The special A Night at the Academy Museum that aired when the long-awaited Academy Museum in Hollywood opened had all sorts of highlights. The one that really caught my eye was the gallery devoted to Hayao Miyazaki. He created beautiful, award winning animated films I’d never heard of.
Continue reading “Spirited Away, a first look at Hayao Miyazaki’s work”Tag: foreign films
Fever Dream (Distancia de rescate), languid horror
Fever Dream ( Distancia de rescate) arrived on Netflix just in time for the Halloween horror season. This South American film is a slow-moving, surreal, horror story about motherhood and environmental destruction. There are some spoilers ahead.
Continue reading “Fever Dream (Distancia de rescate), languid horror”Review: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is a musical fantasy based on a true story. It was first a stage play, now adapted for film. The story is about a young English lad who dreamed of becoming a drag queen. It’s streaming on Prime Video.
Continue reading “Review: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie”Carmen and Lola, Roma romance from Spain
Carmen and Lola (Carmen y Lola) is a Spanish language story of two young Roma women who fall in love. It’s the first film of this kind. Arantxa Echevarría wrote and directed this tale of lesbian love amid traditional patriarchal values. I found the film on HBO Max.
Continue reading “Carmen and Lola, Roma romance from Spain”The Secret of Roan Inish: a gem from the past
The Secret of Roan Inish, an Irish tale about magic and mythology, is a 1994 gem that resurfaced on Prime Video recently. I remember how thrilled I was by it in 1994 and watched it again. There are spoilers in this review.
Continue reading “The Secret of Roan Inish: a gem from the past”Hampstead, a blooming romance for grownups
Hampstead is based on a true story about a man who built a shack in the hidden confines of Hampstead Heath and lived there for 17 years. Everything changed when a woman came into his life. This sweet romantic comedy is streaming on Netflix.
Continue reading “Hampstead, a blooming romance for grownups”Skater Girl skateboards her way to freedom
Skater Girl is the debut full length film from Manjari Makijany, who also co-wrote and produced the film. It’s an inspiring tale about a girl who discovers skating and realizes her life doesn’t have to be as life has always been in her village in India.
Continue reading “Skater Girl skateboards her way to freedom”Dancing Queens – the new drag queen is, wait, what?
Dancing Queens is a Swedish production full of music, dance, and heartwarming characters. Molly Nutley stars as Dylan, a 23 year old woman living on an island far from the world of dance. But she wants to dance.
Continue reading “Dancing Queens – the new drag queen is, wait, what?”Oxygen, suspenseful sci-fi from France
Oxygen (Oxygène) is a sci-fi thriller from France. It’s a real nailbiter, full of tension and excitement. It’s essentially a one woman performance by Mélanie Laurent, who manages to convey every emotion while trapped in a big box. The film is streaming on Netflix.
Continue reading “Oxygen, suspenseful sci-fi from France”Review: Same But Different: A True New Zealand Love Story
Same But Different: A True New Zealand Love Story is the true story of Kiwi-Samoan writer/director Nikki Si’ulepa and producer Rachel Aneta Wills. They wrote, directed and produced this movie version of themselves falling in love.
Continue reading “Review: Same But Different: A True New Zealand Love Story”