Lawbolisted Powerful

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

clanciai Brilliant thriller of suspense increasing all the way, until the absurd mystery ends up in a most surprising explanation. The best mysteries are the deepest and most inexplicable ones that all the same finally reveal a most logical solution. Jean Simmons' situation is really quite upsetting, she couldn't be more helpless in her predicament, but fortunately there is Dirk Bogarde at hand in a typical role of his as an English painter in Paris. The French people are also quite convincing, and fortunately they even speak French. It's easy for a foreigner to get lost in Paris with always strange things going on and bodies being fished up from the Seine almost every other day, and here there is even a world exhibition going on with the premiere of the Eiffel Tower and an awful balloon accident on top of that disposing of a key witness to add to poor Jean Simmons troubles... It's an ingenious intrigue, and every detail is important. It's vital that you don't miss anything of what is said in any conversation, since every piece in this puzzle is indispensable to the whole picture.

Spikeopath So Long at the Fair is directed by Terence Fisher and Antony Darnborough and written by Hugh Mills and Anthony Thorne. It stars Dirk Bogarde, Jean Simmons, David Tomlinson, Marcel Poncin, Felix Aylmer and Cathleen Nesbitt. Music is by Benjamin Frankel and cinematography by Reginald Wyer.Adapted from Thorne's novel of the same name, story is set in Paris 1889 (not 1896 as some other sources strangely suggest it is) and sees Simmons as Vicky Barton, who awakes in her hotel to find that her brother, and his hotel room, are missing. With the hotel staff adamant that she checked in alone and that her brother never accompanied her, Vicky is confused and very alone. However, hope comes in the form of handsome artist George Hathaway (Bogarde), who had an exchange with Vicky's brother and therefore can vouch for his existence. But with the odds stacked against them and proof hard to find, can the pair of them uncover the truth and solve the mystery?It seems now to be a familiar plot, but it wasn't back then and the story's origin is derived from an urban legend. What unfolds over the film's running time is a sharply told mystery that is infused with good quality drama. Simmons and Bogarde make for a very engaging couple and it's very easy to root for them as they set about their sleuthing. However, the film is split into two as regards tonal worth.The first half is the most atmospheric as Simmons' Vicky is a stranger in a strange land, her fraught helplessness over her missing brother is enhanced by the language problems. This aspect impacts on us the viewers by there not being any sub-titles for the French speaking parts of the script. A good move is that.Once Vicky teams up with George the thriller suspense gives way to detective mystery, which is fine, and for sure the "reveal" that comes in the finale is credible, but it's hard not to lament a touch that the pic hasn't stayed in "darker" mode, even if the score is consistently too jaunty for such a story. While the black and white photography is, however, tonally pleasing, and the Victorian costuming is authentic looking. There's a couple of off kilter shots but noir like visuals are in short supply, and characterisations and basis of plotting do not scream out as being noir influenced, so you have to wonder why the film has found its way into a DVD collection of British Noir? It's a classy little mystery, boosted by some prime British acting talent, but first time viewers expecting a Brit film noir should heed my warning, it's not! 7/10

dougdoepke Don't watch this period piece if you're feeling at all frustrated. Because it's about 90-minutes of on-screen frustration as poor Vicki (Simmons) tries to convince everyone that her version of reality is truer than everyone else's. The trouble is she had a brother in the hotel the night before, but in the morning everyone else says she didn't. So, where is her brother and why are the hotel people lying and will the French authorities ever take the word of one small English woman who can't speak their language. It's just one maddening frustration after another. Meanwhile, we're wondering what the heck is going on. It's a really good suspenser as we accompany Vicki while she tries, with George's (Bogarde) help, to unravel the baffling mystery. The studio does a great job re- creating the appearance of 19th century Paris and its elaborate Exhibition, especially the ballooning episode. Also, I really like the boisterous nightclub scene that overflows with energetic gaiety. David Tomlinson too is perfect as the rather uptight English brother who can't seem to get into the swing of things Parisian. And where did they get that hotel majordomo (Catherine Nesbitt) who's officious enough to intimidate King Kong.Anyway, the movie's enough to make you appreciate everyday things like a common reality we can all agree on. The riveting premise may have been done more than once, but never better than here.

ChorusGirl A misleading first act suggests a Henry James-esque tale of an upper class British brother and sister visiting Paris for the Exposition. Alas this is pure deception, giving no indication of the shift that will occur about 20 minutes in, when a character simply vanishes without a trace, leaving the other stranded and slowly driven to hopelessness. The one brief scene at the Fair is a cruel, brilliant moment that further dashes audience expectations. The film could easily have boxed itself into a scenario that only the most far-fetched of explanations would have solved, but instead the resolution is completely logical, and--if you know your history--disturbingly possible. Not to be missed!