Directed by: Billy Wilder
Released: 1944
Country: United States
Cast: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Porter Hall, Jean Heather
Genre: Film-noir, Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Drama
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
''Double Indemnity'' works in an atmospheric way and it works greatly. Here you have a voluptuous female lead and a male lead influenced by passion: two people it's hard to sympathize with, let alone admire. It is a film noir with a well-crafted screenplay and two powerful performances.
The entire film is shown in a flashback- the male protagonist, Walter Neff, an insurance salesman played by Fred MacMurray- confesses about a murder that he has committed over a Dictaphone, planning to leave the confession for his colleague, Barton Kayes. He recounts how he first met Phyllis Dietrichson, played by Stanwyck. He had gone to visit Phyllis's husband, Tom, about some insurance related matters. However, Tom was not home, and he was welcomed by Phyllis, whose beauty and charm immediately impressed him. Phyllis told him that she wanted to start an accident policy for her husband- if her husband died by an accident, she would receive a sizeable amount of money. However, Neff was disgusted, thinking that Phyllis was trying to kill her husband for money. Phyllis did not deny it, and told Walter how she was being neglected and ignored by Tom, a man many years her senior. Smitten by Phyllis, Walter then decided to help her with the murder of Tom. And they did successfully accomplish the murder. However, back in the insurance office, Kayes was hesitating: he was sure that something was wrong with the case, that there was something fishy, and Kayes had set about to solve the case...
The atmosphere is definitely
tense and thrilling. I loved ''Double Indemnity''. In the second half of the
film, there is plenty of suspense as we start to observe Kayes' ingenious
method of trying to figure the mystery out, as it would mean all the secrets
and plans of Walter and Phyllis to be revealed. I don't know if I ever felt
sympathy for Walter. If I did, I felt it at the very end of the film. As for
Phyllis, oh well, I can't really comment on her character as that would mean
revealing a lot. But nevertheless, here is a character it would be hard for
anybody to forget, partly because of the character development and the climax,
and partly because of Stanwyck's impeccable performance. So far, of the few
Billy Wilder films that I have watched, all of them have managed to win my
heart. This one was no exception.
Directed by: John Huston
Released: 1941
Country: United States
Genre: Film noir, Mystery, Drama, Crime
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Elisha Cook, Jr., Lee Patrick
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Short review
Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) is a detective, who is approached by a certain Miss Wonderly (Mary Astor), who asks him to keep an eye on a certain man, Floyd Thursby. Spade's partner, Miles Archer, follows Thursby, but Miles is mysteriously killed, and, within a short time, Thursby is also killed. Who could have killed them? What was the motive? This incident sparks events that leads Miles to discover that Miss Wonderly is not actually the person who she claims to be, and it further leads him to problems regarding a certain, precious, expensive, historical statuatte of falcon, which is somehow related to the crimes. He comes across Joel Cairo and Kasper Gutman, criminals who desperately want the falcon.
''The Maltese Falcon'' is an excellent, twisted mystery film. Humphrey Bogart's performance is excellent, and Mary Astor is brilliant as well. Sydney Greenstreet is also great in his role as Kasper Gutman. Lee Patrick is similarly brilliant as Spade's loyal secretary. The climax, which takes place in the same room and lasts perhaps for thirty minutes and is full of shocking twists, is really very memorable. The cinematography is beautiful, the screenplay is excellent, the performances are brilliant, ''The Maltese Falcon'' is indeed an excellent film.
4.5 out of 5
Directed by: Charles Laughton
Released: 1955
Country: United States
Cast: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish, Billy Chaplin, Evelyn Warden, Peter Graves, Sally Jane Bruce
Genres: Thriller, Crime, Drama, Film noir
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
There are probably very few villains whom I hated in the way I hated Harry Powell, the antagonist of the film ''The Night of the Hunter''. And, there are very few films that I loved as much as I loved ''The Night of the Hunter''. Scary, thrilling, suspenseful, and at the same time, gorgeous and magnificent, this is one of the greatest films I have ever watched.
What is the most memorable thing about this film? The storyline, the scary plot and the suspenseful and extremely frightening moments? The beautiful cinematography? The beautiful backgrounds and settings? The excellent performance from the talented cast? Everything is memorable, everything is unforgettable. It is the combination of all these that makes it one of the films that you can never forget. While it is one of the most thrilling and suspenseful films I have ever watched, it is also one of the most sublimely beautiful and captivating films I have ever watched.
Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) is secretly a serial killer while claiming himself to be a preacher. He is arrested as he was driving a stolen car. In the prison, he happens to meet Ben Harper (Peter Graves), a man who, in order to financially support his wife and two young children, robbed a bank, and had to kill two people. Harper tells Powell that he had hid the stolen money, and that his two young children are the only people who know where the money is hidden. Harper is hanged. Soon, Powell is released. He plans to get hold of the money by persuading Harper's children to tell him where the money is actually hidden. He goes to the little village where Harper's widow and two children live, and using his charm and amiable behavior he manages to impress everybody and ultimately persuades Harper's widow, Willa, to marry him... But his true intention is to get hold of the money, and when the children refuse to tell him the location of the hidden money, he gets violent, he reveals his terrifying true colors, bringing in bloodshed and torture... He will go to any length to get hold of the money, even if he has to kill or torture people for that.. How will the two little children get rid of his torture, of the horror of his mere presence?
Oh, what a magnificent gem of a film it was! It is definitely one of the scariest films I have ever watched. It indeed is. And oh, the antagonist, Harry Powell. He is definitely one of the villains whom I hated with all my heart. He is one of the scariest villains I have ever come across. Robert Mitchum gives a powerful performance that definitely remains unforgettable.
Lillian Gish plays Rachel Cooper, an elderly woman who provides John and Pearl with shelter after they run away, and does her best to protect the two children. Thirty-six years before the film was made, this very woman played a helpless girl who was oppressed by her father in one of the most heartbreaking films I have ever watched, ''Broken Blossoms''. Thirty-six years after ''Broken Blossoms'', this woman gave a powerful performance in ''The Night of the Hunter''. This time she played a powerful and righteous woman who stands up against all injustices, all oppressions.
And yes, the two children, Billy Chaplin and Sally Jane Bruce, are excellent and powerful in their roles as John and Pearl, respectively.
And oh, the cinematography. The beautiful images. These make the film so atmospheric, so beautiful-looking, these give the film nearly a Gothic, dark, and sublime atmosphere. There are scenes that are unforgettable because of their beauty, their excellent atmosphere, their beautiful cinematography. I must mention those scenes where we see John and Pearl rowing, amidst the darkness of the night. The water, their boat, and all the animals watching them (frogs, foxes, etc.) all these make these scenes so beautiful. There is a scene where Pearl sings a song on the boat, while John is deep asleep, and we get glimpses of the water, the frogs that are watching them. Sublime. Magnificent. These two words easily sum up my thoughts about the cinematography.
One of the greatest films I have ever watched, ''The Night of the Hunter'' is frightening, it is beautiful, it is magnificent. A scary and atmospheric film with excellent cinematography, excellent performances and great screenplay, it is a must watch.
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Released: 1945
Country: United States
Genres: Drama, Film-noir, Mystery, Crime
Cast: Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Ann Blyth, Bruce Bennett
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
 |
| Mildred, our protagonist |
Mildred Pierce. A heartbreaking, hauntingly sad film. To begin with, it's one of the strongest, one of the most overpowering films I have ever watched. It is, indeed. Joan Crawford's performance is one of the strongest performances I have ever come across. A puzzling beginning leads to a melodramatic, suspenseful, painful film. It is a film that is not be missed, it is a must-watch.
The film opens as the titular character's husband, Monty Baragon, is shot dead. We do not see who shoots him. Our protagonist, Mildred Pierce Baragon (Joan Crawford), is called to the police station, where she is informed that the murder was committed by Bert Pierce, Mildred's ex-husband. Mildred refuses to believe so, and when she is asked why, she begins to tell her story, and through flashbacks, we come to know about her life, about the circumstances preceding this incidence, about everything that ultimately led to this day, this incident.
When Mildred was married to Bert Pierce, she was just an ordinary homemaker, baking cakes and pies, looking after her two daughters, Veda and Kay, doing everything to arrange the best education and upbringing for them. Her husband lost his job, started an extra-marital affair, that destroyed the peace of the family, ultimately leading to their separation. Mildred had no money, but she was determined. She wanted to provide everything for her daughters. She did not want her two daughters to have a working class upbringing. She started working as a waitress, and soon earned enough money that could afford piano lessons for Veda, that could afford expensive ballet lessons for Kay, that could afford a maidservant, that could afford a comfortable peaceful life.
But can things actually remain this simple? Veda (Ann Blythe), Mildred's elder daughter, didn't like the fact that Mildred worked as a waitress. She wanted a much better, a much happier life. A life with no wants, no poverty. Veda was ambitious, she was ungrateful, she was spoiled rotten. She wanted to have a lavish, respected life. She wanted everything. Mildred couldn't please Veda. No matter how she tried, she could not win Veda's affection. But she led her life, she did everything, just for the sake of her children. After Kay suddenly died, Mildred decided to dedicate her life for the comfortable upbringing of Veda. She was determined to do everything for Vera's happiness. She started her own restaurant chain- and soon became a successful and wealthy businesswoman- earning a lot of money, working hard- all for Veda's sake. The sole purpose of her hard work was Veda. The sole purpose of her life was Veda. But Veda could never be satisfied. Never. She never showed any gratitude for anything her mother did for her- she wanted more, she did not remain satisfied with all the things her mother did for her. She did not show any gratitude, nor did she return her mother's life.
Where did Mildred's efforts lead everybody to? How did Mildred's affection, her determination to do everything for her daughter, and Veda's view to life, mess up everybody's life?
''Mildred Pierce'' has a wonderful mixture of emotional drama, heartbreaking moments, mystery, suspense, noir elements. There were times I forgot that this was actually a mystery film; I focused so much on Mildred, her sacrifices, her determination. Mildred is imperfect, she is completely flawed. But she is a mother, after all. The things that she does throughout the film are not unrealistic, because she is a mother. It becomes pathetic, the way she continues to forgive Veda. It is stupid, it is pathetic, but it is not illogical. The way she continues to forgive her daughter is logical yet stupid, because a mother can never get indifferent to her children, no matter how ungrateful, how horrible her children are. I felt pity for her, she is such a pathetic, yet such a strong character. Joan Crawford's performance is definitely unforgettable. Ada (Eve Arden), a confidant of Mildred, says,"Personally, Veda's convinced me that alligators have the right idea. They eat their young." In this case, I think, it's definitely logical. I was shocked at Veda's behavior. How can somebody possibly be so ungrateful, so horrible? How can somebody be so nasty? How can somebody be so indifferent to all the things her mother did for her? She is evil, and Ann Blythe does give a brilliant, extremely praiseworthy performance.
Suspense is aplenty, as we keep on waiting eagerly to discover what actually led to the event at the beginning of the film. With excellent noir elements and suspense, it works as a wonderful mystery film mixed with melodrama, great emotional depth, tragedy.
I loved this film, I really did. It is a film with an excellent depth, filled with melodramatic and suspenseful elements. It has got strong performances. The characters are all flawed but have excellent depth. It is heartbreaking, tragic, suspenseful film, an unforgettable gem of a film.
5 out of 5
Directed by: Billy Wilder
Released: 1950
Country: United States
Genres: Drama, Film noir
Cast: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stronheim, Nancy Olson
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
Watching ''Sunset Boulevard'' was a unique movie experience. The film has a strange melody: a dark, Gothic atmosphere, a sad tune, a drama, a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere. Gorgeous cinematography, some unforgettable, excellent performances, a great story presented in an intense way- it is undoubtedly one of the best films I have ever seen.
The film starts showing us police cars running to Sunset Blvd, to a manor, where, in the pool, the dead body of the protagonist, Joe Gillis, is floating. Joe himself starts narrating the film. He tells the audience that in order to what is actually happening, they have to know the whole story, and for this, they have to know what six months ago, from where it had all started...
Joe is (I'm using the present tense, because almost the entire story is presented in a flashback) a screenwriter, but recently, he hasn't had any jobs, and has been suffering from financial crisis. He is threatened that if he is not able to pay some money in the due time, he will lose his car. He tries to earn the money, trying to sell his recent script and trying to borrow some money- but is unsuccessful in doing that. He is then chased by the repossession men, and he ends up in the garage of an old, creepy looking mansion. The mansion looks so deserted that it instantly reminds him of the residence of Mr Havisham of ''Great Expectations''. And then. A servant comes out of the house, and calls him in. Joe, surprised, goes in, and is met by a middle-aged woman. Joe instantly recognizes the woman as Norma Desmond, one of the most famous actresses during the silent era, whose career ended due to the advent of sound films (''talkies''). Norma called Joe in because she had mistakenly thought Joe to be the man who was arranging the burial of her dead pet chimp. As Joe starts leaving, she calls him back, asking him to have a look at something she wrote. She always dreams to return to film industry. She wants to act again, she wants to be the greatest star Norma Desmond again. And for that, she has written her own script, for a film where she has decided that she will play the major role. She asks Joe to edit the script, to polish it, and in return, offers him a huge amount of money. Joe thinks that the script is dreadful, but since he is in urgent need of the money, he admits to do so. Norma asks Joe to stay in the house during the time he will work on the script, and Joe has to agree, reluctantly.
Living in Norma's house, Joe becomes familiar with Norma's life. She still lives in the past, she still thinks that she is the great Norma Desmond, the most famous, the most popular movie star. The only other person in the house is Max, her faithful old servant, who cares a lot for her. She doesn't seem to accept that her time ended twenty years ago. She lives in, and wants to live in the past. Very often, she persuades Joe to watch a film with her--- and those films star herself. Joe becomes really uneasy and feel uncomfortable in Norma's house, and Norma soon becomes overly attached with him, and starts loving him. Joe is absolutely disgusted, thinking that Norma doesn't even think that he might have a life of his own. He quarrels with Norma, and leaves, but when comes to know that Norma attempted suicide, he comes back, and to ensure that she doesn't do any such thing again, he starts living in her house again, the house which he describes as a ''peculiar prison''. Ultimately, Norma's obsessions will have drastic consequences...
Obsession. Sympathy. Sincere love. These three feelings persist throughout the film, through the major characters. What Norma suffers from is obsession. An obsession with the past. An obsession with her past fame. A obsession with herself. An obsession with Joe. And what does Joe experience? Why does he live in Norma's house? At first, he does it because he is badly in need of some money. And then he does it out of pure sympathy for Norma. Does he ''love'' her? Certainly not. Norma is obsessed with the past and with Joe, and if she is brought out from the illusion that her days have ended, she will certainly do something drastic. Joe plays along, pretending to love her deeply, out of sympathy.
And there is Norma's servant and chauffeur, Max von Mayerling, played by Erich von Stroheim. We can understand from his actions and words that he deeply loves Norma, and at one point, his past and identity is revealed, quite like a bolt from the blue. Max sincerely cares for Norma, and doesn't want her to know that her days, her time, her popularity had ended long ago. Norma thinks that she still receives thousands of fan letter and autograph requests per week. This leads Joe to think that Norma is still quite popular, that she has not been entirely forgotten. When he tells this to Max, the latter reveals that there is actually no fan letter; all the letters that arrive are written by Max himself. He has persuaded Norma to believe that she is still loved by the people. His feelings for Norma is sincere and deep; without Norma, his life would be incomplete...
After watching this film, I was so impressed with it that I wanted to know to more about it's background and history. I read about it in several websites, including Wikipedia. I came to know that this film is actually based on real incidences, real people. It's not directly based on real incidents, but the concept of this film comes from very genuine incidences, many real-life events. After the silent era ended, a lot of silent film actors naturally lost their job. But we will talk about the silent era, when the lives of the silent film actors were grand, extravagant. When the income of the actors increased, many of them started to live in grand, extravagant houses in Sunset Boulevard. Even after their careers of many of them ended due to the advent of ''talkies'', many of them still lived in those grand houses. A famous actress from the silent era, Norma Talmadge, is often said to have been the inspiration for Norma Desmond. However, the life of the actress who played Norma Desmond, Gloria Swanson, is also, in many ways, similar to that of the character. Swanson, too, was a very popular star during the silent era, and when the silent era ended, her film career (well, temporarily) came to an end. She, however, accepted this, and moved on, acting in television and appearing in radio. She also lived in a grand house at Sunset Boulevard. When she was contacted to play Norma in ''Sunset Blvd'', she accepted the role, and made a comeback to the film industry, and gave one of the most powerful performances I have ever come across. Swanson was absolutely perfect, gave an extremely powerful, intense performance as Norma.
I am writing all these history and inspirations for the film because after I read these things in Wikipedia and in Roger Ebert's article, I was really fascinated. So many things are, somehow or other, based on real incidences. Even the character of Max von Mayerling is so similar with the actor who portrayed him, Erich von Stronheim. Several famous personalities from the silent era appear in this film, as themselves, including director Cecille B DeHolme playing a supporting role, and Buster Keaton, Anna Q. Nilsson, Hedda Hopper, and several others, playing themselves. The film is about a long-forgotten silent film star, and the film stars two such actors, Gloria Swanson and Erich von Stronheim, who had such great reputation during the silent era, in two major roles, and also has several silent film personalities playing themselves.
And overall I absolutely loved this film. I loved the atmosphere, I loved the cinematography, I loved the performances, I loved the screenplay, I loved the story. The way William Holden narrates the whole film is really, really impressive, and the way he describes the house during his first night there gives it a really Gothic, dark look. This is certainly not a Gothic film, but the atmospheric touches, cinematography, and the style of Joe's narration make it have quite a Gothic tone. Gloria Swanson's performance is unforgettable, and I think the final scene was really so intense, so powerful. And one word to describe this film? Sad? Emotional? Intense? Powerful? Unforgettable? It will definitely be a combination of all these words: Overwhelming.
5 out of 5
The Third Man (1949 film)
Directed by: Carol Reed
Released: 1949
Country: United Kingdom
Cast: Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard, Bernard Lee, Erich Ponto, Ernst Deutsch, Siegfried Breuer
Genres: Film noir, Crime, Mystery
Rating: 5 out of 5
Short review: ''The Third Man'' is set in post-World War II Vienna. Holly Martin (Joseph Cotten) comes to Vienna. His friend, Harry Lime, has arranged a job for him in Vienna. When Holly goes to Harry's house, he is informed that Harry has died, in
a road accident.
Holly wants to know more about Harry's death. A man, Baron Kurtz, who had been Harry's friend, informs Holly that after Harry met the accident, he (Kurtz) and a Romanian man, Popescu, carried Harry to the side of the street. But, from a porter, Holly comes to know that there were three men who carried Harry... So who was the third man? Both Kurtz and Popescu deny the fact that there was a third man... Holly feels that something is wrong about Harry's death... that perhaps his death was not an accident, as the facts seem rather strange.
As Holly goes deeper in his investigation, he comes across startling, shocking facts...
I loved ''The Third Man''. The atmosphere created with the cinematography and the memorable zither music was great. The zither music that was played again and again was so wonderful, so memorable! Performances, especially the performances of Joseph Cotten as Holly and Alida Valli as Anna Schmidt were great! It was a great film, with great story, screenplay, cinematography, music, and great mystery. An unpredictable, atmospheric, wonderful film!
5 out of 5
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film)
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Released: 1956
Country: United States
Cast: James Stewart, Doris Day, Brenda De Banzie, Bernard Miles, Ralph Truman, Daniel Gelin, Christopher Olsen
Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5
Short review: Alfred Hitchcock is one of my favorite directors. It had been some time since I last watched a Hitchcock film (the last I watched was ''The Lady Vanishes'', a few months ago). It was a great pleasure to watch ''The Man Who Knew Too Much'', a remake of his 1934 British film of the same name.
James Stewart and Doris Day play Benjamin (Ben) McKenna and Josephine McKenna, respectively. Their little son, Hank, is played by Christopher Olsen. The McKennas have come to French Morocco on vacation. There they meet Louis Bernard (Daniel Gelin), a mysterious man. The next day, the McKennas are traveling with another couple they had become friendly with, the Draytons. Suddenly, Louis Bernard, having been stabbed by somebody, runs to Ben, whispers to him that somebody in London is about to be murdered, and some unclear whereabouts regarding the future murder, and then dies. Ben and Josephine, go to the police station. Ben gets a phone call, where he is informed that if he tells what Bernard had told him to anybody, their son's life will be in danger. Ben is astonished, as Mrs Drayton was supposed to be taking care of Hank... Returning to the hotel, Ben and Josephine come to know that Mr and Mrs Drayton have left the hotel... and that means, they have kidnapped Hank...
Ben and Josephine go to London... to get their son back... Will they be successful in their search for their son?
I really liked ''The Man Who Knew Too Much''. It was really suspenseful, sometimes quite thrilling. It was so interesting, so engrossing! Stewart and Day were wonderful. The song ''Whatever Will Be, Will Be'', sung by Doris Day, and that won the Academy Award for Best Song, was really beautiful. Wonderful Hitchcock film.
4 out of 5
Batman (1989 movie)- Review
Directed by: Tim Burton
Released: 1989
Country: United States
Cast: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle
Genres: Action, Thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5
Review: I'm not a fan of superheros. This film was my introduction to Batman. Directed by Tim Burton, another of my favorite directors, this film is a very entertaining, excellently made film with great performances and visual effects.
This is a quote from the film: ''Gotham City has become synonymous with crime.'' People of Gotham City remain afraid because of the countless criminals in the city. However, recently, the criminals have been afraid of a certain Batman, a vigilante, who, dressed like a bat, attacks the criminals...
Photojournalist, Vicky Vale (Kim Basinger), teams up with Alexander Knox (Robert Wuhl), to investigate about this Batman.
Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson) is a criminal, and one day, Batman throws him on a vat of chemicals. Though it is thought that Napier has died, he is in fact still alive, with his face deformed. After undergoing a plastic surgery, his face resembles that of a joker, and he renames himself as ''The Joker''. Arrival of the Joker starts causing panic in the city, as he starts releasing a fatal chemical, ''Smilex'', using it in different products and releasing Smilex gas.
What will happen? Will Batman be able to stop the Joker? And who is Batman?...
''Batman'' was an entertaining and engrossing film. Jack Nicholson's performance was excellent. Michael Keaton and Kim Basinger were wonderful as well. The cinematography and visual effects were wonderful.
This is one of the very few superhero films that I've watched, and I really liked it.
4 out of 5
