Film Reviews Blog

This page only shows films that have a review. By default in date order of reading with newest at top

Saturday 27th January 2024

France 2022

Running time: 122 mins

Saint Omer

Director : Alice Diop

Film Summary :
Courtroom drama. Writer observes trial of Senegalese woman who has admitted killing her 15 month old child. Resonances in her own life and cultural background.
Film Category
The 2020s
Film Tags

Rated by rogerco, Streamed proj @ home on 27 Jan 2024

Review Summary :
Long(ish) and languid with a lot left unsaid in terms of the resonances between Lawrences life and Rama's. Ultimately unsatisfying


Saturday 20th January 2024

Poland 2022

Running time: 88 mins

EO

Director : Jerzy Skolimowski

Film Summary :
The world as seen by a donkey as he is passed from human to human
Film Category
The 2020s
Film Tags

Reviewed by rogerco, DVD proj @ home on 20 Jan 2024

Review Summary :
A different way of telling a story with an animal as the lead character

Weird

Very difficult to review as it is in a class of its own, quite unlike any other film. I guess I was entranced and involved so in that sense the film worked. Since the character couldn't speak we had to rely on shots of him watching events unfold - often closeups of his face and eyes, and roject our own feelings and judgements about the events onto the donkey.

At other times instead of the character telling us in voice over or dialogue about how he is feeling we see the filmmakers impressions of how the interior world of a donkey might be - these scenes were less satisfying visually although music was used very effectively to convey the emotions that the donkey might be feeling.

A brave attemot to tell a different sort of story in a different way, but difficult to judge if it succeeds.



Sunday 14th January 2024

France 2021

Running time: 100 mins

Happening

L'événement

Director : Audrey Diwan

Film Summary :
Student has to deal with unwanted pregnancy in 1963 France where abortion means a jail sentence for anyone involved.
Film Category
The 2020s
Film Tags

Reviewed by rogerco, DVD proj @ home on 14 Jan 2024

She was lucky, society was sick

Convincing slice of life for a female student in early 60's France (outside Paris). Scenes of the back street abortion troubling.



Saturday 6th January 2024

France 1967

Running time: 18 mins

Oncle Yanco

Director : Agnes Varda

Film Summary :
Agnes finds a long lost relative living on a boat in San Fransisco harbour
Film Category
The 1960s
Film Tags

Rated by rogerco, Streamed proj @ home on 06 Jan 2024

Review Summary :
Another gem from Agnes, and a glimpse of an unusual corner of 1967 San Fransisco


Saturday 6th January 2024

Belgium 2022

Running time: 104 mins

Close

Director : Lukas Dhont

Film Summary :
Friendship between two 12yo boys drifts apart with tragic consequences when they go up to a new school
Film Category
The 2020s
Film Tags

Reviewed by rogerco, Streamed proj @ home on 06 Jan 2024

Good but not satisfying

Good, but not as good as the commercial reviews make out. There doesn't seem to be sufficient motivation for Remini's suicide which makes the whole story weaker and less believable - even if it was based on a real childhood event of the director.

There's a lot of meta-tension as it navigates between various potential storylines - will their friendship develop into a full-lown ghomo love affair, will they drifting apart develop into toxic hate, will Remini's mother develop a relationship with her son's best friend - both before and after his death - mercifully none of these obvious things happen, but neither does evenetual redemption and reconcillation.  The death is simply not belivable.



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