CriticSociety- film reviews

Review

The Cell

Director

Tarsem Singh

Year

2000

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Thursday, November 28, 2002

The Cell is one of those movies that arrived amidst an intense debacle. This time around it centered on whether it was a masterpiece or just a flat thriller that looked good. I wouldn’t like to go to those extremes, so I guess my opinion lies somewhere between those two.

Catherine Deane (Jennifer Lopez) is a psychotherapist who uses a revolutionary new treatment that allows her to literally enter her patients’ minds. One day her life is turned upside down when an FBI agent (Vince Vaughn) approaches her to enter Carl Stargher’s mind (Vincent D’Onofrio). As it happens, he’s a serial killer whose latest victim is out there slowly drowning while he stays in a coma. It is now Catherine’s time to help out that girl as the clock keeps ticking.

So there you go. An interesting enough premise. A killer cast. A talented new film director. What could possibly be missing? Well, I’d say a good script. The movie is a thriller, and good thrillers always surprise us. You can’t say this movie isn’t surprising. It is, but there’s something lacking. Amidst all its originality there’s a pretty linear story down there which goes from A to B as any standard movie of the genre would.

Overall the movie lacks heart as well. Every character is either extremely muted or just plain uninteresting. The one who comes off the best is the villain, and that’s not precisely because of a well-written part, but because he’s the one who causes all that visual madness that is so interesting to watch.

But it looks like I hated the movie and I didn’t. There’s something wonderful about it and that’s its visuals, its approach, its imagery. Director Tarsem and his team certainly pulled off a visually impressive movie that never ceases to astound us. Every new sequence has something new around the corner that we hadn’t seen coming and that is a feast for the eye.

Jennifer Lopez holds her own well-enough, but as I said, there isn’t much depth in any of the characters. It is the images that outshine any kind of human form in the movie.

It is pretentious and over-the-top, but it also reaches greatness more than once.

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Review

Napoleon

Director

Abel Gance

Year

1927

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Wednesday, November 27, 2002

Silent masterpiece about Napoleon Bonaparte, from Brienne Military School to his triumph as the head of the Italian Army, told in detail through historical fact, patriotic symbolism, biographical dramatization and the great performance and characterization of Albert Dieudonné as the short but impressive man, who changed the fate of a nation: France.

Long, to be sure, but deadly interesting, with the appearance of many historical characters such as Danton (Alexandre Koubitzky) and Robespierre (Edmond Van Daële), outstanding action sequences, including battles and invasions, as well as surrealistic scenes that parallel fact with dreams, imagination, memories and aspirations.

The cast is perfection, with Dieudonné ideal as the eagle-eyed Emperor-to-be, Gina Manès a great match as his wife Josephine. Another standout is Vladimir Roudenko, equally good as a younger Napoleon.

The snowball battle in Brienne (depicting the innate talent of strategist Bonaparte), the introduction of La Marseillaise, the Reign of Terror (paralleling a real storm with a political one), Ghosts of the Revolution (representing Napoleon’s early dreams of uniting Europe and conquering it), and the outstanding finale in three-screen Polyvision, are all standouts in this historical landmark. This film certainly echoes The Birth of a Nation (1915), but is much more accurate and spectacular, though it should be noticed that it was made 12 years later. While D.W. Griffith’s masterpiece innovated in many ways, Gance’s managed to use every possible cinematographic advance and exploit it like no film did before. Plus, it manages to be patriotic from start to finish. This is surely one of the finest silent films ever.

Director Gance, whose life and career were forever influenced by this film, appears onscreen as Saint-Just.

Highly recommended: The 4 hours long 1981 re-issue, patiently pieced together by historian Kevin Brownlow (after many cuts and editions by other people) and featuring a gorgeous score by Carmine Coppola.

“From this moment on, I am the Revolution!”

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Review

Being John Malkovich

Director

Spike Jonze

Year

1999

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Tuesday, November 26, 2002

Since I saw Being John Malkovich when it was released I had never given it a second look, something I always wanted to. Last week I had the opportunity to do so and the movie blew me away, even more so than the first time I saw it. Let’s get into it…

Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is an unemployed puppeteer married to animal lover Lotte (Cameron Diaz). When Craig answers a newspaper ad while seeking for a job their entire world changes. Craig meets Maxine (Catherine Keener), a weird co-worker with whom he becomes obsessed. Both suddenly end up in business together as he discovers a portal that can take anyone inside John Malkovich’s head.

Writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze took the world by storm when this movie was first seen. It was a match made in heaven. Jonze was perfectly capable of bringing Kaufman’s quirky script to the big screen. The result of their collaboration turned out to be one of the most original and unpredictable movies ever made.

I personally love strange movies. Being John Malkovich is a dream come true for anyone who seeks this kind of entertainment. The way the story unfolds becomes so surreal that it simply blows your mind away. I especially loved the way a bizarre love triangle starts to surface. But my definite favorite scene of the movie happens when Malkovich himself enters his own mind. That scene is destined to become an all-time classic. Simply hilarious!

John Cusack has always been a good and versatile actor so the fact that he is great in the movie comes as no surprise. The real revelations are Cameron Diaz and Catherine Keener, who come off as these wonderful characters full of mannerisms and presence. I especially enjoyed Keener’s deliciously evil character. And what to say about John Malkovich playing himself? Brilliant!

An off-the-wall riot through unexpected paths.

“Don’t stand in the way of my actualization as a man.”

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Review

Sleuth

Director

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Year

1972

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Monday, November 25, 2002

Wealthy mystery writer Andrew Wyke (Laurence Olivier) invites younger Milo Tindle (Michael Caine) to his manor, in the knowledge that he is his wife’s lover. They meet and talk, and Andrew proposes the strangest thing to Milo. What seems to be a harmless plan to benefit both turns out to be a Machiavellian game against Milo… What games-lover Andrew doesn’t expect, is that this particular game might eventually turn against him…

Twists and turns abound, until you get to realize that the real game is being played on the audience! Are you up to it?

Infinitely entertaining comedy-mystery-thriller, a tour de force for two very talented actors, based on the hit play by Anthony Shaffer (and adapted by himself), which works marvelously as a film: the script is superb, and the direction by Mankiewicz keeps everything as entertaining as can be, despite the very few members of the cast. Ken Adam’s production design helps a lot, with Andrew’s puppets eerily becoming part of the atmosphere as the pressure increases. John Addison’s score is another big asset.

But the most important thing here is the performance of the two stars: Olivier in one of his most memorable roles of modern times, and Caine in one of his finest performances overall. Both are incredible and truly effective in all the variations their roles demand. Caine surprised me especially, to be honest, but both are top-notch. The responsibility on these actors is huge, for one false move could spoil the whole procedure.

Mankiewicz’ last film… and a perfect one!

“So I understand you wish to marry my wife.”

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Review

El Norte

Director

Gregory Nava

Year

1983

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Thursday, November 21, 2002

A brother and sister from Guatemala (David Villalpando and Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez, respectively) decide to run away from their village as a result of their father’s (Ernesto Gómez Cruz) revolutionary actions. The way to go: The North (El Norte), a place where everybody lives happily and abundantly, without much worries, and always having the opportunity to prosper… or is it?

Outstanding film on immigrants, their tortuous way to the U.S. and their struggle to settle down in a strange land, this is undoubtedly Gregory Nava’s masterpiece, and a must-see film. Scene by scene, the absorbing tale of these siblings grabs the audience like few films achieve, turning their compelling story into an unforgettable saga. The audience can’t help but feel attached to these characters, and the fact that hundreds of people go through the same thing every year, is appalling.

Comedy, action, tragedy and pure drama blend beautifully in this incredible film; certainly not to be missed!

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Review

The Color of Money

Director

Martin Scorsese

Year

1986

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Wednesday, November 20, 2002

The Color of Money is the movie that finally gave Paul Newman his long-coveted Oscar. It also happened to be for a character he had already played in The Hustler (1961). Those two reasons alone instantly made it a must!

Pool hustler Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) finds a promising young pool player called Vincent (Tom Cruise) at a local bar and instantly identifies with him. Thus he decides to take him and his girlfriend Carmen (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) in a road trip so Vince can practice and learn for a big tournament to take place soon.

The Color of Money is a good enough movie, which isn’t precisely what we’re used to get from director Martin Scorsese, but it works and entertains. It is a movie about pool, about being a pool player and about learning about life, in this case using pool as a metaphor sometimes. The movie is also about fun, ambition, dreams. Most of all, it is a movie about a know-it-all guy who happens to see promise in a guy who thinks he knows it all, and about the frisky yet interesting relationship between them.

The movie starts off really well, building momentum and establishing the main characters with great ease. It isn’t until the final quarter of the movie that things slow down a bit and are marred by a big climax that never comes.

The thing is, the movie survives because it has three interesting characters to support it. Whether it’s Paul Newman’s Eddie, a man who is not willing to risk without receiving and a man with enough guts and dignity to stand out even when he faces being overshadowed. Tom Cruise’s Vincent is the opposite of what Eddie is now, a hyperactive, inexperienced, impulsive guy who always messes things up. And Mastrantonio’s Carmen is a delight of a character, an ambitious, money-crazed sexy gal willing to do anything to get what she wants.

The three of them deliver extraordinary performances in what ultimately is an enjoyable movie.

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Review

The Hustler

Director

Robert Rossen

Year

1961

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Tuesday, November 19, 2002

‘Fast’ Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) is a hotheaded pool player who becomes one of the best “out there” and quite soon goes to challenge legendary Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). What Eddie doesn’t know, and soon will learn, is that pool hustling is not only about being good at the game; in fact, true success means something quite more complicated.

Fascinating study of game and hustling, with Newman marvelous in what’s probably his best role to date, as a “born loser” who fights to build his character. Piper Laurie is incredible as his “lush” girlfriend. George C. Scott is good too as the man who tries to help Eddie, and sure manages to, at least in one aspect.

The process is quite tortuous, but truly absorbing, and the finale unforgettably poignant. Plus: the pool scenes bring quite a load of action, with Newman and Gleason actually performing most of the shots. Talk about characterization!

Based upon the novel by Walter Tevis. Followed decades later by The Color of Money.

“Yeah, I sure got character now... Picked it up in a hotel room in Louisville.”

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Review

Talk to Her

Director

Pedro Almodóvar

Year

2002

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Monday, November 18, 2002

After the wonderful All About My Mother (1999), Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar took a while to make this follow-up movie, Hable con Ella. Expectations rose to huge proportions while he opted to make perhaps his most intimate movie yet. Talk about contradiction.

Benigno (Javier Cámara) is a male nurse that takes care of Alicia (Leonor Watling), a comatose woman who used to be a dancer and with whom he was in love. Marco (Darío Grandinetti) is a writer who falls under the spell of Lydia (Rosario Flores), a woman who has an accident that also leaves her in comatose state. Soon both men start to form a friendship while they keep hoping their loved ones will awake some day.

Pedro Almodóvar is one of the most gifted directors out there, no question about that. One can’t help but cherish a work as mature as this one. You can sense how Almodóvar has changed through the years. Not only is Hable con Ella an impeccably-directed movie, it’s also a production that doesn’t seem to come from this director at all. I was surprised at the level of restraint and intimacy the movie exuded. There’s one sequence (involving a silent movie) that brings back the playful side of Almodóvar, but even that brings a tragic outcome.

Hable con Ella is a movie about relationships. Benigno, a character with whom we easily sympathize, falls in love with a woman he has barely spoken to. The relationship he forms with her is something beautiful yet strange, as we start to witness how it starts becoming more of a necessity than a real feeling. Every character in the movie is lonely, and therein lies the mystery of it all. These are lonely characters that feel trapped and only want something better but just can’t get it. It’s heart-breaking to see Marco cry every time his emotions win him over.

The actors all do a great job and bring their characters to life with reckless intensity. Javier Cámara is simply outstanding as this deeply conflicted character that is more than meets the eye, yet we hate to judge him because we’ve come to like him more than we probably should. Darío Grandinetti, Leonor Watling and Geraldine Chaplin in a small role are also extraordinary, but the real standout is Rosario Flores, who has such a presence that sometimes the screen is too small for her. Watch her walking along that pool at the Caetano Veloso recital, so much class, so much pose, so much beauty. She’s an exceptional actress doing a flawless job.

Almodóvar stages his movie around the world of dance and music. It’s a nice touch that adds an extra something to the already touching story.

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Review

Breaking the Waves

Director

Lars von Trier

Year

1996

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Thursday, November 14, 2002

Bess McNeill (Emily Watson) is a God-fearing Scottish woman who’s also weak in her head as a result of sickness, which makes her particularly fragile. She’s also good as can be, and when she finds true love in Jan Nyman (Stellan Skarsgård) and marries him, she feels like the happiest woman on Earth. However, when he goes away and something awful happens, she feels guilty for it. Due to a misunderstanding, she begins to destroy her own life through various lovers in the belief that she’ll be able to help her ill husband.

Outstanding examination of love and faith through the feelings and thoughts of a suffering woman, perfectly portrayed by Watson in her film debut—and an unforgettable one too. The whole cast (including Katrin Cartlidge as Bess’ sister) shines, but Watson takes anyone’s breath away throughout, particularly during her “conversations with God”.

The technique used by director von Trier and cinematographer Robby Müller turns fiction into the nearest thing to reality, giving the audience the feeling of watching a documentary on everyday life. Over length is a problem, and the film is quite difficult to watch, but the impact is stronger because of it, so in the end it works.

This is a beautifully tragic film.

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Review

Red Dragon

Director

Brett Ratner

Year

2002

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Wednesday, November 13, 2002

Finally, the last installment in the Anthony-Hopkins-as-Hannibal saga has arrived with a bang. With a killer cast, a director trying to prove he’s more then we think of him, and a great story to back it up, Red Dragon is here.

Detective William Graham (Edward Norton) is called back (by ex-colleague Harvey Keitel) to help in a case against a serial killer (Ralph Fiennes) going after happy families. He once captured Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) and now must face his past to seek help from him. A cat-and-mouse game ensues, as the killer is now after his probable next victim (Emily Watson).

For me, Red Dragon stands as the second best of the trilogy. Not to say I didn’t like Hannibal (2001), because I did, very much. But Red Dragon feels much more like The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Not only is the plot similar in many ways, but the overall creepy factor is present in the same manner.

It’s always great to see a movie with Hannibal though. Hopkins is back here in full form. His Hannibal is simply a work of art. His scenes are easily the best of the movie, especially when he’s confronted with Edward Norton. What sharp, witty dialogue, I love it!

Also having a great deal of amazing scenes are Ralph Fiennes and Emily Watson, whose relationship is actually beautiful and touching, although sick in more ways than one. These two create genuine chemistry and even though Ralph’s character goes a little over-the-top towards the end I liked what I saw.

Overall the movie is solid. It’s kind of by-the-numbers, but builds suspense and simply works. Ratner did a good job.

The movie is very well acted. The standouts are, as I mentioned before, Hopkins, Fiennes and Watson. But overall the ensemble fits well together.

Remake of Manhunter (1986)

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Review

Schindler's List

Director

Steven Spielberg

Year

1993

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Tuesday, November 12, 2002

Czech born Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) is one of many ambitious businessmen that discover the undeniable fact that war is a grand source of fortune for those who know how to take advantage of it. During World War II, he settles a factory in occupied Poland and hires Jewish labor only, which is the cheapest way to keep the company going. As the horrors of war become clearer and clearer, Schindler realizes he’s responsible for the safety of many Jews, and counseled by his Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley) he takes it into his hands to keep them safe. His close relationship with the terrible Nazi Commandant Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes) helps him achieve his goals. Eventually, Schindler makes history, not to his own profit.

Affecting, one-of-a-kind modern classic by Spielberg, one of his finest films and certainly one of his most heartfelt and personal, with mastery in every respect, from an accurate direction to an exquisite cinematography (in impressive black and white, by Janusz Kaminski). The screenplay by Steven Zaillian is true to fact and inspires as much realism as can be in a story like this, by not hiding anything and in fact, bearing as much monstrosity as happened in real life. The characters are so real that they can nearly be touched, especially the three leads.

The actors do justice to the roles: Neeson, Kingsley and Fiennes do the work of a lifetime.

Long, but very entertaining, if hard to watch, with lightning pace, amazing locations in Poland, and every technical aspect beautifully realized and delivered. This is cinematic wizardry to be sure, with Spielberg using every possible tool to move the audience. Who can forget the girl in the red coat, for instance? An unforgettable score by John Williams adds to the intensity, especially through Itzhak Perlman’s violin solos.

A masterpiece from head to toe.

Itzhak Stern: “I'm required to tell you by law: I'm a Jew.”
Oskar Schindler: “Well, I'm a German. So there we are.”

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Review

The Crime of Father Amaro

Director

Carlos Carrera

Year

2002

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Monday, November 11, 2002

Mexican actor Gael García Bernal had been in a hot streak with Amores Perros (2000) and Y Tu Mamá También (2001). Some people think he’s still in it, but for me this movie ended the charm. Of course he’s too good an actor and too great a presence to actually disappoint, but the movie in which he’s stuck is plain bad.

Father Amaro (Gael García) is sent to a small town after he becomes a priest. When he arrives there he finds out that the place is not what he thought it would be. The local principal priest, Father Benito (Sancho García), is having an affair with a woman (Angelica Aragón) who has a beautiful daughter (Ana Claudia Talacón) with whom Father Amaro forms a relationship of his own. The latter must now take full responsibility of the consequences of his acts, as he and the people that surround him are definitely not what they seem.

El Crimen Del Padre Amaro had a lot of potential to become something greater. No matter if you think the plot is insulting or not, the fact is everyone has a right to tell the story they want. We, as spectators, are there only to give our opinion. But it is in the way stories are told that great movies are born. This is far from a great movie. I actually consider it a waste of time.

So why didn’t I like it? First of all, it’s overlong and becomes quite boring after a while. Then there are all the characters. There’s the adulterous priest, the rich bishop, the gay one, the rebellious one, all one-dimensional characters that add no depth to the overall story. Even Father Amaro is a bad-written character. We never really get a sense of his motivations or of what he thinks. He just stands there.

The movie is also exploitative to say the least. I don’t mind about satires and about poking fun at anything as long as it’s done in good taste and with wit and intelligence. This movie has none of that. Consider a scene in which Father Amaro beds his beautiful girlfriend and puts a veil around her which resembles that of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The scene is so ridiculous and over-the-top that you can’t possibly enjoy it on any level. It’s gratuitous and has no class. The movie is filled with moments like this, of which only very few actually work.

The cast is amazing, that’s a fact. The standouts are definitely Damián Alcazar and Luisa Huertas, but apart from there everyone is just ok.

A mediocre movie.

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Review

The Bourne Identity

Director

Doug Liman

Year

2002

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Thursday, November 07, 2002

As a big fan of Go I was eagerly anticipating director Doug Liman’s next outing. When I heard it would star Matt Damon and Franka Potente it started to become a perfect circle. Now I’ve seen it, and it was a blast.

Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) wakes up one day wounded and surrounded by strangers in a ship. He doesn’t know how he got there, nor does he remember anything about his past or his identity. Little by little he starts discovering that he has many skills no normal person has. It doesn’t take long for a group of special agents commanded by Conklin (Chris Cooper) to start chasing him. He must now try to survive with the help of Marie (Franka Potente), a girl he suddenly meets, in order to find out more about who he is… or was.

The Bourne Identity is based on one novel from a series by Robert Ludlum which was adapted to the big screen with a series of changes to make it more cinematically exciting. Whatever writer Tony Gilroy did, it worked. The movie is an exciting piece that never ceases to entertain.

The movie works for several reasons. First, because even though we slowly start to learn our hero isn’t what he appears to be, we still have empathy for him. It’s an ambiguous position of which we never think about. Then there’s the way the movie is written, in which we’re almost always ahead of Jason. We know a little bit more about him than he does. Sometimes it’s great to have characters discovering things at the same time as the audience does, but here the approach works the way it is. Besides, those moments when Jason starts to figure out his special skills are priceless.

The fast pace adds a lot to the overall excitement. There’s a fantastic car chase and a lot of action to keep the movie running. There are also quiet moments and there are many funny bits, especially involving Damon and Potente interacting. This pair really clicks and whenever they’re on-screen together (which is most of the time) the movie becomes a pleasure.

Matt Damon is excellent as always, in a different role from what he’s done in the past, but that suits him to the bone. Franka Potente is extraordinary as this crazy woman who helps Jason and has to stand everything he’s involved with. Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles and many others add a bit of their own in small roles.

A solid, well-done picture that serves its purpose.

“He went out the window… why would anyone do that?”

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Review

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Director

Terence Fisher

Year

1959

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Wednesday, November 06, 2002

After the mysterious death of a British nobleman, one of his personal friends comes to London to consult Mr. Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cushing) for advice on how to prevent the heir (Christopher Lee) of the danger he might be exposed to, as the result of a curse his family has upon, which supposedly has a hound from Hell hunting each and every one of them who lives at Baskerville Hall. The case would not seem attractive to the Victorian detective, wasn’t it so complex and filled with indications of murder and the plotting of a new one.

A horror thriller in the best tradition of Hammer Films, with two of the most famous horror stars ever, well cast in the roles of Holmes and Sir Henry Baskerville. André Morell plays Doctor Watson. Cushing’s Holmes is a little bit too arrogant, but the story (slightly changed from the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) serves its purpose perfectly well and grips the audience from start to finish. Rejected at start by the audience as a Hammer film that did not belong merely to the horror genre, it is now considered a unique piece for the way it was delivered as if it did.

Atmospheric, witty, thrilling… a good addition to the list of Sherlock Holmes' adventures on film.

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Review

The Asphalt Jungle

Director

John Huston

Year

1950

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Tuesday, November 05, 2002

This movie had been sitting on my shelf for ages now. I had always been intrigued by it but had never seen it. Now I finally sat down to do so and found out what a wonderful movie it is.

Doc Riedenschneider (Sam Jaffe) has just got out of prison, but he’s already planned his next move. He quickly assembles a team to pull off a bi heist. There’s Dix (Sterling Hayden) a man who longs for his past. There’s lawyer Alonzo D. Emmerich (Louis Calhern), who has got some plans of his own. And there’s Gus (James Whitmore) who holds the team together in his own peculiar way.

This movie is, essentially, the caper-flick per excellence. A movie about a bunch of guys joining forces to pull this big heist and then divide the money. Of course, there are twists and double-crosses, everything to make what once was the perfect plan now the ruin of everyone’s lives. That is it, a great movie that builds its characters the way it should and that is fun at every turn.

The movie also boasts great sharp dialogue that is perfectly delivered by the actors playing these wonderful characters, all with a different moral arc but wanting to get the same thing out of this situation. Director John Huston creates the perfect atmosphere and sets the pace and camera angles as brilliantly as he was known for.

Now, as extraordinary as all the actors are in the movie (specially Sterling Hayden and Louis Clahern), there’s two of them that actually steal the movie from everyone else. The first is Sam Jaffe, wonderful in the role of the mastermind behind the heist, but with a weakness that may be his ultimate perdition. And then there’s Marilyn Monroe, who shines in the small role she has. Whenever she’s onscreen the movie lights up. She’s gorgeous and gives a memorable performance out of playing a memorable character.

It’s curious how the movie ends. Each character has its own final scene and it’s the kind of movie of which I will never forget those scenes. They are all poignant and unforgettable. They all end as they should. They end in the perfect note.

“He hasn’t got enough blood in him to keep a chicken alive.”

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Review

Laura

Director

Otto Preminger

Year

1944

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Monday, November 04, 2002

Straight-arrow Detective McPherson (Dana Andrews) investigates the murder of young Laura (gorgeous Gene Tierney). The investigation takes him through memories of people who met her, which help him build an image of her. That and a painting of Laura hanging on her wall spell McPherson until a mixture of love and obsession haunts him. Everybody seemed to fall in love with Laura, but is this dead woman taking over the life of a man who never met her?

Fascinating Film-Noir with touches of romance and mystery, Laura is an atmospheric take on a murder investigation of an unusual type. The film is unique for having the victim killed before it starts, with the star seen mainly in flashbacks. The characters add to the fascinating mood, with Clifton Webb particularly grand in his talky film debut as Waldo Lydecker, a cynic columnist who had a relationship with Laura. Vincent Price does a good job in one of his finest roles before he turned to the horror genre, of a ladies man who’s actually quite vulnerable.

Another star of the film: David Raksin’s “Laura theme”.

Halfway through the film, things happen that make you wonder if they are really happening or only in dreams… In fact, I felt in a dream myself!

A triumph and a must-see.

“You'd better watch out, McPherson, or you'll finish up in a psychiatric ward. I doubt they've ever had a patient who fell in love with a corpse.”

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