As the year winds down, here are my favourite discoveries of 2024. Nine Queens (2000) No discovery filled me with as much exhilaration this year as Nine Queens. Fabian Bielinsky’s tale of con artistry and philately is a dazzling piece of cinematic legerdemain and best enjoyed knowing as little about it before viewing as possible. […]
In the Bleak Midwinter: ‘Christmas Holiday’ (1944)
Imagine the plot of Christmas Holiday, a film starring Deanna Durbin and Gene Kelly. Did you think of a jolly musical with yuletide trimmings? Well, scrap all of that. Directed by Robert Siodmak and inspired by W. Somerset Maugham’s novel of the same name, Christmas Holiday is a film noir as bleak as a barren […]
Ties that Bind: Seven Friendships on Film
I recently saw the new production of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, now in its last weeks at the Hudson Theatre, and it’s been rattling around in my brain ever since. (Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez and Daniel Radcliffe are outstanding. If you can make it, don’t miss it.) A musical […]
Angel in the House: ‘The Sign of the Ram’ (1948)
As far as 1940s Hollywood was concerned, Cornwall was a death trap. Stray across its borders and you risked being menaced by ghosts (The Uninvited, 1944), terrorised by homicidal housekeepers (Rebecca, 1940) or trapped in a funhouse version of reality, doubting your own sanity (My Name is Julia Ross, 1945). In the opening minutes of […]
100 Years of the MGM Lion
A roaring lion ensconced in scrolls of celluloid bearing the Latin motto ‘Ars Gratia Artis’. Below it, a comedy mask framed by laurel leaves. And arcing above it all, the words Metro Goldwyn Mayer. One of the most famous in American cinema, the MGM logo, featuring the studio’s mascot […]
After the End: ‘Panic in Year Zero!’ (1962)
In January, the Doomsday Clock remained set at 90 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever come to tolling the hour of the apocalypse. From climate change to global conflict, unregulated AI and predictions of the next pandemic, the world is teetering on the brink. A film like Panic in Year Zero!, which imagines […]
The Good Life: ‘The Barefoot Contessa’ (1954)
The Barefoot Contessa seems to exist for three reasons: to expose the vapidity of Hollywood; to give a good cast some great dialogue; and to serve as a testament to the beauty of Ava Gardner. It succeeds in all of these endeavours, but moves at such a glacial pace, you begin to wonder if the whole business is worth the time.
My Favourite Discoveries of 2023
Happy New Year! As we settle into 2024, here are my favourite film discoveries of the previous year. Sneakers (1992) Martin Bishop (Robert Redford) is a criminal for hire with a twist: law-abiding companies hire him to expose the chinks in their armour. When he and his crew grow suspicious about their latest assignment, they […]
Musings on TCM and Summer Under the Stars
It’s August, which means it’s time for TCM’s annual Summer Under the Stars marathon, where the channel invites us to spend 24 hours in the company of a different star every day of the month. This year’s line up is a cheerfully eclectic mix, with stalwarts like Barbara Stanwyck and Humphrey Bogart rubbing shoulders with […]
The Criterion Channel Celebrates New York
As part of its September lineup, the Criterion Channel just launched New York Stories, a dazzling tribute to New York City celebrating its boroughs and byways, its idiosyncrasies, struggles and triumphs. Just the trailer made my heart leap with joy, then brought me close to tears as I realized what the series also commemorates. I […]
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