Films: December 16 - 22

Gone To Earth (1950)

Whistle Down The Wind (1961) 

Carry On Up The Khyber (1968)

Lucía y el sexo (Sex and Lucía) (2001)

Mindscape (Anna) (2013)

Cat People (1942)

Camelot (1967)

21 Days (1940) ///

Gone To Earth (1950) Sumptuous visuals, a rich combination of lighting, design and evocative settings, are allied to a textured sound and musical landscape - immersive and intoxicating. Characters drift through the Shropshire countryside, mechanics in melodrama rather than raw emotion.

Whistle Down The Wind (1961) Stark humanity of relationships and sense of community is conjured through evocative photography, Malcolm Arnold's insightful score and natural performances, as innocent Hayley Mills believes fugitive Alan Bates is Jesus. Low-key and movingly composed.

Carry On Up The Khyber (1968) With its mix of slick, puerile wordplay, gleeful cross-dressing and equal opportunity offensiveness, a definitive Carry On. Joke focuses on British imperial stereotypes, politically and sexually, and a plot that revolves around Devils In Skirts. Very funny.

Lucía y el sexo (Sex and Lucía) (2001) Intense, fragmentary, shot through with artistry and desire, and truly living up to its title, an ultimately moving mosaic of female relationships with a writer. Formidable Paz Vega, Tristán Ulloa & Elena Anaya blend reality and imagination.

Mindscape (Anna) (2013) Initially intriguing B-movie setup sees troubled mind detective Mark Strong enter the memories of Taissa Farmiga to decide her sanity / malevolence. Told with elegance, pacing never builds momentum, as twists provide minor thrills with passing involvement.

Cat People (1942) Shot through with an eerie sense of unease, suspense is conjured from precise lighting, editing and sound. Building momentum based on suppressed desire and violence, ethereal Simone Simon fears intimacy will trigger a deadly curse. Subtly, enjoyably unnerving.

Camelot (1967) Lavishly mounted, with extravagant, misty sets conjuring suitably romantic setting and gorgeously orchestrated Lerner-Loewe music and lyrics highlighting smart mix of comic and tragic. Persuasive cast aids emotional effect despite leaden pacing and uneven narrative.

21 Days (1940) Slight melodrama, with black sheep of the family Laurence Olivier accidentally killing needy Vivian Leigh's blackmailing husband. Guilt is delayed when prospective judge, and brother, Leslie Banks helps. Only moderately involving with isolated scenes delivering impact.