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Babette s'en va-t-en guerre (1959)
Bardot is the only draw in this very silly movie.
If you are a Bardot fan, you'll be pleased watching sashaying her various sexy attires, but that is, alas, the only draw of this very silly movie. It is not particularly funny either, and makes for a generally tedious watch.
Alias Caracalla, au coeur de la Résistance (2013)
A fairly good historical movie
I would concur that the film is in no way a masterpiece, and it wasn't meant to be. In particular, I didn't think much of the actor that played Daniel Cordier, whilst Eric Caravaca (Jean Moulin) gave a much more nuanced rendition of his character.
Having said that, it is a valuable addition to the history of the French resistance and it is by far superior to other movies, such as 2002 Jean Moulin movie starring Francis Huster, which was barely palatable.
Also, the film is well researched and gives a comprehensive picture of the Resistance in those days, and in particular of the internal turmoil within the movement.
Jean Moulin, une affaire française (2003)
Lackluster but palatable.
I found this movie barely palatable and I am French, so I didn't even have to bother with any sort of subtitle.
First, the storyline is riddled with clichés - Moulin's sentimental love affairs, of which in reality we know very little of, the "strong rebellious girl" played by Mélanie Laurent which inevitably outsmarts her male counterparts and whose presence doesn't really add anything to the plot, etc.
Secondly, whilst Francis Huster is generally a good actor, I didn't feel the charisma here. His Moulin seemed your average run-of-the-mill Joe who decides out of the blue to join the Resistance. I would think that a man who made such a bold decision, with all the risk it entailed at the time, and was so gutsy that he could withstand day long torture sessions without giving in would have a more forceful personality, but that didn't shine through in the movie.
Third, the movie states as facts what are largely unverified hypotheses and is also politically slanted. What it is almost certain that René Hardy was the main culprit in Moulin's capture, whether or not other people were involved is, to this day, a moot point. Clearly, the director was hell bent on casting the blame on the conservative wing of the French resistance with very flimsy evidence to back it up and while being oblivious to the fact that those involved ran the same risks as Moulin did, notably being captured, tortured and deported.
Hôtel Terminus (1988)
A riveting documentary.
Despite the length, I think the documentary was riveting until the end. However, most (but not all) of it was in French, my native language, so I don't know how comfortable that is to watch such a long documentary while relying on subtitles, if you don't understand French.
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999)
Good performance by Halle Berry.
But the "rape scene" at the beginning of the movie was too much for me personally. It kind of marred my experience of an otherwise enjoyable and presumably very accurate movie.
Bride of the Gorilla (1951)
An asinine plot but an otherwise enjoyable movie.
This is clearly an asinine movie, but I'd concurr with the previous commenters who pointed out that it's not half as bad as it's made out to be.
For all its silliness, I found it to be reasonably enjoyable. It's also very short for a movie, so in any event, you won't regret having wasted your time.
I watched it for the sake of Payton I have been curious about lately, so in that sense I wasn't disappointed -she looks stunning throughout the movie.
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950)
Slightly tedious, moderately enjoyable noir movie.
I have read the raving reviews of the other commenters. Perhaps I wasn't in the mood, or perhaps gangsters movies are just my thing but this one just didn't do it for me.
I must admit I initially wanted to see it out of sheer curiosity for Ms Payton -who really held her own in this movie next to James Cagney.
Aside from that, I can't put my finger on what exactly made it a tedious watch for me. Let's say that it seemed it overall lacked coherence or direction.
The Strange Woman (1946)
Enjoyable but certainly not among the best films noirs IMHO.
The movie is certainly enjoyable. However, the plot is in my opinion, lacks subtleties as there was something somewhat ludicrous about Lamarr's borderline-psychopathic femme fatale part. From the beginning to the end, the movie was generally fairly predictable.
I am very fond of Lamarr, and, apart from her stunning looks (although marred by an overly heavy make-up in this particular movie), I still thought she played her part well. Add to that that this is a period drama, with stunning costumes.
Having said that, once again the overall plot didn't really cut much ice with me.
Dishonored Lady (1947)
Enjoyable, and good performance by Hedy Lamarr.
I don't quite get why Lamarr is systematically held out as a mediocre actress. I found her to be a fine actress in this movie. She's certainly no worse than many other actresses of her time that are thought so highly of.
Madeleine is quite a touching character and her inner struggles may strike a chord with many high achieving and hard working women, although there's obviously a moralizing untertone that has to be expected from a movie shot in the late 40s. Still, the theme is really modern and I was surprised it was deemed admissible at the time.
The psychiatrist came across at time as an unecessary addition to the plot, but that's also in line with the late 40s, when psychiatry was still very influential.
Overall, that's a very enjoyable movie, with an abrupt ending that'll keep you on tenterhooks until about the last minute of it.
Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
Gene Tierney breathtaking as ever in this stunning film.
I am not usually a huge fan of film noirs with heavy psychological undertones. Even so, I was taken aback by this movie, with its riveting plot and the outstanding performances of all the actors involved, especially Tierney, obviously.
I hadn't seen Gene Tierney on screen in a long time and I would agree she probably is one of the most underrated actress in Hollywood. Her stunning looks literally stole the show.