Monthly Archives: August 2012

Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai Du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

Posted on August 7, 2012 by tom

If you’d asked me a week ago whether I’d be working my way through Chantal Akerman’s films, I’d probably have laughed and asked, “Chantal Akerman? Who’s that?” This has been a rewarding journey, and this film is widely considered to … Continue reading →

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Les Rendez-Vous d'Anna (Anna's Meetings) — 1978

Posted on August 6, 2012 by tom

There’s a scene in Chantal Akerman’s “Les Rendez-Vous d’Anna” where Anna (Aurore Clement) is riding a train to Brussels. She’s standing by the corridor window, just gazing into the distance, watching the lights move by slowly. All at once, a … Continue reading →

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Tom and "Mary and Max" (2009)

Posted on August 5, 2012 by tom

“Mary and Max” is an Australian claymation film about a spunky yet lonely young girl, Mary Daisy Dinkle, who randomly tears a piece out of a Manhattan phone book she was reading in a post office, and writes to a … Continue reading →

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My Dinner With Andre (1981)

Posted on August 4, 2012 by tom

Here’s the plot: two old friends meet for dinner at a posh New York restaurant and talk. That’s really it. Yet somehow, it becomes this amazing film, probably one of my 10 favorites ever. The film starts with playwright/actor Wallace … Continue reading →

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Je, Tu, Il, Elle (I, You, He, She) (1976)

Posted on August 3, 2012 by tom

(note: Anytime I refer to Chantal Akerman or her filmmaking group as French, please substitute “Belgian”. My apologies to both Belgium and France as appropriate) “Je, Tu, Il, Elle” is my penance for “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.” Hulu … Continue reading →

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Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

Posted on August 3, 2012 by tom

If you’ve never seen one of Kevin Smith’s films (except for “Jersey Girl”), you will probably not get–much less like–“Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.” If you’ve seen one or two, you’ll probably enjoy it. If you’ve seen “Clerks,” “Mallrats,” … Continue reading →

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Caught, by Harlan Coben (2010)

Posted on August 2, 2012 by tom
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