Charlotte Rampling in Sequestro di Persona

Charlotte Rampling appeared in four films that were originally released in 1969 and the first of those was Sequestro di Persona. This movie has also been released under quite a few different names, the most popular being Sardinia Kidnapped. The film was dubbed into English for the American market but the version I watched was with Italian language and English subtitles.

Sequestro di Persona is about kidnapping on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia. Charlotte Rampling's character is in Sardinia with a friend from her university in Rome who comes from the island. They are driving down a country road when a kidnapping incident occurs. Afterwards, Rampling wants to go the police to report the incident but her friend's family insists that she does not. Franco Nero, a friend of the family, also advises her not to contact the police or her friend will be killed. She eventually does go the authorities but to no avail. In the end it is up to Franco Nero to take down the kidnappers and whoever is controlling them.

Charlotte Rampling is rather stunning in Sequestro di Persona and it is no wonder that the British actress/model was so sought after for continental European film projects. Her unique looks obviously translated to many different movie markets and she is perfectly lovely here. The actress actually gets quite a bit of screen-time and is worked into the story quite a bit and is not just a token beauty. Any Rampling fan should take a look.

Kelly McGillis in The House on Carroll Street

In 1988, Kelly McGillis starred in the fantastic political thriller The House on Carroll Street. The actress was just right for the role of a lovely woman who is blacklisted during the McCarthy era of the 1950s.

Kelly McGillis brings her unique beauty to The House on Carroll Street and turns in a fine, highly accessible performance. I must confess that I'm not her biggest fan and I have not seen that many of her movies, but Kelly McGillis is particularly fascinating in this film. She has never been more appealing than she is here.

I'm a fan of Peter Yates, the director of The House on Carroll Street, and I suppose he deserves the credit (alongside the wonderful cinematography from Michael Ballhaus) for turning this otherwise ordinary story into something so highly watchable. It easily could have been purely mundane or a complete disaster. Jeff Daniels and Mandy Patinkin are both somewhat miscast, but they try hard with the little they have to work with. Kelly McGillis is the real star and, as the engaging heroine, manages to carry the movie. She is somehow just right playing a gorgeous and intelligent 1950s woman.

Here are a few images of Kelly McGillis in The House on Carroll Street:

Kitty Winn in Peeper

Peeper is a fantastic film from 1975, somewhat of a riff on the The Big Sleep, starring Michael Caine and directed by Peter Hyams. Apparently, it's not a hugely popular movie and I have no idea why that might be...it is seriously well done and entertaining, not to be missed. I've been completely baffled and unswayed by some of the mediocre and bad reviews (contemporary and current) that I've had the misfortune to come across.

The female lead in Peeper is played by Natalie Wood, who wasn't doing much on-screen in the mid-'70s and came out of nowhere to absolutely nail her role. She is wonderful in this film and, since her character is obnoxious, she had to play it just right...and she does.

Backing up Natalie Wood as the second leading lady was Kitty Winn, who also turns in a great performance. Of course, she doesn't have nearly as many scenes as her co-star but she still manages to make a big impression on the viewer.