Persian Lessons .. superb continental film (with some worrying scenes) about a concentration camp victim conning an SS officer in order to stay alive
We screened it at film club last night and I thought it was excellent - gripping throughout, with a nice touch of humour towards the end. A murmer of discontent went up when the initial credits referred to ‘Belarus Films’, although the director himself was born in Kyiv.
Told from the viewpoint of their female protagonists, Hamaguchi's film comprises three separate stories about choice, chance and regret. Each one is a dialogue-driven chamber piece - the first about an unexpected love triangle, the second a failed seduction trap and the third an encounter which results from a case of mistaken identity. The film won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize (the second most prestigious) at the 2021 Berlin Film Festival.
An interesting and intelligent film but I can understand why it has been overshadowed by the director's other current UK release, the excellent, Oscar-nominated 'Drive My Car'.
Petite Maman (France)
After the death of her maternal grandmother, eight-year-old Nelly goes to her mother's childhood home to help her parents clear out her grandmother's belongings. She meets a strangely familiar girl her own age in the woods and the connection she forms with this mysterious new friend helps her come to terms with her recent loss.
The film is a kind of fairytale/fable about grief, friendship and love between mother and daughter. It has achieved near-universal acclaim amongst critics with a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Mark Kermode made it his best film of 2021. For me, however, although the young twins who play the leads delivered charming and accomplished performances, I'm afraid that I was unable to connect with the film and its key messages passed me by.
Told from the viewpoint of their female protagonists, Hamaguchi's film comprises three separate stories about choice, chance and regret. Each one is a dialogue-driven chamber piece - the first about an unexpected love triangle, the second a failed seduction trap and the third an encounter which results from a case of mistaken identity. The film won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize (the second most prestigious) at the 2021 Berlin Film Festival.
An interesting and intelligent film but I can understand why it has been overshadowed by the director's other current UK release, the excellent, Oscar-nominated 'Drive My Car'.
Petite Maman (France)
After the death of her maternal grandmother, eight-year-old Nelly goes to her mother's childhood home to help her parents clear out her grandmother's belongings. She meets a strangely familiar girl her own age in the woods and the connection she forms with this mysterious new friend helps her come to terms with her recent loss.
The film is a kind of fairytale/fable about grief, friendship and love between mother and daughter. It has achieved near-universal acclaim amongst critics with a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Mark Kermode made it his best film of 2021. For me, however, although the young twins who play the leads delivered charming and accomplished performances, I'm afraid that I was unable to connect with the film and its key messages passed me by.
Regarding PM, have you seen and enjoyed the directors other films, like Portrait of a Lady On Fire, Girlhood or Tomboy? Just trying to gauge whether I'll like PM, because I though POALOF was really good and the other two were pretty decent.
Told from the viewpoint of their female protagonists, Hamaguchi's film comprises three separate stories about choice, chance and regret. Each one is a dialogue-driven chamber piece - the first about an unexpected love triangle, the second a failed seduction trap and the third an encounter which results from a case of mistaken identity. The film won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize (the second most prestigious) at the 2021 Berlin Film Festival.
An interesting and intelligent film but I can understand why it has been overshadowed by the director's other current UK release, the excellent, Oscar-nominated 'Drive My Car'.
Petite Maman (France)
After the death of her maternal grandmother, eight-year-old Nelly goes to her mother's childhood home to help her parents clear out her grandmother's belongings. She meets a strangely familiar girl her own age in the woods and the connection she forms with this mysterious new friend helps her come to terms with her recent loss.
The film is a kind of fairytale/fable about grief, friendship and love between mother and daughter. It has achieved near-universal acclaim amongst critics with a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Mark Kermode made it his best film of 2021. For me, however, although the young twins who play the leads delivered charming and accomplished performances, I'm afraid that I was unable to connect with the film and its key messages passed me by.
Regarding PM, have you seen and enjoyed the directors other films, like Portrait of a Lady On Fire, Girlhood or Tomboy? Just trying to gauge whether I'll like PM, because I though POALOF was really good and the other two were pretty decent.
I thought that Portrait of a Lady On Fire was excellent and I also enjoyed one of Céline Sciamma's earlier films, Water Lillies (I've not seen Girlhood or Tomboy). I couldn't, however, really get into Petite Maman - it's ok but just didn't really engage me. That said, I think I'm in a minority, as a few other people I know have seen it and thought it was a really good film on childhood.
Also just seen The Batman and have mixed feelings. Overall enjoyed it a lot. It started brilliantly but couldn’t maintain that mystery - Thought the middle section sagged a bit and became a bit repetitive/ cliched. Bats basically has a series of meetings like he’s at work and Gordon was in it more than Bruce Wayne.
Ultimately liked where his arc went as it was a nice way to move on from the Nolan interpretation.
Pattinson is a very, very good Bats but didn’t have enough to do as Wayne.
Just seen Batman. Still not really sure what to make of it.
In a good or bad way?
Pretty much what Jimmy said. I also felt the story in the middle got so convoluted. Obviously limited what I can say due to spoilers but I just felt there was a lot of “he said, no he said” without much real character progression. Agree that Pattinson made a very good Batman. The backstory for The Riddler and what he’s trying to achieve also had the opportunity to have so many other better routes, but what and who he is, to me at least, just felt like a weak copout of a storyline. Once a few more have seen it or if there’s a specific Batman post with spoilers I can elaborate more 😂
Just watched After Love, a British/French film that has done well at a few film festivals and won some awards. Thought it was beautifully acted and perfectly cast, but quite a sad film and probably not everyone's cup of tea. Very good though
Just seen Batman. Still not really sure what to make of it.
In a good or bad way?
Pretty much what Jimmy said. I also felt the story in the middle got so convoluted. Obviously limited what I can say due to spoilers but I just felt there was a lot of “he said, no he said” without much real character progression. Agree that Pattinson made a very good Batman. The backstory for The Riddler and what he’s trying to achieve also had the opportunity to have so many other better routes, but what and who he is, to me at least, just felt like a weak copout of a storyline. Once a few more have seen it or if there’s a specific Batman post with spoilers I can elaborate more 😂
Sounds like we have a similar take on this.
Worth adding that some of the visuals are fantastic. I do thoroughly enjoy watching Matt Reeves’s stuff.
Just seen Batman. Still not really sure what to make of it.
In a good or bad way?
Pretty much what Jimmy said. I also felt the story in the middle got so convoluted. Obviously limited what I can say due to spoilers but I just felt there was a lot of “he said, no he said” without much real character progression. Agree that Pattinson made a very good Batman. The backstory for The Riddler and what he’s trying to achieve also had the opportunity to have so many other better routes, but what and who he is, to me at least, just felt like a weak copout of a storyline. Once a few more have seen it or if there’s a specific Batman post with spoilers I can elaborate more 😂
Stuck Together - French, quite charming, gentle comedy/farce set in a Parisian apartment block during lockdown. Presumably written and filmed during the first lockdown.
It's basically a story about different characters being forced to spend time with each other when they would normally just nod on the stairs. That and how different people and the authorities reacted to Covid, but with an emphasis on the ridiculous.
I'm a Dany Boon fan so quite liked it but it won't challenge you if you looking for anything other than light and frothy. Although my wife still cried...
Just caught up with Nightride on Netflix. I really liked it but then I do like Moe Dunford. Makes a change to see Belfast from a different angle. Worth a watch imho.
The Courier. A true cold War story starring Cumberbatch on Prime. Very good film, with excellent casting.
Watched this on Prime a week or two ago. Didn't bother with it at the cinema as I thought it would be entirely predictable. It wasn't. Much better than I expected, and I very much enjoyed it.
Just seen Batman. Still not really sure what to make of it.
In a good or bad way?
Pretty much what Jimmy said. I also felt the story in the middle got so convoluted. Obviously limited what I can say due to spoilers but I just felt there was a lot of “he said, no he said” without much real character progression. Agree that Pattinson made a very good Batman. The backstory for The Riddler and what he’s trying to achieve also had the opportunity to have so many other better routes, but what and who he is, to me at least, just felt like a weak copout of a storyline. Once a few more have seen it or if there’s a specific Batman post with spoilers I can elaborate more 😂
I was really, really sceptical beforehand about Pattinson as Batman but I was very wrong. He was great, visually it’s pretty spectacular and I didn’t even mind the 3hr running time. I just felt they could do a lot more in that time. I particularly wish they had focused more on the Riddler’s story and how he was able to influence, that would have been far more interesting than the other part of the story line.
Apparently they're doing a HBO spinoff show of Farrell's The Penguin character, seems a bit unnecessary to me but if done right it could be very good with Farrell in that role.
The Post Card Killings arrived on Prime today. I thought it was a good film.
I saw part of that being filmed at Kings Cross Station a few years ago. Loads of actors dressed up as Polish police running through a train. I thought the film was a little disappointing.
The Post Card Killings arrived on Prime today. I thought it was a good film.
I saw part of that being filmed at Kings Cross Station a few years ago. Loads of actors dressed up as Polish police running through a train. I thought the film was a little disappointing.
Unless I fell asleep there were no Polish police in the film.
The Post Card Killings arrived on Prime today. I thought it was a good film.
I saw part of that being filmed at Kings Cross Station a few years ago. Loads of actors dressed up as Polish police running through a train. I thought the film was a little disappointing.
Unless I fell asleep there were no Polish police in the film.
We are talking about the film starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan ?
Comments
Told from the viewpoint of their female protagonists, Hamaguchi's film comprises three separate stories about choice, chance and regret. Each one is a dialogue-driven chamber piece - the first about an unexpected love triangle, the second a failed seduction trap and the third an encounter which results from a case of mistaken identity. The film won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize (the second most prestigious) at the 2021 Berlin Film Festival.
An interesting and intelligent film but I can understand why it has been overshadowed by the director's other current UK release, the excellent, Oscar-nominated 'Drive My Car'.
Petite Maman (France)
After the death of her maternal grandmother, eight-year-old Nelly goes to her mother's childhood home to help her parents clear out her grandmother's belongings. She meets a strangely familiar girl her own age in the woods and the connection she forms with this mysterious new friend helps her come to terms with her recent loss.
The film is a kind of fairytale/fable about grief, friendship and love between mother and daughter. It has achieved near-universal acclaim amongst critics with a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Mark Kermode made it his best film of 2021. For me, however, although the young twins who play the leads delivered charming and accomplished performances, I'm afraid that I was unable to connect with the film and its key messages passed me by.
Worth adding that some of the visuals are fantastic. I do thoroughly enjoy watching Matt Reeves’s stuff.
It's basically a story about different characters being forced to spend time with each other when they would normally just nod on the stairs. That and how different people and the authorities reacted to Covid, but with an emphasis on the ridiculous.
I'm a Dany Boon fan so quite liked it but it won't challenge you if you looking for anything other than light and frothy. Although my wife still cried...
I really liked it but then I do like Moe Dunford.
Makes a change to see Belfast from a different angle.
Worth a watch imho.
8/10