The Love Witch (2016)
She loved men... to death
Filmmaker(s): Anna Biller
A modern-day witch uses spells and magic to get men to fall in love with her, with deadly consequences.
Pitch Perfect (2012)
Get pitch slapped.
Filmmaker(s): Jason Moore
College student Beca knows she does not want to be part of a clique, but that's exactly where she finds herself after arriving at her new school. Thrust in among mean gals, nice gals and just plain weird gals, Beca finds that the only thing they have in common is how well they sing together. She takes the women of the group out of their comfort zone of traditional arrangements and into a world of amazing harmonic combinations in a fight to the top of college music competitions.
06 Jul Pitch Perfect (2012)
Packaged Energy I recall watching ‘Fame’ when it came out. It surely was not the first film that was a performance about a performance with a personal quest overlain. But it was the first in my film life. There have since been hundreds of these...
Decision to Leave (2022)
The closer you look, the harder you fall.
Filmmaker(s): Park Chan-wook
From a mountain peak in South Korea, a man plummets to his death. Did he jump, or was he pushed? When detective Hae-joon arrives on the scene, he begins to suspect the dead man’s wife Seo-rae. But as he digs deeper into the investigation, he finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire.
02 Jul Decision to Leave (2022)
The Mist of Midst One of my ‘Fours’ is ‘In the Mood for Love’. I will have this film join that group as well, and for much the same reason. Passion is more likely to be internally held than spilled about. It is more likely...Published July 2, 2024
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Boxing Helena (1993)
Beyond love, beyond obsession, there hides something beyond reason.
Filmmaker(s): Jennifer Lynch
A top surgeon is besotted with a beautiful woman who once rebuffed him. Unable to come to terms with life without her, he tries to convince her that they need each other. She has other ideas, but a horrific accident leaves her at his mercy.
20 Apr Boxing Helena (1993)
Children Oh what a problem adult children are. What do you do with children who become people? I’m thinking here are of children of friends who you admire and respect in some way, who are worth living and being with. Who enrich your life so...
Infinity (1996)
Filmmaker(s): Matthew Broderick
Story of the early life of genius and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman.
02 Apr Infinity (1996)
Surely You Jest Some theorists live in the world of their theories. If you are going to pay attention to people, these are the most worthwhile. And certainly if you are going to build a film around them, you have some pretty rich possibilities. That’s...
28 Feb Elemental
Spatial Depth I suppose most people will talk about the story. It has the by now standard Father dynamics. The also now standard tension from a systemic (I hesitate to say ‘environmental’) threat rather than a bad guy. And a love story of the typical...
The Switch (2010)
The most unexpected comedy ever conceived.
Filmmaker(s): Josh Gordon, Will Speck
Kassie is a smart, fun-loving single woman who, despite her neurotic best friend Wally’s objections, decides it’s time to have a baby – even if it means doing it herself… with a little help from a charming sperm donor. But, unbeknownst to her, Kassie’s plans go awry because of a last-minute switch that isn’t discovered until seven years later… when Wally gets acquainted with Kassie’s cute, though slightly neurotic, son.
23 Feb The Switch (2010)
Unseminal Pity the poor studio executive. The mainstay of the entire movie business is the romantic comedy. That is to say: the romance that does not challenge. Without this, the bottom falls out of the financial infrastructure because they are cheap and reliable. But more:...
The Tourist (2010)
It all started when he met a woman.
Filmmaker(s): Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
American tourist Frank meets mysterious British woman Elsie on the train to Venice. Romance seems to bud, but there's more to her than meets the eye.
23 Feb The Tourist (2010)
Charade This film is quite an achievement, because it attempts to reproduce a form from 40 – 50 years ago, without any adjustment. The form is simple, being a variety of a con movie but without announcing itself. It involves a couple and adventure; only...
Black Angel (2002)
Filmmaker(s): Tinto Brass
Trapped in an unhappy marriage, the wife of a high ranking Fascist official starts a dangerous, self-destructive relationship with a duplicitous S.S. Officer.
23 Feb Black Angel (2002)
Europa’s Butt Franco and Brass, even Argento matter to me. They have intuition that inspires. Yes, they make vulgar and sometimes nonsensical films. But that is just a matter of degree compared to Hollywood fare, right? What I like about Brass isn’t about the women...
The Flower of My Secret (1995)
Every woman has a secret...
Filmmaker(s): Pedro Almodóvar
Leo is a middle-aged writer of popular romantic novels who writes under a pseudonym, but despises her own work. At home, her husband, who works overseas, is distant both physically and emotionally. As she reevaluates her life and writing, Leo is led to an unexpected relationship with Angel, a sensitive newspaper editor.
