Helmut Newton had a sense of humor. That might not be your immediate takeaway if you do a Google search for his photographs (after you deactivate all the safe search controls). But the more you peruse his oeuvre, the more … Continue reading HELMUT NEWTON: THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
The origins of France’s Cannes Film Festival lay not in La République, but neighboring Italy. Specifically, 1937’s Venice Film Festival, when Benito Mussolini stuck his big, fat fascist fingers in the mix and ensured that The Grand Illusion from French … Continue reading Home Viewing: Palme d’Or
Director Jacques Demy sought to make a movie that would make audiences cry. He succeeded in spades. It helps that Michelle Legrande provided one of the most indelible film scores of all time, and cinematographer Jean Rabier found the sourness … Continue reading THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (LES PARAPLUIES DE CHERBOURG)
Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier is a sadist, and a proud one at that. He likes to put his characters (mostly women) through hell and back just to see if they’ll come out the other side. They do, and it’s … Continue reading DANCER IN THE DARK
The Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) keeps getting bigger. Helmed once again by Beeck sisters Robin and Kathy, BIFF 16 (March 5-8) offers moviegoers 88 features and shorts to choose from. And, as has become the tradition in recent years, … Continue reading Something for Everyone: 2020 Boulder International Film Festival
Truth is a slippery thing. So are lies. There are bald-faced lies, little white lies, and evasions. But there are also constructs; stories and parables that aren’t necessarily true but point to an underlying and undeniable truth. Where the lies … Continue reading THE TRUTH (LA VÉRITÉ)
Even though The Midwife—the latest from writer/director Martin Provost—opens with a live birth, the story revolves around an off-screen death, with Claire (Catherine Frot) at the center of both. She is a midwife, and we come to know the type of … Continue reading THE MIDWIFE
There is an old saying that you should never meet your heroes. They may disappoint you. The Belgian comedy from writer/director Jaco Van Dormael, The Brand New Testament, takes that one step further. Maybe you shouldn’t meet God. You may find … Continue reading THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT (LE TOUT NOUVEAU TESTAMENT)
L’enfant sauvage Malony (Rod Paradot) is 16 and completely out of control. His mother, who is not much older than he, has a substance problem, and his father died when he was four. With no guidance or help to control … Continue reading STANDING TALL (LA TÊTE HAUTE)
Michael J. Cinema 
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