Movie Diary 3/21/2009

Moscow, Belgium (Christophe van Rompaey, 2008). Fine performance by Barbara Sarafian in a really pretty strange Belgian comedy, drama, whatever. (full review 4/3)

The Day of the Jackal (Fred Zinnemann, 1973). Mr. Z is perfectly suited for the dry, clockwork approach of this assassination fantasy, and its lean-procedural style is why it holds up so nicely.

Tunnel of Love (Gene Kelly, 1958); It’s a Great Feeling (David Butler, 1949). Two from a new Doris Day box. Tunnel is a leering stage play with the interesting wrinkle of Richard Widmark playing farce; Feeling is a very meta property with Doris as a young unknown trying to break into movies — cameos by film stars galore, including directors such as Raoul Walsh and King Vidor.