Faratyev’s Fantasies [1982] – ★★★★ Soviet director Ilya Averbakh (1934-1986) was first a doctor, having finished a medical degree, and only then a director, and perhaps that is why many of his films are characterised by certain exactness, almost medical precision, and clarity of vision. They also lean towards Chekhovian pathos (incidentally, Chekhov was also a doctor…
Category: World Cinema
“La Otra” Review
If you ignore the film’s bewildering denouement, and focus on the unusual identical twins’ situation, Dolores del Río’s strong lead, and atmospheric film noir aesthetics, you realise you have a true cinematic gem…
“The Promised Land” Review: “A Man’s Reach Should Exceed His Grasp…”?
The Promised Land is…an inspiring, relentlessly gritty tale of one undying determination, an indomitable will to achieve the impossible against all odds.
“Neighboring Sounds” Review: Tracing the Sources of Urban Anxiety
Neighboring Sounds is a handsome, but lethargic tale of urban cacophony.
“A Cup of Coffee and New Shoes On” Review: A Bitter Taste of Things to Come
Elegantly presented with sensitive performances, A Cup of Coffee and New Shoes On is an introspective study of copying with one frightening medical diagnosis that also taps into the unfathomability of a twinship bond.
“Perfect Days” Review
Almost plotless, The Perfect Days does not break new grounds, but actor Kōji Yakusho shines bright, making the result a heart-warming tribute to Tokyo.
“The Teachers’ Lounge” Review
An Academy Award-nominee brews a storm in a cup of tea.
“Anatomy of a Fall” Review
An intelligent, nuanced, attentive and very much focused courtroom drama with some remarkable performances.
“The Beasts” Review
The Beasts is a film of palpable tensions and unwavering conviction, showing that enmity can be subtle and insidious.
“Song of the Exile” Review
Song of the Exile is probably Ann Hui’s finest film. It is both personal to the director, partly encapsulating her own past life experience, and showing off all of the elements that make Ann Hui’s films so memorable, including the narrative pull, and the fusion of the important, documentary-worthy themes with nostalgia and character sensitivity.
“A Simple Life” Review
Hong Kong director Ann Hui’s moving film A Simple Life intends to shed light on the problem that many elderly people face, especially those cut off from their immediate families and “interned” in care homes.
Short Reviews: Utama (2022), & There Will Be No Leave Today (1958)
Utama [2022] – ★★★1/2 Everything seems close to extinction in this film: a place, a mode of life, a language (Quechua), and maybe even the film itself, with its slow pace which may now be compared unfavourably with the recent popular trend of fast-paced, genre-bending flicks. Alejandro Loayza Grisi’s debut film Utama follows an elderly…
“Godland” Review
Godland [2022] – ★★★★ “To get back up to the shining world from there/My guide and I went into that hidden tunnel,/And Following its path we took no care/To rest, but climbed: he first, then I-so far/, through a round aperture I saw appear/Some of the beautiful things that Heaven bears/, Where we came forth, and…
“The Widow of Saint-Pierre” Review
Patrice Leconte (1947-) is a French director and writer known for such films as The Girl on the Bridge (1999) and Man on the Train (2002). Much underrated, he is also the one who directed a historical drama-comedy and Academy Award-nominee Ridicule (1996), as well as an outrageous, black humour-suffused animation The Suicide Shop (2012)….
“The Return of Martin Guerre” Review
Daniel Vigne’s film, based on a 1941 novella, is…a handsome one, re-telling the famous case of possible impersonation with much skill and consideration, while also showcasing the talent of its leading (of that time) French stars – Gerard Depardieu and Nathalie Baye.
“Height” Review
Capturing that optimistic period in the Soviet times that become known as “the Thaw”, [the film] shows the lives of ordinary people working at height in all their eccentric ways, while also sending out the message about the importance of friendship, camaraderie, decency, and responsibility.
“White Material” Review
White Material [2009] – ★★★★1/2 White Material is set in one unspecified French colonial African country, and follows Maria Vial (Isabelle Huppert), an owner of a large coffee plantation. Well-known to the area, Maria lives on the estate with her ex-husband Andre (Christopher Lambert), her ex-husband’s father Henri and grown-up son Manuel. However, there are…
“Titane” Review
Titane [2021] – ★★★★ 🔥 Titane hypnotises and mystifies as it repels and shocks, delivering not only a story, but also “an experience”. Titane is the second feature film of French director Julia Ducournau (Raw (2017)) and the Palme d’Or winner of the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. The film is not for the faint of…
“Wings” Review
Through the character of one female war veteran, Wings deals bravely with a number of sensitive topics, among which is hidden PTSD, loneliness and isolation in the post-war atmosphere, and the problem of adjusting to the times of peace.
The “Home Sweet Home” Blogathon: Nowhere in Africa (2001)
Nowhere in Africa [2001] – ★★★★1/2 When I heard about The Home Sweet Home Blogathon, I knew I had to participate. Homes and families have always been such an important theme in films, and it is one of my favourite topics. I previously talked about the meaning of homes in my post “Housing Films: 99…
Spotlight on Film 