But Last Night in Soho was something else entirely.
I remember Carnaby Street in the ’60s. I was there.
And boy, I didn’t fit in.
But somehow, a young fashion student new to London somehow does – in the strangest of ways.
The film has a decided Hitchcockian bent, a slight nod to Blow-up, and the Nancy Drew mysteries, as an innocent faces the underbelly of London.
Oh, and she can also see things.
I’ll not give away any major plot bits, but suffice to say, there’s a great deal of fun here, along with enough twists and turns to make even De Quincey proud. Keep in mind that Hitchcock was highly enamored of one of his great quotes.
Mr. Wright has also gathered unto himself some of the great UK talents of the ’60s – Rita Tushingham, Terence Stamp, and (unfortunately) in their final appearances by two Bond girls, Margaret Nolan and Diana Rigg.
I’m not certain what to make of certain things that reside just below the surface.
For example, the two leads are Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy. The film via which most people discovered Ms. Taylor-Joy’s talents was her role of Thomasin in The Witch (2015). Is there a metaphysical connection here that pre-dates their interactivity in Last Night in Soho?
Bottom line, I found the film to be stunning. An exciting thriller, that to me is one of the best films of 2021. A caveat here. Some reviewers didn’t agree with my take. But they’re wrong.
Shot via both digital as well as fillum, the new 4k UHD from Universal is stunning, and the track, especially when played back in full-on Dolby Atmos is magnificent.
Image – 5 (Dolby Vision)
Audio – 5 (Dolby Atmos)
Pass / Fail – Pass
Plays nicely with projectors – Yes
Makes use of and works well in 4k – 4.25
Very Highly Recommended
RAH
Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.
His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.
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