The Virginian

The Virginian is an early western and it shows in that it is a bit rough around the edges, though not too rough. Victor Fleming proves he does have a visual eye, in terms of stills in particular, and it does feel less claustrophobic than many of the other westerns of the period. However the story is excessively standard, Gary Cooper is his usual standard bland self, and the most interesting element is Walter Huston who's a bit of fun as the villain. It's nothing special though it does stand above some of its contemporaries.
2.5/5

Disraeli

Disraeli is a rather poor example of an early sound film. It basically just sticks the camera to look in the general vicinity of the actors and calls it a day. Now this could almost at least make for a decent film if the screenplay and acting was there. The problem is neither of those things are. The film is just a long series of scenes to say how great Disraeli is which is a shame since I think there is a fascinating story to be found in his rivalry with fellow Prime Minister William Gladstone. None of that is to be found here as it tells its story that lacks really a single dynamic moment in it. It's not helped by a bland cast, where you know there's a problem when George Arliss gives the best performance, and he's also more than a little musty himself.
1.5/5