BBC Panorama: What Facebook Knows About You – a lesson in how news documentaries shouldn’t be done
Maurice May, “BBC Panorama: What Facebook Knows About You” (2017) Half an hour for a
The Teacher: classroom and parents’ meeting as microcosm of political corruption and social stagnation
Jan Hrebejk, “The Teacher / Ucitel’ka” (2016) Billed as a comedy drama, Hrebejk’s “The Teacher”
Dog Day Afternoon: character study centred around a failed heist in a morally adrift America
Sidney Lumet, “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975) A character study featuring stunning acting from lead actor
The Baby: a snapshot of modern Tehran and young people caught between traditional family values and the temptations of city and university life
Ali Asgari, “The Baby / Bacheh” (2014) In the space of 16 minutes, we’re drawn
British Films | North American Films
Goodbye Christopher Robin: a surprisingly substantial film with some disturbing themes
Simon Curtis, “Goodbye Christopher Robin” (2017) A film about English playwright / author A A
Animation and live action make “Doctor Who: Shada” a better story than the original plot would suggest
Pennant Roberts, “Doctor Who: Shada” (2017) Not often do particular adventures in the long-running “Doctor
Ghost in the Shell (dir. Rupert Sanders): generic origin story makes anime adaptation tired and formulaic
Rupert Sanders, “Ghost in the Shell” (2017) In adapting a major Japanese anime series into
Italian and Italian-language Films
Extraordinary revelations about foreign involvement in Maidan 2013-2014 events in “Ukraine: the Hidden Truth”
Gian Micalessin, “Ukraine: the Hidden Truth” (2017) A short but very pithy Italian documentary, “Ukraine
Blade of the Immortal: one wearying bloodbath after another in a film on obsessive vengeance, duty and the hell of immortality
Takashi Miike, “Blade of the Immortal” (2017) Condensed from 30 volumes of manga into a
Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 16: Adam Ruins the Future): this episode should have gone out on a high note
Tim Wilkime, “Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 16: Adam Ruins the Future)” (2017) As