26 May 2023. By Neptune JUST THE TWO OF US (L’AMOUR ET LES FORÊTS) ***1/2 (vo French) There are films that grab you and hold you from the first moment – this is one of them. There is acting that is so real and natural that you feel you have always known these characters – […]
FILM: JEANNE DU BARRY – Depp speaking French
19 May 2023. By Neptune JEANNE DU BARRY *** (vo French) Of course the film is in French, and Johnny Depp has no American accent as Louis XV! In fact he is convincing and touching as the grand French king of the mid-18th century who enjoyed having a series of mistresses in his spectacular Versailles […]
FILM: THE POPE’S EXORCIST ***
12 May 2023. By Neptune THE POPE’S EXORCIST *** With this semi-horror film I had expected an embarrassing downturn for the once-revered Russell Crowe (at the height of his fame in the early 2000s Crowe had received an Oscar for “Gladiator”, a BAFTA for “A Beautiful Mind” and multiple nominations for his outstanding acting.) I […]
FILM: PLAN 75 – citizens over the age of 75 can register to be euthanised
5 May 2023. By Neptune PLAN 75 ***1/2 (vo Japanese) A 78 year-old woman, lonely and somewhat lost in her life; a young, handsome recruit for a new government project; a caring Filipina trying to make ends meet. All three connect somehow in this audacious film. The premise is an intriguing idea which may make […]
FILM: BEAU IS AFRAID – I have never seen a film so sick and despicable
28 April 2023. By Neptune BEAU IS AFRAID – (yes, that’s a minus) I believe I have never seen a film so sick and despicable. It is three hours of one poor loser (the always convincing Joaquin Phoenix) having delusions about his miserable, dangerous surroundings, his mother, his childhood, his therapist. Such depravity and ugliness […]
FILM: THE QUIET GIRL – a quiet film that will move you
21 April 2023. By Neptune THE QUIET GIRL ***1/2 (vo Gaelic) Why is it that some children have to suffer for the problems and hangups of their incompetent, often cruel parents? There have been many films dealing with the abuse of children within the family. This one, an Irish film done mainly in Gaelic, shows […]
FILM: DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS – Honour among Thieves
By Neptune DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS – Honour among Thieves **1/2 This whole theme of medieval adventure and humour was originally an interactive game. Hugely popular, it has been turned into another blockbuster franchise to draw in the young crowd. It is mostly innocent fantasy escapades, with all sorts of tricks and strange creatures – something […]
FILM: AIR *** Ben Affleck and Matt Damon together again
7 April 2023. By Neptune AIR *** Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, long-time friends from school days in Massachusetts, have always been powerhouse actors and creators, especially while working together, as they did in 1997 when, on their first collaborative film, they won screenwriting Oscars for Gus van Sant’s “Good Will Hunting”. Well, they’re back […]
FILM: THE LOST KING ***
31 March 2023. By Neptune THE LOST KING *** Great – another Stephen Frears film! The works of this English director – such as “My Beautiful Laundrette” (with Daniel Day Lewis), “Dangerous Liaisons” (with John Malkovich and Glenn Close), “The Queen” (with Helen Mirren), or “Florence Foster Jenkins” (with Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant) – […]
FILM: JOHN WICK – Chapter IV *1/2 – one kill per minute
24 March 2023. By Neptune JOHN WICK – Chapter IV *1/2 Apparently there is one kill per minute of runtime – bodies being shattered and smithereened – in the latest instalment of this brutal franchise. That really says it all. The film, almost 3 hours long, is pure mayhem, with a few moments of respite […]
