Tag: Mystery

Noir City DC 2024

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Introduction

Hey y’all, how is this Winter going (so far)? It’s NOT fun for me; I’m recovering from a bad cough/cold (after Thanksgiving). I’m also way behind on blog posts. As DC area noir-istas know, my local (AFI) theater had a festival in OCT; Eddie Muller (TCM) came to introduce the movies during the opening wknd. This yr, the festival had double features (2 movies) which revolved around the same themes; 5 out of the 6 noirs I saw were new to me.

Thanks for reading!

-EMMA

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Union Station (1950) starring William Holden, Nancy Olsen, & Barry Fitzgerald

A secretary traveling from Connecticut to NYC, Joyce Willecombe (Nancy Olsen), grows suspicious of 2 men boarding her train. She is referred to Bill Calhoun (William Holden), head of the Union Station police; the no-nonsense Calhoun is initially skeptical, BUT the men (who escape) prove to be involved in a kidnapping case. Calhoun calls in his boss/mentor, Inspector Donnelly (Barry Fitzgerald), BUT the ruthless kidnappers stay one step ahead of them. Most of the action centers around busy/fast-paced Union Station.

Holden and Olson also co-starred in Sunset Boulevard in the same year- 1950. Joyce plays Calhoun’s conscience, concerned that the interests of the victim don’t get overlooked in the hunt for the criminals. This is a (lesser-known/low budget) film noir; Holden was on the cusp of stardom. This was Lyle Bettger’s 3rd film; he played a LOT of baddies in his career. The platinum-blonde/wide-eyed Jan Sterling has a small role as his (TOO loyal) gf. Fitzgerald (who always played Irish cops or priests) brings in the humor. You can find this noir on streaming services (or rent on YT).

Cairo Station (1958)

Qinawi (Youssef Chahine), a physically-challenged peddler who makes his living selling newspapers in the central Cairo train station, is obsessed w/ Hanuma (Hind Rustum), a curvy/pretty young woman who sells drinks. Hanuma treats Qinawi kindly and flirts w/ him re: a possible relationship. However, she’s already engaged to Abu Siri, a burly/macho porter struggling to unionize his fellow workers to combat their boss’ exploitative treatment. The movie has a large cast (portraying Egyptians of disparate classes) and does NOT fall easily into one genre. Some viewers commented that the climactic scenes reminded them of Hitchcock! Chahine (an Egyptian of Christian heritage) also wrote the story and served as director. If you’re familiar w/ the characterization, visual style, and themes often seen in Bollywood, you should check it out.

[1] The work sometimes recalls Jean Renoir’s “La Bete Humaine,” but with more attention to detail. […]

Let’s underline the importance of the wide screen, which makes the director look like an entomologist watching an ant hill with a magnifying glass…

[2] It’s not hard to see why “Cairo Station” was banned for 20 years in Egypt. It gained much recognition in Berlin, being nominated for the Golden Bear…

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

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Le Samourai (1967)

In Paris, Jef Costello (Alain Delon) is a solitary hit man who works under contract. He’s hired to kill the owner of a club, and soon becomes the prime suspect of that murder. His gf (Jane), one of her clients (Wiener), and the Black singer of the club (Valerie) are questioned by the police. Jef is chased by henchmen (sent by the same man who hired him) and by cops. He seeks out who has hired him to get revenge. There is NOT much of a plot, characters have little development, and there isn’t much dialogue. I heard of this film yrs. ago, BUT this was my 1st time seeing it. As Gen Z may say, this movie is “all about vibes.” Sorry IF you’re a fan of thing kind of stuff, BUT I didn’t connect w/ it.

This Gun for Hire (1942)

Hit man Philip Raven (Alan Ladd), is kind to kids and feeds stray cats. He kills a blackmailer and is paid off by Willard Gates (Laird Cregar) in “hot” (marked) money. Meanwhile, a young/blonde entertainer, Ellen Graham (Veronica Lake), gf of police Lt. Michael Crane (Robert Preston) is enlisted by a Senator to help investigate Gates. Raven, while seeking Gates, meets Ellen on a train. Their relationship gradually evolves from that of killer and (potential) victim to an uneasy alliance against a common enemy. This is a well-known/low budget noir which I’ve seen before (on the small screen); it’s a quick/well-paced watch.

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They Made Me a Fugitive (1947)

In this British noir (from Brazilian director Alberto Cavalcanti), a frustrated/cynical former RAF pilot, Clem Morgan (Trevor Howard), joins a criminal gang led by a nasty character nicknamed Narcy (Griffith Jones). On his 1st break-in job, the getaway car crashes and ends up killing a cop. Quickly, Clem is framed as the driver and sent to jail. Seeking revenge, he escapes prison and heads for London. Along the way, he breaks into a suburban home; a housewife named Mrs. Fenshaw (Veda Hope) helps him out, then asks him to murder her husband. Upon reaching London, Clem is sheltered by a blonde/petite dancer named Sally Connor (Sally Gray), who falls for him. He confronts Narcy and the gang in an abandoned warehouse.

[1] There is more attention to sound and camera-work than I’ve noticed in most British movies from the end of the war until about 1956 or so. Warner Brothers gets a huge credit at the start… So, it’s British, but it has American and continental style. […]

It’s scarier than the American gangster movies of the late forties.

[2] The general gloominess (a mainstay of thrillers emanating from the post-war era) is leavened somewhat by its constant flurry of hard-boiled dialogue courtesy of screenwriter Noel Langley. […]

Still, perhaps my favorite scene in the entire film is Howard’s surreal encounter with the zombie-like Vida Hope – in whose household he stumbles while on the run; she turns out to be deranged, and even tries to talk our hero into murdering her alcoholic husband (Maurice Denham)!

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Aimless Bullet (1961)

A couple of yrs. after the war in Seoul, a 30-something accountant’s salary is TOO small for him to even get his cavity fixed. He must somehow provide for his PTSD-affected mother, his pregnant wife, a younger brother (who can’t get work after serving in the army), a younger sister (who sneaks out at night to sell herself to American GIs), and 2 young children. This movie was banned in Korea b/c it was so realistically stark in it’s post- war depiction. You could tell that the locations were real; we see urban offices, outdoor cafes (for tea and drinking away sorrows), slums (located on the hilly areas near the city). The character development was V good, though the pacing felt a bit slow at times.

This film is depressing and it drives slowly towards its conclusion. On the other hand, compared to the often over-the-top melodrama present in other films I’ve seen from the era, Obaltan is a stark contrast. Owing more to Italian Neorealism than Hollywood, the film has many moments of mundaneness and potentially existentialist commentary. That Obaltan means “the aimless bullet” should give that away from the start.

-Excerpt from IMDb review

“Frantic” (1988) starring Harrison Ford, Betty Buckley, & Emmanuelle Seignier

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In a hotel room in Paris, a doctor comes out of the shower and finds that his wife has disappeared. He soon finds himself caught up in a world of intrigue, espionage, gangsters, drugs and murder. -Synopsis

Are y’all fans of (iconic/American) actor Harrison Ford? I’m sure a LOT of you are, esp. IF growing up in the late ’70s to early ’90s. I learned re: this (lesser-known) film of Ford’s from a past ep of the Screen Drafts podcast. An American/middle-aged surgeon, Dr. Richard Walker (Ford) goes to Paris for a medical conference w/ his wife of many yrs, Sondra (Betty Buckley). They can’t open one of their bags, as Sondra picked up the wrong suitcase at the airport. While her husband is in the shower, Sondra gets a call; then (when he gets out) she has disappeared! Richard begins a search for his wife, though he speaks no French, and has V little to go on for clues. Along the way, Richard has to deal w/ the local police, the U.S. Embassy, and a beautiful/exciting young woman hustling to make money, Michelle (Emmanuelle Seignier- just 21 y.o. at the time of filming). This was Seignier’s 1st movie; she has been married to the director (Roman Polanski) since 1989.

Hotel Detective Le Grand Hotel: Have you and your wife been to Paris before?

Richard Walker: Yes, on our honeymoon.

Hotel Detective Le Grand Hotel: Is it possible she met someone here? Someone she has been thinking about?

Richard Walker: Since June 15th, 1968?

The original ending was shown to a small test audience and subsequently changed to the (happy) one in the final cut. Some audience members reported that Sondra was a spy in the original ending! The studio made Polanski cut the run time, too. Now, this is NOT a great movie (crime drama/mystery/thriller), yet it’s tense and will keep the audience entertained. Aside from a few scenes, I thought the film was well-paced. Some viewers compared it to Hitchcock, BUT transported to Paris in the ’80s. Ford carries the movie V well; this is a role that calls for a protagonist who is relatable, trustworthy, and capable. As an added bonus, Ford is looking esp. fit (and the French don’t shy away from showing that)!

[1] Polanski tells us the story with great suspense involving the city of Paris like a character of the film. All movie spends time on the Parisian places and rooftops. The music of Ennio Morricone also is a great element of the film success that gives us a great mood. The characters as Harrison Ford and Emmanuel Seignier are superb in their roles too. I think a must see movie if you love great oeuvres of Hitchcock and you love Paris.

[2] The cast are good but it is Ford’s film and he leads it really well. He convinces as the man becoming increasingly “frantic” and he manages to involve humour as his character becomes savvier about what is happening and also appears to be seedier and less professional as a result!

[3] The film would truly live up to a degree of tension if his interactions with Parisians were realistic. They all seem willing to help, none of them annoyed by an American archetype anxiously babbling English at them in their native country. I’ve heard many stories from friends and writers who’ve been to Paris. They do not bless Paris with a reputation for being nice and accommodating to English-speaking Americans. One friend told me that he was not allowed to have his passport back unless he asked for it in French. Another told me that when he tried to order a meal at a restaurant in English, the clerk slammed her hand on the table and ordered that he speak French. My own experience in Paris might be vastly different, and it is no doubt a beautiful and culturally rich city, but there would inevitably be at least a blemish of resistance against Ford’s conventionally American character.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Suddenly, Last Summer” (1959) starring Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, & Montgomery Clift

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These are powers and passions without precedent in motion pictures! -A tagline for the film

A wealthy/powerful widow in late 1930s New Orleans, Violet Venable (Katharine Hepburn), attempts to bribe Dr. John Cukrowicz (Montgomery Clift), a psycho-surgeon at a mental hospital (desperately in need of funds), into lobotomizing her young niece, Catherine Holly (Elizabeth Taylor). Violet wants to prevent Catherine (diagnosed w/ schizophrenia) from “babbling” re: her son, (Sebastian) who died of a heart attack in Spain the previous Summer. Tennessee Williams’ sister (Rose) underwent a lobotomy to “cure” her anxiety; he never forgave his mother for allowing that to happen. The play was performed off-Broadway; it was a great success. The screenplay was written by Gore Vidal, who expanded from the original one act structure. He lost his chance for an Oscar nom after the Catholic Church attacked the film for its implications of homosexuality.

As some of y’all know, you need to be in a certain mood to watch a work written by Williams. This is NOT your “typical” movie; there are long monologues performed by Hepburn and Taylor. Though it deals w/ V serious subjects w/in a dysfunctional family, the story (lesser-known) is compelling! There is a mix of the Gothic w/ psychodrama and horror elements, which director Joseph Mankiewicz puts together expertly. He was known for getting strong performances out of female actresses; Mankiewicz directed A Letter to Three Wives (1949) and All About Eve (1950). If there is a weak link here, it’d (sadly) be Clift; alcoholism and prescription drug abuse took their toll on his acting. Taylor (looking fab- as usual) saved his job, as she would NOT play her role w/o her closest friend. Wow, she was a real one!

[1] …the film only alludes to Sebastian’s homosexuality, using rather graphic symbolism to bring across the dramatic tension of the situation. In this case, it works because it’s consistent with the Baroque style of the entire movie.

[2] Katharine Hepburn plays Violet and manages to chew the scenery and spit it out, it’s an elegant performance, but you really want more than we actually get!

[3] …it is lush and lurid, with gorgeous dialogue that is totally unbelievable coming out of the character’s mouths. It is a fun and entertaining movie to watch, with emotions running high and emoting even higher. Kate Hepburn and Liz Taylor are both mesmerizing...

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Two Films of Luca Guadagnino: “I Am Love” (2009) & “A Bigger Splash” (2015)

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I Am Love (2009) starring Tilda Swinton, Flavio Parenti, & Edoardo Gabbriellini

Emma (Tilda Swinton) left Russia to live with her husband in Italy. Now a member of a powerful industrial family, she is the respected mother of three, but feels unfulfilled. One day, Antonio (Edoardo Gabbriellini), a talented chef and her son’s friend, makes her senses kindle. -Synopsis

After watching Challengers this Spring, I decided to look up films that Luca Guadagnino directed in the past. For most (American) viewers, he became one to watch w/ I Am Love; Swinton has worked w/ him on many projects. This is a domestic drama w/ fine food, timeless fashion, and romance. The story is set in (modern-day) Milan, yet the visual style reminded me of a bygone era. The title is taken from the aria La mamma morta, part of the 1896 opera Andrea Chénier by Umberto Giordano; music is a major element here. Swinton learned both Italian and Russian for the part- wow! Swinton’s IRL daughter (Honor Swinton Byrne) played Emma as a child. As the idealistic heir of the biz, Flavio Parenti does a fine job (and looks gorgeous). Fans of Adam Driver (like me) will recognize Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher; they acted together in Hungry Hearts (2014). Here she plays Elisabetta, the artistic daughter of the (buttoned-up) Recchi family.

[1] Who is Mr. Guadagnino, the director? Where does he come from? He seems incredibly sure of himself. Costumes, interiors, landscapes are a visual feast. The score is also a very bold touch.

[2] While I was moved by much of the visual beauty of the film and the idea of breaking with tradition and listening to the voices within, I was infrequently emotionally involved with the characters and I Am Love felt distant and often contrived.

[3] Throughout the movie, it seemed that the food acted as a metaphor: Emma was starting to taste a whole side of her existence about which she’d never known.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

A Bigger Splash (2015) starring Ralph Fiennes, Dakota Johnson, Matthias Schoenaerts, & Tilda Swinton

The lives of a high-profile couple, a famous rock star (Tilda Swinton) and a filmmaker (Matthias Schoenaerts), vacationing and recovering on the idyllic sun-drenched and remote Italian island of Pantelleria, are disrupted by the unexpected visit of an old friend (Ralph Fiennes) and his daughter (Dakota Johnson), creating a whirlwind of jealousy, passion, and- ultimately- danger for everyone involved. —Synopsis (Fox Searchlight)

Swinton plays Marianne Lane, a British rock star (similar to Bowie) on an extended vacay on an island of Italy. Paul De Smedt (Matthias Schoenaerts) is her quiet/chill bf of several yrs. The happy couple is forced to host Marianne’s music producer/ex-bf, Harry Hawkes (Ralph Fiennes), when he drops in w/o warning. Adding to the disruption, Harry brought along a much younger/American woman, Penelope (Dakota Johnson), who turns out to be his daughter! As Marianne has recently injured her vocal cords, she speaks V little (and almost in a whisper). Harry (never at a loss for words) takes over the villa’s kitchen, invites his friends over, and does a (hilarious) dance! We start to wonder: What is his motivation to be here?

If you enjoyed The White Lotus, I think you may also like this film (which is a blend of comedy, drama, and mystery). The (natural) way that Guadagnino deals w/ nudity, sensuality, and intimate relationships is rare (esp. for those who don’t see a LOT of European films)! As one viewer wrote: “Guadagnino is a remarkable filmmaker with a retro eye and a futuristic sensibility.” There is a small side plot involving young men (refugees from North Africa); this felt superfluous to some viewers. At a Q&A session for this film, Guadagnino (now 52 y.o.) explained that his mother is Algerian (raised in Morocco) and a Muslim! However, when she married the director’s father, she was estranged from her family.

[1] The quartet core together concocts a palpable interplay between each of them, Ralph Fiennes is the MVP simply because he is all over the place and wondrous to behold under a fully liberated context, and at the same time his performance knowingly triggers a tint of abstruseness which belies the nature of every human soul…

[2] A Bigger Splash is a character development masterclass by Guadagnino. Over the first hour, the film gives everything to build up the intricacies of each character’s attributes so that every subsequent variation and elaboration feels exhilarating. This is a film about people and relationships; how different associations can sometimes coalesce, yet at other times grate, how secrets and history must awkwardly co-exist with the fantasies of perfection.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Victor Frankenstein” (2015) starring Daniel Radcliffe & James McAvoy

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James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe star in a dynamic and thrilling twist on a legendary tale. Radical scientist, Victor Von Frankenstein (McAvoy), and his equally brilliant protégé, Igor Strausman (Radcliffe), share a noble vision of aiding humanity through their groundbreaking research into immortality. But Victor’s experiments go too far, and his obsession has horrifying consequences. Only Igor can bring his friend back from the brink of madness and save him from his monstrous creation. -Synopsis (20th C. Fox)

Igor [in opening voiceover]: You know this story. The crack of lightning. A mad genius. An unholy creation. The world, of course, remembers the monster, not the man. But sometimes, when you look closely, there’s more to a tale. Sometimes the monster is the man.

Who is Igor, some of y’all may be asking? Fans of Mel Brooks’ comedies will know Igor (Marty Feldman) as the wide-eyed/hunchback assistant to Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein (1974). There is at least one joke from that classic in this movie. The directorial style is all over the place; some scenes are manic, while others drag on w/o much effectiveness. The editing is choppy; I’m guessing several scenes were cut for time (by the producers). The one female character, Lorelei (Jessica Brown Findlay), is underused and has V little character development. The romance is undercooked; the filmmakers should’ve just focused on the friendship (bromance). The soundtrack is often too loud and overbearing. There are horror elements, yet NOT much was scary (aside from one of the “monsters”).

Victor: Life is temporary, why should death be any different.

The late Christopher Lee said: “Every actor has to make terrible films from time to time, but the trick is never to be terrible in them.” I think we can apply that to McAvoy here; the Scottish actor gave it 100% (exuding energy and enthusiasm in the larger than life role). He was ALL in, so that his natural accent popped out when Victor is esp. passionate about something. Radcliffe is the POV character, which is a rare take; it’s easy to sympathize w/ him. The wealthy investor/med school student, Finnegan (Freddie Fox), doesn’t get much to do; he will soon he seen on S2 of House of the Dragon. The policeman obsessed w/ capturing these men, Inspector Turpin (Andrew Scott), will bring to mind Moriarty in the BBC Sherlock series (also played by the Irish actor). Many of the crew from Sherlock worked on this movie.