The Band Wagon

An aging, has-been dancer (Fred Astaire) signs on to star in a career reviving musical revue but must contend with an intimidating, leggy costar (Cyd Charisse), a pair of neurotic writers, and an overambitious director (Jack Buchanan) who sees their production as the ultimate staging of Faust. By reutilizing old Broadway songs in the same manner of Singin' in the Rain, Vincente Minnelli’s lively musical doesn’t achieve quite the same heights, but is light and funny with great dance numbers. The songs, which include a few standards, are nothing to write home about and the film settles for being routine about halfway through. Astaire is amiable, and Charisse is both incredibly talented and beautiful, while Buchanan is a riot.

*** out of ****

Ugetsu

Two men venture into the city seeking wealth and glory while neglecting their wives, leaving them to terrible fates. From short stories by Akinari Ueda and Guy de Mapassant, Kenjji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu presents simple, tragic moral fables in a stark, ethereal, and poetic manner. Sakae Ozawa is outsanding as the potter.

*** 1/2 out of ****

The Big Heat

The suicide of a high ranking police official seems suspicious to a no-nonsense detective (Glenn Ford) and leads him to the local syndicate which he recklessly investigates, without heed to those around him. Fritz Lang's tough talking b-movie is dated and tame by today's standards though it is really well shot and makes great use of closeups. Ford is well cast as the straight edge family man playing a bizarrely inept and short-sighted character, but is lacking in the acting department. Gloria Grahame is excellent and Lee Marvin is memorable as a ferocious, cowardly hood.

*** out of ****

The Earrings of Madame de...

In 19^th Century France, a pair of earrings makes their way from an indebted madam (Danielle Darrieux) to a pawnbroker back to her severe military husband (Charles Boyer) to his mistress and then a charming Italian diplomat (renowned Italian director Vittorio de Sica) before coming around full circle. Max Ophuls stylistic masterpiece is notable for its remarkable, almost unfathomable tracking shots, the performances of Darrieux, Boyer, and de Sica and a memorable ending.

*** 1/2 out of ****

Beat the Devil

A disparate band of villains, swindlers and thieves travels from Italy to Africa in search of uranium mines as part of a get rich quick scheme but only find mischief and international intrigue. John Huston's Beat the Devil, supposedly written on the fly by Truman Capote, is a not so serious B-picture containing a few hearty chuckles, a memorable cast (including Humphrey Bogart, Jennifer Jones, and Peter Lorre), and a hilarious denouement in the form of an interrogation.

*** out of ****

Shane

A disentranced gunfighter ambles into the Wyoming homestead of a floundering rancher and his wife in the hopes of starting a new life, and is immediately idolized by the couple's young child. Though eventually trusted by the family and desperately heeding to their advice to avoid the ever beckoning calls of his past life, fate draws him into a showdown with the ruthless cattle baron who has been preying upon his new keepers' land. George Stevens' classic Western standard, from the book by Jack Schaefer, is a perfectly satisfying (and realized) example of hokey Americana. Loyal Griggs' awe inspiring cinematography dominates the proceedings and each and every player, including Alan Ladd as the weary gunslinger, Brandon de Wilde as his young devotee, Van Heflin playing the struggling rancher, Jean Arthur his wife, Ben Johnson as a despicable thug, and Jack Palance as the vile black hat, are cast and play their roles to a T.
**** out of ****

Julius Caesar

Joseph Mankiewicz's film version of Julius Caesar, which details the conspiracy to betray the great ruler and the fallout from his assassination, is generally heralded as one the great Shakespearean screen adaptations. I found the film to be not opened up entirely well for the medium and only coming to life with Marlon Brando's second act entrance playing Mark Antony. John Gielgud is also extremely strong as Cassius and James Mason is a surprisingly ineffective Brutus.

The Wild One

After winning a biking competition, a rough and tumble motorcycle gang takes over and terrorizes a small California town while their leader (Marlon Brando) falls for the daughter (Mary Murphy) of the local bar owner. Laslo Benedek's The Wild One features crisp black and white cinematography from Hal Mohr, and is remembered for the early, brash performance from a defiant Brando, who is excellent and appealing in his part (A young Lee Marvin is also entertaining as a rival gang leader). Although the film is noted as a generation defining work of its time, besides these noted assets, it isn't anything more than a glorified public service announcement.

House of Wax

After his partner torches their museum for insurance purposes, engulfing him in the flames, a wax artist (Vincent Price) emerges disfigured, yet with a state of the art plaster face. As he begins to build his new wax museum, which features impeccably lifelike figures, a masked man is committing murders around town and stealing bodies from the mortuary. "House of Wax" is an entertaining, well-made horror film, whose plot begins to wear thin after awhile, but is completely credible the entire way through due to Price's sincerity and committal to his role. The 3D gimmicks, which created a huge return financially, distract from the film but are interesting as a separate entity (i.e. paddleball man).

Pickup on South Street

A pickpocket, (Richard Widmark) casually plying his trade on a crowded subway, relieves a gangster's moll (Jean Peters) of the contents of her purse which just so happen to be government secrets she was unwittingly transferring to the Russians. Now, the pickpocket is the target of both U.S. agents and the gangster's deadly cohorts, and must decide what to do with his highly targeted acquisition and the equally jeopardized femme fatale who has also fallen into his lap. Sam Fuller's "Pickup on South Street" is a gritty crime thriller that features many jarring scenes and relies heavily on Widmark's characteristically nasty lead performance. Thelma Ritter is likewise excellent as an ill-fated police informant.

Mr. Hulot's Holiday

Here the title sufficiently sums up the plot: the clumsy, gangly, and kindly man takes his sabbatical in a French resort town where he wreaks havoc on the vacationing inhabitants. Jacques Tati's subtle, nearly silent observational comedy, in which he wrote, starred, and directed, introduced his Mr. Hulot character to the masses which simultaneously serves as a critique of the upper class, an homage to the silent comics, and a funny and breezy postcard. Although it would seem like this has gone largely unseen today, it still has served as an inspiration to many of today's comedians. I was in a foul mood when I watched this recently and was initially frustrated with its pacing. As it progressed, I was quickly placed under its spell as I was whisked away on Mr. Hulot's enchanting, picaresque vacation.
*** 1/2 out of ****

Tokyo Story

An elderly couple leaves their seaside home for Tokyo, where they are treated like a nuisance and whisked away to a spa by their ungrateful children and only shown kindness to by their widowed daughter-in-law. Soon as they return home and the mother becomes deathly ill, it may too late for the children to mend their bonds with their ephemeral parents. "Tokyo Story" is a sad and stark film from the Japanese lengend Yasujiro Ozu, which holds a particular relevance in this day and age. Chisu Ryu and Cheiko Higashiyama turn in heartbreaking performances the aged couple who must come to terms with their selfish children before meeting their own demise. Setsuko Hara turns in an incredibly affecting performance as well playing the selfless widow. Ozu's films are simple and touching and require a certain frame of mind to appreciate. Admittedly, I was in the the kind of hurried state this film laments against and did not get all I should have out of it, which I certainly intend to do at a very near date.

The Robe

A lewd and indifferent Roman Tribune gets on Emperor Caligula's bad side and finds himself reprimanded to the undesirable locale of Jerusalem where, under the command of Pontius Pilate, he assists in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Casting lots for the garments of the Savior while He still hangs on the cross, the centurion finds himself  immediately compelled to the cause, and seeks to spread the word of God despite the perils it may cause his own life. "The Robe" is a Technicolor religious epic, the first film to be made in the CinemaScope format, and one that is more notable for its acting than anything else. A young Richard Burton, in a career defining role containing many of his recognizable characteristics, is stellar. Jean Simmons is particularly appealing playing Burton's childhood sweetheart and Victor Mature is rousing as his rebellious slave. Jay Robinson has a scene stealing part as the snarling, malevolent Caligula. "The Robe" can be seen as overly pious or banal, but its story is compelling and is given weight by the strength of its indelible cast.

The Naked Spur

A rancher returns (James Stewart) home from the Civil War to find his wife has sold the farm and run off. Disgraced and half-crazed, he takes up a hefty bounty on a manipulative and wily killer (Robert Ryan) in order to retrieve his farm, and finds himself unwillingly in on the deal with a prospector (Millard Mitchell), an ex-soldier (Ralph Meeker) and the confused girlfriend (Janet Leigh) of his target. "The Naked Spur" is another entry in the lengthy collaboration between Stewart and director Anthony Mann, and is a simple yet powerful treatise on conscience and ethics. Mann makes great usage of his Colorado locations and Stewart delivers another dark and nuanced postwar performance. Additionally, Robert Ryan is a particular standout as the cunning and malevolent outlaw.

I Confess

A church maintenance man dressed in priest's garbs murders a local attorney when he is interrupted during a burglary. Returning to the parish to replace the cloak he happens up the local cleric and decides to confess his crime. Soon, after it is revealed that the deceased was blackmailing the priest and his former lover and a motive is apparent, he becomes the prime suspect in a crime for which he cannot reveal the true culprit due to the sanctity of the confessional. "I Confess" is one of the lesser Alfred Hitchcock efforts although it does contain some finely directed and intense scenes while making great use of Quebec City and its Old World locations. What hurts the film has mostly to do with the strange performance of the usually stellar Montgomery Clift, who opts to make his character into a weak and overly vulnerable character. These acting choices are in too great of a contrast to his character's supposedly resolute nature and hurt the credibility of the part. "I Confess" does not stand with The Master's best work but is still a finely tuned exercise in tension.

The Wages of Fear

In an unnamed South American country, a medley of outcasts await employment from the Southern Oil Company which afford them the money for a return ticket home. After an accident injures several union workers, four of the men (Yves Montand, Charles Vanel, Folco Lulli, Peter van Eyck) are commissioned two drive two trucks stocked with nitroglycerin across a 300 mile stretch of rugged terrain, with a $2,000 check awaiting whoever survives the perilous journey. "The Wages of Fear" is a tension filled, nail biting film from Henri-Georges Clouzot who had been dubbed France's Hitchchock. After introducing its characters in a thorough manner rare to most action films, Clouzot begins the terrifying trek hardly letting the viewer a minute to the catch his breath. The actors are all fine, particularly Montand and Vanel whose characters reveal much about themselves in the throes of their treacherous situation. In addition to his nerve wracking treatment, Clouzot's handling of the story and its resolution can also be appreciated as well. "The Wages of Terror" is a phenomenal psychological thriller made by a master who knew how to milk every ounce of terror out of his deadly scenarios.

The Captain's Paradise

A British captain has found the secret to happiness. Commanding a cruise boat between Gibraltar and Morocco, he keeps a woman in both ports, one a sexy siren, the other a domesticated housewife, both of whom completely fulfill his needs. However, his well kept secret is threatened to be exposed and, even more to his dismay, each woman begins to develop the traits of her complement. "The Captain's Paradise" is an ingeniously clever film from Britain's Ealing Studios and contains another extraordinary performance from Alec Guinness, who was once referred to as the actor's actor's actor. Both women, Yvonne DeCarlo as the seductress and Celia Johnson as the homemaker, and they are given a chance to play both roles, they in turn give Guinness a chance to turn in two wildly different performances as well. Consider two great scenes: DeCarlo accidentally receives an apron intended for Johnson instead of a swimsuit, and absolutely loves it. In a fit of manic improvisation, Guinness speaks in Spanish of what becoming cook can do to your figure. Then in the adverse scene, Johnson opens the wrapped bikini, of course embracing it, much to Guinness's dismay. "The Captain's Paradise" is a pretty racy and raucously ingenious film which provides the perfect platform for Alec Guinness to display his considerable talents.