Finally Dawn – Nothing Like You Would Expect

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This is a very good movie, for the simple fact that it is not what you would expect. Firstly, as the photo shows above, it is not about Josephine (Lily James front and center above) as the movie posters want you to believe. Willem Dafoe only plays a character actor, who actually speaks Italian most of the film, not perfectly, as well as English to translate. It is not your typical post-WWII Italian film either, as you come to believe in the beginning and keep expecting it to be throughout. The film is about Mimosa (Rebecca Antonaci – who doesn’t even get a Wikipedia page), and even the name is rather cute and has a hidden meaning I think. Mimosa is a delicious breakfast drink of champagne and orange juice. Thus telling us that she has two sides to her. She wants to have fun but she also has very good values. Her values are the suspense of this film. You fear for her not returning home, as is promised many times throughout.

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There’s Still Tomorrow – Italian film by Paola Cortellesi

This 2023 film is not at all what you think it is about. You won’t find out until the very end, why she is going through that door and then the whole movie is a question of “What the F?” This is not a Fellini type film – but it does have weird scenes. I felt it was more like Roberto Benigni’s film “Life is Beautiful.” Making a joke at the macabre. It is not set up as a mystery, but it is when you see the ending and think back at the whole story. It is like a schizophrenic journey. Didn’t this happen? Didn’t we see the set up for all of this conclusion?

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Maria von Trapp by Maria

Of course you want to believe that the von Trapp family walked over the mountains onto a plane and came to America. Not really the case. I read the book Maria by Maria von Trapp recently and got a different sense of the Sound of Music. Firstly, they did not make millions off of this movie, they gained $9K after she sold her rights to a German film company, prior to Hollywood knocking on her door. Sadly, Hollywood doesn’t care – no surprise there – about taking over someone’s life. Even better when they reap all the rewards and gain 100% profit. Maria had no idea that her families story would generate millions either. They needed money, which was the case for many years before the Trapp Family Lodge began to really take off in Stowe, Vermont.

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M – German Film 1931 – Peter Lorre

What an amazing film to watch, utilizing the young – 27 years old – talents of Peter Lorre (born László Löwenstein) a Hungarian Jew (eventually coming to America). “M” was his second film, so he was just beginning to craft himself into the great actor he would become and you can see it, most especially toward the end in his final scenes. I would like to add, for some people who aren’t aware, that he was posthumously made famous for being a huge part of the song “The Friends of Mr. Cairo,” on the Vangelis soundtrack of the same name. He was an enigma, a unique character actor. A legend.

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In the Mood for Love, A Chinese Masterpiece in Avant Garde

A 2000 film by Wong Kar-Wai, this is a brilliantly directed, choreographed, acted, film with amazing camera work that will have you wondering what is going on. I say the latter because you will want to watch this at least two times to understand what is going on. This was the consensus of my movie group last night. I loved it the first time I watched it, but was confused, as an American, by the names, the characters and all the cameo type scenes. I loved it once I figured out what was going on the first time, and then the second time, being prepared for what was about to take place, I could relax and prepare and enjoy. I have learned with foreign films – trust the director – he knows what he is doing.

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Our Soul’s Mate

Patience is a Virtue, but don’t sit around and wait, patiently for him to return.           

Love, Sweet Passionate Love. An energy, not an emotion, words my professor spoke to me or us in class back in the late 90’s at Antioch University Santa Barbara. I had struggled until recently to begin to understand what this really might mean. We want to believe that love is based on emotions. This is what society tells us.  That it is about sex, fulfilment, desires, needs being met, romance. And yet, every love story comes with a tale of how the two met. It is not a linear photograph. Remembering fondly, “When Harry Met Sally.” These two young adults met right in college; I believe they were driving somewhere together. Over the years, the two of them had a friendship, with husband/wife, break-ups, illness, and they still carried this bond, this fondness. It wasn’t until the very end of the movie that we see this, now older couple getting together, probably in their 30’s.

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Temptation (1946 film) – The Trauma Bond Experience

Last night I went on Youtube to look for something interesting and different to watch. I had no idea I could actually watch an entire film without advertising, while not being a payer. I clicked on the link thinking it was a critic engaging in a discussion of the film and ended up watching this wonderful storyline.

The film stars Merle Oberon who was a British-Asian actress (her Asian heritage was a secret to the audience in that time period). This was my first time to see her in a movie other than Wuthering Heights. In Temptation, a woman named Ruby is looking to strengthen her financial picture, and goes after an Egyptologist, Nigel. She shares her secret ambitions with her doctor, assuming that he must keep this secret. She assumes he does. Her marriage takes her to Egypt, and she leads a very boring life until she meets Mahmoud Baroudi. This is when the trauma bond begins.

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The Worst Person in the World – Norway

I resonated with Julie and the confusion she has as a young woman. The movie doesn’t end with less confusion, just that she has grown a little more as a person. This is normal with foreign films, as only Americans seem to need to be nurtured at the end of the film. I like the foreign way because it is more realistic to me. No one’s life ends with a nurtured ending. It ends with the choices we made and whether we have learned anything from it or not.

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Phantom Thread – Controlling Narcissist and the Trauma Bond

Phantom Thread is a 2017 movie directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis as the Controlling Narcissist (Reynolds), Vicky Krieps as the Victim in his trauma bond (Alma) and Lesley Manville as his sister, and dominant female ally (Cyril). The film is well-done in many respects, showing the trauma bond that is created between perpetrator and victim. However, there are some key moments where I felt that Daniel and Vicky came out of character. One scene was him giggling with her in the bathroom, with bowl on his lap and asking her to kiss him. It didn’t feel real to me. Another scene was when she was telling him about the egg dish and again there seemed to be an odd moment between the actors. I was also confused about how the director brought us into the movie. Was there another woman at the beginning of the film that was his girlfriend (I thought his wife, due to the time period) or was this Vicky’s character and we are later going back in time when he meets her in the next scene? We also hear Alma talking to some guy that we will later learn is Reynolds doctor. It was confusing because we see her (the girlfriend) for a brief moment, get to know the character Reynolds, his sister and then suddenly he is meeting his victim or next one, Alma and says he is not married. I already knew he was a controlling narcissist by now but not sure about the women.

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The Shack – American Movie

Recently, a client of mine raved about this movie that she begged me to watch. Generally, I don’t watch American films as I find them dull and boring. An egotistical showcase for some smarmy actor or actress who is overused, overacting, and not interesting in the least. The storyline often lacks depth and integrity. However, I could see before my eyes, the breakthrough my client had had, in regard to forgiveness and revenge: two topics we had been working on for several weeks. I was captivated by their unyielding dedication and the trailer they showed me in session convinced me.

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