Weekly Round-Up (4/20/14 - 4/26/14)

A River Called Titas (Ritwik Ghatak) ***1/2 - I've been wanting to explore director Ritwik Ghatak's filmography after falling completely head over heels for The Cloud Capped Star. I didn't like this QUITE as much as that film but it's still quite an excellent one nevertheless. This is about a fishing village along the titular body of water focusing largely on a woman who was widowed at a very young age (and apparently not allowed to re-marry). It's rather unconventionally structured in that in sometimes flows into certain narrative tangents (much like a river!) but it remains a mostly riveting drama about a specific way of life with a rather surprising somewhat feminist bent on it. Very much recommended.

Nymphomaniac (Lars Von Trier) *** - I debated whether or not I'd review Volume I and Volume II individually or as a whole. I decided to review the entire film as a whole. Like with many Lars Von Trier's works, this film has elements that I admire and elements that are extremely problematic. The first volume is quite strong. It's intriguing, thought provoking and boasts one of if not THE best performance Uma Thurman has ever given (it's my favorite scene in the entire two volumes). Volume II is the more problematic of the two with Lars Von Trier going into his usual tics that made quite a few of his films hard to love. The graphic, in your face sexuality is largely more clinical than particularly erotic. The cast is strong. Even Shia LaBeouf held his own. It's really too bad Volume II didn't live up to the promise of Volume I.

Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola) **** - This is actually a rewatch. I saw this again on Blu-ray. It's still a magnificent film.