A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
French and French-language Films, Northern European Films
Cédric Klapisch “La Venue de l’avenir” / “The Colours of Time” (2025) A derelict country house in Normandy, long abandoned by its last occupant, is an…
Brazilian Films, Portuguese-language Films
Kleber Mendonça Filho, “O Agente Secreto / The Secret Agent” (2025) Folks anticipating a fast-paced spy thriller might be disappointed to discover this film is actually…
Guillermo del Toro, “Frankenstein” (2025) After many years of planning and delays, at last Mexican director Guillermo del Toro brings his adaptation of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein;…
Hayao Miyazaki, “Gake no Ue no Ponyo” / “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” (2008) As always with Studio Ghibli films, and especially those SG…
Hiromasa Yonebayashi, “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” (2017) A visually very attractive family movie, clearly influenced by the Studio Ghibli animation style – indeed, director Hiromasa…
Hayao Miyazaki, “My Neighbour Totoro” (1988) The film that brought Studio Ghibli to an international audience, “My Neighbour Totoro” may be charming and sweet, suitable for…
Marc S. Nollkaemper, “The Space Between Us” (2015) In a future post-apocalyptic world, where the air is toxic to breathe, and scientists are experimenting with giving…
Robert Eggers, “Nosferatu” (2024) Incredibly the years 2023 and 2024 saw two remakes of F W Murnau’s famous horror silent film “Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des…
French and French-language Films
Léa Domenach, “Bernadette” (2023) Any time Catherine Deneuve takes on a film role is reason enough to watch that film, and so it is with “Bernadette”…
Jang Jaehyun, “Exhuma” (2024) It starts innocently enough when a newborn boy contracts a mystery illness and ends up in intensive care in hospital – but…