Category Archives: movies

‘Make ’em Laugh’ is much too serious

Posted on March 9, 2010 by admin

I was grown and educated on Robert Youngson’s compilation of Golden Age of Comedy which by the end of the 50s was bringing back to audiences world-wide the great masters of the first decades of comedy in the cinema. The … Continue reading →

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‘Charulata’ – The Magic of Satyajit Ray

Posted on February 27, 2010 by admin

A group of friends of mine must be gathered while I am writing this notes near the Cismigiu garden in Bucharest to watch this film. I tried to organize for myself some kind of synchronous viewing, let us see if … Continue reading →

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Film – Feux Rouges (France – 2004)

Posted on February 20, 2010 by admin

The first few seconds of ‘Feux Rouges’ show Antoine – a mid-age Parisian insurance agent – writing a loving mail to his wife on the verge of a family vacation. The last few seconds of the movie show the couple … Continue reading →

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Film – Inglorious Basterds (Tarantino, 2009)

Posted on February 17, 2010 by admin

I think that it is a mistake to judge a film as what it is not.’Inglorious Basterds’ is not (just) a war film. It is not a historical film. It is not a film about the Holocaust either. It is … Continue reading →

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Film – ‘The Hurt Locker’ (US – 2009)

Posted on February 9, 2010 by admin

William James (acted by Oscar candidate for best lead role Jeremy Renner) is a character that is hard to forget. He is a soldier whose expertise is to defuse bombs. He played dices with fate more than 800 times and … Continue reading →

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Film – Das weisse Band (Michael Haneke – 2009)

Posted on February 7, 2010 by admin

The full title in German of the film is  ‘Das weisse Band – Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte’ – ‘The White Ribbon – A German Children Story’ which could translate as ‘story for children’ or ‘story about children’. A story for children … Continue reading →

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‘Ajami’ goes to the Oscars

Posted on February 3, 2010 by admin

Frankly speaking I did not expect it. I was surprised even when ‘Ajami‘ made it for the short list, but here we are. For the third year in a row an Israeli film makes it in the final five for … Continue reading →

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Film: ‘Burn After Reading’ – (Coen brothers, 2008)

Posted on February 1, 2010 by admin

There is one mis-perception that this film fixed in my mind – there are not really funny films about stupid people. Stupid people are … well … stupid, their behavior is by definition subject of easy jokes, so for smart … Continue reading →

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Shanghai, les années folles

Posted on January 24, 2010 by admin

The documentary directed by Oliver Horn and Anne Riegel, prezented by the European culture TV chain ARTE brought up a fascinating period in the history of the 20th century China – the years of development and expansion, of conflicts and … Continue reading →

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Film – ‘Ajami’ (Israel – 2009)

Posted on January 17, 2010 by admin

‘Ajami’, the Israeli entry for the Oscar this year is very different from the successful films that represented the country in the previous years. Directed by two newcomers on the cinema scene Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani, it is acted … Continue reading →

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