A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Makoto Shinkai, “5 Centimetres per Second” (2007) As with his “Your Name”, Makoto Shinkai’s earlier “5 Centimetres per Second” is a teenage romance based around desire,…
Makoto Shinkai, “Your Name” (2016) At first this teenage romance drama seems to be just as sappy and sentimental as any other such film – especially…
Grimur Hakonarson, “Rams / Hrutar” (2015 Forty years ago, a family rift led to two brothers in an Icelandic sheep-farming family going their separate ways, splitting…
Alexander Payne, “Downsizing” (2017) For most viewers, perhaps the more interesting part of this long meandering film will be the first half in which main character…
British Films, North American Films
Simon Curtis, “Goodbye Christopher Robin” (2017) A film about English playwright / author A A Milne and the circumstances in which he was inspired to write…
Dome Karukoski, “Tom of Finland” (2017) As a general introduction to the life of gay icon Tom of Finland, real name Touko Laaksonen, for a general…
Paul Briganti, “Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 7: Adam Ruins College)” (2017) Aiming squarely at its target audience of US high school students and undergrads,…
German and German-language Films
Jan Ole Gerster, “Oh Boy” (2012) Debut film for German director Jan Ole Gerster, “Oh Boy” is a tragicomedy detailing 24 hours in the life of…
Peter Weir, “The Truman Show” (1998) Once in a while Hollywood releases a film that encapsulates philosophical ideas about the purpose of life and the human…
Hayao Miyazaki, “Spirited Away” (2001) In many ways, “Spirited Away” represents the peak of Studio Ghibli’s creativity and innovation, and the beginning of its decline as a creator…