La Ligne

La Ligne 2022

• Director: Ursula Meier
• Based on Book: no
• Cast: Stéphanie Blanchoud, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Elli Spagnolo, India Hair, Dali Benssalah, Benjamin Biolay
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor/actress in:
• None of them
• Why? Possibly interesting
• Seen: 6 October 2024 

After attacking her mother (Bruni Tedeschi), Margaret (Blanchoud) has a restraining order put on her. For three months she must not come within 100 meters of her mother. If she does, she will be sent to prison.

Her younger sister (Spagnola) paints a blue line, and there they meet every day.

It is clear that Margaret is a very disturbed young woman with a history of violence. We are not told why but we see her mother as a narcissist, playing the suffering martyr to the hilt. All three sisters are emotionally damaged by their upbringing.

It’s an engaging film of a dysfunctional family. Good acting helps pull it together but it’s quite depressing to watch.     

 3 ½* of 5

 

 

Alien Covenant

 

Alien Covenant 2017

• Director: Ridley Scott:
• Films seen by this director: Many
• Based on Book: no
• Cast: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Carmen Ejogo, Jussie Smollett
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor/actress in:
• Michael Fassbender – Many including Macbeth
• Katherine Waterton - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Taking Woodstock
• Billy Crudup – Public Enemies, Almost Famous, Waking the Dead
• Carmen Ejogo – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Selma, Sparkle, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Cold Lazarus, Absolute Beginners
• Why? The others
• Seen: 5 October 2024 

Can this really be an Alien film without Sigourney Weaver? Ripley Scott says so.

And indeed it is. The slimy yucky thing appears about half an hour in, bursting from the back of one of the astronauts.

Instead of cool courageous Ellen Ripley there is the weak, fumbling religious captain (Crudup) and a gang of panicking (understandable, granted) scramblers.

It bridges the gap between Prometheus and Alien quite nicely. If not completely logical or realistic (really???) it’s exciting and entertaining. Worthy of the franchise.

4* of 5                      

 

 

 

The Marsh King's Daughter

The Marsh King’s Daughter 2023

• Director: Neil Burger
• Seen by this director: The Illusionist
• Based on the novel by Karen Dionne
• Cast: Daisy Ridley, Ben Mendelsohn
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in
• Daisy Ridley – Star Wars etc, Murder on the Orient Express
• Ben Mendelsohn - Ready Player One, Darkest Hour, Rogue One, The Place Beyond the Pines, The Dark Knight Rises, Vertical Limit
• Why? Possibly interesting                
• Seen: 23 September 2024 

Helena (Ridley) is brought up in the wilds by her father Jacob (Mendelsohn). It emerges that her mother was kidnapped by Jacob before Helena was born. When she is about 12 the mother manages to escape with her. Helena grows up. Her father has been in prison, but escapes and now she and her family are in danger.

Similar to Where the Crawdads Sing, it’s not too bad, but not great either. 

2* of 5

 

 

 

Ruby Jand's Film Blog: A Prairie Home Companion (rubyjandsfilmblog.blogspot.com)

 

 

 

  

Les Misérables 1978

 

Les Misérables 1978

• Director: Glen Jordan
• Seen by this director: Sarah Plain and Tall
• Based on the novel by Victor Hugo
• Cast: Richard Jordan, Anthony Perkins, Cyril Cusack, John Gielgud, Ian Holms
• Anthony Perkins – Catch 22, Psycho, Green Mansions
•  Cyril Cusack, John Gielgud, Ian Holms - many
• Why? For my collection of Les Mis films
• Seen: 22 September 2024  

The novel is a favourite classic. I’ve seen many film versions at least once as well as the stage production in London last year.

If you don’t know the story, Google it.

This is an adequate adaptation, a bit theatrical, i.e. hammy and melodramatic without much genuine emotion. It’s hard not to think of the stronger versions but it’s a respectable attempt and worth seeing. 

3* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corsage

 

Corsage 2022

• Director: Marie Kreutzer
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Vicky Krieps, Florian Teichtmeister, Katharina Lorenz, Colin Morgan
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in
• Vicky Krieps – Old, Colonia, Hanna
• Colin Morgan – Belfast, Three Families, The Crown, Humans, The Fall, The Living and the Dead, The Laughing King, Legend, Testament of Youth, The Tempest, Quirke, Merlin, Island, Parked. Doctor Who, the Catherine Tate Show
• Why? Colin Morgan
• Seen: 21 September 2024 

Elizabeth (Krieps) is the Empress of Austria, wife of Franz Joseph (Teichtmeister). She has turned forty and is regarded as old. She doesn’t want to be old, she doesn’t feel old. She loves riding and she’s strongly attracted to her sister’s groom Bay (Morgan). The attraction is mutual but she cuts it off because her grown son is afraid of scandal. She feels imprisoned in her boring life.

The risk with films about boring lives is that the films becomes boring. This is close at times but it’s handsome and quirky enough to hold the attention. It’s not gripping but it is interesting.

3* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Prairie Home Companion

 

A Prairie Home Companion 2006

• Director: Robert Altman
• Seen by this director: Gosford Park, Nashville, McCabe and Mrs Miller, M*A*S*H
• Based on the radio program by Garrison Keillor
• Cast: Lily Tomlin, Meryl Streep, Woody Harrelson, Kevin Kline, John C Reilly
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in
• All of them – Many
• Why? Minnesota
• Seen: Once before. Now 20 September 2024 

It must be confessed – or maybe not – that Minnesota plays a part in my past so it’s kind of a duty to like this film. Or at least see it. Or at least like Garrison Keillor.

’A Prairie Home Companion’ is a radio program based in St Paul, Minnesota, which has been bought and closed down by some rich guy in Texas. Not-at-all fun fact: Texas bought the Minnesota Northstars for which I hate the state of Texas. The film is about the last broadcast.

The radio program really existed. My dad loved it.

Great cast, boring film. Minnesota notwithstanding, this is awful. 

1* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moonfall

 

Moonfall 2022

• Director: Roland Emmerich
• Seen by this director: 2012, Day after Tomorrow, Independence Day
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradley, Charlie Plummer, Donald Sutherland
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in
• Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson and Donald Sutherland – Many
• John Bradley – The Game of Thrones, Merlin
• Why? Sci fi
• Seen: 19 September 2024  

Most viewers seem to regard this film as bad, inane, ridiculous, unscientific and – fun, enjoyable, worth several more * that one would expect. So let’s see.

Though it starts with the death of an astronaut, it seems to be a comedy, a farce even. The moon’s orbit has shifted and it will probably crash into the Earth any day now, but the main conflict seems to be family squabbles.

Yupp. Bad, inane, ridiculous, unscientific (though, who knows?) and fun, enjoyable and the likeable actors make it worth 

3* of 5