Old .. M Night Shyamalan
Feeling poorly then book a holiday at our luxury resort.
On the special beach you age at an alarmingly fast pace.
But that’s the core of the story.
A fine cast including Vicky Krieps and Rufus Sewell.
Disregard the last ten minutes and it is a much better story.
Prime
An entertaining enough film, but a very odd one. What is its motivation? This film helped promulgate the myth of Rommel the “good Nazi”, a brilliant soldier who was kind to the vanquished and good to his men, a strictly apolitical technocrat (and non-Party member) who just did his duty despite disagreeing with Hitler’s incompetence and various insane schemes. We now know that wasn’t really true (maybe they knew it in 1951 too, when the film was released) and Rommel’s relationship with the dictatorship was considerably more complex (he used Jewish forced labour in North Africa for example, and admired Hitler in 1939-40, when the Fuhrer was militarily successful).
Was it all a CIA propaganda plot, an American scheme to integrate the young West Germany into the wider respectable world and rehabilitate old Nazis the West found useful? Difficult to know…
That said, James Mason is good in the titular role, and in the hands of the extremely capable Henry Hathaway, it holds together pretty well. And the integration of fictional film with real documentary footage from the war is expertly done.
Dad was a Commando. He never ever spoke of his time in WW2 and would never take me to war films at The Regent. I do remember he mentioned Rommel once,perhaps when this film was showing and I wanted to see it. He liked cowboys and Lassie. Comedy would have made little impression.
I suppose in 1951 memories were still a bit raw.
Given that I’m a bit obsessed with war films, I am rather surprised that I’ve not actually seen this one before. Gary Oldman is at first glance a strange choice to play Churchill but he is actually quite brilliant, dominating the film completely (even though Kristen Scott Thomas as wise Clemmie is very good).
I like the fact that the script concentrated on a short period of time rather than trying to fit all of the war or even just 1940 in. Also Oldman plays Churchill as a flawed gambler prone to irritability and lapses of judgement, but also as a pragmatic man of vision and great moral courage, which is exactly how one imagines WSC to have been.
A better director than JoeWright might have made a tighter, tenser (and better lit) film, but this will do very nicely.
Watched it last night and really enjoyed it. The only bit that irked was the scene on the tube at the end. WC never went on the tube and this scene really doesn’t work
Agreed, that scene was rather fanciful.
Apart from the annoying scene on the tube eg the conversations with other passengers and where the journey takes far, far too long to be credible, I really enjoyed this film. Oldman is a very versatile actor.
Confessions of a Window cleaner. 1974
First of the Saucy Seventies “confessions” series starring Robin Askwith as the inept Timothy Lea.
Probably had the best hotties unless your a fan of Liz Fraser.
Rainy August Bank Holiday fun. The last gasp of 1960s British/Swinging London cool and optimism and one of the three roles (alongside Harry Palmer and Alfie) of that decade which made Michael Caine into a popular culture icon.
The picture still holds up (despite Benny Hill’s dated portrayal of a computer nerd/perv obsessed with fat women) because of its sunny charm and Troy Kennedy Martin’s fantastic script. The cast, Hill aside, is great – Caine of course, Tony Beckley as Camp Freddie and, best of all, Noël Coward camping it up as an impatient, uber-patriotic crime boss who finances the heist. Quincy Jones’ score is a joy and let’s not forget the energetic direction of Peter Up The Junction Collinson, a talented film-maker who died way, way too young.
Along with Topkapi, the best caper movie ever?
Not forgetting a cracking line-up of car stars; Lamborghini Miura, A pair Jaguar E-Types (FHC and Roadster), an Aston Martin DB4 DHC, the Fiat Dinos used by the Mafia, and of course the three Mini Cooper S’. Oh yes, and while not a car, the six wheeled Bedford bus was pretty cool too.
Apparently, Lamborghini refused to let a stunt driver drive the Miura, it was one of their employees. Iconic car.
Now THIS is how you do Greek mythology.
The leads (Todd Armstrong, dubbed and Nancy Kovack as Medea, also dubbed) are rather wooden but the chief attraction here is Ray Harryhausen and his remarkable creations: Talos the bronze giant; the Harpies; the Hydra; and the Children of the Hydra’s Teeth aka the Skeleton Army. The menacing – and strikingly realistic – way in which Talos moves is truly astonishing for a film made 63 years ago.
Although it’s now known as a children’s film, back in 1963 it was marketed to adults, and this is indubitably grown-up entertainment.
Niall McGuinness and Honor Blackman as Zeus and Hera, Nigel Green as a rumbustious Hercules (sic) and Jack Gwillim (chewing the scenery as King Aeëtes) are the best actors, while Bernard Hermann’s score is terrific. Don Chaffee (One Million Years BC, Creatures That Time Forgot) is a dab hand with this fantastical material.
This is a picture that never gets old and even repays repeated viewings.
I might have mentioned this before but many (?30+) years ago I went to see a talk from Ray Harryhausen. He brought along some of his models including Talos and a Skeleton warrior. I chatted to him afterwards and he was absolutely lovely.
My second favourite film of his is The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973) which has brilliant special effects, particularly the six-armed goddess Kali. The fact that Caroline Munro was also in the film has nothing to do with why I like it 
“Pretty pretty car” 
Brings back memories of returning from a Gig I’d just played back in the 80s. The Bedford 6 wheeler was pretty ropey and suffered brake failure on a motorway slip road. The driver (our drummer) got us round the roundabout just about. He was a bus driver at the time. Made it home ok.
A heads-up for anyone who, like me, loves the film Sexy Beast; On September 28th Second Sight will be releasing a reissue which comes from a 4K restoration from the original camera negative supervised and approved by Director Jonathan Glazer. Best of all, it should be in the original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, hitherto only available on the rare and very expensive original US blu-ray disc. There’s a straight blu-ray, 4k blu-ray and also a deluxe 4k box-set.
Thanks for this Richard. One of my all-time favourite films!
Mine too.
Inland Empire. Not the easiest to follow, but archetypal Lynch.
Sir Ian is an old,once quite famous artist. His two greedy children expecting an early demise encourage Michaela Coel to ‘touch up’ a few unfinished and hidden masterpieces in the hope of making a fortune when he dies.
The old boy flounces about and is never still. Michaela
just looks quietly and questions his every presumption
Wonderful if you like stories filled with words and clever argument.
I had fish paste sandwiches for tea so that I could afford to stream via Prime.
