Posted on September 16th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet The Hidden Blade – Director Yoji Yamada Words can die. And the concepts they represent can die with them. Not overnight. Almost always it is of a long terminal disease characterised by neglect and misuse. Does it matter? Often not, but sometimes an important element in the way we think about ourselves and our […]
Filed under: 4 stars, Action, Drama, Europe/World cinema, General, Philosophical, Political, Romance, Yoji Yamada | No Comments »
Posted on September 16th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Flight of the Red Balloon – Hsiao-Hsien Hou A Damien Hirst sheep of a movie. It looks like a movie; has all the elements of a movie: one superb acting performance; a screenplay and a narrative, of sorts; careful scene set ups; thoughtful cinematography, precise editing; even a ‘tarty’ lone piano soundtrack – blatantly, […]
Filed under: 2 star, Drama, Europe/World cinema, General, Hsiao Hsien Hou, Philosophical | No Comments »
Posted on September 16th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Lust, Caution (Se, Jie) – Ang Lee Never have I been so unsure of the integrity of a director’s artistic intention than with this erotic political thriller from Brokeback Mountain’s Ang Lee. And it matters. Lee’s sensitivity and reticence with Brokeback perhaps earns him the benefit of the doubt despite a lingering doubt that […]
Filed under: 3 star, Ang Lee, Drama, Europe/World cinema, General, Philosophical, Political, Romance | No Comments »
Posted on September 15th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Just Like Heaven – Director Mark Waters (BBC Prize Review) A great date movie. For romantics. If you go for light romantic comedies like Serendipity or even Sleepless in Seattle, you’ll love this one. A neat script (Peter Tolan – Analyze That; and Leslie Dixon – Mrs Doubtfire and Thomas Crown Affair) keeps the […]
Filed under: *BBC Prize Reviews*, 3 star, Comedy, General, Hollywood, Humorous, Mark Waters, Romance | No Comments »
Posted on September 15th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet The Woodsman – Nicole Kassell The Woodsman looks as if it may suffer the same fate as a number of good recent films with difficult topics – very limited distribution. It will be shameful if this fine, beautifully judged, thought-provoking film does not reach the wide audience it deserves. So this is a heads […]
Filed under: 4 stars, Drama, General, Hollywood, Nicole Kassell, Philosophical | No Comments »
Posted on September 15th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet The Page Turner (La Tourneuse de pages) – Denis Dercourt Steve McQueen argued one should feel as much as possible and show as little as possible. Whatever may be the merits of this idea for individual self-control, it is an oppressively apt definition of the cardinal emotional value of the bourgeoisie. Melanie Prouvost is […]
Filed under: 4 stars, Denis Dercourt, Drama, Europe/World cinema, General, Musical, Philosophical, Political | No Comments »
Posted on September 13th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
TweetRiver Deep In the dark labyrinth of sleep a consciousness awoke an unfathomed river deeply flowing surged gathering its unchecked pace Upon the banks on either side were fires, beacons to guide the river’s way on its eternal journey to the vastness of the sea On night-hid riparian strands fire-shadowed daemons ran who mocked and […]
Filed under: Nature, Philosophical | No Comments »
Posted on September 13th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet United 93 – Paul Greengrass If this film sets the tone for the many 9/11 related films in the pipeline it will have served a useful purpose. Though necessarily conjectural in detail, in broad terms it tries to tell the nightmare story whose tragic ending we all know, without embellishment. Claustrophobic cinematography, an atmospheric […]
Filed under: 3 star, Action, Documentary, Drama, General, Hollywood, Paul Greengrass, Political | No Comments »
Posted on September 12th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet The Witnesses (Les Témoins) – Andre Téchiné Unsentimental but compassionate: non-judgemental but raising complex moral issues of sexuality, friendship, love and loyalty: does any nation so consistently produce such grown up, wise and thoughtful films about life, love and human relationships as the French? In the last 6 months alone Coeurs (Resnais), The Singer […]
Filed under: 4 stars, Andre Techine, Drama, Europe/World cinema, General, Philosophical, Romance | No Comments »
Posted on September 12th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
TweetLove (2) Never forget if you would see the healed bird soar then you must set her free
Filed under: Emotions, Loss, Love, Nature, Philosophical | No Comments »
