10 March 2023. By Neptune WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? *** A good romantic comedy is a rare thing these days, so this one is a gift that you should not let slip by. The title actually says it all, for this film is about diverging views on finding lasting love. With the […]
FILM: THE FABELMANS **1/2 – Spielberg’s childhood
24 February 2023. By Neptune THE FABELMANS **1/2 Steven Spielberg – scenarist, director, producer – is no doubt one of the greats of filmdom. From his first thrilling “Duel” in 1971 at the age of 25, to “E.T.”, “Saving Private Ryan”, “Catch Me If You Can”, and his ultimate masterpiece “Schindler’s List” (to list only […]
FILM: MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE **
10 February 2023. By Neptune MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE ** This Steven Soderbergh extravaganza starts off with quite a bang. We’re in beautiful Miami and the living is rich. Our hero, Mike, who was a male stripper (played by the talented Tatum Channing, from the past two Magic Mike movies), is now bartending at the […]
FILM: A MAN CALLED OTTO – a crowd-pleaser
3 February 2023. By Neptune A MAN CALLED OTTO (Le pire voisin du monde) **1/2 There’s no doubt about it, this one is a crowd-pleaser. It’s the slow-brewing story of Otto, a grouchy man who has lost his beloved wife and also his will to live. But there’s always hope, isn’t there, in the form […]
FILM: BABYLON *** – a work not easily forgotten
20 January 2023. By Neptune BABYLON ***1/2 Here is an unabashed homage to the magic and enchantment of cinema by Damien Chazelle, the writer/director who made that other love letter to filmdom, LALALAND, which was a romantic though tragic take on the effects of Tinseltown on its characters set in a musical. Babylon takes a […]
FILM: L’IMMENSITA ***1/2
13 January 2023. By Neptune L’IMMENSITA ***1/2 (vo Italian) There’s no doubt about it, Penelope Cruz is not only an international star, but also a magnificent actress. In every one of her films, she entrances with her beauty but also with the soul she pours into the character she portrays. And so it is with […]
FILM: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY ***
23 December 2022. By Neptune I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY *** This is the biopic about the beautiful Whitney Houston of the magnificent voice. Who can ever forget her electrifying rendition of “I Will Always Love You”, from her film, “The Bodyguard”? Director Kasi Lemmons handles Houston’s turbulent life with all its ups and downs […]
FILM: NO BEARS **** – secret glimpses of Iran
16 December 2022. By Neptune NO BEARS (AUCUN OURS) **** (vo Farsi) Jafar Panahi of Iran has been at it again. This is his fifth film made in secret and smuggled out to the world, as he has been banned from making films or leaving the country since 2010. The authorities finally put this great, […]
FILM: MOTHER TERESA AND ME (Kavita & Teresa) ***
9 December 2022. By Neptune It seems this week you’ll have a lot of movie-going, for there are four good ones coming out – all with 3 stars, which means ‘very good’. So depending on your inclinations, you’ve got choices galore! MOTHER TERESA AND ME (Kavita & Teresa) *** This film is the story of […]
FILM: GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE ****
2 December 2022. By Neptune GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE ( Mes rendezvous avec Leo) **** It never fails with Emma Thompson. Any character she portrays shines with authenticity – from a judge in “The Children Act”, a German wife in “Alone in Berlin”, an Austen damsel in “Sense and Sensibility”, or a lonely […]