Listen to this article now
NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of May 26. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence, and sexual situations.
Sunday, May 26, 8-10:15 p.m. EDT (TCM) "The Pink Panther" (1964). Farcical comedy introducing the accident-prone French policeman, Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers), in Switzerland on the trail of a suspected English jewel thief (David Niven) after the fabled gem of the title. Directed by Blake Edwards, the comic-caper complications are broad and zesty, ranging from unsubtle sight gags and silly puns to bedroom hanky-panky, with the clumsy antics of the dim Clouseau amusing enough to sustain six sequels. Slapstick violence, sexual situations and double entendres. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.
Monday, May 27, 6-10 p.m. EDT (AMC) "Saving Private Ryan" (1998). Riveting war drama set during and immediately after D-Day, 1944 when seven soldiers, led by their captain (Tom Hanks), are ordered to go behind German enemy lines to rescue a GI (Matt Damon) whose three brothers had been killed in action the previous week. Director Steven Spielberg brilliantly recreates the horror and chaos of warfare, never losing sight of the soldiers' humanity, savagery and patriotism even as they question the justification of their mission. Graphic battlefield violence with gore, some profanity and recurring rough language. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Saturday, June 1, 8-10:25 p.m. EDT (HBO) "Bad Times at the El Royale" (2018). Religion in general and Catholicism in particular are central to writer-director Drew Goddard's intense, challenging drama. In 1969, a strange array of guests checks into the past-its-prime hotel of the title which straddles the Nevada-California state line. They include a mild-mannered priest (Jeff Bridges), a hard-edged hippie (Dakota Johnson), a glib traveling salesman (Jon Hamm) and a reserved soul singer (Cynthia Erivo). Secrets, false identities and a trove of stolen cash are mixed into a complex story that eventually also involves the hostelry's timid manager (Lewis Pullman), a Charles Manson-like cult leader (Chris Hemsworth) and one of the latter's young followers (Cailee Spaeny). Sophisticated but gritty, the film's basic stance is humane and its attitude toward faith serious and refreshingly respectful for a mainstream Hollywood production, albeit Goddard's oblique approach to the subject may not be to every believer's taste. Offbeat and ambitious fare for grown viewers willing to grapple with some exacting material. Considerable violence with gore, glimpses of distant full nudity, mature themes, including the sexual abuse of a minor, a couple of blasphemous expressions, a few uses of profanity, much rough and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Saturday, June 1, 8-10:45 p.m. EDT (TCM) "West Side Story" (1961). Rousing Broadway musical, with choreography by Jerome Robbins and music by Leonard Bernstein, is a contemporary, inner-city adaptation of the classic Romeo and Juliet theme, with Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood playing the star-crossed lovers set apart ethnically and by their opposing street gang backgrounds. Directed by Robert Wise, the picture captures the grit of life in the city's lower depths, with glimmers of hope and elements of tragedy in a delicate balance, carried along by song and the dance numbers that pulsate with energy and verve. Some of the social issues, relationships and street language, however, require a mature perspective. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.
- - -
Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic News Service.