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Reviews
The Paradine Case (1947)
Paradine , An Outline
Disclaimer' Any relation to 'Body of Evidence' is purely coincidental
Highly successful London barrister Anthony Keane (Gregory Peck)takes on the case of Italian Maddalena Paradine (Alida Valli) who is accused of poisoning her blind military hero husband. Keane Starts by defending her but becomes increasingly bewitched by her, threatening both his marriage and his career. As as details in the case come to light ,Madame Paradines Veil begins to slip for all but her Champion , Her Lawyer We have at least two love triangles in this film, and they not as obvious as you may think.
This is the Final Collaboration between Hitchcock and meddlesome Producer David O Selznick Who Brought him to America and Helped Create his first major American Film Rebecca , After The contract Expired with Paradine Hitchcock gained Creative Freedom of shorts and went on to experiment with new styles of editing such as in 'Rope" and "under Capricorn"Hitchcock also pioneers the use of multiple cameras with live action almost a forerunner to what Television would do in Studios some Years later
Paradine was Considered in the "lesser Category" of the Cannon of Hitchcock However it does showcase his technique and the Entered of Louis Jordan is till one of the most startling is Cinema History. Gregory peck Plays Another Lawer, who's sexual frustration begins upon meeting the Beautiful Mrs Paradine Joan Tetzel Plays an Interesting role of the sudo lesbian Daughter of A Solicitor who dosn't wont the Market woman to hang as she "hates breaking pretty things" Louis Jordan Plays the Anti social Woman Hating Vallet of the Murdered Mr Paradine Ann Todd aka Mrs David Lean as the Long Suffering 'Good Wife' Perhaps the Suspended Belief that Gregory Peck would Sacrifice everything for a Woman he had not even kissed seems a little slim, However as a Vehicle Created for the Mystique of Greta Garbo (who was offered the role first ) it may be been slightly more believable She Turned it Down after another film role Famously saying "No Mommies No Murderesses" ,Alida Valli Stills holds the attention of the Audience as the Mysterious Manipulative Passive Aggressive Madame Paradine , if you ever wondered what 'Rececca' may have been like in the flesh and why she seems to capture the hearts of Woman and Men give Mrs Paradine a look.
As well as a resemble to Mrs Paradine Gorgeous Music of Franz Waxman which dominated the film of Rebecca Suffocated the Paradine case in wonder and Mystery
Its is to be appreciated for the things which Hitchcock alone brings to the film even in the little scenes that make this a very engaging film to watch
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927)
The First Benchmark
At Age 27 after three films (two of which are lost, the other, witch was "The Pleasure Garden") Hitchcock Culminated his first seminal quintessential film ,it was raised in the schools or Berlin and Was hailed as the Greatest British Picture Ever Made at the time, Its A theme He would Return to many years later in Frenzy made outside the golden age of his successes in Hollywood.
It was Hitchcock first major Success and one of two films in the 20's (the other was "Blackmail") that gave him an enormous reputation , It offers a possible explanation for"Jack the Ripper" and shows the beginning of many Hitchcock trademarks such as the Wrong Man on the run, fetishistic sexuality and murder, Death and Pleasure, In the Dark Thick Fog, London is awash with fear and loathing over a serial sex murder known as "The Avenger" who targets Blond Woman in particular and leaves their warm corpse lying in the street ,He always strikes on a Tuesday, his Face is covered, and Leaves his calling card always tucked away in the victims pocket, On a Tuesday night Daisy Bunting(June Tipp) a Model comes home to her little flat she shares with her family, her boyfriend(Malcolm Keen) the local chief of police is there boasting how he's going to catch the"avenger killer while flipping a coin in the air, Suddenly the Gas meter switches off and while Daisys Father (Arthur Chesney) goes to insert another coin in , The house goes dark All of A sudden their is a knock on the Door and Mrs Bunting (Played beautifully by Marie Ault) Opens the Door to a pall faced Tall man with his face Covered (Ivor Novello) inquiring about the room for let upstairs,The Pale Antisocial Asexual Unnamed man begins his association with the family and starts More trouble than they can possibility imagine, especially when we seems to take Interest in Daisy who Just Happens to be Fair Haired.Suspicion Falls upon the odd Introvert and coincidence seems to follow fact as Tuesday Night Comes Around Again and another scream is heard in the Depths of the London Fog.
Fritz Langs film work work particularly "M" (a film about a child molester and Serial Murderer) made a profound impression on the Work of Hitchcock .It would be a strange coincidence that in his Last American Film Friz Lang Would Pay Homage to him in "Beyond Reasonable Doubt" This film has all the trademarks of the latter Hitchcock s films and is greatly enhanced by the great use of film montage of German Expressionist Films to which Hitchcock learned his trade and made a point of his style This Film has been Remade four times as recently as 2009 and the second even starred Novello himself however there's is no comparison There are some who say Hitchcock was always a bit of a silent film director with his use of great lengthy scenes without dialogue, and if you watch this u can see why everything in the stories plot comes across clear as a bell its not a dodgy DW Griffith with too much montage to millions of Credit cards to Tell you whats happening, you can see exactly whats going on, you can tell when something horrible is going to happen to the sweet blond victim , and you are given that same 'suspend belief' that's in all the Great Hitchcock Films of his Golden Period .
Its a Silent film but as the voyeur you can still see everything that goes on you are looking through a crack in the floor of a second story apartment at a "Killer" Passing above your head waiting to strike,
Three Blind Mice (2008)
A Review
Three Blind Mice is the directorial debut of Matthew Newton , and covers 24 hours in the Lives of three young Navy officers on shore leave, Sounds familiar? Well Its not, No Gene Kelly or Frank Sinatra to be found, The film delves well into dark territory of Navy bastardization and friendship.not since before the Director George Marshall who brought us Destry Rides Again ,The Blue Dahlia and The Forest Rangers (especially) have we seen such an effortless sway between Comedy and Dire Tragedy ,This was like watching 'On the Town" with out the singing and dancing , having your guts wrenched out and a moment later being wildly tickled by them to the point of hysteria.Starring Ewen Leslie (Kokada),Toby Schmitz (Somersault) and as well as directing Matthew Newton ("Changi" and Looking for Alibrandi) as the seemingly fearless Three traveling through the slings and arrows of Outrages Fortune ,involving prostitutes, Swinging Middle aged future Parents Inlaw, and broken bady parts, But aside from this it deals with the darker subject matter of friendship after abuse, alla "the Kite runner' emotional self sacrifice, redemption through acceptance, and maybe Love? This is not a Taratino humor nor a Melinda and Melinda,,its anxious rollercoster ride of fear, and humor that can change in a wink of an eye and still really work. Cast also Includes Gracie Otto as the leading love interest throughout the film,who shines in every scene with a script that rips through the likes of 'Network' and seems more spontaneous,(she also edited this film),Brendan Cowell, as a side of the armed forces we are not willing to acknowledge, Pia Miranda as the shirrty fiancée,Alex Dimitriades (Head On), Marcus Grahem( "Underbelly" and Mulholland Dr. ,Jacki Weaver (Picnic at Hanging Rock) Barry Otto( Strictly Ballroom)and the Great,Charles 'Bud' Tingwell ( Murder She Said, and 'Breaker' Morant) and inhabits a Musical score by John Foreman.Everyone you can think of was here and aside from the three blokes have their own moment to shine. A stella cast (Aside from the absence of Jack Thompson and Noni Hazelhurst)all take their turn to make bloody good Cinema, Aside from 'the Black Balloon' this is one of the best Australian films to be received this year if not the last 5 years,. I have to assure , I didn't not watch and review this film on the basis of its 'lineage' because , its made by the son of 'this person' or the daughter of 'that person', its better than most American films I've seen this year.This film needs to be seen overseas ,it maybe set in Australia, but these things could happen , and have happened everywhere. After you have seem it you wont be crying and you wont be laughing, but you will feel Different, and better for it.