Category Archive: 1980s

2 Comments

Babette’s Feast (Day 66)

My Opinion: 6.1 || The feast itself is fun and lovely, but the set-up is longer and less entertaining than it should be. The movie leaves you feeling good, but the first half feels… Continue reading →

2 Comments

Blind Chance (Day 53)

My Opinion: 6.0 || Good social commentary but disappointingly prosaic direction from a filmmaker with Kieslowski’s gifts. The premise of split lives is one that he went on to explore poignantly in later films,… Continue reading →

1 Comment

Fitzcorraldo (Day 29)

My Opinion: 6.9 || A strong creative vision and captivatingly deranged performance places this in the magnificent failure category. It’s a great portrait of ruthless, megalomaniac idealism and of what happens when we encounter… Continue reading →

2 Comments

Grave of Fireflies (Day 12)

 MY OPINION: 7.3 || Not sure I’ve ever seen a sadder film. Sad, not depressing — big difference — because the story is so profoundly tender. This is delicate aesthetic ground to tread, with… Continue reading →

  • About Me


    I'm an author and consultant in Portland, Oregon. My novel 'Beheld' will be published this June.

  • The Mission

    To watch and write about one new foreign film a day for 100 days. It's a cinematic world tour -- with an emphasis on diversity of language, era, and style.

    In addition to the daily commentaries, I'll post weekly and monthly wrap-ups. And explore cool ways of graphing the films and my responses to them.