Blacula: cheap and campy cult classic given backbone by its monster
William Crain, “Blacula” (1972) In 1780, a noble African Prince (William Marshall), known as Mamuwalde, visits Transylvania with his wife Luva to solicit the help of…
nausika
Eastern European Films, French and French-language Films
EO: a donkey’s odyssey through the kindness (or not) of strangers
Jerzy Skolimowski, “EO” (2022) Inspired by Robert Bresson’s 1966 film “Au hasard Balthazar”, this Polish film follows the adventures of circus donkey EO after the circus…
French and French-language Films
L’Innocent: romantic comedy / heist plot of the extremes people will risk for love
Louis Garrel, “L’Innocent” (2022) A very clever comedy combining romance and a heist plot, “L’Innocent” works thanks to the excellent performances of its four lead actors…
Character study on fame, creativity and the desire for artistic freedom in “George Michael: Portrait of an Artist”
Simon Napier-Bell, “George Michael: Portrait of an Artist” (2022) For a documentary whose narrative is based completely on interviews with people who knew or were acquainted…
Broker: road film exploring complexities behind illegal baby adoptions in South Korea
Hirokazu Kore-eda, “Broker” (2022) A young woman brings her baby to a church’s baby box and leaves her child in front of it. She is unaware…
Living: a lifeless film about living with meaning and purpose
Oliver Hermanus, “Living” (2022) A gentle if sad and understated film, Oliver Hermanus’s “Living” is a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 “Ikiru (“To Live”), this time…
French and French-language Films, North American Films
Clash of two codes of honour and loyalty in “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai”
Jim Jarmusch, “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai” (1999) Even after twenty years, this film still holds up well as an unusual and odd pastiche…
German and German-language Films, North American Films
Tár: character study of power-crazy artist undone by a weak plot
Todd Field, “Tár” (2022) It has all the ingredients to be a great film – an excellent cast, a stunning performance from its main star Cate…
Troy: spectacle and stereotyping instead of character study and emotional drama drawn from myth
Wolfgang Petersen, “Troy” (2004) Loosely based on Homer’s epic poem “Iliad”, this blockbuster spectacle of the Trojan War plays hard and fast with the details of…
Culturocide: how an entire generation of schoolchildren is systematically immersed in alternative false history and identity
Vasily Prozorov, “Culturocide” (October 2022) Short though it is, this is a disturbing documentary demonstrating how the post-Maidan government in Kiev under Presidents Petro Poroshenko (2014…