Film Dictionary

October 10, 2024

My Old Ass (2024) ****

A wonderful, magnificent film about love, but very different from a typical romantic comedy, although it is that too, but also so much more. A queer film about a young girl falling in love with a boy. A comedy about a 18-year old girl meeting an older version of herself at 39. A Canadian movie about a family that isn't fuck up at all, not even a little bit. A rare gem.

A Complete Unknown (2024) ****

Excellent biopic about a key period in Bob Dylan's career - 1961 to 1965. Great songs, great performances and a fabulous reconstruction of that era, when the American folk music would discover an electric guitar.

Le Roman de Jim (2024) ****

Flow (2024) ****

Fabulous animated feature from Latvia. It's the story of a cat whose life is upended by a massive flood, leading to an unexpected and touching alliance with a diverse group of animals: a capybara, a bird, a lemur, and a dog. Not unlike "Ponyo" (2009) and "Life Of Pi" (2012), but surprisingly different in a variety of ways.

The Brutalist (2024) ****

A very strange film that can be interpreted in a variety of ways.

Universal Language (2024) ****

A brilliant satiric film set in Winnipeg. It pays homage to the Iranian cinema while commenting on the linguistic tensions in Canada from an entirely different perspective.

The Seed Of The Sacred Fig (2024) ****

Set during the anti-hijab protests in Iran, it's a tense, surprising drama about an investigative judge who finds himself in a tug-of-war against his wife and two daughters. The film was secretly shot in Iran by dissident director Mohammad Rasoulof, who is now wanted by the police in his own country, where he has been sentenced to eight years in prison, flogging, a fine and the confiscation of property. However, he managed to escape from Iran to attend the Cannes Film Festival, where he received a Special Award for his film.

Conclave (2024) ****

Way better than "Angels And Demons", a very suspenseful political drama full of intrigues during an election of a pope. The final twist is a bit much, but all the rest is pitch perfect.

Emilia Perez (2024) ****

Surprising French film set in Mexico, with a story straight out of a Latin American telenovela, stunning musical numbers, a powerful political message and superlative acting performances from Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldana and Adriana Paz (who all won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival).

September 9, 2024

September 5 (2024) ***

Tense and exciting drama about the television coverage of the hostage drama during the Munich Olympics in 1972.

Hit Man (2024) ***

The second act is weak, but the rest of the film is quite fascinating. It's based on a true story, except for the ending.

Soundtrack To A Coup d'état (2024) ***

Ever wondered if there was a connection between the jazz music of Louis Armstrong and the assassination of Patrice Lumumba in Congo in 1960 ? This excellent documentary doesn't quite answer THAT question, but it's still a very compelling history lesson about that pivotal moment in Cold War politics.

The Apprentice (2024) ***

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The Substance (2024) ***

Excellent body horror movie starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley.

Civil War (2024) ***

The film tries hard to hide its political message, but there are more than enough hints as to where its actual sympathies lie. Nick Offerman's president is a barely disguised Donald Trump, Jesse Plemons' genocidal soldier doesn't need to carry a tiki torch to be easily identifiable, and the numerous mentions of Charlottesville aren't subtle at all. A weird (and unlikely) alliance between Texas and California aside, it's basically an anti-MAGA allegory masquerading as an anti-war one.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) ***

A very good sequel to the 1988 classic.

Saturday Night (2024) ***

Excellent comedy about the night of the 1975 premiere of NBC's Saturday Night Live.

Deadpool And Wolverine (2024) ***

A self-reflexive, brechtian deconstruction of the superhero genre, using parody, irony, sarcasm and coarse language in a fresh and innovative way.

Joker: Folie à deux (2024) ***

A weird musical, but also an impressive (and deeply disturbing) prison drama.

Babygirl (2024) ***

Excellent erotic drama starring Nicole Kidman as a masochistic CEO who engages in an adulterous affair with a young intern.

Nosferatu (1922) ***

Visually stunning horror movie about an evil vampire from Transylvania. Clearly an homage to the classic 1922 version directed by F.W. Murnau.

A Different Man (2024) ***

Seriously weird film about a man with a severely disfigured face. After he is cured, he gets a lead role in a play based on his own life, only to lose it to another man with a severely disfigured face.

Wicked (2024) ***

The entire cast is superb, but Ariana Grande still manages to steal the movie from everyone else. It's a star-making bravura performance of the highest order, and her greatest show-stopping musical number, "Popular", is the highlight of the entire film. Songs:

"No One Mourns The Wicked"

"Dear Old Shiz"

"The Wizard And I"

"What Is This Feeling?"

"Something Bad"

"Dancing Through Life"

"Popular" ***

"I'M Not That Girl"

"One Short Day"

"A Sentimental Man"

"Defying Gravity"