Movie Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The heroes in a half shell.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Directed by: Steve Barron

I reviewed this movie for Next Projection.

Most children of the 80s and 90s grew up on a steady TV diet of their favourite heroes in a half shell. Whether you preferred Michelangelo's surfer dude attitude or Raphael's lone wolf angst, there was no denying the allure of that turtle power.

Loosely based on the Mirage Studios comics, the animated series debuted in 1987 and centred on the adventures of four turtle siblings and their wise master, Splinter. While the series captured the imagination of kids throughout North America, it diverged from the original source — opting instead to change key character elements for the sake of simplicity.

In 1990, New Line Cinema decided to capitalize on this animated success story by distributing a live action adaptation that would ideally appeal to both kids and teens, alike. The end result is not so much a cult classic as a fondly remembered retro rewind — a nostalgic look back at our childhood, a childhood where we once watched a movie about walking, talking turtles who struggled to emulate the wisdom expounded by a life-size rat.

While Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie lacked the mass appeal that enabled films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show — or to a lesser extent, The Goonies — to reach cult status, it still carries a special place in film lore for many of its now-adult fans.

Unlike it's more cartoonish and increasingly ridiculous sequels, The Secret of the Ooze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, the first installment in the franchise is surprisingly dark for what essentially amounts to kiddie entertainment — it's stylistically reminiscent of Tim Burton's original Batman, which was released the previous year in 1989.

The premise (as if you didn't already know!) features a quartet of genetically mutated turtles who are regularly trained in martial arts by their mentor, Splinter (voiced by Kevin Clash). The teens must learn to work together as a team in order to defeat Shredder (James Saito) and his violent ninja gang, the Foot Clan. Along the way the turtles form close bonds with an investigative journalist named April O'Neil (Judith Hoag) and a cricket bat-wielding street thug named Casey Jones (Elias Koteas).

With its bleak outlook on city living and gang culture, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comes off as more of a film noir for kids — complete with its own version of a femme fatale and the casual (if sometimes grating) use of the term “babe” to describe attractive women.

Yet, despite everything going against it — being a inconsequential live action film that included men dressed in turtle suits and remote-controlled Jim Henson puppets — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles isn't half as bad as you'd think. (Side note: It's thankfully no Garbage Pail Kids, that's for certain; with it's disgusting characters and uncomfortably lame one-liners).

Each turtle are each unique individuals, allowing kids in the audience to pick and choose which hero they can best identify with. There's Donatello (voiced by Corey Feldman) who is often depicted as the intellectual brother due to his aptitude for science and his knack for technological gadgets. There's Leonardo (voiced by Brian Tochi), the unofficial leader of the pack who exhibits both patience and discipline. Or how about Michelangelo (voiced by Robbie Rist), the fun-loving prankster who adores pizza as much as his nun-chucks. Or, finally, my personal childhood favourite, Raphael (voiced by Josh Pais), the lone wolf who exhibits extreme bouts teen angst more than any of his brothers — and struggles to come to terms with it.

It's dark, noirish elements give children the illusion that they are watching an exciting, dangerous adult film. I recall feeling a rush of exhilaration when watching TMNT simply because it looked and felt like grown up movies my parents would enjoy. Credit is due to production designer Roy Forge Smith for cashing in on the success of Burton's bleak Batman while still maintaining his own unique vision of a world inhabited by human-sized turtles and their various nemeses.

For all intents and purposes, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a hybrid movie: part martial arts action flick, part cartoon-ish adventure and part romance. You could argue that it has a little something for everyone — including adults should they decide to revisit this childhood favourite with their own kids. And why wouldn't they? After all, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is more than just a kid's flick — it illustrates the importance of familial bonds and working together as a team to help the ones you love. And that's total turtle power!

While surprisingly better than one may expect, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is still bogged down by a silly, often scattered, script — yet still manages to be a nice trip down memory lane.

FINAL GRADE: C+

Movie Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Martin Freeman

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage and Andy Serkis

I reviewed this film for Next Projection.

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit". So goes one of the most recognizable openings in English literature. Back in 1937, when J.R.R. Tolkien first put pen to paper to create his sprawling fantasy universe, little did he know that it would spawn one of the biggest film franchises of all time.

Now, 11 years after first introducing audiences to his interpretation of Tolkien's world with The Lord of the Rings, director Peter Jackson returns to helm the prequel to his epic trilogy.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a solid and enjoyable outing, albeit one that struggles to recreate the magic of the original trilogy. Those films -- like catching lightning in a bottle -- were a pop culture phenom that captured the imagination of filmgoers from around the globe for three years. And, with his assured direction, Jackson makes The Hobbit work, for the most part.

Set 60 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings, we first meet Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) leading a solitary life in his small burrow in The Shire. When the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) appears requesting that he join him on an adventure, Bilbo is hesitant -- and rightfully so. Gandalf wants Bilbo to act as a burglar for a group of 13 dwarves fighting to reclaim their home, the kingdom of Erebor. Hobbits, being fleet of foot, are able to move about sight unseen, sound unheard -- making young Bilbo the ideal candidate for such a dangerous venture.

Having faced a ruthless invasion at the hands of the fearsome dragon Smaug, the dwarves were run out of their kingdom and left homeless. While Smaug lords over Erebor and the dwarf treasure, a plot is set in motion to reclaim their territory by any means necessary. Although riddled with anxiety, Bilbo agrees to leave his idyllic settings for unchartered terrain with a band of bloodthirsty, yet charmingly brash, dwarves.

Freeman is a natural fit for the lead role. He instills Bilbo with a nervous charisma that is as amusing as it is moving. Riding in on the coattails of the immensely popular BBC series, Sherlock, Freeman's fanbase will undoubtedly grow exponentially thanks to his spot-on characterization of one of literature's most popular heroes.

Returning in the role of Gandalf, McKellan manages to make his wise wizard feel younger and more spry than he appeared in The Lord of the Rings. He gives a thoughtful performance with a character he's already perfected.

Ian McKellan

Considering Jackson's knack for coming across talented actors who are not yet household names, the supporting cast are all top notch. It's not only a pleasure to watch the return of Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Hugo Weaving as Elrond and a never-better Andy Serkis as Gollum, but the new faces are a delight as well. Richard Armitage as dwarf leader Thorin Oakenshield, in particular, is a standout.

Adept at capturing even the tiniest details of Middle Earth, it seems only natural that Jackson would return after original director Guillermo del Toro bowed out due to scheduling conflicts. For the sake of continuity and the overall look and feel, it's fitting that Jackson complete all six films himself. However, the decision to stretch a tiny children's book into three feature films is being called into question.

By the time all the expository information is laid out in the first two acts of An Unexpected Journey, the material has started to stretch a little thin. The meandering plot will likely keep true Tolkien devotees satisfied but may alienate general audiences. The film gains some traction in the third act when much of the action focuses on Gollum and then the epic battle between dwarves and orcs -- but by then the film is nearly over.

However, for all its spectacle and excellent performances, An Unexpected Journey is gaining a fair bit of buzz for the medium in which Jackson chose to film his trilogy.

Jackson made the controversial decision to film his latest Middle Earth outing with a high projection rate of 48 frames per second, which adds up to about twice the normal speed. It's akin to watching the clarity of a high-definition TV show. It will astound as many viewers as it will anger and disappoint. While there are those who will gripe about the 48 frames, there's no denying the often glorious effect it has on specific scenes in the film.

An Unexpected Journey is an enjoyable piece of cinema and you'll be happy that you've returned to Middle Earth -- even if it isn't quite as magical as the first time around.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Movie Review: Lincoln

Daniel Day-Lewis

I reviewed this film for Next Projection.

Long-regarded as one of America's greatest leaders, Abraham Lincoln was many things: A shrewd politician, a hardworking family man and a vocal proponent of passing an anti-slavery bill.

The gradual build-up to director Steven Spielberg's opus has helped revive public discussions on Lincoln outside of the usual historical circles. Yet, few films have ever ventured to portray the much-revered president on the silver screen and, if anyone were to succeed in the role, it would be celebrated British actor Daniel Day-Lewis. And, while the always-reliable Day-Lewis commands the screen with his award-worthy performance, Lincoln may ultimately leave some viewers scratching their heads.

Spielberg's Lincoln chronicles the last four months of the titular hero's life, from January to April 1865. The action takes place in Washington, as the President struggles to bring an end the Civil War raging throughout the nation. Lincoln puts most of his time and energy into passing an amendment to abolish slavery, a contentious issue that proves divisive within the House of Representatives.

In the moments where the script calls for levity, Lincoln enlists the help of three affable Republican "thugs" (James Spader, John Hawkes and Tim Blake Nelson, all excellent) to convince the remaining Democrats who are still on the fence over the anti-slavery act to come back with a verdict in support of the bill.

However, considering the historic significance of America's 16th President of the United States, it's somewhat perplexing as to why Spielberg gets off to a slow start in the early going. The first hour is filled with awkward exposition as the script calls for too many heavy-handed conversations that quibble over the semantics of passing a bill. Periods of long, drawn-out speeches on constitutional law and negotiating peace slow the momentum to a standstill.

The screenplay, by Tony Kushner, neglects to delve deeper into the man behind the iconic top hat and beard. There are even instances where, despite Day-Lewis' mesmerizing performance, Lincoln recedes into the background. When we do get glimpses of his private family life they are fleeting — especially frustrating considering certain scenes with his wife Mary (Sally Field) hint at a fascinating, albeit unhappy, marriage. Even a subplot involving his eldest son, Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), is ultimately discarded in favour of the unending parade of secondary characters.

But where Lincoln ultimately falls short is in its hazy narrative. Is this a biopic on the man behind the legend or a docudrama on the abolishment of slavery in the United States?

Daniel Day-Lewis exudes a confidence in his craft rarely seen in actors working today. Although the passage of time prevents us from knowing exactly how Lincoln spoke and acted towards his colleagues and family, Day-Lewis imbues his metaphor-spouting Lincoln with a gentleness that defies his reputation as a commanding leader. Speaking in soft-spoken cadences that rarely rise above a whisper, Day-Lewis' Lincoln walks with shoulders so stooped that they appear to carry the entire weight of the world. He has the uncanny ability to transport you in time and make you believe that the person you are watching on the silver screen is the real person — as opposed to a carefully crafted reconstruction. It's a powerful — and beautifully subdued — performance from an artist who many would argue is a gift to acting.

The supporting cast is a revolving door of familiar faces from Jackie Earle Haley (as Alexander Stephens) to David Strathairn (as Secretary of State William Seward). But it's Tommy Lee Jones as Pennsylvania rep Thaddeus Stevens that is the standout — and potentially one of the early contenders for a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Grizzled and peevish, Jones unleashes passionate pleas in defense of Lincoln's anti-slavery bill — much to the chagrin of Democratic pro-slavery speaker Fernando Wood (Lee Pace).

Lincoln is not as epic or sentimental as one would come to expect from Spielberg — it's easily the director's most restrained work to date.

While the film has its powerful moments — many of which take place in the House of Representatives — Lincoln, the man, ultimately gets lost within Lincoln.

FINAL GRADE: C+

Blu-ray Review: Sunset Blvd. (1950)

Comparing the Blu-ray transfer to the DVD release.

I reviewed this Blu-ray for Next Projection.

Cast: Gloria Swanson, William Holden and Erich von Stroheim
Director: Billy Wilder
Country: U.S.
Genre: Drama
Official Trailer: YouTube

Video
Video Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080 p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1

Audio
English: Dolby True HD Mono
French: Dolby Digital Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
Portugese: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish and Portugese

Sunset Blvd. finally gets its close-up on Blu-ray. As one of the most cynical glimpses of Hollywood to ever hit the silver screen, Billy Wilder's satiric masterpiece is classic cinema at its finest.

Long revered as one of the finest films ever made, this seminal work marks a career high for Wilder who, at the time, was Hollywood's most celebrated director, having recently won the Oscars for Best Director and Best Screenplay for The Lost Weekend (1945).

With its assortment of colourful characters both fictional and real, Sunset Blvd. delves into the dark side of movie-making -- from the desperation of those who seek a life in the spotlight to those jaded figures who work behind the scenes. It's a dirty business and Wilder wasn't afraid to shine a light on its dark corners.

Struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden) is down on his luck in Hollywood and, after a series of misadventures, finds himself in a ramshackle mansion on the outskirts of town. Once inside the oppressive house Joe meets Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), an aging former silent screen star, and her solumn German butler Max von Mayerling (Erich von Stroheim). When Norma shows Joe a script she plans to use as her "return" to the silver screen, she enlists him as her screenwriter in exchange for money to pay off his creditors. Lost in her delusions and exaggerated sense of self-worth, Norma showers Joe with money and jewellery -- lavishing the man she believes will be her gateway back to fame.

Sunset Blvd.'s theme of opportunism and its consequences narrows in on what making movies does to people in the business.

The transfer and digital reconstruction is gorgeous, capturing the luscious light and shadows in every shot. Paramount clearly appreciated the importance of preserving this classic and celebrating its place in film lore.

There is a wealth of supplemental features, many of which were brought over from the DVD restoration that was released a decade ago. Featuring the likes of film historian Ed Sikov, actress Nancy Olson and film historian Andrew Sarris, the extras give tidbits on the behind-the-scenes issues in bringing this classic to the big screen.

The only complaint is that, after clocking in at more than two and a half hours of extras, the information doled out in the interviews tends to get a bit repetitive. Perhaps had some of the smaller supplemental features been edited together into one longer finished product than viewers wouldn't suffer from a sense of deja vu. 

Extras
This Blu-ray release includes featurettes on "Sunset Blvd.: The Beginning", "Sunset Blvd.: A Look Back", "The Noir Side of Sunset Blvd.", "Paramount in the 50s" and a deleted scene, among other bonus supplements.

Final grade: A 

Movie Review: Frankenweenie

Frankenweenie (2012)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Winona Ryder, Martin Landau and Charlie Tahan

I reviewed this film for Next Projection.

Tim Burton's latest animated oddity heralds a return to form for the director. Although he distracted himself with big-budget remakes over the years -- many of which failed to resonate with viewers -- Frankenweenie is a welcome return to the Burton of old.

Expanding on a concept conceived back in 1984, Frankenweenie has gone from a 30-minute project to a feature-length film lensed in glorious black and white -- an homage to the horror influences of his childhood.

Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) is devastated when his beloved dog, Sparky, is killed in a tragic road accident. However, when a grieving Victor learns about the effects of electricity while in his science class he concocts a plan to bring his dog back to life. But, in order to avoid detection, he must outsmart his parents (Catherine O'Hara and Martin Short), science teacher Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau) and his nosy classmates. Although Victor's experiment initially proves to be a success, he is ultimately forced to confront the consequences of his actions when other people get their hands on the science behind bringing the dead back to life.

Influenced by the aesthetics and techniques used in the German Expressionist films that were prevalent in the 1920s, Frankenweenie also contains a memorable cast of eccentric outsiders -- all familiar features in Burton's oeuvre.

The craftsmanship is a wonder to behold. Frankenweenie is arguably Burton's most visually stunning work in years. Making the bold decision to release a family feature in black and white, the characters and their little town of New Holland are so vivid they appear to pop off the screen. To understand the painstaking process involved in creating a stop-motion feature, is to realize that Frankenweenie is a genuine labour of love for its director.

While the plot fondly borrows from films and literature of the past, it's the characters that keeps the action moving forward. The premise may not be original but the memorable cast of characters is all Burton's own creation. His signature long-legged, saucer-eyed characters tend to resemble grotesque marionettes but their personalities carry a lot of heart.

Despite all the impressively eerie visuals and classic film references, Frankenweenie is ultimately just a touching story about a young boy and his dog; the rare family feature that will appeal to both children and adults alike.

Burton's affection for his now-28-year-old story is undeniable as Frankenweenie proves to be the director's most successful outing in years.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Movie Review: The Bourne Legacy

The Bourne Legacy (2012)
Directed by: Tony Gilroy
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton

I reviewed this film for Next Projection.

Right from the start, the establishing shot provides a heavy dose of deja vu. Covert operative Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) floats on his stomach in the icy depths of an Alaskan lake, immediately bringing to mind the first glimpse we get of anti-hero Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) in the franchise's first instalment. The scene is one of many nods to the original trilogy, a polite tip of the hat to the 2002 blockbuster that started it all.

From there, The Bourne Legacy sets out to both embrace its narrative origins and, at the same time, set itself apart as a stand-alone franchise spin-off -- which is does with varying degrees of success.

With the departure of director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum) and Damon's decision not to return in the lead role, producers were left to ponder how best to handle their still-marketable action franchise. It would have been too risky a venture to simply recast another actor in the title role of Jason Bourne, the operative with superhuman strength that helped make Robert Ludlum's book series such a success. The Universal heads ultimately opted instead to build a brand new character from the ground up.

With the original trilogy's screenwriter Tony Gilroy now behind the camera (he co-wrote Legacy with brother, Dan), the latest instalment reverts to familiar espionage tropes -- nefarious government henchmen, spectacular high-octane chases and a variety of exotic international locales -- as it concocts a story that features less relentless action sequences and more scenes with plot-driven dialogue.

The story begins where The Bourne Ultimatum left off, with former Treadstone agent Jason Bourne on the run from shadowy government men. Running parallel to the Ultimatum premise is a second top-secret project referred to as Outcome. Under the watchful eye of intelligence chief Eric Byer (a delightfully snarky Edward Norton), Outcome is in the relatively early stages of creating super-agents; a group of six test soldiers who are administered pills in order to improve them both mentally and physically. Without their daily dose they "regress" and return to their unmodified (read: average joe) state. Due to a potential leak about the inner workings of the program, Byer hastily demands that Outcome disband, consequently marking the six operatives for death.

Enter Aaron Cross, a super-soldier on a training mission at a remote post in Alaska. When the truth about the destruction of the Outcome project is slowly revealed to Cross he goes on the run as the only remaining survivor of the program. With a low pill supply and desperate to stave off a return to mental and physical normalcy, Cross kidnaps Dr. Marta Shearing (the always-reliable Rachel Weisz) a virologist involved in Outcome's drug program.

Renner and Weisz

A series of impressively lensed chases ensue involving cars, motorcyles and parkour; all Bourne staples.

Devoid of jingoism, the franchise features double-crossings, backdoor dealings and omnipresent government threats that originate on American soil (as Norton's government crony Byer growls, "We are morally indefensible and absolutely necessary"); the films were never about protecting the American populace from its own government's secret agendas. Where Bourne sought the truth to his identity, yearning for a normal life, Cross has no desire to return to his pre-Outcome days; preferring the supplements that elevate him to a superhuman level. The government made him this way and he has no qualms about maintaining his high-octane lifestyle, regardless of the cost. These men have superhuman strength -- but they are not superheroes.

While the film delves into familiar territory, Legacy benefits from its inspired casting of Oscar-nominee Jeremy Renner -- an intelligent actor who imbues his performances with fascinating character ticks. With The Hurt Locker, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and The Avengers under his belt, Renner is fast becoming the thinking man's action hero. He more than holds his own here, lending a gritty, battle-worn realism to the proceedings. His Aaron Cross is a more than worthy replacement for Damon's Jason Bourne.

In terms of narrative The Bourne Legacy is able to stand on its own, although so much of its premise rides on its parallels with Jason Bourne's story threads that it will be interesting to see if it survives and becomes its own full-fledged series.

Bourne purists expecting a non-stop adrenaline rush may wind up disappointed. This latest instalment is a satisfying summer diversion that adroitly balances its high-octane thrills with dialogue-heavy passages that propels the plot forward. While it never quite reaches the level of excellence as the original Bourne Identity, Legacy still makes for a thrilling addition to the franchise.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Movie Review: Danny Boyle's Frankenstein

Danny Boyle's Frankenstein (2011)

Directed by: Danny Boyle

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller

I reviewed this film for Next Projection.

Push aside all thoughts of Boris Karloff, Robert DeNiro or even Peter Boyle. Last year, Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle created a sharp, mostly faithful retelling of the classic novel for London’s National Theatre that was eventually filmed and screened for audiences around the world.

Working with a script from Nick Dear, Boyle returns to his stage roots with his take on Mary Shelley’s 1818 Gothic masterpiece, Frankenstein. In a pre-show behind-the-scenes look at the dress rehearsals, Boyle reveals that he took on this ambitious production in an attempt to tell the story almost solely from the Creature’s point of view – a risky venture considering the first half of the play has very little dialogue as the Creature grunts and moans his way to some semblance of humanity.

As a result, we see smaller, poignant moments that build on the Creature’s characterization, such as his obvious delight at the sight of the sunrise or how the thought of the moon makes him feel solitary. While cutting out the first portion of Shelley’s novel may be jarring to some of her fans, Boyle and Dear manage to narrow the focus and create a tighter narrative structure that rearranges certain pivotal events while still remaining loyal to the original text.

Right from the stunning opening scene, where a naked Creature emerges from the womb-like contraption in which he was created, Boyle’s Frankenstein holds our attention for more than 10 minutes as we lay witness to the Creature’s first fumbling steps. Without the additional narrative exposition of how he came to be, we are thrust right into the Creature’s story the very same way he is suddenly thrust into life.

The sparse sets leaves more room for the actors to breath and the very presence of Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller’s performances fill the stage (and screen).

Miller perfectly fills the shoes of the arrogant Victor Frankenstein, his assured answers eventually giving way to his haunted inner torment and indecision over whether or not he could muster the courage to destroy his own creation. Just when you may start to feel a twinge of sympathy, he brushes away any thought of the sort with his cold conceit. He’s a tragically flawed figure who hastily decided to play God, only to be humbled by the fact that his own creation had to teach him about what it means to love.

Cumberbatch as the Creature and Miller as Frankenstein

In the more difficult role of the two, Benedict Cumberbatch is simply astonishing – completely inhabiting the character of the Creature. It’s a fearless performance. As Cumberbatch revealed in the pre-show behind-the-scenes interview, he studied the movements of accident victims who were learning to walk again. As a result, you feel the Creature’s frustration as he learns to walk for the first time, along with his desperation to communicate with words and his all-encompassing desire to experience love. Both Cumberbatch’s performance and Dear’s script make the Creature more than just a pile of contorting limbs – he’s a full-blown intellectual, a man who can recite Milton’s Paradise Lost by heart and muses over what it really means to love. It is mankind that shows him evil and teaches him about hate and the death of one’s soul, making the scenes where the Creature euphorically tastes his first meal and feels his first rainfall all the more bittersweet.

Cumberbatch and Miller play well off one another and their shared scenes are some of the play’s highlights. Both men recently won Best Actor at the Olivier Awards, handed out by the Society of London Theatre.

The rest of the supporting cast doesn’t fare as well in underwritten roles, with the exception of Karl Johnson (TVs Rome) in the role of the blind cottager that kindly takes the Creature in and provides him with an education.

In the final scene, as the Creature forces Frankenstein into a game of cat and mouse across the North Pole, both of their utter desolation is keenly felt – Frankenstein’s for his inability to overcome his pride and destroy his creation and the Creature’s for his failure to find someone to love him.

The two are destined to share their final days together as Boyle’s play hauntingly comes to a close with the image of their worn frames wandering away through the cold mists.

It's an extraordinary piece of theatre, led by two spectacular lead performances, that makes Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein an absolute must-see.

Note: Cumberbatch and Miller alternated roles throughout the London run. Both options are available to view on this international cinema tour.

FINAL GRADE: A+

Movie Review: What to Expect When You're Expecting

Matthew Morrison and Cameron Diaz

What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)
Directed by: Kirk Jones
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Ben Falcone, Matthew Morrison, Anna Kendrick, Dennis Quaid and Chris Rock

I reviewed this film for Next Projection.

Hollywood is known for churning out countless sequels and book adaptations in the hopes of striking box office gold. For decades, many filmgoers and critics alike have bemoaned the lack of originality in the majority of mainstream flicks. However, it would appear that Hollywood has hit a new low -- it has resorted to patching together a script based on a self-help pregnancy manual written nearly 30 years ago.

Universally celebrated for it's ability to accurately chronicle the highs and lows of pregnancy, Heidi Murkoff's wildly successful 1984 tome is a bestseller due to its humorous but honest glimpse of the changes women go through over the span of nine months -- as well as the aftermath and how it affects your relationship.

But a successful self-help book does not make for a strong screenplay. Shauna Cross and Heather Hatch struggle to weave together intertwining stories involving no less than five couples. The result is a series of soulless vignettes that fail to come together as a cohesive narrative. It's like watching the birthing-babies edition of Valentine's Day or New Years Eve.

Chris Rock with Rodrigo Santoro

There's freelance photographer Holly (Jennifer Lopez) who has come to terms with the fact that she's unable to conceive and plans to adopt a baby from Ethiopia with her reluctant husband, Alex (Rodrigo Santoro). Meanwhile, reality show host Jules (Cameron Diaz) finds out she's been impregnated by her Celebrity Dance Factor co-star, Evan (Matthew Morrison). Twenty-something Rosie (Anna Kendrick) discovers she's pregnant after a one-night stand with a former high school crush (Chace Crawford) and dreads telling him the news. Wendy (Elizabeth Banks), the Type-A personality behind the breastfeeding boutique, Breast Choice, is finally expecting a little one with her husband, Gary (Ben Falcone), after years of failed attempts. There's also Gary's egotistical father, Ramsey (Dennis Quaid) and his newly pregnant young wife (Brooklyn Decker) thrown into the mix. On top of all that there's a "dude's group" of fathers, led by Chris Rock, who get together at the local park with their kids and talk about the hardships of parenting.

What to Expect When You're Expecting is an uneven and episodic Hollywood vehicle designed as a quick studio cash-grab. Assembling together a large group of both A- and B-list actors fails to lift the material above its shallow, superficial surface. Anyone looking towards this flick for anything even remotely resembling a humorous angle on the hardships endured by expectant parents will be sorely disappointed. It glosses over the very issues -- infertility and debates over circumcision -- that made Murkoff's book such a resounding success. And any script that includes Lopez sobbing the line "I'm the one who can't do the one thing that a woman is supposed to do" is both cringe-worthy and offensive.

Director Kirk Jones continuously hops between his large cast, rarely taking the time to linger on one storyline for more than five minutes at a time. As a result, audiences are never given the chance to relate to any of the five main plot threads. For a movie that should have been a witty take on parental sacrifice it instead plays out like a stale sitcom. The laughs are incredibly few and far between as the script bounces between each and every one of its increasingly aggravating characters.

In the end, all issues and disagreements are happily resolved as everyone embraces -- and perfectly adapts to -- their new roles as parents.

FINAL GRADE: D

Film Noir Series: The Killers (1946)

My latest Film Noir entry for Next Projection. The eleventh film on my list is The Killers (1946).

Back in 1927, right in the thick of the Roaring Twenties, Ernest Hemingway published a short story about two cold-blooded killers and the poor, unlucky soul they were hired to kill.

Director Robert Siodmak's noir classic uses the opening 15 minutes to adapt Hemingway's piece. The two titular killers wander into a late-night diner looking for a former prizefighter known as "the Swede". After tossing around a few threats, they leave. A young man, unnerved by the menacing strangers, heads off to tell his Swedish friend that the men are after him and asks him why. The Swede, cast in dark shadows as he reclines on his bed, appears resigned to his fate, telling his friend: "I did something wrong ...once."

Although The Killers credits Hemingway as the source material for its premise, in reality it's through the combined efforts of director Siodmak and screenwriter Anthony Veiller that this noir gets its chilling sense of dread. They set out to answer the questions that Hemingway left open-ended. Why didn't the Swede run? Why were the hitmen hot on his trail?

The Killers fleshes out the backstory, picking up the pieces from where Hemingway left off. It follows the downward spiral of Ole "the Swede" Andreson (Burt Lancaster, in his film debut) as he gets involved with a gang of thieves in an attempt to impress the enigmatic Kitty Collins (Ava Gardner). The film opens with guns blazing as the Swede is killed in the opening frame, leaving his personal narrative to be told in flashback from a variety of different characters' perspectives. When insurance investigator Jim Riordan (Edmond O'Brien) tries to uncover the mystery as to why the reclusive Swede left his entire small fortune to a hotelier named Queenie (Queenie Smith), he unwittingly unravels a complex, twisted plot involving double-crossings, backstabbings and robbery.

With its natural, conversationalist dialogue, The Killers is a chilling example of noir at its finest. Siodmak and Veiller wisely chose to let some of Hemingway's original dialogue remain, as his short story provides a springboard from which the director and screenwriter flesh out a richly characterized story about a good man who ultimately chooses the wrong path. A man whose tragic flaw is his willingness to put his trust in anyone he comes in contact with.

Ava Gardner and Burt Lancaster

With a fragmented, labyrinthine plot, The Killers seamlessly blends more than 10 flashback sequences -- each one more revealing than the last. The most compelling of these involves the Swede's initial introduction to the alluring Kitty, a slinky dame whom he first glimpses sharing a bench with the piano player at a late-night dinner party.

The sultry Gardner is a casting coup, with a soft voice and beautiful face that masks Kitty's rotten core. She's perfectly paired with then-newcomer Lancaster who gives a beautifully restrained performance that benefits from the subtle nuances he instills in his charactization of the Swede.

The Killers is a lushly filmed caper with an unrelenting score and absorbing melodrama to spare. The ultimate noir, the film uses recognizable tropes of the genre -- from the flashback sequences to the investigation headed by a hard-nosed authority figure -- to gradually build its story. The pacing is slow and deliberate, choosing to indulge in slow reveals instead of high-octane thrills.

And, in the end, it rewards the audiences patience by expertly weaving together all the loose narrative threads into a tragic, albeit satisfying, conclusion.

FINAL GRADE: A-

Movie Review: The Five-Year Engagement

Emily Blunt and Jason Segel

The Five-Year Engagement
Directed by: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Alison Brie, Chris Pratt and Rhys Ifans

I reviewed this film for Next Projection.

The latest romantic comedy from the Judd Apatow laugh factory is more about falling out of love and the struggle in trying to find your way back into healthy-relationship territory. The older we get and the more set in our ways, the harder it can become to reach a happy medium. And, amidst penis jokes and casually tossed expletives, The Five-Year Engagement sets its sights on realistically dealing with "grown up" relationship issues -- and, for the most part, it succeeds.

Tom (Jason Segel) and Violet (Emily Blunt) take "meet cute" to a whole new level, involving a New Year's Eve party, a pink bunny superhero and a Princess Diana costume. Sparks inevitably fly and, after a year-long courtship, Tom proposes to Violet in memorably awkward fashion. Tom is a successful sous-chef in a San Francisco restaurant while Violet works towards a social psychology degree from UC Berkeley. However, their plans change abruptly when Violet learns she's been turned down by Berkeley but accepted at the University of Michigan for a two year stint. Tom, being the supportive fiance, offers to move with her so she can pursue her passion. The two reach a mutual agreement to put their wedding on hold until further notice.

There's technically nothing preventing Tom and Violet from getting married -- people decide to wed while still attending post-secondary education all the time -- and they are clearly in love and financially secure. Yet, they choose to delay the inevitable. Are they both having second thoughts? In the meantime, other family members and friends get hitched and have babies. Grandparents begin to pass away. Tom and Violet start to drift apart as he struggles to find a decent job in their new hometown and she spends more and more time with her professor (Rhys Ifans) and fellow classmates. No longer in sync with one another, they start to drift apart -- Tom gets restless while Violet tries to understand his emotional struggles and enjoy her own success at the same time.

Scene-stealers Alison Brie and Chris Pratt

Like most Apatow flicks, the film balances raunchy humour with genuinely poignant moments. Unlike many characters within the romantic comedy genre, Tom and Violet feel lifted straight from real life. Their arguments are embedded in a degree of realism -- we've all had the same fights with a loved one at some point. What really stands out most is its lack of plot contrivances. The usual romcom tropes are ignored with the script instead favouring refreshingly unique (and often side-splittingly funny) situational comedic scenes. Watch for a particularly wonderful moment involving an entire conversation carried on in the voices of Elmo and Cookie Monster.

However, The Five-Year Engagement struggles to overcome its meandering plot, structural problems and jarring shifts in tone. Segel, who co-wrote the script with the film's director Nicholas Stoller, loses grasp of his character at the halfway mark where Tom becomes a depressed mountain man (literally) who grows a horrific beard, hunts for game and brews his own honey mead. This, combined with a weird seduction scene in a deli, feels out of place and brings the plot to a standstill. Tom randomly transforms into an irritating, emasculated man-child who resents and envies his fiancee's success and lack of his own. He becomes a bit of a drag and threatens to take the whole movie down with him. Luckily, he snaps out of his funk but the glacially paced middle portion of the film dampens the spirit of Engagement.

Segel needed a third pair of eyes to go over the script with a fine-tooth comb. At just slightly over two hours in length, The Five-Year Engagement could have benefited from a tightened narrative that would have resulted in some of the more extraneous scenes being left on the cutting room floor.

What ultimately saves the film is its clever situational comedy and talented cast -- and not only from the always-reliable Segel and the charming Blunt, but also Chris Pratt and Alison Brie as Tom's best bud Alex and Violet's neurotic sister, Suzie. Both Pratt and Brie quite nearly steal the entire film out from under Segel and Blunt.

Buried beneath its plodding middle and two hour-plus running time is a sharp commentary on grown up relationships and the sacrifices and compromises we sometimes have to make for those we love. So kudos to Segel and co. for setting out to make a romantic comedy that feels both refreshingly unique and, at certain points, brutally honest.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Documentary Feature: Fightville

Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier

Fightville (2011)
Directed by: Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein
Featuring: Dustin Poirier, Albert Stainback and Tim Credeur

I reviewed this film for Next Projection.

The ongoing controversy over violence and its place in the sporting world has left mixed marital arts with a stigma that will be hard to shake.

However, with the UFC rapidly expanding and growing in popularity, it's arguable that the debate surrounding it has, in some ways, been invaluable to its enduring popularity.

An oft-misunderstood sport that dates back centuries, mixed marital arts (MMA) takes a sort of pride in its focus on the primal urges we so often repress and refuse to acknowledge.

Coming off its Toronto premiere at the 2011 Hot Docs Film Festival, Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein's Fightville focuses on the physical and psychological toll that MMA takes on everyone involved — from the promoters and trainers, right down to the fighters themselves.

At the heart of the narrative are the people at the Gladiators Academy — a tiny gym next to a Piggly Wiggly grocery store in a rundown strip mall in southern Louisiana. Fight promoter Gil Guillory and trainer Tim Credeur are part of MMA USA, a grassroots organization that ultimately prepares their fighters for the glare of the UFC spotlight. Some succeed, while others falter.

Credeur makes it his personal mission to weed out the weak among his group. He waxes philosophical about the sport — he's the films biggest MMA cheerleader, connecting lessons learned in life to those that can be taught in the cage. A brutally honest coach who won't hesitate to teach with his own fists, he's a force to be reckoned with and anyone who survives and thrives under his leadership will usually wind up on the larger-scale MMA circuits.

The Gladiators Academy provides fulfillment for the two young men at the centre of the story — twenty-something's Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier and Albert Stainback. MMA is more than just a way for these young men to make money and put food on the table; for them it's an outlet to indulge in what they see as their only talent — and it's the main source of their pride.

With its thundering soundtrack, rousing fight sequences and assured camerawork, Fightville ultimately rests on the shoulders of the affable Poirier. Although he remains largely tight-lipped on his violent past, his focused intensity still gives way to a good-natured spirit.

Despite revelations of multiple run-ins with law in his youth, his mom steps up to the plate to express the pride she has in her son's complete character transformation — despite the noticeable worry lines still etched on her face.

Albert Stainback

Yet, where Poirier emerges as a star pupil under Credeur's tutelage (he's now a UFC featherweight), there's also those who flag under the immense pressure — and that's where Stainback enters the picture. Where Poirier is composed and disciplined (at one point losing 20 pounds in one week to qualify for a competition), Stainback fails to balance the full-time training demands and his personal issues. What with a horrific childhood involving an alcoholic mother and an abusive father who later committed suicide, Stainback takes on the stage persona of Alex DeLarge, the brutal hooligan at the centre of A Clockwork Orange.

What point is Stainback trying to get across? Is it meant to be ironic or is there something deeper to his selection? Unfortunately, viewers are left in the dark as his decision to don Alex's black bowler cap and white pantsuit is never addressed in the doc.

What holds Fightville back from being a true knockout is its lack of backstory. Far too many questions are left unanswered — or go unasked. While it offers a glimpse into the complicated behind-the-scenes world of MMA, it only scratches the surface of the grueling routine the fighters endure and the interesting connection between MMA and their troubled upbringings.

With the exception of Poirier's mother, who fills in some of the narrative gaps when it comes to her son, there are few secondary sources to provide insight into these two young men. Both are personable and have interesting stories to tell, but there are noticeable holes where more could have been asked of them.

While often fascinating and enjoyable, Fightville ultimately suffers from a lack of in depth personal stories from its central figures.

FINAL GRADE: B

Movie Review: American Reunion

(left to right) Nicholas, Biggs, Scott, Klein and Thomas

American Reunion (2012)
Directed by: Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
Starring: Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott, Chris Klein, Alyson Hannigan, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Thomas Ian Nicholas and Eugene Levy

I reviewed this film for Next Projection.

It’s unlikely that anyone was seriously asking for another slice of this pie.

After three theatrical installments and four direct-to-DVD spin-offs, Hollywood serves up yet another round of American Pie in the hopes that people will actually care about what happened to Jim, Stifler and Co. in the years following their high school graduation.

American Reunion tries to provide a heavy dose of nostalgia, albeit one cloaked in crude sex jokes and a relentlessly ‘90s soundtrack.

It’s been 13 years since the gang graduated from East Great Falls High School and they finally reunite to celebrate what should have been their 10-year reunion – only no one thought to actually put one together, hence the three-year delay.

So, where are they now? Jim Levenstein (Jason Biggs) married his longtime love, Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), and is the father to a toddler son. Oz (Chris Klein) is a successful sportscaster with a bombshell girlfriend (30 Rock’s Katrina Bowden). The perpetually single Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) is still his usual droll self, although he’s finally given an age-appropriate love interest. Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) got married and grew a beard. And, finally, Stifler (Seann William Scott) became – well – an older version of Stifler.

They gather together, drink beer, chase after high school girls and mourn their lost youth – although a significant fraction of their youthful immaturity has certainly remained intact.

In a franchise of poorly drawn females – they are all either bland prudes, band nerds or over-sexed caricatures – the women merely make cameo appearances. Good girl Heather (Mena Suvari) may or may not still pine over Oz while former party girl Vicky (Tara Reid) isn’t even given enough screen time to let her friends in on what she’s been up to for the past decade.

Eugene Levy and Jason Biggs

Series star Biggs goes through the motions and continues to endure an endless string of painfully awkward humiliations, even going full frontal in a desperate attempt to garner a few laughs, but it all feels forced.

These one-note characters feel hollow and devoid of any charm. Their crude antics have grown more tiresome with each passing film and the fact that, this time around, Jim has to fend off the aggressive advances of an 18-year-old girl he used to babysit is as improbable as it is icky.

Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, creators of the Harold and Kumar series, take over the writer-director reins from franchise originals Chris and Paul Weitz. Unfortunately, this latest flick lacks the ability to seamlessly blend crude humour with a poignant sweetness – the recipe that made the 1999 original an instant teen classic.

It’s tough to match the current Judd Apatow mold of expertly mixing in laughs with the genuine sincerity of its characters. As a result, this latest American Pie venture, and its empty brand of gross-out humour, feels outdated.

The highlights are perennial favourites Eugene Levy as Jim’s lonely, widowed father and the always-glorious Jennifer Coolidge as Stifler’s mom.

With a two hour running time, the movie feels about 25 minutes too long. While there are fun moments, they are ultimately forgettable and you’d be hard-pressed to recall any of the jokes once the final credits roll.

American Reunion lacks that lethal combination of touching wistfulness and crude humour that made the first piece of Pie so memorable. This shtick has grown stale.

FINAL GRADE: C

Movie Review: Mirror Mirror

Lily Collins and Julia Roberts

Mirror Mirror (2012)
Directed by: Tarsem Singh
Starring: Lily Collins, Julia Roberts, Nathan Lane and Armie Hammer

I reviewed this film for Next Projection.

Who is the fairest of them all? In a year when not one, but two, updates of the classic Snow While tale are getting big screen reboots, Tarsem Singh's quirky entry is the first out of the gate. With a plucky charm that will delight its young viewers, Mirror Mirror looks and sounds like it was lifted straight from the imagination of its target audience.

The film delves into familiar territory from the classic fairy tale while adding a modern twist. The sugary sweet Snow White (Lily Collins) transforms from a weak-willed subject beholden to her cruel, throne-snatching stepmother (Julia Roberts) and blossoms into a strong, determined young woman who can defend both herself and her beloved Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer). Singh makes his Snow a legitimate heroine -- one who can more than hold her own when confronted with adversity. It's a refreshing take on a fairy tale that once placed far too much emphasis on the childlike innocence and weakness of its female lead.

Mirror Mirror is a playful diversion and, while it may on occasion resort to childish jokes and visual gags that will leave parents rolling their eyes, all is forgiven due to its enjoyable cast of characters.

Lily Collins and Armie Hammer

The cast is evidently having the time of their lives, infusing an addictive energy into a loopy script that includes a Bollywood sequence, more than a few plot holes and a rushed conclusion.

Roberts plays against type with her trashy, campy performance as the villainous queen. Her chemistry with Nathan Lane as her blustering sidekick garners the majority of laughs. But make no mistake; this films belongs to Snow and her star-crossed lover, Alcott. While Collins (daughter of Genesis' Phil Collins) may not be the strongest actress, there is no denying her effortless charm and the sweet toughness she brings to the role. She's an ideal heroine for the young girls in the audience. As Alcott, Hammer clearly relishes his pretty-boy role and lets loose a self-deprecating sense of humour, nailing a couple of his big comic scenes.

Mirror Mirror is a visual feast -- which is to be expected considering the man at the helm is none other than Tarsem Singh, he of cult favourites The Cell and The Fall. The flick boasts the most luscious set designs and outlandish costumes so far this year. Singh even added a couple of innovative twists to the tale that play into his emphasis on set production, including a universe within the magic mirror where the kind and wise alter ego of the power-hungry queen resides -- shut away from from the world while her darker side rules over the kingdom with an iron fist.

Mirror Mirror perfectly caters to its target audience -- the kids will love the extravagant sets and it's light-hearted tone. It's the rare family flick that will please parents as well. Despite its flaws Mirror Mirror is no rotten apple.

FINAL GRADE: B

Film Noir Series: The Narrow Margin (1952)

My latest Film Noir entry for Next Projection. The tenth film on my list is The Narrow Margin (1952). 

With a plot moving as briskly as the train on which it’s set, not a moment is wasted in director Richard Fleischer’s sleek pulp classic.

A gangster’s moll (Marie Windsor) books passage from Chicago to Los Angeles to testify against the mob before a grand jury. Detective Sergeant Walter Brown (Charles McGraw) is assigned to her case to act as her bodyguard — a task he handles with barely concealed trepidation. He doesn’t like this moll and he’s worried that her backtalk and headstrong personality will land them in hot water. Det. Brown’s concerns are soon realized when it becomes apparent that the hitmen are also aboard the train and have their sights set on eliminating the moll as a threat.

It’s simple, linear narrative of good versus evil (based on a story by Martin Goldsmith, who also co-wrote the script), contains a liberal dose of witty banter and salty backtalk. With the criminal element taken off the city streets and placed on a claustrophobic train, The Narrow Margin is a highly stylized noir lensed by director of photography George E. Diskant. The film visualizes the thick tension and paranoia within the script through scenes of long chases down cramped hallways and fistfights in close quarters, which only serves to enhance the overriding sense of dread. Its inventive camera angles (a kick coming straight at the camera or an over-the-shoulder glimpse of a fight) give the illusion of a higher production value for a film that was essentially made on a dime.

Charles McGraw portrays Det. Brown as a gruff, weathered cop who long ago reconciled himself to the fact that he’ll occasionally have to endanger his own life for a witness he doesn’t particularly like. With his recent assignment testing his patience, McGraw especially excels in his scenes with Windsor as the willful moll. He spits out short sentences and insults as though the very act of having a discussion with someone is a waste of time. When his hardened, yet noble, exterior cracks at one point when he’s briefly tempted to give in to a mobster’s monetary bribes, McGraw skillfully treads the fine line between being a good cop — and becoming a corrupt cop tucked into the mob’s back pocket. 

Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor

However, it’s B-movie queen Marie Windsor who gives the film’s showstopping performance as the tough-gal moll. With her expressive eyes and gravelly voice, she lures you into her tangled web of secrets and mistaken identities. She carries an air of mystery, yet allows for brief glimpses of vulnerability that only make her more appealing.

Unfortunately, despite its stunning camerawork and strong lead performances,The Narrow Margin never quite rises above its basic cat-and-mouse game. Although there is a couple of genuine twists that manage to maintain their shock value 60 years later, the plot is riddled with holes that detract from the overall experience, leaving far too many question unanswered.

In the end, The Narrow Margin is entertaining escapism that ultimately lacks substance — but it sure is nice to look at.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Film Noir Series: Clash by Night (1952)

My latest Film Noir Spotlight entry for Next Projection. The ninth film on my list is Clash by Night (1952).

It would be easy to dismiss Clash by Night as a simple melodrama – one that shouldn’t be categorized as a film noir. And while the film – based on the 1941 play by Clifford Odets – is a domestic drama, it carries over familiar noir themes.

After a 10-year absence, 30-something Mae Doyle (Barbara Stanwyck) returns to her hometown of Monterey, a tiny fishing village in California. Tired of her life as the mistress to a married man, Mae decides to reconnect with her brother, Joe (Keith Andes), to help take her mind off her cynical outlook on relationships and love. When Joe’s girlfriend, Peggy (Marilyn Monroe), asks Mae why she decided to return, Mae responds, “Home is where you come when you run out of places.” After Mae meets nice-guy fisherman Jerry D’Amato (Paul Douglas), she agrees to marry him after a short courtship, much to the surprise of the townsfolk. Enter Earl Pfeiffer (Robert Ryan), Jerry’s younger, hotheaded work colleague that Mae immediately finds herself drawn to. Shortly after giving birth to Jerry’s daughter, Mae embarks on a torrid love affair with Earl which isn’t kept secret for long.

In a departure from his usual dystopian fare (like classics Metropolis and M), Austrian director Fritz Lang opens his film with multiple shots of crashing waves, a foreshadowing of the domestic strife about to emerge. With his use of images from nature – screeching seagulls and clouds drifting swiftly over the moon – Lang reflects the ever-changing emotions of his central characters.

Robert Ryan and Barbara Stanwyck

As Mae, Stanwyck shines. She easily draws men – and viewers – into her tangled web, moving effortlessly back and forth between being likeable and being despised. Even in this unconventional noir she remains the very essence of a femme fatale.

Monroe plays against type, sporting bulky pants and a rough and tumble attitude about relationships and gender equality as the adorably plucky Peggy. Constantly picking fights with Joe – both verbal and physical – Peggy admires Mae’s take on life, much to Joe’s concern. In 1952, Monroe was on the cusp of the stardom that would result in her icon status. Her portrayal of Peggy hints at the greatness to come.

Douglas gives a sensitive, if somewhat stagy and overacted, performance as the cuckolded Jerry. He depicts him as too soft to properly defend himself against Mae and Earl, but his intentions are always in the right place.

As the irascible Earl, Ryan gives a startlingly brutal performance. His character is hard to like and, instead of trying to make him more vulnerable, Ryan runs with it – the chemistry between he and Stanwyck is raw animal magnetism. It’s hard to believe there is any real love there, only a mutual understanding that they share commonalities of character.

More than anything, Clash by Night acts as postwar gender commentary, a familiar trope in noir. Mae tirelessly rants about the changing masculinity, resentfully referring to men as “little and nervous, like sparrows.” While talking to Peggy, Mae expresses her desire to wind up with a man who has confidence – confidence to allow her to have her own strength of character and independence but without feeling emasculated by it.

Unfortunately, the film closes with a moralistic return to “order.” The conclusion does little to truly resolve the issues at hand, instead leaving the audience to believe that Mae could suddenly embrace a reformed nature. Although not the finest example of the genre, the film’s central themes hit all the right notes.

Like many noirs before it, Clash by Night features a fundamentally decent man in Jerry, showing how a wayward femme fatale could lead him astray. The themes of betrayal and loss of power result in an uncomfortable tension simmering just beneath the surface so that, even without the criminal element, the film is justifiably classified as film noir.

FINAL GRADE: B