Combustible Celluloid


New movie reviews, DVD reviews, interviews, and all things film.

movies

50% Off DVD Sale at BarnesandNoble.com! Shop Now.

 
Home | Archive | About | Blog | Lists | Links | E-mail me | Sign up for my weekly newsletter! |  
 



Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Safe House ***
The Vow **1/2
The Innkeepers ***1/2
The Woman in Black ***
The Grey ***
Man on a Ledge ***
Underworld Awakening **
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos ***
Haywire ***
Beauty and the Beast ****
Contraband ***
The Divide *
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ****
The Devil Inside **
The Iron Lady **
A Separation ***
Pariah ***1/2
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close ***
The Darkest Hour **
More
 



Anonymous
Essential Killing
Lady and the Tramp
La Jetée
Sans Soleil
Story of a Love Affair
3
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
2011: The Year's Best DVDs and Blu-Rays
More
 

Film Features

2011: The Year's Best Films
Year's Best DVDs and Blu-Rays
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards
Interview: Steve McQueen and Michael Fassbender
Interview: Simon Curtis
Interview: Werner Herzog
Interview: John Cho
Interview: Roland Emmerich
Interview: Stephen Bishop on Moneyball
Interview: Nick Swardson
Interview: Lynn Hershman Leeson
Interview: Lone Scherfig
Interview: Jesse Eisenberg & Aziz Ansari
Interview: Wayne Wang
Interview: Andre Ovredal on 'Trollhunter'
Interview: Ewan McGregor & Mike Mills
Interview: Kelly Reichardt (Examiner link)
The 54th San Francisco International Film Festival - 2011 Coverage
Interview: Emma Roberts
Rainn Wilson & James Gunn (Examiner link)
Interview: Tom McCarthy
Interview: Abigail Breslin (Examiner link)
2010: The Year's Best Films
2010: The Year's Best DVDs & Blu-Rays
Interview: Sofia Coppola
Interview: George A. Romero
The Decade's Ten Best Films: 2000-2009
My Top 100 Films [Updated]
My Top 60 Directors [Updated]
Christmas Movies
Essential Halloween & Horror Movies
Cult Movies
Actress Interview Gallery
More Features and Interviews
 

Film Books

Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas, by Alonso Duralde
Not Quite a Memoir: Of Films, Books, the World, by Judy Stone
James Agee: The Library of America Collection, by James Agee
Just Making Movies, by Ronald L. Davis
More Books
 



Home
Reviews A-C
Reviews D-F
Reviews G-J
Reviews K-M
Reviews N-Q
Reviews R-T
Reviews U-Z
 

The online film magazine Combustible Celluloid offers new movie reviews, DVD reviews, film reviews, actor interviews, actress interviews, director interviews, film books and all things cinema related for the thoughtful and passionate. Online for ten years! Over 3000 reviews!

 
SEARCH MOVIES / CELEB

Advanced Search

 
 
© 1997-2012 Combustible Celluloid



The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (2009)

Rating: 2 Stars (out of 4)

Abyss, Tennessee

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

One could probably argue that Tennessee Williams was a writer of his time, rather than timeless. The raw, hysterical emotions that poured out of his work must have seemed refreshing in the repressed 1950s, but now they just seem hysterical. It's telling that prestigious -- rather than personal -- film directors gravitated to his work, people like Kazan, Richard Brooks and Mankiewicz; you'd never see Ford, Hawks or Lang tackling a Williams text.

Now an unproduced, unpublished Williams screenplay has surfaced and the directing chores have gone to a novice, Jodie Markell. She may have studied Williams intently but has no idea how to make this modern film adaptation work. Moreover, instead of the vital, prowling physical stealth of a Marlon Brando or a Paul Newman, we now have a sulking pretty boy, Chris Evans, occupying the male lead. Fortunately Bryce Dallas Howard pours her heart into her role as suffering debutante Fisher and has some mesmerizing moments.

It's the 1920s and Fisher has returned from her education abroad but has become an outcast in Memphis due to her father's malicious business practices. She attempts to wedge herself into the new season's "coming out" parties, and must hire as her date Jimmy (Evans), a poor worker who also happens to be the grandson of a former governor. Most of the action takes place at a Halloween party where Fisher loses her earring and where people take drugs, make out and talk a lot -- most of the talk in the form of complaints, attacks or huge revelations.

Markell treats the material as gospel rather than finding a way to temper it, and it flares up all over the place. In hindsight it probably would have been better for this script to have been published, rather than produced.


Buy DVD | Buy Blu-Ray | iTunes Download
Trailer | Poster | Book
Bookmark and Share
With: Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Evans, Will Patton, Ann-Margret, Mamie Gummer, Jessica Collins, Ellen Burstyn, Peter Gerety, Marin Ireland, Zoe Perry, Barbara Garrick, Zach Grenier, Laila Robins, Susan Blommaert, Carol Sutton
Written by: Tennessee Williams
Directed by: Jodie Markell
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some sexuality and drug content
Running Time: 102 minutes
Date: January 1, 2010
Home
New Movies
New DVDs & Blu-Ray
Features
News
Search Reviews
Classic Movies
Film Books
Gallery
Links
About
Contact
All scribblings © 1997-2012 Combustible Celluloid