Films: February 10 - 16

2 Yötä Aamuun (2 Nights Till Morning) (2016)
Mulholland Falls (1996)
Split Decisions (1988)
The Naked Street (1950)
Resistance (2003)
Sophie And The Rising Sun (2016)
The Keeper (2019)
Lost Girls (2016)
China Moon (1994) ///

2 Yötä Aamuun
(2 Nights Till Morning) (2016) Two-hander sets up observational romantic drama told with wry style and evolves with fresh intelligence as designer Marie-Josée Croze gets stuck in Lithuania with DJ Mikko Nousiainen. Generously played, character and emotion genuinely resolved.

Mulholland Falls (1996) Lushly produced, noirish thriller stirs style and attitude on flimsy narrative which never quite comes to the boil. Unrepentant cop Nick Nolte investigates murder of lover Jennifer Connelly, a trail that leads to military cover-up. Silky Dave Grusin score.


Split Decisions (1988) Boxing melodrama echoes better stories. Solidly delivered fights and predictable family confrontations, including gangster threats and killing, keep narrative ticking while gritty Gene Hackman anchors ensemble cast. Lacks energy to provide emotional connection.

The Naked Street (1950) Anthony Quinn provides a commanding presence as a gangster with family commitments who gets pregnant sister Anne Bancroft's boyfriend Farley Granger off death row. Minor effort with confined locations, a strong cast delivers on emotions and dangerous twists.

Resistance (2003) Solid production values and stolid visuals frame messy narrative that never quite overcomes jumps in logic and coincidence. Injured US pilot Bill Paxton falls for Belgian resistance fighter Julia Ormond with resultant guilt and tragedy. Decent rather than compelling.

Sophie And The Rising Sun (2016) Keenly told, a captivating, bittersweet, meandering narrative of racial tension and female strength as reclusive Julianne Nicholson falls for Takashi Yamaguchi in prejudiced 1941 South Carolina. Strong performances capture quietly effective tone.

The Keeper (2019) Handsome production values provide romantic backdrop for biopic of German POW who became famed Manchester goalkeeper. Central character remains elusive amid society prejudice and personal tragedy, while welcome sense of humour adds bite to well-paced structure.

Lost Girls (2016) Natural intensity is brought to intimately drawn anguish as Amy Ryan fights social and institutional prejudice and incompetence to search for her missing daughter. True-life unresolved case doesn't diminish family tension and drama pays off with cathartic emotions.

China Moon (1994) Seductive visual sheen provides texture to noirish twists as confident detective Ed Harris becomes lost in damaged dreams of Madeleine Stowe, muder of abusive husband Charles Dance and investigations of Benicio del Toro. Sex and greed lead to entertainingly bleak finale.

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Films: September 23 - 29

Unstoppable  (2010)  Romancing The Stone  (1984) Steirerblut (The Forest Killer) (2013) Landkrimi Tirol: Das Mädchen aus dem Bergsee (Tigh...