The Kids Are All Right (2010 Lisa Cholodenko & scr)

Julianne Moore and Annette Bening make a particularly convincing gay couple. We love Mark Ruffalo and intend to rewatch many of his films - think we'll start with Spotlight.

His character though does make rather a mess of things. With Camara DaCosta Johnson (better known as Yaya DaCosta), Mia Wazikowska and Josh Hutcherson, isn't it? And Zosia Mamet, who Q correctly identified as being in Girls.

Yardie (2018 Idris Elba)

Not what I was expecting, more of an ages old fraternal revenge story than a Yardie version of Goodfellas. Apart from the great dub reggae doesn't make much of its 70s / 80s Kingston / Hackney settings or time periods. Writers Brock Norman Brock and Martin Stellman adapted (some of) Victor Headley's 1992 novel in a rather rudimentary way.

Aml Ameen is the lead (from Kidulthood), Stephen Graham arbitrarily adopts Jamaican accents (a mistake). With Naomi Ackie, Calvin Demba.

The more I think about it, the more clichéd it seems. Shot in a muted palette by John Conroy (The Happy Prince). Talking of which he has also photographed a TV adaptation of The Name of the Rose, with Rupert Everett!

Also boasts some rather confusing editing. Sorry. Best bits are D and his daughter.

Stand-In (1937 Tay Garnett)

Has a particularly lumpy exposition, but picks up the minute doe-eyed mathematician Leslie Howard arrives in Tinsletown and meets Joan Blondell and learns the film business. Bogart seems miscast as a dog-carrying film producer, who's in love with terrible leading lady Marla Shelton (unfortunately living up to her character) whilst Alan Mowbray is a cliché of a film director and Jack Carson a cliché of the publicity man.

Interestingly an independent (Walter Wanger) production, written by Clarence Budington Kelland, Gene Towne & C. Graham Baker. Features a man who is forcibly ejected from the studio by being slung over a wall. Sets us up though with a performing seal that isn't used, nor does the stand-in become a leading lady (another lost opportunity). Still, welcome jokes at expense of film industry.

I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007 Amy Heckerling & scr)

Terrific fun, last seen here, witty, sharp, making lots of pointed references about modern life. Paul Rudd is at his most bouncy and appealing - check out scenes where he first meets Saoirse, for example, or instantly bonds with Michelle Pfeiffer's ex Jon Lovitz. Some signs I think of improvisation. Saoirse's rendition of 'Oops I Did It Again' and 'Like Rain' are hilarious. Why then did the studio not release it theatrically?

Graham Norton is good value and everyone else is in it - Sarah Alexander, David Mitchell, Steve Pemberton etc. And Stacey Dash, Tracey Ullman (as Nature), Yasmin Paige (Saoirse's friend).

Mackenzie Crook being extremely rude about actresses

The next time Rudd is on Graham's show he should get them to play a clip.

'You wanna cut those apron strings if you're gonna be a real man."
"I don't need to be a real man - I'm an actor."

The Confirmation (2016 Bob Nelson & scr)

He also wrote Nebraska - his only other feature, unfortunately. A sort of update of Bicycle Thieves, down-on-luck carpenter and alcoholic Clive Owen (looking suitably weathered) spends the weekend with his estranged son Jaeden Lieberher (Aloha, Midnight Special, The Book of Henry, St. Vincent) - together they go in search of his missing tools, and the boy starts breaking all his Catholic values. We really enjoyed it.

Good cast supported by Maria Bello, Stephen Tobolowsky, Spencer Drever (other boy), Tim Blake Nelson, Robert Forster and Patton Oswalt (The Circle, lots of TV).

Shot by Terry Stacey in Vancouver.

Unlikely Hero / Paper Man (2009 Kieran Mulroney, Michele Mulroney & scr)

Emma Stone, aged 20, early in her career, makes impression here opposite Jeff Daniels, Kieran Culkin and Lisa Kudrow. Kept making me think of the younger Jodie Foster.

The Mulroneys' script (blocked writer - I know, that one again) isn't quite there but story of imaginary friends is at least different. Features the most unromantic love scene (in the back of a car) ever.

Danish Eigil Bryld (Crisis in Six Scenes, In Bruges, Becoming Jane) shot it.

Mildred Pierce (1945 Michael Curtiz)

Both Bette Davies and Barbara Stanwyck turned down Ranald MacDougall's Oscar-nominated adaptation of James M. Cain's novel - Joan Crawford won the Oscar (it was her favourite role). Ann Blyth (sixteen, when cast, now ninety) and Eve Arden (real name Eunice Quedens!) were also nominated (Arden has all the best lines).

We thought Criterion's 4k transfer a bit hazy, not in the same league as Casablanca, unfortunately.

It's still great. With Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Bruce Bennett.  And behind camera - Ernie Haller (also nominated), Steiner (not one of his very best), Warners' art deco production designer Anton Grot, Westmore (Perc).

"I didn't mean to kill him but the gun went off and off." Blyth is the Screen Queen Bitch.

Jo Ann Marlowe after rendition of 'South American Way;' between Butterfly McQueen and Crawford

Hugo (2011 Martin Scorsese)

Now, the backlash. Not sure John Logan's screenplay is that great - and dialogue between the kids sounds soapy. Asa Butterfield isn't strong enough to play the lead. Even Chloe Grace Moretz seems underpowered - maybe Marty isn't great at directing kids? Robert Richardson's photography may be very beautiful but it's like The Aviator again - how much of it is CGI? There's certainly something queasy about the animated Paris and the real stuff - whilst I guess this fits fine with Méliès and Illusion, it's distracting fakery (compare to, for example, the set designs in Cuaron's The Little Princess). It's the old Marty too big train set thing again.

Ben Kingsley. Sacha Baron Cohen, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Michael Stuhlbarg again, Frances de la Tour, Richard Griffiths (died two years later), Jude Law, Kevin Eldon.

Great production design. Best bits remain the silent and Méliès clips (the dragon is still my favourite). In fact I started to wonder whether he was the main inspiration for Wes Anderson.

There's Always Tomorrow (1955, released 1956 Douglas Sirk)

Rather enjoyed Pat Crowley's performance as the son's sensible girlfriend. Jane Darwell is the housekeeper.

Here's Stanwyck and MacMurray reteamed ten years after Double Indemnity. MacMurray is Rex the Robot Man.

On right: William Reynolds, Pat Crowley, Gigi Perreau

King of Thieves (2018 James Marsh)

Marsh directed The Theory of Everything and Man On Wire. Written by Joe Penhall (The Long Firm) and Mark Seal, this is much better than The Hatton Garden Job. Wonderful fast editing from Jinx Godfrey and Nick Moore keeps it lively. Great one-of-a-kind cast comprising Michael Caine, Jim Broadbent (scary), Ray Winstone, Tom Courtenay, Paul Whitehouse, Michael Gambon and Charlie Cox (The Theory of Everything, Glorious 39).

I like the silent cop pursuit scenes and the fact that we don't really understand what a bunch of bastards these criminals are until we're well advanced. Little flashes of old movies add zing.

Shot by Danny Cohen.

Back to the Future Part III (1990 Robert Zemeckis)

Good to see proper pre-CGI stunt-work involving people, trains and horses. Fun also to have Michael J Fox play his great grand-father.

Nice cinematography from Dean Cundey.

With Mary Steenburgen, Burton Gilliam (Blazing Saddles), Thomas F Wilson, Lea Thompson, Elisabeth Shue.

Call Me By Your Name (2017 Luca Guadagnino)

Despite good performance from Timothée Chalamet, film is long and boring and confirms my suspicions about Guadagnino from A Bigger Splash. Quite puts one off peaches, as well!

With Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg. Best moment comes from ditched girlfriend Esther Garrel.

Cold War / Zimna Wojna (2018 Pawel Pawlikowski & co-scr)

Great acting (Joanna Kulig, Tomas Kot, Borys Szyc, Agata Kulesza) and sensational photography (Lukasz Zal), and a variety of really interesting music (some very powerful) from peasant folksongs through to jazz. Unfortunately, troubled relationship of couple is rather difficult to swallow - film needs one moment of magic between them. Dedicated to Pawel's parents. A bit of a disappointment after Ida, but nevertheless not without its amazing moments:

Reminds me of the Eichenberg Jane Eyre cover

Modesty Blaise (1966 Joseph Losey)

Adapted from his own novel by Peter O'Donnell and Evan Jones, Bond spoof isn't funny. Pop art design quite fun (best moment is Bogarde with giant purple drink in which a goldfish is swimming), film serves as showcase for Monica Vitti in many different outfits and hairstyles (some of which change in mid-scene), plus both Dirk Bogarde and Terence Stamp in blonde wigs.

With Harry Andrews, Clive Revill (also playing the Sheik), Alexander Knox, Rosella Falk, Tina Marquand (Tina Aumont).

Shot by Jack Hildyard, editor Reginald Beck, music Johnny Dankworth, production design Richard Macdonald.

Laura (1944 Otto Preminger)

Considering he's clearly nuts about Laura, there's something rather gay about the way Clifton Webb invites Dana (pronounced 'Daina') Andrews into his bathroom and gets dressed in front of him.

There's some sharp dialogue in the screenplay by Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein (who shaped the Lydecker part specifically for Clifton Webb, thus answering that question) & Elizabeth Reinhardt, from Vera Caspary's novel.

Gene Tierney in one of her wet hats:

Q dubbed him 'Scrawny bath man'.

David Raksin's theme winds around LaShelle/Guffey's photography. (I found myself playing that game again - 'This scene looks quite neutral - It's one of Guffey's. This looks more contrasty, more Apartment like - It's LaShelle.' I'm probably wrong - some scenes begin like one then track into the other. I don't have the eye to know which is which - but it's a fun game.)

With Vincent Price (who I still find rather difficult to take seriously), Judith Anderson and Dorothy Adams as the maid Bessie (we just saw her in Peeper; and is in Best Years of Our Lives as Cathy O'Donnell's mum).

Bridge of Spies (2015 Steven Spielberg)

Matt Charman uncovered the story of James Donovan, who organised the freeing of 9000 people in Cuba, which led him to this story first. Then the Coen Brothers came in to write the Tom Hanks character more vividly. The relationship between him and Rylance ('Aren't you worried?' - 'Would it help?' is great.)

I thought John Williams was sounding like Thomas Newman at the bridge scene - turns out it was Thomas Newman. Great score. I thought I'd given up playing that game... Seriously amazing photography from Janusz Kaminski.

Mark Rylance is the sympathetic spy.

I would have been tempted to end it on Hanks, collapsed on the bed, a great final image, one that's been set up all along.

Aloha (2015 Cameron Crowe & scr)

One of the first things we see is a glove flying around in space, which considering the theme of hands is quite fitting.

You have to give it to the sound team (and editors) for the audio assault weapon (think I detected a flash of Rebel Without a Cause in there this time).

Evocative music by Alex and Jonsi.

Most interesting soundtrack includes Beck 'Heart is a Drum' and The Blue Nile 'Let's Go Out Tonight' - which sounds a bit like late Mr. Bowie.

A Film With Me In It (2008 Ian Fitzgibbon)

Not what I was expecting. Dylan Moran and Mark Doherty (who also wrote it) have to deal with the bodies their run-down house keeps leaving everywhere. Confusingly the brother is played by David O'Doherty. With Keith Allen, Amy Huberman and Aisling O'Sullivan.

Um... It didn't really touch the sides....

Vanilla Sky (2001 Cameron Crowe & scr)

Um... What's going onnnnnnnnnnnnnn...........

Have to credit the sound mixing / editing (Michael D Wilholt supervising). And film editing by Mark Livolsi and Joe Hutshing is incredible.

Some terrifically odd stuff going on. Does the visage of the mask actually change, or is just the way it's lit make it look different?

Tom Cruise, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell, Jason Lee, Noah Taylor, Timothy Spall, Tilda Swinton, Michael Shannon

We Bought a Zoo (2011 Cameron Crowe & co-scr)

Good cast, but Maggie Elizabeth Jones and Elle Fanning steal it.

Loved the extras. which takes us in depth to look at the animals and their handlers.

Just what the doctor ordered.

O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000 Joel and Ethan Coen)

A delicious film, last review here,

Tommy Johnson (played by Chris Thomas King) is clearly modelled on blues singer Robert Johnson (composer of 'Dead Shrimp Blues') who died at that fateful age of 27 - there was a story that he'd sold his soul to the devil... Actually, I now read that Robert wrote a song about that legend, featuring Tommy Johnson, and is wrongly attributed as being the same person.

The moment the waters come, and that audacious edit to underwater, one of many exceptional moments.

Very funny, absolutely beautifully photographed:

The film playing in the cinema is 1933 Laughter in the Air. 

The Last Laugh (2019 Greg Pritikin & scr)

Inoffensive and enjoyable movie with Richard Dreyfuss (71) and Chevy Chase (75), Andie MacDowell, Kate Micucci and Chris Parnell.

Not at all sure why Dreyfuss drives over his watch.

Dedicated to Paul Mazursky.

Has a distinctive Altman moment at a motel (which to be honest seems to be there more for effect) and a quirky musical mushrooms number!

Plastic Man (1999 Sarah Pia Anderson)

Turgid and sludgy 3 1/2 hour drama about plastic surgeon and his affair, not redeemed by interesting actors: John Thaw, Sorcha Cusack (daughter of Cyril),  Frances Barber,  Eddie Marsan, Sophie Stanton, Martin Marquez.

Patrick Melrose (2018 Edward Berger)

Comes on like 'Fear and Loathing' with a dark heart as junkie Benedict Cumberbatch (on simply amazing form) goes to NY to collect his hated father's ashes, providing us with the best Quaalude moment since Wolf of Wall Street as he crawls along the walls.

David Nicholls' adaptation of Edward St. Aubyn's books then takes us back from 1982 to 1967 and the awful event of his childhood (sensibly reversing the order of the books).... then on into the future. The novels on which the series is based are - unfortunately for the author - autobiographical. Both Nicholls and Cumberbatch were huge fans. It's acerbically funny and gut-wrenching, though ends on hope. Really good.

All cast very good. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Maltz (young Patrick), Jessica Raine, Pip Torrens, Holliday Grainger, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Anna Madeley, Indira Varma (sympathetic lady at dinner), James Fleet, John Standing, Blythe Danner, Gary Beadle (Chilly Willy), Celia Imrie, Elizabeth Berrington, Harriet Walter, Jonjo O'Neill (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs).

Produced by Sky / Showtime. Photographed by James Friend, edited by Tim Murrell (Parade's End - funnily enough - and Any Human Heart), Luke Dunkley and Dan Roberts.

Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963 David Swift &co-scr)

Based on a play and co-written by Lawrence Roman, this is very difficult to like as Lemmon plays a kind of sociopath who preys on young women, spies on them and wanders into other people's apartments uninvited in the middle of the night. Carol Lynley and Dean Jones attempt a trial marriage, Edie Adams is Lemmon's ex, Imogene Coca and Paul Lynde (Bewitched) are the help.

You have to look hard for any little pleasures - a great cat, some funny sound effects (and those automatic violins) and a tiny boat. That's it. Oh, and this:

Photographed by Joseph Biroc. I'm not sure I could bear to watch it ever again.

Roma (2018 Alfonso Cuarón & scr, ph, ed)

Right. Chivo would have shot it, but there was a schedule clash, which is why 'Alfonsito' photographed it himself in a very simple, formal way in which the camera is often in a fixed position, panning, or performing long lateral tracking shots. Almost nothing is in close up and there's no music. Chivo loved it.* It's beautifully lit and composed (BAFTA nominated). It was shot in colour on a digital Alexa 65mm and post-processed.

Cuarón tried not to make any shots that were like other directors' in making a very personal tale about his own childhood and the family maid, enacted here by non-professional Yaliza Aparicio, who was not even shown the script in key scenes (including the birth). It emerges also as a subtle but pointed commentary about the state of the country (which Cuarón believes now is even worse).

The excerpt from Marooned is not as I thought a nod to Gravity but in fact a film the director himself saw several times as a child.

I thought it was going to be a quiet and personal film, which it was - I was not expecting these massive scenes which must have required so much in terms of production design (Eugenio Caballero), but also in staging - there's so much going on in the backgrounds, everything has to be timed to perfection (this applies just as much to the intimate scenes at home). Thus we have these remarkable evocations of the slums, the martial arts training, the moment in the children's store with riot outside, and especially that incredible scene where the camera moves (again laterally) without cut as Cleo saves the children from the waves.

The significance of the scene with mother Marina de Tavira and Cleo, both deserted by men, looking at each other, while there's a wedding party emerging in the background was not lost on me (loved the giant crab model as well).

Also the scene in the forest with the (I think deliberately planned) fire, so well staged, amazing stuff. Made me think (I know, Alfonsito doesn't want me to think of other film-makers) of Kalatozov / Urusevsky's films. It's absolutely amazing.

Such is Alfonso's complete control he seems to be able to conjure aeroplanes whenever he needs them, right from that amazing opening in the reflection of the water.

Someone walk the fucking dog, though!

* I found it very funny that Alfonso won the Best Cinematography Oscar and BAFTA after Chivo had been monopolising it for the last few years.

The Kominsky Method (2018 Creator Chuck Lorre)

8 x 25' star vehicle comedy which is actually funny and has situations based on reality (death, illness, addiction, taxes), featuring a sympathetic and likeable couple in the shape of Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin. The acting classes make a nice sideshow / accompaniment, but as good and refreshing as it is I'm not sure it's as rave-worthy as it is being depicted.

Nice to see guest stars in the shape of Danny de Vito, Elliott Gould etc.

Rest of cast: Sarah Baker (Michael's daughter), Nancy Travis (new GF), Lisa Edelstein (Alan's daughter), and the acting class: Jenna Lyng Adams. Casey Thomas Brown, Ashleigh LaThrop, Graham Rogers, Melissa Tang, Emily Osment.

While We're Young (2014 Noah Baumbach & co-scr)

Delicious comedy of manners with most interesting musical soundtrack ranging from rock to classical. Loved the way Ben Stiller realises he's been completely had by disingenuous Adam Driver - we can 'see' how good the latter's film is even without hearing it, whilst Sandler's six-hour monstrosity... - how does that exchange with his father-in-law go, something like:

It's very long.
It's supposed to be long, to make you feel uncomfortable.
Well it just made me feel bored.
Maybe that boredom was masking your discomfort.

Also loved Naomi Watts' hip-hop scene, impossible to capture here really:

Without being explicit, it's also clear that Stiller's character has not earned any income for at least six years.

It was maddening trying to recall who the father-in-law was - Charles Grodin. Also with Amanda Seyfried.

I remember thinking 'Truffaut' at one point, but can't now remember why.

Did not recognise Peter Bogdanovich as 'speaker'. Baumbach (and Wes Anderson) both love They All Laughed and call the director 'Pop'.

There he is! (Standing)

Good one for the Obscure Screen Shots series

Grainy photography by Sam Levy (Lady Bird, Frances Ha).