Watched January 1 - 7, 2007
They Drive by Night (Raoul Walsh, 1940)
As usual for early-ish Walsh, an excellent film overall. George Raft and Humphrey Bogart made a fairly convincing set of brothers, trying to stay afloat as independent truck drivers. Ann Sheridan was quite decent as a young waitress who catches the eye of Raft (and vice versa). Ida Lupino was generally fine as the black widow-esque spouse of a more prosperous friend of the two brothers (who ran a trucking business -- and wanted them to work for him -- played by the redoubtable Alan Hale). The script (based on a book by the just-deceased A. I. Bezzerides) is also good. Only a couple of niggles -- the use of a whizzing clock to show passage of time seemed pretty trite -- even for a 1940 film) and Ida Lupino's climactic court scene didn't quite work (was it script, direction, acting? or some combination?).
Ce jour-là / That Day (Raoul Ruiz, 2003)
Reviewed a few weeks back -- but watched with a bigger audience. Most of whom were quite appreciative. One of the greatest romantic comedies of the past decade (at least).
The Last Samurai (Edward Zwick, 2003)
Piffle.
As usual for early-ish Walsh, an excellent film overall. George Raft and Humphrey Bogart made a fairly convincing set of brothers, trying to stay afloat as independent truck drivers. Ann Sheridan was quite decent as a young waitress who catches the eye of Raft (and vice versa). Ida Lupino was generally fine as the black widow-esque spouse of a more prosperous friend of the two brothers (who ran a trucking business -- and wanted them to work for him -- played by the redoubtable Alan Hale). The script (based on a book by the just-deceased A. I. Bezzerides) is also good. Only a couple of niggles -- the use of a whizzing clock to show passage of time seemed pretty trite -- even for a 1940 film) and Ida Lupino's climactic court scene didn't quite work (was it script, direction, acting? or some combination?).
Ce jour-là / That Day (Raoul Ruiz, 2003)
Reviewed a few weeks back -- but watched with a bigger audience. Most of whom were quite appreciative. One of the greatest romantic comedies of the past decade (at least).
The Last Samurai (Edward Zwick, 2003)
Piffle.
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