Reviews

Oh Lord, where to begin... Acting below par, resemblance below par, based on Dyan Cannon book who is obviously biased to her own version. Poor production, just awful. 1 episode was enough for me.

Nothing here is believable. Artsy black and white footage mingled with colour back and forth, add nothing to the story. You have to try to slightly look and sound like the people involved. Here Hitchcock looks nothing like Hitchcock and sounds unlike anything like anyon close. Grant portrayal is truly awful. Nothing to do with Mr Grant. Cartoonish and very little elegance. As I say, nothing to do with Mr Grant! He deserves better than ITV and no wonder it went to stream only.... Avoid.

This one is pure CINEMA. Meaning the art of. Too many films today seem to be script bound or special effects bound but few have CINEMA at heart. The 3 hour running time prospect filled me with fear but it actually felt a lot shorter.

I won't repeat what a lot of folks talked about already, the Singin'in the rain sync (down to Nellie's pronunciation of Pi-erre... a la Jean Hagen!).

I think I really enjoyed Babylon because of all the points of reference I have as a die hard old Hollywood fan. The tear scene where Nelly can cry at will from either eye was very much Joan Crawford's story where she could, at will, control her tearducts. The Brad Pitt character obviously built around John Gilbert and his death reminds me of Lionel Barrymore's suicide in Dinner at 8... I could go one because Babylon is full of those references. So maybe, without those, it might not ring as real or true as it does.

In the end, this is a love letter to cinema, perhaps a cinema only a few care about. Nevertheless it stands as an instant classic and my guess is that when it gets re evaluated in a few years it might very well acquire the status it deserves. 10 out of 10 for me.

In my book, filming a play and calling it a film doesn't work. Film obeys different rules ro theatre and the successful transitions such as Virginia Woolf, 12 Angry Men and Streetcar all have one thing in common. They were all made for cinema, adding intimacy and closeness that theatre cannot give.

The Whale is a play filmed as a play and apart from the central performance is acted out by the cast as a play. Melodramatic lines that may well work on stage are delivered here without any nuance or understanding and the camera emphasises it all as phony as it blows it all up a zillion fold. Reaching out to a crowd from a stage distance is not the same as cinema where every expression is underlined and picked up.

There is also very little effort in characterisation from all the players here and though a few things are alluded to, some things don't add up. If Ellie is such a one note hater, I struggle that all of a sudden we have soft moments without warning only to revert to the one behaviour we seem to get. The mother is unbearable and very over the top acting doesn't help. Even the few tears seem fake, rolling silently as is now the fashion of any movie or series. There is a sentiment of fakeness for a film that talks so much about 'honesty' all the time.

I also think that Charlie's destruction could have been with anything else (gambling, alcohol, etc) and that we are shown what we already know as part of an obese person perspective far too many times in an effort to add gravitas and/or titillating revulsion.

The conclusion, when it finally comes, ain't nothing that was a surprise and in a story that could have been so much better further weakens the movie adding a sort of Hollywood relative 'happy ending' that is simply not ringing true.

I did not dislike it and I certainly did not like it either. It did not move me and I was glad when it's 2 hour screen time was finally up. As a piece of cinema it stands pretty worthless to me and I am guessing that in a few years time it will join the rank of those worthwhile movies everyone talked about for a while but no one remembers like Children Of A Lesser God...

What a load of old cobblers that was. I watched the whole series hoping that in the end it would all make sense. It didn't. Must have been the easiest thing to write as each episode got more and more convoluted and made less and less sense. I also have to say that Elisabeth with an S Moss gets on my nerves. This constant puzzled look worn in absolutely everything she ever appears in is wearing thin. There is absolutely no story or plot. Just disconnected scenes and this viewer trying to fit it all in one coherent storyline that doesn't exist. Emperor's new clothes of TV series. All style, nothing to show. Appalling.

I loved this movie. For me, this is what cinema should be about. I won't bore you with yet again another synopsis of the story. Just a couple of things. This is a story where every character is sitting next to reality. Their own reality is about a million miles from what is really happening around them and they deal with life the best way they know how. Mesmerising.

The direction brings the people AND the setting to life. You do feel the heat, the oppressive atmosphere of that house, the sun on your hide. I always admire any director who can do that.

It is as close to perfect as I can think. I dont see much of today movies as I find them generally bland and boring and I dont see many that I can label as instant classics. PARASITE was one. This is another.

Because it is a Netflix offering, it is a shame most will see it on a tv screen. It does deserve cinema treatment and maybe in years to come, it will be revived as such. Hopefully it can be seen at least on a very large screen.

For the ones here who think it is dreadful, slow, boring etc... suffice to say YOU didn't get it. Perhaps you should stick to MARVEL if that's your limit. For the ones who haven't, as yet, lost the ability of concentration and can be swept away by quietness, thought and cinema as art, give it a try. But be sure to be away from phones, kids, dogs, cats and other distractions. Simply stunning.

Those here who give a poor review of this film have no idea about cinema. Laughton's only directorial project is a masterpiece BUT it must be seen and understood as an impression of reality from a child's point of view. I first saw this when I was in my teens and it never left me. I am a huge fan of cinema with favourites ranging from Billy Wider, Wyler, Sturges, Mankiewicz etc... so I think I know a bit about movies that matter.

This movie is a great mixture of dark realism, fantasy and childhood understanding of the murky world of adulthood. That's it in a nutshell. I wont cover the grounds other reviewers already have but I just wanted to add my voice in praise of this unforgettable film. The soundtrack is haunting in its simplicity and darkness and is, again, reminiscent of a child's understanding of life. It is a ten out of ten and will always be. It is what cinema should be about. To deny or decry it is simply wrong even though everyone is entitled to their opinion. If you haven't seen it already, go back to your 10 year old self and look at it from that perspective.

Tay Garnett. Not exactly a household name in directors heaven. Tay was an MGM director who did pretty much what he was told but this is his claim to eternal recognition, no less. A fantastically tightly directed movie. I won't get into what it's about, plenty here have done already.

For those here who dont understand the style or the era, I would suggest they stick to the usual mindless output of Netflux et al. To understand and love noir, you just have to suspend disbelief a while. And have a sense of poetry borne from nostalgia and great books. The story is fabulous, Turner never better. Garfield is still the best actor of his generation... The images keep on coming...When that lipstick rolls across the floor.... still wow. For those who dont understand plots yes Cora is married to an old man yes... to escape a worst life. Before you judge people, LISTEN closely. This ain't a pop video, needs a brain cell to enjoy to the full.

If you can, watch it close to watch Double Indemnity made 2 years before. Similar plot changes such as the murder happening halfway through the film and the other half about doomed lovers destroying themselves are in evidence. Love DI, love Wilder but prefer Postman.

I have watched postman a hundred times and I hope to watch it a hundred more in my lifetime. Yes, it is THAT great.