Set in post WWII London's East End, an escaped convict (John McCallum) seeks out an old flame (Googie Withers), who is now married and has a family, for a place to hide from the police. Based on the novel by Arthur La Bern and directed by Robert Hamer (KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS). This tough and gritty melodrama was a bit ahead of its time as it has the atmosphere of those British "kitchen sink" dramas that blossomed in the late 1950s and early 1960s. These aren't the posh Brits of BBC period dramas or Masterpiece Theater but the working class blokes and petty criminals. Almost every character in the film seems to be trapped in a cul-de-sac from which there is no escape. The film focuses mostly on the domestic entrapment of Googie Withers' wife but the movie also has a myriad of subplots involving bad marriages, cheating husbands, petty crooks, lechers and the police detective (Jack Warner) who weaves in and out of the story. While the film casts a bleak eye to its multiple characters, Douglas Slocombe's (THE LION IN WINTER) incisive B&W cinematography captures all the nuance and shading. With Edward Chapman, Susan Shaw, Patricia Plunkett, Sydney Tafler and Hermione Baddeley.
Due to an unusual homesteading law, an aging fur trapper (Buddy Ebsen) needs children to help him establish his claim on his property. To this end, he recruits three disreputable young women to pass off as his daughters: a prostitute (Lesley Ann Warren), a pickpocket (Sandra Dee) and an ex-convict (Karen Valentine). Directed by Philip Leacock (THE WAR LOVER), this contrived tale is moderately enjoyable thanks to Jack Elam as Ebsen's sidekick and the appealing presence of the three actresses playing the "daughters" which is good because Ebsen doesn't even try. There's a comfort in its predictability and you know your mind won't be taxed at all. It spawned two sequels in 1975 and 1976 but with different casts. With Don Stroud, Leif Erickson, Henry Jones, William Katt, Erin O'Brien Moore and Michael Anderson Jr.
Two one act plays by Tennessee Williams: Talk To Me Like The Rain And Let Me Listen (written in 1953) and I Can't Imagine Tomorrow (written in 1970). Each is a two character play in a single setting. All of the characters are broken people defeated by their circumstances, the cards that life has dealt them so to speak. In Talk To Me Like The Rain, an alcoholic (Alan Mixon) and a woman (Lois Smith) leading a life of quiet desperation cling to each other because they have no one else. In I Can't Imagine Tomorrow, a woman (Kim Stanley) who is dying tries to prepare her lover (William Redfield), who is figuratively dying for life without her. Neither are among Williams' best work but middling Tennessee Williams is still more fascinating than the "best" of most middling playwrights. Plus it gives us the rare opportunity to see the great Kim Stanley, whose filmed output is sadly minimal, act.
During the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 70s, a private college embarks on an experiment of students assigned to pre-selected room mates of the opposite sex and suggesting sexual intimacy. Based on the novel by Robert Rimmer and directed by Ted Post (HANG 'EM HIGH). This is a dumb movie that shows how cracked the 1960s could be. It seems to think it's being daring and seriously exploring contemporary mores but it's nothing more than an exploitation movie. James Whitmore and Tippi Hedren (as the college's founders) get above the title billing but their characters are peripheral to the action. The focus is on an annoying uptight virgin (Laurie Walters) partnered with a promiscuous Romeo (Don Johnson) but it makes no sense that her character would enroll in a progressive college exploring open sexuality. As a time capsule, it has some value showing where our heads were at in the 60s but as cinema, it's pretty much a dud. With Bruno Kirby and Robert Middleton.
A young dancer (Sally Forrest) with a promising career ahead of her is struck down in her prime with polio. Her fiance (Keefe Brasselle) sticks by her but she descends into a pit of self pity. Directed by Ida Lupino (herself a polio victim as a child), the film is one of those inspirational efforts that plays out like a Hallmark TV movie. Of course, there weren't TV movies in 1950 and I understand that its important subject matter was quite provocative for the time. But it's hard to watch a film with its central protagonist wallowing in self pity and while the lovely Sally Forrest is pert, she's not a strong enough actress to pull us into her psychological state. It's my least favorite of the Ida Lupino films I've seen (as a director). The grim subject matter didn't resonate with filmgoers in 1950 either. With Hugh O'Brian, Eve Miller, Lawrence Dobkin and Herb Butterfield.
An aging gambler and ex-convict (Roger Duchesne) lives in the Montmartre district of Paris where he literally gambles his life away. When he hears that a Deauville casino will have 800 million in francs, he coerces his safecracker friend (Andre Garet) into helping him get a team of men to heist the casino's money, a plan that will have consequences for all concerned. Directed by Jean Pierre Melville, technically this could be called a heist movie along the lines of OCEAN'S ELEVEN or THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR. But it's not really the details of or the actual heist which is the focal point of the film. It's its myriad of characters and their place in this puzzle and their varied fates. Instead of a seamy and sordid atmosphere, Melville actually (whether he intended it or not) gives the whole process a sheen of allure and attraction. Disreputable never looked so glamorous. I had a minor problem believing that Duchesne's gambling addiction would cause him to forget something so crucial but then again I've never been addicted to gambling so I suppose it's possible. The film has a slight misogyny to it as two different women (the amoral Isabelle Corey, the conniving Colette Fleury) are responsible for unraveling the carefully thought out plans. Oh, did I mention that I was quite taken with it? With Daniel Cauchy, Guy Decomble and Claude Cerval.
While their father (Matthew Walker) is off serving as a chaplain in the Civil War, four sisters in Massachusetts live in genteel poverty along with their mother (Susan Sarandon): Jo (Winona Ryder in an Oscar nominated performance), Meg (Trini Alvarado), Beth (Claire Danes) and Amy (Kirsten Dunst who morphs into Samantha Mathis). Based on the beloved novel by Louisa May Alcott and directed by Gillian Armstrong. Considering its many adaptations for film, TV and the stage, timeless seems as good a word as any to describe LITTLE WOMEN. While not the definitive version (and not my favorite adaptation), the film is a scrupulously artful rendition of the novel. Warm and winning, the ensemble acting with a couple of exceptions is superior. I found Sarandon's Marmee out of place, perhaps too contemporary and Trini Alvarado's Meg rather benign. But those are minor quibbles. The atmospheric lensing of Geoffrey Simpson (SHINE), the art direction of Richard Hudolin and production design of Jan Roelfs and score by Thomas Newman (SKYFALL) all contribute to the movie's success. With Christian Bale, Gabriel Byrne, Eric Stoltz, Mary Wickes and John Neville.
A nine year old boy (Jasen Fisher) and his grandmother (Mai Zetterling) are staying at a seaside hotel in England when the hotel hosts a convention of witches lead by the Grand High Witch (Anjelica Huston). The witches (who look like ordinary women) plot to turn the world's children into mice! Based on the children's novel by Roald Dahl (CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY) and directed by Nicholas Roeg (DON'T LOOK NOW). This enchanting if dark fantasy was well received by the critics when it originally opened in 1990 but inexplicably, it was a failure at the box office. In the ensuing years, its reputation has grown and there's even a remake starring Anne Hathaway due out next year. While the film may be too frightening for very young children, ages 8 and up should be okay with it. Dahl was reputedly unhappy with the film's "happy" ending which differs from his book and I'm on his side. But other than that, this is an inventive lark of a movie that adults can enjoy every bit as much as kids. Huston gives a marvelous performance as the head witch, she seems to be having a ball being so wicked. With Rowan Atkinson, Jane Horrocks and Brenda Blethyn.
Set in Toronto, a nondescript bank teller (Elliott Gould) discovers his bank will soon be robbed. He begins siphoning the bank's money into his lunchbox so that when the robber (Christopher Plummer) eventually robs the bank, he won't get the money he knows has been deposited but instead get a meager amount. What the teller hadn't counted on is that the robber is a sadistic sociopath with homicidal tendencies and a cat and mouse came begins. Based on the novel THINK OF A NUMBER by Anders Bodelsen and adapted for the screen by Curtis Hanson (L.A. CONFIDENTIAL) and directed by Daryl Duke (THE THORN BIRDS). This is a terrific thriller! Hanson's screenplay is smart and precise without any fillers. It's pure suspense. The acting is first rate. Gould has never been more likable and Plummer's bat shit crazy villain sends shivers down your spine. This is not a man you want to cross. I could have done without one scene of gratuitous violence but other than that, the film is a gem of suspense. There's a nice underscore by Oscar Peterson. With Susannah York, John Candy and Celine Lomez as a femme fatale who seduces Gould.
A theater director (Adam Driver) and his actress wife (Scarlett Johansson) are divorcing. While he stays in New York directing a play, she relocates to Los Angeles to do a TV series. But nothing has prepared them for the enormity and emotional pain that divorce brings, not to mention the expensive business that attorneys make off divorce. Directed by Noah Baumbach (MARGOT AT THE WEDDING), the title is a misnomer. It should have been called DIVORCE STORY. This long (it's over two hours) film is a raw and uncompromising look at the disintegration of a marriage and the ensuing divorce process. It puts a maudlin piece of mainstream cinema on the same subject like KRAMER VS. KRAMER to shame. At times, it can be painful to sit through as long withheld rages come spewing forth but it's an honest look without any sentimental sheen. The acting is superb with Scarlett Johansson giving a career best performance and Adam Driver's delivery of Sondheim's BEING ALIVE should bring tears to your eyes. The movie does have a bit of fat could have been edited out. For example, there's a scene where Driver accidentally cuts himself with a knife that doesn't add anything to the narrative. Devastating and powerful. With Laura Dern (terrific as a jaded divorce attorney), Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Wallace Shawn and Julie Hagerty.
After a murder suspect (Gene Barry) vows vengeance on the cops that beat him up, a cop (Max Showalter) is killed. The suspect skips town to a Mexican border town where he's followed by a police detective (Sterling Hayden) determined to prove his guilt and arrest him. Based on the short story CRY COPPER by J. Robert Bren and Gladys Atwater and directed by Jerry Hopper (SECRET OF THE INCAS). There are no surprises in this noir potboiler. It's hard to warm up to Hayden's protagonist as he's really nothing more than a thug with a badge and we've seen enough of these crime thrillers to know that Grahame's good bad girl most likely won't survive the film's denouement. It's moderately entertaining but I'll probably barely remember it in a month. With Chuck Connors and Marcia Henderson.
A young girl (Danielle Darrieux) in an orphanage corresponds with a pen pal that she found through an ad in the newspaper. She falls in love with the romantic stranger named Pierre but when she arranges a meeting, she is met by an older man (Fernand Ledoux), who's plain looking and rather shy. He states he is a stand in for the real Pierre (Louis Jourdan), who is his ward. Directed by Henri Decoin, this is an innocuous romantic comedy with some unsavory aspects to it. The older man played by Ledoux practically forces the young girl to come home with him against her will, Jourdan's character seems shallow and unworthy of the girl but even Darrieux's naive orphan comes across as a bit of a ninny. The film lacks the charm that a romcom needs to make it work and Darrieux at age 25 isn't quite believable as a young teen in an orphanage. It's no better or no worse than the many mindless youth romcoms that Hollywood has churned out for years. I did laugh out loud when a spinster announces, "You'll enter over my dead body!" although I'm not sure that double entendre was intentional or my mind was in the gutter. With Daniel Gelin and Jean Tissier.
Set in a small Louisiana parish, a close knit group of Southern ladies congregate around the local beauty parlor. The story opens with the wedding of Shelby (Julia Roberts in an Oscar nominated performance) and her mother's (Sally Field) concern for her health and her future. The bride to be suffers from a serious form of diabetes which makes childbirth dangerous. Based on the play by Robert Harling (who adapted his play for the screen) and directed by Herbert Ross (THE GOODBYE GIRL). Harling opens up his play considerably which on the stage took place entirely at the beauty salon owned by Truvy (Dolly Parton) and had an all female cast. If you didn't know it, you'd never guess its theatrical roots. If it seems overly calculated and sentimental at times, the humor and wonderful ensemble cast override any such concerns (or at least they did mine). It's warm and it's funny but also quite poignant. The delicate score is by Georges Delerue. With Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, Tom Skerritt, Sam Shepard and Dylan McDermott.
A psychiatrist (Christopher Lee) experiments with a drug that will release people and animals from their inhibitions. When he begins taking the serum himself, he finds himself descending into pure evil. Loosely based on DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE by Robert Louis Stevenson and directed by Stephen Weeks. The characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are called Dr. Marlowe and Mr. Blake in this adaptation of the Stevenson work. Unlike most of the filmed adaptations of the novel, the film eschews any romantic or sexual interest (though he does murder a prostitute who ridicules his looks) for the title characters and concentrates on the psychological aspects (the doctor is a follower of Freud) of the story. The special effects are minimal, we never see the actual transformation of Marlowe to Blake, just the before and after. Christopher Lee is excellent and doesn't overdo the "monster" aspects of his character and keeps it real. The film has a nice look to it thanks to the art direction team and the lensing of Moray Grant (VAMPIRE LOVERS). The score is by Carl Davis (FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN). Filmed in 3D but never released in that format theatrically. With Peter Cushing and Mike Raven.
An insurance investigator (Richard Todd) working out of London but who has experience in Africa is sent to South West Africa to oversee a project by a shady American (Dale Robertson) who is dredging for diamonds in shallow waters. Very loosely based on (or should I say inspired by) SANDERS OF THE RIVER by Edgar Wallace and directed by Robert Lynn. This pulp action-adventure movie benefits from the South African and Namibian locations shot in Techniscope by Stephen Dade (ZULU). There's not much you can say about a movie like this. It's serviceable but predictable, the kind of film you can only pay half attention to yet still follow. Its leading men (Todd and Robertson) had seen better days but still enough of a "name" for the international market. With Marianne Koch, Heinz Drache, Elga Andersen, Derek Nimmo and George Leech.
Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) has developed a time machine that will take him back to the 1960s where he will be able to steal the "mojo" of his nemesis, the super spy Austin Powers (Mike Myers). Directed by Jay Roach, this was the second of the three Austin Powers comedies following the 1997 hit, AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY (GOLDMEMBER would follow in 2002). As far as sequels go, this is a very good one that introduces two new characters to the series with different results. The first, Mini-Me (Vernon Troyer) is a hilarious addition to the franchise but the second, Fat Bastard (Mike Myers) isn't funny (unless you're partial to obesity and feces jokes) and the film stumbles every time he's on screen. But there are some truly hysterical scenes, notably the silhouette tent sequence with Myers and Heather Graham who replaces Elizabeth Hurley as the romantic interest after Hurley's cameo at the film's beginning. George S. Clinton's score cleverly channels John Barry and Michel Legrand among others. The large cast includes Robert Wagner, Rob Lowe, Michael York, Woody Harrelson, Tim Robbins, Will Ferrell, Willie Nelson, Elvis Costello, Burt Bacharah, Rebecca Romijn and Mindy Sterling.
A perennial bachelor (Roland Young) loathes the idea of getting married and instead prefers playing the field. But his strong willed mother (Kate Cutler) wants grandchildren so she is determined to marry him off but he has other ideas. Directed by Alexander Korda (PRIVATE LIFE OF HENRY VIII), this trifle of a romantic comedy is rather sweet even if it's dated in its outlook. The elitism of the inbred British aristocracy can be a bore at times but one can't take a piffle like this and attach a political context (in this case, the class system) to it even though the film touches on it: two aristocratic twins (Wendy Barrie, Joan Gardner) want to marry two commoners (Maurice Evans, John Loder) even though it infuriates their father (George Grossmith Jr.) who is an Earl. It's kind of odd seeing a character actor like Roland Young (TOPPER) in a romantic lead but he's quite charming. The cast includes Merle Oberon in her first leading role, Lady Tree and Morton Selten.
The day after his 85th birthday which was attended by all members of his dysfunctional family, an internationally famous mystery writer (Christopher Plummer) is found dead. Ostensibly a suicide but there's suspicion of foul play by a famous detective (Daniel Craig) who was hired to look into the death. Directed by Rian Johnson (LOOPER), this is a humdinger of a whodunit. Johnson (who also wrote the screenplay) is obviously an Agatha Christie fanboy but he brings the Christie style into the 2000s! The actual "whodunit" is revealed fairly early on but as Craig's detective says, "There's an enormous hole in the mystery ..... like a donut" And it's that "donut hole" that propels the film and our interest in it forward. Something is missing from the puzzle and that something is one hell of a rollercoaster ride. Rian Johnson even slips in a political subtext that's quite relevant in today's culture. The ensemble cast is perfection with Ana De Armas (as Plummer's nurse) giving a breakthrough performance. Fans of Agatha Christie and murder mysteries (like myself) in general are in for a terrific treat. But even if you're not, give it a try. The multiple suspects ..... I mean cast includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, Katherine Langford and Jaeden Martell. Also with Lakeith Stanfield, Noah Segan, Edi Patterson, Frank Oz and K Callan.
A writer (James Caan) is having a difficult time adjusting to life as a widower. A series of unsuccessful dates pushed on him by his brother (Joseph Bologna) prove fruitless. But when he meets a recent divorcee (Marsha Mason in an Oscar nominated performance), who is an actress, he finds someone he can connect with and love blooms. Based on the play by Neil Simon and directed by Robert Moore (MURDER BY DEATH). For those of you too young to remember, from the mid 1960s to the early 1980s, Neil Simon was the most successful playwright in America. CHAPTER TWO is loosely based on Simon's second marriage to Mason and while there is the tinge of reality due to the circumstances, it also seems artificial in its execution. The characters talk in amusing one liners till things get all serious and Mason delivers a passionate monologue that would probably get applause if it was done in a theater. No surprise, Mason is excellent. As an actress, she "gets" Simon (3 of her 4 Oscar nominations were for Simon roles) and his lines flow naturally. No so for a miscast James Caan, who seems uncomfortable. Caan can do comedy but not this kind of clever bouncing back and forth repartee. The treacly score is by Marvin Hamlisch. With Valerie Harper, Debra Mooney and Isabel Cooley.
Two friends (Edmond O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy) on a fishing trip give a ride to a hitch-hiker (William Talman). This turns out to be a major mistake as the hitch-hiker is a homicidal and sadistic sociopath! Directed by Ida Lupino, this fact based film is based on the crime spree of one Billy Cook, who killed six people in a 22 day period in 1950. This is a tight and economical (it runs around 70 minutes) intense thriller and Lupino doesn't let up on the tension for a minute. I only wish I liked it more. Don't get me wrong, I did like it but I can't put my finger on it and give an explanation but given its reputation among film noir fans, I expected to really like it as opposed to just liking it well enough. O'Brien and Lovejoy are fine but it's William Talman who really sends shivers down your spine with his cold blooded "I hate everybody" attitude. The Lone Pine and Big Pine, California locations stand in for Mexico and Nicholas Musuraca's (OUT OF THE PAST) sharp B&W cinematography make the most of the landscapes.
Set in 1890 England, two students at Oxford (James Ellison, Richard Haydn) blackmail their fellow student (Jack Benny) into impersonating Haydn's Aunt so that the "Aunt" can chaperone when the guys entertain two young ladies (Anne Baxter, Arleen Whelan). All goes well until the real Aunt (Kay Francis) shows up! Based on the popular 1892 stage farce by Brandon Thomas (which was filmed twice before in 1915 and 1925) and directed by Archie Mayo (THE PETRIFIED FOREST). The stage play's popularity continues to this day and is revived frequently. It even served as the basis of a popular stage musical in 1948 and subsequently filmed in 1952. This film version is quite amusing for the most part but Jack Benny isn't much of a farceur (or an actor) and I couldn't help but think how Bob Hope would have killed it in the part. But the material is just about foolproof so Benny gets by. It's no TOOTSIE or SOME LIKE IT HOT but as far as cross dressing comedies go, it holds its own. With Laird Cregar, Edmund Gwenn and Reginald Owen.
A novelist and social reformer (Boris Karloff) seeks to prove that a young man executed 20 years ago for a series of brutal murders was, in fact, innocent. But his deep investigation into the matter uncovers a horrific fact that he never anticipated. Directed by Robert Day, this is an effective Jekyll and Hyde-ish yarn with a solid performance by Karloff, who gets a chance to exercise his acting chops. It's not as good as CORRIDORS OF BLOOD, another film Karloff made with Robert Day around the same time but it serves as a nice companion piece. There's a choice supporting turn by Jean Kent as an aging music hall star, who was a witness against the executed man. Nothing special really and I wouldn't say seek it out but if you come across it, you should find it a pleasant way to pass the time. With Elizabeth Allan (TALE OF TWO CITIES), Vera Day, Tim Turner and Anthony Dawson (DIAL M FOR MURDER).
In 1944 WWII London, an American naval officer (James Garner) is a cynic who has no interest in becoming a war hero and instead spends the war providing both women and black market goods for high ranking officers. When he meets a British war widow (Julie Andrews) who is tired of heroes and losing loved ones to war, they fall in love. Loosely based on the novel by William Bradford Huie (THE REVOLT OF MAMIE STOVER) adapted for the screen by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Arthur Hiller (THE OUT OF TOWNERS). This dark romantic satire seems to want to have its cake and eat it too. One is never really sure of the movie's stance. It seems to be anti-war and against the glorification of heroes on one hand yet hedges its bets by having Garner (whose character is a self professed coward) deceptively accept his fake hero status rather than be honest about it. I suppose there's an irony in that but if that's the case, the film doesn't make it clear. It seems it doesn't want to offend anyone and wants to keep everyone happy. All that aside, it's very well written (and I'm not a Chayefsky fan) and the performances are excellent. With James Coburn, Melvyn Douglas, Keenan Wynn, Edward Binns, Joyce Grenfell, William Windom, Judy Carne and Alan Sues.
A young American bomber pilot (Paul Massie) is sent to Nazi occupied France to kill a man (Leslie French) who is believed to be a traitor and double agent. But when he meets his intended victim, he finds a gentle cat loving, henpecked husband who dotes on his daughter. The pilot begins to have doubts on the guilt of his target and wavers. Directed by Anthony Asquith (THE VIPS), this is a powerful film that has me perplexed on why it isn't better known. It won three BAFTA awards (including a deserved best actress win for Irene Worth's performance) but it's a film that one doesn't hear being discussed much. It posits a difficult conundrum in respect to war. Does one obey orders even if it goes against your intuition that what you're doing is wrong? Does the fact that innocent people are killed in wars all the time matter when dealing with the individual? Does duty come before morality? The film wisely doesn't attempt to answer these questions but rather put it out there and lets us work it out for ourselves. Heaven forbid anyone should be in the position of Massie's character. A disturbing but powerful film that deserves to be seen. Paul Massie, Irene Worth as his Paris contact and Leslie French as the target all give excellent performances. With Eddie Albert, Lillian Gish, James Robertson Justice and Lionel Jeffries.
A recently married English scientist (John Neville) working on a top secret project and whose predecessor died under mysterious circumstances finds himself under suspicion by the British secret service. The reason is his new wife (Gabriella Licudi) whose behavior is, well ..... unearthly. Directed by John Krish, this minor B&W British science fiction entry is a nice little surprise. Although made in 1963, it has the feel of one of those 1950s sci-fi films, perhaps directed by Roger Corman. While its "my wife isn't human" structure may feel similar to such efforts as INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS or I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE, it still manages to have a corker of a twist ending that took me by surprise. Though it's not the kind of movie where the acting matters much, that's still no excuse for the heinous performance by Patrick Newell, who had me cringing every time he came on the screen. If you're a sci-fi buff, especially of the films of this period, then you should definitely check it out. With Jean Marsh and Philip Stone.
After a traumatic winter at the Overlook Hotel in Colorado where his father (Henry Thomas) attempted to kill his mother (Alex Essoe) and him, a young boy (Roger Dale Floyd) relocates to Florida with his mother. But in the ensuing years, he (now morphed into Ewan McGregor) has grown up to become an alcoholic and drifter. But after going sober, he begins to receive telepathic messages from a young girl (Kyliegh Curran) whose "shine" is even more potent than his. Based on the novel by Stephen King, which is a sequel to his 1977 novel THE SHINING, and directed by Mike Flanagan. The film thins out some of the complexities of the King novel and instead borrows a lot from the 1980 Stanley Kubrick film. For most of its running time, the movie is an intense and very dark horror film that pushes the envelope (a child's murder is disturbingly graphic). But when McGregor returns to the Overlook Hotel to confront his past, the movie comes to a crashing halt from which it never quite recovers. I wish Flanagan had stuck to King's novel more and forgot the SHINING connection (mostly visuals) but I suppose that would be too much to ask. Rebecca Ferguson (who appears to be channeling Diane Keaton) makes for a splendid villainess, the leader of a cult that literally feeds off children with "shining" abilities. Not as good as it should have been but still a near first rate piece of horror. With Jacob Tremblay, Cliff Curtis, Carl Lumbly, Emily Alyn Lind, Bruce Greenwood and Zahn McClarnon.
In 1770, a young Austrian girl (Kirsten Dunst) is sent to France to become the wife of the Dauphin of France (Jason Schwartzman), who will eventually become King Louis XVI. Based on MARIE ANTOINETTE: THE JOURNEY by Antonia Fraser and directed by Sofia Coppola (LOST IN TRANSLATION). Visually, the film is a triumph! The sumptuous look is courtesy of K.K. Barrett's and Veronica Melery's stunning production design and Milena Canonero's Oscar winning costume design. Though based on Fraser's non fiction book, Coppola doesn't strive for historical accuracy (not to mention its anachronistic pop/rock score). Coppola is extremely sympathetic to the French Queen, everything is seen through her eyes and it isn't until the film's last half hour that the revolution is rushed through. Dunst's Marie Antoinette is portrayed as a naive girl, bored and eventually seduced by the decadent French court. I admired it very much as an exercise in style but the movie runs out of steam toward the end. With Judy Davis, Rip Torn, Molly Shannon, Steve Coogan, Rose Byrne, Marianne Faithfull, Jamie Dornan, Tom Hardy, Mathieu Almalric, Danny Huston and Asia Argento.
After a romance breaks up, a young French girl (Lisette Lanvin) living in London returns home to Paris to her mother (Francoise Rosay). What she doesn't know is that her mother runs a dubious "nightclub" which traffics in young girls for rich older men. The mother herself has a penniless young lover (Albert Prejean) that she supplies with money and gifts. Directed by Marcel Carne (CHILDREN OF PARADISE), this was his feature film directorial debut but it doesn't exhibit much of the poetic realism that he became known for in films like PORT OF SHADOWS. It's a melodrama that is a precursor to films like MILDRED PIERCE and THE GRADUATE where mother and daughter share the same lover. While most of the characters are unlikable, the cast is excellent down to the smallest roles. But it is Rosay's film all the way. One can't help but empathize with her older woman in love being used by a younger man and she knows it but she doesn't care. It's not lust but loneliness that keeps her hanging on to this patch of desperation. Rosay isn't mentioned much when talking about the great French actresses but she should be. With Charles Vanel, Jean Louis Barrault, Sylvia Bataille, Margo Lion and Roland Toutain.
In turn of the century Nebraska, a father (Cork Ramer) leaves his farm and its land to his daughter (Heather Graham, who later morphs into Jessica Lange) over his two sons (Graham Beckel, Adam Nelson) because she loves the land as much as he does. Based on the novel by Willa Cather and directed by Glenn Jordan (ONLY WHEN I LAUGH). The film follows the Cather novel closely which should please the book's fans. I'm not so sure about its execution. The movie could have used some vitality, a sense of a love of the land. Jessica Lange is one of the best actresses of her generation but this is one of her weaker performances. Her acting is seems self conscious and I could never quite accept her as a pioneer farm woman which is odd because she was fantastic in COUNTRY (1984) as a farm wife. It's not bad, in fact, it's quite a respectable effort which I understand is weak praise. With Anne Heche (giving the film's best performance), David Strathairn, Leigh Lawson, Tom Aldredge, Reed Diamond and Josh Hamilton.
Set in 1931 Missouri, a wealthy heiress (Kim Darby) is kidnapped by three men (Michael Baseleon, Matt Clark, Mort Marshall). They are ambushed by a rival gang who take the girl with them. The gang, headed by a tough old lady (Irene Dailey), ask for a million dollar ransom. Based on the controversial novel NO ORCHIDS FOR MISS BLANDISH by James Hadley Chase which was previously filmed in 1948 in Great Britain and directed by Robert Aldrich (WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?). This is an unpleasant and sordid film as I assume the original source material is. When it opened, the critics used words like lurid, offensive, immoral and lascivious to describe it. No, it's not all that but even now, it's a difficult watch. The film is an early example of the Stockholm syndrome (the term wasn't coined until 1973) wherein the victim develops an emotional and/or psychological connection with their captors. Aldrich and his ace cinematographer Joseph Biroc give the film an authentic 1930s sheen. The acting is often too broad and uneven but Scott Wilson as a hillbilly sociopath and Kim Darby (who dislikes the film) manage to eventually create two dimensional characters. With Connie Stevens, Robert Lansing, Tony Musante, Irene Dailey, Wesley Addy and Ralph Waite.
In 1924, a successful novelist (Bette Davis) returns to her hometown and reunites with her best friend (Miriam Hopkins), who is married and expecting a baby. She is surprised when her friend announces that she has just written a romance novel and asks that she show it to her publisher which the writer does. As the years pass, the women remain the best of friends as the housewife becomes a best selling novelist of pulp romances as opposed to the artistically acclaimed novels and plays of her friend and they see each other through romances, divorces and a rivalry that tests the bounds of true friendship. Based on the play by John Van Druten (I REMEMBER MAMA) and directed by Vincent Sherman. This soap opera may not be Art but it's grandly entertaining and smart. As in THE GREAT LIE where Davis let Mary Astor take the acting honors, here she lets Hopkins steal wholes scenes as the bitchy and melodramatic diva while she acts with restraint. Their contrasting characters (and acting styles) pay off when Davis gets to throttle Hopkins and you want to cheer! Poorly remade in 1981 as RICH AND FAMOUS with Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen stepping into the Davis and Hopkins roles. With Gig Young, John Loder, Anne Revere, Dolores Moran and Phillip Reed.
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