***** 1950. Directed by Nicholas Ray. A screenwriter, violent by nature, is suspected to have murdered a young woman he received in his apartment. Soon, his new girl-friend doesn't know anymore whether he's guilty or not. Superb movie about Hollywood and its demons. Masterpiece.

***** 1956. Directed by Nicholas Ray. A teacher, suffering from a rare and painful disease, accepts to take cortisone, a new drug in the 50's, under medical surveillance. Unfortunately, the patient modifies his prescriptions and becomes little by little psychotic. Masterpiece.

****1/2 1948. THEY LIVE BY NIGHT. Co-written and directed by Nicholas Ray. An escapee falls in love with a young girl, marries her and tries to reach a place where he could start a new life. Nicholas Ray's first film is a one of a kind film noir that should be in every movie lover's library.

**** 1946. Co-written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. An amnesiac tries to find out alone in Los Angeles the man who could reveal him his identity. Another great film noir of the Fox collection.

**** 1955. Original story and direction by Nicholas Ray. Three nominations for the Oscars. James Dean and Natalie Wood, in conflict with their parents, meet Sal Mineo, a neurotic kid. They'll have to deal with a local gang and the police forces. Highly recommended.

**** 2003. Written and directed by Rob Zombie. Four young people lose their way and drive finally to the Firefly's, a family of vicious killers. Rob Zombie's first movie deserves our utmost attention as it reveals a true filmmaker that will confirm his skill four years later with HALLOWEEN. Highly recommended.

**** 2007. Directed by Julian Schnabel. Two awards in Cannes, two Golden Globes and four nominations for the Oscars. Based on a true story, the film tells how Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor of Elle magazine, left paralyzed and speechless after a cerebrovascular accident, dictated letter by letter his book "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly".

***1/2 2001. Directed by Peter Chelsom. The sentimental adventures of two couples after 25 years of marriage. Very funny but one can regret that the slapstick mood of the second part of the film is a little bit too heavy. Good surprise, though.

*** 1949. Directed by Nicholas Ray. Maureen O'Hara confesses to the police that she's just shot Gloria Grahame but neither his friends neither Police Insp. Jim Fowler believe her. Nicholas Ray's second film is not as good as his first one but is still enjoyable.

*** 2007. Directed by Ridley Scott. Two nominations for the Oscars and two other for the Golden Globes. The film tells the story of the black NYC mobster who brought, during the Vietnam war, Asian heroin into the U.S.A.. Ridley Scott is no Francis Ford Coppola and no Sergio Leone and AMERICAN GANGSTER is just an average and long movie about the life of a criminal.

*** 2007. Directed by Neil Jordan. Jodie Foster earned a nomination for the Golden Globes for her performance in this movie. A NYC woman becomes a vigilante after the brutal death of her boy-friend. Not bad but it's nonetheless a little disappointing film from the author of such masterpieces as THE END OF THE AFFAIR or MONA LISA.

**1/2 2003. Directed by British born director Mike Hodges. A former mob boss comes back to London when his brother commits suicide. Nothing new under the sun even if there are some great actors involved. Already forgotten.