Blowup (1966) / Sabotage (1936) / That Uncertain Feeling (1941) / The Boys From Brazil (1978) / Badland (2019) / The Ghost And Mrs Muir (1947) / Legado En Los Huesos (2019)
Blowup (1966) More a state of mind than a cohesive narrative, the composition of visuals and rhythm of the edit are gradually, giddily intoxicating as a photographer searches London for meaning to his images. Emerging from the decadence is the struggle for art and illusive reach for relevance. Compulsive viewing.
Sabotage (1936) A richly atmospheric London provides the backdrop for anarchist destruction. Dark humor, tense detail and a streamlined story are the bedrock for some thrilling sequences and a captivating Sylvia Sidney is the emotional, anguished heart that leads to murder.
That Uncertain Feeling (1941) Slight, meandering comedy of a marriage under threat from the routine of time, a mix of mannered dialogue and screwball antics. The touch is light and the cast is enjoyable, delivering on sufficient laughs and maintaining interest in a minor effort.
The Boys From Brazil (1978) Smartly produced and visualized, with intelligent and atmospheric production design, even as the plot to clone Hitler veers from drama to parody. Over-stuffed with stars and lost for a clear tone, though Jerry Goldsmith's thrilling score is a classic, embodying all the film reaches for.
Badland (2019) Solid, slow-burn storytelling of a troubled, weary avenger in post Civil War America, with beats as predictable as they are effective. Deliberately old fashioned thematically as well as cinematically, the locations and cast are attractive if fleeting in the memory.
The Ghost And Mrs Muir (1947) Delicate, sharply written romance, with strong Gene Tierney and Edna Best performances anchoring the emotion, and punctuated with smart lines and humor. Bernard Herrmann supplies the true soul, a score of yearning, passion and loss that sings with pure emotion.
Legado En Los Huesos (2019) Slickly produced and designed, performed with intensity, yet without a compelling drive. Narrative and supernatural twists prove more confusing than surprising, though the flooded town is impressively handled as the heroine chases her murderous mother.
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