Did you know that is was Canius Fanius who forbade the rearing of chickens on the streets of ancient Rome? That’s what you learn from a weekly lunch with your ageing father/grandfather and what “Msr. Ladmiral” (Louis Decreux) imparts to his visiting son “Gonzague” (Michel Aumont) who is visiting for Sunday lunch with his wife “Mercédès” (Monique Chaumette) and three children. Although they all get on fine, I think for the family travelling from Paris this has become a bit of a chore - but he is a jolly old painter who adores his three grandchildren. On this particular weekend, an unexpected wh…
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Boring...…
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Paediatrician “Beck” (François Cluzet) is about to have a midnight swim with his wife “Margot” (Marie-Josée Croze) when he hears her scream and then gets clobbered over the head and falls into the water. Eight years later, we discover that she has been murdered and that a stranger was convicted of the crime. Every year, this now single man visits his former in-laws on the anniversary of her death - only this year he’s more disconcerted than usual. That’s because he received a mysterious email that has sewn the seeds of doubt over the entire incident. Quite suddenly, for him, things are startin…
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Orchestra conductor “Werner” or is it “Wolfgang” (Stig Hoffmeier) is under pressure. With but moments to go before his concert, his French horn player has taken refuge in the basement refusing to play whilst his mother (Vera Gebuhr) is dressed to the nines, giving him an hard time and constitutes about ten percent of the assembled audience who are becoming increasingly impatient. Having done his best to placate just about everyone, he hopes to get onto the stage and perform his magnum opus - only to find one final hurdle in his path. Might this one, though, prove to be the one that opens his e…
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In San Francisco in 1985, news of screen legend Rock Hudson’s illness is across the news and the gay community is starting to come to terms with the fact that they are especially vulnerable to a deadly new disease. That might well impact on the lives of a professional dance troupe in which both “Frankie” (Scott Marlowe) and “Todd” (Matthew Risch) work. The latter, older and more experienced man, has made it clear that he supplements his thirty week a year income with some extracurricular activities and this doesn’t sit so well with the anxious “Frankie” so initially he keeps him at arms length…
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Using the rushes from an edition of a French television programme, this rather uncomfortably follows the appearance of acclaimed jazz musician Thelonious Monk on “Profiles of Jazz”. It’s hosted by Henri Renaud, himself a pianist, and what now ensues isn’t the easiest watch. I suppose the elephant in the room is whether or not the interviewer is actually treating Monk in a racist fashion, or whether it’s a combination of the hot-lights, language barrier and a fair amount of bourbon that create an awkward scenario for both. Renaud adopts a style that reminded me a little of David Frost as he lea…
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In an age where asserting our independence and individuality has become something of a personal liability, it’s refreshing to see that some of us have not lost sight of its value and – in the case of this picture – have even gone so far as to celebrate the notion in a work of art. Such is the case in writer-director Yûta Shimotsu’s second feature effort, a truly strange but fun, insightful meditation on the perils of unquestioned conformity. In a nation like Japan, where a premium is placed on complying with cultural and social norms, those who seek to affirm their personal sovereignty are fre…
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The key to making a successful political thriller is to maintain a taught sense of mesmerizing, edge-of-the-seat intrigue. Unfortunately, that’s precisely the element that’s missing in this overlong, annoyingly convoluted tale set in 1977 Brazil during the waning days of its military dictatorship. The story follows the life of Armando (Wagner Moura), a former university researcher targeted for manipulation and framing by a corrupt, influential businessman (Luciano Chirolli) when the educator refuses to play ball with him. This, in turn, leads to a death threat against Armando, who must do what…
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"Old Guy" is a somewhat cliched but still quite watchable action flick.
Yes its filled with tired tropes and lacks originality. That said, its very much defined by the performance of lead actor, Christoph Waltz. I've always liked Waltz and his performance in the role of a gruffly charming womanising assassin bad guy, who just happens to have a heart and an albeit rusty, moral compass, carries this film forward.
What also makes this film work is its "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" vibe. The Brits know how to make this kind of gritty crime action film plausible and engaging, …
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65/100
A man doing research on a Professor's macabre carousel of historical figures, stumbles into a terrible secret concerning the Prof's daughter. This early horror film is definitely a product of its time with completely rote acting and dialog and our protagonist providing lots of padding through his confusion and hallucinatory wanderings. However, there's some very interesting stuff here as it became more intriguing and bizarre morphing into a morbid cross between "Re-Animator" and "A Bucket of Blood". Far more entertaining that I expected it would be. -- DrNostromo.com…
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