The Lost Weekend - (Wilder;1945;USA) - ****
A writer with a horrible alcohol problem struggles with finding something to drink over the weekend his brother and girlfriend are away from him with his limited money, and slips further into madness.
Wilder's third best film, and an excellent script. Ray Milland gives a riveting performance as the alcoholic protagonist. The narrative is great, straightforward with a few flashbacks that create wonderful character development. The film strongest point is showing the depravity of alcoholism making us feel sympathetic for the character while at other times making us dislike him. As for the supporting cast, Jane Wyman gave a good performance but I liked Phillip Terry's job as the brother. One thing I loved right away was the ghoulish score to go with the cravings and degenerations of the protagonist.
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