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
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)
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
This weekend should be the conclusion of the 73rd Cannes Film Festival and the crowing of the new Palme d’Or, but it was not to be. A highly communicable virus had other plans, so we soldier on without one. Thankfully, … Continue reading This week in Film — THE TREE OF LIFE and other Palme d’Or winners
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
Most movies are based on true stories, true events, or, at the very least, have some root in reality. That’s how the mind works, the moment of inspiration often comes from real experience, and then the mind extrapolates outward. That … Continue reading IN THE NAME OF MY DAUGHTER
Michael J. Cinema 