17 June 2016. 4 to see, and 1 to really miss. OUR KIND OF TRAITOR (Un traître idéal) ***1/2 Excellent spy thriller from John Le Carre about a top man in the Russian Mafia who wants to turn West, an idealistic British university professor who unwittingly becomes his contact man, and corrupt English politicians. Ewan McGregor and […]
Film: Money Monster – Clooney in a thriller about the haves and have-nots
10 June 2016. 3 to see, and 3 to miss. MONEY MONSTER **1/2 Director Jody Foster has gone commercial in this yarn about a hostage-taking on a financial TV show. Underlying the tensions on the set is the eternal quandary between the haves and the have- nots. And she’s thrown in stars such as George Clooney […]
More from Cannes – 2016 film festival winners
27 May 2016. 2016 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS Last week I gave you the facts and numbers, and some of my favorite films from the festival. Now let me end it with snippets of views and emotions. As mentioned before, Cannes is a professional festival, impossible for the unaccredited to enter the “bunker”, as the […]
Highlights of the Cannes film festival – too many excellent films to list
20 May 2016. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2016 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL So here are the incredible numbers: the Festival has 40,000 accredited professionals working for, and running around its tightly guarded halls, its tented beaches and between the hotels, restaurants and fabled parties. Of that, some 4,500-plus are journalists, with 11,500 industry badges in the Marche […]
Tracks – true story of a loner who crossed the deserts of Austrailia
6 May 2016. Brace yourselves, Cinephiles – lots of quality films coming at us this week! Nearly all non-English ones that I would highly recommend. We are in international Geneva, after all. Check out these other corners of our world… TRACKS *** Here’s another true story, based on the incredible trek of Robyn Davidson (played by […]
Not to be missed: Nyon’s film festival, visions du réel
The story of the Festival is the story of liberty Nyon’s Visions de Réel documentary film festival is an opportunity to see films with a deep message and purpose. “Films which may have been censored in their own countries, but shown complete at the festival” says Claude Ruey, the festival’s executive president, who started his involvement […]
Film: The Jungle Book – this sumptuous live-action version does not disappoint
15 April 2016. THE JUNGLE BOOK **** We are all more or less familiar with this adventure tale about a little boy growing up in the jungle amongst wild animals, either through the original classic by Rudyard Kipling, its various apparitions as comics, or the unforgettable Disney animated film of 1967. This sumptuous live-action version […]
Film: Truth – how two top TV journalists had their careers destroyed
8 April 2016. TRUTH *** Let’s be honest – it’s the strong acting of Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford, and the rest of the accomplished cast, that makes this film especially worthwhile. But its recounting of the true incident in 2004 that cost the careers of two top television journalists in the U.S. is also […]
Film: Kung fu Panda 3 – about everyone finding their own best self
1 April 2016. Not the greatest week dear cinephiles, but a fine one for your kids with the Panda film, which you will also enjoy. 1 to see, 2 to skip. KUNG FU PANDA 3 *** What a delight to see an animated film for children that has fun and action but also an underlying […]
Film: A perfect day – a droll look at the absurdity of war
A PERFECT DAY ***1/2 The multi-awarded Spanish director Fernando Leon de Aranoa – of such socially-conscious yet personal films as “Les Lundi au Soleil” and “Princesas” – has come up with another winner. This time he’s gone international, taking a droll, almost sarcastic look at the consequences and absurdity of war, somewhere in the Balkans […]
