Casablanca (U) *****
When two lovers woo, they still say "I love you" in Michael Curtiz's timeless story of love and war, but what impresses more on each new viewing of Casablanca, re-released for Valentine's Day, is the sophistication of its political rhetoric. Rick's Cafe now looks like one of the screen's great neutral venues, proprietor Humphrey Bogart playing chess with himself until he learns there are causes in the real world worth fighting for. Let's face it, if you can't fall for Ingrid Bergman in a beret, you might as well let yourself be captured by Fascists. Curtiz's film swats away cynicism with casual, effortless brilliance.
(The Sunday Telegraph, 18 February 2007)
Casablanca is re-released in selected cinemas from today.
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