Top Films by Year
Top Films of 2020
Top Films of 2017
Top Films of 2015
Parallel Mothers – 7.8
Not a major Almodovar, but any story he chooses to tell is worth watching, and every minute spent with Penelope Cruz is a pleasure. The story of the two mothers and their babies is gripping, seemingly enough in itself for a film. The story of Franco’s victims is also moving, but what does one story […]
Azor – 5
A thriller recounting the exploits of…a Swiss private banker, who is eager, if not desperate, not to lose his accounts. The most interesting character is his predecessor, who is mentioned by everyone but does not appear in the film. Cigarette smoking is the closest things come to action. As a portrait of the Buenos Aires […]
Pre-Oscar Choices
Before being influenced by Academy voters, here are my favorites for Oscars this year. An updated post will appear once the nominations are out and maybe after I’ve seen a couple more of the designated films. Best Picture Drive My Car Belfast A Hero I’m Your Man Hand of God Power of the Dog The […]
Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy – 7.5
Three short films consisting entirely of extended conversations, a Japanese My Dinner with Andre or, more exactly, Drive My Car without action. I have never seen a movie that would translate so seamlessly to the stage yet felt authentically cinematic. The actors fully inhabited their roles, although as they were Japanese it’s hard for me to judge. […]
Nightmare Alley – 5
I realize that smoking was more common in 1941, but why did Guillermo del Toro put cigarettes in almost every scene of this movie? It’s unneeded as an acting crutch, and it diverts the viewer’s (or at least my) focus from the story: what must his breath smell like when he kisses her?, I wonder […]