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Reviews
The 'Maggie' (1954)
Homage to village idiots
Having seen other Ealing films, I came to this film with the expectation of quality, humor and charm, but this film devoid of all three. Watching four conniving and deceiving village idiots break a man's spirit and ruin his life is neither humorous nor charming. It is despicable. How this film could be called a comedy or even entertainment of any sort is a complete mystery to me. It paints a very grim picture of British people in general, and of Scottish people in particular. If they're anything like the people in this movie, you'd do well to steer clear of both. And above all, steer clear of this film. Tbere are Ealing films worth a look, but this is definitely not one of them.
Mystery!: Inspector Morse I: The Dead of Jericho 2 (1988)
Good plot, atmosphere - unconvincing hero poorly portrayed (interesting depiction of British hygiene--or lack thereof)
There are twists and turns to the plot that will keep mystery fans entertained, and the atmosphere of the Oxford college world seems well done; however, there are a number of problems: 1) The main character is quirky but two-dimensional and unconvincing (he drinks and obsesses over classical music and crossword puzzles; that's about it); 2) John Thaw is not enough of an actor to breath life into this shallow character and give him some kind of substance, center or believability; 3) The writing, direction and editing combine to produce a choppy, disjointed effect that gets in the way of the story and is very distracting (starting with the opening credits). But Morse is also a time, place and culture capsule, and it's amusing to see the inspector going to great lengths and enduring considerable discomfort to avoid soap and water: he is shown kneeling on his hard bathroom floor, bent over the bathtub, attempting to wash his hair without getting wet, rather than simply taking a shower!
With a better script and better directing and acting, Morse could have been a truly fine British TV mystery. As it is, it's barely average.
Inspector Morse (1987)
Good plot, atmosphere - unconvincing hero poorly portrayed (and an interesting depiction of British hygiene--or lack thereof)
This series has plot twists and turns that will keep mystery fans entertained, and the atmosphere of the Oxford college seems well done; however, there are a number of problems: 1) The main character is quirky but two-dimensional and unconvincing (he drinks and obsesses over classical music and crossword puzzles; that's about it); 2) John Thaw is not enough of an actor to breath life into this shallow character and give him some kind of substance or believability; 3) The writing, directing and editing combine to produce a choppy, disjointed effect that gets in the way of the story and is very distracting (starting with the opening credits). But Morse is also a time, place and culture capsule, and it's amusing to see the inspector going to great lengths and enduring considerable discomfort to avoid soap and water: in the second episode he is shown kneeling on his hard bathroom floor, bent over the bathtub, attempting to wash his hair without getting wet, rather than simply taking a shower!
With a better script and better directing and acting, Morse could have been a truly fine British TV mystery. As it is, it's barely average.
The Ipcress File (1965)
Overrated and dated
The Ipcress File is highly overrated and plot and production dated. It is difficult to see what might in the minds of other reviewers give rise to their unwarranted exuberance. The film is a run of the mill simplistic thriller with "inventive" camera work that tends to make the viewer motion sick. It now seems quaint, but not thrilling, a reminder of a much more innocent time.
Michael Caine is, as always, Michael Caine. He is likable, but as in every other movie he's ever made, he plays himself. He is completely unbelievable as an cold war warrior.
Give it a miss.
Green for Danger (1946)
Alastair Sim (Inspector) is an odd fish in his own odd little pond
This movie has everything going for it: good cast, good cinematography, good story, but Alastair Sim (who plays the inspector) is a wildly overrated actor and really ruins this movie. The odd way in which he portrays the inspector breaks the mood of the film and is a major distraction. Perhaps not surprising: Alastair Sim was an odd character in life too (see Wikipedia), so perhaps to be expected, but it's a shame: Trevor Howard and the rest of the cast do a great job. This could have been a mystery treat with a better actor cast in Sim's role.
See it if you're a fan of Brit mysteries, otherwise, don't waste your time.