Films you've seen lately

[LMcD]

You're right it's the 39 Steps.

Madelaine Carroll on the bed listening to Hannay's life story, acting of the highest quality, IMHO¡

For sheer entertainment value, 'North By Northwest'.

[Nick Armstrong]

For sheer entertainment value, 'North By Northwest'.

Yes I love that, and Rear Window too.

But I’m watching (in instalments ...it’s a busy week) To Catch A Thief, recorded off BBC2 a week or two ago. Really enjoying it, and amazed to realise I’ve never ever seen it before. First of all, the print transmitted on BBC2HD looks terrific, pin-sharp as if it had been made very recently, not 65 years ago. The Riviera setting and all the period Citroëns & Peugeots are treats to look at in themselves, even without the effortless charm of Cary Grant and the cool yet luminous Grace Kelly. One of Hitchcock’s more prominent personal appearances too, sitting next to Grant on the back seat of a bus

[Rjw]

There's a programme in the imagine series from last year "becoming Cary Grant" that is on the iplayer at the moment, I am also watching this in instalments, quite interesting!

[Belgrove]

Investigative journalism and criminal trials are subject matters that can make for enthralling films. In Official Secrets we, sort of, get both in the true story telling of Katherine Gun, a GCHQ translator who leaked to the Observer a communication originating from a US intelligence agency that requested information about foreign diplomats prior to the Iraq war. Keira Knightley plays Gun and is believably stressed and stretched by the full weight of the State that descends once her culpability is revealed. The action switches between the emotional trials she faces at home and work, to the newsroom of the Observer and their Washington contacts, to the ramshackle conference room of Liberty Chambers who decide to help her by constructing an audacious but high risk defence. It's a taught and enthralling film despite its low key approach. Good last line!

[Stanfordian]

'Judy' - 2019 biographical drama film about Judy Garland. Starring Renée Zellweger (as Garland) who does her own singing.

3 out of 5

The problem is no matter how good the singing - As her voice is so distinctive only Judy can sound like Judy!

[gradus]

I'd say 3.5 for singing, 4.75 for the portrayal. But who on earth could take on this role and do it better.

[Dave2002]

The Goldfinch - based on a novel by Donna Tartt. A long film, though I gather the book is also long. I enjoyed it, though it seems that people who have read the book might not like the film so much. Some parts of the film are needlessly (IMO) confusing.

[gradus]

The Aeronauts - don't go if heights give you the heebie-jeebies. Otherwise worth seeing for the effects.

[Rjw]

Le Million by Rene Clair. An annual treat for me, it gets better every time I see it.

My film education was World Cinema and the Midnight Movie in the sixties and seventies, I am unaware of a place to see old classics amongst our many channels.

[Anastasius]

"Lost in London". Fantastic concept.... a true 'first'. Was anyone lucky enough to see the live stream ?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The Aeronauts - don't go if heights give you the heebie-jeebies. Otherwise worth seeing for the effects.

I saw this last week. Brilliantly effective, though I was a little surprised to see signs of human perspiration at 36,000 feet.

[richardfinegold]

A Hidden Life, the tale of an Austrian Conscientious Objector during WW II, Harriet (about Harriet Tubman) and Knives Out, a sort of homage to Agatha Christie, all in the last 3 nights.

A Hidden Life is going to get a lot of praise, for it’s message (surprisingly, it’s target audience most likely are Evangelicals) and gorgeous cinematography, as most of is shot in the Alps around Salzburg. However, it’s long (3 hours +), redundant, and the ending isn’t terribly surprising. I thought that the subject matter was much better treated in the 2016 film Alone In Berlin, which is actually a mediocre adaptation of Hans Fallada great novel, Every Man Dies Alone.

Harriet is well done. It’s basically an action film with some stirring anti Slavery speeches. The characters are very 2 dimensional. I was personally disappointed because we had visited Seward’s home in Auburn, NewYork a few months ago. Seward funded her activities, raised her Niece that she rescued, and hid many of the freed slaves, before narrowly losing the Presidential Nomination to Abraham Lincoln. He barely rates a mention. I do applaud the depiction of 2 Southern Blacks who are Slave Catchers (one of whom is won over by H.T.).

Daniel Craig really hams it up in Knives Out. Instead of a Belgian Agatha Christie Private Detective we get a Kentucky Cajun whose first name is Benoit. Craig should stick to 007. Christopher Plummer puts him to shame as the devious murder victim. It’s meant as a comedy but there are a few half chuckles and no guffaws

[kernelbogey]

Marriage Story

A beautiful, touching film, with outstanding lead performances from Scarlett Johansen and Adam Driver. I travelled to London to see it on the big screen (worthwhile), as it's not on in cinemas near me. It is now out on Neftlix, I believe - they produced it. Two hours long.

[johncorrigan]

Well I'd seen all the previous eight including the original release of Star Wars when it wowed me and my College pals on a group outing at the Odeon in Glasgow over 40 years ago, so I thought I might as well finish the job. The years go by. I didn't have high expectations when my Son and I headed into Dundee yesterday afternoon. All I can say is that rather than having a subtitle 'Rise of Skywalker', I reckon it should have been subtitled 'Every Trope in the Book'. Some fine settings, some good bits but essentially an overlong exercise in fairly entertaining tosh.

[johncorrigan]

Yesterday, Mrs C and I headed to Dundee for a Hoggers' evening movie before the Bells. Thought we'd take in 'Little Women' - I remembered reading it when I was in Primary School and vaguely recall having seen a TV version at some point. Anyway, all I can say was that this present version was an absolute delight from start to finish. Great performances, brilliant sets and a wonderful energy about the film. Saoirse Ronan was terrific as Jo March - I had forgotten how good a character she was; but there were great perfomances throughout including Meryll Streep as the Matriarch, Aunt March. A great evening out, I have to say.