Category Archives: Cinema

A film review: “El amante bilingüe” [1993 Spain]

Vicente Aranda isn’t particularly renowned for comedy, because he hardly makes any – passionate melodrama is his preferred cup of tea. That’s why “El amante bilingüe” [Eng. Title: The Bilingual Lover] stands out in his filmography, for trying to be … Continue reading

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A film review: “Meisje” [2002 Belgium, Netherlands]

Dorothée Van Den Berghe’s début feature “Meisje” [Eng. Title: Girl] is about a young provincial woman who is determined to escape her mundane working-class existence, experience what it’s like to be ‘independent’, and get herself associated with refined culture in … Continue reading

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The story of a divorce, from a male perspective: “Valkoinen kaupunki” [2006 Finland]

Writer-director Aku Louhimies’ melodrama “Valkoinen kaupunki” [Eng. Title: Frozen City] looks at the break-up of a marriage and its aftermath from a viewpoint rarely given airtime, either in law or practice – the husband’s. The film – a depressingly less-than … Continue reading

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A brief review: “Ocho apellidos vascos” [2014 Spain]

Emilio Martínez Lázaro’s recent box-office hit “Ocho apellidos vascos” [Eng. Title: Spanish Affairs] is a fish-out-of-water romantic comedy that draws on but discredits some widely held prejudices between Andalusian and Basque people, against each other. The film begins with Basque … Continue reading

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A film review: “Le milieu du monde” [Switzerland, France 1974]

With his romantic drama “Le milieu du monde” [Eng. Title: The Middle of the World], Alain Tanner signals a marked shift in the style and content of his film-making, one that’ll also usher-in the most productive and creative phase of … Continue reading

Posted in Alain Tanner, Switzerland | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments