Reviews

When 22-year-old Julie Hogg went missing, leaving her three-year-old son behind, police and family were stumped. Three months later, Julie's horrified mother, Ann Ming, discovered Julie's badly decomposed remains. A suspect, Billy Dunlop, was quickly identified, arrested, and put on trial. Despite overwhelming evidence, Dunlop was acquitted. Astonishingly, Dunlop later gave an interview in which he freely confessed to the murder - knowing that under the law of double jeopardy, he could not be retried.

This is the story of how Ann Ming became a warrior for bringing her daughter's murderer to justice, despite his acquittal, despite the entrenched law, and despite seemingly impossible odds.

The eight hundred-year-old British law against double jeopardy prevented Billy Dunlop from being retried until Ann Ming began her successful campaign to change the law and bring her daughter's murderer to justice. In her quest, Ann enlisted the police, the press, members of Parliament, and the British Home Office. After years of hard work and struggle, Ann finally achieved what she had always sought: justice for Julie.

Many reviewers have compared this to Shakespeare's (or Verdi's or Rossini's) "Othello," but it would only resemble those if Desdemona were unfaithful and Othello were surrounded by a bunch of Iagos. This is NOT a cowboy Othello.

With a plot more closely akin to the opera "Pagliacci," Glenn Ford, Rod Steiger, and Ernest Borgnine give sterling performances and are ably assisted by supporting performers Charles Bronson, Noah Beery, Jr., and John Dierkes.

PLOT: Frustrated by husband (Borgnine), evil-minded, slap-worthy ranch wife (Valerie French) tries to involve honorable ranch foreman (Ford) in a love triangle but he's not interested. However, evil-minded, punch-worthy ranch hand (Steiger) is. Hijinks ensue.

Enriched by the magnificent surroundings of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and the musical score by David Raksin, director Delmer Daves delivers a taut dramatic package that deserves a viewing.

Three things: 1. It's always a joy to see Kelly Bishop. I've been a fan of hers since "An Unmarried Woman." 2. Go, Grace!

3. Eli Gold in love is always the best part of any story. Adorable times infinity. Full stop.

One down - ? To go.

I'm late to the party, only bingeing this excellent series after retirement and two years of COVID. For weeks I've cringed at Alicia Florrick's choice of personal and professional partners, especially Will Gardner. I would've preferred a MUCH less violent resolution, but I'm relieved that at least one angry, abusive man is gone. I hope the rest of the destructive men in her life (Peter, Cary, Dubeck, etc.) have a more peaceful but equally permanent exit.

This is a visually stunning film which is only to be expected from long-time cinematographer Nicolas Roeg directing his second film. And therein lies the rub. With all the focus on three-dimensional visuals, everything else fades into the two-dimensional: The characters are nameless, the dialogue virtually nonexistent, and the emotions are shockingly flat, even in the face of several deaths and attempted murder.

The story moves between the parallel worlds of Australia, developed and aboriginal. A middle-aged father drives his 14-year-old daughter and young son into the Outback for a picnic. However, instead of the fun time the kids expect, their father begins begins shooting at them. When he fails to murder them, he torches the car and blows his brains out. So in the developed world, the moral of the tale is "life is no picnic."

Turning to the aboriginal world, the children wander through the Outback until they are rescued by an aboriginal lad on his traditional coming-of-age walkabout. He finds the little boy dehydrated, and the lovely sister, like Eve, under a tree that the day before was heavy with delicious fruit and undulating snakes but is now leafless and barren. He brings them water, shares his food, and leads them safely through the dangers of the Outback - but not back to their world nor to his. Instead, he woos the girl with a courting dance all day and night. Following her rejection, he commits suicide and is found hanging from a tree in the morning. So the aboriginal world is no paradise either.

Is there a happy ending for the siblings once they return to their world? Possibly. Is there a happy ending for the viewer? Yes, if spectacular cinematography and simplistic messages are enough.

I don't understand previous reviewers' problem with recent story lines featuring white supremacy. According to new CSIS data, "white supremacists and other like-minded extremists conducted two-thirds of the terrorist plots and attacks in the United States in 2020," including hate crimes - a federal offense. As for individual performances, I enjoy almost all of them but remain mystified by the continuing allegiance to Alana de la Garza. She's very pretty, but surely there are other very pretty actresses who can, you know, act.