Category: Movie of the Week

Movie of the Week: ‘The American Friend’

Jeff Mitchell

“The American Friend” (1977) – Jonathan Zimmerman (Bruno Ganz) is modest picture framer, and while his Hamburg, Germany shop gives him little stress, his declining health frequently preys on his thoughts.  What will become of his wife and son after his soon-to-be passing?  Well, he passes an American art dealer, Tom Ripley (Dennis Hopper), at a local auction.  He slights him, actually, and Tom now has Jonathan in his sights, and it’s not a pretty picture. Director Wim Wenders pits this odd German and American pair together, as Tom manipulates…

Movie of the Week: ‘Marathon Man’

Jeff Mitchell

“Marathon Man” (1976) – In director Sydney Pollack’s NYC comedy “Tootsie” (1982), Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) runs around Manhattan a bit.  One scene, actually.  He’s in a hurry, but not a desperate one.  This struggling actor lost a part in “The Iceman Cometh” to a rival, and he’s hustling on foot to his agent’s (Pollack) office to vent.  In director John Schlesinger’s NYC thriller “Marathon Man”, Hoffman runs as well, but for two very different reasons.  First, Thomas Levy (Dustin Hoffman) – nicknamed ‘Babe’ – is a marathon runner, so…

Movie of the Week: ‘Away We Go’

Jeff Mitchell

“Away We Go” (2009)– “Relationships are hard.” – Everybody “Life is hard.” – Almost everybody For Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph), their relationship and life in general are hard, but more the latter. Burt sells insurance, but not straight-up medical, auto, or home.  He sells insurance futures.  What?  (Yea, he explains it, but I still don’t get it.) Anyways, he’s struggling to earn a lucrative salary, which becomes problematic when his long-time girlfriend, Verona, becomes pregnant. Since they’re 33 years young and “don’t have basic stuff figured out,”…