Author Archives: Guy Savage
Manuela Sáenz (2001)
“If you wonder about Bolívar, it’s enough for you to know that I loved him when he was alive, and now that he’s dead, I praise him.” Set in the 19th century, Manuela Sáenz from director Diego Rísquez is the story of … Continue reading
Filed under Venezuela
Happy Happy (2010)
Ok, so the Norwegian film Happy Happy (Sykt Lykkelig) from director Anne Sewistsky may not change your world, but it is an entertaining way to spend 85 minutes–especially if you’re interested to see how climate impacts personal lives. Happy Happy begins with … Continue reading
Bolivar Is Me (2002)
“He’s woven a dangerous thread between fiction and reality.” Jorge Alí Triana’s Columbian film Bolívar Is Me (Bolívar Soy Yo!) is ostensibly a comedy that looks at exactly what happens when an actor loses his grip on reality. But under the surface … Continue reading
The City and The Dogs (1985)
“The first thing you learn in the army is how to be a man, and men smoke and drink, and fuck … but the ones that don’t get caught are the smart ones.” Based on the Mario Vargas Llosa novel, … Continue reading
Filed under militarism, Peruvian
The Blue Angel (1930)
“The films that von Sternberg made with me speak for themselves. There is nothing, and there will be nothing in the future, that could surpass them. Filmmakers are forever condemned to imitate them.” (Marlene Dietrich) Based on the novel by … Continue reading
Filed under German
La Zona (2007)
“When my son grows up , how will I explain why we live behind a wall?” Transport a Shirley Jackson story to modern-day Mexico and you have La Zona, a 2007 film from director Rodrigo Plá. The film opens in … Continue reading
Filed under Mexican
Miss Bala (2011)
Once in a while I come across a film that’s a complete surprise, and that brings me to Miss Bala, a 2011 Mexican film from director Gerardo Naranjo–a film I rented on a whim and which proved to be one of … Continue reading
Caravan (1946)
“You’ll oblige me by keeping her ladyship out of that dirty mind of yours.” Based on a novel by Eleanor Smith, Caravan, a costume drama from Gainsborough Pictures is set in the 19th century and features versatile Stewart Granger at … Continue reading
Filed under British, Period Piece
Love is My Profession (1958)
“You can’t explain happiness.” Based on a Simenon novel, Love is My Profession (1958) aka En Cas de Malheur examines the power of sexuality and the issue of control through the obsessive relationship between a bourgeois French lawyer with a young girl. … Continue reading
Filed under France
When Father was Away on Business (1985)
“Better Russian shit than American cake.” I’m not fond of films that take the child’s point of view, but the Yugoslavian film, When Father Was Away on Business from director Emir Kusturica is excellent for its view of exactly how a child … Continue reading
Filed under Yugoslavia
