The Lost Weekend

As much as I'm loathe to whomp on any Billy Wilder film, this 1945 Best Picture winner, starring Ray Milland as a chronic alcoholic on a desperate weekend bender, is--truth be told--an oftentimes overwrought melodrama (no thanks to Míklos Rózsa's nails-on-the-blackboard, theremin-sounding, otherworldly score). While the Oscar winning Milland virtually oozes addiction to the sauce, his chemistry-less bantering with Hopelessly Devoted One-Dimensional love interest Jane Wyman drags the film down (surprisingly so, in light of earlier Wilder efforts, such as Ninotchka and Ball of Fire). Considering the four Academy Awards (picture, director, actor, screenplay), however, this DVD--sporting a crisp b&w image and Dolby Digital (mono) sound, but no notable extras--still belongs in any comprehensive cinema collection (but I would definitely recommend pouring a tall one before watching it yourself). (R. Pitman)