Diaboliquement Votre (aka Diabolically Yours) (1967)

After waking up from a coma following a car crash, a man (Alain Delon) has amnesia. His beautiful wife (Senta Berger) and his best friend (Sergio Fantoni) help him to get his memory back by providing him with information. But why do his dreams of another life not resemble what he is being told? The cinematic swan song of director Julien Duvivier (PEPE LE MOKO) is a neatly done thriller that might have made for an excellent B&W film noir in the 1940s right down to its code required ending. Based on the novel PERSECUTION MANIA by Louis C. Thomas, this fairly predictable crime thriller doesn't reach Hitchcockian heights but it would have made a solid hour long episode on the ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR. As it is, it's a lightweight effort with an attractive pairing of Delon and Berger at its center. I wouldn't say seek it out but if you run across it, you could do worse.  

45 Years (2015)

As their 45th wedding anniversary approaches, a husband (Tom Courtenay) receives a letter that will cause his wife (Charlotte Rampling) to reassess their 45 year marriage. Based on the short story IN ANOTHER COUNTRY by David Constantine and adapted for the screen and directed by Andrew Haigh. This is "grown up" film making at its best with two beyond excellent performances by the two leads. It's an incisive look at a seemingly happy marriage that is forever changed in a matter of days. Haigh takes his time and lets the narrative go at a leisurely pace while the audience can only guess how it will all play itself out. Rampling's brilliant performance is extremely subtle and she never crosses over into Oscar bait histrionics. Alas, this may not bode well for her chances at this year's Oscars (she's a best actress nominee) as it may be too subtle for Oscar voters who tend to like actress-y performances. To be fair, the film is clearly from the wife's perspective but it's not unkind to the husband at all. The film's final shot of Rampling is simply devastating.  

Tim (1979)

A middle aged American woman (Piper Laurie) living in Australia takes a liking to the mildly backward young man (Mel Gibson) who does gardening and other odd jobs around her home. He takes a liking to her too, even taking it one step further. Based on the novel by Colleen McCullough (THE THORN BIRDS) and adapted for the screen and directed by the actor Michael Pate (HONDO). While the film (I haven't read McCullough's book) opts for a rather ambiguous but wan "everything will be okay" ending, I found most of what preceded extremely well done and with much sensitivity that avoids the possible sensationalism that might have happened. The film covers all the bases and allows the actors enough rope to bring some genuine depth to their characters. MAD MAX (which came out the same year) might have been his breakthrough role but TIM showed what a fine actor he was. There are two sterling performances by Alwyn Kurts and Pat Evison as Tim's parents that are just as memorable as the two leads. With Deborah Kennedy and Peter Gwynne.

Merci Docteur Rey (2002)

Set in Paris, the son (Stanislas Merhar) of an American opera singer (Dianne Wiest) is invited by an older man (Simon Callow) he's never met to hide in a closet and watch him have sex with a younger man (Karim Saleh). Meanwhile, a neurotic middle aged actress (Jane Birkin) obsessed with Vanessa Redgrave (who plays herself in the film) is seeing a psychiatrist (Ruth Handlen) to overcome her obsession. Both will have to deal with shocking and unexpected deaths. It's best not to try and make sense of this absurdist black comedy, just sit back and enjoy! It's the kind of screwball comedy where coincidences continue to pile up until your head is spinning. Written and directed by Andrew Litvack, it's both subtly witty and over the top and with Paris as a backdrop, it's easy on the eyes too. Sadly, it's a film that never found an audience, it wasn't even released in the U.S. (it has a little over 400 votes on the IMDb) though it did the film festival circuit. It's a film that cries out "cult movie". If it comes your way, take a chance on it. With Bulle Ogier, Jerry Hall, Vernon Dobtcheff and Didier Flamand.

The Golden Horde (1951)

In 13th century Persia, the ruthless Genghis Khan (Marvin Miller) threatens to destroy the city of Samarkand. But as its ruling Princess (Ann Blyth) plots to outwit the mighty Khan, a Crusader from England (David Farrar) and his men insist on joining the fight. Directed by the veteran George Sherman (AGAINST ALL FLAGS), this is the kind of exotic fodder that Universal was churning out on a regular basis in the early 1950s. Here, Blyth takes on the kind of role that was usually assigned to Maureen O'Hara or Piper Laurie. It's mindless hokum and it's harmless and brief (it has a 76 minute running time) and there's a certain corny charm to it. Unfortunately, Farrar's knight hero is too arrogant and pompous to root for. When Blyth refuses to leave her own palace, Farrar barks to an underling, "Don't stand on ceremony! Pull her out by her hair!" What a sweetheart! But one can't take this kind of corn seriously and part of the minor pleasure of such kitsch is in its banality. With Richard Egan, Peggie Castle, George Macready and Henry Brandon.

Firestarter (1984)

A father (David Keith) is on the run from a secret government agency with his young daughter (Drew Barrymore). While in college, he and his future wife (Heather Locklear) were given a drug as part of a government experiment which mutated their genes enough that their daughter has a power that the government wants ..... she can set fires just by willing it. Based on the Stephen King best seller, the premise is intriguing enough to push through the far fetched plot and often poor writing. In a movie about a government conspiracy, you better make sure that the government agents are realistic enough to be threatening. Here, they're practically cartoonish they're so inept. The film could also have used a stronger director than Mark L. Lester (CLASS OF 84). He doesn't bring enough tension to the film. Then there's the innocuous David Keith who leaves a hole on the screen. On the plus side, there's Barrymore and a restrained George C. Scott as a genuinely creepy government assassin. The film's pyrotechnic finale is very well done, I'll give it that. I'm not much on synthesizer scores but Tangerine Dream's underscore really complements the film. With Martin Sheen, Art Carney, Moses Gunn, Antonio Fargas and Louise Fletcher.

The Guns Of Fort Petticoat (1957)

During the Civil War, a Union officer (Audie Murphy) deserts his unit after his commander (Ainslie Pryor) leads a massacre on a tribe of peaceful Indians. Knowing that the Indians will retaliate and that many women are keeping the home fires burning while their men are away at war, he returns to his home state of Texas to gather the women and bring them to a deserted mission where they will be safer. This minor western directed by the veteran George Marshall (DESTRY RIDES AGAIN) is one of the better "B" westerns of the 1950s. The unique spin of having a battalion of female "soldiers" defending themselves against a continual Indian attack, not to mention bandits stupid enough to underestimate the ladies, I found this grandly entertaining. In films of this kind, we're used to seeing cavalry soldiers killed by Indians but when it's a woman, there's an uncomfortable reaction. The film touches slightly on other issues without expanding on them as when a woman (Isobel Elsom) has her slave (Ernestine Wade) do her fighting for her and a religious fanatic (Jeanette Nolan) who hides behind her bible rather than join the other women. If you're a westerns fan, don't pass it up if it comes your way. With Kathryn Grant, Hope Emerson (who steals the film), Jeff Donnell, Peggy Maley and Sean McClory (it's a pleasure when he gets his just desserts). 

Pitfall (1948)

An insurance executive (Dick Powell) would seem to be living the American dream. Nice job, pretty wife (Jane Wyatt) and a son (Jimmy Hunt), nice suburban home. But he's dissatisfied with the banality of his daily existence. But investigating a case of insurance fraud, he meets a beautiful model (Lizabeth Scott). That meeting will turn into a complicated web of jealousy, lies and murder. Based on the novel by Jay Dratler (LAURA) and directed by Andre De Toth, this is a film noir that goes off the beaten path. Powell's insurance investigator is an ordinary husband and father, not a gumshoe or a criminal, who finds himself through circumstances and incredibly bad decisions caught in a web of deceit that upends his whole life. Scott's femme fatale is more sympathetic than the usual noir heroine. Scott's normally stiff acting is put aside and she's very good here in what probably is her best performance. She's real here, not a pouting vixen luring men to their doom (at least not intentionally). But it's two supporting performances that stand out. Raymond Burr's creepy psychopathic ex-cop makes your skin crawl, his big burly imposing physique indicating the dangerous animal he is. Then there's Jane Wyatt who's the true heroine of the film. Unlike her FATHER KNOWS BEST role, she's not the bubbly housewife but a strong, sensible no-nonsense woman whose outrage at her husband's indiscretions is justifiable and palpable. Her strength is a nice contrast to Scott's helpless babe. With Ann Doran, John Litel and Byron Barr.

Charley Varrick (1973)

A former stunt pilot (Walter Matthau) and his accomplices, his wife (Jacqueline Scott) and two others (Andrew Robinson, Fred Scheiwiller), rob a small bank in a small New Mexico town. But what he hadn't planned on was that the money they robbed belonged to organized crime. With a hitman (Joe Don Baker) on his trail, time is running out. As directed by Don Siegel, this is a smart and gritty crime thriller with a strong performance by Matthau in the title role. Actions films, even the best of them, tend to be pretty mindless so it's a treat when a genre piece like this doesn't sacrifice intelligence for bang bang and car chases. I don't think it ranks with Siegel's best work but it's a good example of commercial Hollywood film making at its finest. Thankfully, since this was a 70s Universal film, it wasn't filmed on the back lot but in Nevada which gives the film an authentic look and feel. Unfortunately, Lalo Schifrin's thin score shouts 1970s! With Felicia Farr, Sheree North, John Vernon, Norman Fell, Marjorie Bennett and in his final film role, the veteran character actor Tom Tully.

The Pit And The Pendulum (1961)

In 16th century Spain, a young man (John Kerr) arrives at the remote seaside castle of his brother in law (Vincent Price). He is suspicious of the circumstances regarding his sister's (Barbara Steele) death and wants more information. But his sister's "ghost" seems to be haunting the castle. There's very little resemblance to the Edgar Allan Poe story in Richard Matheson's adaptation. But Matheson's screenplay is very effective nonetheless and director Roger Corman brings a flamboyant spirit to the proceedings. The production design and art direction of Daniel Haller is almost a character in itself and Floyd Crosby's strong lensing makes use of tinted frames during the flashback sequences to give it a surreal look and the contribution of Les Baxter's underscore can't be ignored. So if the movie isn't faithful to Poe's slight short story, at least the film  captures the spirit of Poe and that's an accomplishment not to be dismissed. Colorful and luxurious, this remains one of the highpoints of 60s horror cinema. With Luana Anders and Antony Carbone.

The Truth About Women (1957)

When his son in law (Derek Farr) complains to him about women, the father in law (Laurence Harvey) tells him about his experience with the opposite sex including an outspoken suffragette (Diane Cilento), an Arab harem girl (Jocelyn Lane), a married Frenchwoman (Eva Gabor), an American heiress (Lisa Gastoni), a painter (Julie Harris) and a Swedish nurse (Mai Zetterling). While its viewpoint on women veers toward the outmoded, this sophisticated anecdotal comedy falls short of what it could have been but the film has a rich color palette and the actresses (all gowned by Cecil Beaton) bring their game. What any of them see in Harvey is beyond me but that probably has more to do with my personal distaste for the actor than any appeal he may have for the ladies. The director Muriel Box doesn't dwell on any segment long enough to wear out its welcome but the stories range from farcical (the Gabor segment) to bittersweet (the Zetterling segment). With Christopher Lee, Marius Goring, Ernest Thesiger, Roland Culver and Ambrosine Phillpotts. 

Beasts Of No Nation (2015)

In West Africa, a small boy (Abraham Attah) and his family live in a village that is caught between warring factions. The government troops and the rebels. When government troops come and decimate his village and kill his father (Kobina Amissa-Sam) and older brother (Francis Weddey), the boy flees into the countryside. But he is captured by the rebels and turned into a child soldier. Perhaps I would have been more impressed with the film if I hadn't seen Kim Nguyen's stunning REBELLE, also known as WAR WITCH, which was an Oscar nominee in the 2012 Foreign Language film category. This film covers the same territory but it's more melodramatic and more "Hollywood" (Netflix was one of the production companies involved). At about the halfway mark (the film runs over two hours), the film had made its point. The horror of war and it's effect on innocent children especially those who are turned into child soldiers and taught to kill their own people. What could another hour do but give me more of the same so I ejected it from my DVD player (it was a SAG awards screener). If I missed out on a masterpiece, I'll survive but I did like what I saw of Idris Elba's performance. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga.