FilmJerk Favorites

A group of unique directors and the essential works that you've got to see.

||| Joseph L. Mankiewicz |||
Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Mankiewicz directed 20 films in a 26-year period, and was very successful at every kind of film, from Shakespeare to western, drama to musical, epics to two-character pictures, and regardless of the genre, he was known as a witty dialogist, a master in the use of flashback and a talented actors' director.

The 1950 Oscar for Best Picture and Screenplay brought Mankiewicz wide recognition as a writer and a director, with his sardonic look at show business glamour and the empty lives behind it. This well orchestrated cast of brilliant and catty character actors is built around veteran actress Bette Davis and Anne Baxter as her understudy desperate for stardom.

One of Mankiewicz’ more intimate films, this highly regarded and major artistic achievement is a spirited romantic comedy set in England of the 1880’s about a widow who moves into a haunted seashore house and resists the attempts of a sea captain specter to scare her away. This is a pleasing and poignant romance that is equally satisfying as a good old ghost story.

Mankiewicz wrote and directed this witty dissection of matrimony that has three women review the ups and downs of their marriages (with all its romance, fears and foibles) after receiving a letter telling them that one of their husbands has been unfaithful. Once again Mankiewicz deftly utilizes the skills of a well-chosen ensemble, which includes a young Kirk Douglas at his dreamiest.

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Pooh's Heffalump Movie

By BrianOrndorf

February 9th, 2005

An unexpected surprise, “Pooh’s Heffalump Movie” effectively erases the last handful of kid films with its respect for the audience and sweetly arranged story. A mild, modest production, “Heffalump” eases the headache the “Are We There Yets” of the world create.


When the citizens of Hundred Acre Wood hear a troubling rumbling in the distance, they decide to investigate, insisting that an evil Heffalump (a purple elephant-like creature) is nearby. When young Roo is excluded from the expedition due to his age, he tears off into the mysterious woods anyway, meeting up with Lumpy, a baby Heffalump out having fun. At first fearful and guarded around Lumpy, Roo soon befriends the Heffalump, and the two become close buddies. However, the friendship is tested when Pooh and the gang make their way into Heffalump territory, looking to trap anything they find.

Taking into consideration the recent epidemic of so called "family" films that have crammed themselves with crude material and obnoxious performances, "Pooh's Heffalump Movie" feels like watching "Citizen Kane" all over again. A modest, throwaway animated feature thankfully lucking into a theatrical release, "Heffalump" is a film of small charms, but what delights are there sound out loudly in today's depressing kid film marketplace.

It's a shock to the system to see a traditionally animated film in this day and age, when the CG Shrekification of animated films has ruined everything. "Heffalump" doesn't stray far from the known quantities: Pooh loves "hunny," Tigger bounces around, and Rabbit is the know-it-all. Yet, "Heffalump" has great fun cartwheeling around the colorfully familiar Hundred Acre Wood, with the gang comedically preparing themselves for the worst when encountering a Heffalump. It's an easy film to like, and refreshingly unobtrusive with its storytelling or implementation of messages, which salutes the virtues of friendship and acceptance without stopping the film cold. Funny how some simple ink and paint, along with a little audience appreciation can make for such an enjoyable time.

Amplifying the appealing story are the voice talents, especially the delightful work by young Jimmy Bennett as Roo and Kyle Sanger as Lumpy the Heffalump. Sanger is a real find, with director Frank Niessen coaxing a sugary and playful vocal performance out of the 6 year-old British boy, milking his warm accent for everything it's worth. Roo and Lumpy are the real stars of the film, with each actor finding the sweet spot of innocence to explore, while also relishing the specific bliss of maternal endearment (with Kath Soucie and Brenda Blethyn as Roo and Lumpy's affectionate mothers).

"Heffalump" is the rare animated feature that, at 65 minutes, knows when to call it quits. The film is short, terribly sweet and genuinely moving, and even includes some engaging original songs, provided by Carly Simon (who also worked on "Piglet's Big Movie"). Faced with multiplexes that feature Ice Cube taking repeated crotch hits or a pair of talking flies who swim in feces, the humble delights in "Pooh's Heffalump Movie" are just what the doctor ordered. Imagine a film that respects your children! Here it is.

My rating: A-