Anything with Herbert Lom commands attention, but even he cannot lift the sluggish Snowbound. It turns around a film writer sent undercover by the Intelligence services to report upon those gathered in a ski hotel. A plot which will do service many times over fown the decades, for the Nazis were not eradicated with the Allies' arrival in Berlin. Variously funded, pockets of them survived in hopes of funding enough to resume the Reich. Trouble is that, a few good moments apart (including an opening on a film set), the sleepy script is not enough to wake a fine cast.
I really enjoyed this. Maybe it is my age - I suspect younger viewers will not get it.
From a novel, a penny thriller a bit by-numbers sort of plot-heavy derring-do story BUT none the worse for that. It has a story, and is exciting (if a tad confusing sometimes). I liked the film in a film trick too (Tropic Thunder before its time).
Czech-British actor (1917-2012) who was so good in the later The Ladykillers and most famous from The Pink Panther films is superb in an early role. He often played baddies but his English was superb, only slightly accented. He escaped the Nazis to come to the UK in 1939 then could not return of course as the Communist dictatorship came. Last seen in Miss Marple in 2002 aged 85.
The ending is abrupt BUT this is a watchable thriller nonetheless, and I loved the snow - must have been filmed on location in Italy or Switzerland or somewhere post-war in a time of real austerity.
if you like old black and white thrillers, this is for you, If not, maybe go watch CGI Marvel mush.
4 stars
Hi everyone.
Well, there some amazing black & White films produced and still available - real thrillers. This is not one of them. Plenty of good actors of their time but sadly - it's very poor.
Find something else.
sayonara