Category Archives: Directors

A brief review: “Ella” [2010 Peru]

It’s unfortunate that I had to start an important Latin American director’s filmography in the blog with a totally forgettable film – I’d wanted to review Francisco J. Lombardi’s most recent film “Ella” [Eng. Title: She] before getting into his … Continue reading

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Apogee of the French New Wave: “La maman et la putain” [1973 France]

Jean Eustache is not a name that’ll instantly pop up when you mention Nouvelle Vague Cinema, for he never got around to make enough of them, and also committed suicide aged forty two. Even the works he’d done – around … Continue reading

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A test of friendship: “Gioco al massacro” [1989 Italy]

Damiano Damiani’s filmography is also one of the most disparate – he doesn’t mind dipping into different genre. But he also has this unique quality of transcending it using cinematic flair, making his films acceptable to even a critical mainstream … Continue reading

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Some are not born to love, but to be loved: “À nos amours” [1983 France]

Maurice Pialat was a master at peeling away layers of human respectability in order to shed light on the vagaries of heart and mind. But unlike Michael Haneke or Ulrich Seidl – present day directors with a similar gift and … Continue reading

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Italian neorealism, Czech-style: “Skrivánci na niti” [1969 Czechoslovakia]

Jirí Menzel was an important part of the Czechoslovak New Wave – a film movement during the 1960’s when a handful of its directors made remarkable observations on society and culture through compelling cinema, and with an openness rarely noticed … Continue reading

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