Friday, June 10, 2022

Akasen chitai (1956)

 

The personal tales of various prostitutes who occupy a brothel.

Kenji Mizuguchi's last film startles with a narrative full of subplots centered on the turmoil and sorrows of one brothel's inhabitants; lively staged with a large cast there are some strong and heart-wrenching scenes along the way.

Halliwell*: "Unremarkable material executed with the style expected of the director."

Maltin***1/2: "...sensitively handled in Mizoguchi's last completed film. Kyo is particularly memorable as a tough, cynical lady of the night; her scene with her father is a highlight." 


 

Pam Grier


 

Today's Cat


 

Monday, June 6, 2022

Yella (2007)

 
 
Yella is estranged from her possessive and violent husband; but he can't quite bring himself to give her up. When their fraught interaction finally comes to dramatic conclusion, Yella's life takes an odd shift.

Coolly atmospheric reimagination of Carnival of Souls in a contemporary German setting shifts its focus onto a world of surreal business dealings and ambiguous personal relationships; Nina Hoss is excellent in the title role as a woman torn between escape and new entanglements.

Maltin***: "Cryptic account...Remake of CARNIVAL OF SOULS is effective as a psychological study and an acute reflection of contemporary business practices." 


 

 

 

Svetlana Kramarenko


 

New Stuff: Papurika


 

Anna Zak


 

Sunday, June 5, 2022

Yôkihi (1955)

 

In eighth-century China, the emperor mourns the loss of his wife. The opportunistic Yang family offers a distant cousin as a concubine in hopes of gaining influence at court.

Sumptuous, beautifully set and photographed period drama is a love tragedy of truly Shakespearean dimensions; but maybe not quite as stirring as it could have been.

Maltin***: "Breathtakingly beautiful, poetic love story/fable/tragedy." 


 

Jane Birkin



New Stuff: Eiichi Yamamoto


 

Who's That Girl?


 

Photographer: Paul Strand

 
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