Year: 2016

“The Night Of”—A Tale of Darkness

Written by diana on August 14, 2016. Posted in Television reviews. 5 Comments on “The Night Of”—A Tale of Darkness

“The Night Of” HBO series In the mini-series “The Night Of,” currently on HBO, the opening scene showcases a mysterious and beautiful young woman who dies and someone goes to trial. Will justice prevail? “The Night Of” combines elements of the popular podcast “Serial”’ and the TV series“Oz”. “The Night Of” depicts the horrific conditions endured by Naz Khan on Ryker’s Island, reminding the viewer of “Oz”. And half-truths and damning evidence suggest the Serial podcast about a young Pakistani American teenager, Adnan Syed. Did he or didn’t he—that is the question in both....

“The Tunnel” — Turf War or Building Bridges?

Written by diana on August 7, 2016. Posted in Television reviews. 5 Comments on “The Tunnel” — Turf War or Building Bridges?

The Tunnel This British-French bilingual thriller is a PBS television series, adapted from the 2011 Danish/Swedish crime series “The Bridge” [also remade as a 2013 American Fox series with a Mexican/American police team]. Hans Rosenfeldt, the original creator, develops this British-French version, renamed “The Tunnel”, as well. “The Tunnel” stars Stephen Dillane (of “Game of Thrones” fame) as British policeman Karl Roebuck and Clémence Poésy (from “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”) as French policewoman Elise Wassermann. The mismatched detectives must work together to find...

“Buen Día, Ramón” –The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

Written by diana on July 31, 2016. Posted in movie reviews. 4 Comments on “Buen Día, Ramón” –The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

The German-Mexican co-production, “Buen Día Ramón” (“Good Day, Ramón”) tells the unusual story of a poor young Mexican immigrant named Ramon who emigrates to Germany after having incredibly bad luck in his multiple attempts to emigrate to the US illegally. Desperately in need of finding work to support his mother and provide medicine to his grandmother, he decides, on a friend’s advice, to travel to Germany. Ramon’s remarkable openness to accept the kindness of strangers and begrudge none of his hardships is rendered believable. Struggling to survive on the street,...

“The Past” (Le Passé)—Does the Past Define Us?

Written by diana on July 24, 2016. Posted in movie reviews. 4 Comments on “The Past” (Le Passé)—Does the Past Define Us?

THE PAST (LE PASSÉ) was nominated for the 2013 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or award, the Iranian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award , and a Golden Globe. Directed and written by Asghar Farhadi of “A Separation” fame (winner of the 2011 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film). Ahmad, an Iranian man (the remarkable Ali Mosaffa) deserted his French wife Marie Brisson (the sublime Bérénice Bejo of “The Artist”) and her two children from a previous marriage. Now living in Tehran, he is asked to return to Paris to finalize his divorce because Marie wishes to marry a third...

“The Innocents”—And War

Written by diana on July 16, 2016. Posted in movie reviews. 4 Comments on “The Innocents”—And War

Guest blogger: Barbara Donsky, author of the memoir Veronica’s Grave, and blog owner of www.desperatelyseekingParis.com For the unedited version of this review go to Barbara Donsky’s blog Les innocentes Writers and film-makers continue to successfully mine stories stemming from World War II. “The Innocents” is such a film—a Polish-French venture by the director Anne Fontaine that takes place in December 1945. Based on real events as described by Madeleine Pauliac, a French Red Cross doctor who had served with French troops in war-torn Poland, the film illuminates the various...

“Closed Circuit”—We’re Under Surveillance

Written by diana on July 10, 2016. Posted in movie reviews. 1 Comment on “Closed Circuit”—We’re Under Surveillance

“Closed Circuit” (2013), an adrenaline-pumping political thriller, portrays corrupt government forces who will stop at nothing. It’s an exciting genre. The title “Closed Circuit” is designed to raise the alarm over both the injustice of closed court hearings and the use of surveillance technology. Covert surveillance amplifies the sense that London has become a police state with ubiquitous security cameras. We don’t know who’s watching or how they’re using what they see. The opening scene provides the hook. After a truck explodes in London’s bustling Borough Market, killling 120 people, authorities...