Movies
Elevator to the Gallows
A very personal film from Louis Malle, based on his own experiences during the war. It adds a bit of gravity to the film, even so the drama remains somewhat meandering, and the styling isn't all that remarkable. People who love a good war drama will probably get more out of this one. During the German occupation of France, a young boy is sent to boarding school. At first, he doesn't want to leave his family, but after a while he finds himself a close friend, Jean. The problem is that Jean is of Jewish descent, though few people are aware of this. The two grow closer, but the threat of the Germans remains. The performances are decent, the build-up is nice enough and the drama is okay. I need more from a film though and Malle simply didn't seem to care about the rest. The drab cinematography and basic soundtrack don't do the film any favors. Not terrible, but this could've been a lot better.Read all
Louis Malle's little trip to the US isn't very exciting. Usually it's pretty interesting when a foreign director shows his take on a country not his own, but Atlantic City felt like a pretty basic US 70s crime flick to me. Draw colors and dreary, unappealing characters sleaze their way through the titular city. Susan moves away from her drug-dealing husband to start a new life in Atlantic City. She finds a job in a casino, but her husband tracks her down and weasels his way back into her life, hoping to make a big score. Susan gets help from an old neighbor, an old, petty criminal who pretends to be a big shot. Sarandon and Lancaster are rather poor leads, the drab cinematography doesn't do the film any favors and the plot isn't much to look at. If you're into this type of grayish 70s crime then it's probably a film worth seeking out, personally I think it's a pretty big step back from the other Malle film I've seen.Read all