Directed by Cameron Crowe Jerry Maguire is a wonder. It's a sappy romantic drama about a sports agent learning to, I suppose, learn empathy, and it all works. It doesn't seem like it should, but then again this is the role Tom Cruise seems to have been made for. It allows him to play into … Continue reading Jerry Maguire (1996)
melodrama
Ordinary People (1980)
Directed by Robert Redford Robert Redford's first film as a director is a doozy. Ordinary People chronicles the struggle of a family to relate to each other and to themselves following the death of a teenaged son. The people left reeling in his wake are parents Beth and Calvin (Mary Tyler Moore, Donald Sutherland) and young … Continue reading Ordinary People (1980)
A Star is Born (2018)
Directed by Bradley Cooper A Star is Born is a melodrama in which celebrity, it seems, is a zero sum game. The movie tracks the romance between a fading star musician, Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) and an up and coming pop star, Ally (Lady Gaga). They meet by chance, in the ways Hollywood lovers do, … Continue reading A Star is Born (2018)
No Regrets for Our Youth (1946)
Directed by Akira Kurosawa No Regrets for Our Youth is a coming of age story about Yukie (Setsuko Hara), a young college student who transcends the initial melodramatic love triangle and turns into a selfless, honorable, otherwise anonymous member of the community. The film covers over a decade in her life and charts the work of … Continue reading No Regrets for Our Youth (1946)
I Shot Jesse James (1949)
Directed by Sam Fuller I Shot Jesse James makes a melodrama out of Robert Ford's decision to kill famed outlaw Jesse James. Ford shoots James early in the film, hoping to reap the bounty placed on his head so that he can settle down with Cynthy, the woman he loves. After the murder, Ford watches … Continue reading I Shot Jesse James (1949)
