List of the Reviewed Movies from A to Z

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Casque d'Or (1952)

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In an unspecified year in the era of the Belle Epòque, a lonesome carpenter is standing in an inn near Paris. He is raptured by the beauty of a blonde woman, who is dancing with another man. The two lock eyes: as she dances, she glances at him with a playful smile and he smiles back. This is the opening of Jacques Becker's Casque d'Or , a film bursting with erotic flame from start to finish.  Georges Manda, the carpenter, is an ex-convict who has decided to start his life over. He is played by Serge Reggiani in a sublime, largely silent portrayal of quiet strength, subtle warmth and profound dignity. Marie, the woman, is a prostitute under the protection of a local criminal named Roland (William Sabatier, effective at portraying his character's vile, pathetic nature). She is played by Simone Signoret, whose incandescent, rightfully iconic performance earned her a well-deserved BAFTA for Best Foreign Actress. Roland becomes jealous of the growing attraction between ...
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Rachel Getting Married (2008)

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" I am Shiva the destroyer, your harbinger of doom this evening " says Kym Buchman, a recovering drug addict at the rehearsal dinner of her sister Rachel's (Rosemarie DeWitt) wedding. And, as played by Anne Hathaway in a volcanic, unhinged performance, she most certainly is. Don't expect anything light-hearted from Rachel Getting Married , Jonathan Demme's slow-burning, quietly bruising and then finally explosive observation on family dynamics, pain and old wounds. Even the comedic moments leave a bitter aftertaste. But it's not a cruel film that enjoys dwelling into despair: it's a film that talks about that despair and  how to grow from there.  The film opens with Kym's release from rehab so that she can attend her sister's wedding. Right from the beginning it's quite clear that the family relationships are strained: her father Paul (Bill Irwin) is warm and caring towards her, but she sees his concern as mistrust; her mother Abby (De...
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Crossfire (1947)

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Crossfire is an interesting movie for two reasons: the first one is that it is the first B movie to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture; the second one is that it is a social message film and a noir thriller at the same time. Nowadays, it's a rarely remembered movie but to be fair a certain importance should be acknowledged to it, because it is an example of how a relatively low-budget film can still be stylistically and aesthetically remarkable and also because of its attempt to treat a socially significant matter within the story of a murder mystery. That said, it's not a movie that achieves everything it sets out for itself and it's also one that has clearly suffered from the passing of the years. But its ambition is still worthy of praise and respect. The story begins with the beating and killing of Joseph Samuels (Sam Levene) at the hands of two men in his own apartment. Samuels, a discharged soldier, was a Jew. Police captain Finlay (Robert Young) is...
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