28 July 2017. Sorry, but this is not a great week for new films. Just letting you know, so you can save time and money. VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS *1/2 It hurts me to give such a low rating to a film by Luc Besson, as I have greatly admired his […]
FILM: Dunkirk – 4 stars!
21 July 2017. DUNKIRK **** It’s May 1940 and the British troops are cornered on the beaches of Dunkirk in France. The Germans are fast advancing so the men need to be evacuated back to England. From the first moments of this latest Christopher Nolan epic you are with the soldiers, shaking in their boots […]
FILM: Urban photography goes on tour in France
7 July 2017. Two fine French films this week – the AC’d cinemas will cool you down! VISAGE, VILLAGE **** (vo French) This is a magical film that is based on reality. Magical, because it is engined by the amazing photo van of JR, who is an urban photographer; and realistic, because it’s Agnès Varda’s […]
FILM: Return to Montauk – an intriguing, moody, introspective satisfying film
16 June 2017. RETURN TO MONTAUK ***1/2 The director is the renowned German, Volker Schlöndorff (“The Tin Drum”, “Diplomacy”), the main protagonist is the excellent Nordic actor, Stellan Skarsgard, the actresses are German – Nina Hoss and Suzanne Wolff, with the impressive Niels Arestrup as an old acquaintance. The place is New York and the mood […]
FILM: Wonder Woman – yes she is!
9 June 2017. WONDER WOMAN *** Yes, she is! In every way a wonder, and a woman of curiosity, beauty, strength and caring. For that is the attraction of this latest blockbuster, directed by Patty Jenkins (whose 2004 film “Monster” won an Oscar for Charlize Theron) – it’s a balanced mix of romanticized Greek mythology along […]
FILM: Neptune reports from Cannes with her favourites
26 May 2017. Neptune reports from Cannes The Cannes Film Festival is a universe unto itself. When you are here in mid-May and accredited (an absolute necessity for entering the massive “bunker” – whether press or industry), you are in a hermetic bubble pertaining to the film world. Nothing exists outside this obsession with all […]
FILM: King Arthur – Legend of the sword. Told by Guy Ritchie
19 May 2017. KING ARTHUR – LEGEND OF THE SWORD **1/2 To enjoy this latest Guy Ritchie extravaganza on the ancient myth of King Arthur, you have to appreciate Ritchie’s style of filmmaking – fast, furious and flippant dialogue, speedy editing and innovative storytelling – like his early “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” or […]
FILM: Court – the story of a victim of India’s legal system
12 May 2017. COURT *** (vo Indian and English) The arbitrary and frustrating procedure of India’s court system is the theme of this film which at times borders on the tragicomedy. And the underlying feel is a play on the old adage, “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer…”, or rather, the habitual […]
FILM: Marie Curie – the private life of a woman who fought hard to fit into a man’s world
5 May 2017. MARIE CURIE et la LUMIÈRE BLEUE ***1/2 (vo French) Most of us know Marie Curie as the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize in Physics (in 1903), along with her husband Pierre, for their research in radium. But we know little about her private sphere and the scandal of her later […]
FILM: Guardians of the Galaxy, vol 2 – a super fun popcorn flick
28 April 2017. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, Vol 2 ***1/2 If you’re looking for a super fun popcorn flick, this is it! Those crazy space characters from Marvel comics are back again to amuse us while saving the Galaxy one more time, in this instant cult film. There’s of course the main man, Peter Quill, alias […]