Category Archives: movies

identity games (Film: Charade – Audrey Hepburn, 1963)

Had Stanley Donen directed only ‘Singin’ in the Rain‘ it would probably have been enough for him to have a place of honor in the history of cinema. But Donen has directed and produced many other successful films, most of … Continue reading

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the enigmas of ‘Persona’ (Film: Persona – Ingmar Bergman, 1966)

‘Persona‘ is one of the most enigmatic movies in the history of cinema. Those who read the chronicles written right after the 1966 release of the film or the articles dedicated to it in the books of cinema history will … Continue reading

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dream or absurd or both? (Film: Buffet Froid – Gérard Depardieu, 1979)

‘Buffet Froid‘ made in 1979 by Bertrand Blier can be seen as an almost perfect antithesis of the films of the French New Wave that had burst into the cinema world two decades ago. If the New Wave was a … Continue reading

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a big story, a failed movie (Film: Red Joan – Judi Dench, 2018)

Trevor Nunn, the director of ‘Red Joan‘, had in his hands a huge story. He also had in the cast Judi Dench, a great actress in a role that seemed to have been written for her. The film starts very … Continue reading

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an inconvenient mirror (Film: Cea mai fericitã fatã din lume – Radu Jude, 2009)

‘This is who we are!’. This is the message that film director Radu Jude repeats obsessively in all his films. He puts an uncomfortable mirror in the face of the sometimes unwilling Romanian spectators, bound to face unpleasant truths about … Continue reading

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the formidable magnetism of Anna Magnani (film: Beautiful – Luchino Visconti, 1951)

‘They do not make movies like those anymore’ is a saying that makes me smile. Of course, it is true. For the good and for the bad. The technical means, the tastes of the audiences, the style of acting, and … Continue reading

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late debut, but it was worth waiting (Film: Bli Dam – Joe El Dror, 2018)

I do not know whether the debut as a feature films director at the age of 57 is a record, but I’m sure it’s a rarity. Yet, Joe El Dror is not a new name for the Israeli public, being … Continue reading

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a film made 50 years too late (Film: Pompeii – Paul W.S. Anderson, 2014)

I saw ‘Pompeii‘ in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Movies that heavily advertise their 3D effects must be seen in cinemas equipped with this projection technology. I skipped the movie at its time in cinemas, and I … Continue reading

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a very efficient docu-drama

I do not have a Netflix account (yet), so I rarely see films protected by the ecosystem of this kind of broadcast. Luckily, a few movies like ‘Roma‘, which was also presented in Cannes and now this ‘Sulla mia pelle‘ … Continue reading

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long but rewarding (Film: Ahlat Agaci – Nuri Bilge Ceylan, 2018)

Watching Nuri Bilge Ceylan‘s film ‘Ahlat Agaci‘ (‘The Wild Pear Tree’) is a cinematic experience that I would compare to reading some of the books of the classics of Russian literature. It’s not easy reading, but it’s catchy. The length … Continue reading

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