Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

[Reza]

A Rainy Day in New York (Woody Allen, 2019) 6/10

Allen's last two films got the A-class treatment befitting a director of his stature - in 2016 his film "Cafe Society" opened the Cannes film festival and in 2017 "Wonder Wheel" was the closing attraction at the New York film festival. His latest has virtually been banned in the United States over the rabid #metoo atmosphere prevailing on his home turf. The hypocricy of it all is appalling considering the alleged accusation against him goes back decades during which he was regularly feted by the film community and won for him yet another Oscar in the interim as well. This is strictly mid-tier Allen as he regurgitates moments from far better films from his past but manages to score points with digs at privilege across generations and especially cuts sharp jibes at journalists who create rumours which the public believe as the gospel truth - shades of his own dilemma. The setting is his beloved New York amongst the elite "white" class he prefers to mingle with on screen. As with most of his plots the main focus is on a nerdy individual - a Manhattan-raised, floppy haired student (Timothée Chalamet), dressed in tweeds, who is at odds with his extremely rich family. When his ditsy, movie buff girlfriend (Elle Fanning), also rich but from (crass) Arizona, gets the opportunity to interview a famous film director they both take a weekend break from college and go to Manhattan. He plans to show her his city, the museums and his beloved Carlyle Hotel with its famous jazz piano bar but they end up spending time apart. She gets to interview the disturbed director (Liev Schreiber) and hob nob with the screenwriter (Jude Law) - whose wife (Rebecca Hall) is two timing him - and an amorous Latin movie star (Diego Luna). All three older men come onto her which she enjoys - a plot point over which American critics have expressed squeamish horror. Meanwhile the nerd ends up wandering the streets, hooks up with an old girlfriend's younger sister (Selena Gomez) and takes a prostitute as his date to a snooty soirée at his parents' home. As with most of Allen's films this too is a travelogue of instantly recognizable New York City spots - Soho, the Upper West Side, a carriage ride through Central Park, Minetta Street, MOMA, assorted hotels (the Pierre, the Plaza Athéne, the Albert and the Carlyle - a detailed view of the Bemelmans Bar and its yellow walls with the artist's famous murals and its hideously patterned red carpet), the Kauffman-Astoria studio and the Delacorte Clock in Central Park. The film is bathed in a glowing light courtesy of Vittorio Storaro's camera with most outdoor scenes shot through perpetual rain. The film's highlight is a devastatingly ascerbic monologue by Cherry Jones as she tells her son a few home truths about her past instantly gaining his admiration. This is by no means a classic but a film that has many moments to cherish by a director who loves movies and has had the grace to continue making movies despite the odds stacked against him.

Rambo: Last Blood (Adrian Grunberg, 2019) 3/10

Sylvester Stallone, in his continued (and feeble) efforts to jump start his waning Hollywood career, keeps turning back to the two stalwarts, his alter egos - "Rocky Balboa" and "John Rambo" as he keeps churning out sequel after sequel. Here we get "Rambo" one last time. Or so Stallone says. After his "adventures" in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Burma the former vet now leads a calm retired life on a ranch in Arizona with horses, his young ward and her grandmother (Adriana Barraza). When the young girl goes looking for her wayward dad in Mexico she is captured by sex traffickers, drugged, maimed and raped. He manages to rescue her with the help of a journalist (Paz Vega) but her death sets up the revenge angle Rambo craves so desperately. This film is just an excuse for the star to dispense with all the sleazy guys - they come in droves looking for him on his ranch - and boy does he dispense them through all manner of violent ways. A booby trapped underground tunnel below his ranch is the nice and cozy Vietnam-like hideaway that is used to play cat and mouse with the Mexicans. Going by their sleaze factor no wonder President Trump wants to put up a wall and keep them out of America. I can just picture the Prez licking his chops as our good ole all-American hero beheads, stabs, shoots and blows up all the bad Mexicans. And the best is saved for the baddest of the bad - stuck to a wooden wall covered by arrows followed by stabbing him with a huge knife and putting his fist inside his chest to pull out his beating heart. So much anger. Unfucking believable. Crappy film has a certain appeal if you like blood and death. Lots of it.

Tendre poulet / Dear Detective (Philippe de Broca, 1977) 8/10

Charming froth is a whimsical comedy-thriller with two middle-aged people rekindling their love in the midst of a spate of murders. Former classmates and lovers - a greek professor (Philippe Noiret) and a police inspector (Annie Girardot) - meet again quite unexpectedly when she crashes her car into his bicycle. Love blooms again but a serial killer is on the loose stabbing philandering politicians. Both Noiret and Giradot are delightful and de Broca shoots the film in frantic style with the camera and the cast in constant motion.

Le tonnerre de Dieu / The Thunder of God (Denys de La Patellière, 1965) 6/10

The grand old man of french cinema - Jean Gabin - was still going strong during the 1960s playing leads. The gimmick casting here had Gabin paired on screen with the then hot screen couple from the "Angélique" series of films. An irascible alcoholic misanthrope (Jean Gabin) lives on his vast country estate with his wife (Lili Palmer) and his brood of dogs to whom he is completely devoted. In a bar he takes a shine to a prostitute (Michèle Mercier) holding a terrier and takes her home. When her angry pimp (Robert Hossein) arrives and demands she returns, the old man and his wife defend her when they are all threatened. As with most of the star's films from this period the screenplays allow him to shine playing a bombastic vivid larger than life character. Palmer, in a small part, quietly compliments him as the resigned wife living with a ticking time bomb. Mercier, a sex symbol in the Bardot mode, adds oomph while Hossein adds a strong touch of testosterone to the proceedings. This was the second collaboration of Gabin with director de La Patellière and they would go on to make six films.

[Reza]

Knives Out (Rian Johnson, 2019) 2/10

A boring throwback to the all-star whodunit, this overlong comedy thriller is an ordeal to sit through. An homage to Agatha Christie and the boardgame (and movie) "Clue", the plot has the obligatory dead body in a lavish gothic manor surrounded by a group of suspects and a quirky detective solving the murder â la Hercule Poirot. A famous writer (Christopher Plummer) of mystery novels is found with his throat slit soon after he celebrates his 85th birthday surrounded by his kids (Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon), the kid in-laws (Don Johnson, Riki Lindhome, Toni Collette), grand kids (Chris Evans, Jaeden Martell, Katherine Langford), an old granny, the housekeeper and the old man's nurse/companion (Ana De Armas). The mysterious detective (Daniel Craig) on the case is a throwback to Columbo (prying and annoying) and Poirot (the accent - here southern which Craig hideously massacres) who gets to reveal, via flashbacks, the solution to the mystery which starts off as a suicide but turns into a murder case as the story progresses but at a snail's pace. The long drawn reveal by the detective seems far too pat with every plot hole conveniently falling into place. The screenplay also fails to provide any serious motivation for all the characters - barring two - of wanting to murder the old man, thus woefully underusing many of the actors and in particular the two (has-been) stars - Curtis and Johnson. The script also plays it safe. Instead of taking on a more vicious tone it unfortunately sticks to what is now an American comedy staple of not wishing to offend anyone. Going by the almost unanimous praise received by critics it is especially disappointing to find zero substance in this film. The cast is clearly having a ball playing these despicable characters but the "fun" barely translates on screen for the viewer. The pace drags and the silly antics begin to grate very quickly. The only interesting aspect of the film is that one now looks forward to seeing Ana De Armas (in total drab mode here) transform into her natural sexy self as the next Bond girl in Craig's last outing as James Bond. One wonders what the actor will do post-Bond because going by his hideous performance here his screen career may well be over like a couple of past Bonds - George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton. Avoid this film like the plague and go watch instead some of the early Christie all-star adaptations, the film "Clue" or Neil Simon's delightful parody " Murder By Death".

War (Siddharth Anand, 2019) 7/10

Slick Bollywood thriller takes its cue from Hollywood especially the films of Tom Cruise and comes up with outlandish, thrilling action set pieces. A rookie agent (Tiger Shroff) is assigned to go after his mentor (Hrithik Roshan) who has gone rogue. Notwithstanding the often bizzare plot twists - this is pure masala entertainment after all - the film provides an ample dose of adrenalin rush starting with the casting of the two leads. Star Roshan, who was mentored years before by superstar Jackie Shroff on the set of "Yaadein" in 2001, insisted on casting his son Tiger Shroff as his co-lead. The young actor, one of the current breed of buffed up action stars, proves his worth especially during the opening fight sequence set in a room full of adversaries which he decimates. It may be a great entrance for the young actor but it cannot top the one for Hrithik Roshan who is seen at first in silhouette and then gets the full star treatment emerging from a helicopter as he walks in slow-mo towards the camera with his hair blowing perfectly courtesy of wind machines placed out of range. The "Top Gun" levels of homoeroticism is clearly intended as Tiger Shroff watches his mentor in awe as he walks towards him. The convoluted plot (with a heavy dose of "Face/Off") throws in corny and melodramatic patriotic dialogue - the Indian flag gets a look-in flapping in the wind just above Roshan's scarred but designer-chisled face - a sub-plot about a mother (Soni Razdan), a doomed love affair (sexy Vaani Kapoor who scores in her brief scenes - posing in a bikini on the sea front, matching steps with Roshan on the dance floor (to the song "Ke Ghungroo Toot Gaye") and playing a crucial dramatic scene) - and to keep the sentimental quotient in check the plot also throws in a cute child. They forgot to put in a pet dog but otherwise every Bollywood cliché can be easily ticked off. The film scores with its many action CGI-infused set pieces - death defying stunts on an airborne plane, chases on foot and on motorbikes and hand-to-hand combat. Since both stars are superb dancers they get to match steps to a remix of the classic song "Jai Jai Shivshankar" during a Holi song sequence. The song is used in tribute to Roshan's grandfather, J. Om Prakash, who in 1974 shot this song on Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz in his classic film "Aap Ki Kasam". Adding to the film's exotic scenic appeal are the use of its superb locations - Bogota, Lapland, Lisbon, Venice, Stockholm, Zurich, Mumbai, Miami, Tblisi, Cali and Ljubljana. Not a perfect film but its great fun.

[Precious Doll]

A Girl Missing (2019) Koji Fukada 7/10
The Report (2019) Scott Z. Burns 6/10
Judy & Punch (2019) Mirrah Foulkes 5/10
American Woman (2019) Jake Scott 6/10
Kursk (2018) Thomas Vinterberg 4/10
The Irishman (2019) Martin Scorsese 7/10
Mrs Lowry and Son (2019) Adrian Noble 5/10
Zoe (2018) Drake Doremus 5/10
Atlantics (2019) Mati Diop 2/10
The Emperor's Naked Army (1987) Kazuo Hara 6/10
Genese (2019) Philippe Lesage 7/10

Repeat viewings

Six of a Kind (1934) Leo McCarey 7/10
Olivia (1951) Jacqueline Audry 8/10

[Big Magilla]

Oops! Sorry for that!

Who's next? Brenda Blethyn? Imelda Staunton?

[Reza]

Reza wrote
Dame Penelope Wilton

Nope, at least not yet anyway.

Penelope Wilton does have some interesting connections, though. She is the niece of Bill Travers and the ex-wife of both Daniel Massey (who divorced her to marry her sister) and Ian Holm.

Magilla she was made a dame in 2016.

[Big Magilla]

Reza wrote
Dame Penelope Wilton

Nope, at least not yet anyway.

Penelope Wilton does have some interesting connections, though. She is the niece of Bill Travers and the ex-wife of both Daniel Massey (who divorced her to marry her sister) and Ian Holm.

[Reza]

The Irishman (Martin Scorsese, 2019) 8/10

Scorsese returns to his favourite subject in this very long epic about the Mob which vividly captures a time and place in American history. It is also a return to form for Robert De Niro and the film celebrates the actor's reunion on screen with his favourite director. Steve Zaillian's languorous but sharply polished screenplay is an adaptation of Charles Brandt's book "I Heard You Paint Houses" which chronicles the life of Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a mafia hit man. Via flashbacks we view his rise from truck driver to gofer to hit man and being the most trusted right-hand man to Sicilian mafioso Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and corrupt union overlord Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). The film really comes alive due to all the colorful peripheral characters surrounding the stars and each stands out vividly. The de-aging CGI is hit and miss - all three stars had their faces transformed to a youthful look for the scenes set during the 1950s and 1960s - but in some shots their faces look deformed with Pesci resembling a hobbit. The film belongs to De Niro who is in almost every scene of this 3 and half hour film and gives an exceptional performance. Pacino is his usual animated self shouting out his lines littered with the trademark F-word. The film is sharply edited, has outstanding production design and a jaunty score by Robbie Robertson - the film's period is superbly evoked by a number of hit songs on the soundtrack. Rodrigo Prieto's exceptional camera work deserves an Oscar. One needs to watch this film more than once to get its full impact. There is far too much going on for the brain to capture in one sitting.

Downton Abbey (Michael Engler, 2019) 7/10

Pleasing big screen version of the long running tv series crams in a lot as the screenplay tries to do justice to the huge ensemble cast playing members of the upstairs and downstairs household. The Earl (Hugh Bonneville) and Lady Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern) play hosts to King George V (Simon Jones) and Queen Mary (Geraldine James) who come for a night to Downton Abbey. The entire household is in a flummox as they prepare for the Royal visit. The busy screenplay throws in everything - an assassination attempt, snobbish royal staff, a revolt and cunning manoeuvring by the downstairs staff, blackmail, secrets involving an illegitimate child, a sudden pregnancy, an unexpected romance, a catfight between the imperious Dowager Countess of Grantham (Dame Maggie Smith) and her estranged cousin (Imelda Staunton) and an amusing faux pas by one of the servants in front of the Royal couple. And since Hollywood is on a perpetual roll on political correctness the lone gay character, butler Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier), gets to visit an approximation of a 1920s underground gay bar where he experiences a twirl on the dance floor, a brief jail stint followed by the promise of an affair. Everything AND the kitchen sink. Nostalgic big screen spin-off is exquisitely filmed with even greater production values than the series. And the film would not be complete without the hilarious acidic quips by Dame Maggie who has competition in this department from her long-time adversary played by the equally delightful Dame Penelope Wilton. Great fun revisiting these characters.

Cronaca di un amore / Story of a Love Affair (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1950) 9/10

Antonioni's elegant first film is inspired by James M. Cain's "The Postman Always Rings Twice". The lead role is played by Massimo Girotti, the actor who became a star in the first movie adaptation of that novel filmed by Luchino Visconti as "Ossessione" in 1943. The film drew the wrath of the neo-realists who viewed the film as a celebration of the upper classes as opposed to the working class which the director had championed in all his short films up to that time. It's a love story which is presented as a series of puzzles. It does not go the typical Hollywood route but presents two complex and not very likeable characters passionately in love with each other who share a sordid festering history from their past which is reignited after they meet quite unexpectedly after many years. Paola (Lucia Bosé) is a beautiful socialite and stuck in a boring loveless marriage to a very rich man. She has everything money can buy but there is an empty void in her which keeps her in a listless state of mind. Guido (Massimo Girotti) is her friend from the past who arrives in Milan to warn her that a detective has been inquiring into her past which involved a scandal involving her best friend who fell down a lift shaft and died. The deceased was about to be married to Guido who was also involved with Paola. Both could have saved her but they remained silent. Paola ran away to Milan and after a three month courtship married a rich man. The two now renew their affair with secret trysts in cheap hotel rooms and gradually the penniless man is goaded into a plan to kill the rich husband. As the story progresses we get to view the subtle changes in the characters' motivations as they move through their personal lives. Her life is one of luxury as she shops and socializes with the upper classes in Milan while he has no job and hustles for commissions. Their plan comes through but there is a twist after which Guido realises the selfish motivations of the woman he loves. Antonioni's film is a bleak and bitter comment on modern life which he presents as meaningless, boring and full of angst. Money does not bring happiness, relationships have ulterior motives and old mistakes are repeated. Superbly acted film is helped by the constantly moving camera of Enzo Serafin which follows the actors confined mostly to rooms in hotels, homes or in shops signifying a feeling of entrapment. The characters are trapped through circumstances and stuck in a bubble which is waiting to burst.

The Lady Lies (Hobart Henley, 1929) 5/10

Stiff early talkie with a static camera capturing the cast emoting as if on stage. A widower (Walter Huston), with two doting children, falls in love with a shopgirl (Claudette Colbert) causing shock waves for his brother who poisons the children's minds. The class structure gets a workout with the two leads in splendid natural form. Like all stage actors they adapted quickly to the film medium and became stars.

Maléfices / Sorcery / Where the Truth Lies (Henri Decoin, 1962) 6/10

Atmospheric noir goes through its paces with a plot about African sorcery in rural France. A vet (Jean-Marc Bory) visits a mysterious woman (Juliette Gréco) to check on her pet cheetah and falls passionately in love / under her spell - she lived in Africa so knows a thing or two about magic and her paintings and a statue appear to have powers. The jealous woman wills his wife (Liselotte Pulver) to fall sick. However, things are really not as they seem with a twist in the plot followed by an unexpected ending. The film's most memorable set piece is the film's location - the island of Noirmoutier in France with the Passage de Gois which is a road built on a natural sand bank leading to the island that gets flooded twice a day by the tide. The film opens with an aerial shot of the over 4km narrow road leading upto the island with the sea on either side and which plays an important part during the shocking denouement

The Black Scorpion (Edward Ludwig, 1957) 5/10

One of many films during the 1950s that preyed on human fear of insects. Here the scorpion gets a spin and to make the situation more fearful the plot has a nest of them and all gigantic in size. A combination of stop-motion animation and stock footage (from RKO's classic "King Kong" no less) creates the "monsters" causing havoc on a small Mexican town. A volcano eruption opens up a huge crevasse allowing giant scorpions to invade from caves deep inside the earth and cause mayhem in the countryside - animals and humans are stung, a train is derailed and a helicopter is tossed about. A geologist (Richard Denning who was earlier in another horror flick - "Creature From the Black Lagoon") teams up with the locals to try and come up with a solution to combat the dreaded monsters with a showdown in a huge stadium. Corny film has a certain kitsch appeal and is really not bad at all once you get involved in the plot. A giant worm and a huge spider also make appearances along with a spunky damsel (Mara Corday) - a rancher whose cattle go missing - who provides the love interest.

Riso amaro / Bitter Rice (Giuseppe De Santis, 1949) 10/10

The film that put statuesque 19-year old Italian bombshell Silvana Mangano on the map and for a time made fat thighs very much in vogue. The iconic image of her standing knee deep in a rice paddy with naked thighs and ample bust jutting out caused an uproar helping the film to huge boxoffice and notoriety when the film was condemned in the U.S. for being obscene. The film touches on a number of genres. The screenplay (by De Santis, Mario Monicelli and others) of this Italian neorealist film uses a noir plot at its center with strong underlying social commentary about the conditions of migrant workers in rice paddies in the Po valley. It is also a biting attack on American capitalism as eroding traditional Italian values. Added to this mix is a healthy dose of sex and steamy melodrama. A petty crook (Vittorio Gassman) and his partner / lover (Doris Dowling) hope to escape the cops by mingling with a train load of female migrant workers off to the rice paddies. He grabs hold of a sexy peasant woman (Silvana Mangano) dancing alone and twirls her around but then makes a run for it telling his partner to get onto the train. The two women get to know one another talk about the robbery and the crook who they both feel attracted to. The overseer, a discharged soldier (Raf Vallone), is attracted to the sexy peasant but she rebuffs him. Later when the crook returns he gets involved in a plot to steal the rice which leads to a melodramatic standoff between the two women both holding guns which ends up in a murder and a suicide. There is a strong sexual current running throughout the film - Gassman and Mangano have an erotic moment on the dance floor as she sways her hips and lifts her skirt moving to the beat of the music. Later he whips her with a stick as she hysterically writhes against a tree laughing and crying, falling down after which he has his way with her. Excessive to say the least. The film is replete with striking images helped in great part by the elegant camera movements of Otello Martelli who uses glorious tracking and crane shots across and above the rice fields. The sexist camera also zooms in on the women's cleavage and legs as they bend down in the fields or catches them in the barracks dressed in their undergarments. Santis' film is a mixture of various styles ranging from Italian realism to Mexican epics to American crime movies. Superb film is one of the great classics of Italian cinema and a must-see.

[Precious Doll]

Ford v Ferrari (2019) James Mangold 4/10
Winter's Child (1989) Olivier Assayas 7/10
Earthquake Bird (2019) Wash Westmoreland 2/10
Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets (1971) Shuji Terayama 7/10
Parking (1985) Jacques Demy 5/10
Bunuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles (2019) Salvador Simo 6/10
Tel Aviv on Fire (2019) Sameh Zoabi 8/10
A Room in Town (1981) Jacques Demy 2/10

Repeat viewings

Anna Karenina (1935) Clarence Brown 6/10
Le Jour se Leve (Daybreak) (1939) Marcel Carne 7/10
Savage Messiah (1972) Ken Russell 10/10*
O Lucky Man! (1973) Lindsay Anderson 9/10*
Bay of Angels (1963) Jacques Demy 10/10

*Its extremely rare these days for me go to and see something I own on DVD/Blu Ray on the big screen. However Savage Messiah is a personal favourite that I've only seen on the big screen once before back in the 1980s and in the case of O Lucky Man my DVD died last year and I never got around to watching it and have only ever seen the film on VHS back in the 1980s so it was something of a new experience seeing in a very large screen in a beautifully restored print.

Anyway, my experience re-watching these two films really hammered home to me that one cannot beat the big screen experience. These were two of my best big screen experiences of the year even if they were re-viewings.

[Reza]

The Goldfinch (John Crowley, 2019) 4/10

Donna Tartt's sprawling Pulitzer prize winning novel comes to the screen as a series of vignettes completely devoid of any spark. The film is like looking at a mouth-watering Christmas cake with all the trimmings but the actual taste is insipid because the chef forgot to put in sugar. This coming-of-age story of 13-year old Theo - played superbly as a child by Oakes Fegley and blandly by Ansel Elgort as an adult) - who loses his mother during a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, finds in the wreckage and takes off with a rare Dutch painting ("The Goldfinch" by Carel Fabritius), is given shelter by a rich school friend's family whose matriarch (Nicole Kidman) bonds with him and just when she is planning to adopt him he is whisked off by his estranged alcoholic father (Luke Wilson) and his trailer trash girlfriend (Sarah Paulson). His lonely life gets somewhat of an uplift when he befriends a Ukrainian neighbor and school mate. When his father dies he runs away to New York and lives with an antique dealer (Jeffrey Wright). Years later he runs into his friend who confesses that he had stolen the painting from him and has used it as collateral in a drug deal. The plot just keeps getting thicker and thicker with violent confrontations with the drug dealers, his addiction to pills and an unrequited romance. It is all presented in an antiseptic manner with scenes lacking energy or drama. Roger Deakins rich cinematography is the only saving grace in this very disappointing film.

The King (David Michôd, 2019) 5/10

Straight forward screen adaptation of several plays from William Shakespeare's "Henriad". A fey Timothée Chalamet inherits the role of Prince Hal from Sir Kenneth Branagh by way of Sir Laurence Olivier, both of whom brought their intense and fiery acting prowess to the role. Prince Hal (Timothèe Chalamet), the wayward and wastrel son of King Henry IV (Ben Mendelsohn), is uninterested in his father's policies or the throne. He prefers to spend his time getting drunk and whoring in the company of his close friend Falstaff (Joel Edgerton). When he is disinherited by his father in favour of his younger brother he proceeds to upstage the latter during a battle to suppress a rebellion. Sometime after the death of his brother in Wales and the death of his father, young Prince Hal is crowned King Henry V. He starts his reign by opting for peace with his enemies which his nobles construe as weakness and he is goaded into war with France. With Falstaff heading the British army they meet the French forces at the Battle of Agnicourt winning a decisive victory. The French King surrenders to King Henry and offers the hand in marriage of his daughter Catherine (Lily-Rose Depp). Well acted film moves along at a snail's pace culminating in the ferocious battle with soldiers encompassed in mud and blood. Chalamet grows into the part and makes it his own in a very different interpretstion from both Olivier and Branagh. Skinny and child-like, the actor manages to transform into a haughty and regal monarch. Edgerton shines as the King's macho ally but Robert Pattinson is ridiculous as the Dauphin speaking with a hilarious accent. The film, eschewing Shakespeare's language, becomes just another film about a ruler wading through a troubled life who manages to successfully lead his troops to war. There is nothing distinguished about this project but ensures a modum of respectability in its depiction of a certain time and place.

[Precious Doll]

Palm Beach (Rachel Ward, 2019) 6/10

The film is a glittering Australian advertisement for living in a spectacular condo right across a beachside location, the titular Palm Beach in New South Wales. The plot is a throwback to "The Big Chill" as three couples, all old friends and now on the far side of middle age, get together for a reunion to celebrate a birthday. The birthday "boy" (Bryan Brown) and his wife (Greta Scacchi) invite their best friends (Sam Neill, Jacqueline McKenzie, Richard E. Grant, Heather Mitchell) for the weekend which predictably unearths long simmering issues while getting drunk and feasting on crab, lobster and cake as an eclectic collection of songs play in the background. This affluent shtick is all too familiar but the engaging and very game cast make it all look beautiful under the astute direction of Rachel Ward who ensures every character gets their moment in the sun. And of course her film is a love letter to her country which should help the tourist trade.


The Cat and the Canary (Radley Metzger, 1978) 7/10


The Betsy (Daniel Petrie, 1978) 4/10

Despite being poorly received by local critics Palm Beach was something of a hit at the box office, though everyone I know who saw the film grumbled about not caring for it, including myself. It rightly received zero nominates for Australia's 'Oscars'. I also wouldn't use the film as 'tourist bait' at least at the moment. We are still a few weeks away from the start of summer and much of the east coast of Australia is on fire, which has taken the lives of a few hundred koala's in the process (endangered species alert). In Sydney we have had more hazardous smokey polluted air quality in the last couple of weeks which is far more than I have experienced during my entire lifetime with all the combined bushfires over the last 40 or so years and the situation up north is far far worse.

Nice to see some appreciation for The Cat and the Canary (1978) which I've always had a degree of affection for and The Betsy is probably not good viewing now but I loved it as a teenager, so much so that I saw it twice at the cinema. I do have it on DVD and intend to revisit it - goodness knows what I'll think over 40 year later

[Reza]

Flaming Youth (John Francis Dillon, 1923) 5/10

During the sexual revolution of the jazz age a flapper (Colleen Moore) falls in love with her late mother's lover (Milton Sills). The film defined the rip-roaring 1920s with the rich partying hard and loving with complete sexual abandon. It brought Colleen Moore super-stardom and was a defining role for her. The film is sadly lost and only an 11-minute sequence survives - a scene set at a party and attended by Moore and Sills as they sit on the sidelines watching the other guests cavorting in silhouette through a fountain of spray, dancing in their wet underwear and jumping into a pool. Moore, with her distinct bob and vivacious manner, vividly stands out amongst the other cast members.

Behind That Curtain (Irving Cummings, 1929) 4/10

This film typifies all the negative aspects of the early talkies. A static camera and stiff performances by the cast speaking their dialogue in a halting manner as if they were emoting in a silent film. Once thought lost this film holds the distinction of being the third Charlie Chan murder mystery and the first as a talking picture although the Chinese detective - played here by Korean actor E.L. Park - appears in only three very short scenes. The plot instead revolves around a murder and a love triangle. A young heiress (Lois Moran) jilts her long time best friend (Warner Baxter) and gets married to a shifty womanizer (Phillip Strange) much to the dismay of her uncle and guardian. The old man had hired a detective to check on the suitor but is murdered before he can provide concrete evidence of his past discretions. The globetrotting plot moves from London to India and on to Iran and San Francisco where the murderer is exposed. The film's middle section, set in exotic India, is interesting where the young woman discovers that the cad she is married to is having sex with their local maid followed by her escape from his clutches with the help of her best friend. Both go off riding into the desert towards Iran. Boris Karloff plays a mostly mute Indian man-servant in his talkie debut. The dramatic denoument involving Charlie Chan takes place in San Francisco. Cummings reunited with Baxter here after recently have worked on "In Old Arizona" for which the actor won an Oscar. Here everyone is hilariously stiff including during a love scene between Baxter and Moran as they mouth dialogue with exaggerated pauses. Clearly a curiosity piece and strictly for die-hard fans of early cinema.

A Lawless Street (Joseph H. Lewis, 1955) 7/10

One of many Randolph Scott B-westerns from the 1950s which stand the test of time. The plot consists of familiar tropes - weary sheriff, having spent a lifetime of killing, has to deal with a villain from his past who is out to get him - but Scott here creates a character who, through subtle facial and body movements, conveys fear, regret of lost opportunities and the realization that he lives on borrowed time. He is adept at keeping up a facade of confidence in front of the townfolk. Not only having to face the killer he also has to deal with two businessmen planning a takeover of the town along with the arrival of a showgirl (Angela Lansbury) who happens to be his long estranged wife and for whom he still harbors deep feelings. Lewis and his cameraman, Ray Rennahan, line up most scenes in tight shots which are mostly filmed indoors creating tension while providing the film with an atmosphere of a noir. The film has a remarkable supporting cast of character actors - Wallace Ford, Ruth Donnelly, John Emery, Jean Parker, Jeannette Nolan - all of whom give vivid performances. Lansbury gets to sing and dance creating heartfelt fireworks in all her scenes with Scott.

October (Shoojit Sircar, 2018) 2/10

Varun Dhawan tries to offset his image of the goofy rambunctious star of masala cinema by appearing in dead-serious mode in this dreary drama. A spoilt, obnoxious know-it-all (Varun Dhavan) finds redemption when a casual acquaintance and work colleague - they both intern at a big hotel - accidently falls off a balcony, gets paralyzed and spends most of the film comatose in a hospital bed. A friend tells the young man that she asked for him just before she fell and he becomes obsessed with finding out why. Spending all his time at her bedside he falls in love with her and like every good Bollywood hero discovers that he can care for someone other than himself - a journey of self-discovery and his coming-of-age. This is such a downbeat film with nothing new to say except allow the leading actor to display his acting chops to show his critics that he can "act".

Palm Beach (Rachel Ward, 2019) 6/10

The film is a glittering Australian advertisement for living in a spectacular condo right across a beachside location, the titular Palm Beach in New South Wales. The plot is a throwback to "The Big Chill" as three couples, all old friends and now on the far side of middle age, get together for a reunion to celebrate a birthday. The birthday "boy" (Bryan Brown) and his wife (Greta Scacchi) invite their best friends (Sam Neill, Jacqueline McKenzie, Richard E. Grant, Heather Mitchell) for the weekend which predictably unearths long simmering issues while getting drunk and feasting on crab, lobster and cake as an eclectic collection of songs play in the background. This affluent shtick is all too familiar but the engaging and very game cast make it all look beautiful under the astute direction of Rachel Ward who ensures every character gets their moment in the sun. And of course her film is a love letter to her country which should help the tourist trade.

Visions of Light (Arnold Glassman, Todd McCarthy & Stuart Samuels, 1992) 7/10

The camera is turned back on the artists who created magic on the screen as they discuss their art. From the silent era's Billy Bitzer who shot films for D.W. Griffith to the legendary Gregg Toland and his deep focus shots in "Citizen Kane" to the expressionistic noirs of the 1940s and onto the exciting monochrome works created by Haskel Wexler ("Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?") and Conrad Hall ("In Cold Blood"). The second half of the documentary has detailed commentaries on how colour was used in imaginative ways by Gordon Willis ("The Godfather"), Michael Chapman ("Taxi Driver"), Allen Davieu ("ET"), Bill Butler ("Jaws), William Fraker ("Rosemary's Baby"), Nestor Almendros ("Days of Heaven") and Vittorio Storarro ("Apocalypse, Now", "The Last Emperor"). With improved technology innovative ideas became easy to put across the screen. Surprisingly the films of Hitchcock and Kubrick get a shortshrift with only a cursory glance while world cinema is totally ignored. Indulgent stars are served memorably by the cameramen - both Garbo and Dietrich are seen with their faces lit by William Daniels and Lee Garmes while Claudette Colbert insists on her face being shot only from one side in all her films. This is an interesting film to see as an introduction to the art of cinematography but it could have achieved much more if it was of longer length and covered German, Russian, French, Italian and Japanese cinema as well to show that there were innovative cinematographers outside Hollywood who left an even greater indelible mark on the medium.

Fat City (John Huston, 1972) 8/10

Huston's favourite theme of focusing on losers and the down-and-out is adapted by Leonard Gardner from his own novel. Haunting sad vision of the American Dream gone wrong with the plot revolving around two boxers. The old one (Stacy Keach) is on his way down, shacked up with a pathetic barfly (Susan Tyrrell) who gets one last chance at glory in the ring. The cocky younger man is full of meaningless dreams about his future and in a dull relationship with his pregnant wife (Candy Clark). Both men are losers with big dreams but stuck and struggling in a small derelict town. Huston brings a strong sense of realism through his images - the boxing scenes have a raw edge to them and do not look staged - and the characters have a strong touch of theatricality infused in them as they interact with each other with dialogue that seems to be improvised â la John Cassavetes. Keach is outstanding and this film should have made him a huge star but the film tanked, disappeared and is rarely talked about today. Tyrrell was nominated for an Oscar as the annoying and bloated harridan. The film is bookended with Kris Kristofferson's hit song, "Help Me Make it Through the Night".

Greenfingers (Joel Hershman, 2001) 6/10

Innocuous British film resembles an Ealing comedy with flashes of charm amongst the clichés. A convict (Clive Owen), with a perpetual frown - you just know he will change through the course of the film - is transferred to an open facility prison where he is coerced into becoming a gardener. A motley group - the old man suffering from cancer (an outstanding David Kelly) becomes a close friend - get together and plant a garden attracting the attention of a famed horticulturist (Helen Mirren) and her daughter with whom he falls in love. After being allowed to work outside the prison in gardens belonging to rich people he gets to participate in the Great British Gardening Show. The underdog triumphs over adversity. It's all rather silly but Owen, and particularly Kelley, make this fluff work. And Mirren, as the no-nonsense and imperious author / gardener, is a delightful sight in her floral dresses and large hats.

The Cat and the Canary (Radley Metzger, 1978) 7/10

Stage chiller which was adapted for the screen as a stylish silent in 1927 and as the Bob Hope comedy-thriller in 1939 gets taken out of mothballs once more by a director of hardcore porn flicks who adds blood, sex, sadism and comes up with an old fashioned but campy remake helped by an eclectic cast. These one-shot and has-been stars come together - in fact they have all been pretty famous in one medium or another - in the classic setting of a grand English mansion during a storm. Family members gather for the reading of a will on camera by their long dead Uncle Cyrus (Wilfred Hyde-White) who baits them and calls them all greedy bastards. The motley group consists of an elegant bitchy lesbian (Honor Blackman), her placid lover (Olivia Hussey), a war hero turned stunt man (Peter McEnery), a doctor (Daniel Massey) with a sordid past, an American songwriter (Michael Callan), a dizzy blonde (Carol Lynley), the old man's lawyer (Dame Wendy Hiller) and the faithful but sinister housekeeper (Beatrix Lehmann). The guests are informed that an heir will be revealed and if after 12 hours in the house the heir dies or goes insane there would be an announcement of a second heir thus setting up a gleeful case of in-fighting amongst the feuding cousins, the possibility of murder which is confirmed when a local doctor (Edward Fox) arrives and announces there is a lunatic on the loose. Also adding to the drama is a valuable necklace which is hidden in the house. People start disappearing, secret rooms and passages are discovered and a cloaked disfigured prowler sneaks around the creaky corridors. The plot is a witty tongue-in-cheek parody of an Agatha Christie mystery complete with a twist ending. The ensemble cast throw themselves into their roles playing at a high pitch with each making their mark and clearly having fun with this over-the-top material.

The Cat and the Canary (Elliott Nugent, 1939) 8/10

John Willard's stage play from 1922 was filmed as a silent in 1927 and then slightly re-tailored in this remake to accomodate Bob Hope's familiar brand of comedy. It retains the creepy atmosphere and chills helped in great part by Charles Lang's magnificent cinematography as he manoeuvres his camera through the dark shadows of the derelict mansion in the middle of the Louisiana bayou. A group of relatives are summoned to their uncle's old house for the reading of his will. The declared heiress (Paulette Goddard) finds herself in jeopardy as the will states that if she were to die or go insane the fortune would pass on to a second relative. Adding to the terror is an escaped lunatic from a nearby asylum as he creeps about the dark corridors waiting to kill. With Bob Hope around the film neatly balances comedy and drama with the actor's hilarious quips keeping things light in the midst of all the terror. Old fashioned haunted house plot includes the memorable presence of Gale Sondergaard as the sinister Creole housekeeper. Hope and Goddard's delightful chemistry resulted in the studio quickly churning out "The Ghost Breakers" the following year, a similar tale full of chills set in a haunted castle.

Midway (Roland Emmerich, 2019) 7/10

The decisive Battle of Midway, during WWII, completely changed the course of the war in the Pacific leading to the defeat of Japan. Emmerich systematically weaves the complicated chain of events starting with the United States entering the war after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. From then on it became a battle of wits as the American fleet clashed with the Imperial Japanese Navy. The screenplay follows the real-life events viewing it through the heroic efforts of the American leaders and soldiers as they battle the enemy above and below the ocean. The spectacular visual effects take precedence over detailed character development, which can be easily forgiven considering its only a 2-hour film, but unlike the 1976 film version there are thankfully no fictional characters or cheesy love stories hampering the historical facts. The main thrust of the story focuses on two soldiers - gung-ho pilot Dick Best (Ed Skrein) who led his dive bomber squadron at Midway and intelligence officer Edwin Layton (Patrick Wilson) whose team of code breakers predicted the attack at Midway. We get glimpses of the commanding officers - Admiral Chester Nimitz (an understated Woody Harrelson) and Vice Admiral William "Bull" Halsey (Dennis Quaid) - as they steer the attack from the back. There is a tense sequence with Jimmy Dolittle (Aaron Eckhart) who leads a squadron and bombs Tokyo which was a great boost to the morale of the soldiers, especially after the devastation suffered at Pearl Harbor. The execution of the dive bombing aviation scenes are shot with jaw-dropping authenticity using a combiniation of expert editing, visual effects and sound design creating an incredible rush putting the audience right into the horrors of the battle itself. Fast paced war film is well acted by the ensemble cast - Nick Jonas (Mr Priyanka Chopra) stands out in two short but memorable scenes. The film really does not deserve the thrashing it has received from many critics and though it may look like a loud video game the film does manage to effectively bring alive actual flesh and blood heroes from the historical past almost forgotten by today's generation who sadly live on a diet of Marvel comic book heroes instead.

Ford v Ferrari (James Mangold, 2019) 7/10

When Enzo Ferrari goes back on his initial deal and refuses to sell his Company to Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) it sets up a chain of events that urges the insulted and humiliated Ford to create a racing car to beat Ferrari at the annual Le Mans race. The two men who play a vital role in bringing to fruition Ford's "revenge" are Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), a former racing driver - automotive designer and Ken Miles (Christian Bale), an English sports car racing engineer and driver. The vehicle that defeats the Ferrari is the newly designed high-performance endurance racing car, the Ford GT40. Mangold's thrilling, if excessively overlong, drama has superbly staged and edited action sequences on the race track. At the story's center is the often bristly relationship between the two men who not only join hands together but have to constantly stay two steps ahead of Ford's envious executive team as they try to put obstacles in their path. Bale is superb as the hot-tempered struggling mechanic and is matched every step of the way by Damon who is funny and untimately very moving as the often flamboyant entrepreneur who takes on the challenge and champions the driver who is initially rejected by Ford and his team. There is great attention to period detail and the screenplay vividly depicts the tragedy and emotional triumphs of the sport.

Bahubali: The Beginning (S.S. Rajamouli, 2015) 8/10

This old fashioned and crowd-pleasing Tamil & Telugu (also dubbed into Malayalam, Hindi, Japanese, Russian and Chinese) spectacle has elements of Indian mythology (from the life of Lord Krishna). The film's claim to fame is its huge budget - the most expensive to come out of India - and its success at the boxoffice surpassing every film ever made in the country until its sequel a year later which surpassed it. This is also one of the most visually stunning films, which apart from the spectacular scenic locations (Kerala & Bulgaria), has CGI magic to thank for it. A baby, saved from a river while being held above the waves by a submerged woman, is rescued by a villager and raised as his son. Bahubali (Prabhas) grows up possessed of great strength and fascinated by a huge waterfall over a cliff overlooking the village which he keeps trying to climb. Finally making it to the top he discovers snow clad mountains, a rebellious warrior (Tammannah Bhatia) whom he tattoos and makes love to during a song and dance number and discovers his past in a kingdom ruled by a despot (Rana Daggubati) who has imprisoned an old woman (Anushka Shetty). The film goes straight for the jugular with its over the top set pieces - a giant bull subdued by the despot, an escape from an avalanche straight out of a Bond flick, stunts in slow motion and battle scenes clearly inspired by Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. The film reverts to a long flashback sequence during the middle which explains the relationship of Bahubali with the old woman (who turns out to be the former Queen of the State), with the despot and the woman (Ramyan Krishnan) who drowned trying to save him. Notwithstanding the corny overblown dialogue and mostly wooden acting - both the male leads flex their muscles and contort their faces either in anger or in ecstacy - this is a film that holds edge-of-the seat interest throughout. You have to be a devotee of Indian cinema to completely get and understand the exaggerated nuances of the characters and the dramatic situations. The film's best performance is by Krishnan as the Queen Mother and former regent of the kingdom, an egoistic but skilled fighter and a strong leader whose one mistake results in her atonement through an ultimate sacrifice. All credit for the film's look and its ultimate success rests at the feet of the innovative director Rajamouli who brings back memories of classic films from Bollywood's very distant past.

Barricade (Gregory Ratoff, 1939) 4/10

An alcoholic reporter (Warner Baxter) and a chorus girl from Brooklyn posing as a bogus Russian (Alice Faye) get caught up during the war in China and find themselves beseiged in the American Consulate by bandits. A subject Hollywood found fascinating during the 1930s - stick white folk in an exotic country and have them terrorized by coloured "savages". This one doesn't have anything new to say. Baxter is good but Faye, in a non-singing role, is merely annoying speaking with a faux Russian accent. The film had a troubled shoot and was shelved and then cut and released after Alice Faye became a huge star courtesy of her hit musicals.

The Appointment (Sidney Lumet, 1969) 8/10

Lumet's arty take on a dream-like obsessive love story, steeped in jealousy and possessiveness, is set in ravishing Rome. A lawyer (Omar Sharif) spots and follows an enigmatic beauty (Anouk Aimée) on the street and is later surprised to discover that she is the girlfriend of his friend. Later he is informed that the two have broken up so he desperately seeks her out and they strike up a friendship. Both appear to be awkward tormented souls as they circle one another with their sad eyes speaking volumes. Nothing much happens as the camera follows them on walks through the streets, boat rides on the ocean and trysts in the countryside (with the camera slowly rising high above them) as a silent sexual tension runs between them. His obsession with her turns to jealousy as he begins to suspect if she is a prostitute. An unusual and puzzling departure for Lumet - shooting outside New York on European locations, using Antonioni's cameraman (Carlo De Palma) and Fellini's costume and production designer (Piero Gherardi) with a plot that moves at a snail's pace. The two stars make a lovely pair on screen and there is a vivid cameo by Lotte Lenya playing a sinister shop owner with vaguely predatory tendencies - is she a pimp? The film was a failure and never released in America after its premiere at the Cannes film festival where it was shown in competition. Stylish film is one of Lumet's most underated and forgotten gems.

The Betsy (Daniel Petrie, 1978) 4/10

Much before Jackie Collins became a household name as the successful author of trashy novels many of us, during our teen years, turned to the sleazy potboilers of Harold Robbins for a healthy dose of sexual titillation. He churned out stories, often about rich people, who loved to fuck, describing the various forms of the sexual act in lurid detail whilst making each book a feverish page turner. He sold millions of copies and Hollywood adapted many for the big screen. This one was a thinly veiled story about an aged auto tycoon and his family obviously based on Henry Ford, Sr. and his sons. The distinguished all-star cast is led by Laurence Olivier, as the old tycoon, giving a hammy performance and speaking with a hideous Texan accent - a role which he accepted strictly for a hefty paycheck. He also gets to bed a maid while his daughter-in-law (Katharine Ross) watches in awe - she later jumps into his bed too which eventually leads to his son's suicide. His grandson (Robert Duvall) is perpetually annoyed and disturbed having witnessed, as a child, his grandfather screwing his mother AND seeing his father commit suicide on the very same day. He wants to disinvest from the auto business and clashes with the old man who has delusions of grandeur hiring a race car driver (Tommy Lee Jones) to create a new car with greater fuel efficience which he wants to leave behind as his legacy. The car is to be called "Betsy", named after his great grand daughter (Kathleen Beller) who has an affair with the race driver who in turn also finds time to bed a jet-setter (a ravishing Lesley Anne Down with and without her clothes). The film's overheated situations are pure camp with most of the cast going through their paces looking rather bored. It is left to the great Olivier to carry the film which he easily does like a pro, aging from 45 to 85, throwing hissy fits and basically going way over-the-top playing to the gallery. All his scenes are fascinating to watch which unfortunately still doesn't compensate for the overall dredge this film turns out to be. It is all superbly photographed (Mario Tosi) and scored (John Barry).

Ophelia (Claire McCarthy, 2018) 7/10

Shakespeare's "Hamlet" as seen through the eyes of the girl he loves with none of the dialogue in the rhythmic poetic form of the play. The tragic tale, while faithful to most of the events, takes on a surprising twist at the end which almost has a soothing effect after all the political intrigue and blood. Ophelia (Daisy Ridley), a rebellious child, is taken into Elsinore Castle in Denmark by Queen Gertrude (Naomi Watts) and becomes her closest lady-in-waiting. With the country on the brink of war and amidst much political intrigue she attracts the attention of Prince Hamlet (George MacKay) and they conduct a secret affair leading to marriage. Meanwhile the King mysteriously dies and the Queen gets married to his brother Claudius (Clive Owen) who is declared the new ruler. Hamlet plots revenge while pretending to be mad. Ophelia discovers that Claudius killed his own brother to get to the throne and uses all her wits to stay alive especially when the King discovers that his secret is known to her. The play's tragic ending remains intact as Hamlet, Claudius and Gertrude meet their bloody end but with an obvious but imaginative twist. Ridley shines as the tough and resourceful young girl who tries to survive in a man's world made up of rules also dictated by the male sex. The story also gives a new and feminist slant to the character of Ophelia who in Shakespeare's play is almost a cipher and much misunderstood caught between her love and loyalty for both her father and Hamlet. Here she strides about almost like a man without fear and proves most resourceful in avoiding danger at every step. Gorgeous production includes exquisite costumes and cinematography. Shakespeare purists will be aghast but this film takes its cue from Game of Thrones and comes up with an intetesting interpretation.

Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (Henry King, 1955) 9/10

A Eurasian doctor (Jennifer Jones) in Hong Kong falls in love with a married correspondent (William Holden) with tragic results. One of the great old-fashioned romances of all time. Corny? Yes......but superbly packaged film in cinemascope blending great production values, location, music and performances. This is one of Jennifer Jones' best roles and she has wonderful on-screen chemistry with William Holden who was on a roll during the 1950s, appearing in many hit films. It is to the credit of both stars that they appear so convincing as lovers on screen because in reality they detested each other and barely spoke on set. The memorable title song won an Oscar as did the score by Alfred Newman and the film's chinese inspired costumes. The film, Jennifer Jones, the art-direction, sound design and Leon Shamroy's glossy cinematography were all nominated.

Surrender (William K. Howard, 1931) 4/10

Stylishly directed and photographed film is stuck with a turgid screenplay and stiff acting. A young German aristocrat (Leila Hyams) is pursued by the scarred commandant (Ralph Bellamy) of a POW camp next to the castle of her old benefactor (Sir C. Aubrey Smith). The latter's son (Alexander Kirkwood) is her fiancé but she falls in love with a french officer (Warner Baxter) who is a prisoner at the camp. Hyams is pretty but cannot act, Smith overacts, shouts his dialogue and plays to the gallery and Baxter looks bored throughout. Bellamy easily steals the film as the embittered German officer with half his scarred face covered. James Wong Howe's innovative camera movements are rare for an early talkie which tries to copy one of Josef von Sternberg's exotic melodramas but the pace is too slow and the cast just not up to it.

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (Mervyn LeRoy, 1944) 4/10

Turgid overlong film depicts the events leading up to the surprise bombing raid on Tokyo and Yokohama which was a carefully planned attack by an air squadron led by Lt. Colonel James H. Doolittle (Spencer Tracy). After Pearl Harbor this successful raid proved to the Japanese that they were just as vulnerable as they had found the Americans in Hawaii. The film was shot while WWII was raging around the world and is pure propaganda like many similar themed films and were instrumental in boosting morale during those extremely difficult times. The main thrust of the story is spent depicting the training and comraderie between the young volunteer pilots - Robert Walker, Don DeFore, Stephen McNally, Robert Mitchum - who have signed up for the secret mission. Upcoming star Van Johnson gets the lead role of Ted Lawson (based on his book), the newly married pilot who leaves behind his pregnant wife (Phyllis Thaxter) to lead the dangerous mission which ends up in a crash landing on Chinese territory. The actual raid on Tokyo is never shown. Typical MGM antiseptic gloss recovers briefly during the scenes with the no-nonsense Tracy who effortlessly stands out despite a role that is just a cameo. The flight sequences and the crash landing brought the film an Oscar for its special effects and a nomination for the cinematography by Robert Surtees and Harold Rosson.

Luce (Julius Onah, 2019) 8/10

Provocative #MeToo issue is dealt with in an in-your-face manner which is now bordering on an obsession in the United States. And to make it even more sensational the plot is centered on the "black" subtext, an issue that continues to haunt the nation to the point of self flagellation. A handsome, clean-cut, straight A student (Kelvin Harrison Jr), soon to be high school valedictorian, is the perfect example of the all-American teenager. He is the adopted son of an affluent couple (Tim Roth & Naomi Watts) with a few minus points on his life's "resumé" - he is black and was adopted by his white parents from war-torn Eritrea. He also has a smarmy side and is easily able to manipulate situations to go in his favour when the deck is stacked against him. The shit hits the fan when after reading a troubling piece of homework his teacher (Octavia Spencer) invades his private space and finds illegal fireworks in his school locker. Bringing it to the notice of his parents it opens up a pandora's box raising many questions despite his denial of knowing anything about the contraband item since he claims that other friends often kept their stuff in his locker too. Is the boy still harbouring seemingly suppressed violence from his childhood? His parents are initially suspicious but decide to give him the benefit of the doubt but are they doing it out of white guilt or out of genuine love. Is the black middle class teacher resentful of the boy's affluent lifestyle and taking out her own frustrations (she has a drug addicted sister) on the innocent young man? Hard hitting drama about complex issues that deconstruct stereotypes and how people of colour are set up to fail. Well acted film by the entire cast betrays its stage origins as characters get to confront each other with long monologues making it an actors' showcase. The fireworks are used in the screenplay as a MacGuffin in order to confront serious issues prevailing in American society and the debate about race and class is presented with suspense.

[Precious Doll]

American Factory (2019) Steven Bognar & Julia Riechert 4/10

Casualties of War (1989) Brian De Palma 9/10

Sad to see a low rating for the Bognar and Reichert documentary; I haven't watched it yet, but their A Lion in the House was easily a top five film of the 2000's, in my opinion.

Love Casualties of War; haven't seen it in year, but it may be my top Vietnam film, and maybe my top film of 1989, period.

I was pretty underwhelmed by American Factory. It didn't expose me to anything I already wasn't well aware of and it didn't even anger me because with more than 20 years of workers conditions being systemically eroded across virtually all industries globally its become so normalised that I can't muster up any more emotions about the issue only disdain and shaking of the head. That the filmmakers chose a Chinese owned factory made me a little uncomfortable because during the last couple years of my working life I had to deal with a lot of anti-Chinese sentiment in the workplace and it became rather wearing. I do not believe that was the filmmakers intention and the article on the film in the Sep/Oct edition of Film Comment may clarify their intentions.

Casualties of War feels so much more relevant today that it did 30 years ago. I think that may be because the film was made 20 years after the events and in the following 30 years there have been so many more similar cases of barbaric behaviour in the armed services reported. I was also struck at just how great Michael J. Fox was in the film. I think at the time he was primarily known for light weight comedies and his appearance in this may have been jarring at the time but 30 years on he feels so right in the role - a truely great performance of sustained horror and helplessness. I'd never counted this film amongst top tier De Palma but this second viewing has upped my appreciation of the film to include this as one of his very best works.

Funnily enough I was partly prompted to revisit it as it was featured in the recent documentary What She Said about Pauline Kael. I've been wanting to watch it again for sometime but the Kael documentary gave me the shove I needed. Mean Streets is another film featured in the documentary that I have been meaning to get to again for ages now.

[dws1982]

[quote="Precious Doll"
American Factory (2019) Steven Bognar & Julia Riechert 4/10

Casualties of War (1989) Brian De Palma 9/10[/quote]
Sad to see a low rating for the Bognar and Reichert documentary; I haven't watched it yet, but their A Lion in the House was easily a top five film of the 2000's, in my opinion.

Love Casualties of War; haven't seen it in year, but it may be my top Vietnam film, and maybe my top film of 1989, period.

[Precious Doll]

Trial by Fire (2019) Edward Zwick 2/10
The Art of Self-Defense (2019) Riley Stearns 4/10
Friendly Enimes (1942) Allan Dwan 4/10
American Factory (2019) Steven Bognar & Julia Riechert 4/10
Disorder (1986) Olivier Assayas 5/10

Repeat viewings

Peyton Place (1957) Mark Robson 10/10
Through the Olive Trees (1994) Abbas Kiarostami 7/10
Matewan (1987) John Sayles 8/10
The Officer's Ward (2001) Francois Dupeyron 8/10
Claire's Knee (1970) Eric Rohmer 10/10
The River (1951) Jean Renoir 9/10
Polyester (1981) John Waters 8/10
Casualties of War (1989) Brian De Palma 9/10

[Reza]

Lucrèce Borgia (Christian-Jaque, 1953) 6/10

The Borgia family in Italy during the Renaissance as Lucrèce (Martine Carol) and her vile brother César (Pedro Armendàriz) go through their lives in an orgy of sex and violence. Lavish french production is shot in stunning colour by the great Christian Matras. The screenplay focuses on the love life of Lucrèce, her marriage of convenience and romance with a Spaniard (Massimo Serrato) and a lover (Christian Marquand) who is murdered by her brother who in turn nurses simmering incestuous feelings for his own sister. A merry-go-round of sex with scenes of nudity performed by Martine Carol who was the reigning sex symbol of french cinema until dethroned by Bardot. Stylish film with Carol too old to be playing the title character even though she gives it her valiant best despite a general white washing of the actual events due to censorship. The recent tv series on the Borgias was probably more true to form with its graphic sex and sinister court intrigues.

They Gave Him a Gun (W.S. Van Dyke II, 1937) 5/10

This film mixes a number of different genres - war, romance, gangster, noir and social. Two very different men - a boistrous carnival barker (Spencer Tracy) and an introverted hayseed (Franchot Tone) become close friends while drafted into the army during WWI. In Europe a romantic triangle forms when both men fall in love with a nurse (Gladys George). She loves the loudmouth but ends up getting married to his friend when the former is mistakenly declared dead. Upon his return from the "dead" he sacrifices his love when he sees that his friend, now a war hero and wounded in battle, is desperately in love with the nurse. Back home their lives intertwine when the barker discovers his former meek friend is in the racket business and upto no good which leads to an obvious conclusion. The social message of the film is a plea to the goverment to provide the means for proper assimilation of soldiers once they return from the battlefield - they are given guns to fight the enemy during wartime but if on their return there are no jobs available then its just as easy to pick up guns leading to unintended consequences.

Wuthering Heights (Peter Kosinsky, 1992) 7/10

Emily Bronte's book is very difficult to adapt because the plot hinges on the intense passion between the two main characters (Heathcliff & Cathy) and so far in every film version the actor playing Heathcliff ends up dominating. The films have never managed to capture Cathy's wild passion and selfish nature. Laurence Olivier, Timothy Dalton, Dilip Kumar (in the hindi version) and now Ralph Fiennes (with an intense scowl, piercing blue eyes and long hair) have all shined playing the brooding, passionate but cruel Heathcliff. This version is more complete as it follows the story to the end including the dramatic events in the lives of the children of the two main characters. French actress Juliette Binoche is an odd choice as Cathy but the Yorkshire moors of Bronte's novel are vividly brought to the screen with an interesting supporting cast - Janet McTeer, Sophie Ward, Jeremy Northam and Simon Ward.

The Skeleton Key (Iain Softley, 2005) 5/10

Gothic horror film set amongst the bayou backwoods. A nurse (Kate Hudson) takes a job at a spooky mansion to care for the stroke-felled owner (John Hurt) of a spooky mansion. The man's dotty old wife (Gena Rowlands) runs the house which includes an attic with a mysterious door leading into a secret room. Things keep going bump in the night leading to the discovery of ghosts and an old curse by way of hoodoo practitioners. Its all quite nonsense although Hudson gives it a go as the plucky damsel who wants to get to the bottom of the mystery about the house, its past and present occupants and the family lawyer (Peter Sarsgaard) who is eager to help her. Atmospheric film relies on cheap scares and gets derailed by far too many absurd skeletons in the screenplay.

Midsommar (Ari Aster, 2019) 4/10

Visually stunning film is hardly original in its conception as it takes its cue from any number of teen horror-slasher films - the "kids" here are university students - giving the proceedings an ominous cult touch straight out of "The Wicker Man" by way of Agatha Christie"s "And Then There Were None". An emotionally needy woman (Florence Pugh), suffering from a recent family tragedy, insinuates herself onto a summer trip to Sweden with her boyfriend (Jack Reynor) and his college buddies - one of whom is hosting the group at his ancestral home. None of the boys want her along and the ancestral "home" turns out to be a commune that quickly begins to resemble a hippie-like cult. The film gets points for flashy disorienting camera angles, the subtle visual effects which depict the mind-bending hallucinogens the group imbibe and the sun-kissed location (actually shot in Hungary). Once the film's horror quotient gets into overdrive the plot gets more and more absurd borrowing copiously and shamelessly from far superior films as it depicts lashings of blood (the skin flaying body from "The Silence of the Lambs") and sex (the copulation from "Rosemary's Baby" gets a retread as naked old women with sagging breasts chant and goad on a "fertility fuck" courtesy of Reynor who also gets to run around in flagrante delicto flapping his organ in uncharacteristic style for an American film as usually such scenes are strictly the titillating bane of the female actor). Just like Aster's previous film, "Hereditary", this too lacks originality or surprise. How can it be when his creations are mere "greatest hits" scenes taken from far superior films and stitched onto plots that are bizzare and unintentionally funny and absurd. And this one just goes on much too long making it very tedious to sit through.