GREAT MOVIES: Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)

Stefan Brand (Louis Jourdan), a has-been world renowned concert pianist is planning on leaving Vienna in order to avoiding a duel. That same night he receives a letter from an unknown woman. As he sits and reads its many pages the film takes us several decades back, into the mid to late 19th century. There we meet a young lady in her mid-teens named Lisa Berndle (Joan Fontaine).

Lisa lives with her mother and leads a happy life. She’s a careless romantic who one day gets a glimpse of her handsome new neighbour, Stefan. She opens the building door for him, he thanks her. Then he forgets her altogether. Such is the lifestyle and attitude of a rich, famous, and handsome playboy.

Lisa loves to hear to him play at his piano, the beautiful melodies echoing through the thin building walls. She is deeply in love with him and he doesn’t even know that she exists. Fast forward a few years until she’s 18 years of age and is proposed to by a rich aristocrat. She turns him down claiming that she’s engaged to another. She simply can’t get Stefan out of her head.

Lisa believes that there’s nothing that she could do in regards to being together with Stefan but things change when a few more years pass and she visits her old neighbourhood. Stefan catches her starring at him from behind a street corner; she’s fixated on him. He walks over and talks to her, like he would to a complete stranger, and they spontaneously go out on a date that very night. She wants to see him again but alas, he needs to travel to another in Europe and perform. Stefan promises Lisa that he’ll return to her in 12 days but he never does.

Lisa eventually marries that same aristocrat that had asked for her hand in marriage previously and together they have a child; Stefan’s child. But Stefan is never made aware of that.

The film follows Lisa and Stefan, almost a decade after their last meet, and as her life grows more luxurious and is filled with happiness Stefan’s life doesn’t a change a bit. But for some reason Lisa is still fixated with Stefan, even after hearing that he’s through as a pianist. She just can’t let him go but, sadly she doesn’t know just what kind of a person he really is.

Lisa’s husband suspects her of still loving Stefan and he follows her around, but he loves her enough to not let her know that he know that she’s “unfaithful” to him, in one way or another, nor does he do anything about it.

Just as the film opened on Stefan reading Lisa’s letter it closes on him as he finishes reading it. But something entirely unpredictable has happened and the film is summed up in its last few minutes. Letter from an Unknown Woman is a great tragedy and I am glad to have watched it.

Director Max Ophüls loves to move the camera, showing off his enthusiasm for the craft of filmmaking. The camera movements depicting grandiose gestures compliment the film, adding an extra dimension to everything that we see, hear, and feel; he’s also repeated that style later with La Ronde (1950) and Le Plesir (1952). In that regard, watching an Ophüls film is always a pleasure. But the content of this film and its outstanding performance by Fontaine are what make it utterly amazing to behold and altogether entertaining.

Joan Fontaine was an absolute knockout in her time but was also one of the best actors working in Hollywood, and internationally. She’s worked several times with director George Stevens, several times with Alfred Hitchcock (and had won an Oscar for her performance in Suspicion (1941)); she’s also worked with directors George Cukor, Robert Stevenson, and Orson Welles. Her work in every almost film that she appears in is stellar and she fuels Letter from an Unknown Woman, as well.

But let’s not forget Louis Jourdan; handsome, talented, and an excellent thespian. What else could anyone ask for? Jourdan plays the part of the womanizer very well and makes his job [as an actor] look easy. I felt embarrassed. And together, Fontaine and Jourdan work brilliantly. They appeared to be genuinely in love during those few scenes when they spent time together, which is also largely thankful to the screenwriter.

As a grandiose melodrama this film isn’t annoying or sappy, nor does it feel forced. It’s a short film (only 86 minutes in length) that tells a terrific tragic story that’s based entirely on human nature and how many people act foolishly upon their primal emotions. It’s character driven, brilliantly acted, and gorgeous to look at and with Ophüls’ brilliant black and white cinematography we feel like we’re there. Now that’s what I call movie magic.

New on DVD and Blu-ray – April 24, 2012

The Innkeepers - DVD and Blu-ray (2011) – Grade B

The House of the Devil (2009) is a terrifically creepy and heavily atmospheric horror film that draws the audience in with very little; honestly, almost nothing happens. Most of the film depicts a female college student who walks around inside of a house, all alone. It’s the sound design, the isolation, the long periods of quietness, and the overall feeling dread and oncoming terror; much like with Alfred Hitchcock’s bomb analogy. The Innkeepers goes for the same shtick, in terms of leading the audience with very little and even though it takes place in a supposedly haunted hotel, there’s little that happens throughout most of the film. That’s the sign of a very talented writer and director.

The writer/director in question is Ti West and with The Innkeepers he’s two for two. Taking place mostly inside the Yankee Pedlar Inn during its final week of business, we follow its only employees, Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) as they lazily waltz back and forth, up and down the stairs, as they deliver towels and other useful things to the last occupants in the hotel. They’re familiar with the rumors that the hotel is haunted and at night they take turns trying to capture video and audio phenomena all around the hotel.

Again, the film is filled with atmospheric noise, room tone, and sounds of shuffling about, and Claire and Luke try to debunk the rumor that there exists the ghost of a woman who’d committed suicide in there a very long time ago. One night, Claire hears the piano playing on its own and another night see sees an apparition. But it’s not frightening for some reason. But what’s truly creepy is the newest guest to arrive: an old man who insists on staying on the third floor, which no longer contains floor boards or beds, because he’d spent his honeymoon up there many a decade back.

It’s a thoroughly creepy film that the audience an interesting question: how is it that we feel unsafe in an empty, quiet hotel just because it’s quiet and we know that someone had taken their life there in the past? It’s our subconscious playing tricks on us all the time; we see what we want to see and we hear what we want to hear. Ti West plays with the audience’s active subconscious; he provides us with little to see and little to hear but the thought that something might be seen or heard at a later date. It’s the anticipation that drives our suspense levels up and through the roof, and Ti West has managed to pull it off twice.

I can’t wait to see and experience his next film. From what I’ve read it’s about the thin that lies between sanity and insanity, the notion that what we see, think, and feel may not be true. Tell you the truth, I’m already there.

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Let the Bullets Fly - DVD and Blu-ray (2010) – Grade B

Click here to read my review for Let the Bullets Fly.

The Wicker Tree - DVD and Blu-ray (2010) - Grade D-

Here is a remarkably sub par follow up/reimagining of Robin Hardy’s own classic horror masterpiece The Wicker Man (1973). The cinematography is nice and the film as shot on the RED camera but the overall product delivers, essentially, the same idea as the previous film did but here it just moves too slowly. The worst part is that the finale isn’t terrifying or impactful so the journey feels almost entire wasted. It’s not even a nice try; it’s just a lot of nothing. The actors are terrible and the pacing is tolerable. Try to avoid this film.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Blu-ray (1979)

I’d only watched the first two episodes (out of seven) and already like it more than the recent Gary Oldman, 2-hour vehicle. The HD transfer is terrible, however; it’s very soft and has a terribly visible and thick film grain, so seeking this out on DVD would do one just as well.
I cannot grade the mini-series but I give its Blu-ray release a rating of 1.5/4.

Kite - Blu-ray (1998) - Grade A

Kite is one of the most violent and disturbing anime that I have ever seen. It is 50 minutes long (the length changes depending on the version that’s watched), utterly disgustingly violent, and contains strong sexual conduct. It’s definitely a sort of Hentai (anime porn). But I’ve watched it several times and own the DVD and can say that it’s one of my favourite action anime because the fighting and shooting sequences are enthralling. They’re unrelentingly gory but unique, and very awesomely conceived and delivered.

If the Blu-ray isn’t around look for the DVD, but try and research first which version is the most uncut because it also affects the violence in the film, and the violence sets the action apart from other anime.

Camelot - Blu-ray (1967)

Contraband - DVD and Blu-ray (2012) - Grade C-

Pariah - DVD and Blu-ray (2011)

Shogun Assassin Boxset - Blu-ray (1980)

New on DVD and Blu-ray – April 17, 2012

Shame - DVD and Blu-ray (2011) – Grade A+

Here it is: Shame is the best film of 2011. It’s one of the toughest films that I’ve ever watched due to its content and presentation of it; Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan should have been nominated for Oscars for their performances; director and co-writer Steve McQueen should also have been nominated for an Oscar; and any adult that can stomach a no-holds barred approach to the topic of sex addiction should see this film.

And that’s all there is to say about that.

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Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - DVD and Blu-ray (2011) – Grade A

Click here to read my review for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.

Late Spring - Criterion Collection Blu-ray (1949) - Grade A+

Yasujiro Ozu is, undisputedly one of the greatest filmmakers of all time and arguably the greatest Japanese filmmaker of all time. Late Spring is a great example of the previous statement. It’s also my favourite Ozu film. It’s melancholic, gorgeously and masterfully shot, edited, and acted, and remains a great testament to the cinema of the Japanese post-war era.

The Divide - DVD and Blu-ray (2011)

New on DVD and Blu-ray – April 10, 2012

King of Devil's Island - DVD and Blu-ray (2010) – Grade B

Click here to read my review for King of Devil's Island.

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The Darkest Hour - DVD and Blu-ray (2011) – Grade C-

Two Americans arrive in Russia on business and soon after aliens decide to attack the planet. The good news: the aliens are invisible and it’s not a gimmick or simply a way to shoot a low budget film without resorting to a ton of special effects; the aliens use cloaking technology as a tactical advantage. The bad news: everything else in the film. The special effects are pretty good overall – whole streets are empty and left devastated and there is some other neat technology stuff (kind of) – but the dialogue is remarkably sloppy and some of the ways in which the survivors think can be quite stupid at times. It’s still not a terrible film because the last 20 minutes are kind of cool. Why couldn’t the film start there and then continue as an action extravaganza for another 65 minutes? At least it's not a complete mess and it's dumb enough to entertain.

A Streetcar Named Desire - Blu-ray (1951) - Grade A+

Need I really say anything that hadn’t already been said? Here is one of the greatest play-to-film adaptations of all time; one of the most quotable films of all time; and we have unforgettable performances by Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter, and Karl Malden. The HD transfer is excellent and this is a definite blind buy. :O)

A Trip to the Moon - Blu-ray (1902) - Grade A+

A landmark in primitive special effects and a masterful use forced perspective, this, Georges Méliès’ most famous film comes to Blu-ray in its original colour tinting format courtesy of Flicker Alley. Anyone who’s watched Martin Scorsese’s Hugo should recognize this film’s importance and if one hadn’t yet watched it (or Hugo)… well, you’re not doing me a favor by skipping out on greatness.

Into the Abyss (2011)

The Iron Lady

New on DVD and Blu-ray – April 03, 2012

Being Elmo: a Puppeteer's Journey - DVD and Blu-ray (2011)

Chinatown - Blu-ray (1974) - Grade A+

Tyrannosaur - DVD and Blu-ray (2011)

War Horse - DVD and Blu-ray (2011)

We Bought a Zoo - DVD and Blu-ray (2011)

GREAT MOVIES: Brief Encounter (1945)

Director David Lean's most famous films are his three giant masterpieces The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), and Doctor Zhivago (1965). But some of his earlier, black and white films are great masterpieces, as well and Brief Encounter is definitely one of them.

Celia Johnson stars as Laura Jesson, a bourgeois housewife who, while performing her Thursday shopping and enjoying her general day out meets a handsome stranger. This stranger, Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard) is a doctor and to say that they hit it off would be an understatement. They decide on meeting each other every Thursday at the train station and from there on they frequent the local movie theatre, random shops, and enjoy walks in the park and other surrounding niceties.

There are three elements that make Brief Encounter an excellent film:

1) The cinematography and lighting schemes closely resembling those of film noires. I'm not entirely certain as to what the purpose of that specific type of visual aesthetic was in correlation to this film but the final product consistently looks strikingly beautiful as a result.

2) The concept of the film is centered on the idea that a married woman, belonging to a certain high echelon in society can get away with an affair, provided that one reasons that what they're viewing is only a movie. However, the couple's relationship feels authentic because of the decade in which the film was made (as in a pre-method acting decade) and also because of the realistically delivered performances by Johnson and Howard. They are natural actors and great ones, at that; their relationship feels real because they don't appear to be acting. No theatrics were required to make their relationship a convincingly good one.

3) The film is narrated by Laura almost right from its start. At the film's start, Laura sits before her husband, who reads a newspaper quietly, and she contemplates telling her husband what she'd been up to during the past few weeks (or months). The narration for the remainder of the film then is delivered as sort of confession and I won't ruin what happens at the end of the film, but let me assure you that it'll make you rethink all of what I'd written about in point #2.

There's not a lot to say about the plot of the film because it deals more with everyday happenings and a loving couple hanging out. It's a relatively short film (and especially for David Lean), clocking in at 86 minutes but in contains a distinct beginning, middle, and end. There's a good screenplay at work and, although I'd hate to have to repeat myself but the performances are terrific because of the actors' natural talents. They sell the film and make an entertaining one.

I've watched Brief Encounter for the first time earlier this week and found it to be thoroughly entertaining and lighthearted, for the most part. It's not a tearjerker, at least not entirely, and I am amazed to have found it to be such a light, fun film to watch. Many reading this might think that I'm out of my mind for thinking so but I was focused on the actors' faces, their convincing expressions, and their delivery of dialogue much more than the actual words that came out of their mouths because of their tremendous talent. I felt like I was with the two of them walking in the park or seated in a dark movie theatre laughing at Daffy Ducks cartoons. I felt like I was there and because they're relationship is mostly a happy one I felt happy and I felt happy to be there. One might call it an early "fly on the wall" film, in which we follow said characters everywhere that they go and at all times and feel like we're there with them and I find that that's the magic behind what makes Brief Encounter work so well.

David Lean was a master filmmaker and storyteller from early on in his great career and the way in which he delivers the last five minutes of Brief Encounter is incredible and note worthy. I'm not going to say whether the happenings are happy or sad but just that what happens is amazing; and those that watch the film to its end will agree with me that David Lean was a terrific filmmaker and storyteller and that Brief Encounter is a terrific film.