Distant (Day 91)
My Opinion: 6.7 || Patient character study that does too little with its subject matter. The film’s attentiveness is admirable, but closely observed details are not enough if they don’t lead to insights or deeper feeling.
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Le Doulos (Day 90)
My Opinion: 7.9 || Dark, tight crime thriller that plays cat-and-mouse with our loyalties and assumptions. Not a roller-coaster so much as a slow-track ride with trick mirrors and surprising turns. Once we get… Continue reading
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter . . . And Spring (Day 89)
My Opinion: 7.6 || Contemplative and beautifully filmed. There’s a delicate loveliness to the structure of the film and quiet power in several scenes. However, characterization is thin, providing only tokens of personality and… Continue reading
Before The Rain (Day 88)
My Opinion: 8.8 || Excellent. A revealing exploration of ethnic conflict that bends back on itself in a fascinating bit of nonlinear storytelling. You’ll scratch your head about whether the puzzle-plot actually fits together… Continue reading
Lady Vengeance (Day 87)
My Opinion: 6.9 || Great visual creativity and cinematic style, but the story reaches for profundity that isn’t there. The lead character is colorful but shallow, and there’s little insight into the psychological or… Continue reading
Ikiru (Day 86)
My Opinion: 8.8 || A simple premise explored brilliantly. Inventive story structure, absorbing camera work, and profound feeling. Excellent film.
A Hijacking (Day 85)
My Opinion: 7.9 || Riveting — succeeds as a taut thriller, intense drama, and absorbing character study. Great insights into the mechanics of piracy and negotiation, as well as a harrowing view of what… Continue reading
A Woman In Berlin (Day 84)
My Opinion: 7.4 || Courageous look at fear and survival in Berlin at the start of the Soviet occupation. Based on an anonymous first-hand account published (and then removed) after the war, the film… Continue reading
The Trap (Day 83)
My Opinion: 7.5 || Intelligent, gripping thriller that sets a compelling moral trap. The story is tight and the emotions are deeply felt.
Caramel (Day 82)
My Opinion: 6.4 || Lightly funny and touching romantic comedy. The casually intimate view of Beirut is nice, and the narrative structure is amiably loose — more a slice of life than a well-formed story.
