Showing posts with label David Niven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Niven. Show all posts

Monday, 29 July 2013

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) - ★★★

Director: Michael Curtiz
Writers: Michael Jacoby, Rowland Leigh, Alfred Lord Tennyson
Stars: Errol Flynn, Olivia DeHavilland, Patric Knowles, Donald Crisp, Nigel Bruce, David Niven, C. Henry Gordon, Spring Byington

The Charge of the Light Brigade is such an epic, sweeping film. It's entertaining, thrilling, and has its moments of humour and sadness. I adore Errol Flynn in this film. This is one of his most underrated roles, for he had so many ferocious and tender moments. The love-triangle romance is executed in a most cheesy fashion, but the scenes of war and strategy were truly masterful. There were two things I didn't like. One being the shaky and unconvincing performances by Olivia DeHavilland and Patric Knowles. The other reason being the despicable display of cruelty to horses in the final scene. It produced a very thrilling finale, but at the cost of causing unnecessary pain, suffering, and death to horses. If I put that out of my mind, then I'd call this a good film.

Tuesday, 8 January 2013

Death on the Nile (1978) - ★★★★½

Director: John Guillermin
Writers: Anthony Shaffer (screenplay), Agatha Christie (novel)
Stars: Peter Ustinov, Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury, Maggie Smith, David Niven, Mia Farrow, Jane Birkin, George Kennedy

What a cast! Murder on the Orient Express was my favorite Agatha Christie film adaptation, until I saw John Guillermin's 'Death on the Nile.' The acting, the story, the twist, the suspense! Everything about this film is spectacular.