Category: Film review

The excellent Janus film series has been moving through Los Angeles, but a couple nights ago, the American Cinematheque screened a particularly noteworthy title (one of the films not yet released by the Criterion Collection), Carlos Saura’s CrÌa cuervos (1976). Critics have been summarily referencing Spirit of the Beehive (1973) in reviews of Pan’s Labyrinth, but Saura’s film–at once a sister work to Erice’s classic in theme, tone, even shared actress (Ana Torrent)–is no less rich a reference point.

Torrent plays a young girl named Ana who has to navigate the hushed, repressed adult world of the final days …

Now that Sátántangó has been released on DVD (in the UK), and Histoire(s) du cinéma has once again been delayed by Gaumont (in France), the next holy grail for the widest swathe of home viewing cinephiles might be Leo McCarey’s sublime and shattering Make Way for Tomorrow (1937), the last film screened in the UCLA film archive’s “Curated by… Guy Maddin” series. If anyone knows why Paramount has yet to release this film in any video format anywhere in the world, I’d love to hear the justification, because the film has astonished commentators and filmmakers alike for decades. Two examples: …

Last weekend, the UCLA film archive screened one of Roberto Rossellini’s rarest films, India (1958); according to Peter Brunette in his informative book on the filmmaker, the only print available in the US for years was an unsubtitled, black-and-white copy owned by the Pacific Film Archive, so it was a joy to see a rare color print despite its less-than-stellar quality. It’s one of Rossellini’s most acclaimed films; Godard once mentioned it in the same breath with Eisenstein’s Que Viva Mexico, Murnau’s Tabu, and Welles’ It’s All True; like those works, it’s a loving tribute to a …

The Tailenders (2006)

I’ve avoided owning a TV for the past 17 years, but I know I miss some good stuff on occasion, one of which is the PBS series P.O.V., which bills itself as “television’s longest-running showcase for independent non-fiction films.” And judging by their recent excellent line-up (My Country, My Country, Maquilopolis, Tintin and I) and upcoming programs (The Camden 28, 49 Up, Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner), they certainly seem to be living up to their mission.

One of their recent programs, The Tailenders, was screened …

Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen some pretty knockout documentaries that have been rattling around in my head ever since; each of them offers a penetrating portrait of their subject that expands into larger questions of form or meaning. I’ll comment on two today and two others tomorrow. -Doug

The Legend of Time (2006)

A few posts down, I wrote about what proved to be my favorite film at PSIFF, Albert Serra’s Quixotic (Honor de Cavalleria), but Serra’s fellow Catalan filmmaker, Isaki Lacuesta, may have provided my second favorite film with this seemingly effortless, but enigmatic and deeply …