The Stranger 

Meursault a handsome young man living an existential life in 1930’s Algiers seemingly unaffected by events around him.  His job, the death of his mother, the affections of a young woman who wants to marry him despite is ambivalence.  Willing to be carried along by lifes unpredictable currents while stylishly smoking cigarettes. His friendship with a dubious violence prone neighbor leads him to an altercation on a beach. Whilst walking alone after the event he unexpectedly comes across one of the protagonists. After a silent standoff the surprised assailant draws a knife. Meursault draws his friends gun and disinterestedly fires one bullet killing the man an Arab and afterwards fires four more shots into the dead body. Even this violent random act leaves him unmoved. He is arrested and brought to trial, found guilty because of his unwillingness use any of the plausible defenses that his lawyer could have employed to get him acquitted. This is the third filmic incarnation from the famed 1942 novel by Albert Camus.

Beautifully directed by François Ozon  Stunningly shot in black and white by Manu Dacosse.

Bejamin Voisin is hypnotic in the lead.

A musical comedy this is not, but you will, as I did watch it until the end. 458 stars

 

Two people exchanging saliva.

Set in an alternate world, where kissing is a criminal offence punishable by death and a slap on the face is financial currency, from there on things get stranger.  This 36 minute long film set in a fashionable Paris department store tells the tale of a growing  friendship between a staff member and a wealthy client.Their friendship forbidden by society on the most elemental level and their persistence in spite of the risks. Shot in black and white with many Bergmanesque scenes its surprisingly engrossing and feels very much like a feature due it the intense focus of the storytelling and acting brought to the screen by directing duo Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Sing.  Luana Bajrami playa the sales girl and Zar Amir Ebrahimi plays the wealthy client both giving memorable performances. While not everyone’s cup of tea this multi award winning effort is well worth a look. In French with subtitles.

 256 stars

 The Bride.

Dizzying,Frenetic,Hot, Exhilarating Mesmerizing Romantic.

Not adjectives that readily come to mind when describing a film based on a 1935 Horror classic penned by Mary Shelly who in the black and white title secquence comes back from the afterlife to introduce this VERY updated version of a story she always wanted to tell until her death intervened.  

Set in 1936 Chicago the monster (Frank) arrives at the house of Dr Cornelia Euphonious having read about her work on reanimation, enlisting her help on creating a companion for him after a century of loneliness. They dig up a corpse and the doctor reanimates her unfortunately without her memory. Many other adventures ensue to try and jog her identity. Movie theaters to view Franks favorite screen idol. Dance clubs after which they were accosted by some thugs who Frank in a rage kills. This sets off their criminal lives. After refusing  to leave him  they run away, to New York City, the law close on their heels.  During an escape they crash a high end party during which Ida's shenanigans unwittingly attract the attention of a mob boss complicating their plight. Their crime spree becoming a publicized sensation, gathering lots of followers. The mob boss recognizing Ida (the bride) orders a hit. More chases and shootings ensue, reaching a Bonnie and Clyde final creciendo. But not to worry all is not lost.

Jessie Buckley as Ida deservedly owns this film with her electrifying performance. Christian Bale as Frank gives a convincing (for a monster) empathetic portrayal, as does  Annette Bening as the scientist. All the rest of the cast are top notch.  The scope and excellence of the production show that Maggie Gyllenhaal in her second feature that her directing chops are up there with the veterans.

 679 stars

 

Sinners

In the midst of the great depression  identical twins Elijah "Smoke" and Elias "Stack" Moore, (Both played by Michael B Jordan) return from Chicago to Clarksdale Mississippi with their ill gotten money to open a juke joint, recruiting their younger cousin Sammie the son of a preacher and a  guitar playing prodigy, along with other localist fill out the band. On the joint’s packed opening night, Sammie, Delta Slim, and Pearline – a singer with whom Sammie becomes enamored – perform on stage. Sammie's music is transcendent, unknowingly summoning spirits of performers both past and future to join the crowd. Here the film transitions from a blues biopic into a vampire blood fest with all the traditional accoutrements. As amongst the people attracted by the performance is Remmick and his Irish band of vampires, who offer money and their own raggedy music in exchange for entry. A suspicious Smoke refuses, realizing that the intruding vampires have to be invited in before they can turn the uninfected patrons. Mayhem and confusion ensue, with the time tested battles between good and evil. (Guess who wins). At the very end Buddy Guy makes a cameo appearance, giving the film some authentic gravitas.

An odd but effecting mixture on genres.  High production values and acting by the entire cast, but especially by Jordan will prevent you from fast forwarding through any of the scenes.

425 fangs

One Battle after Another

If social unrest, doomed left wing insurgent groups, military government crackdowns, a psychotic army colonel,  a stoned single father, battling a rebellious teenage daughter, and an elderly cabal of white supremacists.  Is your idea of entertainment and not too close to the world we actually live in this film could be just what the doctor (or psychiatrist) ordered.

The product of gifted director Paul Thomas Anderson this somehow a worthy but exhausting gloomy film.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Pat Calhoun who along with his partner Perfidia Beverly Hills played by Tanaya Taylor play the two leads and lovers in said left wing revolutionary group. From there the plot gets super complicated. There are as suggested in the intro many conflicting groups all jockeying for supremacy. Apart from DiCaprio, the star attraction in a hilariously intense standout portrayal from Sean Penn as the deranged colonel Steven J Lockjaw. Always on the trail of the baddies at the same time trying to erase his own mortal sins. A fun musical this is not, but I did watch until the end to see some version of redemption but you really have to look hard. 236 stars  

 Last Tango In Paris.

It’s hard to remember what the world was like 54years ago when this groundbreaking film was first released. How many boundaries and taboos that seem today so mundane and ordinary were broken. 

From the title sequence featuring paintings by Frances Bacon this was destined to be an unprecedented film, the eighth film in an already remarkable career for 31 year old Bernardo Bertolucci, who went on to direct many other notable films.  The story of an older man who as they are both serendipitously viewing a vacant Paris apartment, almost immidiately begins torrid affair with a woman (Maria Schneider) young enough to be his daughter in a vain attempt to blot out his grief after the suicide of his unfaithful wife. While initially trying to base their relationship on anonymous sex he eventually falls in love with her just as she is falling out of love with him. In the leading role it was the last time Marlon Brando did any serious acting. 

Maria Schneider as his sexual plaything is initially perplexed by his advances, transitioning into enamorment of this lonely man before realizing that her true love is with her age appropriate film director boyfriend. 

At the time the explicit sexual depictions were the most controversial aspects of the film, although Brando’s acting raw and convincing was also a draw. This is a handmade product of a bygone era but there are still many startling  scenes of acting and cinematography which hold up as much today as when they were first shot. 454 stars

 

Good Luck Have Fun Don’t Die.

Completely brilliant on EVERY level. A cinematic and directorial tour de force. An Oscar and Golden Globe worthy performance by 

Sam Rockwell.  Haley Lu Richardson amongst a terrific cast  giving a good female portrayal as the indestructible side kick  Genius director Gore Verbinski, backed with the equally brilliant writing of Mathew Robinson sets news of the coming apocalypse at Norms diner in LA.   The messenger is the mesmerizingly goofy Sam Rockwell on his 117th attempt to recruit a team to help him with his mission. Announcing to stunned patrons a specific combination of which will help him succeed, but as he doesn't know which combination is correct, to help him change the outcome and save (At least 50% of the world's population). Their ultimate mission is to find a nine-year-old boy who is about to create an AI that will take over the world, they do not want to stop the process, but merely introduce a security protocol that will secure the AI. 

More scientifically inventive than 2001,  More thrilling than Towering Inferno. As funny as blazing saddles. And with romance of on par with You’e got Mail. The time traveling plot is dizzying in its inventiveness and keeps you guessing until the very last frame. (Do they still have frames?)   12000 stars

                                                                                                       

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

What It Feels Like For A Girl

Spoiler alert. You won’t be able to watch this 8 part BBC production as its on their UK website.

Nevertheless Its worthy high spirited coming of age  dramady, based on the hit autobiography by Paris Lees. Set in the English midlands town of Nottingham.The cast, none of which you will have heard of led by Ellis Howard as Byron in a wonderful performance of  a fifteen year old schoolboy with abusive parents headed out into the working class world of the early 2000’s Once on his own he gets involved with a like minded group of clubbing outcasts most go whom have also escaped from their own societal abusers. Gravitating towards this rowdy band of drug fueled cross dressing compadres he finds a group of people he can increasingly identify with as his own nascent repressed sexual identity comes into sharper focus. Their exuberant club scene initially draws him in. Other aspects as he soon discovers are fraught with new dangers and different abuses. Involved in a robbery orchestrated by an outsider contact he takes the rap serving two year sentence, exposing him to a concentrated dose of prejudice far greater that he’d experienced on the outside. Surviving the ordeal he emerges with a stronger sense of identity and confidence. His trans pals welcoming him back, albeit with a couple of hiccups, into their fold. This is a tale of transition and growing up a fringe element of society and owning your choices in spite of prejudice and derision from the majority. All the supporting cast give excellent performances. The Brits have a long history of producing gritty cinematic work. This is the latest unflinching example. 375 stars.

 

Dept Q.

Two Scots enter an abandoned house. In the living room they discover a seated man with a knife plunged into his head. The detectives cautiously survey the area. There is no sign of a break in or much of a struggle, beyond the bound victim. Suddenly a masked man springs from the kitchen and shoots them both. One of the bullets passing through the spine of one detectives, exiting then striking the other on the neck. Both falling to the ground in a pool of blood. This is the opening scene of an intriguing intricately plot driven series screening on Netflix. Basically a cop show but far above the mindless predictable series we’ve all seen a thousand times.  One of the detectives Carl Morck arresting played by Mathew Goode is universally disliked by the rest of the police department for his abrasive arrogant manner and ill temper. The entire series hangs on his acting.  He is begrudgingly tolerated by his chief after the shooting where he luckily recovers as opposed to his compadre who’s injury has crippled him. To try and keep him out of any further trouble where she correctly assumes he will return to once he has fully recovered. She invents a new department in the basement of the building putting him in charge of cold case files and thereby out of her hair. Initially on his own he soon realizes her plan. A Syrian immigrant Akram played with calm understatement by Alexei Manvelov who’s unsuccessful  application to join the force soon joins him in the leaky basement along with Rose played by Leah Byrne a curly red headed assistant recovering from her own trauma and keen to prove herself to anyone who will notice. Not asking for any assistant and resenting his presence despite his courteous and subservient manner . He deridingly assigns Akram  janitorial then secretarial tasks, which he obediently and efficiently performs. Hiding his former police career in Syria. Slowly as he makes his way through the mountain of closed cases he comes across one that catches his attention. A former prosecutor Merrit Lingard played  eerily by Chloe Pirrie working on a high profile case, which she looses, disappears without a  trace and has been missing for over four years. This sub plot which becomes the plot leads the detective and his assistants on a convoluted chase to unearth what happened to the victim, which everyone except the detective assumes has long ago died. (Spoiler Alert. I don’t care). She has not. The writing, the acting by entire ensemble will keep you with rapt attention following the nine one hour episodes. Whatever your prejudices against the genre this series will dispel them. 595 stars

 

Adolescence.

Set in Northern England  this UK production tells an unflinchingly riveting story, portraying  a family tragedy of the first order. The working class families life is explosively disrupted when a fully armed tactical police squad breaks into their suburban house to arrest their thirteen year old son, who has been accused of murdering a female schoolmate. Oblivious to the accusation and their sons involvement, the bewildered family after their initial hysteria at the break in is stunned into mute disbelief. After the boy is carted off to the police station to be charged The pace and tone settle down into a more prosaic processing of the accused. The remaining detectives played by Ashley Walters (DI Luke Bascombe) and Faye Marsay (as DS Misha Frank)  calmly inform the parents of their rights and what procedures will follow. The accused, Jamie, brilliantly played by first time actor Owen Cooper hysterically proclaiming his innocence all the while on his way to the police station. Followed by his still mute parents and older sister. The father, Eddie in a virtuoso performance by Stephen Graham, (also one of the Writers)  is chosen by his son as his advocate.  Despite his shock gallantly doing so until he views  the unrefutable video evidence, adding to his stunned disbelief he breaks down in front of his boy. The investigation by the two detectives moves to Jamies school where they try and get information from some of the students as to the whereabouts of the missing murder weapon. DI Bascome’s son a student in the school give some important leads. While there Adam (Bascome’s son) alerts his dad to the pejorative meaning behind some emojis that Katie was sending to Jamie on Instagram, prompting the detective to start looking into whether Jamie might have been cyber-bullied.

 In this third and most engrossing segment peppered with astounding long closeups of facial reactions to the intense conversations between Briony Ariston the appointed psychologist, again in a jaw dropping performance by Erin Doherty who is tasked with producing a psychological assessment of Jamie. During the interview, Jamie transitioning between the innocent thirteen year old boy and fits of rage and temper culminating in a truly frightening threatening gesture towards her that leaves her in shock, trembling. After which he berates her for being scared of a young boy.  Revealing in that instant that he was fully capable of murder. Also telling her in a calmer moment that he had tried to ask Katie out after a photo of her topless was circulated to classmates via Snapchat as a type of revenge porn. He appears to have asked her out to make her feel better, but says Katie rejected his advances and then proceeded to send him the emojis attacking him for asking her out. He says she falsely accused him of being an "incel," or involuntary celibate, referring to an online community of men who are frustrated that they aren't having sex.

Finally the tale concludes on Jamie’s  father Eddie’s birthday. But it’s not a happy day at all because Eddie wakes up to find the van for his plumbing business has been vandalized. His family tries to cheer him up on the way to the store to buy removal materials. A smile breaks out on his face when his wife (Christine Tremarco) gives her daughter Lisa (Amelie Pease) an overview of how they met. But Eddie’s birthday gets worse when he gets a call from Jamie in prison on the ride back home. Jamie wanted to call to wish his dad a happy birthday and also to tell him that he is going to plead guilty to killing Katie, the first time viewers learn how he’s going to plead. Jamie only appears as a disembodied voice in the last episode. Back home, the parents go back and forth about what they could have done better as parents to prevent this situation—rehashing a conversation they have had many times since Jamie was taken away. Eddie repeatedly assures his wife that there is nothing they could have done better, that they couldn’t be watching him every minute. The episode ends with both parents in tears.

On top this very intense riveting tale is a piece of techno information which is hardly noticeable, the storytelling is so completely engrossing. That is each one of the four one hour segments were shot in one continuous take, with no cuts, edits or breaks of any kind. Put this logistical impossibility (you figure it out) on top of the unprecedented ensemble acting, and…. My head just exploded 

623 stars