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Kurak Günler (2022)
Excellent Turkish Noir
Burning Days is an excellent film combining elements of film noir, "Bad Day at Black Rock," "Chinatown," and "Straw Dogs" to make a unique and memorable Turkish film.
The plot is summed up elsewhere but in short: a young idealistic prosecutor arrives in a small Turkish town. Things don't go exactly as planned.
The script and acting are top-notch, with strong performances from the whole cast. Not a false note in the film. Characters are nuanced and layered; it is not always obvious who the good and bad guys are.
The cinematography is also excellent; this film is beautiful.
"Burning Days" is thought-provoking and subtle, yet has the forward momentum of the best thrillers.
I highly recommend this remarkable Turkish film.
Ace in the Hole (1951)
Ace in the Hole is a Must-See Classic
BIlly Wilder's "Ace in the Hole" is probably one of the most cynical films I've seen, with a very dark view of humanity. It is also, one of the best movies that I've seen in a long time.
While "Ace in the Hole" is not technically a "film noir" film, it shares many of noir's attitudes and tropes.
1951's "Ace" tells the story of Leo Minosa, a poor local trapped in a cave-in in an old cliff dwelling in a one-horse town near Albuquerque. Washed-up reporter, Chuck Tatum comes across the story, and sees Leo as his ace in the hole: his ticket back to the big-time.
The acting in this film is uniformly excellent. Kirk Douglas is perfect as Tatum, tempering his almost unremitting cynicism with just the tiniest bit of humanity. Noir regular, Jan Sterling is also excellent as Lorraine Minosa, Leo's dissatisfied wife. She is the prototype bleach blond with the heart of brass. While the supporting characters are all portrayed superbly, TV fans will particularly note the appearance of Frank Cady (Sam Drucker of Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and the Beverly Hillbillies) as an opportunistic insurance salesman. He too, is perfect.
"Ace" was written, directed, and produced by Billy Wilder and he has a sure hand on this film. The dialog is sharp and memorable. The characters are vivid and all-too-realistic. The film looks incredible, with top-notch cinematography, both on location and in the studio.
This is a must-see film. I highly recommend watching this classic film immediately.
Dracula's Daughter (1936)
Dracula's Daughter - A Good but Not Great Universal Horror Flick
Dracula's Daughter is a surprisingly good Universal Studios horror film from 1936. While not reaching the heights of Universal's earlier "Bride of Frankenstein" or "The Mummy" it is well worth watching in its own right.
The film is an odd mixture of horror, comedy, and psychiatry, yet it mostly works.
Gloria Holden brings both sympathy and terror to the role of Countess Zaleska (Dracula's daughter). Irving Pichel is likewise excellent as Sandor, Zaleska's human assistant. Edward Van Sloan reprises his role of Von (or Van) Helsing.
Some of the "comedic" bickering between the romantic leads, Otto Kruger and Marguerite Churchill can get tiresome, but the atmospheric scenes, particularly those with Holden and Pichel, more than make up for it.
There are a few set pieces which are stunning, and the film makes good use of the set from the original Dracula.
Like many of the early Universal Horror films, "Dracula's Daughter" is a bit talkie and there a few too many drawing room set pieces, but overall, the film is well worth seeing if only for the performances of Holden and Pichel.
DriverX (2017)
Hop on in. I think you'll enjoy the ride.
DriverX is the portrait of middle-aged Leonard Moore, living the upper-middle-class lifestyle in Los Angeles with his wife and two young daughters.
After Leonard closes his music store, he finds his old-school musical taste and lack of current job skills don't make him particularly employable in the twenty-first century. With only his wife's income, the family faces an uncertain future, and ultimately Leonard joins the gig economy as a driver for DriverX, a ride-share company.
Leonard is subtly and realistically portrayed by Patrick Fabian. I was most familiar with Patrick Fabian's portrayal of Howard Hamlin on Better Call Saul, but he is a revelation here. Fabian never feels less than authentic as middle-aged man seeing his dreams slowly recede in the rear-view mirror.. He is given top-notch support by a cast of familiar and less familiar actors, including more than a few veteran actors who make the most of their brief rides in Leonard's Prius.
DriverX has humor and heart. Writer-director Henry Barrial nicely captures both the absurdity and tragedy of being middle-aged in a young person's world. He captures equally well the stress that unemployment and underemployment can place on an otherwise happy marriage.
With excellent cinematography and an evocative score, DriverX looks and sounds great. DriverX packs a lot in during its brisk running time, and is well be worth seeing for Patrick Fabian's bravura performance alone. And with all of the colorful characters Leonard encounters during his journey, this is one ride you don't want to miss.