One From the Heart (1982) - 5/10 - Hank and Frannie have been together for five years and their anniversary as a couple is the next day (which happens to be the Fourth of July). She wants adventure and to go to Bora-Bora. He is much more of a homebody. They have a fight and break up and spend their anniversary with somebody new - he with an attractive young circus performer and her with an attractive piano player. Long and slow ballads play throughout the film and I didn't really enjoy the music. The film is very stylized and that is interesting to a point, but the story itself is very thin and the dialogue isn't that great. Overall, it isn't a very good film, though if you like the music of Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle, you might enjoy the film more than I did.
Street Angel (1928) - 7.5/10 - Janet Gaynor stars as Angela, a young woman in Naples who is arrested for robbery and sentenced to the workhouse after trying to get money to buy medicine for her mother. She escapes and ends up falling in love with a painter (Charles Farrell), but her past eventually catches up with her. It wasn't as good as Seventh Heaven, but is still a pretty decent film.
Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Marksman (Robert Lorenz, 2021) 4/10
The screenplay sticks to a set formula seen in countless U.S. Border-Mexican Cartel actioners - the last one like this had Sylvester Stallone in "Rambo: Last Blood". A rancher and former marine (Liam Neeson), a widower down-on-his-luck, takes on the Mexican Cartel when he comes across a woman and her son illegally crossing the border. In a skirmish the woman is shot dead and he gets saddled with a bag full of money and the young boy. With the Cartel goons on their tail he tries to get the boy to Chicago where he has relatives. Liam Neeson is in his usual listless mode as he goes through the motions in yet another B-film which has nothing new to offer. Why are prominent Hollywood directors hell bent on ignoring this once A-list actor? Its time they make use of his talent and give him a prominent part in their films.
Special 26 (Neeraj Pandey, 2013) 7/10
Four crooks pose as CBI officers and raid the homes of corrupt Government officials and take off with their ill-gotten cash and jewelery. None of the officials wish to lodge a complaint or admit to the theft for fear of jeopardizing their political careers. The crooks plan their biggest raid for their 50th effort - robbing a high-end jewelery store - but are unaware that a wily CBI officer is hot on their trail. A witty script, taut direction and a twist ending make this a fun-filled heist flick. The actors are all superb led by a suave Akshay Kumar, thankfully underplayimg, as the leader of the bunch, the hilarious Anupam Kher as the aging nervous partner, Jimmy Sheirgil and Divya Dutta as two incompetent cops and Manoj Bajpaye as the intense CBI officer determined to catch his prey.
The White Tiger (Ramin Bahrani, 2021) 9/10
The epic journey of a poor village boy who leaves the shack he lives in with his extended family, gets employed as a chauffeur to a rich couple in the city and discovers he wants much more in life. A life of poverty followed by servitude till the day you die is what millions have to face in India. Indian author Aravind Adiga's Man Booker Prize winning novel adapted for the screen is a bitter examination of the Hindu religion, the damning caste system, corruption, loyalty and abject poverty in India. The story, in many ways, touches on aspects of Bong Joon-ho's Oscar winning film "Parasite", but goes much further as the protagonist, Balram (Adarsh Gourav), representing the voice of the frustrated and angry underclass, often speaks directly at the screen or we get to hear his thoughts out loud - "For the poor there are only two ways to get to the top, crime and politics". His employer is the younger son (Rajkumar Rao) of a rich and corrupt family who has recently returned from America with his wife (Priyanka Chopra). They are both good to him and appalled at the conditions in the country and the way the rich treat the poor. But during a drunken spree, which results in a hit-and-run, the family forces him to take the blame for the accident when it was his master's wife who caused the death of a child. Silently accepting his situation he starts closely observing the family's attempts at bribing important Government officials in order to avoid paying taxes. Unable to contain his growing frustration he decides to take a drastic step on his way to an independent and better life. The story also simultaneously explores the globalization of India via increased technology and the protagonist's ultimate desire to become a business entrepreneur to escape his poverty. The film ends with him emphatically announcing, "white people are on the way out...they'll be finished within our lifetime. It's the century of brown men and the yellow men, and God help everyone else". A thought to ponder over especially with the events of the past couple of years in America and what it means to be coloured amongst a white population. The winds of change and a shift is something that needs to happen. Grim, compelling drama full of bitter anger is extremely well acted, directed, edited and scored. Chopra, who is also a producer on the film, took on the brief but important role of the young wife in order to give the film clout for a Western audience. But the film belongs to Gourav who is absolutely spot-on in the part. On screen throughout he neatly balances the role playing his character with a combination of sympathy, black humour and wicked evil.
Alaska Seas (Jerry Hopper, 1954) 6/10
B-movie remake of the 1938 "Spawn of the North" has good action sequences and a love triangle plot. In 1924 salmon fishing is on the decline as fisherman have all but made the soecie extinct through years of trapping them and not allowing them to swim up to their breeding spots. Forced rationing results in crooked men stealing fish from government regulated fisheries. Joining a crook (Gene Barry) is an ambitious anything for a buck fisherman (Robert Ryan). He returns to Alaska to make a quick buck and reclaim his former girlfriend (Jan Sterling) who in his absence has now taken up with his best friend (Brian Keith). Despite the studio-bound sets this is an effective little actioner with good photography by William Mellor and an excellent trio of stars - a brooding Ryan, brawny good-guy Keith and Jan Sterling who underplays her usual sex bomb image. Old fashioned entertainer.
Huis-clos / No Exit (Jacqueline Audry, 1954) 9/10
Hell is an elevator ride to the depths of a building which opens up into a posh hotel lobby to which a group of people descend. So begins this existentialist story adapted from the one-act play by Jean-Paul Sartre depicting the afterlife. Three deceased characters find themselves confined as punishment to a room in hell for eternity. There is no fire or torture. It is the source of Sartre's famous phrase "L'enfer, c'est les autres" or "Hell is other people", whereby all three characters are trapped together and spend time tormenting each other. This is their fate in hell. Inés (Arletty) is a lesbian who makes a sexual play for Estelle (Gaby Sylvia), a murderer, and who in turn throws herself at Joseph (Franc Villard) who refuses to reciprocate her advances much to her anguish. Inés hates Joseph because he has come in between her longing for Estelle. The three bicker and torment each other as flashbacks transport the story away from its theatrical setting - in contrast to the confined setting of one room in which the three characters are trapped on stage - and reveal how all three ended up in hell. Joseph cheated on his wife, deserted from the army during WWII and was executed. Inéz is a manipulative sadist and seduced her cousin's wife (Danièle Delorme) which drove the man to suicide. Guilty over her affair, his wife asphyxiated herself and Inèz by flooding the room with gas while they slept. The married Estelle had an affair with a younger man and killed their child by throwing it over a hotel balcony into the sea below which prompted the man to kill himself. She is guilty of deceit, murder and the cause of a suicide. Despite these revelations the three continue to torment each other realizing their fate which is being condemned to the vicious taunts of each other until eternity. All three actors are at the top of their game, especially the memorable Arletty, cast against type in a rare lead role on screen. A huge movie star before and during the Occupation she ended up in prison right after the War on charges of treason for collaboration - she openly had an affair in Paris with a German officer during WWII. Her alleged comment about the infamous liaison was "My heart is French but my ass is international". Powerful, claustrophobic story was a great influence on many dramatists and in particular Harold Pinter whose sparse sets and characters hark back to this play.
The screenplay sticks to a set formula seen in countless U.S. Border-Mexican Cartel actioners - the last one like this had Sylvester Stallone in "Rambo: Last Blood". A rancher and former marine (Liam Neeson), a widower down-on-his-luck, takes on the Mexican Cartel when he comes across a woman and her son illegally crossing the border. In a skirmish the woman is shot dead and he gets saddled with a bag full of money and the young boy. With the Cartel goons on their tail he tries to get the boy to Chicago where he has relatives. Liam Neeson is in his usual listless mode as he goes through the motions in yet another B-film which has nothing new to offer. Why are prominent Hollywood directors hell bent on ignoring this once A-list actor? Its time they make use of his talent and give him a prominent part in their films.
Special 26 (Neeraj Pandey, 2013) 7/10
Four crooks pose as CBI officers and raid the homes of corrupt Government officials and take off with their ill-gotten cash and jewelery. None of the officials wish to lodge a complaint or admit to the theft for fear of jeopardizing their political careers. The crooks plan their biggest raid for their 50th effort - robbing a high-end jewelery store - but are unaware that a wily CBI officer is hot on their trail. A witty script, taut direction and a twist ending make this a fun-filled heist flick. The actors are all superb led by a suave Akshay Kumar, thankfully underplayimg, as the leader of the bunch, the hilarious Anupam Kher as the aging nervous partner, Jimmy Sheirgil and Divya Dutta as two incompetent cops and Manoj Bajpaye as the intense CBI officer determined to catch his prey.
The White Tiger (Ramin Bahrani, 2021) 9/10
The epic journey of a poor village boy who leaves the shack he lives in with his extended family, gets employed as a chauffeur to a rich couple in the city and discovers he wants much more in life. A life of poverty followed by servitude till the day you die is what millions have to face in India. Indian author Aravind Adiga's Man Booker Prize winning novel adapted for the screen is a bitter examination of the Hindu religion, the damning caste system, corruption, loyalty and abject poverty in India. The story, in many ways, touches on aspects of Bong Joon-ho's Oscar winning film "Parasite", but goes much further as the protagonist, Balram (Adarsh Gourav), representing the voice of the frustrated and angry underclass, often speaks directly at the screen or we get to hear his thoughts out loud - "For the poor there are only two ways to get to the top, crime and politics". His employer is the younger son (Rajkumar Rao) of a rich and corrupt family who has recently returned from America with his wife (Priyanka Chopra). They are both good to him and appalled at the conditions in the country and the way the rich treat the poor. But during a drunken spree, which results in a hit-and-run, the family forces him to take the blame for the accident when it was his master's wife who caused the death of a child. Silently accepting his situation he starts closely observing the family's attempts at bribing important Government officials in order to avoid paying taxes. Unable to contain his growing frustration he decides to take a drastic step on his way to an independent and better life. The story also simultaneously explores the globalization of India via increased technology and the protagonist's ultimate desire to become a business entrepreneur to escape his poverty. The film ends with him emphatically announcing, "white people are on the way out...they'll be finished within our lifetime. It's the century of brown men and the yellow men, and God help everyone else". A thought to ponder over especially with the events of the past couple of years in America and what it means to be coloured amongst a white population. The winds of change and a shift is something that needs to happen. Grim, compelling drama full of bitter anger is extremely well acted, directed, edited and scored. Chopra, who is also a producer on the film, took on the brief but important role of the young wife in order to give the film clout for a Western audience. But the film belongs to Gourav who is absolutely spot-on in the part. On screen throughout he neatly balances the role playing his character with a combination of sympathy, black humour and wicked evil.
Alaska Seas (Jerry Hopper, 1954) 6/10
B-movie remake of the 1938 "Spawn of the North" has good action sequences and a love triangle plot. In 1924 salmon fishing is on the decline as fisherman have all but made the soecie extinct through years of trapping them and not allowing them to swim up to their breeding spots. Forced rationing results in crooked men stealing fish from government regulated fisheries. Joining a crook (Gene Barry) is an ambitious anything for a buck fisherman (Robert Ryan). He returns to Alaska to make a quick buck and reclaim his former girlfriend (Jan Sterling) who in his absence has now taken up with his best friend (Brian Keith). Despite the studio-bound sets this is an effective little actioner with good photography by William Mellor and an excellent trio of stars - a brooding Ryan, brawny good-guy Keith and Jan Sterling who underplays her usual sex bomb image. Old fashioned entertainer.
Huis-clos / No Exit (Jacqueline Audry, 1954) 9/10
Hell is an elevator ride to the depths of a building which opens up into a posh hotel lobby to which a group of people descend. So begins this existentialist story adapted from the one-act play by Jean-Paul Sartre depicting the afterlife. Three deceased characters find themselves confined as punishment to a room in hell for eternity. There is no fire or torture. It is the source of Sartre's famous phrase "L'enfer, c'est les autres" or "Hell is other people", whereby all three characters are trapped together and spend time tormenting each other. This is their fate in hell. Inés (Arletty) is a lesbian who makes a sexual play for Estelle (Gaby Sylvia), a murderer, and who in turn throws herself at Joseph (Franc Villard) who refuses to reciprocate her advances much to her anguish. Inés hates Joseph because he has come in between her longing for Estelle. The three bicker and torment each other as flashbacks transport the story away from its theatrical setting - in contrast to the confined setting of one room in which the three characters are trapped on stage - and reveal how all three ended up in hell. Joseph cheated on his wife, deserted from the army during WWII and was executed. Inéz is a manipulative sadist and seduced her cousin's wife (Danièle Delorme) which drove the man to suicide. Guilty over her affair, his wife asphyxiated herself and Inèz by flooding the room with gas while they slept. The married Estelle had an affair with a younger man and killed their child by throwing it over a hotel balcony into the sea below which prompted the man to kill himself. She is guilty of deceit, murder and the cause of a suicide. Despite these revelations the three continue to torment each other realizing their fate which is being condemned to the vicious taunts of each other until eternity. All three actors are at the top of their game, especially the memorable Arletty, cast against type in a rare lead role on screen. A huge movie star before and during the Occupation she ended up in prison right after the War on charges of treason for collaboration - she openly had an affair in Paris with a German officer during WWII. Her alleged comment about the infamous liaison was "My heart is French but my ass is international". Powerful, claustrophobic story was a great influence on many dramatists and in particular Harold Pinter whose sparse sets and characters hark back to this play.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943) - 8/10 - Deanna Durbin stars as a young woman who taught in a missionary school in China alongside her parents and uncle until the Japanese invasion caused them to flee. She manages to get to San Francisco with eight orphan children and does what is necessary to get them into the country. The parts before the arrival in the United States are told in flashback. I thought that this was a very entertaining film and Durbin is very good in a more dramatic role than in many of her previous films. The studio insisted on adding in a number of songs, but many of them involve her singing to the children so the songs fit in fairly well.
Midnight Lace (1960) - 7/10 - Kit Preston (Doris Day) is an heiress who has been married to a British businessman (Rex Harrison) for three months. Her Aunt Bea (Myrna Loy) is coming to visit them in London. Kit hears a mysterious voice in the fog on her way home one night that tells her she is going to die. She starts receiving threatening phone calls from the same person, but the police and others seem to suspect that she is losing her sanity. It was an okay thriller.
The Damned (1969) - 8/10 - The movie starts on the night of the Reichstag Fire in February 1933 and continues through The Night of the Long Knives and beyond. A wealthy German family that owns steel factories becomes more allied with the Nazi Party as time goes on. The patriarch of the family is opposed, but he is murdered early on and the vice president of the firm is framed and must flee. Other family members take control and each of them has issues - Konstantin with his homosexual proclivities, Martin with his child molesting and domineering mother, Sophie with her lover and hunger for power and control. It is an interesting film, though not always a comfortable one.
Seven Thieves (1960) - 8/10 - This heist film has a really nice cast and came out the same year as Ocean's 11. Edward G. Robinson is a disgraced American professor who brings his protege (Rod Steiger) over from America (after completing a 3 year prison sentence) to join a team that he has assembled to rob the vault of a Monte Carlo casino. An elaborate plot is hatched that involves timing and skill along with some misdirection. Joan Collins is the only female on the team and does a pretty good job here as well. I enjoyed the film quite a bit. It can be a bit slow at times as the team does their preparations, but overall I think that the film is well acted and plotted.
Tchaikovsky (1970) - 6/10 - This Russian biopic has a lot of good music as expected. However, I thought that the story lacked cohesion and jumped from scene to scene. We get a few minutes of his childhood and then jump to a middle aged (or close to it) Tchaikovsky. There were decent bits here and there, but overall it didn't quite mesh.
Divorce American Style (1967) - 7/10 - Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds are married with two boys, but they have grown apart after 17 years of marriage and seem headed for divorce. After meeting other people, though, they still have feelings for each other. I didn't like the first 20 minutes or so of the film with all of the arguing and the visit to the marriage counselor, but I thought it got better after that. Jason Robards and Jean Simmons were pretty good in this one in supporting roles.
Midnight Lace (1960) - 7/10 - Kit Preston (Doris Day) is an heiress who has been married to a British businessman (Rex Harrison) for three months. Her Aunt Bea (Myrna Loy) is coming to visit them in London. Kit hears a mysterious voice in the fog on her way home one night that tells her she is going to die. She starts receiving threatening phone calls from the same person, but the police and others seem to suspect that she is losing her sanity. It was an okay thriller.
The Damned (1969) - 8/10 - The movie starts on the night of the Reichstag Fire in February 1933 and continues through The Night of the Long Knives and beyond. A wealthy German family that owns steel factories becomes more allied with the Nazi Party as time goes on. The patriarch of the family is opposed, but he is murdered early on and the vice president of the firm is framed and must flee. Other family members take control and each of them has issues - Konstantin with his homosexual proclivities, Martin with his child molesting and domineering mother, Sophie with her lover and hunger for power and control. It is an interesting film, though not always a comfortable one.
Seven Thieves (1960) - 8/10 - This heist film has a really nice cast and came out the same year as Ocean's 11. Edward G. Robinson is a disgraced American professor who brings his protege (Rod Steiger) over from America (after completing a 3 year prison sentence) to join a team that he has assembled to rob the vault of a Monte Carlo casino. An elaborate plot is hatched that involves timing and skill along with some misdirection. Joan Collins is the only female on the team and does a pretty good job here as well. I enjoyed the film quite a bit. It can be a bit slow at times as the team does their preparations, but overall I think that the film is well acted and plotted.
Tchaikovsky (1970) - 6/10 - This Russian biopic has a lot of good music as expected. However, I thought that the story lacked cohesion and jumped from scene to scene. We get a few minutes of his childhood and then jump to a middle aged (or close to it) Tchaikovsky. There were decent bits here and there, but overall it didn't quite mesh.
Divorce American Style (1967) - 7/10 - Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds are married with two boys, but they have grown apart after 17 years of marriage and seem headed for divorce. After meeting other people, though, they still have feelings for each other. I didn't like the first 20 minutes or so of the film with all of the arguing and the visit to the marriage counselor, but I thought it got better after that. Jason Robards and Jean Simmons were pretty good in this one in supporting roles.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Uninvited (1944) - 8/10 - In 1937, Roderick Fitzgerald (Ray Milland) and his sister Pamela (Ruth Hussey) are on vacation and come across an abandoned mansion that they fall in love with. They look into purchasing the place and discover that it has a tragic past and may in fact be haunted. They go ahead and purchase the place and become involved with Stella Meredith (Gail Russell), the granddaughter of the former owner. Stella is attracted to the home she lived in until she was three, but her grandfather forbids her to visit it. I thought the movie was very good. They had pretty good effects and a good story as well.
Ugetsu (1953) - 9/10 - Genjuro is a farmer who also makes pottery. He lives in a small village in Japan with his wife Miyagi and young son Genichi. A civil war is raging and soldiers are near the village, causing the residents to flee. Tobei and Ohama are another couple in the village. Tobei desperately wishes to become a samurai, pursuing this to the detriment of his family. A trip to a city to sell pottery leads to misfortune for all involved. This movie features excellent acting and cinematography along with an entertaining story. The supernatural elements are also handled very well.
Dream Wife (1953) - 4/10 - Cary Grant plays a misogynistic businessman who is engaged to woman (Deborah Kerr) whose job at the State Department constantly takes precedence over their relationship. They break off their relationship and he decides to marry a princess from a small country that he met on a recent trip, but his former fiance ends up having to serve as a translator/chaperone. The movie is very dated, especially in some of the ideas of gender roles that the characters hold. There are a few funny bits, but a lot of the humor seems forced.
À nous la liberté (1931) - 7/10 - Two convicts attempt to escape, but only one succeeds. He manages to become the wealthy owner of a company that manufactures phonographs. Some time later, his former cellmate gets a job at his plant and recognizes his old friend, thus endangering the whole enterprise. This comedy is entertaining, though it definitely could have been better. The use of music and sound was pretty good.
Colonel Redl (1985) - 8/10 - Alfred Redl was a peasant boy who was born in what is now part of Ukraine, but was then part of Austria-Hungary. He was able to get into a military school and did well leading to his becoming an officer in the Austria-Hungarian army. He rose through the ranks and eventually became one of their chief intelligence officers. In the movie, he becomes ensnared in a plots by Archduke Franz Ferdinand that eventually lead to World War I, though in real life there doesn't appear to be any evidence that this was the case. Redl's homosexuality was something that others could hold against or hold over him when/if it was discovered. I thought this was a pretty good film with good performances, scenery, costumes, etc.
Ugetsu (1953) - 9/10 - Genjuro is a farmer who also makes pottery. He lives in a small village in Japan with his wife Miyagi and young son Genichi. A civil war is raging and soldiers are near the village, causing the residents to flee. Tobei and Ohama are another couple in the village. Tobei desperately wishes to become a samurai, pursuing this to the detriment of his family. A trip to a city to sell pottery leads to misfortune for all involved. This movie features excellent acting and cinematography along with an entertaining story. The supernatural elements are also handled very well.
Dream Wife (1953) - 4/10 - Cary Grant plays a misogynistic businessman who is engaged to woman (Deborah Kerr) whose job at the State Department constantly takes precedence over their relationship. They break off their relationship and he decides to marry a princess from a small country that he met on a recent trip, but his former fiance ends up having to serve as a translator/chaperone. The movie is very dated, especially in some of the ideas of gender roles that the characters hold. There are a few funny bits, but a lot of the humor seems forced.
À nous la liberté (1931) - 7/10 - Two convicts attempt to escape, but only one succeeds. He manages to become the wealthy owner of a company that manufactures phonographs. Some time later, his former cellmate gets a job at his plant and recognizes his old friend, thus endangering the whole enterprise. This comedy is entertaining, though it definitely could have been better. The use of music and sound was pretty good.
Colonel Redl (1985) - 8/10 - Alfred Redl was a peasant boy who was born in what is now part of Ukraine, but was then part of Austria-Hungary. He was able to get into a military school and did well leading to his becoming an officer in the Austria-Hungarian army. He rose through the ranks and eventually became one of their chief intelligence officers. In the movie, he becomes ensnared in a plots by Archduke Franz Ferdinand that eventually lead to World War I, though in real life there doesn't appear to be any evidence that this was the case. Redl's homosexuality was something that others could hold against or hold over him when/if it was discovered. I thought this was a pretty good film with good performances, scenery, costumes, etc.
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HarryGoldfarb
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Greek Chorus is amazing, I just loved it and even though it’s been ages since I last watched it, I remember most of its scenes. F. Murray Abraham is such an underused good actor.gunnar wrote: I found the Greek chorus to be amusing.
By the way, the “you’re such a Cassandra” exchange is absolutely hilarious.
Far from my favorite Allen film, but I love bits from it.
Last edited by HarryGoldfarb on Sun Jan 24, 2021 1:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
"If you place an object in a museum, does that make this object a piece of art?" - The Square (2017)
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Coming Home (Zhang Yimou, 2014) 8/10
Haunting drama about a family torn apart by the violent Cultural Revolution in the 1970s when Party officials and local police publicly humiliated and harassed people, seized property, tortured some and arbitrarily imprisoned others. A teenage daughter's (Zhang Huiwen) selfish ambition sets the tragedy in motion which results in a wife and mother (Gong Li) losing her professor husband (Chen Daoming) - first to the Red Guards and then to her own failing memory, as Alzheimer's sets in after decades of devotion and self-sacrifice. The tragedy that results is heartbreaking, dividing relatives and friends while the mother dedicates her life to waiting for her husband's return. The story is ultimately one of triumph of the human spirit and the endless love it is capable of as well as the phenomenal power of such love to emancipate and create beauty from the bleakest of circumstances.
What this film may lack in terms of visual flamboyance, it more than makes up for in telling its simple and direct story with a raw, emotional power that doesn't need lavish spectacle in order to get its point across. The film was a celebrated reunion between Zhang Yimou and his favourite actress and one-time partner Gong Li. The pair collaborated on six films between 1987 and 1995, before ending their relationship. They reunited only twice on films of which this one was their last together as a team.
Crime and Passion (Ivan Passer, 1976) 2/10
Utterly bizarre film is based on the potboiler "Ace Up My Sleeve" by James Hadley Chase. A Viennese financier (Omar Sharif), who has a habit of getting horny when he gets bad news, persuades his mistress and business partner (Karen Black) to marry their richest client (Bernhard Wicki) in return for a huge sum of investment by him in the Company. When his Board accuses him of embezzlement and an attempt is made on his life he seeks help from his married girlfriend who is involved in an affair with a young ski instructor (Joseph Bottoms). She suspects her voyeuristic husband of killing his four ex-wives and thinks he may be behind the murder attempts on her partner of which there are more but which he manages to avoid. Peculiar film gets more and more absurd with every major character turning out to be not who they seem. And then there is a huge suit of armor which also plays a ridiculous part in the plot. Sharif spends the entire film dodging murder attempts with a goofy gap-toothed grin on his face while Black's natural squint gets more and more of a workout. This film is absolute rubbish and gets one star for the Austrian Tyrol locations and another for Karen Black who is sexy because of that squint.
Haunting drama about a family torn apart by the violent Cultural Revolution in the 1970s when Party officials and local police publicly humiliated and harassed people, seized property, tortured some and arbitrarily imprisoned others. A teenage daughter's (Zhang Huiwen) selfish ambition sets the tragedy in motion which results in a wife and mother (Gong Li) losing her professor husband (Chen Daoming) - first to the Red Guards and then to her own failing memory, as Alzheimer's sets in after decades of devotion and self-sacrifice. The tragedy that results is heartbreaking, dividing relatives and friends while the mother dedicates her life to waiting for her husband's return. The story is ultimately one of triumph of the human spirit and the endless love it is capable of as well as the phenomenal power of such love to emancipate and create beauty from the bleakest of circumstances.
What this film may lack in terms of visual flamboyance, it more than makes up for in telling its simple and direct story with a raw, emotional power that doesn't need lavish spectacle in order to get its point across. The film was a celebrated reunion between Zhang Yimou and his favourite actress and one-time partner Gong Li. The pair collaborated on six films between 1987 and 1995, before ending their relationship. They reunited only twice on films of which this one was their last together as a team.
Crime and Passion (Ivan Passer, 1976) 2/10
Utterly bizarre film is based on the potboiler "Ace Up My Sleeve" by James Hadley Chase. A Viennese financier (Omar Sharif), who has a habit of getting horny when he gets bad news, persuades his mistress and business partner (Karen Black) to marry their richest client (Bernhard Wicki) in return for a huge sum of investment by him in the Company. When his Board accuses him of embezzlement and an attempt is made on his life he seeks help from his married girlfriend who is involved in an affair with a young ski instructor (Joseph Bottoms). She suspects her voyeuristic husband of killing his four ex-wives and thinks he may be behind the murder attempts on her partner of which there are more but which he manages to avoid. Peculiar film gets more and more absurd with every major character turning out to be not who they seem. And then there is a huge suit of armor which also plays a ridiculous part in the plot. Sharif spends the entire film dodging murder attempts with a goofy gap-toothed grin on his face while Black's natural squint gets more and more of a workout. This film is absolute rubbish and gets one star for the Austrian Tyrol locations and another for Karen Black who is sexy because of that squint.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Sensations of 1945 (1944) - 7/10 - This is one of those movies where there is a framing storyline that is mainly there to allow various performers to perform. I enjoyed Cab Calloway, Dorothy Donegan, the circus performers, and some of the other acts. W.C. Fields appears in his last movie before he passed away, but unfortunately it wasn't very good. I also wasn't that impressed with Eleanor Powell's pinball machine dance. The framing story was decent enough.
Mighty Aphrodite (1995) - 7/10 - Lenny Weinrib (Woody Allen) is an insecure New York sportswriter whose wife Amanda (Helena Bonham Carter) basically walks all over him. Amanda is working toward getting her own art gallery and talks Lenny into adopting a newborn boy. Their son Max is pretty bright and when he is about to enter school, Lenny decides to track down Max's biological mother, but discovers that Linda (Mira Sorvino) is actually a prostitute and porn star. I didn't really care for the first half hour or so of the film and found both Lenny and Amanda to be insufferable. However, after Linda came into the picture, I thought the movie got better and I was enjoying the film a lot more by the end. Mira Sorvino is pretty good and I found the Greek chorus to be amusing. I still wouldn't rate this as one of Allen's better films, but it isn't his worst either.
Mighty Aphrodite (1995) - 7/10 - Lenny Weinrib (Woody Allen) is an insecure New York sportswriter whose wife Amanda (Helena Bonham Carter) basically walks all over him. Amanda is working toward getting her own art gallery and talks Lenny into adopting a newborn boy. Their son Max is pretty bright and when he is about to enter school, Lenny decides to track down Max's biological mother, but discovers that Linda (Mira Sorvino) is actually a prostitute and porn star. I didn't really care for the first half hour or so of the film and found both Lenny and Amanda to be insufferable. However, after Linda came into the picture, I thought the movie got better and I was enjoying the film a lot more by the end. Mira Sorvino is pretty good and I found the Greek chorus to be amusing. I still wouldn't rate this as one of Allen's better films, but it isn't his worst either.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Train (John Frankenheimer, 1964) 10/10
Tautly directed action-packed WWII adventure film. Fact based story is loosely based on the non-fiction book "Le front de l'art" by Rose Valland. The author was a French museum curator who secretly kept a record of all works of art looted (from museums and private collections), placed in storage and shipped to Germany by the Nazis during the occupation of Paris. The screenplay, nominated for an Academy Award, follows the cat-and-mouse game played between an art-obsessed German Colonel (Paul Scofield), who plans to transport looted paintings (by Cezanne, Picasso, Monet, Gaugin, Renoir, Miro, Degas, Matisse, Utrillo, Braque) via train to Germany, and the wily station master and member of the French Resistance (Burt Lancaster) who does everything in his power to stop the artwork from reaching its proposed destination. Through a series of complex maneuverings - changing train tracks and names of stations - the Resistance members try to fool the Germans into believing the train is going to Germany when in fact they route it back to Paris after moving it in a circle. With the Allied Army about to enter Paris they keep trying to find different ways to delay the train much to the consternation of the Colonel. The astonishing camerawork, by Jean Tournier and Walter Wottitz, uses long tracking shots and wide-angle lenses, with deep focus photography. The superb special effects are designed to make the action scenes look authentic with Lancaster performing all his own stunts. The distinguished supporting cast play small but vivid roles - the great Michel Simon as a patriotic engine driver, Suzanne Flon as the museum curator who brings the art theft to the notice of the Resistance and Jeanne Moreau as a jaded but quick-witted innkeeper who helps Lancaster out of a tight spot. Paul Scofield, in one of his rare film appearances, is memorable as the sadistic Nazi who is hell bent on getting the stolen goods to Berlin, but the film belongs to Burt Lancaster, who although clearly not French, gives a tightly coiled intense performance. This rousing entertainment is one of the best films about WWII and a must-see.
The Horsemen (John Frankenheimer, 1971) 8/10
This epic adventure, shot on location in Afghanistan, was a total blast from the past having seen it first when I was a kid. This was the film, along with "Mackenna's Gold", "The Burglars" and "Mayerling" that made Omar Sharif a huge boxoffice star in Pakistan during the early 1970s - both "Dr Zhivago" and "Lawrence of Arabia" were re-released later that decade adding to his already burgeoning stature which was most probably also due to the fact that the former Catholic Egyptian star converted to Islam and spoke Arabic. Frankenheimer's film, based on the book by Robert Kessel, is about a stubborn man (Omar Sharif) and his pride, trying to rise above the shadow of his brave and illustrious father (Jack Palance). The old man now lives a retired life as the leader of a small village but was once a longtime champion in the dangerous sport of Buzkashi. It is a game in which a group of horsemen fight to lift the carcass of a headless goat and ride across the field and back to drop it in a chalked circle to win the match. As the rider lifts it off the ground he is chased by the other riders who viciously whip him and claw at the goat to take it away. For the annual match in Kabul to be played before the King the old man gives his son his prized white stallion to ride during the game. When he falls and breaks his leg during a crucial stage of the game - his team still wins when a member jumps on his horse and makes the goal - he returns to his village stubbornly using a death defying route in order to gain a one-upmanship on his father who had never traveled on that dangerous road. Sick and delirious en-route with a gangrenous leg he is almost killed by his trusted servant who is seduced by a whore (Leigh Taylor-Young) to steal his prized horse. The spectacular Buzkashi scenes are memorable with the camera careening in and out between the riders moving at full throttle and remind of the famous chariot race in "Ben-Hur". The film's stunning cinematography by Claude Renoir and James Wong Howe captures the stark beauty of Afghanistan (some bits were shot in Spain) from scenes set on the plains and high up in the snow-capped mountains. Apart from Palance (who does his usual shtick) and Sharif (in an outstanding performance) there is lack of depth in the other characters but the film is highly unusual with many vivid scenes you won't easily forget.
Tautly directed action-packed WWII adventure film. Fact based story is loosely based on the non-fiction book "Le front de l'art" by Rose Valland. The author was a French museum curator who secretly kept a record of all works of art looted (from museums and private collections), placed in storage and shipped to Germany by the Nazis during the occupation of Paris. The screenplay, nominated for an Academy Award, follows the cat-and-mouse game played between an art-obsessed German Colonel (Paul Scofield), who plans to transport looted paintings (by Cezanne, Picasso, Monet, Gaugin, Renoir, Miro, Degas, Matisse, Utrillo, Braque) via train to Germany, and the wily station master and member of the French Resistance (Burt Lancaster) who does everything in his power to stop the artwork from reaching its proposed destination. Through a series of complex maneuverings - changing train tracks and names of stations - the Resistance members try to fool the Germans into believing the train is going to Germany when in fact they route it back to Paris after moving it in a circle. With the Allied Army about to enter Paris they keep trying to find different ways to delay the train much to the consternation of the Colonel. The astonishing camerawork, by Jean Tournier and Walter Wottitz, uses long tracking shots and wide-angle lenses, with deep focus photography. The superb special effects are designed to make the action scenes look authentic with Lancaster performing all his own stunts. The distinguished supporting cast play small but vivid roles - the great Michel Simon as a patriotic engine driver, Suzanne Flon as the museum curator who brings the art theft to the notice of the Resistance and Jeanne Moreau as a jaded but quick-witted innkeeper who helps Lancaster out of a tight spot. Paul Scofield, in one of his rare film appearances, is memorable as the sadistic Nazi who is hell bent on getting the stolen goods to Berlin, but the film belongs to Burt Lancaster, who although clearly not French, gives a tightly coiled intense performance. This rousing entertainment is one of the best films about WWII and a must-see.
The Horsemen (John Frankenheimer, 1971) 8/10
This epic adventure, shot on location in Afghanistan, was a total blast from the past having seen it first when I was a kid. This was the film, along with "Mackenna's Gold", "The Burglars" and "Mayerling" that made Omar Sharif a huge boxoffice star in Pakistan during the early 1970s - both "Dr Zhivago" and "Lawrence of Arabia" were re-released later that decade adding to his already burgeoning stature which was most probably also due to the fact that the former Catholic Egyptian star converted to Islam and spoke Arabic. Frankenheimer's film, based on the book by Robert Kessel, is about a stubborn man (Omar Sharif) and his pride, trying to rise above the shadow of his brave and illustrious father (Jack Palance). The old man now lives a retired life as the leader of a small village but was once a longtime champion in the dangerous sport of Buzkashi. It is a game in which a group of horsemen fight to lift the carcass of a headless goat and ride across the field and back to drop it in a chalked circle to win the match. As the rider lifts it off the ground he is chased by the other riders who viciously whip him and claw at the goat to take it away. For the annual match in Kabul to be played before the King the old man gives his son his prized white stallion to ride during the game. When he falls and breaks his leg during a crucial stage of the game - his team still wins when a member jumps on his horse and makes the goal - he returns to his village stubbornly using a death defying route in order to gain a one-upmanship on his father who had never traveled on that dangerous road. Sick and delirious en-route with a gangrenous leg he is almost killed by his trusted servant who is seduced by a whore (Leigh Taylor-Young) to steal his prized horse. The spectacular Buzkashi scenes are memorable with the camera careening in and out between the riders moving at full throttle and remind of the famous chariot race in "Ben-Hur". The film's stunning cinematography by Claude Renoir and James Wong Howe captures the stark beauty of Afghanistan (some bits were shot in Spain) from scenes set on the plains and high up in the snow-capped mountains. Apart from Palance (who does his usual shtick) and Sharif (in an outstanding performance) there is lack of depth in the other characters but the film is highly unusual with many vivid scenes you won't easily forget.
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Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Capernaum (Nadine Labaki, 2018): A boy of unknown age, around 12 years old, is serving a 5-year sentence after committing a crime, and while serving his sentence, he decides to sue his parents. This beginning serves as a framework for the film, which recounts the events leading up to the trial, including the boy's relationship with an Ethiopian immigrant. This is probably the best film I've seen this year, an instant favorite and just a monumental movie. From the performances to every decision of the director, this is pure perfection for me. A heartbreaking film that is part of an increasingly necessary and scarce cinema. How this film lost to Rome at the Oscars is a mystery to me.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Marielle Heller, 2019): I didn't know about Fred Rogers or his cultural impact in the United States, but this didn't stop the film from quickly making me understand of his scope as an entertainer. Tom Hanks is fascinating, hinting with small gestures that there is much beyond that controlled kindness, which is a life decision, in the psyche of this man. I think Matthew Rhys is one of the best actors of his generation, and this work is a fitting companion to his work on The Americans, a series that I greatly admire. Another movie that I ended up enjoying a lot.
I am a Criminal (Clemente de la Cerda, 1976): A young man, who since childhood has to deal with rampant violence and the drugs, sex and petty thievery of a Caracas slum, gets involved with delinquency, and then moves on to serious gang activity and robberies. This Venezuelan film was a great box office success, surpassing even Jaws (that was released in the country in 1976), and is a gut wrenching portrait of the social decomposition that began to be glimpsed in the poorest neighborhoods of Venezuela and that would end, a few decades later, consuming the country. I am intrigued by how people in Venezuela responded so well to this film as entertainment, without learning anything from what the film showed: a warning of what in reality was already the country under so much opulence and wealth, and the threat of massification of that way of life. The corruption of the police, the blind gaze of the authorities, the inequity in the distribution of resources and social exclusion, in a country where drinking whiskey was not prohibitive for anyone are portrayed harshly and skillfully by the director. The cast is made up of unknown film debutants. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Locarno International Film Festival in 1977, this is one of the best-known examples of the movement called "New Venezuelan Cinema".
Black Orpheus (Marcel Camus, 1959): An adaptation of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in a favela in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival, in the late 1950s. The film is intoxicating in portraying the atmosphere of Rio de Janeiro, from its poorest neighborhoods to the, for the time, modern center with its large buildings and wide avenues, at the height of Carnival. A vibrant atmosphere is captured throughout the film and serves as a persistently joyous backdrop for the tragedy we know is about to unfold. It is incredible that the protagonists did not develop a longer career in film, although it is evident that the protagonist here is the director, in love with the vision he had and that he would eventually capture. I wish I had liked it more, but it was excessively long (there is footage of people dancing and dancing and dancing just for the sake of it) and the closing, evocative of the descent into hell, is one of the heaviest scenes I have seen recently. Being a fan of Bossa Nova and MPB, I found the soundtrack quite mesmerizing and enjoyable and it is a marvel that accompanies you even after the film is finished. 8/10
Ideal Home (Andrew Fleming, 2018): A gay couple welcomes a 10-year-old boy, the grandson of one of them, into their home without prior notice. A solid cast including Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd in the lead roles is what makes this formulaic film work. The film is further evidence, as if it was necessary, that Paul Rudd has perfect timing for comedy. 4/10
The Stepford Wives (Frank Oz, 2004): Second big-screen adaptation of the 1972 novel of the same name, this supposed satire is a disaster from start to finish, even though there are few charming touches every now and then and it will get you a laugh or two, but no more. A successful reality television executive producer, whose career suddenly ends, moves with her family from Manhattan to Stepford, a quiet Connecticut suburb in which all women, strangely, look like perfect trophy wives, dedicated to housework while looking flawless. Nicole Kidman, shortly after winning her Oscar, stars in this inconsistent comedy, alongside Matthew Broderick, Bette Midler, Christopher Walken, and Glenn Close, a very good cast totally wasted. I understand that the production of the film was plagued by animosity and conflicts between the cast and the director, but that is no excuse to explain the final result. Glenn Close I think was the only one who understood the campiness of the project, and she really shines in most of her scenes. By the way, as a side note, is it not strange that Mathew Broderick, being the actor that he is, very respected in theater, has not landed the role of his life in cinema to date? He's joining that long list of great stage actors without ever getting even an Oscar nomination.
Magic in the Moonlight (Woody Allen, 2014): In the late 1920s, a famous British illusionist, is enlisted by an old friend to go with him to the Côte d'Azur where a rich American family has apparently been taken in by a clairvoyant and mystic (Emma Stone), in order to help him prove she is a fraud. A cool and fun movie, with a wonderful cast that includes Stone, Colin Firth and Elaine May. Firth and Stone are delicious in this comedy, which is a minor Allen, but Allen at last, and this means that in general it is funny, intelligent, situational in the best sense of the word and witty, filled with dialogues to enjoy and a simple central plot. The film was accused of being formulaic, but even if it is, it has been a pleasure for me. Too bad it didn't get more traction in awards season: Stone and Firth could have easily nominated for the Golden Globes, and the costume work and art direction could well have been Oscar nominated. The film doesn't reach greatness, but I do not think it attemps to do so. In the end, I enjoyed it a lot for whta it is: a simple straightforward romantic comedy by Allen.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Marielle Heller, 2019): I didn't know about Fred Rogers or his cultural impact in the United States, but this didn't stop the film from quickly making me understand of his scope as an entertainer. Tom Hanks is fascinating, hinting with small gestures that there is much beyond that controlled kindness, which is a life decision, in the psyche of this man. I think Matthew Rhys is one of the best actors of his generation, and this work is a fitting companion to his work on The Americans, a series that I greatly admire. Another movie that I ended up enjoying a lot.
I am a Criminal (Clemente de la Cerda, 1976): A young man, who since childhood has to deal with rampant violence and the drugs, sex and petty thievery of a Caracas slum, gets involved with delinquency, and then moves on to serious gang activity and robberies. This Venezuelan film was a great box office success, surpassing even Jaws (that was released in the country in 1976), and is a gut wrenching portrait of the social decomposition that began to be glimpsed in the poorest neighborhoods of Venezuela and that would end, a few decades later, consuming the country. I am intrigued by how people in Venezuela responded so well to this film as entertainment, without learning anything from what the film showed: a warning of what in reality was already the country under so much opulence and wealth, and the threat of massification of that way of life. The corruption of the police, the blind gaze of the authorities, the inequity in the distribution of resources and social exclusion, in a country where drinking whiskey was not prohibitive for anyone are portrayed harshly and skillfully by the director. The cast is made up of unknown film debutants. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Locarno International Film Festival in 1977, this is one of the best-known examples of the movement called "New Venezuelan Cinema".
Black Orpheus (Marcel Camus, 1959): An adaptation of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in a favela in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival, in the late 1950s. The film is intoxicating in portraying the atmosphere of Rio de Janeiro, from its poorest neighborhoods to the, for the time, modern center with its large buildings and wide avenues, at the height of Carnival. A vibrant atmosphere is captured throughout the film and serves as a persistently joyous backdrop for the tragedy we know is about to unfold. It is incredible that the protagonists did not develop a longer career in film, although it is evident that the protagonist here is the director, in love with the vision he had and that he would eventually capture. I wish I had liked it more, but it was excessively long (there is footage of people dancing and dancing and dancing just for the sake of it) and the closing, evocative of the descent into hell, is one of the heaviest scenes I have seen recently. Being a fan of Bossa Nova and MPB, I found the soundtrack quite mesmerizing and enjoyable and it is a marvel that accompanies you even after the film is finished. 8/10
Ideal Home (Andrew Fleming, 2018): A gay couple welcomes a 10-year-old boy, the grandson of one of them, into their home without prior notice. A solid cast including Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd in the lead roles is what makes this formulaic film work. The film is further evidence, as if it was necessary, that Paul Rudd has perfect timing for comedy. 4/10
The Stepford Wives (Frank Oz, 2004): Second big-screen adaptation of the 1972 novel of the same name, this supposed satire is a disaster from start to finish, even though there are few charming touches every now and then and it will get you a laugh or two, but no more. A successful reality television executive producer, whose career suddenly ends, moves with her family from Manhattan to Stepford, a quiet Connecticut suburb in which all women, strangely, look like perfect trophy wives, dedicated to housework while looking flawless. Nicole Kidman, shortly after winning her Oscar, stars in this inconsistent comedy, alongside Matthew Broderick, Bette Midler, Christopher Walken, and Glenn Close, a very good cast totally wasted. I understand that the production of the film was plagued by animosity and conflicts between the cast and the director, but that is no excuse to explain the final result. Glenn Close I think was the only one who understood the campiness of the project, and she really shines in most of her scenes. By the way, as a side note, is it not strange that Mathew Broderick, being the actor that he is, very respected in theater, has not landed the role of his life in cinema to date? He's joining that long list of great stage actors without ever getting even an Oscar nomination.
Magic in the Moonlight (Woody Allen, 2014): In the late 1920s, a famous British illusionist, is enlisted by an old friend to go with him to the Côte d'Azur where a rich American family has apparently been taken in by a clairvoyant and mystic (Emma Stone), in order to help him prove she is a fraud. A cool and fun movie, with a wonderful cast that includes Stone, Colin Firth and Elaine May. Firth and Stone are delicious in this comedy, which is a minor Allen, but Allen at last, and this means that in general it is funny, intelligent, situational in the best sense of the word and witty, filled with dialogues to enjoy and a simple central plot. The film was accused of being formulaic, but even if it is, it has been a pleasure for me. Too bad it didn't get more traction in awards season: Stone and Firth could have easily nominated for the Golden Globes, and the costume work and art direction could well have been Oscar nominated. The film doesn't reach greatness, but I do not think it attemps to do so. In the end, I enjoyed it a lot for whta it is: a simple straightforward romantic comedy by Allen.
"If you place an object in a museum, does that make this object a piece of art?" - The Square (2017)
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Phaedra (1962) - 6.5/10 - This modern Greek tragedy starts with a Greek shipping magnate sending his second wife Phaedra (Melina Mercouri) to try and talk his estranged son Alexis (Anthony Perkins) from his first marriage into coming to Greece and leaving behind his school in London. Phaedra and Alexis have an affair that leads everything on the path to destruction. Alexis tries to distance himself from Phaedra, but she can't let him go. It all comes to a head at the end of the film. The acting was good and the scenes in Greece were beautiful, but I found myself getting bored with the film less and the story seemed kind of predictable and didn't hold my interest.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Sound of Metal (Darius Marder, 2020) 8/10
A heavy metal drummer and former heroin addict (Riz Ahmed) suddenly loses his hearing. This puts a tragic tailspin into his concert gigs which he conducts with his girlfriend (Olivia Cooke) while living and touring in his RV. A stint at a rural community run by a deaf and recovering alcoholic (Paul Raci) puts some means of semblance into his life as he learns sign language and begins to interact with deaf children who are part of the program. His desperation to get cochlear implants in order to hear again results in him being asked to leave as the community do not consider deafness to be a handicap. The operation followed by his reunion with his girlfriend in Belgium at the house of her rich father (Mathieu Amalric) brings him to an understanding that finally makes him realize what he wants to do with the rest of his life. The film uses ingenious ways through its outstanding sound design to put the audience into the shoes of the deaf protagonist. It becomes surreal and unsettling to experience the world without one of our senses which we take for granted. Riz Ahmed gives an extremely raw and emotionally nuanced performance which captures his character's rage and despair. Raci as the tough and blunt saviour is also very good. The film's melodramatic, almost contrived, last scene is euphoric yet extremely humbling as it puts into perspective what it means to be deaf. Which maybe is not the handicap we often perceive it to be. Both Ahmed and Raci deserve Oscar nominations for their riveting performances.
News of the World (Paul Greengrass, 2020) 7/10
This stately old-fashioned Western is a far cry from the usually urgent and propulsively charged action films by director Greengrass. Basically a two-hander road trip whereby an ex-infantry man (Tom Hanks), five years after the Civil War, reluctantly decides to deliver a young orphan (Helena Zenfel) to her only living biological relatives. He is a Texan with a sad past who moves from town to town reading aloud newspapers to the townfolk for a small fee while she is a German immigrant and two-time orphan, first kidnapped from her parents by Kiowa Indians and then plucked from her adoptive native parents by the Army. Both lost souls discover a kinship on their journey through trecherous country. Almost elegiac in tone, with shades of John Ford's "The Searchers", the film is superbly shot by Dariusz Wolski with his camera capturing the breathtaking vistas of the vast countryside surrounding the two on their journey as well as capturing the filth and squalor of the towns they pass through. Hanks truly has taken on the spirit of actor James Stewart and creates once again a character who is kind, contemplative and thoroughly decent. Not a stretch for the actor by any means but a character that is full of humanity and fits him like a glove. Zengel holds her own opposite Hanks making her character appropriately feral but also showing a sense of cocky fortitude as she proves to be an able support to her saviour during moments of danger. In brief roles both Mare Winningham and Elizabeth Marvel are effective as characters they meet along the way and who provide them help. The film's leisurely pace is punctuated by a couple of exciting action set-pieces. Lovingly crafted film may not win awards but is a welcome addition to the Western genre.
Agatha Christie's Miss Marple: The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (Norman Stone, 1992) 7/10
A fading movie star (Claire Bloom), about to make a comeback, arrives in the small town of St. Mary Mead. At a fête, hosted jointly with her director-husband (Barry Newman), a pushy fan dies after drinking a poisoned cocktail meant for the film star. Miss Marple (Joan Hickson), the town's old spinster and amateur sleuth and her nephew the local Inspector of police (John Castle), investigate the death which also involves blackmail and intrigue. As the body count increases Miss Marple has to swiftly find the relentless killer before more innocent people die. Agatha Christie's famous story takes more than a passing glance at the real-life incident involving American movie star Gene Tierney. While pregnant with her first child she was approached by a fan who passed on German measles to the actress which resulted in passing congenital rubella syndrome on to the baby which was born deaf, partially blind and severely mentally disabled. This was the 12th and last of Hickson's memorable portrayals of Miss Marple for television. A handsome production well acted by a superb group of superb British character actors. Bloom is lovely as the insecure aging movie star.
A heavy metal drummer and former heroin addict (Riz Ahmed) suddenly loses his hearing. This puts a tragic tailspin into his concert gigs which he conducts with his girlfriend (Olivia Cooke) while living and touring in his RV. A stint at a rural community run by a deaf and recovering alcoholic (Paul Raci) puts some means of semblance into his life as he learns sign language and begins to interact with deaf children who are part of the program. His desperation to get cochlear implants in order to hear again results in him being asked to leave as the community do not consider deafness to be a handicap. The operation followed by his reunion with his girlfriend in Belgium at the house of her rich father (Mathieu Amalric) brings him to an understanding that finally makes him realize what he wants to do with the rest of his life. The film uses ingenious ways through its outstanding sound design to put the audience into the shoes of the deaf protagonist. It becomes surreal and unsettling to experience the world without one of our senses which we take for granted. Riz Ahmed gives an extremely raw and emotionally nuanced performance which captures his character's rage and despair. Raci as the tough and blunt saviour is also very good. The film's melodramatic, almost contrived, last scene is euphoric yet extremely humbling as it puts into perspective what it means to be deaf. Which maybe is not the handicap we often perceive it to be. Both Ahmed and Raci deserve Oscar nominations for their riveting performances.
News of the World (Paul Greengrass, 2020) 7/10
This stately old-fashioned Western is a far cry from the usually urgent and propulsively charged action films by director Greengrass. Basically a two-hander road trip whereby an ex-infantry man (Tom Hanks), five years after the Civil War, reluctantly decides to deliver a young orphan (Helena Zenfel) to her only living biological relatives. He is a Texan with a sad past who moves from town to town reading aloud newspapers to the townfolk for a small fee while she is a German immigrant and two-time orphan, first kidnapped from her parents by Kiowa Indians and then plucked from her adoptive native parents by the Army. Both lost souls discover a kinship on their journey through trecherous country. Almost elegiac in tone, with shades of John Ford's "The Searchers", the film is superbly shot by Dariusz Wolski with his camera capturing the breathtaking vistas of the vast countryside surrounding the two on their journey as well as capturing the filth and squalor of the towns they pass through. Hanks truly has taken on the spirit of actor James Stewart and creates once again a character who is kind, contemplative and thoroughly decent. Not a stretch for the actor by any means but a character that is full of humanity and fits him like a glove. Zengel holds her own opposite Hanks making her character appropriately feral but also showing a sense of cocky fortitude as she proves to be an able support to her saviour during moments of danger. In brief roles both Mare Winningham and Elizabeth Marvel are effective as characters they meet along the way and who provide them help. The film's leisurely pace is punctuated by a couple of exciting action set-pieces. Lovingly crafted film may not win awards but is a welcome addition to the Western genre.
Agatha Christie's Miss Marple: The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (Norman Stone, 1992) 7/10
A fading movie star (Claire Bloom), about to make a comeback, arrives in the small town of St. Mary Mead. At a fête, hosted jointly with her director-husband (Barry Newman), a pushy fan dies after drinking a poisoned cocktail meant for the film star. Miss Marple (Joan Hickson), the town's old spinster and amateur sleuth and her nephew the local Inspector of police (John Castle), investigate the death which also involves blackmail and intrigue. As the body count increases Miss Marple has to swiftly find the relentless killer before more innocent people die. Agatha Christie's famous story takes more than a passing glance at the real-life incident involving American movie star Gene Tierney. While pregnant with her first child she was approached by a fan who passed on German measles to the actress which resulted in passing congenital rubella syndrome on to the baby which was born deaf, partially blind and severely mentally disabled. This was the 12th and last of Hickson's memorable portrayals of Miss Marple for television. A handsome production well acted by a superb group of superb British character actors. Bloom is lovely as the insecure aging movie star.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Night Plane From Chungking (Ralph Murphy, 1943) 5/10
A B-movie derivative of von Sternberg's "Shanghai Express" has a motley group of travelers - a nurse (Ellen Drew) accompanying an old Chinese lady (Soo Yong), a businessman (Otto Kruger), a countess (Tamara Geva), a priest (Steven Geray) and a French officer (Ernst Deutsch) - on a bus en-route from China to India during WWII. When their bus is hit by Japanese bombs they are forced to board a flight to safety piloted by an American (Robert Preston). Matters come to a head when the countess is discovered to be a spy, commits suicide and only the pilot is informed that her superior is on the plane with them. When the plane is forced to make a crash landing after being attacked by Japanese fighter planes the pilot has to try and keep the passengers away from harm and try to figure out the spy amidst them. Typical WWII entry churned out by Hollywood with an interesting cast and enough suspense and intrigue to keep you watching.
The Drum (Zoltan Korda, 1938) 8/10
The Korda brothers - producer Alexander and director Zoltan - made a series of films, many in early Technicolor - "Elephant Boy", "The Drum", "The Thief of Bagdad", "The Jungle Book" - all starring Sabu, an elephant stable boy, discovered in a Maharaja's palace in Mysore. This thrilling action-adventure film was based on an original story by A.E.W. Mason, the author whose book "The Four Feathers" would become the Korda brothers' next classic film immediately following this one. Set in the North West Frontier Province of India the film was mainly shot in the Welsh countryside but the entire background second unit shoot was done on location in what is now Chitral in Pakistan. The plot is blatant Imperial propaganda, causing riots when released in India, but looked on today as an old fashioned adventure it has many elements that compare to the movies set in the American West. The honorable but "savage" Pathans (the Native Americans) vs the British Colonialists (the Cowboys) in India during a time when the British were going through a rough patch trying to control the mountain tribes. When the pro-Russian Prince (Raymond Massey) of Tokon (actually Chitral), a kingdom high up in the Hindukush mountain range, assasinates his pro-British brother, the state's ruler, he comes into conflict with the British as he wants to oust them out of India. The ruler's son and heir (Sabu) escapes and takes shelter with the Commander of the British garrison (Roger Livesey) and his kindly wife (Valerie Hobson). The film has superbly directed battle scenes and a game cast playing stereotypes - Livesey with a stiff upper lip and Hobson as his memsahib, the quintessential incarnation of the aristocratic English woman. The film also has scenes set in the colonial bungalows of Peshawar where officers are seen planning battle strategies while knocking back gin and tonics. Raymond Massey, in brown face, is delightfully and lip-smackingly evil as the worldly WWI veteran who thinks he can defeat the British and take on the role of Viceroy and Emperor of India. Sabu, here relegated to a supporting role after his lead performance as the "Elephant Boy", gives a winsome performance commanding the screen with effortless grace and humour. The screenplay exaggerates and romanticizes the British Raj, a depiction common to most such films set in India under British rule, but it has enough pomp and action to make it endure as a classic production of a kind that is no longer made.
A B-movie derivative of von Sternberg's "Shanghai Express" has a motley group of travelers - a nurse (Ellen Drew) accompanying an old Chinese lady (Soo Yong), a businessman (Otto Kruger), a countess (Tamara Geva), a priest (Steven Geray) and a French officer (Ernst Deutsch) - on a bus en-route from China to India during WWII. When their bus is hit by Japanese bombs they are forced to board a flight to safety piloted by an American (Robert Preston). Matters come to a head when the countess is discovered to be a spy, commits suicide and only the pilot is informed that her superior is on the plane with them. When the plane is forced to make a crash landing after being attacked by Japanese fighter planes the pilot has to try and keep the passengers away from harm and try to figure out the spy amidst them. Typical WWII entry churned out by Hollywood with an interesting cast and enough suspense and intrigue to keep you watching.
The Drum (Zoltan Korda, 1938) 8/10
The Korda brothers - producer Alexander and director Zoltan - made a series of films, many in early Technicolor - "Elephant Boy", "The Drum", "The Thief of Bagdad", "The Jungle Book" - all starring Sabu, an elephant stable boy, discovered in a Maharaja's palace in Mysore. This thrilling action-adventure film was based on an original story by A.E.W. Mason, the author whose book "The Four Feathers" would become the Korda brothers' next classic film immediately following this one. Set in the North West Frontier Province of India the film was mainly shot in the Welsh countryside but the entire background second unit shoot was done on location in what is now Chitral in Pakistan. The plot is blatant Imperial propaganda, causing riots when released in India, but looked on today as an old fashioned adventure it has many elements that compare to the movies set in the American West. The honorable but "savage" Pathans (the Native Americans) vs the British Colonialists (the Cowboys) in India during a time when the British were going through a rough patch trying to control the mountain tribes. When the pro-Russian Prince (Raymond Massey) of Tokon (actually Chitral), a kingdom high up in the Hindukush mountain range, assasinates his pro-British brother, the state's ruler, he comes into conflict with the British as he wants to oust them out of India. The ruler's son and heir (Sabu) escapes and takes shelter with the Commander of the British garrison (Roger Livesey) and his kindly wife (Valerie Hobson). The film has superbly directed battle scenes and a game cast playing stereotypes - Livesey with a stiff upper lip and Hobson as his memsahib, the quintessential incarnation of the aristocratic English woman. The film also has scenes set in the colonial bungalows of Peshawar where officers are seen planning battle strategies while knocking back gin and tonics. Raymond Massey, in brown face, is delightfully and lip-smackingly evil as the worldly WWI veteran who thinks he can defeat the British and take on the role of Viceroy and Emperor of India. Sabu, here relegated to a supporting role after his lead performance as the "Elephant Boy", gives a winsome performance commanding the screen with effortless grace and humour. The screenplay exaggerates and romanticizes the British Raj, a depiction common to most such films set in India under British rule, but it has enough pomp and action to make it endure as a classic production of a kind that is no longer made.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Christmas Holiday (1944) - 7.5/10 - Deanna Durbin stars in her first dramatic role as the wife of a convicted killer who sings in a seedy nightclub in New Orleans. She meets a Lieutenant whose plane to San Francisco was forced to land in New Orleans due to bad weather and relates her story in flashback. She is really good in her role and Dean Harens is good in his role as Lieutenant Charlie Mason. I found Gene Kelly to be less convincing in his role as the gambling addict husband with a mother fixation from an aristocratic family. Overall, it was a good noir film.
April Love (1957) - 7/10 - Pat Boone plays Nick Conover, a young man from Chicago who got in trouble by joyriding with friends in a stolen car. As part of his probation, he is sent to his uncle's farm in Kentucky where his aunt is happy to see him, but his uncle isn't. Nick makes friends with Liz Templeton (Shirley Jones), a young woman who lives on a neighboring horse farm. Liz seems interested in Nick, but Nick is much more interested in Liz's sister Fran. There are plenty of songs throughout the film as Nick becomes more acquainted with the farm and rural life. I thought it was a decent film. Not spectacular, but entertaining.
La Guerre est Finie (1966) - 8/10 - Diego is a Spanish Communist who has lived in France since the Spanish Civil War ended. He travels frequently to Spain under false names to work for the underground to try and overthrow the Franco regime. On one such trip, he returns to France after being stopped by police for a passport check. Other operatives have been captured and the current operation seems to be in danger. Diego seems weary of the long and possibly fruitless war. He spends time with his mistress and also with the daughter of the man whose passport he used on his last trip. Another trip to Spain may be necessary, but the Spanish police seem to be active. I thought this was a pretty good drama, well acted by Yves Montand, Genevieve Bujold and the rest.
The Mudlark (1950) - 8.5/10 - Wheeler is a ten year old mudlark, an orphan boy who survives by selling what he can scavenge from the muddy banks of the Thames. One day, he finds a cameo with Queen Victoria's image on it. He's never heard of her, but when told about her, he walks to Windsor Castle to try and see her. He manages to sneak into the castle, but is eventually caught and accidentally ignites fears of a plot against Victoria's life. Andrew Ray is excellent as the boy, Alec Guinness does a nice job as Prime Minister Disreali, and Irene Dunne is very good (and unrecognizable in her makeup) as Queen Victoria. The other supporting actors are also good and I thought this was a charming and entertaining film.
April Love (1957) - 7/10 - Pat Boone plays Nick Conover, a young man from Chicago who got in trouble by joyriding with friends in a stolen car. As part of his probation, he is sent to his uncle's farm in Kentucky where his aunt is happy to see him, but his uncle isn't. Nick makes friends with Liz Templeton (Shirley Jones), a young woman who lives on a neighboring horse farm. Liz seems interested in Nick, but Nick is much more interested in Liz's sister Fran. There are plenty of songs throughout the film as Nick becomes more acquainted with the farm and rural life. I thought it was a decent film. Not spectacular, but entertaining.
La Guerre est Finie (1966) - 8/10 - Diego is a Spanish Communist who has lived in France since the Spanish Civil War ended. He travels frequently to Spain under false names to work for the underground to try and overthrow the Franco regime. On one such trip, he returns to France after being stopped by police for a passport check. Other operatives have been captured and the current operation seems to be in danger. Diego seems weary of the long and possibly fruitless war. He spends time with his mistress and also with the daughter of the man whose passport he used on his last trip. Another trip to Spain may be necessary, but the Spanish police seem to be active. I thought this was a pretty good drama, well acted by Yves Montand, Genevieve Bujold and the rest.
The Mudlark (1950) - 8.5/10 - Wheeler is a ten year old mudlark, an orphan boy who survives by selling what he can scavenge from the muddy banks of the Thames. One day, he finds a cameo with Queen Victoria's image on it. He's never heard of her, but when told about her, he walks to Windsor Castle to try and see her. He manages to sneak into the castle, but is eventually caught and accidentally ignites fears of a plot against Victoria's life. Andrew Ray is excellent as the boy, Alec Guinness does a nice job as Prime Minister Disreali, and Irene Dunne is very good (and unrecognizable in her makeup) as Queen Victoria. The other supporting actors are also good and I thought this was a charming and entertaining film.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Dead (1987) - 6.5/10 - John Huston's final film adapts a James Joyce short story and was released four months after his death. It takes place at a dinner party in Dublin in 1904 held by two elderly sisters and their niece. There is singing, dancing, and conversation. After the party, a married couple that attended the party discuss feelings and memories that were brought to the surface as a result of one of the songs at the party. I thought that it was a decent film, though not totally fulfilling.
Deconstructing Harry (1997) - 6.5/10 - Woody Allen stars as a successful writer who has been divorced three times and spends a lot of time with prostitutes. His stories are thinly veiled stories from his life and the people around him and this leads to conflict with the people who are depicted. He is about to be honored at the university that expelled him as a student and on the way there he starts having flashbacks to his his stories/life. I was kind of enjoying it for a while, but I started losing interest about halfway through. The themes seemed kind of repetitive.
Napoleon and Samatha (1972) - 7/10 - Johnny Whittaker stars as Napoleon, a young boy who lives with his grandfather. The two of them adopt a tame, but elderly lion named Major whose owner is moving to Europe. Jodie Foster (in her film debut) stars as Samantha, Johnny's best friend. When Johnny's grandfather dies, the two of them trek over the mountains with Major to visit a friend because Johnny is afraid of getting sent to an orphanage. I thought it was a nice family adventure movie. I've read that Jodie Foster was attacked by one of the lions in the film and was left with scarring and a fear of cats.
Gigot (1962) - 7/10 - Jackie Gleason stars as Gigot, a mute janitor who is mocked and harassed by many of the people in the small French town that he lives in. He rescues a woman and her six year old daughter one night when they are stranded in the rain without any shelter. He befriends the girl and delights in entertaining her, but the mother gets upset when she tries to prostitute herself and Gigot gets in the way. Gleason came up with the idea for the story as well and the movie is much different than what I've seen him in before. It's a decent film and has a fair amount of humor, though some of that is of the cruel variety in the abuse that Gigot takes.
That Certain Age (1938) - 7.5/10 - Deanna Durbin stars as Alice Fullerton, the 15 year old daughter of a wealthy newspaper publisher. She and her friends are planning on putting on a musical, but that gets somewhat derailed when a houseguest arrives - star journalist Vincent Bullitt (Melvyn Douglas). They try to get him to leave and he doesn't want to stick around either, but Alice changes her mind when she falls for the older man, much to the chagrin of her best friend (Jackie Cooper). While Durbin does get plenty of chances to sing, the story is pretty decent as well and there is a fair amount of humor. I thought that Douglas was good in his role and Durbin does a nice job as well. It's an entertaining film.
Deconstructing Harry (1997) - 6.5/10 - Woody Allen stars as a successful writer who has been divorced three times and spends a lot of time with prostitutes. His stories are thinly veiled stories from his life and the people around him and this leads to conflict with the people who are depicted. He is about to be honored at the university that expelled him as a student and on the way there he starts having flashbacks to his his stories/life. I was kind of enjoying it for a while, but I started losing interest about halfway through. The themes seemed kind of repetitive.
Napoleon and Samatha (1972) - 7/10 - Johnny Whittaker stars as Napoleon, a young boy who lives with his grandfather. The two of them adopt a tame, but elderly lion named Major whose owner is moving to Europe. Jodie Foster (in her film debut) stars as Samantha, Johnny's best friend. When Johnny's grandfather dies, the two of them trek over the mountains with Major to visit a friend because Johnny is afraid of getting sent to an orphanage. I thought it was a nice family adventure movie. I've read that Jodie Foster was attacked by one of the lions in the film and was left with scarring and a fear of cats.
Gigot (1962) - 7/10 - Jackie Gleason stars as Gigot, a mute janitor who is mocked and harassed by many of the people in the small French town that he lives in. He rescues a woman and her six year old daughter one night when they are stranded in the rain without any shelter. He befriends the girl and delights in entertaining her, but the mother gets upset when she tries to prostitute herself and Gigot gets in the way. Gleason came up with the idea for the story as well and the movie is much different than what I've seen him in before. It's a decent film and has a fair amount of humor, though some of that is of the cruel variety in the abuse that Gigot takes.
That Certain Age (1938) - 7.5/10 - Deanna Durbin stars as Alice Fullerton, the 15 year old daughter of a wealthy newspaper publisher. She and her friends are planning on putting on a musical, but that gets somewhat derailed when a houseguest arrives - star journalist Vincent Bullitt (Melvyn Douglas). They try to get him to leave and he doesn't want to stick around either, but Alice changes her mind when she falls for the older man, much to the chagrin of her best friend (Jackie Cooper). While Durbin does get plenty of chances to sing, the story is pretty decent as well and there is a fair amount of humor. I thought that Douglas was good in his role and Durbin does a nice job as well. It's an entertaining film.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
L'onorevole Angelina / The Honorable Angelina (Luigi Zampa, 1947) 7/10
Zampa's film charts the plight of slum dwellers in post-WWII Italy. A poverty stricken woman (Anna Magnani) lives in a slum in two bedrooms with her husband and five children. Her husband's low salary - he is a cop - cannot sustain the family and they are always short of food. Angry at their situation she, along with the other women in the slum, storm the warehouse of a black marketeer and steal food items. Their plight and her forceful angry voice against injustice brings her to the notice of the local newspapers who hail her actions. During a flood the slum dwellers are forced to vacate their homes and in anger forcefully move into a nearby newly built apartment complex which is still unoccupied. She is arrested but released after she takes on the landlord who has illegally taken the land to construct the building. She is goaded into standing for election to the local legislative body and wins a seat. When her involvement in politics results in neglect of her family she decides to do the right thing. The film takes a raw look at the downtrodden and how corrupt officials misuse their power at the expense of the poor. Magnani, who also had a hand in the screenplay, gives a typically fiery performance and is in almost every scene. Franco Zeffirelli plays the rich landlord's son who shows an interest in Magnani's daughter.
La chair de l'orchidée / The Flesh of the Orchid (Patrice Chéreau, 1975) 4/10
Striking if very strange adaptation of James Hadley Chase's pulp-novel (a sequel to "No Orchids For Miss Blandish") was director Chéreau's film debut. His theme of loneliness, and of fear and insecurity, which would encompass most of his subsequent films, is glaringly presented here helped in great part by the cinematography of Pierre l'homme who creates a dark and bleak visual pallette not unlike German Expressionism. The convoluted plot involves an enigmatic heiress (Charlotte Rampling) held prisoner in a French countryside chateau by her greedy aunt (Edwige Feuillère) for her money. When the game-keeper attempts to rape her she blinds him with a knife and manages to escape. On the run through constant rain and mud she hooks up with a man (Bruno Cremer) who is being chased by two killers. When they get separated the plot turns incredibly bizarre as the screenplay shifts its focus to minor characters, one of whom is a former circus performer (Simone Signoret) who provides brief comfort and allows the tormented woman to escape. These scenes are the best moments in the film. A defiant Rampling has a knack for stabbing people in the eyes and of course no film of hers would be complete without a scene where the star strips down to her birthday suit. Alida Valli makes a very brief appearance mumbling at Rampling in a train station. A rare film but also very disappointing.
Zampa's film charts the plight of slum dwellers in post-WWII Italy. A poverty stricken woman (Anna Magnani) lives in a slum in two bedrooms with her husband and five children. Her husband's low salary - he is a cop - cannot sustain the family and they are always short of food. Angry at their situation she, along with the other women in the slum, storm the warehouse of a black marketeer and steal food items. Their plight and her forceful angry voice against injustice brings her to the notice of the local newspapers who hail her actions. During a flood the slum dwellers are forced to vacate their homes and in anger forcefully move into a nearby newly built apartment complex which is still unoccupied. She is arrested but released after she takes on the landlord who has illegally taken the land to construct the building. She is goaded into standing for election to the local legislative body and wins a seat. When her involvement in politics results in neglect of her family she decides to do the right thing. The film takes a raw look at the downtrodden and how corrupt officials misuse their power at the expense of the poor. Magnani, who also had a hand in the screenplay, gives a typically fiery performance and is in almost every scene. Franco Zeffirelli plays the rich landlord's son who shows an interest in Magnani's daughter.
La chair de l'orchidée / The Flesh of the Orchid (Patrice Chéreau, 1975) 4/10
Striking if very strange adaptation of James Hadley Chase's pulp-novel (a sequel to "No Orchids For Miss Blandish") was director Chéreau's film debut. His theme of loneliness, and of fear and insecurity, which would encompass most of his subsequent films, is glaringly presented here helped in great part by the cinematography of Pierre l'homme who creates a dark and bleak visual pallette not unlike German Expressionism. The convoluted plot involves an enigmatic heiress (Charlotte Rampling) held prisoner in a French countryside chateau by her greedy aunt (Edwige Feuillère) for her money. When the game-keeper attempts to rape her she blinds him with a knife and manages to escape. On the run through constant rain and mud she hooks up with a man (Bruno Cremer) who is being chased by two killers. When they get separated the plot turns incredibly bizarre as the screenplay shifts its focus to minor characters, one of whom is a former circus performer (Simone Signoret) who provides brief comfort and allows the tormented woman to escape. These scenes are the best moments in the film. A defiant Rampling has a knack for stabbing people in the eyes and of course no film of hers would be complete without a scene where the star strips down to her birthday suit. Alida Valli makes a very brief appearance mumbling at Rampling in a train station. A rare film but also very disappointing.