8 September 2017. RULES DON’T APPLY **1/2 Warren Beatty is back with a genteel, retro, romantic tale based around the late life of Howard Hughes. He not only directs this colorful melodrama but also plays the role of Hughes with gusto, humor and tenderness. Though I am not so sure about the correlation between Beatty’s […]
FILM: A French tale about an antisocial fellow and an Indian refugee
1 September 2017. 7 JOURS PAS PLUS (An Indian Tale) ***1/2 (vo French) There are films that remain in your heart, like “The Shop Around the Corner”, “Bagdad Café” or “The Station Agent”. You recall them and an instant smile comes across your face. This French tale, about an antisocial fellow who owns a hardware […]
FILM: The Party – Woody Allen a la Sally Potter
18 August 2017. THE PARTY ***1/2 Sally Potter has saved the day for those craving a new Woody Allen film, which has sadly not appeared yet this year. The credits are similar – simple black & white letters, and the film, also in black & white, written and directed by Potter, is a stark story about […]
FILM: Two films to avoid
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 […]
