A Bell For Adano (1945)
The Artifice Girl (2022)
The Killers (1946)
Ill Met By Moonlight (1957)
Split Image (1982)
No Hard Feelings (2023)
Good Sam (1948) ///
A Bell For Adano (1945) Snappy mix of Italian and American comedy types and melancholic reflections on war's loneliness and losses as considerate John Hodiak commands Sicilian town after US invasion, contending with army bureaucracy and prejudice. Quietly effective with impressively staged reunion sequence.
The Artifice Girl (2022) Uneasy potential of AI broken into three acts as agents use damaged developer's program to ensnare pedophiles, then see the creation attain awareness and independence over the years. Confidently realized, confined discussion of ethics remains intriguing yet indifferent.
The Killers (1946) After hired guns carry out brutal contract on ex-boxer Burt Lancaster, insurance investigator Edmond O'Brien pieces together trail of murder and double-crossing robbers that leads to femme fatale Ava Gardner. Bracing, stylish noir, taut rhythms driven by menacing Miklós Rózsa score.
Ill Met By Moonlight (1957) Luminous, evocative visuals conjure ragged landscapes for Dirk Bogarde's daring kidnap of German commander Marius Goring and escape across Crete. Stilted characterization and static drama undermines suspense, though some vibrant detail is more persuasive.
Split Image (1982) After college-bound, athletic Michael O'Keefe is consumed by persuasive Karen Allen and charismatic cult leader Peter Fonda, materialistic parents Brian Dennehy and Elizabeth Ashley hire intense James Woods to kidnap and deprogram son. Solid cast enliven plainly told and thematically uneven melodrama.
No Hard Feelings (2023) Setup as raunchy sex comedy resolves into sentimental coming of age(s) story as financially desperate Jennifer Lawrence is hired by parents to sleep with inexperienced son Andrew Barth Feldman. Thematically murky though polished style and committed lead ensures quota of solid laughs.
Good Sam (1948) Genial store manager Gary Cooper exasperates cheerfully suffering wife Ann Sheridan by his financial and emotional generosity to outsiders. Languid touch balances uncluttered comedy and social satire with affectionately absurd characters and patchily effective results.
