Thursday, 30 November 2017
Slow West (2015)
A young Scottish man travels across America in pursuit of the woman he loves, attracting the attention of an outlaw who is willing to serve as a guide.
Indeed slow (and short) elegiac Western gives its conventional story depth with its good cast, beautiful landscape cinematography and a sense for the madness of violence.
Solace (2015)
A psychic works with the F.B.I., in order to hunt down a serial killer.
A good cast and some directorial expertise help, but can't quite redeem the nonsensical story of two clairvoyants in battle with each other.
Tuesday, 28 November 2017
Iraqi Odyssey (2014)
Filmmaker Samir examines the history of his extended Iraqi family while traveling throughout the world to visit his scattered relatives.
A fascinating and epic documentary skillfully blends a family clan's story in Iraq and their diapsora throughout the globe with the history of Iraq to this day.
Le retour de Don Camillo (1953)
After his battles with the communist mayor Peppone, Don Camillo is sent in exile by his bishop in a remote village.
Direct sequel on the same entertaining level as the original movie.
On renewed viewing: As likable as the orginal movie; the plot is acozy combination of episodes.
Sunday, 26 November 2017
La bolognese (1975)
A young and beautiful girl, just out of college, launches into a series of adventures.
Saturday, 25 November 2017
Dark Places (2015)
Libby Day was only eight years old when her family was brutally murdered in their rural Kansas farmhouse. Almost thirty years later, she reluctantly agrees to revisit the crime and uncovers the wrenching truths that led up to that tragic night.
This crime mystery adds up too many pieces of the puzzle before putting them together, and the solution is too contrived to satisfy; however, Charlize Theron's performance is worth the watch.
Friday, 24 November 2017
To Die For (1995)
A beautiful but naïve aspiring television personality films a documentary on teenagers with a darker ulterior motive.
Slyly made satire with an excellent performance by Nicole Kidman has lost some of its bite over time, probably because much of it has come true.
Halliwell*: "A deft satire on the worship of celebrity for its own sake and the way television can elevate the ordinary to heroic status, though it takes aim at an exceptionally easy target - a small-town girl - without managing to hit the bull's-eye."
Maltin**1/2: "Kidman is perfect...this black comedy seems to make all the right moves, but plays out its story with a surprising lack of irony; by the climax it has nothing more to offer."
Don Camillo (1952)
In a village of the Po valley where the earth is hard and life miserly, the priest and the communist mayor are always fighting to be the head of the community.
Mildly satiric comedy with lovable characters finds humour in the smalltown Cold War antagonisms of its time.
Halliwell*: "Slightly lethargic character comedy with a mild message for its times, popular enough to warrant several sequels."
Maltin**1/2: "Fernandel is the whole show in this comic tale...Moderately funny satire of religion and politics..."
Tuesday, 21 November 2017
Kokuhaku (2010)
A grieving mother turns cold-blooded avenger with a twisty master plan to pay back those who were responsible for her daughter's death.
Amazingly dense and unusual psychological thriller is presented with a visually imaginative style, and the plot is complex and multiperspective.
Terrore nello spazio (1965)
A spaceship strands at a faraway planet where aliens await them to take over their bodies in order to secure their existence.
This movie is one my fondest childhood memories, it impressed me incredibly. The style is very unusual, and there's a completely unexpected downbeat ending. A classic! By the way, you can easily see that Ridley Scott's Alien was inspired by this movie.
On renewed viewing: Still mesmerizing, a stylish sci-fi classic, every shot a fully realized piece of art.
Halliwell**1/2: "Eerily photographed, atmospheric science-fantasy..."
Michael Weldon/Psychotronic: "Most Italian science-fiction movies are as exciting to watch as a blank screen. Here's an exception."
Sunday, 19 November 2017
Daddy-O (1958)
A part-time truck driver and singer meets a feisty platinum blonde who challenges him to a drag race; he is caught and loses his license.
Saturday, 18 November 2017
Histoire d'O (1975)
The beautiful O is taken by her boyfriend, Rene, to a bizarre retreat, where she is trained in bondage and sexual perversion.
"True love" presented as the result of a sexist master/slave relationship, the movie tells its story in aestheticized erotic sequences without any comprehensible development.
Friday, 17 November 2017
Das Versprechen (2016)
Documentary about the crime story of the double murder of Derek and Nancy Haysom on 30 March 1985 in Lynchburg, Virginia.
This documentary explores a complex and fascinating crime case and offers new proof, but, despite revealing a most likely unjust verdict, remains oddly without passion.
Survivor (2015)
A Foreign Service Officer in London tries to prevent a terrorist attack set to hit New York City, but is forced to go on the run when she is framed for crimes she did not commit.
Although the plot is far-fetched and quite contrived, it is well-made and quite suspenseful; and Brosnan finally gets a role as the bad guy he can bites his teeth into.
Wednesday, 15 November 2017
Tini zabutykh predkiv (1965)
In a Carpathian village, a young man falls in love with the daughter of his father's killer.
Tuesday, 14 November 2017
The Roommate (2011)
When a college freshman arrives on campus for the first time, she befriends her roommate, unaware that the girl is becoming dangerously obsessed with her.
Highly predictable and cliche-ridden college dorm thriller that fails at what it wants to achieve: to thrill.
Maltin BOMB: "Trivial, trite would-be thriller shamelessly copies SINGLE WHITE FEMALE. You've seen this before, and done much better."
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