Caught (1949)

  'Caught' is a 1949 film directed by Max Ophuls.

  Leonora Eames has dreamed all her life to become a lady married to a rich man. She has learnt etiquette in charm school to pursue her dream. When she meets millionaire Smith Ohlrig, she tries to marry him. When he does, she spends most of the day alone in the mansion waiting for him to come home. He believes she is money obsessed, and didn't  marry him because she loved him. Leonora escapes to a small flat, and gets a job as a secretary for doctor Larry Quinad. They fall in love, and she falls pregnant with Smith's baby.

  German born director Ophuls, is known for his German and French films 'Lola Montes' and 'The Earrings of Madame de...'. I had no idea he went to America and made three Film Noirs ('Caught', 'Letter from an Unknown Woman' and 'The Reckless Moment'). I would consider 'Caught' a romance that gradually turns into a thriller.

  I was pleasantly surprised with this film. I saw it because Empire Magazine gave it five stars, and had low expectations. They were surpassed in the first five minutes. This is the highlight of my most hated genre, the 1930-40s American Romance. The story was basic, and the cinematography was nothing particularly good, leaving the film dependant on the acting.

  The lead is played by 'Vertigo' actress Barbara Bel Geddes. She plays the sweet Leonora with perfection. I found James Mason ('Lolita') to be the best actor, with his clear British accent and friendly personality. Robert Ryan ('The Wild Bunch') plays insane effectively as Larry Quinad. The three of them, create a riveting film, with passionate acting and great characters.

  The most unusual aspect of this film is the ending. (SPOILER 1)

TO CONCLUDE
An unexpected good film. It's nothing phenomenal, but it is an effective watch.

SCORE
77

SPOILER 1 (highlight)--> Leonora gives birth prematurely, but smiles as if this is a good thing. This was a very unsettling scene, especially for 1949.<--

Stardust Memories (1980)

  'Stardust Memories' is a 1980 film directed by and starring Woody Allen.

  Sandy Bates (Woody Allen) is a famous movie director and comic in his 30s, going through an existential crisis. He has just made a film, which the studio heads want to recut, he is going through a bad patch with his wife Dorrie (Charlotte Rampling) and thinks of starting with his new lover Isobel (Marie-Christine Barrault). He attends a weekend retrospective of his films, where he questions his existence, recalls his love with Dorrie and remembers his past.

  Woody Allen has made many great films ('Love and Death', 'Purple Rose of Cairo') and many bad films (Celebrity), the weird thing is, is that everyone has different choices. Both me and my father, both hated Annie Hall and Manhattan, his two most loved films. I guarantee if everyone made a top 10, they would all be completely different. So if I give my opinion on 'Stardust Memories', it may not be yours (half the audience love it, the other half think it's pretentious and boring).

  This is about as good as 'Purple Rose of Cairo'. The story is often confusing, as there are flashbacks, flash-forwards and fantasies all intertwined with Allen's comedy. Everyone says "I prefer his early funny ones", but I think the 80s was his best period. The funniest parts of the film are when the character say this to Bates, breaking the fourth wall slightly. Allen plays Bates but Bates is Allen. He is autobiographically reflecting on his own life and his daily struggles, in an incredibly clever way.

  Allen is Bergman's biggest fan, and some of the themes match 'Wild Strawberries' (remembering youth), but the main inspiration was '8 1/2' (or should I say "Homage? No, we stole the idea outright!"). The characters in the foreground and background, the crisp black and white cinematography, the music at the UFO party. The story is depressing but Woody Allen's humour had me laughing all the way.

"I took a course in existential philosophy. On the final, they gave me ten questions. I couldn't answer a single one of em. I left them all blank. I got a hundred".

  The confusing story is a problem, and the first five minutes is the best part of the film... But I don't care. It's genius in every way. Visually beautiful, plenty of funny jokes and a storyline which makes you think.

TO CONCLUDE
Funny, philosophical and fantastic. 8.5 out of ten (well... almost).

SCORE
81