blanche-2 Reviews

Calling Paul Temple (1948)

British postwar mystery

[6/10 · 11 January 2024]

I'm giving this a 6 because I like British mysteries. I was not familiar with the actors, except perhaps Dinah Sheridan. I was interested to read that the lead actors all lived into their nineties. Wow.

This film apparently is part of a series of B movies based on a radio show. Paul Temple is a dlfictiin writer of detective stories who is attempting to learn the identity of "Rex," a person who has killed several women.

In this film nearly everyone is a suspect. The most interesting thing about the film is the trip to Canterbury, which was fascinating. I'm not sure the cast was really there, but the footage was great.

In the end, not knowing any of the actors, I had a tough time telling the men apart. Therefore after sitting through this I don't know who Rex was. Good luck.

Numb (I) (2015)

Not uplifting

[2/10 · 31 December 2023]

I only watched Numb because of my deep love for Jamie Bamber. He has been in some good productions, such as Law & Order UK

This wasn't one of them.

Numb is like a fourth rate Treasure of the Sierra Madre but with snow. And no expense was spared to show how freezing it was.

A down and out couple pick up two hitchhikers and a nearly frozen man who dies. He has the GPS coordinates for stolen gold on his person. The four decide to find it.

The only problem is they're idiots. They are not dressed for the weather, nor do they have the proper tools and supplies for such an endeavor. And does anyone think gee, if we find $4 million in gold, how do we carry it?

The acting is just fine but this movie is such a downer, though for me it's a fitting way to end the year. Tomorrow I'll watch A Night at the Opera and cheer myself up.

Port of New York (1949)

pretty good

[6/10 · 22 December 2023]

Like so many late '40s police/FBI type films, Port of New York was filmed as a semi-documentary, narrated by none other than Chet Huntley.

Detectives attempt to close in on a huge drug shipment that has come into New York, and find the head man. Lots of location shots.

I had to chuckle a bit in the beginning as the film demonstrated how people smuggled drugs through customs. One way was a small hole hidden underneath a shoe heel. If it was a huge shipment of shoes, okay. But one shoe? A chihuahua couldn't get high on that amount.

It's fairly obvious in the beginning that the girlfriend of the big boss (Yul Brynner in his debut) is not long for this world after she threatens to turn him in.

Brynner is cold, smooth, and dangerous- and so young you can't believe it.

People who saw Scott Brady on TV in the '80s couldn't believe he was ever a hunk with a fan club, but he was - well built and handsome. Here he is one of the detectives on the case.

Routine but not uninteresting.

The Good Nurse (2022)

true story

[8/10 · 22 December 2023]

Two terrific actors, Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne star in The Good Nurse from 2022.

This is the true story of a serial killer Charles Cullen (Redmayne) who was allowed to keep working in hospitals, continuing to put insulin and digoxin in IV bags to kill patients.

Hospitals would become suspicious and fire him, basically doing nothing so as to avoid liability. For sixteen years.

A nurse in his latest hospital (Chastain) who has befriended Charles secretly helps the police get evidence against him.

Chastain gives a subtle, underplayed performance as an ill but courageous woman who has to keep going until her health insurance kicks in and she can have surgery.

Redmayne is excellent as a nice guy who wants to help Chastain with her patients and family, who in reality is a murderer.

Good, absorbing film, not big on action and fireworks but will keep you interested.

A tragic story of money being more important than human life - in hospitals. Par for the course, I guess.

Passport to China (1960)

Blah

[5/10 · 22 December 2023]

What a big fat nothing of a movie.

Richard Basehart plays a travel agent living in Hong Kong. A friend of his has piloted a plane with a courier in it, and the government wants his help in finding the courier; Basehart wants to clear the pilot's name, as the man is like a brother to him.

I really like Richard Basehart but even filmed in color this film had nothing to it except some beautiful location shots. I will say Basehart's relationship with the man's family was lovely.

Eric Pohlmann plays a bad guy, and Athene Seyler does a good job as the matriarch of the pilot's family.

It sort of reminded me of a bad Elvis movie - a travelogue, this time in another country.

One interesting thing - the last part concerns a real event, Massacre of the Sparrows (sounds gross, and it is), which was stopped the year this film was released.

The Shadow on the Window (1957)

Lots of recognizable faces

[6/10 · 22 December 2023]

What a cast - Drew Barrymore's father, Edith Bunker's neighbor, the Beave, and Asa Buchanan on One Life to Live: John Drew Barrymore, Betty Garrett, Jerry Mathers, and Phil Carey.

Garrett plays a stenographer who is working for an elderly man at his house when intruders kill him and take the stenographer hostage.

Her little boy playing outside sees the violence, goes into shock, and runs away. When finally reunited with his police detective dad, he's catatonic and can't tell them anything.

My mom loved Phil Carey, a handsome, well built actor who later had success in TV. Betty Garrett, a Broadway actress and singer, has an emotional role and does it well.

John Drew Barrymore was handsome and menacing, but I gather his role as a ruthless killer wasn't much of a stretch.

Jerry Mathers I think had two lines.

I actually kind of liked this film's tension, and the fact that you really cared about Garrett. This home invasion type film is routine but involving.

Enola Holmes 2 (2022)

Enola is back

[8/10 · 22 December 2023]

Enola Holmes is now a private detective and is hired by a young girl who works in a match factory to find her sister.

Enola was about to close her agency when this woman shows up. Since this is her first and only job, Enola takes it.

It turns out to be daunting, as Enola investigates in music halls, factories, even integrating upper class society and, finally, asking Sherlock for help.

As the sparks of a deadly conspiracy ignite, Enola must call upon the help of friends - and Sherlock himself - to unravel her mystery. The game, it seems, has found its feet again.

The search leads to a case Sherlock is involved in, a reconnection with Lord Tewksberry, and some help from mom.

Very enjoyable, and the chemistry between Enola and Sherlock is great.

Wonderful production values and atmosphere, a lovely cast, exciting scenes - can't ask for much more than that.

But this case proves to be far more puzzling than expected, as Enola is thrown into a dangerous new world - from London's sinister factories and colorful music halls, to the highest echelons of society and 221B Baker Street itself. Finally, Enola relies upon guidance from her mother, and she actually meets up with Lord Tewksbury again.

Very enjoyable, and the chemistry between Enola and Sherlock is great.

Wonderful production values and atmosphere, a lovely cast, exciting scenes - can't ask for much more than that.

Inside Man (II) (2022)

comedy? drama? satire? I don't know

[4/10 · 22 December 2023]

Certainly interesting as well as convoluted, Inside Man stars David Tennant as a vicar with a big problem.

His son's math coach inadvertently opens a jump drive with child pornography on it and comes to a wrong conclusion.

Another plot concerns a reporter looking for a missing woman. She seeks out the help of a Doctor of Criminology now on Death Row, who is often consulted on cases.

These stories converge.

I had a major problem due to the way this was directed, not to mention the absurd way the vicar tried to solve his dilemma.

The child porn was given to the vicar by a disturbed parishoner. The math coach thinks it's his or his son's. The vicar knows once she leaves she is going to the police. He detains her, hoping to get a recorded confession from the parishioner.

In the awful direction department, we have Tennant acting guilty as sin and changing his story more than once.

How about - "this was given to me by one of my parishoners to handle, and I am dealing with it. As their vicar, that is all I can say."

Oh heck no.

I won't go into what he does.

He could have dumped that hard drive. The police show up, he says 1) I don't know what she's talking about; 2) I am aware of it but am bound as a vicar to let my parishoner come forward. The police would have done forensics on all the computers in the house. And guess what they would have found - zippo.

Consequently I couldn't buy into any of it. The moral of the story? We can all be bad people if the circumstances call for it. I prefer, We can all be stupid people if the circumstances call for it.

The Unusual Suspects (2021)

Fun from Down Under

[7/10 · 22 December 2023]

Funny Australian comedy about women attempting to steal a $16 million necklace.

Miranda Otto is a scream as Sara, a major Internet influencer who has gone through all her family money. She is desperate to sell to an American company; however, her ex-boyfriend, a horrendous artist, is about to ruin that.

Sara's maid is Evie (Aina Dumlao), who left her daughter behind in the Phillipines in the hope of making enough money to return home, get away from her husband, and move to a new home with her daughter.

Sara can no longer pay her.

Evie's friend Amy works for the well-known Roxanne Waters (Michele Vergara Moore) and has had her pension stolen due to Roxanne's husband's ponzi scheme. Both Amy and Roxanne want out.

Roxanne receives the necklace from her husband which actually belongs to his mother from hell. The women decide to steal it, setting up an elaborate plan that involves a carnival, a rock band, a drill, and a mannequin.

Very enjoyable. The cast is terrific.

Mare of Easttown (2021)

Wonderful acting by Kate Winslet

[9/10 · 22 December 2023]

Kate Winslet is Mare of Easttown, a police detective with personal and professional problems.

Nothing new there, but Winslet's multilayered performance, as well as Jean Smart as her mother and Guy Pearce as a potential suitor really raise this up several levels.

Mare comes off as tough, angry, and abrupt, but we soon see why. In uniform, with her hair pulled back and unmade-up, she can be intimidating. Out for the evening, she is very beautiful.

That's all on the outside. She's a grieving woman in denial and so terrified of her grandson's mother getting custody that she is driven to desperate measures.

She is also facing criticism for not solving a young woman's disappearance a year earlier - this comes to the fore again with another disappearance and a murder.

Atmospheric, absorbing, with a few surprises, Mare of Easttown is a little too long, but poignant and satisfying.

Emily the Criminal (2022)

A different Emily from the one in Paris

[7/10 · 22 December 2023]

Etflix has a rougher, tougher Emily than Emily in Paris. As portrayed by Aubrey Plaza, this Emily is down in her luck woman with heavy debts, unable to find a job because she's a felon.

Emily becomes involved with an Armenian gang dealing in credit card fraud. When two people attempt to rip her off, she shows what she's made of.

Turns out she's made of a little bit more than her boyfriend (Theo Rossi) whose hopes of owning an apartment building are dashed when the rest of the gang steals everything he has.

Emily insists that they go after it.

I don't know if this film was cheaply done, but the feel of it was somewhat improvisational. Aubrey Plaza is very good - in fact, the whole cast is strong.

Most interesting was seeing Emily with more successful- and honest - friends. She clearly didn't belong.

Netflix doesn't always have decent product, but this was pretty good.

Rope of Sand (1949)

Some people from Casablanca populate this film

[6/10 · 22 December 2023]

This is an action film that was probably meant to bring in audiences because of a few cast members from "Casablanca."

The story concerns a hunting guide, Mike Davis (Burt Lancaster) whose client trespassed on land owned by a diamond company and found diamonds - lots of them. For this, Mike is nearly killed by the company manager, Paul Vogel (Paul Henried), who wants the location of the diamonds, but doesn't get it.

Mike has now returned to South Africa, and the head of the diamond cartel, Martingale (Claude Rains) decides on a better way to find out where the diamonds are - by using a beautiful woman (Corinne Calvet) to attract Mike and get the information. Then, of course, he plans to dismiss Davis. But as Vogel learned, and Martingale is about to, Mike is a tough cookie, and Suzanne is his match as she practices her wiles on all three men - then falls in love with Davis.

This is an ordinary adventure-type film, Calvet's debut. She tells a story in her autobiography about Tyrone Power chasing her around a party until Lana Turner stuck a hot pewter coffee pot in her arm and asked if anyone wanted coffee. Ouch.

Enjoyable for the cast.

Frieda (1947)

A young woman tries to assimilate

[7/10 · 22 December 2023]

Mai Zetterling, David Farrar, Flora Robson, and Glynis Johns star in Frieda from 1947.

Farrar is a pilot who brings his fiancé, a German woman, home to England, after she helps him escape.

The war is still going on, and she is not welcome. Farrah's sister (Robson) is running for office. When asked about the presence of Frieda, she says that just by virtue of Frieda being German, she bears the same sins as the Nazis.

Meanwhile, Robson encourages her brother's widow (Johns) to try to get Farrar away from Frieda.

Once the war ends, things become easier for Frieda, and she is accepted by the community.

One day her brother (Albert Levein) appears. He gives her a necklace with a swastika on it.

Good story of facing prejudice and coming to terms, for Frieda, of the horrible events that took place in her country.

Very good performances as some harsh realizations come to light for all involved.

Air (I) (2023)

Michael Jordan drives a hard bargain

[8/10 · 22 December 2023]

Ben Affleck has again proven himself a wonderful director.

What could have been a big yawn is a funny, absorbing, and well-paced film. It's the story of a loser basketball show manufacturer, Nike, and one man's determination to land Michael Jordan as a product endorser.

We know Jordan signed and came up with the Air Jordan shoe. What I liked about this film was that knowing what was going to happen did not make it less suspenseful - we see what Sonny Vacarro (Matt Damon) went through was impressive, not only at the company but with the Jordan family.

I loved the humor - I will watch Jason Bateman in anything. He's great here, as are Chris Tucker, Ben Affleck, and Dave Messina.

Highly recommended for the story and the performances.

The Change-Up (2011)

Worse than you could imagine

[2/10 · 22 December 2023]

Man was this bad.

You would think two of my favorite actors, Bateman and Reynolds, would have gotten me through this. But no.

This was a very unfortunate script about two men, one married and a father, the other a swinging actor. Gross humor, targeted to the lowest common denominator in existence.

This switching lives story has been told a thousand times. We didn't need this iteration. It's been done so much better in the past. There was no reason to make this film.

I will say that because they are such marvelous actors, Reynolds and Bateman were able to wring one or two realistic character emotions at the end

Disappointing.

The Misfits (2021)

Not very good

[7/10 · 22 December 2023]

Mindless entertainment starring Pierce Brosnan and Tim Roth.

Gold to be used to fund terrorism attacks is the target of the latest heist by a group of Robin Hoods called The Misfits.

This is a special job, so a real non Robin Hood type is needed. Enter Pierce Brosnan, the father of one of the team members who believes he's the man for the job.

It's clever especially if you just want to chill and watch something that won't tax any part of you.

It's set up to be an Oceans 11 type thing, with sequels, but with the reviews I saw I doubt there's another one coming soon.

I wouldn't pay money to see this.

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

Disappointing

[6/10 · 22 December 2023]

I have no idea why I keep watching these newer Agatha Christie Poirot films. What makes Kennth Branagh think he can play this part is beyond me.

What I really resent is all the backgrounds the Christie characters are given. Poirot had an old girlfriend and some secret sorrow; in another film he grows that ridiculous mustache to hide scars from the war. Miss Marple has an old beau in her past too.

Well, Kenneth Branagh is no David Suchet.

Poirot, in retirement, is dragged by his friend Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) to a supposedly haunted palazzo to see if he can figure out whether or not a medium is fake.

Good atmosphere and great palazzo along with the lovely Kelly Reilly and Camille Cottin.

The film moves slowly as people are murdered.

My final quibble. Ariadne Oliver was always a good friend of Poirot's. What is done to you that character and their relationship is an abomination.

1 like.

Maestro (2023)

Interesting perspective

[8/10 · 22 December 2023]

Maestro is a difficult film to critique because everyone wanted the emphasis to be somewhere else: either on Bernstein's music and conducting, or on his gay sex life.

In reality, Bradley Cooper chose to tell the story of his marriage to Felicia Montealegre which was sometimes turbulent.

Both Bradlet Cooper and Carrie Mulligan are perfection in their roles. Cooper looks uncannily like Bernstein and has the voice and mannerisms to match.

Mulligan is reminiscent of Tovah Feldshuh, whom I first saw in the '70s. Pretty and vivacious, she later matures into a woman disappointed in her marriage, and then develops a devastating illness.

What is not shown is that Bernstein leaves her for a man whom he claims understands his music. When Felicia becomes ill, he returns to care for her and never returns to his male lover, though they remain friends.

Bernstein's gay relationships are only alluded to, and why is Matt Bomer only playing gay men now? I love the guy, I admire his commitment, but to me this narrows his career.

I think the point Cooper wanted to make is that despite attraction to other men, he truly loved and needed his wife. She was not, as someone said, a beard with a uterus. That is shortchanging and making fun of the relationship.

Fluid sexuality is often seen among creative people. Bernstein was no exception. His story could have had more emphasis on music and gayness, but there's nothing wrong with a complicated love story.

Cannes Confidential (2023)

Not very good

[5/10 · 2 December 2023]

Alas, Cannes Confidential, besides its beautiful scenery, is a bust.

The women were cast too young and with ridiculous outfits.

The plot involving the father is confusing and doesn't seem necessary.

I only watched this show because of Jamie Bamber. This is so beneath him. First of all, for me to keep watching, he'd have to be in every scene and of course he isn't- he undoubtedly spends most of his time trying to line up another job or changing agents.

He's gorgeous, so with him and the scenery, it's not a total write-off.

I say cast some believable police detectives and feature Jamie in another series.

Widows (2018)

terrific

[10/10 · 23 October 2023]

Wonderful film with a great casted headed by Viola Davis.

Of course, you can't go wrong with Davis, Steve McQueen directing, and a story by Lydia La Plante, one of the best.

Widows (Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, and Elizabeth Debicki) take it upon themselves to not get mad, but get even for the deaths of their criminal husbands, deciding to steal millions. Not that they have much choice. There is money stolen from a political campaign of a Chicago back politician, a man supported by a gang. Viola Davis has to return that money or eventually be killed.

Davis' ex-husband, played by Liam Neeson, has left behind plans to locate $5 million - however, she doesn't know the address.

Though she herself has no experience as a criminal (unlike her husband), she as well as the other widows have to learn, and learn quickly, the art of the steal.

The cast also includes Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, and Daniel Kaluuya, all of whom are excellent, as well as Brian Tyree Henry, Cynthia Erivo, Lukas Haas, Carrie Coon, and Jackie Weaver.

Great special effects and story - Widows makes for exciting drama. You can really feel the tension throughout.

Sunrise (1927)

Incredible

[10/10 · 18 October 2023]

After hearing about this film for years, this was NOT what I expected. I had only heard the first, dark part of the story and expected to be depressed.

Instead, Sunrise is an incredibly made, intense film about the power of love. George O'Brien is a farmer cheating on his wife (Janet Gaynor) - and she knows it. It causes her great sorrow, on top of which they have a baby.

O' Brien is cheating with a woman from the big city. She encourages him to drown his wife and use bulrushes so he can keep afloat after he kills her.

O'Brien sets the whole thing up, and in a suspenseful scene, looking at any moment he's going throw his terrified wife overboard, he chickens out.

When they get back on shore, a fragile Gaynor runs from him as he begs her forgiveness, apologizes, and buys her flowers.

Eventually she stops crying and relents, and the two end up in the big city at an amusement park, a restaurant, photographer's, and finally, a church while a wedding is going on. Gaynor walking arm and arm out of the church with her husband, and carrying the flowers he gave her, is one of the most sublime moments in the film.

The couple attempt to return home but run into danger.

What a beautiful, uplifting film with amazing sets and special effects. The director, F. W. Murnau, employs process shots and superimpositions to spectacular effect. The amusement park set is an absolute knockout.

Title cards were used sparingly as was sound, which was in its infancy.

Sunrise will stay with you for a long time. Almost 100 years old, the imagination and effects used are staggering.

Here one can take in the beauty and poetry of body language to express emotion and really appreciate the value of silent films.

So much artistry has been lost today. It is valuable to see what went before.

Rogue Agent (2022)

James Norton - what a chameleon

[6/10 · 18 October 2023]

Interesting story about conman Robert Freegard, well played by James Norton.

Handsome and amiable, Freegard is able to convince people he is a secret agent for MI6, isolate them, take their money, and take off.

A slow-moving but disturbing psychological study, realizing this is a true story, Freegard's hold over these people is horrifying and thought-provoking. How the character of Rose lived in the street basically waiting to get into a new spy program - watching it was shattering.

All the performances were good if underplayed. At the time of the film, Freegard had been released from prison, his life sentence amended, and was still swindling people. He has since been caught again.

My biggest complaint is not with the film but the law - if indeed the definition of kidnapping includes persuasion using fraud to leave one's family, how was this overturned later?

Norton is perfect and evil, about as far from Grantchester here as you can get. Always with a fake smile.

Paranoia (I) (2013)

Out to Lunch

[6/10 · 18 October 2023]

In spite of a terrific cast that includes Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman, hello, Paranoia doesn't have much to offer.

Excruciating dialogue is only the tip of the iceberg of this film's dunderheadedness, but it's the sin that keeps on giving throughout the way too many 108 painful minutes it takes to get through it. When the words aren't just corny, clichéd and labored, they're so ludicrously expositional it's embarrassing. Essentially a film about a cell phone, director Robert Luketic tries to hide the incredibly low stakes by using the corniest of all cinematic tricks, and literally awful music, relentlessly, to negative effect. Helicopter shots of the Manhattan skyline have rarely been so banal.

Adam (Liam Hemsworth) is a techie trained in corporate espionage by Nicholas Wyatt (Gary Oldman). His mission: steal the rival's secrets for a new phone from rival Jock Goddard (Harrison Ford) - as one reviewer said of Ford, "Slumming for cash and a light shooting schedule").

The people in the film, despite having great jobs, are pretty stupid. Beautiful Amber Heard, for instance, who has a huge tech job, is surprised that Adam knows she went to Yale and asks how he found out. He says Facebook as if it's something new. She complains that she knows nothing about him. Hello - Google anyone? Are you kidding?

There's a pathetic performance by Richard Dreyfuss as Adam's father, whose accent changes from scene to scene. I think he was going for New York. Gary Oldman just picked up the phone and called in his performance.

Besides some rickety dialogue, this is a derivative story, kind of a twist on Faust, about a young man who agrees to industrial espionage in exchange for money and the high life.

The best thing is getting to stare at Liam Hemsworth. And stare I did.

Murder Mystery 2 (2023)

A follow-up to the successful Murder Mystery 1

[6/10 · 18 October 2023]

Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler are back - with more slapstick, comedy, and even crazier scenes.

They are again the Spitzes, this time officially detectives, who run into murder and mayhem wherever they turn.

Four years after Murder Mystery 1, Nick and Audrey are invited to When they're invited to celebrate the wedding of their friend The Maharajah (Adeel Akhtar) on his island. He is kidnapped, and everyone becomes a suspect.

The movie sports a good supporting cast - Mark Strong, The plot of the film is good enough and so are the characters, especially Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, who are always great together, along with the supporting cast: Miller (Mark Strong), Melanie Laurent, Jodie Turner-Smith, John Kani, Kuhoo Vermal, Dany Boon, Enrique Arce, Jillian Bell, and Tony Goldwyn.

The story takes us to Paris - the scenery is fantastic. The Spitzes and the predicaments they get into are hilarious.

This is light fun, enjoyable, with some laugh out loud moments.

The Burial (II) (2023)

Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones make a dynamic duo

[10/10 · 18 October 2023]

After sitting through some rotten movies on Netflix, it was a delight to see "The Burial" on Prime.

This is based on a true story of flamboyant attorney Willie E. Gary (Jamie Foxx) who despite being a personal injury attorney takes on a contract law case on behalf of Jeremiah O'Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones).

The first time we see Willie in court is worth the entire movie - a brilliantly funny monologue. This is an underdog story, of a smaller business taking on a Canadian monolith who is not fulfilling a contract. Jeremiah has never seen anyone quite like Willie - and let's face it, who has - an outrageous, funny, charming man who takes over a courtroom in a split second.

The case gets off to a rough start, in part thanks to an aggressive prosecutor (Jurnee Smolett) who in her own way is as intense as Willie.

Race and poverty figure into this case as it becomes apparent the corporation has been unethical in its dealings. Several times the name Johnnie Cochran comes up as someone to aspire to. I keep remembering him telling Chris Darden about Mark Fuhrman - "Chris, don't put that white boy on the stand." If Willie admires him, it's for good reason.

Jamie Foxx is nothing short of fantastic. And as the quiet, conservative older man, Tommy Lee Jones is terrific as a businessman determined to leave his family a legacy.

Highly recommended - engaging, absorbing, well-paced, beautifully acted and directed.