Category: foreign film

Undine, (Water)Mark her words

I discovered Christian Petzold after catching Transit one home cinema evening. I enjoyed how smart the story was and how it challenged me to pay attention. Likewise, with Petzold’s newest Undine, loosely based on the water nymph mythology. Petzold reteams the unrequited lovers in Transit, actress Paula Beer and Franz Rogowski as well as another… Continue reading Undine, (Water)Mark her words

Back to 2018 for one I missed: Transit

Transit, is based on a novel by Anna Seghers, whose other novels were also turned into excellent films like 1944’s The Seventh Cross. Christian Petzold, wrote and directed this modernized version of Seghers’ Transit and despite the confusing beginning, the film is a thought provoking and mind bending script of twists and turns. Franz Rogowski,… Continue reading Back to 2018 for one I missed: Transit

Limbo: an eye opening look at refugees

Limbo, written and directed by Ben Sharrock, is a BAFTA nominated and even more importantly, one of the first films debuted in the post Covid, reopened Burns Court Cinema! Limbo takes a granular look at individuals in refugee crisis, specifically four men stuck in limbo on a Scottish island awaiting asylum approval. The four men… Continue reading Limbo: an eye opening look at refugees

Sometimes ya gotta go back to a French classic…Purple Noon, not a typo for Rain, but there could have been a raspberry beret

I’ll take a movie recommendation from anyone who says one of his favorites is Before the Devil Knows Your Dead…SOLD. so I took in a couple of lazy stay out of the melanoma hours of sun to watch Purple Noon, directed by Rene Clement. Yes, it was in French with subtitles, but good for the… Continue reading Sometimes ya gotta go back to a French classic…Purple Noon, not a typo for Rain, but there could have been a raspberry beret

Three Summers, Like a Tres Leches Cake, Tres Veroes

Pardon my bad Spanish analogy, but since I love Tres Leches cake, I thought I’d compare Tres Veroes, a fine movie written and directed by Sandra Kogut. First the perfect three part structure: Decembers of 2015, 2016, and 2017. 2015 begins with Mada, played brilliantly by Regina Case, as housekeeper/family caretaker to a wealthy Brazilian… Continue reading Three Summers, Like a Tres Leches Cake, Tres Veroes

Easy Girl, Complex Plot, Halcyon Memories

When I was just a lass, there use to be Saturday matinees at 2 pm on channel ten (showing my age when there were 4 channels: ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS) that were mostly foreign films. And in the tiny town of Perry, New York, Rochester was foreign enough, let alone artsy films from the… Continue reading Easy Girl, Complex Plot, Halcyon Memories

You Can’t Handle “The Truth” (2019), especially if you like tight screenplays

I am really confused by “The Truth”. How can the same man (Hirokazu Koreeda) who wrote and directed the BRILLIANT “Shoplifters” move on to a follow up of circuitous drivel like The Truth? My guess is he has the bank to surround himself with the best actors, so he thought, let’s do this, even if… Continue reading You Can’t Handle “The Truth” (2019), especially if you like tight screenplays

Rashomon (1950): I Know Nothing, How Invigorating!

I grew up a poor white child…ok, that’s take off on The Jerk, but seriously folks, I’ve got holes in my cinematography education since all my learning has been self-taught. So Covid 19 is a mighty fine time to study some greats of whom I am ignorant. Kurasawa for Pete’s sake! I started with Rashomon… Continue reading Rashomon (1950): I Know Nothing, How Invigorating!

Another Adults Home Alone Flick: “Come Undone”, That’s I-talian!

Available for free on Tubi is “Come Undone” written and directed by Silvio Soldini. I happened upon this title after a failed attempt of viewing “The Treat”, a decade plus old film starring my fantasy sister Julia Delphy (the acting was horrific and I lasted less than 10 minutes). Come Undone, while also a decade… Continue reading Another Adults Home Alone Flick: “Come Undone”, That’s I-talian!