Panic Room

Directed by David Fincher

Panic Room doesn't rank among David Fincher's best work (Seven, Zodiac, The Social Network), nor does it deserve a spot among his worst (Alien 3, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, anyone?). But the film that the director himself refers to as a "really good B movie" about "two people trapped in the closet" does have its merits.

For starters, it is a very good thriller. The plot does not contain any mysteries, nor does it serve to make the viewer think. Like a good B movie it simply serves to get to the next thrill. And that is where Fincher shines. His dark, brooding direction that he is known for fits the picture perfectly. The film contains several scenes that could rank among cinema's best thrillers.

There are great performance mixed in that includes turns by Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, and with a surprisingly dark and menacing performance is country music legend Dwight Yoakam. The performances and Fincher's heart-pounding sequences make this film quite the "B movie."

Stir Crazy

Directed by Sidney Poitier

Better get bad jack, 'cause you
 ain't bad, you gonna get ______!

This slapstick classic starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder has its place in comedy history. The movie starts great, and the "gettin' bad" scene may be one of the funniest ever put on film, but as the heroes move into the latter stages of the film involving a trite rodeo/blackmail plot and a well planned escape, the movie escapes the two stars and the laughs leave as well.

The perfect comedy duo of  Pryor and Wilder try their best to funny-up a very mediocre script, but in the end this movie dwindles.

Le Doulos

Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville (1962)

As a self-proclaimed noir enthusiast it is a wonder it took this black-cinema buff this long to get his first taste of Jean-Pierre Melville. His razor sharp direction, mixed with superb black and white photography gives this film a stylish noir finish. It's all here: trench coats, fedoras, cigarettes, double-crosses, gangsters, stolen jewels, shadows, botched plans, and a murder or two (actually the body count is more like 9!).

But the film is not all style and no substance. It is also a French New Wave picture, exploring the thematic elements of loyalty and betrayal among men. It stars Jean-Paul Belmondo (Breathless, A Woman is a Woman), a new wave icon.

The twisted plot leaves the viewer guessing the character's motives throughout the picture, adding suspense and reasons to watch on. You are unaware of who the actual protagonist of the picture is until the late stages of the film. There are plenty of plot twists and lots of suspense, right up to the climax of the film.

This is a must for any noir fan, or new wave fan for that matter.