Winchester 73 (1950)
This western is the first of five collaborations between director Anthony Mann and star James Stewart. Revenge is the name of the game as James Stewart hunts down a man while a rifle he wins in a shooting contest passes through the hands of several owners.
There are the usual genre themes in spades here with revenge, Indians on the war path and outsiders passing through towns. What is best about the film is the level of detail that is included to fit the story into a historical period, just after Custer's last stand but other than that it is fairly standard. One of the more unusual elements of the story is making a gun a character in it's own right as we follow it through several owners.
3/5 average western.
Thursday, 30 June 2011
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Bogey
The Password is Courage (1962)
Dirk Bogarde stars in this WW2 POW story that claims to be based on a true story. A senior British NCO with a sense of humour and mischief makes trouble for the guards holding him prisoner.
This is a fairly entertaining film with a light hearted feel to it but is greatly over shadowed by the much better The Great Escape (1963). It seems that despite claiming a historical basis this film diverges greatly from the memoirs it is supposed to be based on (including stealing elements of the great escape) but even then it appears that the memoirs themselves may well be exaggerated at best. So this is a decent film but needs to be taken with a huge pinch of salt.
3/5
Dirk Bogarde stars in this WW2 POW story that claims to be based on a true story. A senior British NCO with a sense of humour and mischief makes trouble for the guards holding him prisoner.
This is a fairly entertaining film with a light hearted feel to it but is greatly over shadowed by the much better The Great Escape (1963). It seems that despite claiming a historical basis this film diverges greatly from the memoirs it is supposed to be based on (including stealing elements of the great escape) but even then it appears that the memoirs themselves may well be exaggerated at best. So this is a decent film but needs to be taken with a huge pinch of salt.
3/5
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
So Jakes
The Two Jakes (1990)
After 25 years Chinatown (1974) finally got a sequel, this time directed by and staring Jack Nicholson with support from Harvey Keitel, Meg Tilly and Madeleine Stowe. 11 years have passed since the events of the first film and when a usual divorce case goes wrong the past comes back to haunt Jake.
Having dealt with corruption in the water business this time it is the oil business in a plot that is fairly similar to the original and literally retreads some of the same ground. It took a long time for this sequel to turn up and some of the elements that rely on knowledge of the original might be expecting a bit much from the audience given the gap between films. Unfortunately the most interesting character, that of the other Jake in the title, does not get enough screen time or exploration of the issues he is dealing with.
3/5 an average sequel.
After 25 years Chinatown (1974) finally got a sequel, this time directed by and staring Jack Nicholson with support from Harvey Keitel, Meg Tilly and Madeleine Stowe. 11 years have passed since the events of the first film and when a usual divorce case goes wrong the past comes back to haunt Jake.
Having dealt with corruption in the water business this time it is the oil business in a plot that is fairly similar to the original and literally retreads some of the same ground. It took a long time for this sequel to turn up and some of the elements that rely on knowledge of the original might be expecting a bit much from the audience given the gap between films. Unfortunately the most interesting character, that of the other Jake in the title, does not get enough screen time or exploration of the issues he is dealing with.
3/5 an average sequel.
Monday, 27 June 2011
Water
Chinatown (1974)
Roman Polanski directs Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in this neo-noir film set in 1937 Los Angeles. A private detective gets more than he bargained for when investigating a water board executive's possible affair.
This film has a big reputation and but really does not stand out greatly from other genre efforts. What does stand out about the film is that it bucks the usual trend of the femme fatal with the supposed black widow turning out to be one of the few decent characters. The film does lack the cinematic qualities of other noir films which were heavily influenced by German expressionism.
4/5 a decent but not amazing genre piece.
Roman Polanski directs Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in this neo-noir film set in 1937 Los Angeles. A private detective gets more than he bargained for when investigating a water board executive's possible affair.
This film has a big reputation and but really does not stand out greatly from other genre efforts. What does stand out about the film is that it bucks the usual trend of the femme fatal with the supposed black widow turning out to be one of the few decent characters. The film does lack the cinematic qualities of other noir films which were heavily influenced by German expressionism.
4/5 a decent but not amazing genre piece.
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Underground
Operation Crossbow (1965)
Sophia Loren gets top billing in this war time spy film despite barely being on screen with a cast that includes George Peppard and John Mills. The race is on to thwart the German V weapon program during the closing stages of World War 2.
While the film takes it's title from a historical operation it is highly fictionalised apart from three characters whom are largely supporting characters. Naturally an American character is drafted in to help sell the film over seas but the film does remain predominantly British which is nearly unheard of these days. Overall this is a decent film that is fairly well made even if slightly slow paced and not completely action filled. Given the star filled cast it is slightly disappointing how some of the actors have little to do.
3/5
Sophia Loren gets top billing in this war time spy film despite barely being on screen with a cast that includes George Peppard and John Mills. The race is on to thwart the German V weapon program during the closing stages of World War 2.
While the film takes it's title from a historical operation it is highly fictionalised apart from three characters whom are largely supporting characters. Naturally an American character is drafted in to help sell the film over seas but the film does remain predominantly British which is nearly unheard of these days. Overall this is a decent film that is fairly well made even if slightly slow paced and not completely action filled. Given the star filled cast it is slightly disappointing how some of the actors have little to do.
3/5
Saturday, 25 June 2011
A salt
Salt (2010)
Phillip Noyce directs Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor in this spy thriller. After being released from a North Korean prison the question is raised, is a female CIA agent really a Russian sleeper agent?
You can pretty much throw the plot for this film away from the get go, it is completely ridiculous, at least thirty years too late, full of holes and the characters are not especially engaging. What the film hopes to survive on is the action sequences which are unremarkable and unoriginal at best. The direction is also average at best and adds very little to the action. Angelina Jolie does the run around action heroine thing well enough but that is about the best you can say about this film.
2/5 high budget, low content.
Phillip Noyce directs Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor in this spy thriller. After being released from a North Korean prison the question is raised, is a female CIA agent really a Russian sleeper agent?
You can pretty much throw the plot for this film away from the get go, it is completely ridiculous, at least thirty years too late, full of holes and the characters are not especially engaging. What the film hopes to survive on is the action sequences which are unremarkable and unoriginal at best. The direction is also average at best and adds very little to the action. Angelina Jolie does the run around action heroine thing well enough but that is about the best you can say about this film.
2/5 high budget, low content.
Friday, 24 June 2011
Something to fear
Gunpoint! (1955)
Alfred Weker directs Fred MacMurray in this western. When the local store owner shoots a member of a gang during a bank robbery the gang swear revenge.
There is a kernel of a decent idea for a film here but it was already made as High Noon (1952), this is a a version that is barely worth the comparison. Nearly everything in this film is of a low standard from the acting, cinematography to the dialogue which leaves very little room for praise. About the only thing I liked about the film was it's short run time but even then it managed to feel slow.
2/5 just watch High Noon instead.
Alfred Weker directs Fred MacMurray in this western. When the local store owner shoots a member of a gang during a bank robbery the gang swear revenge.
There is a kernel of a decent idea for a film here but it was already made as High Noon (1952), this is a a version that is barely worth the comparison. Nearly everything in this film is of a low standard from the acting, cinematography to the dialogue which leaves very little room for praise. About the only thing I liked about the film was it's short run time but even then it managed to feel slow.
2/5 just watch High Noon instead.
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