The Movies I Watched in April

Abschied von gestern 1966  7/10

 

Affeksjonsverdi 2025  7/10

 

An Vertov 1998  6/10 

Any Old Port! 1932  6/10 

La bande des quatre 1989  7/10

 

Blood Father 2016  6/10 

Brutalität in Stein 1961  6/10 

Cela s'appelle l'aurore 1956  7/10 

 

Copycat 1995  6/10 

Crazy Like a Fox 1926  5/10 

Die My Love 2025  6/10 

La Fraternité 2023  5/10 

Gelegenheitsarbeit einer Sklavin 1973  7/10

 

Hamnet 2025  7/10

 

In a Valley of Violence 2016  6/10 

L'istruttoria è chiusa: dimentichi 1971  6/10 

Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole 2026  6/10 

Kid Speed 1024  5/10 

Lehrer im Wandel 1963  6/10 

Ein Liebersversuch 1998  5/10 

The Lives of a Bengal Dancer 1935  6/10 

Luis Buñuel, la transgression des rêves 2018  6/10 

Master i Margarita 2024  6/10 

Max Ernst - Der Surrealist und das faschistische Trampeltier 2026 6/10

Memory 2022  6/10 

Men O'War 1929  6/10 

Le mépris 1963  8/10

 

Metempsyco 1963  5/10 

Operation Petticoat 1959  6/10 

Paparazzi 1964  5/10 

Le Parti des choses: Bardot et Godard 1964  5/10

La peau de Torpédo 1970  5/10 

Pierrot le fou  1965  7/10

 

Présentation ou Charlotte et son steak 1960  5/10 

Une promenade parmi les ombres 2005  5/10

Sam Remembers Papa Kong 2007  5/10 

The Sawmill 1922 6/10 

She 1965  5/10 

Sissi - Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin 1957  5/10 

Sotto le nuvole 2025 7/10

 

Stick Aound 1925  5/10 

Sugar Daddies 1927  5/10

That Touch of Mink 1962  6/10 

Thundering Fleas 1926  6/10 

Towed in a Hole 1932  6/10 

The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson 2026  5/10 

Untold - Chess Mates 2026 5/10

Woman of the Hour 2023  6/10 

Va savoir 2001 6/10 

Wandering Papas 1926  5/10 

Why Girls Love Sailors 1927  6/10 

White Wings 1923  5/10 

Wild Things 1998  7/10

 

Winter's Bone 2010  7/10

 

Wuthering Heights 1992  7/10

 Yes, Yes, Nanette 1925  5/10

Jennifer Lawrence

 

House at the End of the Street (2012)

 

After moving with her mother to a small town, a teenager finds that an accident happened in the house at the end of the street. Things get more complicated when she befriends a boy. A double murder is not an accident. 

Highly derivative and unoriginal horror drama additionally disappoints by presenting an ending that contradicts most of the notions planted beforehand; it's not Jennifer Lawrence's fault, though.

Maltin*1/2: "Dull, unimaginative, and overly familiar, it's not even really horror, just a relatively obvious mystery." 

 

The Movies I Watched in December

Among the Living 1941  6

The Big Night 1951  6 

Black Christmas 1974  6

Bringing Up Baby 1938  10

The Come On 1956  6

Dangerous Mission 1954  5

The Devil at 4 O'Clock 1961  6 

Don't Look Up 2021  7 

The Fallen Sparrow 1943  6

Games of Thrones, Season 1 2011  6

HealtH 1980  6

The Holiday 2006  6 

House by the River 1950  7

House of  Dracula 1945  5

In a Lonely Place 1950  8

It's a Wonderful Life 1946  10

 

Johnny Eager 1941  6

The Last Duel 2021  6

Light Sleeper 1992  7

 

Lvx Æterna 2019  6

Out of the Past 1947  10 

 

 

Pickup Alley 1957  6

 

Q 1982  6

 

Rise of the Black Bat 2012  2

 

Street of Chance 1942  6

 

The Unforgivable  2021  7

 

Vampyres 1974  6

 

Written on the Wind 1956 7

 

Vox Lux 2018  6

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence

ph: Tim Walker

Mother! (2017)

 

 

A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.

 

Over-the-top thesis play in two parts starts off fairly ominous, but (deliberately) blows out of proportion in the second half, and the whole thing is an easily decipherable allegory and appears more like an unintentional satire; well-made, though, with a good cast.

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

The X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants.

Visually pleasing and action-ridden installment in the X-Men series is unfortunately over-populated with mutants and stuffed with so many sub-plots that it's difficult to comprehend the individual intentions and rivalries.

Maltin***: "Provocative idea is overcome at times by visual bombast, but the ticking-clock structure works well. New mutants in the future segments don't get much to do;..Not quite a bull's-eye, but still highly watchable for devoted fans, who will also cheer a handful of cameos."

Passengers (2016)

A spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet and transporting thousands of people has a malfunction in its sleep chambers and two passengers are awakened 90 years too early.

Above.average sci-fi movie, for once not an action-laden shoot-em-up, but an original and interesting tale with a small cast of two (although one would love to see the main story after the film's finale); nevertheless, it's enteratining, suspenseful and offers the goods concerning the effects and visuals.

Jennifer Lawrence

X: First Class (2011)

In 1962, the United States government enlists the help of Mutants with superhuman abilities to stop a malicious dictator who is determined to start World War III.

Typical modern-day superhero extravaganza: great production value and some good bits, but very slow to get started and the heroes' diverse superpowers seem silly and arbitrary.

Maltin**1/2: "Good story tries to cover too much ground and introduces an abundance of characters...but the appeal of Marvel's X-Men remains intact, especially in the solid perforances of McAvoy and Fassbender. Newcomers Lawrence and Hoult score while Bacon seems miscast. A couple of surprise cameos will please series fans."

The Burning Plain (2008)

A drama concerning a mother and daughter who try to form a bond after the young woman's difficult childhood.

Well-intentioned and well-cast drama about love, guilt and redemption with a complex, but somewhat overladen storyline.

Maltin**: "Piecing this story puzzle together is moderately intriguing but the characters' fates are discouragingly bleak. Somber, well-acted drama marks screenwriter Arriaga's directing debut, and follows his signature style of presenting seemingly disconnected stories that ultimately coalesce (21 GRAMS, BABEL, et. al.), but doesn't have the impact of his better scripts."

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

After a stint in a mental institution, a former teacher moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife.

It is quite well played and has some funny one-liners, but the overall result is simply a slightly above-average romantic comedy.

Maltin***1/2: "Bracingly intimate, unpredictable family drama with comedic undertones features superb performances all around, with De Niro's finest wotk in years. Russell brilliantly orchestrates the movie's mood swings..."

Jennifer Lawrence

The Hunger Games (2012)

A teenager voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to compete.

Despite some production value and a good lead performance the movie itself is overlong, predictable  and at times quite boring; one wonders what all the fuss is about.

Maltin**1/2: "Faithful, if uninspired and unsubtle, rendition of the first volume in author Suzanne Collins' fatalistic (but phenomenally popular) young-adult trilogy. Violence is soft-pedaled for the sake of a tween audience and a PG-13 rating."

The Beaver (2011)

A troubled husband and executive adopts a beaver hand-puppet as his sole means of communicating.

A risky plot idea is professionally handled and offers a few good performances, but not without some sentimental moments.

Maltin **1/2: "Intriguing, way-offbeat parable written by Kyle Killen wins gains traction through Gibson's committed performance, though it's hard to say what lessons are learned when it's all said and done."

Winter's Bone (2010)

An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact.

More social drama than thriller the movie is wonderfully set in authentic surroundings and has a magnificent central performance by Jennifer Lawrence.