Citizen Kane: interesting film but it privileges style over substance
Orson Welles, “Citizen Kane” (1941) Notwithstanding its tag as America’s greatest film or the world’s
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance: disturbing film about vengeance and how it distorts humanity in a warped society
Park Chanwook, “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” (2005) “… Lady Vengeance” is the third of South
Citizen Dog: comedy with one-dimensional heroes and disappointing plot
Wisit Sasanatieng, “Citizen Dog” (2004) Living in Australia with its huge Hollywood fixation, even though
To Catch A Thief: there’s fluff and then there’s fluff, Hitchcock-style
Alfred Hitchcock, “To Catch A Thief” (1955) A clever light-hearted comedy crime caper set in
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