300 - 2006

300 is a 2006 American film adapted from a graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller, a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant. It was filmed mostly with a super-imposition chroma key technique, to help replicate the imagery of the original comic book. The film remains in my mind as stunning cinemaphotgrapy because of this chroma key technique.

The plot revolves around King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), who leads 300 Spartans into battle against Persian "god-King" Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his army of more than one million soldiers. As the battle rages, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) attempts to rally support in Sparta for her husband. The story is framed by a voice-over narrative by the Spartan soldier Dilios (David Wenham). Through this narrative technique, various fantastical creatures are introduced, placing 300 within the genre of historical fantasy. I love a film with a narrative telling-a-story approach.

Film critics were divided over its look and style. Some acclaimed it as an original achievement, while others criticized it for favoring visuals over characterization and its controversial depiction of the ancient Persians.

The 300 writer Frank Miller states: "The Spartans were a paradoxical people. They were the biggest slave owners in Greece. But at the same time, Spartan women had an unusual level of rights. It's a paradox that they were a bunch of people who in many ways were fascist, but they were the bulwark against the fall of democracy. The closest comparison you can draw in terms of our own military today is to think of the red-caped Spartans as being like our special-ops forces. They're these almost superhuman characters with a tremendous warrior ethic, who were unquestionably the best fighters in Greece. I didn't want to render Sparta in overly accurate terms, because ultimately I do want you to root for the Spartans. I couldn't show them being quite as cruel as they were. I made them as cruel as I thought a modern audience could stand.

Miss Potter - 2006

I love a story that brings out the "I" word: IMAGINATION. It is basically a biopic film about children's author and illustrator, Beatrix Potter. It combines stories from her own interesting life with animated sequences featuring characters from her stories, such as Peter Rabbit.


The film was director Chris Noonan's first in 10 years (since he made Babe), having waited for many years until he finally found a script that inspired him. Cate Blanchett, who originally suggested Noonan for the role of director, was at one point set to star at the film but apologetically left the project when one of her other films was green-lit before this one.


Actress Renee Zellweger ended up becoming an executive producer on the film because she was dis-satisfied with the script and wanted to get more involved. The film was first brought to Ewan McGregor's attention by Zellweger, who had kept in contact with him after collaborating on "Down with Love". McGregor described the film as having a somewhat similar appeal as that film, and noted that he was familiar with Beatrix Potter's illustrations and stories, which he said he reads to his children. To prepare for the role, McGregor studied photographs of Norman Warne and visited the modern-day Warne publishing house. Zellweger read actual letters between Beatrix Potter and Norman Warne and Millie to prepare for the role, but had difficulty with the accent, which she said was very different from Bridget Jones'. As there were no records of Beatrix Potter’s speaking voice, they had to guess; ultimately the voice was softened so as not to irritate contemporary audiences with the tight, high voice a woman of Beatrix Potter's standing at that time may have had. Zellweger said that she had read a few of Beatrix Potter's stories growing up, but that she had never known anything about the woman herself.

The Ninth Day - 2004

Would you give your life, your freedom to protect right from wrong? To keep your faith? To protect the lives of others?

In World War II, after a period living hell on earth in the concentration camp of Dachau with other catholic priests, Father Abbé Henri Kremer gets a nine days leave to return to his home town for his mother's funeral. Along this period, the SS Gestapo lieutenant Gebhardt tries to persuade Henri, who was born in silver-spoon and member of an influent Luxembourgian family, to convince the local bishop to give-up resisting to the Germans and write a letter to the Vatican in the name of the Catholic Church of Luxemburg convincing the Pope to support Hitler and the Nazi regime.

A drama loosely based on Jean Bernard's Nazi-era prison diary "Pfarrerblock 25487".

A Touch Of Class - 1973

A Touch of Class is a 1973 British romantic comedy film which tells the story of a couple having an affair, who find themselves falling in love. It stars George Segal and Glenda Jackson. It was adapted by Melvin Frank and Jack Rose from the story "She Loves Me, She Told Me So Last Night" by Frank, who also directed.


The lead role of Steve was originally offered to Cary Grant, with a promise by Frank to rewrite the script to play up the age difference between Steve and Vicky. However, Grant opted to remain in retirement from filmmaking, and he turned the role down. He did remain connected to the film, however, as it was produced by Fabergé's Brut Productions, and Grant was on the board of directors for Fabergé.


Glenda Jackson plays Vicky Allesio, a divorced mother of two. George Segal plays Steve Blackburn, a married father who 'has cheated on his wife once... in the same town. After sharing a taxi together Steve invites Vicky to tea, and then lunch, where he takes Vicky up to a hotel room, hoping to have sex. Vicky admits that she would like to have uncomplicated sex, but isn't impressed by the setting, wanting somewhere sunny. Steve arranges a trip to Málaga.


Is there such a thing as "uncomplicated sex"? This one was amusing to me and the closing tune (All That Love Went To Waste) in the final scene always stuck with me. I love this one. The film won the Academy Award for Best Actress (Glenda Jackson) and was nominated for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score, Best Music, Song (for George Barrie and Sammy Cahn for "All That Love Went to Waste"), Best Picture and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced. Both Segal and Jackson won Golden Globes for Best Actor and Best Actress in a Musical Or Comedy.

The Reader - 2008

"Societies think they operate by something called morality, but they don't. They operate by something called law.
8000 people worked at Auschwitz. Precisely 19 have been convicted, and only 6 of murder.
The question is never "Was it wrong", but "Was it legal". And not by our laws, no. By the laws at the time." Professor Rohl

What happens when the person who changed your life is placed on trial for war crimes? What do you do when you know a secret that could save their life and they don't want it exposed?

Post-WWII Germany: Nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman came to a mysterious end, law student Michael Berg re-encounters his former lover as she defends herself in a war-crime trial.

Based on Bernhard Schlink's best-seller.

Romantics Anonymous (Les Emotifs Anonymes) - 2011

What happens when a man and a woman share a common passion? They fall in love. And this is what happens to Jean-René, the boss of a small chocolate factory, and Angélique, a gifted chocolate maker he has just hired. What occurs when a highly emotional man meets a highly emotional woman? They fall in love, and this is what occurs to Jean-René and Angélique who share the same handicap. But being pathologically timid does not make things easy for them. So whether they will manage to get together, join their solitudes and live happily ever after is a guessing matter.


This was one of the French/Belgium films I screened at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2011. It's a great romantic comedy that made me smile, laugh...and it has a lot of familiar anectdotes. Excellent.


If you like chocolate or 'desserts' you'll love the sweetness of this film.

Rebecca - 1940

I read this classic book by Daphne du Maurier and then I watched the movie. I strongly recommend one read the book before the film. It's amazing how an old Alfred Hitchcock film can still hold its own after so many years.


Rebecca is a 1940 psychological/dramatic thriller and it is Alfred Hitchcock's first American project. It was Hitchcock's first film produced under his contract with David O. Selznick. The film's screenplay was an adaptation by Joan Harrison and Robert E. Sherwood from Philip MacDonald and Michael Hogan's adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel of the same name, and was produced by Selznick. It stars Laurence Olivier as the aristocratic widower Maxim de Winter, Joan Fontaine as his second wife, and Judith Anderson as the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers.


The film is a gothic tale about the lingering memory of the title character, Maxim de Winter's dead first wife, which continues to haunt Maxim, his new bride, and Mrs. Danvers. The film won two Academy Awards, including Best Picture out of a total 11 nominations. Olivier, Fontaine and Anderson were all Oscar nominated for their respective roles. Since the introduction of awards for actors in supporting roles, this is the only film named Best Picture that won no other Academy Award for acting, directing or writing.


It was the opening film at the 1st Berlin International Film Festival. It's a true motion-picture classic.

The Incredible Mr. Limpet - 1964

We always need a good movie for the 'kids' that the adults will like, too. Here's one that I recall seeing as a young boy at the movie theater. I really loved the fantasy of a man escaping to his own undersea world.


The story begins September 1941 just a few months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Shy bookkeeper Henry Limpet loves fish with a passion. When his friend George Stickel enlists in the Navy, Limpet attempts to enlist as well, but is rejected. Feeling downcast, he wanders down to a pier near Coney Island and accidentally falls in. Inexplicably, he finds he has turned into a fish. Since he never resurfaces, his wife, Bessie, and George assume he has drowned.


It's a live-action/animated film from Warner Bros. It is about a man named Henry Limpet who turns into a talking fish resembling a tilefish and helps the U.S. Navy locate and destroy Nazi submarines. Don Knotts plays the title character. The live action was directed by Arthur Lubin, while the animation was directed by Robert McKimson. Music includes songs by Sammy Fain, in collaboration with Harold Adamson, including "I Wish I Were A Fish", "Be Careful How You Wish", and "Deep Rapture".

The Departed - 2006 / Infernal Affairs - 2004

I have included both the Cantonese original and the American remake of this story. Both are very good and worth the viewing.

Inspired by Infernal Affairs (below) Martin Scorsese's THE DEPARTED brings together an all star cast and a compelling story about loyalty, honor, betrayal to earn him the Best Picture as well as Best Director awards at the 2007 Academy Awards. The only foreign remake ever to win.

While an undercover cop (Leonardo DiCaprio) curries favor with the mob kingpin (Jack Nicholson), a career criminal (Matt Damon) rises through the police ranks. But both sides soon discover there's a mole among them.





Veteran cop Chan Wing Yan (Tony Leung) goes undercover to expose the detective who's been leaking information to the criminal underworld; but the high-ranking mole (Andy Lau), whose identity Chan has yet to reveal, also has no idea who the internal investigator is. The men soon find themselves locked in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

The Cantonese version is the first film of a trilogy. The second of the three being a prequel to the first and often argued as the better of the two.

Boy A - 2007

A great film I had never heard of, this is a story about the past coming back to haunt.

After spending most of his life in prison for a murder he committed as a child, a young man (Andrew Garfield) is returned to society, where a dedicated caseworker (Peter Mullan) helps him start a new life under a new identity, Jack Burridge. When he lands a job and falls in love, things seem to be taking a positive turn for Jack. But his new existence hangs by a thread, as he discovers when one simple act threatens to expose him.

Told in flashback, the secrets of "Boy A" are revealed in bits and pieces. The reality of who Jack is becomes more powerful and painful as the film progresses. Garfield is so charismatic, and his Jack so incredibly sympathetic

Andrew Garfield can next be seen in 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man as Peter Parker/Spider-man

Shattered Glass - 2003

I love a good drama based on a true story. I thought of this one because my Sunday NY Times newspaper was not delivered today. I hate when that happens! In any case, this is a great film as Hayden Christensen gives a stellar performance as Stephen Glass. The performance of Peter Sarsgaard as Charles Lane was singled out by several critics for praise as well.


The screenplay is based on a September 1998 Vanity Fair article by H. G. Bissinger. In it he chronicled the rapid rise of Stephen Glass's journalistic career at "The New Republic" during the mid-1990s and his steep fall when his widespread journalistic fraud was exposed. The film is based on real events and also captures the high-pressure world of national political journalism as well as being a character study of sociopaths.


The 'real' Stephen Glass saw the film and when reflecting about the experience, he said, "It was very painful for me. It was like being on a guided tour of the moments of my life I am most ashamed of".

Transsiberian - 2008

This is a suspenseful thriller one that takes you to Siberia. I even felt the chill in cold air as I watched this one. Be sure to have a warm blanket ready. As usual...actor Ben Kingsley performs a fabulous role.


The film is set on the Trans-Siberian Railway and its Trans-Manchurian branch, which runs from China to Moscow. Filming began in December 2006 in Vilnius, Lithuania, with additional photography in Beijing and Russia.


I really don't want to giveaway much of the plot but you won't be sorry with this adventure. Excellent film.

New York City BALLET Workout I - 2000

This is my favorite fitness film. If you do it religiously for three months on Monday, Wednesday and Friday you will transform your body.   The above video is only a ten minute clip of the one-hour workout.

Don't worry if you are not perfect the first time you do it.  Your form will improve.  This film makes sense, doesn't it? Have you ever seen a fat ballet dancer? If you are really intent on committing to this workout. You should own your own copy. Here is the link at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/New-York-City-Ballet-Workout/dp/B000056MMR/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1303487514&sr=8-2

The Workout I begins with actress Sarah Jessica Parker giving a vivacious introduction.   It is narrated by NYC Ballet Director Richard Blanshard.   After you do the workout about ten times or so you will learn the stretches and movements and laugh at some of his commentary like "Don't stick your butt out when you do this!"   

If more people incorporated the stretching exercises in this film they'd never have knee problems or aches and pains.   Instead people take pills and prescribed medication that only sets you back.   Don't become a 'couch potato'.   Do this and you will feel exhilarated.  It is literally the Best in Film.

A Man and a Woman - 1966

This film hit so close to home for me. A quiet, understated film that brings together two people from different backgrounds yet similar situations to find life in a new romance.

A man and a woman meet by accident on a Sunday evening at their childrens' boarding school. Slowly they reveal themselves to each other, finding that each is a widow/widower. Each is slow to reveal anything personal so that each revelation is hidden by a misperception. Much of the film is told wordlessly in action, or through hearing one of their thoughts as they go about their day.

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film of 1967.

Favorite quotes; "It's crazy to refuse happiness."
"When a woman sends you a telegram, "I love you"......you go and see her."

12 Angry Men - 1957

When asked to decide the fate of a young man, twelve men must see beyond their prejudice, their resentment, their histories, their impatience and their perceptions to reach a common ground. Sounds simple enough.

The case looks, on the surface, cut and dried. But Juror number 8 (Henry Fonda), despite believing that the defendant is probably guilty, feels that the facts merit a cursory review before the jury hands in a guilty verdict. His insistence on a brief examination of the case seems to rub many on the jury the wrong way, as they continue to see the matter as open and shut.

Fascinatingly, as they examine the testimony and facts of the case, the experiences, personalities, limitations, and biases of the jurors weave in and out of the deliberation process, at times to its benefit and at times to its detriment.

All but three minutes of the film was shot inside the bare and confining, sixteen by twenty-four foot "jury room".

Henry Fonda disliked watching himself on film, so he did not watch the whole film in the projection room. But before he walked out he said quietly to director Sidney Lumet, "Sidney, it's magnificent."

Dark City - 1998

My personal friend, Dov Hoenig, was the film editor to this film as well as the classics The Last of the Mohicans, The Crow and The Fugitive (to name a few). His editing touches make a difference in a film. This one--in particular--called DARK CITY is a neo noir sci-fi film that is quite different. I loved the focus, search and yearning for "Shell Beach".


The film depicts a city in which human inhabitants never see the sun, as their lives are manipulated by extraterrestrials referred to as the "Strangers", who masquerade as humans. The Strangers are committed to studying the race of humanity through experimentation. Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland, and Jennifer Connelly star in principal roles. Dark City explores the subject matter of murder, as well as abstract ideas such as hallucination, simulated reality, and the relationship between memory and personal identity.


Dark City is a retelling of the "Allegory of the Cave" used by Greek philosopher Plato, who conveyed the allegory as a fictional dialogue between his teacher Socrates and Plato's brother Glaucon. In the film, the city inhabitants are prisoners who do not realize they are in a prison. John Murdoch's escape from the prison parallels the escape from the cave in the allegory. He is assisted by Dr. Schreber, who explains the city's mechanism as Socrates explains to Glaucon how the shadows in the cave are cast. Murdoch however becomes more than Glaucon; Gerard Loughlin writes, "He is a Glaucon who comes to realize that Socrates' tale of an upper, more real world, is itself a shadow, a forgery."


Murdoch defeats the Strangers who control the inhabitants and remakes the world based on childhood memories, which were themselves illusions arranged by the Strangers. Loughlin writes of the lack of background, "The origin of the city is off–stage, unknown and unknowable." Murdoch now casts new shadows for the city inhabitants, who must trust his judgment. Unlike Plato, Murdoch "is disabused of any hope of an outside" and becomes the demiurge for the cave, the only environment he knows.


The city in Dark City is described by Higley as a "murky, nightmarish German expressionist film noir depiction of urban repression and mechanism". The city has a World War II dreariness reminiscent of Edward Hopper's works and has details from different eras and architectures that are changed by the Strangers; "buildings collapse as others emerge and battle with one another at the end". The round window in Dark City is concave like a fishbowl and is a frequently seen element throughout the city. The inhabitants do not live at the top of the city; the main characters' homes are dwarfed by the bricolage of buildings.


"The Matrix" was released one year after "Dark City" and was also filmed at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia using some of the same sets. Comparisons have been made between scenes from the movies, making note of similarities in both cinematography and atmosphere, as well as the plot.

Children of the Century - 1999 (French)

This is the true story of the tumultuous affair between two French literary icons George Sand (played by actress Juliette Binoche) and poet Alfred de Musset (played by Benoit Magimel). You can get it on NetFlix and 'don't worry' it has English subtitles. The French title is "Les Enfants du Siècle".


The story begins as George Sand quits her marital home and arrives in Paris with her two children. Meanwhile the young poet and dandy Alfred de Musset is busy making a name for himself both as a womaniser and a talented poet and critic. Sand and Musset first meet at a literary dinner and quickly recognise in each other a like minded love of literature. At first their relationship remain platonic, but soon the pair embark on a tumultuous affair that will lead them to Venice and the creation of their finest works of literature.


I loved the 'back in time' history related to this love story. The music, costumes and cinematography make it a BEST IN FILM choice. I have stayed at the Hotel Danieli a few times, so it was a thrill to see the Venice scenes (not to mention the delights of Paris).


The film was shot on location in Paris, Nohant and Venice from August to December 1998. In an interview with The Irish Times entitled "Playing with Sand", Diane Kurys (the film Director) revealed that she was shooting in the actual rooms Sand and Musset had occupied in the Hotel Danieli, while Juliette Binoche revealed that Sand's estate had loaned the production some of her possessions including a sapphire ring and jewel-encrusted dagger. When asked her inspiration for the film, Kury mentioned that Musset's account of the affair in his book La Confession d'un Enfant du Siècle was her starting point. Binoche said that her attraction to the part was due to "Sand's combination strengths and weaknesses".

The Bicycle Thief - 1948

In the aftermath of World War II, Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani), an unemployed man, finds a coveted job that requires a bicycle. When it is stolen on his first day of work, Antonio and his young son Bruno (Enzo Staiola) begin a frantic search, learning valuable lessons along the way. The movie focuses on both the relationship between the father and the son and the larger framework of poverty and unemployment in postwar Italy

The film is frequently on critics' and directors' lists of the best films ever made. It was given an Academy Honorary Award in 1950, and, just four years after its release, was deemed the greatest film of all time by the magazine Sight & Sound's poll of filmmakers and critics in 1952. The film placed sixth as the greatest ever made in the latest directors poll, conducted in 2002.

Prospective producer David O. Selznick originally proposed casting Cary Grant as the lead. Vittorio De Sica countered with a request for Henry Fonda before deciding to cast all amateur actors.

The Silence of the Lambs - 1991

To be a good psychological thriller a film has to have enough tension to keep you on the edge of your seat and get into your head enough to keep you thinking about it well after the credits have rolled. This is just that film.

In preparation for his role, Anthony Hopkins studied files of serial killers. Also, he visited prisons and studied convicted murderers and was present during some court hearings concerning serial killings.

Jodie Foster spent a great deal of time with FBI agent Mary Ann Krause prior to filming and it was Krause who gave Foster the idea of Starling standing by her car crying. Krause told Foster that at times, the work just became so overbearing that this was a good way to get an emotional release.

In this pulse-pounding adaptation of Thomas Harris's novel, FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) ventures into a maximum-security asylum to pick the diseased brain of Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a psychiatrist turned homicidal cannibal. Starling needs clues to help her capture a serial killer; unfortunately, her Faustian relationship with Lecter soon leads to his escape … and now, two deranged killers are on the loose.

To Kill A Mockingbird - 1962

To Kill A Mockingbird is based on the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel by Harper Lee that was published in 1960. It's a classic of modern American literature. It's about good and evil and a must-see film for everyone. I was so engrossed in this film as a child as I could easily relate to the growing up years of the three children in the story.


The movie was a hit at the box office, making more than $20 million, against a $2 million budget. It won three Oscars: Best Actor for Gregory Peck, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White, and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium for Horton Foote. It was nominated for five more Oscars including Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Mary Badham, the actress who played Scout.


Harper Lee was pleased with the movie, saying: "In that film the man and the part met... I've had many, many offers to turn it into musicals, into TV or stage plays, but I've always refused. That film was a work of art." Gregory Peck met Lee's father, the model for Atticus, before the filming. Lee's father died before the film's release, and Lee was so impressed with Peck's performance that she gave him her father's pocketwatch, which he had with him the evening he was awarded the Oscar for best actor. Years later, he was reluctant to tell Lee that the watch was stolen out of his luggage in London Heathrow Airport. When Peck eventually did tell Lee, he said she responded, "'Well, it's only a watch.' Harper—she feels deeply, but she's not a sentimental person about things." Lee and Peck shared a friendship long after the movie was made. Peck's grandson was named "Harper" in her honor.


In May 2005, Lee made an uncharacteristic appearance at the Los Angeles Public Library at the request of Peck's widow Veronique, who said of Lee: "She's like a national treasure. She's someone who has made a difference...with this book. The book is still as strong as it ever was, and so is the film. All the kids in the United States read this book and see the film in the seventh and eighth grades and write papers and essays. My husband used to get thousands and thousands of letters from teachers who would send them to him."

Dresden - 2006

A romance between a British pilot hiding in Germany and a German nurse is shown on the background of massive allied bombing of Dresden towards the end of World War II. This drama has high-impact and keeps you interested all the way through. Don't be fooled by the above bombing scene as the story is much more than that. It is an excellent drama and depicts a fantastic performance by actress Felicitas Woll who plays the german nurse, Anna.


Part 1 of this two-part miniseries drew the largest audience for a German miniseries in history on a Sunday night as 12.7 million viewers tuned in. News reports suggested that an even larger audience may have tuned in Monday night. The film, set during the 1945 Allied bombing that flattened the city and killed 35,000 people, is the most expensive ever produced for German television, costing $13.2 million. It attracted 39 percent of the 14-49-year-old viewers. It is reportedly the first to treat the World War II event as drama, focusing on a fictional romance between an RAF pilot shot down during the bombing and a German nurse.

Saturn in Opposition - 2007

This film is about the love, relationships and familial bonds that true friendships are made of. Anyone can find themselves in this movie. The ensemble cast is believable and wonderful.

This film focuses on contemporary 30- and 40-somethings trying to make sense of their lives in an age in which the old certainties have disappeared. While having dinner at the home of Lorenzo (Luca Argentero) and his lover, Davide (Pierfrancesco Favino), a close group of gay and straight friends reminisce about the past and take stock of their lives, until an unexpected tragedy begins tearing their relationships apart.

Welcome - 2009

The title of this film is misleading because the last thing Bilal feels in welcome as he travels miles to find and reunite with the girl he loves. The community of struggling illegal aliens in Calais is captured with authenticity, from the point of view of people who arrived there knowing nothing about France.

When authorities forbid young Kurdish refugee Bilal (Firat Ayverdi) from crossing the English Channel to reunite with his girlfriend in England, the 17-year-old resolves to swim to his love -- and finds an unlikely ally in the form of swim instructor Simon (Vincent Lindon). Facing an inevitable divorce from his wife (Audrey Dana), the middle-aged teacher takes the resolute youth under his wing in this stirring, beautifully acted French drama.

Vitus - 2006

Sometimes it's not always about the film but the "music"! I stumbled upon a postcard for this film in New York City. I never saw it in a theater but I saved the postcard and finally watched the film. I was pleasantly surprised. There is something so inpsiring about a child prodigy.


This dramatic film (written and directed by Fredi M. Murer) was released on February 2, 2006, in Switzerland. It stars real-life piano prodigy Teo Gheorghiu.


Vitus, played by Teo Gheorghiu, is a highly gifted pianist at the age of twelve. His parents mean well, but are over-protective, so Vitus seeks refuge with his grandfather (actor, Bruno Ganz), who loves flying. After faking a head injury, Vitus secretly amasses a fortune on the stock market. The money allows his grandfather to purchase a Pilatus PC-6 and his father to return triumphantly to the company that had fired him previously. The movie ends with Vitus performing Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto on stage with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra.

The Lives of Others - 2007

The East German secret police (Stasi) employed a network of 100,000 staff and 200,000 informants to spy on it's own citizens. This film shows the effects of this invasion of privacy on both parties. A very good movie worthy of the Academy Award it received for Best Foreign Language Film.

Set in 1980s East Berlin, director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's debut feature provides an exquisitely nuanced portrait of life under the watchful eye of the state police. When a successful playwright and his actress companion become subjects of the Stasi's secret surveillance program, their friends, family -- and even those doing the watching -- find their lives forever changed.

Irreversible - 2002

I watched this film last year because I am a fan of Vincent Cassel and he is amazing in this. A vast mojority of the dialogue is improvised and the cast is awesome. But this is one of those movies that once you see it, you never forget it. Told in reverse this movie will make you angry and sad and feeling dirty.

This French thriller chronicles the unspeakable horror of rape and the aftermath of revenge. When a woman is brutally violated, her angered boyfriend and ex-boyfriend team up to track down the rapist and take justice into their own hands. Albert Dupontel, Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci star, and Gaspar Noé (I Stand Alone) directs. Nominated for the Golden Palm Award at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.

It is violent, dark, disturbing, depressing, and honest.

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas - 2008

This is an emotional tale of war through a young, naive eight year old German boy's point of view. It really touched me when I saw it at a New York City movie theater in 2008. The drama is also seen through the eyes of another eight-year-old Jewish inmate in a concentration camp.


The story is adapted from a 2006 novel written by Irish novelist John Boyne. Unlike the months of planning Boyne devoted to his other books, he said that he wrote the entire first draft of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in two and a half days, barely sleeping until he got to the end. To date, the novel has sold more than 5 million copies around the world, and was published as "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" in the United States. In both 2007 and 2008 it was the best selling book of the year in Spain. The book has also reached number 1 on the New York Times bestseller list, as well as in the UK, Ireland, Australia and many other countries.


Some critics have called the very premise of the book and subsequent film—that there would be a child of Shmuel's age in the camp— an unacceptable fabrication. Reviewing the original book, Rabbi Benjamin Blech wrote: "Note to the reader: There were no eight-year-old Jewish boys in Auschwitz - the Nazis immediately gassed those not old enough to work."


According to statistics from the Labour Assignment Office, Auschwitz-Birkenau contained 619 living male children from one month to fourteen years old on August 30, 1944. On January 14, 1945, 773 male children were registered as living at the camp. "The oldest children were fifteen, and fifty-two were less than eight years of age." "Some children were employed as camp messengers and were treated as a kind of curiosity, while every day an enormous number of children of all ages were killed in the gas chambers.

Nowhere In Africa - 2001

NOWHERE TO AFRICA, a German film, is a love story that spans two continents about the TRUE tale of a Jewish family that flees the Nazi regime in 1938 to a remote farm in Kenya. It is based on the autobiographical novel by Stephanie Zweig.


The film was very well received by many international critics. Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune called Nowhere in Africa "stunning". Keneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times hailed the film as being "laced with poigancy and conflict, urgency and compassion." "I loved this film!" raved Roger Ebert; "...this is the kind of movie that real people really, really like!"


I am 'real people' and I really, really liked it.  Don't judge by the above preview.  The film is far superior.  Now that I have recalled the film I would actually like to seek out the autobiographical novel.   It was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 75th Annual Academy Awards.  

Woman On Top - 2000

Do you like it HOT, HOT, HOT? This is a bit of a fantasy romantic-comedy that I came across and really liked. If you like good food it has an element of sensual servings in the storyline. I don't want to give it all away but Penelope Cruz gives a delightful performance as well.  The story takes place in Salvador, Brazil and San Francisco, CA, USA.


Penelope Cruz, who plays Isabella in the film has suffered from motion sickness all of her life. Because of her illness she could not play much with other children. She stayed at home and learned how to cook, becoming a renowned chef as an adult. She fell in love with Toninho and they opened a restaurant together, with Isabella stuck in the kitchen and Toninho out front taking the credit.


The only way for Isabella to control her motion sickness is to control her motion. She must drive, take stairs instead of elevators, lead while dancing and must be on top during sex. Have a fun time with this cute story. It's a 'feel good' kind of movie.

Limitless - 2011

How much of your brain can you access? The premise of this film is relatively simple but the action, direction and drama takes you on a "limitless" roller-coaster ride. It's a must-see techno-thriller. The story is based on the 2001 novel "The Dark Fields" by Alan Glynn.

Bradley Cooper does an excellent job in the starring role. 

A scientific note to read after viewing the film: 
Physics professor James Kakalios said it was plausible that medical science could improve intelligence, but that neurochemistry is not advanced enough for it to be possible currently. Kakalios also said the notion used in the film that human beings can only access 20% of their brains (though the film never explicitly states that this is the case, with one character only once saying "you know they say we can only access 20% of our brain?") is a myth;  100% of it is used at different times. Moreover, if 100% of the brain's neurons were to fire simultaneously, all of the available oxygen would be consumed and the individual would most likely die or suffer severe neurological trauma. Kakalios said if such a pill existed, a person running out of the supply could actually experience a rebound effect, and "might become really stupid.

Bent - 1997

When my friend told me about this movie I had no idea. This movie moved me in so many ways. Clive Owen is incredible. Also look for Mick Jagger, Jude Law and the always amazing Ian McKellen.

A Berlin man is caught up in the Nazi hysteria during World War II in this drama based on the play by Martin Sherman (who also wrote the screenplay). After being forced to kill his lover, he's placed in a concentration camp and lies to get himself classified as Jewish rather than gay. But several rule-breaking incidents and his love for a fellow male prisoner bring him to admit his true nature

Antibodies - 2005

The psychological thriller is probably one of my favorite genres, and this is a worthy example.

Small town farmer and policeman Michael is haunted by the brutal death of a local girl and the mental games played by a recently apprehended serial killer who holds the key. Perfect casting, exceptional performances, and gorgeous cinematography make this worth watching. The film's thoughtful writing leads an intelligent viewer along a dark path and asks if they can recognize evil, or see the seeds of its infectious nature.

A Woman in Berlin - 2008

Everytime I see a film based on the events of World War II, I see yet another way that people were effected by this single event in history.

The horrors and moral compromises of this war set the stage for this harrowing drama from director Max Färberböck. Based on the best-selling diaries of an anonymous German woman who survived the Soviet invasion of Berlin at the end of World War II, this gripping drama tells the story of a photojournalist's (Nina Hoss) forbidden relationship with a Soviet officer (Yevgeni Sidikhin). After being sexually assaulted by members of the invading Red Army, she turns to the officer for support, but soon finds herself falling for him.

The Namesake - 2006

In the year 2000 I read a book by author Jhumpa Lahiri who won a Pulitzer-Prize for her short story collection called INTERPRETER OF MALADIES. I didn't read her second book called THE NAMESAKE but I heard about the film release in 2003 and I was sure to be one of the first at the box-office to see it.


Jhumpa Lahiri originally wrote THE NAMESAKE as a novella that was published in The New Yorker Magazine and it was later expanded to a full length novel. It explores many of the same emotional and cultural themes as her Pulitzer Prize-winning short story collection Interpreter of Maladies. The movie vesrion of The Namesake succeeds in doing the same as it examines the conflicts between two very different cultures. It's a GREAT movie that I highly recommend for everyone.

The Legend of 1900 - 1998

I found this film as a fan of Tim Roth, the piano music made me watch it, both were worth it. Watch it if for no other reason but the piano duel. Amazing.

Raised aboard an ocean liner after being abandoned there as an infant, 1900 (Tim Roth) becomes a virtuoso piano player who learns about the outside world only through interactions with passengers, never setting foot on land, even for the love of his life. Years later, the ship may be destroyed, and a former band member fears that 1900 may still be aboard, willing to go down with the ship in this compelling drama from director Giuseppe Tornatore.

Mary and Max - 2008

When someone told me to watch this I have to admit I giggled and thought, "a cartoon?" But what an amazing story of friendship and the personal struggles of people. This is no ordinary cartoon.

Mary Dinkle, a chubby 8-year-old Australian girl, and Max Horovitz, an obese, middle-aged New Yorker with Asperger's syndrome, are a pair of unlikely pen pals in this quirky clay animation feature from writer-director Adam Elliot. Corresponding for two decades, the friends delve into a variety of topics, including sex, kleptomania, psychiatry, taxidermy and more. Toni Collette and Philip Seymour Hoffman provide the voices of Mary and Max.

As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me - 2003

A moving story of perseverance and hope. A must see in the feel good department.

After escaping from a Siberian labor camp in the wake of World War II, German soldier Clemens Forell (Bernhard Bettermann) makes his way toward his wife and children, traveling more than 8,000 miles over the course of three long years to reach his final destination. Hardy Martins directs this critically acclaimed adaptation of the best-selling book by Josef Martin Bauer, a true story of survival and courage.

The Children of Huang Shi - 2008

Here's a film that got lost in the shuffle (because it was not seen by many people).   It is so worth a screening.   It stars actor Jonathan Rhys-Meyers.  It is based on an incredible true story.   The film centers on the story of George Hogg, a young British journalist,  and the sixty orphans that he led across China in an effort to save them from conscription during the Second Sino-Japanese war.  

R.E.D. - 2010

As a lover of the action genre, this has to be at the top of my list. An unbelievable cast, and unbelievable fun, R.E.D. (Retired: Extremely Dangerous), has everything, comedy, thrills, drama, guns, explosions and a pink pig.

After trading in his professional past as a black-ops CIA operative for a new identity, Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is basking in normality. But he's forced to return to old habits when an assassin puts a target on his back and goes after the woman (Mary-Louise Parker) he loves. Helen Mirren and John Malkovich co-star as former members of Frank's team who reluctantly reassemble to save his life.

Four Minutes - 2006

One of my favorite films I viewed in the last year. The music alone is worth a look.

Traude (Monica Bleibtreu), an elderly music teacher who gives piano lessons to prisoners, finds an unexpected prodigy in Jenny (Hannah Herzsprung), a brooding young inmate, and devotes herself to developing Jenny's talent in the little time they have together. But while Traude teaches Jenny valuable lessons about music, Jenny herself inspires Traude to examine her own past and the meaning of her life -- and what might have passed her by.

The Statement - 2003

I had never even heard of this film until recently seeing the trailer on another DVD. The cast alone was reason to view it however, I was not disappointed.

A man who has been able to avoid the consequences of his actions for nearly 50 years suddenly finds he must answer pursuers on both sides of the law in this drama, based on the novel by Brian Moore and inspired by a true story.

In 1944, Pierre Brossard (Michael Caine) is one of a handful of Milice officers who round up and execute seven Jewish resistance members in the village of Dombey. After the liberation of France, Brossard is tried and convicted for his crimes, but he manages to escape capture, and years later is pardoned.

The buried sins of the past almost always find a way to surface in the present, as Brossard discovers in this drama directed by Norman Jewison. Pierre's quiet life in southern France is disrupted as he's haunted by his betrayals. With a Nazi hunter (Tilda Swinton), the police and hired killers on his trail, it's his turn to be the hunted.

C.R.A.Z.Y. - 2005

This movie was crazy good. Both a coming of age and a coming out movie that fed me the full range of human emotion. The father/son relationship in this film is dealt with in a very honest and heartfelt way.

There are five boys in the Beaulieu family -- Christian, Raymond, Antoine, Zachary and Yvan. But Zac (played by Emile Vallee and Marc-Andre Grondin) is the only one who's gay. That's why growing up in Montreal alongside his heterosexual brothers and his strict, emotionally distant father (Michel Cote) proves especially challenging for the blossoming outsider, who finds solace in the music of Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie.

Angel-A - 2005

Suggested to me by a friend, and visually one of the most beautiful films I have seen, this outing by Luc Besson is definitely one I recommend.

Deep in debt, small-time hoodlum André (Jamel Debbouze) decides to end his life on his own terms before his unsavory creditors come calling. But as he's poised to dive off a bridge, he meets the mysterious Angela (Rie Rasmussen), who seems just as desperate. The event changes André's entire outlook, and the unlikely duo soon sets out on a mission to solve André's formidable list of problems and get his life back in order again discovering that companionship can make even the most difficult life worth living

Goodnight Mister Tom - 1998

This film is based on the 1981 novel by Michelle Magorian.  It follows a young boy, William Beech, who is evacuated from London during the air-raids of World War II, and put into the care of Tom Oakley, an elderly recluse.  Thanks to Tom, William Beech is able to experience a new life of loving and care.

Two musicals based on the book have been written and this 1998 film was made.  There is also a new play of Goodnight Mister Tom, adapted for the stage by national children's dramatist David Wood, opening in early 2011 in London, England.  I really enjoyed this one as it depicts two broken souls at very different ends of the age scale.

Apocalypto - 2006

The opening quote by historical author Will Durant says it all:  "A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within."

It only took me five years to finally see this suspenseful action film directed by Mel Gibson.   What happens to a society that thinks it is unstoppable and becomes hungry for power?   The answer is here.  In Greek, "Apocalypto" means unveiling and a new beginning.

The story takes place on the cusp of the Mayan civilization decline.  It's a most thrilling film with such fantastic detail.  There are a few squeamish and violent scenes but you can just "blink" if it gets to be too much.   The vast jungle scenes and cinematography make this worth seeing again and again.  There is a touch of sentimental humanity in this story.  The story depicts the journey of a MesoAmerican tribesman who must escape human sacrifice and rescue his family after the capture and destruction of his village.  The film features a cast of Mexicans and some Native Americans. 

A Yucatec Maya dialogue (which offers all the more authenticity for this historical film) is accompanied by subtitles.  Mel Gibson explains: "I think hearing a different language allows the audience to completely suspend their own reality and get drawn into the world of the film. And more importantly, this also puts the emphasis on the cinematic visuals, which are a kind of universal language of the heart."

Apocalypto was filmed mainly in Catemaco, San Andres Tustla, and Paso de Ovejas in the Mexican state of Veracruz.   The waterfall scene was filmed on a real waterfall called Salto de Eyipantla, located in San Andres Tuxtla. 

Freedom Writers - 2007

"Every one has their own story." -Hilary Swank
I'm not the biggest Hilary Swank fan but here is one that made me admire her.  It is based on a remarkable true story.  Hilary Swank plays a young teacher who inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school.  I found it so inspiring.


It is based on the book 'The Freedom Writers Diary' by teacher Erin Gruwell who wrote the story based on Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, California.  The title is a play on the term "Freedom Riders", referring to the multiracial civil rights activists who tested the U.S. Supreme Court decision ordering the desegregation of interstate buses in 1961.  If you have a child in high-school this is a must-see.

Monsieur Hire - 1989

Here is a French film that I saw many years ago that is still reflective in my mind.   It has a lot of instrumental music and not so much dialogue.   It is quite suspenseful.  The film is based on Belgian-born French writer Georges Simenon's novel. Simenon wrote many popular detective books.  The original music by Michael Nyman is wonderful.  

Monsieur Hire works as a tailor but he is also a voyeur who spies on his gorgeous neighbor from across the street.  There's a subplot and it keeps you wondering.  I can't tell you more but it's worth a screening.  The ending may be a little flat (I really cannot recall)---but when that happens I add my own version of the next scene.  I need to see this one again myself.

Australia - 2008

"Just because it IS, doesn't mean it SHOULD BE." -Nicole Kidman

Nevermind what anyone else may have said about this film.   If you missed film director Baz Luhrmann's AUSTRALIA it is now time to watch it.  You will not be disappointed.  It's an epic historical romance film. 

The film is a character story, set between 1939 and 1942 against a dramatised backdrop of events across northern Australia at the time, such as the bombing of Darwin during World War II.  Film production took place in Sydney, Darwin, Kununurra, and Bowen.

The Heart Of Me - 2003

Sometimes it is worthwhile to escape to a period drama from yesteryear.   This one called "The Heart Of Me" has a strong blend of acting with Helena Bonham Carter and Olivia Williams who play sisters in London, England after World War II.   Olivia is one of the most underrated and most excellent actresses!  You know she's good because you don't realize she was the actress who made the success for such films as The Sixth Sense, An Education and The Ghost Writer. 

The plot depicts the consequences of a woman's torrid affair with her sister's husband. The film is an adaptation of Rosamond Lehmann's novel The Echoing Grove.  It was filmed in the Isle of Man and it had a mixed reception.  In his review Roger Ebert wrote: “Many of the complaints have to do with the fact that the characters are wealthy and upper class and speak English elegantly."  Improve your elegance and watch this one.   It's worth the trip to the past.

The Collector - 1965

This film is based on the 1963 novel by John Fowles (which I also read).   The performances by Terrance Stamp and Samantha Eggar still hold-up intently almost fifty years later.   Terrance Stamp plays the character role of Frederick Clegg who is chasing a butterfly in a field to add to his collection when he comes upon a country house for sale in one of the opening scenes.  Exploring the building he discovers it has a large cellar in an outbuilding, and in a voice over he explains he decided to buy the house because of its isolation, and because it suits a plan he has in mind.

It was nominated for Academy Awards in 1965 for Best Actress (Samantha Eggar), Best Director (William Wyler) and Best Adapted Screenplay.   It's a thrilling drama of suspense that will keep your interest all the way through.

Roman de Gare - 2007

I love foreign films and this is the first of many you will see on this blog that I have pre-screened and "loved".   This one is called ROMAN DE GARE which is French slang for "trashy novel one reads on a train or at a train station".   Another translation for the title is "Crossed Tracks".  

I remember seeing this film in a New York City movie theater and actress Uma Thurman was seated two rows away with a girlfriend.   Uma obvioulsy likes a movie with a good plot twist, too.

As the movie opens, a woman writer with a recently bestselling novel is being questioned about a murder. The story cuts to a young woman abandoned by her traveling companion at a roadside rest stop. A helpful man offers to give her a ride.  The story turns on a series of mysterious identities.   I certainly cannot give away the story but it's well worth watching.  By the end of the movie, the plot threads come together and the audience identifies each of the three mysterious characters.

Deathtrap - 1982

American film-director, Sidney Lumet, died yesterday, April 9, 2011. He is known for films like '12 Angry Men', 'Dog Day Afternoon', 'Network', and 'The Verdict'. I remember him for his direction of Christopher Reeve and Michael Caine in the 1982 film 'Deathtrap'.


Deathtrap began as a 1978 play by Ira Levin which received a Tony Award nomination for Best Play. I find the 1982 film to be a great thriller with mysterious suspense and dialogue. It's a favorite of mine and I post this one, today, as a tribute and honor to director Sidney Lumet.

Before Sunrise - 1995 & Before Sunset - 2004

Experience the most interesting double-feature with these two films.   Begin with Before Sunrise and be introduced to Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) who meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one romantic evening together in Vienna, Austria.   The dialogue is wonderful (it's before texting when you can actually see the emotions in people's faces).   Follow-up Before Sunrise with Before Sunset when the same couple meets almost ten years later.   One won't be sorry with these films...but be sure it is screened alone or with a 'special someone'.   You have to really listen to all of the fantastic words they share.   This is the ideal romantic drama.

Before Sunrise was inspired by a woman that the director, Richard Linklater, met in a toy shop in Philadelphia in 1989.  They walked around the city together, conversing deep into the night.  Originally, in the screenplay, who the two people were and the city they spend time in was vague.  Linklater realized that because the film is so much a dialogue between a man and a woman he knew that it was important to have a strong woman co-writer. He chose Kim Krizan, who had small roles in his two previous films Slacker and Dazed and Confused.  According to Linklater, he "loved the way her mind worked" - a constant stream of confident and intelligent ideas.

In his review for the Los Angeles Times, Peter Rainer wrote, "It's an attempt to make a mainstream youth movie with a bit more feeling and mysteriousness than most, and, in this, it succeeds".

Waking Life - 2001

No human being interested in their own journey through life could walk away from this movie the same. Exploring every facet of existential thought from self-actualization to the theory of an afterlife, this movie relies more on its diverse (and sometimes contradicting) ideas and ideologies more than the plot itself.

Think of 'Waking Life' as a documentary that interviews the greatest minds this world has to offer, while displaying the information through the eyes of a boy stuck in a dream. The visual aspects of the movie are a dream themselves. Unlike Richard Linklater's other frame by frame drawn over animations, 'Waking Life' assigns a different artist to each scene making for one hell of a piece of art.

'Waking Life' changed my world forever. I hope it does the same for you.

Defiance - 2008

This moving, dramatic film is based on actual events.  Daniel Craig stars as Tuvia Bielski, one of four Jewish brothers who escape from Poland into the forests of Belarus during World War II to lead a band of resistance fighters and create a safe haven for Jewish refugees.  The real-life sanctuary established by the Bielski brothers saved more than 1,000 Jews from persecution and death.  Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell and George MacKay also star.  I love this film.

Jumper - 2008

Hayden Christensen stars in this science fiction film based on the 1992 sci-fi novel by Steven Gould.   It's a thrill ride adventure.   The main character known as David Rice literally has the ability to jump from one place to the next instantaneously.    This motion-picture was brilliantly filmed in 20 cities in 14 countries between 2006 and 2007 (talk about an escape all over the world).    The plot unfolds as the handsome young man is chased by a secret society intent on killing him.  The ending leaves it open for a sequel that I hope will come sooner versus later. 

Imitation of Life - 1959

This is one of the first films that I can recall seeing where I actually cried.   There was something so poignant about that ending scene.   In the above clip I couldn't help but laugh out loud when Sandra Dee says to Lana Turner, "Oh Momma, stop acting!"

This American film was directed by Douglas Sirk and produced by Ross Hunter.  Gospel music star Mahalia Jackson appears as a church choir soloist.  The film is an adaptation of Fannie Hurst's novel of the same name (Imitation Of Life).  It is the second film adaptation of the novel.  The first film was released in 1934.

Lana Turner's wardrobe for Imitation of Life cost over $1.078 million, making it one of the most expensive in cinema history at that time.

The actress who plays the African-American daughter Peola in the 1934 film, was an actual light-skinned African American, who was noted for turning down a number of offers by Hollywood agents to pass for white and become a star.  Although many African Americans were screen-tested for the corresponding Sarah Jane role in the 1959 remake,  Susan Kohner, of Mexican and Czech Jewish Czech descent, won the role.  Natalie Wood was considered for the role of Sarah Jane Johnson that went to Susan Kohner.  Karin Dicker, of Jewish descent, made her film debut as the young Sarah Jane in this film.

Lana Turner took a much smaller salary than her usual $25,000 per week and worked for 50% of the film's profits, which earned her over $2 million (setting a record for an actress at that time).