The Dead Don't Die (2019)

 

The peaceful town of Centerville finds itself battling a zombie horde as the dead start rising from their graves. 

Zombie (and doomsday) comedy is meant as a satire to present-day U.S.A., which works only intermittently, but it entertains with a lot of wit, Murray's and Driver's deadpan and a lot of amusing cameos.

Io sono l'amore (2009)

 

 

Emma left Russia to live with her husband in Italy. Now a member of a powerful industrial family, she is the respected mother of three, but feels unfulfilled. One day, Antonio, a talented chef and her son's friend, makes her senses kindle. 

Finely produced, stylish and well-cast melodrama is rich in detail and rewarding to watch, but its contrived plot and high society settings are a bit off-putting.

Maltin***: "Studied tale of the importance of tossing tradition aside to follow your passions, no matter the consequences, is obvious at times (as it links food and sensuality), but undeniably provocative. Some viewers may find its operatic approach difficult to digest - pun intended." 

 

Okja (2017)

A young girl risks everything to prevent a powerful, multinational company from kidnapping her best friend - a fascinating beast named Okja.

Likable, idiosyncratic tale with ecological and political overtones is imaginative and mischievous and somehow manages the balance bewtwenn silliness and seriousness.

Suspiria (2018)

A darkness swirls at the center of a world-renowned dance company, one that will engulf the artistic director, an ambitious young dancer, and a grieving psychotherapist.

Artful re-imagination of an already highly stylish horror classic has a lot going for it (style, great sets, cast, atmosphere and a great soundtrack), but far outstays its welcome, disappoints with an over-the-top ending and generally can't hold a candle to the original.

Tilda Swinton

Bio:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilda_Swinton

Hail, Caesar! (2016)

A Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the studio's stars in line.

Tongue-in-cheek homage to 50s Hollywood is especially convincing in its meticulous recreation of film scenes of diverse genres; in fact, the settings are all excellent, but the story with several subplots doesn't quite thrill, and the humour is sparse.

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Kevin's mother struggles to love her strange child, despite the increasingly vicious things he says and does as he grows up, but Kevin is just getting started, and his final act will be beyond anything anyone imagined.

Half character study, half Bad Seed horror movie, the tale is slowly revealed through a complex patchwork of flashbacks and offers an intense performance by Tilda Swinton.

Maltin**: "Swinton delivers a deeply felt performance...Miller is chilling as the adolescent boy. Knowing where the story is headed makes watching this flashback-laden  film a torturous experience, though it was highly praised by many critics and moviegoers."

The Zero Theorem (2013)

A hugely talented but socially isolated computer operator is tasked by Management to prove the Zero Theorem: that the universe ends as nothing, rendering life meaningless.

Intended as a dystopian satire with a message about the meaning of life the result is  haphazard, incohesive and finally disappointing; cast and visual effects are worth the watch, though.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

A pair of young lovers flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out to find them.

An endearing tale which does have its moments, but is made in the director's usual overladen and stilted style; the strings fiddling the star cast are almost invisible.

Maltin**1/2: "Arch and precious, even by Wes Anderson standards, this period fable threatens to suffocate from self-awareness and visual detail. Rescued somewhat by its sheer originality and a game cast."