Movies
Resnais is no doubt one of the more interesting classic French directors. He has a poetic style that seems to be running through many of his films, even when working in different genres and trying out different approaches. Sadly, he doesn't seem very well at easy directing romances, all the more apparent here. After a small introduction that focuses on the terrors Hiroshima faced during the bombing, the film explores the relationship between a French actress and a Japanese architect who reminds her of a former lover. The two are both married, but they are passionately drawn to each other and can't help but seen out each other's company. The film looks nice enough and there's a stylish vibe running underneath, sadly the dialogue feels forced and the relationship between the two is almost literary. It never feels like you're watching human beings, instead you see two hollow vehicles that are forced to deliver the lines of a somewhat pompous writer. It's a real shame.Read all
A documentary that has lost a lot of its initial impact. The core story remains chilling of course, but it has been told so many times, in so many ways, often better too, that is hardly adds anything for people who are just getting around to it now. If you're completely unaware of the atrocities that happened in the Nazi camps during WWII, this doc is a decent start, but nothing more.
What starts as a short documentary on African art and culture becomes a call to do away with racism. It's a noble cause and it may have been a bit more mind-blowing back in the day, but a good 70 years later I think most of us will agree that a documentary like this didn't make the difference it hoped to make. The first part of the documentary is presented like a more old-fashioned take on African culture, throughout the documentary new insights are added to the point where the narrator finally comes to his conclusion: black and white aren't that different from each other, no matter what some people have been claiming. It could've been a smart setup to convince the naysayers, but the rambling and often cheesy narration, the godawful soundtrack and the short runtime don't really help to get the point across, and the road to this obvious conclusion feels too labored and random to make a big impression. At least the directors deserve credit for trying.Read all