Movies
This is only my second Reed. And though it's been ages since I watched The Third Man, the atmospheric night scenes are instantly recognizable. It's a shame the runtime, the basic plot, and the endless dialogues get in the way of a moody thriller, then again those are the tropes of the genre, so they come with the territory. Johnny is an IRA leader who is wounded during a robbery. The authorities are on to him and they close down the city. Johnny has to hide, but he can't stay long in one place, as the police are vigilantly combing down the city. Meanwhile, his girlfriend goes looking for him after she hears Johnny is still around. The acting is pretty poor, the plot isn't all that interesting and two hours is simply too long for a film like this. The contrast-heavy black-and-white cinematography is pleasant though, which at least kept me interested throughout. It just wasn't enough to turn this isn't a pleasant experience.Read all
There are musicals, and then there are musicals about kids. This rather lengthy adaptation of Oliver Twist falls in the latter category, and it's not one where I can name any film that has appealed to me, in any way. So yeah, I wasn't too surprised when I ended up not caring for it at all. I'm not familiar with the original story, but from what I understand they changed very little here. Twist is an orphan who is sold to a mortician. He flees to London and joins a gang of young pickpockets. He gets lucky and meets an elderly gentleman who decides to take him in, but his former friends get jealous. The songs are absolutely horrendous, the performances are well over-the-top and while effort and money went into the cinematography and staging, it didn't do anything for me. At 150 minutes long, it was a real drag to sit through. I'm sure there's an audience for this kind of thing, but I'm clearly not part of it.Read all
Another Reed noir. These old British films can feel a bit crusty, The Fallen Idol is no exception. For a film that tries to have a darker edge, it's all a bit too prim and proper, which makes for a somewhat awkward vibe. It's a shame, as Reed is capable of a little visual refinement, which goes to waste that way. Philippe is a young boy in awe of his Butler, Baines. The Butler becomes a suspect when his wife accidentally falls to her death, Philippe wants to help him but only arises more suspicion when he tries to fool the police. But then Philippe too begins to doubt the good intentions of his lifelong pal. The performances are dire, the plot is a pretty big drag and even though the film only lasts 90 minutes, it felt almost twice as long. The cinematography is the only perk here, but the rich detail and fine framing don't do much to elevate the whole. Not Reed's best film, but not the worst noir I've seen either.Read all