Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019) / Old Guard (2020) / Speed (1994) / One Of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942) / 49th Parallel (1941) / Contraband (1940) / A Canterbury Tale (1944)
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019) Loose, meandering and affectionate view of LA and film making that seeds the Manson family background for a typically vicious and fiery climax. The pleasures of visual design, playful dialogue and the easy lead performances are a delight.
Speed (1994) Jettisoning logic and story demands, the concept of a bomb on a speeding bus allows for action sequences that deliver thrills and comedy with a purity that never tires. The magnetic Sandra Bullock provides humanity and individuality amid the stunts and explosions.
One Of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942) Combining the naturalistic with the poetic, the escape of British airman across occupied Holland features tense sequences alternating with determined propaganda. Thoughtfully conceived characters, especially Pamela Brown and Googie Withers' strong, commanding women.
49th Parallel (1941) German U-boat survivors attempt to survive the rugged expanse of Canada and its diverse people, a tense epic with well cast stars providing depth to a series of speeches that interrupt the fast-moving narrative. Ralph Vaughan Williams delivers a rousing score.
Contraband (1940) Strikingly visualized comedy thriller with a smart use of London's wartime blackouts highlighting the drama. Stylish protagonists Conrad Veidt and Valerie Hobson deliver humour and romance as they outwit enemy spies in a fleet-footed though slight story.
A Canterbury Tale (1944) Visualized with a mesmerizing blend of expressionism and naturalism, three strangers investigate the 'glueman' in a traditional Kent village and receive blessings on an inadvertent pilgrimage. Languid, singular, unusual and unexpectedly moving.
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