Shadowplay (Bebjak, 2022)
Prison is a kind of boxing ring, Michal opines to Jan (Milan Ondrík). All life is a boxing ring. That sort of tell-don’t-show writing doesn’t necessarily disqualify a film from… Continue reading "Shadowplay (Bebjak, 2022)"
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The Menu (Mylod, 2022)
The Menu (2022) is a delicious satire about gastriques, desserts, and pretense. Ken wrote a review for another movie about food last week, Kitchen Brigade, and it inspired me to… Continue reading "The Menu (Mylod, 2022)"
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Living (Hermanus, 2022)
My film year was sandwiched by a pair of disappointments. It was marked on the front end by the release of The Batman, a reboot of a beloved character that… Continue reading "Living (Hermanus, 2022)"
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The Man in the Basement (Le Guay, 2021)
Movies about strangers that insinuate themselves into domestic spaces are numerous and have been approached in many ways. The situation has been played for humor (The Man Who Came to… Continue reading "The Man in the Basement (Le Guay, 2021)"
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Kitchen Brigade (Petit, 2023)
There is a stage-setting scene at the beginning of Kitchen Brigade in which sous chef Cathy Marie (Audrey Lamy) clashes with her celebrity chef boss about what seasoning will elevate… Continue reading "Kitchen Brigade (Petit, 2023)"
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Voodoo Macbeth (Abebe, 2021)
When I first saw the promotional material for Voodoo Macbeth, I could not help but think of Me and Orson Welles, Richard Linklater’s emotionally complex treatment of Rober Kaplow’s novel.… Continue reading "Voodoo Macbeth (Abebe, 2021)"
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Paris Police 1900 (S1, E8)
Episode 8 of Paris Police 1900 provides viewers that survived the tumult of season 1 with some interesting resolutions to many of the show’s enduring conflicts. The episode also ties… Continue reading "Paris Police 1900 (S1, E8)"
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Borrowed (Betancourt and Ortega, 2022)
Borrowed is one of those gay films that avoids using the word “gay” too frequently in its press materials but which announces its orientation pretty clearly in its opening scenes.… Continue reading "Borrowed (Betancourt and Ortega, 2022)"
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Food and Romance (Appelin, 2022)
Food and Romance tackles some weighty themes, and it is to be commended for sidestepping some of the most clichéd plot points of the genre. But it is ultimately too… Continue reading "Food and Romance (Appelin, 2022)"
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Paris Police, 1900 (S1: E7)
My reviews of Episodes 1, 3, and 5 have revolved around contrasts between this French television show and how I imagine such material would be handled on American (broadcast) television.… Continue reading "Paris Police, 1900 (S1: E7)"