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Reviews
Otto no katei wo kowasu made (2024)
What a strange show!
Minori discovers that her beloved husband and father of her child is having an affair with a woman who has a teen-aged son from a prior relationship. She also finds out that her husband and mother-in-law plotted to marry her knowing that she would eventually come into a large sum of money. Her entire romantic world is upended, and the now emotionally damaged Minori embarks on a scheme of revenge to destroy the lives of her husband and his "other" family. The other woman's teenaged son becomes a key part in her plan. But she discovers nearly too late that vengeance can create collateral damage.
The mise-en-scene of this high strung domestic drama is borderline gothic. From background music that belongs in a horror movie to Minori's crazed expressions when she confronts those who have betrayed her, it's melodrama with a capital M. Never have I encountered a group of characters in a series with less impulse control: tearful screaming, maniacal laughing, cheek slapping, head holding , picture tearing...let's just say that there is much suffering and none of it is silent. And it's all supremely entertaining. If you've been betrayed by a loved one, this series is the ultimate in wish fulfillment.
P. S. The actors are all terrifically over the top but particular kudos to the actor playing the teenager who sounds the one note of sweet sincerity in this series' emotional cacophony.
The Madame Blanc Mysteries (2021)
Great cast...bland mysteries
Jean White, an antiques expert, finds herself in France when her husband dies under mysterious circumstances and her efforts to solve the mystery of his death leads her to establishing herself permanently in Sainte Victoire. Her knowledge of antiques helps her solve several mysteries and she becomes a consultant to local policeman Caron. She also becomes friendly with a few fellow expats: Dom (a friendly cab driver who becomes Watson to her Sherlocking), wealthy married Judith (pleasantly snooty) and Jeremy (pleasantly extroverted) as well as local female mechanic Gloria.
Sally Lindsay is quite good as the brilliant antiquer from Manchester. She easily carries the series with her warmth and charisma (I like her wardrobe too). She has great chemistry with Steven Edge as Dom, whose character you'd expect to be a bit boring but Edge makes him so congenial you'd wish he'd drive cab in your neighborhood. All the performances are good but the mysteries are just not that intriguing. I tune in for an opportunity to see these pleasant people in lovely surroundings, learn a bit about antiques but not for the plots The death of the rock star in the sealed room was the only mystery thus far I found at all interesting. It would be nice if the other mysteries had that same kind of snap.
Baptists at Our Barbecue (2004)
An object lesson on the challenge of making a good movie
While watching this film I realized that individual elements of the film were actually interesting (a character whose world has been restricted by circumstances, religious groups at odds with one another) amusing (a sheriff with an endless supply of traffic cones, a Mormon who accidentally drinks vodka on a Sunday morning, a quilt obsessed old maid and a half a church) and even compelling (a mountain that mysteriously hums and a loser who finds redemption). But it just doesn't come together well and I'm reminded as to how challenging it can be to pull together elements and establish the right performances, musical cues and rhythms to make a movie watchable and enjoyable. The potential is here with this story of an innocent forest ranger trying to expand his world while bringing baptists and Mormons together and get the girl of his dreams but it just doesn't gel. The plot is almost incoherent at times, characters act eccentric without motivation (though the slushy guy is fairly funny) and the romantic storyline is not very compelling (though the two leads are pleasant to look at). I can't really recommend the film but I would give it an E for effort.
Ten Little Indians (1989)
Best not to watch if you love the book
The story has been told many times. Ten strangers are invited on a safari and end up stranded in the middle of Africa with no way to return home. They all stand accused of murder and are picked off one by one following the pattern of a rhyme "Ten Little Indians" that ends grimly "...and then there were none." Cool! Then I saw who made the film. Cannon. Oh dear.
This is not the best version of Christie's original book (I think it's more closely affiliated with the stage version of her book). The original book had the victims stranded on an island but the African locale works fine...if it was used more evocatively. Frankly, it looks like it was filmed on a the leftover set from "Little House on the Prairie" with some tents and stock footage lions (well, one lion) stuck in for good measure. In addition, the writing is poor and some of the performances mediocre. Brenda Vaccaro, for instance. Now I've really enjoyed this actress in other things but she's pretty obviously phoning it in here. Not that I blame her when she's supposed to be a hard-drinking, sarcastic, washed up actress whose given lines like "I'm not alone. God is always with me." Huh?
The other actors barely rise above TV movie-of-the-week in their performances. I would say Herbert Lom and Donald Pleasance are the only exceptions. In particular, Lom's time on screen is brief but he does a good job of portraying an old, confused man haunted by past sins. But, despite this, in the end, the film is really just mediocre.
Nae Nampyeongwa Gyeolhonhaejweo (2024)
A Korean emotional rollercoaster ride (that veers off in some odd places)
Kang Ji-Won is a woman in her forties suffering from fourth stage stomach cancer. Even though terminally ill, her life is cut short when she catches her best friend, Soo-Min, in bed with her husband, Min-Hwan. The resulting conflict ends with Min-Hwan pushing her roughly down where her head crashes into a glass table and she dies. And then suddenly, she's alive. The gift of a mysterious taxi driver who drove her to the scene of her death sends her back in time 10 years and gives her the chance to live that part of her life again and try to avoid her death. And it's during this relived life that she becomes aware of Yoo Ji-Hyeok, her boss from the past whom she never really noticed much but now takes an unusual interest in her.
Park Min-Young is one of my favorite Korean actresses and she does not disappoint in this fantasy revenge series. The plotline is interesting and the series could easily be retitled "Here! Take My Fate!" I felt she had good chemistry with Na-In Woo and the supporting characters were all very well acted. The moral dilemmas that Ju-Won must confront seemed very real, and the internal logic of the plot remained basically intact (something that other K-dramas have struggled with) and there were even some nice bits of comedy sprinkled here and there (I enjoyed Ji-Hyeok's Tae Kwan Do buddies).
As good as this drama is, it still has all the weaknesses that nearly every other K-drama possesses: too many needless detours from the main narrative (Did we really need to see so many scenes with Ji-Hyeok's grandfather?), repetitive events (It would be interesting to count how many times Min-Hwan gets slapped, punched or kicked and ends up on the ground groaning and cursing), and intense emotional exchanges between characters that usually results in verbal oneupmanship by the heroine/hero (though I did enjoy the verbal dueling between Soo-min and Ju-Won).
But my main criticism is that we simply saw TOO much of Min-Hwan and Soo-Min (No criticisms of the two actors...they were phenomenal in the roles). They are such reprehensible characters that to constantly be following their storyline (without Park Min Young's character) made me skip ahead time and time again. You could have cut many of their scenes with little impact on the overall plot. And Oh Yu-ra's character? Yes, I see her necessity but frankly the way she's utilized needlessly complicates the narrative (and I found this actress's performance to be the weakest as well).
However, I would say it's still one of the better K-dramas to be produced in the last few years.
Mentalese Express (2023)
Cute , funny and romantic
Two office workers in Taiwan (one Japanese and the other Taiwanese, I think) each start crushing on the other (unbeknownst to them) while riding the elevator to work. But neither knows exactly how to break the ice. So ensue a series of humorous strategies to get each other's attention.
Funny short film that allows us to hear the thoughts of a man and a woman as they attempt to push through their own insecurities while navigating the social complexities of getting to know one another. And in the end, a risk has to be taken to move to the next stage. Clever little film where all the action takes place near and on an elevator. Well done!
Miss Marple: They Do It with Mirrors (1991)
Ultimately, just a so-so mystery but the performances are good
Miss Marple turns her investigative skills onto a murder committed at a manor house converted a school for juvenile delinquent boys. I remember well the book this episode is based on as it was the very first Christie mystery I figured out before the reveal. Of course, I'd been reading a lot of Christie by this time and certain patterns of misdirection she engaged in were fairly evident. This is not my favorite Marple episode even though it has the wonderful Jean Simmons in it. It's not too hard to figure out "who did it" and the setting of the troubled boys school isn't really utilized as well as it could be. But there is one moment in the episode that has little to do with the mystery but is still lovely nonetheless. It's at the very end, Miss Marple, Carrie Louise and her sister Ruth ( who are long time friends) sit watching a film of themselves from the early part of the century, when they were young. It's an interesting cinematic reflection on the fact that those of us who are old were once young and those young, will some day be old.
Miss Marple: Nemesis (1987)
A so-so mystery but some great performances
Mr Rafiel passes away and leaves Miss Marple a task to complete (for which she will be compensated). It requires her to go on a bus tour and she soon discovers individuals on the tour and along the way connected to a tragedy in Mr. Rafiel's son's past. He was accused (but not convicted) of killing a young woman named Verity. The tour brings Miss Marple into contact with a former teacher of Verity and the three elderly sisters who helped raise her (and others).
I never found this to be that compelling of a novel when I read it and it does start rather slow (the addition of Miss Marple's recently divorced nephew does little to add to the plot). But once Miss Marple comes into contact with the Bradbury-Scotts (nicely played by Margaret Tyzak, Anna Cropper and Valerie Lush) it starts humming along in a more interesting fashion.
Joan Hickson is, as usual, quite good and I enjoyed the part where she gets excited about the money Mr. Rafiel has left her because she could by a partridge to eat for herself (makes her seem rather human). In addition, you have a marvelous monologue from Liz Fraser as the mother of another girl who disappeared at the time. She's only on screen once and for just a few minutes but she communicates such pain and mourning in those few minutes that it adds to the air of tragedy surrounding poor dead Verity.
But the climax is one of the best in the series. Miss Marple has a marvelously intense encounter with the murderer, Clothilde Bradbury-Scott (the character played by Margaret Tyzak). It's sad, scary and satisfying to see Miss Marple as the titular Nemesis, finally bringing justice to Verity, Rafiel's son and the other young woman who was killed.
I've rewatched it several times and always enjoy those final scenes.
Miss Marple: Sleeping Murder (1987)
Enjoyable and suspenseful
A young couple are looking for a home. The wife is from New Zealand and reared by relatives after her parents die. They locate a home and begin to remodel. As they do, the woman begins to feel like she's been there before identifying features of the house that were long ago removed. Most significantly, she suddenly recalls seeing a woman being strangled in the house. A woman named Helen...
This was the last of the Marple mysteries published and (to my mind) thankfully, Christie didn't kill off her detective (as she eventually does with Poirot). But the mystery is nothing special to be honest but the couple is attractive, and as they revisit the past, they stir up a murderer who strikes again and then comes after the young wife (nicely played by Geraldine Alexander) in a fairly suspenseful climax (for a Christie-based film).
P. S. One odd thing about this episode. We briefly meet Miss Marple's nephew Raymond and his wife, Joan (played by Amanda Boxer). For some reason, the writers create unspoken hostility between Joan and Miss Marple. It's never explained and once the mystery gets going it's never referred to again. Puzzling.
Miss Marple: 4.50 from Paddington (1987)
A commonly used mystery trope given the Christie treatment
Elspeth McGillicuddy is taking the 4:50 from Paddington (a train) to visit a friend and falls asleep. She awakens to see another train on a set of tracks parallel to hers. Suddenly, a window shade zips up and Mrs. McGillicuddy sees a woman being strangled by a man whose back is to her. The train moves on and Mrs. McGillicuddy is left is significant distress. The person she was visiting? Miss Marple, of course. And we're off to the races.
Miss Marple's investigations bring her to the doorstep of the eccentric Crackenthorpe family and she hires a formidable assistant in the guise of the lovely and efficient Lucy Eyelesbarrow (Jill Meager) who infiltrates the household in the guise of a housekeeper. She becomes Miss Marple's eyes and ears.
It's arguably one of the best of the Marple mysteries. In part because when I read the book, I was completely surprised by who the murderer was (some excellent literary misdirection here) but also because the story contains a series of characters who are, for the most part, fairly sympathetic (unlike the detestable Fortescues in "Pocketful of Rye"). And the hint of romance between Lucy and one of the suspects is a nice addition.
Miss Marple: A Caribbean Mystery (1989)
Shades of "Murder She Wrote"
This is probably the episode that most resembles the American series "Murder She Wrote" starring Angela Lansbury as the nontraditional sleuth (who once played Miss Marple herself). Those mysteries (with notable exceptions) were fairly banal and the series really cruised on the charisma of the late Ms. Lansbury. I see a similar dynamic at work here.
Miss Marple is in the Caribbean for a rest from an illness when a long-winded old military man who makes rambling references to "a murderer he has known" dies suddenly. There are, of course, a number of possible subjects. Donald Pleasance adds some needed spice as the irascible wheelchair bound Rafiel who becomes Miss Marple's reluctant "Watson" but the mystery itself is not "clever" and once resolved we're not given a very effective denouement. But it's a pleasant enough way to pass some time with Joan Hickson's Marple.
Miss Marple: The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (1992)
The plot is very good but has its own fatal "crack"
First of all, the good. The plot is a masterpieces of misdirection based (apparently) on a real life tragedy (minus the murder part). This particular mystery also has good performances by Joan Hickson (thankfully not sidelined as in the Lansbury movie version.) Barry Newman is very good as Jason Rudd. Beyond acting, he fits the character physically. Newman's craggy looks seem a good match for Christie's description. We have the delightful Gwen Watford returning as Dolly Bantry. An excellent John Castle as the detective and Marple's nephew (though why they didn't just have him carry over his character from "A Murder is Announced" I don't know.) And the ever welcome Judy Cornwell as cheerful murder victim, Heather Badcock.
For the less than good: I don't know that Claire Bloom was the best choice. She just comes across as too sedate for a high strung film star (Elizabeth Taylor does it better as does Lindsay Duncan in the later version). Elizabeth Garvie is simply too strange in her portrayal of doomed private secretary, Ms. Ella Zulinski. But these are minor points. The biggest problem with this has to be laid at Christie's door.
Marina Gregg (who is the murderer) kills Heather Badcock because years earlier, Heather inadvertently infected her with German measles causing her to have a child with severe birth defects. (This all comes out in the long story Heather tells her upon meeting her at the party in Gossington Hall...Once Marina hears that Heather is doomed...cue, the Lady of Shallot). However, Marina is given an overdoes of pills by her husband, who figures it all out so she can avoid all the unpleasantness of consequences. Thus, she is presented as a tragic figure and we have the show end with Miss Marple quietly agreeing with Rudd's solution.
My issue is that the death of Heather Badcock is seemingly forgotten . It would appear that the beautiful talented high-strung Marina Gregg is (sort of) forgiven BECAUSE she is beautiful and talented. While the murder of insignificant lumpy Heather Badcock is somewhat brushed aside because she was "tiresome". This is at odds with Miss Marple's attitude in "A Pocketful of Rye" where it is the lumpy insignificant Gladys that rouses Miss Marple to action. I'm not sure the plot is sending the right kind of message. Yes, these are "cozy" mysteries that are not to be taken seriously, but I think we still need reminders that NO ONE deserves to have their life cut short no matter how beautiful or ugly, incredible or ordinary, a person may be.
Miss Marple: A Pocketful of Rye (1985)
Murder amongst the members of a dreadful family
Mr. Fortescue dies in his office poisoned by taxine (extracted from yew trees) and his entire family is suspect: his too young wife, her young handsome lover, his stuffy son, his son's self-absorbed wife, his fanatically religious sister-in-law, even the butter-won't-melt-in-her-mouth housekeeper. The wild adventurous black sheep son of the family shows up with a new wife in the middle of these tensions just as two more murders are committed. One of these deaths becomes very personal for Jane Marple who gets involved.
Probably, arguably, the best of the Marple episodes (I would put it side by side with "4:50 from Paddington") as Christie's masterfully reveals and at the same time obscures the identity of the murderer. I think all will find the solution to the puzzle intriguing while enjoying the excellent performances: look for a young Tom Wilkinson as well as Selina Cadell. Annette Badland (as of this writing starring in Midsomer Murders) is also very good as the dim-witted maid who knows too much and whose fate brings Jane Marple (her former employer) into the fray.
And best of all the nursery rhyme (from which the title comes), rather than a conceit, is a vital part of the mystery and its solution.
Miss Marple: A Murder Is Announced (1985)
Love Joan Hickson, Dislike the Convoluted Plotline
Something's odd in the village of Chipping Cleghorn (besides its name). A murder is announced in the local paper to happen at Little Paddocks, the home of Miss Leticia Blacklock and her friends and relatives. Neighbors show up, curious as to what will happen. And the murder does happen. A young man who strides into the suddenly darkened room shouting "hands up" is shot. Two more deaths will occur before Miss Marple (who happens to be visiting) is able to discover the murderer.
Even upon reading the book, the premise of this murder seemed pretty fantastical and when you discovered who the murderer is, it makes even less sense. I think Christie had an idea but couldn't come up with a decent justification for announcing a murder that's going to occur. So the lower rating is due to the plot being rather off.
However, this episode is well-acted with particular kudos to John Castle as the inspector assigned to the case and to Ursula Howells as Miss Blacklock, the center of the odd happenings at Little Paddocks. (and of course, Joan Hickson). The best way to enjoy it is to simply not focus much on the plot points but simply enjoy the performances. Also in its favor: this is the one episode that really seems to address the impact of World War II on every day life as it is the chaotic upending of society by World War II that provides the opportunity for the murderer that later becomes the motive for their crimes.
Miss Marple: At Bertram's Hotel (1987)
The weakest of the Joan Hickson's Marple episodes
Miss Marple is taking a little vacation from St. Mary Mead by staying at Bertram's Hotel, an old-fashioned accommodation in the very best sense. But something is amiss at "dear old Bertram's" which, naturally, Miss Marple will ferret out.
This is, in my opinion, the WEAKEST of the Christie adaptations. It's weak because it adheres quite faithfully to the original novel. Which was the WEAKEST of the Marple novels. The plot is a convoluted mess. There are two crimes that take place in this episode: one, a murder (naturally), the other I'll leave you to discover for yourself. However, the connection between these two crimes is tenuous (there IS a connection which I won't reveal here but it's an awkwardly shoehorned connection). I think Christie had two ideas but neither full enough to build an entire novel around and so she "mashed" them together. But it just creates an odd plot instead of a compelling one.
The only reason to watch this episode is for the usual delightful performance of Joan Hickson, the wonderful Joan Greenwood of the throaty, upper crust voice as dithery Lady Selina Hazy and Carol Blakiston's over the top portrayal of Bess Sedgwick. The episode sags when they're not on the screen (luckily, they generally are).
Miss Marple: The Moving Finger (1985)
"As they say, 'no smoke without fire'"
A pilot recovering from a leg injury and his glamorous sister move into a small village during his recovery. They are shocked when they start receiving unpleasant anonymous letters accusing them of various indecencies. They are more shocked to discover that such letters have been circulating for a while generating all sorts of rumors about the recipients as well as the supposed author. It all comes to a head when a woman in the village kills herself after receiving a particularly vicious letter. Of course, Miss Marple arrives to save the day.
"The Moving Finger" is a wonderful example of the kind of misdirection that Christie was famous for. Without revealing too much, I'll just say that things are not precisely as they seem in the village of Lymstock. The plot is one of the best things about this episode (and of course, Joan Hickson). Unfortunately, the young actress playing the key role of Megan is just not that effective but, in all fairness, the character as written in the original novel is a trifle unbelievable. Equally so is that someone as sophisticated as Jerry (the wounded pilot) would find her appealing. But it's a minor quibble. Overall, an excellent mystery.
Miss Marple: The Body in the Library (1984)
The inimitable introduction to Joan Hickson's Miss Marple
I vividly remember when they rolled this series out in the mid-1980s. I watched it via PBS Mystery having read (by that time) most of Agatha Christie's ouvre. While not Agatha Christie's introduction to the character (I think that takes place in her book The Tuesday Club Murders) but "The Body in the Library" is a good choice. It brings us into the genteel orbit of slightly dotty Dolly Bantry and her husband (Dolly is only to be seen in one other episode, sadly) and the perplexing appearance of the body of a dead young woman in their library. The mystery is delightfully convoluted with so many disparate elements involving so many different people that you wonder how it will be pulled together. And when the killer was finally (and literally) unveiled, I was almost surprised (almost...I'd already read the book).
To be honest, I didn't initially care for Joan Hickson's interpretation of Jane Marple. She came across as almost too severe and lacked the sweetly devastating charm of the literary character. Time has changed my mind and I have come to appreciate her portrayal of Jane Marple as a force to be reckoned with...sweetly dotty when it serves her purpose and ruthlessly moral in her judgments of others.
I wouldn't say it's necessarily the best of this Jane Marple mystery series but it's definitely ONE Of the best.
Ida regénye (2022)
A gentle Hungarian romance
Ida has spent her entire life in a convent and unexpectedly returns home to her debauched father who just as unexpectedly marries her off to a kindly artist. She accepts the arranged marriage reluctantly seeing it as her only way to some degree of independence and the artist has his own agenda. But as time passes they each find the other more and more appealing. The plot is highly predictable and the performances good (but not outstanding) but there is something serenely delightful about this movie. The production values are good, the soundtrack gentle and evocative of a time when life was simply more elegant than it is now and while the plot is nothing special it does provide some humorous moments: the comically abrupt wedding, Ida's inability to cook a decent apple pie, and the husband's friend who's always short on cash. But the romantic moments work too. None better than when they are making up a story to tell his friends about how they met. Ida suggests a romantic tale where he sees her and declares that he wants to paint her face alone for the rest of his life and her husband scoffs at the idea that an artist would ever only want to paint one face. Then, towards the end of the film, realizing that she loves him, Ida goes to see him in his studio and is stunned to see that every painting there is of her face. It's a lovely romantic moment.
Matilda: The Musical (2022)
Sweet, enjoyable but lacking something
There's nothing wrong with the performances in this musical version of Matilda. Alisha Weir is absolutely perfect as the child prodigy born into a family that doesn't appreciate her. Emma Thompson is suitably imposing as the sadistic school headmistress and Lashana Lynch, appropriately sweet and kind as Miss Honey. Additional characters (Matilda's mother, father, friends, friendly librarian) are all good. With the exception of a few songs ( e.g. When I Grow Up) the music is not terribly memorable (though the ABC song is very clever).
But there is something that doesn't quite come together for me. First, it's obvious that the source material is the movie version of Matilda from 1996 (it took significant liberties with the original book as does this movie...not a criticism...just an observation). As a result, it begs comparison. While the 1996 version is, itself, flawed in many ways, there was something it had that this movie lacked: a sense of the absurd. I think "Matilda the Musical" takes itself just a little too seriously. Many of the songs are wistful or even sad. As a result, when Bruce is forced to eat cake or children are sent to the "Choky", it feels uncomfortable not absurd. In the 1996 version, these things happened but we see it through the eyes of young brilliant Matilda who, aside from a couple of brief moments of sadness, views most of these events with exasperation and impatience (Mara Wilson's deadpan delivery helps a lot). It makes what would be neglect and abuse in real life more palatable. That said, it's an enjoyable and fun film and worth watching. Just don't take it too seriously.
Sanctuary of Fear (1979)
A mystery that's a mixed bag
I remember vaguely seeing this when it first aired. As I rewatched it, I really only remembered the brief scene where Father Brown figures out where some evidence of a crime went and finding it clever. The rest of the movie is rather forgettable. They do build some interesting suspense with the lovely Kay Lenz but plotwise it's confusing. Even when you discover who the "villain" is you recognize that some of what that individual does makes no sense. I do see what they were trying to do though and they had the potential to create a rather twisty and interesting mystery but it just doesn't hold together. However, Barnard Hughes makes for a decent Father Brown and there are some amusing bits here and there related to his character. (P. S. That scene at the rectory is creepy but Father Brown seems to live in a rectory the size of the Empire State Building!)
Love Among the Ruins (1975)
Unrequited love at any age is hard on you
Sir Laurence Olivier and Katharine Hepburn star in this unusual romantic comedy about men and women "of a certain age" falling and being in love. Olivier plays a barrister in London who has never married due to a brief liaison with a beautiful actress in Canada when many years ago when he was a law student. One day, that same actress (now widowed and being sued by a much younger would-be lover) comes to him for help and, lo and behold, it's the same woman who appears to have no memory of three days that have haunted him for decades. And now he must push through his own love and frustration to defend her.
Olivier is really a delight as the lovelorn barrister who tends to drift off into romantic reveries at the sigh of Hepburn. She is also quite funny as a somewhat vain woman, mourning her husband and aghast at being in a situation of being sued. And increasingly frustrated with what she perceives as wool-gathering on the part of Olivier. The interactions between the two shows what two acting pros can do with a truly witty script. I found myself just basking in the dialogue alone.
Despite being amused by it all, I was also a bit frustrated with Olivier's character. Are we really going to believe that decades after a brief affair ended, an intelligent and mature man would act the way he does? When he wins the case (through a combination of inciting Hepburn into a frenzy and then with a heartfelt monologue after she's dragged out of court...it's really quite something), he runs to find her, concerned that he may have gone too far. She forgives him and they sit together where he tries to explain himself. Hepburn's character begins mentioning different incidents from his life that might explain some of his distress and Olivier suddenly realizes that she does remember their time together.
We also realize that those three days were not just "a delightful roll in the hay" but a communion of souls as they shared things with one another that they never shared with anyone else. And finally we understand why that time meant so much to the old barrister...and that it meant something equally important to the former actress as well. It's a tender scene and quite brilliant.
Thriller (1973)
A suspense series that has aged fairly well
Many series from the 1970s are dated by the time they are broadcast and are generally of nothing more than historical interest. However, this British series (while certainly being a nice repository of the dreadful 70s fashions) has aged remarkably well. Most of the episodes have at least one relatively well-known American actor as the "guest star" (e.g. Barbara Feldon, Donna Mills, Gary Collins, George Chakiris, etc...all very young and in their prime) while the rest of the cast are British. Some of the episodes have supernatural overtones, some are straightforward crime stories but all have intriguing and intertwined plots that cover a great deal of ground in one hour. There's even a few I could see easily expanded into full length features (e.g. Sleepwalker). They are not all of the same quality though. They range from gothically cringy tales (Nurse Will it Make it Better) to semi-predictable plot twists (Lady Killer). From wild spy stories (In The Steps of a Dead Man) to outright horror (File it Under Fear). It's an enjoyable series that doesn't wear the seventies on its sleeve.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
I spent the last hour looking at my watch...
There's no question that this film has stunning special effects, excellent production values and some decent performances (Javier Bardem's crusty but devout Stilgar springs to mind). But the movie is so long! (nearly 3 hours). Whereas I admired the first film for its ability to describe the world of Dune with good economy, this film seemed overstuffed with events that were hard to understand if you weren't overly familiar with the book(s). In addition, to realize that all the events (Jessica influencing the Fremen, Paul learning the Fremen ways, sabatoging the Harkonnen's spiceworks, Paul becomes a Messianic figure, etc etc etc) all took place in less than nine months?! (How do we know? Jessica is pregnant at the beginning AND the end of the film). But if you want a film full of spectacle, this one definitely has that and, credit due, some of the scenes are breathtaking.
A New Leaf (1971)
A love story? Um...not exactly...
Henry is a trust fund baby whose trust fund has run out. The only way to avoid going down the dark dark path of "getting a job" is marry a wealthy woman. Due to a bargain made with his gleefully disdainful uncle and with his only ally being his loyal manservant, Harold, he has a very short time to do it. Enter Henrietta: an independently wealthy botanist whose social ineptitude and unkempt spaciness are unparalleled (privately Henry refers to her as "feral"). She is instantly enamored of Henry and it would seem to be the perfect ending. There are two main problems: first, Henrietta has a number of parasitic employees working for her who don't want to give up their "cash cow" and, second, Henry can't stand his new rich wife. So the stage is set for this delightfully dark comedy. Matthau creates an uniquely comic character in Henry: snobbish, greedy, selfish and completely amoral. Clumsy, naive, and distracted Henrietta would seem to be no match for him. Ultimately, the film is both funny and touching as we watch Henrietta triumph over Henry by just being a kind-hearted person. I've read that May was not happy with this film and wanted a blacker comedy but I think the move is perfect just the way it is.
The Happy Ending (1969)
And they say millennials are self-absorbed...
Angsty movie about an upper middle class woman who is unhappy with her life and tries to start over. I watched it mainly because I really like its theme song (What Are You Doing with the Rest of Your Life). Jean Simmons is lovely and even compelling as the woman looking for her "happy ending" and not really finding it. But my goodness, she and nearly all the characters come across as whiny, self involved social drinkers whose drinking passed "social" long ago. It's hard to think of a movie where you will find more navel-gazing and self-finding. Perhaps it came across as more edgy in the late 60s. The most honest moment of emotion is when Jean Simmons' character confronts her somewhat abandoned daughter (whom you've almost forgotten about) late in the film. The teenager is sad, angry and confused. It's a good reminder of how much children can suffer for their parents' psychological malaise.