wisdom was never bought at so cheap a price

Average rating: 7.2

Unknown (2011) - "After a serious car accident in Berlin, Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) awakes to find his world in utter chaos. His wife (January Jones) does not recognize him; another man is using his identity, and mysterious assassins are hunting him. The authorities do not believe his claims, and he must go on the run alone. With an unlikely ally (Diane Kruger), Martin leaps into a perplexing situation that will force him to discover how far he is willing to go for the truth." 

length: 1h, 53m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Jaume Collet-Serra  |  why I watched: I'd seen it before (previously reviewed here) but couldn't recall a thing about it. Since I'd originally watched because one of my favorites (Sebastian Koch) is in it, I thought it important to see it again.

IMDb: 6.8/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 56% / 55% Audience  |  my IMDb: 5/10  |  MPAA: PG-13

tone & texture: somber, crisp & modern

notable quote: "I didn't forget everything. I remember how to kill you, asshole."

my notes: insanely convoluted and tied to convenient circumstances, this is an engaging suspense film until too many of the wheels come off. I wanted to like it. The cast is quite good. The story, though... it's like having a ball of yarn when you want a sweater.

    Roger Ebert's review is here, which is both structurally useful to explain my difficulties with this movie and also very funny. "At some point, a thriller has to play fair."

themes: identity, memory, chaos v. order

overall: only marginally recommended

 

Separate Tables (1958) - "Separate Tables unfolds within the faded dignity of a small seaside hotel in Bournemouth, where lives intersect not through grand events but through glances, pauses, and the fragile choreography of social survival. Each guest carries a private burden—regret, deception, loneliness, moral compromise—and the hotel becomes a kind of emotional terrarium, exposing how people construct identities to endure proximity with others. The film moves with restraint and compassion, revealing not explosive confrontations but slow unveilings, where humiliation and mercy coexist. Its emotional force lies in the quiet terror of being seen clearly, and the equally quiet grace of being accepted anyway." 

length: 1h, 40m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Delbert Mann  |  why I watched: this is a favorite, one that I seek out when I'm in an especially emotional mood (previously reviewed here)

IMDb: 7.3/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 68% / 76% Audience  |  my IMDb: 8/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: intimate, classic Hollywood polish

notable quote: "It'll do."

my notes: this is a movie about getting older (and how that can differ from "growing up"). Many cast members—particularly Rita Hayworth, Deborah Kerr, Wendy Hiller, and especially the magnificent David Niven—give terrifically vulnerable performances. Wonderful food for thought.

Academy Awards winner: Best actor (Niven); Best Supporting Actress (Hiller). 5x nominee  

themes: loss, identity, found family

overall: strongly recommended

Red Cliff II {Chi bi: Jue zhan tian xia} (2009) - "The great coalition stands at the edge of annihilation. After the uneasy alliance of southern warlords halts the northern juggernaut of Cao Cao, strategy rather than sheer force must decide the future of China. In Red Cliff II, alliances deepen, rivalries sharpen, and every decision—military or personal—ripples across the battlefield. As deception, sacrifice, and intellect converge in one of history’s most legendary campaigns, the film moves steadily toward the inferno of the Red Cliffs, where wind, fire, and human ingenuity combine to reshape an empire. John Woo completes his epic with spectacle grounded in character, turning the famous battle into a meditation on loyalty, trust, and the delicate art of winning without losing oneself." 

length: 2h, 22m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by John Woo  |  why I watched: I wanted a suitable film for Chinese New Year, and I'd recently seen the first in the set (reviewed here)

IMDb: 7.5/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A% / 82% Audience  |  my IMDb: 8/10  |  MPAA: Not rated

tone & texture: epic, high-color/stylized

notable quote: "I was wrong to scold you."

my notes: I have seen (and own) the separately packaged, edited-for-length, American version of the two Red Cliff films. There is also an international version that pairs the two original films (released a year apart) in their original structure. Taken together, this is a great movie: big, bold, intricately detailed but not bogged in meaningless detail (and with no facile explication, like modern US cinema seems to require). 

    There is no wrong note in the casting. Tony Leung Chiu-wai (Zhou Yu) and Takeshi Kaneshiro (Zhuge Liang) are the obvious draws, and each is masterful in his role. Zhou Yu is action, power, and skill, while Zhuge Liang is planning, strategy, and some mysticism. The other main characters are terrific as well: Fengi Zhang as deluded, power-mad Cao Cao; Wei Zhao as ingenious, strong, curious Sun Shangxiang (and Chang Chen as her over-protective brother, Sun Quan); and Shidô Nakamura as the unintentionally funny, grumpy Gan Xing. 

themes: sacrifice

overall: highly recommended

Barbary Coast (1935) - "In Gold Rush–era San Francisco, the notorious Barbary Coast thrives as a glittering enclave of gambling, music, and carefully managed lawlessness. Newly arrived from the East, a sharp-witted woman finds herself drawn into this world of card tables and smoky saloons, where the city’s most powerful man presides with charm, menace, and absolute control. As fortunes rise and loyalties shift, the line between opportunity and exploitation grows thin. This film offers a brisk, stylish look at a moment when San Francisco balanced precariously between frontier chaos and the coming order of modern city life." 

length: 1h, 31m  |  source: TubiTV  |  directed by Howard Hawks  |  why I watched: I was in the mood for something lighter, after the last few choices, and Joel McCrea is always a favorite

IMDb: 6.7/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 92% / 50% Audience  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: cynical, noir shadows

notable quote: "I like it when life's hidden; it gives you a chance to imagine nice things. Nicer than they are."

my notes: not exactly a Western, definitely not a romance, certainly not a crime story, this movie has elements of each. Miriam Hopkins is terrific as the heroine, Mary Rutledge. She reveals an interesting mix of almost innocent beauty, backbone, and intelligence. Edward G. Robinson revels in portraying the dastardly Luis Chamalis just at the edge of mustachio-twirling nonsense. And Joel McCrea is lovely, guileless, poetic and stubborn as Jim Carmichael. 

themes: chaos v. order, identity, love

Academy Award nominee 

overall:  recommended

 

The Missing: Series 1 (2014) - "A family vacation in rural France turns into every parent’s nightmare when a young boy disappears without a trace. The Missing [series 1] follows the years-long search that consumes his father, moving between the immediate aftermath and the lingering consequences that ripple through everyone involved. Patient, tense, and emotionally raw, the series builds its mystery piece by piece, revealing how time, grief, and obsession reshape lives while the truth remains just out of reach." 

length: the series is made up of eight 60-minute episodes  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Tom Shankland  |  why I watched: I am a fan of Tchéky Karyo's work, and his portrayal of the French detective Julien Baptiste is said to be terrific

IMDb: 8.1/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 93% / 90% Audience  |  my IMDb: 8/10 (based on episodes 1 and 2)  |  MPAA: TV-14

tone & texture: bleak, slow-build/atmospheric

my notes: I've only seen the first two episodes, so this review is incomplete. I'm watching the series in the old-fashioned way, one episode per week or two. It benefits from time in between, for sure. Less an action-thriller than a melancholy memory, it feels like a bruise that won't heal. So far, I know who the characters are, but not why they do what they do and certainly not how it's all going to turn out. It's easy to suspect nearly everyone of being somehow at fault. I intend to review this again when it's complete, before moving on to series 2.  

themes: memory

multiple awards wins and nominations including BAFTAs and Primetime Emmys 

overall:  recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Barbary Coast]

rock n' roll is ridiculous. It's absurd

More accurate than a Buzzfeed quiz; less accurate than your therapist’s raised eyebrow.🤨

 

🎶 What’s Your Go‑To ’90s Band?🎵

 

Not your favorite—your default, but the one that feels like home. Some bands aren’t nostalgia; they’re emotional infrastructure. Which one still hums in the background of your brain?

---

1. Your ideal ’90s weekend involved:

    A. Coffee and conversation

    B. A road trip

    C. Staring at the ceiling    

    D. Dancing badly

 

2. Your default emotional tone is:

    A. Wry

    B. Restless

    C. Introspective    

    D. Upbeat

 

3. Lyrics should primarily be:

    A. Smart

    B. Cathartic

    C. Moody    

    D. Fun

 

4. Your fashion sense leans:

    A. Casual-cool

    B. Practical

    C. Minimal    

    D. Expressive

 

5. You replay songs when they make you feel:

    A. Seen

    B. Unstuck

    C. Understood    

    D. Lighter

 

Results in the comments! 

 

[quiz generated by chatGPT; the title quotation is from Bono.]

if you're bored, I'll sleep with you

Average rating: 7.2

Okinawa Rendez-vous {Lian zhan Chong Cheng} (2000) - "A quiet, sunlit Japanese drama about two young people who drift into each other’s lives on the island of Okinawa, each carrying a private sadness and a sense of being slightly unmoored. Over the course of a brief encounter—part friendship, part emotional refuge—they share small moments of conversation, music, and wandering that gradually reveal what they’re running from and what they might still want. The film is less concerned with plot than with atmosphere: the softness of the seaside setting, the pauses between words, and the fragile comfort of connection when life feels suspended." 

length: 1h, 40m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Gordon Chan  |  why I watched: having seen so much of "little Tony," I decided to check out another side of "big Tony"

IMDb: 6.0/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: NA% / 28% Audience  |  my IMDb: 6/10  |  MPAA: Not Rated

tone & texture: reflective, soft & naturalistic

notable quote: "It's the same with me and my girlfriend. It's like the church & its followers. At first, I would be excited, wanting to go every day. As time passed, I only went on holidays & special occasions. The thing is, I find that I don't believe in this church anymore. "

my notes: marketed as a comedy in some places, this is actually a quiet, melancholy island interlude—lightly funny in passing, but primarily about loneliness and brief connection. I wanted to love it, but never really engaged, and a disappointing ending killed it for me.

themes: isolation

overall: marginally recommended

 

The Lady Vanishes (1938) - "A group of train travelers is delayed by an avalanche. Holed up in a hotel, young Iris (Margaret Lockwood) befriends elderly Miss Froy (Dame May Whitty). When the train resumes, Iris suffers a bout of unconsciousness and wakes to find the old woman has disappeared. The other passengers ominously deny Miss Froy ever existed, so Iris begins to investigate with another traveler (Michael Redgrave) and, as the pair sleuth, romantic sparks fly." 

length: 1h, 36m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Alfred Hitchcock  |  why I watched: it's been ages since I've seen it, and I never reviewed it - shocking! (previously mentioned here and here)

IMDb: 7.7/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 98% / 88% Audience  |  my IMDb: 8/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: energetic, classic Hollywood polish

notable quote: "'You're the most contemptible person I've ever met in all my life!'

    'Confidentially, I think you're a bit of a stinker, too.'"

my notes: it's a clever one, nice and twisty but not so complicated that the viewer cannot follow it. Margaret Lockwood is stunning, smart, and has wonderful timing. Michael Redgrave is light, wry, and thoughtful. 

    I particularly enjoyed Naunton Wayne and Basil Radford as fellow travelers Caldicott and Charters, the hapless and goofy pair who also appeared in Night Train to Munich (1940, reviewed here) and a few other movies. 

themes: loyalty

overall:  recommended

Bodyguards and Assassins {Shi yue wei cheng} (2009) - "This sprawling, heart-forward historical action epic set in 1905 Hong Kong gathers an unlikely coalition of ordinary citizens to protect revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen during a single, perilous day. What unfolds isn’t just a succession of fight sequences, but a mounting act of collective courage: rickshaw pullers, merchants, gamblers, and reluctant sons stepping into history, one by one. The film balances bone-crunching choreography with surprising tenderness, layering humor and warmth beneath a steady awareness that survival is not guaranteed. It’s long, earnest, and emotionally costly—an epic built not on mythic heroes, but on sacrifice." 

length: 2h, 19m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Teddy Chan  |  why I watched: I wanted something different, but that I knew was good (previously discussed here and especially here)

IMDb: 6.8/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 50% / 71% Audience  |  my IMDb: 9/10  |  MPAA: Not Rated

tone & texture: epic, textured/earthy

my notes: a deep movie, this one gains meaning each time I see it. This time, I was particularly struck by "the beggar man," Liu Yu-bai (played by Leon Lai), and especially by rickshaw puller Ah Si (Nicholas Tse). It's a film that tightens the screws scene by scene, until even its tenderness feels like a countdown.

themes: sacrifice

overall: highly recommended

Sin Takes a Holiday (1930) - "A young woman, Sylvia Brenner (Constance Bennett), abruptly walks away from her job and drab circumstances and decides she will no longer settle for crumbs—socially, romantically, or financially. She reinvents herself, enters high society, and essentially experiments with being 'kept' on her own terms. The film follows her maneuvering through wealthy men, status games, and romantic entanglements as she tests whether independence and security can coexist." 

length: 1h, 21m  |  source: TubiTV  |  directed by Paul E Stein  |  why I watched: headache makes mysterious choices

IMDb: 6.2/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: NA% / 54% Audience  |  my IMDb: 5/10  |  MPAA: Passed

tone & texture: wry, classic Hollywood polish

notable quote: "'Everybody should get married once.'

    '...just to find out how really happy you can be, single.'"

my notes: I loved Basil Rathbone as a kind, funny, realistically lovesick adult. What a contrast to his ultra-capable Sherlock Holmes! I disliked most of the rest of the cast, and also disliked this story. The "moral" seems to be that one can do whatever one likes to whomever one wishes, and in the end none of that bad stuff will matter. 

themes: transformation, tradition vs. change

overall: only weakly recommended

 

Unleashed {Danny the Dog} (2005) - "Not a film about violence, but about
the fragile, terrifying act of becoming open after a lifetime of being used. Jet Li plays Danny, a man conditioned to respond rather than to live, whose gradual exposure to gentleness—music, kindness, the simple dignity of being seen—awakens something long buried. The film contrasts the cold, bruising efficiency of his captivity with the warm, hesitant light of human connection, allowing Li to reveal a softness and vulnerability far beyond his earlier heroic roles. Bob Hoskins gives his captor a disturbing humanity, while Morgan Freeman and Kerry Condon offer sanctuary without sentimentality. Brutal when it must be and tender when it matters, Unleashed is ultimately a quiet study of trust, and of the courage it takes to step out of reflex and into feeling." 

length: 1h, 43m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Louis Leterrier  |  written by Luc Besson  |  why I watched: I've seen it many times, but never reviewed it

IMDb: 7.0/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 66% / 74% Audience  |  my IMDb: 8/10  |  MPAA: R

tone & texture: gritty, textured/earthy

notable quote: "That man can talk some serious shit."

my notes: violent and sad, frightening and bewildering, gentle and hopeful. This film creates beauty from ashes. I adore the interplay between Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, and Kerry Condon. They transcend ego and individual performance (and each is more than capable of owning a movie in their own right) to make a beautiful ensemble. Bob Hoskins is terrific as Bart, Danny's "owner", all the more chilling because he's not uniformly horrid. Luc Besson wrote this sad, marvelous story.   

themes: redemption, found family, love

overall: strongly recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Okinawa Rendez-vous]

spring is the time of plans and projects

More accurate than a Buzzfeed quiz; less accurate than your therapist’s raised eyebrow.🤨

 

🌱 What’s Your Sign of Spring? 🐣

 

Spring doesn’t arrive all at once. It sneaks in sideways: a smell in the air, a change in the light, the sudden appearance of something that wasn’t there yesterday. Some people notice the mud first, some the chirping birds, some the sunlight creeping back into the room at 6:30 p.m. The season’s arrival tends to reveal what we’re most ready for after a long winter. 

Take the quiz to discover your personal sign that spring has finally begun.  

---

1. The first warmish afternoon of the year finds you: 

    A. Opening windows and letting fresh air sweep through the house. 

    B. Walking somewhere just to see what’s changed outside. 

    C. Sitting in a sunny patch like a contented cat. 

    D. Making plans for something—garden, trip, project, anything. 

 

2. Which small seasonal moment gives you the most satisfaction? 

    A. The house suddenly smells like outside again. 

    B. The first brave flowers pushing up through cold soil. 

    C. The sun lingering longer than you expected. 

    D. Realizing winter projects can finally begin. 

 

3. Your ideal early-spring soundtrack is: 

    A. Birds arguing enthusiastically in the morning. 

    B. Wind moving through trees and open fields. 

    C. Quiet afternoon light and distant neighborhood sounds. 

    D. The satisfying clink of tools and plans getting underway. 

 

4. If spring were a feeling, it would be: 

    A. Relief. 

    B. Curiosity. 

    C. Quiet contentment. 

    D. Energy. 

 

5. When you think about the season ahead, you’re most excited for: 

    A. Air that smells like rain and thawed earth. 

    B. Discovering small signs of life returning. 

    C. Evenings that stretch longer and longer. 

    D. Finally getting started on something new. 

 

Results in the comments! 

 

[the title quotation is by Leo Tolstoy, from Anna Karenina]

everything'll be okay after tomorrow

Average rating: 6.2, ouch

 

SPOILER ALERT: don't read the third entry (Infernal Affairs III) if you haven't seen it—or the second film in the series—and want to keep it a mystery.

 

Blacklight (2022) - "Blacklight follows Travis Block, a veteran government operative who handles dangerous, behind-the-scenes assignments for the FBI, including rescuing undercover agents. When an ambitious insider tries to expose a covert program that appears to be targeting ordinary citizens, Block begins to suspect something is deeply wrong within the bureau itself. As he probes further with the help of a journalist, he finds himself at odds with his own boss and pulled into a conspiracy that endangers his daughter and granddaughter. What follows are a series of confrontations, chases, and attempts to uncover the truth while protecting his family." 

length: 1h, 44m  |  source: PlutoTV  |  directed by Mark Williams  |  why I watched: it was on my PlutoTV recommendations list

IMDb: 4.9/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 12% / 82% Audience  |  my IMDb: 3/10  |  MPAA: PG-13

tone & texture: gritty, monochrome/muted

notable quote: "As unpopular as it may sound, history tell us that spilling a little blood is absolutely necessary to maintain law and order."

my notes: good lord. 

    A. Does FBI really have only 5 employees, who could be nicknamed Corrupt, Incorruptible, Crazy, and Thug #1 and Thug #2? Huh. 

    B. An African American female journalist will never be murdered in an American movie. Hence, that tension is gone. 

    C. Mental health conditions are not jokes or taglines, and they most certainly don't "sometimes make me better at my job." 

    D. Child actors required to perform realistic dialog need to be old enough, or skilled enough, to do so without clearly watching their prompter. 

    E. Chemistry is vital in a film cast. These characters interact as if they're newly arrived on this planet and have never been around others before. 

themes: moral ambiguity, power

overall: not  recommended

 

Sorry, Wrong Number (1948) - "Due to a telephone glitch, Leona Stevenson (Barbara Stanwyck), a controlling heiress with a physical disability, overhears a conversation about a plan to kill a woman. Unable to leave her home or reach her husband (Burt Lancaster), and written off by the police, Leona struggles to uncover the truth through a series of phone calls that only lead her deeper into a mystery, which may involve her college rival, Sally (Ann Richards), and a scheme to sell pharmaceuticals on the black market." 

length: 1h, 29m  |  source: Amazon Prime Video  |  directed by Anatole Litvak  |  why I watched: I was in the mood for a classic (previously reviewed here)

IMDb: 7.3/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 86% / 78% Audience  |  my IMDb: 8/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: noir, unsettling

notable quote: "What does a dame like you want with a guy like me?"

my notes: this film breaks one of my cinematic rules—show me, don't tell me—but that's the point of the movie, so, there you go. Barbara Stanwyck's performance was outstanding, showing Leona's aggressive, entitled control and also her brittle fear and ineffectual manner of living. 

    Lancaster is wasted in the role of Henry, which is more about revealing abjectness and frustration than about presence or competence, like his best roles have shown. (See, e.g., From Here to Eternity {1953, reviewed here}, Separate Tables {1958, reviewed here}, Judgment at Nuremberg {1961, reviewed here}, and The Train {1964; reviewed here}.)  

    This time around I was struck by Ed Begley as Leona's father, James Cotterell. His character is a drugstore magnate, but at the same time is servile and ineffectual. He's the key character, really, despite being onscreen for only five minutes.

themes: power

Academy Award nominee: Best Actress—Stanwyck 

overall:  recommended

Infernal Affairs III {Mou gaan dou III: Jung gik mou gaan} (2003) - "Two periods are interwoven: the final days leading up to Inspector Chan Wing-yan’s death and the years afterward, as Lau Kin-ming attempts to live openly as a respected police officer while privately unraveling. As an internal affairs investigation threatens to expose past crimes, Lau becomes increasingly haunted by guilt, paranoia, and imagined conversations with the dead. The film revisits earlier events from altered perspectives, reframing what loyalty, betrayal, and survival actually cost. Rather than resolving the trilogy through action, it closes by examining the long-term psychological consequences of living a lie—and whether punishment is ultimately external or self-inflicted." 

length: 1h, 58m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Wai Keung [Andrew] Lau, Alan Mak  |  why I watched: I've seen the first two (I is reviewed here and here; II is reviewed here)

IMDb: 6.8/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A% / 70% Audience  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: Not Rated

tone & texture: bleak, high-color/stylized

notable quote: "Dr. Lee has a..., ah..., nice personality."

my notes: this film is less interested in plot than in psychological aftermath—especially the internal collapse of Lau Kin-ming, played by Andy Lau. If I and II are about identity under pressure, III is about what survives once the pressure is gone. The shifting timelines, hallucinations, and repetitions aren’t accidents; they’re meant to place the viewer inside Lau’s eroding sense of self and reality.

    By contrast, Chan Wing-yan is distressingly, blatantly alive here, despite being dead (oops, spoiler for both III and II). Lau can't let him go, so his presence keeps asserting itself.

    This is a super deep movie disguised as a power-play. (There's also some very cool stuff going on with the Cantonese title that makes me wish I could understand the language. Maybe someday!)

themes: identity, memory, power

overall:  recommended

Our Hospitality (1923) - "Sole heir Willie McKay (Buster Keaton) journeys by train from New York City to Kentucky to claim his fortune amid a decades-old feud with the Canfield family. En route, he meets and is smitten with young beauty Virginia (Natalie Talmadge), who invites him to dinner, but he realizes too late that she is the only daughter of patriarch Joseph Canfield (Joe Roberts). The rules of hospitality protect McKay from harm in their house, but he must outwit her brothers to resolve the feud." 

length: 1h, 5m  |  source: Fawesome  |  directed by Buster Keaton, John G Blystone  |  why I watched: I was looking for a short, funny movie on a Sunday evening

IMDb: 7.7/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 97% / 89% Audience  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: Passed

tone & texture: playful, textured/earthy

notable quote: "'I've been trying to forget this feud. Why can't you do the same?'

    'No! I came a long way to kill him, and I'm going to do it tonight!"

my notes: though not as engaging as The General (1926; reviewed here and here), it's still got Keaton's irrepressible charm and athleticism, hiding behind his guileless and silly demeanor. 

    There is a running gag with guns, of all things, that had me laughing out loud.  

themes: tradition v. change

overall:  recommended

 

Ocean's Twelve (2004) - "After successfully robbing five casinos in one night, Danny Ocean and his crew of thieves have big problems. Despite pulling off one of the biggest heists in Las Vegas history, the members of the gang have already spent much of the money they stole. Casino owner Terry Benedict demands that Ocean return the money, plus millions more in interest. Unable to come up the cash, the crew is forced to come together to pull off another series of heists, this time in Europe." 

length: 2h, 5m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Steven Soderbergh  |  why I watched: I've been watching the series so that I can list to eBay and wave goodbye

IMDb: 6.5/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 55% / 60% Audience  |  my IMDb: 6/10  |  MPAA: PG-13

tone & texture: energetic, crisp & modern

notable quote: "'A doctor who specializes in skin diseases will dream he has fallen asleep in front of the television. Later, he will wake up in front of the television, but not remember his dream.'     

    'If all the animals along the equator were capable of flattery, then Thanksgiving and Halloween would fall on the same date.'

    'Yeah, Hey. ... When I was four years old, I watched my mother kill a spider with a tea cozy. Years later, I realized that it was not a spider: it was my uncle Harold.'"

my notes: my least favorite of the four Ocean's, by far. It feels cold and choppy, and the obsession with Catherine Zeta Jones' character—an unappealing flipflop of a woman—distracts from much more interesting dynamics and performances, e.g. Vincent Cassel and Andy Garcia. Watch it only if you need to see the whole series.

themes: chaos v. order, found family

overall: weakly recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Infernal Affairs III]

there midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow, And evening full of the linnet’s wings

More accurate than a Buzzfeed quiz; less accurate than your therapist’s raised eyebrow.🤨

 

🍀 What’s Your Irish Hometown? 🍀

 

Ireland’s towns each have their own rhythm—

some lively and musical, some windswept and reflective, 

some quietly charming, some buzzing with stories. 

If you wandered across the island and found the place that felt most like you, 

where would you land? 

Take this quiz to discover which Irish hometown matches your spirit.  

---

1. Your ideal way to spend a Saturday is: 

    A. Wandering historic streets and people-watching at a café. 

    B. Hiking somewhere dramatic with incredible views. 

    C. Meeting friends for music, laughter, and a lively pub. 

    D. Curling up somewhere cozy with a good story. 

 

2. Pick a landscape: 

    A. A colorful city street full of buskers and bookstores. 

    B. Rugged cliffs and the endless Atlantic. 

    C. Rolling green hills dotted with cottages. 

    D. A quiet harbor with boats gently rocking in the tide. 

 

3. Your travel style is: 

    A. Explore everything—museums, markets, hidden alleys. 

    B. Follow the scenery and see where the road leads. 

    C. Go wherever the music and good company are. 

    D. Find the quiet corners most tourists miss. 

 

4. Your friends appreciate you because you: 

    A. Always know something interesting about everything. 

    B. Are adventurous and up for anything. 

    C. Bring the fun wherever you go. 

    D. Create calm, thoughtful spaces. 

 

5. Pick a classic pub atmosphere: 

    A. A historic pub full of conversation and storytelling. 

    B. A coastal pub where the wind howls outside. 

    C. A packed pub with fiddles, laughter, and dancing. 

    D. A quiet pub with a fireplace and a thoughtful pint. 

 

Results in the comments! 

 

[the title quotation is by W.B. Yeats, from 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree' in The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems]

Spanish Lena was a Hungarian

Average rating: 7, by a rather odd route

My Man Godfrey (1936) - "Fifth Avenue socialite Irene Bullock needs 'a
forgotten man' to win a scavenger hunt, and no one fits that description more than Godfrey Park, who resides in a dump by the East River. Irene hires Godfrey as a servant for her riotously unhinged family, to the chagrin of her spoiled sister, Cornelia, who tries her best to get Godfrey fired. As Irene falls for her new butler, Godfrey turns the tables and teaches the frivolous Bullocks a lesson or two." 

length: 1h, 34m  |  source: Amazon Prime  |  directed by Gregory La Cava  |  why I watched: (previously reviewed here)

IMDb: 7.9/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 97% / 90% Audience  |  my IMDb: 9/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: humorous, classic Hollywood polish

notable quote: "Well, if other people can have five children, so can other people."

my notes: silly fun on top of a serious subject handled with grace. William Powell is extraordinary.

    My only real objection is that Prime is featuring a colorized version, which is almost sinister and distracts from the story's pathos.

Academy Awards: 6x nominee 

themes: transformation, chaos v. order

overall: highly recommended

 

Holiday (1930) - "Julia Seton (Mary Astor) comes from a wealthy family in which money and success always come first, a fact she rebels against with an engagement to the self-made playboy Johnny Case (Robert Ames). Johnny is torn between respecting the Seton family's tradition and his own principles. As he's forced to take sides in the family's political battle between Julia's progressive sister, Linda (Ann Harding), and their conservative father, it's unclear where Julia's own priorities lie." 

length: 1h, 31m  |  source: TubiTV  |  directed by Edward H Griffin  |  why I watched: I'd just watched the above, and this was recommended, and it was critically acclaimed

IMDb: 6.3/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: NA% / 91% Audience  |  my IMDb: 4/10  |  MPAA: NR

tone & texture: cynical, soft & naturalistic    

notable quote: "My dear sister, I shall drink as much as I like at any party I choose to attend. And as much as I like is as much as I can hold. It's my protection against your tiresome friends."

my notes: this is the anti-My Man Godfrey. Johnny Case is bland, stiff, and unappealing. Julia Seton is a bitch on wheels, with no softness or femininity; it's hard to imagine anyone actually falling for her. I liked Linda, though that's maybe as much for the ways she's unlike the other two as for herself directly. 

    The real saving graces were Edward Everett Horton as the jovial but wise Nick Potter, and even more so, Monroe Owsley as the Seton girls' brother, Ned. He's the real emotional heart of the movie, and reveals more nuanced character and appreciation for the disparities that seem to be the whole point.

themes: tradition v. change, identity, love

Academy Awards: 2x nominee 

overall: not  recommended

The Soldier and the Lady (1937) - "In the face of rebellion in Russia, Czar Alexander II (Paul Harvey) sends soldier Michael Strogoff (Anton Walbrook) 2,000 miles away, with a critical message for Grand Duke Vladimir (William Stack). On the train journey, Michael befriends a traveler (Elizabeth Allan) and comes into contact with a mysterious spy (Margot Grahame), who both unexpectedly aid him in his quest. Once behind enemy lines, Michael is near his hometown and his mother, whom he must avoid in order to fulfill his mission." 

length: 1h, 25m  |  source: TubiTV  |  directed by George Nicholls, Jr  |  why I watched: Anton Walbrook was a fascinating person, and I enjoy his acting

IMDb: 6.2/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: NA%  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: epic, grit & grain 

notable quote: "I do not fight for horses."

my notes: it's a good one. Epic, exciting, tragic, surprising. Romantic. Suspenseful. Margot Grahame is especially good as the spy Zangarra.

themes: courage, justice, love

overall:  recommended

Saving Mr Wu {Jie jiu Wu xian sheng} (2015) - "Mr. Wu (Andy Lau) is kidnapped in Beijing by Zhang Hua (Wang Qianyuan) and three accomplices, all disguised as cops and demanding a ransom of 3 million RMB. In the ensuing 20 hours, the Chinese detectives led by Chief Xing (Liu Ye) quickly form a task force and sweep the city. Time is of the essence as Mr. Wu is ordered to be killed at 9 PM regardless of whether the money is collected or not. The police eventually apprehend Hua alone. As the deadline approaches, the detectives and captors collide. " 

length: 1h, 46m  |  source: PlutoTV  |  directed by Sheng Ding  |  why I watched: it was recommended

IMDb: 6.6/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 100% / 68% Audience  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: Not Rated

tone & texture: unsettling, high-color/stylized

my notes: Andy Lau is such an interesting actor. He takes challenging roles that require things that some in his profession aren't willing to try. 

    This movie is inTENSE. It has the unreal, senseless feeling of actual criminal behavior. Fear, hopelessness, anger, anxiety.... Lau is terrific, as is Cai Lu as fellow-abductee Xiao Du. I also liked conflicted cop Liu Ye, portrayed by Xing Feng.

themes: chaos v. order, courage

overall:  recommended

 

Pocketful of Miracles (1961) - "Beggar Apple Annie (Bette Davis) learns that her daughter, escorted by an aristocratic suitor, plans to visit. It's great news—except that she has tricked her daughter into believing she is a wealthy socialite. Fearing her true identity will disappoint, Annie petitions a superstitious mobster (Glenn Ford), who thinks the apples she sells are lucky, for help. Hesitant at first, the mafioso is persuaded by his girlfriend (Hope Lange) to disguise Annie, if only long enough to fool her daughter." 

length: 2h, 16m  |  source: Amazon Prime  |  directed by Frank Capra  |  why I watched: (previously reviewed here)

IMDb: 7.1/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 50% / 73% Audience  |  my IMDb: 8/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: warm, classic Hollywood polish

notable quote: "The honorable E. Worthington Shmerthington! Who's gonna dig HIM up?!"

my notes: chaotic and loud, a little bit too casually violent, and definitely running afoul of political correctness (is that even a thing anymore?), this is still a nice, sweet holiday-ish movie. I'm sure I originally watched it for Glenn Ford, but came away loving different parts of it. For instance, Thomas Mitchell (as the Judge) is awesome. He made every movie shine.

themes: forgiveness, found family, transformation

overall: highly recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Pocketful of Miracles]

I've had it with all stingy-hearted sons of bitches. A heart is to be spent

As García Lorca may have written: some people 

forget to live as if a great arsenic lobster 

could fall on their heads at any moment. 

My sixtieth birthday is tomorrow. 

Come, play poker with me, 

I want to be taken to the cleaners. 

I've had it with all stingy-hearted sons of bitches. 

A heart is to be spent. As for me, I'll share 

my mulcher with anyone who needs to mulch. 

 

[Stephen Dunn {1939-2021} from 'Sixty', in Different Hours]

I am the exception that proves no rules, the limits of your control, the condiment in the dish of life

More accurate than a Buzzfeed quiz; less accurate than your therapist’s raised eyebrow.🤨

 

🧂 Which Condiment Suits Your Taste? 🧂

 

You enhance situations—but how? 

Let’s see what subtle (or not-so-subtle) flavor you bring to the table.

---

1. Your cooking philosophy is:

    A. Less is more

    B. Flavor first

    C. Balance matters    

    D. Experiment freely

 

2. People describe you as:

    A. Reliable

    B. Bold

    C. Thoughtful    

    D. Unexpected

 

3. When stressed, you prefer:

    A. Familiar routines

    B. Strong sensations

    C. Comfort and calm    

    D. Distraction

 

4. Your humor is usually…

    A. Dry

    B. Spicy

    C. Gentle    

    D. Offbeat

 

5. You enhance situations by:

    A. Stabilizing them

    B. Energizing them

    C. Softening them    

    D. Changing them

 

Results in the comments!

 

[quiz generated with chatGPT; the title quotation is by F. Scott Fitzgerald, from The Cut Glass Bowl and Other Stories]

the fog was where I wanted to be

07:33

07:41

07:58

 

 [the title quotation is by Eugene O'Neill, from Long Day’s Journey into Night]

the truth can get you twenty years!

Average rating: 6.6

Phantom Lady (1944) - "Scott Henderson's (Alan Curtis) innocuous evening with a strange woman becomes crucial when he is later accused of murdering his wife on the same evening. When Scott's story is disbelieved and a trial fails to bring forth the phantom lady, Scott's devoted girl Friday, secretary Carol Richman (Ella Raines), begins her own investigation with the aid of police inspector Burgess (Thomas Gomez). A high point is Carol's unexpected kinky moment with an obsessed jazz drummer (Elisha Cook, Jr.)." 

length: 1h, 27m  |  source: Amazon Prime (rent)  |  directed by Robert Siodmak  |  why I watched: I was in the mood for smart noir

IMDb: 7.2/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 90% / 72% Audience  |  my IMDb: 6/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: unsettling, noir shadows

notable quote: "Have you ever seen a chipmunk in a cage, running round and round on a wheel? That's me. I think I'll get good and drunk."

my notes: this one's just begging for spoilers, but I'll be good. (Except to say that the 'unexpectedly kinky moment'—referenced in the synopsis above—is one way of interpreting it, but discerning viewers might see that in less salacious terms.)

    Ella Raines is quite good as the plucky Carol, who goes out of her way to figure out this convoluted situation. Most of the men are offensive or just borderline useless. Thomas Gomez, as Inspector Burgess, was the exception (and my favorite).  

themes: justice, chaos v. order

overall: mildly recommended (but don't buy it)

  

Little Forest {Liteul poleseuteu} (2018) - "After failing an exam, Hae-won leaves the city and returns to her family home in a farming village. Her single mother had abruptly left one day without letting her know why beforehand and where she had gone to, leaving behind a letter that she refused to read. Although she intended to stay a short time, she begins to settle into her surroundings, making use of her home's bountiful land, helping her aunt work her farm, and creating delicious meals with the recipes she learned from her mother. She reunites with her two childhood friends and their bonds are renewed. What was at first to be a short stay becomes a year, with the passing of the seasons and harvesting of the land. Her mother had once described their home and land as a 'Little Forest' and she begins to comprehend why. Hae-won finally reads her mother's letter and understands the reason she had left." 

length: 1h, 43m  |  source: streamed - TubiTV  |  directed by Soon-rye Yim  |  why I watched: recommended as a film somewhat like This is Not What I Expected, which I adored

IMDb: 7.3/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A% / 84% Audience  |  my IMDb: 9/10  |  MPAA: PG-13

tone & texture: warm, soft & naturalistic

notable quote: "Warm, living things are comforting."

my notes: this is a great movie. Brilliantly filmed and paced. Gentle and revolutionary at once. Kim Tae-ri (Hae-won) is phenomenal, as is Ryu Jun-yeol (Jae-ha). It blew me away. How can silence say so much?

themes: transformation, identity

overall: strongly recommended

The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950) - "Wealthy Lois Frazer, divorcing her fortune-hunter husband, finds he's bought a gun. Suspecting he plans to kill her, she calls in her lover: homicide detective Lt. Ed Cullen. When Ed arrives, the gun gets used...and because of his relationship with Lois, Ed is compelled to compound a felony. The good news: Ed himself is assigned to the case. The bad news: Ed's hotshot younger brother Andy, a newly-minted detective, is also on the case...and anxious to prove himself." 

length: 1h, 21m  |  source: Amazon Prime |  directed by Felix E Feist  |  why I watched: I like Lee J Cobb, and was interested to see him as a romantic lead

IMDb: 6.8/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 100% / 53% Audience  |  my IMDb: 5/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: gritty, monochrome/muted

notable quote: "'This is my first time out. How am I doin'?'

    'All right, kid. Do any better, and I'll be out of a job.'"

my notes: a fascinating idea, not quite fully formed. Cobb is excellent as detective Cullen, though less so as the lovesick swain. That's because Jane Wyatt ("femme fatale" Lois) is a mousey, shrill, unappealing brat. The idea that anyone would do the stuff Cullen would do for her... unbelievable.  

    It's weird, but if the first third of the movie were removed, it would be fully entertaining. 

themes: sacrifice, justice

overall: mildly recommended

Henry VII: The Winter King (2013) - "Author Thomas Penn takes an extraordinary journey into the dark and chilling world of the first Tudor King, Henry VII. From his victory over Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, to his secret death and the succession of his son Henry VIII, the film reveals the ruthless tactics Henry VII, and how he used them to win and hold onto the ultimate prize, the Royal Throne of England." 

length: 59m  |  source: Amazon Prime  |  directed by Giulia Clark, Stuard Elliott  |  why I watched: I'd seen it before, but did not review

IMDb: 7.1/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: NA   |  my IMDb: 6/10  |  MPAA: PG-13

tone & texture: somber, documentary/real

my notes: I ought to know better than to try popular history.

themes: power

overall: mildly recommended

 

Woman on the Run (1950) - "After witnessing a murder, Frank Johnson goes on the run to avoid being killed himself. His wife, Eleanor (Ann Sheridan), seems almost apathetic about finding him when questioned by Investigator Harris (Robert Keith), due to a marriage on the rocks. However, after learning that Frank has a grave heart condition, Eleanor recruits reporter Dan Leggett (Dennis O'Keefe) to help track down Frank. Discovering new love for her husband along the way, Eleanor must get to Frank before the killer does." 

length: 1h, 17m  |  source: Amazon Prime  |  directed by Norman Foster  |  why I watched: it was recommended as a thinking noir with a strong female lead

IMDb: 7.2/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 88% / 77% Audience  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: unsettling, noir shadows

notable quote: "'I don't like this place.'

    'It's a good spot. I used to come here with my girl when I was a kid. It's more frightening than romantic. It's the way love is when you're young... life is when you're older.'"

my notes: interesting premise, well played out. Ann Sheridan is very good as the hard-shelled Eleanor. She does the difficult work in a way that seems real, and like she's undergoing understandable growth. 

themes: forgiveness, justice

overall:  recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Woman on the Run]