Suddenly, Last Summer

They don't make films like this anymore.

Katharine Hepburn plays Mrs Venable, a devoted mother who lost her beloved son Sebastian and has her niece committed for telling an unpleasant story about what happened to Sebastian (the name repeated so often, it is almost like a mantra). She goes as far as trying to get young Cathy lobotomized by one Dr Cukrowicz. Early one, she has an awesome monologue about sea turtles, of all things.

The doctor is played by the wonderful Montgomery Clift, who is the good to oppose Hepburn's bad. He wants to first see for himself, whether Cathy is really as crazy as he is made to believe and an operation is justified.

Cathy is played impeccably by the wonderful, beautiful Elizabeth Taylor. She owns every scene she is in. Quite a feat when you are in scenes with Hepburn and Clift.

All the minor characters have something to gain from Cathy's planned lobotomy. Mrs. Venable has her deluded view of her son untainted by the truth, Cathy's mother and brother stand to inherit $ 100,000,-- and the owner of the asylum Cukrowicz works at a new building sponsored by Mrs Venable.

This is really wonderful to watch, all the way to when Cathy finally tells the truth and everyone is there to witness it.

Quite wonderful.

8/10

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

This film is perfect.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof features two of the greatest movie stars ever. What's more, both are at their most beautiful in it.

Elizabeth Taylor is Maggie, the 'Cat', married to Brick, who - when drunk one night - decided to relive his glory jock days by jumping hurdles in the dark. Not as agile as he once was, he falls and ends up on crutches. And this right when they are to celebrate Big Daddy's birthday with the family.

The relationship between Maggie and a ceaselessly drinking Brick is strained to the maximum, gleefully noticed by Brick's sister-in-law, Mae, who believes that her husband Gooper is more worthy of Big Daddy's love, always having stayed in line and produced grandchild after grandchild after grandchild.

But the difficult dynamics among the brothers and their wives are not all that is plagueing the family on this suposedly joyous occasion. Big Daddy has terminal cancer, a fact the doctor chooses to hide from him and Big Mama but shares with the sons.

Big Daddy, annoyed with all the attention and the bickering, retreats to the basement where he talks and fights with Brick and evantually learns that he is, in fact, dying and Gooper and Mae are already in the process of securing Gooper's place in the family succession.

Wonderfully acted by all. They don't make films like that anymore.

Love it!

Bonus pic of one of the most handsome actors ever!

10/10