True Grit (dir. Joel and Ethan Coen): revenge film plays straight and narrow with problematic heroine
Joel and Ethan Coen, “True Grit” (2010) Adapted from the 1968 novel of the same name by Charles Portis, “True Grit” can be read as both…
Niloofar: moving story examines ideals of honour, tradition and predestination
Sabine el Gemayel, “Niloofar” (2008) That familiar maxim “Less is more” applies as much to making movies as it does in composing music and creating other…
The Draughtman’s Contract: perhaps too multi-layered but enjoyable all the same
Peter Greenaway, “The Draughtsman’s Contract” (1982) British director Peter Greenaway’s first full-length feature film is a lovely feast for the eyes and ears, and the…
The Shooting Party: stodgy, genteel film detailing decay of British nobility
Alan Bridges, “The Shooting Party” (1985) Mainly notable for being the last movie to feature James Mason before his death in 1984, this film about a group of…
Orlando: lavish and lovely lightweight film with nothing to say
Sally Potter, “Orlando” (1992) Based on British writer Virginia Woolfe’s novel “Orlando: a Biography”, this film by Sally Potter is a flimsy work that fails to…
The Dark Knight: a shallow movie with one-note characters beneath the pyrotechnics
Christopher Nolan, “The Dark Knight” (2008) Second in British-American director Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy that began with “Batman Begins” (2005) and will finish with “The Dark…
Metropia: dystopian science fiction animated film offers little that’s fresh
Tarik Saleh, “Metropia” (2009) Set in a future post-apocalyptic Europe in 2024, where all underground train networks in the different countries have been unified in one…
French and French-language Films
Persepolis: coming-of-age film could be more honest about life under police state regime
Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi, “Persepolis” (2007) Adapted from the graphic novel, originally published in two volumes, of the same name, this is a coming-of-age fictional…
Chinatown: film noir addresses serious issues of political and moral corruption
Roman Polanski, “Chinatown” (1974) Chinatown” was Roman Polanski’s foray into the private eye / film noir genre and his last major film for Hollywood. A few…
Shinobi – Heart under Blade: film could have been cut above other live-action films based on manga / anime
Ten Shimoyama, “Shinobi – Heart under Blade” (2005) Based on a novel “The Kouga Ninja Scrolls” written by Futaro Yamada in the late 1950’s, this movie will…