Ninotchka (1939 Ernst Lubitsch)

Why, I wonder, don't we watch this unique collaboration of Wilder and Lubitsch more often? It was written by Wilder, Charles Brackett and Walter Reisch, from Melchior Lengel's play, and features a terrific trio of Russian delegates in the shape of Lubitsch regulars Felix Bressart, Sig Ruman and Alexander Granach (who effectively reappear in Wilder's own One Two Three).

Lubitsch touch evident right from the word go, the three appearing one by one in posh hotel lobby; also with scene featuring hijinks in hotel (told through Lubitsch trademark sequence of opening and closing doors).

Shot by Garbo regular Bill Daniels for MGM, with Melvyn Douglas.

Of all the ridiculous Hollywood hats of this era, this is perhaps the most ridiculous.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947 George Seaton & co-scr)

Valentine Davies story, adapted by Seaton, never lets on whether Kris Kringle is real or not, delivering most satisfying Christmas legend which is as much about belief and commerce as it is about anything else. Maureen O'Hara is typically edgy, Edmund Gwenn totally lovable as Santa, Natalie Wood delightful, John Payne adequate. Has an interesting on-location feel, not much music (20th Fox). Gene Lockhart is the judge who - for political reasons - cannot deny the existence of Santa, Porter Hall the 'psychiatrist'. Twist with post office worker fabulous, though the highlight of the show is Gwenn and Wood pretending to be monkeys.

Thanks to IMDB:

"When Dr. Pierce explains Kris' belief that he is Santa Claus, he offers for comparative purposes a Hollywood restaurant owner who believes himself to be a Russian prince despite evidence to the contrary, but rather conveniently fails to recall the man's name. This was a reference to Michael Romanoff, owner of Romanoff's in Hollywood, a popular hangout for movie stars at the time [who was a con man and not a Russian prince]."

This Christmas (2007 Preston A Whitmore II)

It isn't often that we give up on a film. Despite the presence of Idris Elba as a jazz saxophonist in trouble, family drama just seemed really badly acted and directed.

The Quiller Memorandum (1966 Michael Anderson)

So much to love in this - Segal's weary performance, a haunting theme tune (in fact maybe John Barry's best score overall), laconic dialogue, interesting compositions and locale. It is in fact the best of all the sixties spy thrillers, and boasts an incredible cast.

Robert Helpmann is in it too; Senta Berger is gorgeous.

Rebecca (1940 Alfred Hitchcock)

As reviewed here.

I love Olivier's brusqueness (tempered with tenderness), Fontaine's timidity, Anderson's disdain.

Hadn't quite realised the significance of the dog.

The house is one great big model / collection of sets, all artfully lit by George Barnes, whose trademark (in this anyway) appears to be the use of gigantic shadows of things through windows everywhere. And there's more than just that which prefigures Citizen Kane, such as the darkening background before a flashback and the ending of flames.

It was Hitch's longest film to date, and does feel a bit draggy towards the end. But it's very well directed and is indeed a psychological romantic (almost supernatural) thriller of the finest order.

It was the third Gladys Cooper film we saw in a week.

Where is Hitchcock?

Happy Christmas (2014 Joe Swanberg & scr)

Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber, Lena Dunham and an unidentified baby appear in what seems to be an entirely improvised ... film. Not very funny or interesting, unfortunately. The funniest moment is the outtake after the end of the credits - which is indicative of something...

Harriet Walter

Who the hell is Harriet Walter? I pondered, seeing her name twice in succession in my old Time Out Guide: once in a Play for Today called The Imitation Game (1980) - based on an Ian McEwan novel, and it is about code-breaking, though not the Turing story; and again in Reflections (1984) in which she is highly praised. (Both unavailable.*)

Then of course I recognise her:

She's more recently been in London Spy, Downton, The Young Victoria, Little Dorrit, Atonement, Babel, Marple, Bright Young Things, Black Cab (2000 10 x 10 minute series, unavailable), Morse, Patrick Melrose and Sense and Sensibility. And Man Up.

I later learned that she is Christopher Lee's niece (daughter of his sister Xandra).

* The Imitation Game is now available on DVD.

Hunky Dory (2011 Marc Evans)

It certainly sounds like the music is all played by the non-professional cast - the arrangements (e.g. Life on Mars accompanied by glass bottles and recorders) are delightful. Funny also to see many of the cast of Stella involved, as well as an emerging Kimberley Nixon (though by no means her debut). Also Robert Pugh, Anuerin Barnard, Danielle Branch, Darren Evans. Despite 'where are they now' conclusion it isn't a true story, making the ending rather suspect. Writer Laurence Coriat was the self-featured French exchange teacher who came to England in 1976.

It kind of made me want to see their whole production of 'The Tempest'.

Shot by Far From the Madding Crowd's Charlotte Bruus Christensen.

Separate Tables (1958 Delbert Mann)

Rattigan has taken elements from his Way to the Stars story - an overbearing mother and put-upon daughter who are residents of a hotel - and expanded them into a larger story about hotel guests - most of them long-term. Gladys George and Deborah Kerr are the couple in question, the latter having fallen for 'major' David Niven, whose exploits in 'nudging' women in cinemas also earned him his Oscar. Burt Lancaster and Rita Hayworth are doomed love-hate couple whilst Wendy Hiller is the romantic third (a noble character, also Oscar winner). More marginal characters comprise Felix Aylmer, Cathleen Nesbitt (who we last saw in Family Plot), Rod Taylor, Audrey Dalton, May Hallatt and Priscilla Morgan.

It's a bit stagebound, doesn't have the same energy as other theatrical adaptations like The Man Who Came to Dinner; nevertheless ultimately moving and satisfying drama, lit by the peerless Charles Lang and with a score by David Raksin that reunites him with Hayworth from Laura. First-rate acting, especially from Niven, who doesn't even sound like himself as the film opens.

The Bishop's Wife (1947 Henry Koster)

Niven is rather grumpy and taciturn in the film, though whether that's what the part demanded or he was suffering the sudden, accidental death of his 25-year old wife Primmie, his autobiography doesn't tell us - probably a good idea to return to work, especially against pros like Cary Grant, Monty Woolley, Gracie Fields, Elsa Lanchester and James Gleason (who seems familiar to us from a million old films) - only Loretta Young seems underpoweringly milky. Toland gets his own solo credit again and shoots everything crisply in his trademark deep focus. Fun is to be had with a bottle of sherry which never runs out, and (almost Cocteau-like) a harp which plays itself. That ice-skating sequence is beautifully shot in such a way that we cannot identify the stars as the skaters.

Weirdly has some similarities to Wings of Desire.

The way Grant has of immediately calling everyone by their first names is one of those power trademarks.

Sherlock (2010-11 Created by Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss)

Benedict Cumberbatch and the equally good Martin Freeman, Andrew Scott, Rupert Graves, Mark Gatiss and Una Stubbs.

Funny how old the technology looks already. Fabulous moments: Moriarty apologising over phone call while he's holding up Sherlock; fate of man who's threatened Mrs Hudson ("How many times did he fall out of the window?"), fate of dominatrix (Lara Pulver) who's been announced killed.

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (2008 Robert B. Weide)

There's a hell of a lot of The Apartment to this. It's not difficult to watch.

Simon Pegg's bumbling feels like it's in the wrong movie - this could have had more of a satirical bite. I don't know if that's author Toby Young's fault or that of screenwriter Peter Straughan, or come to that of the director, producer or any number of people involved. Oddly misfiring ending too, like no one could figure out a proper conclusion.

Nothing wrong with the cast: Kirsten Dunst (Miss Kubelik), Danny Huston (Sheldrake), Jeff Bridges, Gillian Anderson, Megan Fox, Miriam Margolyes, Bill Paterson (in telling small scenes - you old pro!) Though I guess from an awe point of view, Pegg was most stricken by cult hero Bridges.

Weide made the excellent Woody Allen documentary.

Dodsworth (1936 William Wyler)

Surprisingly mature study of a marriage in its later years, written by Sinclair Lewis (novel and stage adaptation) and Sidney Howard - Walter Huston played the role first on stage. He's awfully good, though we missed the moment we loved before where he steps over the dog!

David Niven is quite good as a cad - in his book he maintains Wyler made them exhaustively repeat takes, even pushing seasoned veteran Ruth Chatterton into slapping him and locking herself in her room. Rest of good cast: Mary Astor at her most sympathetic, Paul Lukas and Gregory Gaye as cads #2 and #3 (with Maria Ouspenskaya as latter's mum), Spring Byington and Harlan Briggs.

Good team behind camera: Lionel Newman, Rudolph Maté, Daniel Mandell.

Overboard (1987 Garry Marshall)

Charming film written by Leslie Dixon, who also wrote Outrageous Fortune (also 1987), Mrs Doubtfire, Pay It Forward and That Old Feeling. This has the feel of an old thirties classic, exploiting the relationship between couple Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell (they first appeared together in the 1968 The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, then began dating whilst filming Jonathan Demme's Swing Shift in 1984).

Edward Herrmann is the husband and Roddy McDowall the butler was also executive producer. Hector Elizondo has his usual cameo... this time as a Portuguese fisherman!

John Alonzo shot it. Really good fun.

Mildred Pierce (1945 Michael Curtiz)

Q's right: it does - like the same year's Brief Encounter - begin at the end. James M Cain wrote the novel, which was adapted by Ranald MacDougall.

Last reviewed here. You can just about make out how good Ernie Haller's deep focus compositions are in our fuzzy print, which must be replaced.

Jack Carson  and Eve Arden always seemed to be supporting players. They're both jolly good.

Bad Santa (2003 Terry Zwigoff)

Glen Ficarra and John Requa have directed as well as written Focus this year, with Will Smith and Margot Robbie, about a conman.

Thoughts on Bad Santa:

Considering the moments many of us can identify with, such as smashing up the cardboard animals in the manger, the film really is too nice for its own good.

Most of Brett Kelly is seen in reaction shots - almost like he wasn't acting to Billy Bob Thornton at all.

What would Lauren Graham see in Santa?

Paper Towns (2015 Jake Schreier)

Model Cara Delevingne, Nat Wolff, Austin Abrams, Justice Smith and Halston Sage.

Main character is pretty annoying, really.

Has an echo of American Graffiti in it. Quite enjoyable.

The Way Ahead (1944 Carol Reed)

Niven doesn't say much about his war exploits or this film in his autobiog (he was a decorated Lieutenant-Colonel), but when the action begins he displays exactly the kind of calm, immediate authority you might expect was real. (According to 'The Moon's a Balloon' the film was used for training at Sandhurst for 10 years after.)

It is distinctive in the way the ordinary folk from all walks of life are moulded into soldiers. They are Stanley Holloway, James Donald (who also displays a cool, methody presence), John Laurie, Leslie Dwyer, Hugh Burden, Raymond Huntley and Jimmy Hanley, with William Hartnell brushing them into shape and Leo Genn as the Captain. Renée Asherson is the girl who invites them to tea.

Eric Ambler and Peter Ustinov's script reflects the course of events in the attitude of two Chelsea Pensioners, and it's their delight at the film's end that lifts what you might otherwise think a gloomy finish.

Reed's trademark tilt is exploited in tense scene where the ship is hit, involving an uncredited Trevor Howard. Guy Green is lighting high contrast.

Couldn't find out where the North Africa scenes were actually filmed as they look very authentic (as does the destruction of the town).

The Ides of March (2011 George Clooney)

George also co-wrote this (with co-producer Grant Heslov), and it has nicely cinematic moments. The source is play 'Farragut North', though you wouldn't think so. In it, Ryan Gosling becomes a shit, because that's what politics does to you. You couldn't ask for a better cast with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti in support, plus Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei and Jeffrey Wright.

Shot by Phedon Papamichael, edited (of course) by Stephen Mirrione and scored by Alexandre Desplat.

Political thrillers can be boring - this one isn't, and it's nicely economical (90 minutes).

Kingsman (2014 Matthew Vaughn)

Written by he and Jane Goldman (thus funny), film is marred by the same streak of nasty violence that tarnishes Kick-Ass; nonetheless the Bond parody is good fun (though ends on a distasteful joke). Based on Mark Millar / Dave Gibbons graphic novel 'The Secret Service'.

Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Michael Caine, Samuel L Jackson, Sophie Cookson, Sofia Boutella, Hanna Alström.

Shot by George Richmond (Wild Bill). Some of the CGI fights are ridiculous, though undeniably clever.