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Mare of Easttown (2021)
Deeply depressing and unbearably grim
If I were rating this as a realistic depiction of town life circling the drain, I'd give it a 10. Even though Kate Winslet, despite the stellar accent, always seems to try took hard. At least lately.
I almost gave up after the first episode. We get introduced to Mare and she's got to be the most unlikable character east of the Mississippi. We just get clobbered with American realism, right down to the cheese out of a can on cheetos or whatever she was eating. I don't mind realism. But this was too much.
Was there anyone who had fun in this town? They were basically all closet alcoholics because what else is there to do in a "post industrialist glory days" town?
I hated it.
Grégoire Moulin contre l'humanité (2001)
A late night gem that made me laugh so hard
I'll make this short: it was excellent and I haven't laughed so hard in a while. As one reviewer wrote: it's a French 'After Hours' only better and is whimsically hysterical start to finish. While it's at it, it has some sweet poignancy mixed in - something only the French are able to accomplish without kitsch. I loved it. Make a point of looking for this one. Every single performance is stellar and never over the top yet totally over the top. I don't know but it just works.
The plot: a shy guy who works a dull job observes a ballet teacher across the street for weeks. Since he can't muster up enough courage to ask her out, he manages to steal her wallet which he intends to return to her - as the hero who found her purse. They arrange to meet on the night of a big football game in a café. While Odile (the woman) waits, she reads Madame Bovary. Like i said, After Hours with a sprinkle of Amelie mixed in.
Gregoire Moulin contre L'Humanité.
The Mummy (1999)
Belongs to my top ten
It's fun, well-played, has a bit of history (although I don't know how accurate) but it's been my repeat adventure movie during this pandemic and always make me laugh out loud especially during the scenes with O'Connell and Benny.
We'll cast, great actors. Love it. Simple as that. In the vein of Indiana Jones and that's high praise indeed.
Mélancolie ouvrière (2017)
brave Lucie Baud
Just saw this film on ARTE. I had never heard of this rebel with a cause from the late 1800/1900s. She rebelled against the textil factory owner where she workedand inspired her co-workers to go on strike for better conditions. She wasn't only up against the capitalist owner but the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church as well. When workers movements became more of a thing, she was up against them (male dominated of course) as well.
It's a portrayal of incredible tenacity, bravery, perseverance. Truly inspiring; you see the circumstances she lived under, had to endure, yet never gave up. A voice never heard before and almost forgotten but for the research of a french historian who brought her story to light.
You think you got it hard? Watch was Lucie Baud and other female workers were up against.
Highly recommended.
Der ganz große Traum (2011)
A charming heart felt feel good movie
I caught this movie after a hard day of watching football during the 2014 world cup in Brazil. The movie is about the beginnings of the sport in the 1870s Germany or as it was known back then, an empire. Fresh from various military successes against the French and the English, national pride was deeply ingrained. Along comes Konrad Koch, a young German who had spent several years in England. With him he brings a football. He has been hired as an English teacher in the city of Braunschweig. There he encounters resistance to change amongst the snobbish kids and their even snobbier parents. Suffice it to say, the beautiful game paves the way for change.
A charming movie. In a way, reminds me a bit of a more intellectual version of "The Goonies" seems like a stretch but its not. Definitely worth seeing. Goal!!
Die Vermessung der Welt (2012)
a day in the life of an 18th century scientist
"I am French! I don't read foreigners." Says Emile in response to Alexander Humboldt's musings on Immanuel Kant. Now, who says German movies aren't funny? This one is and I loved it. Directed by Detlev Buck, the film follows two geniuses of the day, geographer/explorer Alexander Humbolt and mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss. Adapted from the best-selling novel by Daniel Kehlmann, we are presented with two independent plot strands. Well, maybe not so much plots as let's see how scientists fared in the 18th century - and that is what gives this film the drama: the how they lived.
Gauss had his adventures at home, in Germany. Humboldt his in the Amazon region. Great actors, lush locations (filmed in Germany, Austria and Ecuador) naturalistic production design, decent cinematography and relayed with situation comedy. You feel the cold, the dirt, the grime, the dampness, the horror of life in the late 1700s.
Don't see it as an attempt to give historical facts but to immerse the viewer in a time we can travel to through the eyes of this movie. I can only repeat: I quite loved it. Well done Buck.
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
the 2nd crusade
I saw both the cinema release and the directors cut. And I must agree with one of the comments I read that the directors cut was surprisingly more concise and clear (even though longer) making the story easier to follow.
I am a history freak in general. But I really loved this movie. The cinematography was awesome, the atmosphere - simply amazing. I have read quite a bit about the crusades and can appreciate the fact - that for some - its just a bit too complicated and one cannot quite fathom why the passion and emotions play out as they are. Back then, faith and the belief there-in (in whichever faith) , was the ruler supreme.
Nevertheless - its great that movies like this are made.
Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
loved it
I've had this DVD on my shelf for about 2 years and only now pulled it out and actually watched it. I loved it. Sure, it was a bit Disneyland, bit Italian cliché, bit unrealistic (Patti must have rich parents or inherited or won in the lottery or something to be able to stay there without a care in the world and Francis didn't really write much, did she) - but still, for a Hollywood movie - pretty good. I guess its because I watched it as I too am going thru a divorce - not from my husband (that happened years ago already) but from a career I loved. I have taken this movie as a kind of sign. A good sign. Really, the movie was more about getting up after defeat and it was packaged so nicely, you can forgive the preposterousness of Francis not having a financial care in the world. Even after divorce. How nice would that be in real life?