The Wrong Box (1966 Bryan Forbes)

Messy, unsuccessful movie about brothers John Mills and Ralph Richardson and who will live longest and collect an inheritance. Much foolery ensues, with relative Michael Caine falling for 'cousin' next door, the anodyne Nanette Newman, whilst Peter Cook and Dudley Moore attempt to win the money, delivering bodies to the wrong house etc.

My favourite performance is of the butler Peacock by veteran Wilfred Lawson, who died the same year.

With guest stars at every turn - Leonard Rossiter, Tony Hancock, Irene Handl, Peter Sellers, John le Mesurier.

Written by the normally reliable Larry Gelbart, and Burt Shevelove, inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson, with pointless intertitles. (Though quite liked Richardson's factmeister, who won't stop talking.) Even John Barry's score is atypically twee. Photographed by Gerry Turpin. Not sure on reflection that Forbes has ever made a good film. Yes he has, Whistle Down the Wind (and, I think, though it's been a while, The L Shaped Room).

Violet and Daisy (2011 Geoffrey Fletcher & scr)

He's best known for having adapted Precious. Without any preamble we meet two nun - assassins (in a sort of Pulp Fiction opening), Saiorse Ronan and Alexis Bledel. Then they are tasked (by Danny Trejo) with bumping off James Gandolfini, but he proves too appealing a target... (It was nice to see him.) Marianne Jean Baptiste makes sure they do.

A short, simple film, slips down quite easily, though remains somewhat insubstantial, like a British Airways lunch.

Paul Cantelon's music adds a certain something.

Little Women (2019 Greta Gerwig & scr)

She's scrambled up the time line, but otherwise pretty much left it alone. Is there a bit more of an independent woman slant than other versions? You'd hope so, but I'm not sure, though I did like seeing the book being printed and her negotiations with the publisher.

Good acting from Saiorse Ronan, Florence Pugh and Timothée Chalamet, supported by Emma Watson and Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Chris Cooper, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Louis Garrel, Meryl Streep.

Saiorse won her fourth Oscar nomination, Florence her first. A refreshing number of Brits in the cast, and Frenchmen behind the camera - an international set. Good photography (Yorick Le Saux) and music (Alexandre Desplat) 

Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel has been filmed several times - in 1918, 1933 (With Katherine Hepburn and Joan Bennett), 1949 (Elizabeth Taylor), 1994 (Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, Claire Danes), 2017 (TV series) and 2018 (a modernization).

The Merry Widow (1934 Ernst Lubitsch)

An unexpected delight, a treat. Lubitsch's 'musical' isn't especially, but delivers a lovely line in mad humour - it's as mad and fast as some of his silents. Having been in the garden all day until 8 PM it was difficult to know what to put on - this was the perfect thing. So funny - moreso when you picture Lubitsch himself acting out all the parts for everyone.

Maurice Chevalier is sent to Paris to retrieve Marshovian millionaire Jeanette MacDonald, falls in love with a girl called 'Frou-Frou' in Maxim's (which is her). Edward Everett Horton is supposedly there to help.

Tons of brisk funny stuff, often involving doorways (of course) - Lubitsch has a definite rhythm.

A favourite in the Bogdanovich family, and likely to become one of ours as well.

Glitteringly photographed by Oliver T. Marsh with sumptuous set designs by MGM resident Cedric Gibbons.

Written by Ernest Vajda and Samuel Raphaelson, based on the book and lyrics of Victor Leon and Leo Stein.

Una Merkel is delightful, George Barbier hilarious as the king - in one of many classic moments, he goes in to the royal chambers to retrieve his sword but realises it's too small - someone else's sword. Bursting in he finds Chevalier there with his girl  but so they don't alert the servants, they are forced to laugh and make pleasant conversation...

Chevalier isn't the only connection to Love in the Afternoon, which is also about a serial womaniser - there's a gypsy band too. Also features an incredible ballroom sequence dance in black and white.

Music by Franz Lehar.

"There they are - all your little tonights - and not a tomorrow among them."

Peter Bogdanovich 'Who the Devil Made It?'

Films that were so good I wanted to watch them again while they were still playing

Texasville
Petulia
Aloha
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

She's Funny That Way

Aloha (2015 Cameron Crowe & scr)

A Perfect Film, which on IMDB is awarded 5.4. (Can I just say, that turkey The Locket we watched the other night ... 7.2. Which proves the world's full of idiots.)

Full of wonderful unexpected moments, like Bradley suddenly howling in the car, out of the window (a dog howls back - 'see?' his look says). And a wonderful sense of the mystical...

"I'm just making sure we're still alive."
"Are we?"

Emma's shoe in the Christmas tree.

It's just brilliant. That loose hand held shot - no, even before that - we meet John Krasinski right up front. Then, as the camera circles, we have the triangle right there - Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone.

"The future is a brute force with a gentle sense of humour that will steamroller you if you don't pay attention."

When Emma says "I danced with the devil... and I liked it" - she's absolutely perfect.

"I may not be the original owner of your heart, but I am the better owner."

The ending would make a snake cry (to paraphrase Orson Welles). Danielle Rose Russell.

Great use of sound all the way through, inspired music choices, as usual. Not in the shadow of Wilder at all, Cameron's definitely his own man.

Led Kaapana is the legendary slack guitarist playing opposite Emma.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011 Glenn Ficcara, John Requa)

Written by Dan Fogelman - get the punctuation right. Isn't 'The Scarlet Letter' in that other Emma Stone film, Easy A?

Marisa Tomei is a bit OTT.

"I can imagine you suffocating under a pile of women."

The scene between Carrel and Gosling in the bar, when the truth about 'Nanna' has come out, is great.

It's a real treat.

The scene where Analeigh Tipton gives Jonah Bobo the photos is a priceless moment of lost for words...

To Have And Have Not (1944 Howard Hawks)

Earlier comments apply, from 2014, 2016, 2019.

'She's nineteen' Q kept remarking. The story behind it is remarkable - Bogie was 44, married to a violent drunk - she literally once stabbed him in the back - sweetly told in Betty's autobiography 'By Myself and Then Some'. (As a complete aside, Peter Lorre was a close friend of Bogie's, '..very, very intelligent, knew a great deal about medicine, a first-rate horseman, drank a good deal but it never got out of hand' and was married to Kings Row's Kaaren Verne.)

Hawks was jealous of the two - Betty thinks it's because he no longer had control over the situation. They didn't actually get together until The Big Sleep.

Love Hawks' framing. (Everything important in the same frame - multiple stories, in fact.)

Dolores Moran is the other gorgeous gal.

Hawks had challenged William Faulkner to write a film out of Hemingway's worst story. (He also told him to write about flyers - 'Pylon' - which became The Tarnished Angels - wasn't much good either, apparently.)

That's Sir Lancelot (from IWWAZ) on board the boat.

The Nice Guys (2016 Shane Black & co-scr)

People keep falling on to cars (shades of Lethal Weapon), though it isn't Christmas. Love the little tender touches.

With Gosling and Crowe are Angourie Rice, Margaret Qualley (the missing girl), Yaya Da Costa, Matt Bomer, Keith David, Kim Basinger, Lois Smith (Lady Bird, Hollywoodland, Fried Green Tomatoes, Black Widow, Five Easy Pieces).

In response to Russell's weight - “I did a movie called 'The Nice Guys,' so I wanted to be the physical juxtaposition of Ryan Gosling.” Crowe also spoke about working alongside Gosling, gushing about his co-star and calling it a "treat" to work with the 35-year-old actor. "That kid is a comic genius. He's great company," Crowe said. "He's really smart. He loves what he does and he asks all the right questions. The kid just knows how to make me laugh. He's very, very funny." (ABC News.)

Ruggles of Red Gap (1935 Leo McCarey)

From 1913 Harry Leon Wilson novel (he also wrote 'Merton of the Movies', filmed in 1924 and 1947) adapted by Humphrey Pearson, screenplay by Walter DeLeon and Harlan Thompson.

Charles Laughton is in fine comic mode, though in the beginning, he reminds me of a ventriloquists's dummy, or a teddy bear. Roland Young also good in very diffident manner (love the way some of his sentences collapse into yes mm). 

"I'm reluctant to leave that behind [his cocktail] but I'm sure we'll bump into another."

With Charles Ruggles  (appropriately enough), Zasu Pitts (once you've seen Greed, you never forget that face), Mary Boland (wife), Leila Hyams (the singer - Freaks, Island of Lost Souls), Maude Eburn ('Ma').

Liked the egalitarianism of it, underlined by the Gettysburg address (which, incidentally is played out almost totally in reaction shots to Laughton) - in that the butler becomes an independent restaurateur and the singer marries a Lord.

It's funny. Made for Paramount, with Alfred Gilks on camera. There's always one song at least in a McCarey - this one contains a comic one in which Young attempts to accompany Leila on the drums.

White Lines (2020 Creator / Writer Alex Pina)

Has a sort of built-in yawn factor, Laura Haddock with recapping and past mental breakdown. Anything you watch after Make Way for Tomorrow is likely to feel artificial - in one scene I could actually see the director saying 'Say your first line, then walk to the table and say your second line.'

Amidst raves, flashbacks, teeth pulling and orgies - and irrelevances, distractions, blind alleys, episodes that begin at the end - you struggle to find someone to like - though it emerges as the heavy 'Boxer' (Nuno Lopes), who Haddock shoots in the leg ('Cupid's Harpoon' is the line that wasn't actually said). And, I suppose, in the rather pathetic figure played by Daniel Mays.

The young Danny Mays is played by Cold Feet's Cel Spellman; Tom Rhys Harries is the charismatic DJ.

Angela Griffin, la la. Dysfunctional crime family blah. (Pedro Casablanc the father.) Anyone seen The Godfather lately? The trick there was we actually liked them. A lot of this is fill stuff - and that's maybe the problem of giving someone eight+ hours to fill. (That dinner party scene, for example - all talk, talk and doesn't advance the story one jot.)

The ending, the 'truth', absolutely beggars belief (almost might have had the black comedy value of the murder in Torn Curtain were it not so thoroughly implausible). The fact this is the most watched thing on Netflix demonstrates that people in lockdown are missing (1) raves and nightclubs (2) the attendant drugs (3) The Balearics (and other sunny destinations).

They Won't believe Me (1947 Irving Pichel)

Not bad twisty plot - Jonathan Latimer, story Gordon McDonell - has entirely compromised (and predictable) ending, and suffers from a lack of sympathetic characters.

Film opens with Robert Young and Jane Greer (Out of the Past) having innocent liaisons leaning towards affair - he agrees to run away with her to Montreal. But his wife Rita Johnson has other ideas and they ship off to LA, where Young starts another dalliance with good-time secretary Susan Hayward. The wife finds out again and they move to some solitary ranch, without a phone.

At this point, we sort of like Greer, though she's not been in it much, and don't like anyone else. When the plot starts kicking in, it's fun, but we can't overcome this problem. Young is in fact totally unlikable, and it's a mystery why his wife will stay with him.

A Shostakovich piano recital sounds like a divisive evening.

Photographed by Harry Wild and scored by Roy Webb for RKO.

The Locket (1946 John Brahm)

Rather bonkers tale starts with Gene Raymond about to marry Laraine Day, when psychiatrist Brian Aherne shows up and tells him he was married to her first, and she's bonkers. Cue Flashback #1, in which artist Robert Mitchum turns up and says he's been married to her before, and she stole a bracelet, in Flashback #2. In this, there's a third Flashback, let's call if Flashback #3, in which the little Laraine Day is given a locket, then had it taken away again, by the bitch Katherine Emery, thus setting up the woman's psychosis (there's only one bitch, really, so there's no point going as far as Bitch #1. That would be silly.) Anyway the doctor won't believe Mitchum (we're back to Flashback #1 now) so he jumps out of the window (and it's a High Window, though that sounds like a film noir title, so we mustn't confuse things.* This is no film noir).

Anyway, following the pattern of things, the present day fiance won't believe the doctor and goes ahead and marries the girl anyway, but she has a flashback - well it's sort of an impressionistic thing you get particularly in RKO films - I think I'd call it the suggestion of a Flashback, rather than Flashback #4 - about the stolen bracelet and goes nuts, so finally everyone believes all those flashback stories. Except Mitchum, who remains dead.

Luckily we have Nick Musuraca on camera and Roy Webb scoring to help us through.

Also in cast: Henry Stephenson again, Reginald Denny, Ricardo Cortez, and (uncredited) Grandma Walton Ellen Corby.

Brahm made that great Laird Cregar double bill Hangover Square and The Lodger, so clearly had a talent for something better. Day's only films of note were Foreign Correspondent and Mr. Lucky.

* It turns out High Window is not a film noir title, though it should be.

Picture Perfect (1997 Glenn Gordon Caron)

You know you're in trouble when a character says 'Excuse me, I'll be right back.' Written by Arleen Sorkin (no relation), Paul Slansky and Caron, from a story by Sorkin, Slansky and May Quigley. Though according to my own reaction at the time, it was written by 'dumb people on a plane'.

Transparent plot has Jen An pretending she's engaged to Jay Mohr to get ahead at work. This attracts bastard Kevin Bacon, who only fancies her when he thinks she's unavailable. I said it was dumb.

Olympia Dukakis and Illeana Douglas and Kevin Dunn cannot bring gravitas to the proceedings.

We had tried to watch A Rainy Day in New York but were thwarted again - as in the Polish version, you cannot disable German subtitles. The same applies to the French version - it's a case of industrial sabotage.

I guess it's Jerry Maguire we recognise Mohr from.

Oliver Twist (1948 David Lean)

A beautiful looking film - you could take screen shots all over the place. Guy Green's photography is sensational. (Ossie Morris is the operator.)

I was getting a strong feeling of Russian cinema, which I've had before with Lean. It's the striking editing that makes me feel that way. And the design, all chiaroscuro and weird sets (John Bryan) - is very Expressionist German. There you go - Dickens via Eistenstein and Lang.

It has a particularly beautiful opening (written by Kay Walsh).

I didn't find Robert Newton hammy this time, rather, he's genuinely creepy. Scenes with the bull terrier (nicknamed 'Sikes' by the crew) work brilliantly. Guinness gives quite a shaded performance, once you get past the ridiculous nose. But Walsh steals the acting honours in a fiery and passionate performance.

A very cinematic film, e.g. whole scene in the Three Cripples (where, incidentally, Hattie Jacques is one of the performers). Lean wrote it with Stanley Haynes.

Newton and Davies are both wearing safety harnesses

It was funny to realise, somewhat belatedly, that Oliver's nanny - the only person to show him any affection - is the granny from This Happy Breed (thus reuniting her with Newton and Walsh) - Amy Veness.

With Francis L Sullivan, Henry Stephenson, Mary Clare, Anthony Newley (Dodger), Kathleen Harrison, Ivor Barnard, John Howard Davies, Michael Ripper, Peter Bull, Diana Dors.

Music by Arnold Bax. Produced by Ronnie Neame.

The Awful Truth (1937 Leo McCarey)

Neither Cary Grant nor Irene Dunne trust one another (and with good reason) so they divorce, in Viña Delmar's comedy (McCarey of course also wrote on set) - ownership of Mr. Smith (Skippy) also a contentious subject. The dog cues one of the funniest scenes, where Dunne's hiding singing teacher Alexander D'Arcy in the spare room - Cary Grant then hides there also as Ralph Bellamy's come over - Grant gradually realising D'Arcy is there is like a sublime silent movie moment - then there's an offscreen fight, then Grant chases him out of the apartment...

Dunne is great again. Her killer moment is in performing an inappropriate dance to put off his fiancee's parents. McCarey has relaxed Grant into his first screwball performance. He's very cool.

McCarey's at Columbia this time - he does get about - so Joe Walker shot it, making Dunne's gowns sparkle with stars.

Cecil Cunningham is Aunt Patsy.

Whiplash (2014 Damian Chazelle & scr)

I think this says it all.

It's sort of like a thriller. The whole tone of the film is set in the very opening scene. It's a subtle screenplay too - notice how the father apologises in the cinema when someone knocks his head. And in one very short scene, we understand that Teller doesn't have any college friends. The last fifteen minutes barely features any dialogue.

Led to funny imaginary scenario where I'm mowing the lawn while Q reads the screenplay to me - and all passers-by can hear is 'Not my tempo', 'Are you ahead or behind?' and 'Faster!'

"We definitely have an out-of-tune player."

As for Tom Cross...

Jojo Rabbit (2019 Taika Waititi & scr)

Displaying the same deft, warm and quirky humour as Hunt for the Wilderpeople, only in the much darker milieu of Nazi Germany, Jojo Rabbit manages to pull off something exceptional (the screenplay, adapted from the novel 'Caging Skies' by Christine Leunens, won the Oscar and BAFTA).

From The Beatles version of 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' to Bowie's 'Heroes' ('Helden') at the end, both performed in German, we're in uncharted and exceptional waters. Roman Griffin Davis is the little Nazi, Waititi himself plays Hitler, and he really knows what to do with Scarlett, who's terrific as the resistance-member mother (she was also Oscar and BAFTA nominated). With Thomasin McKenzie (from Leave No Trace), Sam Rockwell as the sympathetic German (he continues to amaze me in everything), Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen, and a splendidly sinister Gestapo member in the shape of Stephen Merchant. And of course Archie Yates as the young friend.

Clever visual writing (mother's shoes, shoe laces), humour and unexpectedly lyrical moments - the ragtag assembly of children, cripples and shepherds who attempt to defend the city, to the stirrings of Michael Giacchino, is profound and reminded me of a Leone / Morricone scene (e.g. from Giu La Testa).

Nicely photographed by Mihai Malimare, edited by Tom Eagles. Filmed in the Czech Republic.

The A Word (2020 Creator / Writer Peter Bowker)

Still one of the best things on TV - there's no murders or whodunit or ridiculous storylines, you see, just real people interacting, told with warmth and understanding.

The kid is great. 'Is Joe great?' Yes he is. Max Vento does not have autism, but you'd be forgiven for thinking he had. Ably acted by a most competent cast all round: Morvern Christie, Lee Ingelby, Chris Ecclestone, Pooky Quesnel, Greg McHugh, Molly Wright (super-empathetic sister), Matt Greenwood (gay friend), Vinette Robinson, Gemma Paige North (neurotic girlfriend), Julie Hesmondhalgh, David Gyasi (gardener love interest), Leon Harrop (Down's son) and Sarah Gordy (his wife) and Travis Smith (Lee's head waiter - his debut) who is actually on the autism spectrum.

Rough Night (2017 Lucia Aniello & co-scr)

Predictable, crude, relentlessly stupid film - we only put it on to drown out the noise of our neighbour, who was 'decorating'.

For the record, girls on Miami stag night accidentally kill stripper, who it turns out is a criminal.

We can only assume that Scarlett was offered a shit load of money, or that she went temporarily blind at the script stage. She'll be opening the new Primark next. One of the characters actually says 'This is so stupid' at one point.

Filmed in Moron-o-Vision.

Not as bad as that Sartana movie, but nevertheless, really, really bad.