- ALMOST PEACEFUL (Un Monde Presque Paisible) 2002. This is a lovely film about Jewish Parisians reestablishing themselves in life after the horrors they survived. It has a few well placed magical moments, and ends on a truly magical but entirely realist note of joy in a countryside picnic with games. Excellent.
- STUTZ - Jonah Hill and his therapist. Surprised at the wisdom of Stutz’ “method”. Also the deft and unusual making of the film.
- MABOROSI - Japanese film, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, 1995, excellent, gorgeously filmed.
- Polina - a 2016 French drama film directed by Valérie Müller and Angelin Preljocaj, based on the graphic novel Polina by Bastien Vivès. Good, although it hasn't stayed with me.
- Casa de Lava - Portuguese film, directed by Pedro Costa, 1995. Abstract story-telling but very good.
- EVA HESSE - Documentary about the artist, 2016. Excellent.
- The Beguiled - Directed by Sophia Coppola, 2017. French cinematographer.
- Casablanca - directed by Michael Curtiz, 1943. Still great.
- I, DANIEL BLAKE -a 2016 drama film directed by Ken Loach and written by Loach's frequent collaborator Paul Laverty. It stars Dave Johns as Daniel Blake, who is denied employment and support allowance despite his doctor finding him unfit to work. Hayley Squires co-stars as Katie, a struggling single mother whom Daniel befriends. The film won the Palme d'Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, the Prix du public at the 2016 Locarno International Film Festival,[3][4][5] and the 2017 BAFTA for Outstanding British Film. Excellent.
- The Ornithologist - 2017, directed by João Pedro Rodrigues, Portuguese. "The Ornithologist" is both an opaque narrative and a deeply inviting one. Even as the film commences a series of radical formal and dramatic mutations, you are held rapt by the steadiness of the camera's gaze and the sublime, sun-dappled beauty that it invariably discovers. (The superb cinematographer is Rui Poças, who also shot Miguel Gomes' luminous, black-and-white "Tabu.") (From LA Times review)
- Aquarius - 2016, Brazilian-French, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, starring Sonia Braga, who is a gorgeous woman! However, the movie was good not great in my judgment.
- FELICITE - 2017, Franco-Senegalese production, directed by Alain Gomis. Story takes place in Kinshasa, Congo. Excellent, moving, well acted by two main actors, both Congolese.
dec 29 2018 ∞
dec 10 2022 +
dec 10 2022 +