Son of Saul had its solitary showing at the Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) Thursday evening. Saul is the first feature-length film for director László Nemes and the first acting performance for the star Géza Röhrig, a poet by trade. Sony is set to release the film in the U.S. on December 18th with a… Continue Reading
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CIFF Weekend Report
Saturday I got to see 45 Years starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenoy. Great acting, super cinematography, smooth editing, appropriate music. The movie opens and closes with Smoke Gets In Your Eyes. Definitely a message song. Excellent use of soft focus during close-ups. A couple of times the speaker was blurred with the listener in… Continue Reading
Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF)
I am attending the Chicago International Film Festival over 14 days. Because I am due to view 24 films over that period I will not be doing full analytical blogs on each. I will post periodic reports with one paragraph reports covering several films in each. The Festival opened Thursday nite. Over 150 selections. Opening… Continue Reading
Sneak Preview: Chapter 1 available
Chapter 1 of my book Vibes From The Screen: A guide to enhancing your appreciation of the art of film is now available . Click for PDF Continue Reading
Time Out of Mind – A neo-realist treat
There has never been a universal agreement on exactly what “neo-realism” is or was. Generally, its emphasis has been on contemporary subjects in a real environment and a focus on the poor workers. Film historians Thompson and Bordwell point out that “Another position emphasized the moral dimension of the films, suggesting that the movement’s importance… Continue Reading
A Brilliant Young Mind (2014)
The entire time that I sat watching A Brilliant Young Mind I could not stop thinking of the 2011 film Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. The theme similarities were so striking. In his 2012 review of Extremely Loud, Roger Ebert said, “No movie has ever been able to provide a catharsis for the Holocaust,… Continue Reading
Story of Film: An odyssey – Great tool.
Mark Cousins’, The Story of Film: An odyssey provides tremendous insight into the “art” of film. I am once again leading a study group using Cousins 15 hour documentary series and the accompanying book. This is my fourth time. Each time I go through the material I learn something new. While initially it might seem… Continue Reading
Pawn Sacrifice
Bobbie Fisher vs. Boris Spassky. What would become a historic match is the backdrop for a study of the emotional make-up of two great minds. Can the masks hold the cracks together? There is not a lot of meaning to discern from this presentation. The story is linear and for the most part above… Continue Reading
A Great Narrative Rule
“[T]he picture follows the rules of indie films rather than commercial Hollywood. Narrative unfolds at its own deliberate pace; emotions are muted instead of shouted.” Steven Zeitchek’s description of Equals could also be applied to one of the major differences between American and Foreign films. It is the element that helps keep audiences involved for… Continue Reading
Liv Ullman and I Agree
In an article in The Guardian (9/5/15) film great Liv Ullman comments on one of my pet complaints – the paucity of foreign films shown in Great Britain and the U. S.. “[Her film,] Miss Julie was originally set in Sweden, but Ullmann’s version transplants it to Ireland, partly because its British producers wanted an English-language… Continue Reading