Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away) (2001)
Gake no Ue no Ponyo (Ponyo) (2008)
Time After Time (1979)
Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961)
Psycho (1960)
A Yank In The R.A.F. (1941)
Alone (2020)
Nightbitch (2024)
Bad Influence (1990) ///
Gake no Ue no Ponyo (Ponyo) (2008) Gently expressive and riotously exuberant, unaffected tale sees small fish escape water-bound kingdom and resolve to become human friend to coastal-living boy, even as nature is unbalanced. Infused with magic and wonder of caring for environment.
Time After Time (1979) Lively concept pitches Malcolm McDowell's HG Wells into chase from Victorian London to contemporary San Francisco after his time machine is used by fleeing David Warner's Jack The Ripper. Plain style and light threat elevated by humor, Miklós Rózsa's sparkling score and appealingly natural Mary Steenburgen.
Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961) Structured and performed with spirit and charm, seductively insecure Audrey Hepburn is forced to question life of chaotic partying with arrival of aspiring writer George Peppard. A potent romance carried on Henry Mancini's lilting score and featuring a pivotally affecting Cat.
Psycho (1960) Austere, seductive visuals ensnare hopeful, guilty Janet Leigh at Anthony Perkins' Bates Motel, while sister Vera Miles investigates her disappearance. Despite flabby epilog, tight staging escalates shocks and Bernard Hermann's angular score sustains unresolved tension.
A Yank In The R.A.F. (1941) Unremarkable wartime drama sees conceited adventurer Tyrone Power signing up to join British pilots and pursuing virtuous Betty Grable who has also volunteered. Solid production and leads retain potent charisma amid sloppy storytelling and heroically fanciful view of realities.
Alone (2020) Controlled by fluid pacing and elegant, restrained visuals, tension palpably screws tight as scarred Jules Wilcox is thrown into struggle for survival against unhinged Marc Menchaca in remote forest. Lean action structure foregoes character definition to maintain violent threat aided by expressive soundscape.
Nightbitch (2024) Equally embracing and repelled by power of motherhood, artist Amy Adams finds herself literally transformed by frustration of stalled career and challenge of physical instinct. Despite compelling lead, social satire lacks uncomfortable bite and character arc feels too soft, with subversive potential left unresolved.
Bad Influence (1990) Entrenched data analyst James Spader gradually seduced into dark anarchy of Rob Lowe's Machiavellian designs in a pursuit for thrills that's mirrored by narrative twists and dramatic stylings. Apt leads deliver thin motivations in slick package as bitterly superficial as its characters.
