Paul Cox was a man who thought and felt deeply about love. And he knew how to tell love stories which were real, unique, and deeply moving.

His 1982 film Lonely Hearts is a very honest story about how difficult it can be to find love, but at the same time is able to console us with the idea that there really is someone for everyone out there.

Norman Kaye and Wendy Hughes are wonderful in the two central roles, and the Melbourne locations are at the same time both beautiful and mundane. Melbourne was a city that Cox loved and it is evident in the way he photographs it.

This film was a multi-award winner in its day, and at the same time is a timeless film... a film that is as enjoyable and moving today as it was when it was first released.

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Classic fiction has always been fertile ground for film makers to tap, often repeatedly. One such text, Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, has spawned many films made for both the big screen and the small screen.

Of all the versions, Rouben Mamoulian's 1931 film is a real standout with its sophisticated special effects, it's elaborate sets and its genuine tension. The film benefits from being made on the cusp of the implementation of the Hays code, with the restored version containing an extra 7 minutes of sexual tension of the kind that Stevenson surely tormented Jekyll with in the novel.

Of equal note is the performance of Frederic March in both the Jekyll and Hyde roles. His versatility and how well he performs in each role, exhibiting a truly believable transformation, justifies the academy award he won for the role.

Classic horror taps into the dark side of the human condition, reflecting back at us a side of our nature we'd rather believe doesn't exist. A powerful and chilling film that does the classic story justice.

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Orson Welles' second foray into film was no less fraught than his first (Citizen Kane). While we are only able to see the version that was heavily edited (as the studio burned the negatives from the scenes that were cut), this is still a film that bears the unmistakeable mark of Welles as a film maker.

Many accounts suggest that the unedited version of the film was even more remarkable, the shorter version with its (changed) upbeat ending is still a powerful film.

The deep focus with important action taking place in both the foreground and the background, the elaborate sets and the fabulous black and white photography make this film great viewing. The storyline does move slowly, which is important as it gives the viewer time to absorb all the visual information on offer.

It is not the central story of old money made and lost which is the most intriguing but the commentary surrounding the place of the automobile in society... the disruptions of the horseless carriage seem to parallel the disruptions to both the Ambersons and to life in general... a transition to a faster paced life, where we no longer have time for the things that really matter.

A film that contains more than meets the eye.

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John Steinbeck novels, more than those of most other writers, are consistently made (and often remade) into very good films. Of Mice and Men in particular has been adapted very effectively and successfully for both the stage and the screen.

Among all it's screen incarnations, the 1939 version is by far the best.

A key reason for this are the great central performances of both Burgess Meredith and Lon Chaney Jr. Chaney's portrayal of Lenny is remarkable and took him from a bit player to a more central roles, first in a series of monster films, and later in Westerns for the cinema and television.

The direction of Lewis Milestone is also something special, combining great sets and locations, with interesting composition and the use of long tracking shots. But also the ability to draw numerous minor characters into the frame and to make us care about their plight also.

A powerful story, produced beautifully for the screen.

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Some films ask you to look at a tired old genre with fresh eyes. Paul Cox's Innocence is such a film.

What is familiar is all the Cox touches... beautiful picture composition, visual symbolism, moving trains, casual nudity, and a deep focus on the simple and forgotten characters among us.

What is special about this film, is the easy and gentle way way the characters drift between their younger and older selves, reminding us that we too have a connection to all the times in our lives.

It is also brave enough to represent older people as sexual beings, who still retain romantic ideas about love. And it reminds us that love is not reliant on the smoothness of your skin, or the firmness of your breasts, but can and does last a lifetime. As the end of our existence comes closer, the importance of love grows as does its purity.

A wonderful film. one of the truly great (and honest) love stories.

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Musicals and Comedies can be the most subversive of the film genres. They set the audience up for good fun, and under that cover can deliver some very telling and biting social commentary.

Show Boat (1936) is such a musical. The film is remarkable for the voice and the songs of Paul Robeson, with 'Old Man River' being perhaps the most moving musical number in all of film history. While Robeson himself was deeply embroiled in the politics of race, it is not Robeson's appearance alone that makes this a very political film.

The storyline highlights the realities of segregation, the injustice of forbidding inter-race marriage, the foolishness of being suspicious about white people who want to mix with blacks, and even how distasteful 'black face' stage routines are.

It could be argued that much of what happens in this film is only a reflection of how things were.  But there is no doubting that the way this action is framed within the film exposes the sympathies of the filmmaker. Watching Irene Dunne's 'black face' performance from the cheap (black) seats, seeing Julie's descent into alcoholism after being kicked off the show boat for being black, and seeing an unsympathetic character's (Magnolia's mother) distaste and alarm at her daughter mixing with the blacks... all these key elements of the film frame the story in a  way that undoubtedly sympathises with the plight of African-americans.

A film that was ahead of its time, that was highly political, and that captures some of the greatest moments in cinema... like Robeson's songs, all while being a box office success. One of the greatest ever musicals.

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This was the first film to win the Oscar "grand slam" (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Screenplay).  Usually comedies aren't multi-academy award winners, but when they are it is a sign that they are something special.

It Happened One Night is something special.

Not only did the film make Gable and Colbert stars, it started a whole new genre... the Screwball comedy, and it was the first place so many sight gags were seen that went on to become the mainstay of film for decades.

Despite the fact that so much of the humour depends on the story subverting the social norms of the time, the film remains funny... not in a laugh out kind of a way but in a way that leaves a wry smile.

Often the audience can tell when the cast are having a lot of fun, and there is no doubt that this film was and remains enjoyable for all. Director Frank Capra said the film was made quickly with few expectations, but it was an enjoyable experience for all, with the possible exception of Colbert who didn't like showing so much leg.

A timeless comedy.

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This film is perhaps the best film noir to be produced in Britain in the post war period. It beautifully captures the mood of Britons at the time, many who had either suffered through the war directly or through the terrors of the Blitz. They were people still suffering under the weight of rations and limited job opportunities, with many likely able to relate to the attractions of the black market.

The film's storyline encapsulates all these experiences with truly authentic underworld characters and a protagonist who is a war veteran from the upper classes who has fallen on hard times..

The film also beautifully captures the immediately recognisable elements of great film noir - fascinating minor characters, sharp and often witty dialogue, beautiful black and white photography, and fantastic urban locations.

Despite no actual onscreen violence, the violence portrayed in the film is at times genuinely shocking, and the trauma of some of the characters is visceral.

One of the great non-American film noirs.

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The last American film of our film noir series is a mostly forgotten film which has much to recommend it to modern viewers.

It tells a complex story of past secrets, the struggle for power, money and influence, and a love quadrangle. It is shot in that classic film noir, black and white style, and while the dialogue doesn't pop in the way Raymond Chandler made famous, it has an edge and a double meaning that can be quite captivating. Everyone smokes and drinks way too much, but you sense it doesn't matter as the booze and the cigarettes won't be the thing that kills any of them.

The film marks the screen debut of Kirk Douglas, who puts in a fine performance, and also features Barbara Stanwyck (who plays the lead) in another memorable and dangerous femme fatale who this time is from the right side of the tracks.

But what makes this film special is Lizabeth Scott, in only her second onscreen performance. Scott smoulders on screen, as the uniqueness of her look and her voice make her quite captivating. Scott was an actress who could have done so much more if only given the chance, but we should be thankfully for the films we do have that feature her.

The Strange love of Martha Ivers.... a mostly forgotten gem?

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There are a handful of filmmakers who are genuine originals. Their work is immediately recognisable, it doesn't look like what came before it, and the films that come after are at best a pale comparison.

Jacques Tati is such a filmmaker, and Mon Oncle is perhaps the best example of his unique vision. Every frame of film seems to have been carefully planned, with foreground action, background action and location all coming together to create something intriguing and engaging.

Tati is often compared to Chaplin, but they are both similar and quite different. Both use physical comedy, an iconic central character, and laughs to say something of social significance, but each also have a style of their own. Mon Oncle pokes fun mostly at the bourgeois, the modernists and the social climbers, but also takes a poke at people like the street sweeper who never seems to get enough work done.

It is light-hearted and well intended humour that leaves you with a gentle smile at the end, where it seems the only ones with real purpose are the dogs looking for a feed and a place to pee.

A comedy classic.

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