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Reviews
A Purgatory Story (2019)
Very touching
Hands down the best short I've ever seen. Leaves Pixar in the dust. An unhappy young woman communicates with a guy stuck in - where else? - purgatory through a Ouija board. Romantic, but also lots of hilarious bits. (Did you know there's a branch of a certain well-known coffee chain there?)
Snowbound (1948)
Implausible plot, waste of veteran actors
The story is far-fetched, to say the least. Movie director Engles (Newton) picks extra Blair (Price) to keep an eye on people congregating at a ski hut for some sinister purpose. How does Engles know about this gathering? Never explained. What is Blair's sole qualification for this cloak-and-dagger job? He served under Engles in the Second World War and can be trusted. Blair blatantly questions all of the suspects, letting them know they're under his clumsy surveillance. Carla, the sole female in the bunch, promptly falls in love with him, despite her rather checkered past. Engles later stupidly shows up by himself to confront this varied bunch of cutthroats at the isolated hut. Von Kellerman (Lom), an unrepentant Nazi, blurts out the entire story without much prompting (or incentive), saying, "Why not?" The action picks up at the end and everything is sort of resolved in a ridiculous and unbelievable way.
There's plenty of skiing scenes, if you're into that sort of thing. Otherwise, don't waste your time on this tripe.
The Lady Pays Off (1951)
The movie doesn't pay off.
McNally's not Bogie. He can play a tough guy, even a concerned father (as in this film), but is unconvincing as the romantic male lead and doesn't have much chemistry with Darnell. Which would be hard to do in any case, as Darnell's character isn't particularly likable, lovable or even believable. The writers would have us swallow the notion that this nice, respectable schoolteacher could and would con a tough, experienced casino owner into an engagement and then coldly reveal that it was all a lie, just so she could get out of a huge gambling debt. Gigi Perreau is okay as the motherless daughter who needs cheering up, but her part is devoid of any originality. Field is the lone bright spot, chewing up the scenery as an ex-flame. However, she doesn't have that big a role and can't save the film all by herself.
The plot also has several problems. It's absurd to think that someone could waltz into a Reno casino and get $7000 worth of credit (a huge amount in the '50s, or today for that matter) just by asking for chips without so much as a signature or credit check. There are also gangsters trying to muscle in on McNally's character's business, but that plot thread doesn't actually amount to much.
Overall, the film fails on just about every level.
Penthouse (1933)
If Nora Charles had been born poor ...
... she would have been Gertie Waxted. One year after playing the deliciously depraved, lash-wielding daughter of Fu Manchu and a year before Mrs. Charles, Myrna Loy is closer to the latter than the former as the loose woman with a heart of gold. She steals the show. Forget about the murder. It's not particularly important or original - the writers don't even bother to reveal the killer's motive. Warner Baxter's character solves it without too much difficulty, though I doubt that any judge would sit still for the egregious entrapment he uses to wring a confession out of a henchman. No, just sit back and revel in all the wonderfully salacious, pre-Code lines Loy gets and the way she behaves. Her performance and personality are what elevate this otherwise routine flick.
Chef! (1993)
Lessons in cooking and rhetoric
Gareth Blackstock is the absolute monarch of his own little domain, the kitchen of an exclusive restaurant, 'Le Château Anglais'. He is a reasonable, patient man - as long as the dishes prepared by his staff are perfect. When they aren't, sit back and enjoy. The man turns into a Shakespeare of insults, an endlessly inventive master of invectives. Unfavorable comparisons, comments and suggestions (never descending to R-rated cursing) erupt from his fertile brain and verbally flay the unfortunate target of his ire. No one is immune, not his customers, not his long-suffering employees, not even his boss. Nothing stands in the way of his all-consuming passion for cooking, except (sometimes) his wife Janice. If you enjoyed Fawlty Towers, have any interest in cooking, or wish to hone your insults to the highest levels, this is your cup of tea.
Hobson's Choice (1954)
Victorian England was never more funny and charming
Henry Hobson is a moderately prosperous shoemaker with three obstacles to a contented life. A widower, he is beset by three daughters all wanting to marry. Although willing enough to part with the two younger women, he is determined to keep Maggie, the best (and unpaid) worker. By turns comical and heart warming, the struggle between a tyrannical father and his clever daughter, and the developing relationship between Maggie and Will Mossop, the husband she has unilaterally selected, propel the plot to its satisfying conclusion. Along the way, the viewer is given a fascinating glimpse of life in the lower middle class in 19th century England.
A flawless gem, with great performances by Charles Laughton, Brenda De Banzie and John Mills. Wholeheartedly recommended.