ANTONIO LOPEZ 1970 SEX FASHION DISCO--Dynamic, creative documentary about fashion illustrator who danced and sexed and drew and worked with such luminaries as Bill Cunningham, Jessica Lange, Jerry Hall, Grace Jones, Karl Lagerfeld and many others, with some lengthy, insightful interviews--creating a vivid impressive image of the wild late 1960's through the 1970's. GRADE--------------A
FIRST REFORMED---Excellent comeback film for Paul Schrader combining drama, politics, religion, this thriller features a fine performance by Ethan Hawkes, and it packs a metaphysical punch. GRADE---------A
SANCHO THE BAILIFF--Superior direction, a vividly grim story and spectacular black and white camera work highlight this classic Japanese film from 1954. GRADE---------A
SEE YOU UP THERE---From France, a unique story mix of war, comedy, fantasy, and horror set during and after WWI. The lead who has lost his lower face in the war, wears a series of surprising masks but he has very expressive eyes. GRADE-----------A-
LEAVE NO TRACE--Local production about broken veteran trying to live in the wild with his teen daughter. She longs for some consistency and social structures. Beautifully rendered. GRADE-----------A-
MCQUEEN---Fascinating documentary about British genius clothing designer Lee Alexander McQueen and his short but celebrated life as one of the world's great and controversial creative minds. GRADE--------A-
SADIE----Excellent local drama set in a trailer park, but performed with heartbreaking universality featuring excellent work by Sophia Mitri Scloss as a teen missing her military father and conflicted by her lonely "single" mother Melanie Lynskey. GRADE-------B+
RAZZIA--Intriguing film from France and Morocco features five different characters demonstrating the challenges of a modernizing Morocco and how it affects their lives. I particularly loved the epic feel given the film from the musical score. GRADE-----B+
MAN OF INTEGRITY--Iranian film about small town corruption used against honest man to force him from his land. A slow burner with a sad but honest ending. GRADE-------B+
THE BEAST---British film about relationship between troubled female older teen and a young man who may be the leading suspect to a series of murders in small community. The enigmatic events lead to a creepy ending. GRADE-----------B+
MADEMOISELLE PARADIS---Austria----Superior well- mounted bio-pic about a blind pianist who submits herself to a doctor trying to cure her, amid her skeptical family and society bureaucrats. GRADE-----------B+
SULEIMAN MOUNTAIN---Older wife will do anything to keep her husband from leaving her and preferring new younger wife--all the while traveling the countryside. From Kyrgyzstan. GRADE----------------B+
ANGELES WEAR WHITE---China
GRADE------B
BEE NATION---Spelling bee movie documentary set in First Nations of Canada made me smile throughout. GRADE-----B
RACER AND JAILBIRD--Germany. Slick crime thriller with good girl/bad guy.
GRADE-------B
LUNA--France---Bad girl falls for good guy she helped abuse several weeks earlier. GRADE----B
STREAKER--Switzerland--Pleasing, naughty comedy drama, set during soccer matches. GRADE--B
ETERNAL ROAD--Finland--Man forced to live in Russia between World Wars finds horrors. GRADE-----B
MARLINA THE MURDERER IN FOUR ACTS--Indonesia--Interesting story of revenge is nicely
filmed. but moves a beat too slowly for me. GRADE--------B-
MARILYN---Argentina---Gay teen struggles to express himself in repressive environment after losing his father. A modest film leads to shocking ending. GRADE--------B-
THE MOST UNKNOWN--Belgium, Italy--Lots of talk about unknown scientific facts, but hardly any visuals. I was disappointed and a bit bored, but scientists and tech people seemed to like it more than me. GRADE----------C+
DARK RIVER--British film that desperately needed subtitles--most of the dialogue is unintelligible, and this moody, depressing film which deals with an abused woman returning to her home farm is heavy handed and pointless. GRADE----------D
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