Saturday, December 19, 2020
Salt and Fire (2016)
A scientist blames the head of a large company for an ecological
disaster in South America. But when a volcano begins to show signs of
erupting, they must unite to avoid a disaster.
Despite an interesting cast (including physicist Lawrence Krauss!) and admittedly great landscape cinematography this Werner Herzog adventure disappoints with lame performances and a pretentious, uninspired plot with a failed message.
The Straw Man (1953)
An insurance investigator investigates murderer on Death Row, insured by his company.
OK, but other mediocre crime mystery doesn't create much suspense despite a promising premise.
Friday, December 18, 2020
C'era una volta il West (1968)
A mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious
desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working
for the railroad.
A masterpiece Western that elevates the genre onto a level of pure myth; it is immaculately
composed like an opera with leitmotifs for each main protagonist,
beautifully photographed in John Ford territory and full of memorable
scenes, both humorous and vicious - and Henry Fonda's first appearance
in the movie is a genuine shock.
Halliwell***: "Immensely long and convoluted epic Western marking its director's collaboration with an American studio and his desire to make serious statements about something or other. Beautifully made and very violent."
Halliwell***: "Immensely long and convoluted epic Western marking its director's collaboration with an American studio and his desire to make serious statements about something or other. Beautifully made and very violent."
Maltin***1/2: "Sergio Leone's follow-up to his "Dollars" trilogy is languid, operatic masterpiece...Fonda (brilliantly cast as one of the coldest villains in screen history). Exciting, funny, and reverent, with now-classic score by Ennio Morricone; not to be missed."
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
First Lines: N. K. Jemisin - The Killing Moon
The barbarians of the north taught their children to fear the Dreaming Moon, claiming that it brought madness.
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker (1989)
A biography of the American jazz musician focusing on his life and style of music.
Good, solid portray of one of jazz' most seminal musicians gives lots of detail and avoids the usual idolatry.
Monday, December 14, 2020
Germania anno zero (1948)
A young German boy faces the problems of the tough life in the immediate post WWII Berlin.
Filmed among the ruins of post WWII Berlin and with a remarkable cast of German actors this film presents a realistic, albeit devastatingly bleak and tragic view of life after the catastrophe of war.
Halliwell*:
"Both realistic and pessimistic, this depressing film has a savage
power of its own but totally fails to be constructive."
Maltin***1/2: "Shattering neorealist masterpiece...Heartbreaking story of a childhood tragically, irrevocably tainted, with a devastating finale."
Maltin***1/2: "Shattering neorealist masterpiece...Heartbreaking story of a childhood tragically, irrevocably tainted, with a devastating finale."
