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…
No Country for Old Men: all the right stuff and still not a great movie
Joel Cohen, “No Country for Old Men” (2007) Is it possible for a movie to have all the “right stuff” – you know, good acting performances,…
Dark City (dir. Alex Proyas): thought-provoking ideas and issues trapped in a prison
Alex Proyas, “Dark City” (1998) An attractive film that combines elements of film noir, mystery, science fiction and (regrettably) action thriller, “Dark City” is a quest…
Or (My Treasure): film treads gingerly around prostitution issue
Keren Yedaya, “Or (My Treasure)” (2004) Source: www.allmovie.com Debut feature from director Keren Yedaya, this Israeli film is a study of a dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship dominated…
Easy Rider: film holds a mirror to mainstream US society in 1969 – and beyond
Stripped of the hype that has grown around it over the years, “Easy Rider” is a well-made if loose low-budget flick about two drug dealers Wyatt…
Memories of Murder: masterpiece film about rival detectives in a corrupt society
Bong Joonho, “Memories of Murder” (2003) A sober film based on actual events about a group of detectives in rural South Korea investigating a series of…
One Missed Call (dir. Takashi Miike): over-the-top approach smothers observations about families and chaos in the world
Takashi Miike, “One Missed Call” (2004) Coming from Takashi Miike (of “Ichi the Killer” fame), this contemporary update on the Japanese psychological horror ghost story in…