A young geisha seeks retribution for the murder of her father and battles to carry on the tradition of a powerful double-edged sword tradition. Kick-ass fight scenes, beautiful subjects and photography, brief, imperfect. BTW, a geisha is a woman trained in the arts: not a ho.

Innovative fascinating documentary about British playwright Andrea Dunbar and her family. Brilliant, subtitled: loved it!

NYT review: http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/movies/the-arbor-a-biopic-of-andrea-dunbar-review.html

Low-key Korean drama featuring a wonderful performance by Jeon Do-yeon. Slow and subtle, yet powerful. Themes of loss, faith, and insanity beautifully explored. Long, but worth it.

Official Site: http://www.criterion.com/films/27750-secret-sunshine

Joan Crawford as a bitter disfigured blackmailer who, with the help of a cuckold plastic surgeon, played by Melvyn Douglas, transforms herself. Directed by George Cukor: wonderful! On TCM.

Jane Wyman gives an academy award winning performance as a poverty stricken deaf mute. Compelling back & white drama set in Nova Scotia, but filmed in Mendocino. Strong themes of morality & religion. Ground-breaking for it's time, holds-up today.

Funny French social comedy starring Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, and directed by (Swimming Pool) François Ozon. Set in the late '70s. Sweet.

Official Site: http://potichemovie.com/

Dark, funny, weird; great cast, art direction & cinematography. Writer director Todd Solondz takes chances with taboo topics. His writing is tight. See it!

Official Site: http://www.criterion.com/films/27659-life-during-wartime

Pre-Code drama starring Barbra Stanwyck as an ambitious beauty who after a rough start in life followed by a rousing lecture on Nietzche "sleeps" her way to the top. Loved it!

Netflix: http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Baby_Face/70034661?trkid=496624

Writer, talker and New Yorker Fran Lebowitz sits for a cinematic portrait by Martin Scorcese. 

Official Site: http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/public-speaking
Netflix: http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Public_Speaking/70176844?trkid=496624

Worth seeing for the locations alone, hard to discuss without revealing the ending. See it.

Official Site: http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/the-housemaid
Netflix: http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_Housemaid/70139521?trkid=496624