Pasha's Film Reviews Etc.

10/10 In this busy diner there is a table where a man with a black book sits. In fact, he never seems to leave THE PLACE. People come and go. Some sit at his table. Usually the ones who have something to ask for. The man with a black book can make any wish come true. But will you be ready to pay the price? There’s one thought that occurred to me when I started watching THE PLACE – its set up is so simple and effective, why didn’t I think of it? But with one great idea at its core it’s the writing that makes THE PLACE a great movie.  Written and directed by Paoblo Genovese, whose latest movie PERFECT STRANGERS (read my review here ) made a big splash last year, is interested in the psychology of his characters, their set of values and how they distinguish right from wrong with their backs against the wall. With the fantastical premise of THE PLACE it's amazing how relatable the situations and the people of the movie are with their daily problems and grievances. ...

7/10 This small farmers’ community in Normandy is under attack. The price of milk plunges, government support dries up and banks are knocking at the doors. Is there a way to turn the situation around? George Balbuzard, the mayor, believes that nation-wide exposure would help his little town back on its feet. The arrival of American photographer Newman, who makes the crowd photos of nude crowds, may be just the opportunity he needs to put his town on the map of France. But will he be able to break through the stubbornness and prejudices of the town’s people in time for the photo session? The simple and familiar premise of NORMANDIE NUE lies heavily on the charisma of the film’s lead Francois Cluzet. Here he is a down to earth, trustworthy and sympathetic mayor who has to deal with little grudges and dramas of his fellow citizens who just refuse to see the big picture. If you have seen Full Monty and Calendar Girls you will know what to expect from NORMANDIE NUE. The...

9/10 “To be number one in life a man should have three things. Power, money and sex. No one ever has all three.”  This is declared in the film by one of the male characters. But what does it mean to be NUMBER ONE for a woman in a corporate world? The original name of the movie NUMERO  UNE  is feminine (it would be   UN  for masculine) and really should be translated LADY NUMBER ONE, but the producers probably thought it too long.  For the main character Emmanuelle (Emmanuelle Devos) to be successful means to realise her potential. Losing her mother in a drowning accident when she was just a child (was it suicide?) she worked hard to build a successful career and never played the feminist card. But as she is offered a position to be the first ever female CEO in the history of France she realises she will not be able to get where she wants to be without some female solidarity. Struggling with psychological problems, her husband’s tantrums a...

7/10 Pauline (Mylene Farmer) and her two teenage daughters arrive at a creepy house in the country they inherited from their aunt. On the first night there they are attacked by some creepy intruders and vigorously fight back…  then the story jumps 20 years forward, where one of the girls, Beth, is living in New York with her husband and son, and is a successful horror novelist. One night she receives a call from her sister begging for help. It seems that after all these years she is still being tormented by someone or something. As Beth returns to the house of her childhood she needs to figure out if the horrors that still haunt her sister are real. I am a big fan of Pascal Laugier, who created MARTYRS – one of the most terrifying, but also meaningful, horror movies of our time. While the story of GHOSTLAND is hardly original Laugier feels at home here with a familiar plot of two women confined in a creepy house, going against each other and the world and ultimat...