“Blinded By The Light” by Gurinder Chadha (2019)

International update (8/10)

Top score: minorities (10)

A movie heavy on Bruce Springsteen
Its themes similar to Chadha’s Bend It Like Beckham: segregation, integration, traditions, and the powerful influence a celebrity can have on a teenager
What bothers most is not the omnipresent Springsteen, but the inapropriate ‘all is well’ ending

Cast: Viveik Kalra, Nell Williams, Hayley Atwell, Kulvinder Ghir, Aaron Phagura
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Writer: Gurinder Chadha, Sarfraz Manzoor, Paul Mayeda Berges
Director of Photography: Ben Smithard
Editor: Justin Krish, Susie Figgis
Music: A. R. Rahman, Bruce Springsteen

“150 Milligrams” (La Fille de Brest) by Emmanuelle Bercot (2016)

International update (7/10)

Good personages, dialogues (8)
Top score: message (10)

A true Big Pharma story that is still going on in France
Great performance by Sidse Babett Knudsen

Cast: Sidse Babett Knudsen, Benoît Magimel, Charlotte Laemmel
Director: Emmanuelle Bercot
Writers: Irène Frachon, Séverine Bosschem
Music by Martin Wheeler
Cinematography by Guillaume Schiffman
Film Editing by Julien Leloup

“The Nightingale” by Jennifer Kent (2018)

International update (5/10)

Good script (8)
Excellent content (10)

A story – set during English rule in Australia – that brings two minorities together: Irish prisoners and Aborigines
A violent movie in which everyone loses and no one escapes unscathed, a violence that nothing can bring to a right end

Cast: Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, Damon Herriman, Baykali Ganambarr
Director: Jennifer Kent
Writer: Jennifer Kent
Cinematographer: Radek Ladczuk
Editor: Simon Njoo
Composer: Jed Kurzel

“The Ron Clark Story” by Randa Haines (2006)

The work of Randa Haines (6/6)

Good script, personages, dialogues, images
Top score: minorities (10)

Soberer direction and camera than in Haines’ previous movies (i.e. The Outsider) and the first movie in which the hero – a teacher – is not taught a lesson 🙂

Cast: Matthew Perry, Judith Buchan, Griffin Cork
Director: Randa Haines
Writers: Annie DeYoung, Max Enscoe
Music by Mark Adler
Cinematography by Derick V. Underschultz
Film Editing by Heather Persons

“Becoming Astrid” by Pernille Fischer Christensen (2018)

The work of Pernille Fischer Christensen (5/5)

Top score: message (9)

A poignant movie about motherhood
We don’t get to hear much about Astrid Lindgren’s work but the intelligent script gives us a good glimpse on how and why she created such stories for children as the extraordinary Pipi Longstockings
5th movie written by Kim Fupz Aakeson and Pernille Fischer Christensen
“For in the end, the narrative’s central crisis is resolved by Lindgren’s becoming a mother not only to her estranged young son, but to an entire continent of children.” [Pat Brown]

Cast: Alba August, Maria Bonnevie, Trine Dyrholm, Henrik Rafaelsen, Magnus Krepper, Björn Gustafsson, Maria Alm Norell, Maria Fahl-Vikander
Director: Pernille Fischer Christensen
Writer: Pernille Fischer Christensen, Kim Fupz Aakeson
Cinematographer: Erik Molberg Hansen
Editor: Kasper Leick, Åsa Mossberg
Composer: Nicklas Schmidt

“Bright Star” by Jane Campion (2009)

Top score: personages, images (9)

A movie of high quality, a Jane Campion’s signature

Cast: Abbie Cornish, Ben Whishaw, Paul Schneider, Edie Martin
Written and directed by Jane Campion
Music by Mark Bradshaw
Cinematography by Greig Fraser
Film Editing by Alexandre de Franceschi

“An Angel At My Table” by Jane Campion (1990)

Fridays Classics

Top score: direction (9)

Long but captivating

Cast: Kerry Fox, K.J. Wilson, Iris Churn
Directed by Jane Campion
Written by Laura Jones
Photographed by Stuart Dryburgh
Edited by Veronika Haussler

“3096 Days” by Sherry Hormann (2013)

The work of Sherry Hormann (4/4)

personages/direction/images 9

Again a true story, again a baby girl taken away from her mother, again a story from childhood to adulthood in an estranged environment… and in both cases, Sherry Hormann provides a climatic ending
Great acting!

Cast: Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Thure Lindhardt, Amelia Pidgeon, Trine Dyrholm
Director: Sherry Hormann
Writers: Ruth Toma, Bernd Eichinger, Natascha Kampusch
Music by Martin Todsharow
Cinematography by Michael Ballhaus

“Desert Flower” by Sherry Hormann (2009)

The work of Sherry Hormann (2/4)

gender/minorities/message 10

Excellent direction of this poignant and soberly told story
The script could have brought us closer to the influence female genital mutilation has on a girl/woman emotional life
BEWARE: Some very disturbing scenes

Cast: Liya Kebede, Sally Hawkins, Timothy Spall, Juliet Stevenson, Craig Parkinson, Anthony Mackie
Written and directed by Sherry Hormann
Music by Martin Todsharow
Cinematography by Ken Kelsch
Film Editing by Clara Fabry

“Artemisia” by Agnes Merlet (1997)

Agnes Merlet (2/4)

At times amateurish

Cast: Valentina Cervi, Michel Serrault, Miki Manojlovic, Luca Zingaretti, Emmannuelle Devos
Written and Directed by Agnes Merlet
Music by Krishna Levy
Cinematography by Benoît Delhomme
Film Editing by Guy Lecorne, Daniele Sordoni

“The Son Of The Shark” (Le fils du requin) by Agnes Merlet (1993)

Agnes Merlet (1/4)

= First Feature =

Two young brothers try to survive at the margin of society, only trusting each other
Exceptionnal debut feature

Cast: Ludovic Vandendaele, Eric da Silva, Sandrine Blancke
Director: Agnès Merlet
Writers: Santiago Amigorena, Agnès Merlet
Music by Bruno Coulais
Cinematography by Gérard Simon
Film Editing by Pierre Choukroun, Guy Lecorne

“Lane 1974” by S.J. Chiro

This movies raises many questions but gives few answers: could the collapse of this commune represent just an historical moment at a time (1974) when this movement is disappearing?

Cast: Katherine Moennig, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sara Coates
Director: S.J. Chiro
Writers: S.J. Chiro
Music by Jason Staczek
Cinematography by Sebastien Scandiuzzi
Film Editing by Celia Beasley

“On The Basis Of Sex” by Mimi Leder (2018)

A year’s favorites review

An inspiring movie with a strong message, highly needed as the notions of truth and equality are being sullied and corrupted all around us!

Cast: Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, Kathy Bates, Sam Waterston
Director: Mimi Leder
Writer: Daniel Stiepleman
Cinematographer: Michael Grady
Editor: Michelle Tesoro
Composer: Mychael Danna

“Entre Nous” (Coup De Foudre) by Diane Kurys (1983)

A year’s favorites review

To escape a German internment camp during the war, a woman accept to marry a man she has never seen before. This marriage through which she acquires her freedom will become her prison after the war. She decides to divorce her husband and, with her two daughter – the oldest being the author – she moves to Paris where she meets another women. Attracted to each other, the two women will have to fight to gain their liberty.
These themes are a constant aspect of this author’s work.
The excellent script brings us through the changes that occur in the society and in the life of the personages in parallel.

Cast: Miou-Miou, Isabelle Huppert, Guy Marchand, Jean-Pierre Bacri
Written and directed by Diane Kurys
Produced by Ariel Zeitoun
Photographed by Bernard Lutic
Music by Luis Bacalov
Film Editing by Joële Van Effenterre

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” by Marielle Heller (2018)

A year’s favorites review

Fine humor + great dialogues and personages
““Can You Ever Forgive Me?” comes from a place of understanding and love that few other biopics do, and it makes this difficult character a joy to meet.” [Monica Castillo]

Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, Marc Evan Jackson, Joanna Adler, Ben Falcone
Director: Marielle Heller
Writer: Jeff Whitty, Nicole Holofcener
Cinematographer: Brandon Trost
Editor: Anne McCabe
Composer: Nate Heller

“Girls of the Sun” by Eva Husson (2018)

An insider look at a group of Kurdish women fighting ISIS
The movie shows an unbalanced mixture of distant melodramas and an empowering urgency

Cast: Golshifteh Farahani, Emmanuelle Bercot, Zübeyde Bulut, Behi Djanati Atai
Director: Eva Husson
Writer: Eva Husson, Jacques Akchoti
Cinematographer: Mattias Troelstrup
Editor: Emilie Orsini
Composer: Morgan Kibby

“Bang Gang, A Modern Love Story” by Eva Husson (2015)

= First Feature =

Lots of missed opportunities in this movie that could have been very interesting… but the bad script, mediocre direction, and a moralistic ending make you want to have watched something else

Cast: Marilyn Lima, Daisy Broom, Finnegan Oldfield, Lorenzo Lefèbvre, Fred Hotier
Director: Eva Husson
Writer: Eva Husson
Cinematographer: Mattias Troelstrup
Editor: Anders Refn
Composer: Morgan Kibby

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” by Marielle Heller (2018)

Fine humor + great dialogues and personages
““Can You Ever Forgive Me?” comes from a place of understanding and love that few other biopics do, and it makes this difficult character a joy to meet.” [Monica Castillo]

Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, Marc Evan Jackson, Joanna Adler, Ben Falcone
Director: Marielle Heller
Writer: Jeff Whitty, Nicole Holofcener
Cinematographer: Brandon Trost
Editor: Anne McCabe
Composer: Nate Heller

“On The Basis Of Sex” by Mimi Leder (2018)

An inspiring movie with a strong message, highly needed as the notions of truth and equality are being sullied and corrupted all around us!

Cast: Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, Kathy Bates, Sam Waterston
Director: Mimi Leder
Writer: Daniel Stiepleman
Cinematographer: Michael Grady
Editor: Michelle Tesoro
Composer: Mychael Danna

“Entre Nous” (Coup De Foudre) by Diane Kurys (1983)

Homage to Diane Kurys (5/6)

To escape a German internment camp during the war, a woman accept to marry a man she has never seen before. This marriage through which she acquires her freedom will become her prison after the war. She decides to divorce her husband and, with her two daughter – the oldest being the author – she moves to Paris where she meets another women. Attracted to each other, the two women will have to fight to gain their liberty.
These themes are a constant aspect of this author’s work.
The excellent script brings us through the changes that occur in the society and in the life of the personages in parallel.

Cast: Miou-Miou, Isabelle Huppert, Guy Marchand, Jean-Pierre Bacri
Written and directed by Diane Kurys
Produced by Ariel Zeitoun
Photographed by Bernard Lutic
Music by Luis Bacalov
Film Editing by Joële Van Effenterre

“Amour Fou” by Jessica Hausner (2014)

Jessica Hausner, a work in progress

A magnificently ‘frozen’ romantic costume drama in which a man – the German poet Heinrich von Kleist – convinces a woman to love him to death.
Jessica Hausner’s “off-kilter compositions remold the costume drama into a geometry of suppressed feeling” [James Lattimer]
As in her previous movie Lourdes, a woman (who thinks she’s terminally ill) is manipulated by and surrenders to (masculine) forces.

Cast: Christian Friedel, Birte Schnoeink, Stephan Grossmann, Katharina Schüttler
Director: Jessica Hausner
Screenplay by Jessica Hausner
Cinematography by Martin Gschlacht
Film Editing by Karina Ressler

“Mademoiselle Paradis” by Barbara Albert (2017)

Interesting story but the script is out of focus / Excellent music

Cast: Maria Dragus, Devid Striesow, Lukas Miko
Director: Barbara Albert
Writers: Kathrin Resetarits, Barbara Albert
Cinematography by Christine A. Maier
Film Editing by Niki Mossböck

“Nelly” by Anne Emond (2016)

The complex personality of a prostitute who became a successful writer (Nelly Arcan), rendered in a complex cinematographic puzzle

Cast: Mylène Mackay, Marie-Claude Guérin, Simon Alain
Director: Anne Émond
Writers: Nelly Arcan, Anne Émond
Cinematography by Josée Deshaies
Film Editing by Mathieu Bouchard-Malo

“MDMA (Angie X)” by Angie Wang (2017)

first feature

The first hour is fireworks, the last half hour (starting with a long and boring Christmas scene with Christmas music) a boring bland story that transforms the lead into an inconsistent character. A pity!
The abundant racial cliches and a girl who returns to her daddy in the end left me with a bitter taste

Cast: Francesca Eastwood, Elisa Donovan, Pierson Fode
Director: Angie Wang
Writers: Angie Wang, Angie Wang
Music by Pei Pei Chung
Cinematography by Brett Pawlak
Film Editing by Jeff Castelluccio, Robert Schafer

 

“Beauty And The Dogs” by Kaouther Ben Hania (2017)

Theatrical but a good restitution of the way police try to cover up their crime in a land where women have few rights
Another look on the themes this director approached in her first feature

Cast: Mariam Al Ferjani, Ghanem Zrelli, Noomen Hamda
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Writer: Kaouther Ben Hania
Music by Amin Bouhafa
Cinematography by Johan Holmquist
Film Editing by Nadia Ben Rachid

“Challat Tunes” (Le Challat De Tunis) by Kaouther Ben Hania (2013)

first feature

Filmed in a documentary style but lacks depth

Cast: Mohamed Slim Bouchiha, Jallel Dridi, Moufida Dridi
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Writer: Kaouther Ben Hania
Music by Si Lemhaf, Ben Violet
Cinematography by Sofian El Fani
Film Editing by Nadia Ben Rachid

“Little Pink House” by Courtney Balaker (2017)

first feature

A pity: most of the music and some images do not fit the content of the scenes!

Cast: Catherine Keener, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Aaron Douglas, Callum Keith, Colin Cunningham, Miranda Frigon
Director: Courtney Balaker
Writer: Courtney Balaker
Cinematographer: Alex Lehmann
Editor: Soojin Chung
Composer: Scott McRae, Ryan Rapsys

“The Blue Butterfly” by Lea Pool (2004)

5 Fridays with Lea Pool (3)

Great nature and wild life / Text and humor fall sometimes flat
Lea Pool’s distinguishing feature: a strong mother-child relationship and two absent fathers

Cast: Marc Donato, William Hurt, Pascale Bussières
Director: Léa Pool
Writer: Pete McCormack
Music by Stephen Endelman
Cinematography by Pierre Mignot
Film Editing by Michel Arcand

“Mrs. Soffel” by Gillian Armstrong (1984)

7 Wednesdays with Gillian Armstrong (2)

As in her preceding movie, a woman acts according to her convictions, which leads her to sacrifice everything
Many scenes possess a mysterious appeal / Armstrong uses surprising angles and unexpected approaches to engage the viewer into discovering the scene’s purpose / Reminds me often of Orson Welles

Cast: Diane Keaton, Mel Gibson, Matthew Modine
Director: Gillian Armstrong
Writer: Ron Nyswaner
Music by Mark Isham
Cinematography by Russell Boyd
Film Editing by Nicholas Beauman

“Woman Walks Ahead” by Susanna White (2017)

3 movies by Susanna White

A magnificent story with an inescapable (sad) ending / Establishes in a non too subtle way the parallel between the patriarchal oppressive use of power in gender relationships and with regard to minorities
The lead roles are not marked sufficiently to fill the scope of their personage

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Michael Greyeyes, Sam Rockwell, Ciarán Hinds, Chaske Spencer, Bill Camp, Michael Nouri
Director: Susanna White
Writer: Steven Knight
Cinematographer: Mike Eley
Editor: Lucia Zucchetti, Steven Rosenblum
Composer: George Fenton

“The Night Stalker” by Megan Griffiths (2016)

Cast: Bellamy Young, Lou Diamond Phillips, Chelle Sherrill, Benjamin Barrett, Andrew Ruiz
Director: Megan Griffiths
Writer: Megan Griffiths
Cinematographer: Quyen Tran
Composer: Matthew Emerson Brown, Jeremy Koepping

“The Tale” by Jennifer Fox (USA, 2018)

first feature / cinema of substance

An adult woman re-live her abuse childhood / Disturbing story put together in the way memories of past events come back to mind, pieces by pieces

Cast: Laura Dern, Isabelle Nélisse, Jason Ritter, Elizabeth Debicki, Ellen Burstyn, Common, John Heard
Director: Jennifer Fox
Writer: Jennifer Fox
Editor: Anne Fabini, Alex Hall, Gary Levy
Director of Photography: Ivan Strasburg, Denis Lenoir

“Augustine” by Alice Winocour (France, 2012)

first feature / cinema of substance

Jean-Martin Charcot, a 19th-century neurologist famous for his work on female hysteria, owes his success to the influence of his wife and the capacity of his favorite patient to ‘fake’ her seizures.

Cast: Soko, Chiara Mastroianni, Olivier Rabourdin, Vincent Lindon, Grégoire Colin, Roxane Duran, Sophie Cattani
Director: Alice Winocour
Music by Jocelyn Pook
Cinematography by Georges Lechaptois
Film Editing by Julien Lacheray

“Eden” by Megan Griffiths (USA, 2012)

Cast: Jamie Chung, Beau Bridges, Matt O’Leary
Director: Megan Griffiths
Writers: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths
Music by Matthew Emerson Brown, Jeramy Koepping, Joshua Morrison
Cinematography by Sean Porter
Film Editing by Eric Frith

“Professor Marston & The Wonder Woman” by Angela Robinson (USA, 2017)

Powerful story and strong content that the director doesn’t fully control

“It’s a timely affirmation of feminine power—of the ways in which female wisdom and strength can charge hearts and minds, influence culture and inspire others to be their most authentic selves. That was certainly true of this summer’s origin story, with its deeply moving lead performance from Gal Gadot, and it’s true again here in the origin story behind that origin story.” Christy Lemire

Cast: Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall, Bella Heathcote, Allie Gallerani, Christopher Jon Gombos, J. J. Feild, Connie Britton
Director:
Writer: Angela Robinson
Cinematographer: Bryce Fortner
Editor: Jeffrey M. Werner
Composer: Tom Howe

“Artemisia” by Agnès Merlet (France, 1997)

At times amateurish

Cast: Valentina Cervi, Michel Serrault, Miki Manojlovic, Luca Zingaretti, Emmannuelle Devos
Written and Directed by Agnes Merlet
Music by Krishna Levy
Cinematography by Benoît Delhomme
Film Editing by Guy Lecorne, Daniele Sordoni

“Diaz – Don’t Clean Up That Blood” by Daniele Vicari (Italy, 2012)

Cast: Claudio Santamaria, Jennifer Ulrich, Elio Germano
Director: Daniele Vicari
Writers: Daniele Vicari
Music by Teho Teardo
Cinematography by Gherardo Gossi
Film Editing by Benni Atria

“The Battle Of The Sexes” by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris (USA, 2017)

Working in pair: man + woman directing

Too predictable and at times grotesque

Cast: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Sarah Silverman, Alan Cumming
Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
Writer: Simon Beaufoy
Cinematographer: Linus Sandgren
Editor: Pamela Martin
Composer: Nicholas Britell

“The Innocents” by Anne Fontaine (France, 2016)

Compelling story, sober but powerful images

Cast: Lou de Laâge, Agata Buzek, Agata Kulesza, Vincent Macaigne
Director: Anne Fontaine
Writer (based on an original concept by) Philippe Maynial
Writer (adaptation): Pascal Bonitzer, Anne Fontaine
Writer (dialogue): Pascal Bonitzer, Anne Fontaine
Writer: Alice Vial, Sabrina B. Karine
Cinematographer: Caroline Champetier
Editor: Annette Dutertre
Composer: Grégoire Hetzel

“Viceroy’s House” by Gurinder Chadha (UK, 2017)

The weak romance story is offset by a good depiction of the historical and political events surrounding the departure of the English from India.
At one moment in the movie, the partition of India is compared to that of Palestine and of Ireland, other British colonies that have suffered greatly, without however digging deeper into the subject.

Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Gillian Anderson, Michael Gambon, Manish Dayal, Simon Callow, Om Puri, Lily Travers, Huma Qureshi
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Writer: Gurinder Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges, Moira Buffini
Cinematographer: Ben Smithard
Editor: Valerio Bonelli, Victoria Boydell
Composer: A.R. Rahman

“Detroit” by Kathlyn Bigelow (USA, 2017)

Begins as an historical drama, and ends as a case of racism, abuse, and corruption by the police

Cast: John Boyega, Will Poulter, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore, Jason Mitchell, Hannah Murray, Jack Reynor, Kaitlyn Dever, Ben O’Toole, Anthony Mackie
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Writer: Mark Boal
Cinematographer: Barry Ackroyd
Editor: William Goldenberg, Harry Yoon
Composer: James Newton Howard

“Alias Grace” by Mary Harron (Canada, 2017)

The many facets of truth!
Gender roles in Victorian Canada / Excellent female lead

Cast: Sarah Gadon, Edward Holcroft, Rebecca Liddiard, David Cronenberg, Anna Paquin
Director: Mary Harron
Script: Margaret Atwood, Sarah Polley
Cinematography: Brendan Steacy
Music: Jeff Danna, Mychael Danna

“Maudie” by Aisling Walsh (Ireland, 2016)

Happiness doesn’t need much and can be learned.
One negative point: Ethan Hawke doesn’t fit the personage.

Cast: Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke, Gabrielle Rose, Billy MacLellan, Zachary Bennett, Kari Matchett
Director: Aisling Walsh
Writer: Sherry White
Cinematographer: Guy Godfree
Editor: Stephen O’Connell
Composer: Michael Timmins

“Lords Of Dogtown” by Catherine Hardwicke (USA, 2005)

Great direction and camera work

Cast: Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk, John Robinson, Michael Angarano, Nikki Reed, Heath Ledger, Rebecca De Mornay, Johnny Knoxville
Directed by Catherine Hardwicke
Written by Stacy Peralta
Music by Mark Mothersbaugh
Cinematography by Elliot Davis
Film Editing by Nancy Richardson

“Most Beautiful Island” by Ana Asensio (USA, 2017)

” BIG APPLE BIG DREAMS” – Excellent first feature

Cast: Ana Asensio, Natasha Romanova, David Little, Nicholas Tucci, Larry Fessenden
Screenplay: Ana Asensio
Director: Ana Asensio
Director of Photography: Noah Greenberg
Music by Jeffery Alan Jones
Film Editing by Carl Ambrose, Francisco Bello

“The Ballad Of Little Jo” by Maggie Greenwald (USA, 1993)

Actors: Suzy Amis, Bo Hopkins, Ian McKellen
Director: Maggie Greenwald
Writer: Maggie Greenwald
Music by David Mansfield
Cinematography by Declan Quinn
Film Editing by Keith Reamer

“Belle” by Amma Asante (UK, 2013)

Similar in its content to A United Kingdom (2016), Belle shows in a dramatic and intelligent way the web of social constraints that ensue from racial segregation (horizontal) and hierarchical stratification and dominance (vertical inequalities). Furthermore, in both movies, love and politics are cleverly intertwined. And to make matters still more enjoyable, their main female characters are and remain intelligent and substantial throughout the movie.

Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Wilkinson, Miranda Richardson, Sarah Gadon, Sam Reid, Matthew Goode, Emily Watson, Tom Felton, Penelope Wilton
Director: Amma Asante
Screenplay: Misan Sagay
Cinematography: Ben Smithard
Music: Rachel Portman
Film Editing: Victoria Boydell, Pia Di Ciaula

“A United Kingdom” by Amma Asante (UK, 2016)

Very similar in its content to Belle (2013), bringing in a dramatic and intelligent way the web of social constraints that ensue from racial segregation (horizontal) and hierarchical stratification and dominance (vertical inequalities). Furthermore, in both movies, love and politics are cleverly intertwined. And to make matters still more enjoyable, their main female characters are and remain intelligent and substantial throughout the movie.

Cast: David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike, Vusi Kunene, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Jack Davenport Director: Amma Asante
Writer: Guy Hibbert
Cinematographer: Sam McCurdy
Editor: Jonathan Amos, Jon Gregory
Composer: Patrick Doyle

“Unbroken” by Angelina Jolie (USA, 2014)

Cast: Jack O’Connell, Takamasa Ishihara, Garrett Hedlund, Jai Courtney
Director: Angelina Jolie
Screenplay: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Richard Lagravenese, William Nicholson
Director of Photography: Roger Deakins
Music: Alexandre Desplat
Film Editing: William Goldenberg, Tim Squyres

“Stander” by Bronwen Hughes (South Africa 2003)

Robbery as a political statement. Intelligent direction

Cast: Thomas Jane, David O’Hara, Dexter Fletcher
Director: Bronwen Hughes
Writer: Bima Stagg
Music by The Free Association
Cinematography by Jess Hall
Film Editing by Robert Ivison

“Cezanne And I” by Danièle Thompson (France, 2016)

Cast: Guillaume Gallienne, Guillaume Canet, Alice Pol, Déborah François, Sabine Azéma
Director: Danièle Thompson
Writer: Danièle Thompson
Cinematographer: Jean-Marie Dreujou
Editor: Sylvie Landra
Composer: Éric Neveux

“Flocking” by Beata Gardeler (Sweden, 2015)

A whole community turns against a 14 year-old girl who accuses a boy of raping her.
Powerful, almost unbearable

Actors:  Fatime Azemi, John Risto, Eva Melander
Director: Beata Gårdeler
Writers: Emma Broström (screenplay), Geir Hansteen Jorgensen (dramaturge)
Music by Lisa Holmqvist
Cinematography by Gösta Reiland
Film Editing by Linda Jildmalm

“The Innocents” by Anne Fontaine (France, 2016) second viewing

See also the first viewing

Cast: Lou de Laâge, Agata Buzek, Agata Kulesza, Vincent Macaigne
Director: Anne Fontaine
Writer (based on an original concept by) Philippe Maynial
Writer (adaptation): Pascal Bonitzer, Anne Fontaine
Writer (dialogue): Pascal Bonitzer, Anne Fontaine
Writer: Alice Vial, Sabrina B. Karine
Cinematographer: Caroline Champetier
Editor: Annette Dutertre
Composer: Grégoire Hetzel

“First They Killed My Father” by Angelina Jolie (USA, 2017)

“That this movie even exists is a small miracle. That it seems to have been made without compromise and largely without ego makes it even more rare.” Matt Zoller Seitz. RobertEbert.com, September 15, 2017

Cast: Phoeung Kompheak, Sveng Socheata, Sareum Srey Moch
Director: Angelina Jolie
Writer Angelina Jolie, Loung Ung; based on the book by Loung Ung
Cinematographer: Anthony Dod Mantle
Editor: Xavier Box, Patricia Rommel
Composer: Marco Beltrami

“The Journey Is the Destination” by Bronwen Hughes (South Africa, 2016)

The black-and-white ideological journey of a young reporter / Very active camera

Cast: Maria Bello, Kelly Macdonald, Ella Purnell
Director: Bronwen Hughes
Writers: Bronwen Hughes, Jan Sardi
Cinematography by Giulio Biccari
Film Editing by Robert Ivison, Natan Moss

“Stefan Zweig Farewell to Europe” by Maria Schrader (Austria, 2016)

Still wondering what the director’s intention was

Actors: Barbara Sukowa, Tómas Lemarquis,Nahuel Pérez Biscayart
Director: Maria Schrader
Writers: Maria Schrader (screenplay), Jan Schomburg(screenplay)
Music by Cornelius Renz, Tobias Wagner
Cinematography by Wolfgang Thaler
Film Editing by Hansjörg Weißbrich

“Meagan Leavey” by Gabriela Cowperthwaite (USA, 2017)

Cast: Kate Mara, Ramón Rodríguez, Tom Felton, Bradley Whitford, Will Patton
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Writers: Annie Mumolo, Pamela Gray, Tim Lovestedt
Cinematographer: Lorenzo Senatore
Editor: Peter McNulty
Composer: Mark Isham

“The Zookeeper’s Wife” (Niki Caro, Czech Rep. 2017)

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh, Daniel Brühl, Val Maloku, Martha Issová
Director: Niki Caro
Writer (book): Diane Ackerman
Writer: Angela Workman
Cinematographer: Andrij Parekh
Editor: David Coulson
Composer: Harry Gregson-Williams

Paula Van Der Oest, director (2): “Lucia de B.” (NL, 2014)

A case of corruption and power in modern-day Netherlands

Actors: Marwan Kenzari, Jochum ten Haaf, Barry Atsma
Director: Paula van der Oest
Writers: Moniek Kramer, Tijs van Marle
Music by Adam Nordén
Cinematography by Guido van Gennep
Film Editing by Marcel Wijninga

“Suffragette” (Sarah Gavron, UK 2015)

 

Cast: Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham-Carter, Anne-Marie Duff, Romola Garai, Ben Whishaw, Adam Michael Dodd, Brendan Gleeson, Samuel West, Geoff Bell, Meryl Streep
Director: Sarah Gavron
Writer: Abi Morgan
Director of Photography: Eduard Grau
Original Music Composer: Alexandre Desplat
Editor: Barney Pilling

“Miracles From Heaven” (Patricia Riggen, USA 2016)

A tearjerker/feel good movie. It’s a pity its message is not more universal, its main ingredient, faith, being considered to be a monopoly of the church.

Cast: Jennifer Garner, Kylie Rogers, Martin Henderson, Brighton Sharbino, Courtney Fansler, Queen Latifah, Eugenio Derbez, Kelly Collins Lintz, John Carroll Lynch
Director: Patricia Riggen
Writer (book): Christy Beam
Writer: Randy Brown
Cinematographer: Checco Varese
Editor: Emma E. Hickox
Composer: Carlo Siliotto

“The 33” (Patricia Riggen, Chile 2015)

Strong images, weak personages

Cast: Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro, Juliette Binoche, James Brolin, Lou Diamond Phillips, Mario Casas, Adriana Barraza, Kate del Castillo, Cote de Pablo, Bob Gunton Director: Patricia Riggen
Screenplay: José Rivera, Mikko Alanne
Composer: James Horner
Editor: Michael Tronick
Cinematographer: Checco Varese

“Queen of Katwe” (Mira Nair, USA 2016)

Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, David Oyelowo, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Madina Nalwanga,
Director: Mira Nair
Writer: William Wheeler, (book by) Tim Crothers
Cinematographer: Sean Bobbitt
Editor: Barry Alexander Brown
Composer: Alex Heffes

“Dare To Be Wild” (Vivienne de Courcy, Ireland 2015)

Cast: Emma Greenwell, Tom Hughes, Alex Macqueen
Director: Vivienne De Courcy
Writer: Vivienne De Courcy
Music: Colm Mac Con, Iomaire
Cinematography: Cathal Watters
Editing: Nick Emerson, Pedro Kos