In Cold Blood

Another restored film, this time done by the British Film Institute. Some have criticised this film as being overly complicated in narrative, but I don't agree. I think the complexity (such as it is) is important, telling the story in uncompromising detail, and setting up all the characters - the killers and the killed - as real people. The beautiful black-and-white photography by Conrad Hall stays in the mind long after your memory of the details of this film fades. But the performances of Robert Blake and Scott Wilson are detailed, compelling and believable and the score by Quincy Jones is superb. Gerald S O'Laughlin, in a brief role as Blake's father, is a knockout.