Hobson's Choice

The drunken widowed owner (Charles Laughton) of a Victorian era London boot shop decides to marry off two of exasperating daughters while keeping his eldest Maggie (Brenda de Banzie) for her usefulness in running the business and taking care of himself. Instead, she opts to blaze her own trail by taking up with the simple bootmaker (John Mills) and put her father in a precarious, optionless situation. One of David Lean's rare forays into comedy, Hobson's Choice is a lighthearted work with a bit of gristle and vitriole boasting top of the line camerawork and black and white cinematography. Laughton is in rare, hilarious form and de Banzie and Mills round out the cast with complete, supreme performances.

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

Senso

A torrid, tragic love affair develops between a vain, independent minded Italian countess (Alida Valli) and an arrogant and cowardly Austrian officer (Farley Granger) during a war between the two countries in 1860s occupied Venice. Overwrought Visconti melodrama with underwhelming romance and acting features drab Technicolor and production design (although it is touted for its opulent sets). The ending, however, is potent.

** 1/2 out of ****

Sansho the Bailiff

Journeying to reunite with their noble patriarch, a lord exiled for many years for an unpopular decision that would have benefited his subjects, a mother is duped, captured, separated from her son and daughter, sold as a slave to a brothel while her children are beholden to the sadistic warden of the title while they dream of rejoining. Kenji Mizoguchi Sansho the Bailiff, from a short story by Mori Ogai, is a mournful dirge shot in stark, spectacular cinematography.

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

Johnny Guitar

A Wild West saloon owner (Joan Crawford) finds herself at odds with the locals, and when the arrival of her outlaw ex-boyfriend (Sterling Hayden) coincides with a robbery that caused the death of their leader's brother, it leads to a fiery standoff at her place of business. Though simple seeming and modestly budgeted, Nicholas Ray's Johnny Guitar is bizarre and sexually charged. with a wide eyed Crawford and a repressed Mercedes McCambridge both looking possessed, that features memorable and famed sequences. Outstanding direction and use of technicolor.

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

Touchez Pas au Grisbi

A suave aging gangster (Jean Gabin), eyeing retirement, pulls off one last daring heist but finds his dreams dash when one of his nefarious associates kidnaps a close friend. Jacques Becker's Touchez Pas au Grisbi (Hands off the Loot) is flawlessly filmed, daring for its time, and features a commanding incredibly likable tough guy in Gabin and a phenomenal country shootout finale.

**** out of ****

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

On an 1850s Oregon homestead, the eldest of seven boys (Howard Keel) decides the time is right for marriage, takes his cart into town and comes home with a new, headstrong wife (Jane Powell). As the appalled bride gets the ragged house in order, the brothers become atwitter with restless excitement and seek out mates of their own. Stanley Donan's adaptation of the Broadway hit to notable for its phenomenal dance sequences which make wonderful use of the medium. Aside from that the story is paltry and the music forgettable, although Keel and Powell are endearing.

*** out of ****

Seven Samurai

A small feudal village under threat from a roving group parasitic bandits seeks protection from a band of brave, downtrodden warriors. Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, a cornerstone of world cinema, much imitated, celebrated and revered, is a marvel of filmmaking. From quick cutting, high octane action sequences to poignant, thoughtful, contemplative, or very humorous scenes, it is a comprehensive moviegoing experience. Toshiro Mifune as the manically, electrically charged combatant and Takashi Shimura as the group's sagacious leader showcase the film's tone in two remarkable performances.

**** out of ****

Dial M for Murder

A retired British tennis player (Ray Milland) learns that his gorgeous, wealthy wife (Grace Kelly) is having an affair with an American writer (Robert Cummings) and concocts a perfectly realized blackmail scheme involving a seedy, old college chum (Anthony Dawson) to see her murdered; one that must be rethought after the first plan goes awry. Based on a stage play by Frederick Knott, who also did his own adaptation, Alfred Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder" is sharp and  funny, but longish at times and rehashes its plot more times than it needs to.  Ray Milland is excellent as the shrewd old Brit, Kelly is radiant as ever, and John Williams has a memorable bit as an absentminded inspector assigned to investigate the case. I had the occasion to see the film in 3D (which I didn't know until that time that it was filmed in that medium) and although it has to be one of the last movies you would think would call for it, Hitch handles it with flare, using it mainly for staging instead of hurling projectiles at the audience like many modern movies.

Rear Window

After fracturing his leg while photographing an auto race, L.B. Jefferies (James Stewart) sits confined to a wheelchair in his Greenwich Village apartment and takes to surveilling the assorted personalities inhabiting the facing complex. When the odd behavior of one of these neighbors (Raymond Burr) leads Jefferies to believe he may have murdered and disposed of his wife, he draws in his gorgeous high society girlfriend (Grace Kelly) and acerbic home care nurse (Thelma Ritter) into his ever increasing suspicions. With a movie as beloved and discussed as "Rear Window", I'm not really sure that anything can really be added to the conversation. Hitchcock's film, masterfully constructed from a Cornell Woolrich short story, slowly, then surely as any ever concocted, takes you into its grasp. Though The Master's diabolical directorial hand deserves all the credit for the success of this taut, exciting, and unsurpassed classic, I realized while watching it for the umpteenth time how crucial the performances are. In his postwar films such as "Harvey" and Hitch's "Rope", Stewart was already showing a penchant for playing darker personages, and his voyeuristic performance here is riveting. So much hinges on the women as well: Ritter first delivers some really well-written, snappy dialogue than adds credibility to the story when her intelligent character comes around to Stewart's way of thinking. And Grace Kelly, at her most radiant, is the impetus for one of the most suspenseful sequences in cinema when she volunteers to investigate the ongoings across the courtyard.

Animal Farm

The various creatures of Manor Farm gather around to hear Old Major, the wise prized pig, give a speech on the selfishness of their owner Mr. Jones and how the "beasts of England" need to unite, rise against all humans, and live as equals. Sooner than expected, the animals have run Jones off and taken the farm, but only to find him being replaced by Napoleon the pig, a tyrant far greater than they had ever experienced under Jones. From the British animation studio of Halas and Batchelor, "Animal Farm" is an adaptation of George Orwell's modern classic parable dispelling the myths of Stalinist Russia. Although the film does often bear too close a resemblance to a Merry Melodies cartoon, and the ending is given a slight happy twinge, it is refreshing such excoriating material presented in the animated form, which is superbly drawn to boot.

On the Waterfront

An ex-prizefighter (Marlon Brando) and underling for a waterfront crime lord (Lee J. Cobb) witnesses a murder which he unknowingly helped stage and is instructed by his mob attorney brother (Rob Steiger), among others, to keep his mouth shut. However, after the interventions of a stubborn parish priest (Karl Malden) and the affections of a sweet college girl (Eva Marie Saint) and kin to the deceased, the underachieving Terry Malloy begins to have doubts and considers testifying for the Crime Commission. "On the Waterfront" is Elia Kazan's stark and gritty masterpiece which can also be seen as his defense for his 1952 testimony for the House Un-American Activities Committee which made him an outcast in Hollywood and left many people out of a job. The film features an intelligent and tough script from Budd Schulberg and Kazan successfully captures the local flavor of his subject. The acting is extraordinary, beginning with Brando in a career defining role that won him his first Oscar and assured his stature as an international film star. Saint is great in her introductory role that also garnished an Academy Award and Cobb, Steiger, and Malden are all powerfully intense in their own respective ways. "On the Waterfront" is an undeniable classic: an uncompromising look at an underworld life, lost opportunities, and ultimately, redemption.

A Star Is Born

A self-destructive, alcoholic movie star whose career is in a tailspin discovers a bluesy singer at a dive bar and gets her a screen test at the studio. As the two get married and her fame continues to blossom, his pride becomes wounded and he sinks deeper and deeper into drunkenness and despair. "A Star is Born" is an excellent musical remake by director George Cukor of the 1937 classic film that features one of the career defining performances of Judy Garland, who sings all of her own numbers (including the incredible "The Man Who Got Away") to match her fine performance. As her opposite, James Mason is equally impressive as her coy but loving and ultimately tragic husband. Released in 1954, the film is shot in beautiful Technicolor and has an impeccably modern feel. Following its 3-plus hour release, the was trimmed and many (some crucial) scenes were left on the cutting room floor. New prints of the film feature a original dialogue over still photographs where removed footage remains missing, which leads to a frustrating but still interesting viewing experience. "A Star is Born" is one of the seminal film of the 1950s, not only a memorable musical but also a gorgeous looking film featuring two monumental performances.

Executive Suite

The CEO of a large furniture manufacturer wires his secretary to keep the executives late for a meeting and drops dead on his way to the train. Almost immediately, the backbiting begins as those directly below him jockey for his job, among them a heartless numbers man (Frederic March), an unscrupulous exec (Walter Pidgeon), a Charles Eames like innovater (William Holden), and the majority shareholder and daughter of the founder (Barbara Stanwyck) who could prove to be the wild card for all involved. "Executive Suite" is a stark and measured film from director Robert Wise, filmed without a soundtrack, and featuring fine performances from its notable cast. Although it is not quite as scathing as it could have been it remains completely relevant in this era of heightened corporate greed.

La Strada

When her sister dies, a poor seaside girl is forced into an apprenticeship with a travelling circus strongman to support her family. After enduring the brute's ill temper for a period, she finds a possible means of escape with a brazen acrobat, but her predicament, feelings for her boss, and an unforeseen tragedy prevent her from leaving. "La Strada" is an early masterwork from legendary Italian director Federico Fellini which he based on his early experiences in the circus. Giulietta Masina, Fellini's wife who would leave an equally indelible impression a few years later in "Nights of Cabiria", is excellent as the simplistic and sullen assistant. Anthony Quinn likewise is great as the vile strongman whose heart is not totally hardened. "La Strada" is a stark and affecting Neorealist work from a master, centered on two wonderful performances.