Festival In Cannes (2001)

At the 1999 Cannes film festival, a group of film makers and aspiring film makers wheel and deal, scheme and backstab and play games in love, art and the movie business: an actress (Greta Scacchi) wants to direct a script she's written, an aging French actress (Anouk Aimee) is torn between two film projects, an "artistic" director (Maximilian Schell) attempts to bag a big budget Hollywood film, a producer (Ron Silver) is in danger of losing Tom Hanks as the star of his movie if he doesn't get the right actress, a newcomer (Jenny Gabrielle) has a hit film at the festival but she doesn't know if she wants to become a movie star and a hustler (Zack Norman) plays everybody against each other. Written and directed by Henry Jaglom, this is an often amusing behind the scenes satire of the international film business. But it's still not very good. The film has an improvisational quality to it and I'm sure Jaglom thought it would give the film a naturalism rather than a scripted feel. Unfortunately, what it does is make the whole thing seem amateurish. It doesn't help that outside of Aimee, Schell, Scacchi and Silver the rest of the cast are pretty awful from the supremely untalented Jenny Gabrielle to godawful Zack Norman. The glamorous Cannes setting (actually filmed during the 1999 festival) helps a lot in enjoying the film. With Faye Dunaway, William Shatner and Peter Bogdanovich. 

Blindspotting (2018)

Set in Oakland, California, a convicted African American felon (Daveed Diggs) has three days to go on his probation. But the reckless behavior of his volatile white best friend (Rafael Casal) just might get him back in prison. Written by Diggs and Casal and directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada. This potent film seems fresh and original with its own perspective. You keep expecting the cliches and you think you know where it's going but it surprises you at almost every turn. Which is not to say I didn't have any problems with it. Sadly, like too many recent good films it botches the ending so badly that it near ruins the film. HEREDITARY and FIRST REFORMED also come to mind. This is a pity because what comes before it is terrific stuff. But it's not just the ending, a rap speech in a contrived situation that comes off as phony when everything before it seems raw and real. Casal's performance doesn't always ring true either. I don't think it's the script, another actor might have blended the performance more naturally with the same script. The film makes sharp observations on gentrification and indirectly on white privilege. Diggs is excellent as is Janina Gavankar as his ex-girlfriend. With Wayne Knight, Tisha Campbell Martin (LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS) and Jasmine Cephas Jones. 

The Strange Woman (1946)

In 1834 Maine, a cruel young girl (Hedy Lamarr) with ambitious dreams of wealth marries a rich older man (Gene Lockhart) she doesn't love. She does love his son (Louis Hayward) however. But her lies and manipulations to get what she wants destroys everything around her. Based on the novel by Ben Ames Williams (LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN) and directed by Edgar G. Ulmer (DETOUR). Normally thought of as a beauty rather than an actress, this vehicle provides Lamarr's with one of her best roles and best performances.  The similarities between the amoral (or evil depending on your point of view) Lamarr here and Gene Tierney in LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN are obvious. It's not as polished as HEAVEN but Ulmer gives the film a feverish ferocity. The elegant George Sanders is miscast as a lumberjack who falls under Lamarr's spell. Sanders is usually the one who sees through everybody else but here, he's a dupe and it doesn't play. They would be better paired three years in SAMSON AND DELILAH.  With Hillary Brooke, Rhys Williams, Alan Napier, Ray Teal and Edith Evanson.

Jack Of Diamonds (1967)

Against the advice of his mentor (Joseph Cotten), a cat burglar (George Hamilton) continues to risk exposure not only by his daring robberies but his carelessness. However, he agrees to join forces with his mentor and a rival (Marie Laforet) and her mentor (Maurice Evans) in the most daring robbery yet! Directed by Don Taylor (ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES). Gentleman thieves have been a staple of movie going all the way back to RAFFLES (1930). Perhaps the benchmark for these films is Hitchcock's TO CATCH A THIEF. But George Hamilton is no Cary Grant or even a David Niven. Where charm needs to be, we get arrogance. The big jewel heist isn't particularly thrilling nor is it executed with any technique. The European locations are nice to look at but what the film is missing is style. Whatever merits the film may have had are undermined by a cheesy underscore by Peter Thomas. With Carroll Baker, Lilli Palmer, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Wolfgang Preiss.

The Dead Zone (1983)

When a school teacher (Christopher Walken) wakes up from a coma after five years, he discovers he has the power to see into the future. This gift (or curse) will play itself out for high stakes. Based on the novel by Stephen King and directed by David Cronenberg (DEAD RINGERS). One of the better film adaptations of King's horror novels. The details of the narrative are often sloppy. Surely even in 1983, security for political candidates wasn't so lax and after an attempt at a political assassination, everybody vanishes. Where are the police, ambulances, reporters or gawkers? The actors are left to play out the scene alone. That aside, Cronenberg keeps a firm rein on the proceedings and the film is graced with a strong performance by Walken which gives credence to some of the far fetched plot. There's a beauty of an underscore by Michael Kamen. With Martin Sheen in an eerily prescient performance as a thuggish Trump like politician, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt, Colleen Dewhurst, Herbert Lom, Anthony Zerbe, Nicholas Campbell and Jackie Burroughs.

Girl With Green Eyes (1964)

A young Irish country girl (Rita Tushingham) moves to the city of Dublin after her convent school education. When she meets a much older man (Peter Finch), she falls in love with him but she isn't mature enough to handle the realities of love versus the romanticism of it. Based on the novel THE LONELY GIRL by Edna O'Brien (who adapted her book for the screen) and directed by Desmond Davis (CLASH OF THE TITANS). I don't think I've seen a more adept film that examines the immaturity of someone too young to understand the machinations of love, especially when dealing with the relationship of a naive youngster and a more mature adult who knows too well the messiness of love. For those of us who've been there, it's almost painful watching poor Rita Tushingham making such obvious missteps and you just want to cry out, "Oh, honey don't!". It's a compassionate and affecting drama wonderfully acted by Tushingham and Finch. I could have done without the film's last few seconds which seem tacked on but other than that, it's a lovely piece of cinema. With Lynn Redgrave, Marie Kean and Julian Glover.

The Legend Of Lizzie Borden (1975)

In August 1892 in the town of Fall River, Massachusetts, a spinster (Elizabeth Montgomery) is the prime suspect in the brutal hatchet murders of her father (Fritz Weaver) and stepmother (Helen Craig). Directed by Paul Wendkos (THE MEPHISTO WALTZ), this film faithfully follows the facts in the telling of the notorious Lizzie Borden murders though the movie takes the tack that she was guilty although she was, in fact, acquitted for the killings which were never solved. Elizabeth Montgomery gives a splendid performance, always keeping us in doubt of her guilt or innocence but with just enough suspicion to tip the hat. The European theatrical cut (which I've not seen) is slightly longer by four minutes and more graphic in Montgomery's nude scene. Montgomery's excellent work aside, the film itself is a solid courtroom drama. The large supporting cast includes Fionnula Flanagan, Katherine Helmond, Ed Flanders, Don Porter, Bonnie Bartlett, Gail Kobe, Gloria Stuart and John Beal.

Man Of The World (1931)

An American (William Powell) who fled the country to avoid the law now lives in Paris where along with his two cohorts (Wynne Gibson, George Chandler), they bilk rich American tourists. When he meets a wealthy American heiress (Carole Lombard), his plans to extort her give him second thoughts when he falls in love with her. Directed by Richard Wallace (FALLEN SPARROW), this pre-code movie romance is unusual in that instead of a conventionally happy ending, it gives us a somber downbeat finale. Powell is very good in a role light years away from the light hearted witty Nick Charles of THE THIN MAN movies. We're as conflicted about him as he is about himself. Lombard is charming, not yet the Queen of screwball comedy. It's bittersweet ending adds some weight that the film might not otherwise have. With Guy Kibbee and Lawrence Gray.  

Island Of Lost Women (1959)

A radio journalist (Jeff Richards) and his pilot (John Smith) are forced to crash land on an uncharted island in the Pacific. To their surprise, they find the island is inhabited by a missing nuclear scientist (Alan Napier) and his three beautiful daughters (Venetia Stevenson, June Blair, Diane Jergens). But the scientist is not pleased by his domain being invaded and he views the men as a threat. Directed by Frank Tuttle (THIS GUN FOR HIRE), this rather silly but amusing (but perhaps not intentionally so) nonsense comes across as a low budget rip off of FORBIDDEN PLANET (itself a riff on Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST) but only this time, its "mad" scientist has three daughters instead of one. You probably already know if schlock like this appeals to you or not. As long as you don't take it seriously, it's fun in its naive sort of way. The cinematography is by John Seitz and a long way from his stellar work on DOUBLE INDEMNITY and SUNSET BOULEVARD.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

After the death of her mother (Meryl Streep), a young woman (Amanda Seyfried) attempts to carry on with the hotel that her mother owned. With her fiance (Dominic Cooper) away in New York, she must deal with the process alone. Intercut with her story, is the story of her mother's (Lily James) first visit to Greece and her own romantic tribulations as she maps out her life. By all rights, this sequel to the massive 2008 international hit should be godawful. Miraculously, dare I say it, it's pure joy and better than the first installment! Directed by Ol Parker (BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL), I was optimistic after the opening number with Lily James tearing up WHEN I KISSED THE TEACHER and by the time of the second number, Seyfried and Cooper dueting on ONE OF US, I breathed a sigh of relief. The movie was in good hands. Everyone from the first film returns along with some newbies like Cher as Seyfried's grandmother. The ABBA songs are as irresistible as ever and even though their lesser known songs take precedence, it worked for me as they were less familiar and thus more surprising. The end credits of the entire cast performing SUPER TROUPER kept the audience from leaving and even applauding. Oh yes, I'll definitely be revisiting it. With Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Christine Baranski, Andy Garcia, Julie Walters, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Alexa Davies, Jeremy Irvine, Hugh Skinner, Josh Dylan, Celia Imrie and Maria Vacratsis who steals every scene she's in.

The Admiral Was A Lady (1950)

A young woman (Wanda Hendrix) is jilted by her boyfriend and ready to take the bus back home when she is taken under the wing of an ex-WWII airman (Edmond O'Brien) and his friends. What she doesn't know is that the airman is being blackmailed by a millionaire (Rudy Vallee) to keep the girl from going home. The reason? The millionaire's ex-wife (Hillary Brooke) has run off with the girl's fiance and he wants to rejoin the couple so his ex will come back to him. Directed by Albert S. Rogell, this is a listless attempt at screwball comedy. O'Brien is a fine dramatic actor but comedy is not his forte and he's really a character actor, not a romantic leading man. Thin material like this needs charismatic Stars to overcome its weaknesses, not second tier players. It's not bad really but neither the cast nor the director seem to have a grip on comedy technique. Chalk it up as a miss. With Steve Brodie, Richard Erdman, Lurene Tuttle and Johnny Sands. 

Look Back In Anger (1959)

A disillusioned angry working class but educated young man (Richard Burton) rails against the establishment. The brunt of his rage often falls on his wife (Mary Ure). When an actress friend (Claire Bloom) of his wife visits them for a few weeks, everything comes to a head. Based on the play by John Osborne and directed by Tony Richardson (TOM JONES). This film was the first of its kind in the so called "kitchen sink" realism or "angry young man" films that would soon revolutionize British cinema in the 1960s. British cinema had been devoted to the upper class for so long that this revealing look at working class Brits was startling and long overdue. The writing is first rate and Burton is excellent. He restrains his tendency to chew scenery for the most part and when he lets it out, it's appropriate. The downside is that to modern audiences, his character often comes across as boorish and cruel and even self pitying. Not a particularly sympathetic character even if you understand his anger. The performances are uniformly good including Gary Raymond as Burton's best pal and there's a lovely turn by Edith Evans as a cockney mother figure. With Donald Pleasence, Glenn Byam Shaw, Nigel Davenport and George Devine.