Saturday, September 7, 2019
First Lines: William Gibson - Pattern Recognition
Five hours' New York jet lag and Cayce Pollard wakes in Camden Town to the dire and ever-circling wolves of disrupted circadian rhythm.
Friday, September 6, 2019
Woman on the Run (1950)
Frank Johnson flees police after becoming an eyewitness to murder. He is pursued around scenic San Francisco by his wife, a reporter, the police, and... the real murderer.
Good minor Noir crime drama, well staged and photographed and a capable cast.
Halliwell (no star): "Slightly unusual thriller which alas fails to thrill."
Maltin***: "Great San Fransisco locations, snappy screenplay..."
Io e te (2012)
An introverted teenager tells his parents he is going on a ski trip, but instead spends his time alone in a basement.
Slight, but engaging tale is mostly focused on the teenager siblings' interactions in the basement, two troubled kids against the ruthlessness of the outside world.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
L'écume des jours (2013)
Wealthy, inventive bachelor Colin endeavors to find a cure for his lover Chloe after she's diagnosed with an unusual illness caused by a flower growing in her lungs.
A Boris Vian adaptation made with fast pacing and exuberant surreal imagination is fascinating to watch, but soon becomes tiresome and it loses its grip on the sadness of its ending.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Uncommon Valor (1983)
Ten years after his son went M.I.A. in Vietnam, a U.S. Marine retired Colonel assembles a private rescue team to find Americans held in P.O.W. camps in Laos.
Run-of-the-mill war action drama wears its patriotism on its sleeve, the star cast do waht they can for the occasion.
Halliwell (no star): "Slam-bang action piece with the customary patriotic and personal sentiment."
Maltin**1/2: "Formula action film...Solid performances make this watchable."
