philip @Filmaster

Beowulf (2007)

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, this is a "performance capture" film. It stars performances by Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, and Crispin Glover. Oh, and

Szpieg (1979)

This is the best piece of ensemble acting I've seen. This was a mini-series in 1979, directed by John Irvin and starring Alec Guiness. The cast works together as the characters did, and they make the mini-series

Samotny mężczyzna (2009)

Colin Firth is good. Very, very good. The movie was directed by Tom Ford and co-written by Ford and David Scearce, based on a novel by Christopher Isherwood. Ford takes loving care with long scenes

Ciekawy przypadek Benjamina Buttona (2008)

Directed by David Fincher, this movie is based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1922. I've read the short story, but ignoring it when I review the movie is easy as there is basically

Shall we dansu? (1996)

I saw the American cut of this Japanese movie, which has several scenes and characters removed. At that, "Shall We Dance" is a charming movie with tons of heart. Written and directed by Masayuki Suo,

Amador (2010)

I watched this on DVD with subtitles. This is a great movie. It's about Marcela, a South American living in Spain and facing mild discrimination because she's an immigrant taking jobs away from Spaniards.

Gościnność (2010)

This film was written and directed by Koji Fukada and released in 2011. It stars Kanji Furutachi, Kumi Hyôdô, Tatsuya Kawamura, and Bryerly Long. The tale is complicated, and it left me

Hot Fuzz: Ostre psy (2007)

Co-written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, directed by Wright, and starring Pegg, this is one of the funniest movies I've seen. I compare it to the "Hot Shots" movies by Abrahms and Proft. Part slasher

Sieci popołudnia (1943)

There are spoilers in this review/analysis. I'm not sure that's a fair statement given the nature of the movie, but I do give away the ending. This is an experimental movie by Maya Deren and her then-husband

Napoléon (1927)

I recommend taking a look at the Wikipedia page. TL;DR: Waaaaay too long, but the music was magnificent. So was the theater. The movie is five and a half hours long, not counting 2 intermissions

Ludzie będą gadać (1951)

This 1951 film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz has more promise than it fulfilled. The problem is the character of Noah Praetorius, too good to believable. The movie stars Cary Grant as the noble Noah,

Chłopiec i jego pies (1975)

A Boy and his Dog Directed by L.Q. Jones, this movie stars Don Johnson before anybody knew who he was (at age 26, if my math is right), Susanne Benton (nobody still knows who she is*), and Jason Robards

Stormy Weather (1943)

This all-black movie was produced in 1943, and it marks the changing of the guard in how blacks were portrayed in Hollywood movies. The movie is a hallmark of black performers: Bill "Bojangles" Robinson,

Zabójstwo chińskiego maklera (1976)

One of Ben Gazzara's (1930 - 2012) best roles

Kronika (2012)

This oft-told tale is co-written by Max Landis and Josh Trank, with Trank as the director. The movie starts out with Andrew (Dane DeHaan) videotaping himself to chronicle his life. For a few moments

Artysta (2011)

It didn't speak to me.

Across the Universe (2007)

Another star performance from Julie Taymor. It helps if you like the Beatles, since "Across the Universe" is a story connected by Beatles songs performed by the various actors, with cameos from the likes

Zgon na pogrzebie (2007)

I expected an amusing British comedy of manners, but this was a riotous, laugh-out-loud movie. I won't give away any of the plot, because of all the surprises, twists, and turns. The gist of the story

"A Trip to the Moon" is being restored to it's original color

This article from the Guardian tells a bit about the restoration of "A Trip to the Moon" (aka "Le Voyage Dans La Lune"), a 1902 film by Georges Melies. (Melies got some attention from Martin Scorces in

American Beauty (1999)

Lester (Kevin Spacey) is bored with his life, his job, his wife (Carolyn, played by Annette Bening), and his home. In the midst of what appears to be a mid-life crisis, he is laid off his job and falls