Bunny Lake is Missing, When it comes to British film in the 60s, it's either rat pack-ish/mod/swinging which the fashion set love to reference, or what we refer to as kitchen sink realism which is the sort of stories about the working class in gritty pubs and harsh poverty. Bunny Lake is neither, and maybe that's why I like it so much. It's a classic Otto Preminger psycho-thriller with all the elements from the Saul Bass title sequence/poster, perfect storyline, casting, and set design. The ending also is very odd and unexpected, I honestly believed the woman went insane! LOL.
The Servant. Came across this on some arbitrary must-watch list on an LGBTQI site (either Attitude or OUT). Well, there's nothing overtly gay about the movie other than Dirk Bogarde, who was gay in real life. I suppose it made the list because of the (sexual?) tension and homoerotic undertones between the two male characters, which is interesting to watch. They are basically living as a gay couple, laughing and fighting until the femme fatales came along.
It's really all about class, the ultimate marker of Britishness. Class is what separates the posh bloke from his servant, and how the tables ultimately turns. The lovely Wendy Craig's character who is clearly upper-class and a walking British Vogue editorial (I can see Edie Campbell in it) doing her best to keep a distance between the males based on class, while the woman who ruins everything is styled plainly in a Jean Shrimpton do, tight skirt, and pretty much pouting and batting eyelashes the entire time.
Always thought of Harold Pinter's works as stodgy and outdated, but The Servant is timeless in a way.
Antebellum, dunno what to make of it. The direction of the movie, cinematography and colours are really gorgeous. And the story had me gripped right until the end. But knowing how it ended, just can't get behind what we're supposed to believe. Too unfinished and far many unanswered questions. Not in a 'oh, but you have to interpret it in your own way' sort of way, really just unfinished.
Janelle Monae's is stunning and her scenes on the plantation definitely stood out, and I wish they had gotten someone with more presence to replace Jena Malone. But overall it just feels strange to watch a fictional slave movie because it leaves you with the impression that some of the torture scenes may not be factual so you cannot take it as gospel, but then, I dunno, it also feels weird to nitpick considering the sensitive topic?
Inheritance, which only succeeds as a vehicle for Lily Collins. It was honestly one of the weakest recently-made thrillers I've seen. The storyline makes no sense, I scare easily and not once was I scared or tense so that's saying much, and the visuals are just meh.
Also thought that the casting is just so unbelievable for starters - are we supposed to believe Lily is an Attorney General?
Looks like a teen playing dress-up most of the times. Also, her chemistry is off and unbelievable with the husband and child. This role needed a mature actor but I guess Lily got it because of her following, and prob Emily in Paris. There is one plus I suppose, her lip colour. It's impeccable throughout the movie. 99% sure that's thanks to Lancome.
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