Arthur & Merlin

Rating: 80%

(www.wow247.co.uk)

Also Known As:

Version:

needed to precede following dl

Language:

Length:

104 minutes (Uncut)

Review Format:

DVD

Year:

2015

Country:

Predominant Genre:

Fantasy

Director:

Outstanding Performances:

None

Premiss:

A young Celtic warrior and a hermit wizard must unite to defeat an evil druid.

Themes:

Aggression | Christianity | Coming‑of‑age | Compassion | Courage | Curative | Curiosity | Destiny | Empathy | Equality | Humanity | Identity | Individualism | Justice | Love | Loyalty | Narcissism | Parasitism | Political | Preventive | Sadomasochism | Schizophrenia | Self‑Esteem | Self‑Expression | White culture | White people

Similar to:

Arthfael & Myrrdin

Summary: Epic entertainment – on a budget.

The best King Arthur film – ever – played with all the necessary conviction.

A quest for each man to achieve his identity and the purpose for which he possesses an aptitude – against the delusion that one can only achieve when one is ready to do so (or in comparison to others), since one can never actually know when one is ready until one actually tries. After all, a willingness to try and do what one cannot yet do is the only way to learn how to eventually do it.

All it lacks is a compelling exploration of the political conflict between the old, pagan gods and the then‑new Christian one, which this movie implies is central to any abstract understanding of the culture depicted – as well as the non‑material reasons one might have for defending such a culture.

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Copyright © 2015 Frank TALKER.
Permission hereby granted to reproduce & distribute this posting in any form – provided you cite this Blog.
All other rights reserved.

To Live and Die in LA (1985)

RATING:	80%
FORMAT:	DVD

(http://axasteoque.blogspot.co.uk)

Good hoist with his own petard crime drama, that is rather too slow moving and lacking in insight into why a cop would become so obsessed with catching a criminal that he becomes one himself, for its own good.

That said, the performances are excellent and intense and the style very slick indeed.

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Copyright © 2009 Frank TALKER. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute it in any format; provided that mention of the author’s Weblog (http://franktalker5.blogspot.com) is included: E-mail notification requested. All other rights reserved.

Elena et les hommes (1956)

Rating: 60%

(http://ratocine.blogspot.co.uk)

[Elena and Her Men;
Paris Does Strange Things]

Rather light sex comedy confection with a typically enchanting performance from Ingrid Bergman. She conveys warm hearted femininity and tolerant boredom with her many suitors with equal aplomb. (They’re either rich but old or young but penniless.)

(http://cinemasparagus.blogspot.co.uk)

However, the film does not add up to much in its cheery, disposable way as it shows the irrepressible human sexual urge in most of its more obvious manifestations. Taking on elements of French farce, this is good, undemanding fun that should leave you with a smile on your face.

(http://theredlist.com)

Basically a movie about the choices of men a beautiful woman has to consider prior to marrying one of them, the plotting, characterization and the themes are thin to non existent. The movie lacks the political dimension that would have made it truly memorable.

(http://cinemasparagus.blogspot.co.uk)

(http://cinemasparagus.blogspot.co.uk)

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Copyright © 2008 Frank TALKER. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute it in any format; provided that mention of the author’s Weblog (http://franktalker.blogspot.com) is included: E-mail notification requested. All other rights reserved.

À la folie… pas du tou (2002)

Rating: 60%

(www.turkcealtyazi.org)

[He Loves Me… He Loves Me Not]

Interesting take on the feminine madness of Black Narcissus and Play Misty for Me. This uses Audrey Tautou’s adorable qualities to good effect in her role as an art student infatuated with a handsome, married doctor. She becomes schizophrenically-obsessed with him and imagines a non-existent affair; all the while acting as though it were real.

This film cannot quite decide whether it is a thriller or a serious dissection of obsession, paranoia and unrequited love. It sits unhappily between these three stools with only Tautou’s undeniable charm to keep us going. In the end, it is little more than a movie with a casting gimmick that uses the persona of its lead from a previous film to completely undercut audience expectations. Here, she only appears to be delightful when in fact she is quite lonely and seriously screwed-up.

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Copyright © 2008 Frank TALKER. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute it in any format; provided that mention of the author’s Weblog (http://franktalker.blogspot.com) is included: E-mail notification requested. All other rights reserved.

Poupées Russes (2005)

Rating: 80%

(www.challenges.fr)

[Russian Dolls]

Bravura piece of entertainment that’s well plotted, well acted and carefully and cleverly directed.

Romain Duris is the hero guiding us through what is basically a portmanteau piece based on his character’s sexual adventures. This movie reflects well the ennui and anomie of contemporary Western culture in being both a witty and a perceptive look at modern sexual relationships.

Where it fails lies in it having no insight into love. This matches the characters’ essential anhedonia; manifesting itself in serial romances that are little better than promiscuity or unpaid prostitution. To claim that love is a mystery - as the film finally does - is a cop out made by those who fear to admit they don’t know what love is because they’ve not only never experienced it, but never will.

Clever, but just not quite clever enough to be great.

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Copyright © 2008 Frank TALKER. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute it in any format; provided that mention of the author’s Weblog (http://franktalker.blogspot.com) is included: E-mail notification requested. All other rights reserved.