‘Movie Corner’ Archives
“I, Daniel Blake”
By Howard McQuitter II “I, Daniel Blake” ***** “I, Daniel Blake” winner of the Palme d”'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016, is another example of director Ken Loach”'s (“Cathy Come Home” ), “Kes “, “Ladybird, Ladybird” [1994) body of work as a master at giving the working-class their due on screen. Daniel Blake (Dave Johns), 59, a widower and carpenter, from Newcastle, England (in northern England) has recently had a heart attack and told by his doctor he should take some time off. Things begin to get much worse when he makes his way to the harsh bureaucratic system. He goes to Jobcentre Plus and finds the people there cannot or will not help in his plight. While waiting there, he meets Katie (Hayley Squires), with two small children, who is getting the shaft too. Security personnel force Katie (and the two children) and Daniel too, out of the office when he stands up for her. Daniel does an act of mercy [...]
“The Truth Beneath” From the 36th Annual Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Festival
“The Truth Beneath” (2016) ***** A scandal may be on the way during an extremely close race that Eui-sung Kim (Noh Jae-soon) wins narrowly over Jong-chan (Ju- hyuk Kim). Just as the elections will go national, Noh Jae- soon and his wife”'s daughter Kim Min-jin (Ji-Hoon Shin) goes missing. Noh Jae-soon tells Yeon-hong (Yeon-jin Son) to wait a day which Yeon-jin Son is appalled by his suggestion. She goes on her own search for her daughter when she runs into lies, secrets and conspiracy theories. Country: South Korea. Running time: 102 minutes. Languages: Korean with English subtitles.Director: Kyoung mi- Lee. Cast. Ye-jin Son (Yeon-hong), Ju-hyuk Kim (Jong-chan), Eui-sung Kim (Noh-Jae-soon). “Everything Else” (2016) *** out of 5 stars Dona Flor (Adriana Barraza) has worked at a government office for 35 years. Dona”'s just doing her job in a perfunctory way finding little enthusiasm on or off the job. She shows weariness in her [...]
Paradise
“Paradise” (2016) ***** A riveting story about a young Russian aristocrat, Olga (Yuliya Vysotskaya), is sent away to a concentration camp where she faces unspeakable circumstances. She has joined the French Resistance to save as many Jews as she can from extermination only to be captured and interrogated for the “crime” of hiding Jewish children. Olga meets a handsome man, Khelmut (Christian Clauss), at an outing in the 1930s.They would meet again only this time the man is an upcoming German SS officer who is even invited to Heinrich Himmer”'s (Viktor Sukhorukov) suite. Khelmut and Olga rekindle their love from the earlier time. To her surprise, he offers her an escape route at the time the Nazis are beginning to realize defeat may be near. However, what seems to be a window of escape becomes more communicated. (Lushly filmed in black and white.) Cast: Yuliya Vysotskaya (Olga), Plilippe Duquesne (Zhyul), Christian Clauss (Khelmut), Jean Deni Romer [...]
