French and French-language Films
Diary of a Chambermaid: a bleak and realist comedy offering
Luis Bunuel, “Diary of a Chambermaid” (1964) Of the Spanish director’s late-autumn career in which
A devious history of chemical and biological weapons on “Secret Science: Chemical and Biological Weapons” that stops short of serious criticism
Tim Usborne, “Secret Science: Chemical and Biological Weapons” (2016) In 2016, the year of its
The Bookshop: one-dimensional characters and a pedestrian plot in a kitsch provincial English setting
Isabel Coixet, “The Bookshop” (2017) Directed by a Catalan-Spanish director, this film exudes provincial English
I Am Not Your Negro: stepping back in the wrong direction with a narrow focus on black-white relations
Raoul Peck, “I Am Not Your Negro” (2017) Initially an expose of the modern history
On Body and Soul: a quiet and quirky character study / romance drama founders on a thin and manipulative plot
Ildiko Endelyi, “On Body and Soul / Teströl és lélekröl ” (2017) A quirky romance drama on
This jet fighter is a disaster … So why does US Congress keep paying for it? Military expenditure linked to lobbying politicians and creating jobs
Sam Ellis, “This jet fighter is a disaster, but Congress keeps buying it” (Vox channel,
The Corbett Report (Episode 33: Meet Edward Bernays, Master of Propaganda): still retaining the power to shock with minimalist presentation
James Corbett, “The Corbett Report (Episode 33: Meet Edward Bernays, Master of Propaganda)” (February 2008)
Batman (Season 2, Episodes 51 / 52: A Piece of the Action / Batman’s Satisfaction): two sets of heroes wasted in a mundane plot with a mundane villain
Oscar Rudolph, “Batman (Season 2, Episodes 51 / 52: A Piece of the Action / Batman’s
The Corbett Report (Episode 332: The Weaponisation of Social Media): a brisk survey of government online propaganda methods
James Corbett, “The Corbett Report (Episode 332: The Weaponisation of Social Media)” (April 2018) A
Loveless: a character study and thriller that criticises Russian society as stagnant, self-absorbed and materialist
Andrei Zvyagintsev, “Loveless” (2017) As with previous films of Andrei Zvyagintsev that I’ve seen, “Loveless”