When Sea of Love was released in 1989 Al Pacino hadn’t been in a film for four years – the longest gap in his career to date. His last film, Revolution, had also been a box-office bomb, meaning the American public hadn’t seen him in a prestigious role since Scarface in 1983. That makes Sea […]
There’s not a lot about Burhan Qurbani’s updating of “Berlin Alexanderplatz” that declares itself “adapted from one of the greatest novels of the 20th century.” It’s stately and long — nearly three hours. But Rainer Werner Fassbender’s definitive 1980 version, for German TV, ran for over 15 hours and was shown in theaters over multiple […]
Movie Review: Updating a classic — “Berlin Alexanderplatz”
When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter and grandchildren begin to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry, trying to outrun the sinister fate they have inherited. This is a film that had always been on the edge of my awareness especially as reviews came up when the film […]
Hi folks and welcome to the The Friday Film Club where both myself and Elwood will be highlighting a film which we feel is worth checking out. At the same time we would love to hear your own selections whether you’re choosing to just name them in the comments section or join us in arguing […]
Friday Film Club: Baby Driver (2017) & Tramps (2016)
The new (at least in the States) Norwegian disaster movie “The Tunnel” opens by dropping a few interesting facts that adds some perspective to what we are about to see. We learn that there are 1100 tunnels throughout Norway, most without emergency exits or safety rooms. The title cards go on to say that since […]
Mads Mikkelsen? Sold! That’s all I needed to be interested in the upcoming film “Riders of Justice”. This Danish action-black comedy mix comes from writer-director Anders Thomas Jensen who previously worked with Mikkelsen on the underrated Western “The Salvation” and the astutely titled “Men & Chicken”. With “Riders” Jensen looks to be pulling from both […]
First Glance: “Riders of Justice”
The difficulties of aging. So this is about an elderly man (Anthony Hopkins). His daughter (Olivia Colman) tries to help him as he succumbs to dementia, but he is stubborn and set in his ways. Paranoia kicks in as his situation begins to make less and less sense to him. Now, this was the last […]
Hanging by a Thread – The Father (2020)
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. One of the best descriptions of being a nomad is a wanderer. A person who does not set boundaries for himself – he or she goes beyond it. Why have one place called home when there’s opportunity to be living in every part of the country. That does not […]
Film Review: “Nomadland” (2020)
Fresh off of his 78th birthday, screen legend Christopher Walken is still working and has a new movie on the way. “Percy vs Goliath” is a biographical drama that actually came out in Canada late last year. Now, ahead of its upcoming US premiere, the film has dropped a new trailer and Walken fans have […]
First glance: “Percy vs Goliath” (2021)
It took a while, but the long-delayed psychological thriller “The Woman in the Window” is finally set to see the light of day. Originally owned by 20th Century Fox, the rights then went to Disney following their acquisition of Fox. Now Netflix is set to release the film next month. It’s directed by Joe Wright […]
First Glance: “The Woman in the Window”
Director Evgeny Ruman Staring Mariya Belkina, Vladimir Friedman, Evelin Hagoel Rated M Score 4/6 Victor and Raya Frenkel were the golden voices of the Soviet film dubbing for decades. All the western movies that reached Soviet screens were dubbed by them. In 1990, with the collapse of Soviet Union, the Frenkels decided to do Aliyah […]
Idris Elba is an actor I’ve always admired. Whether he’s speaking with power and passion as Nelson Mandela or declaring himself Black Superman in “Hobbs & Shaw”. He has always possessed both leading man charisma and supporting role restraint. He uses a little of both in the new Netflix drama “Concrete Cowboy”, directed by Ricky […]
REVIEW: “Concrete Cowboy” (2021)
Two first-year students (Sam Claflin, Max Irons) at Oxford University join a secret society – loosely based on the real life Bullingdon Club – and learn that their reputations can be made or destroyed over the course of one evening. This is another of those films where the premise sounded interesting. I also noticed they […]
It takes a few minutes to get past the feeling that “Here Are the Young Men” isn’t a simplistic “Trainspotting” homage, some sort of boys-come-of-age, generationally-indulgent wank with an Irish accent. The characters are “types” — the rebellious lad entering the workforce with lust in his heart and a mouth always open for whatever pill […]
Movie Review: Irish lads Come of Age in a Toxic Time — “Here Are all the Young Men”
Indecent Proposal was Adrian Lyne’s spiritual sequel to Fatal Attraction – and it’s a fascinating benchmark for how the erotic thriller had shifted in the previous six years. The genre moved so rapidly, and converged with the straight-to-video market so dramatically, that by 1993 it was already in its final throes – at least as […]
Lyne: Indecent Proposal (1993)
After dropping the more familiar narrative constraints of its first season and delving into more unknown territory, Snowpiercer manages to form its own riveting path through the snow. Through this season, the narrative and characters are propelled into so many unexpected directions that it makes this season a much more surprising and engaging watch. Right […]
SNOWPIERCER Season 2 is elevated by edge-of-seat thrills and the phenomenal presence of Sean Bean!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. Every parent wants his or her child to succeed; be a good child, law obedient, get an education, find a well-paid job, get married, have children and live happily ever after. Cole’s (Caleb McLaughlin) mother, struggling in Detroit with her son, is fed up with all the issues he […]
Film Review: “Concrete Cowboy”
There’s no ennui like French ennui, a message given another big screen treatment in “The Salt of Tears,” a tale of a young cabinet-maker apprentice who cannot find love to fill the void in his empty soul. The latest from French baby boomer filmmaker Philippe Garrel (“In the Shadow of Women,” “Wild Innocence”) is a […]
Movie Review: French learn that love is stained with “The Salt of Tears (Le Sel des larmes)”
In retrospect, the genuinely great moments of Sex and the City were very few and far between. At its core, the series provided an electrifying vision of female friendship and, on the rare occasions when it genuinely embraced that project, it stood in a league of its own. We saw it in the last minute […]
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) Director – Milos Forman (Man On the Moon) Cast – Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Brad Douriff, Danny DeVito, Will Sampson, Christopher Lloyd Plot – Troublemaker and criminal R.P McMurphy (Nicholson) is transported to a mental facility run by Nurse Ratched (Fletcher) where he is to be evaluated […]