Under The Tree

Released from Eureka Entertainment, Under The Tree is a tale about how relationships can break down quickly in today's society.

Directed by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson, Under The Tree is a dark surburban tale that tells the story of a man accused of adultery and forced to move in with his parents. Whilst a custody battle ensues for the daughter, the male Alti (Steinhor Hroar Steinthorsson) is sucked into a dispute between his parents and neighbours surrounding a prominent tree that puts his parents deck in a permanent shadow.

The Icelandic-language film was first premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was Iceland's entry into the 2018 Oscars in the Foreign Language category.

In recent years, European cinema has become this bastion of minor events becoming of greater importance to individuals; as world events become more and more importance on a socio-political scale. This takes a misanthropic approach to the relationships between people and especially neighbours.  In cinema much like life, you cannot get to choose your neighbours; and this film explains how you avoid people in this age of continual communication.

From the outset, there is an ominous air pervading the film; from a father who seeks pleasure in online porn to credit sequence that takes place in a shooting gallery with an eerie violin score playing underneath.

Cleverly, the film juxtaposes this bleakness of tonality by having all the narrative take place over a sun-drenched Icelandic summer full of sunshine and warmth; the characterisation is clear the dispute ferments long brewing resentment within neighbours coupled with a simmering jealousy between generations.

Shot with assured confidence and helped with great naturalistic performances by a unified cast in the majority of hand-held medium close ups, Under The Tree is a clever film full of enrichment and reward that packs an emotional punch.

Under The Tree is out from Eureka Entertainment on 10th August.
My thanks to them for the review opportunity.

Life of Riley (Aimer, Boire et Chanter)

The final film of Alain Resnais Life of Riley is his third adaptation of British playwright Alan Ayckbourn after Smoking/No Smoking (1993) and Private Fears in Public Places (2006), is a farewell to the world from a truly great artist.

In the midst of rehearsals for a new play, amateur dramatists Colin (Hippolyte Girardot) and Kathryn (Sabine Azema) receive the news that their friend George is fatally ill.  Life begins to come apart at the seams - not just for the lead pair, but also their friends Tamara (Caroline Silhol) and Monica (Sandrine Kiberlain), who along with Kathryn all hold a candle for the dying George. Long buried dreams begin to surface, and much to the chagrin of their husbands the three women fight amongst themselves to see who accompanies George on his final journey on holiday to Tenerife.

Placing the action in an almost entire studio world, Resnais succeeds in creating an artificial world for the characters to perform in.  The fact they are breaking into reading of lines from time to time, whilst discussing the welfare of George, means the wall is broken in terms of performance by the couples.  Especially Colin and Kathryn who break character to carry on bickering about their marriage.

In some ways, Resnais being the natural observer of life he is, he allows his characters to follow their hopes and desires to the extreme and have it front and centre instead of repressed and simmering under the surface.

Shot with full of colour in the set design and the costumes worn by the characters especially the three women who all wear bold colours throughout, the film stands as a testament to the Resnais oeuvre and a fitting finale to his career.

Life of Riley is out now from Eureka Entertainment

Computer Chess

 

Andrew Bujalski the supposed figure head of the New York film-making movement termed as Mumblecore and the director most likely to break out from that group into traditional narrative storytelling cinema, returns with his newest film, Computer Chess, a love letter to chess playing but more so a love letter to the computer programmers who achieved the systems and programs that allowed computers to beat master chess players by programming moves into the computer prompting the next move.

Bujalski takes an unusual approach of the process.  The film is set in the mid 1980s at the cusp of the boom of Silicon Valley and the start of home video gaming with Nintendos and Sega's around the corner for our recreational use.  If you wanted to play video games you had to go to specially built arcades to play Pac-Man or Donkey Kong.

Shot with PortaPak cameras of the era on analogue video and in black and white, this gives the whole film a sort of archival look as if you are watching a fly on the wall documentary or footage before it is processed into colour in post-production.

Bujalski accomplishes another mean feat by garnering some brilliant performances from his unprofessional cast, many have been cast either because they look like computer analysts or the fact that they can awkwardly when in a larger group; the naturalistic performances make you feel at times like this is a documentary.

Computer Chess has its own flow and speed which some viewers may find a bit unnerving and surreal, this reviewer found the film to have its own charm that was based around the affection portrayed due to the limitations of the equipment and the nostalgic tone with the melancholic feel of the black and white photography.

In this current day of age of society overcome by technological advances, where computers and tablets are becoming increasingly smaller and smaller, it is nice to harken back to a time when computers where as big as a dining room table.

Bujalski even affords his cast a chance to laugh about the future of computer programming such as when one says, 'You know what the future of computers is...dating' 'What computers are going to date each other?'  That sort of dry humour and wit runs throughout the film that allows you to draw your own affection to these oddball cast of characters, who may seem a bit silly on their own, but they are special individuals nonetheless.

Released as a Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) edition as part of Eureka! Entertainment's award-winning The Masters of Cinema Series, Computer Chess will be available on home video from 20 January 2014.

http://www.eurekavideo.co.uk/moc/
Watch the trailer here

Simon Killer

Following on from the critical success of Afterschool in 2008, Antonio Campos returns with Simon Killer starring Brady Corbet and Mati Diop.

Simon Killer tells the story of Simon (Corbet), a New York postgradute who's just split up with his girlfriend of five years (who we never see) and visits his cousin Carlo in Paris, France.

Whilst attempting to flirt and interact with French females he comes across Victoria (Diop), a prostitute who Simon attempts to make feel sorry for him.  And so begins an intriguing dynamic between the two as the intensity cranks up and the need for companionship.

Campos in a screenplay he co-wrote with the leading actors, has created a very unnerving viewing experience for an audience who may be used to such questionable subject material with a European persuasion.

In Simon, the creative team have created an unsympathetic leading male who wants nothing but sympathy as his reward for being in a relationship.  Simon attempts to use Victoria as a mark to blackmail rich husbands she sleeps with; this casual misogyny hides the equally casual disregard Simon has for women in general.

This is enhanced by the use of the non-existent Michelle, Simon's ex-girlfriend, who is invisible to us and yet has a voice in the emails she exchanges with Simon.  The one she does send to Simon, is read by Simon himself, another way of controlling his own narrative and viewpoint.  Simon is only happy if you hear just his side of the story.  In his first sexual encounter with Victoria he masturbates himself to climax whilst in view of a naked Victoria, in the scene before this encounter he masturbated online in a video chat.

For a film that has one character in every scene such as Simon - we watch the action five feet behind him by way of a roaming camera over his shoulder, you would expect a margin of empathy towards him but maybe we are not meant to as it becomes apparent Simon is manipulating the truth of his published university work and the full extent of his breakdown with Michelle.  We are also subjected to what Simon hears by way of his iPod being part of the soundtrack when he is walking in Paris streets.

Simon's actions may remind people of another sociopath who roamed European streets, Tom Ripley from Patricia Highsmith's novels; yet whilst Ripley was seduced by the elite classes, Simon is firmly living in the squalor and petty blackmails that Ripley would dare not touch.

Another literary character Simon is reminiscent of is Adam Gordon from Ben Lerner's 'Leaving the Atocha Station', in that Adam lives in Madrid on a fellowship but he does not know much Spanish and is left to look like anything but the brilliantly minded poet he is meant to be.

In the film Simon is a postgraduate, meaning currently unemployed and so lacking direction in his career seeks to gain some control over women in his life; whilst Simon can speak French, when Victoria tells him off for spending the night with another woman and denouncing him in French, it is telling that Simon yells, 'I can't understand you when you speak French'.

Brady Corbet is certainly building a quiet momentum as a go to guy for off-the-handle misanthropes and this is a fine performance in unison with the esteemable Diop.

There is an undeniable level of uncertainty in the film's direction and leaves a somewhat questionable impression on the mind's eye, yet Campos shows an assured hand with the subject matter and having gone from high school to a postgraduate, it would be interesting to see if he completes the trilogy and shows us a traumatised awkward married man with a dark side.  Campos maintains his exposure as a director with great potential to offer something both unsettling and intelligent.

SIMON KILLER is released by Eureka Entertainment in UK and Eire on 12th April 2013 and scheduled for a DVD/Blu-ray relese on 24th June 2013.

The Yellow Sea

Starring and directed by the same two behind the success of The Chaser, Kim Yun-seok is reunited with Na Hong-jin for The Yellow Sea, a film that featured as part of the Un Certain Regard in Cannes this year.

The film follows the story of Gu-nam (Ha Jung-woo), a Korean living in Yaniban, China who loses his job after being crushed by gambling debts.  We first meet him losing another game of mah-jong, but he ends up sleeping odd hours and being threatened by debt collectors.  We see him working hard as a cabbie, earning money but he cannot resist the urge of immediate cash of mah-jong.  He loses more money and ends up being beaten up also.

One day he meets a hitman Myun-ga (Yun-seok) and Gu-nam agrees to cross the Yellow sea (by train - allowing for some beautiful landscape photography) to kill a businessman in Seoul, in turn the hitman will help pay off his debt.  Gu-nam also hopes to be reunited with his estranged wife, who left for Seoul in search of work six monts ago and has not contacted him.

Gu-nam tracks down the target and just as he is about to make his move, his target is murdered in front of him and he gets framed for the murder.  Soon the police are on his tail and the man who did the crime is hoping to eliminate both Gu-nam and Myun-ga.

The film is moodily shot and darkly photographed, you get a real sense of the nocturnal air of Seoul - the dinginess, the squalor of the city as Gu-nam attempts to clear his name.  A stranger in his own homeland almost, Gu-nam plays the immigrant rather well, giving him an animalistic quality the role deserves.

Shot enthusiastically and acted impeccably the film fails in its execution only by giving us too much of a good thing; the film has a very simple noir storyline but unfortunately it goes on for nearly 30-40 minutes too long.  It should have a punchy feel, and yet you feel you are being punched too much and if not punched then stabbed.  A lot of the violence takes place clearly for the sake of violence and also because this is a crime movie.

Yet for that fault, the film remains a roller coaster ride with enough action to maintain interest and a chase sequence to rival anything that comes out of Hollywood.

The Yellow Sea is a Bounty Films release in association with Eureka Entertainment Ltd. and will be released in the UK on Friday 21st October.

Guilty of Romance

From the acclaimed director of Cold Fish, Sion Sono comes his final part of his supposed 'hate' trilogy Guilty of Romance (Koi No Tsumi) which garnered further acclaim at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Comprising of two storylines - a detective investigating the grisly murder of a lone woman; with that of Izumi (Megumi Kagurazaka), a wife of a famous romantic novelist whose marriage is devoid of romance.  To bolster here confidence she takes up a job as a naked model faking sex for a camera; which ultimately leads to prostitution whilst maintaining the facade of a domesticated, monotonous housewife at home to her unbeknownst husband.

The plot can be considered a lift of Luis Bunuel's Belle de Jour, but Sono makes clear to put on his own distinctive trademark on to the subject matter.  Sono's background before breaking into film was in poetry, and you can see from his characterisation that he does love his characters - giving them the opportunity for introspection, in terms of writing journals, giving them the opportunity to discover themselves even when they do not know what they might find.

His sharp detail for set design and lavish use of colour coupled with the dynamic use of classical music to evoke heightened sense of mood in the characters are all apparent - but on this occasion he does not forget that the film starts with a graphic act of violence.  Sono is perhaps making a statement of the parallel between the guilty acts of violence and romance, mentioning how the film follows damaged individuals, but still human beings who deserve love all the same.

In a still stilted society like Japan, that maintains a prudeness and shyness surrounding the sexual orientation of many of its population; it is nonetheless refreshing to see a director be bold enough in terms of following his convictions and the blending of genres (film noir, mystery, melodrama) that utilise his authorial motifs of vivid colour and graphic imagery to its maximum potential, and gaining career best performances from his leading ladies especially Kagurazaka, in the belle de jour role.

Guilty of Romance is release by Eureka! Entertainment on Friday 30th September on limited release in the UK

http://www.eurekavideo.co.uk/

A High Wind in Jamaica - DVD Review

Eureka Entertainment return with a fine Pirate picture from 1965 that has been lost to time and is in much need of reappraisal.

Based upon Richard Hughes' classic 1929 novel, Alexander Mackendrick (Sweet Smell of Success, The Ladykillers) adapts to give a high seas adventure with something for all the family.

Featuring two big stars - Anthony Quinn and James Coburn - and wonderful turns from the young child actors, the film much in the tradition of those rip-roaring pirate films of your youth (numerous Treasure Island adaptations, Mutiny on the Bounty), filmed on location and with excellent prodcution values. 

Pirate movies are like the modern day space films, once they hit dry land you yearn for the seafaring stuff; think of it as akin to Avatar.  The film is all the less once it hits the 2D universe, you want to see more of Pandora and be whisked away. 

Three children are being sailed back to schooling in England during the 1870s, however, once the ship is attacked by pirates led by their captain Chavez (Quinn), the children accidentally end up on the ship they have commandered.  This leads to tension between Chavez and his fractitious crew led by his first mate Zac (Coburn), who believe the presence of children can lead to trouble if old sea-hand superstitions are to be believed.

The film cleverly evokes a time of childhood and how important the role of adults in the development of perception is; the pirates learn to break down the harshness of themselves once the children embrace their different way of life.  Life lessons are learnt by both parties, even though it will end with the parties separated.

The DVD is out now from Eureka in a new HD transfer in the correct 2.35:1 ration, the features include a UK and US trailer, and English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired.

http://www.eurekavideo.co.uk/
Twitter: @mastersofcinema and @steve_hills

Faccia a Faccia (Face to Face) - DVD review

The western genre is full of law and order versus chaos and violence; stand offs between two men who hold opposing virtues in equal measure and consider their respective cause as worthy enough to fight for.  In most cases, the sheriff who wants to uphold the sanctity of peace and goodwill in his far flung town, and the six-shooter who wants to get everything he wants through violence at any cost to human life. 

This exciting new re-released Spaghetti western flips the ideas of law and order, right and wrong, order and chaos and the identity of the good guy in westerns on its head.

Faccia a Faccia, is directed by Sergio Sollima (The Big Gundown) and tells the story of a retiring professor Brad Fletcher (Gian Maria Volante) who due to his poor health moves west for warmer climate.  As soon as he arrives, he is taken hostage by the bandit Bennett (Tomas Milian) and has to live with the gang. 

After initial reluctance, he finds a calling amongst his fellow criminal cohorts, taking to crime and thuggery with ease.  This leads to Fletcher overthrowing Bennett and initiating a crueller system of leadership instead, so in essence a standoff between two villains forms the central relationship and conflict of this film; the generic modification being that the more evil villain of the two was once a learned man.

I can see initial similarity to John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, where James Stewart's character Rance Stoddard when also moving west from the east attempts to incorporate his learned skills of knowledge upon the illiterate townsfolk with limited success.   
             Much like Fletcher, Stoddard is assaulted by Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) on his first night in town and as John Wayne's Tom Doniphon explains to Stoddard - you have to fight fire with fire, and as much as Stoddard wants Valance put behind bars, violence is the only solution to a mind like Valance.  And so the famous conclusion with the realisation, and the memorable, 'when the myth becomes fact, print the myth' holds greater sway as Stoddard is now an elected Senator on the back of his feat of being said man.

The new print format on this DVD release from Eureka! entertainment features stunning cinematography in glorious Techniscope and a thrilling orchestral score from the renowned Ennio Morricone. 

The pictures and the framing of the action in this Texas landscape is helped by the ruthless and convincing performances by the esteemed cast.  Spaghetti westerns (western genre pictures produced in Italy) were made famous by Sergio Leone's Dollars (1964-66) trilogy featuring Clint Eastwood in the mid-1960s and this production made in 1967 is symptomatic of those thrilling films, retaining the same zest for excitement and thrill seeking.

Not to do a discredit this picture, it does convincingly portray a picture what the cruelty and ruthless west must have been like - the dynamic relationship between the learned Fletcher and outlaw Bennett, and how cleverly the educated man from the east attempts to takeover the man of the west, can be interpreted as a comment on imperialism which coming from a European viewpoint is both tantalising and alternatively creative.

However, as the western genre lives on mythologising men to epic status above their station as sheep herders and cattle ranchers; so this authentic slice of stylish 1960s Italian cinema, this film is ripe for reappraisal and should be allowed to create its own myths.

The DVD contains the original Italian audio with new English subtitles, and new Technicolour print; US and Italian theatrical trailers; an interview with director Sergio Sollima, a lavish 16 page booklet containing a new essay by spaghetti western expert Howard Hughes.

Available from Eureka! on Monday 20th June on both Blu-Ray and DVD

Human Centipede 2 - Appeal press release

This is the full press release from the UK distributors Bounty Films/Eureka! Entertainment concerning the classification uproar regarding the BBFC and The Human Centipede 2 last week:
Within the last week, the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) announced that it had rejected and was unable to classify for release on DVD, The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence). 

Bounty Films, and its UK distribution partner Eureka Entertainment Ltd., are disappointed by the decision of the BBFC to deny the film a classification certificate.  While both companies respect the authority of the board, we strongly disagree with their decision. 

In support of their decision, the BBFC issued a press release that gave an unprecedented level of detail regarding certain scenes contained within the film.  Whilst it appears customary for the BBFC to issue press releases in support of its decision making, the level of detail provided therein does seem inconsistent with previous releases where the statements have been more concise.  We are concerned this may be prejudicial to our forthcoming appeal.

The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) is adult entertainment for fans of horror films.  If a film of this nature does not seek to push boundaries, to challenge people and their value systems or to shock, then it is not horror.  The subject matter of this film is in line with not only the genre, but other challenging entertainment choices for adult consumers.

 

We respect those who have different opinions about both the film and the genre, and whose opinions may differ to our own, but we hope that the opinions of the adults for whom this product is intended will also be considered.  The adult consumers who would watch this film fully understand that it is fictional entertainment and nothing more.

Classifying and rating product allows the public to make an informed choice about the art and media they wish to consume.   Censoring or preventing the public from obtaining material that has not been proven to be harmful or obscene, is indefensible in principle and is often counterproductive in practice.  Through their chosen course of action, the BBFC have ensured that the awareness of this film is now greater than it would otherwise have been. 

Having taken advice on these matters, and in accordance with BBFC guidelines, we will be submitting our appeal to the Video Appeals Committee in due course.

Junebug - DVD review

I first saw Phil Morrison's debut feature at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2005 and I am pleased to see it returning to our screens in a brand new DVD release. That year it was the standout feature I saw over those two weeks. 

The film is an insightful look at the culture clash that takes place when a young brother from the south brings his new fiancée (a Yankee) home for the first time to meet the family.   
 
It begins with men hollering, a former communication tool in North Carolina were the film is set and it focuses on the role communication – verbal and non-verbal – has on a family as the eldest son, George (Nivola), returns home for a few days with his new wife, Madeline (Davidtz), of six months.  At his family home we have Eugene and Peg, his parents whose conversations are led by Peg and leave Eugene restricted to monosyllabic answers.  Johnny (McKenzie), the youngest son, is a rebellious sort who hates being spoken to or down to and prefers actions (later he throws a wrench at George) and Ashley (Adams), Johnny’s wife, who it heavily pregnant, talkative and inquisitive. 
 
What follows is a view of what priorities you are meant to have; when Ashley does go into labour Madeline (an art gallery owner) decides to pursue a client while George thinks that family should come first, he tells her this and ultimately this puts a wedge in the relationship. 
 
George (Alessandro Nivola) and Madeline (Embeth Davidtz) head for home while she recruits a new artist for the New York gallery she works for.  While the couple are happy together, the household they start to frequent is one of quietness that this new life opens up new doors.  George's parents - Eugene and Peg - are simple folk; their conversations are led by Peg with Eugene's replies limited to monosyllabic answers.  Johnny (Ben McKenzie) is the rebel of the family who would like to be as smart as George but suffers from being the youngest of the family and living in George's perpetual shadow and has the added weight of living with his pregnant wife, Ashley (Amy Adams) who is immediately uplifted by Madeline's arrival as she offers her a view of the world up north, a world of glamour and culture.  Ashley is awestruck but in a big sister sort of way. 
 
It is important to note the role of communication in this film, the different sorts it employs and what sort of emotions it conveys.  This is set around two set pieces - the church social and the baby shower.  At the church social, the larger community get to see the returning George and have Madeline shown off.  It also provides Madeline the opportunity to see a different side of George she has not yet seen, when he sings a solo of a hymn.  The camera scans the room, the church taking in the solo humbly and then the camera holds on Madeline, who herself is now awestruck at this secret.  It is a softer side of George absent from the instant attractiveness we see at the film's beginning.  At the baby shower, the feelings of disdain Johnny has been building up surface which itself leads to Ashley's premature pregnancy. 
 
The film does not overreach for sentimentality and does not portray the South in stereotypical terms which is a credit to Morrison and this fine group of actors he has employed.  Nivola has never gone to these lengths before and it suits him, he broods at time and has a real presence.  Davidtz plays the cultural outsider very well and rather than making her the intellectual, at times her intelligence can be rude in comparison to the simpler south (which itself might sound racist). 
 
However, the film belongs to Amy Adams, who was rightly Oscar nominated for her role.  Her bright-eyed and talkative role in another film might have been annoying, but in fact is endearing as she plays Ashley as the heartbroken sole who is forced to be with her childhood sweetheart, but like all the other characters yearns to escape at times but is forced to stay.  In other years, Adams might have won the Oscar (like Marcia Gay Harden or Mercedes Rheul) but instead let us be grateful that such a performance was captured by such an unknown with a great future. 
 
At the end for the first time we are left with ambiguity which is odd for the films conclusion, but appropriately it leaves a couple in silence with one having asked a question still awaiting a response, as they 'escape' but do they really want to.  A well written screenplay that is a joy when you think of it in hindsight and is recommended to all.
 
Throughout the film we have all types of communication and the effect it has on relationships and community; communication through faith, prayer, food – especially food as it governs when family spend time together (‘What time is dinner?’). 
 
In terms of communication, Ashley is the most appealing character which is odd considering if she was in another film she would be laughed at and not with, but because she is the only character who speaks openly to all we find her endearing as well as innocence.  When she is in hospital after surgery, George comforts her and usually the person who has suffered would remain quiet while George would console her with positive thoughts.  But Ashley remains the constant talker while George listens and just being the receiver and someone to listen is what Ashley wants, unlike Johnny who married Ashley because she got pregnant (it appears, but then we are not told that).  Nivola in this scene is brilliant he just listens and broods on the screen, giving great strength to a scene that easily could have subsided into hysterics but it helps if only one person asks and answers.  Nivola hugs her, kisses her on the forehead and leaves Ashley happy.  As he returns home he confronts Johnny, again he does not speak and Johnny’s violent jealousy of George erupts in the wrench being thrown, it is the only violent act of the film but speaks loudest.
 
It uses a melodic soundtrack that does not have non-diegetic music to fill out scenes and this renders the film a sort of natural space unlike other American independent films, but then again most American films do not have the type of outstanding performance we receive from Amy Adams.

Junebug is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray (£13.27RRP) by Eureka! Films, the special features contain a full length audio commentary from the stars Amy Adams and Embeth Davidtz; Amy Adams interview and Q&A session in London from March 2006; ten deleted scenes; behind the scenes documentaries.

LA SIGNORA DI TUTTI

Max Ophuls one and only foray into Italian cinema during his European exodus from his homeland Germany following the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, brings us a film that fits nicely into his oeurve, but not necessarily one of his best work.

Ophuls is famed for his melodramatic work, involving female characters whom are downtrodden by society and are not blessed because their beauty is seemingly a curse and not a gift. 

Isa Miranda, plays the role of a star (in the part that made her a star) pressed to revisit the entire history of her lovers to the present moment through an inexorable web of flashbacks... brought on by the anaesthetic following a failed suicide attempt. From the record revolving on a turntable in the picture's opening moments, Ophuls sets into motion one of those roundelays with fate that he alone could pull off with such eminent elegance.  The film made in 1934, is startling in its use of flashback and differing fade in techniques are ahead of its time, we are fed different flashbacks and are granted a greater understanding of her desperate mishaps in love, starting with the unfortunate suicide of a teacher who loved her as a student up to all the men in her life from admirers to publicists to managers all hustling and bustling wishing for the best for her - whilst missing out on the fact that she is a person, not an object.

This serves as a contradictory point of Ophuls oeurve; he was a great admirer and lover of women, yet the films he made in Hollywood, for example, Letter from an Unknown Woman and The Reckless Moment clearly objectify women in the sense. The BFI issued 'Letter' earlier this year, the sheer melodrama whilst indicative of the 'Now Voyager' era, nevertheless the objectificaton of Joan Fontaine's character is very harsh and judgmental.  Isa Miranda's character is no different, attempting suicide to thrust the narrative into its flashback structure.  The film may argue it is a critique of a grande dame's narcissicm, but would any narcissist take their own life over the joy of seeing one's self again in the mirror.

The filmmaking contains strong thriller elements for psychological suspense and good use of offscreen sound, which would bode well for his Hollywood career, but the female(s) in his films although endangered, are supplied with memorable roles in the European pantheon.

The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present La signora di tutti [Everybody's Lady], the stunningly beautiful '30s masterpiece by famed auteur Max Ophuls (Letter from an Unknown Woman, The Reckless Moment, La ronde, The Earrings of Madame de..., Lola Montès) starring the legendary Italian actress Isa Miranda. Released for the first time on DVD in the UK on 29 November 2010.