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Follow this car As James started the ball rolling with ‘films we really should have reviewed’, I thought I’d have a stab at a French classic, Taxi (1998). Even before I knew any French, this was a favourite. A note to students of French: if you’re only intermediate, I’d still opt for the subtitles. Maybe it’s [...] Rings a Belle? So, it was 39 years on, and someone decided to provide a follow-up to the classic cult film from Luis Buñuel, Belle de Jour (1967), without Catherine Deneuve returning to the role of Séverine that she made legendary. Instead of Bunuel’s surrealism, we are shown how people change. Henri Husson (Michel Piccoli, who [...] Gone to the dogs German director Werner Schröter, an official ‘New Wave’ director, has been previously too confrontationally ‘strange’ (Deux (2002), Die Königin – Marianne Hoppe (2000)) to stand four-square with the other greats of his country (such as Wenders, Fassbinder and Herzog) when it comes to his work being distributed outside his home land. The [...] Zut alors! I have never had a really guilty secret in my life, and that is why I need to get this off my chest. Another night in with The Divine P saw me take my eye off the ball and let her have possession of the remote control. The day I invent a remote control [...] No regrets Some films sort of sneak up on you – while I had obviously heard of singer Édith Piaf before watching Olivier Dahan’s La môme (2007) and while I was aware that, despite her remarkable voice, nearly everything she sang sounded very, very depressing, I had not the first clue concerning the extraordinary life led [...] Survivors speak Gerald Loftus returns with his thoughts on a provoking documentary. Documentary filmmaker and historian Leila Kilani has given us a unique look into contemporary Morocco, through her award-winning film on the country’s Equity and Reconciliation Commission, better known as l’Instance équité et réconciliation or IER, set up to help heal the wounds of almost four [...] Making the difference A worthy examination of a Nazi who did the right thing. John Rabe (1882-1950) was a German businessman who is best known for his efforts to stop the atrocities of the Japanese army during the Nanking Occupation (and massacre) in 1937-38 and, failing in those efforts, his work to protect and succour Chinese civilians [...] Con(science) In the beginning, writes Gerald Loftus, there was a confidence man. A crook whose modus operandi consisted of impersonating names filched over the phone from unsuspecting secretaries, making his own business stationery, reselling stolen equipment on the black market. The first ten minutes or so of Xavier Giannoli’s excellent A l’origine (2009) should be required [...] No alms for arms Micmacs à tire-larigot (2009) is the latest unapologetically cinematic outing from Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain (2001), Un long dimanche de fiançailles (2004). It is a satire on the arms trade – Dany Boon heads a splendid cast that includes André Dussolier, Yolande Moreau and Dominique Pinon in a daring, [...] Fitting tribute Gerald Loftus returns with his thoughts on a gritty, based-on-fact war story… The lump that was in my throat during the 139 minutes of L’Armée du Crime, Robert Guédiguian’s dramatization of the ‘Manouchian Group’ story has subsided, but the emotion remains. This is a good, old-fashioned, based-on-fact war story that needed to be told, [...] |
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