Films: February 5 - 11

Sommersby (1993) 

Bronco Billy (1980) 

Wedding Daze (2006) 

Yesterday (2019)

Cry Of The City (1948)

Trunk (2023) 

Distant Drums (1951) ///

Sommersby (1993) Expansive, expressive Danny Elfman score drives aching romanticism and mystery of determined Richard Gere's return from Civil War and whether he's Jodie Foster's lost husband or an imposter. Immaculate production, though final narrative texture lacks lasting effect.

Bronco Billy (1980) Warm-hearted comedy with touch of mismatched romance lands self-centered heiress Sondra Locke on tour with principled Clint Eastwood and his threadbare wild west show. Affectionately detailed troupe of dreamers provide generous emotions to fittingly uplifting finale.

Wedding Daze (2006) Fitfully amusing, accumulation of contrivance never quite builds physical and verbal momentum despite able cast. Unsure Isla Fisher and lost Jason Biggs take impulsive leap on marriage moments after first meeting. Character eccentricities force situations without.

Yesterday (2019) After struggling songwriter Himesh Patel survives accident to find a world where only he knows The Beatles songs, comic sequences hum, pacing is energetic and patient Lily James adds emotion. Yet showy visuals paper predictable romantic rhythms and situations, without exploring intriguing potential of setup.

Cry Of The City (1948) Dramatically visualized sense of fatalism permeates city streets as manipulative, fatally wounded Richard Conte is hunted down by obsessive cop Victor Mature. Unsurprising moral ambivalence driven by solid cast with sure sense of character amid typical story beats.

Trunk (2023) Polished technique ramps up tension as kidnapped Sina Martens, drugged and missing a kidney, wakes trapped in car hurtling for the border. Mining claustrophobic setting, energy levels flag with unsurprising third act revelations and implausible twists though lead maintains involving intensity.

Distant Drums (1951) Burnished with lush Technicolor, Florida locations provide distinct sets for Everglades Western as Gary Cooper's unit destroys fort used by Spanish gunrunners and is pursued by violent Seminoles. Robust action sequences enliven staid narrative and character mechanics.