The premise is of the not particularly innovative but still very interesting and potentially suspenseful kind, there are plenty of good B-films and am somebody who has always liked this genre and films with psychological character writing. The cast is a strong plus, was very intrigued in seeing Dame Way Whitty play against type and had no doubt that she would do it well. Joseph H Lewis doesn't get enough credit today in my view and many of his films are well worth watching and more, 'Gun Crazy' for example being a near classic.
'My Name is Julia Ross' turned out to be a more than worthwhile film and even a very good one. Not perfect, but it is another shamefully neglected film and like its director it doesn't get enough credit. Some may find the premise mundane on paper (not me), but somehow it is executed in a way that is more exciting and professional than it initially appears. So much more than a typical B movie. Which was a general strength actually of Lewis' films.
It is hindered a little by its budget, with moments where there is a rushed look and the sets are less than evocative.
Also thought that the ending was too abrupt and too coincidence heavy.
So much is done incredibly well. It is primarily saved from the acting, which is nothing short of excellent. Nina Foch does steel and pathos beautifully and does so without any signs of overacting, in a role that is easy to overact. She is helped though by that her character is psychologically interesting, how so is little new but the film manages to still provide a lead character that is easy to root for and generates a lot of tension in her predicaments and attempts in getting out of it. Whitty excels and is wonderfully cold against type, with a character that has a calm exterior but is pure evil on the inside. George Macready did plenty of sinister roles in his career, but he often did them very convincingly. He is very sinister here.
What is also great about 'My Name is Julia Ross' is the atmosphere. It has a lot of suspense and truly genuine dread, nothing mundane or stagy here. The story is from the very beginning very absorbing and never stops being intriguing, predictability, over-simplicity and confusion are very low on the scale. Lewis directs with a very assured and subtle touch, clearly knowing what he was doing and making the film closer to near cinematic than mediocre B movie level.
Furthermore, the script is always entertaining, hard boiled and gritty, laden with tension. There is some nice moodiness in the photography and the audio is suitably ominous when needed.
Overall, very, very good. 8/10.
'My Name is Julia Ross' turned out to be a more than worthwhile film and even a very good one. Not perfect, but it is another shamefully neglected film and like its director it doesn't get enough credit. Some may find the premise mundane on paper (not me), but somehow it is executed in a way that is more exciting and professional than it initially appears. So much more than a typical B movie. Which was a general strength actually of Lewis' films.
It is hindered a little by its budget, with moments where there is a rushed look and the sets are less than evocative.
Also thought that the ending was too abrupt and too coincidence heavy.
So much is done incredibly well. It is primarily saved from the acting, which is nothing short of excellent. Nina Foch does steel and pathos beautifully and does so without any signs of overacting, in a role that is easy to overact. She is helped though by that her character is psychologically interesting, how so is little new but the film manages to still provide a lead character that is easy to root for and generates a lot of tension in her predicaments and attempts in getting out of it. Whitty excels and is wonderfully cold against type, with a character that has a calm exterior but is pure evil on the inside. George Macready did plenty of sinister roles in his career, but he often did them very convincingly. He is very sinister here.
What is also great about 'My Name is Julia Ross' is the atmosphere. It has a lot of suspense and truly genuine dread, nothing mundane or stagy here. The story is from the very beginning very absorbing and never stops being intriguing, predictability, over-simplicity and confusion are very low on the scale. Lewis directs with a very assured and subtle touch, clearly knowing what he was doing and making the film closer to near cinematic than mediocre B movie level.
Furthermore, the script is always entertaining, hard boiled and gritty, laden with tension. There is some nice moodiness in the photography and the audio is suitably ominous when needed.
Overall, very, very good. 8/10.