Lady L (1965)

An 80 year old dowager (Sophia Loren) relates her rise from a laundress in a French brothel to the respected Lady Lendale of the British aristocracy to her biographer (Cecil Parker). Based on the novel by Romain Gary and written and directed by Peter Ustinov, who also plays Prince Otto of Bavaria in the film. It's a total misfire. What should have been a sumptuous and elegant farce ends up a dull leaden lump of a movie. Loren and Paul Newman (who plays her anarchist lover) have zero on screen chemistry and poor Newman doesn't have a farcical bone in his handsome body. The film had been planned several years earlier with George Cukor at the helm and Gina Lollobrigida and Tony Curtis in the Loren/Newman roles with Ralph Richardson as the impotent Lord Lendale, a role played by David Niven here. I don't know that it would have been a better film but it certainly couldn't be any worse.  Totally lacking in wit and charm, at least it looks good with Henri Alekan's (ROMAN HOLIDAY) cinematography and the lush art direction and costumes. With Michel Piccoli, Philippe Noiret, Claude Dauphin, John Wood and Marcel Dalio.

Laura (1944)

A police detective (Dana Andrews) is investigating the murder of a beautiful advertising executive (Gene Tierney). As he begins to probe into the life of the dead woman by interviewing her mentor (Clifton Webb), her fiance (Vincent Price), her Aunt (Judith Anderson) and her maid (Dorothy Adams); he finds himself drawn to her and her lovely portrait which hangs in her living room. One of the quintessential film noirs, LAURA is elegant, stylish and bolstered by a witty screenplay which is what makes it so different than the tougher grittier noirs like DOUBLE INDEMNITY or OUT OF THE PAST. Based on the novel by Vera Caspary, Otto Preminger keeps a firm grip on the proceedings and displaying a talent for the genre that he would return to for the next ten years. Clifton Webb walks off with the film with his acidic line readings and pretty much established his persona for the rest of his career. Of course, mention must be made of David Raksin's seductive theme that permeates the film and became a classic in its own right. 

Wings In The Dark (1935)

A daredevil aviatrix (Myrna Loy) is attracted to a daring pilot (Cary Grant). But their romance is just in the beginning stages when he is blinded in an accident. She begins to take an active presence in his life but keeps it from him that she is footing most of the bills since he's in financial straits. Pauline Kael once said, "If we've got so used to the absence of stars that we no longer think about it much, we've also lost one of the great pleasures of moviegoing: watching incandescent people up there, more intense and dazzling than people we ordinarily encounter in life". The reason I bring up Kael's quote is that Grant and Loy are the sole reason for watching a routine aerial romance like WINGS IN THE DARK. Even if they're not at their best (and they're not), they're still Grant and Loy and their screen presence alone (though Grant hadn't yet perfected his) make the movie eminently watchable even as you realize, it's not very good. One can bask in the pleasure of watching them do their stuff even though the material is not worthy of them. Directed by James Flood. With Dean Jagger, Roscoe Karns and Hobart Cavanaugh.

The Leech Woman (1960)

An endocrinologist (Phillip Terry) and his older wife (Coleen Gray) travel to Africa where he hopes to discover a rare plant that will reverse the aging process. It is there that that the wife discovers how little she means to her husband and how he has been using her. But she gets her revenge. This minor piece of sci-fi horror is rather absurd but it's done well enough and anchored by a strong performance by that underrated actress Coleen Gray that makes up for the rather preposterous narrative. The African scenes are clearly shot on a sound stage with stock footage of jungle landscapes and animals inserted to dupe the gullible that it was actually shot there. Directed by Edward Dein. With Grant Williams (THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN), Gloria Talbott, John Van Dreelen, Estelle Hemsley and Kim Hamilton.

The Long Hot Summer (1985)

A drifter (Don Johnson) with a reputation as a "barn burner" arrives at a small Southern town run by the patriarch (Jason Robards) of the Varner family. The old man takes a liking to the drifter and even urges him to get involved with his spinster daughter (Judith Ivey) while his own son (William Russ) seethes with anger at being displaced. Although the screenplay is attributed to Rita Mae Brown and Dennis Turner based on the William Faulkner novel THE HAMLET, the film is based more on the 1958 film version of the same name rather than Faulkner's book. Some of the dialog is taken verbatim from the previous Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank screenplay. The first half of the film stays closely to the 1958 film but the last 40 minutes drifts off with material that is neither from Faulkner nor the 1958 film and it deflates quickly. Up until then, it was a solid piece of entertainment, well done. The acting however is uneven, ranging from awful (William Russ) to adequate (Don Johnson) to good (Judith Ivey). And I could have done without the hideous droning synthesizer score by Charles Bernstein. Directed by Stuart Cooper. With Ava Gardner (wasted), Cybill Shepherd, James Gammon and Wings Hauser.

Effie Gray (2014)

The famed Victorian art critic John Ruskin (Greg Wise) marries a naive young girl (Dakota Fanning). But the marriage is a disaster. Not only is he a mama's boy but she finds herself stuck in a sexless and passionless marriage. Based on the true story of Euphemia Chalmers Millais (she would later marry the pre-Raphaelite painter John Everett Millais), the film was made 4 years ago but various lawsuits against Emma Thompson (who wrote the screenplay and plays Lady Eastlake) citing plagiarism kept the film off screens until late last year when it open it England and is now getting a U.S. release. The film's unusual topic and its often penetrating look at the status of women in Victorian England elevates it from the usual Masterpiece Theater feel of these kinds of costume dramas. But damn, it moves at a snail's pace and more than once I wanted to yell at the screen, "Just get on with it!". Two things: one, it was great seeing Claudia Cardinale back on screen even if her part is no more than a cameo and two, the film is further evidence that Dakota Fanning is a talented young actress just waiting for the right role. Unfortunately, this isn't it. Directed by Richard Laxton. With James Fox, David Suchet, Julie Walters, Tom Sturridge, Derek Jacobi and Robbie Coltrane.

Horror Of Dracula (1958)

A librarian (John Van Eyssen) arrives at the castle of Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) to take up his duties but in reality, he is a vampire hunter. But the Count soon disposes of him and sets his sights on the librarian's fiancee (Carol Marsh). This Hammer horror (in which Lee plays Dracula for the first time) takes great liberties with the Bram Stoker source material. The director Terence Fisher is able to infuse the film with a suitably colorful atmosphere but except for the movie's graphic finale, the film is short on genuine horror. Tod Browning's Dracula may creak and Lugosi's Count may be a bit stiff but there's an authentic dread to the proceedings which are lacking here. That being said, for what it is, it's quite entertaining. With Peter Cushing as Van Helsing, Michael Gough and Melissa Stribling.

The Servant (1963)

A young member (James Fox) of the British upper class hires a manservant (Dirk Bogarde) to take care of his daily needs. His class conscious fiancee (Wendy Craig) takes a dislike to the servant but slowly but surely, the scale of power tips to the stronger of the two ... the servant. Based on a 1948 short novel by Robin Maugham, this was the first of three collaborations between director Joseph Losey and the writer Harold Pinter. It's an incisive look at the disintegration of the British aristocracy by the working class. It's not a pleasant film and Losey and Pinter push too hard at times but there's no denying its potency. I'm not Bogarde's biggest fan but I don't think he's ever been so well cast. You can positively feel the contempt coming out of his every pore. The moody B&W lensing by Douglas Slocombe and the effective underscore by John Dankworth contribute to the malaise. With Sarah Miles, Catherine Lacey and Patrick Magee.

Chances Are (1989)

A young District Attorney (Christopher McDonald), whose wife (Cybill Shepherd) is expecting their first child, is killed by a car. He is reincarnated and as a struggling reporter meets a young law student (Mary Stuart Masterson) to whom he is attracted. But when he meets the girl's mother (Shepherd), he begins to understand who he was in his past life and that the law student is his now grown daughter and her mother, his wife. What's a guy to do? This charming fantasy romantic comedy has a lot going for it. Directed by Emile Ardolino (DIRTY DANCING), it has four leading players (Ryan O'Neal is the 4th) with a talent for sophisticated comedy and they are able to ride over the bumps whenever the screenplay falters. The concept, of course, isn't very fresh. The subject was previously handled in HERE COMES MR. JORDAN (1941) and its 1978 remake HEAVEN CAN WAIT to name just two. But it's sharp and engaging and one would have to put up a fight to dislike it (unless you're the type that hates romcoms period). The film's love song After All (sung by Cher and Peter Cetera) was nominated for a best song Oscar. With Josef Sommer, Henderson Forsythe, Fran Ryan and Joe Grifasi.

The Proud Ones (1956)

When the first cattle trail herds arrive in a small Kansas town, the sheriff (Robert Ryan) sees the town grow greedy at the prospect of all that money. To make matters worse, an old nemesis (Robert Middleton) takes over the town saloon while the bitter son (Jeffrey Hunter) of a man the sheriff killed in a gunfight shows up. There's not much one can say about a western like this. It's pretty standard stuff, the good guys vs. the bad guys so there are a lot of gunfights. If you're a fan of westerns (as I am), this should be enough to entertain you but others may be more discerning. It helps to have Robert Ryan in the lead as he brings his own particular brand of gravitas to the film which automatically fills in for the screenwriters lack of detailed characterization. Hunter doesn't bring much to the party except his good looks and the always welcome Virginia Mayo as the romantic interest is wasted. The simple guitar underscore is by Lionel Newman. Directed by Robert D. Webb (BENEATH THE 12 MILE REEF). With Walter Brennan, Arthur O'Connell, Rodolfo Acosta and Ken Clark.

The North Star (1943)

In 1941 Ukraine, a small village finds itself under attack when the Germans invade Russia. While some of the men take to the hills to form a band of guerrillas, others stay in the village to resist the vicious Nazi takeover. In 1943, the Russians were our allies and this blatantly pro-Soviet propaganda piece is no worse than the usual WWII propaganda films Hollywood was churning out. Lillian Hellman's screenplay has the Russian peasants working happily in harmony, throwing community picnics, singing (lyrics courtesy of Ira Gershwin no less) and dancing (so much so that the film threatens to turn into a musical at any moment). The dialog is so dreadful that one can't believe it came from the woman who wrote THE LITTLE FOXES and THE CHILDREN'S HOUR. The characters don't talk the way real people do, they're mouthpieces of Hellman. Fortunately, the director Lewis Milestone (STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS) and his ace cinematographer James Wong Howe know how to shoot action sequences and they are the highlights of the film: the first attack on the road by German planes, the burning of the village as the Nazis approach, the guerrilla attack on the German soldiers. Although admired in its day (it got six Oscar nominations), with the advent of the Cold War the film was re-cut, thirty minutes were removed that were pro-Soviet. The score is by Aaron Copland. The massive cast includes Dana Andrews, Anne Baxter, Walter Huston, Eric von Stroheim, Farley Granger, Walter Brennan, Dean Jagger, Ann Harding, Jane Withers and the wonderful child actress Ann Carter (CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE).

L'Eredita Ferramonti (aka The Inheritance) (1976)

Set in 19th century Italy, a wealthy man (Anthony Quinn) retires and sells his bakery. But he has nothing but contempt for his two sons, a ne'er do well (Fabio Testi) and a half wit (Gigi Proietti) plus a bitch daughter (Adriana Asti) married to a corrupt government official (Paolo Bonacelli). But he promises them they will will get nothing when he dies as he has cut them out of his will.  But when the half wit marries a seemingly modest young woman (Dominique Sanda), they use her as a pawn to get back at their father ..... or is she using them?  Based on the novel by Gaetano Carlo Chelli, director Mauro Bolognini whips up an intense cat and mouse game where you're never sure who's playing who nor what the outcome will be. Unfortunately, the ending seems right out of a 1940s Hollywood flick where the wicked must be punished but considering all of the characters are either immoral or amoral perhaps the wicked manage to win after all. It's a handsome looking film with Ennio Guarnieri's (SWEPT AWAY) soft focus cinematography at the forefront and a typical Ennio Morricone score nudging the film along. Sanda won the best actress award at the Cannes film festival for her work here.