inspectorfernack Reviews

Argo (2012)

Old school Hollywood film making at its best.

[9/10 · 19 October 2012]

I have little to offer that others haven't already.

But this is a movie you can't miss. When I mention "old school Hollywood," I do it with the absolute best intentions. This is such solid film making because you don't SEE the moves the director is making. It just flat out works. This is all about story and characters, not about the director or the DP or the effects. It is a lot like watching a studio system movie from the 40's, when STORY carried the day. And yet, it IS about the director and the DP and the writer -- except that, as I said, it isn't thrown in your face....

Bravo to Affleck for such a precision job that is, at the same time, so emotional....

The only reason it doesn't get a 10 is that is isn't "Dark Victory" or "The Thin Man" :-)

The Unguarded Hour (1936)

Flat our fun...

[6/10 · 7 January 2011]

There are many times that "The Unguarded Hour" feels like a stage play on film, but is that so bad? There are long scenes in which not much happens, but within which certain plot points are revealed. Is that so bad?

No. Not at all!

This movie sparkles. Roland Young puts in one of his best performances, particularly evinced by the "what if" scene in which he questions Tone over what happened on "the night in question."

Loretta Young is, well, young and alluring -- and she can flat out act, too.

And Henry Daniell is an absolutely perfect scoundrel. He doesn't overplay his part, but he is scary nonetheless.

This is a beautifully constructed film..with just the right "Tone."

Crossroads (1942)

Delicious...

[7/10 · 28 July 2010]

Not a lot to add to what others have suggested, but this is a very lovely bit of movie making.

Powell really gets to display the acting chops that he had in spades. His ability to show pain, uncertainty and angst is not something that he got to do a lot, and it's enjoyable here. And the writing really helps. Powell seems, in so many ways, to be a contemporary actor, despite the thin mustache! He was just such a natural!

Hedy is mostly eye candy, but that's not her fault. Felix Bressart puts in a spot-on performance. He really nails his role beautifully. Trevor and Rathbone are solid, as always.

And this movie is really shot well, too. Great B & W photography that helps maintain a noir- esquire mood.

Westward Passage (1932)

Olivier chews it up...

[5/10 · 25 May 2009]

I never, ever "got" Olivier. Even in his more famous roles I always thought he chewed the scenery to a ridiculous degree. And here, though he is handed a role that offers him no chance of redemption, he is as ham-handed as always.

Ann Harding, on the other hand, is as delightful as ever. Smart, sassy, intelligent, beautiful and thoughtful. I know she's pretty much forgotten these days, but she was a brilliant actress. From what I have seen, she never turned in a bad performance.

And Bonita Granville makes an audacious turn here as a child actress in her first role.

A film that is overly talky and lacking in plot, it is still worth enjoying....

One Man's Journey (1933)

McCrea had a lot to learn...

[6/10 · 27 February 2008]

Lovely movie from an earlier time. Incredibly well-acted by most concerned. Except for McCrea, who, it seems to me, is as stiff as a board. While I realize he was supposed to exude a sort of heartless diffidence, I don't think that's the problem; I just don't think he had really come into his own yet. Of course he was a tall, handsome guy with a good voice and, with time, he became a solid actor -- but it's interesting to see him upstaged by almost everyone in this early entry.

And while the film can feel "dated," what is one to expect from a bit of art that was made so long ago? Perhaps that sense of "datedness" comes from the fact that today we are just so "aware" and cynical. Personally, I like the tone of the film....