Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

[Reza]

Do You Love Me (Gregory Ratoff, 1946) 4/10

Mousy music school dean (Maureen O'Hara) is insulted for her looks and dress sense by band leader (Harry James who blows his famous trumpet) so she decides to remove her glasses - with help from close friend and composer colleague (Reginald Gardiner) - and transforms herself into a swan with the latest fashions. Soon she finds herself pursued by the man who insulted her as well as his best friend and crooner (Dick Haymes who sings five songs). Silly but colorful Fox musical. O'Hara is lovely, Gardiner is witty, and Betty Grable (then Mrs Harry James) makes a cameo appearance as a fan of James.

Mysterious Island (Cy Endfield, 1961) 7/10

Godzilla and King Kong are the offshoots of the original imagination of writer Jules Verne who wrote the classic 1874 novel "L'Île mystérieuse" about strange giant creatures on an island. Union soldiers (Michael Craig, Michael Callan, Dan Jackson) and a journalist (Gary Merrill) escape from prison in a giant balloon during the American Civil War. After days of being airborne they crash onto an island where they encounter not only two lovely shipwrecked ladies (Joan Greenwood, Beth Rogan) but find themselves battling with a giant crab, a huge chicken and huge bees. They also realize that someone appears to be looking out for them who turns out to be Captain Nemo (Herbert Lom) - a character from Jules Verne's 1870 novel "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas". Old fashioned adventure film is fairly thrilling, has a rousing score by Bernard Herrmann and stop motion animation effects by Ray Harryhausen. Lovely Joan Greenwood and her gurgling voice were always a huge asset to any film.

Futures vedettes / School for Love (Marc Allégret, 1955) 4/10

Affairs of the fluttering heart at the music and dance conservatory in Vienna. A tough music teacher (Jean Marais) finds himself involved with a nubile sexpot (Brigitte Bardot), a melancholic student (Isabelle Pia) and his estranged wife. Bardot, before stardom, is lively during the ballet sequences which she performs quite well. The silly screenplay was adapted by Roger Vadim from the novel by Vicki Baum.

The Bricklayer (Renny Harlin, 2024) 5/10

Cartoonish hijinks and violence in a screenplay with one pothole after another yet this action packed nonsense is still great fun. A rogue CIA agent (Clifton Collins Jr.), thought dead, is killing important European journalists thus wrongfully implicating the Agency. The FBI Director (Tim Blake Nelson) and one of his top agents (Nina Dobrev) recruit a very reluctant retired agent (Aaron Eckhart) to bring in the rogue who was once upon a time his close friend. Non-stop mayhem with bullets flying, car chases galore, fist fights and double crosses. The agent assigned to him has to be one of the most inept ever although deep down we know she will come through at a crucial moment in the plot. The entire film is shot on location in the Greek city of Thessaloniki which adds much needed sunny colour to the proceedings. Eckhart makes a competent action hero although brings nothing new to the genre.

The Rosary Murders (Fred Walton, 1987) 6/10

When members of a Catholic clergy in Detroit start falling victim to a serial killer with victims dying in gruesome fashion, a priest (Donald Sutherland) tries to investigate. When the killer confesses to him in the confession booth at the church it causes intense conflict in his mind as he is bound by the seal of confession to keep it secret. Despite his guilt at the continuing murders he does not reveal to the cop (Josef Sommer) the identity of the killer who has been unhinged since his daughter committed suicide. Slow moving, bleak mystery has a charismatic performance by the silver haired Sutherland and an equally good one by Charles Durning as his superior at the church who is also connected to the mystery. Hitchcock did this theme better in the classic I Confess (1953) with Montgomery Clift as the tormented priest who cannot reveal the murderer who has confessed to him.

The Gunfight at Dodge City (Joseph M. Newman, 1959) 4/10

Bat Masterson (Joel McCrea) arrives in Dodge City, invests in a saloon, becomes the City Marshall after his brother is murdered and has to fend off the murderous intentions of the town sheriff and his deputies. Standard western with McCrea merely going through the motions. Julie Adams and Nancy Gates are the two love interests and John McIntire is memorable as the local doctor.

A Thunder of Drums (Joseph Newman, 1961) 2/10

Deathly slow Western starts well during an Indian attack on a homestead which is viewed through the horrified face of a child and shadows on the ceiling. It's all downhill from there on until another skirmish between the Indians and the Cavalry. In between there is a prickly relationship between a Captain (Richard Boone) and a Lieutenant (George Hamilton), plus the latter's involvement in a love triangle. Far too much time is spent showing an inside look at a Cavalry post and its functions. An excellent supporting cast - Arthur O'Connell, Charles Bronson, Richard Chamberlain - is wasted. The screenwriter, James Warner Bellah, adapted it from one of his own short stories - a far cry from many of his other stories of which - "Fort Apache", She Wore a Yellow Ribbon", "Rio Grande" - were brought memorably to the big screen by John Ford.

I bambini ci guardano / The Children Are Watching Us (Vittorio De Sica, 1943) 10/10

A child is abandoned when his mother runs off with her lover and his father cannot keep him because he is busy with his career. Later she returns to her child and husband and they go on vacation in an attempt to make their marriage work. However, she soon runs off again with her lover which results in a devastating turn of events followed by a bitter decision taken by the child while at boarding school which reflects his loss of innocence. Sad but realistic look at a modern marriage as seen through the eyes of an innocent child. The perceptive screenplay touches on infidelity, selfish parents unwilling to take responsibility for their children and focusing instead on a materialistic life and career. Classic neorealist drama marked the first collaboration of De Sica with Cesare Zavattini who was one of the many screenwriters.

Parigi è sempre Parigi / Paris is always Paris (Luciano Emmer, 1951) 5/10

Italian tourists arrive in Paris for a soccer match but get distracted by the sights and romance. A wealthy hotelier (Aldo Fabrizi) hopes to score with female company, his wife gets a beauty makeover, while their daughter (Lucia Bosè) continuously bickers with her fiancé (Marcello Mastroianni). A young romeo (Franco Interlenghi) falls in love with a girl who works at a newspaper kiosk and both end up at a club where Yves Montand is performing. Rather silly film has an interesting cast and views of lovely Paris including a look-in at a gay club with drag queens and an avante garde club where the cabaret singer is Eartha Kitt.

Shaurya (Samar Khan, 2008) 5/10

Inspired by the Hindi play "Court Martial" by Swadesh Deepak, the story has more than a passing resemblance to two other plays - "Conduct Unbecoming" by Barry England and "A Few Good Men" by Aaron Sorkin. During a skirmish in Indian occupied Kashmir a Muslim Army officer (Deepak Dobriyal) shoots dead his fellow superior Hindu officer (Pankaj Tripathy) and surrenders himself. His court martial is presided over by two Army lawyers and best friends - the dedicated and sensible (Javed Jaffrey) is to be the prosecuting lawyer and the immature and care-free (Rahul Bose) is assigned to be the defence lawyer. As the case progresses it becomes apparent that there is a cover up and a senior Commanding officer (Kay Kay Menon) may know more about the case than he has divulged. Menon channels Jack Nicholson when he is called to the stand and the plot quickly devolves into what remains at the heart of India's deep-down crankiness - the Hindu-Muslim "issue" - which is a result of the country being ruled once upon a time for almost 600 years by Muslims. They never seem to have gotten over the fact which has in recent times escalated into Hindu nationalism of the rabid kind. Menon is clearly the standout in what is a very slow and predictable film.

Fighter (Siddharth Anand, 2024) 5/10

A dream casting coup - Bollywood screen heart-throb Hrithik Roshan and sultry beauty Deepika Padukone on the screen together for the first time. With Deepika's sexy appearance - often wearing next to nothing - in last year's hit "Pathaan" the expectations were sky high for this film - sizzling clinches in bed and on and off the dance floor. However, Deepika here plays a fully-clothed Air Force squadron leader while Roshan, as her partner in the Forces, instead gets to do the female equivalent of cheesecake by stripping and showing his rippling chest - ok it's his breasts that get the water lashings in the shower. Romance takes mostly a constipatory backseat but the film deflects it by a few imaginary song and dance sequences where the two stars get to "romance", don sexy attire - she in the obligatory swimsuit - and move on the dance floor. During the main plot we get the usual lashings of potshots at Pakistan by way of references to the 2019 Pulwama attack, Balakot airstrike and India-Pakistan border skirmishes. Yup, its Bollywood-Indian patriotic fever galore played up several decibels to the Modi gallery by regurgitating jingoism at an ad nauseum level. The film's action sequences reminds of the recent Tom Cruise "Maverick" film with superbly shot fighter jet aerial sequences. The screenplay often takes on a campy aspect in the dialogues between the opposing fighter pilots - during an intense airborne chase sequence - as they sarcastically parry as if sitting on a sofa in a drawing room - its the old cliché equivalent of boys comparing their dick sizes. And when will Bollywood finally "get" a Pakistani muslim right - intoning the word "janaab" at the drop of a hat is such a dull cliché and a totally incorrect depiction. The film's ending is so over-the-top - with hilariously inane dialogue - that it takes on the mantle of a cartoon. Hrithik has great swag, Deepika has expressive eyes and Anil Kapoor is fiery and brooding as their Group Captain.

[Reza]

Devdas (2002) - 5/10 - This one was a real chore to get through. Devdas (Shah Rukh Khan) has been living in the UK for many years when he finally comes home, apparently as a lawyer. He reunites with his childhood friend, Paro, and the two expect to marry, but Devdas's mother (egged on by her scheming daughter-in-law) insult Paro's family and refuse to allow the wedding. This leads Paro away as Devdas rejects her and starts a downward spiral for Devdas. The film has pretty good visuals, but the background music was pretty annoying much of the time as were many of the various characters, with the exception of Paro and Chunnilal.

You have totally underestimated this film. It's one of the most romantic - and over-the-top - films ever. Over-the-top in terms of its visuals, the characters, the emotions and the dialogues (you need to understand Hindi in order to *get* it). Plus it has two stunningly beautiful actresses at their peak - Aishwarya Rai (as Paro) and Madhuri Dixit (as the prostitute Chandramukhi).

Its like watching something Pedro Almódovar would come up with.

[gunnar]

The film was a massive hit, cemented the stardom of Aamir Khan (who would much later appear in Lagaan), and won many Filnfare awards - India's equivalent to the Oscars

This is the seventh film that I've seen starring Aamir Khan and I've liked them all to one extent or another with my favorites being Lagaan and Dangal. The others that I've seen are Dil Chahta Hai, PK, Like Stars on Earth, and 3 Idiots. There's a challenge on another message board to watch films from the Indian subcontinent this month. I plan to watch quite a few films from Indian during April, though I don't think any of the others have Aamir Khan in them (or Shah Rukh Khan either for that matter).

[Reza]

Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) - 6.5/10 - Aamir Khan portrays a slacker who goes to the 'poor' school in the area and hangs out with his friends. Their rivals are a nearby 'rich' school which has a few jerks of their own, including the big man on campus and his followers. This isn't a great film, but it's not really worse than a lot of similar American films from the era, though it comes with a couple of song/dance numbers and is more than 2.5 hours. The song/dance numbers weren't really all that intrusive and at least were few in number.

This was the Bollywood remake of Peter Yates' Breaking Away (1979)

I can see that now that you point it out. I love Breaking Away and while this doesn't measure up to it, it was okay.

The film was a massive hit, cemented the stardom of Aamir Khan (who would much later appear in Lagaan), and won many Filmfare awards - India's equivalent to the Oscars

[Reza]

Mughal-E-Azam (1960) - 8/10 - A Mughal prince falls for a court dancer/maid. She tries to resist because of the difference in their stations, but loves him as well. Unfortunately, this relationship displeases the emperor and he takes steps to keep it from happening. I thought the first half of the film was pretty well paced and maintained my interest throughout. I even enjoyed the musical numbers. It got bogged down during the second half and was less interesting. It would have benefitted from a number of cuts in the runtime during that section. The costumes and sets were excellent all the way through the film, though. I've read a couple of novels which take place around 35 years later and feature the prince's son and grandchildren so this was interesting to me for that reason, too.

Classic historical-romance about the love affair between Mughal Prince Salim (later the 4th Mughal Emperor Jehangir) and Anarkali (a slave girl). The story is a famous myth. It is set during the reign of the 3rd Mughal Emperor Akbar. Some say Anarkali was actually Akbar's concubine but stolen by his son.

This black & white film is famous for having two songs shot in colour at a huge cost.

Trivia: The two actors playing the lovers - Dilip Kumar & Madhubala - were off screen lovers too but had broken off their relationship acrimoniously some years before. The film is very famous for their sensuous love scenes - the one where he strokes her face with a feather is a classic erotic moment - yet both actors were not on speaking terms when they shot their scenes. Despite this the film lives on due to the romantic moments.

[gunnar]

Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) - 6.5/10 - Aamir Khan portrays a slacker who goes to the 'poor' school in the area and hangs out with his friends. Their rivals are a nearby 'rich' school which has a few jerks of their own, including the big man on campus and his followers. This isn't a great film, but it's not really worse than a lot of similar American films from the era, though it comes with a couple of song/dance numbers and is more than 2.5 hours. The song/dance numbers weren't really all that intrusive and at least were few in number.

This was the Bollywood remake of Peter Yates' Breaking Away (1979)

I can see that now that you point it out. I love Breaking Away and while this doesn't measure up to it, it was okay.

[Reza]

Awaara / The Tramp (1951) - 9/10 - Raj is on trial for attempted murder and his lawyer is his girlfriend/childhood friend Rita. Rita is the ward of the man Raj is charged with attempting to kill. The story of what led to this moment is told through flashbacks and goes back to before Raj was even born. It's a very nice film and moves quickly through its nearly 3 hours. The requisite songs work well within the context of the film.

A Night in the City / Jagte Raho (1956) - 8/10 - A poor farmer comes to the city looking for a job. He's thirsty, so he wanders into an apartment block to look for a drink of water. The residents there call him a thief and before he knows it, he is being chased all over the apartment block by hordes of people. Along the way, he sees all sorts of illicit behavior among the residents. The chase takes on comic proportions and lasts for quite some time. The film has a pretty nice ending.

The Third Oath / Teesri Kasam (1966) - 7.5/10 - A man who drives are cart pulled by bullocks falls in love with a dancer that he transports to a fair. She falls for him as well during the journey, but there are a number of obstacles in the way of their relationship. It's pretty well done.

Three classic Indian films starring the great actor-director Raj Kapoor.

[Reza]

Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) - 6.5/10 - Aamir Khan portrays a slacker who goes to the 'poor' school in the area and hangs out with his friends. Their rivals are a nearby 'rich' school which has a few jerks of their own, including the big man on campus and his followers. This isn't a great film, but it's not really worse than a lot of similar American films from the era, though it comes with a couple of song/dance numbers and is more than 2.5 hours. The song/dance numbers weren't really all that intrusive and at least were few in number.

This was the Bollywood remake of Peter Yates' Breaking Away (1979)

[gunnar]

Awaara / The Tramp (1951) - 9/10 - Raj is on trial for attempted murder and his lawyer is his girlfriend/childhood friend Rita. Rita is the ward of the man Raj is charged with attempting to kill. The story of what led to this moment is told through flashbacks and goes back to before Raj was even born. It's a very nice film and moves quickly through its nearly 3 hours. The requisite songs work well within the context of the film.

The Stranger / Agantuk (1991) - 9/10 - A woman receives a letter one day from an uncle that she hasn't seen since he left India 35 years earlier when she was 2 years old. The woman lives with her husband and young son and they are fairly well to do, but don't quite know what to make of the letter. The uncle will be arriving back in India soon and wants to visit during his stay to get to know his last relatives. The son is quite taken with the uncle while the wife isn't quite sure and the husband is suspicious that the man is an imposter with an ulterior motive. The uncle is very well traveled and knowledgeable with plenty of stories, but he won't confirm or deny their suspicions. Utpal Dutt gives a very nice performance and it is a pretty entertaining film.

The Big City (1963) - 8.5/10 - A family in Calcutta is having trouble making ends meet. Subrata (the husband) works at a bank while Arati (the wife) stays home and takes care of the household, which includes Subrata's parents and his teenage sister. Reluctantly, Subrata agrees to allow Arati to find a job to help support the family. She gets a job as a saleswoman and she does very well, bringing home more than expected. She also starts to blossom and gain in confidence with her success in the workplace. Meanwhile, her husband becomes a bit insecure about her success. This is a very nice film that shows a society that is beginning to change with women leaving the home and entering the workforce.

Celia (1989) - 8.5/10 - Rebecca Smart stars as a young girl named Celia who is growing up in Australia during the 1950s. She is disturbed by the death of her grandmother and has dreams and visions on occasion where her grandmother appears as well as visions of scary creatures known as hobyahs. Celia wants very much to have a pet rabbit, but this is during a time when rabbits are viewed as an invasive species that many would like eradicated. Celia befriends the neighbor children who are on her side when her cousins bully and harass her. There are also adult problems like the Red Scare that intrude into Celia and her friends' lives. Smart is very good as Celia and the film does a good job capturing the era.

Romeo My Neighbour / Romeo moy sosed (1963) - 8.5/10 - Arif and Nona are twentysomethings who meet briefly while waiting for a train home and fall for each other. It turns out that they are from the same city, Baku. Meanwhile, their families have each moved into a new apartment next door to one another and quarrel because each family wanted the apartment with the sea view. Can the families overcome any bad feelings for the two young people to come together? There is plenty of music and a fair amount of comedy along with the romance. I liked the acting, the sets, and the various views of the city as well. It is a very nice film.

Blow Out (1981) - 8/10 - John Travolta stars as a sound engineer for a studio that makes very low budget movie. He is out one night capturing nature sounds to use in the films when he sees a car crash into the river. He manages to save a young woman from the car and soon comes to suspect that the car going into the river was no accident. He recorded the whole incident with his sound equipment and becomes involved in a conspiracy that could put his life in danger. It was pretty entertaining.

Distant Thunder / Ashani Sanket (1973) - 8/10 - In 1943, a Brahmin doctor/teacher and his wife have a good life and are well respected in the village they live in. The doctor starts a school for the village children (only the boys apparently) and asks only that the villagers pay what they can. Then word of rising prices for rice, famine, and disease start to reach the village. Soon, shortages and rising prices affect everyone in this village as well. The doctor and his wife struggle to survive like everyone else.

A Night in the City / Jagte Raho (1956) - 8/10 - A poor farmer comes to the city looking for a job. He's thirsty, so he wanders into an apartment block to look for a drink of water. The residents there call him a thief and before he knows it, he is being chased all over the apartment block by hordes of people. Along the way, he sees all sorts of illicit behavior among the residents. The chase takes on comic proportions and lasts for quite some time. The film has a pretty nice ending.

Mughal-E-Azam (1960) - 8/10 - A Mughal prince falls for a court dancer/maid. She tries to resist because of the difference in their stations, but loves him as well. Unfortunately, this relationship displeases the emperor and he takes steps to keep it from happening. I thought the first half of the film was pretty well paced and maintained my interest throughout. I even enjoyed the musical numbers. It got bogged down during the second half and was less interesting. It would have benefitted from a number of cuts in the runtime during that section. The costumes and sets were excellent all the way through the film, though. I've read a couple of novels which take place around 35 years later and feature the prince's son and grandchildren so this was interesting to me for that reason, too.

Aprili (1961) - 8/10 - A young couple is looking for a bit of privacy, but keep getting interrupted by people moving around, often carrying furniture. They finally take refuge in an empty apartment where the utilities seem to turn on of their own volition. They have some peace for a while, though the neighbors are an eclectic bunch with one man constantly lifting weights, a girl dancing ballet, and so on. The couple seems less happy after they take residence in the apartment and it is filled with all sorts of material goods. There are good sound effects and visual humor in this short film.

A Thousand and One (2023) - 8/10 - In 1994, Inez is released from prison and returns to her old neighborhood. Her 6 year old son is in foster care and she decides to kidnap him, move to another part of New York City and assume different names. There are a couple of time skips involved, but it is clear that Inez is pretty concerned about getting the best for her son, but expresses her feelings in the only way she can, which can seem harsh to some. She also has to worry about the law possibly catching up to them. Teyana Taylor is excellent as Inez.

Repentance (1984) - 7.5/10 - The long serving mayor of a town dies and he is buried. His body is discovered in his son's garden the next day. It is dug up again the next day and the culprit is found shortly thereafter. The woman responsible relates her tale in court that paints the mayor in a different light than is commonly known.

Madhumati (1958) - 7.5/10 - A pair of travelers are forced to seek shelter in an old, run-down mansion during a storm. One of the travelers recognizes a painting in the mansion and says that he painted it in another life that has just been restored to his memory. He goes on to relate a tale of his love for a young woman and the cruel ways of his boss in the earlier life.

Pariah (2011) - 7.5/10 - A 17 year old lesbian is inexperienced, but curious. She's afraid of coming out to her parents because of her mother's probable reaction, though the parents seem to realize already and are dealing with it in their own way. The mother tries pushing her daughter toward different friends and ways of dressing. The father basically ignores it and seems somewhat distant. The parents also fight pretty frequently. It's a good coming of age tale with nice performances by Adepero Oduye and the rest of the cast.

The Third Oath / Teesri Kasam (1966) - 7.5/10 - A man who drives a cart pulled by bullocks falls in love with a dancer that he transports to a fair. She falls for him as well during the journey, but there are a number of obstacles in the way of their relationship. It's pretty well done.

Sant Tukaram (1936) - 7/10 - Tukaram spends most of his time contemplating his god or singing songs praising his god. This makes his wife exasperated with him since he doesn't actively look out for his wife and two children. She still loves him, though, and everything ends up being taken care of. There is also a priest who is jealous of Tukaram and is always plotting against him, though these plots inevitably backfire. There is a lot of singing throughout the film which may be a turnoff to some, though I didn't mind it, and the effects are kind of primitive. I liked the film and the performances of the man who played Tukaram and the woman who played his wife. There's a fair amount of humor throughout.

Running on Karma (2003) - 7/10 - A former monk turned bodybuilder and stripper can see the karma people have earned from their past lives. He becomes involved with helping a young police detective after he sees that she is in danger of dying due to her past life as a Japanese soldier who committed atrocities. The film has a strange villain and the storyline gets a bit messy at times, but there is enough to like here that I did mostly enjoy the film.

Night Train (1959) - 6.5/10 - A man and a woman meet on a train when they happen to have tickets for the same compartment. Each seems to be trying to escape from something, but they agree to share the compartment for the duration of the trip. Later, a murderer is sought aboard the train and some signs seem to point to the man from the compartment. There are some interesting scenes and I liked the closing shots, but the film as a whole didn't quite come together for me.

Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) - 6.5/10 - Aamir Khan portrays a slacker who goes to the 'poor' school in the area and hangs out with his friends. Their rivals are a nearby 'rich' school which has a few jerks of their own, including the big man on campus and his followers. This isn't a great film, but it's not really worse than a lot of similar American films from the era, though it comes with a couple of song/dance numbers and is more than 2.5 hours. The song/dance numbers weren't really all that intrusive and at least were few in number.

Certain Women (2016) - 6/10 - Three short stories involving women are told here. The first one stars Laura Dern as a lawyer dealing with a client who was injured on the job, but is not able to sue since he took a small settlement after the injury. It was good and was a lot better than the other two. Lily Gladstone was decent in her role in the third story as a woman who attends a night class on school law only because she has a crush on the woman teaching it. Too bad the story was kind of dull, though it was better than the middle story.

Wish (2023) - 6/10 - A king controls the wishes of his subjects, but only chooses to grant them on rare occasions. The people forget the content of their wishes after they make them and gift them to the king for safe keeping. Asha is up to be the king's apprentice, but recoils at what he does with the wishes when she finds out the truth. I thought the film looked decent, but the story was fairly simple. Overall, the movie wasn't that good, but also wasn't really as bad as some of the reviews that I've read.

I Stand Alone (1998) - 5.5/10 - Following on from his short film Carne, Gaspar Noé tells the tale of a butcher who is out of jail and in an unhappy relationship with a woman who has promised to purchase him a butcher shop, but backs out on it. The Butcher has few marketable skills and dark thoughts continually seem to run through his mind. I did like this more than Irreversible, but I still didn't like it very much. Others seem to have a different opinion of the film.

Devdas (2002) - 5/10 - This one was a real chore to get through. Devdas (Shah Rukh Khan) has been living in the UK for many years when he finally comes home, apparently as a lawyer. He reunites with his childhood friend, Paro, and the two expect to marry, but Devdas's mother (egged on by her scheming daughter-in-law) insult Paro's family and refuse to allow the wedding. This leads Paro away as Devdas rejects her and starts a downward spiral for Devdas. The film has pretty good visuals, but the background music was pretty annoying much of the time as were many of the various characters, with the exception of Paro and Chunnilal.

[gunnar]

Dalva (2022) - 8.5/10 - The film starts with a young girl being taken away from her home by police in the middle of the night as they arrest her father. Dalva is 12, but dresses and acts older. She is taken to a shelter where she struggles to learn how to be a girl rather than trying to be an adult. Zelda Samson is very good as Dalva.

Takva (2006) - 8/10 - Muharrem is a simple and devout man whose life changes when the Sheikh at his holy place asks him to start collecting the rents for the places owned by the institution. This pushes Muharrem out of his comfort zone and into the wider world. He starts being plagued by materialistic dreams and is confronted by the cynical attitude of the Sheikh and his subordinates that the rents must be collected, even from those who cannot afford to pay. All of these various forces act on Muharrem and cause him a number of problems.

Take My Eyes / Te doy mis ojos (2003) - 8/10 - Pilar leaves home one night with her 7 year old son and very few possessions. She takes refuge with her sister Ana and it is pretty clear that it is a domestic violence situation. We are soon introduced to her husband Antonio, a man with a violent temper at times. Antonio starts trying to get Pilar back, even going to group therapy to try and change his behavior, but will it stick. Ana is very much against her sister trying to get back together with Antonio. This is nicely acted by Laia Marull and Luis Tosar.

Vizontele (2001) - 8/10 - A small village in a hilly region of Turkey finally gets their first television set in the early 1970s. The mayor is happy because it will stick it to a local businessman that he doesn't like who runs an open air theater. The mayor asks an eccentric technician for help and they go to many lengths to get it to work.

The Virgin Suicides (1999) - 8/10 - A group of men reminisce about the summer of 1975 in Grosse Pointe, Michigan (which is actually only a few miles from where I live). They were teenage boys at the time and they were enamored with the mysterious Lisbon sisters, especially after one of the (five) sisters tried to commit suicide. The girls have little to no social life thanks to their religious and repressive mother. The film is pretty well acted and has a nice atmosphere.

35 Shots of Rum (2008) - 8/10 - Josephine is a 20 something woman who is studying anthropology. She has a close relationship with her widowed father Lionel and the two live together in an apartment. It eventually becomes evident, though, that the time is fast approaching where Lionel will have to let her go and move out into the world without him. It's a nice film.

Girlhood (2014) - 8/10 - Marieme lives in an apartment in a tough neighborhood near Paris. Her mother works a lot and her older brother is usually in charge and is not always nice about it. Marieme wants to go to high school and improve her situation, but a counselor informs her that vocational school is her only option. She soon falls in with a gang of girls and finds friendship and camaraderie there. It doesn't bring an end to her struggles, but perhaps it will help provide a way out. This is well acted and makes good use of music.

Times and Winds (2006) - 8/10 - The film takes place in a small mountain village in Turkey and focuses on three children and their families. One boy named Yakup is in love with his teacher. His best friend Omer wishes his father (the Imam) was dead and thinks of ways that he might help make that happen. Omer's cousin, Yildiz, studies, but likes to wander around the nearby terrain, to the chagrin of her mother. All three kids seem to be able to sleep anywhere at anytime and have problems with at least one of their parents. The fathers of Omer and Yildiz are brothers and each is still cowed by their father. I liked the sound design, the acting of the kids, the school scenes, and so on. It's a nice film.

A New Leaf (1971) - 8/10 - Walter Matthau stars as Henry Graham, a spendthrift heir who lives beyond his means and eventually exhausts his inheritance. Rather than give up his lifestyle, he determines to find an extremely wealthy single woman to marry, but he only has a limited time to make this plan work. This was dry, but pretty funny.

Dune Part Two (2024) - 7.5/10 - This had great visuals like the first part and is a decent film, but it also had me a bit bored at times like the first part as well.

Double Happiness (1994) - 7.5/10 - Jade Li (Sandra Oh) is a young Chinese-Canadian woman whose parents want her to meet a nice Chinese boy and keep setting her up for dates. She is more concerned with getting her acting career off the ground. She meets a nice young white man and the two hit it off, but she knows that her parents won't approve. Oh is really good here in one of her early roles.

Sleeping with Other People (2015) - 7.5/10 - Jake and Lainey met and had a one night stand in college. They meet again 12 years later and have pretty similar personalities and habits, each unable to remain monogamous. The two decide to just remain friends, though each finds themself drawn to the other. This can be pretty crude, but I also ended up enjoying it quite a bit.

The Watermelon Woman (1996) - 7.5/10 - Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye) is an aspiring black lesbian filmmaker who works in a video story and has an interest in 1930s cinema, particularly in black actresses from that era. She becomes interested in an actress known only as The Watermelon Woman. Cheryl researches the woman and sets out to make a documentary about her. The film is a mix of Cheryl's daily life and her research/documentary. It was pretty entertaining.

Unicorn Wars (2022) - 7/10 - Teddy bear cubs are training as soldiers with a goal to eradicate unicorns from the neighboring forest. There's plenty of violence plus some humor as well. It's an odd and often entertaining film.

Happy as Lazzaro (2018) - 7/10 - The residents of a small, remote Italian village in 1977 are sharecroppers who know nothing of the outside world and are perpetually in debt at the hands of the woman who owns the estate. Lazzaro is a young and simple man who gets caught up in a fake kidnapping plot at the behest of the spoiled son of the landowner. This leads to a big change for the village and villagers.

Obvious Child (2014) - 7/10 - Donna (Jenny Slate) is a stand up comic who is struggling to make a living, but finds herself pregnant after a one night stand. She decides to have an abortion, but struggles to tell her mom and the man she had a one night stand with, even though he seems interested in starting a relationship. Slate was pretty good here and I also liked Jake Lacy as Max.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018) - 7/10 - Lara Jean is a 16 year old girl whose older sister is moving away to college. Lara Jean has had crushes on a few boys over the years, including her sister's (recent) ex-boyfriend, and has written secret love letters that she keeps hidden in her room. Her younger sister decides one night to mail these out and it makes a big change in Lara Jean's life. This is kind of formulaic, but it was still fun, due in large part to Lana Condor as Lara Jean.

Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005) - 7/10 - A shoe salesman separates from his wife and gets a small apartment to share with his two sons. A slightly odd artist takes an interest in the man and tries to start a relationship. There are a few other subplots, including following the two sons when they are on their own. It's fairly low-key, but I liked it.

Priest (1994) - 6.5/10 - A young priest has to deal with a number of issues, including a girl who tells him about her father's incestuous behavior under the seal of the confessional. The priest also has to deal with his own secret homosexuality. The film isn't bad, but I thought it was a bit too blunt/obvious in its messages.

The Cuenca Crime (1980) - 6.5/10 - A woman searches for her son after he didn't return from selling his sheep. Rumors are spread that two local men killed him for his money. Nothing much comes of this for a couple of years until an eager new judge pushes the matter and torture is used to extract confessions.

Mikey and Nicky (1976) - 6.5/10 - Nicky (John Cassavetes) is on the run after stealing from a mob boss. He looks to his old friend MIkey (Peter Falk) for help. While Cassavetes and Falk gave good performances, the story just didn't seem all that interesting much of the time.

The Breath (2009) - 6/10 - A unit of Turkish soldiers need to defend a relay station against their Kurdish enemies. The enemy is led by a man known as The Doctor who remains somewhat mysterious and out of sight throughout most of the film, heard over the radio/phone from time to time. There are some nice bits here and there and the acting isn't bad, but the story and style didn't really appeal to me.

Marianne and Juliane (1981) - 6/10 - Marianne and Juliane are sister who were very close growing up. They each care about women's rights, but have taken different paths as adults. Juliane is a reporter and tries to influence the government and society through her stories. Marianne has become part of a terrorist group that uses bombings and other tactics to try and get what they want. Juliane's life is upended when her sister is arrested and thrown into prison. I found the flashback scenes to their growing up more interesting than the 'present day' scenes. This is a fictionalized account of a true story.

You Were Never Really Here (2017) - 6/10 - Joaquin Phoenix plays a veteran who specializes in rescuing girls who have gone missing. He is also doing with his own personal traumas. He is hired by a senator to rescue the senator's daughter who was taken by a human trafficking ring. There's certainly plenty of violence as he goes about his business. I liked the second half more than the first half.

By the Bluest of Seas (1936) - 6/10 - Two sailors are shipwrecked on an island in the Caspian Sea near a fishing village. They make themselves useful by working for the the fishing boats. Each sailor falls in love with the same woman which causes some minor tension. The acting is kind of stilted at times and it seems to be a cross between silent film and talking film with intertitles at various points.

Appropriate Behavior (2014) - 6/10 - Shirin is a bisexual Persian-American who is getting over a recent breakup with her girlfriend and is afraid to tell her parents about her sexual orientation. She seems filled with self-pity and has a number of (generally short) relationships. She also gets roped into teaching a filmmaking class to disinterested 5 year olds. The film is occasionally mildly amusing

D'Est (1993) - 6/10 - Chantal Akerman turns her camera to life in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain. There is no narration or dialogue (apart from an occasional word or two caught in passing). Some parts were kind of interesting, but there were too many scenes of people just standing around waiting, whether it was for a streetcar, a train, or perhaps to get milk, bread, and toilet paper from a store. At close to two hours, that got pretty old.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009) - 5.5/10 - Dave ends up in the hospital so Alvin, Theodore, and Simon end up in the care of his nephew as the chipmunks are enrolled in high school. A rival female chipmunk group comes on the scene as a contest approaches that could raise money needed for the school's music program. It isn't a great film, but it was a lot more entertaining than I expected and about on par with the first film.

The Legend of Suram Fortress (1985) - 5/10 - This is an adaptation of a Georgian fable. It looks nice, but I didn't care for it.

The Herd (1978) - 5/10 - Two families have had a blood feud going for some time. It seemed to be settled somewhat when the daughter of one family married a son of the other family, but the couple have had bad luck in terms of health and having children. Now the feud is on with the father wanting to expel his daughter-in-law. The couple set out on a long journey to sell their sheep, but are met with misfortune. I didn't enjoy this one very much.

[Reza]

Ferrari (Michael Mann, 2023) 8/10

There is clearly a sense of doom and gloom that prevades across this film. Could be why a film by Michael Mann failed to get the attention it deserved. It is a look-in at the life of Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) - Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobile marque - a life that is filled with conflict and sadness. The screenplay covers the period during 1957 when he prepares his racing team for the Mille Miglia, an open road, endurance-based race lasting one thousand miles. His life is in a chaotic mess - the Company is facing financial ruin, marriage to his wife (Penélope Cruz) has all but collapsed - both are grieving over the death of their only son a year before and she is fed up with his string of affairs - and his mistress (Shailene Woodley) is pressurizing him to give his name to their illegitimate son. He needs his wife, who holds half the shares in the Company, to hand them over to him so he can negotiate a deal with Ford - she agrees but at a huge cost that not only involves the business but also the matter with his bastard son. Meanwhile during the race he has to contend with his temperamental and flamboyant drivers - British racing car driver Peter Collins (Jack O'Connell) whom he admires and treats like family, Italian racing driver Piero Taruffi (Patrick Dempsey) who wins the Mille Miglia, and the playboy sex symbol Spanish aristocrat, racing driver, Alfonso de Portago (Gabriel Leone), who was famously having an affair with the ex-wife of Tyrone Power - actress Linda Christian, who famously kissed him before the Mille Miglia which got labeled the "kiss of death" as during the race his renowned Ferrari 335 S crashes near the village of Guidizzolo when a tyre burst while driving along a dead straight road at 150 mph, killing him, his navigator, and nine spectators. Ferrari is blamed by the media for de Portago's lethal accident. Superbly produced film brilliantly recreates the era. The casting of American actors is a tad suspect - Driver is coldly aloof in his portrayal which I thought was the right touch to this complex self-absorbed man. Although Shailene Woodley is badly miscast in the thankless and underwritten role of the mistress, the film comes to life with a powerhouse performance by Penélope Cruz who looks ravaged throughout - a woman deeply grieving the loss of her son and marriage but totally in control of her business acumen as she negotiates with her husband completely to her own advantage and which he has the sense (and maybe deep affection) to completely agree to. Mann superbly stages the gritty racing scenes which are riveting, full of dread and suspense, and he captures the beauty of the iconic red vehicles with their bright yellow trademark logo as they growl their way across the winding roads.

Agree, the sense of doom is pervasive even if you don't know the outcome of the 1957 Mille Miglia. The film, which is easily Mann's best since The Insider, gives Adam Driver a role that is Al Pacino in The Godfather trilogy comparable, and Penélope Cruz her best role ever, certainly her best in English by far. I think the film's biggest problem was opening on Christmas Day - it's not a Christmas movie, and Christmas Day releases if they don't immediately take off are pretty much branded flops. However, there's no reason the film shouldn't have done better with critics and Oscar voters.

The film definitely deserved at least two Oscar nominations for Cruz in the week supporting actress category and the film's sound. It should have also been a contender for visual effects, cinematography, and editing. Five nominations would have been about right and probably would have happened if the film didn't have the stigma of being a flop like Napolean which managed three Oscar nods anyway.

I have both Driver and Cruz on my own list for the year. In fact Cruz in lead â la Lily Gladstone. She has quite a prominent role in the film and a certain section of the plot hinges importantly on Cruz. Yes, pity the film was ignored by the Academy.

[Big Magilla]

Ferrari (Michael Mann, 2023) 8/10

There is clearly a sense of doom and gloom that prevades across this film. Could be why a film by Michael Mann failed to get the attention it deserved. It is a look-in at the life of Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) - Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobile marque - a life that is filled with conflict and sadness. The screenplay covers the period during 1957 when he prepares his racing team for the Mille Miglia, an open road, endurance-based race lasting one thousand miles. His life is in a chaotic mess - the Company is facing financial ruin, marriage to his wife (Penélope Cruz) has all but collapsed - both are grieving over the death of their only son a year before and she is fed up with his string of affairs - and his mistress (Shailene Woodley) is pressurizing him to give his name to their illegitimate son. He needs his wife, who holds half the shares in the Company, to hand them over to him so he can negotiate a deal with Ford - she agrees but at a huge cost that not only involves the business but also the matter with his bastard son. Meanwhile during the race he has to contend with his temperamental and flamboyant drivers - British racing car driver Peter Collins (Jack O'Connell) whom he admires and treats like family, Italian racing driver Piero Taruffi (Patrick Dempsey) who wins the Mille Miglia, and the playboy sex symbol Spanish aristocrat, racing driver, Alfonso de Portago (Gabriel Leone), who was famously having an affair with the ex-wife of Tyrone Power - actress Linda Christian, who famously kissed him before the Mille Miglia which got labeled the "kiss of death" as during the race his renowned Ferrari 335 S crashes near the village of Guidizzolo when a tyre burst while driving along a dead straight road at 150 mph, killing him, his navigator, and nine spectators. Ferrari is blamed by the media for de Portago's lethal accident. Superbly produced film brilliantly recreates the era. The casting of American actors is a tad suspect - Driver is coldly aloof in his portrayal which I thought was the right touch to this complex self-absorbed man. Although Shailene Woodley is badly miscast in the thankless and underwritten role of the mistress, the film comes to life with a powerhouse performance by Penélope Cruz who looks ravaged throughout - a woman deeply grieving the loss of her son and marriage but totally in control of her business acumen as she negotiates with her husband completely to her own advantage and which he has the sense (and maybe deep affection) to completely agree to. Mann superbly stages the gritty racing scenes which are riveting, full of dread and suspense, and he captures the beauty of the iconic red vehicles with their bright yellow trademark logo as they growl their way across the winding roads.

Agree, the sense of doom is pervasive even if you don't know the outcome of the 1957 Mille Miglia. The film, which is easily Mann's best since The Insider, gives Adam Driver a role that is Al Pacino in The Godfather trilogy comparable, and Penélope Cruz her best role ever, certainly her best in English by far. I think the film's biggest problem was opening on Christmas Day - it's not a Christmas movie, and Christmas Day releases if they don't immediately take off are pretty much branded flops. However, there's no reason the film shouldn't have done better with critics and Oscar voters.

The film definitely deserved at least two Oscar nominations for Cruz in the week supporting actress category and the film's sound. It should have also been a contender for visual effects, cinematography, and editing. Five nominations would have been about right and probably would have happened if the film didn't have the stigma of being a flop like Napolean which managed three Oscar nods anyway.

[Reza]

Slow Horses: Dead Lions (Jeremy Lovering, 2022) - Season Two 10/10

The group at Slough House - an offshoot house for a bunch of disgraced MI5 agents - are led by the scruffy, smelly, chain smoking Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman). Based on the series of novels by Mick Herron the plots go on to show that the spy game is not glamorous like the James Bond arena but more like the John le Carré oeuvre - downright dirty, brutal and disheveled, not unlike Lamb himself. The riveting dots here cover assorted murders, a Russian defectee who may or may not be still working for his bosses back home, a Russian sleeper spy who "wakes" up by flying a bomb to be dropped over London, and a nail-biting chase on a train. The group has to band together, overcome their individual failings and get down and dirty to get to the bottom of things. Oldman is a delight throughout especially in his terse (but very funny) interactions with the MI5 Deputy Head (Kristin Scott Thomas) who in turn has to kowtow to the odious Home Secretary (Samuel West) who has his own political aspirations. A must watch.

Slow Horses: Real Tigers (Saul Metzstein, 2023) - Season Three 10/10

An MI5 agent in Istanbul is murdered when she tries to leak a secret file. Her lover kidnaps one of the Slough House agents (Saskia Reeves) and holds her to ransom in exchange for the file. The entire team at the House - under the leadership of Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), "a bigoted, philistine, morbidly obese, spectacularly flatulent, alcoholic chain-smoker" - gets in on the attack when they find themselves as collateral damage during a power struggle at the top of MI5, between "Second Desk", the Deputy Director General (Kristin Scott Thomas), and "First Desk", the Director General (Sophie Okonedo) who try to cover up their fuck-ups. Also playing a part in the proceedings is a senior retired MI5 officer (Jonathan Pryce), grandfather of a House agent (Jack Lowden), who knows exactly how to play the "game" in order to survive. Superb series marvelously balances suspense and humour throughout all its seasons. Oldman makes for a wily agent and a most amusing one and his interactions with the equally droll Scott Thomas are brilliantly played moments.

Five Days at Memorial (John Ridley, Wendey Stanzler & Carlton Cuse, 2022) 7/10

Disastrous situation at a New Orleans hospital during the 2005 Hurricane Katrina catastrophe ending with lawsuits and arrest of a senior surgeon (Vera Farmiga) and assistants accused of killing patients who could not be evacuated by giving them a lethal dose of drugs. Case was later thrown out of court.

Hell is a City (Val Guest, 1960) 9/10

Gritty, very violent police procedural is a cross between the British New Wave and American film noir. A crook (John Crawford) escapes from jail, robs a bookie (a superb Donald Pleasence) and murders his secretary who was carrying the money. While hiding out he is relentlessly pursued by the cop (Stanley Baker) who had first put him in jail. Striking performances by the supporting cast - Billie Whitelaw (in her debut - Bafta award) as Pleasance's slutty wife and the crook's former mistress, Maxine Audley as the cop's shrewish wife, and Vanda Godsell as the mature and sensual barmaid who has a thing for the cop. Superbly directed drama shot on location in bleak Manchester. A must-see.

Violent Playground (Basil Dearden, 1958) 5/10

Another of Dearden's hard-hitting films on social issues - juvenile delinquency. A tough cop (Stanley Baker) in Liverpool is assigned to see to it that wayward kids try to keep on the straight and narrow. While looking after twin kids he falls in love with their bitter older sister (Anne Heywood) - dad away at sea and mum run off to London - and discovers their other brother (David McCallum) is involved in a series of arson attacks. The tense ending involves a classroom of children held at gunpoint as the local priest (Peter Cushing) and the cops try to save them. Rock 'n' Roll is shown to be a negative sequence - there is a wonderful scene showing teenagers swaying trance-like to the music. Unlike many of Dearden's films this is stiffly played out, and McCallum as the Brando-Dean character has no sense of danger about him. The dreary Liverpool backdrop is very authentic though none of the characters speak with an accent.

Criminal Law (Martin Campbell, 1988) 2/10

An erratic screenplay replete with overwrought moments along with bad direction totally paralyzes this slow murder-mystery courtroom drama. An impetuous defense lawyer (Gary Oldman) successfully defends the cocky son (Kevin Bacon) of a wealthy, prominent family who has been charged with murder. He wins the case by manipulating the judicial system. When a second murder occurs a cat and mouse game ensues between them forcing the lawyer to try and find proof that the man did indeed kill again. Red herrings, massive potholes in the plot, characters acting strangely and repeated false alarms which keep signalling a shock ending eventually becomes a bore. Oldman sports an American accent that comes and goes, Bacon smirks, both Jo Don Baker and Tess Harper are wasted with underwritten parts as cops on the case, and Karen Young covers the scream quotient as the roommate of one of the victims and Oldman's lover. Skip this crappy film.

From the Terrace (Mark Robson, 1960) 6/10

Old fashioned soap opera is based on the best selling book by John O'Hara. Writer Ernest Lehman condensed the mammoth book and cut out almost all the sex to appease the censors back then, although the characters do manage to have their cake and eat it too. Navy veteran (Paul Newman), son of a verbally abusive steel factory owner (Leon Ames) and an alcoholic mother (Myrna Loy), marries into a prestigious family and moves swiftly up the corporate ladder in New York working for a famous financier (Felix Aylmer). As work pressures increase he spends more and more time away from home and his neglected but flighty wife (Joanne Woodward) re-starts an affair with her ex-boyfriend (Patrick O'Neal). Since divorce is looked down upon in the corporate world he continues to live with his wife although is attracted to the compassionate but lonely daughter (Ina Balin) of a coal miner. Lots of heartache (and unseen sex) in this precursor to all the tv soaps ("Dynasty", "Dallas") during the 1980s where dirty trysts in both the boardroom and the bedroom were the order of the day. A chic Woodward, dressed to her teeth in Travilla gowns, steals the film as the seething wife who likes sex and is not afraid to flaunt herself. Newman stiffly goes through the motions - he is clearly not having a good time stuck in such a film. Myrna Loy, cast against type, is very good in a brief role as the sad neglected alcoholic mother involved in one night stands. Long rambling film is ploddingly directed, looks good but isn't very interesting. Maybe the book needs to be made into a mini-series without censor restrictions to capture the true spirit of the book.

This Woman is Dangerous (Felix E. Feist, 1952) 3/10

Very minor noir has Joan Crawford playing a tough female gangster going blind. She brings zero nuance to the character playing her like a prim and proper lady posturing at a garden party. Since the plot veers more towards soap opera she has serious man troubles along the way. Her boyfriend (David Brian) is a brutal psychopath and she falls in love with the doctor (Dennis Morgan) who performs an operation on her eyes. This is absolute rubbish given a slight sheen via Ted McCord's shadowy cinematography which is appropriate to all noirs. Crawford is stoic throughout with not a hair out of place.

[gunnar]

I guess that I should probably update here a little more often, but it slips my mind. Here are some selections from the past month, including a number of Oscar nominees.

Ivy (2015) - 9/10 - The crew on a somewhat dilapidated cargo ship in the Mediterranean start to get worried when they haven't been paid for at least 2 months. Just before docking in their next port of call, the captain receives word that the shipowner has declared bankruptcy and is nowhere to be found. This leads to the ship being held outside the port with only a caretake crew onboard, including three newcomers to the ship. As the days and months pass, the interactions between the people get a bit more tense as tempers flare and madness starts to creep in. This is a very nice psychological thriller.

Anatomy of a Fall (2023) - 8.5/10 - Sandra Hüller portrays a writer whose husband dies in a fall and she finds herself on trial as a murder suspect, though the fall could have been suicide or an accident. The trial dredges up their marital issues which include an accident that left their son visually impaired. Hüller is excellent in her role and it is a very good film.

American Fiction (2023) - 8.5/10 - A black professor/writer hasn't sold very many books because they are too literary. He gets mad and writes a trashy book about the 'black experience' under a pseudonym and is shocked at the book's success. I don't think they quite stuck the landing, but this was a very funny movie with some nice performances from Jeffrey Wright in the lead role and from the supporting cast as well.

Perfect Days (2023) - 8.5/10 - Hirayama cleans toilets for a living. He gets up early in the morning, drives his van to work, listens to music on cassette tapes, and does his job. He takes pictures of trees, goes for bike rides on his day off, stops at a restaurant for dinner, and reads books before bed. He has his routines, doesn't speak much, and seems fairly content. The film follows Hirayama over a number of days with various encounters and routine days. Koji Yakusho does a great job as Hirayama and I also enjoyed the supporting cast.

The Holdovers (2023) - 8/10 - Paul Giamatti stars as a teacher at a private boarding school in Massachusetts as Christmas approaches in 1970. He is tasked (punished) with chaperoning the few boys who remain on campus over the Christmas holidays. One of the boys in particular stands out and the two butt heads at first. Giamatti is good in these types of roles and this one is no exception. Da’Vine Joy Randolph is really good as the school's cook and Dominic Sessa isn't bad as Tully. It's a nice film and there is plenty of humor along wit the more dramatic elements.

The Beaches of Agnès (2008) - 8/10 - Agnès Varda looks back on her life and career. She narrates and uses photos, clips from her films, recreations of past events, and more to tell the story. It's pretty good and I enjoyed it.

Monsoon Wedding (2001) - 8/10 - A big wedding is about to take place in New Delhi and family is coming from many places around the world. It turns into a big, expensive, elaborate affair and there is a lot of personal drama along the way, though more than balanced by the better times and humor. The music is also used to good effect.

Outrage (1950) - 8/10 - A young woman gets engaged, but is raped on her way home from work shortly thereafter. This traumatizes her and she tries to escape from her problems. Mala Powers gives a nice performance.

A Goofy Movie (1995) - 8/10 - Max is embarrassed by his father, Goofy. Goofy is worried about his son getting son getting in trouble so he takes Max on a cross country journey with plenty of obstacles along the way. I've never seen Goof Troop before, but like Goofy from the comics. This was a lot more fun than I expected.

The Day I Became a Woman / Roozi ke zan shodam (2000) - 8/10 - Three stories are told here about women in Iran at different stages of life. In the first story, a little girl is told on her ninth birthday that she must cover her hair and stop playing with the boys. In the second story, a twenty-something woman is competing in a bicycle race, but is pursued by her husband and family members on horseback. They want her to stop and come back to the village. The third story features an elderly woman who arrives by plane and sets out to purchase all of the things that she never had. It's a very nice film.

Nimona (2023) - 8/10 - The kingdom has survived for 1000 years with their traditions. They have a lot of modern amenities, but also have knights who are supposed to keep the kingdom safe. Ballister Boldheart is about to become the first commoner to join the ranks of the knights, but he is set up for a crime and ends up on the run where he is befriended by a shapechanging girl named Nimona. This was quite a bit of fun, especially the antics of Nimona as voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz.

To Kill a Tiger (2022) - 8/10 - In 2017, a 13 year old girl was raped by three men in a rural village in India. Many of the villagers wanted it handled within the village and some suggested having the girl marry one of her rapists, but the girl's parents stood by her and filed a police report. This film starts a few weeks after the rape and follows them through the 14 month trial of the three perpetrators. The family stood strong even with threats, pressure, and other issues that could have derailed everything.

Robot Dreams (2023) - 8/10 - In 1980s New. York, Dog is lonely so he purchases a kit to build a robot pal. Dog and Robot become fast friends and they spend a great summer together. Circumstances force them apart, but each dreams of being reunited with their friend, but life moves on. There is no dialogue, but dialogue isn't necessary to tell the story here. It's a very nice and entertaining film.

Terribly Happy (2008) - 7.5/10 - Robert is a police officer who has been transferred from Copenhagen to a small and rural town as punishment for an unspecified transgression. He finds the inhabitants of that town to be somewhat insular. There is one violent man who stands out from the crowd, though, and Robert soon finds himself involved through that man's wife. I've seen this described as a black comedy, but I didn't find it particularly funny. It is a decent drama which is a bit off kilter.

Io Capitano (2023) - 7.5/10 - Two Senegalese teenagers save up for a long time so that they can make the journey to Europe where they hope to make a living as musicians. The journey does not go as planned and is filled with a lot of hardship, but the magical vision of Europe remains their goal. Seydou Sarr is very good in the lead role

Drifting Clouds / Kauas pilvet karkaavat (1996) - 7.5/10 - A married couple in Helsinki seem to be getting by okay. He drives a tram and she is the head waiter at a restaurant. However, they soon run into difficulties when each loses their job over a couple of days. There is a recession and jobs are hard to find. Their situation keeps getting worse, but they keep trying to find a way out. Kati Outinen in particular was pretty good as Ilona.

The Zone of Interest (2023) - 7.5/10 - Rudolf Höss and his family live in a villa just outside Auschwitz, the camp that he commands. Life proceeds normally for them as the war and the Holocaust goes on. It's pretty good, but didn't wow me.

Past Lives (2023) - 7.5/10 - Nora moves to the United States from Korea with her family when she is 12 years old, leaving behind the boy that she liked and the rest of her friends. The two reconnect over the internet 12 years later and then meet in person for a few days in New York City 12 year after that. Nora can still speak Korean, but is fully acclimated to American life after living most of it there. The reunion is a bit awkward at times, but also serves to help answer the 'what if' thoughts that have gone through each of their minds over the years.

Pähkähullu Suomi (1967) - 7.5/10 - A film crew is making a documentary about Finland for Finland's 50th Anniversary. The story soon shifts to an American millionaire who is returning to the country that his father left in 1920. The film is a comedy and doesn't really linger too long on any one segment. The humor doesn't always quite land, but there are plenty of bits here and there that are pretty funny.

Death of a Bureaucrat (1966) - 7.5/10 - A man tries to help his aunt get the pension that she is supposed to receive after the death of his uncle. However, the person they deal with insists that she needs her late husband's worker card to receive the pension and the card was buried with the man. The nephew sets out to try and get the worker card by having the body exhumed briefly, but runs into red tape at every stop. This leads to increasingly farcical situations at times.

Poor Things (2023) - 7.5/10 - The production and costume design were top notch and Emma Stone gives an excellent performance. I ended up liking, but not loving the film, though.

American Honey (2016) - 7.5/10 - Star (Sasha Lane) is an 18 year old living in a crappy situation in Oklahoma. One day, she decides to join a group of young people who travel the country in a van selling subscriptions to magazines, living in motels, and drinking a lot. The situation may not be all that improved, but at least it's different. She also falls in with Jake (Shia LeBeouf), a charismatic man who ranks high in the pecking order of the group, which is run by Krystal (Riley Keough). The film is long and episodic with plenty of scenes of the group driving in the van to their next target area. I ended up liking it more than I expected.

Boats Out of Watermelon Rinds / Karpuz Kabugundan Gemiler Yapmak (2004) - 7.5/10 - Two teenage boys from a small village dream of having their own movie theater in their village. One boy works as an assistant to a watermelon seller in town and moons over an older girl that lives nearby. The other boy works as an assistant to a barber. Since projectors and cameras are too expensive for them, they set out to build their own projector and use discarded film that they salvage from the town's theater. It's a good coming of age film.

Adventures of Captain Vrungel (1976) - 7.5/10 - A sea captain and his student decide to join an international regatta. The regatta turns into quite the adventure, especially after a thief joins them onboard, along with their stolen goods. The animation is a bit different, but good. There are plenty of fun twists and turns.

The Color Purple (2023) - 7/10 - I liked the songs and generally thought the performances were good. The costumes, scenery, etc. all seemed pretty good as well. However, the songs weren't really memorable and seemed to take away from the strength and impact of the story. I did like the film, but it seemed rather light.

Inspector Palmu's Error (1960) - 7/10 - A wealthy man is found dead in the bath with the door locked. This was after having a number of guests over the night before. Inspector Palmu investigates in the mystery comedy. I was enjoying it quite a bit early on, but I started losing interest around the midpoint.

Elina: As If I Wasn’t There / Elina – som om jag inte fanns (2002) - 7/10 - In the 1950s, a young girl has been at home recovering from tuberculosis for a year and is finally well enough to go back to school, though she will be in a class with her younger sister. The girl likes to spend time in the nearby bogs and misses her late father. The family is part of a Finnish speaking minority in Sweden and the girl soon runs afoul of the strict head teacher who insists that students only speak Swedish. This is a fairly simple, but decent film.

Lapland Odyssey (2010) - 7/10 - Janne's girlfriend is tired of his lack of effort in a number of areas so she gives him an ultimatum to get a new digibox by morning or she will leave him. She even gives him the money, but he didn't go to the store before they closed. Janne and two friends set out on a quest to get the digibox and save the relationship. There are plenty of antics, some funny, some not as funny, as the quest takes them to a number of places to try and get the digibox.

Fallen Leaves (2023) - 7/10 - Ansa and Holappa each have their struggles keeping a job. They meet one night and are each interested in the other, but Holappa immediately loses her number and time passes before they meet again. A number of obstacles seem to crop up to derail their relationship. This is done in Kaurismäki's usual deadpan style and the two lead actors are each pretty good.

Oink (2022) - 7/10 - A girl meets the grandfather that she never knew when he shows up one day and takes over the cabin outside the family's home. He gifts her with a cute little pig, but does he have a secret agenda? There are some funny moments on occasion, especially toward the end.

Nyad (2023) - 6.5/10 - Annette Bening stars as Diana Nyad, a long distance swimmer who made a number of attempts to swim between Cuba and Key West in the 1970s and 2010s. Jodie Foster co-stars as Bonnie, Nyad's friend who supports her in this quest. I don't really know enough about Diana Nyad to determine the accuracy of Bening's portrayal, but it seemed kind of artificial to me. The character of Nyad was the least interesting and likable member of the cast. I did like Foster's performance and Rhys Ifans as navigator John Bartlett. There were long stretches in the film that were pretty dull.

The Eternal Memory (2023) - 6.5/10 - Paulina and Augusto have been together for 25 year. Augusto has had Alzheimer's for a number of years now and Paulina takes care of and loves her husband each day through this. She worries that the day will arrive when he will no longer recognize her. Paulina is an actress and Augusto was involved in film, television, and other activities that kept him in the public eye so there is plenty of archival footage of each of them along with home movies mixed in.

Flamin' Hot (2023) - 6.5/10 - The 'true' story of how Richard Montañez rose from being a janitor at Frito-Lay without a high school diploma to inventing Flamin' Hot Cheetos. The story is formulaic and seems highly exaggerated, but is still fairly entertaining. Not a great film, but it is certainly watchable.

May December (2023) - 6/10 - Natalie Portman stars as an actress who inserts herself into the lives of a couple (Julianne Moore and Charlie Melton) who have been married for 23 years in a relationship that started when the wife was 36 and the husband was 13. The actress stirs things up quite a bit just as the high school graduation of the couple's twins is approaching. The performances are okay, but I didn't really enjoy the film all that much.

El Conde (2023) - 6/10 - What if Augusto Pinochet didn't really die, but was instead a 250 year old vampire who was once a French Royalist soldier. Now he wants to die once and for all. This was pretty dull for the most part with only a few bits here and there that were a little more interesting.

Zombie and the Ghost Train (1991) - 6/10 - Zombie is a misfit who likes to play bass guitar, but doesn't seem to have too many other interests. He also has a problem with drinking and has been sleeping on the streets of Istanbul for a while. It's kind of a dull film, though Zombie is an interesting looking character.

Make Mine Music (1946) - 6/10 - This Disney package film contains a number of shorts, though most are only mildly interesting.

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023) - 6/10 - Ruby wants to go to prom with the boy she likes, but it's being held on a party boat and her mom refuses to let her run the risk of going in the ocean because she's really a kraken in human form. I thought the trailer didn't look too bad when I saw it in the theater. The movie is kind of simple, though, and a bit of a disappointment. It's not bad and I did like the animation, but I was expecting better.

The Element of Crime (1984) - 5/10 - This was Lars von Trier's first (non-student) feature film and there were things that I did like about it, including the general mood and visuals. I didn't care for the story or for the film as a whole, though.

Born American (1986) - 5/10 - Three American idio...tourists arrive in Finland, travel near the border with the USSR and start shooting arrows, playing in the snow, and taking photographs. They see a sign that the border is only a kilometer away and think it would be a great idea to sneak into the USSR, take photos, and act like jackasses. Things don't go as planned and they end up in a gulag. The acting and story were pretty dumb, though it is still sort of watchable. It was supposed to be a Chuck Norris vehicle, but when he backed out, his son Mike ended up getting the lead role.

Joulubileet (1996) - 5/10 - This is a pretty weird movie. Mike gets out of prison after serving 4 years for bank robbery and his friends/partners throw him a Christmas party (in the summer) to welcome him home. There's a lot of strange stuff that goes on and a few of them are kind of funny, but overall it's just odd. I can see some people really loving it, though I am not one of them.

Ripa ruostuu (1993) - 5/10 - Ripa drinks a lot and picks up a number of women. He calls himself a film director, though his two films have been panned for sex and violence and he can't sell a script. He owes his ex a lot of money and his life takes a nosedive during one fateful week. I didn't like the first half of this film, though it got better in the second half and did have one laugh out loud moment.

Open Season (2006) - 5/10 - A tame bear finds himself stranded in the woods just three days before open season begins. His only companion is a misfit deer. This was pretty dumb for and not very funny most of the time.

Back to the USSR (1992) - 4/10 - Reima is an outcast in his village, partly because he is a communist. His life changes when a vampiric Vladimir Lenin shows up at his home one day. This was a weird movie and not one that I really got into.

Hyvä poika / The Good Son (2011) - 4/10 - A young sociopath gets upset when his mother shows some interest in a guy she met at a party. It isn't very good.

The Asthenic Syndrome (1989) - 4/10 - This is a weird film and not one I really enjoyed, though it's evident that a lot of thought and work was put into it.

The Idiots / Idioterne (1998) - 3/10 - A group of people try to embrace their inner idiot by going out in public and acting as if they are mentally disabled. I didn't like it at all, though I can see why some might.

Arabesk (1989) - 3/10 - Two people who have loved each other since childhood are kept apart due to misunderstandings and through the actions of others. It’s pretty dumb.

[Reza]

Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023) 8/10

By turns outrageous, hilarious, wise and sad, this film, based on the novel by Alasdair Gray, sort of echoes Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. A medical student (Ramy Youssef) becomes an assistant to an eccentric doctor (Willem Dafoe) and falls in love with his child-like ward (Emna Stone) and wants to marry her. It appears that the doctor ressurrected a dead pregnant woman - a suicide - and replaced her brain with that of the brain of her unborn foetus. As the woman progressively moves towards normalcy and discovers her sexuality - hooray for masturbation - she runs off with a debauched lawyer (a hilariously hammy Mark Ruffalo). The rest of the plot follows the two on their journey which goes from Victorian England to Lisbon to Alexandria and finally to a brothel in Paris. Bizzare and often very funny film is a marvel of production design and cinematography with sporadic weird fish-eye views. Stone gives a fascinating physical performance, all limbs akimbo at first, and then gradually finding grace in her movements. This flamboyant fairy tale is the coming-of-age of a woman who from awkward childhood builds herself into a very modern woman totally in control of her life.

American Fiction (Cord Jefferson, 2023) 10/10

I just love that one shocking moment here that is clearly lifted off from Sidney Lumet's "Network" and just like it this too is a bold and unflinching film that refuses to soft peddle the underlying brutal sarcasm that runs throughout the screenplay. A frustrated black novelist-professor (Jeffrey Wright) decides to write a grossly unconventional satire of stereotypical "Black" books which to his horror becomes the toast of literary circles and wins him a multi-million dollar movie deal as well. It is also a story about a black family and the dynamics within which are no different from any other family out there - his over achieving sister, a doctor (Tracee Ellis Ross), his gay brother (Sterling K. Brown), a plastic surgeon with a massive chip on his shoulder, and their Mom (Leslie Uggams) recently diagnosed with Alzheimers. The perceptive screenplay, based on the book "Erasure" by Percival Everett, touches on race, class, loyalty to family, the theory of language, sexual identity and anger about the African-American literary establishment. Superbly acted film received 5 Academy Award nominations - Best Picture, for the performances of both Wright and Brown, the screenplay and score.

The Holdovers (Alexander Payne, 2023) 8/10

Sass and a foul mouth will invariably bring you close to an Oscar. If additionally you have a tragic past - son dying in Vietnam - you have it in the bag. Needless to say being African-American along with the above combo also helps greatly. Da'Vine Joy Randolph is the sassy school cafeteria manager who trades quips with disgraced classics professor (Paul Giamatti) and troubled teenager (Dominic Sessa) over the winter break at a New England boarding school for boys. The teacher, a strict and stubborn disciplinarian, ends up bonding with the neglected and lonely teenager after initially starting out in antagonistic mode. Payne's film reminds one of Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" grappling with sad pasts and broken dreams during the Christmas season. A real sleeper the film received 5 Oscar nominations - Best Picture, for the performances by Giamatti & Randolph, the screenplay and editing. Randolph is poised to win the Oscar for her supporting performance.

Dune: Part 2 (Denis Villeneuve, 2024) 5/10

The second installment finally arrives - it was postponed from last year due to a Hollywood strike. I was not a fan of the first part and here too my main disappointment is to only hear Charlotte Rampling who mostly remains hidden under a veil and can barely be seen. Ok, I agree that's no reason to not like the rest of what is on screen. Yes, it all looks very grand with most of the scenes set in spectacular Wadi Rum in Jordan. The desolate sand dunes and giant rock formations allow the characters to play hide and seek as they battle it out with each other and the giant worm-like creatures. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) takes on the mantle of a messiah, "Muad'Dib", after he joins with the leader of the Freman tribe (Javier Bardem) and learning their ways which includes riding a sandworm. He ends up subduing the fundamentalist southern region of the planet (with help from his mother (Rebecca Ferguson, now a Reverend Mother) before a fight to the death with the Baron's young nephew (Austin Butler) resulting in the defeat of the Emperor (Christopher Walken) and a planned forced marriage with his daughter (Florence Pugh). This angers the Freman woman (Zendaya) he loves and who leaves him. There is too much plot crammed into almost three hours of running time and most of the time is spent with characters making dull philosophical speeches. The action scenes are few and boringly repetitious. There is going to be a third installment with the action shifting from Paul to his unborn sister (Anya Taylor-Joy) who appears here as an apparition.

Cone of Silence (Charles Frend, 1960) 6/10

An investigation into the structural integrity of the Phoenix 1 jetliner - the film was based on a novel which in turn was loosely based on a 1952 de Havilland Comet crash in Rome. When after a few close calls an airliner fails to lift off and crashes, the pilot (Bernard Lee) is blamed. His daughter (Elizabeth Seal) is convinced that there is a fault in the plane and urges another pilot (Michael Craig) to investigate. Interesting film which today is probably rather outdated in detail but nevertheless has many suspenseful aerial cockpit scenes. The film has a good cast of British actors - Peter Cushing as an arrogant pilot,
Noel Willman as the plane designer, André Morell and Gordon Jackson as co-pilots, and George Sanders as the crash investigator.

Allonsanfàn (Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, 1974) 7/10

Long rambling story about an unlucky revolutionary (Marcello Mastroianni) in post-Napoleonic Italy. Released from prison he returns to his family home and is reunited with his sister (Laura Betti). Now matured he views his idealistic youth in a much more realistic light but the arrival of his mistress (Lea Massaril) plunges him back within the brotherhood who arrive at his estate. Betrayed by his sister most are killed including his lover. He manages to escape, meets up with his young son and again ends up being tracked by the surviving Brothers. The harder he tries to get away the more entrenched he becomes with them. When he finally decides to join up again his life comes full circle during the ironic ending. Giuseppe Ruzzolini’s cinematography and Giovanni Sbarra’s production design are immaculate, as are the stunning costumes - the revolutionaries start out dressed in pointy-hooded KKK lookalikes who later change into natty red-jackets. The memorable score is by Ennio Morricone.

Body Double (Brian De Palma, 1984) 10/10

Fantastic homage to Alfred Hitchcock - ok, let's get real here, De Palma outright steals from the Master taking major plot points from "Vertigo" (obsession & claustrophobia - a substitute for the original's vertigo), "Rear Window" (voyeurism), and "Dial M for Murder" (husband plotting to kill wife). Struggling actor (Craig Wasson) is offered a place to stay by a friendly stranger (Gregg Henry) in a house where a telescope is set up to spy on a distant house where a sexy woman dances erotically at a specific time every night. One night while spying on her he sees an Indian enter the woman's house and start to brutally attack her. He rushes to get there but is too late to save her as she is killed with a hand held drill. The plot thickens when a porn star (Melanie Griffith) enters the picture and who's life is similarly threatened. Will he manage to save her or will his claustrophobia stand in the way? Illusion and reality play a major part in the film as De Palma superbly creates tension and suspense using his camera in highly inventive ways, tracking, crane shots and zooms to dizzying effect which clearly reflect the debilitating nature of the main protagonist who goes from one crisis to the next. Melanie Griffith is hilarious as the porn queen describing in graphic detail what she will not do during sex but at the same time has a no-nonsense quality overiding the seemingly bimbo personality that is attached to her little girl-like voice. This is an underated gem from De Palma and a must see.

Man Afraid (Harry Keller, 1957) 7/10

During a house break-in a young robber almost blinds a woman (Phyllis Thaxter) before he is accidently killed by her minister husband (George Nader). Soon after the dead man's disturbed father starts stalking the couple's little boy (Tim Hovey). Tension filled B-noir moves at a fast pace and has an outstanding performance by the child actor. Also memorable are Reta Shaw as a sassy nurse and Mabel Albertson as the alcoholic neighbor of the stalker. Both actresses would go on to play hilarious characters on the sitcom Bewitched, and Albertson was also very funny as the old woman who's jewels are stolen in What's Up Doc?