Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageCasablanca (1942)
Director: Michael Curtiz
Movie review
From Time Out London
How did it happen? Why did an unheralded mid-budget Warner Bros wartime romance rise from humble beginnings to become one of the most celebrated films of all time? Let us count the ways. Ingrid Bergman’s face. Humphrey Bogart’s voice. The most (mis)quotable dialogue in movie history. The script’s moral and emotional complexity, equally sympathetic and cynical. The Marseillaise scene. Michael Curtiz’s direction, at once unhurried and compelling. Dooley Wilson’s piano, playing it again. The matter-of-fact treatment of horrific subjects – murder, genocide, the exploitation of young women – which is more shocking than if they were handled respectfully. Claude Rains’s wicked smile. The sense of a world spinning out of whack, and the parallel sense that good must eventually triumph. The underlying call for America to cease its senseless isolation and take its place in the world. Peter Lorre’s mad eyes. The crystal clear monochrome photography, shifting to soft focus for that heartbreaking climax. The plane on the tarmac, slowly turning...Author: Tom Huddleston
Time Out London Issue 2164: Feb 9-15, 2012
User reviews of this film
-
- robert said...
- Posted on Feb 08 2012 21:03 Just wonderful. Never seen it in a cinema, so can't wait.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Martin D said...
- Posted on Feb 14 2008 14:12 One of the top films of all time. A must see. The real definition of word Clasic.
- Report as inappropriate
Now showing
Find out where this film is showing near you
Cast & crew
Director: Michael Curtiz
Producer: Hal B Wallis
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Paul Henreid, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Conrad Veidt, Dooley Wilson, Marcel Dalio, SZ Sakall full cast
Rated: U
Duration: 102 mins
UK Release: Feb 14 2007
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Has David Cronenberg turned tame?
Has director David Cronenberg veered too far from his radical and bloody roots with new film 'A Dangerous Method'?
The 10 worst date movies
Just in time for Valentine's Day, we present ten of the least romantic films ever made
Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films
Find out where to watch 2012's Oscar-nominated films in London cinemas
10 unlikely badboy biopics
Featuring Phil Collins, Jeremy Clarkson, Nick Clegg, David Starkey and a host of other unlikely subjects
Interview: Sean Durkin on 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'
The first-time director of the brilliant new thriller discusses religious cults and robot boxing
Pop-up cinema for Valentine's Day
Side-step romantic clichés with some alternative Valentine’s viewing
What do you think?
Post your review now