At the urging of the Row Three community, I finally sat down with David Lean‘s bittersweet melodrama Summertime (See Hidden Treasure entry). What a fabulous example how the right use of location, and taking advantage of actors at the top of their game to flesh an otherwise standard story structure into something very, very special. Venice never looked as gorgeous and inviting as it does in here in the glorious splendor of Technicolour; which is miles from the dark and foreboding place of Nicholas Roeg‘s Don’t Look Now. And Katherine Hepburn demands your attention, fluctuating from cynic to naieve to hopeful (and is more than a little sexy at 48!).

As is the nature of this column, here are some of the other films that the Row Three contributing writers have been watching over the past 10 days which did not make it to a full column or entry on the site. The complete list of these mini-capsules can be found by clicking the “Movie We Watched” icon on the sidebar.

Cidade de Deus (2002) 5/5

Some of the most hard-hitting, thought provoking films of the young 21st century were not produced in Hollywood, or even Europe for that matter. They’ve come from Brazil, and Fernando Meirelles’ City of God is arguably the finest. Based on a true story, recounting the exploits of criminals and drug lords who ruled the slums of Rio de Janeiro for the better part of two decades, City of God is brutal, unflinching, and intense. It is a rare motion picture in that it keeps our eyes glued firmly to the screen, even as our sensibilities are telling us it would be much better to look the other way. -DAVE

The Baron of Arizona (1950) 4/5

An early Samuel Fuller film, The Baron of Arizona tells the story of a forger who convinces everyone that he and his wife are the rightful heirs to the entire state of Arizona. Vincent Price is predictably superb as the swindler, turning in a performance that causes the audience to swing back and forth between sympathy and outrage for his actions. -DAVE

Chungking Express (1994) 5/5

The perfect intersection of music, performance, cinematography and powerhouse filmmaking. A movie that works on both full emotional level, charms with sweet melancholy and is kinetic enough to function as a kick in the teeth. The magic of director wkw is how gorgeous he captures his actors faces and body language. And underscores this with music and glowing evening light. You will not forget either the perfect application of “California Dreamin’” or actress Faye Wong crooning “Dreams” by the Cranberries. The image of Brigitte Lin in a raincoat, sunglasses and a blonde wig, is as iconic as anything in cinema; from where I’m coming from anyway. -KURT

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) 4/5

This is one of the originators of the modern big city cat-and-mouse heist film (Diehard, Quick Change, The Inside Man), except instead of an office tower or bank, it is a subway hijacking. There are joys aplenty to be had in this film, which for the most part is pretty straight-up affair. Nevertheless it goes about itself with a pretty bad-ass musical score, and plethora of wise-ass remarks from just about everyone (New Yorkers being a tough bunch in the crime laden 1970s), but in particular the New York Transit authority who’ve seen it all (At one point a supervisor tells the hijackers to go grab a plane instead, just like everyone else does!). Walther Matthau give a commanding (and hilariously politically incorrect) performance throughout, particularly the closing shot, which is quite simply perfect. As always, do yourself a favour and catch the original before either of the two remakes (1998 TV version with Edward James Olmos, and upcoming 2009 Tony Scott version with Denzel Washington). The original has a memorable memorable sense of humour which sets it clearly apart. -KURT

Cassandra’s Dream (2007) 3/5

Allen is hit and miss with me but curious about Colin Farrell’s performance, I checked this out and though I found it a bit slow at times, it’s a perfectly solid and entertaining film. -MARINA

Jimmy Carter Man from Plains (2007) 2.5/5

“Jimmy Carter Man from Plains” stars off well enough with a look at Carter, where he came from and his life outside the public eye but partway through, the films switches gears and turns into a road show which follows Carter on the road with his most recent book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid”. This is outlined in the synopsis of the film but frankly, when it turned into the road show, I lost interest in the film because it stopped focusing on Carter and took focus primarily on the drama surrounding the book which didn’t make for particularly interesting or entertaining drama. -MARINA

Devil’s Playground (2002) 4/5

Lucy Walker’s documentary looks at a number of teenagers going through “Rumspringa”, the Amish coming of age ritual in which teens experience the world before deciding if they want to join the Amish church. Not sure how I first heard about this documentary but I can honestly say it was enlightening. I didn’t know much about Amish traditions going in but I feel a little more educated having seen this little film. Though it looks like a made for TV special, the stories is tells are HBO rather than NBC ready but the subject matter is so captivating, the aesthetics of the film are quickly overlooked. Fascinating, informative and critical, “Devil’s Playground” is a great first film. -MARINA

Don’t Come Knocking (2005) 3.5/5

This may have been directed by Wim Wenders but “Don’t Come Knocking” is Sam Shepard’s film all around. Shepard wrote the story and script about an aging western actor who runs off the set of his latest film. He ends up at his mother’s home at which point he discovers some news that outlines the next few life changing days. Great performances from a loaded supporting cast are out-shined by Shepard’s quiet performance. Part modern western and part road trip, this was a surprisingly good little gem. -MARINA

Feeling Minnesota (1996) 1.5/5

It’s little surprise that Steven Baigelman’s first film is also, essentially, his last. The director’s film about two troubled brothers who fall in love for the same wacky woman starts off well enough and has trappings that suggest something good is coming but the good performances from Reeves and D’Onofrio are wasted in a common denominator, poorly executed film. -MARINA

McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) 5/5

One of my all-time favorite films. Warren Beatty is John McCabe, a self-proclaimed businessman in the Northwestern town of Presbyterian Church, and Julie Christie is Mrs. Miller, a prostitute who offers to help McCabe run his brothel. Everything about the film is perfect, from Leonard Cohen’s music to the perfectly realized setting of Presbyterian Church. While most films take a while to sink in before I can fully appreciate their qualities, McCabe & Mrs. Miller was so impressive that it made my top-10 list almost immediately. After a dozen viewings, my feelings haven’t changed in the least. -DAVE