In the stage musical Urinetown, it turns out the narrator is a bad guy. When he is forced into hiding late in the show, he's asked if he fears for his life. He points out that since he's the narrator, the other characters have to keep him alive if they ever want to see the end of the show.

Matt, have you seen Key Largo? It's actually kind of crappy.

Buh? I love Key Largo -- love the writing, love the acting, get my heart broken every time by the blonde floozy and her alcoholic misery, am utterly terrified of the villain.

And I love the meta of watching Bogie and Bacall all deeply in smit, pretending to be strangers but just not quite good enough actors to totally pull it off; they're both hyperaware of each other's presence, and there are small moments where one will totally unconsciously touch or lean back into or just breathe in the other, tiny moments not of new love but of total, quiet intimacy, of just thoroughly knowing each other down to the marrow. Which absolutely don't belong in the story, but I can't help loving them anyway.

When I took on the mission of pimping old movies to a long-ago boyfriend who scorned them as hopelessly hokey and dorky and in every way the opposite of Reservoir Dogs, his cinematic platonic ideal, Key Largo was my first choice for pimpage, and it worked quite well. Boy needed some coaching beforehand and commentary during, but by the time it was over he got the appeal and the value of classic Hollywood films in a way he never had in the 30+ years preceding.

Matt, have you seen Key Largo? It's actually kind of crappy. For one thing, the script is terrible; and for another, it's as contrived as contrived can be. It's notable that the woman you've never heard of, who plays the blond floozy, is the only person in that cast who got an Oscar for her role.

It is crappy.

Poor forgotten Claire Trevor.

And I love the meta of watching Bogie and Bacall all deeply in smit

This being the primary reason that there are two versions of THE BIG SLEEP available. One, truer to the book, where there isn't any burgeoning romance between Marlowe and Mrs. Rutledge, which got discovered in the vault a few years ago, and the one that got released, that took advantage of the enormous chemistry between B & B by adding a number of scenes.

I wouldn't call it crappy, but I don't love it, either. I do love Edward G. Robinson in it.

I watched Jules et Jim this past weekend and can now say that there's at least one film of the French New Wave that I really, really hate.

that took advantage of the enormous chemistry between B & B by adding a number of scenes.

I have the DVD, which has some muckaluck saying that even though the story makes even less sense in the released version, it's better because of the new scenes.

I watched Jules et Jim this past weekend and can now say that there's at least one film of the French New Wave that I really, really hate.

What other Truffaut have you seen, Cor?

It was interesting for me to see A Band Apart because Godard goes after the love triangle in a much more interesting way.

I still haven't seen Shoot the Piano Player. Need to rectify that.

My favorite Truffaut is probably Small Change.

I veer back and forth on J&J. I want to smack many of the characters upside the head, and sometimes the contempt I have for them overwhelms me, but then the moments like the race on the bridge, or the camera panning around her face, or the phone call, just blow me away.

Although it's lesser Truffaut, my favorite has to be Day for Night.

I still haven't seen Shoot the Piano Player. Need to rectify that.

I really liked it, but I only saw it once years ago. I still haven't seen J&J.

My favorite Truffaut is probably Small Change.

First film of his I ever saw! I was about the age of the older kids in it, so I really, REALLY liked it. Also one I've only seen once.

Haven't seen enough Truffaut, actually (I think F.451 is the only other one I've seen, and it's hardly representative).