Half-year check-in! Film discoveries + disappointments, January – June 2016

Now that we’ve passed the half-way mark of the year, I thought I’d take a look back at what I’ve watched so far, sharing my favorite discoveries and biggest disappointments from all of the films I’ve screened. From January through June I watched a total of 128 films, most of which were completely new to me. Some of them were great, and inevitably, some of them were duds. I will say, however, none of the disappointments were total bombs — I have yet to give a “0 to 0.9” out of 5 review rating yet this year! Here are the lists of new favorites and not-recommended.

FAVORITE DISCOVERIES

A Foreign Affair (1948)
Score: 4/5
+ Witty script, but also thoughtful in regards to post-war environment
+ Offers both humor and intrigue
+ Great rivalry between Jean Arthur and Marlene Dietrich

Love on the Run (1936)
Score: 4/5
+ Nice blend of drama and comedy
+ Top-notch cast
+ Great banter between characters

The Reformer and the Redhead (1950)
Score: 4/5
+ Great script, clever dialogue
+ Sweet romance, great chemistry
+ Spunky woman as main character
+ Plenty of charm

Slightly Dangerous (1943)
Score: 4/5
+ Light mood, lots of laughs
+ Nice performances
+ Sweet rom-com story

Things to Come (1936)
Score: 4.5/5
+ Striking opening
+ Thought-provoking story
+ Great photography & art direction

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS

Baby Face Harrington (1935)
Score: 1/5
-Humor only mildly amusing (and only sometimes!)
– Often tedious to watch
– Couldn’t bring myself to care about the characters

Coquette (1929)
Score: 2/5
+ Good effort by Pickford
– High potential, poor execution
– Underwhelming melodrama

Kisses for Breakfast (1941)
Score: 2.5/5
+ Fine performances
– Laggy pace
– Juvenile humor

A Woman’s Secret (1949)
Score: 2.5/5
+ Flashback storytelling
+ Talented cast
– Not enough drama
– Not enough mystery
– Too-clean ending