Category Archive: Russia

1 Comment

The Ascent (Day 81)

My Opinion: 8.8 || Very powerful movie. Starts well and just keeps getting better. Deserves to be high on anyone’s list of great films about war, courage, and sacrifice (and deep, deep cold).

2 Comments

The Island (Day 75)

My Opinion: 6.6 || A deeply felt movie that’s distinctive but not distinctly successful. As a depiction of earnest religious devotion it rings true, but there’s little investigation of that devotion or insight into… Continue reading →

2 Comments

How I Ended The Summer (Day 27)

My Opinion: 3.8 || Ugh. A lazy guy we don’t like makes dumb mistakes that we don’t believe. Slowly.

1 Comment

Ivan’s Childhood (Day 16)

My Opinion: 7.2 || Tarkovsky is uninterested in the mechanics of the war and can barely be bothered with plot — the emphasis here is on subjective emotion, moral struggle, and striking visuals. It’s… 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.