Drama

  • Stuart Heisler – Among the Living (1941)

    Stuart Heisler2011-2020250 Quintessential Film NoirsDramaFilm NoirUSA

    A mentally unstable man, who has been kept in isolation for years, escapes and causes trouble for his identical twin brother.

    Letterboxd review
    ★★★½ Rewatched by DopeAssGhost 26 Aug 2019

    AMONG THE LIVING (1941)

    Casting shadows of Southern Gothic overtones and sending shivers of noir through the body, Among The Living is a mix of subgenres including social drama, suspense thriller, and even a bout of horror. It’s a short 67 minute black and white picture that offers a simplistic story- mentally unstable twin brother of an affluent man breaks out of his mansion room prison, kills a couple of people on the outside, and becomes manipulated by an attractive dame. It’s an enjoyable looking film that kept me entertained for the most part, but it doesn’t really have any impact in thematic scope or rewatchability. Plus besides a slightly suspenseful on-foot chase sequence, I didn’t really get any suspense vibes.Read More »

  • Halit Refig – Teyzem AKA My Aunt (1987)

    1981-1990DramaHalit RefigTurkey

    (warning: you may not want to read this review before watching film.)
    If I am not mistaken, the scenario of this film is based upon an award winning story from Cumhuriyet,a prestigious paper in Turkey.Teyzem( My maternal aunt) is a very sentimental and successfully- managed story of relation between a young aunt in Istanbul and her nephew coming to the city to visit her and his grandparents.The aunt and her nephew, Baris,manage to construct a sound and secret friendship and alliance amongst each others during summer holiday and arrange visits to the former’s boyfriend who is a handsome guitarist in a local band. Noone in the family is aware of these secret visits.In the film, the audience is given opportunity to observe daily life of an Istanbul family making his way through a very moderate economic resources.For grandparents, nothing could be more important than their daughter’s eventual marriage with a decent man.Read More »

  • Rudolf Jugert – Kennwort… Reiher (1964)

    1961-1970DramaGermanyRudolf JugertWar

    Film Synopsis:
    France 1944: American pilot Philip Sturgess is shot down but found by a resistance group. In the neighborhood Sturgess meets another American and shortly thereafter the British Major Barton, called “Reiher”. He claims to have fled a German prison camp. Shortly before leaving for Spain to escape the Nazis, Sturgess discovers that Barton has written a letter to Germany. This confirms the suspicion that he could be a German spy…Read More »

  • Anthony Mann – Strange Impersonation (1946)

    Anthony Mann1941-1950DramaFilm NoirUSA

    Quote:
    A research scientist conducting experiments on a new anaesthetic finds herself being blackmailed by a women she accidentally knocked down with her car; the woman wasn’t hurt, but a scheming attorney has convinced her she can get a lot of money for the “accident.” Meanwhile, the scientist’s research assistant, who is in love with her boss’ boyfriend, arranges for an explosion in the laboratory that disfigures the scientist’s face, in order to take the boyfriend away from her. The scientist has plastic surgery to make her look like the woman who tried to blackmail her – who while struggling with the scientist fell out of a window and was killed – and determines to get back her boyfriend and punish her scheming assistant.Read More »

  • Annette K. Olesen – Lille soldat AKA Little Soldier (2008)

    Annette K. Olesen2001-2010DenmarkDrama

    Quote:
    A soldier returning from war is hired by her own father to drive his prostitutes around town. She calls upon herself to help one of them.Read More »

  • Eugen York – Das Fräulein von Scuderi AKA The Young Woman of Scuderi (1955)

    1951-1960ClassicsDramaEugen YorkGermany

    The setting is Paris under the reign of Louis XIV, the Roi Soleil. Cardillac, a goldsmith, is rightly regarded as a master of his craft. His pieces of jewellery are first-class works of art and so he has great difficulty parting from them, especially because he knows that one precious piece is only the price the beaux and gallants at the royal court have to pay for one amorous night with an aristocratic Lady. Whenever the goldsmith fails to talk a customer out of buying a piece, he waylays him in the dark of night… Cardillac is a merciless killer. The hopes of the lovers dashing off to their rendezvous are thoroughly disappointed: Instead of finding their way into their sweetheart’s arms, they end up stabbed to death by a goldsmith pathologically hankering after his own jewellery. Read More »

  • Álvaro Gurrea – Mbah Jhiwo AKA Ancient Soul (2021)

    2021-2030Álvaro GurreaDramaSpain

    Yono is a sulphur miner living in eastern Java. One day, his wife Oliv leaves him, and he tries to get her back.Read More »

  • Robert Siodmak – Deported (1950)

    Robert Siodmak1941-1950CrimeDramaUSA

    An American gangster sent back to his home country falls in love with a widowed countess.

    Letterboxd review
    ★★★½ Watched by Reza Said 04 Sep 2021

    Deported (Robert Siodmak, 1950) 7/10

    Atmospheric B-movie is very loosely based on events in the life of Lucky Luciano. An Italian-American gangster (Jeff Chandler) is deported to Italy after spending five years in jail for a robbery in New York. The tough, cynical man finds that the local people in his village look up to him, the street urchins love him and the local Countess (Märta Torén), a widow, is enamoured of him and likes his company. A local cop (Claude Dauphin) is suspicious and lies await for the crook to get the stolen loot across from America. Siodmak, back in Europe after many years in Hollywood, creates an interesting little film which also turns out to be an Italian travelogue with scenes shot by the great William Daniels in Naples, Siena and Tuscany. There is great chemistry between Chandler and Märta Torén while lovely Marina Berti adds to the local colour.Read More »

  • Various – City Life (1990)

    Various1981-1990ArgentinaDocumentaryDrama

    Synopsis:
    A kaleidoscopic panorama of the world. A visual anthology of twelve short stories by twelve innovative directors from all over the world.Read More »

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