5 April 2024. By Neptune This week – two comedies to take you away from the miseries of the world – run to them! THE PALACE *** This latest film by Roman Polanski has divided both critics and audiences. Some have said it’s the worst film ever made by the master Polanski (“Tess”, “Chinatown”, “The […]
FILM: GREEN BORDER **** – fleeing the horrors of the Syrian war
29 March 2024. By Neptune GREEN BORDER **** (vo Polish, Russian, English, Arabic…) We first see the Syrian family – from the stately grandfather to his son’s family including wife, children and a baby – on a flight from Turkey to Belarus, where they have plans to go to relatives in Sweden. Fleeing from the […]
FILM: TERRESTRIAL VERSES – the absurdity of life under Iran’s theocracy
15 March 2024. By Neptune TERRESTRIAL VERSES (Chroniques de Téhéran) **** (vo Farsi) This series of vignettes showing interviews with ordinary citizens presents the utter absurdity of life within the theocracy that is Iran under the rule of the mullahs. And on it goes, interview after episode, succinctly highlighting scenes of power play, pressures and […]
FILM: THE GIACOMETTIS **** the famous Swiss family of artists
8 March 2024. By Neptune I GIACOMETTI / THE GIACOMETTIS **** (vo Italian, German, French) This documentary about the Giacometti dynasty by Swiss director Susanna Fanzun is an eye-opener for any art-lover. Even for those who think they know all about this highly artistic family raised in the rugged Bregaglia Valley of Italian Switzerland. Fanzun […]
DUNE: PART TWO **** – a monumental tale of warring families and planets
1 March 2024. By Neptune Two completely different releases this week – one a thrilling blockbuster, the other a wry, delicate tale of loneliness and trying to fit in. Pick your genre, or try both, as they are each excellent, making for double satisfaction. DUNE: PART TWO **** Once again, and rare for a sequel, […]
FILM: FUNNY BIRDS (AU FIL DES SAISONS) – Catherine Deneuve is a star
23 February 2024. By Neptune FUNNY BIRDS (AU FIL DES SAISONS) **1/2 (vo English) There’s no doubt about it – Catherine Deneuve is a star. She has been for many decades since her first big splash in “Les Parapluies de Cherbourg” from 1964. She is not only a treasured national icon in France, but also […]
FILM: ALL OF US STRANGERS – brilliantly acted
16 February 2024. By Neptune ALL OF US STRANGERS (Sans jamais nous connaître) ***1/2 This is the type of film that will have each person who sees it come out with a different impression of what it is meant to be. Adam, a 40ish solitary scriptwriter, lives in an almost deserted high rise in London. […]
FILM: THE BREAKING ICE *** – Singaporean choice for Foreign Oscars
9 February 2024. By Neptune THE BREAKING ICE (Un hiver à Yanji) *** (vo Mandarin/Korean) In a blessed hour and a half, Singaporean director, Anthony Chen, takes us into China and gives us a glimpse of a remote corner of this immense country. This is not a travelogue, but rather a tender, modern tale of […]
FILM: ARGYLLE *
2 February 2024. By Neptune RETOUR EN ALEXANDRIE ***1/2 (vo French and Arabic) Two beautiful actresses play a mother and daughter duo in this exquisitely filmed tale of nostalgia and going back to one’s roots. The stylish mother is played by the French Fanny Ardant (who started her brilliant, lengthy career under the tutelage of […]
FILM: BONJOUR TICINO *** Swiss vote on becoming a one-language nation
19 January 2024. By Neptune BON SCHUUR TICINO (CIAO CIAO BORBINE/BONJOUR TICINO) *** (vo German, French, Italian) Here’s a wonderfully amusing satire of what it is to be Swiss, with 4 different languages co-existing in this small, peaceful country. At least it was peaceful, until these filmmakers got hold of it! The Swiss are good […]
