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Double Indemnity (1944) Directed by Billy Wilder

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 1:00 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 25 March 2009)

This is a classic movie that is made by its story. It has a great deep murder-plot, with normal characters being put in not so normal circumstances. Within its genre this is simply one fine movie, that with all of its ingredients embodies the crime/film-noir genre of the '40's.

Like all of these movies it begins all rather simple, with a good thought out murder-plot but of course soon things start to go from bad to worse. This is what I like mostly about this type of movies. Characterers change throughout the movie and the plot thickens fast. It's really a movie that gets better by the minute and besides also features plenty of nice twists and developments. A real fine constructed movie.

It's of course also being made great by it's atmosphere, that I don't consider typically film-noir like, cinematography and directing by Billy Wilder, who handled a lot of different genres successfully throughout his career, film-noir being just one of them. He also helped to write the screenplay for this movie. His directing and writing both earned him an Oscar nomination for this movie. The movie got nominated for a total of 7 Oscar's, including best picture but it won none however. Nevertheless the movie has grown out to be more of a classic than the movies that did won an Oscar over "Double Indemnity" that year.

Fred MacMurray isn't really the best known actor but he suits his role in this movie just fine. He really fits in well within the genre. I wasn't too happy about Barbara Stanwyck though, who has played far better roles throughout her career. She also looked quite ridicules with her blond wig. Ironically enough she still got nominated for an Oscar for her role in this movie. It was great to see Edward G. Robinson in this. It was the first time ever he appeared in a film-noir and prior to this he was mostly known for his tough roles in gangster-movies.

A must-see for the fans of the genre.

9/10

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Sullivan's Travels (1941) Directed by Preston Sturges

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 5:06 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 7 November 2008)

All in all, "Sullivan's Travels" was a movie I enjoyed watching but I also had some issues with it. The movie changes its style and tone too often and toward the end the movie is sort of 'loosing' it.

The movie begins as such a fun and adventurous movie, with a great story that showed even more potential. But it's more than a fun movie its also a clever one, that is multiple layered. For instance the movie can also been really watched as one about learning about yourself and live, when a successful Hollywood director goes undercover as an hobo to learn what it means to get in trouble and to live with no help from anyone and without all the money, so he can direct a tough drama he has set his mind on.

But the movie in the end is all about laughing and being happy. The movie is an homage to those who makes us laugh, which comes across a bit odd to me honestly. Seriously why dedicate a movie to a thing like that? Perhaps it was because there was a world war going on at the time? I don't know but it just seems like a silly thing to me.

So the movie has two contrasts in it, happy silly comedy and some tough serious drama with a message to it. I must say that this approach works out fine for most part of the movie but toward the end the movie is sort of loosing it, when its story starts to make some rather awkward turns and the comedy almost completely disappears out of the movie.

It nevertheless remains a well written movie, with also some fine comical dialog in it. I love '40's movies for often featuring this style of dialog. It becomes a huge part of the movie its comedy itself. But also the psychical comedy itself is great, though I wish the entire movie was more like its first 20 minutes or so. That way this movie surely would had been one of the most amusing ones I have seen in my life.

Joel McCrea is a rather unknown actor and one that acted mostly in western's throughout his career but he is really great in this movie. He looks something like the young Paul Newman but of course acts in a more comical way as he does. He was real fine in this movie and it's a bit of a shame that he never really fully broke through as an actor, or won any big important awards during his career. He worked more with director Preston Sturges after this movie but not even he could lift him to stardom.

Veronica Lake was surely one beautiful woman but her acting at times sort of tends to get annoying. She gets her cheeks tightly together when she speaks, or at least she sounds like that. Oh well, at least her looks really saves her performance and ensures that she is a pleasant addition to this movie.

A real mixed bag this one. On the one hand it's a real pleasant and entertaining movie to watch and on the other a bit too serious in parts and perhaps a bit too heavy handed.

7/10

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His Girl Friday (1940) Directed by Howard Hawks

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 2:28 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , ,

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(Review originally written at 1 October 2008)

I know this is considered a classic and all but I couldn't find myself liking it all that much. I don't know but lots of people talking loudly at the same time over each others lines is just not my idea of something funny.
On top of that the movie doesn't really feature any good likable main characters. Despite the fact that I like Cary Grant and he was always able to play a likable scoundrel, his character in this movie just didn't worked out to me. He was more a very selfish character than a funny one really and more annoying than amusing. Same goes for Rosalind Russell, who basically plays the same sort of character as Grant. They really deserved each other.
The movie entirely goes for its screwball comedy elements but it forgets basically everything else. It forgets it has a story with also some romantic as well as dramatic elements in it. Because of this none of the romance and more serious intended moments within the movie just didn't ever worked out.
To be honest, I quite liked the movie in the beginning and in general I'm also fond of these type of movies, especially when they star Cary Grant but about halve way through the movie totally started to loose track and the movie became an huge fast going mess. It's pace becomes incredibly high and lots of character constantly show up and are going away again just as fast as they came. The movie at that point basically becomes more of an annoying one to watch and it doesn't get any more better when it heads toward its ending.
It's not like I hated watching this movie and it certainly does has its moments but for a movie that is considered a true genre classic, it's definitely a disappointing one.
6/10


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Make Way for Tomorrow (1937) Directed by Leo McCarey

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 6:01 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 9 July 2008)

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

In Hollywood your career is already mostly over once you're over the age of 40, especially if you're a female. This in the '30's was even more so the case then now days actually. So making a movie about 2 aging people was quite an unique and daring move for 1937 standards. For this the movie mostly deserves credit but it on top of that is also simply a fine movie, that gets carried by its story and strong characters.

It's not the usual sappy dramatic story and movie as perhaps you would normally expect from a '30's movie. It instead is a movie that focuses on some more real emotions of life, without ever having to force to much with its emotions to carry out its story and perhaps also some morals.

Well yes, it's a '30's movie set in the '30's, so of course it's sort of outdated with its story. In this modern age the two elderly people the movie focuses on shall be less lonely and they at least will remain more in contact with each other, after their forced separation in this movie. But of course this doesn't make the movie or any of its emotions any less powerful.

It's a real movie about life, with realistic characters and a story that is more or less recognizable for everyone. Even though the children obviously love and care about their parents, they just can't take care of them after they had lost their house to the bank. Instead they are even embarrassed for them and they get in the way with their average normal lives.

Don't really know why this movie isn't any better known, since everyone everywhere speaks so well of it. Perhaps it's because it's not your typical average '30's movie and drama has some to do with it.

8/10

The Thin Man (1934) Directed by W.S. Van Dyke

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 11:23 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 30 April 2008)

"The Thin Man" surely is a fun enough movie to watch but it sort of annoys me that there are way better same type of movies out there from the same period that are better than this movie but far less known and appreciated.

Yes its a good entertaining movie but it's also a very simplistic one in many regards. Simplistic in the way it's made. It's has a very simple look and apparently it also only cost 2 weeks to shoot this movie, which unfortunately really showed on screen for me. It's also very simplistic with its story. Well these type of entertaining '30's comedies are never really about its story but in this case it works sort of distracting since the movie is a detective movie with a murder mystery in it, in which the story always sort of automatically gets pushed toward the foreground.

The only thing that can still save these type of simplistic movies are good characters and actors portraying them. This movie really has that. What mostly makes this movie is its main character former detective Nick Charles, played by William Powell and his wife Nora, played by the popular silent movie star Myrna Loy. They are a real odd couple, who perhaps are more best friends than truly lovers. Or perhaps brother and sister would be a better description of it. They love to have fun together and poke fun at each other. It's the most charming aspect of "The Thin Man" and at the same time also what makes this movie still an entertaining one to watch.

On its own this movie really isn't that comedy filled as you would expect. The movie is lacking some good laughs for a comedy, which just more makes this a fun murder-mystery, rather than a full-blood comedy.

The movie is perfectly cast with William Powell and Myrna Loy. They are great but they are even better together in this movie. They share some good screen chemistry together. It's also the movie that sort of re-launched Myrna Loy's career. She was a big actress in the silent era but she was one of those actresses that didn't quite made the step between the silent- and sound movies. She got rediscovered in this movie again and continued to act till the early 80's. Also the other characters and actors are good but you can debate and wonder if there aren't one or two too many characters in the movie, which also makes the movie at times a bit too convincing and tiresome to watch, simply because you don't care- and can't really follow the story, also due to its simplicity it gets brought to the screen with.

Really not bad, I just hope that any of its 5(!) sequels is still better and more entertaining.

7/10
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