A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Yony Leyser, “William Burroughs: Man Within” (2010) An obvious labour of love for Yony Leyser, this documentary on subversive US experimental novelist and artist William S…
Kaneto Shindo, “Onibaba” (1964) An old Japanese Buddhist tale of a woman who uses a mask to frighten her daughter from visiting a temple becomes in…
French and French-language Films
Frédéric Doazan, “Supervenus” (2013) This 3-minute debut effort for writer / director Frédéric Doazan is a devastatingly critical comment on modern standards of female beauty as they have…
Guy Maddin, “My Winnipeg” (2007) An unusual blend of memoir, documentary and dark fantasy, Guy Maddin’s “My Winnipeg” probably does more to promote his home city,…
French and French-language Films, Japanese Films
Michaël Dudok de Wiet, “The Red Turtle” (2016) God save us all from pretty packages with lots of high gloss finish and finicky attention to detail…
Noboru Iguchi, “RoboGeisha” (2009) For a film about two sisters and their love-hate relationship, “RoboGeisha” offers more than just the usual floods of tears, emotional declamations…
Arabic-language Films, Middle Eastern Films
Haifaa al Mansour, “Wadjda” (2012) A heart-warming film on one girl’s desire for freedom, especially the freedom to be true to herself, “Wadjda” is remarkable for…
Chinese and Chinese-language Films
Wong Kar Wai “2046” (2004) If ever a film could be considered typical “art house” with an emphasis on visual candy, music substituting for emotion and…
Oliver Stone, “Snowden” (2016) Surprisingly even though I’m familiar with the story of National Security Agency whistle-blower Edward Snowden through Laura Poitras’ documentary “Citizenfour”, Oliver Stone’s…
German and German-language Films
Wim Wenders, “Der Amerikanische Freund / The American Friend” (1977) Based on the novel “Ripley’s Game” by Patricia Highsmith, “The American Friend” is at once a…