A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
French and French-language Films
Xavier Giannoli, “Marguerite” (2015) The inspiration for this film may have been the American socialite and amateur opera soprano Florence Foster Jenkins who was notorious for…
French and French-language Films
Luis Buñuel, “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie / Le Charme Discret de la Bourgeoisie” (1972) This comedy-of-manners film about six people who constantly make arrangements to…
French and French-language Films
Luis Buñuel, “The Phantom of Liberty / Le Fantôme de la Liberté” (1974) This film might be seen as a snapshot in the life of modern…
Arabic-language Films, French and French-language Films
Gillo Pontecorvo, “The Battle of Algiers / La Bataille d’Alger / La Battaglia di Algeri” (1965) Filmed 50 years ago, this Italian film drama of the Algerian…
British Films, French and French-language Films
Roman Polanski, “Tess” (1979) Closely based on the original Thomas Hardy novel “Tess of the d’Urbervilles”, which serves as an indictment of Christian religious hypocrisy, male…
British Films, French and French-language Films
Mike Leigh, “Mr Turner” (2014) I confess I always have the time of day for the under-rated British actor Timothy Spall who always had the talent…
French and French-language Films, West African Films
Abderrahmane Sissako, “Timbuktu” (2014) Set in northern Mali some time after the downfall of Colonel Muammar Ghaddafi’s regime in late 2011, “Timbuktu” is a set of…
French and French-language Films
Roman Polanski, “Frantic” (1988) For a film proclaiming itself “Frantic”, this suspense thriller is surprisingly cool, calm and collected as it follows its hapless protagonist doctor…
British Films, French and French-language Films
Roman Polanski, “The Ghost Writer” (2009) Circumstances surrounding this film were peculiar enough in themselves: in travelling to the Zurich Film Festival as a special guest…
British Films, French and French-language Films
Terence Young, “Mayerling” (1968) Better known perhaps for directing three James Bond films in the 1960s, the British director Terence Young turned his hand to making…