ALL I WATCHED IN 2023 (with reviews)
I make these lists as personal reminders of movies that I've watched throughout the year, with short reviews to capture details that are otherwise easily forgotten.
I make them public in case they somehow benefit any other of you fellow movie-lovers out there..x
I make them public in case they somehow benefit any other of you fellow movie-lovers out there..x
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- CreatorWilliam Moulton MarstonStanley Ralph RossStarsLynda CarterLyle WaggonerTom KratochvilThe adventures of the greatest of the female superheroes.The original pilot episode. One of the most exciting TV intros of all time: the theme tune, the colours and all. Like a firework of nostalgia and energy. But then it was half an hour before Wonder Woman even showed up. You could almost feel eager TV audiences back in 1975 beginning to twitch in bored anticipation, especially with it being set in the 1940s with lots of scenes of Generals talking in offices. Thank heavens for comic relief from Kenneth Mars (Mel Brooks comic-Nazi stalwart). Otherwise it's amateur-dramatics level of acting. There's a silly Olympics on Paradise Island (wonder woman runs as no.33), then it's up and away on the invisible plane (hooray) and soon the adventure begins, the spectacles go on. Say, don't that new secretary lady look kinda familiar?..
- DirectorJohn G. BlystoneStarsStan LaurelOliver HardyPatricia EllisStan, who has remained faithfully at his World War I post for twenty years, finally comes home where his best friend, Ollie, takes him in, thus allowing him to discover the many conveniences of the modern world.War-hero Stan and his legs is surely one of the all-time funniest moments of L+H, if not of movie comedy in general. Lots of running up and down stairs, kitchen explosions etc. It's patchy, but when it's good it's laugh out loud.
- DirectorHiroyuki MoritaStarsChizuru IkewakiYoshihiko HakamadaAki MaedaAfter helping a cat, a seventeen-year-old girl finds herself involuntarily engaged to a cat Prince in a magical world where her only hope of freedom lies with a dapper cat statuette come to life.Glad i went into this not really knowing what would happen, as it was a pleasing surprise seeing it unfold. Kinda went exactly where i'd hoped it would go. Alice in wonderland, Wizard Of Oz influenced. Nice to see Ghibli relax and have fun pursuing ideas like this. This and Aristocats are about the most 'cat' movies ever. Having absorbed myself in all that cat/human communication, directly after watching it, I then went outdoors to put the bins out and there was a random cat resting on the shelf of our porch. We had a nice stroke together. Never seen him before then or since. But I know this movie had a part in his being there, somehow.
- DirectorRob MarshallStarsEmily BluntLin-Manuel MirandaBen WhishawA few decades after her original visit, Mary Poppins, the magical nanny, returns to help the Banks siblings and Michael's children through a difficult time in their lives.Impossible to match (let alone surpass) the original movie. So what are the options for a sequel? It plumps for the 'greatest hits' approach: doing all the things we loved from the 1964 classic. This means dancing chimney-sweeps (now lamplighters), admiral's cannon booming, ceiling-based Uncle Albert is now Meryl Streep (misses the mark), kids cause bank mayhem, tongue-twisting songs, chalk paintings are now painted bowls, kites are now balloons. Even the penguins are back. Trouble is, all this leaves little room to be its own movie outside of nostalgia meets modern FX. A treat though to have Dick Van Dyke, also Angela Lansbury, David Warner, and Julie Walters as the aged Ellen. Blunt however is a strange Poppins - plummy school-ma'am meets high-class dominatrix? Her smoky, dreamy eyes are not the clean, present pearls of Julie Andrews. She gives her all but somehow lacks a personal touch. Perhaps it was the script, perhaps she didn't love the role quite as Andrews did. And like the movie says: you have to believe in the magic for it to work, right?
- DirectorVáclav VorlícekStarsLibuse SafránkováPavel TrávnícekCarola BraunbockLife changes dramatically for a Czech housemaid when the family coachman gives her three magical hazelnuts.Pleasing variation on the Cinderella story for many reasons: the folksy, snowy medieval setting (filmed in Norway?), the unabashed 70s-ness (heartfelt Czech pop-ballads to horse rides at dusk), for the wry humour and mostly for the lead Libuse Safránková. Her Cinderella is feisty yet sweet, relatable yet regal. She plays servant, huntsman and princess with equal spirit and ease. It's all happy (of course) and a perfect film for 12th night, we took the decorations down straight afterwards, quite content.
- DirectorRoy Ward BakerStarsHardy KrügerColin GordonMichael GoodliffeA cocky German fighter pilot is shot down over England in 1940 and makes numerous attempts to escape to fight again.True story of the only German POW to escape the Brits and return home. Such is the relaxed confidence of post-victory Britain to make a picture depicting the heroics of such a man (it would never be made during the war when propaganda and morale were key). Kruger also out-shines the cast in terms of looks and presence: was that national sense of superiority, so vital for the war, slipping by 1957? The whole film is played pretty straight, time and space are given to build tension (are we to 'root' for the 'hero'?) which also allows for photographic pleasures of the misty, lake district and snowy Canada. Ending drags on a bit but it's engaging overall.
- DirectorNorman JewisonStarsDenzel WashingtonVicellous ShannonDeborah Kara UngerThe story of Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.True story with fictional embellishments. 1st half tells Hurricane's story, jumping between different chapters of his life: 1940s, 1960s and the present. This all works really well. It's engrossing enough, then there's extra depth from Denzil Washington who brings quality, heft and dignity to the part. 2nd half, all these strands weave together and the film becomes linear in it's narrative (no more time jumping) and focuses entirely on resolving the situation. This half is not as good, it's less epic to watch but the truth of the whole affair is epic enough. 1st half 8, 2nd 7.
- DirectorSacha GervasiStarsAnthony HopkinsHelen MirrenScarlett JohanssonThe relationship between Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reville during the filming of Psycho (1960) in 1959 is explored.10mins in and it already drags. Hopkins plods about, so does the film. Hitch and Alma are 1D cliche: him 'stubborn and creepy', her 'the brains of it all', it's not doing him or his legend any favours. Exaggeration, fictional embellishments and what we do know of Hitch is presented in a cheesy unimaginative way. The dream/Ed Gein sequences don't work, the film indulges glibly in their gruesome detail which is uncomfortably at odds with the general pedestrian tone. Only scene with any real spark is his direction of Psycho, Janet Leigh driving. Who is this movie for? Hitch fans will object to his negative portrayal and overall lack of depth. Non-fans of his won't care. One to forget.
- DirectorDavid GreenStarsPhil CollinsJulie WaltersLarry LambBased on the story of Ronald Christopher "Buster" Edwards (Phil Collins), one of the thieves involved in "The Great Train Robbery" of 1963.Played light but there's genuine feeling. Strong cast, Phil Collins works well in this role, as does he and Julie Walters as the hub of the movie: honest with the right touch of romance. She is great in this, as she usually is. There's naturalistic period detail: ketchup, grubby kitchens etc. First half is well-paced with real tension to the train robbery, much like a western but with just the right touch of London humour. Second half lags a little with some silly moments (drunken antics) but it's all the so-called dream heading for the inevitable reality check. Surprised it took this long for me to see it but being 13 when it came out it wasn't cool back then especially with it's music being so overplayed. Seeing it now in 2023 it feels familiar yet innocent and stronger as a UK crime movie than I'd expected. Even the music has become pleasing in a nostalgic way, 'Two Hearts' gave me goosebumps (that key change!).
- DirectorRobert HamerStarsAlec GuinnessBette DavisNicole MaureyAn English schoolteacher meets his lookalike, a French count; and unwillingly swaps identities with him.Noir-ish fantasy oddity. Alec Guinness and his dream-like, faraway gaze suit this part and the mystery of the film. Life swap scenario echoes the prince and pauper but it's even less realistic that this entire family and associates would all be fooled by a lookalike. But I don't mind suspending belief like that. Overall it feels a bit like a stage play and not particularly exciting, but intriguing nonetheless. Enjoyable watching Alec Guinness play two different men in conversation.
- DirectorRené ClairStarsDick PowellLinda DarnellJack OakieA young turn-of-the-century newspaper man finds he can get hold of the next day's paper. This brings more problems than fortune, especially as his new girlfriend is part of a phony clairvoyant act.Rom-com wrapped in fantasy/time-travel. Dick Powell and Linda Darnell are both solid leads, always watchable, fun but never OTT. The whole thing moves well, smooth and lightly sparkling under Rene Clair's quality direction. His 'I married a witch' was a direct influence on the 'Bewitched' TV series, and here again the influence is felt: one episode featured a newspaper that predicted the future, plus the main character here is called Larry Stevens (Darrin and Sam's surname in Bewitched, plus Darrin's boss is Larry).
- DirectorSegundo de ChomónIn a medieval palace, an astronomer with a telescope shows the king.Segundo De Chomon does Georges Melies, all magic, stars and planets. Full of life and still looking great some 100+ years on.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsJehanne d'AlcyGeorges MélièsAn astronomer falls asleep and has a strange dream involving a fairy queen and the Moon.Georges Méliès astro-wizard fantasy, the moon eats the telescope etc: is it a comment on full-moon madness (luna-cy)?
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsMlle. BodsonManuelGeorges MélièsAs the clock strikes twelve, a weary astronomer attempts to answer the impertinent enquiries of his young students by scrutinising an impending lunar eclipse, as an effeminate and delicate moon caresses the mighty sun's hungry cosmic rays.Georges Méliès sky fantasy, the stars, planets etc transcend the absurd into something almost balletic.
- DirectorGordon Parks Jr.StarsMax JulienVonetta McGeeGeorge MurdockThe exploits of 1910s bounty hunter Thomasine and bandit Bushrod who, after rekindling their old romance, take to robbing banks to survive, stealing from rich whites and sharing their loot with the poor on the harsh frontier.Bonnie and Clyde out west, outlaws under a shadow of doom. Gets called a Blaxploitation movie and while it does have themes, characters, attitudes and a style of acting that are all typical of that genre, there is also a dimension of depth here. Mainly due to the relationship between the two leads. They were lovers in real life at the time that this picture was made and it shows. They bring a quiet humanity and personal feeling between them which elevates the movie as a whole. I'd like to watch more of them as a duo, surviving and living out west without the obligation to descend into violence. Vonetta McGee has great presence and plays surely one of the most memorable female lead roles in any Western ever. Overall - a cool, rare '70s western featuring some great early cars as well as stylish clothes and enjoyable music. It's a 6 movie but I give it 7 for it's extra levels of enjoyment.
- DirectorPaul SchneiderStarsKirk CameronChelsea NobleJohn de LancieMan leaves his fortune to his dog and its psychiatrist.A Disney TV movie about a boy who communicates with dogs is never going to be palme d'or material, but jeez this doesn't even make the Santa Paws grade of guilty pleasure. It could have done were it not so self-indulgently over-goofy. Whenever the dog gets excited - the lead man acts like a dog himself. This happens a lot. It's cringe acting and is always accompanied by the same 'oompah-oompah' music. I like bad dog films but, man...
- DirectorMichael GordonStarsDoris DayJames GarnerPolly BergenAfter being lost at sea for several years, a missing wife thought long dead returns just after her husband has remarried.Nigh on identical remake of 'My Favorite Wife', which was never a movie I particularly loved. Here, Cary Grant is now James Garner (dry). Irene Dunne now Doris Day (not her best). This version is overall flatter and much glossier than the first (like some celebrity magazine), it ups the wacky moments (the swedish massage and the car wash are just too OTT). The only thing it improves on is the end scene where (*spoiler alert*) they ditched that darned silly santa claus joke and everyone jumps in the pool instead. Meh.
- DirectorMohsen MakhmalbafStarsShaghayeh DjodatHossein MoharamiRogheih MoharamiWhen an old couple washes their gabbeh - a type of Persian rug - a young woman magically appears and tells them her life story.I'm glad i'm still discovering gems like this. Rewarding on so many levels. Dreamy and poetic yet earthy and natural. Time, art, life, stories - all interwoven (pun intended) to create this beautiful tapestry of a movie. Deliberately ambiguous, it can be read in many ways but has a spacious and wonderous charm so that even a child could grasp it's true spirit. A celebration of life, tradition, love and indeed of colour itself. Made even more poignant and important by the subtle allusions to the political/religious/social oppression occurring in the background. Sublime moments of editing, music and photography. Probably make 10 on next viewing. See it with commentary if you can to broaden appreciation. Watched it twice in a row and could gladly watch again soon.
- DirectorRowland V. LeeStarsLoretta YoungGene RaymondO.P. HeggieAn orphan girl escapes her caregivers to be with a young man raised at the zoo whose only previous friends are the animals.Unique little world. The naivete of the early talkies with a strange magic. Physically and figuratively the zoo represents both a place of captivity and the wilderness. After hours it become some kind of strange Eden, a fairy tale of romance and danger. Effective how, throughout the movie, human activity is interlaced with animal shots; you can feel the drums beating for some kind of primal energy outburst. This happens in an unexpected way. 'King Kong' and 'Most Dangerous Game' have a similar theme, all films of that same time. It's atmospheric and well-photographed. Curious piece and a definite re-watch.
- DirectorMalcolm LeighStarsJoanna LumleyRichard WattisPenny BrahmsIn the 1920s, two rival brothel madames have a bet on who has the sexiest girls.aka 'Games That Lovers Play'. Two brothel madams wager: who has the sexiest girl? It's a naughty comedy, though not in a 'Carry On' film way (no innuendos or slapstick), more like 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' meets soft-core porn, set in early 1970's Greater London. It doesn't take itself seriously (thankfully), the 1920's jazz score keeps it light. Some pleasing costumes, locations and interiors (the brothel's mirrored corridor is an interesting space). Generally engaging, though the drag queen scenes are just that - a drag. If you decide to watch it then know in advance that it is essentially cr4p and then the only way is up.
4/5 film, but given 6 for it's midnite-movie trash- pleasure elements, like some UK-home-counties John Waters type thing. - DirectorAnthony AsquithStarsBrian AherneElissa LandiCyril McLaglenA working-class love story set in and around the London Underground of the 1920s. Two men, gentle Bill and brash Bert, meet and are attracted to the same woman on the same day at the same Underground station. But the lady chooses Bill, and Bert isn't the type to take rejection lightly.Excellent BFI restoration. The new soundtrack by Neil Brand works perfectly, very much in tune with the visual flow and manages well that ever-fluid balance between romance and danger (you can hear his love of Bernard Herrmann.) I was enjoying this well enough as a time capsule of pre-war London; the thriller action movie that unfolded was a surprise, easily rivalling (perhaps even better than) the work that Hitchcock was making at that time. Bit of a UK classic really, deserving of better recognition.
- DirectorRoger MichellStarsJim BroadbentHeather CraneyStephen RashbrookIn 1961, Kempton Bunton, a 60 year old taxi driver, steals Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London.A true story, well-handled with the right touch of humour and personal drama. No one could have played this as well as Jim Broadbent. I thought at first the focus on the other family members was just filler, but it all tied up nicely at the end. Charming and earthy, Broadbent's court appearance scene is perhaps one of the best of his whole career. I didn't know the full story of this actual crime so the ending was unexpected and quite touching. Authentic period detail and feel.
- DirectorJoyce ChopraStarsTreat WilliamsLaura DernMary Kay PlaceA free-spirited 15-year-old girl flirts with a dangerous stranger in the Northern California suburbs and must prepare herself for the frightening and traumatic consequences.1985 was a classic year for teen movies and this is probably the most accurate and relatable. A natural depiction of the threshold between innocence and adult awakening, how family and friends are affected by such changes. Laura Dern is perfect for the role, switching easily between vulnerability and feminine charm. A red riding hood situation, curious about the dark wood. She finally meets her wolf, named (ahem) A. Friend. He's strange and menacing, knows too much, talks of the dead in a present tense, announces the 'secret code' painted on his car (33 again). His appearance at the end of the movie is a whole new weird tone, like a David Lynch character dropped suddenly into her otherwise familiar world. She would of course pursue this dark suburban theme in Lynch's Blue Velvet the following year.
- DirectorWalter FordeStarsGordon HarkerElizabeth AllanMervyn JohnsAgainst a background of Christmas and the pending arrival of another baby for the landlord, a group of pub locals lead by bookie Joe Harris set out to prove that former customer Eddie Graves is not guilty of the murder for which he is due to be hanged in the morning.Staff and regulars gather one rainy night approaching Christmas, talking of the imminent hanging of a friend and determined to prove his innocence. Full of characters and good banter (more natural than the usual theatrical acting), enjoyable off-beat moments such as the three men comparing their legs at the bar. Gordon Harker turns detective, there's atmosphere and a good feel for the time it was made.
- DirectorGeorge Roy HillStarsPeter SellersTippy WalkerMerrie SpaethA mischievous, adventuresome fourteen-year-old girl and her best friend begin following an eccentric concert pianist around New York City after she develops a crush on him.As if my previous two viewings converged: two teenage girls' foray into adulthood with christmas in the background (!).. Flights of imagination lead the girls to innocent obsession over pianist Henry Orient (Sellers), but he's a man with secrets. Thus, there's scope for high farce but it never takes that route, it's not so much funny as a charming, sweet depiction of childhood escapades which gradually lead to drama at the finish. A feelgood film, the girls at the centre carry it well. Visually pleasing, the colours and the autumn/winter setting of NY central park etc all in Cinemascope. Lansbury is good and unusually takes a meaner role. Sellers accent is unusually undefined: NY? French? Italian? .. 6/7.
- DirectorRobert J. FlahertyStarsJoseph BoudreauxLionel Le BlancE. BienvenuThe idyllic life of a young Cajun boy and his pet raccoon is disrupted when the tranquility of the bayou is broken by an oil well drilling near his home.A Cajun trapper boy's life on the bayou. Photography is superb throughout showing all the mystery and majesty of the area as it was at the time. Slow, like the river, it's little more than a documentary or a silent film, but that's part of the charm. Authentic and with a genuine nod to natural magic. Beautiful textured soundtrack compliments the imagery well throughout. Financed by an oil company, the giant intrusive drill and workers are thus presented as a friendly presence in this otherwise unspoiled rural oasis.
- DirectorHenry CassStarsReg DixonPeter MartynBelinda LeeReg is a scientist who invents a pill to cure smokers of their nicotine addiction. However, when he makes his discovery public, he encounters strong resistance from the tobacco industry.Small English film with big ideas, bit daft. Humble village inventor creates anti-smoking pills which lead to international outrage. Smarmy visiting American is the catalyst for their success. Memorable for the banter and village pond fight between the inventor and a dastardly Lionel Jeffries with hair - or is it? 5/6
- DirectorJane CampionStarsBenedict CumberbatchKirsten DunstJesse PlemonsCharismatic rancher Phil Burbank inspires fear and awe in those around him. When his brother brings home a new wife and her son, Phil torments them until he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love.Another Jane Campion picture that is visually stunning yet full of unlikeable characters. Rarely, if ever, has the landscape looked so striking in a Western (Montana hills). Fine-looking and authentic period detail too. Lots of indulgent, tactile shots: thumb across the comb, cutting paper roses, Benedict Cumberbatch naked playing with a scarf then knocking one out (!). There's little plot, mostly it's a 'study' of the four main characters, though there is little depth there either: Kirsten Dunst plays an annoying drunk with no appreciation for anything good around her, her husband bobs in and out like some NPC in a computer game, her son seems like an awkward Emo beamed in from the 21st century, Benedict Cumberbatch has the most heft and presence as a quietly menacing dude but then halfway through switches inexplicably to kindness and brokenness. He does a solid mid-west accent but, when angry, slips into Jack Nicholson. Music is a constant state of gentle unease which, mixed with the homo-erotic overtones, haunts the picture like some dark, uncertain ghost that never quite manifests. Maybe that's the point. Take the beautiful setting away and what are you left with, really? Watchable though, somehow.
- DirectorRobert TownsendStarsRobert TownsendMichael J. PaganAlex DatcherThe only normal member of a super-powered family feels left out and confused until he has the chance to use a talent of his own to save everyone.Light, silly comedy about a suburban family who are also superheroes, kind of a prototype for The Incredibles. But check this - the villains are a criminal gang pretending to be well-meaning environmentalists recruiting teenagers as 'Earth Protectors'. However, they fool the education system, using their 'green' computer programs to mesmerise and brain-wash teenagers into doing their evil bidding. Fast forward 20 years from when this was made to now, and those targeted teenagers are now 30-something Millenials, generally mesmerised by their phones and living in an age of increasing financial extortion (and the erasure of social freedom) all in the name of 'saving the planet'. So did those bad guys win in real life? Or just another hollywood coincidence? The movie's superheroes are also weakened by aluminium ("destroys their molecular structure"). Again, this substance is a modern pollutant found everywhere now, in snow, soil even in medical products, causing damage to human, insect, plant life etc. Hmmm... Forget all that though, this is a fun and daft movie, somehow more enjoyable than it ought to be. Good Saturday morning viewing for kids and childish adults (like me). 5 movie given 6.
- DirectorPeter SegalStarsChris FarleyDavid SpadeBrian DennehyAfter his auto-parts tycoon father dies, the overweight, underachieving son teams up with a snide accountant to try and save the family business.First time seeing a Chris Farley picture. Sigh. I really wanted to like it but it ultimately became too much. Every opportunity to be loud or smash something up was taken and to the max. Feels like the same thing over and over. He tries to flip a cow and ends up face down splat into the manure!!! etc etc etc. 'The Simpsons' mocks Homer for watching this kind of TV where everyone gets hit in the nuts as much as possible. There is some heart to Chris Farley and to the picture itself, but it doesn't come out in a satisfying John Candy way, more like an angry Jerry Lewis. I'm broad minded, I like goofy stuff, (Mall Cop is one of my favourite modern comedies) but despite my attempts to focus only on the good points, they were unfortunately stampeded throughout by the over-driven comic intensity.
- DirectorRichard WilliamsStarsVincent PriceMatthew BroderickJennifer BealsA lonely princess and a poor cobbler fall in love while trying to retrieve three magical orbs that were stolen by a bumbling thief, all while outwitting a powerful sorcerer as adventure and comedic pop culture references abound.Watched 'The Recobbled Cut mk4' being the version closest to the intended original. Talk about patchy. The first half is some of the most exquisite and inventive animation I've ever seen. The fluidity and rhythm take you on a wild ride, scale and style are taken to playful extremes. Reminded me of early animation in how joyfully it approaches the medium. The second part however indulges so relentlessly in the war machine imagery, that it becomes detached from both the plot and its initial spirit. The whole 'one eye' death cult symbolism is so in-your-face and becomes wearing.
This version uses all manner of rough drafts and drawings in order to fill in for the cut scenes. I actually quite enjoyed this as it added to the visual randomness of the movie. It enhanced appreciation too, reminding you of the extent of the work involved in the animation process. It's a must see for animation enthusiasts. Part one: 9/10. Part two: 4/10. - DirectorJosef von BákyStarsHans AlbersWilhelm BendowMichael BohnenThis lavish, impudent, adult fairy tale takes the viewer from 18th-century Braunschweig to St. Petersburg, Constantinople, Venice, and then to the moon using ingenious special effects, stunning location shooting.Escapist fantasy that, visually, is about as opulent as movie making gets (especially pre-CGI). Insane then to think it was made in Germany at the height of WW2. But as one imdb reviewer points out: it's a quality German picture, not a Nazi one. There is even some anti-authority messages portrayed within which perhaps slipped the censors: leaders portrayed as gluttonous and trigger-happy, the quote "no need to invade poland, our country is big enough", even the Venice sequence portrays the bad guys wearing Nazi black,white and red while everyone else is dressed in happy multi-coloured silks etc. Interesting too, it came out the same year as UK's 'Colonel Blimp' - another film about an old man looking back on three distinct stages of his life, played by also by a lead with wry humour, both films even feature a prominent duel scene. A joyful, inventive and playful film that is also romantic, even touching. Unexpected treat. Could make 9 on next viewing.
- DirectorMartin RittStarsWoody AllenZero MostelHerschel BernardiIn 1953, a cashier poses as a writer for blacklisted talents to submit their work through, but the injustice around him pushes him to take a stand.The non-woody-allen Woody Allen movie. He plays a straight role, though there are still funny one-liners (especially in his romantic interactions) as well as ripples of his usual comic persona; he can't help having funny bones. Even his role is one typically found in farce: incompetent guy, out of his depth, desperate to hide a big secret. But it works. He's actually perfect for this role. He does that nervous, put-upon thing as well as anyone. It's a serious picture about a very, real and dark time in modern US cultural history. That threat and paranoia is obvious here. An important picture too, I didn't realise until the end just how many actors, writers etc involved in this picture were themselves blacklisted during the 1950s - even the director himself, Martin Ritt. I had no idea.
- DirectorBarry LevinsonStarsRichard DreyfussDanny DeVitoBarbara HersheyA minor car accident drives two rival aluminum-siding salesmen to the ridiculous extremes of man versus man in 1963 Baltimore.Career highs for DeVito and Dreyfuss, perhaps even Barry Levinson's best movie. Perfect balance of comedy and drama. Made with great insight and affection for its subject - early 60s Baltimore. It's like 'Diner' took root, grew older, wiser, disillusioned, few battle scars and all the better for it. Casual, sharp and funny (the banter among the guys pre-dates the feted small-talk in, say, Pulp Fiction), somehow you don't realise just how much it's keeping you on the edge of your seat. Tin men indeed, fate's hurricane puts them on the road to finding a heart.
- DirectorMel BrooksStarsMel BrooksRon MoodyFrank LangellaIn 1920s Soviet Russia, a fallen aristocrat, a priest and a con artist search for a treasure of jewels hidden inside one of twelve dining chairs, lost during the revolution.Last time i watched this was on Betamax in the 80s. I liked it then as a kid but didn't enjoy it so much this time. Awkward flow, slow scenes but with lots of shouting and excessive acting, not a good combo. Frank Langhella is a bit flat. I like the folksy setting and the overall premise but it's somehow just a bit annoying to watch. Oh well.
- DirectorVera ChytilováStarsIvana KarbanováJitka CerhováMarie CeskováAfter realizing that all world is spoiled, Marie and Marie are committed to be spoiled themselves. They rip off older men, feast in lavish meals and do all kinds of mischief. But what is all this leading to?Lauded as a feminist picture. The two leads act stereo-typically 'girly' - skimpy costumes, lots of giggling, inane chatter etc. I'm sure that's done deliberately in order to challenge such stereotypes. Still, i can feel more intellectual feminists rolling their eyes, particularly 2nd wave feminists concerned more with cultural representation of female intelligence (and harmony between the sexes). Cutting up phallic vegetables is about as deep as this film gets on the subject. There's a strong subversive spirit at play here, punk-like and with a great sense of freedom. Of course you first need to break eggs in order to make an omelette. It breaks eggs very well (all manner of food fight scenes in fact) but beyond that it seems unsure quite what to do with its broken eggs. So we made our big mess - what now? The film is iconic looking, strikingly 1960s but the playful rebel spirit soon runs out of ideas - just more colourful chaos, rinse and repeat. I loved it at first, but once it had made it's point - it just kept making it over and over. By the end it began to feel like watching two shallow drunken teens on a night out, through the prism of an art student video project. It has a memorable look and great spirit, but a 20 minute version would have made been more effective than stretching it to 1hr 20. Cool and wild yes, but also a bit annoying and ultimately disappointing.
- DirectorKarel ZemanStarsLubor TokosArnost NavrátilMiroslav HolubAn evil millionaire named Artigas plans to use a super-explosive device to conquer the world from his headquarters inside an enormous volcano.Visually unique and quite stunning. Like an 19th century adventure book with woodcut illustrations come to life. Such inventive combinations of animation, sets and live action. You can't take your eyes off the screen. Consistent throughout with many stand-out moments, the underwater sea creatures for example. Soothing narration and delicate music using period instruments creates a respectful breathing space in which to enjoy the surroundings. Humour too (an industrial crane is used to pass a writer a single pencil). Surely a cinematic godfather to Gilliam, Burton, Wes Anderson. And did I hear the iconic stabs of Psycho in the soundtrack? One for the big screen. Already excited for my next viewing.
- DirectorNora TwomeyStarsSaara ChaudrySoma ChhayaNoorin GulamgausIn 2001, Afghanistan is under the control of the Taliban. When her father is captured, a determined young girl disguises herself as a boy in order to provide for her family.Visually striking and an important subject to bring to the world's attention, especially as such oppression is still happening in places around the world today. Mature animation like this makes it more palatable to sell the story. But of course it is exhausting to witness this type of hardship and injustice. The story within the story breaks the claustrophobia of the world that our heroine inhabits. The voices and dialogue feel like they are aimed at early teens, even though the subject and story are so serious and adult. The movie feels like it ends too abruptly, it could have done with another fifteen minutes to bring some resolution or at least establish what happens next. But maybe that's the idea: sadly, it remains an unresolved issue in real life.
- DirectorJack LeeIan DalrympleStarsLeo GennDavid TomlinsonAnthony SteelTrue story of three British POWs and their attempt to escape from Nazi Germany.The real stuff that boy's own adventures are made of. Surely an influence on Palin/Jones' 'Ripping Yarns' series. The best of British: stable, stoic, resourceful, committed, daring. The natural drama is enough - no frills needed, no dramatics, no coercive music, not even the usual attempts at humour to fluff the story out. This is a meat-and-potatoes movie detailing the development of an escape plan. A use of light and shadow usually found in Noir movies, effective in both outdoor locations and claustrophobic interiors. Quietly gripping with the right amount of music used sparingly to good effect. This is the spirit of Britain that 'won the war' but, sadly, has since been lost and diluted by all manner of influences.
- DirectorMarlon BrandoStarsMarlon BrandoKarl MaldenPina PellicerAfter robbing a bank in Mexico, Dad Longworth absconds with the loot leaving his partner Rio to be captured by the Rurales. Rio escapes prison but struggles with his conflicting desires to love Dad's stepdaughter Louise and to get revenge.Last time I watched this was 20 years ago - an unrestored version on a portable TV; barely recognisible compared to this recently restored (finally) HD version on the big screen. Looks magnificent. Notable for a few reasons: the last movie made in VistaVision, Brando's sole directorial effort, it's coastal setting (unusual for a western). Water is present throughout, the waves both soothe the hot, dusty tension and somehow provide form for the drama swelling within. Even the shootout takes place around a fountain. At the centre is Brando and Karl Malden (on fine form), named Kid and Dad respectively. Such names and the tension between them echoes 50s movies of Brando and James Dean which exploited generational angst. Brando was a young face in old hollywood and an old face in the new (late 60s) era. This movie and his presence is like a bridge between the two eras, from classic westerns to revisionist. 2nd half drags a little but it's a memorable, fine-looking affair.
- DirectorThorold DickinsonStarsAnton WalbrookEdith EvansYvonne MitchellAn army officer becomes obsessed with learning the secret to a card game for which an elderly countess sold her soul years earlier.Supernatural gothic noir. Set in 19th century St Petersburg. Searching for the dark secret of the cards, Edith Evans (cantankerous to perfection) is pursued by Anton Walbrook (another role dabbling in black magic - A. Warlok?). He becomes obsessive, melodramatic, wildly gesturing (even staring into the camera, reminding me of another warlock-type - christopher lloyd in BTTF). The general atmosphere is deliciously spooky with some brilliantly memorable moments of shock and haunting psychedelia. There's a richness of shadow and sense of place that makes Hammer horror look cartoonish by comparison. Plays like a ghost story ideal for a campfire or one stormy night.
- DirectorRobert BentonStarsPaul NewmanBruce WillisJessica TandyA stubborn man past his prime reflects on his life of strict independence and seeks more from himself.Like late-period Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman plays a man's man with an old truck, living on the edges of the family he once walked out on. Beyond that it's a film that quietly celebrates community life, masculinity, optimism, maybe even America at it's best; by the cultural standards of 2023 such wholesome positivity now feels decidedly nostalgic. The snowy New York small-town is warm and authentic, perfectly suiting the movie's tone which is both elegiac and optimistic. Full of great characters and actors alike, at the centre of which is Newman - earthy and hearty and acting with such natural ease. Diamonds in the rough are seen and cherished. This is a film about home.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsDieter DenglerWerner HerzogEugene DeatrickGerman-American Dieter Dengler discusses his service as a U.S. naval pilot in the Vietnam War. Dengler also revisits the sites of his capture and eventual escape from the hands of the Viet Cong, recreating many events for the camera.How do you rate this, among a list which is essentially entertainment? This man's story of his time as a prisoner during the Vietnam war is something you can never forget. Against such odds and abuse it is surely one of the ultimate tales of survival ever recorded. Of course Herzog's subject choices and his way of film making are never the usual, so it has all the unique character, style and engaging power that you'd expect. If you are interested in incredible human stories, this is a must see.
- DirectorChris ColumbusStarsRobin WilliamsSally FieldPierce BrosnanAfter a bitter divorce, an actor disguises himself as a female housekeeper to spend time with his children held in custody by his former wife.Surprised it's taken me this long to see it but there ye go, dear. I was quite impressed by Robin Williams' grasp on the soft, rural Scottish accent (Orkney's?) - so why was it constantly referred to as an English accent? Oh well, it's the fun-yet-touching, family drama I expected. Good to see Robin Williams again, I'd avoided his movies for so long after his death as watching him made me feel too sad to enjoy them. It would be easy to pick holes in quite how realistic this situation would actually be, but I prefer instead to kick back and go with the fantasy flow for pictures like this, which I did. His tension with Pierce Brosnan's character being perhaps the highlight.
- DirectorDonald CammellStarsDavid KeithCathy MoriartyAlan RosenbergSomebody's killing rich married women in their homes - latest in a rich desert community outside Tucson. A married sound expert is prime suspect.Art-house slasher mystery in spacious Arizona setting. Tasty score combines Ry Cooder-esque guitars, earthy primal tones and synths that are both dreamy and edgy. The first killing sets the tone with quirky, surreal imagery you'd expect from Donald Cammel (goldfish randomly placed into the bloody, uncooked rack of ribs). The movie then revolves around human drama, natural combined with fragments of the past that keep you guessing. It's all good, mature stuff until the last 30 mins when it flips so fast it feels confusing, unrealistic and undermines it's well-crafted build up to the point of silly, explosively so.
- DirectorJames Edward GrantStarsJohn WayneGail RussellHarry CareyQuirt Evans, an all round bad guy, is nursed back to health and sought after by Penelope Worth, a Quaker girl. He eventually finds himself having to choose between his world and the world Penelope lives in.Western romance drama with a lick of comedy. Legendary outlaw, wounded, is rescued by Quaker family, falls for daughter, time to go straight? Moral crossroads is a central theme to the film. It's discussed directly, though not pursued in much depth. Instead the film resorts to typical Western mechanics including a big, messy rootin'-tootin' bar-room brawl that spoils the more pensive tone set in the first part. Shame, because it's good to see a more low-key, pensive John Wayne. Opportunity missed, could have been better. HD restored, photography looks great, monument valley setting and all.
- DirectorJohn DuiganStarsNoah TaylorThandiwe NewtonNicole KidmanTwo freethinking teenagers - a boy and a girl - confront with authoritarian teachers in their boarding schools. The other students treat this differently.Male and female boarding schools sit on opposite sides of a picturesque river. A relationship develops between an 'outsider' pupil from each. Both interesting, rounded characters. Humour, heart and intelligence confidently embraced throughout the film. Set in 1960s with some good 30s/40s music (sleepy lagoon, Duke Ellington). Portrays well the threshold into adulthood with its social and personal dramas, intimacy etc. It's all relatable, honest and warm and reminds you of being at that stage in life. The hero's narration is thoughtful and tastefully sparse. The two main leads are excellent. Nicole Kidman (in a supporting role) gives a saucy speech that predates similar in 'Eyes Wide Shut'. Political backdrop of Idi Amin's Uganda gives the situation a final gravitas. A great teen movie of the era. Also a great relationship movie full stop.
- DirectorJan DudesekHermína TýrlováStarsVáclav VoskaA puppet cartoon about an evil king, a golden-haired princess and living and dead water based on the tale of Joseph Kainar.This exquisitely crafted world perfectly suits such a quirky fairy tale. Seems like the Czechs are natural masters of storytelling as well as animation (especially in the pre-CGI era). It's as lovely a marriage of story and visuals as you'd ever hope to see. Mysterious castles and kings, magical forests and animals, the faraway lands of myth and childhood dreams; it's like a strange program you half-remember watching one afternoon long ago, since lost in the mists of memory.
- DirectorJuraj JakubiskoStarsGiulietta MasinaPetra VancíkováTobias HoeslThe Feather Fairy lives in the sky and gives snow to the people. She lives with a boy called Jakob, who one day ventures into the human world and falls for a peasant girl.Two sisters - Lady Winter and Death live in a place beyond time, as two nature spirits interacting with life on earth. In their custody is Jakob - the ageless boy who yearns to be human. There is a cinderella element, though his aunts are not nasty to him. He sees a girl, breaks free and lives on earth, learning about love and humanity through trials and obstacles. There isn't much character depth overall, but that's ok. It's pleasant visual fantasy, light and colourful like watching clouds change at sunset.
- DirectorWilliam D. WittliffStarsWillie NelsonMorgan FairchildR.G. ArmstrongRevisionist western about fallen preacher Shay, who guns down his wife Raysha for running off with another man. Wandering, he meets single mom Laurie. However, helpless sheriff Scoby wants Shay to help him fight the villainous Clavers.I've known the album well and for a long time, so watching this movie based on it was slightly odd. If anything it slightly demeans the album by making its storytime mythology so literal. Nelson though is always a watchable actor: laid-back and natural but with depth behind those eyes. Act one sets things up well enough then Act 2 the movie flips into darkness in a way that feels too sudden and unnatural for his character. Also there is no depth portrayed to his relationship with his wife, so it's hard to then sympathise with his subsequent loss and obsession. A grace - fall from grace - redemption arc. Katherine Ross brings some quiet soul and it's always pleasing to be in the west through 1980s eyes. Trigger happy but not gratuitous. Enjoyable but not classic.
- DirectorAleksandr PtushkoStarsAnastasiya VertinskayaVasiliy LanovoyYelena CheremshanovaA little girl Assol met a wizard and it has been foretold: "... it will be a fine sunny day when a beautiful ship under scarlet sail comes and the noble prince will take you away from here. He'll take you to the world of your dreams, where you will be loved and happy." The neighbours told jokes about her, children teased her, but she waited for her prince. She trusted in the miracles and waited. Arthur Gray's rule was "if you can make a miracle, do it!". And he made a miracle for the wonderful romantic girl.aka 'Scarlet Sails'. Playful, conscientious young 'prince' rebels against his oppressive parents and dreams of becoming a sailor. Meanwhile, in a fishing village, a dreamy girl (daughter of a poor and widowed toy-boat maker) is told by wise old seer that she will one day marry a prince. I won't spoil the plot for you here. It's a sweet, happy film, a folksy and whimsical world reminiscent of the Victorian fishing village paintings of Cornwall. No long dark nights of the soul here, it's a gentle joy.
- DirectorKarel ZemanStarsVladimír BejvalZdenek HustakJosef LukásOne day a young boy finds a fossil of trilobite. Together with his three friends they set off on an adventurous journey through prehistory, up to the beginning of time.Imagine one summer's day in your early teens, you and three friends went out playing in the countryside, pretending you were travelling back in time, through the different ages, to the land of dinosaurs and beyond, with all the different creatures and geographic challenges you'd encounter. This film takes just that and makes it real. Only there is no play, nor even talk of it. It is narrated by one of the boys and the journey unfolds as if it really happened. No explanations given, I like that simple, confident approach to fantasy. The precious log book is kept and there is learning and quiet respect for the subject throughout. The animation is charming and excellent - less cartoon-ish than Harryhausen. The movie rolls along like the boy's boat, it's spacious both visually (with delicious muted colours) and musically (pastoral). A fantasy/adventure delight all round.
- DirectorKarel ZemanStarsKarel ZemanAn artist takes inspiration from the rain outside.A man gazes through a window onto a garden, clearly looking for inspiration. Zoom in to a raindrop on a leaf and within it a magical world is revealed, a ballet of sorts, a beautifully crafted land of glass. There is even a pleasing final 'twist' to this lovely short film.
- DirectorBurt KennedyStarsRaquel WelchRobert CulpErnest BorgnineAfter she is raped and her husband murdered, a woman hires a bounty hunter to instruct her in the use of a gun so she can get her revenge on the three outlaws responsible.2nd viewing and much improved, especially on the big screen. Like picking up from the end of The Wild Bunch, it begins with Borgnine blasting away at Mexican federalis. Thankfully it's a familiar and comical trio of villains otherwise her ordeal at their hands would be even harder to watch than it is. Nothing graphic, but you know it's happening. A grindhouse tone to the whole thing, bullet-y and hard camp - you can see why Tarantino is a fan. Another western set by the sea (my 3rd this year, unintended!), the cooling waves bringing soothing to the hot dust. Christopher Lee is there. Diana Dors pops by. It was a UK production after all, with Burt Kennedy at the helm. Revenge flick, western, comedy, romance. In that order. Song at the end sounds insane. Fun, neat, midnite movie. RIP Raquel Welch.
- DirectorVladimir MotylStarsAnatoliy KuznetsovPavel LuspekayevSpartak MishulinAt the end of the Russian Civil War, Red Army soldier Fyodor Sukhov is ordered to guard the harem of a Caspian Sea guerrilla leader........aand it's another Western by the sea (not complaining - i like that). Only this time it's really an 'Eastern' (is that a thing?). Soldier in the desert heading (and dreaming of) home gets tricked into inheriting a harem of women - the wives of Abdullah (a leader of local mercenaries). But our hero is a poetic, conscientious, wry-humoured type (Bill Murray-esque) so the ladies are guaranteed his care, despite the masculine, warring background. There's even nods to women's lib. The desertscape, the lapping sea, the dreamy music framed well with the many stylish shot compositions. Has a tone which comfortably combines laid-back, casual happenings with tense action, and interesting characters with its taste of surrealism. Surprisingly good. Look forward to a rewatch.
- DirectorAleksandr RouStarsGeorgiy MillyarSergey StolyarovLev PotyomkinThe younger brother from the common people intends to fight for a salvation of the exiled princess, suffering from a dark magic curse.Surprising little film .Begins as a rural, folky tale. Rough around the ages but pleasingly so. It takes a turn for the surreal, leading to some impressive and unexpected level of special effects. A hero's quest ensues - save the princess and battle the forces of nature and magic. Swords, dragons, giant spiders (before Thief of Baghdad?), riddles, and of course - Baba Yaga. Looks good for 1939. Even the bear fight looks convincing (within reason). Worth a rewatch for sure. 7.5
- DirectorMatthew RobbinsStarsPeter MacNicolCaitlin ClarkeRalph RichardsonA young wizarding apprentice is sent to kill a dragon which has been devouring girls from a nearby kingdom.Looks the part, that whole 'faraway magical medieval/viking' world somewhere in time. At it's best during the Ralph Richardson scenes (he gives it depth and class). Special effects are good also (especially for the time). Otherwise it's fairly shallow stuff, events sometimes occurring without clear explanation. Peter MacNicol is a quirky choice as lead but his wide-eyed optimism is a one trick pony and not enough to carry the whole film. Kinda needs a Han Solo figure. Horror movie lite - perhaps Disney's darkest hour - child sacrifice, guts spilling out, monsters chewing off feet. Ueewgh. 5.5.
- DirectorMartin McDonaghStarsColin FarrellBrendan GleesonKerry CondonTwo lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.24hrs after my first viewing and i'm still analysing this. It's definitely rewarding in that respect. Ok so.. Central to the film is a friendship, except that Colm has decided he no longer likes Padraic any more. No bust up or triggering event. 'I just don't like my friend now' - it's the kind of social-psychological minutiae that you'd expect to be pivotal in, say, a Woody Allen movie, or an episode of 'Curb'. Padraic can't believe it and won't let it go, Colm is so irritated by Padraic's persistence that he resorts to threats of self-harm if not left alone. It's all done with genuine humour - Farrell's simple niceness feels less naturally played than his anger, Gleeson with the usual dry, grouchy gravitas - but everyone's having fun in their roles. Part two takes their fall-out to such disproportionate physical extremes that their relationship must be allegorical. The spectre of death (banshee) haunts the village in the form of Mrs McCormack, observing all. Perhaps they are all a village of banshees, observing the darkness besetting Ireland herself as the 1923 civil war brews on the mainland just in sight across the sea. The poisoning of cheerfulness, innocence and all that. Full of characters and lots of 'feckin' (in a funny way). It's existential comic-tragedy. Layered and thought provoking, it's deceiving in it's simplicity and in it's chocolate-box-turns-grisly strangeness.
- DirectorÉric RohmerStarsAmanda LangletArielle DombaslePascal GreggoryMarion is about to divorce from her husband and takes her 15-year-old niece Pauline on a vacation to Granville. She meets an old love...Adult relationships in all their complexity and failings as seen through the eyes of teenager Pauline, one summer in a familiar coastal setting. Despite this being a kind of coming-of-age episode, Pauline is the most grounded and moral amid the drama. Being Rohmer, the drama is intrinsically internal - how differently people act and react in love and in lust. There's jealousy, deceit, idealism, reality checks and denial here. You identify with Pauline and remember seeing adults behave like this around you when you were her age; how their world both repelled and intrigued you. It's a bit uncomfortable watching an older man perving over a teenager but such scenes are a product of their time, it's not over-indulged and ultimately it is a part of real life. And real life is what this film aims to portray. Succeeds pretty well, in fact.
- DirectorChantal AkermanStarsDelphine SeyrigJan DecorteHenri StorckA lonely widowed housewife does her daily chores, takes care of her apartment where she lives with her teenage son, and turns the occasional trick to make ends meet. However, something happens that changes her safe routine.The longest short-film ever made.
A widowed mother's daily domestic routines are portrayed in (effectively) real time. Little happens, deliberately over-long scenes are taken to extremes of cinematic tedium as her breakdown slowly unfolds within the frame. It's an experimental movie and at 3hrs+ of that type of material - it's a difficult movie to sit through, by design.
There is a zen pleasure to be had in watching scenes of whole tasks being performed without talk or music. There are also photographic qualities: composition and an eye for the ordinary are given time and space. Yet the movie does not celebrate such everyday detail as does, say, Martin Parr, Wes Anderson or Ozu. Instead it presents them as domestic hell. Dialogue is sparse, yet the movie has some uncomfortable, if not inappropriate, sexual conversations between mother and son (see the quotes on imdb about 'dad's penis thrusting' etc, yeuuch..)
The movie demonstrates how people can become trapped and desperate within themselves, their houses, their routines etc. But while it highlights that these social/personal problems exist, it offers no deeper contemplation and no attempt at solution, responding only with nothing but coldness until finally, evil. It's basically a shaggy dog story with a nasty ending.
It's message is basic and familiar and could be conveyed easily within minutes but instead it uses slow, barren scenes to make the viewer endure and experience the lead character's unhappiness; not just to understand it - but to feel it.
This is indeed brave film-making but there's something rather bitter, if not smug, about designing a movie that's a deliberate drag to sit through. Hailed by some as a feminist picture but it demonstrates nothing positive about feminism or femininity, quite the opposite in fact. I think this is really a movie about depression and how, if left unacknowledged, it can potentially brew into hate, toxicity and destruction.
p.s. - 'Jeanne Dielman' has just been voted 'the greatest film of all time' in the 2022 sight and sound poll. For a movie actually designed to make viewers suffer through boredom, calling it the 'best film ever' feels like some kind of 'Emperor's New Clothes' prank. It has some experimental artistic merits but works far better as a concept and talking point than it does as an actual cinematic experience. It has always had a minority of fans but has never been particularly popular prior to this new poll coming out (eg - didn't make MUBI's Top Ten films for the year 1975, nor is it mentioned in Halliwell's all time top 1000) - so its sudden and unrealistic leap to the 'All-Time No.1' spot must surely be a result of the how the recent 'Sight and Sound' voting system was calculated (perhaps the aim was to promote more experimental movies and/or female directors?). Considering just how many genuinely beautiful, intelligent and inspiring movies there are out there, to declare a bleak, one-trick novelty movie like 'Jeanne Dielman' as 'the greatest of them all' is so obviously inaccurate that, sadly, it reduces Sight & Sound's credibility down to something unreliable rather than the objective, honest perspective we could once rely on. - DirectorCharles ShyerStarsSteve MartinDiane KeatonMartin ShortWith his oldest daughter's wedding approaching, a father finds himself reluctant to let go.The movie equivalent of a very soft, light, sponge cake dusted with icing sugar. There's nothing horrible or mean about this movie. It's a dad coming to terms with his the fact his daughter is getting married. Gentle, no big dramas (save for hot dog buns and the purchase of a blender). Couple of moments of physical comedy which I unexpectedly laughed out loud at, but overall it's very 'lite' albeit with a true heart. I love/prefer wild and crazy guy Steve Martin but at the same time, he made this family-man role work perfectly for the film.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsRussell CroweRenée ZellwegerCraig BierkoThe true story of James J. Braddock, a supposedly washed-up boxer, who returned to the spotlight to win the heavyweight championship of the world.Surprised how good this was, solid from start to finish. The pacing of the story, the period detail, the photography, all work together well. It may even be my favourite Russell Crowe performance, he seems more in the skin of this guy than he usually seems to me. Paul Giametti brings a 'New Joisey' bounce almost like a loony toons character (Daffy Duck?), but he pumps necessary air into the movie. Boxing scenes are thrilling and satisfying, though it seems Max Baer's character was made quite villainous for the sake of the film, which is a bit unfair. Nevertheless it's a great boxing film and human drama, I was moved to tears twice.
- DirectorAleksandr RouStarsNinel MyshkovaViktor PerevalovAnatoliy KubatskiyAn old soldier helps a young boy find his mother, who's been kidnapped to the magical underwater kingdom in a remote Russian lake.Where to start? Soldier wanders forest, talks with the animals (two common themes in such movies), meets a boy whose mother has been kidnapped by the underwater king and is wanting to rescue her. Then all manner of off-beat madness ensues. Think underwater 'Wizard of Oz' meets 'Willy Wonka' meets some random, crazy pantomime. Colourful sets, mad characters, early special FX etc. There's humour, eg - the king's wise sage talks only in expressive gargling noises. Folk fantasy, daft fun.
- DirectorZhuangzhuang TianPeicheng PanStarsRigzin TseshangJiji DanDaibaA Tibetan man struggles to provide for his family.A rare treat to see Tibetan life of this period (1920s) presented with such authenticity. It's a serious film about hardship, poverty and exile while also capturing and celebrating Tibet itself - the way of life, the rituals, the land. There is a raw, natural energy at play here. Usually such films are made with a similar raw edge but this is shot with photographic elegance; the landscape is ideal for such beautiful, minimal shot compositions. Stirring sound and visuals, sheep death scenes are a bit hard to watch though. Watching a lone wanderer through striking, open spaces (with horses and cattle), it felt in many ways like a Western. Not just the physical framing but also as a psychological event between man and nature. But there's no doubt this is Tibet which, like this movie, has a strong character all of it's own.
- DirectorYasujirô OzuStarsChishû RyûChieko HigashiyamaSô YamamuraAn old couple visit their children and grandchildren in the city, but receive little attention.First time viewing, and considering its legend of 'one of the all-time greats' I was almost nervous that I would be disappointed. I was not. I can see exactly why it has such a status. It's a clean, honest diamond of a movie. Visually it is completely in harmony with the culture it depicts - the clean lines and sliding panels of the interiors glide, revealing depth, people, life within the home; the low camera seats you among them, the viewer becomes a soft ghost witnessing the polite but complex family dynamics. Then cutting from the inside to expansive outdoor shots, the contrast is sudden yet perfectly graceful - as a master strikes the paper with a bold stroke of the brush. It would be a beautiful movie if made today, but the flickering black and white film and it's crackly sparse and gentle music together preserve the film's personal and universal sentiments in analogue amber. Despite its notes of tragedy, this is a film so pure it leaves you feeling cleansed. It was worth the wait.
- DirectorYasujirô OzuStarsChishû RyûSetsuko HaraYumeji TsukiokaSeveral people try to talk 27-year-old Noriko into marrying, but all she wants is to keep on caring for her widowed father.Having just watched Tokyo Story for the first time I was enchanted by it's human beauty and I wanted to continue in that world - those faces, that spaciousness and to see real feelings presented with grace - so Late Spring was the perfect next choice. Chishu Ryu and Setsuko Hara again, he plays her widowed father who, despite the inevitable prospect of his loneliness, wishes that she leave him to be married and begin her own life. She loves him so much and would rather stay. Like Father of the Bride in reverse basically. As with Tokyo Story, the photography and sets perfectly frame the physical story, with music and outdoor shots representing the inner, emotional life. Another movie so pure that the idea of seeing films outside of this canon feels a bit choppy and brash. I think i'll be watching plenty more Ozu this year.
- DirectorJoseph LoseyStarsMacdonald CareyShirley Anne FieldViveca LindforsAn American tourist, a youth gang leader, and his troubled sister find themselves trapped in a top secret government facility experimenting on children.aka 'These are the Damned'. Very much a film of it's time: biker gang harassing English seaside town, secret government activity, nuclear paranoia (year of Cuban missile crisis), older man (the hero) pawing away at a younger woman. Their relationship, central to the film, is about as authentic as the obvious green-screen shots of them on the boat. Some awful dialogue and the acting isn't much better either. Oliver Reed plays head of the bikers, madly protective of his sister (Shirley Anne Field) and plays like a deranged toff occasionally remembering to slip into cockney. Children are kept by government/military in a secret underground location, an uneasy subject. The only thing to keep you watching is to find out why they are there. That, and the rare treat of seeing Shirley Anne Field in a lead role. Otherwise it's a bit of a drudge. Unnerving final shot: a peaceful town but what lurks beneath?
- DirectorIsao TakahataStarsMiki ImaiToshirô YanagibaYoko HonnaA twenty-seven-year-old office worker travels to the countryside while reminiscing about her childhood in Tokyo.27 year old city-girl ventures out to the country that she yearns for, her journey dominated by memories of life when she was 10. The first half of the film consists of lots of school antics, the animation appropriately simple. I was finding this a little wearing in my own anticipation of reaching the countryside with the more complex artwork sure to match it. When she finally arrived, I guess it was worth the wait. The film then opened up with some beautiful animation and the development of her emotional life that was set up in part one. The ending where it all comes together, liberating the characters of her 10 year old memory was particularly moving. Viewing went from 6/10 to 8/10.
- DirectorYasujirô OzuStarsSetsuko HaraChishû RyûChikage AwashimaA family chooses a match for their daughter Noriko, but she, surprisingly, has her own plans.As with Late Spring, Noriko faces pressure to marry, not just from the father this time but from everyone. Similar premise but different feel, it's a less personal, more sociable movie (kids playing, friends meeting and laughing) but all the trademark Ozu feelings and poignant moments are still there: talk of loved ones missing, cut to flags flying outdoors, lone balloons. The interior life is expertly inferred by external and everyday occurrences, and of course the music. Ends on family photos taken at a photographer's studio (one thinks of Secrets and Lies), it's a film about family. Indeed, this canon of work feels like a family of actors, a family of films.
- DirectorRalph BakshiStarsSkip HinnantRosetta LeNoireJohn McCurryIn the late 1960s, a pretentious, womanizing young cat drops out of college, starts a riot in Harlem, hits the road with an ex-girlfriend and gets mixed up with domestic terrorists.Once the stuff of urban legend - you could only get to watch it on your mate's older brother's mate's 4th-generation VHS bootleg. Begins with construction worker p---ing from a building onto a hippy below - therby laying it's stall out from the get-go. Hippy (or post-hippy) culture and its idealism take the brunt of this biting satire but, to be fair, everyone gets a dose of it. Big business and drop-outs, police and criminals, feminism and masculinity, blacks and whites all come under fire. It's crass, totally non-PC, full of sex, drugs and some rather cool music actually but there is intelligence at work here satirising where needed most, as do modern animated series today (South Park etc). It's very much a period piece with the sugary 60s dream now beginning to rot. Beyond that it's main targets in fact are wannabes and those shallow, knee-jerk reactive types who are easily led and manipulated in the name of 'social revolution', eg - fawning over their idea of 'the black man' reveals their own stereotypical stupiidity. In that respect it is still completely relevant today. Think psychedelic Benny Hill with a sharp tongue and a glint in the eye.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsFrederic ForrestTeri GarrRaul JuliaA couple has a fight after living together 5 years in Las Vegas. They go out and celebrate 4th of July, each with a new partner. Breakup?Style first, music second, the story comes third. Inventive camera action and a pleasing multi-coloured comic-book feel but something is missing. Feels like it's all operating in different universes: the visual flow is up there and dreamy while the acting is like some regular low-key tv movie or soap. It's not mixing well. Also the two leads aren't quite right. Neither playing for laughs, nor play serious enough for kitsch. Raul Julia and Natassia Kinski succeed far better on that level. Beyond the visual theatrics, the reality of the film consists of lots of Frederic Forest chasing about annoyingly after his girl (Terri Garr). He doesn't bring enough character to be carrying so much screen time, particularly among such vibrant style. I tried to work out who could have cemented that gulf between a blue collar love story and all the visual surrealism. Bruce Willis perhaps (think - Fifth Element). Even the Tom Waits/Crystal Gayle combo is an odd mix; the soundtrack of verbose songs is meaningful at first but soon babbles itself into insignificance amid all the colour and chasing about.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsHitoshi TakagiNoriko HidakaChika SakamotoWhen two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.Like 'The Snowman' or 'Neverending Story', children interact with nature spirits. Beautiful summer countryside animation you could get lost in; it's a shame sometimes when the shot changes, you want to press pause and admire. Totoro and his friends are joyously inventive. The innocence of child eyes allows them to be seen, thus the magic of nature is understood - pray for trees to grow and hey presto. A perfect Studio Ghibli film in many ways. Downsides? Hard to find, maybe the ill mum drama detracts from the sweet magic, maybe the kids voices are a little shrill but these are minor gripes. Special little film really.
- DirectorJim ArcherStarsDavid EarlChris HaywardLouise BrealeyAfter a particularly harsh winter Brian goes into a deep depression; completely isolated and with no one to talk to, Brian does what any sane person would do when faced with such a melancholic situation. He builds a robot.David Earl's comedy is usually a lot more edgy and uncomfortable (often brilliantly so) yet here that is toned down to the point of being family friendly. Is that studio pressure? A conscious choice? Either way it works just fine. The film has heart and free spirit. It follows a conventional story arc whilst simultaneously mocking such expectations with irreverent joy. It's a delight to watch logic bypassed so casually. Naturalistic, lo-fi fantasy handled with care that still manages to push some emotional buttons despite being so consciously daft. The kind of comedy the UK should be making more of but, for some reason, isn't.
- DirectorOliver ParkerStarsMark TandyRussell BaloghAndrew HavillThe Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard platoon deal with a visiting female journalist and a German spy as World War II draws to its conclusion.Two other recent Dad's Army revisions come to mind: the remaking of the three lost episodes from series 2 and 'We're Doomed: The Dad's Army story' with John Sessions as Arthur Lowe. Both were excellent in different ways. This 2016 movie takes a different approach. There is less accuracy here in representing the original cast/characters. Bill Nighy and Tom Courtenay seem to be playing themselves more than portraying Wilson and Jones. Frazer/Godfrey/Pike/Walker are all well pitched but seem rather sadly relegated to background characters. Toby Jones' Mainwaring is the most successful comic element. Beside that, the Wilmington-On-Sea world is expanded, the drama is upped (even a shoot-out with real Germans), it feels more like a TV period drama (say Poirot) than a studio based sit-com. Girl power is increased (both heroes and villains), a little too much Zeta-Jones perhaps but the quality of the actresses here lift it beyond the tokenism. Not laugh out loud but quite cosy viewing. Not essential, almost a guilty pleasure.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsHideaki AnnoHidetoshi NishijimaMiori TakimotoJiro Horikoshi studies assiduously to fulfill his aim of becoming an aeronautical engineer. As WWII begins, fighter aircraft designed by him end up getting used by the Japanese Empire against its foes.Period drama, biography, animated feature - in that order. Aeroplanes serve as the perfect metaphor for dreams and aspirations, made especially more poignant by the backdrop of war and personal drama in the life of the central character. Beyond simple dreams, the movie conveys well the important fact that invention is born in thought, lending an almost spiritual quality to the dream sequences. There is a real sense of an interior life which is felt but unspoken. The animation is sublime, bordering at times on fine art say, impressionism (of a sort). There's always speculation as to the 'most underrated Ghibli'. This is perhaps the contender for that crown. It is perhaps the most mature film they made, and also perhaps the most human. The combination of music, movement, grace, space, fantasy is almost balletic. I kept flicking between the original Japanese and the English-dubbed version which gives you a number of famous voices, most outstandingly Werner Herzog.
- DirectorJules BassArthur Rankin Jr.StarsFred AstaireMickey RooneyKeenan WynnA mailman reveals the origin of Santa Claus.
- DirectorPeter ChelsomStarsJohn CusackKate BeckinsaleJeremy PivenA couple search for each other years after the night they first met, fell in love, and separated, convinced that one day they'd end up together.
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsJim CarreyMartin LandauBob BalabanIn 1951, a blacklisted Hollywood writer gets into a car accident, loses his memory and settles down in a small town where he is mistaken for a long-lost son.
- DirectorRobert AldrichStarsBurt ReynoldsEddie AlbertEd LauterA sadistic warden asks a former pro quarterback, now serving time in his prison, to put together a team of inmates to take on (and get pummeled by) the guards.
- DirectorSydney PollackStarsRobert RedfordFaye DunawayCliff RobertsonA bookish CIA researcher in Manhattan finds all his co-workers dead, and must outwit those responsible until he figures out who he can really trust.
- DirectorJ. Lee ThompsonStarsGregory PeckOmar SharifTelly SavalasA bandit kidnaps a Marshal who has seen a map showing a gold vein on Indian lands, but other groups are looking for it too, while the Apache try to keep the secret location undisturbed.
- DirectorAnthony FabianStarsLesley ManvilleIsabelle HuppertLambert WilsonA widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London falls madly in love with a couture Dior dress, and decides that she must have one of her own.
- DirectorJacques TourneurStarsJoel McCreaMiroslavaKevin McCarthyA circuit judge in the old west attempts to bring a suspected killer to justice. The judge runs afoul of the killer's rich cattle baron father in the process.Joel McCrea as Judge, enters town 'ran' by big boss Bannerman who's son killed a man yet escaped trial. McCrea comes to fix it. John Carradine on wily, shifty form. Townsfolk kind of looking the other way. It's familiar ground. More crime investigation movie in Western setting. Routine B movie. Oater, if you will. Tuneless music. Does everything you expect. Best things are the red rocky landscape and the 'bluff' at the end. Not bad, just meh.
- DirectorDexter FletcherStarsCharlie Creed-MilesWill PoulterSammy WilliamsA street-toughened parolee finds his two boys abandoned by their mum and fending for themselves. Time to step up, or not.2nd viewing. Despite the setting being a modern London housing estate, this is a kind of Western as the title suggests: hero (with dark past) emerges from the mists of time, cleans up the town, he even has a sheriff's badge tattoo on his heart (mixed with British Rail logo). He's a classic hero archetype, you route for him trying to go straight amongst the bad guys. It's realistic and it affectionately understands the world it portrays, flows well with heart and humour. Oh and a satisfying 'saloon showdown' to finish.
- DirectorCastleton KnightStarsMoore MarriottPauline JohnsonRay MillandA young fireman on the Flying Scotsman train falls in love with the beautiful daughter of the driver who is about to retire. The young fireman has replaced another named Crow who was sacked for drinking on the job and is planning to wreck the express on the driver's last trip.Younger, plumper, Moore Marriot looks like Dick Emery! Ray Milland also quite unrecognisable in this, his first picture. 2nd talkie in the UK (after Hitch's Blackmail). I say talkie, the first half is silent and overdubs are also used. Cranks up eventually to some impressive high-octane drama with Pauline Johnson notable in the train chase scene for clambering along the outside carriage in high heels. Her character gives a fake surname as 'Gilbey' inspired by seeing the Gin label in a bar. Decades later, 1980's 'Flipside Of Dominick Hide' did the exact same thing (another transport adventure). This Flying Scotsman movie itself pays tribute to an earlier picture, being the Lumiere Brothers 'A train arrives' 1906, by replicating that famous shot.
- DirectorMervyn LeRoyStarsVivien LeighRobert TaylorLucile WatsonMyra and Roy meet and fall in love on Waterloo Bridge during an air raid. Their love will be one of the war's unspoken casualties.Compared to the 1931 version this is different in many ways: it's slicker, much more expansive, the story here takes place over a much broader time frame and involves a lot more plot details and characters. Taylor (as usual) is a strong lead that never overplays. Vivien Leigh is good too, perhaps a little melodramatic at times but charming and at peak beauty. The first part of the film is particularly solid - their first date dancing at the candle club is perhaps one of the great romantic scenes in cinema, 'Auld Lang Syne' has never sounded so good, the band systematically snuff their candles out for atmosphere which takes on an poignant, prophetic edge. A tragic-romance, timely against the backdrop of approaching war that thankfully never milks the emotions to become a full-on weepie.
- DirectorDon SharpStarsGeorge SandersBeryl ReidNicky HensonAn amiable, psychopathic leader of a violent teen motorbike gang is spurred by his mother, a Satan-worshiping spiritual medium, into committing suicide and returning to life as an "undead".A film of it's own. Lo-fi and quirky but also intriguing and darkly funny. Slightly silly in a way that works, the whole biker theme gives it a grindhouse quality. As British as Hammer horror films but much more down to earth. It's a treat to watch actors like Nicky Henson, Beryl Reid and George Sanders in such an off-beat world. Nice 1970s autumnal vibe, ideal for the stone circle/dark magic storyline. Cool, gritty soundtrack from John Cameron. It's a cool little comedy-horror and midnite movie, complete with satisfying chase scenes and stunts. Sharper than i'd expected. And what's that frog all about?
- DirectorPete WalkerStarsSebastian BreaksVirginia WetherellJack AllenPlayboy John Carter is implicated in the murder of a blonde from a discotheque and is forced by gangsters into posing for pornographic photographs.Where to begin?! The most immediate thing about it is how well late-1960s London (and Sussex coast) are captured, a real time piece. The HD restoration really transports you there. Beyond that, it's an unusual blend: on one hand - hip and cool (fashion, cars, music), on the other hand - scenes, acting, plot and dialogue so daft and nonsensical that it becomes accidental comedy. Strip clubs, gangster underworld. It's amateur yet also hi-gloss. Think 'Showgirls' meets a poor man's James Bond. The pumped-up music is often comical against the visuals: watching him do a three point turn in a lay-by with street-chase music in full effect. Reminded me of Naked Gun/Police Squad, sometimes even Monty Python but, as i say, completely unintentionally funny. As a fan of 'so bad they're good' movies - I actually loved this.
- DirectorWarren BeattyBuck HenryStarsWarren BeattyJames MasonJulie ChristieA Los Angeles Rams quarterback, accidentally taken away from his body by an overanxious angel before he was meant to die, returns to life in the body of a recently murdered millionaire.The best thing about this is the premise, which is not original (being a remake of 'Meet Mr Jordan'). Beatty's comedy is not natural. Julie Christie is stressy. James Mason's Mr Jordan keeps appearing, seemingly bored by it all (I know the feeling). Charles Grodin brings comedy but is given little to do here. The film's fantasy potential is diverted and diluted by the sub-plots: his new persona's business dealings (boring) and his real self's obsession with returning to play with the L.A. Ram's (also boring). Even Dave Grusin's music, usually a highlight, comes to nothing. The 70s setting is a pleasing place to while away time but that's incidental. And my word - count how many times you hear the name 'Farnsworth'! (Beatty's new persona name). If that was a drinking game you'd be blotto by halfway. Disappointing.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsAlana HaimCooper HoffmanSean PennThe story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.Coming of age, 70s-nostalgia, vibe-piece. It started so well with two quirky outsiders forming an unlikely bond, smart dialogue, untamed emotions etc. It felt confidently unique and i was looking forward to their journey. Felt like PTA does indie (say, Harmony Korine or Andrea Arnold). This intimate style clashed a little with the big funky soundtrack. Soon the film began to wander, get lost, unravel, over-indulge and under-deliver. I spent the last half dreaming of what this film could have been. What began as an intriguing crush situation soon became diluted by all the sub-plots and other characters. Their waterbed business was boring, as was her political campaigning. So too were Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper's cringe shot at comedy. I mainly wanted to see the two main characters' personal arc but they were overtaken by the other events. Even so, she threw herself at every man around her and he was fifteen after all, so by the time the big 'hollywood-style' final embrace happens you just think 'so what'?'
The whole age gap thing is a bit uncomfortable, I just had to recall myself at 15 who would have loved hanging out with older women. As with 2006's 'Notes on a Scandal' had this movie been reversed to an older man/younger girl scenario it would not have been portrayed with such acceptable sexiness. Also Bradley Cooper's character threatening to 'shove excuses up the 15 year old's penis hole'. Why do so many Hollywood films have these inappropriate scenes masquerading as 'comedy'? Especially while great authors of the past (Agatha Christie etc) are being rewritten by censors. - DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinBilly ArmstrongLloyd BaconThe Little Fellow finds the girl of his dreams and work on a family farm.Notable, significant, milestone and all that, but not consistently funny. Some good moments of course, but also others that drag. This is 1915 however and comedy was still finding its feet so this has to be seen in that context and as the trail blazer it was. Clownish, cartoon-like, physical and now quaint. A legend is being formed.
- DirectorJoseph SterlingStarsPeter SellersSpike MilliganDick EmeryA pair of detectives from Scotland Yard are assigned to look into the disappearance of the Mukkinese Battle Horn, a ninth-century artifact, from the Metropolitan Museum.My, I dunno, 10th viewing? Naturally Python are rooted in this humour but there's also roots of Pete and Dud, even Naked Gun/Police Squad. Sellers, Milligan, Emery all seem to be having genuine fun. Non-stop inspired moments and great jokes, inventive throughout, silly, sharp and surreal. What a shame the other Goon movies are so bad. At least we have this.
- DirectorJules DassinStarsMelina MercouriPeter UstinovMaximilian SchellA conman gets mixed up with a group of thieves who plan to rob an Istanbul museum to steal a jewelled dagger.Comedy, crime, (and unexpectedly) thriller. Exotic, colourful and strange from the start. A little unintelligible at first but it draws you in. The two leads are an odd mix, like a german George Clooney meets a blonde Eartha Kitt. They feel a little remote but ultimately that works in terms of their cartoon villain status. Ustinov, by effective contrast, is the flesh and blood of the film. He's like a sun illuminating concrete buildings around him. The unusual Turkish setting and music spice up and elevate the movie giving it a unique feel. It flows well, develops and twists nicely until the final big job which is super tense and directed with sharp elegance. Memorable rooftop sequences. Cool little movie this. Has that Easter-time movie vibe.
- DirectorDesmond DavisStarsSarah MilesCyril CusackJulian GloverCass followed the bright lights to London, but was quickly disillusioned. She met (and married) Doctor Langdon, and soon realised she wanted to return to her home by the sea, and her first love Colin.It's rare to see a mood piece like this in UK cinema of the time. It's almost French new wave or Italian neo-realist in its combination of unorthodox editing and attention to everyday detail, but it's not socially-minded or angry as those two film movements can be. This is a sentimental piece, wistful and nostalgic. Girl returns to her quaint Irish seaside village, romanticising about a boy from her youth. Little does she know, her husband is on the way. A personal drama as much as a physical one. Soul searching. Crossroads. A little soft and affected (fine by me) but there's also menace and energy and it's well photographed. Def one to rewatch.
- DirectorKen AnnakinStarsLeslie PhillipsStanley BaxterWilfrid Hyde-WhiteForsdyke, a pathological petty thief subjects himself to a strict correction course run by a wealthy ex-con Widdowes and his Crooks Anonymous organization. Forsdyke's young and innocent girlfriend Babette, holds the hopes for his recovery and promises that she'll marry him if he'll reform. However, Forsdyke loses control when he's locked in a department store over Christmas.Superb crime comedy. This could be Leslie Phillips' best movie performance. He is perfect as the wily-but-flawed smooth criminal trying to go straight. Stanley Baxter brings a surreal touch with his range of characters. Both are constantly funny throughout. Then comes Wilfred Hyde White, also in top form and tailor-made for the role, James Robertson Justice appearance is more brief but he too, nails it. X times funnier than The Fast Lady and Father Came Too. This is a gem. Could be a classic.
- DirectorJames NeilsonStarsHayley MillsEli WallachPola NegriA teenager encounters romance, intrigue and a search for stolen jewels during her visit to the island of Crete.Hayley Mills, child-actor no more, comes of age in this Hitchcock-lite, adventure crime-mystery. The setting of Crete (complete with folk songs etc) is probably the best thing about the movie. There's nothing outstandingly bad, but it's generally over-stretched, a little boring. Starts with colour and energy but soon comes the unoriginal 'must retrieve the stolen jewels' plot pursued without sub-plots. It's like a bog-standard CFF yarn but made with Disney money. Slightly edgier than the average Disney (Eli Wallach shooting at kids, bloody handprint on the church wall etc) but the action scenes (eg - windmill) drag on at flat pace. Lots of scenes talking about the jewels (yawn), some weak attempts at humour, even a host of familiar faces (John Le Mesurier, Sheila Hancock) are unable to lift it. Always a pleasure though, to have Joan Greenwood purring about the place.
- DirectorJan TroellStarsMax von SydowSverre Anker OusdalGöran StangertzIn 1897 Swedish engineer S. A. Andrée with 2 colleagues prepares to fly over the North Pole in his balloon "Eagle".Max Von Sydow in true story of three polar explorers sailing from Sweden by air balloon in 1900s. Honest, respectful biopic that captures the epic nature of the excursion while also featuring a lot of small details, visually and emotionally. Shot and edited in an artistic way that enhances the story rather than detract from it (easy to get that wrong). It becomes about survival as the opening photographs of looming tragedy foretell. Their struggle is relayed, but not milked. Montages of their memories bring warmth. It's a quality production that felt more like 2002 than 1982, though the soundtrack of electric fretless bass etc was very 1982. I liked that contrast of modern sound amid the otherwise accurate period movie. It's very good though, of course, rather sad.
- DirectorFrank LaunderStarsAlastair SimJoyce GrenfellGeorge ColeThe schoolgirls of St. Trinian's are more interested in racing forms than books; as they try to get rich quick, they are abetted by the headmistress' brother.Classic array of characters and actors, the best being George Cole whose Flash Harry, whenever whistled for, emerges from the exact same bush in the school grounds. Alastair Sim almost plays straight as brother and sister. Plot revolves around a race horse. The film is ok, not as funny as the best Ealings or the Rutherford Marple's, but better than 'Happiest days of your life'. The chaos of the girls is a little wearing but interesting how they are reduced, almost cartoon-like, to a force - their first appearance being simply a cacophony of noise that accompanies a p.o.v. shot through a coach windscreen as it winds and descends upon a town as if a swarm of killer bees, the locals (especially police and authorities) reacting to their return with appropriate swooning horror.
- DirectorJean YarbroughStarsDick PurcellJoan WoodburyMantan MorelandOn a spooky island, three stranded travelers find an evil doctor working with foreign spies and in control of zombies.B-movie comedy-horror. Old dark house scenario, crashing plane forces three guys to stay in a mysterious doctor's house in the jungle, (host being a very watered-down Bela Lugosi type). Two of the guys (officer? scientist?) are totally unmemorable and straight, but the third is played by Mantan Moreland who is distinct and the comic centre of the film. His wise-crackin' neurotic-under-pressure character is like a 1940s Richard Pryor (without cusswords). Most of the rest of the cast (zombies/staff) are an enjoyable range of black comic characters, there's voodoo and harlem swing-era jive banter of the time which brings the movie to life with its musical cadence. Sadly though, the script is pretty weak. Funnier actors and a tighter script and this could have been a classic, at least a cult classic, but it needs more.
- DirectorBudd BoetticherStarsRandolph ScottNancy GatesClaude AkinsA man saves a woman who had been kidnapped by Comanches, then struggles to get both of them home alive.Scott is stonier than ever, so is the landscape. Shot in Cinemascope and looks fantastic on the big screen. All filmed on location. Heroes and villains forced to share the long journey together, with complex relationships between them. Dark, noir-ish edge. Intimate thoughts of villains, discussing life etc. Fatherly Scott's stoic morality effects them. Some very impressive long shots of the actors talking and riding, showing quality horsemanship. Decent action, great verbal sparring/doublespeak. Bit of cat and mouse. Intriguing, strong Western, a future classic. It's a real treat to have waited this long to see it. At a glance I had wrongly presumed it was a loud, flat Western with lots of scenes pursuing native tribes. This type of thing only happens in the first 15 minutes (a trading standoff and a shootout, both of which are perfectly well made).