“My Journey Through French Cinema” (France) Directed by Bertrand Tavernier In my review for a different film I mentioned how I’d seen two three-hour plus film in 24 hours and that one felt it’s length and the other did not. … Continue reading 52nd Chicago International Film Festival Screening #2: “My Journey Through French Cinema” (France)
“The Club” (Chile) Directed by Pablo Larrain “The Club” has been showered with awards at many festivals this season (including several awards at the Chicago Film Fest, where I screened it). The award I would give it is “The Palme … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #19: “The Club” (Chile)
“Women He’s Undressed” (U.S.) Directed by Gillian Armstrong I’m not sure what to call this film…a documentary on the life of Orry-Kelly or a feature about a memoir told in memory BY Orry-Kelly. Instead of using talking heads and VO … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #18: “Women He’s Undressed” (U.S.)
“Mustang” (Turkey) Directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven Each year, there is one film that takes you by surprise. Not just in how good it is, but how it affects you. You know..you don’t know a thing about a flick, but … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #17: “Mustang” (Turkey)
“Hitchcock/Truffaut” (U.S.|France) Directed by Kent Jones In 1962, a very young Francois Truffaut came to Hollywood and did a series of interviews with Alfred Hitchcock, the guts of which would later make up one of the earliest texts about the … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #16: “Hitchcock/Truffaut” (U.S.|France)
“Macbeth” (UK|France|USA) Directed by Justin Kurzel I overheard another Film Fest audience member refer to this as “Macbeth meets Mad Max.” Oh, if ONLY. I would’ve been happy if this film possessed even SOME of Mad Max’ drive, energy and … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #14: “Macbeth” (UK|France|USA)
“Youth” (Italy|France|Switzerland|UK) Directed by Paolo Sorrentino This is a tough one to write a review for. It’s very funny. It’s also very serious. It’s very obvious. And yet it’s very obtuse. It’s extremely sardonic while being concurrently sweet. You think … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #13: “Youth” (Italy|France|Switzerland|U.K.)
“Very Semi-Serious” (U.S.) Directed by Leah Wolchok I was never a fan of comic books…nor did I ever read the funnies in the paper. I only had two experiences of comics as a child…Mad Magazine and The New Yorker. I … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #12: “Very Semi Serious” (U.S.)
“How To Win Enemies” (Argentina) Directed by Gabriel Lichtmann This is a trifling little comedy in the same vein as “Manhattan Murder Mystery”…but, alas, this movie does not have Woody’s writing or Diane Keaton and Alan Alda’s comedic chops. The … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #11: “How To Win Enemies” (Argentina)
“Son of Saul” (Hungary) Directed by Laszlo Nemes So, alas, because seventy years has passed since the discovery of the camps, we have enough films to make up a genre…Holocaust films. At the top of that list, the mighty “Schindlers … Continue reading 51st Chicago International Film Festival Screening #10: “Son of Saul” (Hungary)
The No Spoiler Critic 