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Stardom (2000)
Fast, stylish, funny, and thought-provoking
"Stardom" is the fourth Denys Arcand film I have watched so far, after - in their chronological order - "Gina", "Jesus Of Montreal", and "Love & Human Remains". Apart from "Gina", which was made much earlier and Arcand was still finding his way, in the other three films I have noticed some shared trademarks: Arcand seems to see filmmaking as a kind of intellectual game with the audience, and he also doesn't like to be constricted in the number of topics that his films touch upon - in fact, in "Stardom" he tackles a different topic in almost every other scene! With that said, the main target of the film is the fashion industry, and in that field Arcand achieves what Robert Altman only dreamed of in his "Pret-A-Porter" (1994). Coming before the social media frenzy and things like "revenge porn" really took over, "Stardom" can be considered quite prophetic as well. Arcand plunges the viewer, as well as the heroine, into a frenetic whirwhind of media coverage; the film is often dryly funny, but also has some amazing serious scenes, like when Jessica Pare confronts her long-missing father. Speaking of Pare, she is a radiant discovery; this must also be one of Dan Aykroyd's best performances. *** out of 4.
Vodkaa, komisario Palmu (1969)
Something different, but not necessarily something better
"Vodkaa, Komisario Palmu" is the last of the four Palmu films, and the first one made in color. It is different from the previous three in other ways, too: Palmu is now married and retired, living in the country, and takes up a murder case (the stabbing of a reporter) as a private investigator. The mystery itself is secondary, as the film tries to be more of a political thriller (about the tense Finland - Russia relationship), an action movie (with some admittedly impressive helicopter stunts), and even a musical (!). For all that effort, the results are mediocre. Anna-Leena Mäki-Penttilä, as Palmu's assistant, who spends nearly the entire movie in figure-hugging sweaters, does have a great....figure. The first Palmu outing ("Error", from 1960) is far and away the best. ** out of 4.
Surfacing (1981)
"Surfacing" sinks
"Surfacing" is quite a comedown for director Claude Jutra, made a decade after "Mon Oncle Antoine", frequently voted as one of the very best Canadian films ever, and one year before his sadly underrated "By Design", one of the very first positive lesbian movies in history. This film is boring, aimless, and crudely made. The toxic jerk "best friend" male character along for the ride serves no purpose except to drain any possible fun. The film's one redeeming virtue is Kathleen Beller, who has the face of an angel and the body of a sinner. The actors do deserve credit for evidently doing most of their own (particularly the rafting) stunts. *1/2 out of 4.
Gina (1975)
Revenge is a dish best served cold....Quebec cold
"Gina" (1975) is an uneven combination of social docudrama about the working classes of Quebec and a rape-and-revenge story. For most of its running time it doesn't seem to be going anywhere, but a slam-bang action (and gore) climax redeems it somewhat. Celine Lomez's beauty and the snowy landscapes are further assets (the single greatest visual of the film may be a large, abandoned ship on a frozen river), but on the whole "Gina" is a film mostly of interest to director Denys Arcand followers: he didn't hit the big time until 11 years later, with "The Decline Of The American Empire". **1/2 out of 4.
Tähdet kertovat, komisario Palmu. (1962)
Tiresome whodunit
This is the third entry in the Finnish "Inspector Palmu" film series, and the title character feels almost relegated to a supporting role (his assistant in the first two films has been promoted as his superior). Besides, the actor himself, Joel Rinne, looks tired as well. The most notable of the "new" characters is an obvious Hitler caricature, infamous "mustache" included. The only real spark in the movie comes from a voluptuous young girl - but she appears in two scenes only. The three detectives take so long to solve the not-particularly-puzzling case that the film becomes more of a chore than a pleasure; the fact that we never even meet the murder victim makes it even less worth the trouble. ** out of 4.
Kaasua, komisario Palmu! (1961)
Much inferior to its predecessor
"Gas, Inspector Palmu!" is the first sequel to "Inspector Palmu's Error", which introduced the title character the previous year, and it is an inferior film. The original was a good mystery that just happened to be Finnish; the sequel is a routine mystery that just happens to be Finnish. While Palmu himself is still fun to watch, the crime plot and supporting characters are less interesting, including one guy in particular who just won't shut up (you'll know who). The film still has some amusing moments, but it's just too talky and laborious. As Palmu himself says, "get to the point!". ** out of 4.
Le silence de Lorna (2008)
Riveting social thriller
"Lorna's Silence" (2008) is only the second Dardenne Brothers film I have seen so far, after "Rosetta" (1999); in some ways it is like a continuation of "Rosetta", only slightly - slightly - more "mainstream". The Dardennes tread familiar ground here, but their film works, both as a minimalist drama, and as a riveting thriller (in the second half). In Arta Dobroshi they found another gorgeously unglamorous (or is that unglamorously gorgeous?) newcomer, like Emilie Dequenne, who makes for a captivating camera subject. Lorna smiles only once during the entire film, and it means something, and what follows is even more shattering because of that. The biggest problem of the film is the ending, or lack thereof: the story seems unfinished. *** out of 4.
Komisario Palmun erehdys (1960)
The Finnish Poirot
An intricately constructed locked-room murder mystery that demands your full attention or you'll be lost quickly in its multiple characters, subplots, and flashbacks. Joel Rinne is a delight as the wily Inpsector Palmu, and he is surrounded by an effective supporting cast, with Elina Pohjanpää especially cute as Irma. There may be a tad too much talk in this film, but the sheer novelty of watching a Finnish production, and a well-done at that, in this genre is enough to hold your attention. It was followed by three sequels, all with the same star and director, and I am sufficiently motivated to check out at least the first of them and see how it goes. The title is a bit strange, though - I didn't see any "error" on Palmu's part. *** out of 4.
Jésus de Montréal (1989)
Tragicomedy for intellectuals
An intellectual, unique (this may be the only time you'll ever see someone arrested while on the cross), multi-layered film which touches on a wide variety of subjects, from the meaning of faith to the commercialism of everything and from solidarity of friends / actors to hospital bureaucracy. Oh, it is also about the beginning and the end of the universe. It's not the most exciting film from a moviemaking standpoint, but it does provoke thought - and has some very funny moments, to boot (wait 'till you see the "Kabuki" rendition of the play). Ironically, for a film that takes a supposedly irreverent approach to the story of Jesus, it contains some religious sequences (the miracles and the resurrection) more powerful than in any "traditional" Biblical epic. *** out of 4.
La fille du RER (2009)
Considering cast and director, a disappointment
Loosely inspired by a real event, "Girl On The Train" (2009) meanders for about 45 minutes, and when it finally seems to go somewhere (the stabbing incident), it changes gears, making the first half of the movie almost irrelevant. It proceeds and ends without really making a point. Emilie Dequenne is beautiful and a gifted actress and is the main thing that keeps you watching; the other roles, although including some big names of the French film industry (Catherine Deneuve, Michel Blanc) don't really seem to be necessary to the plot. It's a technically well-made, but at the same time disappointing film. **1/2 out of 4.
Love and Human Remains (1993)
Fresh, stylish, complex, insightful - and suspenseful
"Love and Human Remains" is an ensemble movie about relationships in an urban landscape - and it is also a serial killer whodunit! Both parts are done well, with the guessing game cleverly employed to hook viewers for whom this wouldn't be their "type" of movie otherwise. Suspicion is evenly spread among several characters, and the climactic 10 minutes are suspenseful. On the relationship front, the movie is progressive, casual and insightful, with one of my favorite "just friends (?)" male-female pairings probably ever. The generally low-profile cast is full of gems, particularly Ruth Marshall (luscious) and Joanne Vannicola (a lesbian on the screen and in real life too, and recently a regular on "Slasher"!). A sign of a good movie: I would gladly watch further adventures of these characters. *** out of 4.
Rosetta (1999)
Emilie Dequenne is exceptional
"Rosetta" was the recipient of both the Palme D'Or and the Best Actress awards at the 1999 Cannes film festival. The second is totally deserved; the first may be more of a matter of taste. The film is a tour-de-force for the eye-catching, magnetic newcomer Dequenne: you can't take your eyes off her, which is a good thing, because she is in almost every single shot! The writers-directors-brothers, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, use "shaky cam" and tight close-ups expertly, so that they create a real sense of intimacy. But the film suffers from a lack of structure, and some viewers may find it too plain, too bleak, too much like "real life" (which some people get enough of in their....real life, they watch movies for other purposes). **1/2 out of 4.
Kinetta (2005)
An empty canvas
The main fascination of "Kinetta" is imagining you have a time machine and you go back to 2005 and you show this film to someone and you tell him that, beginning right from his next film, director Yorgos Lanthimos will win Oscars and nominations and Cannes awards and become the most internationally recognizable Greek director since Theo Angelopoulos; they'd never believe you. The one similar case of meteoric rise to fame may be James Cameron with "Terminator"right after...."Piranha II: The Spawning". "Kinetta" is an extraordinarily dreadful movie: there is literally not a single scene in it that a) makes sense, b) has a point, or c) leads somewhere. The most mundane shots are held for an eternity (and a day). The only saving grace is that the female lead, Evangelia Randou, has a beautiful face, and hair, and total package really. Most meaningful dialogue exchange: "Do you want mayonnaise in your sandwich?" - "Just a little". 0.5 out of 4.
Amok (1963)
Riveting exploitation flm from Greece
"Amok" (1963) starts out as a WIP film, but soon the women escape from prison and eventually end up on a supposedly deserted island, which is not so deserted after all: a German war criminal, his peace-minded son and a collection of Greek hoodlums are also there, looking for a treasure buried in the late WWII years. The men decide to use the women as extra work-force, and more....but the women have some ideas of their own as well. It is a dirty, sweaty, sun-baked, physical exploitation film, quite bold for its time (including some brief nudity), with nary a wasted moment, although the ending is kind of anticlimactic. Capable cast and direction. **1/2 out of 4.
Efialtis (1961)
One of the earliest gialli in film history comes from Greece
"Efialtis" aka "Nightmare" is a unique movie for its time and country: a psychological mystery - thriller when the most fashionable products of the day were either comedies or melodramas. What makes it even more impressive is that it's the writing and directing debut of Errikos Andreou, who was then only 23 (!!) years old. It is certainly influenced by the US and British gothic thrillers of its era, but it really has more in common with the Italian gialli that were to dominate the market the following decade. The plot leads to successful misdirections (I had assumptions about what was going on, which were wrong), there is some striking use of mirror imagery, and Voula Harilaou gives a fantastic performance. On the other hand, the male lead is a bit bland, and some scenes do drag a little. **1/2 out of 4.
Apontes (1996)
Undoubtedly one of the best modern Greek films
A bittersweet slice-of-multiple-lives that touches on themes of memories, adulthood, friendship. Six young men grow up as childhood friends in the Greek island of Salamina (right opposite Athens), and gradually drift apart over the course of seven years. Some move on and succeed, some refuse to move on at all, and some are caught in the middle. The film is moving, technically accomplished (the final sequence is ingenious), and possesses a naturalism, especially in the dialogue, that was most unusual in Greek cinema at the time. This is probably one of the artistically best Greek films of the "modern" era. *** out of 4.
WrestleMania XL (2024)
It's OK, but....
....definitely not "The Best Wrestlemania Ever" or anywhere close - that's just Recency Bias talking. To begin with, it's way too long (duh!) at over 8 hours in total, and if you cut out the commercials, the promos, the rampant product placement (I mean, I know we're talking about the heart of capitalism here, but still...), the trailers, etc you'd probably have a 4-hour show on your hands. My favorite match across both nights has to be the six-pack ladder match on Night 1, which contained some truly jaw-dropping spots and was anybody's game. The IC title match was also very good. On Night 2, the triple threat for the US title was the most fun match. There were also some matches primed for fast-forwarding, like the Mysterio and the Uso "family feuds". The storytelling for the big Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns clash, spread over two nights, was painfully predictable, though the match itself definitely had its pop-inducing moments. There was also a shortage of star power in the women's division for this 'Mania; Bianca Belair deserves more than a midcard spot. 7/10 overall.
I lykaina (1951)
Has nothing to do with werewolves
A grim bucolic melodrama about the stupidity of vendettas and the poisonous cycles of violence and hatred that pass on from generation to generation. "She-Wolf" (a misleading title) was just the second film ever made in Greece by the only female director working there at the time, Maria Plyta, and it is technically crude and primitive, and apparently only available in a scratchy TV print. But it deals with themes which are deep and pioneering for its time, and Plyta's touch is evident in the way she approaches the female characters, especially the young ones at the start. It's an interesting flm despite its faults. **1/2 out of 4.
Eva (1953)
A precursor to "Stella" (1955)
A crude but in some ways modern Greek film, made by the only female director working in the country then, when Greek cinema was still in its infancy. It's interesting for the early teaming of three actors who later became legendary and gained recognition outside Greece (Manos Katrakis, Dinos Iliopoulos, Alekos Alexandrakis), and also as a precursor to the much more famous "Stella" (1955) (also with Alexandrakis): another portrait of an uncompromising woman who pays a heavy price for her autonomy. The script is very weak in terms of storytelling, but it does contain some philosophical dialogue. Nina Sgouridou is stunning in the title role. **1/2 out of 4.
Revans (1983)
Hi Claire, how's your knee?
Right from the opening fantasy sequence of Antonis Kafetzopoulos imitating Humphrey Bogart in "Casablanca", you can tell "Revanche" is NOT going to be an ordinary movie. It is in fact very peculiar, fresh, dreamy, aimless, idiosyncratic: definitely not for all moods (more for a late-late night one), and probably works better on the second viewing - with the use of fast-forward where necesssary. Partly it's like a Greek "Jules & Jim", but it's more than that; its occasional pretentiousness is leavened by some very funny lines. Giota Festa is a dynamo, and a feminist ahead of the curve. **1/2 out of 4.
Oi apenanti (1981)
The Greek "Rear Window", minus any thriller elements
If you think that the (in)famous "Greek Weird Wave" started only in 2009 with Yorgos Lanthimos' "Dogtooth", think again: here's a pretty weird Greek film from 1981. It's sort of a Greek "Rear Window", but without any of the thriller elements. It is also a period snapshot of Athens and its youth in the early 1980s (expect lots of Pacman and bike racing). Giorgos Panousopoulos seems to be a better director than writer: there is not much story here - the narrative is rather loose - but the film is a stylish, absorbing, hypnotic mood piece. It brought something new to Greek cinema when it came out. *** out of 4.
Amfivolies (1964)
Competent Greek imitation of "Gaslight" and "Diabolique"
"Amfivolies" aka "Doubts" begins as the Greek "Gaslight" (husband tries to drive wife crazy) and develops into the Greek "Diabolique" (wife apparently kills husband but his body disappears). It is competently directed, with attractive leads (Nikos Kourkoulos, Viveta Tsiouni), and a fun supporting turn by the curvaceous Eleni Anousaki (she has a literally blink-and-you'll-miss-it nude scene). The plot, based on a book by a famous Greek writer of police stories, is mostly transparent, but it does have one good twist (and a very puzzling final shot). The film feels padded at 88 minutes and it's nothing really special, but it is watchable. **1/2 out of 4.
I fotografia (1986)
Powerful if flawed Greek drama
"The Photograph" has been cited by Greek critics as one of the best Greek fims of all time. It is undeniably flawed: much of the dialogue sounds unnatural, or even post-dubbed, and Aris Retsos gives an awkward, weird performance - at times he seems to be playing someone mentally handicapped, although at other times he is as sharp as a nail. Hristos Valavanidis, in a thankfully small part, gives a comically overwrought performance. But the main story, once it kicks in, is powerful, and Christos Tsagas' performance is remarkable. The film came out at a time when the Greek movie industry was, by all accords, dominated by cheap commercial cinema on one side and inaccessible arthouse cinema on the other, and it is notable for being far removed from either extreme; it carves its own path. **1/2 out of 4.
Anaparastasi (1970)
Occasionally visually impressive, but inert
Theodoros Angelopoulos' first feature-length film could perhaps be desrcibed, in broad terms, as the Greek "Rashomon". It's ocassionally visually impressive, especially in the sections shot in a mountain village so deserted that it almost looks like a post-apocalyptic landscape, though at other times the images are dark and murky. The pace is inert, the dialogue is spare and stilted, and the storytelling is disjointed; the juggling of the choronological sequence of events seems more confusing than illuminating. In any case, if you want to see an arthouse black-and-white Greek policier, this is probably one of your very few options. ** out of 4.
Saeif Halq Al Wadi (1996)
Wonderful slice-of-life
"A Summer In La Goulette" provides a rare cinematic look into Tunisian culture; in fact, it seems to capture the soul of Tunisia. Do not expect much "plot", this falls more into the "slice-of-life" category, switching its focus among a variety of characters; if Robert Altman was Tunisian, he might have made something like this. It contains marvellous music, and some of the most beautiful women you will ever see (including native Claudia Cardinale, in her mid-50s, in a small appearance as "herself"). Perhaps the most fascinating thing about it is the cultural and language blend - people are not ony multi-lingual, but constantly go from French to Arabic to Italian, sometimes within the same sentence! *** out of 4.