Item: Loose Ends
Rating: 4.6
Author: Archivist John

If you like movies where everyone talks like they have a mouthful of expensive crackers, you might enjoy Loose Ends. It is definitely for people who like old-school British dramas from the time when sound was still a brand new thing. If you want explosions or fast talking, you are going to be very bored. This movie is for the kind of person who likes to watch a story unfold in one or two rooms while people smoke pipes very seriously.

The story follows a girl reporter named Nina. She is played by Edna Best. She finds out this man is actually a murderer who just got out of jail. Now, you would think she would just write the story and get a promotion. But the movie does this weird thing where she is the one who starts getting blackmailed for knowing it. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher if you think about the logic for more than five seconds.

The Stagey Vibe

This film was based on a play and it really shows. The camera doesn't move much at all. It feels like you are sitting in the front row of a theater watching people walk in and out of doors. It reminds me a bit of The Silent Battle because of how stiff everything feels. But there is a weird charm to it if you don't mind the slow pace.

The sound quality is pretty rough. There is this constant hissing sound in the background the hole time. It sounds like someone is boiling a kettle in the next room. You get used to it after a while, but it’s funny how much noise old microphones picked up back then.

Owen Nares plays the man with the secret. He has a very intense face. He looks like he is constantly trying to remember if he locked his front door. He does a lot of acting with his eyebrows. Sometimes he stares off into space for a long time and the scene just... stays on him. It gets a bit awkward after a few seconds.

The sets are actually pretty nice for 1930.
The costumes are very fancy, especially the hats.
The dialogue is very formal and polite, even when they are talking about murder.

I noticed one scene where a guy is pouring a drink and he is so careful about it. He doesn't spill a single drop. It felt like that was the most important thing happening in the movie right then. It is much better than The Yellow Dog which was just a total slog to get through. At least this has some real tension in the eyes of the actore.

The Blackmail Angle

The blackmail stuff is what keeps it moving, I guess. It’s all about reputation. In 1930, having a 'scandal' was a much bigger deal than it is now. Nina seems really scared, but sometimes her reactions feel a bit too much. She does that thing where she puts her hand to her forehead to show she is stressed. It’s very melodramatic.

The reporter's office looked a bit fake to me. There were just a few papers on a desk and a telephone. It didn't look like a place where real work happens. But Edna Best is good at looking busy even when she isn't doing anything. She has a lot of energy compared to the men in the movie who just stand around like statues.

"I say, you can't just go around telling people I'm a murderer!" (I'm paraphrasing, but that's basically the vibe of the whole middle section.)

The direction by Norman Walker is okay, but he doesn't take many risks. He just lets the actors talk. It’s not as interesting as The Song of the Soul which had a bit more heart. Loose Ends feels a bit cold. It’s more like an exercise in talkie-technology than a deep story about people.

Things I Noticed

There is a weird shadow on the wall in the library scene. It looks like a person standing there, but no one is there. I think it was just a bad light placement. Also, the doors in this movie are huge. They look like they are ten feet tall. Everyone looks tiny when they walk through them.

The ending is very abrupt. It doesn't really feel like a finish. It just kind of stops once the main secret is out. I wish they had spent more time on the fallout. But maybe they just ran out of money or film. It happens a lot with these old ones.

If you've seen The Victory of Virtue, you'll know that these early dramas can be a real test of patience. Loose Ends isn't quite that bad. It moves fast enough that you won't fall asleep, but it’s definitely a 'one and done' kind of movie. You watch it, you say 'that was neat,' and then you never think about it again.

So yeah, it's a solid 5 out of 10. It’s a dusty little antique. It smells a bit like old paper and tea. It's fine for a rainy Tuesday if you've already seen all the good stuff. But don't go in expecting a masterpiece or anything. It's just a movie about people being messy in suits.

Didja notice?