Film reviews part 6 (in order of viewing)

Man in the white suit (1951). 29.7.21. More a drama than a comedy. Unformulaic and good touches to the script, and credits the viewer with intelligence. It feels quite cumbersomely directed though. 7/10

Lady Bird (2017). 1.8.21. Entertaining meander through a section of an – on the face of it – unconventional young woman’s life. Laurie Metcalf’s excellent portrayal of the mother reminded me of Shirley Maclaine’s character in Terms of Endearment. However, the film is ridiculously over-rated. 7/10

Goldstone (2016). 5.8.21. Not good enough to see in its entirety (watched half).

Limehouse Golem (2016). 6.8.21. Neat little film, adapted by Jane Goldman, although a bit too fast and slick to get the most out of the quite fascinating story. 7/10

Memento (2000). 19.8.21. Gimmicky thriller with not much beneath the surface and a disappointing ending, but the gimmick ensures it is never less than gripping. 7/10

Cold comfort farm (1995). 20.8.21. Quite intriguing/ promising first half but failed to live up to its potential as the second half falls flat. It should be noted that this was a tv film. 6/10

Deer hunter (1978). 23&27.8.21. The whole is distinctly better than the sum of its parts, which alternate between extreme tedium and extreme horror. Lots of contrivances don’t help. Overlong and grossly overrated, and yet somehow – taken as a whole and despite all the mess – it is a literate piece of film-making. 5/10

Meet me in St Louis (1944). 28&29.8.21. Sumptuously photographed, frilly, fluffy, and chronically pleasant. But that isn’t enough to make a great film. An extra mark for at least two good songs. 7/10

Other side of hope (2017). 13.9.21. A typically slightly oddball international film. It holds the attention throughout, and one or two early scenes seem poignant and suggest promise, but ultimately the film amounts to nothing. The random acts of violence also felt contrived and unrealistic. 6/10

The guardians (2017). 16.9.21. Excellent, in a hypnotic way, for the first two-thirds, but spoilt by a plot contrivance which didn’t ‘sit right’ and the usual, throw-away ending. A shame, because if the quality of the plot would have matched that of the ambiance and quiet character studies – or even, perhaps, if there would have been hardly any plot to speak of at all – this would have been so much better. 7/10