Khamosh Pani (2003)
Directed by Sabiha Sumar this film stars Kirron Kher, Shilpa Shukla and Aamir Ali Malki. In 1979 a woman and her son living in a small village have their life changed as Pakistan becomes more Islamic under the rule of General Zia.
A good look at the consequences of partition, particularly on some of the subjects people do not like to talk about. Tragic and thought provoking. Well made without ever being melodramatic.
4/5
The Last Rifleman (2023)
Directed by Kevin Fitzpatrick this film stars Pierce Brosnana, Clemence Poesy and Jrugen Prochnow. On the 7th anniversary of D-Day a vertern in his 90s escapes his care home to go to the memorial in Normandy.
This fictional story is just a bit too conveniently constructed. Even the part where the protagonist confronts a former SS member does not have enough bite to it. Given there is a true story that inspired this I do not see why we need a fictional take.
2/5
Master Cheng (2019)
Directed by Mika Kaurismaki this film stars Chu Pak-Hong and Anna-Maija Tuokko. A Chinese man and his son travel to a small village in Finland in search of an old friend.
Pretty predictable this is your usual clash of cultures type film. There is a smidge of patronising orientalism but for the most part the film is not too bad. Could do with a little fat trimming, there are places where the film runs a little long for being so predictable.
3/5
Missing (2023)
directed by Will Merrick & Nick Johnson this film stars Storm Reid, Joaquin de Almeida, Ken Leung and Nia Long. An 18 year old girl searches for her mother after she does not return from a trip to Colombia.
As mystery thrillers go this one is fine, just when you think it has something interesting to say on the true crime genre it unfortunately goes nowhere. There is one glaring plot element that it annoyed me that the characters overlooked, otherwise I do not have much to complain about. A decent sequel to Searching (2018) that does not feel constrained by the screenlife gimmick.
3/5
Escrime au sabre japonais (1897)
Directed by Constant Girel this is an early short film. We see people practising Kendo.
I really like the energy captured in this film, there is plenty of frenetic action. Both the fore and background have plenty to catch the eye. A very good example of early cinema.
4/5
Escrime au sabre (1898)
Directed by Alexandre Promio this is an early short film. Sailors on the deck of a ship practice sword drills.
A big measured and slow to be fully exciting. There is at least decent foreground action in this short, the background is mostly the sea. Decent but not remarkable.
3/5
Le Caire, un enterrement (1897)
Directed by Alexandre Promio this is an early short film. A funeral parade in Cairo.
It is a little hard to make out what is going on here. The subject of the short takes a little too long to become clear and even then you do not see much of it. Basically just a shot of a busy street.
2/5
