donby Reviews

Street Time (2002–2003)

Tough, involving, provocative tv series.

[15 December 2002]

There are lots of cop shows on tv, but this series about parole officers and the people they supervise is a cut above. Intense and expertly acted, it's hard to start watching without becoming involved with the characters. Tough, with harsh language, and some nudity.

Sword of Gideon (1986 TV Movie)

Tense, fascinating film with several chilling scenes

[6 October 2002]

This tense, fascinating film details how men are recruited into the Israeli Mossad to search for and kill those responsible for the Munich Olympics murders. Also, we see how the men are pressured to stay in the group. Great acting and real locations make it all the more compelling. The morality of what they're doing is questioned at several points, and we see some very chilling assasination scenes.

The ending is a bit of a let-down, but then since it is based on actual events . . . I am not Jewish but found this film to be suspenseful and very involving -- a humdinger.

All Ashore (1953)

surprisingly tuneful

[8/10 · 1 June 2001]

This 50's musical is not on video and so is very hard to find. You'll have to search the schedules of AMC or TCM to try to locate it. Starring mellow, unassuming Dick Haymes, this film is surprisingly tuneful (original music by Morris Stoloff). Okay, the story is the hardly-original story of 3 gobs on leave, but you get the beautiful backdrop of Catalina, rather than over-used New York. Blake Edwards has a writing credit.

Le quart d'heure américain (1982)

Enjoyable romantic comedy of two people from different worlds

[8/10 · 2 January 2001]

As a result of an automobile accident, a sophisticated assistant/tv producer? (Anemone) meets her car repair/blue collar nemesis (Jugnot). They start a comic affair, but can they reconcile their totally different worlds? One scene in particular where Jugnot "dresses up" to meet her co-workers for dinner, stands out. I saw this film in French without subtitles and, although my French is not perfect, the film was quite enjoyable. It needs to be released on video & dvd !