HARD TO HANDLE (1933)

I watched this thinking it was gonna be all about Depression-era dance marathon contests and it was...for like 10 minutes.  Ends up James Cagney is a flimflam man who's got his nose into about every racket in town.  After his partner stiffs him in the dance marathon business, he's off to the set up a fake treasure hunt, then onto some bullshit weight loss cream and so on and so on.  Throughout it all his ups and downs his faithful dame Mary Brian still loves him.  Of course, that's not gonna stop her from running around on him with another guy.

Although HARD TO HANDLE is suppose to be a comedy I didn't find the way Cagney was constantly conning people to be funny in the least and the romance stuff was dead in the water.  The only highlight of the film was some of the Pre-Code banter was interesting in the stuff it implied, but even that doesn't make it worth going out of your way to watch it.  Okay acting, annoying mother character, unsympathetic main character, unfunny comedy.  I can't recommend it.  For hardcore classic Hollywood fans only.

MUTE WITNESS (1994)

A mute special effects artist from America is working on a film in Moscow.  One evening, at the end of the shooting day, she forgets something inside the rundown studio and goes back inside to get it...only to find two of the Russian crew making a snuff film!  Couldn't these guys have waited until the others were gone for like 5 minutes?!  Scared out of her wits she runs all around the studio with the two killers only a few steps behind her.  She escapes, but then things get even crazier.

I like the idea of the film and some of the suspense stuff at the beginning is fun, but after awhile it just becomes too much.  The American director is goofy to the point of being annoying and the main girl herself doesn't really seem all that traumatized by the murder she witnessed and the attempt on her life.  She lives through the opening chase scene, but once she's free she just goes back to her apartment alone and chills out in the bathtub!

Mild blood, zero gore, badly shot nudity, quick pace, Alec Guinness cameo, unrealistic characters.  MUTE WITNESS is a simple film that's completely unbelievable, but still a fun watch as long as you don't expect too much.  But do expect to make fun of that director dude.  He was an idiot.  Dude couldn't even boil water and answer the phone at the same time.  Moron.

ONCE WERE WARRIORS (1994)

[Update 05/31/2020: Would love to rewatch this film and update this review. It needs it!]

Brutal, but compelling tale of a family bullied by their alcoholic husband/father.  When he's sober (which isn't very often), he seems kinda okay, but the threat of violence and his quick temper makes him a time bomb capable of going off at any moment.  With this psychopath in charge, the entire family lives in terror and the younger children pretty much paralyzed by fear 24 hours a day.  The older children just want to escape.

The violence in ONCE WERE WARRIORS isn't for everybody, but as depressing as it is (and it is depressing), OWW isn't a total downer.  There's funny moments and while the mother, for whatever stupid fucking reason, loves her caveman husband she does possess a inner-strength that is commendable.

Strong performances by all of the leads.  Highly recommended, especially for fans of gritty dysfunctional family films.