Quite odd watching the beach scene without Q's explanatory voice over it, see Invisible Women.
Is John Williams' theme the most recognisable in movie history? It won the Oscar as of course did Verna Fields' editing and the much underestimated sound design, which was by Robert Hoyt, Earl Madery, Roger Heman Jr. and John R Carter.
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| "What am I supposed to tell the kids?" "Tell them I'm going fishing." |
Yes, Siegel’s mate from Warners, ‘Bun’. Interesting that other people behind camera became directors, e.g. Art director Nathan Juran (made Sinbad movies) and editor Robert Parrish (In The French Style),
Burt Lancaster has been in prison 14 years, revisits old pals Wendell Corey and club owner Kirk Douglas, gets involved with club singer Lizabeth Scott. Wants what’s owed to him for taking the fall, but Douglas is a rat. Tries to frame Burt for murder
Scott isn’t the femme fatale for a change, which is something of a shame. With a Kristine Miller, Jorge Rigaud, Mike Mazurki, Marc Lawrence. Photographed by Leo Tover. Music by Victor Young. Hal B Wallis production.
Terrific boxing movie film noir whose writer abe Polonsky and star both fell foul of HUAC. John Garfield is great as poor Jew turned boxing sensation, realises the fight game is rigged, but by then only cares about the money. GF Lili Palmer and mum Anne Revere and pal Joseph Penney are on his corner but can’t overcome shady manager zeilliam Conrad and femme fatale Hazel Brooks. Nice structure takes us on later on in the story. Good montage work by Gunter Bon Fritsch. Gods support to from Canada Lee as injured boxer. Jimmy Won’t Howe shot it, Hugo Friedhofer provides the music. Really good
Lorelai and Rory summoned us.
Loved when Rory's fractured her arm and Lorelai sleeps in a chair at the end of the bed and we cut to her asleep later and then the camera shows Chris is also there and also asleep. (He's let himself in unbeknown to the girls.) Lovely touch.
Judy Geeson, Seth MacFarlane and John Hamm pop up.
'Oy with the poodles already!'
Alternative title: "Shut up Paris!"
Running, running... When we hear why Robert Ryan is pursuing Van Heflin, our loyalties are switched. But when Heflin gets picked up by Mary Astor (didn't recognise her at all) in a bar, and she introduces him to Taylor Holmes and brutish Barry Kroeger, things get a lot worse. Beautifully done ending in railway station.
With Janet Leigh and Phyllis Thaxter.
Photographed by Robert Surtees, music by Bronislau Kaper.
Is it a noir? Well it doesn't have the great language of Double Indemnity nor a femme fatale (Astor is more of a run down barfly who gets 'kicks'), but... yes, definitely. And in that it's one of those ones that totally undermines what seems to be the typical happy American family it's definitely subversive, and it also has that angle about how the war is still seeping into post-war lives.
Ah, yes, the "Who is Larry Cravat?" one, co-written with Howard Dimsdale who was blacklisted by HUAD and committed suicide with his wife in 1991.
War-damaged amnesiac John Hodiak (Desert Fury, Lifeboat, Battleground, A Bell for Adano) has only one clue to his identity and seeks Cravat, but it turns out he's connected to a missing two million dollars. Nancy Guild (very few credits) falls for him, Richard Conte gets involved, as does smooth-talking Fritz Kortner (stage actor, then films such as Pandora's Box). As you'd expect with Mankiewicz it's quite dialogue heavy but certainly invokes a nicely noirish world of LA mystery, well rendered by Norbert Brodine. Lloyd Nolan is the friendly copper, Margo Woode in femme fatale role, Whit Bissell as barman, Lou Nova (tough guy), Charles Arnt (man with glasses), Harry Morgan.
Nice touches e.g. long take over crystal ball, Hodiak meeting Josephine Hutchinson, who claims she knows him, and that definitive noir image of a suited man emerging from the window of a mental hospital. Quick simply directed by Mankiewicz.
The night docks scenes sound like they're accompanied by the sound of someone's iPhone ringing on silent.
Music by David Buttolph. Fox.
A needy film which wants you to like it, specifically through reusing elements from the first - and best - Bridget Jones film (the 'wrong' relationship while the 'right' one is staring her in the face, the ending in the snow, Christmas jumper etc.) And rather depressingly, Bridget is only impressed my men's physiques. Still, enjoyable though whilst a little obvious in places.
Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall, Mila Jancovic and Caspar Knopf (the children), Sally Phillips, Sarah Solemani, Gemma Jones, Emma Thompson, Shirley Henderson, Jim Broadbent, Colin Firth, Nico Parker.
Suspicious screenplay credit: written by Helen Fielding and Dan Mazer and Abi Morgan. Good array of pretentious childrens' names. Hazily photographed by Suzie Lavelle, well edited by Mark Day.
The silly tree scene. How can Bridget be stuck there when her kids are much higher up?
Yes, no matter who wrote what (Billy or Raymond Chandler) - and let's not forget those choice lines of dialogue were probably co-written - you can pretty much be sure that the clever construction is all Billy's, for example the demise of the first Mrs Dietrichson, which isn't revealed until an hour and a quarter in, and the stuff with her step-daughter (Jean Heather).
I was noticing in the Hollywood Bowl sequence quite how well the classical (Beethoven or someone) goes with the dialogue.
Mrs D is like a Venus Fly-Trap.
But when Edward G gets going, in those long takes, it's poetry in motion.
Oscar nominated for Picture, Director, Screenplay, music and sound recording, and Actress.
Written by Mark Chappell who co-wrote Netflix series Flaked, which is well rated. But this didn't work for me at all. It's in that category of British farce which hasn't worked for decades, nary a laugh in sight. Gimmicky direction (split screen) doesn't help - has it ever?
Good to hear Sam Rockwell with British accent but in a way he has no charisma or presence, good also to see Saoirse as WPC and David Oleyowo as camp writer. Good production values even though half the time you think you're looking at CGI.
With Reece Shearsmith, Adrian Brody, Ruth Wilson, Harris Dickinson, Pearl Chanda, Shirley Henderson, Tim Key.
Fox Searchlight.
