Film Reviews

Film Indexed by Director:

A

Alfredson, Thomas

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: Tomas Alfredson does the 1970′s with understated flair

Allen, Woody

Midnight in Paris – Woody’s letter to himself.

To Rome with Love – Woody Allen and the whistle-stop tour does Italy

Almodovar, Pedro

Volver – Pedro Almodovar blurrs the boundaries between life and death.

The Skin I Live In: Almodavar at his most disturbing best.

Anderson, Paul Thomas

“The Master” review – Paul Thomas Anderson and the Death-Drive

Magnolia – Falling frogs and coincidence, Paul Thomas Anderson Style. (Film Review)

Punch Drunk Love – Paul Thomas Anderson and the Rom-Com. (Film Review)

Anderson, Wes

SFF: Moonrise Kingdom – Wes Anderson and the fun of films

Anh Hung, Tran

Norwegian Wood: Death, grief and sex.

Antonioni, Michelangelo

Red Desert : Michelangelo Antonioni embraces colour

Audiard, Jacques

Rust and Bone – Jacques Audiard’s film on Melodrama. (film review)

Ayer, David

End of Watch – David Ayer takes the cop buddy movie a little deeper.

Ayoade, Richard

Submarine – A journey through a genre.

B

Bergman, Ingmar

Persona: Bergman’s film of obsession and control.
The Hour of the Wolf: The decent into madness at Bergman’s behest.
Fanny and Alexander: Bergmans final triumph

Bigelow, Katherine

Zero Dark Thirty – Katherine Bigelow takes out Osama bin Laden. (Film Review)

Boyle, Danny

Trance – Danny Boyle and the philosophy of memory and identity.

Bresson, Robert

Au Hasard Balthazar: Life in a world that hates us.

The Trial of Joan of Arc: Bresson answers Dreyer with sound

Mouchette: The Muses never talk to each other, but sometimes they dance.

Film review: Pickpocket. Robert Bresson

Buñuel, Luis

The Young One – Luis Buñuel does English / American

That Obscure Object of Desire – Luis Buñuel and the universality of desire.

Diary of a Chambermaid: Bunuel at his best.

Los Olvidados: Bunuel introduces us to the real street urchins Dickens never knew.

Las Hurdes: Luis Bunuel and the surrealist documentary

Luis Bunuel: The Phantom of Liberty – A review

C

Carax, Leo

SFF: Holy Motors – Leos Carax and the question of Free Will

Chabrol, Claude

Les Cousins – Chabrol takes the French New Wave on a descent to Hell.

Madam Bovary: Claude Chabrol takes on a classic

Chytilová, Věra 

Daisies – Věra Chytilová offers us jouissance and the abundant Libidinal economy.

Clooney, George

The Ides of March: Bit of a yawn really.

Clouzot, Henri-Georges

Le Corbeau: The Raven – Clouzot teaches us the power of gossip

Cocteau, Jean

Les Enfants Terribles: A Jean Cocteau and Jean-Pierre Melville masterpiece.
La Belle et la bête – Jean Cocteau re-imagines fairytales. (film review)

Cronenberg, David

A dangerous Method – Cronenberg spins a Jungian yarn.

D

Daniels, Lee

The Paperboy – Lee Daniels and the question of what went wrong with a butchered script. (film review)

Delpy, Julie

FFF:Le Skylab – Julie Delpy does family

Dominik, Andrew

Killing them Softly – Andrew Dominik reveals America is a business.

McDonagh, Martin

Seven Psychopaths Review – Martin McDonagh goes cute n’ clever on the art of the screenplay.

Dulac, Germaine

The Seashell and the Clergyman – Antonin Artaud, cinema and abstraction. (Film review / analysis)

E

F

Fassbinder, Rainer Werner

Fox and his Friends – Fassbinder on sex
Beware of a holy whore: Fassbinders take on film
In a year with 13 moons – Fassbinder and the desperation of love
Lili Marleen: Fassbinder’s take on Nazism.
Love is Colder than Death – Fassbinder starts out with a bang.
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant – Fassbinder and the art of woman
The American Soldier – Fassbinder does Godard
Mother Küsters goes to Heaven – Fassbinder and the the question of what comes after exploitation.
Martha – Fassbinder takes us to the darkest place. (Film Review)
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul – Older Woman Younger Man Fassbinder style (Film Review)
Fear of Fear – Fassbinder predicts the medicated society. (Film Review)
God’s of the Plague – Fassbinder and the haunted power of the image (film review)
Querelle – Fassbinder does Genet. (film review)
Katzelmacher – Fassbinder makes his first “bourgeois” film. (film review)
Whity – Fassbinder and the dark side of the Western. (film Review)

Fedorchenko, Aleksei

The Fourth Dimension – Korine, Fedorchenko and Kwiecinski take us to another place. (Sydney Underground Film Festival)

Fellini, Federico

La Strada: A tale trapped between earth and sky

Fincher, David

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: David Fincher goes Hollywood on Sweden

Fleischer, Ruben

Gangster Squad – Ruben Fleischer’s good v’s evil. (film review)

Forman, Miloš

Loves of a Blonde: Miloš Forman knows it’s difficult to be ‘normal’

The Firemen’s Ball: Controversy in the Prague Spring.

Franco, James

Francopherenia – James Franco on the complexities of being James Franco (Sydney underground Film Festival)

Franju, Georges

Eyes Without a Face: Georges Franju teaches us about horror

Fricke, Ron

Samsara – Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson guide your meditation. (film review)

G

Gervasi, Sasha

Hitchcock – A Wikipedia guide to Psycho from Sasha Gervasi. (Film Review)

Glawogger, Michael

SFF: Whore’s Glory – Sex, money and death with Michael Glawogger.

Godard, Jean-Luc

Bande à part – Godard celebrates the outsider.

À bout de souffle – At breaths End – Breathless 52 years on.
Contempt – Enjoy a little Avant-Godard
Paris vu Par: Godard gathers up his friends to show us Paris.
Pierrot le Fou – Godard and the ecstasy of words.
2 or 3 Things I know about her – Jean Luc Godard whispers meaningfully. (Film Review)
Le Gai Savoir – Godard teaches while we experience the Joy of Learning. (film review)

Gomes, Miguel

Tabu – Miguel Gomes and the endless beauty of cinema. (film review)

H

Haneke, Michael

SFF: Amour – Michael Haneke and the question of the end.
71 Fragments of a chronology of chance – Haneke ice cold. (film review)
Funny Games – Haneke holds a mirror. (film review)
Time of the Wolf – Haneke and the start of all things at the end of the World. (Film Review)
The Piano Teacher – Jelinek and Haneke and Austria. (film review)

Herzog, Werner

Stroszek: Herzog and the ultimate road trip
Heart of Glass – Herzog hypnotizes everyone.

My son My son what have ye done – Lynch and Herzog team up.

Nosferatu (1979) – Herzog’s classic take on a classic
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser: How do your smarts measure up?

Herz, Juraj

Spalovac mrtvol (The Cremator) – A film by Juraj Herz

Hillcoat, John

Lawless: Nick Cave and American violence.

Hitchcock, Alfred

Rope – Hitchcock tricking you into seeing what’s “there” when it’s the unspeakable “there.”

The Lady Vanishes – Hitchcock makes something out of nothing

Shadow of a Doubt – Hitchcock offers us a little Freud.

 Honoré, Christophe

FFF: Beloved – Les Bien-Aimes, songs, mothers and daughters.
Ma Mere – Christophe Honoré and Bataille on the silver screen. (film review)

Huzarik, Zolatan

Szinbad – beauty in the profoundly ugly from Zoltan Huzarik

I

Imamura, Shôhei 

The Eel: Dark, sweet, odd Japan.

J

Jackson, Peter

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – What’s not to love after all? (film review)

Jazquot, Benoit

Farewell My Queen – Benoît Jacquot and the object of desire between women. (French Film Festival film review)

Jarmusch, Jim

Permanent Vacation – Jim Jarmusch starts his journey of cool. (film Review)
Dead Man – Jim Jarmusch, William Blake and the death of America. (film review)
Stranger than Paradise – Jim Jarmusch and the deadpan comedy of the absurd. (film review)

Johnson, Rian

Looper – A mothers love will save us all.

K

Kachyna, Karel

The Ear – They’re watching you.

Kargman, Bess

First Position – Bess Kargman and the complicated world of child dancers. (film review)

Kawalerowicz, Jerzy

Mother Joan of the Angels – Jerzy Kawalerowicz and repression in “Devil Possession” films. (film review)

Korine, Harmonie

The Fourth Dimension – Korine, Fedorchenko and Kwiecinski take us to another place. (Sydney Underground Film Festival)

Kosinski, Joseph

Oblivion – Joseph Kosinski celebrates 70′s sci-fi. (film review)

Kravitz, Tony

Dead Europe – Tony Kravitz tells us we are what we believe. (Film Review)

Kristjánsdóttir, Kristín

Grandma Lo-fi: The Basement Tapes of Sigrídur Níelsdóttir (Antenna Documentary Film Festival)

Kurosawa, Akira

High and Low – Akira Kurosawa asks which is heaven and which is hell?

Ikiru – Akira Kurosawa and what it means to live

Rashomon – Stories, lies, perspectives and human weakness.

Seven Samurai – Akira Kurosawa starts a trend.

Kurzel, Justin

Snowtown: Australian Gothic

Kwiecinski, Jan

The Fourth Dimension – Korine, Fedorchenko and Kwiecinski take us to another place. (Sydney Underground Film Festival)

L

LaGravenese, Richard

Beautiful Creatures – Richard LaGravenese and the love of a good script. (film reviews)

Larrain, Pablo

No – Pablo Larraín and the question of selling out. (film review)

Legrand, Gilles

You Will Be My Son – Gilles Legrand films the pathological fear of death.

Lellouche, Sophie

FFF: Paris-Manhattan review

Lloyd, Pyllidia

The Iron lady – Nothing to see but Meryl Streep

Loach, Ken

SFF: The Angels Share – Ken Loach and the power of feeling good through Whiskey.

Lvovsky, Noemie

Camille Rewinds – Noémie Lvovsky realises sometimes bad things happen for good reasons. (film review from the French Film Fest)

M

McDonagh, Martin

Seven Psychopaths Review – Martin McDonagh goes cute n’ clever on the art of the screenplay.

Maccarone, Angela

FFF: The Look – Charlotte Rampling gives us a self portrait through others.

Maddin, Guy

Keyhole – Guy Maddin dreams of Ulysses (Sydney Underground Film Festival)
The Saddest music in the World – Guy Maddin makes morbid arty self-consciousness fun. (film review)

Meise, Sebastian

Outing – Discussion of the ultimate taboo: Antenna Documentary Film Festival

Melville, Jean-Pierre

Jean Pierre Melville: Un Flic

Mendes, Sam

Skyfall – how to do Bond for over 50 years (film review)

Mendoza, Brillante

SFF: Captive – Brillante Mendoza goes Political

Menzel, Jiří

Larks on a String: Jiří Menzel and Bohumil Hrabal defeat totalitarianism with spirit.

Closely Watched Trains: The Czech New Wave consistently ahead of its time.

I served the King of England – Jiri Menzel’s take on Bohumil Hrabal just after the Prague Spring.

N

Němec, Jan

Diamonds of the Night – Heartbreaking beauty by Jan Němec in his first film.

The Party and the Guests: Jan Němec – the film they banned for years.

Newell, Mike

So Many Great Expectations – Mike Newell and the ninth version.

O

Olds, Ian

Francopherenia – James Franco on the complexities of being James Franco (Sydney underground Film Festival)

Ophüls, Max

The Earings of Madame de: 1950′s French Cinema chic

Oshima, Nagisa

Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence: One of the best war films ever made.

The Empire of the Passions: Japan at its most passionate.

Ozon, Francoise

8 Femmes – Francois Ozon alludes to anything and everything.
Francois Ozon: Film as art, art as film.
Water Drops on Burning Rocks – Ozon uses Fassbinder to get steamy.

P

Petzold, Christian

SFF: Barbara – Christian Petzold asks do I go or do I stay.

Polanski, Roman

Carnage: Roman Polansky in real time.
Death and the Maiden: Dorfman’s guide to Hell
Roman Polanski: A film Memoir – Laurent Bouzereau let’s the camera roll. (Film Review)

Press, Richard

Bill Cunningham New York: Depth behind the frivolity of fashion

Q

R

Ramsay, Lynne

We need to talk about Kevin: Cinematic quality in a sea of ambiguity.

Reider, Thomas

Outing – Discussion of the ultimate taboo: Antenna Documentary Film Festival

Renoir, Jean

The Rules of the Game – Greatest film ever made.

Resnais, Alain

Last year at Marienbad Results in an Amorous Event – Detail from seiminar by Alex Ling
Last Year at Marienbad – One of the great art works of 20th Century.
Private Fears in Public Places – Alain Resnais shows us our naked human heart. (film review)
Hiroshima Mon Amour – Resnais and Duras and the tragedy of memory. (Film review)
My American Uncle – Alain Resnais and the thing that drives us. (Film Review)
Night and Fog – Resnais asks who is to blame and reminds us we have to know. (Film Review)

Rivette, Jaques

Céline and Julie go boating – The quiet achiever of the French new wave goes epic.
La Belle Noiseuse – Jaques Rivette toys with artistic temperament.

Va Savoir – Jacques Rivette and the subtle pleasures of the Nouvelle Vague

Robelin, Stephane

FFF: And if we all lived together – A very enjoyable senior moment.

Rohmer, Eric

Love in the Afternoon: Rohmer and the end of Six moral tales.
My Night at Maud’s – Eric Rohmer and the spirit of the Nouvelle Vague
The Bakery Girl of Monceau – Eric Rhomer comes alive!

Russell, David O.

The Silver Linings Playbook – David O. Russell gives us a rom-com for the severely depressed. (film Review)

S

Saakyan, Maria

The Lighthouse – Maria Saakyan shows us Armenia as a dream

Schepisi, Fredric

The Eye of The Storm – sex and molestation for those over 55.

Scorsese, Martin

Hugo: Scorsese can do family flicks! Who knew?

Soderbergh, Steven

Side Effects – Steven Soderbergh and the twisting plot combined with the old chestnut. (film review)

The Soskas

American Mary – The Soska Twins take on Bod.Mod. (film review)

Stillman, Whit

Damsels in Distress – Whit Stillman back after thirteen years. (Film Review)

Sukurov, Alexander

SFF: Faust – Sokurov reads between the lines.

Szumowska, Małgorzata

FFF: Elles – A day in the life of journalistic integrity.

T

Tarentino, Quentin

Django Unchained – Tarantino and the Spaghetti Western (film review)

Tarkovsky, Andrei

Solaris – The film Tarkovsky didn’t like.

Tavernier, Bertrand

Coup de torchon (Clean Slate) – Bertrand Tavernier and the dark comic side of French Colonialism. (film review)

Teshigahara, Hiroshi

Woman of the Dunes: Existentialism at its disturbing best.

Thatcher, Ben

Short Film – Homecoming. (C’me on! We’ve ALL been there)

Truffaut, Francoise

Jules and Jim: Genius locked away in a moment in time.
FFF: The last Metro – Truffaut and the mightiest of tensions
The Soft Skin – Truffaut recommends fidelity in marraige – or else. (film review)

Tykwer, Tom

Cloud Atlas – The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer make the most expensive independant film of all time. (film review)

U

V

 Vallée, Jean-Marc

Cafe de Flore – Music, ritual, religion and life.

Van Sant, Gus

Restless: Gus Van Sant’s take on death.

Vláčil,  František

Marketa Lazarová – The greatest Czech film of all time
The Valley of the Bees – František Vláčil tells a tale of obsessive horror.
Adelheid – František Vláčil places all his hope in what goes on between two people. (film review)

Von Trier, Lars

Melancholia: An exquisite chicks flick.

Melancholia Non Grata: Lars von Trier and the Infinite Sadness

The Kingdom Pt 1 – tons of fun the von Trier way. (film review)

Breaking the Waves – Lars Von Trier and the infinite sadness. (film review)

W

Wachowskis

Cloud Atlas – The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer make the most expensive independant film of all time. (film review)

Wenders, Wim

Land of Plenty – Wim Wenders as a friend of America (film review)
A trick of the Light – Wim Wenders reminds us the German’s did it first. (Film Review)

Wexler, Tina

Hysteria – Enjoyment at its peak.

Winding Refn, Nicholas

Drive: A boys film the girls will love.

Wright, Joe

Anna Karenina – Joe Wright and Tom Stoppard squeeze Tolstoy down to theatre size (film review)

X

Y

Z

Zaccai, Jonathan

SFF: Play it like Godard – Jonathan Zaccaï pokes fun at precociousness

Zeitlin, Benh

SFF: Beasts of the Southern Wild – A film for the Bourgeoisie.

Zilberman, Yaron

Performance (A Late Quartet) – Yaron Zilberman’s astonishing debut. (film review)

Zobel, Craig

Compliance – Craig Zobel and the Bullit County McDonalds Case. (Film Review)

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