Another Year

Genre: psychological drama

With: Jim Broadbent (Tom Hepple), Ruth Sheen (Gerri Hepple), Lesley Manville (Mary), Oliver Maltman (Joe Hepple), Peter Wight (Ken), David Bradley (Ronnie Hepple)

Director: Mike Leigh

Release: 2010

Studio: Thin Man Films, Film4, Focus Features International et al.

Rating: 14A

MBiS score: 7.7/10

She’s a Puzzle All Right… and One Big Piece Is Missing

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Story-line: Tom Hepple, a geologist, and his wife Gerri, a psychologist, know how to keep busy even when they’re not at work. They can always spend time gardening, worrying about their son Joe or entertaining friends, especially Mary, Gerri’s co-worker at the community centre…

Pluses: Mike Leigh’s truthful and finely observed screenplay, precise and natural acting by Lesley Manville and cast, sober direction, a bittersweet tone that becomes darkly humorous in the final act.

Minuses: since the story depicts daily life over four seasons, ANOTHER YEAR is rather slow, action is minimal and some dialogues feel like idle chit-chat. Such shortcomings are compounded by an uninspired score.

Comments: Tom and Gerri may get top billing but it’s really Mary, a troubled soul and a more complex character, who supplies the drama and spices up the narrative. In these times when women are consistently underemployed or misrepresented in film, Mary’s presence alone makes this movie a work of value. ANOTHER YEAR may not be Mike Leigh’s best but, considering its good intentions, a minor Leigh is still worth more than many motion pictures out there.

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Atanarjuat, la légende de l’homme rapide

English title: Atanarjuat, the Fast Runner

Genre: adventure drama in the wild

With: Natar Ungalaaq (Atanarjuat), Sylvia Ivalu (Atuat), Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq (Oki, chief Sauri’s son), Pakak Innuksuk (Amaqjuaq, Atanarjuat’s brother), Lucy Tulugarjuk (Puja, Oki’s sister), Eugene Ipkarnak (Sauri)

Director: Zacharias Kunuk       

Release: 2001

Studio: Igloolik Isuma Productions Inc., Aboriginal Peoples Television Network et al.

Rating: 14 A or R

MBiS score: 8.4/10

Sometimes You Should Fight, Sometimes You Should Run Away

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Story-line: in the Arctic, an unhealthy rivalry between members of a jinxed Inuit tribe gets even worse when a young woman promised to the chief’s son wants another man as her lifemate.

Pluses: superb scenes detailing traditional life in the Arctic (manual labour, hunting, igloo construction), a grandiose and riveting story based on a Northern legend, irreproachable acting, top-flight direction.

Minuses: the first half-hour may seem less interesting to us Southerners since it deals with Inuit customs and mythology but, once Atanarjuat and other characters have reached adulthood, the story takes off and doesn’t let up.  

Comments: though they worked in barren locations and with limited resources, Zacharias Kunuk and crew have achieved a miracle, a stunning film that was justifiably honoured at the Cannes Festival. For a visual and quasi-spiritual experience like no other, do see ATANARJUAT, THE FAST RUNNER.    

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

To Kill a Mockingbird

Genre: social drama (in black and white)

With: Gregory Peck (Atticus Finch), Phillip Alford (Jem), Mary Badham (Scout), Brock Peters (Tom Robinson)

Director: Robert Mulligan

Release: 1962

Studio: Universal International Pictures, Pakula-Mulligan, Brentwood Productions

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.4/10

A Lesson about Tolerance and Kangaroo Courts

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Story-line: in the Deep South during the Depression, a widowed lawyer tries to raise his children respectably while handling a racially-charged rape case.

Pluses: Horton Foote’s screenplay based on the celebrated Harper Lee novel, a strong cast anchored by Gregory Peck, quality direction. 

Minuses: none whatsoever.

Comments: even today, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD remains a classic film about good, evil, fear and misconceptions. As Atticus reminds his little Jem, ‟There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible.”

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Trainspotting

Genre: comedy drama  

With: Ewan McGregor (Mark Renton), Jonny Lee Miller (Sick Boy), Robert Carlyle (Begbie), Ewen Bremner (Spud Murphy), Kelly Macdonald (Diane), Kevin McKidd (Tommy), Susan Vidler (Allison), Peter Mullan (Swanney)

Director: Danny Boyle

Release: 1995

Studio: Channel Four Films, Figment Films, The Noel Gay Motion Picture Company

Rating: 16

MBiS score: 8.3/10

Getting High on Dope, Getting By on Hope

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Story-line: in contemporary Scotland, Renton and his misfit friends face a bleak future as they struggle with drugs, love interests and pressures to conform.

Pluses: excellent acting by Ewan McGregor (the likeable addict), Jonny Lee Miller (an untrustworthy pimp and dealer), Robert Carlyle (the dangerous one) and Ewen Bremner (a hapless, hopeless loser), hilarious dialogues and foul language, fast-paced action, editing and direction, John Hodge’s screenplay based on an Irvine Welsh novel and, of course, Renton’s encounter with the dirtiest toilet in Scotland.

Minuses: though it depicts several tragic events, the movie as a whole is no downer.

Comments: with TRAINSPOTTING, Danny Boyle has crafted a film as vibrant and entertaining as any in recent cinema. The movie’s ending will make you feel incredibly alive and very satisfied. As Renton eloquently puts it, ‟It's a shite state of affairs to be in, Tommy, and all the fresh air in the world won't make any fucking difference!” Enough said!

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Corbeau (le)

Genre: mystery (in black and white)

With: Pierre Fresnay (Doctor Rémy Germain), Micheline Francey (Laura Vorzet), Pierre Larquey (Doctor Michel Vorzet, Laura’s husband), Héléna Manson (Marie Corbin)

Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot

Release: 1943

Studio: Continental Films

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.4/10

A Pen Dipped in the Well of Revenge

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Story-line: a doctor newly settled in a French provincial town is the target of anonymous letters that ultimately distress many in the community.

Pluses: strong storytelling that keeps you on tenterhooks, tailored dialogues, shades of humour and cynicism.

Minuses: none whatsoever.

Comments: LE CORBEAU (which means ‟the Raven”) is the work of a formidable French director and an easy match for Hitchcock’s best. Although it was released seven decades ago while France was at war, this splendid film has aged gracefully and is still more intelligent than many of today’s high-gloss thrillers. No fooling!

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Quiet American (the)

Genre: psychological drama  

With: Michael Caine (Thomas Fowler), Brendan Fraser (Alden Pyle), Do Thi Hai Yen (Phong)

Director: Phillip Noyce

Release: 2002

Studio:  Giai Phong Film Studio, IMF Internationale Medien und Film GmbH & Co. 2. Produktions KG, Intermedia Films et al.

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.1/10

The Politics of Love and War

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Story-line: the year is 1954, the location is Vietnam and a war of attrition rages on in the countryside between French and communist forces. Thomas Fowler, a British journalist, covers it all from Saigon where he lives comfortably with his mistress Phong. Things do change, however, with the arrival of an American doctor named Alden Pyle…

Pluses: an able cast led by the always interesting Michael Caine, a gripping story (based on a Graham Greene novel), an exotic decor.

Minuses: none really.

Comments: there’s a bit of everything in this captivating and evenly solid film that plays like a metaphor of French – and later American – intervention in Indochina. If you have missed this modest but striking movie when it came out, feel free to catch it now!

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Tully

Also known as: What Happened to Tully?

Genre: personal drama 

With: Anson Mount (Tully Jr.), Glenn Fitzgerald (his brother Earl), Bob Burrus (Tully Coates Sr., their father),  Catherine Kellner (April Reece), Julianne Nicholson (Ella Smalley), Natalie Canerday (Claire), John Diehl (Mal ‟Mac” MacAvoy)

Director: Hilary Birmingham

Release: 2000

Studio: Telltale Films

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.1/10

Restless Hearts in the Heartland

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Story-line: Tully and Earl, who live and work on the family farm in Nebraska, have reached adulthood and now face troublesome realities. Should they stay on or head for the city, love on the run or settle down? Such is their dilemma and a turning point is near…

Pluses: high-quality performances by lesser-known actors, faultless dialogues and screenwriting, skilful direction.

Minuses: none.

Comments: I don’t know about you but I’m not very fond of mediocre star vehicles, empty blockbusters or extravagant FX. That’s why I liked TULLY, a mature and realistic drama about lives evolving, truths untold and characters you can care about. I was plain lucky to see this worthy, down-to-earth movie… but you won’t need any luck to find it!

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Last Waltz (The)

Genre: concert movie

With: the Band (Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel and Levon Helm), Ronnie Hawkins, Dr. John, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, the Staple Singers, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and more

Director: Martin Scorsese

Release: 1978

Studio: FM Productions, Last Waltz Inc.

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.2/10

Stage Fright? Not Tonight!

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Story-line: in November 1976, the Winterland in San Francisco hosted a special farewell concert by the Band, the legendary rock group behind The Shape I’m In, Up On Cripple Creek, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down and other enduring hits. Mentors, friends and musical peers joined in.

Pluses: wonderful live footage, interesting interviews and humorous anecdotes, superb direction, sound recording, photography (Michael Chapman) and editing (Jan Roblee and Yeu-Bun Yee).  

Minuses: none whatsoever.

Comments: according to some, THE LAST WALTZ is the best concert movie ever made and I won’t contradict them. Any way you look at it, this invigorating movie stands as a monument to a monumental band and a brilliant effort by Martin Scorsese. Rock on, movie buffs!

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Lacombe Lucien

Genre: wartime drama  

With: Pierre Blaise (Lucien Lacombe), Aurore Clément (France Horn), Holger Löwenadler (Albert Horn, France’s father), Stéphane Bouy (Jean-Bernard de Voisins), Loumi Iacobesco (Betty Beaulieu), René Bouloc (Stéphane Faure)

Director: Louis Malle

Release: 1974

Studio: Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF), Universal Pictures France (UPF), Vides Cinematografica et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.7/10

We All Have To Choose Sides, Don’t We?

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Story-line: in June 1944, as the Nazis tighten their grip on Southern France, young Lucien tries to join the French Resistance and ends up working for the German police.  

Pluses: a cogent screenplay by Louis Malle and Patrick Modiano, splendid photography by Tonino Delli Colli (notably the exteriors), an evil set of characters, lovely costumes and period detail, impeccable acting and brilliant direction.

Minuses: none.

Comments: a movie about opportunities, those you take and those that slip away. Lucien, a boy desperate to be a man, is readily  attracted to the world of power, intrigue, women and guns offered by the Nazis although it puts him at odds with most of his countrymen. LACOMBE LUCIEN is even more tragic when you consider that lead actor Pierre Blaise (1955-1975) died soon after its release.

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Mystic River

Genre: crime drama 

With: Sean Penn (Jimmy Markum), Kevin Bacon (Sean Devine), Tim Robbins (Dave Boyle), Lawrence Fishburne (Whitey Powers), Laura Linney (Annabeth Markum) and Marcia Gay Harden (Celeste Boyle)

Director: Clint Eastwood

Release: 2003

Studio: Warner Brothers Pictures

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.5/10

I’d Rather Be Sorry Than Safe

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Story-line: in Buckingham Flats, a suburb of Boston, three men who were childhood buddies in the 70s reunite twenty years later when one of them loses his daughter to a murderer.    

Pluses: rock-solid screenwriting by Brian Helgeland (based on a novel by Dennis Lehane), fine direction and music by Clint Eastwood, great acting all around, an efficient escalation of tension and an ingenious meshing of two crucial events late in the narrative.

Minuses: none.

Comments: as it patiently spins its tale, the screenplay sheds light on a small, closed in world where friendship, love, mistrust and horror coexist. The murder premise leads to a complicated police investigation that will keep you guessing with every twist and turn. MYSTIC RIVER, a classic thriller that raises important moral questions, stands as a crowning glory for Clint Eastwood. Keep in mind this neighbourhood rule… some people don’t talk to the police.

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Key Largo

Genre: suspense (in black and white)

With: Humphrey Bogart (Frank McCloud), Lionel Barrymore (James Temple), Lauren Bacall (Nora), Edward G. Robinson (Johnny Rocco), Monte Blue (Sheriff Ben Wade) and Claire Trevor (Gaye Dawn)

Director: John Huston

Release: 1948

Studio: Warner Brothers

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.3/10

A New Lease on Life… and It Didn’t Even Cost You

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Story-line: when an embittered former major goes to the Florida Keys to meet the family of a fallen comrade, he witnesses strange happenings and threatening behaviour.   

Pluses: formidable acting by Bogey, Bacall, Claire Trevor (an Oscar winner) and Edward G. Robinson (observe him as Gaye sings along… is he smiling or grimacing?), a masterly screenplay by Richard Brooks and John Huston (based on a play by Maxwell Anderson), potent dialogues and sturdy direction.   

Minuses: none.

Comments: over the years, I’ve missed KEY LARGO several times but I hope you won’t wait as long as I did to see it. Nothing in this thriller seems forced or artificial; characters are well drawn, their strengths and weaknesses skilfully exposed. Can today’s movie industry beat this kind of star power and flawless dramatic development? Not often, I would say.

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Mother (The)

Genre: social drama

With: Anne Reid (May), Peter Vaughan (Toots), Steven Mackintosh (Bobby), Cathryn Bradshaw (Paula), Anna Wilson-Jones (Helen, Bobby’s wife), Oliver Ford Davies (Bruce) and Daniel Craig (Darren)

Director: Roger Michell

Release: 2004

Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Rating: 14A

MBiS score: 8.2/10

A Mother But Still A Human Being

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Story-line: as soon as retirees Toots and May arrive in London to visit their children, a health issue throws the whole family into a fix.     

Pluses: a very contemporary subject, natural acting by Anne Reid and cast (check out Daniel Craig before James Bond!), Hanif Kureishi’s subtle screenplay, disciplined direction, Jeremy Sams’ jazzy score.

Minuses: none.

Comments: a genuinely surprising and thought-provoking movie about old age, generational conflicts and how damaging it is to pigeonhole people, especially those who are close to us. I can only admire a film that tackles tough issues in such a brave and realistic way.

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Fearless

Genre: psychological drama

With: Jeff Bridges (Max Klein), Isabella Rossellini (his wife Laura), Rosie Perez (Carla Rodrigo), Benicio del Toro (Mannie, Carla’s husband), Tom Hulce (Brillstein) and John Turturro (Doctor Perlman)

Director: Peter Weir

Release: 1993

Studio: Warner Brothers

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.4/10

Some Guys Have All the Luck

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Story-line: when Max Klein and his associate took a flight to Houston, they never expected it would end in a crash… with only one of them surviving.

Pluses: bravura performances by Jeff Bridges and Rosie Perez, solid support from Isabella Rossellini and Tom Hulce as less likeable characters, an ambitious screenplay by Rafael Yglesias.

Minuses: none really.

Comments: it only takes a minute to realize that FEARLESS is a hard-hitting and enriching movie that goes to the heart of human experience. In some ways, Max will become an enigma after his miraculous escape, a man disconnected from our world. Should we fear the future? How can we cope with tragedy? As Peter Weir’s demanding film demonstrates, the answers are not simple and the road to understanding is often difficult to follow.

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

One, Two, Three

Genre: comedy (in black and white)

With: James Cagney (C.R. McNamara), Pamela Tiffin (Scarlett Hazeltine), Horst Buchholz (Otto Ludwig Piffl), Arlene Francis (Phyllis, C.R.’s wife), Lilo Pulver (Ingeborg!) and Hanns Lothar (Schlemmer).
Director: Billy Wilder

Release: 1961

Studio: United Artists

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.4/10

Drink a Cold One for the Cold War

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Story-line: C.R. McNamara, the Coca-Cola manager in West Berlin, is asked a favour by his boss at the very moment he’s dealing with Russian officials to market Coke behind the Iron Curtain.

Pluses: a whirlwind performance by James Cagney as the unstoppable McNamara, a strong cast and colourful characters, a breathless story by Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond and playwright Ferenc Molnár.

Minuses: clearly none, unless you’re not in a laughing mood.

Comments: an uproarious comedy, no doubt, and also a piece of cinematic history. It took a lot of chutzpah to mock capitalists and communists alike at the height of the Cold War… and ONE, TWO, THREE pulled it off spectacularly by mixing post-World War II anxieties, old Nazi reflexes and East-West rivalries (Frank Sinatra!). One can only surrender to such wit and humour.

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Femme infidèle (la)

English title: The Unfaithful Wife

Genre: marital drama  

With: Stéphane Audran (Hélène), Michel Bouquet (Charles Desvallées), Stephen Di Napolo (Michel), Maurice Ronet (Victor Pegala), Michel Duchaussoy (Duval), Guy Marly (Gobet)

Director: Claude Chabrol

Release: 1968

Studio: Cinegai S.p.A., Les Films de la Boétie

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.1/10    

A Living Room, a Statuette, a Fit of Anger  

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Story-line: Hélène and Charles live in a magnificent house, are happy together and dearly love their son Michel. But is their marriage as perfect as it seems?

Pluses: sparkling dialogues and acting, a fresh take on infidelity, excellent pacing, odd touches here and there (it’s a Chabrol, n’est-ce pas?).

Minuses: none really.

Comments: some movies waste no time in drawing you in… and this is exactly what LA FEMME INFIDÈLE manages to do. Marvel at Claude Chabrol’s measured, psychology-driven filmmaking. Quality entertainment for movie buffs!

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Fils (le)

English title: The Son

Genre: psychological drama

With: Olivier Gourmet (Olivier), Isabella Soupart (his ex-wife Magali), Morgan Marinne (Francis), Jimmy Deloof (Dany) and Anne Gérard (Dany’s mother).

Directors: Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne

Release: 2002

Studio: NewYorker Films

Rating: - 

MBiS score: 8.2/10

Too Young To Know Better. Too Old To Forget.

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Story-line: a quiet man who teaches woodworking to juvenile delinquents has trouble dealing with a new student.   

Pluses: a sober treatment well-suited to the subject matter (no music… not even during the opening credits!), a meticulous and sensible screenplay, tight editing and camera work (notice how Olivier is often filmed from behind… feel all that stiffness in his neck), a masterful buildup of tension.

Minuses: none whatsoever.

Comments: over the years, the Dardenne brothers have become Cannes Festival favourites for one simple reason: they make excellent movies. LE FILS, a compelling drama set in Belgium, showcases yet again their talent and storytelling prowess. This low-budget, high-value production is well worth your time. See it!  

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Husbands

Genre: comedy drama

With: Ben Gazzara (Harry), Peter Falk (Archie Black), John Cassavetes (Gus Dimitri), Jenny Runacre (Mary Tynan), Meta Shaw (Annie, Harry’s wife).

Director: John Cassavetes

Release: 1970

Studio: Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, Sony Pictures Releasing

Rating: PG-13

MBiS score: 8.4/10

Three Loons on a Lark

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Story-line: when Stuart passes away, his friends Harry, Archie and Gus take time off to reminisce and chase their blues away.

Pluses: amazingly natural performances by the three leads, an original and very talky screenplay by John Cassavetes, juicy dialogues, one unbelievable 12-minute scene in a toilet stall, splendid photography by Victor J. Kemper.

Minuses: the movie made me laugh so hard I was exhausted in the end.   

Comments: although it contains a few dramatic and even harrowing scenes, HUSBANDS has little in common with Lawrence Kasdan’s THE BIG CHILL. Cassavetes’ film is mostly a comedy… and one so hilarious the actors often crack up while delivering their lines. You’ll love HUSBANDS for its frank depiction of friendship, regret, personal tragedies and minor victories. As for those body odours… well… don’t ask!

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Grandes manœuvres (les)

Genre: romantic drama  

With: Michèle Morgan, Gérard Philipe, Jean Desailly

Director: René Clair

Release: 1955

Studio: Filmsonor, Rizzoli Film, S.E.C.A., Cinétel

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.3/10

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Story-line: as his garrison prepares for military exercises shortly before World War I, Lt. Armand de la Verne bets he can woo any woman coming his way.

Pluses: fine acting from illustrious French leads, a thoughtful screenplay, first-rate direction, lavish visuals and eye-popping production values. 

Minuses: none whatsoever.

Comments: either for laughs or for drama, many movies have featured a wager as romantic premise but LES GRANDES MANOEUVRES has done so in a mature and most sensible way. René Clair’s film is yet another gem in French cinema’s rich jewel box.

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© 2016 – All rights reserved

Antichrist

Genre: horror 

Director: Lars von Trier

Release: 2009

Studio: Zentropa Entertainments, Slot Machine, Memfis Film et al.

Rating: R (for graphic sexual situations)

MBiS score: 7.3 or 7.8/10, depending on your familiarity with the genre

Show Your Love With An Anklet, Darling!

Wintertime in the State of Washington. While his parents are making love, little Nic opens a window of their high-rise apartment, climbs out and falls to his death. Such a loss leaves both parents shattered and guilt-ridden; the father struggles to understand, the mother is hospitalized. Is there any way for these people to pull through? With Willem Dafoe (He), Charlotte Gainsbourg (She) and Storm Acheche Sahlstrøm (Nic).

Lars von Trier often stirs up controversy  with his movies but ANTICHRIST, despite a hair-raising title, didn’t seem very threatening to me; it deals much more with mental breakdown than religion, satanic doings or some rendering of the Apocalypse. It’s basically a slow-cooking horror flick (think MISERY, THE MUSIC OF CHANCE or THE SHINING) that also echoes TREE OF LIFE and MELANCHOLIA with its arty, intellectual bent. If you’ve already seen these other films, von Trier’s may feel like déjà vu (which explains the two scores above) but it does present original insights and is faithful to its intent ’til the very end. In the first act, I liked those long sequences without dialogue, the impressive use of Handel’s music and von Trier’s efforts to demonstrate the psychological aspects of grief. Then, as the movie builds tension, it does deliver healthy jolts and darkly funny moments… which was also fine by me. In the last act, however, the screenplay’s attempts at symbolism failed to convince me and, dare I say it, I was quite relieved when it all ended on an abrupt, merciful climax.  

As you can see, I wasn’t bowled over by ANTICHRIST, a well-acted and solidly produced film that offers shock value but modest enlightenment. Though Willem Dafoe’s character claims that ‟ thoughts distort reality”, I’d say reality does catch up at some point, especially toward the movie’s dénouement. In von Trier’s defence, I’d rather recommend MELANCHOLIA (if you’re not feeling too depressed) and especially BREAKING THE WAVES, his morally worthy and superior work from 1996.

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© 2016 - All rights reserved