Possession (1981)

1981

France, West Germany

Directed by:  Andrzej Zulawski
Written by:  Andrzej Zulawski (original screenplay), Frederic Tuten (adaptation, dialogue)
Cast:  Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill, Margit Carstensen, Heinz Bennent
Rating: R 

Synopsis (from Rotten Tomatoes website):

...this challenging and highly unusual drama stars Isabelle Adjani as a young woman who forsakes her husband (Sam Neill) and her lover (Heinz Bennent) for a bizarre, tentacled creature that she keeps in a run-down Berlin apartment. In the beginning, her husband knows nothing about the monster and sincerely believes that his wife is insane. He has her tailed by private detectives, whom she kills and feeds to the creature. Still unaware of what has happened, the husband contends with the reserved and inadvertently seductive presence of his wife's look-alike (also played by Adjani), a schoolteacher who frequently comes to tutor his son while his wife is away. Though tempted by her quiet goodness and beauty, he is still passionately in love with his wife and even after he finds out about the murders, he stays by her side and helps her conceal her crimes. 

My Thoughts:

Definitely in the running for Worst Movie Ever Made. One star for the presence of Sam Neill. Run, run as fast and far away as possible from this mess.

My Rating at the IMDb: 1 star out of a possible 10

Maleficent

2014

USA / Disney Movies

Directed by: Robert Stromberg
Written by: Linda Woolverton
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Brenton Thwaites, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville, Sam Riley

Synopsis (by Google):

As a beautiful young woman of pure heart, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) has an idyllic life in a forest kingdom. When an invading army threatens the land, Maleficent rises up to become its fiercest protector. However, a terrible betrayal hardens her heart and twists her into a creature bent on revenge. She engages in an epic battle with the invading king's successor, then curses his newborn daughter, Aurora -- realizing only later that the child holds the key to peace in the kingdom.

My Thoughts:

Disney does it again. Such a gorgeous fantasy film! Interesting take on the Sleeping Beauty tale, with Maleficent more victim than villain. Surprised I enjoyed it so much, since I generally find Angelina Jolie hard to watch. Not that she's not great to look at (duh!) -- she just never seems very believable. But she makes an excellent mythic being!

Don't think too much about this one, just let the magic kingdom envelop you.

My IMDb Rating: 6 stars out of a possible 10