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Two twin girls who communicated to each other for years in an "invented language" that nobody else understood (not even their parents) are the subject of this intriguing documentary from Jean-Pierre Gorin. The girls are adorable and their case is fascinating with Gorin exploring all of the theories and possible explanations offered. In short, with their parents speaking two different languages at home and the girls not allowed to associate with other kids their age,…
I guess we are all kind of cracked in one way or another.
Having developed a morphine addiction when injured in battle, a World War I veteran struggles to readjust to civilian life in this little-seen drama starring Richard Barthelmess. The film begins well with tight close-ups of his hands shaking when desperate for his next fix, and an ignorant lecture by a bank manager about how "the war is over" and how everyone should stop dwelling in the past.…
In some ways, the truth is worse.
As per the title, this documentary probes into Israel's Prisoner X, an Australian-born Mossad agent who died in a supposedly suicide-proof maximum security prison under suspicious circumstances. Several unanswered questions still abound beyond his death, most notably what exactly he was accused of doing beyond the vague accusation of "treason" and the documentary covers the theories that have been floated, while questioning whether he ever properly met the psychological profile to be a…
I exploded, like an atomic bomb!
Becoming pregnant under mysterious circumstances after falling down a hill, a young woman undergoes several unsuccessful abortion attempts while her family try to track down the man who may or may not have raped her while she slid down the hill in this bizarre comedy from Tajikistan. Narrated by the pregnant woman's unborn child, this is one of those films where it feels like all concerned have tried to make their production as weird…
People choose to be scared.
After finding the courage to flirt with a handsome slightly older regular patron of the movie theatre where she works, a college student begins to wonder whether her latest beau is slightly creepy in this psychological thriller starring Emilia Jones and Nicholas Braun. The film opens with a quote from Margaret Atwood stating that men are afraid of women laughing at them, and that women are afraid of men killing them, and the film pretty…
Trump did not just fall from the sky.
In what could be considered a spiritual sequel to his near-identically titled Fahrenheit 9/11, Michael Moore once again looks at a surprise US presidential election result with Donald Trump rather than George W. Bush in centre focus here. The film even begins on an almost identical note with Moore audibly wondering if the predicted Hilary Clinton win was all just a dream. The good news is that Moore comes off as less…
I really hope they do not re-elect that fool, honestly.
Michael Moore's lamentations over the War in Iraq and critique of the George W. Bush administration, Fahrenheit 9/11 is a far more palatable film when revisited after almost twenty years. The film still feels well below Moore par, partly because it starts off as an interesting conspiracy theory documentary only to gradually devolve into a tiresome anti-war project. The most disappointing aspect of the film though remains how generally unfunny…
It happens, right?
Having served as an army pilot in her youth, a school principal begins questioning her life choices since leaving the army in this acclaimed Soviet drama. In the lead role, Maya Bulgakova provides a compelling performance as someone who always seems deep in thought and not fully engaged with the world around her. Viewed as someone who works in education though, the plot is not exactly easy to buy into as the film paints working in a…
I don't want to leave the classroom and become a security guard.
Opening with a school noticeboard that ominously states "let's end the year with a bang", this unsettling documentary looks at the school shooting phenomenon in the US in terms of the impact on the way that schools and school staff operate. The film feels a little unfocused at times without any voiceover narration to link everything together, but the fly-on-the-wall approach that the filmmakers mostly opt for generally…
That's a chance I gotta take.
Not told about the true nature of his latest job until it is too late, an honest truck driver unwittingly becomes a getaway driver for a bunch of bank thieves in this nifty noir from Anthony Mann. It is a decent premise and the plot soon thickens as the trucker attempts to alert the police to the heist, which backfires as the gang leader's brother is arrested and the gangster leaks the trucker's licence…
You know what the cruellest weapon is? Fear.
As a vigilante sets about torturing and killing various criminals, this Chilean action movie gets off to an interesting start. Marko Zaror showcases some amazing martial arts skills in the lead role and lots of athleticism, often flipping through the air while fighting and constantly kickboxing as if he is the next Jean-Claude Van Damme. There is also an early scene that amazingly recreates Alex intruding on Billy Boy's abandoned theatre gang…
Freelancers have a nasty habit of changing sides.
There no lasers in this deceptively titled action movie about a freelance agent sent by the CIA to Africa to entice a laser scientist to defect. The film was made as an action vehicle for a then up-and-coming Brandon Lee. To his credit, Lee certainly gives it his all, both in the action sequences and otherwise as he finds himself in a bind. As a freelance operative, the CIA distrust his version…