movies
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Movies of the Week #41 #42 (2025): Love, Loss, and Leather
This week’s movies cover crumbling traditions, fraught relationships, and lingering discontent—whether it’s among aristocrats, friends, lovers, or sadomasochistic demons. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale relies on familiar beats and soothing nostalgia, while The Ritual and Hellraiser (both helmed by David Bruckner) confront personal trauma through horror lenses, albeit with mixed success. Meanwhile, The Threesome and… Read more
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Watermelons on the Rooftop: Ceau Cinema 2025 in 3-Word Reviews
Dive into Ceau Cinema 2025 in Timișoara—rooftop screenings, 50+ European films, Banat shorts, and watermelon vibes in Romania’s rising cultural hotspot. Read more
Banat Shorts, Ceau Cinema 2025, Cinema, Drowning Dry, Eastern European Culture, European Cinema, Festival Diary, film, Film Reviews, Movie Blog, movies, My Uncle Jens, news, Post-Capital-of-Culture, reviews, Romanian Cinema, Rooftop Screenings, Timișoara Film Festival, Vincent Lindon, Watermelon Vibes -
Movies of the Week #29 #30 (2025): Punk Romance, Romania’s Football Fields & Sibling Revelations
This week’s movies cover misfits, reconnections, and underdogs—from punk-rock rebels to forgotten footballers and estranged siblings. Whether taking on sanitized societal norms or the sci-fi machinery of capitalism, these films echo the tension between how people are seen and who they actually are. Personal transformation, identity, and belonging ripple across genres—from lo-fi chaos to bittersweet… Read more
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Movies of the Week #27 #28 (2025): Fake Personas, Real Laughs, and Crumbling Societies
This week’s movies cover satirical excess, genre rehashes, and the fragile balance between comedy and commentary. Whether it’s Deep Cover’s delightful self-awareness or 28 Years Later’s faith-rooted apocalypse, each film explores versions of constructed identity—be it through undercover roles, survivalist personas, or public-facing image. Even F1: The Movie and The Dictator wrestle with illusion vs.… Read more
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Movies of the Week #7 (2025): Obsession, Romance, and Raptors
This week’s movies explore artistic dedication, romance, and genre eccentricities, spanning intense psychological horror, charming rom-com, and behind-the-scenes ballet. Black Swan remains an uneasy, feverish dive into obsession, style triumphing over substance but in thrilling ways. When Harry Met Sally… is perfectly agreeable, if not deeply resonant. Ballet 422 and The Company quietly document the… Read more
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Movies of the Weeks #5 #6 (2025): Iconic Lynch, Body Horror, and Michael Keaton
This week’s movies traverse the surreal, the romantic, the horrific, and the heartfelt, each grappling with identity and perception in unique ways. Mulholland Drive remains a mesmerizing Lynchian puzzle, blending fantasy and tragedy with masterful tonal shifts. Chasing Amy and its documentary counterpart wrestle with evolving cultural perspectives, while The Substance delivers bombastic body horror… Read more
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Movies of the Week #49 (2024)
This week’s movies cover nostalgic holiday charm, moral dilemmas, game development lore, cultural comedy, and romcom clichés. Home Alone shines as a timeless Christmas tale with impeccable casting and iconic mischief, while Juror #2 tackles justice and moral relativism, albeit conservatively. The Half-Life 2 Documentary delves into creative struggles and industry shifts, offering richer context… Read more
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Movies of the Week #44 (2024)
The “Twilight” series, despite its cultural impact, is critiqued for its lack of compelling storytelling and depth. Each installment reveals weak plots, awkward character dynamics, and underwhelming conflicts. The series is marked by a mix of decent performances and stylistic choices, yet ultimately reflects a disjointed narrative burdened by poor source material. Read more
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Movies of the Week #43 (2024)
Stranger Eyes, Thelma, Atsuko Okatsuka: The Intruder, Clara, and The Intern are reviewed films exploring themes of isolation, aging, and societal pressures. While Stranger Eyes and Thelma offer engaging narratives, Clara’s heavy existentialism lacks emotional resonance. Overall, these varied portrayals provide insight into parenthood and generational challenges, blending humor with poignant observations. Read more
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Clara: Social Issues and Character Struggles | Review
It feels like there’s an avalanche of Romanian movies descending over us during this year, with productions catering to all tastes – the dubious (Buzz House), the mainstream (Anul nou care nu a fost) and the art-house (Trei kilometri până la capătul lumii). Clara would probably fit in the latter. It is a distinctly European Read more
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Movies of the Week #39 (2024)
“Palm Springs” impresses with its existential commentary on life. “Longlegs” offers an unsettling twist on familiar tropes. “Last Dance” presents a widower’s journey but lacks flow. “Coup de chance” engages with flawed characters yet falters in coherence. “Last Straw” struggles with pretentiousness. Read more
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Movies of the Week #51 (2023)
The Christmas movie landscape of 2022-2023 presents a mixed bag of festive films, each with its own charm and shortcomings. “This is Christmas” stands out with a stellar cast including Timothy Spall and Alfred Enoch, delivering an uplifting story about commuters organizing a Christmas party, despite its cheesy moments. “Your Christmas or Mine” features Asa… Read more
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