Five Miles to Midnight (1963)

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The acting in this movie is really good.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Anthony Perkins and Sophia Loren Paris 1962....insurance fraud thriller... sounds good? WRONG.Anthony Perkins was ruined by Psycho...after his success there he seems to be used for only one role:a weird creepy out of control character--certainly the case in this movie.The story is so unlikely and Perkins so unlikeable both factors make this movie a dud. What can I say it is poorly written not suspenseful. It has lots of very boring or irritating plot mechanisms and red herrings that fall flat. Mostly I think though that it is Perkin's chemistry that wrecks it.Sophia Loren 28 being chased by 55 year old male heroes somehow is just irritating too....I was so glad when Loren murdered Perkins. Both the hero and antihero are repulsive in this thing.God this thing was awful...DO NOT RECOMMEND--you will regret watching it.

***SPOILERS*** Transplanted former US airman Robert Macklin, Anthony Perkins, and his sexy Italian wife Lisa, Sophia Loren, have been having their material problems in the city of lights Paris France with Robert suspecting his wife of cheating on him. It's not that Robert's suspicions are unfounded in that Lisa has been having an affair with American newspaper reporter Alan Stewart, Jean-Pierrie Aumont, whom she plans to take off with after a divorce from a very reluctant Robert. Robert knows what he's got, ultra sexy film star Sophia Loren, and isn't that willing to give her up without a fight!It's then that two things happen in the film that changes it's entire completion or storyline. Alan is transfered back to New York City and Robert is killed in a plane crash on his way to Casablanca for a job interview! Or so it seems!As things turn out Alan is replaced by his newspaper by David Barnes, Gig Young, who's even more hotter for Lisa then even Alan or her late husband Robert is. As for Robert he somehow survived the plane crash, by landing on his head, when he was flung from the aircraft before it hit the ground! Coming back home to as shocked Lisa, who felt that she finally was rid of him, Robert forces her to file a life insurance claim for $120,000.00 that Robert made out for himself before he boarded the doomed plane. Despite having all the cards in her favor, all she had to do is go the the insurance company and tell them that her dead husband was in fact alive, Lisa does as Robert asks her to do thus making herself an accomplice in Robert's issuance fraud scheme! As for the dying to jump into the sack with Lisa David Barnes he in his sniffing out her apartment, as well as Lisa herself, comes to the realization that Robert is in fact alive and plans to use that information to get Lisa to go on a date with him just to start the ball, in finally getting her to say "I Do", rolling!***SPOILERS**** You would have expected more form a movie with top stars like Sophia Loren Anthony Perkins and Gig Young in it but it comes across like a run of the mill made for TV cheesy forbidden romance revenge flick! You would have at least expected at one time in the movie, just to keep from from nodding off, to see Lisa or Miss Loren take her clothes off and show off her impressive vital statistics, 38-24-37, but she's fully clothes during he entire lengths of the film! All we have left is Lisa trying to somehow get Robert off her back in committing a crime far worse, that can end up getting her shot at sunrise, then the insurance fraud that he was blackmailing her into doing!As for the love sick David Barnes he blows his big chance in getting it on with Lisa by not only finding out her criminal involvement with Robert but having her give herself up to the Paris Police for it! Where in the future the only way David can see her, if in fact she want's to see him, is behind bars on visiting day in prison!

Anthony Perkins and Sophia Loren star so you know the Paris-set FIVE MILES TO MIDNIGHT is not going to be a run-of-the mill melodrama. It's the crazy story of Perkins faking his own death and convincing needy Loren to go along with the plan. He doesn't let the fact that she despises him deter him in the least. Director Anatole Litvak hits the ground running wasting no time in setting up this ridiculous situation. Perkins and Loren, whom the script even admits are oddly matched, are excellent. Perkins' first appearance is typical...biting his nails as he nearly stalks Loren (his wife!) in a crowded nightclub. Loren is beautiful and affirms her acting talent. She's a complete bundle of nerves. Gig Young appears late in the film as an American reporter with an eye on Loren and a suspicion as to what is really going on. Very moody, sometimes skirting camp, the film captures a terrific slice of early '60s Paris thanks to some stunning B&W photography by Henri Alekan.

Anthony Perkins is not exactly the abusive husband type (especially to an ever-beautiful Sophia Loren). Add to it the plot elements of master-minding an insurance fraud, and the odds of good-natured Perkins pulling it off become immeasurable.The sole survivor of a plane crash, Perkins was fortunate to have taken out a special insurance policy (even if the odds of dying in a crash were 1 in 1,000,000). Good wife Loren, already prepared for widowhood by the "news", gets a good shock when Perkins shows up, pressuring Loren to play along with the hoax to collect the insurance money.Although the ending is somewhat of a surprise, the time spent getting there seems like an endless and tiresome walk through the woods, only to arrive at a run down greasy spoon as a reward. Without any frills or glamour, even shot in b&w, this is a less than average vehicle for either of the stars. Look for a young Tommy Norden (of TV's "Flipper" Fame) in a minor role. Otherwise, skip it altogether!**