This nominal documentary is little more than an interview with David Cornwall (a/k/a John Le Carre) replete with reenactments of recollections and occasional film clips. The subject, however, seems to be Cornwall’s con man father and his effect on his son’s view of betrayal. As for Le Carre’s writing or his books, there’s barely a […]
In Dig, by Theresa Rebeck at 59E59 Theaters, every line of dialogue is a speech, illuminating the speaker or advancing the plot. The actions are often loaded metaphors too: Roger’s repotting a damaged plant in the opening scene, giving it food, attention and room to grow, previews the main course of the play, a repotting of […]
This Belgian film spelled its title with a backward “r,” but it could just as well have been called “Where,” or even “Why?” The film festival programmer previewed it as “a film about soup, moss and love.” If he had added rain, a car in a repair shop and a Chinese diner he would have […]
Interesting that less than a dozen years ago a film could run wild with jokes about suicide. The humor also seemed dated, unless you’re still reading the Harvard Lampoon and watching Chevy Chase flicks. My viewing partner called it “stupid,” but I found it stupid funny. Greta Gerwig starred, with her trademark intelligent-naive affect, leading […]
A beatific Juliette Binoche is onscreen this entire film, which makes it worth watching if, like me, you relish her acting and beauty. The story of a journalist going undercover to do a book on cleaning ladies has a ring of truth, which it is, and the film reads more as social commentary than drama.
Seeing Vertigo on critics’ lists of all-time best films, including Time’s last week, and not remembering if I’d seen it, we rented it for TV viewing. Our first reaction was that it must have been colorized, so garish were the reds and greens. Whatever the cause, it gave the film a very dated look, along with all […]
A lightweight but enjoyable piffle, with Adam Platt and Molly Gordon riffing on Woody Allen: those who can’t act, teach; those who can’t teach, teach summer camp. Not all the pokes at acting school land, at least not for outsiders, but you can’t go wrong with talented kid actors, and the let’s-put-on-a-show finale is worth […]
A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Loser. Leon is an aspiring author who is insecure and nerdy: he always wears long black pants, even to the beach. The movie is about how he navigates among four self-assured companions at a seaside retreat. Answer: not very well. The characters are well drawn and Paula […]
A total goof with a popular message: give the women a chance! BarbieLand is a bit like Schmigadoon meets The Truman Show, and its main feature is a bevy of Barbies, led by Margot Robbie, whose gorgeousness is enough of a reason to see the movie. Ryan Gosling as Ken, not so much. The plot […]
Big–in themes, personalities, production values, cast, drama, historical significance and lessons for today. Three hours and I never looked at my watch. Christopher Nolan’s trademark nonlinear storytelling technique–confusing and distracting in Memento and Tenet, inter alia–works to heighten the tension in scenes with more conversation than action. With almost 80 named characters it can be a […]
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