Top of the Lake 2: China Girl (2017 Jane Campion, Gerard Lee)

We weren't quite as convinced by this sequel, in which the behaviour of Elizabeth Moss's daughter Alice Englert (Campion's daughter) in mixing with shady German David Dencik is not understandable. In fact we begin to wonder if almost everyone involved has some sort of mental problem, including the mother (Nicole Kidman), and Super Large Cop Gwendoline Christie. Talking of her, don't bother to let us know if she survived (we enjoyed her character). Also the story left over from the first series isn't fully put to bed.

Cast good: Ewen Leslie etc. Plenty of hideous men as usual. Good music.

It's kind of irritating viewing.

Notorious (1946 Alcock Hitchfred)

Were you to print out every shot from this cinematic masterpiece, you would have a masterclass in film-making. By illustration:

It's a fried solid gold masterpiece, Grant and Bergman terrific (notice for example long take where they fight in her car), matched by Claude Rains, Leopoldine Konstantin, Reinhold Schunzel, Louis Calhern. Written by the incomparable Ben Hecht, photographed by Ted Tetzlaff (amazing focus pulling - uncredited), music Roy Webb.

You've Got Mail (1998 Nora Ephron & co-scr)

She wrote it with her sister Delia, and not much of the original remains (the scene in the restaurant), but it's a refreshing rethink centring on  struggle of little bookshop to survive against Starbucks-type rival. We didn't notice a Tintin or Winnie the Poo or Alice in Wonderland - no wonder the place was failing. Hanks and Meg Ryan are great (she hasn't done anything of note since Hanging Up - must watch I.Q. again). Here's her NYC loft apartment:

Handsomely shot by John Lindley and edited by Richard Marks (particularly noticed scene at drinks where Hanks and Ryan meet Greg Kinnear and Parker Posey).

With Steve Zahn, Jean Stapleton, Dave Chapelle, Dabney Coleman, John Randolph, Michael Badalucco (Coen Brothers films).

A Star Is Born (1937 William Wellman)

Despite Selznick's claim he himself came up with the idea for this film about film (always a popular category in this house - must watch Two Weeks In Another Town again) - the original draft of 'It Happened in Hollywood' is clearly by Wellman and Bob Carson (the judge taking the Hollywood star to task for drunk driving was directly from Wellman's own experience!) Further writing then came from Dorothy Parker and Alan Campbell. It's a tough story with an especially cynical character in Lionel Stander's PR man and May Robson's pragmatic grandmother, who suggests she's only been pushing her grand-daughter so she can enjoy the high life herself...

Wonderful subdued early Technicolor photography (W. Howard Greene winning a special Oscar), Lansing Holden (production design) and Lyle Wheeler (art direction). Great effects / paintings by Jack Cosgrove e.g.the 'sunset' and the billboard that miraculously changes in mid-shot. Max Steiner scored it, and Selznick mucked about with it,

Janet Gaynor and Fredric March are good as the doomed couple; with Adolphe Menjou (strangely sympathetic producer), Andy Devine, Edgar Kennedy (landlord). And, very briefly, Franklin Pangborn.

It's a one of a kind, better than both remakes.

W Howard Greene leaning on the camera, Wellman in front.

Rien Que les Heures (1926 Alberto Cavalcanti)

A sort of dramatized documentary look at low life Paris, featuring a prostitute, a hapless newspaper seller and a down and out, made with visual flair that compares it at times to Man With a Movie Camera. Nice and short, too (48 minutes).

James Rogers' filming is in tinted sequences.

Viceroy's House (2017 Gurinda Chada & co-scr)

A deeply personal project, as it tuns out - Gurinda's grandmother fled to India at Partition and was eventually found by her husband in a camp, thus she becomes Huma Qureshi, the Muslim who cannot marry Hindu Manish Dayal, giving the conflict over India  and Pakistan a personal angle; much as the involvement of Lord and Lady Mountbatten (Hugh Bonneville and Gillian Anderson) who themselves are betrayed by Machiavellian schemes and Michael Gambon.

What a stupid fucking mess (politics, not film, which is well made). Simon Callow, Om Puri, Lily Travers, David Hayman, Simon Williams. Co-written by Paul Maydea Berges and Moira Buffini. Shot by Ben Smithard in Panavision, music by AR Rahman and edited by Valerio Bonelli and Victoria Boydell.

Kiss of Death (1947 Henry Hathaway)

Eleazar Lipsky was an assistant DA who also wrote crime novels. His 100 page manuscript formed the basis for this film, which was written by the incomparable Ben Hecht, with Charles Lederer. It's interesting in that it gives early recognition to the influence of the Mob - who are supposed to be looking after Victor Mature's wife while he's inside after not squealing, but don't.

Introduces the memorable villain Tommy Udo, played as a maniac by Richard Widmark - his psycho character became the subject of college appreciation societies! (And not just them. Peter Bogdanovich was one who rehearsed Tommy in the mirror!) The scene with the wheelchair bound mother is really shocking. Mature also good.

With some nicely directed scenes (e.g. opening jewel robbery, appearance of Widmark through a tiny curtain gap), photographed by Norbert Brodine for Fox. With Brian Aherne, Coleen Gray, Taylor Holmes (crooked attorney), Karl Malden. Not really a noir though - some time I'm going to have to write my own definition...

Sneaky Pete (2015 Created by Bryan Cranston and David Shore)

Giovanni Ribisi (not really sure what I thought of this performance), Marin Ireland, Shane McRae, Line Barer, Margo Martindale, Peter Gerety, Michael Drayer (brother), Bryan Cranston.

Find there isn't one sympathetic character, really. Cranston's villain you really want dead. Can't think why Karolina Wydra's character would have anything to do with him. Ask if he can do her nails and he'd probably cut her feet off.

Still, ends pretty well.. right up until the last 30 seconds (you would have thought he would notice he's being tailed) and the cliffhanger ending - which we could have done without, after eight and a half hours.

I would have liked it if the brothers had stolen each other's watches right at the end.

Next To No Time (1958 Henry Cornelius & co-scr)

Cornelius wrote It Always Rains on Sunday and directed Passport to Pimlico and Genevieve. He died young (44) and this is his last film, derived from a Paul Gallico story of some spurious idea about time stopping on a trans-ocean liner (the actual QE2) called 'The Enchanted Hour'.

Combination of location photography, colour and More would have pleased audiences.

Trades slightly on the eccentric British inventor stereotype, and the recreation of industrial plant in his cabin is great to see, but absolutely wasted in plot terms. Reasonably diverting and funny however and featuring Betsy Drake, Roland Culver, Reginald Beckwith, Harry Green, Patrick Barr and small parts for Sid James, John Laurie, Irene Handl, Raymond Huntley and Joss Ackland (uncredited).

Not bad credits at all with fine score (Georges Auric), photography (Freddie Francis, Eastmancolor) and editing (Peter Hunt).

The Shawshank Redemption (1994 Frank Darabont & scr)

One of those films you think you know backwards, but don't... It had been five years as well.

Based on a 'short novel' (91 pages) by Stephen King, published in 'Different Seasons' (where also 'The Body' aka Stand By Me appeared) in 1982, written just after finishing writing 'The Dead Zone'... I wonder whatever happened to Stephen King...

Anyhoo, the whole plot is in that short novel or whatever you call it, but Darabont has most successfully opened it out to be more about the relationship between the two main protagonists and the other cons and the struggle again institutionalisation. It's peopled by a great cast - Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton (warden), William Sadler, Clancy Brown (the brute), Gil Bellows (young man), James Whitmore (old man), David Proval (The Sopranos' Richie). It's shot by Roger Deakins in a high contrast style - like an old black and white. The music - which you don't really notice - is by that old pro Thomas Newman.

It's still No. 1 in IMDB's top 250. Considering it was a flop on release it's interesting to see the Academy recognised it as a great piece of work, with Film, Screenplay, Freeman, Deakins (the first of his thirteen), Newman (the first of his fourteen) and Richard Francis-Bruce (editing) and Litt / Tyson / Herbick / Burton (sound) all being Oscar nominated (the best sound effect is the sound of the chess piece disappearing down a long well).

Also love that final shot where the two are reunited - but it's so far away... And the Mozart.. And the scene on the roof..

Castle Rock Entertainment was named by Rob Reiner after the success of his Stand By Me adaptation.

The Help (2011 Tate Taylor & scr)

In a film of exemplary performances, Octavia Spencer perhaps has the edge over the others. But who is Tate Taylor? I always look to the New York Times for my info:

Ms. Stockett’s novel was turned down by 60 literary agents before she found the one who sold her book, three weeks later; it quickly became a hit. By then she had already sold the movie rights to her childhood friend, Mr. Taylor, an actor turned fledgling director. He wrote the script in the apartment they shared as roommates in the East Village. Later he worked on the script in Los Angeles, where Octavia Spencer, who plays Minny, was his roommate; the film is a web of his relationships. Nonetheless studios were skittish about entrusting a neophyte with such sensitive material. (The director Chris Columbus, a producer of “The Help,” was eventually dispatched to be a full-time on-set baby sitter.)

Classy support too from Stephen Goldblatt and Thomas Newman - and you have to hand it to Mark Ricker (production design) and Curt Beech (art director) too. Lovely shiny cars you get in things like this -- never a dent on them...

Special mention to Aunjanue Ellis (as Yule Mae).

With Charlottesville still ringing in our ears it makes me angry... But thankfully, there's the chemistry between Spencer and Davis, Jessica Chastain (and her nice husband Mike Vogel), Alison Janney giving it good to Bryce Dallas Howard...

Someone give Emma Stone an Oscar --

Roman Holiday (1953 William Wyler)

Easy to forget that this treasure is one of Wyler's, for which Audrey deservedly won an Oscar (and BAFTA), as did writer Ian McLelland Hunter, who was fronting for blacklisted Dalton Trumbo. (John Dighton also has a credit.) Naturally, all the acting is great - Hartley Power (Dead of Night), Harcourt Williams (ambassador), Margaret Rawlings, Paolo Delani (hairdresser), Eddie Albert and Gregory Peck.

Alékan always looked younger than his age. In 1953, already 44, he was co-opted to shoot Roman Holiday when the first choice, Franz Planer, stormed out after a row with the director, William Wyler.

"Who are you?" demanded Wyler when the intensely shy Alékan arrived on the set. He gave his name and was treated with instant disdain. "I thought you'd be older," Wyler snapped. Come Oscar time, however, Alékan and Planer, who had begun work on the picture, were jointly nominated for Academy Awards.

(Source: Telegraph obituary. Alékan shot La Belle et la Bête.)

Q's right - she is absolutely iconic, and the on-location Rome filming was also a landmark decision. Whether Wyler made her film scenes over and over again I'm not sure (the biography is not well rated).

Immensely enhanced by George Auric's unpredictable music (also from Belle et Bête). It's a corker.

Peck's character is certainly no gentleman - yet he is in the film's most satisfying conclusion.

Why isn't this film in my Top 200? Because I'm an idiot.

An American Werewolf in London (1981 John Landis & scr)

David Naughton and Griffin Dunne are the unfortunate tourists, John Woodvine the doctor. Jenny Agutter is absolutely note perfect in every scene.

Some effective dream sequences and black humour (confrontation in sleazy cinema which is playing 'See You Next Wednesday'). What was once deemed so clever in Rick Baker's transformation scene now seems really dated - horror moments are better when you can't see the thing e.g. in Val Lewton-ish Underground scene.

The music's by Elmer Bernstein and it's photographed by Robert Paynter.

Interestingly, Landis came up with the idea in Yugoslavia in 1969 whilst working on Kelly's Heroes (he's an uncredited production assistant).

La La Land (2016 Damian Chazelle)

What??

It was our second film today which won six Oscars. Justin Hurwitz's score unforgettable.

Anamorpic 2.55:1 CinemaScope celluloid

As well as the obvious Hollywood classic musicals, Sandgren was also influenced by Hopper and photographer Todd Hido. Ryan learned to play piano for the film.

The Fast Lady (1962 Ken Annakin)

Somewhat better than British comedies of this time - being somehow more modern? Written by Jack Davies and Henry Blyth from a novel by Keble Howard, who was active at the beginning of the century - this is from 'The Fast Lady: A Tale of a Motoring Honeymoon' from 1929 - a peculiar coincidence as the car featured is a 1927 Bentley. It's also quite cheeky and features Leslie Phillips in one of his most significant roles, with James Robertson Justice trading slightly on his 'Doctor' role - there are a couple of creative dream sequences.. the swinging sixties was just around the corner, as was Julie Christie's stardom. With Stanley Baxter, Kathleen Harrison and guest stars like Dick Emery, Frankie Howerd, Bernard Cribbins and Clive Dunn.

Filmed around Beaconsfield, Amersham, Farnham and Watlington. With Eric Barker as a very nervous driving instructor and Allan Cuthbertson (Performance) as a tester.

Mrs Miniver (1942 William Wyler)

I think my favourite war films made during the war are The Way Ahead, The Way to the Stars and In Which We Serve - this is a bit Americanised (ham and eggs for breakfast, indeed). However there's no denying that it's tremendously well written and acted, and produced with the usual MGM 'A' picture gloss. I love those shots of the backs of the heads - so unusual.

Greer Garson and Teresa Wright are great (both won Oscars) - Walter Pidgeon and Dame May Whitty not far behind. It was Richard Ney's debut - he later married the twelve years older Garson though they divorced in 1947 - his career suffered and he went back into economics.

Three Days of the Condor (1975 Sydney Pollack)

A paranoid conspiracy thriller? In the seventies? James Grady wrote a book 'Six Days of the Condor' the year before, but they thought six days was too long. Lorenzo Semple Jr (Pretty Poison, Papillon, The Parallax View) and David Rayfiel (The Firm, Havana, Round Midnight) wrote for the screen, and it's a terrific, tense thriller in which no one can be trusted. Tremendously boosted by a great supporting cast of Max von Sydow as an urbane assassin, Cliff Robertson and John Houseman, ably led by the cool Robert Redford (you can see him thinking) and the empathetic Faye Dunaway. One good tense scene follows another, rounded off by a suitably opaque ending.

With a distinctively seventies soundtrack by Dave Grusin, shot by Owen Roizman in Panavision. Very skilfully put together by Pollack and editor Don Guidice (A New Leaf, The Yakuza).

Crazy fonts you got back then:

Can't help but loving seventies NYC films. The cars!

Mean Girls (2004 Mark Waters)

Mean Girls is not the best film on earth, and falls far short of comparable flicks like Clueless, Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Easy A. Lindsay Lohan is decent enough as the girl trying to fit in with 'the plastics' Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried:

In support are scriptwriter Tina Fey (the source was a book by Rosalind Wiseman), Tim Meadows, Amy Poehler and Daniel Franzese.

8 Mile (2002 Curtis Hanson)

Written by Scott Silver. Eminem: "We would get together and share stories. And, you know, he would just be taking notes and writing it down. And made a story out of it." It's like a boxing movie.

From that opening bathroom we're in a grimy, dirty, run down Detroit, caught largely hand-held by Rodrigo Prieto in widescreen - Mathers himself one of a very small white cast - Kim Basinger of course his mother, Sluttany Murphy, Taryn Manning (ex), Michael Shannon, Chloe Greenfield (sister).

You have to hand it to these guys - their speed and wonderful, beautiful vocabularies. Eminem's pre-emptive strike in the final rap off is as classic I'm sure as some Roman orator in the forum.

Marshall is fine. With Mekhi Phifer, Evan Jones, Omar Benson Miller, De'Angelo Wilson, Eugene Byrd, Proof  (Marshall's real life rapper mate), Anthony Mackie (Papa Doc).

"Silver: Obviously, there was no way that I was gonna be able to write rap lyrics for anybody, let alone for Em.

Eminem: I remember that the script always ended in a battle since the beginning. That’s what the whole movie was building toward. But how the battle actually went and what rhymes were used was pretty much open....In a real battle tournament back then, I wouldn’t know who my opponents were. I’d just stack a few punch lines up and mostly freestyle about the guy in front of me."

It's shot in widescreen to get the best view of Marshall's Oldsmobile Delta 88. The production designer is Philip Messina.

Oscar for Best Song 'Lose Yourself' - Eminem, Jeff Bass, Luis Resto.

It was great also to see the extras in which Eminem extemporises against four lucky rappers picked to do a montage scene.

Their Finest (2016 Lone Scherfig)

Based on the novel 'Their Finest Hour and a Half' by Lissa Evans (2009), adapted by Gaby Chiappe (Shetland and other TV things), has something of the back story to Blimp about it (Hungarian producer, intervention of Ministry of Information).

Gemma Arterton is great as screenwriter, Bill Nighy wonderful as over-the-hill actor. With Sam Claflin, Raul Ritter, Rachel Stirling (Diana Rigg's daughter: Capital, The Bletchley Circle, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen), Jack Huston, Richard E Grant, Jake Lacy (American), Helen McCrory, Eddie Marsan, Henry Goodman (producer), Jeremy Irons.

Can't think why it was shot in widescreen (by Sebastain Blenkov), leading to incongruity of seeing 4x3 cropped into that shape. The recreations of studio model work are funny.

Affectionate and very enjoyable.