Afterglow (1997) When Lucky Mann (Nick Nolte) discovered his fifteen year old daughter was the result of an affair between his actress wife, Phyllis (Julie Christie), and one of co-stars, he responded violently and their confused daughter ran away. Lucky and Phyllis moved to Montreal where they suspected their daughter was living, but agreed to… Continue reading The trees are glowing
Month: June 2014
It’s time for you to get a horse!
About Time (2013) When Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) turns twenty-one, he learns the men in his family can travel back in time and uses this newly discovered skill to court Mary (Rachel McAdams) in this mashup of the romantic comedy and science fiction genres. Director Richard Curtis breaks most of the “rules” of time travel, but… Continue reading It’s time for you to get a horse!
That marriage is a lemon!
Lemon (1969) This avant-garde film by Hollis Frampton is an elaborate, eight minute practical joke, yet somehow this was released by the Criterion Collection. Marriage Italian Style (1964) Prostitute Filomena (Sophia Loren) fakes an illness and convinces her long time paramour Domenico (Marcello Mastroianni) to marry her on her “deathbed.” After her recovery, she convinces… Continue reading That marriage is a lemon!
Frida gracefully swam with sharks
Maria Full of Grace (2004) After Maria Alvarez quits her job at a Colombian sweatshop, she discovers she’s pregnant. Desperate for money, she becomes a drug mule, swallowing 62 pellets of heroin and flying to New York City with two other smugglers. When they land, the smugglers are quarantined until they pass the pellets, but… Continue reading Frida gracefully swam with sharks
The Genius made a deal with the devil to avoid dying on the battlefields of Earth
Faust (2011) Mauricius agrees to help Heinrich Faust win the affection of his beloved Gretchen in exchange for his soul. There are plenty of better adaptations of the Faust legend, including the 16th century play by Christopher Marlowe. This film by Alexander Sokurov can’t decide if Mauricius is the devil or just a very talented man… Continue reading The Genius made a deal with the devil to avoid dying on the battlefields of Earth
On Devil’s Island
Papillon (1973) Safe cracker Henri Charrière (Steve McQueen) is falsely imprisoned for murder and sentenced to hard labor on Devil’s Island where he forms an unlikely partnership with scrawny embezzler Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman) as they attempt to escape. To baby boomers, Steve McQueen is the epitome of cool, the idolized hero of their youth, but his… Continue reading On Devil’s Island
Senna was fearless
Fearless (1993) Surviving a plane crash changes Max Klein (Jeff Bridges) emotionally and psychologically; he grows apart from his wife and son and closer to the other survivors. One of whom, Carla Rodrigo (Rosie Perez), develops feelings for Max while she struggles with the death of her son. The crash provides Max with a detached… Continue reading Senna was fearless
The daytime panic in the streets of Mecca
Day for Night (1973) French melodrama Je Vous Présente Paméla stars an older screen legend, a younger sex symbol, and a British actress (Jacqueline Bissett). During filming, the cast and crew wish the interminable, troubled shoot would end. In a charming bit of camera winking meta narrative, the director, Francois Truffaut, plays Ferrand, the director of the… Continue reading The daytime panic in the streets of Mecca
That’s not a boy, it’s a man!
Oldboy (2013) Josh Brolin is perfectly cast as Joe Doucett an outwardly menacing, but inwardly heroic figure. Elizabeth Olsen (younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley) radiates charisma as Marie Sebastian. Sharlto Copley was great in District 9 (2009) and I liked him in The A-Team (2010), but he’s not menacing enough as The Stranger, and, at… Continue reading That’s not a boy, it’s a man!
The quiet transamerican
Transamerica (2005) One week before sex reassignment surgery, Bree Osbourne (Felicity Huffman) discovers he fathered a child years ago during one of his few sexual encounters with a woman. Bree’s therapist refuses to give final approval for the operation until he meets his son, so Bree travels across the country to bail Toby (Kevin Zeggers) out… Continue reading The quiet transamerican