Louis Malle's tale of a young man, casually rejected by the French Resisitence to German Occupation, who quickly becomes a member of the fascist lackeys; Milice, a paramilitary force, who used torture and murder to round-up Jews and Resistence members. The young lout, Lucien, imposes himself on the family of a Jewish woman whom we falls in love with. Interesting look at a unlikeable main character, and the era. Was controversial at the time 'cause it took the POV of the Fascist. Won the Oscar for best foreign film:1975.
http://www.criterion.com/films/776-lacombe-lucien
 
KBO: keep buggering on! Awesome made for TV movie. Albert Finney is Winston Churchill; not too far removed from Daddy Warbucks (Annie.) Loved it!
 
If you love Chicago, and live soul music, check this one out. It's so cool; director Andrew Davis cast his guitar playing brother in his break through indie feature, featuring a young and captivating Ronnie Barron: New Orleans pianist, composer, singer. Finally on DVD & Hulu.
 
Not even Kristin Scott Thomas can save this film.
http://www.theheirapparent.com/
 
A young woman survives a death camp, assumes the identity of a fallen woman, and finds herself in a struggle for her life on Telegraph Hill. Cool early fifties style and San Francisco locations.
 
Louis Malle’s bloated coming of age tale about a young mama's boy and his jerk brothers. Okay 'cause it's French, set in the '50s and Lea Massari is in it.  
http://www.criterion.com/films/775-murmur-of-the-heart
 
Lots of Tom Cruise running: the best stride on screen. Brad Bird: you did it! Plus, it's funny. Yes!
http://www.missionimpossible.com/

A DANGEROUS METHOD

4/18/2012

 
Jung, Freud, psychology, the era, the actors: love them all, but Cronenberg's direction is cold and flat; the story: thin. Not terrible, not great.
http://adangerousmethod-themovie.com/
 
Good book. Christian Longo's; (murderer of wife and three young children) story told by disgraced NYT writer Michael Finkel. Jonah Hill will play Finkel (opposite James Franco.)

MISS BALA

4/16/2012

 
It's cold, distant, violent, to arty. Hey, Gerardo Naranjo, if you want anyone to connect with your characters, stop filming the back of their heads.
http://www.missbala.com/