Superego and Id meet slapstick in Oristrell’s breathless “Unconscious”
Joaquin Oristrell, “Unconscious” (2004) An amusing and vivacious romance comedy set in Barcelona, 1913, “Unconscious”
Empire of Passions: pedestrian story saved by beautiful visuals and psychological character study
Nagisa Oshima, “Empire of Passions” (1978) By coincidence, when I saw this film the first
Throne of Blood: a fine film let down by truncated plot and mostly sketchy characters
Akira Kurosawa, “Throne of Blood” (1957) Often referred to as an adaptation of the Shakespearean
Fair Game: Naomi Watts wastes her time as an unappealing good-girl CIA agent
Doug Liman, “Fair Game” (2010) Picture Source: Melinda Sue Gordon for Warner Bros Pictures, www.hollywoodchicago.com
French and French-language Films
Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran: easy-going road trip with lessons on life and living
François Dupeyron, “Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran” (2003) This is an easy-going coming-of-age
Chinese and Chinese-language Films
Kekexili: Mountain Patrol : powerful Western-style film about an obsessive pursuit
Lu Chuan, “Kekexili: Mountain Patrol” (2004) Not often that you come across a film
Monsters (dir. Gareth Edwards): likely to be a minor cult classic but lacking in refinement
Gareth Edwards, “Monsters”, Vertigo Films (2010) Some time in the not too distant
The Good, the Bad, the Weird: escapist and fun spoof homage to Sergio Leone spaghetti / paella Westerns
Kim Jiwoon, “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” (2010) An affectionate homage to Sergio Leone’s
The Kite Runner: tear-jerker with weak plot and unappealing hero
Marc Forster, “The Kite Runner” (2006) Based on a best-selling novel by Afghan writer Khaled