Pacific Northwest, and CANNOT understand Californians (Anglo) who otherwise seem intelligent, enlightened, progressive, but become incredible bigots and racists as soon as one mentions "mess-gans".
A progressive TV program here in CA done by PBS ("California Connected") attempted to address this issue a week or so ago and all it addressed was the strong opinions, pro and con, about the people coming here from across the border.
I'm still trying to understand and perhaps never will.
A Foreign Affair (1948)
Memorable Film
I've seen this film several times and recorded it. Having just returned from Berlin, the film and the views of post-war Berlin were much on my mind. The city has seemingly fully returned, even that no one now wants to talk about what was East Berlin and what was West Berlin.
Dietrich's song in the club, "Amongst the ruins of Berlin, trees are in bloom, etc." gives me goose bumps every time I hear it.
So many years later, I guess I found Jean Arthur's character kind of silly, but Dietrich was/is/will always be magnificent!
East Is East (1999)
Works great as a film, didn't as a play
I saw the play in the West End of London several years ago and thought it not very good and kind of a surprise that a major house would mount it.
Today I saw the film and I don't know if it's been tightened up or what, but the film is good, entertaining, and works very well. I checked the cast listing against the program I'd saved and about four of the cast from the West End were in the film, including the mother.