Films: May 19 - 25

And Then There Were None (1945)

The Chairman (1969)

A Yank At Oxford (1938)

Amnesia (1997)

The Beguiled (2017)

Yellow Sky (1948) 

Der Trafikant (The Tobacconist) (2018)

They Made Me A Fugitive (1947)

Tulip Fever (2017) ///

And Then There Were None (1945) Playful edge accentuates comic flavors as schematic theatricals whittle down assembled guests on a remote island until killer is finally revealed. Unfussy style establishes succession of guilty characters with bickering interplay replacing suspense.

The Chairman (1969) Despite Gregory Peck's commanding presence and strident Jerry Goldsmith score, an uneven confusion of spy thrills, political drama and future leanings never convinces. Unknowingly planted with a bomb, an American scientist enters secretive China to discover truth of solution to world hunger.

A Yank At Oxford (1938) Languidly paced, fish out of water, culture clash comedy drama as arrogantly athletic American Robert Taylor shakes up English college, falls for Maureen O'Sullivan and spars with Vivian Leigh. Unconcerned combination of solid production values and appealing performers.

Amnesia (1997) Grungy noir with interesting dynamics and sharp humor undermined by flawed execution. Adulterous minister Nicholas Walker loses memory while faking death and is trapped with frustrated Sally Kirkland. Wife Ally Sheedy and girlfriend Dara Tomanovich need revenge.

The Beguiled (2017) Composed with a painterly eye and deliberate pace, injured Union soldier Colin Firth is nursed by Southern teachers Nicole Kidman and Kirsten Dunst and their young students. Heavy on atmosphere and detail, lacking involving drama, care turns to desire and murder.

Yellow Sky (1948) Led by clinical Gregory Peck, outlaws escape across the Badlands, escaping death by reaching a desolate ghost town where Anne Baxter tries to keep a gold mine hidden. Stark photography amid rugged landscapes infuses the drama, crisply staged action builds tension.

Der Trafikant (The Tobacconist) (2018) Gorgeously designed coming of age drama sees Simon Morzé experience lust for Emma Drogunova and receive advice from Bruno Ganz's playful, melancholy Freud while Nazi nationalism poisons the Vienna. Lightly involving, symbolism never connects.

They Made Me A Fugitive (1947) Bitter former RAF pilot Trevor Howard is framed for murder and breaks from jail to seek revenge. Uneasy post-war background, tense, atmospheric visuals and dark characters nicely mesh with twisted, noir narrative. Sally Gray provides gritty support.

Tulip Fever (2017) Elegant visuals and immersive design left isolated by contrived tale of affairs and hidden pregnancies in a 17th century Amsterdam obsessed by titular flower. Ripe melodrama feels more fitting for comic potential. Alicia Vikander and Judi Dench left floundering.