Leo Leyden Movies
Legendary scientist Albert Einstein (played here by Walter Matthau) takes a break from theoretical physics to try to set up his intellectual niece with a handsome auto mechanic in this romantic comedy. The movie's central conceit is that Einstein's brilliance extends to matters of the heart, allowing him to immediately sense that Ed Walters (Tim Robbins), a bright, lower-class mechanic obsessed with Popular Science Magazine, would be perfect for his niece Catherine (Meg Ryan). Unfortunately, Catherine is already engaged to a stiff Princeton man. In order to defeat Catherine's resistance, Uncle Albert decides to help Ed pretend to be a revolutionary scientist, a charade that inevitably leads to much farcical confusion. Einstein's scientist pals are portrayed as a Greek chorus of Catskills-style kibitzers, featuring such notable perfomers as Lou Jacobi as Kurt Godel and director Gene Saks as Boris Podolsky. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Robbins, Meg Ryan, (more)
This film is a darkly humorous, determinedly ambiguous adaptation of Alan Dershowitz's book about his successful legal appeal of Claus von Bulow's conviction for the attempted murder of his wife, Martha "Sunny" von Bulow. Sunny (Glenn Close) -- who remains in a "persistent vegetative state" resulting from a suspicious injection of insulin -- narrates the film, summarizing the first murder trial, which ended with Claus (Jeremy Irons) convicted and released on bail pending appeal. Claus approaches Harvard Law professor Dershowitz (Ron Silver) to handle the case. Working with a small group of law students recruited from his classes, Dershowitz presents sufficient new evidence to cast doubt as to Claus' guilt and the veracity of the star witness, her maid. Jeremy Irons' extraordinary, Oscar-winning performance dominates the film. He plays the role of Claus with a alternatively pompous, aloof snobbishness and an engagingly enigmatic, kinky, sly humor. Barbet Schroeder was also nominated for an Academy Award for his extraordinary, off-beat, direction of this sophisticated, exceptionally intelligent legal drama. Reversal of Fortune with its sharp, witty, Oscar-nominated screenplay by Nicholas Kazan is unusual in its understanding that legal guilt and moral culpability are not the same thing -- making for an unusually provocative tragicomedy of bad manners and bad behavior among the rich. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Close, Jeremy Irons, (more)
- 1983
Set in the years before World War I, this film is about Robert, a young man growing up in a wealthy family in Toronto who is burdened by a distant, cool mother and a father dedicated to duty, both highly conservative people. When Robert loses his beloved invalid sister in a car accident he is further tormented by the family's decision to kill her pet rabbits - and quarrels with them so intensely that he enlists in the army and goes off to war. Once "over there," he discovers brothels and romance, and in a climactic scene, decides to free a barn full of horses from certain death - in spite of contrary orders from his superiors. The juxtaposition of Robert's internal conflict and the external horrors of combat may have been intended to illustrate the nature of "war," although that is difficult to surmise since the evidence in the film is not that strong. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brent Carver, Martha Henry, (more)
- 1974
The title of this Canadian film drama is, need we say, ironic. Director Milad Bessada underlines the tragedy and futility of Ireland's civil war by heavily underlining the sameness between the two warring factions. This he does by casting Margot Kidder in a dual role. Ms. Kidder plays twin Catholic girls, one loyal to the "cause," the other in love with a British soldier. Though A Quiet Day in Belfast is not rated, the unrelenting hopelessness of the subject matter may prove too intense for very young children. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The first independent production of former studio mogul Jack Warner, 1776 was adapted from the hit 1969 Broadway musical by Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards. William Daniels, Ken Howard, and Howard Da Silva are among the many actors who recreate their Broadway roles. The story is set during the first Continental Congress, when the Declaration of Independence was drafted by such founding fathers as John Adams (Daniels) and Benjamin Franklin (Da Silva). The script attempts to "humanize" these remote historical figures by contemporizing them -- particularly the character of Ben Franklin. Blythe Danner's character of Martha Jefferson is expanded for the film version to allow for an elaborate outdoor production number. After 1776, Warner made only one more film, the 1972 "grunge Western" Dirty Little Billy. On an added note: the picture was originally rated G with its theatrical running time of 141 minutes. It was later expanded to 166 minutes; the added scenes caused the MPAA to re-rate it PG (for language) in 1992. Both versions are available on video. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Daniels, Howard Da Silva, (more)
- 1964
Ginger Coffey (Robert Shaw) is an out-of-work Irish immigrant who moves to Montreal with his wife, Vera (Mary Ure), and teenage daughter, Paulie (Libby McClintock), in hopes of a better life. After six months, the family fortunes have not changed, and Vera and Paulie beg Ginger to return to Ireland. He lands a job as a proofreader with a newspaper, but Vera and Paulie move out when Vera realizes his 45 dollar-a-week paycheck will not suffice. Ginger quits his second job as a laundry-truck driver and pins all his hopes on becoming a reporter. Paulie comes back to live with him, but Ginger is fired at the paper and sinks deeper into alcoholism and depression. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Shaw, Mary Ure, (more)
Also known as Eyes of Hell, The Mask, is an inexpensive Canadian horror film is distinguished by a gimmick which relies upon full-audience cooperation. Anticipating Jim Carrey by 30 years, Paul Stevens comes into possession of an ancient mask which harbors Strange Powers. When Stevens places the mask over his face, the line "Put your mask on now" is supposed to cue the audience to don their 3-D glasses -- whereupon both Stevens and the audience experience a series of hallucinatory images. The major difference is that Stevens' hallucinations give him the urge to kill; it is hoped that the audience will not follow suit. In the early 1980s, a restored stereoscopic version of The Eyes of Hell was released to television in tandem with a pair of 3-D Three Stooges shorts, Spooks (1953) and Pardon My Backfire (1953). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Stevens, Claudette Nevins, (more)
