Noir City DC 2025: “Tension” (1949) starring Richard Basehart, Audrey Totter, Cyd Charisse, & Barry Sullivan

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Introduction

Hey y’all, thanks for visiting! Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy; I was sick w/ a bad cold/cough for 4+ wks (had NOT happened before)! I went to my doctor (2x), took prescribed meds, and even got chest x-rays (no issues found). I had a work deadline to meet, so ended up taking just 2 days for sick leave. I got the (latest) COVID booster and flu shot last weekend, then was able to have a couple more days off. Aging is NOT fun…

This is my 5th year attending Noir City DC film fest; it’s held at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, MD (my neighborhood). Sadly, Eddie Muller (TCM; Film Noir Fdn.) didn’t attend the opening wknd/intro the movies. I’m trying to save money (V tough to do in current economy), so chose 3 films (I’d never seen before).

All the best,

EMMA.

Review & Analysis

In Every Two-Timing Kiss You Will Feel… TENSION -Tagline

Freddie: They’re still at it. Tryin’ to find out who owns Germany, who owns the A-bombs, floods, cyclones, earthquakes, riots!

Foster Hirsch (film historian/author) did the intro for this (lesser-known) MGM noir; it was a box office failure. “MGM (which projected a wholesome Americana) was NOT the studio for noir,” Foster commented. “This story is about post-WWII disillusionment,” he added. The score was composed by Andre Previn (then just 21); portions were recycled as title theme for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). Director John Berry’s Hollywood career was cut short after He Ran All the Way (1951); he was was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). He went to work in England and France, returning to the US in the early ’70s.

A meek pharmacist creates an alternate identity under which he plans to murder the bullying liquor salesman who has become his wife’s lover. -Synopsis

Warren Quimby (Richard Basehart) has been suffering in silence (for several yrs) over his wife’s shameless flirting and cheating. His sympathetic employee, Freddie (Tom D’Andrea), thinks he needs to take some action. After WWII, the couple met in San Diego and married in a hurry; Claire bitterly recalls: “you looked kind of cute in your uniform then.” When Warren decides to confront Claire and her rich/brawny liquor salesman lover, Barney Deager (Lloyd Gough), he ends up getting a humiliating beating!

Warren: Gee, it’d be wonderful to live out here, darling. Fresh air. Room to entertain. It’s a great spot for kids.

Claire: You want to know something? I think it’s a miserable spot. It’s 30 mins. from nowhere.

Here we find one of the nastiest femme fatales of the genre, as Foster noted. In one revealing scene, Warren (hopeful) takes Claire to the suburban house he intends to buy: she doesn’t even get down from the car to look. When he starts to talk about having a quieter life, she (annoyed) takes the wheel, honks the horn to drown him out, and asks him whether he’s coming w/ her or staying. Then, Claire hits the gas pedal to throw fumes in Warren’s face as he (meekly) gives in to her rejection. Who knows IF this toxic pair were ever in love!? There is no respect in their relationship!

The cuckolded hubby starts thinking of revenge; there are murder tales in mags and the eye doctor points out (cutting edge) contact lenses “which can change your entire personality.” Warren creates the identity of Paul Sothern, a traveling cosmetics salesman; he rents an apt and makes friends w/ aspiring photographer/girl-next-door, Mary Chanler (Cyd Charisse). At last minute, Warren (AKA Paul) can’t go through w/ the murder; he tells Barney that he can have the tramp. The next morning, two cops arrive at the Quimby’s apt, explaining that Barney was found dead! Lt. Collier Bonnabel (Barry Sullivan) drives the plot in the 2nd half of the movie (available on HBO MAX).

[1] Tension is one of those diamonds in the rough you find when you least expect it.

[2] Unlike some noir thrillers that get too clever to make sense, Tension is well-plotted. The pacing keeps Basehart and Totter twisting until the end.

[3] Though there are a few ridiculous elements to the story, standout performances, good direction and fine camera work make this one a winner.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Movie Review: “Far From the Madding Crowd” (2015) starring Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen, & Tom Sturridge

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I re-watched this movie (Amazon Prime video) recently after listening to a (glowing) review on the Swoon Worthy pod. I recall NOT being V impressed w/ it when it was released in theaters; I saw it w/ my mom (when she lived nearby). I’m now more motivated to read the book; in my HS English classes, we read Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure– two of Hardy’s other famous novels. I’m NOT sure how close this adaptation stays to the source novel, BUT I do think it makes for a successful romantic drama. The director (Thomas Vinterberg- Danish) and lead actor (Matthias Schoenaerts- Belgian) are NOT British; perhaps this contributes to the freshness and modern vibes. I’m also a fan of Carey Mulligan; I think she capably handles a LOT of types of roles.

Some of y’all regular readers will know of this (iconic) story: Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) is a beautiful/independent/young woman who’s pursued by 3 different suitors: quiet/reliable sheep farmer- Gabriel Oak (Schoenaerts), charming/impulsive Army officer- Sgt. Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge), and a middle-aged/gentleman farmer- William Boldwood (Michael Sheen). As Mark Kermode noted, John Schlesinger (who directed the 1967 adaptation) was primarily interested in the relationship of Bathsheba (Julie Christie) and Sgt. Troy (Terence Stamp), the screenwriter here (David Nicholls) fleshes out the roles of all 3 men. Mulligan does a fine job in creating (different types of) chemistry w/ her co-stars. I noticed how hands-on Bathsheba got; she works alongside household servants, farmhands, etc. Her companion is a cheeky/observant young maid, Liddy (Jessica Barden); the actress has a prominent role in the series Dune: Prophecy (HBO MAX).

What is missing from the 1967 film (will review soon), is the (intro) segment w/ the growing friendship of Bathsheba and Gabriel during when she was working on her aunt’s farm. We get a sense that he admires her for her practical side, NOT only her beauty and friendly/open nature. At that time, Gabriel was of higher social status than Bathsheba (on the way to owning the farm he leased). There is a deleted scene (check YouTube) where Bathsheba saves Gabriel from (possible) death; that scene should’ve been kept in the final cut! After the (tragic) loss of his flock, Gabriel is forced to leave the farm and seek out work; by coincidence, he comes upon a barn on fire. He works (along w/ many farmhands) to save the barn; after the smoke clears, Bathsheba (the mistress of this farm) emerges!

Some viewers were confused as to how such a smart businesswoman could fall SO hard/fast for a man she barely knows. We have to remember that Bathsheba is only in her early 20s and inexperienced w/ men and love; Frank is NOT much older than her (and used to getting his way w/ women). They have a meet-cute, BUT it’s potentially problematic, as it occurs late at night while she is surveying her property. Frank appears in the fields soon after, saying that he’s there to help bring in the harvest. IF they’d lived in our (modern) times, this pair could’ve had a brief fling and gone their separate ways (astute viewers commented). In Victorian England, that was NOT an option!

I feel many elements combined to make this a captivating (though NOT an escapist) film; Hardy always contains dark themes after all. I was esp. impressed w/ the cinematography, music, and how Sheen brought (unexpected) empathy to the role of Mr. Boldwood. Book readers have commented that Mr. Boldwood is arrogant, entitled, and obsessive. I got (more) of an appreciation for Shoenaerts; he is tall/broad, w/ expressive eyes, and a strong screen presence (needed for a character who doesn’t say much). I think will have to look up more of his films; Mulligan picked him out for Gabriel after seeing him in Rust and Bone.

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“Lions for Lambs” (2007) starring Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, & Tom Cruise

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Injuries sustained by two Army rangers behind enemy lines in Afghanistan set off a sequence of events involving a senator, a journalist and a professor. -Synopsis

This out-of-the box film (directed by Robert Redford, who passed away recently at age 89) consists of 3 separate (yet interconnected) segments. The time is our (recent) past, Dubya is the prez, and there is (seemingly unending) war in the Middle East. Many viewers were most interested in the interview between the experienced political journo, Janine Roth (Meryl Streep), and a youthful Republican politician, Sen. Jasper Irving (Tom Cruise). They discuss foreign-policy in a war of choice, now running longer than WWII. The senator (a military adviser to the prez) is trying to convince Janine into “selling” a new plan of attack in Afghanistan. In a SoCal university, Prof. Stephen Malley (Redford), a Poly Sci prof has a meeting w/ a bright (yet recently slacking) student, Todd Hayes (Andrew Garfield).

Sen. Jasper Irving: [to Janine] In sense we’re both on the same team. We’re teammates. We’re both have a responsibility. You’ve already sold the war. Now I’m asking you to help me sell the solution.

The film is short and stays mostly to the point of a debate weighing the pros and cons of war, terrorism, and freedom. The photo on the senator’s office wall (Cruise dressed as a West Point cadet) is a still photo from Taps (1981). Alternating w/ the other segments are scenes in Afghanistan featuring two Army rangers, Arian Finch (Derek Luke) and his BFF, Ernest Rodriguez (Michael Peña). They’re POC and recent college grads who chose to enlist. What lives are most at risk in times of war? It’s the youth, esp. men of color and/or those living in poverty, as Prof. Malley explains to Todd (white, raised w/ privilege, and from an upper-middle class neighborhood). Check it out (on Amazon Prime video) if you’re looking for something different.

Prof. Stephen Malley: The decisions you make now, bud, can’t be changed but with years and years of hard work to redo it… And in those years you become something different. Everybody does as the time passes. You get married, you get into debt… But you’re never gonna be the same person you are right now. And promise and potential… It’s very fickle, and it just might not be there anymore.
Todd Hayes: Are you assuming I already made a decision? And also that I’ll live to regret it?
Prof. Stephen Malley: All I’m saying is that you’re an adult now… And the tough thing about adulthood is that it starts before you even know it starts, when you’re already a dozen decisions into it. But what you need to know, Todd, no lifeguard is watching anymore. You’re on your own. You’re your own man, and the decisions you make now are yours and yours alone from here until the end.

[1] It is not a perfect film in some regards, but it is not preaching but rather challenging all viewers, no matter what you think, to get involved, to take part, to question things, to think for one’s self. It is thought-provoking and challenging and for that it is well worth seeing for yourself.

[2] …the movie is not about a heroic battle or an indelible mistake by a over zealous, self absorbed government. It is about understanding a mindset. If any of you have ever read Francis Fukuyama… its about history repeating itself.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Spoiler-Free Review: “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life” (2025)

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A young woman in Paris, who dreams of becoming a successful writer and experiencing true love, may finally have her Jane Austen moment… -Tagline

Writer-director (Laura Piani) was inspired to write this story during her time working at Shakespeare and Company, a famed bookstore in Paris. Agathe (Camille Rutherford) is a 30-something/Parisian/single bookseller who shares banter w/ her pal/co-worker Felix (Pablo Pauly). As Austen may’ve said, she is at the risk of being an “old maid” and he is a scoundrel (prone to hookups/situation-ships). Agathe accuses Felix of “breadcrumbing,” yet you still can imagine attraction btwn the two friends. Felix (secretly) submits the first few chapters of Agathe’s novel; to her shock, she is selected to attend a writer’s retreat (The Jane Austen Residency)! When she gets to England, she meets Oliver (Charlie Anson), a Lit prof whose parents run the residency.

This is type of mid-budget/rom com that rarely gets made (in the US) today! FYI: This film is in BOTH French and English. It deals w/ real-world issues, yet has quiet humor. None of the characters are glam, young, or look like “typical” movie stars. I recommend it for those who’re NOT only Austen fans, BUT enjoy quiet movies and (slow burn/brainy) types of romances. A neighborhood gal pal and I had a good time!

[1] The acting works for the screenplay. While short, nothing is forced. Nothing is contrived, either. Everything that happens here doesn’t elicit any disbelief.

[2] This movie has the capacity to make you smile and laugh and feel contentment with its conclusion. I’d recommend a watch.

[3] It was nice to get a fresh take on an Austin-like writer, rather than as a retelling of one of her characters. As Agathe observes, Austen was the first writer to write women as humans, and idea which absolutely needs to be revisited in the current media world. This film successfully does that in making Agathe a messy and imperfect human in the best way.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Spoiler-Free Review: “Highest 2 Lowest” (2025) starring Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, & A$AP Rocky

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When a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the “best ears in the business”, is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. Brothers Denzel Washington and Spike Lee reunite for the 5th in their long working relationship for a reinterpretation of the great filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller “High and Low,” now played out on the mean streets of modern day New York City. -Synopsis (A24)

Y’all, what can I say!? It’s NOT a good day when you realize that even Lee (director) can be disappointing! We just expect a LOT more from talents like him. Though there are segments of the film that are well-done, it does NOT creative a cohesive whole. Aside from Washington and Jeffrey Wright, most of the other actors were lackluster (or distracting- in the case of Law & Order: SVU alum Dean Winters). Also, they didn’t have much to work w/ when it came to characterization or dialogue. There was a LOT of set-up (w/ random transition shots), the mood was stagnant (aside from the 3rd act), and the soundtrack was loud/unsuited to the story. The “Boomer tone” (as one critic commented) will NOT appeal to younger gens. I still need to see the (original) film directed by Kurosawa; it’s streaming on HBO MAX.

There is little tension, which left the (small) audience I saw it w/ last month looking bored or mildly annoyed. I don’t have Apple TV+, so went to see it on the big screen (which is my preference- I’m old school). Movie theaters are closing ALL over the US; Hollywood (most likely) can’t woo back its (pre-pandemic) audience. In a struggling economy, even hardcore cinephiles are going to theaters less… and less. On a positive note, I think A$AP Rocky has potential; maybe he will work to strengthen his acting. As Roger Ebert said, rappers (being performers already), can project confidence onscreen. If you haven’t done so before, go check out earlier Spike Lee joints. You will NOT be disappointed!

[1] It’s difficult to take this movie in, or take it seriously. Ironically about a music mogul, Spike uses a continuous, distracting, misaligned, wildly inappropriate, cheesy score by Lawrence Manchester.

[2] I’ll rate this movie a 5 out of 10 due to the simple fact that the script is horrible despite Denzel Washington and Jeffery Wright carrying the movie, everyone else seemed like rookie actors who made the movie feel like a made for BET or Lifetime movie. I also have no idea why this movie went over 2 hours…

[3] Visually, the movie has its moments – colorful, energetic shots and a strong New York vibe – but that doesn’t make up for the weak emotional core. The pacing was uneven, and instead of being drawn into the drama, I often felt detached, watching a performance rather than being immersed in the story.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews