Category Archives: movies

superb Londonian crime drama (film: The Long Good Friday – The Long Good Friday, John Mackenzie, 1980)

The two very good reasons to see (or re-watch) ‘The Long Good Friday‘ (1980) are Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren. The two actors play the two main roles, and these roles seem to be their first consistent roles in feature … Continue reading

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a film about courage (film: Tatami – Zar Amir Ebrahimi & Guy Nattiv, 2023)

We are in the Olympic year and season, and ‘Tatami‘ (2023) directed by Zar Amir Ebrahimi and Guy Nattiv is the right movie for this season. It can be said that the (Olympic) spirit of sport and the relationship between … Continue reading

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farewell to Anouk (film: Un soir, un train – André Delvaux, 1968)

It might be a bit of an exaggeration to say that Belgian cinema begins with the films of André Delvaux, but that doesn’t mean this statement is completely untrue. Delvaux was not only the first Belgian director to achieve international … Continue reading

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a wonderful late movie by Ozu (film: Ukigusa / Floating Weeds – Yasujirô Ozu, 1959)

Made in 1959, ‘Ukigusa / Floating Weeds‘ is part of Yasujirô Ozu‘s final group of six color films. It is a remake of a silent movie made by Ozu in 1934. The Japanese master was apparently a late adopter of … Continue reading

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4 facets of Edvard Munch (film: Munch – Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken, 2023)

Edvard Munch is an artist that the cinematography did not pay much attention to. This might seem a paradox, considering that he is probably Norway’s greatest painter and an internationally famous artist, and that he had a rather long life … Continue reading

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the virtuosity of the raising stars (film: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape – Lasse Hallström, 1993)

‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape‘ (1993) is one of the best-known feature films of the Swedish director Lasse Hallström, whose launching pad to international fame was built of the music videos of ABBA’s hit songs. Today it has also become a … Continue reading

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Brigitte Bardot investigates (film: Voulez-vous danser avec moi? – Michel Boisrond, 1959)

Director Michel Boisrond had already secured in the mid-1950s a name for himself in the history of French cinema, being among the first to cast in leading roles Brigitte Bardot and, a little later, Alain Delon. The collaboration with Brigitte … Continue reading

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a simple love story by master Aki Kaurismäki (film: Kuolleet lehdet / Fallen Leaves – Aki Kaurismäki, 2023)

The 2023 ‘Kuolleet lehdet‘ (‘Fallen Leaves‘ in international distribution) is a formidable display of minimalist virtuosity by Finnish maestro Aki Kaurismäki. The director, who is also the author of the original screenplay, seems to be responding to a challenge. What … Continue reading

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Apollo as a romcom hero (film: Fly Me to the Moon – Greg Berlanti, 2024)

The Apollo 11 mission and mankind’s first steps on another celestial body is probably the most significant event I have witnessed, thanks to live television, in my lifetime. It is not surprising that the first landing of a human crew … Continue reading

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the happy interlude (film: Belle Epoque – Fernando Trueba, 1992)

‘Belle epoque‘, the movie by director Fernando Trueba was made in 1992, towards the end of a period that radically transformed Spanish cinema. His country had awakened to freedom after decades of dictatorship and censorship, and its artists, filmmakers among … Continue reading

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