Netflix and Beyond

Director Abdellatif Kechiche depicts an achingly profound portrait of isolation, loneliness, separateness, love. “Adele” is seventeen, intelligent, inquisitive, conflicted; plagued by untoward fantasies; living with parents, ignorant of their complex progeny. It is the twenty- first century, the parameters between naivety, childhood and carnal knowledge have shrunk, intimacy is the norm, expected, practiced by all over 16; dissected in flagrantly …

Two months ago I was feted, by my children, to a gastronomical degustation, fit for royalty; four hours of unrelenting, awesome culinary creations; organic, sculptural, floating, fired artistry defying the imagination and palate; cuisine, mythically inspired by a genius, whose gifts surpass Olympian proportions, chef Grant Achatz , renown innovator and owner of “Alinea”, a Michelin three-star restaurant, in Chicago. …

“More inhumanity has been done (to man) by man himself, than any other of nature’s causes.” (Samuel von Pufendore, 1632-94). Experiencing, (it is a visceral, torturous, emotional rack) Steve McQueen’s exceptionally intelligent “12 Years a Slave”, the true story of Solomon Northup’s horrific betrayal; he is a refined, educated violinist, with a wife and two children, living respectfully in Saratoga …

Overwhelmingly, the most exceptional film festival to date; due to the prescient insights and monumental dedication of founder Michael Kutza and profoundly committed programming director, Mimi Plauche. By following Mini’s recommendations I was able to plunder the emotional vicissitudes of troubled, challenged marriages: “Le-Weekend”, “With You Without You”, “A Thousand Times Good Night”; women fighting an intransigent, male-governed sphere: “Trapped”, …

CHASING FIREFLIES (COLOMBIA:ENGLISH SUBTITLES) A film that unveils the fine line between being alone and loneliness. In a desolate Colombian salt mine, “Manrique” , a simple man, cares for the property; his sole companion, a dog “chasing fireflies”, defines his comfortable isolation until a young, sprite “Valeria” trespasses on his turf and irrevocably, magnificently changes his existence. Director Roberto Flores …

MY SWEET PEPPER LAND: (IRAQ, FRANCE, GERMANY:ENGLISH SUBTITLES) Scintillating blend of contemporary and archaic spheres in a destitute Kurdish village after the death of Saddam Hussein. “Govend” a gorgeous, idealistic educator convinces her father and seven brothers to allow her to return to her teaching position in this testosterone-driven village;  she meets “Baran” the police commissioner, a fearless war veteran, …

Marion Cotillard, with a face to launch a thousand films, could not salvage “The Immigrant” a movie with a big heart, and inconsequential spine; Ellis Island, 1921; “Ewa” (Cotillard) a Polish immigrant, separated from her sister is protected by “Bruno” (Joaquin Phoenix) a volatile “savior” who uses Ewa for nefarious, illegal purposes. The film flounders, drowns in melodrama, benign character …

At this point of total emersion, I will address, in mini -synopsis, the requests for my favorites: A THOUSAND TIMES GOOD NIGHT (Norway: In English) Juliette Binoche, pulls out all the stops and gives one the most brilliant performances of her career; as photographer “Rebecca” she treads where only the fearless venture; commencing with the conversion of a woman as …

Recently, there have been films, based on actual people, cosmic events, that have been controversial, challenged because of their supposed inaccuracies or flawed “hair-raising” technicalities: “The Butler”, “Gravity” and now “Captain Phillips”. Unless billed as a documentary, I gift “poetic license” to the filmmakers. These films are stunning, immensely entertaining and worthy of their embellishments or lack thereof. Once again, …

A “runner”, reminiscent of a broker’s employee, delivering a market order to the broker’s floor trader; once delivered, order executed, the runner runs, and confirms the completion, to the trader. Runners are sinking towards obsolesce, replaced by an electronic platform. Wish this film suffered the same fate before being splayed on the big screen; dumped unceremoniously on a naive, unsuspecting …