Hell Is Sold Out (Michael Anderson, 1951) 5/10
Intriguing, offbeat but disjointed comedy drama has the dubious task of trying to make Herbert Lom into a romantic lead but he is too grumpy and sullen to carry it off. He plays a womanizing writer thought to have died in the war. A mysterious woman (Mai Zetterling) puts her name to his unpublished manuscript and takes credit for the book. The "dead" writer returns to find the woman ensconsed in his house having passed herself off as his widow and author of his book. The plot veers between comedy and drama which is jarring and the two leads have zero chemistry. Richard Attenborough is around as Lom's army buddy who acts as a catalyst for a happy ending. The film comes to life whenever the hilariously blunt Hermione Baddeley appears playing the author's agent who doesn't care whose name is on the book as long as it is a bestseller.
Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
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The Glass Mountain (Henry Cass, 1949) 6/10
Swooningly romantic , if rather corny, film involving a love triangle. During the war a pilot (Michael Denison) is shot down in Italy and rescued by a local earthy girl (Valentina Cortese) with whom he falls in love. The problem is that he also loves his genteel bride (Dulcie Gray) back home. Returning home to his wife results in loss of inspiration and he can no longer compose his beloved music. Returning to the Italian Dolomites inspires him to write an opera based on a legend surrounding a local "glass" mountain while resuming the affair. The film's highlights are the location filming, Nino Rota's haunting score and the singing of Tito Gobbi in the opera inspired by the legend.
Swooningly romantic , if rather corny, film involving a love triangle. During the war a pilot (Michael Denison) is shot down in Italy and rescued by a local earthy girl (Valentina Cortese) with whom he falls in love. The problem is that he also loves his genteel bride (Dulcie Gray) back home. Returning home to his wife results in loss of inspiration and he can no longer compose his beloved music. Returning to the Italian Dolomites inspires him to write an opera based on a legend surrounding a local "glass" mountain while resuming the affair. The film's highlights are the location filming, Nino Rota's haunting score and the singing of Tito Gobbi in the opera inspired by the legend.
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The Silver Fleet (Vernon Sewell & Gordon Wellesley, 1943) 8/10
One of the rare lead roles for Ralph Richardson and he is memorable as always. Exciting British WWII propaganda film, one of countless similarly themed plots that came out of both Hollywood and Britain. A Dutch munitions factory owner (Ralph Richardson) collaborates with the Nazis during occupation but in secret geads the resistance movement against them. His role is a secret to his wife (Googie Withers) who still holds trust in him and to the townfolk all of whim hate him as he gets special favours from the Nazis. He helps them build two submarines one of which he manages to send off to Britain through the resistance while he helps to destroy the second. A suspenseful screenplay and a good cast help to make this an exciting addition to the genre.
One of the rare lead roles for Ralph Richardson and he is memorable as always. Exciting British WWII propaganda film, one of countless similarly themed plots that came out of both Hollywood and Britain. A Dutch munitions factory owner (Ralph Richardson) collaborates with the Nazis during occupation but in secret geads the resistance movement against them. His role is a secret to his wife (Googie Withers) who still holds trust in him and to the townfolk all of whim hate him as he gets special favours from the Nazis. He helps them build two submarines one of which he manages to send off to Britain through the resistance while he helps to destroy the second. A suspenseful screenplay and a good cast help to make this an exciting addition to the genre.
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Clouds Over Europe / Q Planes (Tim Whelan, 1939) 7/10
Fast paced spy thriller about sabotage with a droll government servant / secret serviceman (Ralph Richardson), his journalist sister (Valerie Hobson) and an Air Force pilot (Laurence Olivier) racing against time to discover who is using some device to get planes to go missing while flying on combat missions. Delighful mixture of screwball comedy and political intrigue works marvelously to create an entertaining little gem. Richardson is hilarious!!
Fast paced spy thriller about sabotage with a droll government servant / secret serviceman (Ralph Richardson), his journalist sister (Valerie Hobson) and an Air Force pilot (Laurence Olivier) racing against time to discover who is using some device to get planes to go missing while flying on combat missions. Delighful mixture of screwball comedy and political intrigue works marvelously to create an entertaining little gem. Richardson is hilarious!!
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Summer Day's Dream (Christopher Morahan, 1994) 7/10
J.B. Priestley's play about a post apocalyptic Britain (set in 1975) gets a television adaptation which was Sir John Gielgud's last appearance on tv. An old man (John Gielgud) lives and runs a farm in the rural countryside with his daughter-in-law (Rosemary Harris) and granddaughter (Emily Watson). Into their contended lives appear three representatives from the New World Order - an American (Michael McShane), a Russian (Saskia Reeves) - who like Ninotchka discovers love - and an Indian (Paul Bhattacharjee) who have nefarious plans of their own which threaten to unraval the lives of the farmers. The still topical plot questions the dangers of military posturings at the expense of a country's cultural values. Well acted by a strong cast with Gielgud memorable as always using his melodious voice to create yet another strongly felt enchanting character.
J.B. Priestley's play about a post apocalyptic Britain (set in 1975) gets a television adaptation which was Sir John Gielgud's last appearance on tv. An old man (John Gielgud) lives and runs a farm in the rural countryside with his daughter-in-law (Rosemary Harris) and granddaughter (Emily Watson). Into their contended lives appear three representatives from the New World Order - an American (Michael McShane), a Russian (Saskia Reeves) - who like Ninotchka discovers love - and an Indian (Paul Bhattacharjee) who have nefarious plans of their own which threaten to unraval the lives of the farmers. The still topical plot questions the dangers of military posturings at the expense of a country's cultural values. Well acted by a strong cast with Gielgud memorable as always using his melodious voice to create yet another strongly felt enchanting character.
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Keep Your Powder Dry (Edward Buzzell, 1945) 6/10
Precusor to "Private Benjamin" by many decades has spoiled and spendthrift heiress, Lana Turner, forced to join the WACs. She clashes with an armybrat (Larraine Day) and befriends the saintly army housewife (Susan Peters) who is too good to be true which means she will be the one receiving the dreaded telegram at the end of the movie. Comedy gets the full glossy MGM treatment with stunning Lana at her most beautiful - photographed by Ray June and dressed by Irene - and getting to learn various lessons along the way and coming up smelling of patriotism in tune with the country's sentiment at the time. Good supporting cast has the sensible but butch Agnes Moorehead as the girls' understanding commander. Fluff made watchable thanks to lovely Lana.
Precusor to "Private Benjamin" by many decades has spoiled and spendthrift heiress, Lana Turner, forced to join the WACs. She clashes with an armybrat (Larraine Day) and befriends the saintly army housewife (Susan Peters) who is too good to be true which means she will be the one receiving the dreaded telegram at the end of the movie. Comedy gets the full glossy MGM treatment with stunning Lana at her most beautiful - photographed by Ray June and dressed by Irene - and getting to learn various lessons along the way and coming up smelling of patriotism in tune with the country's sentiment at the time. Good supporting cast has the sensible but butch Agnes Moorehead as the girls' understanding commander. Fluff made watchable thanks to lovely Lana.
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Le Carrosse D'or / The Golden Coach (Jean Renoir, 1952) 4/10
Renoir's first in a trilogy (the others - "French Can Can" and "Elena and Her Men") of films about his love for the theatre. And all quite slow and silly despite the outstanding production values. An Italian theatre group arrives in Peru and the tempramental leading lady (Anna Magnani) causes three important men in the small town to fall in love with her. The Viceroy offers her his golden coach, the matador offers her a share of his winnings and a handsome officer offers his hand in marriage. Rambunctuous comedy which is plain silly and it's hard to believe that the three men would fall so passionately in love with the coarse and plump Magnani making it all rather rather foolish. Claude Renoir's sumptuous colour cinematography is a major plus though.
Renoir's first in a trilogy (the others - "French Can Can" and "Elena and Her Men") of films about his love for the theatre. And all quite slow and silly despite the outstanding production values. An Italian theatre group arrives in Peru and the tempramental leading lady (Anna Magnani) causes three important men in the small town to fall in love with her. The Viceroy offers her his golden coach, the matador offers her a share of his winnings and a handsome officer offers his hand in marriage. Rambunctuous comedy which is plain silly and it's hard to believe that the three men would fall so passionately in love with the coarse and plump Magnani making it all rather rather foolish. Claude Renoir's sumptuous colour cinematography is a major plus though.
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The Dark Past (Rudolph Maté, 1948) 6/10
Hollywood's fascination for psycho babble does not stop this "B" feature from presenting star Holden in a new persona - the tightly coiled cynical louse - which would be the formula for most of his parts in the following decade finally making him a huge star. He had spent the last ten years playing in silly comedies and westerns and with this film he managed to climb out of the rut. An escaped criminal (William Holden) holes up with his gang and moll (smoky voiced Nina Foch who is also superb) at the house of a psychology professor (Lee J. Cobb). They rough up the family and their guests and hold them hostage. The dated screenplay underlines the psychoanalyses by having Cobb calmly lecture Holden and coming to the conclusion that he hated his father and had a massive mother fixation. It's all presented in solemn manner making it appear silly and absurd. The film's saving grace is the mesmerizing Holden who is like a caged angry beast with facial tics and engorged eyes who manages to create sympathy for himself despite being a cold blooded killer. The film's short running time also helps and adds to the suspense in what at heart is a second rate Freud treatise.
Hollywood's fascination for psycho babble does not stop this "B" feature from presenting star Holden in a new persona - the tightly coiled cynical louse - which would be the formula for most of his parts in the following decade finally making him a huge star. He had spent the last ten years playing in silly comedies and westerns and with this film he managed to climb out of the rut. An escaped criminal (William Holden) holes up with his gang and moll (smoky voiced Nina Foch who is also superb) at the house of a psychology professor (Lee J. Cobb). They rough up the family and their guests and hold them hostage. The dated screenplay underlines the psychoanalyses by having Cobb calmly lecture Holden and coming to the conclusion that he hated his father and had a massive mother fixation. It's all presented in solemn manner making it appear silly and absurd. The film's saving grace is the mesmerizing Holden who is like a caged angry beast with facial tics and engorged eyes who manages to create sympathy for himself despite being a cold blooded killer. The film's short running time also helps and adds to the suspense in what at heart is a second rate Freud treatise.
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It Grows on Trees (Arthur Lubin, 1952) 5/10
Irene Dunne's illustrious screen career came to an end with this minor little piffle - a charming but very silly comedy that seems like one of those clean-cut 1950s tv sitcoms. A housewife (Irene Dunne) having trouble making ends meet discovers to her astonishment that two trees in her backyard grow dollar bills mych to the consternation of her straight arrow husband (Dean Jagger - a rather ineffectual co-star for the star even though he was a recent Oscar winner). Despite its silly premise it is always a pleasure to see Dunne with a fine supporting cast adding to the shenenigans. Terribly minor but not without charm.
Irene Dunne's illustrious screen career came to an end with this minor little piffle - a charming but very silly comedy that seems like one of those clean-cut 1950s tv sitcoms. A housewife (Irene Dunne) having trouble making ends meet discovers to her astonishment that two trees in her backyard grow dollar bills mych to the consternation of her straight arrow husband (Dean Jagger - a rather ineffectual co-star for the star even though he was a recent Oscar winner). Despite its silly premise it is always a pleasure to see Dunne with a fine supporting cast adding to the shenenigans. Terribly minor but not without charm.
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Words and Pictures (Fred Scepisi, 2013) 5/10
Rather lame rom-com brings together two flawed individuals - a washed up, alcoholic english teacher (Clive Owen) who believes he still has some sparks left and a grumpy art instructor (Juliette Binoche) who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis - and sets them up for a clash involving their students deciding whether words (language) or pictures (art) are more important. Owen channels "Mr Chips" while Binoche tries out a variation of "Miss Brodie" and each succeeds to a certain extent bringing a touch of gravitas to the film even though it is all very contrived.
Rather lame rom-com brings together two flawed individuals - a washed up, alcoholic english teacher (Clive Owen) who believes he still has some sparks left and a grumpy art instructor (Juliette Binoche) who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis - and sets them up for a clash involving their students deciding whether words (language) or pictures (art) are more important. Owen channels "Mr Chips" while Binoche tries out a variation of "Miss Brodie" and each succeeds to a certain extent bringing a touch of gravitas to the film even though it is all very contrived.
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Stardust (Matthew Vaugn, 2007) 4/10
Chaotic and far too cluttered fantasy film with a wonderfully eclectic cast of stars surrounding the bland young leads (Claire Danes & Charlie Cox). The fantastic but silly plot - man (Cox) promises to retrieve a fallen shooting star (who turns out to be the sylph-like Danes who has no wish to be retrieved) for his older lady love (Sienna Miller) from the magical kingdom bordering the land they live in - is aided and abetted by outlandish characters. There is the aging witch (Michelle Pfeiffer having a field day channeling herself from "The Witches of Eastwick") who wants to tear out the sylph's heart in order to attain eternal youth, the aged king (Peter O'Toole) and his three sons clamouring for his kingdom, a swashbuckling transvestite pirate (Robert De Niro who is hilarious) and a tradesman (Ricky Gervaise). Noisy effects laden mess has a few marvelous individual moments but as a whole the film does not gell. Paging Terry Gilliam who could have done this in his sleep.
Chaotic and far too cluttered fantasy film with a wonderfully eclectic cast of stars surrounding the bland young leads (Claire Danes & Charlie Cox). The fantastic but silly plot - man (Cox) promises to retrieve a fallen shooting star (who turns out to be the sylph-like Danes who has no wish to be retrieved) for his older lady love (Sienna Miller) from the magical kingdom bordering the land they live in - is aided and abetted by outlandish characters. There is the aging witch (Michelle Pfeiffer having a field day channeling herself from "The Witches of Eastwick") who wants to tear out the sylph's heart in order to attain eternal youth, the aged king (Peter O'Toole) and his three sons clamouring for his kingdom, a swashbuckling transvestite pirate (Robert De Niro who is hilarious) and a tradesman (Ricky Gervaise). Noisy effects laden mess has a few marvelous individual moments but as a whole the film does not gell. Paging Terry Gilliam who could have done this in his sleep.
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Mayerling (Anatole Litvak, 1957) 6/10
Extremely rare, if rather static, television version of the doomed affair between the married Archduke Rudolf (Mel Ferrer) - Crown Prince of Austria - and the teenage Baroness Maria Vetsera (Audrey Hepburn). The bored Prince, unhappy in his loveless marriage, encounters by chance a young girl at an amusement park and becomes smitten by her. Soon they both fall in love much to the consternation of his father the Emperor Franz Joseph I (Basil Sydney), his mother the Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria (Diana Wynyard) and the Prime Minister (Raymond Massey). When the pressure to give her up and return to his wife becomes too great to bear they retreat to his hunting lodge "Mayerling" in the countryside where he shoots her in the head and commits suicide. Archly acted by most of the cast as if on stage and playing to the gallery with the camera remaining mostly static. One can tell it was made for television because of the low budget sets. Ferrer gives a stiff performance speaking his lines in a monotone but Hepburn is radiant throughout. She makes a very believable innocent and childlike teenager in the early scenes and manages to show subtle changes in the character's maturity. Like all the versions of this story - the 1936 version with Charles Boyer & Danielle Darrieux and the 1968 version with Omar Sharif & Catherine Deneuve - it is highly romanticized which in reality was made much more complicated with politics and events which would lead to World War I. Still it is worth seeing for one of Audrey Hepburn's most charming performances.
Extremely rare, if rather static, television version of the doomed affair between the married Archduke Rudolf (Mel Ferrer) - Crown Prince of Austria - and the teenage Baroness Maria Vetsera (Audrey Hepburn). The bored Prince, unhappy in his loveless marriage, encounters by chance a young girl at an amusement park and becomes smitten by her. Soon they both fall in love much to the consternation of his father the Emperor Franz Joseph I (Basil Sydney), his mother the Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria (Diana Wynyard) and the Prime Minister (Raymond Massey). When the pressure to give her up and return to his wife becomes too great to bear they retreat to his hunting lodge "Mayerling" in the countryside where he shoots her in the head and commits suicide. Archly acted by most of the cast as if on stage and playing to the gallery with the camera remaining mostly static. One can tell it was made for television because of the low budget sets. Ferrer gives a stiff performance speaking his lines in a monotone but Hepburn is radiant throughout. She makes a very believable innocent and childlike teenager in the early scenes and manages to show subtle changes in the character's maturity. Like all the versions of this story - the 1936 version with Charles Boyer & Danielle Darrieux and the 1968 version with Omar Sharif & Catherine Deneuve - it is highly romanticized which in reality was made much more complicated with politics and events which would lead to World War I. Still it is worth seeing for one of Audrey Hepburn's most charming performances.
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Badrinath ki Dulhaniya (Shashank Khaitan, 2017) 2/10
A rom-com with a message about the evils of the dowry system and the subjugation of women after marriage is presented with much hysteria and seems like a film straight out of the 1950s. Boy (Varun Dhawan) meets girl (Alia Bhatt). Girl is not interested in marrying him but gets forced into it and then proceeds to jilt him at the altar. Boy goes beserk and acts like a violent jerk. Dhawan comes off better than Bhatt even though he is saddled with such a regressive character. This is a rare erratic Alia Bhatt performance. In fact she looks bored throughout. Surprisingly Karan Johar produced this turkey.
A rom-com with a message about the evils of the dowry system and the subjugation of women after marriage is presented with much hysteria and seems like a film straight out of the 1950s. Boy (Varun Dhawan) meets girl (Alia Bhatt). Girl is not interested in marrying him but gets forced into it and then proceeds to jilt him at the altar. Boy goes beserk and acts like a violent jerk. Dhawan comes off better than Bhatt even though he is saddled with such a regressive character. This is a rare erratic Alia Bhatt performance. In fact she looks bored throughout. Surprisingly Karan Johar produced this turkey.
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King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (Guy Ritchie, 2017) 1/10
The famous legend of King Arthur is brought to the screen by Guy Ritchie in his typical bombastic manner as if it's an MTv video on steroids. He gets various people to narrate what's happening on the screen using rapid fire editing to create mini flashbacks within almost every conversation. Sifting through this messy presentation is the familiar story of the boy who sees his father the King (Eric Bana) die at the hands of his evil uncle (Jude Law), manages to escape and get saved and raised by prostitutes in a brothel - this bit seems like a Ritchie invention - learns to fight and get buffed up by a Chinese (how did an Asian get to England during that era?) and turns into a blonde viking-like hunk (Charlie Hunnam). There follows the pulling out the sword from the rock and Uncle getting pissed off. We get glimpses of the Lady of the Lake, Mordred and Merlin and assorted boring chase and battle scenes. Periodically snakes keep popping up and hissing at our hero. Nothing really makes sense and whatever does is portrayed with an absurd modern sensibility. It was a mistake to try and present characters who act hip in what is basically a very old fashioned story which has already been presented far too many times in films - the best of them being John Boorman's brilliant "Excalibur". Skip this film like the plague.
The famous legend of King Arthur is brought to the screen by Guy Ritchie in his typical bombastic manner as if it's an MTv video on steroids. He gets various people to narrate what's happening on the screen using rapid fire editing to create mini flashbacks within almost every conversation. Sifting through this messy presentation is the familiar story of the boy who sees his father the King (Eric Bana) die at the hands of his evil uncle (Jude Law), manages to escape and get saved and raised by prostitutes in a brothel - this bit seems like a Ritchie invention - learns to fight and get buffed up by a Chinese (how did an Asian get to England during that era?) and turns into a blonde viking-like hunk (Charlie Hunnam). There follows the pulling out the sword from the rock and Uncle getting pissed off. We get glimpses of the Lady of the Lake, Mordred and Merlin and assorted boring chase and battle scenes. Periodically snakes keep popping up and hissing at our hero. Nothing really makes sense and whatever does is portrayed with an absurd modern sensibility. It was a mistake to try and present characters who act hip in what is basically a very old fashioned story which has already been presented far too many times in films - the best of them being John Boorman's brilliant "Excalibur". Skip this film like the plague.
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Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959) 10/10
The plot is classic screwball - two jazz musicians (Tony Curtis & Jack Lemmon) witness a mob hit in Chicago and make a run for it by joining an all-girl orchestra (Marilyn Monroe is the ditsy lead singer in the band) on its way to Florida. Disguised as females, the two men get into constant scraps with Curtis creating the alter ego of a rich millionaire (with voice and accent "borrowed" from Cary Grant) as he romances Monroe while Lemmon, disguised as a woman, is pursued by an actual millionaire (Joe E. Brown) who falls in love with him. The brilliant screenplay ensures a high-energy pace, sparked by stunning performances, snappy lines to match the hot love scenes ("Kissing Marilyn was like kissing Hitler", said Curtis) and a healthy nod to free love and other socially unacceptable behaviors of uptight America of the 1950s. And the film ends with one of the most hilarious classic lines in film history! An Oscar winner for it's costumes - two of Marilyn's dresses have to be seen to be believed as the camera hovers across her chest which is bathed in shadows just above her almost exposed breasts. Also won Oscar nominations for Wilder, Lemmon, the screenplay, cinematography and the sets. A must-see.
The plot is classic screwball - two jazz musicians (Tony Curtis & Jack Lemmon) witness a mob hit in Chicago and make a run for it by joining an all-girl orchestra (Marilyn Monroe is the ditsy lead singer in the band) on its way to Florida. Disguised as females, the two men get into constant scraps with Curtis creating the alter ego of a rich millionaire (with voice and accent "borrowed" from Cary Grant) as he romances Monroe while Lemmon, disguised as a woman, is pursued by an actual millionaire (Joe E. Brown) who falls in love with him. The brilliant screenplay ensures a high-energy pace, sparked by stunning performances, snappy lines to match the hot love scenes ("Kissing Marilyn was like kissing Hitler", said Curtis) and a healthy nod to free love and other socially unacceptable behaviors of uptight America of the 1950s. And the film ends with one of the most hilarious classic lines in film history! An Oscar winner for it's costumes - two of Marilyn's dresses have to be seen to be believed as the camera hovers across her chest which is bathed in shadows just above her almost exposed breasts. Also won Oscar nominations for Wilder, Lemmon, the screenplay, cinematography and the sets. A must-see.