The Lady Eve (1941 Preston Sturges & scr)

An incredible cast - Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, William Demarest, Charles Coburn, Eugene Pallette, Eric Blore, Robert Greig, Melville Cooper, Luis Alberni.

So many long takes, especially between Stanwyck and Fonda, and their incredible closeness. Brilliant cards scene between Coburn, Stanwyck and Fonda.

Another of Sturges' great breakfast menus, delivered by Jimmy Conlin: "Good morning sir. Fruit, cereal, bacon and eggs, eggs and sausage, sausage and hot cakes, hot cakes and ham, ham and eggs, eggs and bacon..."

Stanwyck beautifully oblivious to horse

La Mariée était en Noir (1968 François Truffaut & co-scr)

A difficult shoot - Truffaut and Raoul Coutard disagreed about the lighting (it was their last collaboration) leaving it down to Jeanne Moreau to have to explain to the different male actors their roles. It was Truffaut's least favourite film. Hitch liked the poisoned Arak scene but said he would have made Moreau put a cushion under the man's head so he could have died more comfortably. (Whilst that might have been a nice touch, it wouldn't fit with her blind revenge  character.)

It comes over as very nimbly shot and edited like lightning (Claudine Bouché - her next film, six years later, was Emmannuelle!) The men seem like shits (the only thing they have in common is the hunt and women) and it's almost as though Truffaut is criticising himself for his womanising ways (it was co-written by Jean-Louis Richard, based on Cornell Woolrich). Not sure you can suffocate a man in a cupboard under the stairs, but hey ho, Truffaut would say I'm being one of Hitch's 'plausibles'. 

So, the murder victims are Claude Rich (from balcony), Michel Bouquet (in his besotted confusion; poisoning), Michel Lonsdale (cupboard), Charles Denner (artist shot by Diana's arrow) and Daniel Boulanger (murdered in prison - Truffaut doing Bresson). Loved Moreau playing with Cookie, and the way the innocent school teacher (Alexandra Stewart) is greeted by her pupils on returning to school. Jean-Claude Brialy is the friend who finally recognises her.

Herrmann's score is amazing. Also loved the concierge, and the scarf that floats over the city, and the girl who says 'If you remember me why don't you ever say hello when you see me in the street?', and the cutting of the concert scene, and the drawings of Moreau.

Artwork by Charles Matton

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976 Clint Eastwood)

Excellent epic revisionist western, very overdue. (The only thing I remembered about it is the 'Good day to die' scene, which turns out to be from a different Chief Dan George movie, Little Big Man!)

Forrest Carter's novel adapted by Phil Kaufman and Sonia Chernus - they were unaware that he was a former Klansman and segregationist. Excellent script. Plays like a revenge western but along the way turns into something more Fordian as Wales is rehumanized by his encounters with an Indian chief (Chief Dan George) and squaw (Geraldine Keams), a tough old lady and her daughter (Paula Trueman and Sondra Locke) and assorted waifs and strays from a silver town where there ain't no silver. Sam Bottoms is an outlaw pal, John Vernon and Bill McKinney represent the bad guys. Lots of humour amidst the action, some spectacular scenery, shot beautifully by Bruce Surtees. Jerry Goldsmith's score is quite recognisable. Clint's direction most assured.

Malpaso for Warners. 

The Notebook (2004 Nick Cassavetes)

Nicholas Sparks novel adapted by Jeremy Leven and Jan Sardi, anchored by a fabulous performance from Gena Rowlands, who was unlikely to need any direction from her son. James Garner, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams are good too. With Sam Shepard, Kevin Connolly, David Thornton, Joan Allen, James Marsden. 

Robert Fraisse is on camera. Filmed in South Carolina.

Le Deuxième Symphonie (1918 Abel Gance)

Slightly complicated by the fact that the intertitles are in French with no translation, as indeed are several letters, which interestingly are used to help tell the story. Also quite innovative in its use of different shot sizes and editing, and in its 'symphony' section, with its eye-catching semi-transparent ballet scenes. 

Melodrama tells of how a woman Emmy Lynn falls under control of good-for-nothing Jean Toulot who's witnessed a murder; later she marries composer Séverin-Mars, but his daughter falls for the cad. Most interesting, with a modern score and beautifully shot by Léonce-Henri Burel (early Bressons).

Great tinting as well. In one scene a character turns off a light, and the previous warm amber tint is abruptly replaced with a cold green one - not sure I've seen that before.

Le Fantôme de la Liberté (1974 Luis Buñuel & scr)

Buñuel and Jean-Claude Carrière have constructed a series of surreal sketches, loosely linked, with most amusing opening where a statue knocks a soldier unconscious. Then a man's dreams (a postman visits the bedroom in the middle of the night) lead him to a doctor - we then follow the nurse Milena Vukotic and her crazy episode in a B&B with monks, an incestuous nephew (when he pulls the covers off his aunt it's clearly a much younger model) and an S&M couple. There's a slightly draggy episode involving the police, but things pick up with a girl who's gone missing (although she's there - the chief of police interviews her - inspiration for Welcome to the Doll's House?) and an assassin who's sentenced to death and becomes a celebrity. Familiar faces abound - Jean-Claude Brialy, Julien Berthaud (Prefect), Adriana Asti (naked piano playing sister), Michael Lonsdale, Michel Piccoli (the other Prefect), Adolfo Celi, Monica Vitti, Jean Rochefort. Great fun.

Photographed by Edmond Richard, featuring Buñuel's own sound effects.

I've missed Buñuel, a director who had two enormous fans in the guise of Michael Powell and Alfred Hitchcock.

Her (2013 Spike Jonze & scr)

A multi-layered, Oscar winning screenplay, about the dangers of technology and the efforts of human beings to connect. Joaquin Phoenix isn't the only one to fall for his operating system (beautifully played by Scarlett Johannson) - Amy Adams does too. (It turns out the computer's having relationships with 600 other people!) And, on the theme of connections, his job is to write letters for other people. Highly prescient (everybody's on their phone the whole time) and funny. Perhaps goes on a bit too long.

With Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde. Photographed by Hoyte Van Hoytema.

Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993 Woody Allen)

A rare collaboration - with Marshall Brickman - originally to be an episode from Annie Hall. Woody and Diane Keaton's relationship is getting stale - she's constantly in the company of friend Alan Alda, whilst he's being seduced by publishing client Angelica Huston. Then a neighbour's wife dies and - in the Rear Window tradition - Keaton begins to suspect something sinister is going on, as the widower, Jerry Adler, not only seems rather casual about it, but is also spotted with a younger woman (Melanie Norris).

Witty, for sure ("I can't sit through that much Wagner. It makes me want to conquer Poland"), but Woody's showing us he can do thriller scenes well, ahead of Match Point, especially where Keaton's in the apartment, only to have the suspect walk back in. The ending, intercut with Lady from Shanghai, is amazing.

Woody's filming loosely, doing another round table track. Carlo di Palma shot it. It was Woody's first film since he and Mia split.

The Last Flight (1931 William Dieterle)

Came across this from a great review in Time Out ('more quintessentially Fitzgerald than anything Scott Fitzgerald ever wrote') - Halliwell gave it four stars. Little known 'lost generation' film opens with an amazing war montage, then in brief describes the experiences of our pilots in WW1. We pick them up, drinking all the while, and talking unified nonsense, in Paris 1919. Richard Barthelmess, David Manners, Johnny Mack Brown and Elliott Nugent are fascinated by Helen Chandler, and rather sweetly adopt her. Walter Byron is an annoying and slimy lecher / hanger on.

Some of the acting is a bit theatrical, but it's not a static film - the camera moves plenty, as does the film, which takes us to Lisbon, and the fates of the crew, who always order the same drinks as each other.

The surviving print is unfortunately rather dark. Sid Hickox shot it, for First National. Written by John Monk Saunders from his novel 'Single Lady'.

The Face of Fu Manchu (1965 Don Sharp)

Faced with a choice between John Ford, Buñuel and Bergman, I elected for this - what an idiot. Some reasonable period detail, but extremely lethargic in execution - half the 'Burmese' gang are clearly English; even though they're armed with knives, our heroes can bare knuckle beat them every time, nothing fiendish happens - I thought it was a Hammer production - that might have been more horrific.

Christopher Lee is the oriental criminal, Nigel Green - an actor who always looks so straight, you suspect inside he's trying not to laugh - his nemesis. Joachim Fuchsberger looks like he's wandered in from some urbane dinner party, Karin Dor his girl. Tsai Chin is Manchu's daughter.

'Of course - the river!' Blah blah. And what the hell are the 'Young Husband papers'??

Shot by Ernest Steward, written by Harry Alan Towers

Maid in Manhattan (2002 Wayne Wang)

..Because in Modern Family, Mitch is talking about renting a movie - ' Rom com or horror? Or we could combine them and get Maid in Manhattan.' Which is not necessarily a recommendation - more of a warning.

And yes - this is the second in our Coen Brothers double bill.

It's not that bad. I kept thinking of Peter Bogdanovich directing Sidney Poitier in To Sir With Love 2 - "All I ever said to him was "A little faster, Sidney" in as many variations as you can imagine" - was getting the feeling Jaylo could have done with the same direction.

A Serious Man (2009 Joel & Ethan Coen & scr)

Rather like Inside Llewyn Davis, Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) is not having a great time - his wife (Sari Lennik) is leaving him for another man (Fred Melamaed) - only he has to move out of his own house. He also has a problem with a Korean student, and his crazy brother (Richard Kind) who gets into trouble with the police. Various rabbis are no help, nor are neighbours (gun toting and naked sunbathing).

It's the sixties. Traditional Jewish songs alternate with Jefferson Airplane. And what's the dybbuk got to do with it? (Fyvush Finkel.) Stuhlbarg looks confused - so were we. It's a dense pudding.

Photographed by Roger Deakins.

Fargo (1996 Joel & Ethan Cohen & scr, prod, ed)

Frances McDormand did win her (first) Oscar for this - quite right too - she's brilliant. Her and her husband Harve Presnell are so well written. She doesn't even appear until 32 minutes in. The beautifully written screenplay also won.

The North Dakota / Minnesota accents are far out.

Started us thinking, by now, at least Martin McDonagh must have met the Coens. We thought they probably loved each other's work (John Michael too). They share a black comedy / violence thing. I know at least that McDormand's character in Three Billboards was written specifically for her (the McDonaghs had been impressed with her since Blood Simple.)

My Dad loved it.

Inside Llewyn Davies (2013 Joel & Ethan Coen & scr, prod)

1961 Greenwich Village. With all its period detail I was surprised the budget for this was only $11m - it took $32m worldwide. And considering how unlucky the title character is, it's another surprise how enjoyable this is. Indeed, in its road movie Chicago section it's actually quite hypnotic, and when he arrives there and auditions for the producer, his song performance is so good you expect him to be signed up on the spot. Instead he's encouraged to get back with his former partner, but by then, we know he's dead. It's another great screenplay that is impossible to predict. Oscar Isaac gives a great performance and has a sweet voice.

Bruno Delbonnel provides another eye-opening photographic experience.

The funniest scene is the performance of 'Please Mr Kennedy'. Why's Adam Driver (hilarious) making those odd one word emissions in the rehearsal? Then in the song, it all makes sense.

And that suggestion the bar owner (Max Casella) has slept with Jean (Carey Mulligan) makes you suddenly suspicious that LD is the father at all. With John Goodman, Justin Timberlake, Ethan Phillips and Robin Bartlett, Jerry Grayson, Garrett Hedlund (another of the Coen's taciturn drivers), Stark Sands (soldier who's an improbably good singer) and lots of great people in bit parts, like his agent's secretary (Sylvia Kaiders).

Some lovely dissolves in the editing too. Great songs.

Q: "Why would anyone build a corridor like that?"
Me: "Because it's a Coen brothers film."

More about the cat here.

Night Without Stars (1951 Anthony Pelissier)

Winston (Poldark) Graham's story (from his own novel) has a partially blind man (David Farrar) in Nice, running into a beautiful girl (Nadia Gray) and dodgy goings-on, ending with a murder. Returning to London he has his eyesight restored, then travels back to sort out what's afoot, finds smuggling by former Resistance, and a brother-sister relationship that's perverse.

Not bad, but despite the talent to hand (Guy Green, Ernest Steward, John Seabourne) it doesn't quite work. I'm not sure the writing is quite there, nor the casting - the romantic aspect between the two doesn't really come off.

Jersey Boys (2014 Clint Eastwood & prod)

Mr. Biopic Eastwood's at it again. This one didn't quite click for me - partly, I suspect, that I'm not a fan of the Four Seasons' sound (weird Jerry Lewis type falsetto, with dumb dog bass), plus I didn't really care for any of the characters. Certain moments of improbability too, e.g. when Bob auditions and they're all note perfect on the song he's brought them, arrangements and everything. It's written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.

No problems with the pacing, staging or performances, nor having various characters address the audience. Vincent Piazza (Tommy), John Lloyd Young (Frankie), Christopher Walken, Erich Bergen (Bob, the writer), Michael Lomenda (who quits), Mike Doyle (gets them contract), Erica Piccininni, Renée Marino, Joey Russo (Joe Pesci), Kathryn Eastwood (Tommy's GF), Francesa Eastwood (waitress), Freya Tingley (ill-fated daughter).

All characters dancing in the street ending is too much.

Shot by Tom Stern, edited by Joel Cox and Gary Roach.

Gran Torino (2008 Clint Eastwood & prod)

A sort of thematic retread of Million Dollar Baby, only here grumpy solitary old man is brought out of funk by Hmong neighbours - even shares with the earlier film an unhappy ending. Enjoyed it, though somehow doubt the gang would have hung around at the end waiting for the police to catch them.

Creditable that it does posit tolerance in an extremely multi-cultural America.

Clint can do this in his sleep. With Bee Vang, Ahney Her, Christoper Carley (tenacious priest), Brian Haley and Brian Howe (the sons), John Carroll Lynch, Geraldine Hughes, Dreama Walker, Choua Ku, Scott Eastwood.

Written by that Nick Schenk fellow again, with Dave Johannson. Camera: Tom Stern. Editors: Joel Cox and Gary Roach. Music: Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens. Malpaso for Warner Bros.

Clint's a John Ford fan and like him, many of his films are about America, whether it's the Civil War, WWII, Iraq, Edgar J Daffodil, police corruption, the space race; and real people and events - The Four Seasons, Richard Jewell, Sully, the train guys, John Huston, Charlie Parker..

Untraceable (2008 Gregory Hoblit)

Diane Lane plays a detective who's trying to locate a charming man who kills people online in a variety of fiendish ways, as though he's Fu Manchu or somebody - how quickly they die depends on how many people tune in (a rather sick plot point, as sick as some of the messages posted we glimpse). Refreshingly, she doesn't go to bed with nice cop Billy Burke, nor does she need him to waste the bad guy (Joseph Cross) in the final minutes, which she manages to do perfectly well on her own. Also features Colin Hanks, Mary Beth Hurt, Peter Gray Lewis. And, weirdly, as we're on a Modern Family binge, Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Apart from the sick murders it doesn't have any imagination. Written by Robert Fyvolent & Mark Brinker and Allison Burnett.

It was the Portland in Oregon, if anyone's interested.

I must say I did like the stunt of the guy who blows his brains out then falls off the bridge onto the van below in one take.

Lane's fine as always but the film doesn't make much sense and is unappealing. Looks like it had been ENR-ed, if they still do such things, making it inky dark (Anastas Michos).

Capote (2005 Bennett Miller)

Miller directed Foxcatcher and Moneyball; it's the first screenplay by Dan Futterman (also Foxcatcher), adapted from the biography by Gerald Clarke.

I think we'd seen it before, but when and where is mysterious. Philip Seymour Hoffman won the Oscar.

Capote interviewed the Kansas murderers, begins to empathise with one, despite their awful crime (it turns out the other guy didn't kill anyone), changes literary history in writing a factual novel.

Catherine Keener plays Harper Lee. With Chris Cooper, Clifton Collins Jr., John Warkentin, Bob Balaban. Music Mychael Danna, ph. Adam Kimmel.

The Bliss of Mrs Blossom (1966, released 1968 Joe McGrath)

It is a sign of the times indeed that Paramount invested I don't know how many millions into this very silly film. Harry H Corbett refers to 'that picture, The Knack' at one point, but this is not anywhere near in the same league.

Amusingly, Q kept trying to apply logic to the craziness. Wife of brassiere designer Richard Attenborough Shirley Maclaine hides a lover in the attic of their far-out SW3 house (actually Howard's Lane, Putney - the house is pretty much unchanged). Farcical policemen Freddie Jones and Willie Rushton are in search of the missing man. With Bob Monkhouse, Patricia Routledge, John Cleese.

Geoffrey Unsworth is doing some interesting things with lenses, focus and the zoom, and the design is very far out in the Swinging London style.

The copy we saw on TPTV had the words 'bitch' and 'crap' censored!