Video Link: Jean-Luc Godard Interview with Dick Cavett (1980)

 

Movie Review: A Magnificent Life

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A well-made but rushed animated biopic. 

The brilliant French animation director  Sylvain Chomet's new film tells the story of the life of filmmaker and playwright Marcel Pagnol. The result is a good movie, even if it doesn't reach the heights of the director/writer's previous work. 

Like all of Sylvain Chomet's work, this film is a visual treat. His signature visual style is all over this movie. You can recognize one of this director's films by looking at one single frame and his unique style works perfectly for this film. Every single frame is simply lovely to look at. 

This movie is also very entertaining with much of the filmmaker's wit and creativity throughout. The comedic moments are quite funny, and the whimsical moments feel magical. The dialogue is smart crisp and intelligently written. All of this works towards this movie's main charm. It fully captures a love and passion for film and theater in a way that fully captures our imaginations.     

This movie does have a major problem though. That is that the hour and a half runtime is too short for a biopic. Because of this the story can often feel very rushed and supporting characters are rarely fleshed out. The scenes about the main character's romantic life especially fell flat because we never got to know anything about any of his love interests.

All in all the things that work are so well done that they overcome any of the movie's flaws.   

Movie Review: A Private Life (Vie privée)

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An excellent thriller from France. 

In this movie a psychist (Jodie Foster) finds that one of her patients has died with the reason given being suicide. However, something seems off about the whole ordeal to her, and she takes it upon herself to investigate.  

Despite the basic premise, the mystery is never the main focus of this film. Instead, the movie is first and foremost a character study. Our main character is someone who often defines yourself by her profession often at the extent of her relationships with others, including her own son. When she loses confidence in her ability to do her job and begins to wonder if she actually makes things better or worse for her patients, she loses her sense of self. Her grip on reality and her understanding of her own life. This complex character study is presented in a way that feels completely believable and natural. She is not always the most likable character, but she is always a very relatable one. I found myself connecting deeply to her and becoming invested as I saw her grow as a person. Of course, being played by Jodie Foster (who speaks fluent French) doesn't hurt at all. She is truly wonderful here and perfectly captures the complexity of this character. While not the focus, the mystery is engaging enough keeping us wondering what the truth is. This film also has a stylish look and subtle sense of humor both of which give this an almost Hitchcock-ian feel. 

As well developed as the main character is though, some of the supporting characters are underdeveloped. Also underdeveloped are some dream sequences, whose themes are never fully explored. 

Despite some flaws, this is a truly excellent movie.   

Movie Review: Arco

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A

A lovely animated film from France.

This movie takes a familiar sci-fi premise about a time traveler finding himself in a different time and finding a friend from that time to help me get home but it makes this premise feel fresh. This movie achieves this feeling of freshness in multiple ways. One way is that it switches up this premise by making neither of the time periods current. Both of the time periods are in the future, one 50 years from now and the other further in the future. This film also is a rare movie to show a dystopian future that still has a glimmer of hope behind it. Here we are shown hope through the child characters learning from the mistakes of their predecessors, letting us know it is in each new generation's powers to change the future for the better. Speaking of children, this film captures a feeling of childlike wonder magnificently. The futuristic worlds pictured here are very well-realized and engrossing. They also feel like they could have come directly from a child's imagination. A rainbow-colored suit that allows you to fly through time while leaving full sized rainbows behind you as well as robots taking care of the kids while the parents are away sound like ideas that might come directly from a child's mind. This helps bring us back to when we were the same age as the characters and there makes us also revert to a time when we saw the world around us in a more fantastical way. Because of this we buy into the fantasy completely and become completely sucked in. Even the art style, while incredibly detailed has a childlike charm to it. Another reason is just that the story is so well told. This is a film that will pull on your heartstrings. I found myself very moved multiple times and the ending was quite lovely and touching. 

If I had to fault this movie for anything, it is that some of the humor falls flat. However, since this is not a comedy and there is not a whole lot of humor, this is a minor fault.

This is a lovely film that will touch even the greatest skeptics. 

Silent Film of the Month: The Christmas Dream (1900)

Run Time:  4 minutes. Studio: Star-Film. Director: Georges Méliès. Main Cast: Georges Méliès. Original Title: Rêve de Noël. 

It should not come as a surprise that French filmmaker, Georges Méliès should have directed one of the earliest Christmas films. Georges Méliès was one of the early masters of fantasy films and magic played a major role in most of his films. With how fantasy and magic fit perfectly with the Christmas season, this a match made in heaven.

In this film, on Christmas Eve a woman tucks two little kids into bed and reads to them. A couple set pieces of Christmas go through the children's heads. The first involves a land of toys that come to life and dance. The second involves a church at wintertime. After these wonderful dreams, the kids awake on Christmas morning and rush downstairs to see a big Christmas tree with presents underneath. 

With a runtime of 4 minutes, naturally the storyline is very simple. Yet this is the real charm of this movie. In this short runtime, the film perfectly captures what it is like to be a kid at Christmas time. As a child there is nothing like going to bed on Christmas Eve and waking up Christmas morning. Like many of you, my mind would run wild as I went to bed on Christmas Eve night. I was excitingly thinking about the magic that Christmas brings. Then waking up Christmas morning was simply the greatest feeling in the world. To frame these imaginative set pieces with going to sleep on Christmas Eve and waking up on Christmas morning makes it feel all the more magical as it brings us back to our own childhoods. 

The set pieces themselves are fantastic. The set and backdrop for the Toyland scene is fantastic. It looks like a world that would come straight from a child's imagination. The church at wintertime gives a very peaceful and serene feel.

The visual filmmaking is very sophisticated for its time and even for today it looks great. This movie has many perfect uses of cross-dissolves, a filmmaking technique that would have felt new and fresh to audiences at the time. Such an effect was not easy to achieve at the turn of the century. Historian J.B. Kaufman (on his wonderful website) described how this was done. "This means that all of this picture would have been photographed on one continuous strip of film and must have called for meticulous preplanning. Once the first scenes had been photographed and the first dissolves were in place, there was no turning back. Méliès and company would have exactly one chance to film each scene in this little pageant, and if any mistakes occurred, retakes were not an option. That shoe at center stage, far from indicating a careless or slipshod filmmaker, is actually a testament to the pains Méliès took in crafting this and his other films."

If you want to watch this delightful film, you can do so below. 

This is a very underrated Christmas time treat. 


Resources Used

https://www.jbkaufman.com/movie-of-the-month/r%C3%AAve-de-no%C3%ABl-1900

Movie Review: Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A+

This animated movie from France and Belgium is one of my favorite movies of the year.

This movie falls a little girl from her birth to three years old, with the girl narrating the story for us. 

From this simple premise comes one of the smartest and most insightful films, I have seen in quite a while. Telling this story directly from the point of view from such a young child proved to be a brilliant idea. When you are a child, everything is new to you and because of this, the joyous moments feel more joyful, and the sad moments feel sadder. Very early on, this movie puts us directly in this state of mind. We feel these emotions in that exact same way. There are times when this movie makes us feel the greatest joy at the absolute simplicist of moments such as running through the flowers on a spring day or feeling rain fall down upon you or seeing the ocean. At the same time, you feel great sorrow over the idea of someone you love having to leave. This is one of the most emotional rides I have had in a movie theatre in a long time. All of this is helped by a gorgeous art style that captures how beautiful the world can look to us when we are that young. 

Even if this movie focuses on a young child, its insights into life are very important to anyone any age. It talks about how nothing and no one is truly lost if they live on in our memories. This is a very real and insightful message that helps us with the painful emotions we experience without sugarcoating anything. The message is also told to us in a very intelligent and insightful way, with some truly well-written dialogue.  

As smart and mature as this movie is, it is not one of those artsy animated films that can only be enjoyed by adults. This film is completely approachable to a child of any age, and it is never too early to introduce them to a great work of art.

If you watch this film in theaters, it will be accompanied by a short film, titled Éiru, from the Irish animation studio, Cartoon Saloon. This is a delightful short film that is well written, very creative and full of fantastic artwork. 

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain is a must see for fans of mature, smart and insightful animated films. It is a pure masterpiece.

Francois Truffaut: Revised and Updated Edition (1978, 1989, 1994)

 

Annette Insdorf's brilliant study of the films of the great French director, François Truffaut is a must read for anyone interested in film analysis.  

As many of you probably know Truffaut (like many members of the French New Wave) started as a critic before becoming a filmmaker himself. As a critic one of the ideas that he championed what he referred to as auteurs. These were filmmakers whose own personal stamp was deeply evident in most (if not all) of their films. He felt that directors should be the author of movies and that their individual films could be analyzed not only by themselves but as a part of the directors' greater work. That there should be themes and visual motifs that ran through their work that would make a great filmmaker's work constantly interesting, even in their weaker films. Though Truffaut was an auteur himself, his own personal stamp can be harder to identify than those of his peer Jean Luc Goddard or his idol Alfred Hitchcock. That is why this book is incredibly important to anyone studying the great French director's films. The point of this book is to study and analyze the various themes and motifs that run through Truffaut's work. Through brilliant writing and insight, simply reading this book can give one a greater understanding of his work as a whole. Digging into not only the filmmaker's films but also his personal life, his influences and his critical writings, we begin to see how through his film's Truffaut has painted a rather complex and articulate self-portrait. After reading this book, I grew an even greater appreciation for someone who was already one of my favorite filmmakers and gave me a strong desire to revisit his movies. I can't wait to rewatch these films and see them in a brand-new light.

The first chapter examines Truffaut's transition from a critic and movie lover to a filmmaker. The second chapter examines the influence of Alfred Hitchcock on his work. The third examines the influence of French director Jean Renoir on his work. The fourth takes a look at the evolving role of women in his films. The fifth involves the role of children in his films (Truffaut has been praised for his honest and understanding depiction of children more than anything else). The sixth chapter takes a look at the autobiographic nature of his movies as well as the use of literary text. The seventh chapter was added to later additions and features a deep delve into his final five films, which were not around when Insdorf wrote the original version of the book. 

This is simply a must read for any Truffaut fan, and anyone interested in well written and though out film analysis.   

 

Summer Movies (2021)

 

This book from TCM explores the tradition of the summer movie. Author John Malahy takes a very broad approach to this subject. Such lighthearted summer fun as Gidget (1959), The Parent Trap (1961) and Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) co-exist with the likes of Ingmar Bergman's Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954) and Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing (1989). Also included are the part-silent part-talkie Lonesome (1928), the Andy Hardy movie You Only Live Once (1937), Jaques Tati's Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953) and of course the original summer blockbuster Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975) as well as many more. This broad approach makes this book a must for both causal movie fans and hard boiled cinephiles (who might even discover a film or two from this book). 

The writing style and format of this book makes it a light and breezy read, while still having quite a bit of substance. Malahy's tone is warm, causal and inviting. Yet at the same time he offers some great critical insight and historical background for these films that causes us to look at movies we have seen before in a new way. 

A nostalgia-soaked introduction by Film Historian and Critic Leonard Maltin only adds to the great fun of this book. 

TCM Imports: Timeless Favorites and Hidden Gems of World Cinema (2025)

 

One problem I often have with a lot of American writings about international cinema is that often these writings are too academic and aimed at intellectuals or film scholars. Though these writings can often be very well written and insightful, they unfortunately perpetuate the idea that these films can only be enjoyed by intellectuals and are not accessible to the average movie goer. This is a fully false perception as international cinema is just as accessible to those who loved modern Hollywood blockbusters and can be enjoyed by anyone who likes movies.

 TCM host, Alicia Malone's new book takes an unpretentious and wholly accessible look at films from all over the world. This book would be a perfect introduction to anyone who has never seen a foreign film. Here she selects 52 movies including well established classics and little-known gems that even well versed cinephiles have never seen. While it is impossible to ever make a list of the 52 greatest international films, this is a very well-made list that includes many wonderful films that every movie fan should experience. It is also a very well-rounded list that is sure to have something to please any movie fan. The movies included range from the silent era to just a few years ago, from art films to fun genre flicks and from a wide variety of countries. 

I have never read Alicia Malone's previous books and am most familiar with her as a TCM host. As such I was very impressed by her writing style. Her writing style is a lot of fun to read, while being quite insightful at the same time. The way she writes about each movie here will make you automatically want to watch it as her joy and love of movies can easily be felt. At the same time, she provides a very insightful look at each of these films. She provides background information about the filmmakers and how these movies came to be. She also often puts the film into their context in film history and their roles in various film movements. Yet she does so in a way that never alienates newcomers. As such she creates a book that it a lot of fun for those unfamiliar with international cinema, while also being a great read for cinephiles. 

Silent Films on TCM for May 2025

 Hello my friends, since plenty of you, like me, probably love both silent movies and TCM, here is a list of silent films playing on TCM this month. 

                                                                        Thursday May 1st

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1927) Director: Carl Theodore Dreyer. Starring Maria Falconetti and Euguene Silvain. 12am Pacific. 3pm Eastern

The Great Train Robbery (1903) Director: Edwin S. Porter. Starring Broncho Billy Anderson and Marie Murray. 5pm Pacific. 8pm Eastern.  

The Invaders (1912) Directors: Thomas Ince and Francis Ford. Starring Ethel Grandin and Ann Little. 5:15pm Pacific. 8:15pm Eastern. 

The Squaw Man (1914) Director: Cecil B. DeMille. Starring Dustin Farnum and Monroe Salisbury. 6pm Pacific. 9pm Eastern

The Iron Horse (1925) Director: John Ford. Starring George O'Brien and Madge Bellamy. 7pm Pacific. 10pm Eastern. 

Tumbleweeds (1925). Directors: William S. Hart and King Baggott. Starring William S. Hart and Barbara Bedford. 10:15pm Pacific. 1:15am Eastern.

The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926) Director: Henry King. Starring Ronald Colman and Vilma Banky. 11:45pm Pacific. 2:45am Eastern. 

                                                                            Friday May 2nd

Sky High (1922) Director: Lynn Renyolds. Starring Tom Mix and J. Farrell MacDonald. 1:30am Pacific. 4:30am Eastern.

                                                                               Sunday May 4th

The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) Director: Lotte Reiniger. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern. 

                                                                                  Sunday May 11th

Mary, Queen of Tots (1925) Director: Robert McGowan. Starring Our Gang. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern.

A Lady of Chance (1928) Director: Robert Z. Leonard. Starring Norma Shearer and Lowell Sherman. 10pm Eastern. 1am Eastern.

                                                                                    Wednesday May 14th

The Melies Mystery (2021) Director: Eric Lange. Documentary about silent film. 2am Pacific. 5am Eastern. 

Metropolis (1926) Director: Fritz Lang. Starring Alfred Abel and Bridgette Helm. 3:15am Pacific. 6:15am Eastern. 

                                                                        Sunday May 18th

Straightforward Boy (1929) Director: Yasujirô Ozu. Starring Tatsuo Saitô and Tomio Aoki. 9:30pm Pacific. 12:30am Eastern.

I Graduated But... (1929) Director:  Yasujirō Ozu. Starring Minoru Takada and Kinuyo Tanaka. 9:45pm Pacific. 12:45am Eastern.

                                                                        Sunday May 25th

Shoulder Arms (1918) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purviance. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15am Eastern. 

A Sailor-Made Man (1921). Director: Fred C. Newmeyer. Starring Harold Lloyd and Noah Young. 10pm Pacific. 1am Eastern. 

  

 

Cinecon Pop-up Day at Old Town Music Hall

 

Hello, my friends, for any of you living in Southern California, I have wonderful news. On April 6th, the Cinecon Film Festival is having a pop-up fundraiser day at my favorite place in the world, Old Town Music Hall.

Old Town Music Hall is a wonderful movie theater in downtown El Segundo that shows wonderful classic movies ranging from the silent era to the early 2000's as well as jazz and ragtime concerts. It is also the home of a 1925 Might Wurlitzer Pipe organ, which is played at the start of every show and is used to accompany silent films. It is one of the true jewels of Souther California. 

For those unfamiliar with the Cinecon Film Festival, it is a film festival dedicated to little known and overlooked films and TV shows. For film and TV lovers, this festival is a yearly essential.

This fundraising event begins at 9:30am and runs until 9pm (with a two-hour lunch break) and is located at 140 Richmond Street, El Segundo, CA 90245 (Old Town Music Hall), you can get your tickets on Cinecon's website. 

The day will start off with the Paramount Varieties and Novelties short, Broadway Highlights (1936). That is followed by a new restoration of the feature film, Song of the Open Road (1944) with an all-star cast including Jane Powell, Edgar Bergan, Bonita Granville, W.C. Feilds and Sammy Kaye and his Orchestra. Then comes the documentary short Zukor: A Man of Our Century (1973). After a lunch break will be an organ solo by Sterlin Yearlian, rare French rom com, The Seamstress (1929) and the color TV special The Fantasticks (1964) which stars Ricardo Montalban, Bert Lahr and Stanley Hollaway. The last two movies of the day will be Pavement Butterfly (1929), Anna May Wong's last silent film and a new restoration of The Mountain (1956) starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner and Claire Trevor. 

 

Song of the Open Road, 1944

Silent Film of the Month: Aladdin and his Wonder Lamp (1906)

 

Run Time: 12 minutes. Studio: Pathé Frères. Director: Albert Capellani. Writers: Albert Capellani, André Heuzé. Main Cast: Georges Vinter. Cinematographer: Segundo de Chomón. Production Design: Hugues Laurent. 

One of the most popular types of films from the first couple decades of cinema was the trick film. Unlike today when audiences are very movie-savvy and well aware of how special effects in their favorite movies were done, at this time cinema was new to many people. Because of this trick films were in many ways the cinematic equivalent of a magic show. Audiences knew what they were seeing was a trick but it not knowing exactly how it was done, it seemed a truly impressive feat. 

Because of the short runtime, this film was a very simplified and basic retelling of the Aladdin story. The film shows Aladdin falling for the daughter of the sultan, being led by a mysterious scorer to where the magic lamp is held, getting the lamp, having his wishes come true, recovering the lamp and the princess after the scorer steals the lamp and kidnaps the princess and living happily ever after. 

This film may provide a very simplified version of this story, but it is effective. Part of the reason for this is that unlike many of the simplified versions of classic literature that populated cinema screens at this time period, this story is still very familiar to the average movie fan today. Because of this, it remains easy to follow and enjoy. However, the focus of this film is on the visuals, and they hold up very well. Even 109 years after its release, this short is still a visual treat. This film is an early example of a color film. The color is done through Pathécolor, a stencil-based film tinting process that was applied directly to the actual film. Though this process is not as realistic looking like today's audience is used to you, it works perfectly for this type of fantasy film. In fact, it gives this short a storybook-like feel that enhances the charming feel of this simple short. The special effects may be basic, but they work quite well. We may no longer wonder how they were accomplished but they still hold up and are never laughable by today's standards. 

Before even entering into movies, director Albert Capellani already had an impressive resume. He had studied at the Conservatoire de Paris under French actor (and future film director) Charles le Bargy. Some of his early-stage career was spent performing in plays directed by stage luminaire and future important movie director, André Antoine (sometimes called "the father of modern mise en scène in France"). He would graduate to direct many stage productions himself. In 1903 he was made the head of the famous Paris music hall, the Alhambra. Unlike many of those working on stage at this time, Albert Capellani was fascinated by movies seeing great possibilities in this emerging art form. Much of his early cinema work would consist of two vastly different types of films. They would include very realistic slice of life dramas and fairy-tale like fantasies, like this film. 

Who's Who on the Screen, 1920

Motion Picture News, 1919

Also important to this film is the cinematographer, Segundo de Chomón, who is said to have played a major role in this film's special effects. He would soon direct some of France's most popular trick films including Satán se divierte (1907), Hôtel électrique (1908) and a maison ensorcelée (1908). He would also go on to work on the special effects for such famous silent movie epics as Cabiria (1914) and Napoléon (1927).

For anyone interested in watching this film, it can be watched below on YouTube.

Resources Used

http://www.frenchfilms.org/biography/albert-capellani.html

https://lantern.mediahist.org/

Movie Review: Autumn and the Black Jaguar (Le dernier jaguar)

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C

A flawed but warm-hearted family film. 

This movie is far from perfect, but it has such a good heart that it is hard to dislike it. This film has such good intentions, and you can tell that the filmmakers are completely sincere in everything they are saying (of course as someone who believes deeply in animal rights, I agree with most of what is being said here). This movie follows a 15-year-old girl, who runs away to help her childhood friend (who is a jaguar) make it to safety. Her teacher follows her the whole way to protect her from danger. The relationship between the girl and the jaguar is incredibly sweet and feels believable. While the way the relationship between the girl and the teacher grows and matures in a very believable way. 

However, this movie does have more than its share of flaws. The storyline stretches well beyond the realm of believability, not all the actors are that good here and the humor falls flat. 

Despite its flaws, this movie is so warm hearted and sincere that I find it hard not to like it. 

Movie Review: The Count of Monte-Cristo (Le Comte de Monte-Cristo)

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A+

A masterful adaption of Alexandre Dumas's classic book. 

This French film feels like a throwback to the old school Hollywood literary adaption. It has a timeless feel to it like this movie could have been made in any time period, past, present or future. Though it changes quite a bit from the book, the major themes of the classic story are still here. Not only that but these themes are just as effective today as they were when the original story was released in 1844. Though the story takes place in the past, the examination of how vengeance can completely consume a person and how easy it is for someone to lose sight of who they truly are make this 19th century story feel positively modern. I found myself incredibly moved by this film and became engrossed rather quickly. For a three-hour movie, this film is completely engrossing from start to finish. The characters and themes feel so real that even with its long length my attention never once wandered. The characters retain the complexity of those in the book. There are no typical good guys and bad guys, here every character is deeply human here and features a certain amount of moral ambiguity. We relate to and feel for our main character but at the same time are horrified at what he is becoming. This combination of sympathy and fear, help create an incredibly compelling character. Pierre Niney's great and often subtle performance as this character helps make him all the more compelling. Like many of the classic Hollywood literary adaptions that this film emulates this is a very handsome looking movie. The visuals are simply lovely to look at and help draw us into this 19th century world. They simultaneously feel larger than life and completely believable at the same time. This combination helps the movie capture the feeling of the book incredibly well. 

This is one of my favorite movies of 2024 and a must see for anyone who loves great old-fashioned storytelling.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Movie Review: Meanwhile on Earth (Pendant ce temps sur terr)

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A wonderful sci-fi film from France. 

Despite the sci-fi elements, this film is first and foremost about our main character, a young woman who has given up on her ambitions after her beloved brother seemingly disappears. Over the course of an hour and a half, we get to know her as well as we know ourselves. Because of this even with the fantastic elements, this movie feels completely real to us. We are drawn in as we feel the pain of the loss of her brother, and we are thrown into her inner conflict of whether she is willing to sacrifice others to bring her brother back to her. This is not a movie about aliens (even though the play a major role in the story) but about perseverance through great loss. Perhaps this is why the sci-fi elements are never fully explained because there is no need for them to be. We just accept them and focus on the drama of the main character. The fact that there is only one scene in which we get a glimpse of an alien and only a couple of scenes with real action actually helps the film. It helps internalize the conflict even further. Yet the film also keeps a sense of visual interest throughout. Probably the best example of this is the brief animated scenes where her and her brother are allowed to talk. The use of animation stresses how he can not be in the real world with her and makes it feel like these scenes are taking place on a different plane. It also helps us see that in these scenes she gets to be the real her (she had always dreamed of being an artist and her brother was one of the few people she shared her work with). 

While those who prefer the more action oriented side of sci-fi might not be interested, this is a very smart and emotionally engaging movie that will stay with you. 

Movie Review: Mars Express

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A+

An incredibly intelligent animated sci-fi movie from France. 

The most important aspect of any sci-fi movie is the world building. Luckily this film builds its world brilliantly. In only a matter of the first few minutes, you already find yourself drawn into the dark but irresistible world of this movie. And as the film goes on, the world only feels more and more real. There is so much attention to detail and thought that goes into how this world works. What makes this even more impressive is that little of this is conveyed through long bits of exposition. Instead, the way we learn about this world comes directly from watching the story unfold. What also makes this world so intriguing and fascinating is the many parallels to the world we are living in today. Because of this it is easy to form an emotional connection to what is happening on screen. This also allows the film to provide very intelligent commentary on such important topics as the rise of AI, racism, prostitution, alcoholism, class distinction and our reliance on technology. This film never dumbs down any of the deep topics it delves into. In fact, it often digs right into the complexities of the many moral dilemmas addressed. There are no easy answers to be found anywhere in this movie and the filmmakers are not afraid to make you leave the theatre asking yourself the big questions. Yet as this film addresses important topics, it never becomes preachy or didactic because everything flows naturally from the story and characters. 

This movie also benefits from some very complex characters. While our protagonists are likable, they are not without their demons. The filmmakers show no fear of delving headfirst into these characters' demons. Yet it is the combination of their more admirable traits and their darker traits that make them so real to us. The complexity of the characters is another reason the sci-fi world feels so real to us. Because when the characters feel real than so does the world they inhabit. 

As smart and thought provoking as this movie is, it also works as great mainstream entertainment. This is an action packed and suspenseful film that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The action scenes here are brilliantly done and as exciting as anything Hollywood has to offer. 

This movie is further proof that animation is truly a great artform that is equal to (or perhaps greater than) live action filmmaking.  

Video Link: A Tribute to ANNE PARILLAUD - Adyfilk

My Top 10 Films of 2023

 Hello my friends with it being Oscar night, it feels appropriate to call attention to some of my favorite films of 2023. Maybe some of these movies will be favorites of yours as well. 


10. The Teacher's Lounge

This German movie is a perfect suspense film. Without much in the way of action, this film kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, always wondering what is going to happen next. This movie also perfectly melds in some incredible intelligent social commentary in its very smart script. Add a wonderful performance from Leonie Benesch and you have a truly incredible movie.

9. Facing the Laughter: Minnie Pearl

This documentary probably won't be on many people's top ten lists for this year, but it is a film that is tailor made for me. I'm someone who grew up with re-runs of Hee Haw and since that show began my love of country music, it holds a special place in my heart. This also means that Minnie Pearl is someone who is very near and dear to me. This in depth documentary perfectly captures this wonderful country-fied comedian in all her glory. While I may admit a personal bias here, I think even those who have never heard of Minnie Pearl will enjoy this film. 

8. Killers of the Flower Moon 

Any other year and this film would have been at the top of this list, but this year was simply an incredible year for movies. This film is a perfect reminder why Martian Scorsese is a master filmmaker. Despite its very long length, the film is gripping for that entire runtime. Robert De Niro and Lilly Gladstone gives simply incredible performances that are as good as acting gets.   

7. Past Lives

A masterful romantic comedy that is just as intelligent as it is charming. Director Celine Song's first feature film proves her to be a filmmaker to look out for. 

6. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 

Interestingly in a year, where "superhero fatigue" has become a common saying and many superhero films have not received the best reception from critics or audiences, comes out one of the best superhero movies or all time. This animated film is a masterpiece of the genre and perfectly combines great storytelling and incredibly visuals in a simply perfect way. As a comic book lover and this film feeling like a comic book come to life again gives me a personal bias for this being on the list but is it is truly a great movie. 

5. Anatomy of a Fall 

This French film can hold its own with some of the greatest courtroom dramas of all time. Justine Triet's direction and Sandra Huller's performance are pitch perfect. This is a gripping film that will simply leave you amazed. 

4. The Boy and the Heron

Hayao Miyazaki is one of my favorite filmmakers of all time. This might be his last film and if it is, I am perfectly fine with this. This is simply a wonderful animated movie and proves why Miyazaki is a master filmmaker. This is definitely a film in which you need to watch many times to get the full effect of. Fantastic and a great possible send-off to one of the all-time great filmmakers.

3. Fallen Leaves 

This film from Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki is one of his best films in decades. This movie takes his trademark style of filmmaking to its absolute best. In lesser hands this could have simply been another romantic comedy. Yet the expert filmmaking makes this something much more beautiful, moving and laugh out loud funny. 

2. The Taste of Things 

It is amazing that this simply beautiful French film did not receive the attention it so rightful deserves. While with its slow pace and long scenes simply of characters cooking may make it not appeal to a mainstream audience for those of us who love arthouse cinema, this is simply a masterpiece. It is also simply an incredibly moving romance that had me leaving the theater in near tears. This is one of the most emotional cinematic experiences in a long time. This deserves to take its place in the great arthouse movies of all time. Any other year this would be number one but... 

1. Zone of Interest

Possibly the best movie about the Holocaust ever made. This film is one of the most emotional draining films I have ever seen. Though the Holocaust is never directly shown, this movie leaves you absolutely horrified in a way that even the best horror films can't. Without a real story and simply focusing on a family living next door to a concentration camp leading perfectly normal lives makes this one of the most unique movies about the second world war ever created. I have never experienced anything like this before and I doubt I ever will again. This is the type of film that will be deeply studied in film classes many decades from now. While this film is very hard to watch, it is something that every true cinema fan must watch at least once in their lives. You will not leave the film quite the same as when you came in. 

My gosh looking at this list, it is so amazing what an incredible year for movies last year was. Every film I listed is a truly great and if you have not seen any of them you must watch them immediately. 

Movie Review: The Taste of Things (La passion de Dodin Bouffant)

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A+

A truly fantastic art film from France.

Right from the start, you know that this is not going to be your typical movie. It begins with a near 40-minute scene of simply our main characters cooking. Though this may sound incredibly boring, it is actually completely engrossing. It is said that when we watch someone do what they are passionate about we get to see the real them. This is definitely true in these first near 40-minutes. Cooking means so much more to these characters then simply making something for someone to eat. They put their whole selves in this action. Cooking becomes both an emotional outlet and an intellectual exercise. As we watch them, we see how emotional and powerful experience this is for them. Because of this even those of us who may not be passionate about cooking, become completely engrossed. We learn more about these characters in this opening scene than we do about some characters in full movies. The scene also benefits from truly incredible performances (the actors do their own cooking) and great visual filmmaking. The camera is never standing still during these first 40 or so minutes. We move with the characters and get to see the complexity of the task at hand. Because of this, we feel like we are right there in the kitchen with them. There are even moments when you can swear that you smell the food.

The passion of cooking and how it encompasses the characters, carries on through the film. This film becomes a very beautiful and touching romance movie, and one of its most romantic scenes simply involves one character cooking for another. The romance in this film is incredibly well done. We can feel the love between these two characters in every scene they share (even the scenes which on paper don't sound romantic). Even the romantic dialogue (something I usually find corny and off-putting in romance movies) is beautifully written, almost like a love poem from a great poet. This is because the dialogue is very intelligent and clever as well as romantic. As this romance unfolds, it is hard not to feel a wide variety of emotions, some of which can at times even feel overwhelming. The film's ending is especially powerful, and we leave a major effect on you as you leave the theater. 

While this film's slow pace and long scenes of people cooking may not appeal to everyone, for the right audience this is an incredibly powerful movie. 

Video Link: Truffaut on the Auteur Theory