Mike Leigh’s “Naked” could very well be the director’s most brilliant exercise of his unorthodox filmmaking approach. The script was created as the cast improvised during eleven weeks of rehearsal before shooting. Instead of just making a film about chaos, Leigh applied “chaos” in the actual making of his masterpiece. This may sound like anContinue reading “Chaos in Mike Leigh’s “Naked””
Category Archives: Film Reviews
The Last Supper in Luis Buñuel’s “Viridiana”
Perhaps the most controversial shot in Luis Buñuel’s “Viridiana”- The composition of the shot is an imitation of Da Vinci’s The Last Supper, only it was re-enacted by homeless beggars. The Christ like figure in the middle was depicted by a street beggar who is blind. The shot implies that blindness is at the coreContinue reading “The Last Supper in Luis Buñuel’s “Viridiana””
The Harsh Reality of Slums in Luis Buñuel’s “Los Olvidados”
“The great modern cities: New York, Paris, London, hide behind their magnificent building homes of misery that shelter malnourished children without hygiene, without schools, a harvest of future delinquency. The society tries to correct this evil, but the success of its effort is very limited. Only in a future where children’s and adolescent’s rights areContinue reading “The Harsh Reality of Slums in Luis Buñuel’s “Los Olvidados””
The Odyssey in Theo Angelopoulos’ “Landscape in the Mist”
In Theo Angelopoulos’ “Landscape in the Mist”, two kids run away from their home in Athens in search for their father whom they were told lives in Germany; but beneath the surface this film is about so much more. The journey they embark on is a metaphor of life itself. We all travel through timeContinue reading “The Odyssey in Theo Angelopoulos’ “Landscape in the Mist””
The Vital Importance of Lukas Moodysson’s “Lilya 4-ever”
Lukas Moodysson’s “Lilya 4-ever” chronicles the life of a sixteen year old girl after she gets abandoned by her mother who flees to America to escape poverty in Sweden. The viewer is quickly plunged into a downward spiral of human trafficking, Scandinavian sex slavery and betrayal. Based on the true story of a Lithuanian girl,Continue reading “The Vital Importance of Lukas Moodysson’s “Lilya 4-ever””
Film Analysis: “Arrival” ★★★★★ (5/5)
Denis Villeneuve’s elegant sci-fi thriller, “Arrival”, contains one of the most deeply thoughtful messages of any film this year. Like Villeneuve’s breakthrough masterpiece, “Incendies”, the central message is a desperate call for solidarity. While “Incendies” addressed how absurd it is to hate on one another based on religious differences, “Arrival” pleas for the unification ofContinue reading “Film Analysis: “Arrival” ★★★★★ (5/5)”
The 20 Best Films of 2015
Any list should be useful in containing films you’re not familiar with. In that sense, the purpose of this list is not to list movies in order of preference, but rather function as a suggestion to seek out significant films that might have flown under your radar. The goal is to call attention to moviesContinue reading “The 20 Best Films of 2015”
Film Review: “Listen to Me Marlon” ★★★★★ (5/5)
In one of the film’s most memorable scenes, Brando elaborates the effect an actor should have on his audience. “Hit ‘em. Knock ‘em over…with an attitude, with a word, with a look! Be surprising! Figure out a way to do it in a way that has never been done before. You want to stop thatContinue reading “Film Review: “Listen to Me Marlon” ★★★★★ (5/5)”
The 15 Best Films of 2015 (So Far)
The year is off to a great start with triumphs in both blockbuster films and independent filmmaking. Like all my lists, it’s not organized in any particular order, with the exception of “Tu Dors Nicole” taking the top spot for being a clear personal favorite of mine. After that, all the listed films are scatteredContinue reading “The 15 Best Films of 2015 (So Far)”
Nutshell Review: “Under the Skin”
In an earlier review for Under the Skin, I wrote that I wasn’t sure if I would ever watch it again. I’ve re-watched the film five times since making that statement. With over a hundred years of cinema, filmmakers recycle, remake, and try to improve upon originals with lesser sequels, etc. Rarely do I stumble uponContinue reading “Nutshell Review: “Under the Skin””
The Cinephile Fix 