Tag Archives: independent cinema

beware of the neighbors (film: The Invite – Olivia Wilde, 2026)

‘The Invite‘ is one of the unexpected successes of this summer. It has recovered the production costs and made about four times more after a few weeks of its release. The reviews are mostly positive. The audience fills the halls … Continue reading

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presumed innocent (film: 12 Angry Men – Sidney Lumet, 1957)

‘12 Angry Men‘ is the debut film of director Sidney Lumet. Reginald Rose (who is the author of the script and the television play that inspired it) and Henry Fonda, the independent producers of the film, took a risk by … Continue reading

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a farce in the mountains (film: Catane – Ioana Mischie, 2025)

The poster, the credits and the promotional campaign for ‘Catane‘ (2025) insist on emphasizing the fact that it is a feature-length debut film. I don’t know exactly why the director and screenwriter Ioana Mischie, together with the producers, insist on … Continue reading

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a disturbing and absorbing movie (film: Good Time – Benny & Josh Safdie, 2017)

‘Good Time‘, the 2017 film by brothers Benny and Josh Safdie, was for me one of those films that left me glued to my seat at the end and when the credits rolled I asked myself: ‘What did I just … Continue reading

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fresh, authentic, human (film: Red Rocket – Sean Baker, 2021)

I didn’t miss the opportunity to watch ‘Red Rocket‘ (2021) because it is the previous film by Sean Baker, the director of ‘Anora’. This was one of the revelations of the year for me and not only for me, as … Continue reading

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the nightmare of Cinderella (film: Anora – Sean Baker, 2024)

‘Anora‘, Sean Baker‘s film that won the Golden Palm at Cannes this year, begins as a romantic story whose protagonist is a Cinderella who is a stripper and prostitute, and continues as a violent drama that takes place in the … Continue reading

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a Jarmusch-style escape (film: Down by Law – Jim Jarmusch, 1986)

‘Down by Law‘ made in 1986 is Jim Jarmusch‘s third feature film. The previous film, ‘Stranger Than Paradise’ had enjoyed an unexpected success. To a large extent, ‘Down by Law‘ continues the same creative line, taking a classic theme and … Continue reading

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a feel-good dystopia (film: Strawberry Mansion – Kentucker Audley & Albert Birney, 2021)

Are there dystopias that are at the same time ‘feel good’ films? The couple of screenwriters and directors Kentucker Audley and Albert Birney strive to prove that the answer is ‘yes!’ with ‘Strawberry Mansion‘, their film made in 2021. It … Continue reading

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runaway kids (film: Moonrise Kingdom – Wes Anderson, 2012)

Welcome to Wes Anderson‘s universe for ‘Moonrise Kingdom‘, made in 2012, perhaps Anderson‘s most Andersonian film. It’s a bold combination of a movie for and about teenagers and a surreal fantasy, a nostalgic American story set in the mid-1960s – … Continue reading

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another piece in the mosaic (film: Minari – Lee Isaac Chung, 2020)

‘Minari‘, the autobiographical film written and directed in 2020 by the American filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung, a son of Korean immigrants, has some beautiful moments and quite a lot of cinematic qualities. It is an immigrants story, one of the … Continue reading

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