Category Archives: movies

please, not a 3rd one! unless you have a really great new idea (film: Now You See Me 2 – John M. Chu, 2016)

‘Now You See Me 2‘, released in 2016, provides some of the arguments for why series that try to squeeze as much of the success of a more successful original film as possible are often not a good idea. Two … Continue reading

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a milestone in the history of the western genre (film: The Wild Bunch – Sam Peckinpah, 1969)

The scene that opens Sam Peckinpah‘s 1969 ‘The Wild Bunch‘ immediately reminds fans of the western genre of John Sturges’ ‘The Magnificent Seven’ made in 1960. A group of riders enter a small town in the Wild West (rather the … Continue reading

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a feminine interpretation of a feminine legend told many times

Film lovers and connoisseurs looking for a significant example of an auteur film from the first decade of the 3rd millennium can choose ‘The Countess‘ without hesitation. Made in 2009 as a Franco-German co-production with international distribution, the film is … Continue reading

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a serial killer story in the time of Dreyfuss (film: Le juge et l’assassin – Bertrand Tavernier, 1976)

Director Bertrand Tavernier and actor Philippe Noiret collaborated in 9 films. The 1976 ‘Le juge et l’assassin’ is the third film they made together and is a remarkable film in many ways. The story takes place in the last decade … Continue reading

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a ray of light in hard times (film: Rosenstrasse – Margarethe von Trotta, 2003)

‘A ray of light in hard times’ – this is how one of the main heroines characterizes the events described in ‘Rosenstrasse‘, the 2003 film directed by Margarethe von Trotta. The episode took place in February-March 1943 and was one … Continue reading

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time capsule (film: Fin août, début septembre – Olivier Assayas, 1998)

25 years have passed since the release of ‘Fin août, début septembre‘. Watching it a generation later was a very interesting experience for me. In 1998, Olivier Assayas had just enjoyed success with ‘Irma Vep’, until today considered one of … Continue reading

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thrill and fun across the border (film: Gringo – Nash Edgerton, 2018)

Summer. I was looking for an action comedy with an interesting cast that manages to capture and hold my attention for the whole duration of the movie, amuse and relax me. I chose ‘Gringo‘, the 2018 film by Nash Edgerton, … Continue reading

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cold passion (film: Decision to Leave – Park Chan-wook, 2022)

We always expect surprises and extremes from the Korean director Park Chan-wook. ‘Decision to Leave‘ (Korean title is ‘Heojil kyolshim‘) seems to deviate from this rule. There is no complete lack of shocking shots, but we are far from the … Continue reading

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cold war casualties (film: The Courier – Dominic Cooke, 2020)

The 1962 missile crisis, triggered by the Soviet Union’s installation of nuclear-armed missiles in Cuba, has already spawned a few bookshelves and a few dozen movies for the big and small screens. It should be noted that despite the amount … Continue reading

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fun at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (film: Quai d’Orsay – Bertrand Tavernier, 2013)

Before all, I chose to watch ‘Quai d’Orsay‘ (distributed with the English title ‘The French Minister’) because it is the last film made by Bertrand Tavernier, a director I really appreciate. The presence of Jane Birkin in the cast was … Continue reading

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