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 future, a NASA space probe has gone and collected some alien…
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 spaghetti / paella Westerns of the 1960’s, this Korean riff on…
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 Hosseini, this is a picturesque film of childhood friendship that for…
Rear Window: clever Hitchcock suspense film turns the tables on viewers as passive spectators
Alfred Hitchcock, “Rear Window” (1954) From the days when Hollywood occasionally made films that featured rich sub-text and challenged audiences to question their role as viewers comes this…
Latin American Films (Spanish language)
Pan’s Labyrinth: film of dark fantasy, horror and historical drama that inspires hope and courage
Guillermo del Toro, “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006) This is an excellent film that successfully combines dark fantasy and horror with historical drama set in fascist-ruled Spain in…
Taste of Cherry: looks simple and minimal but carries an uncompromising message for viewers
Abbas Kiarostami, “Taste of Cherry” (1997) Source: www.thefilmpilgrim.com On the surface this looks like a very minimalist, in parts improvised film about a man contemplating suicide…
German and German-language Films
Fitzcarraldo: epic adventure marred by flat, over-involved plot with little human-interest tension
Werner Herzog, “Fitzcarraldo” (1982) For all the off-screen controversies and shenanigans that bedevilled the making of this film, “Fitzcarraldo” turns out to be a decent enough…
German and German-language Films
Aguirre, Wrath of God: understated study of obsession and megalomania is worth watching
Werner Herzog, “Aguirre, Wrath of God” (1972) A dramatic fictional rendition of the 1560 expedition of the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Ursua down the Maranon and…
Agora: Hypatia’s life and times not done justice by film plot and structure
Alejandro Amenabar, “Agora” (2010) This Spanish production presents a fictional account of the final years and death of the Greek female scientist / mathematician / philosopher…
German and German-language Films
Heart of Glass: metaphor for downfall of German and Western civilisation
Werner Herzog, “Heart of Glass” (1976) An 18th-century tale of a town dependent on its glass factory becomes a metaphor for the downfall of German and…