Torn Curtain: an unremarkable spy thriller film let down by poor casting and a laboured script
Alfred Hitchcock, “Torn Curtain” (1966) To properly appreciate how good a director Alfred Hitchcock was over a career of 50+ years, one needs to see the…
nausika
Australian and New Zealand Films
Women He’s Undressed: a whimsical and shallow treatment of an Australian country boy who hits the big time in Hollywood
Gillian Armstrong, “Women He’s Undressed” (2015) Hollywood could not have dreamt up a more classic story of the country boy who finds his home town and…
High and Low: a crime thriller of downfall and redemption, and a plea for compassion for material and spiritual suffering
Akira Kurosawa, “High and Low” (1963) Most movies based on pulp crime / police procedural novels rarely exceed their pulpy inspirations but legendary Japanese director Akira…
French and French-language Films
That Obscure Object of Desire: a tale of sexual obsession in a society falling apart through its hypocrisy and violence
Luis Buñuel, “That Obscure Object of Desire” (1977) Between two full buckets of cold water that the main characters dump on each other unfolds (for the…
Review of Films I’ve seen in 2016
Review of Films I’ve seen in 2016 Dear Under Southern Eyes Readers, Another year gone and another round-up of the most interesting films seen in 2016!…
Australian and New Zealand Films
The Lost Thing: a multi-layered children’s story that critiques industrial society
Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan, “The Lost Thing” Adapted from co-director Shaun Tan’s picture book written for children, the beguiling “The Lost Thing” seems a very…
A pointless rehash of a low budget TV series in “Evangelion: 1.11 – You Are (Not) Alone”
Hideaki Anno, Masayuki, Kazuya Tsurumaki, “Evangelion: 1.11 – You Are (Not) Alone” Since the original “Neon Genesis Evangelion” anime series aired on TV over two decades…
Middle Eastern Films, Northern European Films
9 Days – From My Window in Aleppo: an ordinary documentary short with little to say and leaving too many unanswered questions
Floor van der Meulen, Thomas Vroege, Issa Touma, “9 Days – From My Window in Aleppo” (2016) Filmed over nine days (hence the title) in August…
In the Realm of the Senses: two lovers pursuing happiness and freedom in a repressive society
Nagisa Oshima, “Ai no korida / In the Realm of the Senses” (1976) Forty years ago this film was made and it still has the power…
Festen: a rich film skewering Danish society and social hypocrisy, and delivering redemption
Thomas Vinterberg, “Festen” (1998) “Festen” remains the best-known and most mainstream of the various films made under Dogme 95 movement rules. Even if audiences no longer…