Sandy’s Film Reviews
66 Films have been rated or reviewed by Sandy.
All Our Desires (2011)
Relevant to NZ today–people must fight back! Intelligent, fast, gripping despite the grim subject matter. Up–to–date & about much more than the script – love between friends, to children, of partners. Very moving.- DVD $29.95
Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl, The (1993)
- Great doco on a key innovator in movies. Camerawork & movement are all, leaving Hollywood in the shade. Dir. Muller does a great job & the film even resonates with US politics today. Denies closeness w/Hitler & Goebbels, but why would they lie?
Central Station (1998)- A truly great movie, both in content & visually. Brilliantly acted and directed, the result being a real & memorable portrayal of the lives of the vibrant poor of Brazil and the varied landscapes of this vast and diverse country.
A Gun in Each Hand (2012)
Very clever & entertaining. On the insecurity of men. The women certainly come out on top, in every way! 
Open Hearts (Elsker dig for evigt) (2002)- Powerful, well–paced, brilliantly acted. A triumph of hand–held camerawork in the Dogme style, which is explained in the interesting extras. Dogme puts a lot of pressure on the actors, all of whom carry it with great skill & conviction.
- Poster (VG) $12.95
Whistleblower, The (2010)
Bravura performance by Rachel Weisz. Crimes of BlackRock Inc.(given a pseudonym here) well–known and having them more exposed is valuable. US now fights wars using proxies – civilian drone operators, "security" companies like BlackRock, Israel & Ukraine
Gregory's Girl (1981)- Enjoyable today; very funny in a special gentle way. All wonderful characters – I especially liked Gregory's very together little sister, Madeline. Very witty, with a very good plot. Well worth watching. Innocence is timeless.
City of God (Cidade de Deus) (2002)- Brilliant symbolic opening and unrelenting thereafter.rnVery interesting documentary extras.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Lovely to see Kate Winslet in an over–the–top role. Tom Wilkinson is great, too; I especially liked his bright blue tie. But this American comedic style is kinda stupid & hard all at once; no subtlety. A triumph of style over substance. 
Something Wild (1986)- Superior camera work, editing & great music! Immensely entertaining, with a surprise every minute! Great fun and seriously different. Terrific pace & rhythm and a great cure for the blues.
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