27 November 2020. There are so many exceptional, intelligent comedies of old…though few good new ones, as they mainly go for vulgarity these days with juvenile below-the-belt crassness (in the vein of Judd Apatow films). As we certainly need humor in these morose, uncertain times, here are some choice picks from way back to lighten […]
FILM: THRILLERS FROM 1964 to 2004
20 November 2020. Hello Cinephiles. If you managed to see any of last week’s suggestions on romantic comedies, you know I won’t lead you wrong. But come on, admit it, you’ve been too busy watching multiple Netflix series… they can be addictive. This week, let’s go for some exceptional classic thrillers – starting from the […]
Film: armchair comedy and romance classics
13 November 2020. Since you won’t find any big screens this month, relax in your favorite armchair or sofa and try to download these marvellous oldies. I thought I’d pick you a few romantic dramas and comedies to ease the mix of confinement and dark skies. The three old classics are simply superb, for the […]
FILM: 4 Netflix picks
6 November 2020. November 2020 is not a kind month to cinephiles, for as you know by now, all forms of art, culture, entertainment, convivial dining and our well-organised and socially-distanced cinemas have been closed down till the end of the month in Geneva. And it goes beyond borders, with most of Europe shutting down. […]
FILM: THE SINGING CLUB
23 October 2020. THE SINGING CLUB **1/2 Based on true events, this English dramedy is in the usual vein of sweet, entertaining films out of Britain, much like “The Calendar Girls” or “The Full Monty”. It tells the story of a group of military wives waiting for their men to come home from the war […]
FILM: I AM GRETA
17 October 2020. With these awfully grey, cold days weighing upon us, and new restrictions due to a spike in Corona cases, I am not in the mood to write…especially about films that are just ok… So forgive the brevity this week. I AM GRETA **1/2 I believe everyone’s heard about Greta Thunberg by now. […]
FILM: NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS
9 October 2020. NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS *** If you think these words are about love, you’re sorely mistaken. This film is the short odyssey of a young girl trying to get an abortion. Incisive like an operation, in an ice-cold atmosphere with very little dialogue, the trying story is recounted almost like a documentary. […]
FILM: UNDINE – a fine German film
25 September 2020. UNDINE ***1/2 (vo German) It’s excellent that we are finally getting more examples of fine German films in our Suisse Romande theaters, right after the compelling “Schwesterlein” which had two Swiss directors but mainly German actors and settings. This one is a strange and haunting love story by the talented writer/director Christian […]
FILM: THE SECRET GARDEN
18 September 2020. THE SECRET GARDEN ** If you watch this film as an adult you will love or hate it. Love because it will remind you of a wonderful book you read in your childhood. Hate because it is such a departure from that book, which you probably liked a lot, that you somehow […]
FILM: THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD
11 September 2020. THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD ** The classic, semi-autobiographical Charles Dickens’ tale of the hardships, adventures and growth of a young man has been turned here into a series of discombobulated characters that seem to be there to satisfy the director’s sense of egalitarianism. To begin with, the charismatic Dev Patel, […]
