Solid Italian film by Paolo Virzi about two families in Milan. One family, the Bernaschi are nouveau riche and the husband (Fabrizio Gifuni) is a hedge funder who makes and loses obscene amounts of money. His wife is a retired actress (excellent Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) who dabbles in the idea of restoring a theatre and spends money on nick-nacks for her luxurious home. Son Massimiliano is a spoilt brat finishing school and sulking when he doesn’t get a coveted prize
and getting regularly plastered. For some of the film he is dating Serena Ossola (Matilde Gioli), who is an interesting young woman. She ends up with a local misfit Luca, who is regarded as a bit of a bad boy.
Her father Dino (a repulsive Fabrizio Bentivoglio) is a small-time real-estate who wants to take advantage of his daughter’s friendship with the Bernaschi to make some extra money. His second wife (played by Valeria Golino) is a counsellor.
The drama occurs when a cyclist is knocked over in a hit and run on a snowy winter night and Massimiliano is the prime suspect. Serena covers for him and then the police get interested in the family. At this precise moment a business deal also comes unstuck.
So, a bleak and at times wryly satirical look at the Italian rich and how their lack of scruples ends up affecting so many. Goood acting, script, photography and music but seldom lifting to anything brilliant though Bruni Tedeschi
is a pleasure to watch.
★★★★
His character Troy Maxson is one of the antiheros of American literature, a man who has pulled himself up from his bootstraps and yet for all he has managed to achieve: house, steady job and family, he remains in victim mode.
As a psychological portrayal, his contradictions are indeed both fascinating and realistic and this film, which tells the story of how he manages to pull down everything he has built up is a relatively recent American tragedy. It is set in the 50s and 60s.
Washington is compelling as Troy, by turns violent, proud, wise, pathetic. In this movie he is brilliantly accompanied by Rose, his wife played by Viola Davis
and much deserving of all her awards. Her performance as the long suffering but understanding wife involves a number of heart-breaking scenes that she nails every time.
T….. as his son Cory, with whom Troy ends up fighting a lot in a way to clip his wings is also well cast and there are other sound supporting performance. The first part of the movie seems forced and theatrical
and it is only in the middle that it starts to take flight with various secrets revealed.
Some of our worst suspicions come to light and the drama soars at this point to finally slowly and gently land at the end. While Fences is specifically the case of a black man making his own way in the world,
I couldn’t help feeling that it applies to anyone of an underclass fighting to gain their place in the world.
masquerading as benign social networks, ends up being messily handled in this thriller with little thrill apart from a morbid car crash and a vague if scary look into the future. Emma Watson is Mae,
an intake to this Silicon Valley like place and she gets quickly swallowed up into the social network mood of the place
and accepts the challenge of wearing a camera which means her life will be online all day. This predictably has negative consequences for her and her family.
Watson is sound enough in this lead role and Tom Hanks is convincing as the company leader.
Karen Gillan as Mae’s friend Annie provides some much needed sanity.
In the end the film falls apart without really discussing the issues raised or providing us with a good old fashioned thriller. All a bit of a flop.
to make a movie that blends thriller, morals and high finance culture. Again, there is poetic licence at work as the reality would be less like this closed shop Agatha Christie imitation.
Daniel Auteuil plays Roché, the leader of the group and a genius and very ambitious banker who wants the monk to take his confession. 
A number of other well-known faces make up the rest of this competent cast.
The fact that there are no grand theories coming out of this – rather a hopeless dressing up of our inadequacies in the subject of economics is probably just the point.
and their father who live in the wilderness. At first, they get by
but as supplies dwindle and they can’t get to town the tension rises. Father dies in a horrifying accident and the girls are left to fend for themselves. A potential boyfriend (Max Minghella) 
appears and then leaves as does a local weirdo.
The house begins to disintegrate and the girls are forced to hunt for food. There are patches of poetic licence, some events that seem a little forced but as the film goes on the focus on the sisters’ relationship
and their dependence on one another despite everything becomes the most important factor and rescues this film. Otherwise, it would not be so convincing or appealing. Ellen Page and especially Evan Rachel Wood do good work as the sisters. 
Overall, a little less than successful as a movie but beautifully filmed.
and via a love affair involving the central characters it traces the attempts of the country to become independent followed by the Russian annexation for oil.
As a historical document it is indeed interesting, and seems to be quite well filmed in Azerbaijan and Turkey recreating the period.
The love story involving Muslim Ali Khan (Adam Bakri, attractive) and Nino Kipriani, a Georgian princess (Maria Valverde)
takes centre stage but seems rather forced, bereft of much dialogue and full of languid stares.
Christopher Hampton’s screenplay seems rather paint-by-numbers and it is left to Gokhan Tiryaki’s beautiful photography
and a pleasing soundtrack by Dario Marianelli to compensate for the lack of drama.
and his best friend Kim.
It ends with his own confirmation
and the contradictions of a protestant church and its austerity and the Danish habit of getting drunk readily and having early sex. Mind you, the film is set in the 70’s so that may have changed.
The speed walking referred to is the sport at which Martin excels. While it is no classic, this film quietly observes society and our foibles
and tells a coming-of-age story. Villads Boye is fine as Martin and we even have Sidse Babett Knudsen in a supporting role as a battered wife.
Enjoyable.
and has to do all his paperwork online. He befriends a young single mother with two kids
who is being similarly treated and tries to help her to get ahead in her house and with a job. The problem is that in depressed Newcastle-on-Tyne, things are dire
and any progress is minimal. With Ken Loach’s typically quiet but broad brushstrokes we see the insensitive and positively perverse state impeding the rights of honest people
trying to survive and subsisting on small acts of kindness between each other. Dave Johns is totally convincing as Daniel and Hayley Squires
does a great job as single mum Katy. Great script by Paul Laverty exposing the absurdities of the system. An important movie.
Given the amount of plot, the film is quite rich and interesting and focuses on two sisters (Marian Alvarez
and Manuela Velles)
involved in different ways in the struggle. Acting is good and the set pieces and general direction (Simon Casal de Miguel) is professional.
However, something prevents the film from lifting completely and despite a fairly exciting ending I came away with a bit of a feeling of having seen a paint by numbers film.
Shame because all the elements were in place but it just seemed to need a more creative touch. Interesting to learn about this event in any case.
Marlo is the more forward and sensible one, who is sensitive enough to deal with Kirill and his moods and obsessions.
With very little dialogue, the director Diemo Kemmesies paints the burgeoning relationship in all its ups and downs with an almost old fashioned Berlin as a backdrop. Not a movie for those seeking action
but one that is truer to many relationships in real life. Martin Bruchmann as Marlo takes the acting laurels.
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