Hanover Street
Dir: Peter Hyams
1979
***
Hanover Street was quite an ambitious film for Peter Hyams and while it's not perfect, it certainly deserves more love than it initially received. The performances are pretty good, as is the script. It's scale is big and impressive for the most part (the Blitz scene standing out) with only an over use of a soft focus lens and a few dodgy set pieces (I'm referring to the hard to miss Nazi mannequins in the over turned jeep towards the end of the film) marring the overall production. I can't quite put my finger on what isn't quite right about it, maybe it wasn't big enough and promised more than it delivered but I can't say I was ever not entertained. Like I said, the performances were pretty good and the story, pace and overall feel of the film suited it perfectly. Its only criticism is that it has been done better in other films that had better publicity and bigger budgets.