mikrift Reviews

Murder on Monday (1952)

Slow starter

[7/10 · 20 August 2023]

Very slow to gain momentum, but once it does it chugs along at an acceptable pace. Richardson may be an impeccable Shakespearean actor, but on the big screen he is far less convincing. Leighton excels as the dutiful wife who will do anything for her suffering husband. Of course we laugh at those traits in this modern age of feminism, but what a comfort dutiful wives must have been for men of that era. The plot is very predictable and somewhat rigid given the base cause: (amnesia), but it is handled very well by the direction of Richardson that you could be excused for mistaking it for a Hitchcock movie. All in all, an enjoyable film.

Arabian Nights (1942)

Ahead of its time technically

[5/10 · 3 July 2023]

Excellent camera work, colour and photography is what stands out in this film that is way ahead of its time technically. Some Hitchcock movies decades later provided the same fil clarity and detail which makes watching the film that much enjoyable. The Cecil B DeMillesque spectacle of hundreds/ thousands on horseback charging at each other provides some exciting action which is a wonder to behold. Apart from Maria Montez and Richard Lane providing the glamour to keep you interested, the story line does not seem to better a children's Saturday morning half-hour drama syndication. A movie you can watch with your brain in neutral.

Burnt Offerings (1976)

Teases expectations...

[1/10 · 30 June 2023]

... but disappoints dismally when it comes to the crunch. A slow moving story of little substance or direction. Essentially, whoever did the casting for this film did not have a clue. Oliver Reed and Bette Davis? Come on! No wonder (according to Imdb trivia) Bette Davis thought Oliver Reed was the most loathsome person she has ever known. Many people would concur with her. Bette Davis was not at her best in this production, perhaps due to her age and prolific smoking. About the only impression one gets from her role is an iconic movie star being relegated to less than a supporting actor. Karen Black was not very convincing in her role, but then who could have made anything memorable with this production?

Pink String and Sealing Wax (1945)

Withers at her very best

[10/10 · 21 April 2023]

Having read the reviews below, I think this film has received short shrift from the reviewers, so I give it a 10 because I was totally won over by the suspense. Perhaps it is because the reviewers did not get too immersed in the story line as Hamer intended or that they had preconceived notions about the actors as indicated by their unfair criticisms. I thought the actors held up pretty well in their roles, totally compelling and the dialogue highly entertaining. In particular Googie Withers who I felt gave her best appearance worthy of an Oscar were she to qualify. Jean Ireland and Sally Ann Howes provided the lighter side of the drama counterbalanced by the religious fanaticism of Mervyn Johns as the strict patriarch. All in all I found the film very absorbing and at times even riveting.

Gilda (1946)

Misogynistic and tedious

[3/10 · 10 April 2023]

This film is all about Rita Hayworth as a star, a glossy advert for the glamour and beauty of the person she is. Not to say that she was not worth it. She was one of the most beautiful stars to come out of Hollywood at any time. No wonder it set her career rolling. By modern standards, it could be considered a very misogynistic film with all the mental cruelty and bullying Gilda was exposed to. Not much depth to the story either as the plot becomes more predictable. In many respects, the plot harks back to Casablanca, ie, the night club manager, the obsessive and unrequited love, the role of the German baddies. Glen Ford is at his best in this film.

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Never a dull moment

[10/10 · 24 December 2021]

Quite simply, one of the very best musicals to ever come out of Hollywood. The characters, the comedy timing, the costumes are tuned to perfection that make this title a joy to watch. If ever there was a fitting example of "they don't make them the same as they used to", this movie is it. Enjoy.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

One of the greatest romantic films ever made

[10/10 · 17 November 2021]

This has been one of my favourite films of all time. The chemistry between the delectable Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison is a pleasure to watch. The villainy of George Sanders adds a touch of evil to the storyline and Natalie Wood here reminds us what a charming little child star she was. Its a lovely jaunt into fantasy land and you cant help but feel the depth of love between Mrs Muir and her ghostly partner.

Finding Your Feet (2017)

A very British film

[9/10 · 16 November 2021]

Yes, totally agree that you have to be British, or at least familiar with English nuances and the English way of life to appreciate this film. You may also need to be over 50. Once there, you cannot fail to be entertained and/ or saddened with its roller coaster ride. A moving storyline, very well acted with more twists and turns than an Alpine highway. Highly recommended.

House of Strangers (1949)

One of the all time greats

[10/10 · 26 September 2021]

A powerful film that'll keep you enthralled every step of the way. EG Robinson is great as the ever controlling patriarch, he deserved an Oscar for his part. Its depiction of an Italian American family in NY is spot on and its little observations of sibling rivalry speaks volumes. Do give it a try, a much more profound screenplay than any modern movie can provide.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Annoying silences and sounds

[2/10 · 26 September 2021]

The film is ahead of its time, yes. The spacecrafts' control panels are reminiscent of today's jet airliners. But the film has many annoying quirks. The ape sequence at the beginning is repetitive and has the air of a children's pantomime. Its like Kubrik discovered a bunch of ape suits in the props department and couldn't get enough of photographing them. The numerous screen blackouts and the accompanying sounds are so annoying, so much so that they make the audience lose interest. It looks and feels like Kubrik is seeking artistic indulgence; ie we would allow him any quirks. The heavy breathing by the astronauts that goes on and on and on. I guess in the late 60's that would seem compelling but 50 years later? Nothing more than a boring flick.

Inside Job (2010)

A warning from History

[8/10 · 10 April 2020]

The film starts off with the plight of Iceland, a seemingly social and economic utopia that got sucked into the whirlpool of global economic chaos. Just one small ripple of the 2008 financial apocalypse. What impacted me most in the film is how corrupt the system was, and more than likely, still is; from top executives in governments and international institutions down to the lowest investment journalist pedalling fake stock buy advice, greed was the operative word, everything for sale and the devil may care. The sky's the limit, literally, considering corporate business-jet fleets as an indication of OTT budgets .

When the chairman of the federal reserve for close on to 20 years, Alan Greenspan, the man who called the tune for Wall St., fiscal spending and monetary policy is directly implicated in corruption (with impunity, but that's neither here nor there) then you know that this more closely resembles organized crime than a functioning financial system. Greenspan liberalised the markets giving banks carte blanche to gamble depositors' money and borrow without limits. Deregulation was unfettered system designed from the ground up to reward hierarchal financial excesses until it met its own, inevitable sticky dead end. We must understand that the film is not a witch hunt, it is a chronicle of endemic malpractices in the world economy.. these facts are undisputed because of convictions, media reports and congressional hearings etc. The film merely set out to catalogue them, albeit in a jumbled way. So, given these documented facts, its hard to accuse the film makers of promoting any agenda other than a warning from history.