Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea: a tale of wonder and transformation deflated by flat characters and boring plot
Hayao Miyazaki, “Gake no Ue no Ponyo” / “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea”
German and German-language Films
Riefenstahl: portrait of an artist as a manipulative liar in denial of reality
Andres Veiel, “Riefenstahl” (2024) Gaining access to 700 boxes of archives of the work of
The Penguin Lessons: an unlikely friendship leads to personal and social transformation
Peter Cattaneo, “The Penguin Lessons” (2024) At first this film appears no more than a
Logan’s Run: a flawed film with intriguing questions about the social contract
Michael Anderson, “Logan’s Run” (1976) Admittedly this film has not aged well over the past
Mary and the Witch’s Flower: visually attractive but otherwise a flat effort
Hiromasa Yonebayashi, “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” (2017) A visually very attractive family movie, clearly
Small Things Like These: the power of one small act to catalyse social change and justice
Tim Mielants, “Small Things Like These” (2024) Adapted from the novella of the same name
My Neighbour Totoro: charm can’t compensate for a thin plot and weakly developed themes
Hayao Miyazaki, “My Neighbour Totoro” (1988) The film that brought Studio Ghibli to an international
Mickey 17: a mishmash of ideas and themes needing proper attention and treatment
Bong Joonho, “Mickey 17” (2025) Based on the science fiction novel “Mickey 7” by Edward
Ainda Estou Aqui / I’m Still Here: a story of self-transformation and resistance through memory let down by a poor plot
Walter Salles, “Ainda Estou Aqui / I’m Still Here” (2024) Based on Brazilian writer Marcelo
The Last Showgirl: psychological study of a woman in existential pain, in a trash culture
Gia Coppola, “The Last Showgirl” (2024) Running to 90 minutes, this psychological drama about an