donby-1's Reviews

Mother Didn't Tell Me (1950)

1/10

30 March 2013

How times have changed since this movie was made !

It's the story of a gold-digging female (McGuire) who sets her sights on a young doctor. After marriage, she finds that (surprise !) the life of a doctor's wife is not as perfect as she thought it would be !

There follows misunderstandings, petty arguments & many manipulations. Most of these incidents are unpleasant.

Only bright spot is the performance of Leif Erickson as a smarmy, womanizing psychiatrist. The scene is amusing where he tries to seduce not one but two married women ! This is probably his best role.

Is this a real portrait of marriage or just a dated piece of the past ?

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The Crooked Way (1949)

4/10

Disappointing

7 February 2011

-- This film would seem to have all of the ingredients necessary for film noir, but I was disappointed.

The plot seems to have no sense of forward motion or suspense. The screenwriter doesn't seem to know what to do with the characters. The old ploy of amnesia is used here. Then, John Payne just happens to bump into someone who knows him on his arrival at the L.A. train station ! Immediate coincidence.

I also thought the ending was forced, after many dark happenings up to then.

One bright spot is the performance of Sonny Tufts. I've never seen him so tough & scary. And when he is trapped, he shows many different emotions as he deals with the tense situation.

I had never heard of Ellen Drew, but she is photographed here at the height of her beauty.

--

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Cash (2008)

8/10

Double-cross film about double-dealers has panache

20 December 2008

A scam is afoot, but then there is a double-cross, triple-cross, quadruple-cross, etc. I found the film enjoyable, parts of it filmed inside some very posh hotels that you usually don't see in films.

Also, there are the Extremely Attractive three lead actors, very easy on the eyes.

Some of the critical reviewers seem to have been expecting Citizen Kane, which of course it isn't. But it's fun to try to differentiate the good guys from the bad guys. You won't be bored !

French films in the past have gotten a bad rap accused of being too "arty". This is certainly not true of this offering, whose purpose is only to entertain. Enjoy !

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My Son John (1952)

4/10

Film with an agenda, but still, it has some good moments.

21 October 2007

Warning: Spoilers

I saw this film when it appeared on Canadian TV some years ago. Yes, it has an agenda which seemed to really bother most reviewers, but it is worth preserving and seeing for a really wonderful performance by Helen Hayes, the best that I've seen from her. We feel her pain as she suspects, then has her suspicions gradually confirmed, that her son is a Communist spy. I also liked the performances of Van Heflin & Dean Jagger.

The ending is laughable, and there are some really clunky insertions of Robert Walker taken from Strangers on a Train. There is even one telephone scene using an actor who obviously is NOT Robert Walker.

One can't help wondering how this film would have turned out if Walker had not died in the middle of production. But still, someone, maybe Criterion, will put this one out on DVD to satisfy film buffs.

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Le coeur des hommes (2003)

9/10

Interesting & realistic study of male friendships

19 December 2006

I completely disagree with pvsp in his review. This film examines four forty-year old males and their relationships with women & with each other. As such, it is in turn, strong, profane, comic, & even moving. The plot is the kind I like--impossible to predict and feels very, very real.

Most of the actors were unfamiliar to me, but they hit the mark every time. In particular, there is Bernard Campan (he plays the husband whose wife is unfaithful to him) who turns in a subtle, nuanced performance.

Only criticism I would have is that, since each of the men has relationships with two women, it's hard to keep the female characters straight in one's mind. But that's a small caveat.

I know I'm not the only person to feel positive towards this film, as they are currently filming a sequel in Paris !

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Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School (2005)

1/10

Terrible Movie

10 July 2006

Warning: Spoilers

Do you like long, slow, artsy-fartsy movies with lots of black & white flashbacks that go on forever ? Then you'll love this one.

There are some good actors here, but this film represents their worst work. John Goodman's performance, as an accident victim, is lost. He looks about twice as obese as I remember him, and his face crowds the screen.

Frankly, I couldn't get through it, and Donna Grayson's previous comments are completely inexplicable. She must have been involved in the production and is trying to beat the dead horse of promoting the film.

Avoid this film like the plague, and you'll be a much happier person.

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Moody Beach (1990)

Boy, does the title explain everything about this film.

8 September 2005

Two French people meet at a beach house. They look longingly at each other, they create long pauses, they say next to nothing, they play mind games. In short, they behave like no other people you're likely to have run into.

The beach is beautiful, but this film takes itself much too seriously ! There is really no plot, other than what I have mentioned. The two actors are attractive enough, but they don't engage the viewer. And one fails to understand what they see in each other.

There is a beach, and, boy, is the film moody. Luckily this movie is NOT available on VHS or DVD. You really have more important things to do with your time.

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