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I've tried to note where title are NOT BFI publications, typically published in: -
'York Film Notes' series I. B. Tauris 'The British Film Guide' series I. B. Tauris 'French Film Guide' series
Reviews
Systemsprenger (2019)
L'enfance nue brought up todate?
I found this a moving film and so looked for something comparable. In what may be fairly superficial comparison came up with 'L'enfance nue (1968)' by Maurice Pialat; around 50 years apart, two different times and cultures.
['L'enfance nue' aka "Naked Childhood", sometime rated within the top 100 French Films]
For me, Helena Zengel is good, to almost to an unbelievable level for an actress of her age and some of the other more mature actor give moving performances. Child actors don't always make it beyond "childhood", but like many other reviewer/critics my hope is we are see the first steps of another great European actress.
Similarly, I'm hoping "Nora Fingscheidt" is a great director just about to break into international success, but I haven't seen the "The Unforgivable (2021)" yet.
Valerie (2006)
Robert Bresson it isn't...
As of today (13th Dec, 2020) IMDb shows 243 votes for this film, which I would put forward for the case of "We get the Cinema we deserve", this isn't the greatest film ever made, but it is competent and not without merit. It doesn't better anything by Robert Bresson and it would have a fight with most films by Mike Leigh.
The point is that worth the watch and I justify that by the fact it put me in mind of the two above truly great directors.
This is Birgit Möller first and only full length feature from 2006 (14 years ago!).
I hope we haven't just miss the next Robert Bresson or Mike Leigh.
I watched "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" recently, that has 361,782 votes and is rated at 8.4/10, possibly we get the cinema we deserve, with a odd film like "Valerie" which is better than we deserve.
Polanski (2009)
Possibly one for Film Studies students
Clearly someone thought this was a film worth releasing, but I'm struggling to find any reason why.
"Polanski Unauthorised", did Roman Polanski actually bother offer a view one-way or the other?
My guess is those that will choose to watch this film will know enough of Polanski's history to worry about the factual inaccuracies and the lackadaisical film making.
However, for me personally if I was lecturing in film studies, I would use this film as a demonstration in how to get the basis wrong and to simulate debate on 'Auteur Theory'.
Is it solely the director's fault that he gets it wrong and so does every just about every discipline involved in this film?
On the upside "Polanski Unauthorised" does possibly provide some educational value, as truly atrocious, films at this level of 'bad and incompetent' are actually hard to find as they never get a release (thankfully).
Some like the consume department would have struggled to get it more wrong if they tried, however some examples of bad can become funny, I loved those Officers' dress uniforms with aiguillettes while on active duty and the semi-automatic bolt action rifle (you could had taken the aiguillettes off, to make it less obvious).
Location scout, set designer - really?
Make-up artist, did you think this was a comedy?
Props: The selection of a typewriter manufactured 25+ years in the future, was both incompetent and funny.
Okay, if the part of the excuse was, 'We didn't have the budget', try "Two Men and a Wardrobe" and "Knife in the Water" they are films by a director call Roman Polanski, I don't think they had much of a budget either.
Holiday (2018)
"One of the best film of the year"
First full-length feature, Isabella Eklöf should be rightly proud and hopefully greatly encouraged. A multiple language film is always a challenge when it comes to audience take-up, but personally I'm happy to read subtitles if it adds to authenticity
The Book Thief (2013)
Best not judged against the book
I think the film stands, hence my rating.
I'm more of a film watcher than a novel reader, but in my experience, for book adaptations, it is exceptional to find a film that matches the original novel, and this isn't one of those exceptions.
If you haven't read the book or seen the film, then my advice would be to see the film first, then read the book, but do read the book. That way you have every chance of enjoying both.