Last night I watched the 1959 film "Room at the Top" and very much enjoyed it.

The film did not pass the code of American censors and was banned in some cities.  It was a new form of realism that showed people actually in the same bed together and motivated by greed and lust.  In some ways it reminded me of the wonderf A Place in the Sun, but lustier and more raw.

This is also one of those films where each actor really pulls their weight and even the secondary and tertiary performances are strong.  Signoret won the Oscar for her leading role and the script won an Oscar, denying Ben-Hur a clean sweep of all its nominations.

The camera work is superb, the way it frames various people and their faces in different shots.  In one particular scene in an office near the end of the film when important news is learned, the tight, anxious camera work struck chords of horror.

The story is set in post-war Britain about a young, working class man who wants to get ahead and get a girl.  You can imagine what sorts of complications this will lead to.

I highly recommend it.

4 1/2 film reels
4 popcorn kernels