West Side Story 1961

 

West Side Story 1961

• Director: Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise
• Cast: Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, Russ Tamblyn·        
• Why? It’s a musical
• Seen: Several times before. Now 1 May 2026                     

       It’s the dancing. And the songs, the ones that aren’t love songs, which are too sweet for me. But ‘America’, ‘Officer Krupke’, ‘Cool’, ‘A Boy Like That’.

       And the Shakespeare, of course.

       Sadly the film is badly flawed. Beymer is completely wrong and lifeless as Tony, and though I love Wood dearly, she’s too adorable here, and not convincing. Nor is their love affair. So 

5* of 5 for the good stuff and 1* for the bad.

 

 

The Outrun

 

The Outrun 2024

• Director: Nora Fingscheidt
• Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Paapa Essiedu, Saskia Reeves, Stephen Dillane·        
• Why? Scotland
• Seen: 30 April 2026 

       Troubled by alcoholism and unemployed despite a Master’s in biology, Rona (Ronan) leaves London and her boyfriend Daynin (Essiedu), who has given up on her, and returns to her childhood home in Orkney. Her mother (Reeves) is a religious fanatic, her father (Dillane) is bi-polar.

       She fights the desperate urge to drink, and the urge to return to London.

       It’s as much a nature documentary on the magnificent Orkney Islands as a gripping portrait of a woman struggling with addiction. Ronan is, as always, outstanding.

       Do you know what a corncrake is? 

4* of 5  

 

 

 

The King and I

 

The King and I 1956

• Director: Walter Lang
• Cast: Yul Brynner, Deborah Kerr, Rita Moreno, Martin Benson, Terry Saunders, Carlos Rivas
• Why? It’s a musical.
• Seen: Once or twice before. Now 28 April      

       Yul Brynner is such a sweetie. Probably not completely realistic in this role though it’s based on a true story. The chemistry between Brynner and Kerr is entertaining. The visuals are lavish, the songs appealing.

       Hammy at times but I can’t help but love it a bit.      

4* of 5.

The Little Shop of Horrors

 

The Little Shop of Horrors 1960

• Director: Roger Corman
• Cast: Jonathan Haze, Jackie Joseph, Jack Nicholson·       
• Why? A classic
• Seen: 27 April      

       This is just silly. If you haven’t seen it or don’t know the story, look it up on IMDb. I can’t be bothered.

       For the very young and dorky Jack Nicholson     

1* of 5.

 

 

Your Sister's Sister

 

Your Sister’s Sister 2011

• Director: Lynn Shelton
• Cast: Mark Duplass, Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt
• Why? Possibly good
• Seen:  21 April 2026      

       Jack (Duplass) is a mess since his brother died a year ago and his friend Iris (Blunt) sends him to her father’s cottage to get his head straight. When he gets there, though, he discovers that her sister Hannah (DeWitt) is already there.

       Drinks lead to talk leads to bed leads to Iris showing up unexpectedly.

       It’s very talky but quite sweet. 

3* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

 

The Eyes of Tammy Faye 2021

• Director: Michael Showalter
• Cast: Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield
• Why? Andrew Garfield
• Seen:  20 April 2026      

       American TV evangelist Tammy Raye Bakker (Chastain) – yuck. And she was born and raised in my hometown. Yuck.

       Poor kid. Brainwashed into evangelism as a child. She grows up to marry Jim (Garfield) and they become TV evangelists. Make lots of money, get famous. Drugs and scandals.

       It’s so sickening I have to fast forward. Too bad reality can’t be fast forwarded. Disgusting people, disgusting organisation. How can people fall for all this? Is the film meant to make us feel sorry for her? It doesn’t. See them as exceptions in the evangelical movement? They’re not.

       Both Chastain and Garfield overdo it. Or maybe underdo it. Tammy Raye and Jim were probably even worse.

       And the evangelists march on. It’s scary. 

2* of 5

 

 

 

The Kindness of Strangers

 

The Kindness of Strangers 2019

• Director: Lone Scherfig
• Cast: Zoey Kazan, Esben Smed, Jack Fulton, Finlay Wojtak-Hissong, Andrea Risborough, Caleb Landry Jones, Tahar Rahim, Bill Nighy, David Dencik
• Why? Possibly good
• Seen:  14 April 2026      

       A series of vignettes about losers in New York, who through acts of kindness of strangers get by. It’s gripping and sad and unusual. It doesn’t hurt that Bill Nighy is in it. 

4* of 5