Category Archive: Spanish

Cell 211 (Day 79)

My Opinion: 6.9 || Thrilling first hour that leads to a disappointingly strained and messy second half — too many developments that smell like a screenwriter’s outline. Even with those flaws, though, it’s a… Continue reading

The Hidden Face (Day 61)

My Opinion: 5.9 || Flawed but diverting thriller with a clever-enough plot. As in so many thrillers, the action hinges on someone doing something brain-numbingly stupid, and the characters aren’t particularly interesting or sympathetic.… Continue reading

Cronos (Day 58)

My Opinion: 6.9 || Good fantasy-horror fun, with a very entertaining premise and excellent balance of humor, chills, and tenderness. Wonderful economy in the storytelling too — not a wasted minute and the short… Continue reading

Miss Bala (Day 55)

My Opinion: 6.4 || A point-of-view immersion into Mexico’s drug wars that emphasizes subjective experience over narrative structure or character development. The protagonist Laura is buffeted by circumstances she can’t control or understand, and… Continue reading

Death of a Cyclist (Day 31)

 My Opinion: 6.3 || A nifty, efficient thriller with above-average directing touches. The premise is one that’s been repeated many times since, and it’s a good one. One of the protagonists undergoes a transformation… Continue reading

Nostalgia for the Light (Day 18)

 My Opinion: 5.6 || A worthwhile experience about important subjects but very pedestrian filmmaking. The movie has been made with great integrity and sense of purpose, and I wish I could rate it better,… Continue reading

Nine Queens (Day 10)

My Opinion: 6.4 || An entertaining, intellectually engaging movie about con men who are as busy trying to swindle each other as their mark. All the pleasures of a good fast-talking, fast-moving crime movie… 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.