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alexgreig
Reviews
Lost (1956)
As English as Mrs Dale's Diary
An evocative snapshot of England in the 50s as seen by filmmakers but about as close to the real thing as Mrs Dale's Diary. Accents are split into regal cut glass, chirpy cockney and Farmer Giles. As it is in colour, it is redeemed somewhat by the vivid images of London and the suburbs. However, the acting and dialogue are occasionally dire. David Farrar is OK as the chief cop, although probably wishing he was in Hollywood. David Knight, token Yank, has all the charisma of a wet haddock and Julia Arnall, pretty as she is, has the acting talent of the Woodentops. The exchanges between them almost ruin the film. However, worth a viewing to spot some famous character actors and for the unravelling of the convoluted plot. And it is good to see that the police had so much resource available those days that they were able to assign a detective inspector to the child's disappearance within an hour of it happening
Nixon (1995)
Astonishing tour de force
Without doubt Anthony Hopkins performance as Richard Nixon cements his position as one of the finest and most powerful actors of the last 20 years. Without bearing any great resemblance, he gets closer to inhabiting the almost impenetrable enigma that was Nixon than any other actor could do. Looking beyond his towering portrayal, the performances of the supporting cast are mostly exemplary. You just know that James Woods and JT Walsh were born to play Haldeman and Ehrlichman. Ed Harris is a chilling Howard Hunt, Mary Steenburgen a dedicated but controlled and ultimately unaffectionate mother, Powers Boothe a loyal but pragmatic Al Haig, Bob Hoskins a thoroughly devious J Edgar Hoover and Madeleine Kahn a delightfully outspoken Martha Mitchell. If I had to quibble I would say that Joan Allen makes Pat Nixon a far steelier character than she probably was and EG Marshall is too old to play John Mitchell. Oliver Stone does not play too fast and loose with the real story and endeavours to explore Nixon's childhood and other events in his life to try to explain what what made him what he became. Occasionally he is more sympathetic than one might have expected. The use of black and white is overdone, although real footage is skilfully interlaced with the acting. But the ultimate triumph is Hopkins' performance.
Murder by Decree (1979)
Classiest and most faithful representation of Holmes/Watson
The attraction of marrying the Jack the Ripper mystery to Sherlock Holmes is obvious and it is surprising it has not been done more often.
Foggy, murky Victorian London has never been better represented than this film. Mist swirling round gas lamps, the hollow echoing clatter of horses hooves on the cobbles and dark spooky alleyways represents exactly how we picture London at the end of the nineteenth century. The depictions of Holmes and Watson stick faithfully to the usual conceptions. Christopher Plummer is perhaps a little too handsome and James Mason rather too old, but the two experienced troupers attack the roles with relish. The plot follows one of the most frequently imagined Ripper scenarios with one or two maybe unnecessary diversions into other areas - Donald Sutherland, as all to often, is given opportunities to dispense thick slices of ham as a medium, but the presence of Anthony Quayle and John Gielgud as senior government officials adds gravitas.
Overall, if you like your Sherlock Holmes to stick to tradition, this is highly recommended.
Mackenna's Gold (1969)
what a letdown!
For all fans of the genre, this should have been the Western epic's last hurrah. All the ingredients are right - Gregory Peck, Carl Foreman, score by Dimitri Tiomkin, vocals from Jose Feliciano, veteran Hollywood stars like Edward G Robinson and Raymond Massey, spectacular scenery, marauding Indians, lost gold, and a nude Julie Newmar. Instead we get a chaotic shambles, with wooden acting, dire script, ridiculous characterisation,uneven editing, preposterous storyline, crude special effects and scientific impossibilities (shadows lengthening when the sun rises). What can we salvage from this? Gregory Peck as always provides gravitas, although the poor man must have wondered why he signed on the dotted line. The scenery certainly is wonderful, and Dimitri Tiomkin delivers as always. But the rest of the film crumbles in a heap, rather like the climactic earthquake.
The Green Man (1956)
The perfect cast
The wonderful thing about this film is that the screenplay and the cast fit together like hand in glove. Raymond Huntley unsurpassable in his stock role as the pompous but devious politician, Terry Thomas in the car dealer/lothario role that so suits him, George Cole as the puppyishly eager but naive and accident prone vacuum cleaner salesman, Colin Gordon as the uptight BBC newsreader, Arthur Borough as the irascible hotel landlord, Dora Bryan as the helpful and slightly saucy barmaid, and above all Alastair Sim giving full range to all his facial and vocal capabilities, sinister and menacing one moment, joyous and charming the next. And they are all believable, not caricatures - we have all come across similar people in real life. The lovely Jill Adams provides the romantic interest. The plot is of course extremely contrived, and the settings rather stagey (it was originally a stage play), but this is pure British 50s comedy, not Carry on slapstick. One to cherish.
The Runaway Bus (1954)
Excellent vehicle (ha ha) for Howerd's humour
Certainly not one of the classic 50s comedies, but it allows Frankie to give full reign to his unique talent. There are rather too many unbelievable plot twists and many of the characters are two dimensional, but there are some good chuckles. Nice to see a young Petula, and also Belinda Lee, one of the many blonde bombshells of the 50s who were hyped as Britain's answer to Marilyn Monroe. Disappointingly, if you enjoy watching 50s films for their shots of towns and villages in the post war period, this one seems to have been shot almost exclusively in the studio and backlot Verdict : If you are a big fan of Frankie Howerd's style, go for it.
Defence of the Realm (1985)
All too plausible
Thoroughly intelligent and chilling conspiracy thriller set in Thatcher's Britain and based on the rumoured just averted nuclear disaster in East Anglia in the 1950s. Almost film noirish in quality, London at night has never seemed so threatening, complemented by a brilliantly edgy musical score.The characterisation and acting are first rate especially by the supporting cast of Ian Bannen Fulton Mackay, Bill Paterson, Robbie Coltrane and above all Denholm Elliot as a washed out alcoholic veteran reporter who is on the brink of uncovering a shocking conspiracy. The portrayal of an old style newspaper office is probably one of the most authentic ever seen in movies. Definitely a film to savour.