9 April 2021. By Neptune In my exasperation last week, I had written, “I give up now.” I may have been exaggerating, though a kind reader took it seriously and wrote me not to give up nor lose courage and continue on into the Covid haze, finding new outlets for films and such… I shall […]
FILM: 4 picks from Netflix + 1 from RTS
2 April 2021. By Neptune Sorry, but we are still without any cinemas opening up. It is getting tiresome searching for those precious classics of yore to watch at home and picking the best films of various countries such as Russia, France, China or England, as I have been offering you during these lean months […]
FILM: the finest Chinese films
21 January 2021. By Neptune CHINESE FILMS When I think of the rich span of Chinese cinema (first film made in 1905), the creator that comes to mind is the prolific director Zhang Yimou who first started as a cinematographer in 1982. The excellence of his countless films are a testament to both China’s grandeur […]
FILM: 7 more excellent films
8 May 2020. We’re all encouraged by the gentle re-opening up of life and society. Let’s hope it will work smoothly. It would help if we just keep those masks on, regularly wash our hands, and keep a correct distance with re-united friends. No three-kisses please! But confinement has also shown us some marvelous talents […]
FILM: 11 documentaries!
1 May 2020. DOCUMENTARIES ! I thought I would give you a selection of outstanding documentaries this week. Enough of delightful or dramatic entertainment. Let‘s get down to the fine art of the grey cells (as Hercules Poirot would say). Or as the old saying goes, “Truth is stranger than fiction” (from such luminaries as […]
FILM: THE CHILDREN ACT – Adult drama at its very best. 4 stars.
3 August 2018. THE CHILDREN ACT (My Lady) **** This film is an elegant, mature balancing act of sorts. One that will have you enthralled by its passionate reserve, a decidedly British trait, while it juggles moral questions and emotional issues. Public responsibility versus personal anguish. And Richard Eyre, the renowned English theater and TV […]
FILM: 6 you should probably avoid
17 November 2017. Not a great week, I’m afraid. Wait for next week when there will be some fine ones. TEHRAN TABOO **1/2 (vo Farsi) This is a film that is done in animation, atmospheric and politically-attuned, with quite an intriguing storyline. It is well-made, has been making the rounds of film festivals and audiences […]
Film reviews: Dora, Au plus pres du soleil, Lamb, The man from U.N.C.L.E
18 September 2015 Neptune Ravar Ingwersen reviews film extensively for publications in Switzerland. She views 4 to 8 films a week and her aim is to sort the wheat from the chaff for readers. DORA ou les névroses sexuelles de nos parents ***1/2 (vo German) A film from the Locarno film fest, this intriguing story […]
Neptune’s film picks this week. Plus one to avoid.
LE TOUT NOUVEAU TESTAMENT **** (vo French) Delightfully irreverent, this Belgium film from one of the country’s best directors, Jaco van Dormael, tells it as it feels for a lot of people. The title and the poster say it all – The Brand New Testament, and “Dieu existe, il habite à Bruxelles”! Played by the […]
