Diana Lambert Movies
Kim Stanley plays a crooked medium who has become slightly unhinged since the death of her son. Craving money and publicity, she concocts a scheme with her weak-willed husband (Richard Attenborough). The pair will kidnap a wealthy young girl, collect the ransom, then use her "powers" to help the parents locate the child. The scheme falls apart, but not in the way that anyone might expect. Adapted by director Bryan Forbes from a novel by Mark McShane, Seance on a Wet Afternoon is a compelling psychological melodrama made doubly powerful by Stanley's mesmerizing performance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kim Stanley, Richard Attenborough, (more)
Audrey Hepburn stars in The Nun's Story as Sister Luke, postulant of a Belgian order of nuns. Though frequently disillusioned in her efforts to spread good will -- at one point she is nearly killed by a mental patient (Colleen Dewhurst) -- Sister Luke perseveres. Sent as a nurse to the Belgian Congo, an assignment she'd been hoping for, Sister Luke is disappointed to learn that she will not be ministering to the natives but to European patients. Through the example of no-nonsense chief surgeon Peter Finch, the nun sheds her idealism and becomes a diligent worker -- so much so that she contracts tuberculosis. Upon the outbreak of World War II, Sister Luke tries to honor the edicts of her order and not take sides, but this becomes impossible when her father (Dean Jagger) is killed by the Nazis. Realizing that she cannot remain true to her vows, Sister Luke leaves the order and returns to "civilian" life. The Nun's Story ends with a long, silent sequence in which Sister Luke divests herself of her religious robes, dons street garb, and walks out to an uncertain future. There is no background music: director Fred Zinnemann decided that "triumphant" music would indicate that Sister Luke's decision was the right one, while "tragic" music would suggest that she is doing wrong. Rather than make an editorial comment, the director decided against music, allowing the audience members to fill in the blanks themselves. The Nun's Story is based on the book by Kathryn Hulme, whose depiction of convent life was a lot harsher and more judgmental than anything seen in the film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audrey Hepburn, Peter Finch, (more)
- 1957
Originally released in Britain as The Circle, The Vicious Circle was based on the BBC TV series The Brass Candlestick. John Mills plays a respected doctor who comes home one evening to find the body of a murdered actress of his acquaintance. The police are summoned, and the murder weapon is found in the trunk of Mills' car. Realizing that the authorities will be useless in a case like this, Mills turns amateur sleuth to find out who's behind the frameup. The Vicious Circle eschews the cliffhanging elements of the TV version for a straightforward, step-by-step approach, with John Mills gradually catching on to the truth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
In this British espionage drama, a murderer hopes to escape his fateful appointment on death row by identifying the leaders of a spy ring. Unfortunately, a detective has already figured it out before he talks and the killer hangs for his crime. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
