All I knew about Glen Gould to start with was that he was a Canadian pianist. The short films seem a bit artsy and disjointed at first, but coalesce into a progressive series of statements on Glen Gould’s life. Nearly all of them incorporate amazing music, mostly piano music. One gathers that Glen Gould gave…

To me these movies are just a means of reliving the glory of the books, and this is best of them for that. The essential events are shown, but they are far more exciting to me when I fill in all the blanks in the background story, the history of the characters, and the shape…

Another movie I can’t remember why I added to my queue. I wish Netflix would allow me to write a note to myself which they would then send with the movie. Many mysteries could thus be solved. Anyway, this movie shows what can happen if you run around carrying sharp plot devices. The internet movie…

This account by Michela Wrong of the 30-year rule of Mobutu over Zaire was a mind-boggling book for me. I know it is real because Ann grew up in Zaire during this time. She knows the places in the book, and can picture the people. For me, my mind balks at the facts presented. If…

This is a documentary about Terry Gilliam’s failed attempt to make a film version of Don Quixote with no Hollywood backing. After watching it I am amazed, and thankful, that Gilliam has managed to make any films at all… IMDB

Ann recently read the biography of Iris Murdoch by her husband John Bayley, and wants to watch the movie while it’s still fresh in her mind. I was taken quickly with oddity of the characters – they are odd the way people are and not the way movie characters tend to be. One of Iris’…

This is a fairly saintly portrayal of Patrice Lumumba, a key player in the Congo’s independence from Belgium in 1960. Because of that I didn’t fully trust it, but I appreciated the movie anyway. Even if Lumumba would not have been a savior to the Congolese, he certainly lived during the most hopeful period for…

This is an excellent glimpse into everyday life in Iran. Both city- and country-scapes are integrated into the story seamlessly. Water is almost a character in itself, playing its part as rain, snow, pools, and rivers. The movie does a good job of portraying the social interactions between native Iranians and Afgan refugees. But the…

I rented this movie after reading the Radical Wacko’s review. It wasn’t hard to watch in the way I was expecting – just when we thought it had lost its momentum and overdrawn it’s characters, it would come through with a little gem of wit or insight that would keep us going. In the end…

Ann has been holding this movie over my head for months, saying it would be a test of my ability to reconcile my masculinity with our marriage. I was dreading it. So when it finally arrives I propose getting it over with quickly, like pulling climbing tape off when it’s stuck to your armhair. As…