Madame Butterfly

Genre: romantic drama  

With: Ying Huang (Cio-Cio-San), Richard Troxell (B.F. Pinkerton), Ning Liang (Suzuki), Richard Cowan (Sharpless), Jing Ma Fan (Goro), Christopheren Nòmura (Prince Yamadori), Constance Hauman (Kate), Kusakabe Yo (Uncle Bonze), Kamel Touati (Uncle Yakusidé)

Director: Frédéric Mitterrand

Screenplay: Frédéric Mitterrand (adapted from the libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica)

Release: 1995

Studio: Erato Films, Idéale Audience, Imalyre et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.6/10 

 

‟She's like a porcelain doll. She sets me on fire.” 

 

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Story-line: Japan, 1904. Pinkerton, an American naval officer temporarily stationed in Nagasaki, has decided – why not! – to live it up during his stay. He buys himself a house complete with servants and gets engaged to pretty Cio-Cio-San. Sharpless, the American consul who advises him, acknowledges that he is free to do whatever he chooses but urges caution anyway.

Pluses: admirable singing and acting by Ying Huang (an immensely touching Cio-Cio-San) and Richard Troxell (a dashing Pinkerton), firm support from Ning Liang, Richard Cowan and Jing Ma Fan, remarkable direction, a simple yet intense screenplay depicting memorable characters and events, breathtakingly beautiful cinematography, ravishing production values (sets, costumes, locations), a lovely musical score and a powerful ending.

Minuses: the story-line could be considered anti-American if not for the worldly Sharpless who embodies another side of ‟yankee” culture.

Comments: the very accessible MADAME BUTTERFLY is one of the best operas ever composed and Frédéric Mitterrand’s dignified version for the screen does justice to Puccini’s masterpiece. Each and every frame of this movie is purposed for beauty and filmed with dedication and respect. Even if opera isn’t your thing, you will feel fortunate to see such a spectacle of passion and tragedy. ‟Dovunque al mondo lo Yankee vagabondo…*”

 

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*‟Everywhere in the world the wandering Yankee…” - Source: www.opera-arias.com/ 

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Tommy

Genre: musical drama

With: Roger Daltrey (Tommy), Oliver Reed (Frank), Ann-Margret (Nora), Elton John (the Pinball Wizard), Eric Clapton (the Preacher), Keith Moon (Uncle Ernie), Paul Nicholas (Cousin Kevin), Jack Nicholson (the Specialist), Robert Powell (Captain Walker), John Entwistle and Pete Townshend (as themselves), Tina Turner (the Acid Queen), Barry Winch (young Tommy)

Director: Ken Russell

Screenplay: the Who and Ken Russell (based on Pete Townshend’s rock opera) with additional material from John Entwistle and Keith Moon

Release: 1975

Studio: Robert Stigwood Organisation Ltd., Hemdale

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.2/10 

 

The Boy Wonder, His Mother, the Abusers Around Him and His One True Hope 

 

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Story-line: when Nora Walker, the wife of an English World War II pilot, learns that her husband has died in combat, she is all alone to give birth. The war ends, Nora raises little Tommy by herself and, just as she finds happiness with a new man, Tommy witnesses an event so traumatizing that he becomes deaf, dumb and blind. Will fate always be brutal to Nora’s son?

Pluses: solid acting by Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed (as a rather scuzzy character) and Roger Daltrey (remarkable for his screen presence, physical acting and powerhouse vocals), fine support from a mix of well-known thespians and artists (Tina Turner, Keith Moon and Paul Nicholas are standouts), hectic and flamboyant direction, a logical, imaginative and sometimes outrageous screenplay built on dialogues almost entirely sung, extravagant production values (costumes, sets, choreography), striking visuals, an ambitious musical score and an ending that comes full circle.

Minuses: be warned that the Who, in their heyday, had a peculiar obsession with baked beans.

Comments: on some level, Ken Russell’s film was a precursor to music videos of the 1980s and its source material – Pete Townshend’s catchy songs from 1969 – has aged quite well, even by today’s standards. Daring, driving and rip-roaring, TOMMY pays tribute to a milestone in rock music history and amps up the entertainment for maximum viewing pleasure. ‟See me! Feel me! Touch me! Heal me!” 

 

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© 2022 – All rights reserved

Boyhood

Genre: coming-of-age drama  

With: Ellar Coltrane (Mason Evans Jr.), Patricia Arquette (his mom Olivia), Lorelei Linklater (his sister Samantha), Ethan Hawke (his dad Mason), Libby Villari (Grandma), Marco Perella (Bill Welbrock), Jamie Howard (Mindy), Andrew Villarreal (Randy), Barbara Chisholm (Carol), Angela Rawna (Professor Elena Douglas), Jenni Tooley (Annie), Evie Thompson (Jill), Richard Andrew Jones (Grandpa Cliff), Karen Jones (Nana), Brad Hawkins (Jim), Tom McTigue (Mr. Turlington), Zoe Graham (Sheena), Bill Wise (Uncle Steve), Maximillian McNamara (Dalton), Jessi Mechler (Nicole)

Director: Richard Linklater

Screenplay: Richard Linklater

Release: 2014

Studio: IFC Productions, Detour Filmproduction

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.5/10

 

 

Young People Need All That Time to Figure It Out... If They're Lucky! 

 

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Story-line: BOYHOOD follows 6-year-old Mason, his sister and their divorced parents as they go about their lives from 2002 to 2014. That’s it… there’s nothing more to this movie!

Pluses: excellent acting by Ellar Coltrane (as the free-spirited, intelligent and increasingly likeable Mason), Lorelei Linklater (his sympathetic sister), Patricia Arquette (their well-meaning but luckless mom) and an endearing Ethan Hawke, efficient direction, a sincere and lively screenplay paced by natural dialogues, consistent production values, pretty cinematography, sensible editing and a satisfying ending.

Minuses: none… but do plan ahead because this movie is 165 minutes long.

Comments: BOYHOOD tells a familiar story and holds few surprises but never loses interest because of its accuracy and simple humanity. In a few words… it rings so true! Richard Linklater’s idea to spread out the film shoot over 12 years in order to let his characters breathe, evolve and grow older was quite astute, echoing Michael Apted’s well-known UP documentaries. What makes BOYHOOD so watchable is how it allows us to know, accept and even cherish its characters while they experience triumphs and setbacks like anyone would… with optimism, disappointment, confusion or resilience. Love and relationships, family dynamics, school and work issues, mentors and bad influences are covered wisely in this modest and worthy film. Enjoy!

 

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© 2022 – All rights reserved

An Education

Genre: romantic comedy drama

With: Carey Mulligan (Jenny Mellor), Alfred Molina (her father Jack), Cara Seymour (her mother Marjorie), Olivia Williams (Miss Stubbs), Peter Sarsgaard (David Goldman), Matthew Beard (Graham), Dominic Cooper (Danny), Rosamund Pike (Helen), Emma Thompson (Mrs. Walters, the Headmistress)

Director: Lone Scherfig

Screenplay: Nick Hornby (based on a memoir by Lynn Barber)

Release: 2009

Studio: BBC Films, Finola Dwyer Productions, Wildgaze Films et al.

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.0/10 

 

‟There’s so much I want you to see.” 

 

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Story-line: Twickenham in the 1960s. Although Jenny Mellor, a brilliant high-school student, appreciates the support she receives from her watchful father and her boyfriend Graham, what she really wants is to leave home, study at Oxford and have a life of her own… hopefully in Paris. One rainy day, after a cello rehearsal, fate offers her a ticket to freedom... David Goldman, a charming man who will pull her out of her stifling little world.     

Pluses: fine performances by Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard (showing superb chemistry as a couple), delightful support from Alfred Molina and a faultless cast, competent direction, a spiffy screenplay enlivened by truthful, well-written dialogues, lovely cinematography and attractive production values.

Minuses: the story-line may seem a tad predictable to some viewers (me included). 

Comments: I’ll be frank: AN EDUCATION is not a work of great human import but it certainly fulfills its purpose as the illustration of one girl's struggles in a confusing world. Catchy, bittersweet and very pretty, Lone Scherfig’s work will please movie buffs with a taste for romance (and we are many!).  

 

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Vampyr

Genre: horror movie (in black and white)

With: Nicolas de Gunzburg, aka Julian West (Allan Grey), Maurice Schutz (the Lord of the Manor), Rena Mandel (Gisèle), Sybille Schmitz (Léone), Jan Hieronimko (the Doctor), Henriette Gérard (Marguerite Chopin), Albert Bras (the servant)  

Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer

Screenplay: Christen Jul, Svend Rindom and Carl Theodor Dreyer (based on a book by J. Sheridan Le Fanu)

Release: 1932

Studio: Tobis Filmkunst

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.8/10 

 

Still Creepy After All These Years* 

 

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Story-line: Allan Grey, a young man fascinated by devil worship and vampirism, stops in the village of Courtempierre and takes a room at the local inn. That evening, after hearing a strange chant and seeing a disfigured man, he goes to bed, sleeps badly and is awakened by the old Lord of the Manor who tells him ‟Quiet!... She must not die. Do you understand?”  

Pluses: fine acting all around, an efficient and eerie screenplay stoking much tension, spare dialogues complemented by a continuous stream of sinister music by Wolfgang Zeller, adept editing, artful direction, competent cinematography (by Rudolph Maté and Louis Née) and Henri Armand’s striking special effects.

Minuses: since this spellbinding movie is 90 years old, don’t expect state-of-the-art production values − for one thing, the door to Allan’s room looks like it’s made of cardboard − but such shortcomings are more than compensated by a brilliant display of imagination and strangeness. A series of mysterious events involving Allan at the one-hour mark can be explained as a dream sequence.  

Comments: for anyone not acquainted with vampires, this pioneering work by the legendary C.T. Dreyer serves as a fitting and wide-ranging introduction to their dark and nightmarish universe. In fact, VAMPYR does so much with so little − and with such potency − that I was unsure if it was a movie I was watching or some scary dream I had unwittingly stepped into. Doubtless a classic and a chilling good time for all. And just in time for Halloween...  

 

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© 2022 – All rights reserved 

*My apologies to Paul Simon, of course.

Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht

English title: Nosferatu the Vampyre 

Also known as: Nosferatu: fantôme de la nuit

Genre: horror movie

With: Klaus Kinski (Count Dracula), Isabelle Adjani (Lucy Harker), Bruno Ganz (Jonathan Harker, Lucy’s husband), Roland Topor (Renfield, Jonathan’s boss), Walter Ladengast (Dr. Van Helsing), Dan van Husen (the Warden)

Director: Werner Herzog

Screenplay: Werner Herzog (based on Bram Stoker’s novel)

Release: 1979

Studio: Werner Herzog Filmproduktion, Gaumont, Zweiten Deutschen Fernsehen

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.7/10 

 

The Drinks Are On Me 

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Story-line: despite his wife’s frightful premonition, a real estate agent travels to Transylvania to meet an aristocrat interested in buying property in his area of Germany. Oddly enough, the aristocrat’s name is… uh… Dracula… count Dracula.

Pluses: fine acting by an obsessed Klaus Kinski (with bald head, eyes wide open, toothy grin and visible fangs), Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz and Roland Topor, a screenplay spare in dialogues but generous in spooky sights and disturbing events, Werner Herzog’s calm and unhurried direction, pretty cinematography that lingers on its subjects, judicious production values (Old World sets and costumes, ghastly sound effects, competent makeup work) and an eclectic score combining opera, spaced-out electro and choral music.

Minuses: none I can think of.

Comments: Werner Herzog may have gone against conventions in conceiving a quiet and artistically-minded vampire movie but his NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE delivers as many chills − if not more − than typical horror fare. Although less striking than Dreyer’s VAMPYR, this adventure in terror, which borrows elements from Herzog’s AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD, is disturbing and convincing enough to satisfy any movie buff. When I heard the nefarious one say ‟There are things more horrible than death”, I didn’t doubt him and neither will you. 

 

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Spartacus

Genre: antiquity drama 

With: Kirk Douglas (Spartacus), Laurence Olivier (Marcus Crassus), Jean Simmons (Varinia), Charles Laughton (Gracchus), Peter Ustinov (Batiatus), John Gavin (Julius Caesar), Tony Curtis (Antoninus), Nina Foch (Helena)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Screenplay: Dalton Trumbo (based on Howard Fast’s novel)

Release: 1960

Studio: Bryna Productions, Universal Pictures

Rating: PG-13

MBiS score: 8.5/10 

 

‟ I'm free. And what do I know? I don't even know how to read.” 

 

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Story-line: in the first century before Christ, Rome was asserting its might as the centre of the ‟civilized” world but its glory was far from immaculate. Power struggles were frequent between members of the ruling class, slavery and colonialism were the drivers of economic growth and jobless Romans were kept quiet with bread and circuses. Spartacus, the proud son of a Thracian slave, a forced labourer and a gladiator in training, will rebel against this world order and confront the Empire.  

Pluses: wondrous acting by Kirk Douglas (rugged, defiant but also tender), Jean Simmons (regal in a complex role), Laurence Olivier (notable for his toughness), Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov and a superior cast, an intelligent screenplay that blends insightful psychological portraits, period detail and virile − even funny − dialogues to compose a striking piece of history, straightforward helming by one of cinema’s great directors (behold the awesome combat choreography), suitable production values, fine editing and an evocative musical score by Alex North.

Minuses: none I can think of.   

Comments: SPARTACUS, a movie epic for all tastes, reminded me of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS and BEN-HUR in its use of atmosphere, colours, landscapes and settings. Although it features some violence, Stanley Kubrick’s work paints an old-world picture of political wranglings (as complex and dastardly as today’s), romance, heartbreak and surprising solidarity. On a historical level, the Roman Empire has never ceased to fascinate and influence our world despite its brutality. On a cinematic level, Kubrick’s oeuvre still enthralls and will remain an object of admiration for decades to come. 

 

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Joker Is Wild (The)

Genre: biographical drama (in black and white)

With: Frank Sinatra (Joe E. Lewis), Mitzi Gaynor (Martha Stewart), Jeanne Crain (Letty Page), Eddie Albert (Austin Mack), Beverly Garland (Cassie Mack), Jackie Coogan (Swifty Morgan), Barry Kelley (Captain Hugh McCarthy), Ted de Corsia (Georgie Parker), Leonard Graves (Tim Coogan)

Director: Charles Vidor

Screenplay: Oscar Saul (based on the book by Art Cohn)

Release: 1957

Studio: AMBL Productions

Rating: Approved

MBiS score: 8.3/10 

 

‟Make me laugh.”

  

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Story-line: Chicago in the mid-1920s. When Joe E. Lewis, a singer at Georgie’s 777 Club, receives an offer from the rival Valencia Club, he readily takes it because the Valencia is ‟a classy joint where they carry the drunks out instead of throwing ’em in the street”. Georgie, who doesn’t like the idea, warns him outright: his bar may be a speakeasy but employees don’t ditch him easily. As things turn out, Joe’s decision will impact his whole life.

Pluses: superb acting by Frank Sinatra, Eddie Albert, Mitzi Gaynor and a radiant Jeanne Crain, competent and well-paced direction, a thoughtful and realistic screenplay true to the mood of the times, irreproachable cinematography and fine production values (costumes especially).

Minuses: didn’t find any, baby!

Comments: Frank Sinatra − who has played in some 40 movies and won an Academy Award for FROM HERE TO ETERNITY − once mentioned that his most Oscar-worthy performance came in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM. I wouldn’t dare challenge his opinion but THE JOKER IS WILD amply demonstrates his overall range as a lead actor, playing drama impeccably, showing perfect timing as a comedian and hitting the right notes as a happy, sad, funny and frustrating character. And the movie itself is much more than a reverential show-biz biopic; in vivid, lively fashion, it tells the tragic story of an entertainer tottering between the limelight and skid row. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something in Joe’s life that approaches Frank’s times with the Rat Pack. Thus a great fit for the Chairman of the Board…

 

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 Il Grido

Also known as: Cri (le)

Genre: psychological drama (in black and white)

With: Steve Cochran (Aldo), Alida Valli (Irma), Dorian Gray (Virginia), Jacqueline Jones (Andreina), Gabriella Pallotta (Edera), Pina Boldrini (Lina), Guerrino Campanilli (Virginia's father), Betsy Blair (Elvia), Mirna Girardi (Rosina)

Director: Michelangelo Antonioni

Screenplay: Michelangelo Antonioni, Elio Bartolini and Ennio De Concini (based on Antonioni’s idea)

Release: 1957

Studio: SpA Cinematografica, Robert Alexander Productions

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.8/10 

 

Anguished when Alone, Anguished with Others

 

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Story-line: the setting is a languorous Italian town in the 1950s. Irma, the mother of a schoolgirl named Rosina, learns that her husband died three weeks before in Australia. Clearly distraught, she goes to the factory where her lover Aldo is employed, leaves his lunch with a co-worker and runs off. When Aldo catches up to her and learns what has happened, he is saddened but relieved: ‟We’ll finally get married… It’s been seven years after all…” Irma, however, would rather break up with Aldo.

Pluses: splendid acting by Steve Cochran (a violently passionate, disoriented Aldo) and Alida Valli, able support from Mirna Girardi, Gabriella Pallotta, Betsy Blair and cast, first-quality direction from a renowned helmer, a simple yet riveting screenplay that goes to the point and draws topical portraits of characters in limbo, impeccable production values, Gianni Di Venanzo’s beautiful cinematography even in unsightly locales and a lyrical, sensible musical score by Giovanni Fusco.

Minuses: none I can think of. By the way, the title can be translated as ‟The Scream.”

Comments: IL GRIDO, which doesn’t qualify as an Italian neo-realist movie yet captures some of its flavour, is the touching story of a man who hits the road with his little girl to mend a broken heart and find happiness wherever fate leads him. This early work by Antonioni, blessed with limitless humanity and poetic grace, is a fascinating exploration of one man’s restless quest for fulfillment and an homage to the women − deserving or loveless − he will meet along the way. 

 

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 Polytechnique

Genre: psychological drama (in black and white)

With: Maxim Gaudette (the killer), Karine Vanasse (Valérie), Évelyne Brochu (Stéphanie), Sébastien Huberdeau (Jean-François), Johanne-Marie Tremblay (Jean-François’s mother), Pierre-Yves Cardinal (Éric), Pierre Leblanc (Mr. Martineau), Francesca Barcenas (the injured student near the photocopiers)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Screenplay: Jacques Davidts (with help from Éric Leca and Denis Villeneuve)

Release: 2009

Studio: Remstar, Don Carmody Productions, Davis Films/Impact Canada

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.4/10

 

 

This is a man's world
But it would be nothing, nothing
Without a woman or a girl*

 

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Story-line: while university students are busy photocopying material for their courses, gunshots are heard nearby. An appalling event is unfolding, one that will end lives and shatter many more.

Pluses: a strong cast delivering note-perfect performances, a mature and illuminating screenplay that explores sensitive issues even-handedly and yields several heartbreaking scenes, economical direction that manages to transform a senseless act into a thoughtful artistic statement, irreproachable cinematography, a restrained musical score and a courageous ending.

Minuses: none, except that this important movie and the activism sparked by the Polytechnique shootings of 1989 have not brought the Canadian debate over firearms to a satisfying conclusion until now.  

Comments: in its study of rampant sexism and hatred towards women, the jarring POLYTECHNIQUE pays tribute to the 13 promising female students and the Poly employee whose lives were cut short more than 30 years ago and sheds light on the  goodness that shines forth in times of crisis. POLYTECHNIQUE, a clear condemnation of all forms of violence, was early proof of Denis Villeneuve’s brilliance as a director. 

 

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© 2022 – All rights reserved 

*It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World, by James Brown, Betty Jean Newsome, Anthony (pka Sir Jinx) Wheaton and O’Shea Jackson

Pote tin Kyriaki

English title: Never on Sunday

Genre: romantic comedy (in black and white)

With: Melina Mercouri (Ilya), Jules Dassin (Homer Thrace), Giorgos Foundas (Tonio), Titos Vandis (Jorgo or Jorgaki), Mitsos Ligizos (the Captain), Despo Diamantidou (Despo)

Director: Jules Dassin

Screenplay: Jules Dassin

Release: 1960

Studio: Lopert Pictures Corporation, Melinafilm

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.5/10

 

 

– Is she?

– She is.

 

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Story-line: in the sunny and vibrant port district of Athens, Ilya, a glorious prostitute, is sought after by all men who live from the sea. And when an aspiring philosopher from America catches sight of her, he too falls under the spell of this siren worthy of the Odyssey. 

Pluses: a triumphant performance by Melina Mercouri (a Cannes Festival winner), excellent support from Jules Dassin and a cast exhibiting great comic timing, a witty and hilarious screenplay that banks on Ilya’s charm, Greek customs and a picturesque setting, sensible and artistically-inclined direction by an underrated helmer, a swinging score by Manos Hatzidakis and one mythical musical scene in which Melina shows as much star power as Marlene Dietrich in THE BLUE ANGEL.  

Minuses: none, and I do mean none.

Comments: NEVER ON SUNDAY, an exuberant and invigorating comedy, plays like a fairy tale pitting the ambitions of men against the joys of a simple life. Lighthearted, endearing, zany yet utterly believable, Jules Dassin’s film ranks right up there with Billy Wilder's best comedies (IRMA LA DOUCE, among others). If you’re looking for sunshine in our forbidding world, this one won’t disappoint you. OK, fellas, let’s hear some more of that bouzouki music!   

 

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Iris

Genre: biographical drama 

With: Kate Winslet and Judi Dench (a young and older Iris Murdoch), Hugh Bonneville and Jim Broadbent (a young and older John Bayley), Eleanor Bron (the Principal), Angela Morant (the Hostess), Penelope Wilton (Janet Stone)

Director: Richard Eyre

Screenplay: Richard Eyre and Charles Wood, based on two books by John Bayley

Release: 2001

Studio: BBC, Fox Iris Productions et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.4/10 

 

“You must accept what I am. Nothing matters except loving what is good.” 

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Story-line: through multiple flashbacks and flashforwards, IRIS recounts two crucial periods in the lives of writers Iris Murdoch and John Bayley: their early years as a couple and their frightful old age marred by her mental illness.

Pluses: excellent acting by Judi Dench and Kate Winslet (both Oscar-nominated) as two sides of a fiery, daring woman determined to live life to the fullest, valiant turns by Hugh Bonneville and Jim Broadbent (an Oscar winner), a robust and wide-ranging screenplay that dazzles with its witty dialogues and always maintains interest, professional direction and production values, perfect editing (Martin Walsh) and a sad, beautiful musical score by James Horner.

Minuses: a warning to those looking for light entertainment: this sometimes brutal film depicts with uncanny realism the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease and the gruelling task of caregivers.   

Comments: exhilarating at times and heartbreaking at others, IRIS achieves its grand ambitions as it portrays two fascinating intellectuals in full bloom and through their inexorable decay late in life. Especially in these times of tumult and social reassessment, Richard Eyre's work gives us a sterling example of humanity and patience with its ode to great writing and difficult love. 

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French Connection (The)     

Genre: police drama

With: Gene Hackman (Jimmy ‟Popeye” Doyle), Fernando Rey (Alain Charnier), Roy Scheider (Buddy ‟Cloudy” Russo), Tony Lo Bianco (Sal Boca), Marcel Bozzuffi (Pierre Nicoli), Frédéric de Pasquale (Devereaux), Harold Gary (Weinstock), Arlene Farber (Angie Boca), Benny Marino (Lou Boca), Bill Hickman (Mulderig)

Director: William Friedkin

Screenplay: Ernest Tidyman (based on the book by Robin Moore)

Release: 1971

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox, Philip D’Antoni Productions, Schine-Moore Productions

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.7/10 

 

Who’s the Greater Menace to Society? 

 

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Story-line: in Marseilles, Charnier and Nicoli go about their business endeavours (legal and otherwise) in a calculated and professional manner. An ocean away in the Big Apple, NYPD detectives Doyle and Russo scrape by and scour the streets to make drug busts any way they can. Soon enough, these cold crooks and frantic narcs will be drawn together – albeit on opposite sides of the law – by a high-stakes drug deal logically labelled the ‟French connection”.  

Pluses: mind-blowing performances by Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey and Marcel Bozzuffi, an enthralling screenplay featuring memorable characters, mordant dialogues and non-stop action, virile direction, gritty cinematography in all locales, seamless editing, appropriate production values and an efficient musical score (by Don Ellis) that may have inspired the sinister string flourishes of JAWS a few years later.  

Minuses: whatever happened to that poor guy who lent his car to Popeye Doyle? Sorry I asked!

Comments: in THE FRENCH CONNECTION, an engrossing film even for those of us who have little taste for police dramas, Popeye Doyle attains mythical status as a lonely, driven and pathetic figure, a big-city version of Captain Ahab. From its surprising opening scenes to its breathless chases and stunning ending, William Friedkin’s draining thriller remains a Hollywood classic, having garnered 8 Academy Award nominations and 5 Oscars in 1972 (Writing, Lead Actor, Film Editing, Best Picture and Director). Need I say more?

  

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L.627

Genre: police drama 

With: Didier Bezace (Lucien ‟Lulu” Marguet), Cécile Garcia-Fogel (Kathy, Lulu’s wife), Lara Guirao (Cécile, Lulu’s prostitute friend). The members of Lulu’s narcotics squad are: Jean-Paul Comart (Dodo), Charlotte Kady (Marie), Jean-Roger Milo (Manuel), Nils Tavernier (Vincent) and Philippe Torreton (Antoine)

Director: Bertrand Tavernier

Screenplay: Michel Alexandre and Bertrand Tavernier

Release: 1992

Studio: Canal +, Les Films Alain Sarde, Little Bear et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.4/10

  

Of Dope Fiends and Dope Friends 

 

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Story-line: as a narcotics cop, Lulu Marguet doesn’t always follow the rules – hence his transfers from one police unit to another – but he gives his all every time he hits the street. As a private citizen, his life is no less hectic… and worrisome.

Pluses: tour-de-force performances by a charismatic Didier Bezace and an energetic cast, a relentless screenplay loaded with colourful characters and revealing dialogues, vigorous direction by one of France’s most important filmmakers, tight editing, eye-popping cinematography and a frenetic, original-sounding musical score.

Minuses: so you won’t be confused by the rapid stream of characters early on, here are a few pointers: (a) in the first act, the story focuses on Lulu and a bunch of bit players; (b) Cécile and Kathy, seen very briefly in the first act, will be featured more prominently as the story develops; (c) the narcotics squad comes in at around the 30-minute mark. Be advised that this film contains several scenes of police brutality (regrettable but apparently unavoidable) and gut-wrenching action.  

Comments: L.627 was a section of the French Public Health Code that outlawed drug trafficking and other related offences and, according to the screenplay, suspects accused of such offences were submitted to medical monitoring for 24 hours after their arrest. These are just a couple of the many insights to be gained from this hyperactive, adrenalin-pumping movie about police work in the City of Lights. Like his colleagues on the squad, Lulu has to deal with informants, exhausting shifts, drawn-out stakeouts, administrative incompetence, brushes with hardened criminals and a tattered private life. Sounds unpromising? Not so for Bertrand Tavernier (1941-2021), who has painted a riveting and ultimately endearing portrait of one basically good human being facing mayhem each and every day. And it’s quite a feat, actually. 

 

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Un prophète  

English title: A Prophet

Genre: crime drama 

With: Tahar Rahim (Malik El Djebena), Niels Arestrup (César Luciani), Hichem Yacoubi (Reyeb), Jean-Emmanuel Pagni (Santi), Adel Bencherif (Ryad), Pierre Leccia (Sampierro), Reda Kateb (Jordi), Taha Lemaizi (Hassan). Slimane Dazi (Lattrache), Leïla Bekhti (Djamila)

Director: Jacques Audiard

Screenplay: Thomas Bidegain and Jacques Audiard (from an original screenplay by Abdel Raouf Dafri and Nicolas Peufaillit)

Release: 2009

Studio: Why Not Productions, Chic Films et al.

Rating: 16+

MBiS score: 8.6/10 

 

If Some Guy Wants Your Shoes, Don’t Argue 

 

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Story-line: according to French penitentiary rules, Malik, who has just turned 18, must be transferred to a regular corrections center to complete his 6-year term for attacking a policeman. Considering his young age, the transfer entails much more than a change of scenery: he will have to adapt – and the sooner the better – to an adult world in which ethnic rivalries, violence, drugs and survival are constant concerns.   

Pluses: Tahar Rahim's calm and sturdy performance, able support from the intense Niels Arestrup and other cast members, a brutal, complex and realistic screenplay loaded with lively dialogues and scary happenings, fast-paced direction, fine photography, an understated but interesting musical score and a bracing denouement. 

Minuses: so you won't be misled by its title, take note that UN PROPHÈTE, aside from one line of dialogue, does not deal with religious issues. However, it does contain many instances of violence and racial hatred.

Comments: while some offenders find rehabilitation in the penal system, others use it as an alternative venue for criminal activities until their return to the underworld. Such is Malik's dilemma as he is torn between Arab and Corsican convicts whose power games and reward codes can cost you a lot more than whatever sentence you were handed by the judiciary. Astute and astounding, intimidating and implacable, the much-heralded UN PROPHÈTE is by no means a light movie. Let it sink in a while and you will realize how potent it truly is. 

 

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 Hunger

Genre: political drama 

With: Michael Fassbender (Bobby Sands), Liam Cunningham (Father Dominic Moran), Stuart Graham (Raymond Lohan), Liam McMahon (Gerry Campbell), Laine Megaw (Raymond’s wife), Lalor Roddy (William), Brian Milligan (Davey Gillen), Frank McCusker (the Governor), Des McAleer (Mr. Sands, Bobby’s father)

Director: Steve McQueen

Screenplay: Enda Walsh

Release: 2009

Studio: Blast Films, Channel Four, Film4, Northern Ireland Screen et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.1/10 

 

‟Lucky bastard!” 

 

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Story-line: Ireland, 1981. While their country is torn by the Troubles which have raged on for twelve years, IRA detainees at the Maze prison protest against their appalling living conditions and ask British authorities to treat them as political prisoners.

Pluses: fine acting by a skilled cast, brisk direction, a cold and well-written screenplay featuring striking scenes and brutal, ironic, sometimes humorous dialogues (typified by one frank conversation between Bobby Sands and Father Moran), appropriate production values and a potent ending.  

Minuses: even if I didn’t understand all of the political issues raised, I still found great value in this different, gripping film.

Comments: from the very start − when a prison guard checks his car for explosive devices before going to work − you realize that HUNGER was not conceived for light entertainment. Stark, tragic and powerful, Steve McQueen’s film focuses on suffering as one central tenet of human life. In episodes that transcend political causes and everything else, it proves that pain is not useless; it can purify, endure and accomplish great things even in the most unfavourable circumstances (Nelson Mandela’s years at Robben Island is a case in point). For this reason alone − to which you can add its other qualities − HUNGER is a worthwhile and sobering demonstration of human resolve that reminded me of another strong film about Ireland’s struggle, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER. 

 

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En kongelig affære 

English title: Royal Affair (A)

Genre: period drama

With: Alicia Vikander (Caroline Mathilde), Mikkel Boe Følsgaard (Christian VII), Mads Mikkelsen (Johann Friedrich Struensee), Trine Dyrholm (Juliane Marie), David Dencik (Ove Høegh-Guldberg), Thomas W. Gabrielsson (Rantzau), Cyron Melville (Brandt), Bent Mejding (Bernstoff), Laura Bro (Louise von Plessen)

Director: Nikolaj Arcel

Screenplay: Rasmus Heisterberg and Nikolaj Arcel (based on the novel by Bodil Steensen-Leth)

Release: 2012

Studio: Zentropa Entertainments, Danmarks Radio, Trollhättan Film AB et al.

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.6/10

  

Blind Dates Can Be Disastrous... But What About Blind Marriages? 

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Story-line: Continental Europe, in the latter part of the 18^th century. While aristocrats and intellectuals clash over matters of government and freedom for the common man, Caroline Mathilde tries to cope with her fate as a deposed queen and a banished mother. She had never expected that her marriage to King Christian of Denmark would turn out this way.   

Pluses: very strong performances by Alicia Vikander, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Mads Mikkelsen and a great supporting cast, steady direction, a riveting screenplay that stands out for its multidimensional characters, fiendish subplots and exquisite romantic scenes, a superb, understated classical score, sumptuous cinematography and highly aesthetic production values.

Minuses: the first ten minutes of A ROYAL AFFAIR may feel disappointing but let me reassure you: there’s lots of heavy drama coming your way.

Comments: Nikolaj Arcel’s magnificent film is rich in political manoeuvering and boasts a marvellous collection of characters either charismatic or despicable. The most prominent of them, of course, is Caroline Mathilde, a worthy, cultured, freethinking heroine who is forced into a thankless role as trophy wife and child-bearer. All things considered, royal families shouldn’t be envied: their opulent lives, as depicted here and in LA PRINCESSE DE CLÈVES, aren’t much better than those of their subjects.     

 

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Princesse de Clèves (la)

Genre: period drama

With: Jean Marais (Prince de Clèves), Marina Vlady (Princesse de Clèves), Jean-François Poron (Duc de Nemours, the Court heartthrob), Raymond Gérôme (King Henri II, the sportsman), Annie Ducaux (Diane de Poitiers, the King’s mistress), Lea Padovani (Queen Catherine de Médicis, who clearly despises Diane), Alain Ferral (François, Henri’s sickly 15-year-old son), Renée-Marie Potet (Marie-Stuart, François’s gossipy wife), Henri Piégay (Georges, a cousin of the Princesse), Piéral (the Jester)

Director: Jean Delannoy

Screenplay: Jean Cocteau and Jean Delannoy (based on the novel by Madame de La Fayette)

Release: 1961

Studio: Cinétel, Silver Films, Enalpa Film et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.5/10

  

Joylessness, Jealousy and Jousts in King Henri’s Court 

 

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Story-line: the setting is the French Court, circa 1558. At a gala celebrating the marriage of the Prince de Clèves, a senior member of the King’s inner circle, many attendees are surprised and even stunned when the newlyweds enter the ballroom. The Prince’s new wife is lovely indeed… but young enough to be his daughter!!! What will Nemours, who is due to marry the Queen of England, think of all this?

Pluses: perfectly stoic performances by Jean Marais (the well-meaning Prince) and Marina Vlady (the intimidated Princesse), valiant support from Jean-François Poron and cast, excellent direction that nurtures a quietly villainous mood, a screenplay remarkable for its character psychology, razor-sharp dialogues and intriguing events (period dances, the jousting match, a game of paume − the ancestor of tennis), outstanding production values (costumes and sets especially) and a splendid musical score by Georges Auric.

Minuses: even if costume dramas aren’t your thing, the spectacular traveling shot that opens LA PRINCESSE DE CLÈVES will convince you to stick around for the rest of the show. Some reviewers have given this movie a tepid score but I respectfully disagree.  

Comments: judging from this awesome drama, love wasn’t always a priority among Renaissance royalty: it was customary to marry for territory or status, to take on a lover for matters of sentiment and to act according to political goals and self-interest. As for this particular marriage, it may have been an exception… I will let you decide for yourself. Of special interest is the volatile mix of characters in Henri’s entourage: extravagant, lively, often dangerous, these people cover the entire range of vice and virtue. You will be amazed by the funny but very nasty Jester, the only one who can speak his mind and openly criticize the King. As regards the Princesse, her great challenge is getting used to the infernal plotting that goes on among royals, as you will plainly see. In my humble opinion, LA PRINCESSE DE CLÈVES is a powerful romantic drama and I truly hope you’ll feel the same.

 

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Règle du jeu (la)

English title: The Rules of the Game

Genre: comedy drama of manners (in black and white)

With:   Nora Gregor (Christine de la Chesnaye), Roland Toutain (André Jurieux), Jean Renoir (Octave), Marcel Dalio (Marquis Robert de la Chesnaye), Julien Carette (Marceau the poacher), Mila Parély (Geneviève de Marras), Paulette Dubost (Lisette the chambermaid), Gaston Modot (Édouard Schumacher, the gamekeeper), Eddy Debray (Corneille) Pierre Magnier (the General), Odette Talazac (Charlotte de la Plante), Claire Gérard (Madame de la Bruyère), Anne Mayen (Jackie, Christine's niece)

Director: Jean Renoir

Screenplay: Jean Renoir with help from Carl Koch

Release: 1939

Studio: Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF)

Rating: for all

MBiS score: 8.8/10

 

Cherchez la femme!* 

 

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Story-line: Paris in the 1930s. Renowned aviator André Jurieux should be ecstatic – he has just accomplished a successful crossing of the Atlantic – but he is profoundly disappointed that Christine, the love of his life, wasn't at the airfield to greet him. And that's the problem with Christine... she's a very popular woman. Octave, André's best friend, is fond of the lady himself and other men also have her in their sights. Luckily for all, this whole romantic entanglement may soon be settled at Robert de la Chesnaye's country estate, where everyone has been invited for a hunting party. In case you’re wondering about Robert, well... he so happens to be Christine's husband… and is romantically involved with Geneviève de Marras.  

Pluses: superior acting all around but especially by Marcel Dalio and Jean Renoir (who shows a knack for comedy), perfect direction, an imaginative and ambitious screenplay loaded with well-drawn characters, precise dialogues, surprising twists  and irony, excellent editing and production values, an astute buildup of tension that leads to a stunning climax.

Minuses: since LA RÈGLE DU JEU is rather slow at first, you may be tempted to bail out early – as I once did – but the story becomes much more interesting after 25 minutes. Its deliberateness is due to the dialogue-driven, novel-like approach needed to depict matters of the heart among multiple characters. 

Comments: as one of the greatest movies ever made and a testament to cinema's brilliance even in its early days, LA RÈGLE DU JEU skilfully illustrates the fickleness of love in high society (and in all social classes for that matter). It follows a sizable group of characters (bourgeois and servants, all of them important in some way) who suffer from being loved too little or too much in a world where marriage is a convenience and real romance seems attainable only out of wedlock. LA RÈGLE DU JEU reminded me of Robert Altman's GOSFORD PARK and one might say that Altman's fine ensemble drama is a tribute to Renoir's masterwork. Rules are rules, movie buffs! 

*By analogy: ‟He must have done this for a woman. Let’s find her.” 

 

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