Written & Directed By: Maggie Gyllenhaal Based on the book By: Elena Ferrante Cinematography: Helene Louvart Editor: Alfonso Concalves
Cast: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson, Ed Harris, Peter Sarsgaard, Paul Mescal, Dagmara Dominczyk
A woman’s beach vacation takes a dark turn when she begins to confront the troubles of her past.
This is a film full Of good performances that by the end comes off a little more soap opera. As the characters are loved in but it feels more melodramatic than anything.
Dakota Johnson is sexy in a role that makes her never quite know what to do and confused. Kind of represents a mirror image of Olivia Coleman’s character at her age as a to-go mother who is overwhelmed.
Whereas in the scenes where Jessie Buckley plays her younger she seems to have a good life but is unfulfilled. Johnson’s situation seems more shady and dangerous.
Throughout the film, we follow Coleman’s Character on vacation who feels full of mystery but has a good life,, and in telling stories we see flashbacks to fill us in on her and her family. So that while it builds it feels like it never quite goes anywhere. Except for some decisions that change things. Yet never ruin.
Which then becomes the theme of this film. As nothing is quite permanent though it trays them like they are.
By the end, it feels much ado about nothing. Throughout the film, it seems like it is building towards a dark secret and once we get there it is rather simple. That comes off melodramatic and the reactions seem a bit more over the top by that point. Where nothing seems to come of it.
As it is a midlife crisis movie for women. Showing what can happen if you make certain choices and how hard it might be to get back what you once had at all.
It is a strong directorial debut for Maggie Gyllenhaal but beautifully filmed and fully lived in by the actors. While it is full of depth it never quite makes the connection. Maybe for some members of the Audience but not over here.
Written & Directed By: Christophe Honore Based On The Novel By: Goeroges Bastille Cinematography By: Helene Louvart Editor: Chantal Hymans
Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Louis Garrel, Emma de Caunes, Joana Preiss, Jean-Baptiste Montagut, Dominique Reymond
Pierre, a youth, comes from his grandmother’s in France to stay with his parents in the Canary Islands. His father talks oddly about his lost youth and leaves abruptly for France. Mom promises to take Pierre to a nightclub, remarking that people will think he’s her lover. He prays. His father dies in France, and his mother wants him to empty his father’s office; Pierre finds it full of pornography. His mother takes him in tow into a night world without morality, a world of sexual exploitation, exhibitionism, and wildness. What will Pierre make of this, and what, ultimately, will he make of his mother?
Rated NC-!7
Is it art or is it pornography? Hobos to say, but this is a bad film that the only reason to watch the film is to see the beautiful euro-trash females in the hide and in sex scenes that seem realistic.
I just can’t get into a film about a mother and son who feel sexual feelings for each other. But don’t act on them.
The film is certainly erotic and has plenty of fetishes for the characters to act on and live out. As we watch the characters on their increasingly ridiculous erotic adventures.
From here on are spoilers. As this film is one you would watch more as an x-rated porn film than an actual art film. At least in my opinion as the film seems like those that as a child I would watch on cable dubbed never really knowing or paying too close attention to the plot. Though knowing nudity was involved and just sitting through the sort to get to the sex and nudity. The rest of the film feeling like filler. Now as a teen that was great, but now as an adult while it brings back a certain nostalgia. If that is all the film is really about it is disappointing or should have advertised that fact originally. Especially with such major actors cast in the film.
The story is about a son who comes home from boarding school after the death of his father. His mother, now a widow starts hanging out with some Eurotrash women, and together, they go out at night, seduce and prostitute themselves. Then the Eurotrash friend seduces the sexually frustrated son. That the film lets us know is sexually Frustrated by showing him constantly masturbating to his father’s porn collection. Not only does she seduce him. She has sex with him in public, then participates in an orgy with him. Which his mother constantly watches him and her and then actually congratulates him after. Then his mother leaves him. So he and a new girl he has met at the orgy and his mother has left him with start To date and have more adventures.
Major spoilers
The rest of the film involves beating a man half to death with a riding crop in as an S & M game. A man masturbating to his mother’s corpse. The mother slicing her own throat while giving her son a hand job.
End major spoiler
I’m sorry I just really couldn’t get into this film. I just don’t want anyone to has to sit through this film expecting something that is never coming. It was more like porn with a plot that had to include every fetish to appeal to every market out there.
This movie is based on a book. Why would anyone want to make it into a film? Maybe it sounded better on paper than it is in live-action. I don’t have European sensibilities. I’m just an ignorant American. So I don’t have too much Of an opinion on it.
For those of you who insist on sitting through it. Just to see if you can make it to the en as some kind of endurance test, why? You paid to see this for some kind of entertainment or at least to e intrigued.
I can admit the women in this film are fetching, but be warned there are not really three women to look at.
One of the problems with reviews in foreign films at times is that since they are in another language, a language you don’t really speak. Is that it is harder to tell if the acting is really good or bad. You just assume they are doing a good job as they seem believable with the text on the bottom of the screen. Or you go by the way they are saying things and the physicality.
Half the time you are reading subtitles so you look up after and may have missed a subtlety or a shot.
I give Isabelle Huppert credit as he mashes I keep her head held high and comes out of the film unscathed.
If you are looking for what amounts to erotic porn rent it. If not skip it.
Written & Directed by: Eliza Hittman Cinematography: Helene Louvart Editor: Scott Cummings
Cast: Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Sharon Van Etten, Ryan Eggold, Theodore Pellerin
A pair of teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania travel to New York City to seek out medical help after an unintended pregnancy.
Not only a good movie, purely New York movie, a movie that reminds me of the many adventures New York offered pre-Covid for youth but an emotional tour de force that takes you through it.
It’s a delicate film that is all about the details. Including a lead performance by Sidney Flanigan that is strong. It necessarily in what she says but what she says in her silence and body language.
This is a movie that is raw & natural and totally believable in The films docudrama filmmaking but also outstanding acting in more a physical way where the silences enhance the mood but also say everything that is not being said
Especially in the scene where she must answer questions at the clinic and the answers out of the multiple choices are the title of the movie and the camera never leaves her face as she answers and gives us some background on her character and situation.
Though it does showcase a strong form of family and relationship between her and her cousin including the lengths her cousin is willing to go through for not only her but also from them to survive the streets of New York.
We see her home life and see why she is making the decisions she must. As she has a lazy stepfather who doesn’t even try to hide his contempt or his careless nature for his girlfriends kids and especially her.
This is a slight disappointment not in the film but myself. As I didn’t feel the film as much as many others obviously did. It didn’t necessarily speak strongly enough, but I can recognize Its beauty, power, and strength
Though also while never a crowd follower the film never reaches the expectations that were built up by others who praised the film. That never quite came ahold.
It’s not a bad film very far from it. For me the film just never felt like it strongly connected with me. Even though I can see its quality.
Definitely would recommend for others. As it is a smaller film that should be seen. As it is a small
The Film that packs a wallop especially when not looking. Though don’t come looking for a shocking ending out of nowhere or a sad element that seems to take over all that has come before.
Though I know it shouldn’t count. Seeing it on a smaller screen doesn’t help. As if seen in a theater the film seems like it is meant to be mroe of an experience where the audience is meant to follow and practically be by the main characters side constantly. So that we are practically experiencing it with her.
On a smaller screen it’s easier to get distracted. And for us not to necessarily be as strongly immersed in the proceedings. It’s a humanistic look at a problem that persists in society that tries to put more and more regulation on it.
Cut To The Chase 