The latest cinema releases

Unpublished article - Jonas Follonier

The latest movie releases have offered a wide range of moods, images, and storylines… Loris S. Musumeci published an article in our November issue very positive review from Stonesickness. Three other films, currently in theaters, are well worth a look.

The sky will have to wait (10/10) – This French drama is, first and foremost, a great work of art: it boasts stunning visuals, talented actors, a flawless screenplay and direction by Marie-Castile Mention, and remarkable music. It is also a timely and universal film: the theme of the Islamist radicalization of young French women (whether Muslim or not) is handled in a deeply moving way. Finally, it’s a film that avoids clichéd political statements, as it draws from these tragedies only a sense of utter bewilderment—magnificently portrayed by Sandrine Bonnaire, Zinedine Soualem, and Clotilde Courau.

My life as a zucchini (9/10) – Don’t be fooled by the title: Courgette is just the name—or rather, the nickname—of the main character in this animated film directed by Claude Barras. It’s a nickname that speaks volumes about the young character’s anguish, having lost his father and accidentally killed his mother. Beyond the touching story centered on a group of orphans, the staff at a special-needs school, and a police officer, the atmosphere of the animated film—which was made «the old-fashioned way» and whose models are on display at the Musée Miniature et Cinéma in Lyon through April 2, 2017—breaks the mold and plunges us (once again) not into our childhood, but in another childhood.

The girl on the train (7/10) – «When you’re on a train, have you ever thought about other people’s lives?» It’s not the best movie I’ve seen in the last few days, but this thriller is a restrained one—neither too scary nor too gory—which is a relief in this day and age when violence is very, too, prevalent. In this American film by Tate Taylor, adapted from a bestseller, ...it’s the poetry of fear that takes over. Sure, the film is bland, but that very blandness keeps the viewer glued to the screen. It draws us into the plot as if we were a pebble in the field of the neighborhood where the action takes place. I will, however, add a caveat regarding the ending, part of which is relatively predictable.

To your theaters!

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