The Crime Is Mine - 2023 - France

The Crime Is Mine - 2023 - 6/10
AKA - Mon Crime

 
Splendid homage / pastiche / satire of lush melodramas of the 1940’s.
Struggling actress Madeleine stands accused of murdering a lecherous theatrical producer.
She has a strong alibi, the prosecution’s case is riddled with discrepancies.
And yet … murder is such good publicity.
As a comedy, this repeatedly brushes against silly.
Few characters display intelligence.
Isabelle Huppert appears late in a flamboyant role.
Fans of Ozun know this director and know he releases goofy stories periodically.

Godzilla: Minus One - 2023 - Japan

Godzilla: Minus One - 2023 - 7/10
AKA - Gojira -1.0 // ゴジラ-1.0

 
A film that countless fans have been waiting for.
Post World War II, Tokyo is rubble and shantytowns.
Ex-pilot Shikishima forms a family with Noriko and orphan Akiko.
Shikishima suffers postwar guilt, and memories of a giant, legendary monster.
This backstory is lengthy, but provides characters one can follow.
For halitosis breath soon reappears, and it is a one-dimensional force.
Acolytes of Method acting, what is Godzilla’s motivation?
It just destroys stuff, why?  On the whole planet, only humans do that for no reason.
Action is first rate and old school.  Even the tactics try to make sense.

No Way Out - 1973 - Italy

No Way Out - 1973 - 6/10
AKA - Tony Arzenta (Big Guns)

 
Under looked crime story mixes Noir with Euro-Crime.
The late assignment came on the day of his son’s birthday.
Afterward, Tony wants out, wants to be a father, not a mob assassin.
His boss will see what he can do, but Tony knows too much.
Syndicate heads from Sicily, Italy, Copenhagen, opt to retire him permanently.
Only the hit goes terribly wrong, whereupon Tony begins a string of vengeance.
Alain Delon, Richard Conte, Anton Diffring bolster a macho cast.
Plenty of chases, beatings, torture, while most speak from the sides of their mouths.
Viewers of Poliziotteschi should enjoy.

Dead Man’s Chest - 1965 - UK

Dead Man’s Chest - 1965 - 5/10

 
Reporters David and Johnny concoct a fake kidnapping to create “a story”.
Johnny, inside a steamer trunk, is in a van when said van is stolen by gangsters.
The van is used in a robbery, the trunk is missing, and for Johnny, time is ticking.
Neither his editor nor the coppers believe David (he is a reporter, after all).
Breezy Edgar Wallace is too lightweight on mystery and comedy.
Fans of later British telly will have a field day spotting future stars (eg: Inspector Morse).

Watch Me - 1995 - USA

Watch Me - 1995 - 4/10

 
Part of the endless string of “erotic thrillers” that packed video aisles during the VHS rental era.
Sexy new tenant Elise moves in, photographer Paul (also the landlord) begins spying.
Not to be outdone, she has her trusty telescope and is soon peeping in turn.
Landlord Paul with attractive girlfriend, with a half dressed model, with a naked specimen.
Meanwhile, his girlfriend, feeling neglected, begins her own frolics.
As always with plots like these, no one bothers with curtains, drapes or blinds.
Softcore for everyone, so say we all.  Watch Me?  Watch something else.
(No one makes flicks like this now; talentless amateurs post their own mattress antics on YouTube.)

Money Mad - 1908 - USA

Money Mad - 1908 - 6/10

 
Our character, begging on the sidewalk, plucks a dropped purse and reaps a windfall.
At the bank, he is exchanging the loot, and is spied on by two lowlifes.
“The weed of crime bears bitter fruit.”
D. W. Griffith would later rework one sequence into “The Musketeers Of Pig Alley” (1912).
Acting is still theatrical.  The bank scene can be viewed several times, a few sideshows.
Needs a restoration from Eastman House or UCLA.

V Efeket - 2024 - Serbia

V Efeket - 2024 - 6/10

 
Exciting Serbian series set among the theatre crowd.
The season opener gives those attending a prop malfunction.
The hanging sequence, well, someone sabotaged (lengthened) the support rope.
All the kicking and struggling by the heroic lead, no wonder it looked so realistic.
Police arrive, as do government agents, since a shady minister owns the building.
And the building used to be over a clandestine government agency.
Cops soon have a series of murders, and suspects, actors, who are trained to lie convincingly.

I believe this is a very good show.  HOWEVER.  The version I viewed had “Whisper” subtitles.
Those were atrociously bad.  A character’s gender was mixed, often thrice in a sentence.
Long patches of dialogue missed subs altogether.  Descriptive words were not remotely accurate.
A I in this case means Artificial Ignorance / Ineptitude / Incompetence.
“Whisper” CANNOT, at this time, decipher Serbian.
Unless you are a native speaker, avoid and wait for proper subtitles.

Closet Land - 1991 - USA

Closet Land - 1991 - 6/10

 
The female has been apprehended by the secret police, and turned over to an interrogator.
She is a writer of innocent children’s stories, so surely this is a mistake.
Claustrophobic, Kafka shrouded film feels very much like a two-act play.
Sexual tension pulses throughout.  Revelations about State surveillance comes as no surprise.
Acting is fine, although the dialogue is heavy handed, the themes obvious.
Preachy film grows more tiresome as the viewing clock ticks

Eat Me, Baby - 2023 - USA

Eat Me, Baby - 2023 - 5/10

 
Provocative title aside, this short is neither a romantic adult foodie yarn, nor configuration #4.
The date went OK.  Dinner, dancing.  Emma even brought Lester to her apartment.
She leaves to change, he’s rounding second base, yet decides to spike her drink.
Any guy could have warned him: girls have eyes in the back of their heads.
Oh, the ensuing unhappiness.

Prince Valiant - 1954 - USA

Prince Valiant - 1954 - 6/10  

 
Game attempt to adapt Hal Foster’s long running Sunday strip.
Technicolor, CinemaScope, location filming in England, hundreds of extras.
Though ten years too late, this evokes those splashy epics of the 1940’s.
Visually, this is beautiful.  Storywise, this based on a comic, so that is simplistic.
Acting is problematic, for every James Mason (who steals the film) there is Sterling Hayward as Sir Gawaine (?).
The biggest shortcoming is Robert Wagner in the title role.  He seems uneasy and uncertain throughout.
Watch for the scenery, costumes and action; overlook those miscast.

Nordland ‘99 - 2022 - Denmark

Nordland ‘99 - 2022 - 7/10

Alex tries to mend things with an ex-girlfriend.  Her current, drug-pushing boyfriend disagrees.
By the end of the episode, Alex has vanished and suspicion swirls in the Denmark village.
Local cops are disinterested, even though he is the second teen to mysteriously disappear.
Who starts searching?  His gun-toting sister, and his friends.

 
Into the illicit drug world, into rural backwoods, broken down cabins, secret lives.
Slow boil thriller has a brooding launch, then grows progressively darker.
Eight half-hour episodes.  Don’t be put off, this is not aimed for ADHD teens.

Mr Holland’s Opus - 1995 - USA

Mr Holland’s Opus - 1995 - 5/10

 
Classical composer (in his daydreams only) winds up being a high school teacher.
Soon finds out being a teacher leaves no time to work on his masterpieces.
Instead, he touches children, helps them along the great path of Life.
Feel-good material goes repeatedly into schmaltz.
First chair performers in high school or college band will eat this up.
Those of us who could barely play our instrument will relive old agonies.
Sentimental piffle.

What The Butler Saw - 1987 - UK

What The Butler Saw - 1987 - 7/10  

 
Geraldine applies for a secretary position, but Doctor Prentice requests she strip nude.
Her clothes disappear once his wife appears, followed by the bellboy who had earlier tried to rape the wife.
Also showing up is a medical inspector, Dr. Rance, who is completely mad.
Keeping up?  That’s the opening ten minute salvo in a riotous Joe Orton comedy.
Laced with more sexual innuendo than a keg-fueled party.
Dialogue is witty, extraordinarily intelligent, and delivered breathlessly.
A live theatre performance is best, yet the cast here is glorious.

Pickup On South Street - 1953 - USA

Pickup On South Street - 1953 - 7/10  

 
Candy is just supposed to deliver an envelope.
Doesn’t know what it contains, doesn’t care.
Doesn’t even know Federal agents are watching her.
One even sees her purse get pickpocketed long before she is aware.
Three time loser Skip is identified, but he refuses to cooperate.
If the Feds want it so bad, someone will be willing to pay large.
Tough Noir packed with thick skinned types.  Richard Widmark leads, and he never bends so much as an inch.  Even when you assume he is about soften, the cynical calculation emerges.
Thelma Ritter heartbreaking as the downtrodden, world weary Moe.