Category Archives: Cinema

Tramp after the lady: “Cão Sem Dono” [2007 Brazil]

Posted on December 3, 2013 by TR

Beto Brant can be quite frustrating indeed – like the Italian director Dino Risi in some respects, there are moments in his films that can be utterly magical, but also moments when the screenplay meanders aimlessly and the characterisation gets … Continue reading →

Posted in Beto Brant, Brazil | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Fighting tradition is never easy: “Mariage tardif” [2001 Israel, France]

Posted on November 29, 2013 by TR

Writer-director Dover Koshashvili’s impressive début feature, “Mariage tardif” [Orig. Title: Hatuna Meuheret, Eng. Title: Late Marriage] is a bitter-sweet satirical comedy that doesn’t flinch in laying bare the consequences of staunchly held traditional values colliding with modern aspirations within an … Continue reading →

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When can consensual sex become rape: “La condanna” [1991 Italy]

Posted on November 26, 2013 by TR

Marco Bellocchio throws the cat among the pigeons in his courtroom drama “La condanna” [Eng. Title: The Conviction] by pitting the legal interpretation of consensual sex against the dynamics of sexual politics. “Does the female expect the male to take … Continue reading →

Posted in Italian Cinema, Marco Bellocchio | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Art, for love: “I Ypografi” [2011 Greece]

Posted on November 24, 2013 by TR

Stelios Haralambopoulos’ romantic mystery-melodrama “I Ypografi” [Eng. Title: The Signature] is one of those hard-to-categorise films that’s also extremely difficult to write about without giving away the plot – the reason why this review is also going to be brief. … Continue reading →

Posted in Greek Cinema | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Self-discovery, the trippy way: “Crystal Fairy” [2013 Chile]

Posted on November 22, 2013 by TR

Sebastián Silva’s English language feature “Crystal Fiary” [Full Title: Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus, and 2012] is a character study of two American tourists in Chile with very different outlooks. I had seen only one other film from the … Continue reading →

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