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Daisy

Made in 2006. A young Korean artist lives in Amsterdam. She is a bit of a loner and has never had a serious relationship, insisting that she is "waiting" for the right person. She works in the public square, drawing portraits for passersby but, for herself, she also indulges in painting her favorite flowers, daisies. But, all of a sudden, she has a secret admirer. Flowers are delivered to her residence every day at 4:15, usually daisies, yet she can not catch the sender in the act. This is because, unknown to her, her beau is a Korean hit-man, and he wishes to remain hidden, for now. One day in the square, however, another attractive Korean man sits for the artist and happens to be carrying a pot of daisies. She concludes that he is her shy hero and, also, the man she has been waiting to find.

This second gentleman, too, has a secret; he is an Interpol agent. The assassin can see everything that transpires in the square, due to having an apartment close by. Naturally, he is disturbed that another man has entered the young girl's life. How will this shadowy love triangle play out? This is a beautiful picture to watch. The setting in Amsterdam and the surrounding countryside is very, very lovely. Add in three most attractive young Korean actors and, visually, any viewer has a stunning panorama in front of them. The story is quite nice, too, being a mixture of drama and action, with a dash of the unexpected. Costumes are very fetching and the production values, high. In short, anyone searching for a quality foreign film with a compelling story and great scenery would find this movie a wonderful choice for a diverting evening. Should you have someone's hand to hold during the view, so much the better.
 
Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush

Made in 1968. This comedy / drama film follows the sexual exploits of teenager Jamie McGregor and the permissive society of the 60's.

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush starts out looking like another cheap cash in on the swinging 60s, but the further into the film you get, the more you appreciate its subtleties. Barry Evans is a 17 year old virgin out to get laid, and the film very deftly handles the issues of the Sexual Revolution without pandering or preaching. Judy Geeson is the object of his affection, and though she has a lengthy topless scene she is much more than just a dolly bird. There are some wonderful cameos by Moyra Fraser and Michael Bates (the police inspector in Bedazzled) as Barry's parents, some fascinating footage of Stevenage, one of the idyllic New Towns of the 60s; and overall a marvelous story that mixes elements of Alfie and Billy Liar. Strongly recommended, especially for 60s fans.
 
Three Guys Named Mike

Made in 1951. A stewardess becomes romantically involved with an airline pilot, a college professor, and a successful businessman, all of whom are named Mike. When the three find out about each other, she has to decide which one she loves the most. I was completely caught off guard by this charming and absolutely entertaining comedy. This film is just right for someone seeking good, clean escapist fun.

The story of a small town girl (Jane Wyman, perfectly wonderful in the role)who becomes a flight attendant for American Airlines and is pursued by half the leading men in Hollywood (Van Johnson, Barry Sullivan, Howard Keel), will have you forgetting your troubles and getting happy in no time. Sidney Sheldon co-wrote the screenplay, which continued a successful career highlighted by an Academy Award a few years earlier for his Original Screenplay "The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer". Although I think June Allyson was just made for the leading role, Wyman proves herself to be a talented comedienne. Breezy, fast paced and fun are key words to describe this delightful soufflé
 
The Big Street



Made in 1942. Packed with great actors, major and minor, in a fast fast whirlwind. First of all, Agnes Moorehead and Ray Collins played the previous year in another raging movie of some fame (Citizen Kane, yup), and here they are loaded up against a dozen other great character actors, plus a couple big names. Headlining is the well known Henry Fonda, still young, but fresh off of a couple great films, Grapes of Wrath (1940), and The Young Mr. Lincoln (1939). But in a kind of startling role for those who know Lucille Ball as a brilliant and goofy t.v. comedian a decade later, we have her here as a big-eyed femme fatale, or would-be femme fatale until fate takes a turn.

You might think this one is a screwball comedy the way it starts, but keep watching-- there is violence and trauma soon enough, and the movie takes a turn that Fonda is worthy of. There is a Frank Capra feel-good element amidst the hardship, but it is full of verve, and all these odd characters who really are (were and are) what New York is at its best. The director Irving Reis (with photographer Russell Metty) keeps the scenes snappy, and sometimes moves from a closeup of a face to a background quickly, to let a character make a dramatic point. There are lots of movie tricks, quick fades from scene to scene to show the passing of time, and some tacky back projection, and it really goes along with the fairy tale narrative. And there really is an unbelievable ending, which you have to take with the whole flavor of the movie, a kind of sincerity/fantasy mixture.
 
Female

Made in 1933. This hilarious 1933 comedy examines the then unlikely and slightly absurd premise of a woman in the role of the ruthless CEO of a major automotive corporation. Ruth Chatterton as Alison Drake runs her company in a manner similar to the Tsarina Catherine running Russia. She constantly reviews her troops (the male employees) to select the most promising for her weekly stud-seduction routine. After dining and wining the intended victim at her lavish villa, and a night of "amour", she subsequently fires him if he shows any sign of attempting to encroach on her independence and detachment. Of course, the seductee always does because his ego won't accept that he's a throw-away one night stand. John Mack Brown is a standout as a typical seductee. And Philip Reed has a cameo as an innocent reject for being "too poetic."

When Alison hires a new designer (George Brent) and puts the make on him, he deftly evades her, thus driving her mad until she finally starts falling in love. He slyly keeps outmaneuvering her which spurs her determination even more. At last, she gets so desperate that she resigns her position in his favor, to get him to say "I do." The politically correct male dominance in both business and family is reaffirmed, but given this lady's character one strongly suspects that the battle of the sexes is far from over and may be just beginning!
 
Shirley Valentine

Made in 1989. Shirley's a middle-aged Liverpool housewife, who finds herself talking to the wall while she prepares her husband's chip'n'egg, wondering what happened to her life. She compares scenes in her current life with what she used to be like and feels she's stagnated and in a rut. But when her best friend wins an all-expenses-paid vacation to Greece for two, Shirley begins to see the world, and herself, in a different light.

Pauline Collins is my hero. So is ShirleyValentine. They really are. I'm not kidding you. And I am man. This movie speaks to me, even so. We all have dreams that have not been realized. We all need Shirley's courage to do as much as we can to live these dreams before we go off to the other place. This movie taught me about life. It's not too late to be happy, to be in love, to smile every day and mean it. No matter what age you are. Tom Conti is charming and it is a shame we don't see him much any more. He offers us a type of romantic hero we will never find in a Tom,Hanks or Cruise...too bad. Joanna Lumley brings a special charm to her meeting with Shirley. Julia Mackenzie is especially good as her annoying friend. Willy Russell cooked up a wonderful script from the wonderful play. Lewis Gilbert put it all together and worked hard to make us smile.. If you don't fall in love with this movie, you'll need a swift kick. Don't look at me. You'll have to give it to your self. That's the magic and wonder of Shirley Valentine. She taught me how to kick myself into living! Thank you, Shirley. Thank you, Pauline, Bill, Willy and Lewis.
 
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Get the Gringo with Mel Gibson. Two thumbs up for that one :D
 
Young Widow

Made in 1946. Jane Russell (Joan Kenwood) plays a young wife who has just lost her husband in the war. She goes through a range of emotions as she tries to deal with her loss and tries to find her place in life. Jane was wonderful and handled a complex role like a Pro. Remember This was only her 2nd movie. You had the feeling she was a tried veteran.

Miss Russell was made for the camera. Louis Hayward Plays (Lt. Jim Cameron). He falls in love with Joan the moment he laid eyes on her. He soon finds out her tragic story. Louis was a great choice as the (new) man. They really worked well together. The inner play between the two was magical. This really was a well crafted motion picture, Well worth your time.

 
His Butler's Sister

Made in 1943. This is my favorite Deanna Durbin movie. She just glows in her role as Ann Carter. Her singing is gorgeous, move over Pavarotti! I couldn't disagree more with the reviewer who states it is an example of "script by committee". It's a moot point, ALL scripts were "made by committee" in the Golden Days of Hollywood, and sometimes other people's input can be invaluable to add spice to a script that would otherwise be lackluster.

There is lots of everything a lover of old time musicals would enjoy in this film: comedy bits by the "Sunshine twins" (singing "Is It True What They Say About Dixie?"), and the chemistry between "The Boys" (the other butlers of different nationalities who are all in love with Ann), beautiful music, including the original "In The Spirit Of The Moonlight" and the classics "When You're Away" (Victor Herbert), a rousing number of Russian folk songs including "Two Guitars" that Deanna sings beautifully in Russian, and an English version of "None Must Sleep" (Nessun Dorma). Music to melt you. And very nice chemistry between Deanna and Franchot Tone. If there hadn't been a Judy Garland, Deanna Durbin would be much better remembered today, and this film is one of her finest vehicles. Believe me, you can purchase a lot of videos of old movies based on "script by committee" that do not compare to the pleasure that this one provides.
 
Moontide.

Made in 1942. After a drunken binge on the San Pablo waterfront, longshoreman Bobo fears he may have killed a man. In his uncertainty, he takes a job on an isolated bait barge. That night, he rescues lovely Anna from a watery suicide attempt and installs her on the barge. But Tiny, Bobo's long time pal and parasite, hopes to drive Anna away before domestic bliss tears Bobo away from him; the still unsolved murder may be just the wedge Tiny needs. There's fog on the water and evil brewing.

This film may not be a masterpiece when paralleled with other films by Fritz Lang, as well as other projects starring Jean Gabin, and also films in which Ida Lupino excels. ("Road House", with Richard Widmark and Celeste Holm). As well as the wonderfully sinister "Ladies in Retirement", in my opinion one of Ms. Lupino's most brilliant performances. But give this film a chance, it has a few redeeming performances and interesting scenarios. Ida Lupino is believable as Anna, a down on her luck waitress who attempts suicide. Apparently in the 1940's police used to arrest suicides, rather than help them. Gabin helps Lupino out of the problem,and she helps him decorate his ramshackle cabin on the docks of San Pablo, California. They eventually marry.

 
Dancin Thru The Dark

Made in 1990. A beautiful film, which captures the sadness, squalor and decay of post-Beatles Liverpool and the wasted young lives of those growing up there. It is a sort-of musical comedy, with a superb ensemble of well-rounded characters, all desperate in their different ways, with talents and flaws. Even Mark Womack as Eddie is not a mere stage villain, but rather an embittered and unstable but loyal friend.

The theme is simple - leaving home - and the execution brilliant. The early scenes, as a London rock group encounters the horrors of run-down Liverpool - predatory kids and a hostile pub - are hilarious. The theatrical origins of the film are retained with the most dramatic scenes staged in the ladies' and gents' toilets of a down-town disco. The plot is so straightforward as to be trite, but the writing (by Willy Russell from his stage play), the energetic direction by Mike Ockrent and the vitality of the performances make this a film to remember.
 
Somewhere In The Night

Made in 1946. George Taylor returns from the WWII with amnesia. Back home in Los Angeles, he tries to track down his old identity,stumbling into a 3-year old murder case and a hunt for a missing $2 million.

Mankiewicz could really turn out good product and this neglected film is absolutely worth a look! An unusual hybrid of THE MALTESEFALCON and TOTAL RECALL, SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT was ahead of its time and has aged better than most amnesiac fare. One could argue that TOTAL RECALL owes quite a debt to this movie regarding its twist bad guy identity revelation.There's some excellent dialogue and once you overlook some whopper implausibilities, the plot works well, as does the oddball cast of supporting characters, including the opportunist police lieutenant and the rogues gallery of ne'er do wells hoping to cash in on the amnesiac's memories. The movie doesn't hold up to close scrutiny (how did the money hanging under a pier not rot from three years' worth of salt water for one) but it is highly entertaining and noir fans should definitely take a look. Hodiak, Nolan and Conte are all solid in their respective roles. Enjoy!
 
Wife vs Secretary

Made in 1936. The wife of a publishing executive mistakenly believes that her husband's relationship with his attractive secretary is more than professional. Magazine publisher Van Stanhope is a hard-working, dynamic executive very happily married to his beautiful wife Linda. Although their relationship is is built on unconditional trust, friends caution her about the dangers of allowing Whitey, her husband's beautiful secretary, to continue to have access to him. Even Van's mother warns Linda that Van's father philandered during their marriage, and Van, like all men,will eventually succumb to opportunity and temptation. Although Whitey has a faithful boyfriend, she secretly harbours unrequited feelings for her boss. When they take a business trip to Havana, circumstantial evidence convinces Linda that the rumours she's heard may have a basis in fact.

I adore the films in which Clark Gable and Jean Harlow starred opposite one another, and although this isn't my personal favourite - it is a very good and must- see movie. Harlow excels in her dramatic role as the highly-efficient, dependable and beautiful secretary to Gable's character of company executive. Myrna Loy gets on my nerves as the jealous yet believable wife. There are several awesome and memorable scenes.This movie shows us that not everything in life is at it appears to be. I found the interaction between wife and secretary to be particularly good. Over all, I highly recommend this movie and the cast is top-notch!
 
When Harry Met Sally

Made in 1989. Harry and Sally meet when she gives him a ride to New York after they both graduate from the University of Chicago. The film jumps through their lives as they both search for love, but fail, bumping into each other time and time again. Finally a close friendship blooms between them, and they both like having a friend of the opposite sex. But then they are confronted with the problem: "Can a man and a woman be friends, without sex getting in the way?"

"When Harry Met Sally" may not at first seem to be the kind of film that remains classic and timeless. In this very cute exploration of an age-old question: "Can men and women truly just be friends?," Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan play the kind of characterswe have come to love to see them play. No surprises there as they skillfully banter back and forth between adorable, hysterical and morose as the plot rolls on. But upon closer inspection, this film is actually full of nice surprises,including its durability. Watch carefully and you will find one of the best examples of the way an excellent script can propel the plot, character development and pacing of a film perfectly from start to finish. Many lines may seem to be merely entertaining one-liners, but they also serve these other purposess imultaneously. This is a well crafted and well acted script. Even the most dated aspect of the film, the intentional focus on clothing, hair and makeupstyles as they change throughout the decades, has taken an unexpected poignancy now that the styles we may remember as current at the time have come to be old-fashioned themselves. The end result is that "When Harry MetSally" speaks to us if we remember the times portrayed in the film or not.We're still asking questions about men and women and friendship, and films such as this still help us answer them.
 
Lady Luck

Made in 1946. Mary now runs a bookstore in L.A. with her grandfather, whose past gambling excesses have left her hating everything about the pastime. Unfortunately she falls for Larry, who makes his living in this very line of work. He vows to change but going to Las Vegas to get married may not be the best choice for them. Indeed, Mary's forefathers all had gambling in their blood and if she does ever get to try the tables anything could happen.

This old-time comedy stands up pretty well and holds your interest throughout. The characters are sympathetic and well-drawn, and the story line is intriguing. Aided by a good script and fine acting from lead Robert Young, and from Frank Morgan and James Gleason as Sam. Interesting for the presence of Barbara Hale, later to be Perry Mason's secretary Della Street.
 
Delightfully Dangerous

Made in 1945. This is only Jane Powell's second movie and she can more than hold her own. She plays the little sister of Constance Moore,who is a big star in New York. Ralph Bellamy plays a Broadway producer and really gives a great performance. Jane wants to follow her big sister to NewYork and she won't let her go. Jane talks with Ralph about her sister and he tells everyone what a big star she is on Broadway. Jane goes to New York to see her anyway. She is crushed when her sister is the star of a burlesque show.

She runs into Ralph and he calms her down and calls for her sister. He explains to the sister why he lied to Jane about her. Jane is noticed and hired to do a show until they find out what her sister does. Jane finds out Ralph needs talent for his show and she secretly records her sister. He hears it and hires her. She does a great job and Jane also gets to sing in the play. This was a nice movie with a good pace to it. The three leads were perfectly cast and I recommend watching this film. The DVD releases are cheaply produced, but it's still worth watching
 
Dear Ruth

Made in 1947. A normal day in the Wilkins family:reticent beauty Ruth, crusty judge father, petition-happy political activist teen Miriam. Who should show up but Ruth's soldier pen pal Bill Seacroft...whom she doesn't know about. It seems Miriam used her sister's name and picture to build up wartime morale. Ruth reluctantly agrees to "humor" Bill for his 2-day leave, though she's just become engaged to her stuffy suitor Albert. Can Miriam's cloud castle last the weekend without crashing to earth?

I had the opportunity to see this film last night and what a delight! I can not understand that so many wonderful films of the 40's are not shown on the multiple cable channels. Thank goodness for YouTube. This film was packed with great stars of the period such as William Holden, Joan Caulfield, Mona Freeman and Edward Arnold. And it has a very funny storyline. Just having the chance to see a very young Willam Holden was worth anything... These family films seem to be all but forgotten, and it is a shame- I only wish that some of the movie executives would take a second look at some of these treasures and decide to release them on DVD. There were two sequels and they were also really great.


 
Breezy

Made in 1973. Breezy is a teen-aged free spirit with a big heart. After taking a ride with a man who only wants her for sex, Breezy manages to escape. She runs to hide on a secluded property where stands the home of a middle-aged divorced man, Frank Harmon. Frank reluctantly takes Breezy in only to fall unexpectedly in love with her.

This film is so very, very good. It is a mystery why it was not a bigger hit, and not more lauded by the critics. One possible explanation is that the subject matter was something that critics and audiences just could not "feel comfortable with." For a generation fatigued by the changes that they were trying to understand and accept--relationships between people of different religions, relationships between people of different races--it may have just been too much to ask of them, to accept a relationship between people of such different ages. It was not until a generation later, with a movie like Pretty Woman, that an age-difference love story would become palatable, even fun and enjoyable, to watch and root for. 'Tis a pity, because anyone who missed this movie has missed one of the most remarkable performances ever given by a young actress. If you do have a chance to see it, Kay Lenz will have you smirking and smiling and chuckling and laughing and, in the end, singing the old Elvis Presley tune "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You"
 
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