Recent Viewings, Part 2

[Rev. Powell]

FINALLY DAWN (2023): Humble Roman girl Mimosa is miraculously chosen as a featured extra in a Cinecitta Egyptian sword and sandal epic circa 1959 or so, and then is taken for a night on the town with eccentric and arrogant star Josephine Esperanzo (Lily James). If you're in a patient and thoughtful mood, the elegant staging and accomplished acting will pay off, but it's not an immediate grabber--I can see how it might feel like a chore to watch if you're not settled in for a slow one. 3.5/5.

[chainsaw midget]

The Invisible Agent
Here we once again stray from the horror and even the monster aspect.  Our Invisible Man is a war hero.  When Nazis and a very wonderful and sadistic Peter Lorre (who actually plays a Japanese man here, yeah, I know...) track down the grandson of the original Invisible Man and threaten his life for the formula, he instead agrees to become the Invisible Man for the US military.   

THE INVISIBLE AGENT (1942):
I'd like to revisit the original someday, yet I'd never seen this one before and Chainsaw had me at "Peter Lorre". The fact that Lorre "actually plays a Japanese man" isn't made at all clear until halfway through the film. He's addressed as "Baron" until at last his Nazi counterpart (Cedric Hardwicke) calls him by his last name ("Akito") in anger. Then Lorre begins acknowledging his loyalty to his homeland of the Rising Sun....... this plot point does create some interesting conflict and provides Lorre w/ motivation beyond just being Evil. Of course the casting was objectionable, and this wasn't the only time Lorre played a Japanese character. To his credit, though, Lorre doesn't do squinty-eyes or reverse his l's and r's or anything like that. He just plays "Baron Akito" with his normal accent and mannerisms. In fact he looks, sounds, and acts so much like "Toht" from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK I started figuring Spielberg had based  Toht on Lorre's character here. So,  to Lorre for being as inoffensive and possible in this role. And yes, he is "very wonderful and sadistic".

This was worth watching just for Lorre, but Hardwicke is also fun. This is definitely "sci-fi/action/adventure/comedy", not a horror flick, oh well. Jon Hall plays the eponymous grandson of the original Invisible Man and is handsome (when you can see him, briefly) and has a good voice, though obv he's no Claude Rains. Letterboxd tells me that Hall returned for another sequel, though he plays a different character, which makes no sense to me but, ehh, Universal!

3/5

I'm always glad when I can point somebody to another movie that they enjoy.