‘Heat Wave’ by Richard Castle

This book is a tie-in to the ABC tv series ‘Castle’ – but not your usual kind of tie-in.  In that show, celebrity author Richard Castle tails NYPD Detective Kate Beckett and her team, in order to research his latest crime series.  He bases his character Nikki Heat on Beckett, and releases a number of Nikki Heat books.  This book is the first one in that series, so in effect it is a book written by a fictional character! (The identity of the actual author of the books is a closely guarded secret.)

The way it’s done is very clever, complete with an author photo of Richard Castle (actually Nathan Fillion, who portrays him on the show), and in his acknowledgements he thanks both the fictional characters and the actors on the show.

The story of the book revolves around the death of property mogul Matthew Starr.  There are no shortage of suspects as Nikki and her colleagues, including Jameson Rook (the character which Castle bases on himself) investigate the murder, and Nikki finds herself in danger as she works to uncover the truth.

It’s hard to review this book without connecting it to the tv series.  It could be read as a straightforward crime thriller, even if the reader had never seen the show.  However, I think fans of the show (and I count myself among their number) will probably get more out of it, as the characters in the show all have counterparts in the book, and I found myself hearing their voices in my head as I read the story.

I definitely enjoyed the book.  It moves along at a rapid pace, and certainly captures the atmosphere of New York City.  I was kept guessing right until the end, and there were enough twists and turns to make it difficult to predict what was going to happen.

And for fans of the show – the much-referred to sex scene between Heat and Rook is in the book, and does indeed happen on page 105, just as stated in the show!

Overall, an enjoyable read – I will definitely read the subsequent books in the series.

(‘Author’s’ website can be found here.  For more information on the tv show, please click here.)

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Stalag 17 (1953)

Stalag 17 is part of a prison camp in World War II, where American prisoners of war are kept. When two of them attempt to escape and their plan is foiled, a POW named J.J. Sefton (William Holden) is suspected of leaking details of the escape plan to the Germans. When the German Officers seem to be constantly one step ahead of the POW’s – finding out about the radio they have smuggled into the camp, for instance – the suspicion grows, and Sefton is ostracised by the others, especially since it is known that he trades goods with the guards in order to obtain privileges for himself. As tensions rise, it becomes clear to Sefton that he will have to find the real informant if he is to exonerate himself.

This film was not the first, nor the last collaboration between director Billy Wilder and actor William Holden. I would not even count it as the best (that honour would go to Sunset Boulevard), but still, I thoroughly enjoyed Stalag 17, and unhesitatingly would rate it 10/10.

Holden – one of the most under-rated actors of the 20th century (in my opinion, for what it’s worth) – turns in a superb performance as Sefton, a not-altogether-sympathetic or likeable character. He quite rightly won the Oscar for his performance in this film. Otto Preminger, usually known for directing films rather than starring in them – is also great as the head of the camp, and Sig Ruman, as the officer in charge of Stalag 17, is perfect in his role too.

The tension is mainained throughout – the audience becomes aware of who the informant is, quite a while before the POWs in Stalag 17, but this does not detract from the tension of the story at all. And it is quite some achievement to incorporate comedy, thrills and tension in a film about a WWII prisoner of war camp, but that is exactly what happens here. It has quite a claustrophobic atmosphere, as most of the action takes place in the hut where the POW’s live, and all of it takes place inside the camp itself. This helps to raise the sense of distrust and suspicion.

The ending is great – it rounds off the story perfectly, and I could not have predicted it.

Overall – definitely a film worth seeing!

Year of release: 1953

Director: Billy Wilder

Producers: Billy Wilder, William Schorr

Writers: Donald Bevan (play), Edmund Trzcinski (play), Billy Wilder, Edwin Blum

Main cast: William Holden, Don Taylor, Otto Preminger, Robert Strauss, Harvey Lembeck, Richard Erdman, Sig Ruman, Peter Graves

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Niagara (1953)

This film was not directed by Alfred Hitchcock. But it could have been…I feel that certainly it must have been influenced by Hitchcock. All the Hitchcockonian (is that a word?) traits are there: a crime that does not turn out as it’s supposed to, the requirement of huge suspension of disbelief, jarring music to signal that SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT is happening, and of course, a beautiful blonde bombshell. In this case, the bombshell in question is Marilyn Monroe. She plays Rose Loomis, a woman who has come to Niagara with her emotionally unbalanced husband George (Joseph Cotten). However, Rose is scheming with her young lover, to murder her husband so that she and said lover can be together. Enter young couple Ray and Polly Cutler (Casey Adams and Jean Peters), on a belated honeymoon, who end up getting entangled in the Loomis’s unhappy marriage, and the fall out from Rose’s plan.

I actually did enjoy this film a lot, even though it was hard to take seriously. Marilyn Monroe is stunning and certainly looks the part of a femme fatale – all pillar box red lipstick (even when she has just woken up in the morning), and practically busting out of her very clingy clothes. I really really like Marilyn in comedies (and I do believe that she was under-rated as a comic actress). I’ve seen her in other dramas, where she did much better work than here, but in Niagara, she becomes a caricature, and at times overacts quite obviously. Casey Adams, as the husband in the honeymooning couple was beyond annoying. He seemed to spend most of the film grinning inanely and came across as nothing so much as an overgrown schoolboy.

However, Jean Peters and Joseph Cotten were both superb – Stevens in particular. I actually thought that Stevens’ character Polly, who was a demure but witty and compassionate wife, looked far more attractive – although certainly not as striking – than Rose. Peters also played the part extremely well, not being too over the top, but remaining believeable in an unbelieveable plot. Cotten also excelled as the brow beaten husband of Rose, at the end of his tether, and seemingly aware that things between them were not going to end well.

The storyline is hard to take seriously, but not hard to enjoy, with the requisite twists for such a film. The ending came somewhat abruptly – but I liked it. And with a total running time of just over an hour and half, the scripting is nice and tight, and the plot moves quickly, thus holding interest.

Overall, despite it’s obvious flaws, this is a film which is well worth watching at least once.

Year of release: 1953

Director: Henry Hathaway

Producer: Charles Brackett

Writers: Charles Brackett, Walter Reisch, Richard L. Breen

Main cast: Joseph Cotten, Marilyn Monroe, Jean Peters, Casey Adams

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Vertigo (1958)

This 1958 movie was the final of four collaborations between Alfred Hitchcock and James Stewart. The film performed modestly in cinemas, and Hitchcock apparently blamed Stewart for this, saying that at 50, Stewart was too old to draw in large audiences anymore. (Hitchcock also made a few less than complimentary comments about female star Kim Novak.) Regardless of it’s initial viewing figures, it has since become regarded as one of Hitchcock’s best films, and a classic of the genre.

I find Hitchcock’s movie’s somewhat hit-and-miss. To Catch A Thief and North by Northwest are both superb (maybe it’s the Cary Grant effect) and if you haven’t seen them, you definitely should! This is the third Hitchcock/Stewart I’ve seen, and is my favourite of all three, although it’s not perfect by any means.

Stewart plays John ‘Scottie’ Ferguson, a detective who leaves the police force, due to suffering from acrophobia. An old friend named Gavin Elster asks Scottie to tail his wife Madeleine, as Gavin is concerned about Madeleine’s unusual behaviour and fears that she will end up hurting herself. Scottie accepts the job, but quickly becomes obsessed with Madeleine…

There was a lot to enjoy about this film – Stewart (whatever Hitchcock thought) was perfect in the role of Scottie, a man who finds his equilibrium disturbed by the elusive and beautiful Madeleine. Personally, I thought this was one of the best roles I had ever seen Stewart play. I also really liked the dynamic between Scottie and his friend Midge (Barbara Bel Geddes). Kim Novak looked stunning as Madeleine, and she gets the chance to really demonstrate her acting chops in this film. There was real chemistry between Stewart and Novak.

The story itself is pretty straightforward, but there is a big twist, which I absolutely refuse to disclose here. Had I known about it before viewing the film, it would certainly have spoiled it for me, so I won’t spoil it for anyone else.

However, the film raises as many questions as it answers. There is an air of implausibility about the whole thing – a common thing with Hitchcock films – and one scene in particular, while intruiging enough, seems to serve no real purpose. I also find the use of highly dramatic music at moments of tension to be unnecessary, although I appreciate that at the time that the film was made, it was probably a very effective technique. (I always just feel that I don’t need dramatic moments to be signposted; I can spot them for myself).

In the hands of less capable actors, this film could have fallen flat. However, the talents of the two main stars keep things tense and interesting, and fans of the genre, and I would recommend watching it at least once.

Year of release: 1958

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Writers: Alec Coppel, Samuel A. Taylor, Pierre Boileau, Thomas Narcejac, Maxwell Anderson

Main cast: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore

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To Catch A Thief (1955)

Cary Grant is John Robie, a former jewel thief, now a reformed character  living on the Frnech Riviera.  When a spate of cat burglaries occur, the finger of suspicion is pointed at him, and he determines that he will have to catch the thief himself, in order to prove his innocence.  Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly) is a beautiful young woman holidaying and husband hunting in the Riviera with her mother – and her mother is one of the major targets of the thief…

Some director/actor combinations seem to work together really well (such as Tim Burton and Johnny Depp).  I think this may well be the case with Hitchcock and Grant – North by Northwest was a great movie, and so is To Catch A Thief.  (I actually prefer this film to North by Northwest, and I really want to see Suspicion and Notorious).  Cary Grant oozes charisma and charm, and is perfect as the suave John Robie, who has to try and outwit the thief and stay one step ahead at all times.

In all honesty, Grace Kelly does little more than the necessary love interest for John Robie, but it doesn’t matter.  Despite her main purpose for being on the Riviera being to look for a potential husband, she is no subservient and meek lady – instead she is witty and feisty and I felt that the two characters worked very well together.  Of particular note was Jessie Royce Landis, who played the mother of Frances Stevens (and who played the mother of Cary Grant’s character in North by Northwest).  She provided excellent support and ended up being one of the most likeable characters.

There are plenty of witty and amusing moments in this film – it’s certainly not as dark as some of Hitchcock’s other films – and there is a greater focus on the romantic aspect of the story.  And the glamour!  I loved it – as the film largely centres on rich people in an exclusive part of France, this meant that some of the outfit were beautiful and extravagant.  The outfits at the ball towards the end of the film were also pretty spectacular.

As for the ending itself – I didn’t guess the identity of the thief, although other people have said that they thought it was easy to tell who it was.  It was a great ending, which finished the story perfectly.  Some people might call it Hitchcock-lite, but to me, this was a great film, pure entertainment and very enjoyable.

Year of release: 1955

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Writers: David Dodge (novel), John Michael Hayes, Alec Coppel

Main cast: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis

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North By Northwest (1959)

One of Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest movie achievements.  In North By Northwest, Cary Grant is advertising executive Roger Thornhill, who gets mistaken for a government agent and finds himself pursued across the USA by a group of spies who are determined to kill him.  He finds help in the form of Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint), a beautiful young woman who may or may not be as sincere as she appears.

This film is over two hours long, but passed by in a flash.  It’s regarded as a classic (it appears on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 best movies ever, and also as the fourth best thriller).  As well as some moments of genuine suspense (the Mount Rusmore scenes, and particularly the very famous scene where Thornhill is running for his life from a crop duster plane) there are also some moments of genuine comedy.  The scene where Thornhill deliberately tries to get himself arrested at an auction in order to escape from the bad guys, is laugh-out-loud funny, and I also loved the humour and chemistry between him and Eve Kendall.

Cary Grant is as charming and charismatic as ever, and was perfect for the role.  Eva Marie Saint is also perfect as Kendall, and there is a great supporting cast.

The story takes plenty of twists and turns – things took me by surprise, whereas at other times you could sense the danger that Thornhill was about to walk into.  A thrilling finale finishes the film off perfectly.

Definitely a recommended watch for fans of thrillers, comedy, or just good movies.

Year of release: 1959

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Writer: Ernest Lehman

Main cast: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason

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‘Dead Simple’ by Peter James

Michael Harrison, a rich and successful property developer, is on his stag night with four of his best friends.  As a prank, and to pay Michael back for the pranks which he played on some of them on their stag nights, they bury him in a coffin in the woods, with the intention of coming back for him a couple of hours later.  However, his friends are then killed in a horrific traffic accident (this all happens in the first few pages).  The walkie talkie which the friends left with Michael is found by a young lad who does not apparently have the capabilities to help, and nobody else apparently knows where Michael is.  The day after the stag night, with Michael still missing, his distraught fiancee Ashley Harper contacts the Police and the case falls into the hands of Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, a man still battling his own demons after the unsolved disappearance of his wife eight years earlier.

Grace and his colleagues try to find Michael – seemingly an impossible task.  They don’t know if he is in danger, but they don’t want to take any chances…meanwhile, time is running out for Michael.  With no food or water and no way of attracting help, he is getting desperate.  And the one person who should be able to help seems intent on remaining silent…

This book certainly grabbed me from the first page, with an explosive – if slightly implausible (would anybody really think that burying a friend alive is a good idea for a stag night prank?) – opening.  Although the book takes place over a short period of time, it moves quickly and I never got bored.

The chapters are short and choppy, and although it is told in the third person, the point of view of all the characters are shown.  I did find myself turning the pages quickly and always wanting to read “just another chapter.”  There are twists and turns aplenty, making it hard to guess how things were going to turn out.

Roy Grace is a great character – sympathetic and intuitive, and it was easy to warm to him and understand his thoughts and frustrations.  However, apart from this, I did think the characterisation was thin; most of the rest of the characters were very stereotyped.  However, as this is the first book in a series, some of the roles of Grace’s colleagues may be expanded on in future books.  As with most crime stories, this book is driven by the plot rather than by the characters, so the fact that most roles were not very fleshed-out did not detract very much from my enjoyment.

There were also some rather fantastical plot developments, so the story wasn’t entirely believable, but I was able to suspend disbelief enough for this not to bother me.

Overall, this is an undemanding read, and one which I found hard to put down.  I would certainly be interested in reading further books in the series.  Ideal for a holiday read (despite the subject matter), and one I would recommend to fans of Ian Rankin or Peter Robinson.

(Author’s website can be found here.)

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Cutter’s Way (1981)

 

Richard Bone (Jeff Bridges) sees a man dumping a body of a teenage girl, but isn’t able to positively identify him. When he tells his friend, disabled Vietnam veteran Alex Cutter, Cutter makes his own enquiries and believes than oil tycoon J.J. Cord is the man responsible. Bone is not convinced, but the out of control Cutter is determined that Cord should face justice….but that it will be Cutter’s own type of justice. Events spiral out of control, and Alex and Richard find their lives threatened….

 

As always, Jeff Bridges turns in a superb performance, as the world weary, apathetic, commitment phobic Bone. John Heard and Lisa Eichhorn are also brilliant as the angry Cutter and his depressed and marginalised wife Mo. All three characters seem to be looking for something to give their life meaning (and in failing to find it, Cutter and Mo have turned to alcohol), and maybe the search for justice will give it to them. It’s a shame that not more people seem to have heard of this film; it’s well worth watching. Not brilliant – one character (the dead girl’s sister) seems to almost disappear without explanation, and the ending is something of a surprise – but well worth a watch.

 

Year of release: 1981

 

Director: Ivan Passer

 

Writers: Newton Thornburg (book), Jeffrey Alan Fiskin

 

Main cast: Jeff Bridges, John Heard, Lisa Eichhorn

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11:14 (2003)

This is a really terrific movie. It has been called Tarantino-esque, which is not untrue. it’s also been compared to films like Crash and Memento. I haven’t seen Crash, but I really liked Memento. However, 11:14 contains far more dark humour than that movie.

The film shows how the lives of some very different and unrelated characters in a small town, are all brought together by a car accident which happens at 11.14pm one night.  The two biggest names in the movie are Patrick Swayze, who plays an over-protective father, and Hilary Swank, who plays (rather fabulously) a down-on-her-luck shop assistant who gets dragged into a colleague’s scheming.  None of the characters are explored as deeply as they perhaps could have been, but this did not detract from the film in the slightest, as it is very much a plot driven, rather than a character driven movie.

The story is told from the different points of view of each character, and each point of view fills in a bit more of the story, which all ties up together with a surprising twist at the end.

Although it is predominantly a mystery, there are some laugh-out-loud moments. This film held my attention completely from beginning to end, and I would definitely recommend it. I much prefer a good storyline over lots of special effects, and this film shows how a great script can work brilliantly, even with a relatively small budget.

Year of release: 2003

Director: Greg Marcks

Writer: Greg Marcks

Main cast: Patrick Swayze, Hilary Swank, Henry Thomas. Barbara Hershey, Rachael Leigh Cook

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The Hunted (2003)

This is a cool little movie.  I was predisposed to liking it I guess, because it stars the utterly luscious and swoonsome Benicio Del Toro, a man upon whom I can happily feast my eyes!

However, to reduce Del Toro to mere eye candy would be to do him an injustice.  He is a terrific and charismatic actor, and he is super in this film.  The other main star is Tommy Lee Jones – another man who can make a film worth watching just by being in it.  They both bring their characters to life, and make them easy to believe and invest in.

The premise of the movie is that Aaron Hallam (Del Toro), A decorated US Special Forces Operative, has gone on a murderous rampage, seemingly without motive, and Lieutenant Bonham (Jones) is the man reluctantly brought out of retirement to hunt this killer down.  Bonham is the man who trained Hallam and turned him into the killing machine that he now is, and probably has a better idea of his mindset than anyone.  However, Hallam is also able to correctly anticipate Bonham’s methods.

The chase takes place through the woods and through a city, and there are many great action scenes in this film.  It is a pretty straightforward thriller, although Hallam’s state of mind is never fully explained (is he mad, or is he bad)?  And what are the reasons for his rampage?

Two great stars elevate this from good to great!

Year of release: 2003

Director: William Friedkin

Writers: David Griffiths, Peter Griffiths, Art Monterastelli

Main cast: Benicio Del Toro, Tommy Lee Jones, Connie Nielsen

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