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Dédée d'Anvers (1948)
Powerful and Underrated
Some people make a big issue about this movie having been released in 1948. Apparently this was too late, it should have been 1938... as if that made any difference in this century.
At the time, the logic goes, poetic realism was no longer a thing, it was outdated, passé, old-fashioned. Well I contend that a good movie remains a good movie, in or out of fashion. Even if it was released yesterday, so even more so if it's as old as your granny.
For a start, as everyone acknowledges,, there's Simone Signoret. Not only (very) beautiful, but a powerful, tragic figure that fills the screen. As soon as you see her, you know you can expect... OK no spoilers.
Then there's a strong, memorable story. This is an important ingredient in poetic realism, as it gives weight to the atmospheric sets. That is part of why Le Jour se Lève or Liliom are so good. Dédée d'Anvers is in that class. People have compared it unfavourably with Quai des Brumes. Well I find that, for all its spender, that movie has a somewhat meandering, confused story that makes you wonder what all the atmosphere is about.
Brigadoon (1954)
Time Suspended
Some choices made in this movie might look corny in other circumstances. But they are perfect in this context.
The simplistic stagey sets demonstrate that no effort is being made to make us « believe » in any of the story. The very short explanation of why the village came to be in the first place spares from « yes but » moments.
The pretext of a village suspended in time is a perfect backdrop for the real story, which is two people falling in love. It emphasises that magical state where time seems to stop, a bubble away from life as we know it. When you don't even yet know what is going on, but suddenly you realise that « it feels just like falling ... it feels just like falling ... IN LOVE » as the song goes. Gene Kelly's besotted grin, his wide open eyes, are a perfect illustration of that condition. Van Johnson's disabused outlook provides an amusing contrast.
The dance scene, where the couple sets out to pick heather and end dreamily revolving around each other, seemingly floating in mid air, is a great moment in cinema.
And Cyd Charisse. Oh my. I really felt myself falling in love with that image on the screen. And what a dancer!
For the rest, the highland group scenes are fun, the tunes are really catchy. Caveat : Purists of authentic Scottish folk art may take a dim view. But then if you are one, you already knew all about this movie, and don't need reviews to find out about it.
The Horse Whisperer (1998)
Stars in heavy syrup
A bunch of excellent actors that all fill the screen, not least a promising young lady named Scarlet Johansson. Apart from Redford and Scott-Thomas, a special mention for the delightful Dianne Wiest. Beautiful scenery. An inspiring story of recovery from trauma. Horses. What is there not to love?
Well the music for a start. The kind that announces « THIS IS MOVING ». The slow pace, that makes you want to scream WE GET THE POINT. Redford's infatuation with his own image. The cheesy dialogue, supposedly laden with philosophical insights.
I can stand a syrupy dessert at the end of the meal, and a sentimental happy end can leave you with that feel-good aftertaste. But here you are left thinking « this feels like the end of the movie, how come there's still more than an hour to go ? »
(I initially gave this a 5, but other reviews are so unanimously over the top I felt it needed rebalancing.)