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Reviews
Shôgun (2024)
Great quality production that stays pretty close to the source material, strongly recommend checking it out.
Beautifully told story, based on the 1975 James Clavell novel with the same name, of feudal Japan. The story is told from the perspective of an Englishman who is shipwrecked and taken hostage. After watching a fellow shipmate be boiled alive, John Blackthorne becomes the fastest talking man on the ship. He also slowly endears himself to Lord Toranaga, who seems to be in a battle for power that he doesn't really want. He assigns a married woman named Mariko to be a translator for the smelly white barbarian they call Anjin.
Visually stunning, this story is about honor, sacrifice, loyalty, betrayal, the quest for power, survival, and strategy. It is almost like a beautiful game of chess, where pieces are sacrificed for the ultimate goal.
I think the series is worth watching for the production quality alone. It really is stunning. I appreciate that things aren't overly explained like the role of Christianity, and specifically the Catholic Church in Japan...as well as the animosity between the non-Catholic and Catholic Christians. This and so many other cultural differences are shown or alluded to in quiet or more subtle ways. This is not the most romantic of stories, but I think people who appreciate strategy and high production quality...as well as fans of Shogun itself, will enjoy this series and it is a recommendation from me.
The In-Laws (1979)
Alan Arkin and Peter Falk play very well off each other in this uproarious caper comedy.
I enjoyed this comedy more than I expected and that is in large part because of Alan Arkin who plays a straight laced dentist until he is roped in to Peter Faulk's character's crazy life. Dr. Sheldon Kornpett (Arkin) meets Vince Ricardo (Faulk) at his own house for a dinner with his soon to be in-laws. His daughter is marrying Ricardo's son. The always absent Vince seems odd and Sheldon tries to talk his daughter out of marrying his son Tommy. But when Vince shows up at Sheldon's dental practice asking him for a favor this is when the real hilarity ensues...the two end up on one of the strangest trips to South America with American treasury plates. Vince is claiming he is with the CIA...
"The key is not to get killed, that's the key to the (CIA) benefit program."-Vince
There is some surprisingly wonderful comedic acting in this film from not only the leads Peter Faulk and Alan Arkin, but Richard Libertini who plays a Venezuelan general and Ed Begley Jr who plays a CIA operative. It is worth watching and it will have you with high comedic energy all the way thru the eventual wedding. This is a recommendation to fans of comedy and Alan Arkin... I think you will be pleasantly surprised as was I.
Tipline Mysteries: Dial 1 for Murder (2024)
Holland Roden and Chris McNally have great chemistry and fun banter in this new Hallmark mystery series Tipline Mysteries.
I hope they make more of these because I thoroughly enjoyed watching both Holland Roden and Chris McNally. They were fun and funny, had great chemistry and enjoyable teasing banter. Holland Roden plays an efficient and fast-talking hotel concierge by day and a newspaper tipline operator by night named Maddie. Maddie is enthralled by the local crime and she listens to an app that has an algorithm that compiles all of the local crimes for her. Chris McNally is the newly promoted to detective Detroit police officer Beeks. These two meet when Maddie brings in the cryptic phone call about a planned jewelry heist. With little to no details, it is hard for Beeks to take Maddie seriously. When a jewelry store is actually robbed and a murder occurs, Maddie sets about doing her own investigation...which is somewhat thwarted by Beeks until his boss has then working together thanks to some good instincts on Maddie's part.
This sets up a great partnership and I loved the banter..."detective pawesome" and all. The mystery was decent and I enjoyed the supporting actors...particularly the Captain Nyland (Jill Teed) and the tech savvy Ethan (Riley Davis).
I enjoy Hallmark mysteries with Hannah Swensen's Murder She Baked, Aurora Teagarden Mysteries (the original), and Mystery 101 being my favorites. This is the first one that has given me promise in a long while. This is a strong recommendation from me to Hallmark mystery fans and I am really eager to see more.
The Face Behind the Mask (1941)
This is a heartbreaking noir that tells the story of the American dream gone horribly wrong.
Peter Lorre plays a naive, hopeful immigrant named Janos Szabo, who arrives to New York ready to work hard to earn money and bring his sweetheart to America to live the American Dream. A kind police officer named Jim O'Hara helps him find a cheap place to live and an opportunity to earn some money as a dishwasher. Unfortunately, the cheap apartment building burns down and a falling beam causes him to be trapped and badly burned. Janos survives but is horribly disfigured in the face. Because of this not only will no one employ him, but people generally cringe away or scream when they see him. After writing a letter back home to his sweetheart telling her to move on and not wait for him, Janos prepares to take his own life which is interrupted by a stranger and a thief named Dinky. Dinky kind of takes Janos under his wing and shows him kindness. Originally Janos is reluctant to steal, but eventually turns larcenous when he discovers that there may be a surgery that could fix his appearance...but it is very expensive. Even the temporary mask that they make for him is very expensive.
Janos is very clever and when he turns his hat to the life, he and Dinky's gang become very successful. So successful that the police are being turned in knots, including his former friend Lt. Jim O'Hara who has been put in charge of bringing this mysterious gang to justice. It's around this time that Janos quite literally bumps into a sweet blind woman named Helen. The two strike up first a friendship and then a romance.
Just when you think Janos' American dream is about to get back on track...things go horribly awry.
This was an interesting character study and noir that should be on all film noir fan's list. Peter Lorre puts on a tour de force as Janos and really engages the viewer in his character's plight. Enjoyable and a recommendation from me. It was a great story tool to have him meet a lovely blind woman.
Whistle Stop (1946)
Jealousy, robbery, murder and a frame-up follow Ava Gardner back to her little whistle stop town when she runs out of money in Chicago.
Ava Gardner (Mary) is lovely in this film as she returns home to her small whistle stop town broke but still stirring up trouble between her two former beaus...the debonair club owning Lew Lentz (Tom Conway) and the two-bit loafing gambler Kenny Veech (George Raft). Thanks to some expensive gifts the sparks fly between Kenny and Mary. Sparks also fly between Lew and Kenny as the two compete for Mary's affections in the darkest love triangle I have seen in awhile. These three don't have a monopoly on jealousy either there is also a local waitress named Fran played by the lovely Jorja Curtright.
There is a lovely record "once again" thrown in to tug on the heartstrings as Mary and Kenny are forced to cohabit with their conbined families in Mary's house that she is in town to sell. Ava never looked lovelier than she does with her hair brushed out in her white satin dressing gown.
"There are some things a guy don't give up on without a fight."-Kenny
Passionate kisses and jealous fights abound in this noir that has a town Fair and an interesting murder with a frame-up. Worthwhile and a recommendation from me for noir fans...and fans of Ava Gardner.
Portrait of Jennie (1948)
This is a beautiful, haunting, romantic film that really pulls on your heartstrings.
Starving depression era artist Eben Adams meets a young enigmatic girl named Jennie skating in the park. He continues to have encounters with this young lady as she grows up. Jennie even asks him to wait for her, because she plans to marry him when she grows up. This hauntingly lovely girl becomes the painter's muse and he not only begins to make money selling his paintings but paints a lovely portrait of Jennie...giving the film it's title.
"I know we were meant to be together. The strands of our lives are woven together and neither the world nor time can tear them apart."-Jennie
Based on a book by Robert Nathan, this is an imaginatively creative story. I think romantics and classic film fans will adore this story in large part due to Jennifer Jones who plays Jennie Appleton. Joseph Cotton is good and surprisingly believable as the artist Eben, but Jennifer Jones is great as this breezy dreamy kid. The other actor that was a real stand out for me was Ethel Barrymore as the ever understanding and romantic spinster art dealer Miss Spinney. Strong recommendation from me...this is a film whose uniqueness should put it on every classic film fans "must watch" list. It is a romantic fantasy, but really is in kind of a category all it's own.
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)
A childhood crime comes back to haunt those involved years later...phenomenal noir acting.
This is an interesting noir that is told in two time frames which are connected only by a handful of characters at the center of which is Martha Ivers, Sam Masterson, and Walter O'Neil. Martha is an orphan taken in by her cruel, severe, and wealthy aunt as a child. She is determined to run away but gets caught on her first attempt. In a fit of rage after her aunt kills her beloved cat, Martha pushes her aunt who subsequently falls down the stairs to her death. Her friend, son of her aunt's lawyer, Walter sees what happened but helps Martha tell a lie that the aunt fell on her own.
Fast forward to current times when a grown Sam Masterson gets a flat tire just outside of town and is forced to set foot in the childhood home that he ran away from all those years ago on the fateful night that Martha killed her aunt. Walter O'Neil is now in public office and married to Martha who has grown her aunt's substantial wealth tremendously. This becomes a meet up of childhood friends...only Walter and Martha both believe Sam is in town not by pure coincidence, or to catch up...but to extort them for money because they think he knows the truth. This begins a strange dance between the three former friends. Enter into the mix a recently paroled young lady played by Lizabeth Scott named Toni.
This is a bigger production than most film noirs...but a noir it is. It still has gritty characters, a great mol, and exceptional noir cinematography. Barbara Stanwyck is one of my favorite actresses, but her role in this film is really smaller than I expected. It is really Van Heflin's film. Kirk Douglas gets something in the middle as far as screen time goes as Walter O'Neil...but again it is Van Heflin's show and his chemistry with Lizabeth Scott sizzles.
This is a recommendation from me for film noir fans.
The Window (1949)
I really felt for the young Tommy, an exuberant child who was full of imaginative stories until he sees something he shouldn't in the ultimate "boy who cry's wolf"-like story.
Nine year old Tommy is played wonderfully by the child star Bobby Driscoll. At the start of this film he is a lively, exuberant child playing with his neighborhood friends in an abandoned and boarded up building in their New York neighborhood. Tommy's imaginative storytelling becomes infamous enough that when he sees their upstairs neighbors murder a man, no one believes him...not his loving mother played by the lovely Barbara Hale nor his night shift working father played by Arthur Kennedy. The tension ramps up at every turn as Tommy is desperate to convince everyone of the truth and then as he is scared and trying to avoid the neighbors who he knows to be murderers!
This is an amazingly well acted and filmed noir thriller that I highly recommend to film noir fans. The cinematography and New York City scenes make this particularly worth the watch. Paul Stewart and Ruth Roman play the scheming and murderous neighbors. The story is told from Tommy's perspective which only adds to the tension and fear you experience as you follow Tommy desperate to do the right thing. My favorite line is when Tommy confirms with his mom that his Dad doesn't want him to tell a lie and then tells her that he can't say what she wants...because that would be a lie.
You Were Never Lovelier (1942)
Fred Astaire is fabulous and Rita Hayworth is lovely in this South American romantic comedy featuring a ire Cugat and his legendary orchestra.
"You're as beautiful as ever, my dear, it just takes longer now."- Eduardo Acuña
This musical romantic comedy is packed with talent beyond Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire. It stars the incomparable Adolphe Menjou, Isobel Elsom, Gus Schilling, Leslie Brooks, Adele Mara, Barbara Brown and the amazing music of Xavier Cugat. The music was written by the team of Jerome Kern and my favorite lyricist Johnny Mercer. There are multiple numbers that will have you tapping your toes as well as the sweetly and sweepingly romantic number "I'm Old Fashioned", danced and sung by our two stars. (Well, Rita's part is dubbed by Nan Wynn.) I didn't know Rita Hayworth could dance...so this was a revelation to me. Apparently not only can she dance but she was born into a family of famous dancers, the Cansinos. The first pairing with Fred Astaire in the film You'll Never Get Rich is in fact what made her a star and Fred Astaire will go on to say that Rita Hayworth was his favorite on-screen dancing partner. He also dubbed her the first natural dancer he worked with since his sister.
The story follows New York's darling dancer Robert Davis (Fred Astaire) as he takes a vacation in Buenos Aires where he looses his money gambling at the horse track and tries to get a job with Eduardo Acuña at his hotel. The first obstacle is that he can't even get Mr. Acuña to see him because he is busy with one of his daughters' wedding. Robert does however run into a friend of his, the orchestra leader Xavier Cugat, who agrees to help him win over Acuña. This ends up being an utter failure and ends in an angry and somewhat forced audition in Acuña's office. Then there is Acuña's next oldest daughter who must marry before the younger two, Maria Acuña played by Rita Hayworth. Mr. Acuña comes up with an idea to send romantic notes to his daughter from an anonymous suitor who she, mistakes for Robert Davis. Thus leads to a great misunderstanding as these two eventually fall in love.
A large portion of the comedy is provided by the actor Gus Schilling, who plays Acuña's much abused secretary and nephew Fernando. The sets are lush and lavish as are the costumes...my personal favorite is Rita's white lace dress for the final scene. I really enjoyed some of the international costumes worn during a costume or "fancy dress" party thrown for the Acuña's anniversary.
Lovely musical that I had never heard of or seen and I highly recommend it to both musical fans and classic film fans alike. Rita was refreshing in this role and I thoroughly enjoyed her dancing!
Fitzwilly (1967)
Dick Van Dyke plays a larcenous butler in this uproarious comedy involving an oblivious blue blood and her well meaning staff, who get pretty creative keeping her in the life.
I am able to separate now from then, and in doing so appreciated this film for the comedy it is. Dick Van Dyk plays Claude R. Fitzwilliam aka Fitzwilly, the beloved butler to a true New York blue blood the elderly Victoria Woodworth. The problem is "Miss Vicki" has gone through her inheritance from her father long ago and Fitzwilly, with the help of the rest of the staff, is pulling off some very creative cons in order to keep her in the life she is accustomed to...including covering all of her random donations to charities that tend to be very generous.
The staff has quite a few elaborate scams being directed by Fitzwilly, most of which involve robbing the rich or the large department store Gimbal's. I am not sure that I approve of the cons...I appreciate the sentiment of wanting to protect a sweet old lady, but I do not approve of stealing from others so this one oblivious uber-rich lady can continue to live a lavish lifestyle.
The comedy really involves all of the balls that Fitzwilly is juggling to keep all of these cons in play. Loaded with wild shenanigans the cast is what truly makes this film. There are so many wonderful comedic and character actors...John McGiver, Norman Fell, a young Sam Waterson...and the list goes on. Edith Evan's is a true scene stealer as Miss Vicki, she makes it hard not to absolutely be charmed by her.
This crazy scheme comes under threat when Miss Vicki hires an outsider played by Barbara Feldon, to be her secretary and help her write her dictionary for people who can't spell. Juliet requires some interesting handling, but eventually becomes wise to the scams going on around her.
I think fans of Dick Van Dyke will love this film and if taken not too seriously it is a hoot, slapstick at it's finest.
Compulsion (1959)
Orson Welles' character makes a compelling argument against capital punishment for two of the most unremorseful child murderers seen in real life.
I kept waiting and waiting for Orson Wells to show up...which he doesn't do till the last third of this film, which means you spend a lot of time with these two young college students Artie Strauss and Judd Steiner. They set up their dynamic with Judd being intellectually arrogant, but lacking in social skills and Artie being the more skilled social navigator and the dominant in their relationship. Both boys have a certain amount of arrogance and they lack any other friends. The two bond...kind of over their disdain for others and attempt the perfect crime a kidnapping and murder of of a local boy named Pauline Kessler. A fellow law student and scholarship classmate named Sid Brooks is the one who really throws a monkey wrench in their plans and makes a deduction that gets the two killers caught. Artie and Judd both come from extremely wealthy families...which may be part of the problem as they lack empathy for others. Their families eventually hire the famous lawyer Jonathan Wilk who makes a very compelling argument against the death penalty.
The film is a take on the real Leopold-Leob murder case from 1924 Chicago...they thought they had superior intellect which enabled and entitled them to carry out the perfect crime. Real life lawyer Clarence Darrow gave a 12 hour summation at the hearing primarily about capital punishment being retributive vs transformative. The two boys did go to prison life plus 99 years...Leob was murdered in prison by a fellow inmate, but Leopold was released on parole, went on to marry and become a teacher.
This is a sad and disturbing film that just left me feeling uneasy about mankind in general. I can recommend this as a watch for anyone interested in our legal system here in the United States...no matter what side you agree with. Unsettling.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
A thoroughly forgettable film with a terrible ending.
I read the original trilogy of books and enjoyed them for what they were and also enjoyed the original films in the same light...but this film felt wholly unnecessary. It was unremarkable and didn't add anything to the story. This follows the son of a general from an aristocratic family in "the capitol" as he is assigned to mentor a tribute in the current games. We meet the game maker Dr. Gaul, who is probably the most interesting character in this film...in all of her vile evilness. She is played well by Viola Davis, who made quite the vivid and unsettling character in this highly forgettable film.
Not a recommendation from me...just stick to the original films.
A Gentleman in Moscow (2024)
The Bolshevik Revolution is taking place all while an aristocrat builds a family inside the insulation of a luxurious hotel in this beautifully and romantically told story.
I absolutely love author Amor Towles. His novel "Rules of Civility" is in my top 25 books of all time...I like it so much I always have a spare copy to loan out. Having said that, I was eager to see this series based on his novel of the same name.
At it's heart, this is a well told story of the gentleman Alexander Rostov, who unlike his fellow aristocrats who were put to death is sentenced to live out his life inside the luxurious Metropol Hotel while the Bolshevik Revolution is going on all around him in 1922. Moved to a less desirable accommodation with just what he could carry, it was beautiful to watch this educated man take everything not only in stride, but with a positive attitude. This attitude of not letting them know that they have beaten you Carrie's through the entire series. He meets a young outspoken hotel guest named Nina, who as a young girl is fascinated by the lives of real life princesses. The two become fast friends. Nina isn't the only friend Alexander makes in the hotel, he meets an aging actress named Anna who he has a long term romantic entanglement with and he finds deep and profound friendships with a diverse core of the staff who work at the hotel for decades.
Through this forced imprisonment he is watched by the secret police leader, Osip Glebnikov, who has a very interesting character development throughout the series and by a hotel employee named Bishop who has powerful party connections and who doesn't have any character development as he moves from assistant manager to manager.
The series is filled with love, friendship, drama, heartache, patriotism, loss, and history. It's told in an interesting fashion through lots of visuals...like we don't see the slow modernization of the hotel and our attention isn't drawn to its wear as this once luxurious hotel starts to have slightly shabby edges, but they are there in a decidedly smart and subtle way. Ewan McGregor is phenomenal as Alexander and Johnny Harris played a compelling Osip. This is such a beautiful series all around that I highly recommend it. I also just recommend Amor Towles writing in general and Rules of Civility specifically. Each character shown and what was created was a delightful family somewhat insulated inside a hotel away from the revolution.
Players (2024)
Lots of New York color in this sports and guy-centric comedy that has a pleasantly romantic ending.
This started out terrible...in fact the premise is pretty disgusting, a group of friends who help each other get meaningless one night stands in New York. The problem is they are getting older and when the lone female in their group decides that she wants to turn a former one night stand into a relationship, defined by him offering her a drawer at his apartment, the team joins together to make and then run a play. This is all similar to their shenanigans to obtain a one night stand.
I love Tom Ellis and for me Gina Rodriguez is a bit of a revelation in this film. She was personable, adorable, and when she wasn't being disgusting with the boys she was delightful. The best part of this film is the ending which was surprisingly touching. I think fellow romantics will also enjoy the ending...but I can't recommend the film to them because of the rest of the film.
A Nice Girl Like You (2020)
Go see Lucy Hale in The Hating Game it is wonderful..this is not.
I love Lucy Hale, but I thought this was a premise that started well and then just devolved into a film I wouldn't recommend to anyone. I enjoyed seeing The Facts of Life Actress Mindy Cohn, who played the plucky best friend and colleague Pricilla.
Lucy is a violinist, who gets caught working on her shopping list while her boyfriend is making love to her. The two breakup after a big blowup fight in which she discovers he watches porn and he accuses her of being too inhibited. Lucy then decides to make a sexual discovery "to do" list...during the completion of which she meets the handsome Grant. What starts out as kind of a funny premise becomes a downhill slide into ridiculous and unenjoyable. I wish I could say differently, because I just love Lucy Hale, but this one was a miss for me and not on my recommended list.
Trapped (1949)
Lloyd Bridges leads the Secret Service around in this counterfeit crime noir.
This film begins like a mini documentary on the making of American currency, including how counterfeit money is caught. We follow one such counterfeit bill to the Secret Service, where they identify it coming from an arrested counterfeiter, Stewart. When they arrested him they didn't get the plates and they try to make a deal with him to fake a prison transfer breakout in order to reconnect with his old crew, for the Secret Service to get the counterfeit plates back. Everything seems to be going well, except it seems that Stewart might be planning a double cross.
Tris Stewart is played exceptionally by Lloyd Bridges and the film has what a lot of noirs lack...that sense of urgency in this dash to out maneuver the Secret Service. Barbara Payton is lovely both in and out of her Chesterfield cigarette girl costume as Meg Dixon, Tris' old girlfriend.
"I know Hackett's record. Every night he went home and robbed his mother."
"This isn't exactly a social call."-Tris
When he finds out his partner sold the plates and gambled away all of the money, Tris' day goes from bad to worse. What he doesn't know is the secret service has been one step ahead of him the whole time. So when Tris decides to rob the safe at the club where his girl works...the Secret Service has to devise a plan to keep him from getting caught. Still desperate to get their hands on the counterfeit plates they are in this till the end.
Fairly straightforward crime noir and one that noir fans will appreciate especially since it pairs Lloyd Bridges and Barbara Payton.
Fear in the Night (1946)
This is an interesting psychological noir...that creates quite the mystery for the watcher and Cliff to solve.
This is an interesting and unusual film noir that should be on every film noir fan's "must watch" list. The cinematic effects used for a nightmare, in which our protagonist thinks he remembers a murder in a room filled with mirrors, lends itself to this disorienting psychological thriller...and physiological it is.
Poor bank teller Vince wakes from a nightmare in which he kills someone. He calls in sick to work and after a day spent trying to piece the nightmare together he seeks his brother-in-law police detective Cliff out to get him to help explain the unexplainable...because not only does he wake up with a key and blood on his wrist. Cliff tries to blow it off as Vince has been overworking. He places an ad in the newspaper in order to find the house in his nightmare.
On a relaxing picnic outing with his sister, brother-in-law, and sweetheart Betty...he finds the house with the mirrored room in Solanda Canyon...with serious deja vu they enter the home with Cliff noticing that Vince knows more than he should about the house. There's no longer a body locked in the room Vince left him in, but Cliff is now convinced due to some blood left in the room that Vince is a murderer and has been yanking his chain about the dream.
This psychological noir creates an interesting mystery that is solved by a tenacious soul who finally puts all the details together.
You Can't Take It with You (1938)
This is the craziest screwball comedy as a house full of freethinking artists meets high society's big business.
Lionel Barrymore is the patriarch of this decidedly eccentric household. His daughter Penny is currently a want to be a playwrite with a typewriter and a kitten for a paperweight. Her husband and his partner are making fireworks in the basement. One of his granddaughters is a want to be dancer who makes candy on the side and her husband is a drummer who makes gag devices for fun and sells and delivers the candy boxes. There is a pet raven, a home sweet home sign that is continually falling, a bell to call everyone for news like a town crier, test explosions going off regularly....and tons of the most ridiculous dialogue you have ever heard. His other granddaughter, Alice, appears to be the most "normal" of the bunch. She is currently working at a bank where the youngest bank vice-president (and son of the owner aka Tony Kirby) has set his sights on her. The plot is one of romance...but there is an even bigger David vs The Goliath story, which masquerades as a lesson about how money doesn't bring you happiness.
There is some phenomenal acting in this film and it really is Frank Capra at his best. The pairing of Jean Arthur as Alice and James Stewart as Tony is absolute screen gold. These two have amazing chemistry with one another and they are just the sweetest pairing ever. But don't make a mistake...this is Lionel Barrymore's show and he puts on a clinic as Martin Vaderhof. I loved everything from his sweet conversation about love and his wife with his granddaughter, to rationalizing not paying taxes with a gentleman from the IRS, to rallying the neighborhood and refusing to sell his properly. Even his dinner prayer is worth a listen!
Fans of screwball comedy should most definitely watch this as should fans of classic film, Frank Capra, Jean Arthur, Jimmy Stewart, Edward Arnold, and Lionel Barrymore. Donald Meek plays a particularly delightful want to be toy maker...and I found Spring Byington utterly delightful as the slightly flighty mom.
If I haven't said this before...Jean Arthur is as lovely as she is sweet.
"That family of yours. Boy, they knocked me for a loop. I don't know it just seems like in their own way they've found what everybody's looking for. People spend their whole lives building castles in the air and then nothing ever comes of it. I wonder why that is? While it takes courage, everybody's afraid to live."-Tony
"You ought to hear grandpa on that subject. You know he says most people these days are run by fear. Fear of what they eat, fear of what they drink, fear of their jobs, their future, their health. They are scared to save money and scared to spend it. You know what his pet aversion is? People who commercialize on fear. They scare you to death so they can sell you something you don't need.... He kind of taught all of us not to be afraid of anything, to do what we want to do. Well, it's kind of fun anyway."-Alice.
Invitación a un asesinato (2023)
A lighter mystery for fans of Glass Onion ilk.
Gorgeous remote seaside backdrop for a film that is Similar to Glass Onion and Then Then There Were None, but lighter and Mexican. The acting was decent and I think cosy mystery fans and hardcore fans of Glass Onion might like this.
The story follows true crime podcaster Agatha as she is invited with five other acquaintances to an evening at her half-sister's seaside estate. On the first evening her sister, Olivia, plummets to her death while they are all onboard for a dinner and overnight at her bequest. Olivia is an eccentric millionaire and at the dinner she announced someone was going to be murdered, Agatha just didn't believe it would be her sister. Now Agatha along with a rookie cop is determined to solve her murder...luckily all the suspects are trapped at their seaside location.
I loved the secret doors and the revelations about their past...along with some decent detective work, but this is definitely on the lighter side of sleuthing.
My review is based on watching this film in it's original Spanish language with English subtitles.
The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
There is not enough kindness in the world or so ends this mysterious international crime drama.
Lie, cheat, steal and kill...that is the charming international criminal named Dimitrios' M. O. No government ever caught Dimitrios, so there is no photo in his dossier, but he is well known in Athens, Sophia, Belgrade, Paris and Istanbul. He was thought to have been murdered by stabbing and his body washed ashore in Istanbul 1938. This is where we join the story with the famous Dutch mystery writer and former University of Amsterdam professor of economics, Cornelius Leyden. When approached by an admirer of his writings, Leyden confesses to an interest in the macabre as he has never seen a dead body and he is invited to see Demitrios'.
Thus begins a fascinating mystery as we uncover Dimitrios' depraved life, through stories told by others. C. Leyden traces Demitrios' trail from Athens to Sophia to Geneva and beyond. His search takes him to a jaded entertainer in a club in Sophia where a belly dancer is performing while smoking a cigarette in front of a giant gong...he meets a gentleman who is a master spy and has two Siamese cats named after the lovers Eloise and Abelard, he keeps bumping in to a peculiar man who he shares a train car with and ends up in Paris to "An oasis in a desert of discomfort" where he finally unravels the mystery that is Dimitrios.
I loved the international backdrop of this story and the acting was definitely top shelf. The one area where I really had to suspend my belief was in the casting of the diminutive Peter Lorre (aka László Löwenstein) as a Dutch mystery writer. The only saving grace is that he is a phenomenal actor, just not believable as a Dutchman. Fun with lots of twists, this is one of those noirs that should be on every film noir fan's list. Definitely a recommendation and I got a big kick out of the belly dance number in the smoky Sophia club.
Kiss of Death (1947)
There is something compelling about family man and loving father Victor Mature.
Victor Mature plays Nick Bianco, who tries to go straight and have a family life...but instead runs into the problem of a lot of former criminals, who are passed over for jobs because of their criminal background. It's Christmas and with two young daughters counting on Nick to put presents under the tree, Nick pulls a jewelry store robbery with his old gang. Unfortunately, Nick is shot and subsequently caught and arrested in the process. At the time of his arrest the prosecuting attorney applies a lot of pressure to Nick trying to get him to turn on the rest of the gang...using his family as leverage. Secure that his fellow crew members are taking care of his family, Nick refuses to squeal...until his wife commits suicide and his daughters end up in the orphanage.
Just when Nick remarries a sweet girl named Nettie and is creating a lovely family with his girls...the jury comes back and this heartless criminal Tommy Udo is let loose back into society with a taste for revenge on Nick.
There are some wonderful performances all around. I did find Richard Widmark's portal of Tommy Uno to grate on my nerves with his obnoxious laugh, anxious behavior and vile smile. Colleen Gray was a lovely surprise as Nettie and both Brian Donlevy and Karl Malden put in solid performances on the right side of the law. This crime noir is heavy on the snitch storyline but should make noir fans' watch list. This is definitely Victor Mature's film and he is oddly compelling as this reformed family man.
This Woman Is Dangerous (1952)
Pour yourself a Sazerac and settle in for this Joan Crawford crime melodrama.
Joan Crawford plays a strong women and the brains of a criminal gang consisting of two brothers and one of their wives. After consulting a doctor about her headaches and given the bad news that she could go blind within the week if she doesn't have this specialty surgery, she moves up their planned heist job. The job is to rob an illegal gambling house that Joan has been frequenting in the process of staking it out. The older brother, Matt, is a bit of a violent and jealous hot head...which ultimately creates problems for everyone including Joan Crawford's character Beth. Beth leaves to have surgery with a specialist...and the separation allows for a lot of things. Her surgeon Dr. Ben Halleck, is not only handsome but good and kind. The two develop a kind of romance and it looks like she might be able to get out of the life and go straight...until the Louisiana police and Matt interfere.
Joan Crawford is wonderful in this film. There is so much ground covered in this film clubs, restaurants, trailer parks, women's prison, hospitals...this film required a lot of extras, who were wonderful. The real scene stealer however is the good doctor Ben Halleck, played by Dennis Morgan and his adorable daughter Susan, Sherry Jackson. Very dramatic with a noir like story, Joan Crawford fans will be thrilled. This isn't Mildred Pierce, but it's still pretty good.
The Letter (1940)
Bette Davis plays the ultimate in despicable characters as the coldest murderess on screen Leslie Crosby.
This film starts with the most callous murder I have ever seen on screen as this woman steps out of a plantation home where she keeps firing a gun over and over at this man who tumbles down the stairs...clearly dead long before she stops firing. She has this cold completely uncaring countenance as she coolly returns to inside.
Eventually, people come running and everyone treats her with a level of deference that she clearly doesn't deserve. We learn she is the wife of a Malayan rubber plantation administrator and named Leslie Crosbie, played by Bette Davis. What acts for authority takes Leslie to Singapore where the attorney general determines that she must sit for a trial. And just when her lawyer is confident of their success...as the title implies word of a letter comes up as he is approached by a representative of the victim's widow, a local woman who is in possession of an incriminating letter from Leslie to the deceased.
This is a beautiful film and surprisingly suspenseful as it builds up to it's shocking conclusion. I felt terrible for the husband Robert, played by Herbert Marshall. He is so delightfully positive it was difficult to watch. Beautiful cinematography and interesting for its setting alone, this is a must see for Bette Davis fans and fans of crime noir.
The Man Who Watched Trains Go By (1952)
Decent early 50's crime drama with some disappointing casting.
I was really disappointed to see that no effort was made to cast the Dutch roles in this film with convincing Dutchmen (or women). I am not sure why they thought anyone would believe that this predominately British Cast could pass as Dutch when then not only don't look the part, but don't sound the part either. That aside the story was about a by the book bookkeeper named Kees Popinga, who discovers that his boss (the owner of the company, Julius de Koster) has bankrupted the business and is going run with the rest of the money and his French mistress Michèle. When Kees confronts Julius, his boss has an accident and dies. Kees then takes the money and boards a train to France where he seeks out Julius' French mistress, who initially doesn't give him the time of day. All the while Kees is being followed and badgered by a Paris inspector named Lucas. When the inspector lets it slip that Kees has Julius' money, Michèle...who was only bilking Julius of his money for her real boyfriend the wastrel Louis, changes her tune about Kees Popinga...the mild mannered bookkeeper from Groningen.
I was irritated by the portrayal of the Dutch and the disdain shown by the French. I notice that they did use French speaking actors to play the French roles...making the lack of Dutch accents even more noticeable. To be honest, I am not the biggest Claude Rains fan and him playing the very non-Dutch Kees Popinga did not win me over. Slow moving, but great cinematography...I think train aficionados will enjoy this film. I preferred the title The Man Who Watched Trains to The Paris Express. I wish they had handled Groningen and the Dutch aspects of this film with more care and this really keeps it from being recommend in my book.
Screaming Mimi (1958)
Decent modern noir with some great performances by two lovely ladies.
The voluptuous Swedish bombshell Anita Ekberg is the draw in this late 50's psychological film noir. She went from winning Miss Sweden 1950 to playing Virginia aka the nightclub dancer Yolanda, who has an incredibly sexy and suggestive modern dance number in a club run by the tough and hardened Gypsy (played by the real Gypsy Rose Lee).
I will say her dance number (which appears in it's entirety twice) is worth seeing, and so is Gypsy Rose Lee's performance of "Put the Blame on Mame".
Now for the story...Virginia is attacked in the shower by a man wielding a knife, who is shot and killed in front of her. In the moment, her screams left such a huge impression on her step brother (or half brother) that he had to sculpt her in the moment. Thus the birth of the screaming Mimi statue. Meanwhile, Virginia seeks psychological help at a hospital where her treating physician falls in love with her. Fast forward to Virginia working as a dancer named Yolanda with her doctor, under a different name, playing her overprotective manager. It is then that a women ends up stabbed to death with a steaming Mimi statue left broken with her body. The handsome columnist Bill Sweeny becomes enchanted with Yolanda and is left to figure it all out.
The lure is the ladies, although the California coastline is also lovely. I think film noir fans will enjoy this slightly more modern noir. I loved Yolanda's massive dog Devil...in fact he man be my favorite character in the film!