Wednesday Review: The Lady Vanishes

Welcome back to the Wednesday Review! I thought this day would never arrive.

Today's topic:

The 2013 remake of the 1938 Hitchcock film.

Introduction: The Lady Vanishes is a riveting mystery on a train. A young English woman named Iris is taken ill during a journey in the Balkans, and Miss Froy, an older English woman, looks after her until she falls asleep. When Iris awakens, Miss Froy is no where to be found. Iris become worried, but when her fellow passengers insist that no such woman existed, Iris' sanity comes into question.

My Review: I shall review the movie as a stand-alone film, rather than as a remake, for the simple reason that I have not yet seen the original.

The 2013 The Lady Vanishes is an excellent film, full of uncertainty and suspense. It has a languid start with quite a few details that may or may not come into play later (I wouldn't want to give anything away!), that very clearly sets the scene and introduces the main players quite effectively. The real action begins when Iris falls asleep on the train, but the slow build has its own suspense, as the audience cannot help but try to guess what may be part of the mystery later.

The mystery itself is very well-woven. Although I noticed several key markers in the plot and dialogue, I had no idea how everything would fit together, or what end it would eventually lead to. I also wasn't sure at first whether Iris was mad or not - whether this was a Cabinet of Dr. Caligari or more of a Spanish Prisoner. Once it became clear, the suspense was shifted, but by no means diminished, to what would actually happen.

I thought it was a great movie. It had a nice level of suspense and was well-filmed. It felt very Hitchcockian, and I like that they held on to that atmosphere with the style of filming and music, etc. The acting was very strong, as well. All in all, a really entertaining film.

Statistics:

Release Date: 2013

Rating: N/A (British)

Run Time: 90 minutes

My Rating: 4 Stars

Friday Report - Welcome Back

Dear Readers,

Although you are undeniably few in number, I feel a certain responsibility toward you. I have been absent of late, and issue I would like to redress.

Some time ago, I mentioned that I was creating a profession editing website, and that I would not be blogging as often in the future, but my lack of presence was already being felt here, even then. The reasons are as follows:

     1. I was a full time student.

     2. I was a freelance developmental editor.

     3. I started a part time job.



Since I launched my website, I've barely updated my blog at all. Here are the reasons for that:

     1. I was still a full time student.

     2. I was still working part time.

     3. I was still a freelance developmental editor.

     4. I allowed myself to be distracted by YouTube videos of Rhett and Link eating peppers (which are entertaining), the Doctor Who series 9 trailer (which is exciting), and interviews with J. K. Rowling (which were helpful and inspiring).*



But now I'm back! I have reasons for that, too:**

     1. School's done until late September.

     2. I miss my blog.

     3. I like to pretend that one or two of you miss my blog. (I feel imagination must be nurtured.)

     4. My break has provided me time to gather new things to blog about.

     5. Recent literary events have energized me.

     6. I was running out of decent YouTube videos to watch.

     7.^ I was starting to feel lazy.



So here I am, back again..




*Tell you all about it soon.

**Because lists.

^The number of reasons I'm back equals the sum of the number of reasons I was gone before and after my new website launch. Just sayin'...