Chabrol's penultimate feature depicts a love triangle between a pretty peacock of a weathergirl and a much older, married, rich, learned-quote-for-every-occasion playboy literary type, and a brash, loud, overconfident richkid from a decrepit 'old money' family with lurking secrets and sadness.
It's a different film for Chabrol, partly familiar, partly not (particularly the ending), and perhaps due to Gabrielle's modest circumstances. The agreeable Ludivigne Sagnier makes it most watchable, and there's some black humour in places.
Monday 27 August 2012
Friday 24 August 2012
The Hitch-Hiker (US, 1953)
With Edmond O'Brien (cf DOA), in which a couple of buddies are forced to at gunpoint to transport a thoroughly nasty piece of work as he flees US police en route to Mexico.
A good noir-ish crime drama, once again courtesy of archive.org. Relatively conventional plot, noir photography/locales, including some desert settings.
A good noir-ish crime drama, once again courtesy of archive.org. Relatively conventional plot, noir photography/locales, including some desert settings.
Tuesday 21 August 2012
The Big Combo (US, 1955)
Well, what else to say but another very good noir crime drama, legally viewable online at archive.org.
Memorable main theme by David Raskin.
Monday 20 August 2012
Angels with Dirty Faces (US, 1938)
Starring the great James Cagney in a trademark wiseguy rôle. Humphrey Bogart's in there too, not a bad combo ya could say.
The story tells the tale of a priest (Pat O'Brien) and a career criminal; one could easily have taken the place of the other. Their younger protégés/parishioners (the young actors became known as the 'Dead End Kids') are faced with a similar, stark reality.
It's not a film noir, and not as good as The Roaring Twenties (also starring Cagney and Bogart) but a good movie all the same.
The story tells the tale of a priest (Pat O'Brien) and a career criminal; one could easily have taken the place of the other. Their younger protégés/parishioners (the young actors became known as the 'Dead End Kids') are faced with a similar, stark reality.
It's not a film noir, and not as good as The Roaring Twenties (also starring Cagney and Bogart) but a good movie all the same.
Saturday 18 August 2012
An American Werewolf in London (UK/US, 1981)
Two young American students begin a planned backpacking tour of England/Europe get a little more than they bargain for on the moors.
Good quality stuff: an entertaining, well made horror-drama and still lookin' good - echoes of Argento at his best here.
Much better than I expected it to be.
Good quality stuff: an entertaining, well made horror-drama and still lookin' good - echoes of Argento at his best here.
Much better than I expected it to be.
The Colour of Lies/Au coeur du mensonge (FR, 1999)
'Bout time for another Chabrol - it has, after all, been...almost 2 weeks?
This is late Chabrol on form, tracking the various intrigues in a small Breton village where everyone knows everyone else, who's doing what and who. A young girl is murdered and her art teacher becomes prime suspect; a no-nonsense police investigator arrives from Paris...
The film recalls a central theme of Bresson's L'Argent in that ...if you falsely accuse/suspect someone of a crime, this may compell them to commit an act they wouldn't normally have, thus doubly damning themselves.
Not everything is neatly resolved or connected however, but movies should (sometimes at least) be like real life, and not like life as portrayed in the movies.
This is late Chabrol on form, tracking the various intrigues in a small Breton village where everyone knows everyone else, who's doing what and who. A young girl is murdered and her art teacher becomes prime suspect; a no-nonsense police investigator arrives from Paris...
The film recalls a central theme of Bresson's L'Argent in that ...if you falsely accuse/suspect someone of a crime, this may compell them to commit an act they wouldn't normally have, thus doubly damning themselves.
Not everything is neatly resolved or connected however, but movies should (sometimes at least) be like real life, and not like life as portrayed in the movies.
Monday 13 August 2012
All the President's Men (US, 1976)
Well made, complex political drama in which 2 junior journalists scoop the Watergate scandal for the Washington Post. The pair doggedly pursue their quarry, and editor Bradlee takes several major gambles in publishing their stories.
The film touches on some themes more fully explored in the excellent Parallax View (1974), also directed by Pakula.
The film touches on some themes more fully explored in the excellent Parallax View (1974), also directed by Pakula.
Saturday 11 August 2012
Trans-Europ-Express (FR/BE, 1967)
The film with something of a reputation, because of its portrayals of, or rather, hints at, sadomasochistic sex, and for being one of the first films to contain them.
It's essentially a cock-and-bull story, involving a clean-cut, middle-class male transporting a quantity of cocaine between Paris and Antwerp. An aspect which some may note are the conversations, also aboard a train, in which the film's key staff discuss elements of the plot/screenplay, editing etc, thus introducing a 'meta' slant...
As with all European movies of the time, it still looks good, and there are some interesting cityscapes and shots of the port area of Antwerp. Anyone seeking genuine early examples of S&M in cinema should refer to Buñuel's finest moment The Phantom of Liberty (FR, 1974), or better still Barbet Schroeder's Maitresse (FR 1975/6).
The film's title and the former transnational rail service omit the second 'e' of "Europe". Kraftwerk's 1977 LP of the same name includes it. It was just my luck that the TEE café (Kraftwerk spelling & iconography) in Glasgow be closed when on holidays earlier this year.
It's essentially a cock-and-bull story, involving a clean-cut, middle-class male transporting a quantity of cocaine between Paris and Antwerp. An aspect which some may note are the conversations, also aboard a train, in which the film's key staff discuss elements of the plot/screenplay, editing etc, thus introducing a 'meta' slant...
As with all European movies of the time, it still looks good, and there are some interesting cityscapes and shots of the port area of Antwerp. Anyone seeking genuine early examples of S&M in cinema should refer to Buñuel's finest moment The Phantom of Liberty (FR, 1974), or better still Barbet Schroeder's Maitresse (FR 1975/6).
The film's title and the former transnational rail service omit the second 'e' of "Europe". Kraftwerk's 1977 LP of the same name includes it. It was just my luck that the TEE café (Kraftwerk spelling & iconography) in Glasgow be closed when on holidays earlier this year.
Friday 10 August 2012
Detour (US, 1945)
The lunchtime noir season continues apace courtesy once again of archive.org.
Detour is cited as a prime example of poverty row noir, that is, a low budget, 'B' movie from a 'second tier' Hollywood production house.
Short (67 mins) and by necessity minimalistic, the story is of a luckless pianist who leaves New York for L.A. to team up with his recently departed woman. Obliged to hitchhike it, a couple of rides and circumstances conspire to embroil him in a murky morass.
The classic noir features are all there (have a look at Tom Neal's bio - they're there as well), and Anne Savage is great as tough gal Vera.
Detour is cited as a prime example of poverty row noir, that is, a low budget, 'B' movie from a 'second tier' Hollywood production house.
Short (67 mins) and by necessity minimalistic, the story is of a luckless pianist who leaves New York for L.A. to team up with his recently departed woman. Obliged to hitchhike it, a couple of rides and circumstances conspire to embroil him in a murky morass.
The classic noir features are all there (have a look at Tom Neal's bio - they're there as well), and Anne Savage is great as tough gal Vera.
Tuesday 7 August 2012
Ted (US, 2012)
Uh, Summer's traditionally a lean time for decent cinema. Crude, unfunny, predictable and silly.
D.O.A (US, 1950)
Yet another fantastic noir, with an original take on the sequence of a murder. There's all the classic features of noir here - great one-liners, stark photography, a fast, nowhere plot. This viewed legally for free online at archive.org - only whinge is that the quality is poor.
It's interesting that the term film noir was applied retrospectively. In the same way that Nirvana or My Bloody Valentine "just made" their second albums, there was a time when Hollywood "just made" these movies. What a great period it was.
It's interesting that the term film noir was applied retrospectively. In the same way that Nirvana or My Bloody Valentine "just made" their second albums, there was a time when Hollywood "just made" these movies. What a great period it was.
Sunday 5 August 2012
À Double Tour (FR, 1959)
Anyone who reads this blog (no-one, apart from referral spambots in RU, judging by the logs) will be aware that peak-era Claude Chabrol is my all-time favourite director. This is one of his earlier works, and interestingly, it's in colour, while the excellent Les Bonnes Femmes which followed a year or so later is in B&W.
This however is not one of the French master's better works; the characters are unsympathetic and it's just not very convincing. While it's not in the disaster zone of La Route de Corinthe, La Décade Prodigieuse and Dr M, it is in the 6/10 territory, like Le Beau Serge - the overrated 'first movie of the new wave', and Les Noces Rouges. The rich technicolor vibes of the photography make it watchable, but overall, it's a disappointment.
This however is not one of the French master's better works; the characters are unsympathetic and it's just not very convincing. While it's not in the disaster zone of La Route de Corinthe, La Décade Prodigieuse and Dr M, it is in the 6/10 territory, like Le Beau Serge - the overrated 'first movie of the new wave', and Les Noces Rouges. The rich technicolor vibes of the photography make it watchable, but overall, it's a disappointment.
Saturday 4 August 2012
The Wizard of Oz (US, 1939)
Children's musical/fairy tale/movie, and a perennial favourite, well established in popular culture. It's imaginative and touching in places, and retains a kitschy, innocence-of-childhood appeal.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)