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Reviews
The Lodger (1944)
the lodger
One of the major problems faced by this film is the suspense element: it is obvious from the very beginning who the murderer is, and where an attachment to the characters would have been the only vehicle for producing such an emotion, it is lacking here. Which, naturally, is another problem: distasteful and even repulsive at times, they create what must have been an ideal Victorian EastEnd in the film-maker's mind. Bland is about as high as any of these characters can get.
Acting was relatively good in this film. However, there were too many plot letdowns and unnecessary digressions, one of them, for instance, being the episode between two women-buskers, which is followed by what is obviously bound to happen. Instead, we could have been getting more of the killer's psychological portrait.
Oh, and even though this story takes place in the late-victorian period, stage-acting still was not regarded as a respectable profession for women.
Trop belle pour toi (1989)
Clever film on the meaning of love.
In this clever take on love and relationships, the affairs of three people are enigmatically portrayed. Everyone adores Bernard's wife Florence. His friends lust for her, her friends envy her. She is very beautiful, and for Bernard there is nothing more left to desire. And that is precisely what troubles him: she may just be too beautiful. His secretary, a temp named Colette, is completely the opposite to Florence. But in her physical unattractiveness Bernard finds a refuge to his peculiar dilemma. Despite of what may seem as a logical explanation, he is not plagued by an inferiority complex. What drives Bernard is the psychological force of the middle-age crisis. Some people wonder whether what they have is as good as it gets. Bernard actually knows that. The second he is near Florence he knows that that is true; gazes of his friends reassure him in that.
With Colette, however, he feels completely at ease. There is no need for self-assertion and he is free to choose. Naturally, there is much more to this film, which is full of surprises and unexpected events. The only country where such a complex and somewhat surrealistic plot could have been brought to life, where careful avoidance of turning the film into a soap opera, a pointless comedy, or a tedious drama meets with the bittersweet taste of love and desire is France, and the philosophy of love, the satire, and the superb acting -- Depardieu, Bouquet, and Balasko make a lovely team -- are also typically French here. Ironically enough, the question of the age is inverted to "what does a MAN want?"
Volga - Volga (1938)
Stalin's favourite film
Allegedly, this was Joseph Stalin's favourite film, and it may be interesting to see for oneself what amused one of the sickest minds in history. Apart from that historical aspect, this film has no basis in reality, moreover, it never did. While millions of Russian citizens were being sent to concentration camps for no reason except suspicion of treason (whatever that meant), this film depicts life in the Imaginary Soviet Union, where people live happy and carefree lives. A good example of how Soviet propaganda worked itself out in the Russian cinema. Aesthetically, there are many good Russian -- even Soviet -- films. However,this one isn't one of them.