Films: September 29 - October 5

Greenland (2020)

Only The Valiant (1951)

The Battle Of Britain (1969)

The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

Deepwater Horizon (2016)

Too Late For Tears (1949)

The Last Full Measure (2019) ///

Greenland (2020) Grounded, intense view follows gruff engineer Gerard Butler's race for survival in face of impending global doomsday from a comet striking earth. Technically polished, urgently paced, disaster movie convention eventually holds sway. Morena Baccarin provides humanity amid dark souls.

Only The Valiant (1951) Sturdy production punctuated by brutal sequences sends stoic captain Gregory Peck on suicide mission to hold pass from Apaches while dealing with own mistrustful troop. Sturdy support cast and solidly involving without rising above the surface thematically or emotionally.

The Battle Of Britain (1969) Logistically impressive, succession of British stars make fleeting impression amidst exhausting series of aerial dogfights. In telling of 1940 resistance that stifles German plans, technique remains solid and scope inclusive even while storytelling lacks inspiration. 

The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) Fast jettisoning any form of credibility and progressing through series of violent action set pieces, genial housewife Geena Davis discovers true identity as ruthless assassin. Little tension, endless one-liners, swiftly paced thrills feature gutsy cast and big explosions.

Deepwater Horizon (2016) Economic visuals and blunt narrative effectively tell events of Gulf Of Mexico disaster, clear politics of greedy John Malkovich's oil company set against Kurt Russell's safety ethics solidifying empathy. Tension successfully ratcheted up without emphasising survival heroics.

Too Late For Tears (1949) After stolen money ends up in her car, feverish Lizabeth Scott grows ever more deadly in manipulating and destroying men in her way, diving headlong into noir descent.  Tight framing accentuates moral trap, Dan Duryea and Arthur Kennedy get in the way.

The Last Full Measure (2019) Solidly if unsurprisingly structured, fine cast inhabits true story of heroism during bloody Vietnam War battle, exposing psychological wounds for survivors and political intrigue in suppressing events. Evocative Philip Klein score, moving conclusion.