A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
“Breaking Inequality” (2013) An urgent and impassioned documentary made to appeal to all Americans, “Breaking Inequality” focuses on the corrupt links that tie the United States…
Ed Schehl, “A Silent Forest: the Growing Threat, Genetically Engineered Trees” (2011) Narrated by Canadian geneticist David Suzuki, this documentary warns of the dangers genetically engineered…
Philip Kaufman, “Quills” (2000) Intended as an inquiry into the extremes of sexual licentiousness and prudishness, with regard to the tolerance of societies and the freedoms…
Latin American Films (Spanish language)
Ana Piterbarg, “Todos tenemos un Plan / Everybody has a Plan” (2012) Ah, don’t we love films about identical twin brothers turning on themes of identity,…
French and French-language Films, German and German-language Films
Jean-Jacques Annaud, “The Name of the Rose” (1986) Based on Umberto Eco’s novel of the same name, this film is a very good if underrated adaptation…
Nick Alhmark / Vice, “Sisa: Cocaine of the Poor” (2013) Distressing to watch, yes, but this is a story that has to be told. VICE reporter…
Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick, “The Blair Witch Project” (1998) About fifteen years after it was made and the hype surrounding it died down, this hokey…
French and French-language Films
Jean Renoir, “The Grand Illusion” (1934) Jean Renoir’s film is a moving meditation on war and its effects on the traditions of early twentieth century European…
Cy Endfield, “Hell Drivers” (1957) An interesting and very much under-rated example of 1950s British noir / social realism, “Hell Drivers” is probably better known for…
Richard Rowley, “Dirty Wars” (2013) Part documentary, part personal testimony, this is a searing documentary following investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill across the Middle East and the…