Peneflix MOVIE REVIEWS BY PENEFLIX

Bollywood strokes its historical conflicts with iconic reverence, immense spectacle, lionization of its heroes, spectacular cinematography plus gifts adulation and exaggerated license, especially in India’s march towards doffing the shackles of British domination (“Gandhi”, “Mangal Pandey”,”Padmaavat”); “Kesari” vibrantly speaks to the “Battle of Saragarhi” between Sikh soldiers of the British Indian Army and Afghan Pashtun tribesmen; the film concentrates on ... Read More »

German director Christian Petzold’s ingenious interpretation of Anna Seghers’s (1900-1983) 1942 novel of the same title, is compelling on a variety of levels; primarily a contemporary take on Nazi roundups in the late 1930’s and 40’s; reminiscent of Seghers personal experiences during WWII: born into a Jewish family, marrying a Hungarian Communist, arrested by the Gestapo, renouncing Judaism, fleeing to ... Read More »

Instantly recognizable, is a woman, searching for an anchor, a “place in the sun”, with pulsating vulnerability, candid openness, she maneuvers the dance floor of a familiar night club; dancing flays the ordinariness of her life: unattached children, valueless job, psychotic neighbor; she possesses the capacity for incalculable love, but no one worthy of its measures; a divorcee, neither gay ... Read More »

If you have seen “The Invisible Guest” 2016’s Spanish version of the same theme you will not be shocked by “Badla’s thrilling conclusion; except for switching the gender of the protagonists, this is a consummate clone,  every bit as titillating; starring, in his finest role in years Amitabh Bachchan as “Badla Gupta” a lawyer hired to defend “Naina Sethi” (remarkable ... Read More »

Despite the ongoing conflict revolving around television’s Netflix versus the “Big Screen”, there is no doubt that the positive, unequivocally champions the negative; “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind”, a stellar story, pulsating with vitality and heart, should be required viewing for all ages; directed by, and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, it throbs with genuine, unfeigned sincerity, pungently powerful emotional content ... Read More »

From time immemorial I have been asked my favorite film; a myriad are housed, cared for, in the elite chambers of my filmic warehouse; always inhabiting the penthouse, never to relinquish its lease, is David O. Selznick’s “Gone With the Wind”; having read Margaret Mitchell’s masterpiece while in high school and seeing it for the first time in the early ... Read More »

Certifiably, Isabelle Huppert, excels as a foremost actor of her generation; she has challenged the spectrum in “weird” (“The Piano Teacher”, “Elle”) but must have had a petit mal seizure accepting this half-witted, imbecilic role of a deviate stalker. Director Neil Jordan’s attempt at invigorating a stale theme, never inflates; fizzled initiative leaves viewers, at best bored; a mortal sin, ... Read More »

For the first time, because of the dynamics of this year’s competition, a consolation prize will be given to Brian B. for going all the way, until he was foiled by “The Green Book”; congratulations on your prescient choices. For the most part, the evening was bland, benign and lacked the cohesiveness of a host; blessedly shorter than previous productions; ... Read More »

Just received the entrees for Peneflix’s Annual Academy Award Contest; hundreds have an opportunity to win; always buoyed by the regulars! This year was extremely problematic for me; credit phenomenal material, directing and equally grand characterizations; indecisiveness rarely invades my realm but this year’s nominees kept me in foggy, filmic fug. My main conundrums were: 1. Best Female Actress: until ... Read More »

Once again February has shed prominence on the stars, movies and those behind the scenes. This year is the most difficult, challenging to date, due to the range and diversity of the films and nominees. I feel there should be separate categories for drama and comedy. I also question “Roma” being in “Best Movie” and best “Foreign Film” categories. Every ... Read More »