Pretty stupidly plotted, surprisingly so, considering it was based on a Cornel Woolrich story. Apparently he disliked the film, but then what author likes when screenwriters tamper with their work? This wasn't rewritten by just anybody, however; it was the guy who would go on to write Johnny Guitar!
Peter Lorre is great (of course), and seems to be having fun, delivering most of his lines with a cigarette dangling from his lips and playfully striking his bouncer across the…
Wes Anderson’s most poorly paced film, but here, unlike most movies that invite such criticism, the narrative momentum isn't slack. If anything, The French Dispatch has the opposite problem: it propels forward with a speed that moves beyond efficiency into exhaustion. If memory serves, Anderson’s pacing has been increasing with each movie; I can only hope here it reaches its limit.
WA’s distinctively droll sense of humor depends in large part on a refusal to linger on punchlines or buttons,…
Half-watched while wrapping presents. The latent religiosity in Rankin-Bass surfaces. Pairs well with Rudolph's Shiny New Year for a Big Ear Problems double feature.
The March sisters embrace: Amy as Laurie's new wife and Jo as his old flame, burning anew; the camera dollies in on him and we see on his face a momentary flicker of regret.
