A- drama Written & directed by Pedro Almodóvar Some movies are easy to review, but not this one. If I'm not careful, I can ruin the movie for you - and not just in the last act. Pedro Almodóvar's latest film, Parallel Mothers, contains some important surprises over its two-hour runtime, and each new revelation … Continue reading Parallel Mothers: What you heard at the maternity hospital
Category: Drama
Drama
A “hero” and a cartoon at Mill Valley (but not in Mill Valley)
Saturday night, I attended a Mill Valley Film Festival screening at the BAMPFA, of Asghar Farhadi's new film, A Hero. Then, on Sunday, I streamed The Bears' Famous Invasion. I'll start with the more serious film. It's also the one I saw first. A Hero Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi first caught my eye with A … Continue reading A “hero” and a cartoon at Mill Valley (but not in Mill Valley)
Confetti will make you feel happy
B Gentle drama Written and Directed by Ann Hu Here's a movie to warm the cockles of your heart. Lan, a school janitor in China discovers that her daughter Meimei is dyslexic. There's no help in her native country, so Lan takes her daughter to America, where she struggles to get Meimei into the right … Continue reading Confetti will make you feel happy
Three cinematic views of the Pray Away the Gay movement
Tuesday night I watched the new Netflix documentary, Pray Away, directed by Kristine Stolakis. It's a very good film, that won't be seen by as many who need to see it. This is the third feature-length film I've seen about gay conversion therapy, where Christian fanatics (I assume that in real life there are Jewish … Continue reading Three cinematic views of the Pray Away the Gay movement
12 Mighty Orphans: Football by the numbers
C+ Inspirational sports movieWritten by Ty Roberts & Lane Garrison and Kevin Meyer, from the book by Jim DentDirected by Ty Roberts This is one of those sports movies intended to inspire everyone to root for the underdog. And since it's based on a true story, you might assume that most of it happened. But … Continue reading 12 Mighty Orphans: Football by the numbers
Censor: Is it serious, or frightening
B Either a horror movie or a drama about horror moviesWritten by Prano Bailey-Bond, Anthony FletcherDirected by Prano Bailey-Bond This unique British film starts as a social drama about excessive violence in the movies. But as it goes along, it becomes a movie filled with excessive violence. The censor of the title, Enid (Niamh Algar), … Continue reading Censor: Is it serious, or frightening
An endless movie about nothing
F No recognizable genre Written & directed by Roy Andersson The best thing about Roy Andersson's extremely weird film, About Endlessness, is its length. This Swedish, German, and Norwegian picture runs only 76 minutes. The bad part is that, as the title suggests, the film really does feel endless. When I describe a film as … Continue reading An endless movie about nothing
My thoughts on A Star is Born (1954)
Last Friday night, my wife and I watched the 1954 version of A Star is Born - the one starring Judy Garland and James Mason. Aside from being almost perfect, this film catches Hollywood at an important moment in film history. The film industry was experiencing its biggest changes since the talkie revolution. And you … Continue reading My thoughts on A Star is Born (1954)
Mike Leigh’s Secrets & Lies, now on Criterion Blu-ray
There's something very special about Mike Leigh's family drama, Secrets & Lies. Every person on the screen appears to be a fully fleshed-out human being, and I'm not just talking about the main characters. Even actors with one or two scenes feel as if they have a history. You can care about all of them … Continue reading Mike Leigh’s Secrets & Lies, now on Criterion Blu-ray
Test Pattern is not about TV
A- Drama Written and directed by Shatara Michelle Ford Test Pattern is not about old-fashioned television. It's about date rape, and how that affects everyone involved - except, perhaps, the rapist. This is the second film I've seen in the last few weeks about date rape. I liked Test Pattern and Promising Young Woman very … Continue reading Test Pattern is not about TV
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