In case you are interested, looking for something to see but mindful of what is to be avoided, here are two concise reviews of recently seen movies, ‘Youth’ and ‘The Danish Girl’ –
Set in a Swiss spa, ‘Youth’ focuses, if that is the word, on the philosophizing and reminiscences of two elderly creatives, one a composer, played by Michael Caine, the other a film director, played by Harvey Keitel. Verdict: Artifice not art. Pretentious; lacks sparkle. Tap water.
‘The Danish Girl,’ set in Copenhagen and Paris in the 1920s and based on a true story, relates the travails of a married painter who decides he is a woman, and undergoes a sex change operation. Verdict: Beautifully shot, wrenching. The universal in the particular. Strong stuff. Excellent. Double whisky.
Hi Glen,
I saw Danish Girl! Went reluctantly actually because The Big Short was sold out. But you’re right – it’s utterly engrossing. Extraordinary performances. And it’s based on a real story — which I didn’t know until the end. Love your review and your rankings. Happy 2016!
Hi Mary – great to get your feedback, thanks so much! and nice to hear from you. The very best for 2016! We should get together some time. Glen
Just to add: Rob and I were a bit wary of seeing Danish Girl, also: concerned that it might be a bit sensational, or cheesy, or too play too narrowly to an LGBT gallery. However the film was in a different league altogether.
These and future reviews will be much appreciated. We rarely see movies in the theaters – one of the drawbacks of living with 10,000s of students is that it can be a less than pleasant experience. However, we have a more than adequate home theater and subscriptins to several premium channels. So guidance is useful.
Might I suggest that you build on your last phrase. A ratng system, based on 0-5 fingers of a quality single malt would be very realtable.
Ah! I shall try, to feed in some reviews, that is. However I have a somewhat idiosyncratic ratings system in mind: tap water for the bland, disappointing, banal; double whisky for powerful, wrenching, excellent. Champagne for fun, frothy, enjoyable. Rum and coke for hokey, a crowd-pleaser. Etcetera. Perhaps I should publish my ratings scale somewhere – maybe even add it to the foot of each review 🙂
I concur with your reviews of Youth and The Danish Girl. And I am amused by your ratings system. Very creative!