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The Big Screen 2014

Now that we’ve moved and no longer live quite as close to the cinemas as we used to, let’s see if we keep up with our visits to the movies…

01 | 9 Mois Ferme (9 Month Stretch) – A comedy in which the life of a circuit judge was derailed after a night of drunken antics ended up with a visit by the stork and a link to a suspect in an outrageous crime. [6/10]

02 | Yves Saint Laurent – The icon of French fashion-house did not have an easy life but the film felt too much like the martyrdom of his partner instead. [7/10]

03 | Tel Père, Tel Fils (Like Father, Like Son) – When two children were swapped at birth and brought up in two different social classes, righting the wrong is never as straight-forward as it seems. [7/10]

04 | A Touch of Sin – A lot of gratuitous violence but an interesting look into rural lives in China, their rhythms dictated by social class and much injustice, driven to committing crimes amidst other sins. [4/10]

05 | Le Vent se Lève (The Wind Rises) – A beautiful masterpiece by Miyazaki about the life of an aeronautic engineer through turbulent times in pre-WWII Japan. [8/10]

06 | Jack et la mécanique du cœur (The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart) – Based on the book “La mécanique du cœur”, what a sublimely animated musical that transports its viewers into the fantasy world it lives in. [8/10]

07 | Philomena – The movie touches big on the questions of religion and faith, of moral and sin, of right and wrong. Based on a true story on the scandal of forced adoptions in Ireland, the movie is poignant and moving, interjected with appropriate humour, inviting the audience to make their own judgement to forgive, or not. [9/10]

08 | 12 Years a Slave – a powerful yet harrowing retelling of lives under slavery, the grit and determination to break free can only be admirable. [9/10]

09 | La Belle et la bête (Beauty and the Beast) – Cassel makes an effective beast with his animal-like wildness. [6.5/10]

10 | The Grand Budapest Hotel – just the right kind of quirk with plenty of charm, and exceptionally, I didn’t feel like I need to gauge my eyes out at the use of pink everywhere. [8/10]

11 | Diplomatie (Diplomacy) – I struggle to understand this movie, my French is not yet quite up to scratch… [5/10]

12 | Apprenti Gigolo (Fading Gigolo) – it’s a silly movie that may now bring silly visitors to this site because of its name! [5/10]

13 | A Promise – ah, forbidden love… always the sweetest and hardest to hide. [7/10]

14 | Qu’est-ce qu’on a fait au Bon Dieu? – I have not laughed this much at the cinema, watching a movie navigating race and religion. [9/10]

15 | D’une vie à l’autre – there’s a certain quiet undertone that tugs, like the tide under a still surface. [8/10]

16 | Le Promeneur d’oiseau (The Nightingale) – the film showcases fabulous landscape of China, amidst a history where a grandafather bonds with his granddaughter. [8/10]

17 | The Tale of the Princess Kaguya – a familiar story, with certain points that confused me at first until I figured out it was inspired by another. [7/10]

18 | Transcendence – I’d like my two hours back, please. [2/10]

19 | Jimmy’s Hall – I admit it, I have a weakness for nostalgia where Ireland is concerned. [8/10]

20 | New York Melody – I wanted to pass time on a flight and this turned up to be surprisingly enjoyable. [7/10]

21 | Guardians of the Galaxy – it’s great to escape from the mundane and daily for a trip out to the galaxy. [8/10]

22 | Sils Maria – beautiful landscape, circular storyline, an OK movie but I won’t say it’s essential watch. [6/10]

23 | A Most Wanted Man – thrilling and absorbing; then again, aren’t books by Le Carre unfolding in this manner usually? [8/10]

24 | Gemma Bovery – an echo of Madame Bovary that is somewhat light and fluffy. [5/10]

25 | The Hundred-Foot Journey – predictable plot line, a good enough film to pass a couple of hours while in the air. [6/10]

26 | Mommy – a stark and harrowing movie with incredible emotional depth, I love it and hate it. [7/10]

27 | Gone Girl – I have not read the book so this thriller hooked me in right from the start. [8/10]

28 | Magic in the Moonlight – two of my favourite actors as leads and yet a film that fell flat in so many ways. [5/10]

29 | #Chef – for once, a food-related movie that doesn’t make me groan in despair over cloying food shots and romantic blubbers. [7/10]

30 | Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 – we’re getting there, and hey, suburban Paris becomes part of Panem! [8/10]

31 | La French (The Connection) – another film that introduces me to a slice of France that I was not aware of. [7/10]

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