10 January 2025. THE ROOM NEXT DOOR ***1/2 A Pedro Almadovar film is a special event – he seldom fails, he is a regular in the top film festivals, and this one continues his reputation as a master filmmaker. It has all his trademarks – bright, radiant colours – in the decor of the homes, […]

3 January 2025. Happy New Year, dear folks – may our so-called world leaders come to their senses…but then I’m thinking of a miracle, like in the movies… Just stay healthy, positive and escape from reality on the ski slopes or in the cinemas. 🌹 WE LIVE IN TIME (L’Amour au présént) **1/2 This is […]

20 December 2024. Christmas is around the corner and it’s all getting a bit too hectic, therefore these reviews will be short so we can get on with our other activities…Here’s wishing you all a warm, loving holiday and hopefully a new year of peace and good health. MUFASA; THE LION KING **** This is […]

13 December 2024. Maybe due to the Christmas rush – with little time to check out films – these releases are quite mediocre. Wait till next week or see the great ones you’ve missed – CONCLAVE, EMILIA PEREZ, ANORA, JUROR #2, FLOW. Or just take a break from all the hullabaloo… KRAVEN THE HUNTER *** […]

6 December 2024. CONCLAVE ***** This film is perfection! (Notice the rare 5 stars). Everything about it is just right: the acting, the dialogue, the setting and its gravitas. You feel you are actually in the Vatican with magnificent cinematography, assisting in the process of choosing a new Pope. That’s what the word Conclave signifies […]

29 November 2024. By Neptune RIEFENSTAHL **** (vo German and English) The controversial Leni Riefenstahl – born in Berlin, Germany in 1902, died in 2003 at age 101 – was a multi-talented, highly ambitious woman, ahead of her time. Excelling as an artist, athlete, dancer, mountain climber and photographer, she finally came into her own […]

22 November 2024. By Neptune NAÎTRE SVETLANA STALINE **** (vo French, English, Russian) This documentary by Swiss journalist and director Gabriel Tejedor, about the rich yet tragic life of Stalin’s daughter, is a vivid, personal ride through 20th century history. Born in 1926, Svetlana was raised like a princess at the height of Stalin’s years […]

15 November 2024. By Neptune GLADIATOR II *** Ridley Scott is an epic filmmaker, and he proves it once again with this second take on the original “Gladiator”. This time it is about the son of General and Gladiator Maximus, played with magnificence some 24 years ago by Russell Crowe, who won an Oscar for […]

8 November 2024. By Neptune THE SUBSTANCE *** Here it is – the cruel reality of the price of fame and glory, and the pressure on women to be young and beautiful, especially in Hollywood. This film made a huge splash in Cannes, with a glamorous Demi Moore playing here a fading actress who realises […]