OF DREAMS AND MONSTERS... "MARNIE"

Ok, I know you guys kinda prefer me writing about the newer things out on the cinema screen. I respect that. This is why this week is about compromises. Something old and something new. Nothing borrowed but my pyjamas are blue so that should count for something. Ehm. Moving on.  Now I picked this film because it has a little bit of something for everything I think. You may have seen the name “Alfred Hitchcock” and automatically assumed “crime and gore” well, here’s some good news for you : Not every film Hitchcock did was a derivative of Psycho. Oh no. Mr Hitchcock was a man of many, many talents not a one trick pony. So this is, in fact, a top notch psychological thriller with some romance and drama thrown in. You’ll like it. I know you will.

Marnie (Tippy Hedren) is many things for many people. She is not a “lady of the night” nor is she a special agent – she is, in fact, a secretary. But she is not exactly content with the life or salary of a secretary. She makes her “real” living changing identities and moving from job to job, robbing the safes of the companies she works for as she goes. And she has got quite a nice little side line going in this way until she stumbles into Rutland Coop. Now the dashing young owner of the company, Mark Rutland (Sean Connery) takes a shine to her. He takes a shine to her in a big way. So much so, not only does he want to “make her his” – which is easier said than done, believe you me – but he also wants to cure her of her thieving and lying. What starts as something cross between a love affair and an interesting project for him and a minor inconvenience for Marnie will end up taking the couple on an eventful journey, both psychological and physical, that will lead to more and greater discoveries than either of them could possibly imagine.

Now this is an interesting one. Firstly, it’s a Hitchcock classic as far as suspense goes. This is undoubtedly a voyage of adventure and discovery. And the added benefit? No blood or gore. That’s good news for those of you who are weaker in the stomach area. Mom, yes, that means you too. The chase this time takes place largely in the human psyche. And I have always said, our minds can dream up monsters and horrors greater than anything the “real” world can provide. Of course the construction of the story is picture perfect and you are just chomping on the bit trying to figure out where the whole thing is going, not least because Mr Hitchcock is not exactly renowned for his happy endings. He invented the concept of killing of the lead character mid plot, remember (yes, that was Hitchcock, NOT Game of Thrones).

But why is it, I pondered as I watched, that we get so enthralled in the fates of this typically good looking movie couple ? I am a romantic at heart, but it takes more than “beautiful people” and some /any premise that they are together for me to root for them. Then I did a bit more deep thinking and worked it out, well I worked out my perspective at an answer anyway. See, the film taps into what we all really, deep down inside want in life. At a certain age, we have all got hang ups, old wounds, battle scars… Things that have hurt us, that makes us suspicious or over-protective or whatever your own particular Achilles heel might be. Now, we may or may not voice it openly, as we know this is a rare occurance, but deep down, yes we would love a beautiful stranger of the gender and sexual preference of our choice to sweep us off our feet, fall madly in love with us, face up to all our excess baggage, not shy away or be daunted by it at all, and “cure us” of the baggage. Thus we emerge, perfectly healed, at peace with our past and madly in love. I mean yes, in this particular piece the couple are very “typical Hollywood” – blond beautiful woman with a set of problems clearly (and unabashedly) taken straight from Freud’s own textbooks (at least Hitchcock has the integrity to slip Freud in there too) coupled with a tall dark and handsome Sean Connery who just happens to be a millionaire and an amateur scientist (and thus in possession of the means and knowledge to cure her). I mean the premise is as unrealistic as they come, yes, bosses fall for their secretaries but it is rare that they actually stick around to “cure” them. In fact, like most people, they probably shout “excess baggage” and bail if they have as much baggage as Marnie. Then again, you are so enthralled in the story you can easily put yourself in Marnie’s shoes and have your own “dream relationship” for two hours. This, my friends is the beauty of cinema. Maybe not therapy per se, but catharsis guaranteed… 

MAKING HISTORY AIN'T EASY! "HITCHCOCK"

I honestly wish this film had been nominated for more awards. And definitely bigger things than hair and makeup. But I mean, I do get it. Anthony Hopkins. Helen Mirren. It would be a surprise if the film didn’t turn out as well as it did. Plus, I don’t know, maybe audiences in general are getting a tad bit jaded about films about filmmaking. But you know, I think these films are important. It’s important for films to talk about their own history. And as far as history goes, it doesn’t get bigger than Alfred Hitchcock.

History in the making he may have been, but that did not mean life with Hitchcock was easy. And his beloved wife Alma Reville could testify to that fact. Temperamental and obsessive while he was working on a project, depressed and dejected when he wasn’t working on one, it falls to Alma to ensure the household (and often the studio) runs to order. It is 1959, and Hitchcock – Hitch as he is more commonly known – may just have struck gold while looking for his new project. An innocuous little horror story called Psycho, based largely on the murders committed by the notorious serial killer Ed Gein.  The thing is, Hitch seems to be the only person who can see it. Even his beloved wife Alma has her doubts as to whether this story of blood and gore can be turned into anything tasteful. Or successful. That the studios would actually agree to distribute.  But Hitch is adamant and filming goes full steam ahead amidst grave economic gambles. However there is more serious trouble afoot. While Alma’s love and dedication to Hitch seems to continue unabated, there is no denying that she is more and more distant these days. And that she is spending more and more time with her friend Mr Whytfield Cook whom she is helping with his latest project. Hitch is worried, distracted even.  Not a good thing when you have mortgaged your home to make a film that the studio still hasn’t given their final word on distributing. Is this Hitch’s finest hour? Or will he loose his marriage and his career in one fell swoop?

Now, I like films like this. I like films about marriages. Hollywood is funny in the sense that actually getting into a relationship is often portrayed as the only really difficult part. Once you get the person of your dreams, we are told, it’s all roses and light until death does you part… Err, no. It takes a lot to make a relationship work and a marriage. And even if, like Alfred Hitchcock and Alma Reville, you have been together for 30 years, well guess what; there can still be hitches (pun intended). There can still be pitfalls. And, strangely, it is these pitfalls one must be afraid of. At the beginning there is the rush. You know that rush of emotion, of “something new”. 30 years later, routine is setting in alongside love. You really, really begin to know what it is like to live with this person. It’s when stuff happens to shake the marriage at this point that you should be concerned. And this is what gives the film its brilliant edge. Because yes it’s absolutely fascinating to watch Psycho come together. Especially if, like me, you’re a film-buff AND Hitchcock fan.  But at the end of the day, we know what happened there. It’s Psycho for God’s sake. It’s one of the most famous films in history. What we may or may not know, however, is how and whether this film ended Mr Hitchcock’s marriage.  And that, gentle viewer, you are going to have to watch and find out for yourself.

Told with great affection and a lot of (albeit rather British) humour, Hitchcock will warm you down to the cockles of your heart. And give you a history lesson in cinematic history to boot. I men come on. It is one of the greatest films in history…

LET'S START WITH A CLASSIC FROM A MASTER - ALFRED HITCHCOCK - "VERTIGO"

I think we are all in agreement as to the greatness of Alfred Hitchcock. Not only did the man almost re-invent camera technique single handedly, to this day he has yet to be toppled from his throne as the king of mystery and suspense. Of course his great mind has given birth to many masterpieces, too many to name here, but Vertigo is surely, surely one of the greatest. I had watched this film when I was a very little girl, I recall. I mean I recall I watched the film, to my shame however, I do not recall a single thing about the film itself. It was before my “awakening” to cinema no doubt…
John Ferguson (James Stuart) has a successful career as a detective when a tragic incident forces him into early retirement. While giving chase to a criminal across the rooves of some houses, a sudden fit of vertigo makes him the inadvertent cause of the death of a colleague. However, no sooner does he leave his official job than an unofficial one land in his lap. An old school friend contacts him in great distress; he claims his wife to be possessed with the spirit of a dead woman and wants Ferguson – or Scottie as his friends call him – to follow her during the day; just to gain more information on her actions and keep her safe to help him decide what course of action to take. Scottie first pooh-poohs the idea, but then decides to follow Madeline (Kim Novak), his friend’s wife, anyway. To his amazement, Madeline does seem to enter trances and mirror the actions of a young woman who died 100 years ago. Scottie becomes fascinated with the young woman in more senses than one… Whether all his experience at policing will be enough to save the woman he loves however, remains to be seen…
In a lot of Hitchcock’s films, the story throws us curveballs. Seasoned viewers are used to it by now. However even in Hitchcock’s work, rarely are these curveballs so well hidden. I defy you to figure out what will come next, right to the last 30 second. And even if you do figure out what is going on, there is the typical trick of suspense Hitchcock uses in his film; you bite your nails as you wait for the characters to catch up, fretting whether they will put two and two together in time and trying to figure out where the story will take us. And a word must be said about the short side-line Scottie has with his friend Midge; a young woman who is very evidently besotted with Scottie but whose love goes completely unnoticed and unrequited. I enjoyed their dialogues as much as I did the dramatic tension between James Stuart and Kim Novak. In short, and as usual, there is nothing bad to be said about Hitchcock’s work of art. I mean, if it still features so high in “must watch” lists to this day, there must be a reason for it… Right?

AN UNEXPECTED HITCHCOCK OR "THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY"

I picked this film strictly to lift my mood. I was in quite a foul mood as moods go and utterly unable to battle with, say, three hours of 1916 footage. Or anything on a par with that. I have endless respect for pretty much all kinds of film as you well know, however, there is a time and a place for everything and this was not it. Now, at first glances a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock doesn’t seem an ideal film to lift one’s mood. I mean yes, his brilliant thrillers can be cathartic, that’s a given, but uplifting? I agree with you. The thing is, I was keeping this little gem under my hat for just such a rainy day. It is a rare thriller – comedy by the great master. Now, I haven’t watched many Hitchcock comedies in my time (neither has anyone else seeing as he didn’t actually film that many) but I reckoned if we’re talking about Hitchcock, it has to be good. I was right.
It is a beautiful day in the American countryside. High in the woods, Captain Wiles – local of the small town nearby – discovers a body. Now, the problem is, the Captain , who is doing a spot of illegal hunting for his dinner, rather suspects he has killed him. The only reasonable course of action seems to be to bury Harry (whose name is revealed by a letter in his pocket) and pretend “he never happened”. Simple enough plan, no? Not quite. Along come a whole host of people, each and everyone knowing Harry and each and every one suspecting they might have something to do with his death. Although the only sensible course of action is to get rid of Harry while skillfully avoiding the town’s sheriff, this will prove to be easier said than done. What with romance flying through the air and complicating things and the necessity to bury – or unearth – Harry emerging almost hourly, the Captain’s quiet evening hunting will turn out to be more of an adrenalin rush than he may have expected. Not to say back-breaking…
I have always claimed that it is painfully difficult to marry genres so different as comedy and horror – or thrillers. The two are so different, if it is badly done the result is disastrous but if it is well done it is a beautiful, amusing symphony of contrasts. And we are talking about Hitchcock here fellas… This is one film where one becomes distinctly aware of the Hitchcock’s British roots. The humor borders on the rather more American slapstick (not least thanks to the “perfect prop” in the shape of Harry) but the humor is subtle, bizarre, ironic and very, VERY British. Now don’t scrunch up your nose just because I said British, it suits the case very well. After all, if we are going to laugh and be serious alternately, we cannot have huge comic gestures. There is the small matter of Harry, digging up the circumstances of his death, figuring out who killed him and whether the whole incident should be reported to the police or discreetly forgotten about. It is a subtle and witty film. Not least because of the acting talent. This is the film Shirley MacLane was discovered in, not to mention an appearance by John Forsythe as the Captain. In short, a truly brilliant way to spend 100 minutes. Save for a rainy day, it works!

"SPELLBOUND" BY MR. HITCHCOCK / ONCE AGAIN

This is once again a classic example of old Hollywood at its finest; Alfred Hitchcock at the helm, starring Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck. A psychological thriller on more than one level this one; not only is it a classic Hitchcock thriller, it is also set largely in and around the human mind with plenty of psychoanalysis thrown in. I am not a particular fan of psychoanalysis. I am, however, a particular fan of Mr. Hitchcock so I persevered. And boy am I glad I did…
Dr. Constance Petersen (Ingrid Bergman) is a star psychoanalyst in an asylum called Green Manor. She is young, brilliant and beautiful. The only problem is she steers well clear of all emotion. This stems from the (rather old fashioned and very sexist) belief that a woman in love operates on the lowest level of intellect. Her peaceful life at Green Manor is shaken to the core when the new head of the asylum; Dr. Anthony Edwards (Gregory Peck) arrives on the scene. He is a lot younger than everyone thought. He is charismatic and good looking. Ok, he has some strange mannerisms but that can be overlooked. Despite her own misgivings about women and emotion, Dr. Petersen is madly in love with him in a thrice. Her feelings are by o means one sided… But even though their love is strong, there is something decidedly wrong with Dr. Edwards. As his outbursts and fainting fits get more and more frequent, Dr Petersen is faced with a rather strange question: Who exactly is this man she has fallen in love with?
If you checked in last week, you will have read my opinions on Notorious, another brilliant Hitchcock film, well my opinions stand for this one as well. I mean, Mr. Hitchcock went as far as asking the great Salvador Dali to design the dream sequences in the film. Now THAT is what I call not cutting corners. The plot is complicated and very intelligent as usual. And another thing I love about these old movies is they do not take the audience for fools. It was the same in War and Peace. One assumed you knew the rudiments of European History; no idiotic babble explaining the background for “those who missed it”. Here the same. The film does not have a scene where a professor is lecturing first year students for instance. No. The director feels that a brief introduction to the concept of psychoanalysis is necessary, so, he puts a brief definition of it, in writing, on the screen for a few moments. The audience reads, grasps the definition and carries on. Freud, dream analysis and guilt complexes hurtling at you left and right. You are assumed to have the capacity to follow all that. It’s not scientific at all, but as I said in Notorious, it’s just a good quality thriller. A thriller with quality. And perfect for those of us who do not want to watch monsters and 3D precipices for a thrill but prefer to use our intellects. Elitist? No. I loved Avatar, I just ADORED it. I would have gone again if I could afford the hiked ticket prices (hiked for 3D purposes you know). I just think that this should NOT be the only sort of adventure around. We are forgetting to use our heads as we watch films and that is very sad indeed… Well at least the film was given its due in Oscar nominations in its time (Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Effects, Best Director and Best Actor in a Supporting Role - it ended up only winning Best Music, very unfair in my view...
As I watched this film, I was thinking something else… Oh heck who am I kidding; I wasn’t thinking at all, I was positively drooling over Gregory Peck. Now HE was a stunner – that’s my view anyway. But the cinema business is funny like that isn’t it? One craves intelligent, quality entertainment but even old fashioned Hollywood at its best would not be Hollywood without Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck and all those who came both before and after; looking dashing or beautiful, making us drool or get quite hot and bothered… Well well, that’s the nature of the beast. I mean, both human beings and show business, naturally =)

NOTORIOUS - IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

There are some things in life that you can pretty much guess most people will like. I mean, there are exceptions but some things, as far as the human condition goes, is a generalized like or dislike. Chocolate for instance. Now, a small number of women actually dislike chocolate (no, really, Mom for instance). However generally, women like chocolate. Or waking up with an alarm clock. I’m guessing pretty much most people hate this, then again there’s no accounting for taste of course… In circles of cinema, take Alfred Hitchcock. Again, to each his own but I reckon most of us like Hitchcock, no? His are truly good quality thrillers (or comedies – yes there are some, “There’s Something About Harry” for instance), usually starring classic actors, good solid story lines and an atmosphere you can cut with a spoon. Notorious is no different. Starring film legends Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman in addition to the already legendary Hitchcock, I mean be honest, what more COULD you want from a Saturday night thriller…
Florida, 1946. Alicia Huberman(Ingrid Bergman) is the daughter of a Nazi. Her father has been tried for treason and charged. They are estranged for she loves the United States of which they are both citizens. But her father has associates and friends – now living in Brazil. The police know they are “up to something” but they are not quite sure what. They also think Alicia might be “convinced” to help them. Alicia becomes convinced and more when she meets her contact in the secret services - Mr. Devlin(Carey Grant). They click right away; but there is a problem. Devlin is a decent, upstanding chap, whereas Alicia has a “reputation”. She drinks too much and she flirts too much. She claims love has changed her and swears her loyalty to Devlin but before long his faith is tested severely. Alicia’s “job” is to “get close” to Alexander Sebastian, a prominent German businessman who is in the center of the secret proceedings. She succeeds; however, her success in this area means losing Devlin who she truly loves. Unfortunately, the place her heart lies barely comes into it; if the Nazi group finds out she is spying on them it may well cost her her life… Will Devlin and Alicia’s love stand these trials? And more importantly, will Alicia come out of the whole affair alive?
Well, in the hands of the master the most glamorous party turns into a nail – biter, the most dashing gent may well be a murderer and an innocent damsel a wily little so and so ready to ruin you… So it is with Notorious. This classy 40’s flick is old fashioned Hollywood at its finest. Adventure, baddies dashing, brave /beautiful hero(ine)s… A seemingly doomed love affair that may cost the lovers their lives… You know what I’m on about. This is why I like watching old black and white movies you see. You actually get to watch an adventure film or a thriller. You know what I mean, look at modern films; I mean adventure films these days are nothing more than a very skimpy excuse to show off the latest 3D / HD technology. Thrillers? CGI, monsters, plenty of gore. Special effects and Makeup Oscars ® all round. All this is well and good and of course in cinema today we need a bit of that as well but what happened to the film itself? You know what I mean, the thing you’re left with when you strip away the special effects. There has to be substance in that as well, and I don’t necessarily mean in “art movies” or “psychological dramas”. No, thrillers should have class as well… Otherwise, in some cases anyway, the “film” is nothing more than an insult to one’s intelligence. And I don’t give a flying foxglove how old that makes me sound…