The cast of this fine movie have better ensemble chemistry than possibly any cast I can remember. Everyone looks like they belong in their roles.
Whether or not they captured the two books exactly really isn't the point. The movie creates a perfect atmosphere for the events, and Huston's narration actually adds to, rather than detracts from the performances (something I find very rare in narrated films).
Nick Nolte is good in almost anything, and he plays the role of Doc with the patience of a man who really doesn't quite belong where he is, but who has decided to stay, anyway.
I think the finest performance in the film, however, is Frank McRae as Hazel, the childlike giant. He plays the role with a sweetness and earnestness that make the character totally believable. His reaction to being cursed with the Presidency, and his slightly-befuddled researching of the problem of how to get Doc and Suzy back together are priceless.
One more tiny detail that I thought really made the movie, for me: everybody singles out the frog hunt scene as a favorite, and I would agree for the most part. But I prefer the aftermath: the frog currency system and the night of the fight when the whole mob of frogs are accidentally set loose on Cannery Row. After that scene, you can hear frogs peeping away for the rest of the movie.
This is one for the DVD collection, and I agree with the reviewer who lamented the lack of an available soundtrack.
Wonderful film.
Whether or not they captured the two books exactly really isn't the point. The movie creates a perfect atmosphere for the events, and Huston's narration actually adds to, rather than detracts from the performances (something I find very rare in narrated films).
Nick Nolte is good in almost anything, and he plays the role of Doc with the patience of a man who really doesn't quite belong where he is, but who has decided to stay, anyway.
I think the finest performance in the film, however, is Frank McRae as Hazel, the childlike giant. He plays the role with a sweetness and earnestness that make the character totally believable. His reaction to being cursed with the Presidency, and his slightly-befuddled researching of the problem of how to get Doc and Suzy back together are priceless.
One more tiny detail that I thought really made the movie, for me: everybody singles out the frog hunt scene as a favorite, and I would agree for the most part. But I prefer the aftermath: the frog currency system and the night of the fight when the whole mob of frogs are accidentally set loose on Cannery Row. After that scene, you can hear frogs peeping away for the rest of the movie.
This is one for the DVD collection, and I agree with the reviewer who lamented the lack of an available soundtrack.
Wonderful film.