Film Club

Watched this earlier on the magic lantern in the corner. Espionage story made and set in Berlin in the 60s. More Graham Greene/John leCarre than Ian Fleming. Probably more stylish than the former two though. Sharp suits. Smart, ladies. Cool cars. And some familiar faces as the bad guys. Slightly open ending.

And the cast included the stunning Senta Berger. An Austrian cross between Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn.

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0060880/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

Worth
8/10

Following the horrific 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, Congress appoints attorney and renowned mediator Kenneth Feinberg (Michael Keaton) to lead the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Assigned with allocating financial resources to the victims of the tragedy, Feinberg and his firm's head of operations, Camille Biros (Amy Ryan), face the impossible task of determining the worth of a life to help the families who had suffered incalculable losses. When Feinberg locks horns with Charles Wolf (Stanley Tucci), a community organizer mourning the death of his wife, his initial cynicism turns to compassion as he begins to learn the true human costs of the tragedy.

News of the World
7/10

Five years after the end of the Civil War, Capt. Jefferson Kyle Kidd crosses paths with a 10-year-old girl taken by the Kiowa people. Forced to return to her aunt and uncle, Kidd agrees to escort the child across the harsh and unforgiving plains of Texas. However, the long journey soon turns into a fight for survival as the traveling companions encounter danger at every turn -- both human and natural.

Despite its unfortunate title this has an Old school western feel about it and that’s no bad thing in my book.

Quoted from Sandford1981

News of the World
7/10

Five years after the end of the Civil War, Capt. Jefferson Kyle Kidd crosses paths with a 10-year-old girl taken by the Kiowa people. Forced to return to her aunt and uncle, Kidd agrees to escort the child across the harsh and unforgiving plains of Texas. However, the long journey soon turns into a fight for survival as the traveling companions encounter danger at every turn -- both human and natural.

Despite its unfortunate title this has an Old school western feel about it and that’s no bad thing in my book.

Sounds interesting. Must look it up.

I know you cut and pasted the summary and it’s obviously from a Yank site, but I’ve got to object to the use of the definite article before ‘civil war’. It was A civil war not THE civil war. The American Civil War. If you say THE Civil War to me it’s what happened here in the 1640s. 😆

(I am a sad patriotic, history geek.)

The Operative. Woman recruited by Israeli intelligence to work in Iran. Not your usual biff bash bosh car chase espionage* film. Lots of trade craft. Understated. Messy real life gets in the way. Very believable. Almost like it’s been written by someone who knows. The ending is open-ended/ambiguous. Just like life. Probably the best espionage film I’ve seen.

* you know it’s a serious film by the use of that word and not ‘spy’ 😎

Funnily enough, I'm watching spy films at the moment. Will give that one a look.

Pig. 7/10

Nicholas Cage plays a truffle hunter who lives alone in the woods and has to return to his past in the city when his truffle pig is stolen.

Sounds like it ought to be terrible as most films Cage is in these days are. But it doesn't pan out the way I thought it would and I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would.

It's downbeat and different.

I’ll see if I can sniff that one out Ginny

Just watched Turn the Key Softly.

The story of the first 24 hours of 3 women released from Holloway on the same day. Made in 1953. It features a young Joan Collins as tart without a heart. Good acting. Bittersweet. Lots of period character. Post-War London.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn_the_Key_Softly

Quoted from Sandford1981

I rewatched ‘Dead Man’s Shoes‘ last night. What a film, it is 1 of more favourite films so I am rather biased but 9/10.

A disaffected soldier returns to his hometown to get even with the thugs who brutalized his mentally-challenged brother years ago.

There is one particular scene that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Some of the dark humour is brilliant.

Shane Meadows and Paddy Considine are brilliant writers and directors.
Got me in the mood to dust off ‘A Room for Romeo Brass’.

Completely agree with you, Sandford - its absolutely brilliant