Date viewed: 2/19/11
Venue: Home (Blu-Ray)
Alec Guinness in incredible here, in what has to be one of my favorite performances by an actor, ever. The rest of THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI is appropriately “epic,” but I was surprised how quickly I was bored with the “commando” stuff compared to Guinness’ character’s behavior in the prison.
Rating: 8.5
Date viewed: 2/17/11
Venue: Home (DVD)
Jules Dassin is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. The guy was way ahead of his time, and his movies have a sense of realism that is missing from even the (generally accepted) greatest movies of the period.
The fact he was blacklisted during the making of NIGHT AND THE CITY is a fucking travesty.
Rating: 9.0
Date viewed: 1/3/11
Venue: Home (NWI)
I still have approximately a million Hitchcock movies to see, but thus far, DIAL M FOR MURDER is possibly my favorite. I didn’t know it was adapted from a stage play prior to seeing it, but considering 95% of the movie takes place in one room, it wasn’t hard to guess. Regardless of the stagnant scenery, the dialogue is brilliant and had me completely enrapt.
Rating: 8.5
Date: 1/2/11
Venue: Home (DVD)
The granddaddy of the modern heist movie (I think) is dirty and mean and fun. It’s interesting to know that director Jules Dassin was actually an American exiled to France as a result of being blacklisted — RIFIFI clearly has more of an American mindset than French (compare with say…anything by Melville).
Rating: 9/10
