Hotel Reserve - 1944 ****

'Hotel Reserve' is a bit of a hidden gem. It's got a lot of espionage and spying in it and James Mason at his peak. (I am becoming a huge fan of films involving spies)
Mason is a medical student and amateur photographer on holiday in France and staying at the Hotel Reserve. Along with him are many other characters, some normal, and some strange. After taking photographs of wildlife he is suddenly hustled down to the local police station and accused of spying. Unable to understand what is going on, he is asked to show the photographs on his camera. At the end of the roll are photographs of naval bases that he didn't take. But who did?!
Mason begins to suspect everyone at the hotel, and some surprising secrets come out the woodwork. It was obvious who the culprit was but still very enjoyable.
Very well acted, especially Mason and a suitable sleazy Herbert Lom (always a highlight in every film.)

Standing Room Only - 1944 ***

An enjoyable little rom-com starring the delightful Paulette Goddard who plays the quirky and ditzy Jane.
Lee Stevens takes his secretary to Washington but is annoyed when Jane cancels their hotel bookings without telling him thinking that they aren't adequate.
Finding no other rooms available in the whole city, the pair take posts as maid and butler in a house but soon find the jobs not exactly how they imagined.
A nice movie, nothing special but worth a watch all the same.

(NOIR) The Suspect - 1944 ****

Robert Siodmak is one of my favourite directors. Here he takes a different turn away from his usual  noirs into early 20th century London, where an unhappily married accountant named Philip (played brilliantly by Charles Laughton) meets a beautiful young secretary named Mary, after she comes to him looking for work. Although Philip finds himself falling in love with Mary, he decides to keep the relationship platonic, until his horrible wife Cora starts to suspect what is going on and threatens him with a scandal. Quite soon after this, she falls down the stairs to her death. An accident? Or a deliberate act on Philip's part? The build-up  of tension is brilliant here, and I loved the shift of time period Siodmak has used. Added to which, Laughton is a superb actor.

I'll Be Seeing You - 1944 **

'I'll Be Seeing You' is a nice film, but it's nothing special and although Joseph Cotten is one of my favourite actors even he couldn't make this film stand out. Ginger Rogers plays a woman on release from jail who meets Joseph Cotten, a soldier suffering from shell-shock and falls in love. Neither can stand to tell the other their secrets leading to an emotional climax. Forgettable. (I do love the theme tune though).

(NOIR) Murder My Sweet - 1944 ***

I'm concerned that I didn't find this nearly as good as the critics rave about. In fact except for the occasionally funny one liners that Dick Powell comes out with I think that the rest of the film was quite poor. I'm not sure if I like Powell as Philip Marlowe, because to be honest I feel like Bogart IS Marlowe, so it's strange for another actor to take his place, especially one who is well known for singing and playing rom-com parts. He does make quite a good detective however, and is suitably smarmy into the account, but something about his performance just didn't click for me. Claire Trevor was typically beautiful and sultry as the femme fatale, but there was hardly any chemistry between the characters, except for the friendly 'bro-mance' between Marlowe and Malloy.
One to see, but would recommend 'The Big Sleep' with Bogart instead if you want to see Philip Marlowe at his best.

(NOIR) Woman in the Window - 1944 **** 1/2

A stunning offering from Fritz Lang starring the amazing Edward G. Robinson and the gorgeous Joan Bennett.

Robinson plays a professor named Richard who leads a comfortable yet uninteresting life with his wife and children. One evening he notices a beautiful portrait in a window opposite the men's club where he spent time with his friends. While staring at it he turns and comes face to face with the subject of the portrait, the glamourous woman who posed for it, and he soon finds out that his life will never be quiet and comfortable again.

I thought the ending was excellent and I really wasn't expecting it. This is what makes such a brilliant film noir; the shadows on the walls, the sultry woman, the shady bad guys and the subtly witty dialogue. They really don't make them like this anymore. They really had to act then. I'm happy to tick this off my list and I'm sure it will be a film I will be revisiting. Fritz Lang is a god. You know that anything with his name on has the sealed stamp of approval.