Hello everyone! My apologies for the lateness of this post. Things in my personal life have been hectic, but I'll try to be more timely after this bit of catch-up. This update will cover my top four first time watches for the month of February 2018. Lots of crime and darkness in this month's discoveries!
Angel Face - 1953
As with January's list, February's batch of new discoveries begins with a great 1950s film noir. I may be a sucker for old crime films, but because I've seen so many, I'm pretty hard to impress. Please take that into account when I say that Angel Face is excellent.
I'd heard the movie brought up a few times before, but I'm surprised it isn't praised more highly because this is really top tier film noir. It's bleak, twisted and morally complicated, with a focus on consequences that is really powerful. It doesn't hurt to have Robert Mitchum and a wonderful Jean Simmons performance either.
My Letterboxd review:
Availability
Angel Face is currently available on DVD from the Warner Archive.
Le Samouraï - 1967
Next, we move from 1950s California to France in the 1960s for Jean-Pierre Melville's classic Le Samouraï. I'm always a little disappointed when I have to highlight a film that is so well-known and highly-regarded because a) it may be a "discovery" to me, but it certainly isn't to the majority of serious film fans and b) there is very little I can add to the conversation surrounding it. I will say that it is a masterpiece of direction as you feel Melville's hand in every tiny aspect of the movie.
While I enjoyed the director's Le Cercle Rouge, I found its coldness to be off-putting. Here, and maybe the difference is that Le Samouraï is more focused, I had no such issue.
If you've been putting off seeing this because it's an oldie, stop! It's about as cool as they come.
My Letterboxd review:
Availability
Le Samouraï is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection.
Klute - 1971
We continue our dive into the darkness with Klute. Klute is many things, most ostensibly a mystery, but it's also an exploration of addiction and a meditation on human connection. I'd argue that it's solid as the first of those and far better as the other two.
Jane Fonda gives a truly great performance as the prostitute at the center of the story. Not to be missed!
My Letterboxd review:
Availability
Klute is currently available on DVD from Warner Brothers. Digital options are also available.
The Curse of the Cat People - 1944
The Curse of the Cat People is one of the few Val Lewton movies I have yet to check out. While I don't love every one of his films, they are always interesting and often display a great command of tone and suspense. It's not surprising to me, then, that this movie is one of my best first time watches.
First of all, if you're a fan of 1942's Cat People, do not expect this to be a standard sequel. Rather, The Curse of the Cat People uses the original movie as background for a story about childhood and the ways in which adults allow their own fears to control their relationships with their children. That could get ugly fast, but there's real beauty to the visuals here, rendering the film evocative and meaningful instead of harsh.
My Letterboxd review:
Availability
The Curse of the Cat People is available in several DVD versions that appear to be out of print. A brand new Blu-ray from Scream Factory is scheduled to be released June 12, 2018.
