A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Nima Sarvestani, “Those Who Said No” (2015) A very polished film, complete with stereotypical mournful droning music in parts, this Iranian / Swedish documentary follows proceedings…
Tim Wardle, “Three Identical Strangers” (2018) That a set of triplets should be separated at birth and farmed out to three different families, each representing a…
Matthew Pollock, “Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 2: Adam Ruins Weight Loss)” (2017) A very timely episode in the second season of the educational comedy…
Matthew Pollock, “Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 1: Adam Ruins Pregnancy)” (2017) Appropriately for a first episode of a new season, the topic covered is…
Latin American Films (non-Spanish / non-Portuguese), Middle Eastern Films
Abby Martin, “Empire Files: Israelis Speak Candidly About Palestinians” (October 2017) Abby Martin is an American journalist who hosts an ongoing current affairs show The Empire…
Graham Phillips, “Salisbury! A Day in Skripal City” (July 2018) In late July, British journalist / film-maker Graham Phillips spent time in Salisbury in southern England…
Korean Films, North American Films
Andre Vltchek, “The Faces of North Korea” (2018) Visually poetic, even soulful to watch, this documentary is a travelogue of the sights and experiences, along with…
Alexander Korobko, “NYC to Donetsk & back” (Russian Hour, 2018) Made in 2017 or 2018, or some time after the death of Mikhail Tolstykh aka Givi…
“Chechnya: Republic of Contrasts” (RT Channel, 2013) Made in 2013, this RT documentary is probably due for an update but it remains an interesting introduction to…
Australian and New Zealand Films, Russian and Soviet Films
Pavel Serezhkin, “The Hooligans: Joining the Kremlin’s Football Army” (2018) Here’s a very funny mockumentary that pokes fun at Western (and in particular British) news media…