WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[ken123]

I watched The Sun Shines Bright late last friday via youtube thanks to moira. I loved it. I hadnt seen it in over 20 years.

[charliechaplinfan]

I love Out of the Fog, Alison, and I think everyone in the cast is excellent, but Thomas Mitchell takes the honors here. It's refreshing to see two older character actors take the spotlight for a change.

Love Affair does show up on TCM once in a while...not often enough as far as I am concerned.

It is good to see a plot revolving around the older characters. I like Thomas Mitchell in everything he does.

[feaito]

Yesterday I re-visited -with a friend from the USA who had never seen it- Dorothy Arzner's "Craig's Wife" (1936) and he loved it. He was truly impressed by the film, the story, Roz Russell's performance and those of the well assembled cast. In fact he thought that John Boles conveyed perfectly Walter Craig's character and I must agree that it is one of his better performances. We commented that Harriet is obviously an extremist example of a completely self-centered, selfish, obsessive-compulsive person, but we realized that many of her flaws and obsessions -in different degrees- are present in many people we know, including ourselves -obsession for tidiness, cleanliness, perfection, etc... It's a film which leaves you thinking because of Roz Russell's wonderfully multi-layered performance which does not fall into the stereotypical or the one-dimensional villain. I haven't seen the 1950 version with Joan Crawford, but I have the feeling that she played her more like a straight b-tch. And the wonderful supporting cast, especially Alma Kruger, Billie Burke, Jane Darwell and Thomas Mitchell is superb! One of the great films of the thirties. Did Playwright George Kelly inspired on her mother to create the character of Harriet? I can't recall... He was Grace Kelly's uncle, wasn't he?

[Ann Harding]

During the past week, I saw various Italian pictures.

La Signora di Tutti (Everybody's Lady, 1934) by Max Ophüls is an amazing melodrama shot in Italy with Isa Miranda playing the title role. This early Ophüls contains all the features of future Hollywood melodramas: the paralytic wife falling in a staircase, the guilt of the heroine and a flamboyant score signed by Daniele Amfitheatrof. Isa Miranda is a successful movie star, but her private life is a disaster. She attempts suicide and while in hospital, her past life flashes back. She was an innocent young girl when one of her teachers killed himself because he loved her madly. This is a reoccuring motif in the film: the innocent femme fatale who creates havoc around her, unwittingly. The only drawback in this beautifully directed film is Miranda's performance. She is really beautiful and looks like Dietrich. But her acting is not quite at the same level. I never felt any empathy for her, unlike with Edwige Feuillère or Danielle Darrieux in other Ophüls pictures. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. Masters of Cinema has released in the UK, a beautiful DVD with English subs. I can recommend it to anybody interested in melodrama or Ophüls.

I Grandi Magazzini (Department Store, 1939) by Mario Camerini is a sparkling comedy with lovely Assia Noris and Vittorio de Sica. It takes place in a department store where some crooks are stealing merchandises. De Sica is just an employee who falls in love with a salesgirl played by Assia Noris. After several twists and turns, all ends well. The film is very well directed by Camerini and reminded me of contemporary American comedies. The two leads make a great couple. Lovely! I just hope it will make it onto DVD at some point!

[JackFavell]

feaito -
I saw Craig's Wife last year for the first time and it was a terrific surprise to me...it's very underrated, I think, with outstanding performances by all. The ending is really chilling. I don't know why this movie isn't ever discussed when 1930's dramas are brought up. The themes are very different from most movies of that time - it's kind of modern - in fact, I think anyone can identify at least a little of "Craig's Wife" in themselves.

[moira finnie]

I made a real discovery the other day: "Brainwashed" (1960) directed by Gerd Oswald, starring Curt Jurgens, Claire Bloom, and Mario Adorf. (It is in German).

I found it at Movies Unlimited on DVD with English subtitles at 19.99. Thanks, Mike. If anyone is fluent in German, it is also on youtube here.

[feaito]

feaito -
I saw Craig's Wife last year for the first time and it was a terrific surprise to me...it's very underrated, I think, with outstanding performances by all. The ending is really chilling. I don't know why this movie isn't ever discussed when 1930's dramas are brought up. The themes are very different from most movies of that time - it's kind of modern - in fact, I think anyone can identify at least a little of "Craig's Wife" in themselves.

I agree with you Wendy. I bought this film many, many years ago on VHS and I was very impressed by it. My admiration for this piece of work has not diminished a bit and in the 75 minutes it lasts, more interesting things happen than in most of today's over 2 hours flicks. Dorothy Arzner deserves to be re-evaluated. I've seen two of her films during this WE (the other was "Christopher Strong" (1933) and she's a great director; I believe the only prominent female director of her Era in Hollywood. Have you sen "Harriet Craig" (1950)?

[JackFavell]

No, I haven't seen Harriet Craig, but I have seen Christopher Strong, and like you, I thought it was better than the reviews lead you to believe. I had always been under the impression that it was kind of weird from what I'd read, not what it is - a human story of people caught up in a situation they couldn't really control, with no villains at all. Maybe audiences needed their villains?

[charliechaplinfan]

I love the Masters of Cinema collection, thanks for letting me know about that release.

Last night I watched Five Fingers starring James Mason and Danielle Darrieux. As the credits role we are told that this is a true story filmed in the actual locations. It is the story of a spy played by Mason and an impoverished countess played by Darrieux, such is the charm of Mason's performance that in felt a traitor watching him passing British diplomatic secrets to the Germans wanting him to continue or at least not get caught. I recognised many of the names of the German high command. It ran for just under 2 hours and not a minute is wasted, truth sometimes makes for a far better story than fiction. I wonder if the real spy and countess were as charming.

[moira finnie]

I wonder if the real spy and countess were as charming.

I read I Was Cicero by the actual spy in this case years ago. His background was pretty rough. You might enjoy reading this article about the man behind the movie. I don't think anyone in real life could have been as suave as James Mason. I was surprised to read an interview recently with Henry Hathaway claiming that Zanuck took the fully prepared script away from him to give it to fellow director Joe Mankiewicz to fulfill a contractual obligation with 20th Century Fox. Hathaway still seemed to resent it decades later, in part because he and Mason had worked so well together on The Desert Fox (1951).

[charliechaplinfan]

Thank you Moira, that article was most illuminating. I didn't really think for one moment the spy would have been as suave as Mason who would appeared to have had the credentials to be the ambassador himself. It's quite funny to think of how he did take the secrets, the fault was that of the ambassador who obviously thought his personal staff were devoted to him and above reproach.

Today I watched Green Light Frank Borzage directing and Errol Flynn starring, I could spot Borzage's touches along with a religious theme. It doesn't quite catch in the way A Farewell to Arms does or History is Made at Night, it's not Flynn's fault, he's quite splendid here, taking himself seriuosly for once, showing us what he can achieve only I never feel he believed in himself. This film was made after Flynn had complained to Warners about the run of action films he had to endure, he wanted to be more than an attractive figure. He could act and thankfully he did from time to time get the chance to show us in his career. Anita Louise costars with him along with Paul Lukas playing the reverend a rather weak part I thought. Fans of Flynn and Borzage should watch this movie.

[feaito]

Today I watched Darren Arnofsky's "Black Swan" (2010) and I was swept away by it! A piece of art...Natalie Portman superb! No easy explanations nor answers....only passion and feeling and everybody make his/her own conclusions... I was in awe during the last minutes of the film. Superb! And I did not think I was going to like it this much...in fact I thought my wife was going to enjoy it more than I, but it was the other way round....she found it too insane...

[MikeBSG]

Glad that you liked "Black Swan." I really enjoyed it, but there is a backlash against it. Clearly not a film for everyone, but it seems that the more you like classic films, the greater the chance you might like "black Swan."

[feaito]

You might be right there Mike. I read at imdb.com that some people had written that they had laughed during the film, because they found some things funny....if so, I think that they are as mentally disturbed as Barbara Hershey's character (Nina's mother), because -truly- I can't see anything to laugh at! I felt so sorry for Nina's character; her obsession & compulsion, her delusions...her bulimia and auto-injuring...one can realize the kind of childhood and life she had...Some critics have compared "Black Swan" and "The Red Shoes" (1948)....which well might be the two best films on the Ballet world. Nina Sayers' character reminded me more of the tortured pianist that Ann Todd played in "The Seventh Veil" (1944) though.

[charliechaplinfan]

Today I watched Darren Arnofsky's "Black Swan" (2010) and I was swept away by it! A piece of art...Natalie Portman superb! No easy explanations nor answers....only passion and feeling and everybody make his/her own conclusions... I was in awe during the last minutes of the film. Superb! And I did not think I was going to like it this much...in fact I thought my wife was going to enjoy it more than I, but it was the other way round....she found it too insane...

My father wants to see this, I hope we get to watch it together but my Mum is waiting to go into hospital. I love ballet movies.