Year: 2019

‘Never Look Away’ compels us to keep watching

Jeff Mitchell

“Never Look Away” – “Hardly anyone likes photos of themselves, but everyone’s supposed to like a painting.” – Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling) “Everything is connected.” – Elisabeth May (Saskia Rosendahl) Writer/director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s feature film “The Lives of Others” (2006) weaves such an absorbing, layered conflict into 1980s East Germany’s acknowledged intrusive culture so well, it topped Guillermo del Toro’s best film “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006) that year and won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2007.  Yes, “The Lives of Others” is that good! After Donnersmarck’s Johnny…

10 Bad-relationship Movies: 1. ‘Fatal Attraction’

Jeff Mitchell

1. “Fatal Attraction” (1987) –  Don’t cheat.  Don’t cheat on your spouse.  Don’t cheat on your spouse, or you’ll find a bunny in a pot.  That was the message delivered to every married man in 1987 in the wild psychological thriller “Fatal Attraction”.  When Dan (Michael Douglas), a married man, has a one-night fling with Alex (Glenn Close), he thought their “relationship” would only last one night, but she wanted more.  Alex becomes relentless which threatens Dan’s insulated world with his daughter and beautiful wife Beth (Anne Archer). In Dan…

10 Bad-relationship Movies: 2. ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’

Jeff Mitchell

2.  “Kramer vs. Kramer” – This Dustin Hoffman/Meryl Streep vehicle is an outstanding American movie – that garnered five Oscars wins, including Best Picture – about a not-so-great American pastime: divorce. On an ordinary day, Joanna Kramer (Streep) simply packs up her suitcase and says good-bye to her husband Ted (Hoffman) right after he gets home from work.  She explains (later) that she lost her self-esteem, was unhappy in their marriage and didn’t feel worthy to mother their son Billy (Justin Henry). On the day of reckoning – while standing…