Swing Shift (1984)

During WWII, when America's male population went off to war, its women left the homefront (many for the first time) and worked in defense plants to help the war effort. When the war was over, nothing would ever be the same again. SWING SHIFT follows a young wife (Goldie Hawn) whose husband (Ed Harris) is in the navy and how she changes during the war years. Directed by Joanthan Demme (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) from an original screenplay by Nancy Dowd (though the screenplay is credited to "Rob Morton"). SWING SHIFT is one of those films where there was a difference of opinion between the star (Hawn) and director (Demme) on what direction the film should take. Hawn won. What we have is good enough that one wishes we could see Demme's cut as I suspect it might be the more satisfying version. It's difficult to empathize with Hawn's character when she spends most of the war years having an affair with a musician (Kurt Russell) while her husband is off risking his life in a word war. It seems odd that her character wouldn't have more guilt, self doubts about what she was doing. In the present film, she just seems to be giving lip service. The premise of the film, that of women experiencing a life outside of the home for the first time only to have it be taken from them when the men return home is a great subject for a movie. This might have been it but it's not. With Oscar nominated Christine Lahti, who steals the movie, Holly Hunter (who has one great scene), Fred Ward, Charles Napier, Sudie Bond and Lisa Pelikan.

First A Girl (1935)

Hoping to break into show business, a singer/dancer (Jessie Matthews) allows herself to replace a female impersonator (Sonnie Hale) and pass herself off a boy. Which makes it difficult when she finds herself falling in love with a dashing playboy (Griffith Jones). Directed by Victor Saville (THE SILVER CHALICE), this is an English language version of the 1933 German film VIKTOR UND VIKTORIA which was made again in 1982 by Blake Edwards as VICTOR VICTORIA. While it lacks the sophisticated elegance and sexual freedom that the 1980s allowed the Edwards film, this is still a charming little musical. Great Britain in the 1930s was no match for the Hollywood musicals of Astaire & Rogers or Busby Berkeley but in the toothy Jessie Matthews they had a true musical star. She had a nice soprano, was a decent dancer with great legs and a warm screen presence. But not unlike the 1982 film, it's almost stolen by Sonnie Hale as her mentor in much the same way that Robert Preston commanded VICTOR VICTORIA. The songs aren't much but Ralph Reader's choreography is lively though it owes much to Busby Berkeley. All in all, a glistening B&W confection. With Anna Lee (HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY) and Martita Hunt.

The Silver Chalice (1954)

The adopted son (Paul Newman) of a wealthy Greek (E.G. Marshall) is sold into slavery by his Uncle (Herbert Rudley) after his father's death. But his freedom is later bought by an evangelist (Alexander Scourby) so that the young man, who is a sculptor, can create a silver chalice commemorating Christ's last supper. Parallel to this plot, an ambitious magician (Jack Palance) aspires to greatness that soon descends into madness. Based on the novel by Thomas B. Costain and directed by Victor Saville. While it's your standard stiffly acted 50s biblical epic with pompous dialog, it has one stunning asset that elevates it above most of its ilk: the amazing production design by Rolf Gerard and the art direction of Boris Leven. It makes no attempt to look realistic. Indeed, its purposely artificial look as if a stage set is intentional, a sort of stylized sterile expressionism. This was Newman's film debut and is often considered his worst film (it's not) but he's certainly all wrong in the casting department. Newman is one of those contemporary actors like a fish out of water in period films or costume dramas. The most interesting character and the film's best performance comes from Virginia Mayo as Palance's wily assistant. The strong Oscar nominated score is by Franz Waxman. With Pier Angeli, Natalie Wood, Lorne Greene, Joseph Wiseman, Albert Dekker, Robert Middleton and Ian Wolfe.

The Captive (1915)

Set during the Balkan wars, a young peasant girl (Blanche Sweet) from Montenegro must tend to the farm and her little brother (Gerald Ward) after her older brother (Page Peters) leaves for the war front. Meanwhile, the Turkish prisoners of war are assigned to help the women whose men are off to war. When a Turkish nobleman (House Peters) is assigned to her farm, the two find themselves attracted to each other. Cecil B. DeMille is more renowned today for his spectaculars but during the silent era, most of his films were rather subdued. This wispy tale of a burgeoning love between two people from different classes and countries balances humor (Peters doing the baking and laundry) and drama (an attempted rape) in equal doses. In 1915, Blanche Sweet was a huge star so her presence alone would be sure to attract ticket buyers. But if she's not a very commanding actress, she has a pleasant presence and a warm chemistry with House Peters. It's not a particularly memorable film but for fans of silent cinema or early DeMille, it's a must. 

The Magus (1968)

An Englishman (Michael Caine) takes a position as a school teacher on a small Greek island replacing the previous teacher who died under mysterious circumstances. He is befriended by a wealthy Greek recluse (Anthony Quinn) who may be a doctor or perhaps a magician or possibly a film producer or even a WWII traitor ... or maybe none of those things. Let the psychological games begin! Based on the novel by John Fowles, who adapted his book for the screen and directed by Guy Green. While successful film adaptations of Fowles' THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN and THE COLLECTOR have made it to the screen, THE MAGUS is a failure. Rather than a cerebral puzzle that takes us on a unique cinematic journey, we get what feels like a big con job. Caine endlessly wanders around the beautiful island while Candice Bergen poses (she still seemed unsure of her acting at this point in her career) and Caine and Quinn speak in enigmatic existential bytes. "Why me?", "Why anybody?", "Tell me the truth" "What is truth?" ... get the picture? Even Fowles hated the film and he wrote the screenplay! On the plus side, Billy Williams Greek and Spanish location lensing is handsome and there's a nice score by John Dankworth. With Anna Karina, Julian Glover and Corin Redgrave.   

Slightly French (1949)

When the French actress (Adele Jergens) starring in his latest film has an emotional breakdown, a director (Don Ameche) hires a carnival performer (Dorothy Lamour) and trains her to pose as a French entertainer so she can replace the ill star. Directed by melodrama maestro Douglas Sirk, this piece of cinematic cotton candy is strictly by the numbers. The cast tries hard, desperately hard, but they can't get past the formulaic script. Lamour is a real trouper but she wasn't much of an actress and the role taxes her limited abilities. Even in the film's big musical production number, it's obvious that she has a dance double to do the more intricate choreography (by Robert Sidney). Ameche huffs and puffs away but can't hide that he's on auto pilot. Maybe if the film had been shot in bright Technicolor hues instead of B&W, it might have given the movie some needed eye candy but as it is, it's merely desperate. Sirk doesn't bring any of his distinctive style to the proceedings but to be fair, what could he have done? For Lamour fans only. With Janis Carter, Willard Parker and Jeanne Manet.

Tallulah (2016)

A homeless vagrant (Ellen Page) who lives by scamming and stealing and eating out of dumpsters is mistaken for a hotel maid by a rich, lonely and alcoholic woman (Tammy Blanchard) who is hiding out from her husband. She asks the vagabond to watch her baby girl while she goes out to meet a man. Appalled at what an unfit mother the woman is, the vagrant absconds with the baby. A woman (Allison Janney) whose husband (John Benjamin Hickey) dumps her for a man (Zachary Quinto) is finding it difficult to adjust to unmarried life. These two stories will merge. Every once in awhile, you come across some small indie movie that slips under the radar and find a little jewel. TALLULAH is such a movie. Frankly, I'd never heard of it until a screener showed up in my mail. It's a rich, complex and beautifully acted film with three strong female performances. It's a difficult movie to adjust to because while we're appalled by the kidnapping of a baby from its mother, the mother is unfit and a danger to the child. So do we root for the kidnapper who's crossed the line? Do we want the poor child returned to the mother from Hell? And what about the innocent woman placed in the crossfire of this mess? In the end, the film tells the story but doesn't give us any answers, it's up to our own moral judgment and the film leaves the questions of what happens to these characters unanswered. These aren't cardboard cutouts and we end up feeling empathy for both the kidnapper and the unfit mother. Directed by Sian Heder. With Uzo Aduba and Evan Jonigkeit.

The Edge Of Seventeen (2016)

A 17 year old girl (Hailee Steinfeld) is a bit of a misfit whose life is full of anxiety and depression that takes a turn for the worst when her only friend (Haley Lu Richardson) falls in love with her older brother (Blake Jenner) who she can't stand. Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, this is yet another tale of teen angst from the viewpoint of the unpopular kid that everybody ignores including her own mother (Kyra Sedgwick). But it's a very good effort with a fresh take and delivery. The film is fortuitous in having Steinfeld at the film's center. She brings both an actor's sincerity and a comedienne's timing to an authentic portrait of an unsure teen who has yet to find her center. It helps that she's so likable because her character really is a pain in the arse. My only minor quibble is that Hollywood once again casts a very attractive actress (Steinfeld is adorable) in the role of an unpopular misfit when in reality she would probably be the prom queen. But hey, that's the movies for you! When something is this good, why carp on minor issues? With Woody Harrelson, Alexander Calvert and the appealing Hayden Szeto.  

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

The group of super heroes known as The Avengers fall into disfavor when their actions cause a building to explode killing several humanitarian workers. The United Nations insists on an accord to supervise and control the team. The Avengers are split on whether to accept the accords with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans) facing off. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, this should be a thrill for Marvel Comics fans but for the rest of us, not so much. Granted, I'm hardly the demographic for stuff like this but actors and stunt men zipping around in front of a green screen on wires while CGI provides the explosions and cars flipping over and the sound department goes into Dolby overdrive gets tired very fast. I've not kept up with the franchise (though I enjoyed the first IRON MAN and SPIDERMAN entries) but it was easy to fill in the blanks. But man is that Chris Evans a giant hole in the screen! All the other actors seem overqualified for this nonsense with only Daniel Bruhl managing to create an actual human being among the super heroes. The massive cast includes Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, William Hurt, Don Cheadle, Marisa Tomei, Alfre Woodard, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Tom Holland, Martin Freeman and Hope Davis.

The Neon Demon (2016)

A naive 16 year old girl (Elle Fanning) arrives in L.A. with the hope of breaking into the modeling business. Her innocence and natural beauty are like catnip to the corrupt and debauched narcissistic world of fashion. Will she survive or will they devour her? Nicolas Winding Refn's film is certainly the most glamorous horror film since THE HUNGER (1983) and has just about as much depth. That's not meant as a negative. This is an ape shit crazy movie! Totally insane! If you're looking for logic, coherence or good taste, don't even bother. But if you're looking for a dazzling audio/visual rollercoaster ride with occasional doses of wit, then enjoy! This is the best looking (vivid blues, blood reds and stark whites) and the best use of lighting I've seen in a movie all year. Like De Palma, Refn shows a preference for style over substance and that's okay by me. Refn "borrows" from Lynch, Polanski, Bava and even Russ Meyer. It's not the kind of movie where the acting matters much. Jena Malone manages to bring some interesting shades to her predatory lesbian and Elle Fanning is as great a camera subject as any young actress working today. Those used to Refn's testosterone levels in his previous films might be disappointed as he turns his eye to the distaff side. Can I recommend it? You should be able to tell by now if it's your cup of tea. With Keanu Reeves as a pedophile, Christina Hendricks, Bella Heathcote, Abbey Lee  and Alessandro Nivola.

Mr. Church (2016)

A little girl (Natalie Coughlin, who grows into Britt Robertson) lives with her single mother (Natascha McElhone) who is slowly dying of cancer. Into their lives comes a cook (Eddie Murphy) courtesy of her deceased ex-lover whose estate will pay for his services and her medical needs for the six months she's expected to live. But those six months turn into a lifetime for the girl and the mysterious cook. Directed by Bruce Beresford (DRIVING MISS DAISY), this is the kind of movie that quietly sneaks up on you. You think you know where's it's going and for the majority of the time, you're right. But there are enough little surprises that make the journey well worth traveling. Although the film is called MR. CHURCH and Eddie Murphy is top billed, the film's distributor is putting him in the supporting actor category and I have no problem with that because the movie's focus is the character of Charlotte (Coughlin/Robertson). While the critics haven't been kind, audiences (at least those who've managed to see it) have been generous. Reputedly inspired by a "true friendship", the film perpetuates the kindly black man who serves the white family with selfless dedication but it's unfair to pigeonhole the movie like that. Principally because Murphy's excellent performance has so many unspoken layers to it, it's easily his best film work. With Xavier Samuel, Lucy Fry and Christian Madsen.  

Denial (2016)

An American professor (Rachel Weisz) of Holocaust studies is sued for libel by a British historian (Timothy Spall) who denied the Holocaust happened. Unlike U.S. courts however, the burden of proof is upon the accused, not the accuser. Directed by Mick Jackson (L.A. STORY), this is a riveting and compelling film documenting the continual denial by a small segment of the worst crime against humanity in the 20th century. Based on the actual libel trial of author Deborah Lipstadt and professional Holocaust denier David Irving, as a film, it may be handicapped by squeezing in several years into a slightly less than 2 hour film. While interesting tidbits are eliminated (like Irving making several overtures to settle out of court), what is presented is still factual and potent. The three central performances by Weisz, Spall and Tom Wilkinson are strong and David Hare's (THE HOURS) powerful screenplay gives them enough to flesh out their characters rather than talking mouthpieces for a cause. Interestingly, the film gives us no epilogue as is usual with films based on true stories as to what happened after the story. In 1996, Irving (who went bankrupt after the trial) was arrested in Austria (where Holocaust denial is a crime) and claimed he had changed his opinion and that the Germans had, in fact, murdered millions of Jews. I'll make no comment about his "sincerity".