TV Editor for IndieWire and part of the classic film podcast Ticklish Business.
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The Secret Heart 1946
Boy, is the melodrama high on this one. I'm not generally big on June Allyson or Claudette Colbert but for some reason I thought this was a thriller. Instead it's the time-tested story of a woman and her (step)daughter falling for the same man. Colbert and Pidgeon are great but Allyson is fairly insufferable, playing a 17-year-old at 30-years-old.
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The Divorce of Lady X 1938
A cute romantic comedy in the vein of George Cukor. I love Oberon's work with Alexander Korda - though it's only his studio associated with this - as the color and costumes are so delicate and fanciful. If you're a fan of British costume features this is perfect. Oberon is wondrous as the flighty society girl is a character she's played before. I'm still mixed about Larry Olivier as our leading man. The good: he's absolutely gorgeous and putting him…
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Annie Hall 1977
In my defense, I'm watching many of these movies out of chronological order and after years of learning about Allen as a person. Compound that with the 1970s release - an era where the backlash against second-wave feminism saw a lot of critically touted films that don't present ladies in the best light - and I had a lot working against me with this movie. On its own merits Annie Hall is fine. It sets up the Allen persona as…
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North by Northwest 1959
Hitchcock's spy films are an acquired personal taste. The myriad twists and turns, complicated further by his McGuffins, always leave me scrambling to deconstruct the plot and lose connection with the characters. In short, I'm often left too confused by these. Now, that's probably a simplistic summation of the Master of Suspense's oeuvre, but I think I cracked the code after watching North by Northwest. Hitchcock's masterful story of a flashy ad-man in a gray flannel suit isn't just peppered…
