Reviews

A true story. Good things should only happen to good people, and bad things only to bad people - if God is and is in control. Well, that's the juvenile micromanagement motif Jonathan held as a youngster, leading to agnosticism, since God didn't micromanage, breaking Jonathan's illusion. As a police officer, tender-minded Jonathan moved into slavery to alcoholism to drown his on-job stresses, even cheating on his wife and daughter, and getting to the pitch of contemplating suicide. A fellow officer witnessed a number of times over the years about the power of Christ to break chains of slavery.

The film comes across to me as a basic evangelistic message, with the story is backdrop, not vice versa. I prefer films the other way. It does factor in reasonable realism, which is good, and is quite emotional at points. It does not present Christianity as a magic fix, but as a 'magic' ingredient in the fix: that is good.

Regarding prayer request, there is request to Jesus the lord, request to the lord as meaning God yet speaking to God about God as a third party. There's request to God in "God's name". That is a combination of misdirectionalism, misvisualisation, and misunderstanding.

There is frequent drawn-out tones, oppressive to my ears.

Somewhat dark, including spiritually. At point 33:26 a clairvoyant is eventually presented as genuine in forecast - namely a drowning soon to be. Had she only been part of the plot, she would have been seen as merely a sham. A related table-raising was non-occultic.

According to ex-medium Raphael Gasson, false mediumship is false but this-worldly, but true mediumship is true but sub-worldly, demonic. See 'Revisiting the Challenging Counterfeit' (Steve Hakes). I felt sad that the film's nod towards the psychic might have influenced folk towards the fog island of Spiritualism, perhaps an island the director wished to direct folk towards.

The main story is of a man feeling betrayed by former friends, who after serving a prison sentence invited them to his island in order to kill them, or at least any directly involved in the death of his wife. A bit like Agatha Christie's Ten Little Niggers (1939), where most had deserved, and got, their comeuppance.

Interesting story of seemingly identical twins, perhaps both by the ethically dubious IVF method. The father has disappeared, assumed by some to have died - does he turn up for murder? A daughter is stalked by a homicidal looney. But psychometry is straying too far off the straight and narrow, and it's a turn-off my me. Former psychics, such as the ex-medium Raphael Gasson, have claimed it's spiritual deception by the demonic, making value for money a serious question in using their services even when the service helps: gain a bit; lose a lot? Dunno, had I seen the end, perhaps the psychic would have been merely a phoney, not an occult advertisement.

I found it surprisingly good realism. A rather immature war-lord (Nobunaga Oda) marries for political gain, as does the woman he marries (Nohime). She is the dominant brains, and as prepared to kill as to be killed-that's life! They have their ups and downs, working together to bring the whole of Japan under their control. Love for the other actually germinates in their unlikely soil, but it's not a Western love story.

In their political war, there are mistakes made, and much gain. The path to success is covered in blood, though the goal is peace, peace through fear: if I kill all my enemies I can sleep in peace.

Along the path they encounter Christianity, and are strangely warmed though do not, I think, take it on board-though evocative, it is too strange for them.

Their path leads almost to full success, but when Nobunaga weakens in his power drive (What is success?), he ends up defeated in a burning mansion. There is a new demon on the block! Meanwhile his wife elsewhere seems to be dying of some illness. He has promised her that he will return, and she, their love avowed, awaits him.

Will he escape to her and with her? The answer I found very disappointing and rewarding.

This centres around three people. Intended Murderer 1 (Norman), Intended Murderer 2 (Peggy, lover to Norman), and Intended Victim (Helen, wife to Norman). Alibi 1 is Norman's. At 6.30 pm it will seem that he telephoned a thirty minute drive away from a 6.30 pm murder. And he can play a misleading witness to imply his 6.30 pm absence or to confirm his 6.30 pm presence. Alibi 2 is Peggy's. Earlier than 6.30 pm she will have been seen entering a cinema, and later that 6.30 pm she will have been seen leaving it. However fate is twisted. Alibi 3 is Helen's. Earlier than 6.30 pm she will have been seen entering a cinema, and later that 6.30 pm she will have been seen leaving it.

It is a cleverly thought out minimalist story, step-by-step rather than who-dunnit. A murderous and adulterous couple get their comeuppance as tables are turned. It ends implying that a miscarriage of justice will be good justice, and that better detective work might have resulted in lesser justice. It might leave the question of, had their plan worked, Helen's death could have been confirmed to have been at 6.30 pm, instead of, say, 6.00 pm.

At large, and interesting film with tension towards the end. Very few characters, and basically one girl. It's a who dunnit, with a dash at the end to save the last victim's life. The murderer has, seemingly, inherited a touch of madness, which he loathes. His fix is strangling women, but Anne could have a better fate, if only she'll have him. But with another man in her life, will she try to save him? Scotland Yard slowly zero in on him, but miss vital opportunities. The murders continue, but his MO isn't always the same. The parts are well played, with some humour. Sadly someone in the Force speaks of warnings from a psychic - which could spiritually sidetrack viewers.

Such a down to earth story, of 3 generations of women. The grandmother and mother had fallen out. The mother is widowed and in financial poverty, but a loving mother. Her wealthy mother visits, by misinformation of a granddaughter, and soon aims to win this granddaughter. As she lives among the family and rural community, facing a wave of Scarlet Fever, she repents of how she had related to her daughter, and that rift is healed. Eventually grandmother and granddaughter leave for a few years, with mother's blessings. The granddaughter's fiance is left to await her return, a loose end perhaps awaiting a sequel. Obviously, quite a lot in-between, and well worth watching. A very nice story, and a good film.

The basic gist is that a few centuries earlier, a Dutch ship captain (Hendrik) had honour-killed his wife, too late discovering that she had been faithful. In court, he railed against God. By God's hand, like Peter (Ac.12) his dungeon guards sleep and the door opens. However, God sentences him not to die-it is not a ghost story-until he finds a woman happy to die for him. In essence, the moral is vicarious death to redeem. He sails alone the seven seas, only permitted regular but brief disembarkations, chances to meet a redeemer.

Pan forward to the 1930s. Pandora is a rather cold-hearted beauty, who men seem prepared to die or kill for: they are active; she is passive, only her body being touchable. She finally lovelessly agrees to marry a man (Stephen), basically as best in show so far. Then she meets the mysterious Hendrik. His only chance seems to him to have her die for him. When she finally offers, he discovers that he loves her too much to allow such sacrifice, and sacrifices what he believes to be his only hope of redemption. This to me would seem to offer him that redemption, but the film demurs. Having concealed his love for her sake, she nevertheless discovers it and the idea of sacrificial death being her optional fate, is played out. The test of your love is how much you will pay, is a big question asked.

The story could have had any old woman, but instead it makes as if she is a reincarnation of the wife he had killed-same appearance; same soul. A lame suggestion is that they are still husband and wife, even though her death ended that marriage way back-death does us part (Rm.7). The film also throws in tarot cards (a sad prop to carry a warning-prophecy to another suitor (Juan), who commits murder but thanks God who has spared him long enough to make confession). Yep, he had a gypsy mother. Another woman (Janet), who has been waiting in the wings to bag Stephen (that poor deluded fool), seems likely to bag him once his fiancé (Pandora) has died alongside Hendrik: he probably gets the better suited girl. The philosopher in the circle (Harold) seems to have strange ideas about death transferring people to "the other side of time", yet them apparently still moving in time: presumably he meant "the other side of mortality". He does have some good lines.

The film has I think, a certain feel of Shakespeare, and is not too bad a watch. It could have worked better without tarot and reincarnationalism promos, and didn't need the lead lady to on a whim swim nude to visit an unknown ship in the middle of the night, expecting to meet the crew. Sure, nothing untoward seen, and conveniently she found a wrap before meeting the captain, but what girl (American) would naturally pay a visit to a new arrival in the bay, in so informal a way?

I personal true life story of a petty thief (Jim Vaus Jr), who to impress his girlfriend-indeed to keep her-pretends to be a respected military officer. Struggling to keep up that pretence, and to afford a marital home, small lies lead to big lies, and Jim becomes enslaved to Mickey Cohen, a big time mobster and later friend, and begins working both sides of the cop/crime street.

His wife, Alice, at one point is about to walk out, but then she sees what a mess he's in: she stays with him for him. A moving and selfless act, and many spouses might do just the opposite, ie stay until dark disclosure, instead of leaving until dark disclosure.

Jim moves up the crime ladder, ripping off bookies by wiretapping the tickertape tech of those days, and effectively retransmitting them several minutes late, so that he knows how horse races had ended before the bookies know that the races have begun.

On his way to set up his scheme for much bigger races, he lets his wife lead him into a tent, where Billy Graham is preaching. This preach lasts about 6 minutes on film, and pinpoints him. I found it mildly cringey, as I did more so the Sacred Song sung.

As a new man, he then refuses to do more crime, and in fact seeks to undo the crimes he had committed, though at risk of his liberty and life.

The film has, I think, taken some creative liberties, in trying to pack a number of easily connected and relevant themes into the runtime.