Movie Review - The Long Memory

The Long Memory

1953

The Cast

The one thing Phillip Davidson (Mills) does wrong is fall in love.  On the night he decides to ask Fay's (Sellars) father for her hand he's in the middle of conducting some illicit business; that of smuggling a criminal out of England.  Mobster, Boyd (Chandos), who is funding the criminal's escape takes umbrage at the disrespect the criminal shows him.  Lashing out with a poker he strikes and kills him.  Davidson tries to stop Boyd's rampage and in the fight the boat catches fire.  The lifeboatmen pick up Davidson after he jumps off the boat, aflame.  Unfortunately, the survivors change their story so they won't be jailed for trafficking.  They all confirm there was no criminal onboard and that it was Davidson who struck and killed Boyd.  Davidson is jailed for twelve years.  Upon his release, he sets out for revenge on those who took those years away from him.

What stands out the most is the atmospheric and beautifully shot camera work.  Director, Hamer works well with black and white film.  The sequence where the freed Davidson steps off the train and is followed by a plain-clothed policeman is one of the most atmospheric I've seen.  It's brilliant.  Hamer sets the pace slow and this adds to the feeling of despair and loneliness, which oozes off the screen.  There's a bleakness that starts at this point and permeates most of the picture.  He is also very good at using the locations to add to the atmosphere...  The lone hotel, near derelict, on a sandy beach road... the wooden slatted cafe for the seamen and fishermen... the three beached barges slowly rotting.  He's also very adept at the iconic shot, such as a couple of shots of London Bridge.  And, especially the sequence where Davidson finally gets to Pewsey (Slater).  The entire thing is exquisitely structured and choreographed, though, it's the scene where Pewsey looks through the letterbox to see Davidson waiting in a doorway that holds the most power.  I never thought of Mills' as a tough guy or a hard man but when I watched this scene I thought, now that's somebody I wouldn't mess with.  Perfect acting with perfect direction makes a perfect scene.

Though Mills' is an outstanding actor, which he proves here, there are a few times when it gets just too melodramatic, in a soap opera way.  Luckily enough, this only becomes overpowering towards the latter part of the movie.  It does detract from the film's power, though I can forgive that because there are so many better acting sets within the film.

All the actors are good within their roles and there's even an eccentric hermit, Jackson, to keep it interesting.  One strange character is alright, because they are out there, and Michael Martin Harvey does a fantastic portrayal.  He doesn't go overboard and this makes the man more real to the viewer.  Even the lesser characters are full and rounded.  Take Mrs Pewsey (Hird), even though her husband has run off with a trollop, she still goes round to the trollop's house to warn him of Davidson's return.  While she's there, she takes care of him because he always gets a chest cold at this time of year.  Well thought out, written, acted and directed.  These little things only add interest to the viewer, add realism and strength to both the story and the film.

Then there's the story.  Though it's a revenge tale there's an added depth to even that.  When Davidson finally meets his first love, Fay, after his release he realises his perspective and feelings have altered.  This is a sobering, sad, and profound realisation.

I have to admit this has now made it onto my expanding favourite flicks list and I would recommend this to all thriller fans, revenge freaks, crime story lovers and drama aficionados everywhere.  Also, if you're a budding filmmaker, you could do worse than checking this out.

I give this Bleak Midwinter a Revengeful 7.5 out of 10.

The Trailer

Movie Review - Mr Holmes

Mr Holmes

2015

The Cast

Sherlock Holmes has been retired for thirty years.  Upon finally reading Dr John Watson's stories for the first time along with watching a "Talking Picture" depicting his last adventure, Sherlock decides to write the truth about his last case.  Dr Watson had always been liberal with the facts, for entertainment's sake.  Though, the last case is niggling at Sherlock's deteriorating mind...  It must have been very important as it made him turn his back on the profession he loved.  Will there be enough time to get it all down on paper before his memory fails completely?

This is a nice "What If?" story.  Writer, Mitch Cullen (who wrote the novel) and screenplay writer Jeffrey Hatcher do no disservice to the character Arthur Conan Doyle created.  This is still the same Sherlock Holmes of the stories, though older, but maybe not wiser.  

Ian McKellen was a perfect choice for this aged character and he gives a brilliant portrayal.  Though it's Laura Linney who surprised me the most.  For me, she's never been a draw.  However, I am pleased to say that as Mrs Munro, Sherlock's housekeeper, she is great.  There was a slight moment when we first meet her and her accent slips into across between American and North Country.  However, this is only for a few seconds.  From there on in her accent is pretty good.  Not perfect, though, not bad.  One of my favourite scenes in the film is when Mrs Munro is discussing her late husband with her son, Roger (Parker).  When Roger asks her if she's good at making up stories, her reply and the look on her face, along with the pregnant pause, really does show a whole range of emotions in just a few scant seconds - very well done.  Milo Parker is a very strong actor who had to contend with working with a great cast, which he did seamlessly.  The director, Condon, did a great job of not letting the character of Roger steal the show, which could have easily happened.

Condon also does a fantastic job of filming.  Using camera shots to add atmosphere and show locations to their best advantage.  The part where Sherlock follows Anne Kelmot (Morahan) through London is a perfect example.  The scene at the train station where she makes a pay-off is one of my favourites in the film.  What with the steam filling the platforms and the shots looking between the moving carriages.  It really does set the scene well.

To be honest, I really couldn't find anything wrong with either the story or the film.  As I've said before, I am not a fan of flashbacks.  Though here they are used to tell Sherlock's last case as he tries to remember it and write it down.  Then you have the remembrances of Japan where Sherlock has recently been looking for a remedy to his failing memory.  These are expertly told and done in such a way that adds power and depth to the story... not confusion, which is the case with a lot of films.  In a lot of movies, flashbacks add a disjointed feeling to the pace and structure.  Luckily for the viewer, Condon is a master at weaving them into the story with seemingly effortless ease.

This film is a must-see for all Sherlock fans, Mystery Lovers, Thriller Fans, and Armchair Detectives everywhere.  This hasn't made it into my top ten movies, though I have to admit I'll watch it again... I may even consider buying a copy.

I give this retired detective a criminal rating of 8.25 out of 10.

The Trailer

Movie Review - The Debt

The Debt

2010

Production Companies:  Miramax, Marv Films, Pioneer Pictures

This cold war spy story takes place in two time periods - 1965 and 1997.  Three Mossad agents are sent into East Berlin to retrieve the Nazi war criminal.  However, things do not go according to plan.  The details of which have been repressed but are now threatening to break into the light and bring the agents and their mission into a very public eye.

If you like spy thrillers you may like this one, it is beautifully filmed though a tad on the slow side with a story which isn't as strong as the acting.

The writers do a great job with interweaving past with the present, especially where the secrets are concerned.  Having Rachel's daughter publishing a book about her and the mission at the time when things are starting to unravel is a brilliant idea, though I don't think it's fully utilised and expanded upon, because when the truth is revealed it will make her daughter look inexperienced as an investigative reporter.  This would have added greater depth and better characterisation of Helen Mirren's Rachel; which it needed.  There was enough space within the story to accomplish this as there are scenes which are too drawn out.  The ending is predictable and feels like it's been tagged on to give the story a happier ending.  To me, it felt like a cop out and once again showed the differences between the Rachel characters.

Another drawback is the secret itself.  I for one cannot understand why they didn't tell the truth, to begin with.  That way they could have just got on with rectifying the situation.  It was this thought that through the rest of the film out of balance by making it feel weak and pointless.

It was the acting, especially from the 1965 cast, which carried the story and the film.  Chastain's Rachel is an intelligent and strong individual; this, however, is not the case with Mirren's Rachel who doesn't appear to have these characteristics.  To be honest, only Wilkinson's and Csokas' Stephen Gold could be the same person.  These differences in the main characters slightly detracted me from the movie.

As for the direction, this could have been tighter at times to create an exciting atmosphere when needed and slower at other times to build suspense.  Unfortunately, the director opts for a steady pace, which at times, is too slow and verges on boring.  The locations are great and give the feel of the period, as does the lighting,  Along with some nicely thought out camera shots, it adds strength and atmosphere to the film.

I'd recommend this to all lovers of spy thrillers, though if you're new to the genre I wouldn't start with this film; it's not the best of its kind and may put you off watching other better spy thrillers.  That said, it is worth at least one watch.

Movie Review - Aurora Teagarden Mystery: A Bone To Pick

Aurora Teagarden Mystery

A Bone To Pick

2015

Lighthouse Pictures / Muse Entertainment Enterprises : The Hallmark Channel / Muse Distribution International

6.25 / 10

Being English, the title of this movie threw me at first... "The Aurora Teagarden" sounds like a place you would go for a nice cuppa cha while sitting in beautiful floral surroundings...  But no "Aurora Teagarden" is the name of the leading character - poor girl.

That aside, this is a good way to pass an hour and a half.  Aurora "Roe" Teagarden, played nicely by Candace Cameron Bure. is a member of a mystery group dedicated to "Real Murders".  One of the members, Jane Eagles (Barbara Wallace), invites Roe round to her house so she can borrow a book on female killers, as this had been her "Real Murder" discussion subject.  A few days later she learns of Jane's death and is surprised to find herself in the will as the beneficiary of her house.  It's when she finds the hidden human skull that a mystery starts to reveal itself to her... and her friends...

It's hard to say why I enjoyed this film because some things annoyed me, such as Lexa Doig's character, Sally Allison, who is grating on the nerve and at times I wondered why the two were friends, let alone besties.  This isn't Doig's fault though as she did a more than an admirable portrayal of a strong, independent, and intelligent woman on Andromeda.  But here, she's not such a likeable character.  Though that may be the strong point of this series as it's not relying on characterisations as much as others do in this genre; they're a little more like everyday people, rather than "feel-good" representations.

Another thing which was annoying was how simple the mystery was, I pretty much had it solved at the skull, as I would think most would since previous scenes are so heavy handed at giving you the clues.  I couldn't really believe that it took Roe so long to figure it out.  This is more like a Columbo movie as it's not really about the mystery it's more about the trip to get to the reveal.  At least there's still some mystery here, unlike Columbo.

All of the cast give a solid and equal performance and portray their characters well; none outshines any of the others.  Director Martin Wood does a nice job of keeping the pace steady throughout, which works well with this type and style of story.

If you like your characters to be more "normal" in your mystery movies then you will like this; if you don't mind about the easy solve mystery because you prefer the drama more then this will really be your cuppa cha'.  At least worth one viewing... on a wet and miserable day - English Summertime - when you can't make it out into the Teagarden.