January 14, 2013

Rita & Glenn; & The White Countess

Affair In Trinidad (1952) Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, Alexander Scourby. He comes the aid of his brother when he gets a message from him. He finds his brother has died before he gets to Trinidad, not from natural causes. Is gorgeous wife, Chris, involved? Is her friend Max Fabian, who wants to marry her? She sings hot Latin songs and dances each night at the club, and Steve is getting as hot as the songs. Not bad but no where near as riveting and tightly wound as the stars hit "Gilda." Rita still has the magic of one of the most gorgeous creatures on the planet, and Glenn is still good as the tight jawed man of few words. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044331/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

White Countess (2005) Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Lynn Redgrave. Shanghai in the mid 1930's has many refugees from the many revolutions and invasions going on in that part of the world. The blind American Todd Jackson, who was a diplomat, meets dance hostess Sofia and they become friends. She supports not only herself but various relatives of her late husband. They are a worthless lot who still think they must observe all the protocols and class distinctions of Imperial Russia. And they snub and treat badly the one who is supporting them. Typical.This part of the story is what I felt made slogging through it worth while. How crazy/silly/stupid humans become holding onto delusions of grandeur. The rest of the story of how the blind man and the Countess turn out in the midst of the Japanese invasion of Shanghai is worth watching but it is a very slow film and you have to pay attention. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0384686/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

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