Sentimental Value..

This is a story of family estrangement trauma and possible redemption. 

In this predictably gloomy yet  completely engrossing Norwegian drama renowned but now declining film director Gustave Borg played by Stellan Skarsgard tries to reconnect with his two estranged daughters. Nora an actress played by Renata  Reinsve who steals the film with her riveting portrayal and Agnes a historian played by Inge Ibstotter. 

His new and perhaps final project taking place in what was their family home based on the life and suicide of his mother. (The gloomy Norwegian part)  He tries as a way of a possible reconciliation to get Nora to perform in the lead role. Initially refusing because of their fraught past he hires an America actress (Ellie Fanning) to take on the part.

Director Joachim Trier (no relation to Lars von) has crafted a somewhat overly long intense thoughtful, detailed portrait of a complicated (aren’t they all?) family dynamic. 

Well worth your attention 426 stars

The Phoenician Scheme

With this latest tale Wes Anderson firmly retains his crown as a  preeminent  director who has consistently created his own unique cinematic world. In this mostly hilariously convoluted story in which none of the numerous eminent cast ever cracks a smile, Anderson creates (as usual) an unlikely, (is there such a thing in his cinematic world?)  With his customary stunning attention to detail, unique set design, color palette and odd structure, he is here in full song.  Set in the 1950’s this tale of industrialist and financier Anatole "Zsa-Zsa" Korda, a ruthless yet charismatic business tycoon, expertly played by Benicia del Toro narrowly survives an assassination attempt. While unconscious, he enters the afterlife, where a divine court judges his worthiness to enter Heaven. Knowing he cannot run from assassins forever, Korda tries to mend his testy relationship with his only daughter, Catholic novice  Sister Liesl, startlingly played by Mia Threapleton, trying to get her to quit the church and take over his business. Governments around the world band together to stop Korda's unethical business practices. This is only slight sketch of the plot  which becomes more and more dizzyingly convoluted, giving the many members of what is becoming his repertory cast including:  Michael Cera, Tom Hanks,Bryan Cranston,Richard Ayoade, Jefferey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbach, Hope Davis,Bill Murray, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willem Dafoe and F. Murray Abraham, plenty of rapid fire rotating appearances  with many funny asides. It is once again a breathless endeavor that Anderson has brought to life which might require more than one viewing to absorb.     658 stars

If I had Legs I’d Kick You.

A relentlessly depressing film that I could not look away from. 

Rose Byrne in a rivetingly eloquent performance single handedly carries this tale of a mother nearly drowning in a series of mishaps. Byrne playing Linda a therapist caring for a daughter with an eating disorder requiring a peg  tube which must be replenished every night while struggling to manage a series of other mishaps including the collapse of the ceiling in her apartment which floods the house forcing her to move with her daughter into a seedy motel while she tries to get the landlord to repair the damage. (With no success). Her absent husband has nothing to offer other than criticisms over the phone of how she is coping with these crises. On top of this barrage she has to deal with her array of clients with their own problems who further burden her adding to the mounting impossibility of her position. Seeking council from a fellow therapist, played by Conan O’Brien. His initial apparent indifference to her plight  soon turns into exasperation after she inadvertently crosses professional boundaries and he drops her as a patient. The clinic monitoring her daughter as well as Lindas increasingly desperate behavior is putting additional pressure on her that if certain weight gain targets are not met, additional custodial options would have to be considered. The way that Byrne expresses the mounting impossibility of her plight is a thing to behold… remarkable. 

Her performance already garnering awards from the Berlin Film festival Written and unflinchingly directed by Mary Bronstein. 

Harrowing but you cannot look away. 648 Stars

 

                                        

In the two hundred and seven years since Mary Shelly’s novel there have been 423 feature films featuring the monster. Guillermo del Toro completing the film ‘he was born to make’ since viewing  the film when he was seven.  In his recently released beautifully realized two and a half hour version, this gothic masterpiece casts Frankenstein as the monster, leaving the creature as an abused victim of Frankensteins obsessive desire to rise above the childhood abuse of his own father, a renowned surgeon.  Guillermo’s creature given unending life and suffering is bewildered empathetic lonely and angry after his creator tries to destroy him in frustration of its shortcomings. The film opens in the arctic where a Danish expedition discovers Frankenstein near death on the ice the creature nowhere to be seen. Hauling him on board he tells the captain his story how he created the creature  The creature soon appears at the ship looking for Frankenstein to confront him, calling him to account. His superhuman strength almost capsizes the ice stranded ship.The crew are all terrified unable to kill him. After recounting to the captain the entire story of the creature he created, it breaks into the cabin finally confronting his creator.  I’m not going to give away the ending. Other than to say it is quite different from all the other 423 previous versions. Del Toro has given human emotional depth to the creature missing from all of the predecessors and indeed created his own sumptuously enthralling unique version of this endlessly fascinating tale.

712 Stars 

                                          

Die my Love.

Everybody is mad. It’s a question of degree. As long as the madness is private and  stays within the confines of normal socially acceptable behavior, it is not usually noticed or commented on. This is an unflinching story of a woman’s transition into post partum psychosis. Grace, rivetingly  played by Jennifer Lawrence,  a writer living in New York City moves with her husband Jackson played by Robert Pattinson to rural Montana with their new child for a quieter life. 

Their original euphoria slowly dissipates as they adjust to their new surroundings and become parents, Grace begins to struggle with feelings of isolation and psychological distress. As her malaise intensifies and deepens her bewildered husband is at a loss how to cope. Director Lynne Ramsay does a masterful job in visually displaying Graces fall into psychosis. Her new world taking over from reality in many startling scenes. With supporting appearances with Sissy Spacek and Nick Nolte. Their well intentioned kindnesses somehow unable to penetrate Grace's condition. This is a haunting intense film.  479 stars

 

Professor T.

The near strangle hold that Jasper Teerlinck’s OCD has on his daily function as a lecturing professor of criminology at a university in Antwerp blots out most acceptable social behavior, that anyone else might have. His analytical brilliance allowing his continued tenure. As well as his side job of helping the federal police in their most vexing cases. This is the premise of this hit Belgian TV series.  Each episode divided into two alternating halves. The criminal police part of each series while integral, is the least engrossing. Conventional in its structure. Crime/Investigation/Solution. The intervention of Teerlinck being the more interesting ingredient in each case. It is the physiological aspects and causes of the professors clipped abnormal social behavior are the far more engrossing parts of each episode. An early childhood trauma poisoning his whole adult life. It is the slow unravelling of this trauma which gives the series its true heft. 

Koen De Bouw in the lead role carries the whole series, with his severe, odd behavior.  Supported by a strong cast. 

Viviane de Muynck as Adelinde. The professors terrifying mother.

Barbara Sarafian as Psychiatrist Helena Giselbrecht. (brought in to try and untangle the professors myriad demons)

Tanja Oostvogels as police commissioner  Christina Flamant.

Herwig llegema  as chief inspector Paul Rabat

Ella Leyers as Inspector Annelies Donkers. (a former student)

Goele Derick as Ingrid Sneyers  (The long suffering secretary of the faculty)

Carry Goossens (The equally log suffering, at the hands of professor  T) Dean.

This successful series has spawned an almost worthy British spinoff of the same name starring the very capable Ben Miller. Closely following its Belgian original it too in its convincing English way is well worth watching. 562 stars

 Such Brave Girls

A single mother (Deb) in dire financial straits (Who’s husband went out to buy some tea bags and never returned) Tries to woo a man, Dev (mainly because he has a massive house). All the while trying to manage her two grown daughters who live with her. Josie  almost terminally depressive and possibly latent lesbian  (if only she had the will power or self esteem).  Billie her sister so desperate to hang on to her wayward boyfriend she dyes her hair blond to look like his current girlfriend. Dev (the man with the massive house and job) Who can’t quite get over his dead wife despite Debs increasingly desperate  amorous efforts. Deb in order to try and present the image of a well adjusted family forces a relationship with the hapless Seb on Josie with the additional hope of curing her unformed lesbian intentions.  In this BBC produced two season, six episode in each. Billing itself as a family sitcom about trauma, it more than lives up to the billing.  Everything you could imagine going wrong, does.  Clever writing emphasizing the mountains of straight faced head spinning social ineptness, colossal unacknowledged embarrassments and uncontrolled mayhem.  All expertly portrayed by the four protagonists  Deb played by  Louise Brealey.  Josie, also the writer and creator of the series by Kat Sadler.  Billie (Kat’s real life sister) by Lizzie Davidson. Dev gormlessly played by Paul Bazely Seb played by Freddie Meredith. 

The first season available on Hulu      375 stars