In-Depth Film Reviews since 2011 (previously dbmoviesblog)
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.
What are “the films of this century”? Perhaps it is the best films of any given year, or those that experimented the most with cinematic genres, techniques and styles? Perhaps it is the ones that dived the deepest into their subject matters or explored previously unexplored subject terrains? Inspired by Sight & Sound magazine’s list…
…an intimate look at the working conditions of one textile factory in India.
By stringing together important historical footage surrounding the 1992 Los Angeles riots, as well as past and present interviews, the piece becomes an insightful, educational documentary, albeit suffering from its own all-encompassing ambition.
“What kind of world is this that can send machines to Mars and does nothing to stop the killing of a human being?” (Jose Saramago). “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” (Albert Einstein) This year marks 30 years since the Rwandan genocide, whereby some 500.000-800.000 people lost their lives, with the perpetrators being armed…
When it comes to police corruption, you cannot get better films than those made in the 1970s, 1980s or 1990s, when cinema finally became free from certain traditional constraints and confident and bold to finally focus on topics that question authority.
This is a documentary of a real-life case that inspired award-winning film The Beasts (2022) by Rodrigo Sorogoyen. This tale of personal injustice and crime suffered in paradise-like region of Spain is a noteworthy, emotional documentary piece.
There are bits of greatness scattered throughout this film, and even if Ferrara does not manage to convince us entirely, these pieces, as well as Dafoe’s acting, make Tommaso a very curious film, indeed, especially character-wise.
Have you ever wondered about animation ideas or projects that were in existence at some point (or even near-completion!), but, unfortunately, never saw the light of day? There are apparently many such cases, and, no wonder, as it is not just creativity and ideas that need to be considered, but also talent on offer, financing,…
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.
An Academy Award-nominee brews a storm in a cup of tea.
The Boy and the Heron is Miyazaki’s “fever-dream”, a symbolism-driven animated tour de force full of adventure, wonder and insight.
From Hans Christian Andersen’s Thumbelina to Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels and beyond, the public fascination with “little people” has transformed into the multitude of stories, which often juxtaposed the wider, often harsher world with these people’s smallness and vulnerability. Equally, many films followed suit, and below are seven films, from thought-provoking animations to experimental oldies,…
They Shot the Piano Player [2023] – ★★★ 🎵 The animation vividly introduces us to the great Brazilian pianist and the music scene of his time, but falls short of being an engaging investigation-focused drama. They Shot the Piano Player focuses on the investigative journey that one journalist (Jeff Harris) undertakes to find out what…
An intelligent, nuanced, attentive and very much focused courtroom drama with some remarkable performances.
Big Night [1996] – ★★★★ They say there can never be two chefs in the kitchen, but Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci proved there can be two directors on a movie set and a glaring success. This drama-comedy is based on a book by Joseph Tropiano and set in the 1950s, telling of two very…
The Beasts is a film of palpable tensions and unwavering conviction, showing that enmity can be subtle and insidious.
The Eternal Daughter [2022] – ★★1/2 “A good story can save poor [visuals], whereas good visuals cannot save a poor story.” That is what Japanese master animator Osamu Tezuka once said, and no matter how different the style of Joanna Hogg’s film is from any animation, this quote is equally applicable here. The Eternal Daughter…
The “genre-reversal” gangster drama is still Ferrara at his most quintessential.
The Middle Ages – what other historical period excites our imagination as much? This is deemed to be a period of great uncertainty, religious mania, chivalry, and omnipresent death, a period of darkness and a period of sporadic light, depending what century you consider. Many film directors fell under its haunting spell, too, and some…
