Smart small-cast mystery makes ‘Laura’ (1944) a classic noir
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): Otto Preminger’s film pivots around the femme fatale and keeps us guessing about whodunit despite a small cast.
Romance
Smart small-cast mystery makes ‘Laura’ (1944) a classic noir
Bone-dry comedy ‘Buffalo ’66’ (1998) an all-time weird romance
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): Vincent Gallo’s standout film is an odd mix of an unlikely situation with likeable characters.
Symphonic score makes ‘Easy Virtue’ (1928) easy to watch
On a Hitchcock kick (Movie review): The story is mildly engaging as it examines a time when the act of filing for divorce could apparently make you famous.
‘Blow Out’ (1981) blows it at the end, but is still great
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): A likeable Travolta and Allen guide this conspiracy noir through its beats, but De Palma doesn’t stick the landing.
Hitchcock makes sound transition to talkies in ‘Blackmail’ (1929)
On a Hitchcock kick (Movie review): The tech transition feels gimmicky, but three compelling characters and a modern theme keep matters suspenseful.
Ricci tries bizarre British whimsy in ‘Miranda’ (2002)
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): With mild success, a one-and-done screenwriter blends a con drama, an orphan tragedy and romantic flailing.
du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’ (1938) a slower burn than the film
On a Hitchcock kick (Book review): Hitchcock’s faithfulness limits surprises for those tackling the novel afterward, but it has one key difference.
‘Klute’ (1971) a grimy classic of Seventies noir
The ‘paranoia trilogy’ (Movie review): Rightly known for launching a new decade of noir style, Alan J. Pakula’s masterpiece is even more impressive as a romance.
Ricci is devastatingly raw and true in ‘Prozac Nation’ (2001)
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): I thought Ricci and Biggs were great in “Anything Else,” but this unheralded gem is something else.
Green beautifully tackles mental illness in ‘Turtles All the Way Down’ (2017, 2024)
Book and movie reviews: The author manages to make modern troubled teens not annoying. Just don’t come here for the mystery.