Sadly, my journey through the CV of one Joseph L. Mankiewicz, what I've lovingly come to refer to as the Mankrospective, has come to a close. 14 films, ten days. I'm grateful for the experience, to the people who made it possible, not merely for the viewing of the work but for my first press accreditation at the New York Film Fest. It was an honor. The series has a few short steps to go before it concludes, however, with an encore of A LETTER TO THREE WIVES unspooling this Sunday, and the Rex Harrison vehicles ESCAPE and THE HONEY POT scheduled for this Tuesday. There's every chance I'll change my sked and catch those latter screenings, but should it not come to pass I'll be more than satisfied by the experience, and fully prepped for the concluding article, to be posted within the next few days. Mank, I really, truly hardly knew ye.

Ongoing series today include 1939- Hollywood's Golden Year at IFC Center, Final Girl at the Nitehawk Cinema, the career overview CAPRA! at Film Forum, the Silent Clowns Film Series at the Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, and Also Like Life: The Films of Hou Hsiao-hsien at Museum of the Moving Image. The repertory rigmarole be thus;

NO WAY OUT

Synopsis: An neophyte doctor interning at a city hospital faces one extra hurdle in his uphill struggle: he's an African-American in the pre-Civil rights era. While trying to save the life of a gas station stick-up vet, he whips the deeply-ingrained prejudice of the man's brother into a neuotic frenzy.

We have come to my last day of attendance regarding the filmmaker retrospective at this year's NYFF, the comprehensive and thoroughly impressive Joseph L. Mankiewicz - The Essential Iconoclast. It's been quite the ride, sometimes quiet, sometimes bumpy, sometimes crooked, sometimes threatening to shake the foundations like a closely passing elevated subway train. My admiration for this craftsman has grown, an esteem already elevated. And while I've been denied the big-screen viewing of the film I most looked forward to, still the fave of his CV in my humble opinion, I will not allow the cancellation of 1972's SLEUTH to color my opinion of the rest of the fest. Indeed, its absence may have strengthened my focus toward his other, heretofore lesser appraised gems, evalutaions which have changed by degrees over the last week-and-a-half. Many thanks to the good folks at the Film Society for availing me of this opportunity. Here's looking forward to doing this again.

Ongoing series today include 1939 - Hollywood's Golden Year and New York Super Week at IFC Center, CAPRA! at Film Forum, Acteurism - The Emergence of Ann Sheridan, 1937-45 and Iris Barry - MoMA's Lady in the Dark at MoMA, NYFF52 - Revivals and Joseph L. Mankiewicz - The Essential Iconoclast at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Cabaret Cinema at the Rubin Museum, and Final Girl at the Nitehawk Cinema. The felonious haberdashery be thus;

THE QUIET AMERICAN

Synopsis: Apolitical war journo Thom Fowler is prompted to political action once a brash young arrival in Eisenhower-era Saigon poses a threat to his fragile yet prized equilibrium.

Day 9 of the Mankrospective begins tonight with screenings twelve and thirteen on my docket, 1950's NO WAY OUT and 49's HOUSE OF STRANGERS. If the Film Society was trying to convince me Joseph L. Mankiewicz was a great filmmaker, they came late to that party. If they were trying to convince me my esteem wasn't quite commensurate, point made, sirs and madams.

Ongoing series today include the Michael Roemer mini-trib at Film Forum, Acteurism: The Emergence of Ann Sheridan, 1937-43 at MoMA, Joseph L. Mankiewicz - The Essential Iconoclast at the Film Society, Chelsea Classics at the BowTie Chelsea Cinema, and the Nitehawk Cinema's replication of grindhouse-era Times Square, The Deuce. The mishegoss be thus;

A LETTER TO THREE WIVES

Synopsis: An ex-farmgirl, a career gal and an ostensible golddigger are served notice by their Rockwellesque small town's exemplar of womanly perfection that she has indeed made off with one of their husbands. But. Which. ONE???

Entering Day 8 of the Mankrospective. 9 films in the books, 5 films to go. I'm loving it, having never attended a full director's career overview before, much less a seldom discussed and under-explored onetime Goliath of the biz. It's fascinating stuff, and I'm looking forward to scribbling my closing piece. However, we still have some choice cuts in that series to get to before its close. So let's get to 'em.

Continuing series today include the Michael Roemer mini-trib at Film Forum, Acteurism: The Emergence of Ann Sheridan, 1937-43 at MoMA, Joseph L. Mankiewicz: The Essential Iconoclast at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, and New York Super Week at IFC Center. The tomfoolery as follows;

THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA

Synopsis: A soulless industrialist seeking entry to the film biz employs a sweaty motor-mouthed publicist and a washed-up director to lure a Madrid nightclub legend to Hollywood. Striding intents both possessive and exalting, happiness proves elusive for the newly-minted star.

Entering day seven of the Mankrospective; eight films in the books, five, perhaps more, to go. It's been a wonderful experience thus far, made all the more so by the swift, exacting and generous efforts by the folks at Lincoln Center's Film Society. I was nervous about beginning the journey, now wallowing in the experience. Soon to dread its conclusion. However, before maudlin's creep let's focus on this day's lively sked.

Ongoing series today include NYFF52 - Revivals and Joseph L. Mankiewicz: The Essential Iconoclast at the Film Society, Alain Resnais: Time, Memory and Imagination at the French Institute/Alliance Française, and Monsters on Main Street at the Tarrytown Music Hall. The doings? Thus;

Mankiewicz's lone musical was for the longest time one of only two that I could even tolerate, let alone love. The other being Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins' WEST SIDE STORY. The fact that their narratives involve rumbling teen gang members and colorfully eloquent, cooly elegant gamblers, respectively, had done much to boost their stock with me, I've long surmised. Bronx boy here.