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Her Life as a Man (1984)
The most important half of the story is missing
This is an amusing story about contemporary issues (namely sexual harassment and sexual discrimination) in the workplace. As funny as this story is, the writer didn't do as much with it as he could have. For example, with a relatively small modification, the sex politics (stepping on innocent by-standers) that women play to rise to the top could have been explored and would have added a lot to the story. Throw in some "guilty until proved innocent" that men experience almost daily, and you have a better story that really breaks the stereotypical. What man hasn't experienced working alongside another who is the subject of an office investigation, wondering if the ax is going to fall on you next? Everyone avoids him like he was a Jew in Nazi Germany in 1938. False accusations are another issue. Give a woman an honest but critical review, and the woman cries "Discrimination". When pressed to explain why false charges are not punished as well, even though equal treatment is supposed to be the standard, the answer is something like, "Well, we invariably find that the woman feels as though she had been wronged in some way." Notice how the standard of proof has been change from beyond a reasonable doubt to the woman's feelings? It then becomes obvious that equal treatment is not the goal.
The Private War of Major Benson (1955)
One Disappointment
I have waited for this to come out on DVD for over 10 years, and it finally did, although it had one disappointment. Seems like I recall the original shown on TV many years ago had the cadets march to "The Bonnie Blue Flag" as part of their test for ROTC certification. Sadly, it did not.
The Hallelujah Trail (1965)
A Satire on the Negotiating Process
This movie is a comedy. Approaching it any other way will naturally be disappointing. What makes it funny mostly is that it is a satire, a satire on the negotiating process. Burt Lancaster plays the CO of a cavalry troop near Denver in 1867. Four or five different factions are trying to make claim to the prize shipment, some by hook, others by crook. He tries to mediate them into some form of agreement. I don't think anyone else reviewing it here has seen it in that light. If you have been following current events (any years) and have observed political negotiations and kept them in mind while watching this movie, you will see what I mean.
Lady of the Tropics (1939)
Should have been the Dragon Lady
I watched this movie for the first time yesterday [08/10/2016] and thought it was a turkey. Maybe it was just me, but a lot of the other reviewers apparently felt the same way.
I was 40 minutes into the film when the thought came to me, "Where are we going with all this?" Things got a little more complicated when Lamarr's character ended up engaged to three men at the same time: one arranged, a second coerced, and the third willingly to Robert Taylor's character, whom she did marry. We never got to see the prince she was supposed to marry per the arrangement.
Lamarr's character got a little giddy at times, something seemingly out of her part and detracting from the serious nature of the story. Given the title, Miss Lamarr, and the setting, I would think her character would have been more of the Dragon Lady type; but then again, that's just me. Someone posted that she wasn't too selective of her films, with which I am inclined to agree. Others thought perhaps the audiences of the late thirties were not as sophisticated, but there were some very good films that came out of that era, so there is no excuse for a turkey with high-powered talent.
Home Before Dark (1958)
Somewhat disappointing
I had never seen this movie before it appeared on TCM last night (Dec. 2, 2014). These types of stories rarely interest me, but this one did. Although I tuned in after it started, something drew me to it, and I watched it through. There didn't seem to be much of a plot, just some loosely-connected events.
Just as I was beginning to wonder how it would end, I checked the time, and there was less than ten minutes to go. This increased my curiosity on how it would end because the story didn't seem to be going anywhere at that point. I was very disappointed; it just sort of ended, leaving me hanging.