Great Unmade British films - a random selection

* Alex Korda - I Claudius (started filmin), War and Peace (with Orson Welles!)

* Hammer - I am Legend (yes, more but that's the main one)

*Kubrick - Napoleon, The Aryan Papers

* Hitchcock - No Bail for the Judge, Greenmantle 

* Alistair Maclean - HMS Ulysses

*Mistress of the Seas

*Mary Queen of Scots from Alexander Mackendrick 

*Tom Paine by Richard Attenborough

*The Knight by Ridley Scott

*Barnado Boys, Feathers of Death and The Long Loud Silence from Bryan Forbes at EMI

*Nat Cohen - the Nat King Cole Story yes, remake of Kind Hearts and Coronets with Dick Emery no

 *Lawrence of Arabia from Terence Rattigan

*the Lewis Collins Falklands film 

Movie review - "Handgun" (1983) ****

 Tony Garnett produced a lot for Ken Loach. He directed this but it feels like a Loach movie - or, more accurately, a Garnett movie! It's a look at gun culture in the US. Karen Young is lovely and heartbreaking as a school teacher who gets raped by a walking red flag, but it was the times back then.

This is extremely well done. Karen Young is sensational - heartbreakingly naive, then traumatised. 

Movie review - "The Agony and the Ecstasy" (1965) **

 An attempt at making a literate blockbuster - the story of Michelangelo painting the Sinse Chapel focusing on his clashes with the Pope. Thing is it's not that interesting. He paints. They squabble. It feels better suited to a TV play or stage play.

It needed another subplot of more emotion. Someone in love with the Pope. Or a more compelling person into Michelangelo than Diane Cilento's noblewoman - nothing wrong with her performance but there's no heart.

I liked the scene where Michelangelo wants to discuss the painting before the Pope goes into battle - that's fun. It comes alive. The movie doesn't have enough life.

Gorgeously shot, smart, literate, attempts to raise the bar... But dull. Didn't need to be an epic/road show.

Fine performances from all - Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison. Harrison slightly miscast in a role that needed someone macho but he teams well with the more stoic Heston. 

Rex Harrison top ten

 1. My Fair Lady (1964)

2. Cleopatra (1963)

3. Anna and the King of Siam (1946)

4. The Ghost and Mrs Muir (1947)

5.  Blithe Spirit (1945)

6. Night Train to Munich (1940)

7. Dr Doolittle (1967)

8. Midnight Lace (1960)

9. Major Barbara (1941)

10. The Rake's Progress (1945) 

Movie review - "White Mischief" (1987) ***

 A good, cracking yarn, which looks wonderful and has a strong cast. Greta Scacchi was never more beautiful or Charles Dance more debonair; Joss Ackland is empathetic, touching and scary, Sarah Miles a wonderful batty thing, John Hurt an enigma.

Fascinating world. It maybe lacks something... not sure what. Structure? 

Movie review - "The Materialists" (2025) *****

 Magnificent. Witty, clever, deeply felt. Chris Evans's character is as much a unicorn as Pedro Pascal - i.e. an actor who listens and doesn't talk about himself all the time. Says important things.

Script review - "Love Actually" by Richard Curtis

  Curtis said he restructured this in the edit maybe he did but it feels very close - Nicole Kdiman referenced instead of Claudia Schiffer and there's the African sequence which was filmed but cut.

There's a sub industry of hot takes about the flaws of this film, many from the US who I think are annoyed their country is described as a bully. And the fat jokes clunk and they could've jettisoned Colin in Wisconsin and yes flaws flaws.

But it's very sweet - grieving widow and step son have a lovely bond and satisfying pay off, the Prime Minister plot is (fat jokes aside) charming, the married woman stuff is great, no it makes no sense Sarah doesn't schtup Karl but it works, the flabby friend-in-love-with-mate's-wife story is redeemed by the cards at the end. So many iconic moments.