The first character of the cinema was the mass: In La sortie des usines Lumière, credited as the first ever film, a crowd of factory workers leave a factory. While on repeated viewings you could begin to pick out the quirks and personalities of certain subjects, the real character was the group, the mass, the …
The general consensus regarding Danny Boyle’s 2007 flick Sunshine is as follows; thoughtful and atmospheric set up, promising narrative with originality and good characterization and mood, then dumped on its ass by an off-tangent mood swing of a climax, resorting to slasher horror suspense instead of its distinct brainy sensibilities. Considering the fact that Boyle …
Beyond the Hills (Dupa dealuri) Directed by Cristian Mungiu Written by Cristian Mungiu (inspired by the non-fiction novels of Tatiana Niculescu Bran) 2012, Romania At 150 minutes, Cristian Mungiu’s Beyond the Hills is not a second overlong. Extended as its takes may be and as patiently as the narrative progresses to its drained conclusion, there …
A Bottle in the Gaza Sea Directed by Thierry Binisti Written by Thierry Binisti and Valérie Zenatti France/Canada/Israel, 2011 Friends who want to stay friends don’t discuss religion or politics. Contentious and divisive, discussions about these hot topic issues tend to lead to fiery debates, with interlockers entrenched in their predisposed ideologies. Verbal disputes …