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Reviews
Assault (1971)
Interesting but not great - similar to a number of British Thrillers 1967 1972
The film, looks, sounds, 'feels' exactly typical of its period. The colour, camera angles, use of music, are similar to other films, particularly The Strange Affair, All neat in black stockings, Fright and, as biggee writes, in another review, the brilliant, almost forgotten, I start counting.
Similarly the portrayal of young girls as provocative 'sex objects' without any hint of embarrassment, discernment or question, and that's not a criticism, that's what life was like - at least certainly at my school.
Reasonable acting, I do like the period fashions and behaviours and cars and would watch it just for that. There are plenty of red herrings but, slight spoiler coming, if you look with care when Suzy Kendall sees the murderer in her car's rear view mirror - you only get a split second glimpse, you can see who the murderer is.
Twisted Nerve (1968)
Good period film, excellent acting from Hywell Bennett - his best ever?
Interesting period film in terms of its attitude to mental illness,its fashions and London. Despite what some reviews state it doesn't link Downs Syndrome to the violence or sexual behaviours - in fact it states the opposite in the film. Much more a study of a decent into mental illness. Bennett is extraordinarily good in this film, he never acted so well. Not only because of the two parts to his character but because of the slow deterioration in one and the credible public and different private persona portrayed in the 'bad' one.
Billie Whitelaw grows in stature and shows her subtle skills, and Haley Mills also performs well, still the 'nice girl' but no longer sugar sweet, she smokes, dates, flirts and Barry Foster also plays his minor part well. Enjoyable - catch it if you can.