Serpico: a character study of how one police officer’s personal crusade against corruption destroys him
Sidney Lumet, “Serpico” (1973) As character studies go, “Serpico” is very good indeed: based on
Tag: Film Noir
Blade Runner 2049: an absorbing and leisurely film on future societal trends despite a thin plot and lack-lustre characters
Denis Villeneuve, “Blade Runner 2049” (2017) In its own leisurely way, “Blade Runner 2049” is
Latin American Films (Spanish language)
Neruda: an exploration of how stories are created and shaped by those who exercise political power
Pablo Larraín, “Neruda” (2016) Very loosely based on an episode in Chilean poet-politician Pablo Neruda’s
Topkapi: an uneven and slight heist film possessed of zest, colour and joy
Jules Dassin, “Topkapi” (1964) His heist film “Rififi” proved to be such a classic that
French and French-language Films
A Cat in Paris: a whimsical children’s action thriller film paying homage to Alfred Hitchcock
Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli, “Une Vie de Chat / A Cat in Paris” (2010)
Australian and New Zealand Films
The Tracker: a desert Western study of European colonialism and exploitation and its effects
Rolf de Heer, “The Tracker” (2002) On the surface, a simple story of four men
High and Low: a crime thriller of downfall and redemption, and a plea for compassion for material and spiritual suffering
Akira Kurosawa, “High and Low” (1963) Most movies based on pulp crime / police procedural
British Films | French and French-language Films
A trite plot and character stereotyping can’t lift “Paris 2054: Renaissance” from bland SF thriller genre
Christian Volckman, “Paris 2054: Renaissance” (2006) A glossy animated style of minimal black-and-white presentation, emphasising
German and German-language Films
The American Friend: an investigation into the nature of individual and collective identity
Wim Wenders, “Der Amerikanische Freund / The American Friend” (1977) Based on the novel “Ripley’s
A cheap production and crude narrative make “Batman: the Killing Joke” very unfunny
Sam Lim and Bruce Timm, “Batman: the Killing Joke” (2016) That “Batman: the Killing Joke”