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Reviews
Un village français (2009)
Possibly the best series ever made about military occupation in time of war.
This is an incredibly powerful and well acted series about a village in occupied France during World War II. Bravery, cowardice, and the moral choices that people are faced with every single day. You can't help but ask yourself how you would react in the same circumstances. There are eighty four episodes, and each one is a nail biter. The production design, costumes and photography are spot on - you feel that you are in that place and time. We watched this series four years ago, and are rewatching it. It is just as riveting the second time. Definitely one of the best TV series ever made! Ten out of Ten!
The Interpreter (2005)
Thoughtful Thriller with great performances
We just saw this movie on Netflix. The last movie that Sydney Pollack directed, this is an under appreciated gem. The performances, especially from Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, are exceptional. The plot is a bit convoluted, but stay with it and you will be rewarded with a memorable movie. 9 out of 10.
Assassination Tango (2002)
Worth watching if you are a Robert Duvall fan
I'm a student of Robert Duvall's career. The films he has personally written and directed tend to to quirky and the subjects are those in which he has a strong interest. He has spent a fair amount of time in Argentina, and has a passionate interest in the Tango. His leading lady later became his wife. My suspicion is that Duvall made this movie out of love and could care less if it made money. The opaque nature of the assassination side of the story fits right in with Argentine political history. The Tango portion of the film is very well done, and shows his love of the dance. In any case, the movie is worth watching if you are a Duvall fan.
3:10 to Yuma (2007)
Not true to the original movie's ending
I grew up on westerns and have been a fan of the genre since childhood. This remake is well acted, but the ending is completely different than the original movie's.
The essence of the western is the triumph of good over evil. In this remake, the person who walks away is the psychopathic outlaw, Wade, while the rancher, Evans, is killed. In the original, the rancher survives to return to his family.
Once Wade starts helping Evans get Wade to the train, why doesn't he call out to his gang to stop firing - especially since he tells Evans that he has already been to the prison in Yuma twice and escaped both times?
Although Evans starts the trip with Wade for the money, it is obvious that he is ending it to earn his son's respect. He certainly does that, but the ending does not require that he die.
I suppose that the change in ending was made to accommodate our current cynical popular culture. If so, that is the right of the screenwriter and director. However, the movie as remade in 2007 isn't "3:10 to Yuma". Perhaps they should rename it "4:29 to Tucson" or whatever.
If you want to see a outstanding modern western that is truer to the western genre, try "Open Range".