Monsieur La Souris (1942)

 English title: Midnight in Paris

A tramp finds a dead man inside a car. The car subsequently takes off. The tramp finds a wallet on the ground. The police investigates the disappearance of a banker. His dead body is found. The tramp discovers that the deceased led a double life.

Moderately interesting crime drama with comical touches; its plot features an improbable chance encounter, upon which much of the film is built on; according to the Wikipedia summary for the source novel, the screenwriter departed considerably from it. The main actor is excellent. (I suppose that the protagonist's nickname - Mr. Mouse -- stems from his main -- or sole -- diet item: a camembert cheese which he carries in his coat pocket.)

Apparently this film may be watched for free on the Web:

Monsieur La Souris - Full movie free streaming | TV5MONDE+

Rating: 53

Pollock (2000)

 Second viewing; previously viewed on July 22, 2002.

Based on the life of an American painter who struggled for recognition at first, and eventually achieved it, but was too psychologically unstable.

As biopics go, this is as good as it gets; it focuses on important events and aspects of the life, and has very good depictions of the artist at work.

All that said, in my opinion there was a spot that was badly edited (or badly filmed). Jackson is awake and observes Lee sleeping. Then there is an abrupt cut when we see him talking to Peggy. It takes a while to understand what has happened. Perhaps the director forgot to film some intermediary scenes and left the editor without much of a choice. 

Rating: 68 (up from 57)

Napló gyermekeimnek (1984)

 English title: Diary for My Children

In 1947, an orphan girl who had been living in the USSR returns to her native Hungary and goes to live with a woman who wants to adopt her. However, the girl does not get along with her prospective stepmother, who is a fanatic supporter of the Stalinist regime, the same one which killed the girl's father.

While perhaps not aesthetically remarkable, this film tells an important story about a regrettable historical episode, and it does it with honesty and clarity.

Rating: 51

La grande illusion (1937)

 Second viewing; previously viewed on December 1, 1988.

World War I. Two French officers end up in a German prison camp. They meet some compatriots there. They plan an escape. They are transferred to another camp. And so on.

This is not a bad film, but it is overrated. Those who don't mind being bombarded with good sentiments will have a good time, I suppose.

Rating: 62 (down from 65)

The Proud Rebel (1958)

In the aftermath of the American Civil War, a widower moves North in the hopes of finding a doctor who will operate on his mute son. In the mean time, he finds work in a spinster's ranch and helps her fight against her crooked sheep-raising neighbors.

Slightly ridiculous Western which nevertheless has some enjoyable moments. Its purported lesson is perhaps that, while sometimes you must put a price tag on things you thought you couldn't, what you get (or give) for free is in the end infinitely more valuable.

(I watched it in a bad pan-and-scan print, with poor definition and distorted colors.)

Rating: 40

Mysterious Island (1961)

Second viewing; previously viewed without the beginning and dubbed in Portuguese on January 27, 2001.

Loosely based on Jules Verne's novel.

A group of escaped prisoners and one guard board a balloon which takes them to an island, where they land; some time later, they are joined by two women who survived a shipwreck. On the island they encounter gigantic animals; they also meet a notorious scientist who is carrying out some experiments.

Entertaining and well-made science-fiction adventure with good special effects employing stop-motion animation.

Rating: 54 (down from 59)