New releases that look interesting

A few films that I am adding to my "maybe" or "to-see" lists; from RogerEbert.com

Drama

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Ordinary Love
3.5 stars. "Ordinary Love" stars Liam Neeson and the exquisite Lesley Manville in the story of a couple who are navigating the world of serious illness, the euphemisms and delays, from initial tests that are "concerning" to the diagnosis: "the results weren't what we hoped."

Comedy

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Come As You Are
3 stars.  Seems like a new twist on an old tale, and sounds somewhat promising with co-stars like Gaborey Sidibe and Jeanne Garafalo - I can't imagine them being in an unredeeming lowbrow romp. "On paper, it might sound an awful lot like a raunchy, “American Pie”-meets-“Superbad” sex comedy we’ve seen a million times before. But you might be genuinely moved, and even in tears by the end of Richard Wong’s imperfect yet gradually disarming dramedy “Come As You Are,” which follows three men with disabilities as they take a road trip from Colorado to Montreal in order to lose their virginities at a brothel exclusively serving a special-needs clientele."

International

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I Was At Home But.... (Germany)
3 stars. "The title of Angela Schanelec's tenth feature calls to mind Yasujirō Ozu's 1932 film "I was Born But ..." (1932), but it's not just a tip of the hat to the Japanese master. The title, cutting off a sentence half-way through, speaks to how the film operates—the gaps in the narrative, gaps between scenes, timelines and characters, how moments trail off—as the ensuing silences reverberate somehow with what's not being said. Things don't fit together neatly (or at all). Even time is parsed out in strange ways: it's truncated or elongated or it stands still entirely. It's almost like the film itself blacks out periodically, and wakes up some time later, having no idea what happened in the intervening hours. "I Was at Home, But... " creates a space where questions are asked, but rarely answered, where things are suggested and never underlined, and every element—camera placement, music, blocking, sound design—is so deliberate that it pulls you into its vortex, and it makes you submit to its severe rhythms. "I Was at Home, But ..." is a very intriguing experience, one I am still thinking about."

Phantom Thread (2017) and Satan's Brew (1976)

Phantom Thread is a very beautifully made film with a wonderful music score and great performances. Daniel Day Lewis stars as a dress designer Reynolds Woodcock, and describes himself as a "confirmed bachelor". Leslie Manville (so good in Another Year) plays his sister and business partner. A relationship starts between Reynolds and a new young woman (Vicky Krieps), which stirs some jealously in the sister character. Strange occurrences develop throughout the film and there's some mystery as to what's happening and why. It's not an easy film to encapsulate, but the two main characters are very interesting; Reynolds is very obsessive, while the young woman wants to break him of his mold; in one scene she wants to go out dancing on New Year's Eve, but he wants to stay in and work. What would happen with the sister character kept me guessing as well. The relationship in the movie is an unusual one to say the least, and was sort of reminded of a film that I've blogged about numerous times in the past, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

I also attended a local screening of a German-language film Satan's Brew (1976) directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, a very dark and bizarre comedy-mystery, which reminded me somewhat of Phantom Thread. The main character in the picture (Kurt Raab, star of Why Does Herr H Run Amok) is also an obsessive artist - a writer - who channels the German poet Stefan George to great lengths, to the point of even dressing like him and acting like him. I saw similarities between him and PT's Reynolds Woodcock, both controlling men with an unusual marriage relationship. Like that film, this film is also a mystery, and the truth is hidden from the audience until the very end. It's also has some elements that may be considered offensive to some, as the main character is so despicable; he's a womanizing, scheming, manipulative, greedy, selfish, rude, lewd, tactless pig, so it's not a film for everyone.

Another review of the film Satan's Brew from the blog Surrender to the Void

Another Year (2010)

I saw this movie the other night. It's great. About a London couple (Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen) and the various characters in their life.  Tom (Broadbent) is a geologist who has a few more years before retirement. He enjoys golfing with his friends and gardening with his wife (Sheen) in a communal garden (they are always bringing home vegetables) Both love to cook, so there are a number of scenes where they are cooking for friends and family. In fact, the movie is split into 4 acts divided by the seasons.  There's always a lunch or dinner scene in each act. It's pretty cool.

Ruth Sheen and Jim Broadbent are a
loving and devoted couple who make time for
family and friends

The couple have a 30-year old son. People are asking whether or not he has a girlfriend. Does he have a secret? Gerry (Sheen), a psychologist, has a co-worker (Leslie Manville) who doesn't have many friends or family, so she's always dropping by their house. She's single, lonely, and enjoys a few drinks. But does he have more serious problems? Director Mike Leigh doesn't let us know the full stories of these characters right away. We must watch the entire film. It's captivating. The characters in this movie are so real; they reminded me of my own family. And the acting seems so natural, even improvised, which is what I love about his movies Secrets and Lies, Vera Drake, and Happy Go Lucky.  Leslie Manville is just incredible in this; she won several awards for her amazing performance, including a BAFTA nomination.

Another Year is a quiet, serious adult drama, delightful and fun at times, and even heartbreaking at times.  I highly recommend it.

I saw this Monday night at the Tivoli Theater, an old-fashioned downtown movie house in Downer's Grove, IL

If you saw the movie Happy Go Lucky, do you remember the flamenco instructor?

Well the actress who plays her has a small role Another Year 

Here is a funny scene from Happy Go Lucky featuring the dance instructor.




Read another review from Mike's Movie Projector

Another blog post by Cliched Monologues