Driving Madeleine: C’est La Vie

Driving Madeleine is a quality drama with a splash of comedy. Cyril Grey who helped with Chocolat had a hand in writing this as did the director, Christian Carion, BAFTA nominee for 2006’s Merry Christmas. The story sounds like it’d be a nice light watch, MAIS NON! It’s a dramatic retelling of a woman’s life,… Continue reading Driving Madeleine: C’est La Vie

My Top Five Of 2023

A big cheat, but a tie for Number One: Poor Things for it’s originality and whimsy, Holdovers for it’s homage to my favorite decade (the 1970’s) Number Two: Going way against my original first impression, Past Lives. The film making from the grand sweeping shots of New York, to the smaller melancholic reflections in mud… Continue reading My Top Five Of 2023

All of Us Strangers aka Fever Dream aka Pillow Talk

Warning: The first paragraph contains no spoilers and then the rest of the review is straight talk. All of Us Strangers is an Andrew Haigh film (45 Years, Lean on Pete) which he adapted from a novel by Taichi Yamada. The film has received 3 BAFTA Awards (film, screenplay director) and rightly so. Though I… Continue reading All of Us Strangers aka Fever Dream aka Pillow Talk

“American Fiction” Aims at the Truth

Jeffrey Wright is my second favorite character in Asteroid City. That’s not a slam since the cast of Wes Anderson’s film is humongous (Hanks, Brody, Norton, Johansson, etc), I just happened to be in love with Jason Schwartzman. Wright is an acting dynamo who hasn’t gotten enough leading man roles. His most famous award thus… Continue reading “American Fiction” Aims at the Truth

Godzilla, My Kind of Thrilla

Godzilla is my kind of thrilla, one that doesn’t go into scary human territory, but more outrageously size reptilians. The plot was well written (by director Takashi Yamazaki) and sent a great message about community spirit and how everyone can and should participate, reminiscent of The Little Engine that Could. Additional themes presented were: If… Continue reading Godzilla, My Kind of Thrilla

Monster: Mash and Oxymoron

Monster is both unique and familiar. The novelty comes from a rather non-linear use of story telling, even though Saltburn (horrible film) waits until the final 15 to go back in time, Monster, directed by Hirokazu Koreeda (who also directed Shoplifters, one of my favorites of all time) restarts his story at midpoint. The childhood… Continue reading Monster: Mash and Oxymoron

Roxanne on Demand: In the Mood For Love (2001)

Since I was a mom of an 8 year old and a full-time teacher in 2001, I didn’t see many independent films. But a film savant suggested I see In the Mood for Love, so I took the leap. I watched the Alternate Version on Criterion which after researching found that the difference is the… Continue reading Roxanne on Demand: In the Mood For Love (2001)

Poor Things does far more for feminism than Barbie, sorry Greta…

Poor Things is my number one movie of the year thus far. There’s still time left for Perfect Days or All Strangers Here as both trailers look like a heart crushers, but it’ll have to be supreme to beat Lanthimos direction with the delectable screenplay by Tony McNamara (Oscar nominee for another Lanthimos, The Favorite)… Continue reading Poor Things does far more for feminism than Barbie, sorry Greta…

Films About Longing: One Old-Clockwatchers, One New- Fallen Leaves

My sweet son Liam gave me a subscription to the Criterion Channel for Christmas and lo and behold if they aren’t featuring films of Parker Posey, one of, if not THE, best zany actresses. So I chose Clockwatchers as my maiden unchartered PP films as I saw the co-stars were Toni Collette and Lisa Kudrow,… Continue reading Films About Longing: One Old-Clockwatchers, One New- Fallen Leaves

Movies with Dad: Shop Around the Corner

I’m not a classic film scholar, but I do know a timeless movie. And while I’ve seen shop Around the Corner before, I delighted in it once again last night. Ernst Lubitsch, three time Oscar nominee, directed this fine affair where an exception comes in to play where three screenwriters (Raphaelson, Laszlo, and Hecht) pulled… Continue reading Movies with Dad: Shop Around the Corner