Capharnaüm

Also known as: Capernaum, Chaos

Genre: social drama  

With: Zain Al Rafeea (Zain Al Hajj), Yordanos Shiferaw (Rahil, a.k.a. Tigest), Boluwatife Treasure Bankole (Yonas, Rahil’s baby), Kawsar Al Haddad (Souad Al Hajj, Zain’s father), Fadi Yousef (Selim, Zain’s mother), Cedra Izzam (Sahar, Zain’s sister), Alaa Chouchnieh (Aspro the wheeler-dealer), Elias Khoury (the Judge), Nour El Husseini (Assaad the grocer), Tamer Ibrahim (Abou Assaad, the grocer’s father)

Director: Nadine Labaki

Screenplay: Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojeily, Michelle Keserwany

Release: 2018

Studio: Mooz Films, Doha Film Institute, KNM Films, Boo Pictures, Synchronicity Films et al.

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.7/10 

 

Delinquent with a Cause 

 

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Story-line: a 12-year-old Lebanese boy convicted of attempted murder forces his parents to appear in court so he can settle accounts with them.

Pluses: outstanding acting by Zain Al Rafeea (as the streetwise and resourceful Zain), Cedra Izzam (his loving sister), Boluwatife Treasure Bankole (adorable in a prominent role) and a strong cast of grown-ups, remarkable direction by an important Lebanese helmer, a restless, forceful and far-reaching screenplay that raises issues of parental neglect, poverty and survival, Christopher Aoun’s startlingly informative camera work, irreproachable production values and a beautiful, tormented musical score by Khaled Mouzanar.

Minuses: this movie is quite bleak… but so involving that you will drink in everything on screen. The comments on the movie poster above are all true.

Comments: it took me four minutes − those bracing scenes of Zain and immigrant women at the police station and that spectacular drone shot of kids running in the streets of a Lebanese city − to realize why the tragic and utterly pathetic CAPHARNAÜM garnered the Prix du jury at the Cannes Film Festival. In its careful recounting of Zain’s childhood and tribulations in a careless world, it balances misery, lawlessness and exploitation with nobility and courage in a believable and visually breathtaking way. Nadine Labaki, always a fine director, can be especially proud of this accomplished motion picture, one of the many gems produced by contemporary international cinema. Bravo Nadine! 

 

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Dimanches de Ville d’Avray (les)

English title: Sundays and Cybèle

Also known as: Cybèle ou les Dimanches de Ville d’Avray

Genre: psychological drama (in black and white)

With: Hardy Krüger (Pierre), Patricia Gozzi (Cybèle/Françoise), Nicole Courcel (Madeleine), Daniel Ivernel (Carlos), André Oumansky (Bernard)

Director: Serge Bourguignon

Screenplay: Serge Bourguignon and Antoine Tudal (based on a novel by Bernard Eschassériaux); dialogues by Serge Bourguignon and Bernard Eschassériaux

Release: 1962

Studio: Fidès, Les Films Trocadero, Orsay Films, Terra Film Produktion

Rating: for all

MBiS score: 8.6/10 

 

Appearances Can Be Deceptive

 

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Story-line: a retired military pilot, still tormented by the death of a child during a bombing run two years earlier in French Indochina, finds solace when he meets a little girl who has come to Ville d'Avray for schooling.  

Pluses: great performances by Hardy Krüger and Nicole Courcel as the adult protagonists and young Patricia Gozzi as the utterly believable Cybèle, a well-developed and finely observed screenplay, excellent direction and production values, superb photography by Henri Decaë and a suitable musical score by the renowned Maurice Jarre.

Minuses: none whatsoever. This film didn't inspire me much when I read its brief synopsis in a movie guide but, once I got into it, I was astounded by its human interest, dark undertones and artistic merit.  

Comments: LES DIMANCHES DE VILLE D'AVRAY, a universal fable about friendship, people's needs and the struggles of life, reminded me of two classic novels, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's beloved The Little Prince (for its powerful symbolism) and John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men (for its treatment of an ambiguous and morally delicate situation). This perfect movie garnered the Foreign Film Oscar in 1963. For good reason, I might add.

 

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La battaglia di Algeri

English title: Battle of Algiers (the)

Also known as: Bataille d’Alger (la)

Genre: political drama (in black and white)

With: Brahim Hadjadj (Ali la Pointe, FLN operative), Jean Martin (Lt. Col. Mathieu), Yacef Saadi (Djafar, FLN organizer), Samia Kerbash (Fathia), Tommaso Neri (Captain), Ugo Paletti (Captain), Fusia El Kader (Halima), Mohamed Ben Kassen (Petit Omar, Ali’s son), Mohammed Beghdadi (Ben M’hidi)

Director: Gillo Pontecorvo

Screenplay: Franco Solinas (from a story by Franco Solinas and Gillo Pontecorvo)

Release: 1966

Studio: Igor Film, Casbah Film

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.9/10 

 

Freedom the Hard Way 

 

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Story-line: in 1957, the capital of Algeria is a city of contrasts. Its European district is modern and rich while the casbah, home to the Muslim majority, is cramped and poor. With growing insistence, Algerians call for their independence from France and some of them – notably the Front de libération nationale – see violence as the only way to achieve it. For their part, French authorities use every means available to maintain their grip on what they consider their rightful colony. The stage is set for a long, fierce and tragic confrontation. 

Pluses: intense acting by Brahim Hadjadj and a great cast, awe-inspiring direction (particularly in the vivid crowd scenes), a brilliant and magnificently structured screenplay that documents its subject systematically through non-stop action and chilling dialogues, amazing cinematography and visuals, a heart-pumping musical score and a potent ending.

Minuses: I had heard that THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS was a great film but it’s only recently that I had a chance to see it. If such an opportunity comes your way, don’t let it slip by...

Comments: this monumental picture and deserving Golden Lion winner explores both sides of the issue unflinchingly and doesn’t hide the ruthlessness shown by Algerian and French forces through guerrilla warfare, propaganda, harassment, mass punishment, acts of terror and use of informants. While weaving its devastating narrative, THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS depicts an important world event that is still felt today in the uncomfortable relationship between France and its former colony. As a matter of history, it is estimated that the conflict cost somewhere between 500,000 and 1 million lives, mostly on the Algerian side. For this alone, Gillo Pontecorvo’s work is an essential contribution to international cinema. Its awesome power will leave you speechless and numb.   

 

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Deux jours, une nuit

Genre: workplace drama

With: Marion Cotillard (Sandra), Fabrizio Rongione (Manu), Catherine Salée (Juliette), Baptiste Sornin (Mr. Dumont), Pily Groyne (Estelle), Simon Caudry (Maxime), Alain Eloy (Willy), Lara Persain (Willy’s wife), Myriem Akheddiou (Mireille), Fabienne Sciascia (Nadine), Olivier Gourmet (Jean-Marc), Timur Magomedgadzhiev (Timur)

Directors: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne

Screenplay: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne

Release: 2014

Studio: Les Films du Fleuve, Archipel 35, BIM Distribuzione et al.

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.5/10 

 

‟I don't exist. I'm nothing. Nothing at all!” 

 

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Story-line: as she gets ready to resume work after a lengthy illness, Sandra learns that a vote has been held among her colleagues and that, given a choice between taking her back or receiving a €1000 bonus each to cover her workload, they have voted for the bonus. Undeterred by what she sees as an injustice, Sandra asks for a second vote.

Pluses: a dominant, emotionally-charged performance by Marion Cotillard, natural and measured acting by an able cast (Fabrizio Rongione, Olivier Gourmet and Timur Magomedgadzhiev are especially convincing), efficient, high-quality direction, a tight, no-frills screenplay that focuses on what’s essential and conveys crucial psychological insights, on-point dialogues, basic but eloquent cinematography, well-suited production values and a strong denouement.

Minuses: none, except for Sandra’s annoying cellphone ring (you’ll hear it often).

Comments: for some reason, I have trouble recognizing Marion Cotillard from one movie to the next – which may partly explain her status as one of France’s brightest, most versatile stars – and her performance here adds to her already fine resumé. DEUX JOURS, UNE NUIT is another low-budget marvel from the Dardenne brothers, a thoughtful and utilitarian tale about lives in jeopardy, self-interest, decency and workplace politics. This is the kind of cinema I appreciate: no superheroes, no far-flung story-lines… but real people dealing with real problems. Vital moviemaking at its best. 

 

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Lawrence of Arabia

Genre: adventure and war drama

With: Peter O Toole (T.E. Lawrence), Alec Guinness (Prince Faisal), Omar Sharif (Sherif Ali Ibn El Kharish), Anthony Quinn (Auda Abu Tayi), Jack Hawkins (General Allenby), José Ferrer (the Turkish Bey), Anthony Quayle (Colonel Brighton), Claude Rains (Mr. Dryden), Arthur Kennedy (Jackson Bentley), Donald Wolfit (General Murray), I.S. Johar (Gasim), John Dimech (Daud), Michel Ray (Farraj)

Director: David Lean

Screenplay: Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson

Release: 1962

Studio: Horizon Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing International

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.9/10 

 

– You figure that you will have a democracy and a parliament?

– I’ll tell you when we have a country. 

 

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Story-line: Britain, 1935. While riding his motorcycle with abandon, T.E. Lawrence is forced off the road and meets an unhappy fate. As his life, his death draws mixed emotions. For some people, he was a figure from the past and nothing more, for one former acquaintance, a mere office clerk in Cairo, for another, ‟a poet, a philosopher, a mighty warrior… and the most shameless exhibitionist since Barnum and Bailey”. This movie tells the story of the ordinary map drawer who came to be known as ‟Lawrence of Arabia”.

Pluses: an awesome and intoxicating performance by Peter O’Toole (in one of his earlier movie roles), great acting by Omar Sharif (the strong and enigmatic Ali), Alec Guinness (Faisal, a very smooth operator), Anthony Quinn (the hilarious brute) and other well-known thespians, a vigorous screenplay that uses truthful dialogues and dry wit to weave scene after potent scene, magical direction by David Lean, Freddie Young’s breathtaking cinematography that glorifies the mighty desert, magnificent production values and a musical theme (by Maurice Jarre) loved the world over.

Minuses: the script contains several insulting remarks about Arabs − uttered mainly by diehard colonialists − but refutes them in an understated way. Viewers who shun violence should note that LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, although a war movie, doesn’t feature excessive bloodshed. Its only drawback would be its length if you have precious little time on your hands; in all other respects, this Best Movie Oscar winner for 1962 should be on any movie buff’s priority list.     

Comments: LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, a grand and perfect epic, is so different and fascinating that it doesn’t matter what judgment you pass on its main character. In my book, Lawrence was everything he was said to be − an adventurer, a messianic figure, one of the builders of the Arab nation − and his legacy still reverberates today in history and international politics. Kudos to David Lean and crew for this supreme accomplishment in cinematic art.

 

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Maman et la putain (la)   

English title: The Mother and the Whore

Genre: romantic drama (in black and white)

With: Jean-Pierre Léaud (Alexandre), Bernadette Lafont (Marie), Françoise Lebrun (Veronika), Isabelle Weingarten (Gilberte), Jacques Renard (Alexandre's friend), Jean-Noël Picq (the Offenbach fan)

Director: Jean Eustache

Screenplay: Jean Eustache

Release: 1973

Studio: Élite Films, Ciné Qua Non,  Les Films du Losange et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.2/10 

 

Should You Look Before You Leap? 

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Story-line: if Alexandre doesn't have a job, it's probably because he has too much to do already. He lives with Marie, still loves his former squeeze Gilberte, is heartbroken when he learns that Gilberte will marry a doctor but is already attracted to Veronika, a girl he saw sitting at a restaurant terrace. Sounds complicated? It is! 

Pluses: an intense performance by Jean-Pierre Léaud as the intellectual and insatiable Alexandre (his quasi theatrical soliloquies are mesmerizing), strong support from Bernadette Lafont and Françoise Lebrun, a personal and quirky screenplay enlivened by playful, weighty or sometimes mean-spirited dialogues, leisurely direction, modest but adequate production values and Pierre Lhomme’s attractive – even brilliant – cinematography.

Minuses: LA MAMAN ET LA PUTAIN is a lengthy movie (three and a half hours) but it never feels boring, an amazing feat for a psychological drama featuring few characters and limited action.

Comments: LA MAMAN ET LA PUTAIN is a feast of human emotions – love, hate, ambivalence, commitment, desertion – and a fine example of that French fascination for esoteric relationships. Alexandre is trapped in a strange love triangle that takes unpredictable directions. As you see him waffling and wondering what to do, you may feel little sympathy for the relentless womanizer he seems to be but this will change once you get to know the man behind the snobbish facade. All things told, Jean Eustache’s film is a revealing study about relationships and a fine vehicle for Jean-Pierre Léaud – a Truffaut favourite – tackling another complicated and exacting role. 

 

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Ten Commandments (The)

Genre: religious drama 

With: Charlton Heston (Moses), Anne Baxter (Nefretiri), Yul Brynner (Rameses), Yvonne De Carlo (Sephora), John Derek (Joshua), Cedric Hardwicke (Sethi), Nina Foch (Bithiah), Judith Anderson (Memnet), John Carradine (Aaron), Edward G. Robinson (Dathan), Debra Paget (Lilia), Martha Scott (Yochabel), Vincent Price (Baka)

Director: Cecil B. DeMille

Screenplay: Æneas MacKenzie, Jesse Lasky Jr., Jack Gariss and Fredric M. Frank (using books by Dorothy Clarke Wilson, J.H. Ingraham and A.E. Southon)

Release: 1956

Studio: Motion Picture Associates, Inc., Paramount Pictures

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.8/10 

 

‟Who am I, Lord, that you should send me?” 

 

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Story-line: religious sources tell us that around 1700 to 1500 B.C., the children of Israel, who had fled southward because of a famine, had become such an influential group within Egypt that a fearful Pharaoh ordered their enslavement (as you can see, issues of immigration and nativism are nothing new). Thus, for decades and possibly generations, Hebrews toiled mercilessly under Egyptian taskmasters, building monuments and imploring God to rescue them from bondage. And God answered by sending them a child of man named Moses, an unlikely leader who would face Egypt armed only with a shepherd’s staff and his faith.    

Pluses: formidable acting by Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, a magnificent Anne Baxter (in a psychologically shifting role), other well-known thespians and a cast of thousands, amazing direction, an ingenious and well researched screenplay that uses symbols, sharp dialogues and eye-popping props and setups to recreate an important moment in Antiquity, blockbuster production values (sets, designs and costumes), awesome cinematography, very convincing special effects and an evocative musical score.

Minuses: although the screenplay takes some liberties with the Old Testament − by filling in the blanks, adding sentimental subplots and pumping up the drama − it does so in a measured and logical way. A few false notes are apparent (the Ethiopian king’s daughter who speaks with a noticeably American accent, the emphatic ‟cavalry charge” music during the Red Sea episode, a rather abrupt ending) but these are very minor gripes considering the movie’s scope and runtime (220 minutes).   

Comments: in 1923, Cecil B. DeMille made a movie loosely based on Exodus but, in this gigantic and glorious ‟remake”, he focused on the event itself and the burdens – humiliation, disbelief, ingratitude, loneliness – that Moses carried during his mission. In this regard (and several others), a parallel can be drawn with the indignities sustained by Jesus Christ who commented – in the Book of Matthew (8:29) – that “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Inspiring, breathtaking and memorable, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS remains a powerful cinematic experience more than six decades after its release.   

 

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Turist

Also known as: Force Majeure

Genre: comedy drama

With: Johannes Kuhnke (Tomas), Lisa Loven Kongsli (Ebba), Clara Wettergren (their daughter Vera), Vincent Wettergren (their son Harry), Kristofer Hivju (Mats), Fanni Metelius (Fanny), Karin Myrenberg (Charlotte), Brady Corbet (the American)

Director: Ruben Östlund

Screenplay: Ruben Östlund

Release: 2014

Studio: ARTE, BLS Business Location Südtirol-Alto Adige, Beofilm, C More Entertainment et al.

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.0/10 

 

A Therapy Session on the Slopes 

 

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Story-line: having just arrived at a comfy ski resort in the French Alps, Tomas, Ebba and their children see their vacation upended by an unforeseen event that breaks up the family’s harmony.     

Pluses: good acting by the two leads and supporting cast, sober direction, a subdued, well-observed and logically written screenplay that raises thorny issues and develops a fair amount of psychological tension and even danger, lovely and at times unusual cinematography (the drone scenes are spectacular), very good production values, an interesting score consisting of classical pieces and electro music, an understated but topical ending.

Minuses: before seeing FORCE MAJEURE, I was under the impression that it was per se a disaster movie like THE IMPOSSIBLE but I quickly realized I was very wrong. Yes, there is an avalanche at the 15-minute mark – the unforeseen event alluded to above – yet this incident is only the premise for the discussions and soul-searching to come. The movie in general – although I confess my bias against skiing vacations, which sound rather boring to me – feels a bit slow and uninteresting at times.      

Comments: Ruben Östlund’s drama on skis depicts a family in disarray – a workaholic dad, a disappointed mom, restless children wondering what’s happening – and treats its subject thoughtfully as it considers every detail, feeling or impression that such a crisis elicits. Also important are the story’s supporting characters, especially Mats and Fanny, who contribute meaningfully to the resolution of the conflict. FORCE MAJEURE is neither lively nor wickedly funny… it is a quiet, well-meaning and rational film that you will enjoy if you don’t approach it with excessive expectations. Anyone, it seems, can yield to panic.    

 

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Blow-Up

Also known as: Blowup

Genre: psychological drama

With: David Hemmings (Thomas), Vanessa Redgrave (Jane), Sarah Miles (Patricia), John Castle (Bill), Jane Birkin (the Blonde), Gillian Hills (the Brunette), Peter Bowles (Ron), Veruschka von Lehndorff (playing herself)

Director: Michelangelo Antonioni

Screenplay: Michelangelo Antonioni and Tonino Guerra with help from Edward Bond (from a story by Michelangelo Antonioni based on a short story by Julio Cortázar)

Release: 1967

Studio: Premier Productions, Carlo Ponti Production, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Bridge Films

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.7/10 

 

As Long as It Makes a Pretty Picture 

 

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Story-line: Thomas, a photographer in London, is so dedicated to his craft that he can spend hours around fashion models or go undercover to capture scenes of factory work. One day, while hunting for antiques, he chances upon fresh subjects for his camera... a man and a woman meeting in a park. Those pictures, however, will elicit more than an interest in aesthetics or art...   

Pluses: a strong turn by David Hemmings as the driven and not very likeable Thomas, a good supporting cast playing unconventional, sometimes wacky characters, supple direction, a cryptic, sketchy screenplay delivering obtuse dialogues and classic scenes of the psychedelic era (Veruschka’s photo shoot, Jeff Beck smashing his guitar!), magnificent cinematography, high-grade production values and a great musical score by Herbie Hancock (with contributions from the Lovin’ Spoonful and the Yardbirds).

Minuses: since the film is partly an exercise in style, its subject matter may feel slim to some viewers.

Comments: BLOW-UP shares several traits with another seminal film of the late 1960s and early 70s, the striking A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, notably an anti-hero who lives so much for the moment and in the moment that he borders on wantonness. Behind its facade of pop art, hard rock, harder drugs and frenzied sexuality, Antonioni’s work depicts a world whose priorities are muddled and creativity verges on the superficial. Adventurous, intriguing, phantasmagorical and wild, BLOW-UP is one of those swinging films you don’t see as much as you experience.     

 

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Whiplash

Genre: psychological drama

With: Miles Teller (Andrew Neimann), J.K. Simmons (Fletcher), Paul Reiser (Jim Neimann), Melissa Benoist (Nicole), Austin Stowell (Ryan), Nate Lang (Carl Tanner), Chris Mulkey (Uncle Frank), Damon Gupton (Mr. Kramer)

Director: Damien Chazelle

Screenplay: Damien Chazelle

Release: 2014

Studio: Bold Films, Blumhouse Productions, Right of Way Films, Sierra/Affinity

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.2/10 

 

Boot Camp for Bandmates 

 

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Story-line: for Andrew Neimann, a drum student at the Shaffer Conservatory, working under teacher Terence Fletcher would be a dream come true. To make it happen, however, he will have to accept Fletcher as he is, warts and all.

Pluses: heavy-duty acting by Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons (in a wide-ranging, Oscar-winning performance as the mercurial Fletcher), able support from a good cast, first-rate direction, an interesting screenplay dipped in acid and psychological stress, attractive cinematography, a fine musical score, convincing production values, great editing and sound (both rewarded with Oscars). Please note that the film was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay.

Minuses: the language used − although indicative of a very competitive academic environment – is excessively derogatory, cruel and vulgar in a jazz context (does music really soothe the savage beast?). I subtracted 0.2 from my overall score because of the single-mindedness of the screenplay and its questionable, dog-eat-dog moral message.    

Comments: Vic Braden (1929-2014), a lovable tennis teacher and psychology graduate, once said that he tried to match sadists against masochists at his training camps so all his players would be happy. You could say as much about the relationship between Andrew and Fletcher in the dynamic and very demanding WHIPLASH: in some way, they need each other so much that they’ll make life miserable for each other and everybody else. I guess this is what musicians call ‟paying your dues”… 

 

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